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HISTORY
OF
Buchanan County
IOWA
And Its People
ILLUSTRATED
VOLUME II
CHICAGO
THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY
1914
TEEXSW YORK
PUBLIC LIBPiAIlY
997701!
ASTGH, LENOX AND
TILDUJ 1 .L'NUATlONS
B 1»41 L
BIOGRAPHICAL
RICHARD CAMPBELL.
Richard Campbell, deceased, was the founder and first president of the First
National Bank at Independence and was a citizen who throughout his entire life
commanded and received the high regard, confidence and good-will of all with
whom he came in contact. His death, therefore, was deeply regretted when, on
the 26th of ^larch, 1901, he passed away. He was then in the seventy-fourth
year of his age, his birth having occurred at Fort Brewerton, New York, on
the 3d of August, 1827. His parents, John and Sarah (Wilson) Campbell, were
probably natives of the same state and were of Scotch descent.
Richard Campbell was one of a family of ten children, but all have now
passed away. He attended school in New York and when a youth of about
fifteen years began working for others in the Empire state, residing in Chit-
tenango. In the year 1856 he came with his brother, John Campbell, to Iowa.
They made their way westward by rail to Dubuque and thence by wagon to
Independence. They hauled the lumber from Dubuque to build their home and
became actively identified with the material development and progress of this
part of the state. Following his arrival Richard Campbell began loaning money
and later conducted the First National Bank, of which he became the first
president, so continuing to the time of his death. He established it upon a safe
conservative basis and made it one of the strong financial institutions of Iowa.
Mr. Campbell was also connected with the street railway and at one time owned
the Gedney Hotel. He was likewise associated with other business enterprises
and at all times was actuated by a spirit of progress and improvement that
benefited the city and county as well as advanced his individual interests.
As he prospered in his undertakings he made judicious investments in real
estate and became the owner of a number of valuable farms in Buchanan county
and also considerable business and residence property in Independence, from
which he derived a substantial annual income.
Mr. Campbell was twice married and by the first union had a son, Richard
Mabie, a capitalist of Independence, who is now living retired. On the 11th
of February, 1874, Mr. Campbell was again married, his second union being
with Miss Susan Potter Smith, who was born in New London, Connecticut,
a daughter of Sabin and Susan Childs (Potter) Smith, who were also natives
of New London, born in 1819 and 1821 respectively. The father followed
merchandising in Connecticut in early life and afterward removed to New
York. Subsequently he became a resident of Boston and still later went to
Chicago, where he lived until a few years prior to his death, which occurred
5
6 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
on the 29th of November, 1907. He had long survived his wife, who died
August 7, 1871. Mrs. Campbell was the third in order of birth in their family
of five children and by her marriage became the mother of four children. The
eldest, Alonzo, resides at the old home in Independence. He is the owner of
several farms and is also proprietor of an implement, wagon and buggy business
and a creamery. He operates his farms with the aid of tenants. Anna, the
second of the family, died in 1901, at the age of twenty-three years. Lillian
died in infancy. Doris Eleanor resides with her mother. For three years
after her husband's death Mrs. Campbell resided in Dubuque, but returned to
Independence to take up her permanent abode here, being the owner of one
of the well appointed homes of the city. —
In his political views Mr. Campbell was a republican and kept well informed
on the political situation of the country but never sought nor desired office.
From the period of his early identification with the west he was closely asso-
ciated with the material progress and upbuilding of Buchanan county and his
worth as a man and citizen is widely acknowledged. He possessed many sterling
traits of character, which won for him high regard and secured for him the
friendship of those with whom he came in contact.
HON. MERRITT W. IIAR.MOX.
Hon. Merritt W. Harmon, lawyer and lawmaker, who has been prominently
connected with public affairs in Buchanan county not only as a member of the
bar and as representative of his district in the state senate but also in connection
with business affairs which have to do with the sulistantial upbuilding and
progress of the community, was born in Seneca county. Ohio. June 25, 1844, a
son of Merritt and Minerva (Walker) Harmon. The father's birth occurred in
Vermont, March 25, 1797, and the mother was born in Warsaw, New York, March
^0,.1810. In early manhood Merritt Harmon, Sr., went to western New York,
but afterward returned to Vermont to attend college and when twenty-eight
or thirty years of age he entered the ministry of the Presbyterian church. Going
again to the Empire state, he was there married and afterward removed to
Seneca county, Ohio, where he continued in the work of the ministry. He
preached until ninety-four years of age. About 1848 he removed to Lansing,
Michigan, where he resided until February, 1855, when he brought his family
to Iowa, residing at Cascade, Dubucjue county, until 1856. He was afterward
located at Ilopkinton, Delaware county, where he spent his remaining days,
his death occurring in April, 1892, while his wife survived until June, 1895.
During the latter part of the War of 1812 he was on active military duty with
the Vermont state troops and his father was a captain in the array,
INIerritt W. Harmon of this review was the third in order of birth in a
family of five children. He first attended school in ]\Iichigan and afterward
continued his education in Dubuque county, Iowa. Still later he attended the
Hopkinton (la.) College, which was established in the fall of 1859. !Mr. Harmon
was among its first students, spending two years there, or until the spring
of 1862, In July of that year he joined the Twenty-first Iowa Infantry as a
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 7
private and was made sergeant of Company K. He lacked but two days of
serving three years and although he was often in the thickest of the fight and
was exposed to all kinds of dangers and hardships he was never wounded nor
was he confined in the hospital by illness. He participated in the siege of Vieks-
burg in 1863 and in the siege of Mobile in 1864:-5. He Avas mustered out at
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on the 15th of July of the latter year and returned to
Iowa with a most creditable military record, having proven his valor and loyalty
on many a southern battlefield. Soon afterward he again went to the south in
the employ of the Mobile & Ohio Railroad Company, spending one year in
Mobile, Alabama.
On the 18th of November. 1866, Mr. Harmon arrived in Buchanan county,
Iowa, and for two years thereafter engaged in teaching school. He then became
deputy postmaster of Independence, in 1868, which position he filled for two
years, and was admitted to the bar in November, 1869. He entered upon the
practice of law in Independence, forming a partnership with Colonel Jed Lake
on the 11th of July, 1870. For more than a third of a century this partnership
was continued and was terminated only in the death of Mr. Lake on the 11th of
June, 1914. They engaged in the general practice of law and the firm sustained
a most enviable reputation. In his practice Mr. Harmon prepares his cases with
great thoroughness and care and seems ever ready for not only attack but also
for defense. His ability is manifest in his clear and cogent reasoning, in his
logical deductions and in his correct application of legal principles. It is a well
recognized fact that the lawyer is more often called to public office than any
other class of men and the reason for this is obvious, for the preparation which
qualified him for the bar also prepares him in large measure for other duties,
enabling him readily to analyze and understand a situation. It was but natural,
therefore, that Mr. Harmon was called to public office, being elected a member
of the state senate in 1875, in which connection he did able service in safeguard-
ing and promoting the best interests of the commonwealth. He was on the ways
and means committee for eight years. Governor Larrabee being chairman, and
was chairman of the judiciary and military committees. He was also on the
committee on penitentiaries and other minor committees. He has filled various
local offices, including tliat of member of the school board for ten years and has
been a member of the public librarv board for thirtv vears or more.
Aside from his practice Mr. Harmon is a director of the First National Bank
of Independence and at different times has been connected with other business
affairs, but has severed his connection therewith in order to concentrate his
efforts upon his law practice.
On the 24th of December, 1872, ]\Ir. Harmon was married to Miss Maria
Carter, a native of Ohio, as were her parents, Samuel G. and 'Slary (Houk)
Carter, who came to Iowa about 1861, settling in Buchanan county, where her
father followed the occupation of farming and spent his entire life, removing
to Independence upon retiring from farm life. To Mr. and Mrs. Harmon have
been born two children: Ray C, an electrical and mechanical engineer residing
in Des Moines ; and Jessamine, at home.
In Masonry ]\Ir. Harmon has taken the degrees of the lodge, chapter and
council. He belongs to E. C. Little Post, No. 54, G. A. R., and thus maintains
pleasant relations with his old army comrades. He is a member of the Presby-
terian church and guides his life by its principles. He owns considerable city
8 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
property in Independence and this is the tangible evidence of a well spent life,
in which devotion to his profession and careful management of other business
affairs have brought their merited reward. His record is that of a man who
has ever been faultless in honor, fearless in conduct and stainless in reputation.
COLONEL JED LAKE.
The number of those surviving who were in reality pioneers in the state and
who, through unremitting toil and the brave endurance of hardships, took posses-
sion of the wild prairies years ago in the name of civilization, whether as
farmers, professional men or merchants, is fast decreasing, but the memory of
their heroic live.s will remain as a stimulus to endeavor as long as the great
state which they founded endures. Colonel Jed Lake, who passed away at
Independence on the 7th of June, 1914, was a man who, coming to this country
in the early days, suffered the discomforts of pioneer life and also knew the
stern pleasure that comes from persevering in a worthy work and from perform-
ing faithfully- a duty. He was one of the first attorneys of the county and rose
to a position of leadership at the local bar, which he retained until the infirmities
of age compelled him to largely retire from practice.
His birth occurred in Cortland county. New York, on the 18th of November,
1830, and his parents were Jedediah and Patience (Church) Lake. The father
was born in 1798, in Montgomery county. New York, a son of Henry Lake, who
served under General George Washington in the Revolutionary war, enlisting
when a boy of seventeen years and serving for four years. In 1822 Jedediah
Lake settled in Virgil, Cortland county. New York, and there his marriage to
Miss Church occurred. She was a native of Windsor, Vermont, and by her
marriage became the mother of four children, of whom the subject of this
review was the third in order of birtli. The fatlier died when the Colonel was
but three years of age, leaving the mother with four children, the eldest of whom
was but seven years old.
Colonel Lake attended the common schools in the acquirement of an educa-
tion, and worked at whatever he could find to do in order to partly provide for
his own sup])ort. At one time he drove a team on the Erie canal for thirteen
dollars a month and as soon as he had received sufficient education he engaged in
teaching scliool. He also worked as a farm hand for .some time and as he was
determined to continue his studies he lived as economically as possible and
saved his earnings and in this way accunuilated a sufficient sum to enable him
to attend the New York Central College at McGraw, New York. While a student
there he worked in his spare time and thus paid part of his expenses. He later
attended Homer Academy, taking an advanced course in mathematics, but as
his health had inirtially failed he left school and turned his attention to outdoor
work.
In 1855, when a young man of twenty-five. Colonel Lake canu' to Buchanan
county and for two years woi-ked upon a farm in Buffalo township but at the
end of that time came to Independence and began the study of law. He was
admitted to the bar in the spring of 1859 and immediately entered upon practice.
PUBLIC LI
u
_J
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY H
In 1861 he was elected to the state legislature and served in the session when that
body pledged the support of Iowa to the preservation of the Union. His service
to his country in its time of need did not end there, as in the summer of 1862 he
enlisted in Company H, Twenty-seventh Iowa Infantry, was elected lieutenant
of his company and soon after appointed by Governor Kirkwood as lieutenant
colonel of the regiment, which soon after its organization was sent to Minnesota
to protect the frontier settlements against the Indians. When the danger from
that quarter had been averted the command was ordered south and took an
active part in the war until the close of hostilities. During much of the time
Colonel Lake was in command of his regiment and proved a gallant and faithful
officer.
Upon his return from the war he resumed the practice of his profession and
in July, 1870, formed a partnership with M. W. Harmon, which was continued
with mutual pleasure and profit until it was severed by death. In 1878 the firm
of Lake & Harmon was retained to defend a large number of actions brought
against residents of Iowa by the owners of a patent known as the "driven well"
patent. These suits were brought in the circuit court of the United States for
the district of Iowa, the defendants in most cases being farmers, who were sued
for royalties claimed by the owners of the patent. Colonel Lake took charge of
the defense in this extensive litigation and the trial in the federal court in Iowa
resulted in victory for the defendants. The plaintiffs appealed to the supreme
court of the United States, which confirmed the decision of the lower court.
This litigation lasted nine years and was of national importance as hundreds
of people had been sued in similar actions in man^' other states. The Colonel
was a man of great natural vigor of mind and his thorough training coupled
with his long and varied experience enabled him to use his mental powers to
the best advantage. The clarity and incisive qualities of his intellect enabled
him to seize upon the vital point in any matter and to present his arguments
with great lucidity, while the force of his personality made his presentation of
his case impressive and attention compelling. Hiii practice was large and im-
portant and his colleagues in the profession recognized him as their leader and
often sought his advice.
Colonel Lake never held any office of profit but faithfully served the public
in many official positions. For six years he was city councilman, for seven
years a member of the board of education, for two years he was on the board of
supervisors, for eight years he was a trustee for the Iowa Hospital for the Insane,
at Independence, for fifteen years one of the commissioners of insanity for
Buchanan county, and he served as a member of the board of commissioners
appointed by the governor to construct a hospital for the insane at Cherokee.
Colonel Lake was appointed a commissioner to value a large tract of land in
Mendocino county, California, an Indian reservation, which required about seven
montlLs of work. When Perry Munson told Colonel Lake of his intention to erect
a building for the use of an industrial training school and other purposes and also
informed him that he was unable to find a suitable location, the Colonel at once
offered a part of his home property for that purpose and donated the site for
the school. The location is one of the most convenient that could have been
found and the public owes much to the Colonel for thus making manual training
a possibility. He was named as one of the trustees of the property and until
12 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
his death served in that capacity and was always untiring in his efforts to
advance the interests of the institution. His last appearance in court was m an
action to maintain the rights of the public to the school property. In many
other ways he manifested an unusual public spirit, being willing to make per-
sonal sacrifices in order to advance the community welfare. As an instance of
this spirit those who were living in Independence in 1875 may recall that at
that time when the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern Railroad Company
proposed to construct its Decorah division through Independence Colonel Lake
gave the enterprise his earnest support and at a time during a financial stringency
when failure seemed imminent, he and Dr. Bryant personally guaranteed the
grading of several miles of the road, thereby securing it for the town. He was
a director and attorney for the First National Bank of Independence and also
a director and chairman of the executive committee of the Independence Mill
Company as well as its local representative.
Colonel Lake was married January 2, 1861, to Miss Sarah E. ^Meyer, who
was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. January 2, 1842, a daughter of
Henry and Isadora (Sullivan) ]\leyer. Ilcr fatli-r was born near Hamburg,
Germany, and was married in 1835 in London, England, to Miss Sullivan,
a native of that city, and they soon afterward emigrated to the United States.
After an ocean voyage of seven weeks they landed in America and made their
way to Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, where they settled. The father farmed
there for some time and then removed with his family to Rockford. Illinois,
where they remained until 1855, in which year Ihey came by wagon to this
county and the father entered government land in Byron township. He im-
proved the same and operated it until his death, at .seventy-six years of age.
His wife died when sixty-five years old. To their union were born twelve
children, six of whom grew to maturity. -Mrs. Lake was only a child when she
accompanied her parents to this county and here she grew to womanhood and
attended school. By her marriage she became the mother of three children.
Rush C, an attorney in Kan.sas City, Missouri, is quite prominent in city politics
and a leader in his profession. Jarvis N. died in infancy. Harriet I., the
only daughter, resides with her mother. She is very active in women's clubs,
having served as regent for Iowa of the Daughters of the American Revolution,
and is also well known in the Colonial Dames.
Mrs. Lake is one of the few pioneer women now living and is known through-
out the city for her good deeds as she has done much to aid the sick and poor,
and her sincere sympathy for those in trouble has made her ministrations wel-
come and acceptable. She is a quiet, unassuming woman but has great strength
of character and also much practical business ability. She was for sixteen
years president of the Ladies' Poor Relief Society and has since been made an
honorary life member of the same. At the time of the Civil war, when her
husband enlisted for service, their eldest child was an infant and she went
to the home of her parents and while living there saved the money which the
Colonel sent her and with it purchased a farm, which proved an excellent invest-
ment. She has many friends, who liold her in affectionate regard, and her long
and useful life and womanly ciualities command the respect of the community.
She proved in all respects a worthy helpmate to Colonel Lake and was always
in sympathy with his undertakings and aided him in his work in many ways.
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 13
He was foremost in any movement that promised to advance the interests of
Independence and the city owes much to him. His great-hearted and broad-
minded personality commanded the respect of those who at times differed with
him in their judgment as to the best course to pursue in a given matter and
those to whom he gave his friendship prized highly his regard and favorable
opinion. His personal appearance fitted well with his character, as he was a
man of large frame, well proportioned and of great physical strength. His
demise, which occurred June 7, 1914, was the occasion of much sincere sorrow
throughout the county and the influence of his life is potent in making for true
manhood and unselfish public service.
JOHN BURNS.
A farm of three hundred and twenty acres in Washington township pays
tribute to the care and labor of John Burns, who is giving his personal super-
vision to the management and cultivation of the place. He was born in County
Armagh, Ireland, March 16, 1842, and is the eldest in a family of eight children,
the others being daughters. His parents were James and ]\Iary (Bums) Burns,
both natives of Ireland. They were married in the Emerald isle and when
their son John was a youth of sixteen years they sailed for the new world. Land-
ing at New York, they made their way direct to Buchanan county, traveling
westward by way of Dubuque. From that point they continued on the journey
by stage, for there were no railroads in the county at that time. The father
purchased land near Quasqueton and the early home of the family in this county
was a log cabin. Both ]\Ir. and Mrs. Bums held membership in the Roman
Catholic church and died in that faith, the former in 1894 and the latter in 1884.
John Burns, whose name introduces this record, acquired his early educa-
tion in the country schools of his native land. As stated, he accompanied his
parents to the new world when a youth of sixteen and for several years there-
after aided his father in the cultivation and development of the home place.
When twenty-one years of age he started out independently, working as a farm
hand, and was thus employed for eight years. He then began farming on his
own account, having purchased land near the depot in Independence for seven
dollars and a half per acre. He took up his abode upon a farm five and a lialf
miles north of the city and has lived upon this place for over forty years. He
now owns three hundred and twenty acres, all of which he is cultivating himself,
and he is today well known as a successful general farmer and stockman, care-
fully and systematically directing his efforts and winning thereby a well merited
success.
On the 3d of April, 1877, ^Ir. Burns was united in marriage to Miss Mary
Glynn, who was born in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1857, a daughter of Joseph
and Bridget (Marnhan) Glynn, both of whom were natives of County Clare,
Ireland. The father died in 1859 and the mother afterward became the wife of
Pat CuUin, her home being now in Buchanan county, Byron township. Unto
Mr. and Mrs. Burns have been born ten children : ]\Iary, the deceased wife of
Pat Brickley, of Hartford, Illinois, by whom she had three children, Mabel. Leo
14 HISTORY OP BUCHANAN COUNTY
and John; James, a drayman of Deeorah, Iowa, now thirty-five years of age;
Sarah, the wife of James McDonald, who resides upon a farm west of Inde-
pendence and b}^ whom she has six children, Edward, Joseph, Alfred, Lawrence,
Richard and Mary; John F., thirty years of age, who owns a farm in this
county and is married and has two children, Mary and Loretta ; Edward, twenty-
eight years of age, living at home; Margaret, twenty-five years of age, Avho
attended the Cedar Falls Normal School and was a school teacher prior to her
marriage to John Ferreton, who follows farming near Independence ; William,
twenty-three years of age, also at home and now serving as a school director;
Alice, twenty years of age, who has taught for two years in the country schools ;
Mabel, eighteen years of age, also a school teacher ; and Leo, a youth of sixteen
years, who completes the family.
At the time of the Civil war John Burns enlisted for service as a teamster
in the Twentv-seventh Iowa Infantrv and was on dutv for about nine months.
His political allegiance is given to the democratic party, and he has filled some
local township offices. The religious faith of himself and family is that of the
Catholic church and they attend St. John's church at Independence. Iowa. From
the age of sixteen years he has resided continuously in Buchanan county and
has, therefore, witnessed much of its growth and development through a period
of more than a half centurv.
PETER C. THEDENS.
Peter C. Tliedcns is a sclf-inade man and an analyzation of his life record
shows that industry and perseverance have been salient features in his career
in the attainment of the success which has made hira one of the ])rosperous
farmers of Homer townshi]). where he owns two hundred and eighty-seven acres
of good land situated on s<H'tion 12 and 14. Ills residence stands on the latter
section and nearby are good barns and outbuildings for the shelter of grain and
stock. These in turn are surrounded by well tilled fields and in harvest season
the farm is indeed a busy place. Mr. Thedens was born in Germany, October
22, 1864. a son of John and ]\Iaggie (Reimers) Thedens, who were also natives
of that i-ouutry. The father was a farmer by occupation and followed that pur-
suit in his native country until 1883, when, attracted by the opportunities of
the new world, he crossed the Atlantic and made his way to Ford county, Illi-
nois, where he carried on general farming throughout the remainder of his days.
He died January 21. 1913. haviug long survived his wife, who passed away on
the 8th of Max. 1887.
Peter ( -. Thedens spent his youthful days in the fatherland and acquired his
education in the public scliools there. When eighteen years of age lie accom-
panied his parents to the United States and remained with tliem until he had
attained his majority, at which time he started out in life on his own account.
He rented land in McLean county and there carried on general farming for
eleven years, after which he came to Buchanan county, Iowa, and purchased one
hundred and seventy-five acres on section 14. Homer township. He at once
began to bring tlie fields to a high state of cultivation and lias since systematically
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 15
and energetically carried on the farm work. The rich crops which have rewarded
his labors have enabled him to add to his land from time to time until he is
now the owner of two hundred and eighty-seven acres constituting a valuable
property, of which one hundred and twelve acres is in section 12, Homer town-
ship, and the remainder in section 14. The place is lacking in none of the
equipments of the model farm.
On the 27th of February, 1892, Mr. Thedens was united in marriage to Miss
Annie Schleeter, a daughter of John and Annie (Straw) Schleeter, who were
natives of Germany and came to the United States in 1867. Making their way
into the interior of the country, they settled in McLean county, where Mr.
Schleeter purchased land and carried on farming until his life's labors were
ended in death on the 25th of March, 1910. The mother passed away June 14,
1899. To Mr. and Mrs. Thedens have been born ten children, namely: Rose
and Frank, who are twenty-two and twenty years of age respectively ; Rudolph,
who died in February, 1896, when but ten months old ; Hulda, who has reached
the age of sixteen years; Edward, a youth of fourteen; Anna, who is twelve
years old: and George, Anthony, Ida and Francis, who are nine, seven, five
and two years of age respectively.
Politically Mr. Thedens is a republican and is now serving as a township
trustee, which office he has filled for four years. He belongs to the Masonic
fraternity and in his life exemplifies its beneficent teachings concerning the
brotherhood of man. He is also connected with the Eastern Star chapter at
Rowlev, while his religious faith is that of the Presbyterian church. High and
honorable principles have guided him in all of his relations and in his daily
conduct he deviates not from the high standards which are set up as guiding
posts on life's journey. In the years of his residence in this county he has
become widely and favorably known and has a large circle of warm friends here.
WILLIAM H. HERMANN.
William H. Hermann, the owner of a farm of one hundred and sixty acres
on section 28, Newton township, was born in Dubuque county, Iowa, in March,
1869. His parents were Phillip and Anna (Launspach) Hermann, both of
whom were natives of Germany, the former born in Hesse-Darmstadt on the
15th of June, 1829. Phillip Hermann emigrated to the United States in an
early day, locating in Pennsylvania, and in that state worked in the coal mines
for some time. He afterward removed to Dubuque county, Iowa, where he
purchased and improved a tract of land which he cultivated. He then came to
Buchanan county and bought and developed property in Newton township, where
he carried on agricultural pursuits for many years. After disposing of that
place he made his way to Louisiana but at the end of two years' residence in that
state returned to Iowa, taking up his abode in Iowa City, Johnson county,
where he spent the remainder of his life. His demise occurred on the 16th of
April, 1902, while his wife was called to her final rest in the year 1889.
William H. Hermann was reared and educated in Dubuque and Buchanan
counties and completed his studies at Vinton, in Benton county, Iowa. He
16 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
remained under the parental roof until twenty-three years of age and then
started out as an agriculturist on his own account, cultivating rented land for
five years. On the expiration of that period he purchased one hundred and
twenty acres of land on section 28, Newton township, improved the place and
subsequently bought a forty-acre tract adjoining, so that his farm now einliraces
one hundred and sixty acres. He raises both grain and stock, making a specialty
of high grade Durham cattle, and in both branches of his business has met with
gratifying success. He is a stockholder in the Farmers Elevator Company of
Walker, Iowa, and the Farmers Land Company of Waterloo, this state.
In March, 1893, ^Ir. Hermann was united in marriage to Miss Anna Reece, a
daughter of David and Anna (Connor) Reece, who were natives of Ohio and
New Jersey respectively. In 1851 the father took up his abode in Linn county,
Iowa, where he secured a tract of government land which he cultivated through-
out the remainder of his life. He pasvsed away in January, 1914, and his wife
died the following day, so that the remains of both were interred in the same
grave. Mr. and Mrs. Hermann have five children, as follows: Carl E., who is
nineteen years of age; Claude I., a youth of seventeen; Nerval C, who is four-
teen years old ; and Nellie V. and Elma P., who are twelve and six years of
age respectively.
Mr. Hermann gives his political allegiance to the republican party and now
holds the office of trustee, having served in that capacity for four years. Fra-
ternally he is identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the
Modern Brotherhood of America at Troy Mills, Iowa, while his religious faith
is indicated by his membership in the Metliodist church. He is a man of high
purpose and honorable principles, and during tlie long period of his residence in
Buchanan county has won a large circle of warm friends who hold him in high
esteem and regard.
ROBERT R. PLANE.
While many years have come and gone since Robert R. Plane was called
from this life, he is yet well remembered by those who knew him while he was
still a factor in the world's work and who recognized in him the possession of
those qualities which characterize honorable manhood and progressive citizenship.
He was a pioneer hardware merchant of Independence and contributed much to
the early commercial development of that city.
His birth occurred in England in June, 1829, and when he was seven years
of age he came to the United States with his parents, who settled in New York
state, where they remained for three years. They then journeyed across the
country by team and took up their abode upon a farm in Illinois. Through the
period of liis early youth Robert R. Plane was acquiring an education or receiv-
ing thorough home training in the work of the fields. When he was seventeen
years of age his father gave him his time and, entering the employ of a merchant
at a salary of twelve dollars per month, he engaged in hauling the goods from
Chicago and in assisting in making sales in the store. The following year his
wage was increased to thirteen dollars per month. He remained in that connec-
aaor^
,■;•-•., I
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 19
tion for several years, during which time he carefully and economically saved
his earnings. He then purchased land and about the same time he entered the
employ of a brother who was engaged in the hardware business at Belvidere,
Illinois, acting as a clerk there until 1853. In that year he sold his Illinois
land, purchased a team and a stock of hardware and drove across the country
to Independence, Iowa. The following year he returned to Illinois and was
married, after which he brought his bride to his new Iowa home.
Mr. Plane wedded Emaline Ryder, of Illinois, who died in Independence in
early womanhood, leaving four children : I. C, who is now conducting the hard-
ware business established by his father; Elmer and Ida, both deceased; and
Purling J., who is a traveling salesman in the hardware trade, his territory
being northwestern Iowa. In 1882 Mr. Plane was again married, his second
union being with Miss Julia L. Kinney, a native of New York, who arrived in
Iowa in the spring of 1869 in company with i\Iiss I. S. Tame, with whom she
engaged in the millinery and fancy goods business. She continued in that con-
nection for several years and then became the wife of Mr. Plane. She reared
the younger son of her husband 's first marriage, who was only five years of age
when Mrs. Plane entered the home. He was a delicate little fellow whom she
soon learned to love as a mother. She ever called him her boy and the deepest
affection has always existed between the two.
Mr. Plane from the time of his early arrival in Independence continued in
the liardware business until his later life, when he sold his hardware stock to
his son, thus retiring about a year prior to his death. He left the store building,
his residence and a good farm of two hundred and forty acres to his widow.
At the time of the great fire in Independence his store was destroyed and he lost
everything, but with unfaltering energy and courage he set to work to retrieve
his possessions and in the course of years became a prosperous merchant.
Mr. Plane was a republican in his political views but never desired to hold
office. He devoted his life to his business and his home and was a most loving
and considerate husband and father. He died in 1895, in the faith of the
iMethodist Episcopal church, of which he was an active, helpful and consistent
member. ]\Irs. Plane also belongs to that church and has led an earnest Christian
life. She is now seventy-five years of age. She has possessed many accomplish-
ments, including that of painting, and in her younger days she did notably fine
fancy work. Since the spring of 1869 she has lived in Buchanan county and is
today one of the best known among the older residents of Independence, enjoying
the high esteem of all with whom she has been brought in contact.
STEWART BEATTY.
Stewart Beatty, residing in Rowley, is a retired farmer and merchant whose
business enterprise and activity brought him in the course of years a well earned
and well merited success. He was born in Jones county. Iowa, May 27, 1854, a
son of James and Grace (Stewart) Beatty, who were natives of Ireland. The
father came to America in 1834, when sixteen years of age, settling first in Phila-
20 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
delphia, where he learned the machinist's trade, which he there followed until
1849. In that year he sought the opportunities of the growing west, making his
way to Cascade, Iowa, where he purchased forty acres of land from the govern-
ment at a dollar and a quarter per acre, casting in his lot with the pioneer
settlers of that region. With characteristic energy he began the development of
the farm and continued the improvement and cultivation of the place until
1876, when he came to Buchanan county and invested in seventy-two acres
of land in Sumner township. Later he purchased one hundred and eighty acres
and still later an additional tract of eighty acres, making in all three hundred
and thirty-two acres. He bent his energies to the development of the fields and
throughout his remaining days gave his attention to his farm, which became one
of the valuable properties of the district. At the time of the Civil war he
responded to the country's call for troops, enlisting as a member of Company I,
Twenty-first Iowa Infantry, with which he served for one year, when he was
honorably discharged on account of disability. He died on the 19th of ]\Iarch,
1893, having for but a few months survived his wife, who passed away in No-
vember, 1892.
Stewart Beatty was reared and educated in Dubuque county, Iowa, remain-
ing with his parents until seventeen years of age, when he started out in life
to earn his living as a farm hand. After being thus employed for two years he
went to Cascade, where he learned the shoemaker's trade and then came to Inde-
pendence, where he followed shoemaking for a year. At the end of that time,
however, he resumed agricultural jnireuits, renting land in Homer township
which he developed for eight years. He carefully saved his earnings during
that period, so that at the end of the time he was able to purchase sixty acres
in Homer township. This he at once began to improve and after selling that
property five years later he became the owner of another farm of one hundred
and twenty acres in Homer township, near Rowley. This he also developed and
improved, continuing its cultivation until September, 1904, when he rented his
farm and took up his abode in Rowley, where he purchased a general store
which he conducted for three years. He then retired from active business and
has since enjoyed a well earned rest. In the meantime he has made extensive
investments in town property and the supervision of his realty interests keeps
him pleasantly busy, while his holdings return to him a very gratifying annual
income.
On the nth of April, 1883, I\Ir. Beatty was united in marriage to Miss May
H. Davis, a daughter of Thomas and Abigal (Hayes) Davis, th^ former a
native of England and the latter of New York. Her father was a farmer in
England and after coming to America in 1841 learned the stonemason's trade
in Quebec. Subsequently he removed to Albany, New York, and in 1857 made
his way westward to Illinois, where he worked at his trade aiul also followed
farming. Later he returned to New York state and in 1865 came to Iowa, pur-
chasing land in Homer township. Buchanan county. His time was then given
to the cultivation of his farm until liis death, which occurred on the 1st of
November, 1896. His wife survived him for about six years, passing away in
June, 1902. Mr. and Mrs. Beatty are the parents of a son, LeRoy Henry, now
a real-estate dealer of Rowley, who was married in December, 1906, to Miss Eva
Hand, a daughter of M. E. and Sarah Hand. Mr. and ]\Irs. LeRoy H. Beatty
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 21
have become the parents of a son, Kenneth Clark, who Avas bom in November,
1909, and is a great favorite with his grandparents.
Mr. Beatty gives his political allegiance to the republican party and has
been called to local office, serving for four years as assessor of Homer township.
He belongs to Holman Lodge, No. 593, A. F. & A. M., of Rowley, and is also
connected with the Eastern Star. His religious faith is that of the Methodist
Episcopal church, and he is serving as chairman of its board of trustees and is
also chairman and treasurer of the cemetery association of Rowley. His interest
in matters relating to the welfare and upbuilding of the community is deep and
sincere and has been manifest in many tangible ways. He has been a lifelong
resident of Iowa, and while he now ranks among the more prosperous citizens
of Rowley and Buchanan county, his success is attributable entirely to his own
efforts. He has worked diligently and persistently as the years have gone by
and has made judicious investments in property, so that he is today one of the
substantial residents of Buchanan county. Moreover, he has for many years
lived in this part of the state and is largely familiar with its history, being an
interested witness of events which have left their impress upon the development,
growth and material improvement of the county.
MILTON A. SMITH.
Among the able members of the Independence bar and one of the native
sons of the city is Milton A. Smith, who was born on the 19th of January, 1867,
a son of Alexander and Electa (Young) Smith. The father was born at Lang-
ford, Berkshire, England, on the 20th of February, 1820, and the mother's birth
occurred at Fort Ann, Washington county. New York, on the 25th of September,
1837. In early life the father engaged in business in connection with the over-
land stage freight and passenger line antedating the period of railroad building.
He had come to America with his parents in the year 1830, the family home
being established in New York, and later a removal was made to Michigan,
where his father died. When sixteen years of age Alexander Smith left home
and was residing in Chicago at the time he attained his majority. He removed
from that city to Iowa, settling in Independence, and until the completion of
the railroad to this point was connected with a stage line. Subsequently he
turned his attention to farming, alhough he continued to reside in the city,
where he made his home to the time of his death, which occurred on the 1st of
January, 1892. His widow resides in Independence in a house which he erected
in 1857. They were indeed among the pioneer residents of the city, taking up
their abode here when Independence was a small town and when the county was
but sparsely settled. With its development and growth i\Ir. Smith was actively
identified and at all times cooperated heartily in movements for the general
good.
Milton A. Smith is the only survivor in a family of four children, the other
three having died in infancy. He attended the public schools of Independence
until graduated from the high school and afterward entered the Northwestern
University as a law student, completing his course in that institution with the
22- HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
class of 1899. His first step in the business world, however, was not in the path
of his present profession, for when eighteen years of age he was employed in the
engineering department of the railroad companies, spending three or four years
in that way. He was with the Illinois Central for one season in western Iowa
and for one year was with the Chicago, St. Lonis & Padueah Railroad, now the
Southern Illinois & Kentucky. He afterward became associate editor of the
American Trotter, a paper which was owned by Mr. Williams, and after three
years spent in that connection he went to Chicago, where he attended law school
for about three years or from 1896 until 1899. Following his graduation he
returned to Independence and entered upon active practice in October of the
latter year. On the 1st of June, 1900, he entered into partnership with L. F.
Springer for the general practice of law. That relationship was maintained
for about twelve years or until physical disability caused ^Ir. Springer's retire-
ment from the firm in 1912. Since that time Mr. Smith has practiced alone
and is accorded a liberal clientage that connects him with much important litiga-
tion heard in the courts of the district. He is one of the directors of the First
National Bank of Independence and is also one of the landowners of Buchanan
county.
On the 16th of April, 1895, ^Ir. Smith was united in marriage to Miss Ida
Cooper, who was born near Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, a daughter of Sylvanus
Cooper, who was a farmer ow^ling a tract of land in Pennsylvania that has
been in possession of the family for one hundred and sixteen years, Mrs. Smith's
grandfather having entered it from the government in 1798. To Mr. and Mrs.
Smith has been born one child, ^Marion II., whost^ l)irth occurred September 15,
1900, and who is now attending school.
In his political views ^Ir. Smith is a stalwart republican and for four years
filled the office of county attorney. He is now serving for the fifth year as a
member of the school board and the cause of public education finds in him a
stalwart champion. He belongs to the blue lodge of Masons, to the Knights of
Pythias fraternity and to the Golf and Country' Clubs. His has been a well
spent life and in a profession where advancement depends entirely upon indi-
vidual merit and ability he has steadily worked his way upward until he now
occupies an enviable position.
OREN M. GILLETT.
Oren M. Gillett, the organizer of the Commercial State Bank of Independence
and now its president, is a forceful and resourceful business man whose ability
seems to qualify him to meet any emergency and direct any condition that may
arise in the course of his active career. "What he undertakes he accomplishes —
not by reason of the possession of uncommon qualities but because he makes good
use of his time, his talents and his opportunities.
He was born at Bergen, Genesee county, New York, ^March 12, 1850, a son
of John M. and ]\Iabel (Lee) Gillett. The father's birth occurred in Kinder-
hook, New York, in 1809, and the mother's birth occurred in Bergen in 1815.
In early life John M. Gillett was a steamboat captain on the Hudson, and for
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 25
a number of years he was also engaged in merchandising in Troy, New York.
In the year 1867 he came to the west, making his way direct to Buchanan county,
Iowa, settling on a farm near Independence, now known as the Shady Grove
Farm, upon which he lived for two years. In 1870 he took up his abode in
Independence, where he lived retired from active business to the time of his
death, which occurred in 1883. His widow long survived him and passed away
in 1907. Their family numbered four children, of whom "three are living:
Hannah A., the widow of 0. S. Throop and a resident of Cherokee, Iowa;
D. L., who resides at Denison, Iowa, where he is engaged in farming; and
Oren M. The other member of the family was B. F. Gillett, who made his
home in Buchanan county. He entered railway circles in the employ of the
New York Central and was employed by the government during the Civil war.
Later he became a passenger conductor on the Memphis & Charleston Railroad
and subsequently established his home in Buchanan county, continuing in rail-
way service as a conductor. His death occurred May 29, 1913.
Oren M. Gillett was a pupil in the public schools of Batavia, New York, and
became a student in the academic department of the Union school at Batavia.
When eighteen years of age he began teaching and thus he earned the money
with which to pay the expenses of his later education. For four terms he
followed the profession of teaching. He became a law student in the office
of his uncle, E. S. Lee, of Independence, who was the first mayor of this city,
and in 1875 ^Ir. Gillett was admitted to the bar. Several years later he was
elected clerk of the court, taking the office in 1880. His capability is plainly
indicated in the fact that he was five times chosen for that position, which he
continued to fill until January, 1890, when he resigned and assisted in organiz-
ing the Commercial State Bank, of which he became the first cashier. He filled
that position for a year and a half and was then elected to the presidency, since
which time he has been at the head of the bank, which is recognized as one of
the strong moneyed institutions of thLs part of the state. The policy which he
has inaugurated is one which commends itself to the support and confidence of
the public at large and the bank has enjoyed a steady growth from the begin-
ning, its deposits and its business along other lines constantly increasing. Mr.
Gillett also owns land in this county and is today numbered among the prosperous
residents of Independence — a position to which he has attained entirely through
his individual effort and ability.
On the 3d of November, 1873, occurred the marriage of Mr. Gillett and Miss
Emma L. Dyer, a native of Independence, who in early life was brought to
Iowa by her parents, James A. and Jane (Minton) Dyer. Her father assisted
in building a mill at Independence and here engaged in the milling business
for a time. To Mr. and Mrs. Gillett was born a daughter, ]\Iabel, who is now
the widow of Dr. Carl W. Rummel and resides with her parents. She has one
child, Marion.
In his political views ^Ir. Gillett is a stalwart republican and has filled various
local offices, the duties of which he has discharged with promptness and fidelity,
making an excellent record in that connection. He has served on the city
council, is a member of the library board and a trustee of the Munson Industrial
School, and was a delegate to the national convention that nominated Theodore
Roosevelt for president. Fraternally he is connected with the blue lodge, chapter
Vol. n— 2
26 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
and commandery in Masonry and with the Mystic Shrine. He is also a promi-
nent member of the Knights of Pythias and for one year was grand chancellor
of Iowa. His genuine personal worth and his fidelity to the principles of these
fraternities have gained him the high and enduring regard of his fellow members.
]Mrs. Gillett is a member of the Pythian Sisters and the Ladies' Literary Club,
while he belongs to the Country Club. The record which he has made in
official and business circles establishes him as one of the leading citizens of
Independence, and through the years of his residence here he has gained a
circle of friends that is almost coextensive with the circle of his acquaintance.
GEORGE ELLIOTT.
George Elliott still resides at his fine farm home on section 7, Fremont
township, although retired from active life, and still owns one hundred and
sixty acres of land. At one time he held title to seven hundred acres. He was
born in Yorkshire, England, about sixteen miles from Slieffield, on the 30th
of July, 1830, a son of John and Susanna (Dawson) Elliott, who twelve years
later came with their family to America. They went to Winnebago county,
Illinois, settling four and a half miles from Rockford on Kent's creek, where
they spent the remainder of their lives, the father dying when sixty-eight years
of age and the mother when fifty-five j^ears old. The father was a farmer by
occupation, and both were members of the Church of England. To them were
born ten children, of whom six are deceased, one l)i-othei' dying while iu
service during the Civil war. Those living liesides George are: Mrs. Elizabeth
Bouck, a resident of Minnesota ; Mrs. Ann Faulkner, living near Rockford,
Illinois; and Mrs. Hester Faulkner, also living near Rockford.
George p]lliott received but a meager education, as he never attended school
in this country and as he was but eleven years old when he came here. He
remainetl at home until eighteen years of age and then started out in life on
his own account, since which time he has made his way without material help
from anyone. He came to Buchanan county in 1853 and entered one hundred
and sixty acres of land in Jefferson township, which he fenced with rails and
otherwise improved. He resided there the greater part of the time until the
spring of 1857, when, with two yoke of cattle he started for Pike's Peak. He
passed through Des Moines and Council Bluffs, this state, and Nebraska in
company with a Scotchman named Hugh Robinson. His route then took hiin
down the Missouri river from Omaha to Nebraska City and along the southern
edge of that state. He fished and hunted and found that region of the country
to abound in fish and game. He crossed Iowa with a team four times but never
got as far west as Pike's Peak. He eventually returned to Buchanan county
and sold his farm in Jefferson township, ])uying land on section 7, Fremont
township, just north of his present home farm. Since 1861 he has resided
continuously on section 7. He became the owner of seven lunidred acres of
land, which he improved and brought to a high state of cultivation, but he has
sold all of his land except one hundred and sixty acres where he resides. He is
now living retired, liut wns for many years a general fai'mer and a stock-raiser.
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 27
He was especially interested in the problems of the corn grower and experi-
mented for years with selected seed, new methods of cultivation and the effects
of different kinds of soil. He was known as a progressive and scientific farmer
and won marked financial success. In 1896 Mr. Elliott became president of the
Winthrop State Bank and continued as such until 1912, when he retired.
In 1861 Mr. Elliott was married in Byron township, Buchanan county, to
Miss Jeanette Sharp, a daughter of John and Jeanette (Ferguson) Sharp,
both born in the vicinity of Glasgow, Scotland. She was born near Albany,
New York, in 1843, and came to this county in 1857 with her parents, a brother
and sister, the family locating in Byron townsliip. After coming to America
her father engaged in farming, but as a young man he was a carpenter and
builder and for some time worked at that trade in Glasgow. He was later in
the employ of the British government for years and was sent to Ireland. To
Mr. and ]\[rs. Elliott have been born eight children, namely: John, a resident
of Lamont ; Alice, the wife of Albert Reed, of Winthrop ; William, cashier of
the Farmers & Merchants Bank of Aurora, this county ; Florence, the wife of
Frank Kerr, of Byron township ; Bertha, who died when three years old ;
Blanche, at home ; Leigh, a farmer residing at home ; and Belle, at home.
Although not identified with any religious denomination, Mr. Elliott is in
sympathy with the work of the churches and aids them generously. Politically
he is independent, preferring to follow the dictates of his own reason and
conscience in his support of candidates and measures. He has served acceptably
as township trustee. He is a man of broad minded views and his tolerance and
keen sense of justice make his judgment clear and his counsel much sought.
All who know him esteem him highly and his friends prize his good opinion.
COURTNEY L. BRIGHT.
The Jesup State Bank, which was organized in 1901, has in the intervening
years to the present time grown steadily in assets, the volume of business trans-
acted and the confidence of the public. Much of the credit .for this continued
prosperity is due to the foresight and wisdom of its efficient cashier, Courtney
L. Bright. He was born in Perry township, this county, on the 11th of Decem-
ber, 1873, a son of David S. and Mary (Bantz) Bright. His boyhood was passed
at home and after completing the course afforded by the public scliools he en-
tered Herds Business College at Fayette, from which he was graduated in 1894.
He then remained upon the home farm for a time and in addition to assisting
with the work of the farm served as secretary of the Jesup Creamery Company.
By this time he had definitely decided to devote his life to business pursuits
and wished a more comprehensive and thorough knowledge of the most exact
and labor-saving methods and also of the larger phases of administration. He
therefore took commercial courses both at Ames, Iowa, and at Cedar Rapids, this
state, thus making excellent preparation for efficient service in the business
world. AVhen the Jesup State Bank was organized in 1901 he was elected cashier
and has held that important and responsible position ever since. He has detailed
knowledge of the routine work of the institution and under his administration
28 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
all of the accounting is accurately and systematically done, and the broader
phases of banking, the investment of funds, the extension of credit and the rela-
tions of the bank to its correspondents in the larger cities are all wisely handled.
Mr. Bright Avas married April 6, 1912, to Miss Minnie Miller, a native of
Perry township, and a daughter of Edward and Eliza (Diehl) Miller. Her
father was born in Ohio in 1828 and became a resident of this county about
1850, teaching school in this locality for many years. He and his wife are
both deceased. Mrs. Bright has passed her entire life in this county and has
many warm friends here. By her marriage she has become the mother of
three children : Rush C, Mildred B. and Keith L., all at home.
Mr. and Mrs. Bright are I)otli members of the IMethodist church and give
their moral and material support to the forces that make for righteousness. He
is a democrat in his political views and was for eight years township clerk and
for one term mayor of Jesup. in both capacities safeguarding as carefully the
interests of the public as in his private life he looks after his personal interests.
Before his election to the office of mayor he was for a time treasurer of Jesup
and two years after his term of office as chief executive expired he was again
elected treasurer and still holds thai office, his repeated reelection being the
best proof of the acceptalnlity of his service. He is also a notary public. He
served as secretary and treasurer of tlie Jesup Creamery Company for ten years
and for the past eight years has been secretary and treasurer of the Farmers
Telephone Company. Fraternally he belongs to Kingsley Lodge, No. 416, K. P.,
and to the local camp of the Modern Woodmen of America. He is prominently
identified with the ])usiness. religious, civic and social affairs of Jesup and is one
of the most valued and most respected citizens of the town.
ALBERT WILLL\M NORMAN.
Although Albei-t William Xcrinan has retired from his labors as an agricul-
turist, he is actively interested in public affairs in Winthrop and is connected
with a number of Inisiness enterprises there. He was l)orn on the 31st of August,
1854, in Oiiio. a son of Nicholas V. and ^lary A. (Taylor) Norman. The former
was a native of Somersetshire. England, born on the 15th of June, 1819, and
remained upon a farm in that country until 1848, when he came to the United
States and followed agricultural pursuits in the east until 1864. He then
came to this county and purchased one hundred and sixty acres in Fremont town-
ship, situated about two miles northeast of Winthrop. The land was partly im-
proved when it came into his po.ssession and he did much to increase its value,
making it one of the best develoi)ed properties of his locality. He followed mi.xed
farming, raising cattle and hogs, and his enterprise and good judgment won him
success, enabling him to add to his land until he became the owner of about
six hundred acres. This achievement was the more creditable, as he began
business with no capital. About 1889 he retired from active life and rented his
land, coming to Winthrop. where he resided until his death, which occurred
May 7, 1901. He was a republican in his political belief and was steadfast in
his support of that party. lie held various township offices and for many years
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 29
was one of the leaders of his party in this county. His religious affiliation was
with the Church of England. His wife was also a native of Somersetshire,
England, her birth occurring on the 1st of May, 1830, and she remained in her
native land until 1848, when she emigrated to the United States, locating in
Ohio, where she was married to Mr. Norman in August, 1849. She survived her
husband and passed away in this county, August 23, 1910, at the age of eighty
years, three months and twenty-two days. She was likewise a member of the
Church of England and is buried beside her husband in the "Winthrop cemetery.
To them twelve children Avere born, namely : Freeman W., who died, leaving a
family ; one who died in infancy unnamed ; Frances A., the wife of Edgar Hur-
mance, of tliis county, by whom she has several children ; Albert William, of
this review ; Charles, of Bellingham, Washington ; Ida M., who married Richard
Braden and passed away leaving one son ; Frederick S., the agent for the Illinois
Central Railway at Independence, Iowa ; Henry, who died leaving a family ;
Grant, who died when nine years of age ; Lucy A., the wife of Wilbur Knight,
of Oelwein, Iowa, by whom she has three sons: Lafayette N., of whom mention
is made elsewhere in this work; and Homer E., a farmer of Fremont town-
ship, this county.
, Albert William Norman was brought to this county by his parents in 1865
when a lad of eleven years and was reared at home, attending the public schools
in the acquirement of an education. Upon reaching his majority he rented land
in this county, which he farmed until 1879, when he removed to Fayette county,
this state, and operated a rented farm for three years. He then returned to
Buchanan county and rented land for a year, after which he purchased one
hundred and sixty acres on section 28, Fremont township. He carried on agri-
cultural pursuits there with gratifying success until 1913, when he sold the
farm. However, he still owns considerable land, including one hundred and
fifty-six acres, fifteen of which are within the limits of Winthrop and eighty
acres in Fremont township. He rents his land and derives therefrom a good
income. Although he did not sell his home place until 1913, he retired from
active farm work in 1911 and came to Winthrop, where he has since resided.
Mr. Norman was married on the 2d of February, 1882, to Miss Martha J.
Braden, who was born in this county on the 8th of June, 1859, and died in
1889, leaving three children as follows: Maude, the wife of Martin Bueher, of
Winthrop ; Samuel Venn, cashier in the Waverly Savings Bank of Waverly,
Iowa; and. Albert W., a resident of Dubuque, Iowa. On the 11th of September,
1906, Mr. Norman was "again married, Mrs. Jennie M. Overbaugh becoming
his wife. She was born in Griggsville, Pike county, Illinois, on the 28th of
September, 1874, and when a girl of eight years accompanied her parents to this
place. She is a daugliter of T. R. and Susan (Lightle) Marshall, natives of
Ohio and Illinois respectively, a record of whom appears elsewhere in this
volume. Mr. and Mrs. Norman have a son, Kenneth William, born June 3, 1909.
Mr. Norman is a republican in his political views and is quite prominent in
local affairs. He is now serving his second term as mayor of AVinthrop and is
giving the municipality an efficient administration. He has been a member of
the school board for six years and for the last two terms has been president
thereof. He has been constable for a great many years and is fearless in the dis-
charge of his duties in that connection. He is president of the Winthrop Tele-
30 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
phone Company, of which he was one of the founders, and is a stockholder in the
Peoples State Bank of Winthrop, which is one of the flourishing and reliable
financial institutions of the county. His wife is a member of the i\Iethodist
church and takes a lively interest in the furtherance of the work of that organ-
ization. Fraternally he belongs to Winthrop Lodge, No. 550, I. 0. 0. F. He
is a representative of that fine type of man who, upon retiring from the cares
of business, devotes his time, energies and his wide experience to the public
welfare, and the town of Winthrop has gained much from his residence within
its bounds.
ROBERT F. CLARKE.
No history of Buchanan county would be complete without extended refer-
ence to Robert F. Clarke, so prominently, actively and helpfully has he been
connected with its ])usiness enterprise and advancement. No man today occupies
a more enviable position in commercial and financial circles — not by reason alone
of the success which he has achieved but also owing to the straightforward,
honorable business policy which he has ever followed, his course being guided
by the rules which govern strict and unswerving integrity and industry.
He was born in Lidependence, April 12, 1868, a son of Asa B. and Margaret
(Hedges) Clarke, both of whom were natives of ^lassachusetts. The father's
birth occurred in Conway, that state, in 1820, and the mother was born in 1830,
near Westfield, in wliich town their marriage was celebrated. In the year 1849
the father made his way over the plains to California, attracted by the discovery
of gold on the Pacific coast. He was educated in Amherst College and previous
to his trip to the far west had engaged in teaching. In 1854 he removed to
Iowa, establishing liis home in Dubuque, where lived four brothers of the family.
There he studied law and was soon admitted to the bar, becoming one of the
pioneer lawyers of the state. At that time the railroad extended only as far
west as Freeport, Illinois, and there were many districts of Iowa which bore all
the evidences of pioneer life. With his brother Albert, I\Ir. Clarke came to
Independence, where they engaged in the land business, entering large tracts of
land with soldiers' warrants which they had purchased. In the sale of that
property, after the increase in land values, they realized a handsome competence.
After continuing in the business for a number of years Asa B. Clarke established
a drug store on the west bank of the river, which he conducted for a considerable
period. He erected the brick building now occupied by the West End Grocery
Company and was otherwise identified with the material development and im-
provement of the city. About 1881 or 1882 he retired from active connection
with commercial interests. However, many business affairs have profited by his
cooperation and benefited by his sound judgment. He was interested in the
flour mill company as treasurer for a number of years when that was one of the
flourishing concerns of the city. He was one of the organizers of the Presby-
terian church of Independence and was serving as an elder at the time of his
death, which occurred December 18, 1882. His ^v^fe survived him for twenty-
four years, passing away in 1906. While an active business man, Asa B. Clarke
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 33
was also prominent in connection with public affairs and filled various offices in
his town. As justice of the peace he performed many marriage ceremonies
in the early days.
To him and his wife were born four children: Virginia, now the wife of
William S. Boggs, who is cashier of the California State Bank at San Bernardino,
California; Fannie E., residing at the old home in Independence; Archer E.,
who at the time of his death was engaged in the wholesale lumber business at
Los Angeles, California, where his family still reside; and Robert F., of this
review.
The last named supplemented his public-school education, acquired in Inde-
pendence, by study in Ames College and in Coe College at Cedar Rapids. When
twenty years of age he engaged in the grocery business in connection with the
establishment that is now conducted under the name of the West End Grocery
Company, this being the same store which had formerly been conducted by his
father and older brother. He gave the business his attention until 1900 and
then organized a stock company under the name of the West End Grocery
Company, of which he became and still remains the president. His attention,
however, is now divided among other business enterprises with which he is
associated. In 1900 he entered the Peoples National Bank as cashier and in
1906 was elected president and still remains at the head of the institution. He is
likewise a stockholder in the Wapsipinicon Mill Company, is president of the
Brandon State Savings Bank and is identified with various other corporations.
He is likewise a landowner in Buchanan and other counties of Iowa and in
South Dakota and Canada.
On the 17th of June, 1890, Mr. Clarke was married to Miss Lillian Scarcliff,
who was born in Independence, a daughter of Thomas and Hattie (Crippen)
Scarcliff. The father's birth occurred in Lincolnshire, England, in 1828, and
when about eighteen years of age he came to the United States. A short time
after his arrival on American shores he made his way to Janesville, Wisconsin,
where he resided until about 1854. He then came to Iowa and purchased forty
acres of land, borrowing the money to make the investment. He paid one
hundred dollars for the land but had to pay forty per cent interest on the loan.
He did not take up his abode upon that tract but settled on a farm which he
had previously purchased that is now within the city limits. He platted and
laid out the northeastern and southeastern portions of Independence, known as
Scarcliff 's additions, while Mr. Clarke's father laid out the southwestern part of
the city, known as the A. and A. B. Clarke addition. The Clarke brothers were
also largely instrumental in getting the state hospital located at Independence
and thus both Mr. and Mrs. Robert Clarke are representatives of families who
have taken a most helpful part in promoting the upbuilding and progress of the
city. Her father is still a resident of Independence. He has recently sold a
tract of land which he divided into lots. In early times he dealt in grain and
on various occasions shipped as high as thirty thousand bushels. He it was who
shipped the first carload of grain ever sent from this point. With the business
development of the city he has been closely associated from pioneer times and
for many years he has been the vice president of the Peoples National Bank of
Independence. His wife, a native of New York, passed away in 1911. They
were the parents of three children, one of whom died in infancy. Mrs. Clarke
34 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
was the eldest and the other surviving member of the family is Thomas Scar-
cliff, Jr., who is now engaged in the coal business in Independence.
To Mr. and Mrs. Clarke have been born three children : Margaret Scarcliff,
who was graduated from the Lake Forest College at Lake Forest, Illinois, in
June, 1913 ; Harriet Daisy, who is now a senior in the same school ; and Frances
Josephine, who is attending high school in Independence.
Mr. Clarke is an independent republican in his political views but the honors
and emoluments of office have no attraction for him. He and his wife hold
membership in the First Presbyterian church, of which he is an elder, and he
has been a generous contributor to its support. Throughout his entire career
duty and honor have been his watchwords, and justice has been one of his strong
characteristics. In business affairs he has long occupied a central place on the
stage of activity, and he is today one of the most prominent and representative
citizens of Independence, his labors having found culmination in success —
that success which is as well a feature in public progress and prosperity.
LEONARD T. KIMBALL.
Leonard T. Kimball, president of the State Savings Bank at Quasqueton, is
one of the more progressive among the younger business men of the county. He
never fears to venture where favoring opportunity points out the way. More-
over, he is fortunate in possessing character and ability which inspire confidence
in others, and it has been the simple weight of his character and ability that has
carried him into important business relations.
Mr. Kimball was born in this county in 1886, a son of T. II. and Lilly (Cot-
trell) Kimball, also natives of this county and representatives of old pioneer
families. The paternal grandparents came to Iowa at an early period in the
settlement of this state, and in Quasqueton T. H. Kimball was reared. In early
life he began farming on his own account and later bought and sold cattle in
and near Quasqueton. He likewise engaged in buying and selling land and
became an active factor in business circles. He was also one of the organizers
of the State Savings Bank, of which he became the first president, and he has
been interested in several different business concerns and pro.iects but has given
the greater part of his time to his live-stock, real-estate and banking interests,
in which he is still engaged, making his home in Quasqueton. His fellow
townsmen have called him to the office of mayor through popular suffrage and
his administration was characterized by a prompt and businesslike dispatch of
duties. He has placed not a little of his money in the safest of all investments
and is now the owner of considerable land in Buchanan county.
Leonard T. Kimball, wlio was one of a family of two children, the other
being a brother, Bernard, who died when two years old, attended the country
schools of Quasqueton and when eighteen years of age embarked in business on
his own account as proprietor of a slioe stons wliich he conducted for two years.
He then turned his attention to the hardware trade at Aurora, Iowa, but
remained in that line for only a l)rief period, after which he engaged in general
merchandising for two years. His entrance into the banking business was
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 35
made while he was conducting his shoe store, at which time he was elected
assistant cashier of the State Savings Bank of Quasqneton. He proved capable
and efficient in that connection and three years later was promoted to the
position of cashier, serving in that capacity for four years. He was then elected
to the presidency and has since remained at the head of this institution, which is
conducted along safe, conservative lines, its business affairs being characterized
at all times by thorough reliability. In addition to his banking interests Mr.
Kimball owns valuable farm lands and is engaged in the raising of Polled
Angus cattle, thus adding materially to his income.
In 1907 was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Kimball and Miss Blanche E.
Specs, a native of Buchanan county and a daughter of W. E. and Roberta
(Cooper) Spees, both representatives of well known pioneer families of Buchanan
county. The father was born in 1862 and in early life he followed farming but
afterward became proprietor of a hotel in Bellingham, ^Minnesota. He also
engaged in the elevator business and at different times has conducted a barber
shop. For a period he was also a traveling salesman. His wife, who was born
in 1864, died in February, 1911. In the family were three children, including
Mrs. Kimball, who by her marriage has become the mother of two daughters :
Norma Maxine, born May 24, 1909 ; and Lorraine, born May 10, 1914. Mrs.
Kimball is active in the social, club and literary circles of Quasqueton, in which
she moves as a prominent and influential figure.
Mr. Kimball belongs to the Masonic fraternity and is very active in the
home lodge, in w^hich he is now serving as senior deacon, while both he and his
wife are connected with the Order of the Eastern Star. His political indorsement
is given to the republican party. He has served as treasurer of his city and as
treasurer of the school board and has been a cooperant factor in many plans
for the development and upbuilding of the town. His aid can always be counted
upon to further any measure for the public good and he has scarcely entered
upon a life which will undoubtedly increase in usefulness and value, both as a
factor in community interests and in the upbuilding of his own fortunes.
U. S. GRANT SINGER.
U. S. Grant Singer, filling the position of township trustee of Middlefield
township, Avhere he carries on general agricultural pursuits, has been a resident
of Buchanan county since 1862, or the period of his entire life, for that was
his natal year. His father, Lewis Singer, was born in Preble county, Ohio, in
1827, and in early life learned th^ wagon maker's trade, entering upon an
apprenticeship thereto when but thirteen years of age. He followed tliat pursuit
until 1855 and then made an overland journey with an emigrant train to Iowa,
settling in Liberty township, Buchanan county, at which time the nearest rail-
road point was Dubuque. At that time there were only a few settlers in this
county and the town of Winthrop had not yet been laid out. He secured a tract
of land which he purchased for two dollars and a half per acre. The county
was but sparsely settled and all of the conditions of pioneer life were in evidence.
As the years went on, however, improvements and conveniences took the place of
36 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
the discomforts, hardships and privations of the earlier years and Mr. Singer
prospered in his undertakings, becoming the owner of three hundred and fifty-
six acres of valuable farm land. He was also a stockholder in the Peoples Bank
of Winthrop to the time of his death, which occurred in 1903. In early man-
hood he wedded Phoebe C. Potterf, who was born in Preble comity, Ohio, in 1837,
and, surviving her husband for seven years, passed away in 1910.
U. S. Grant Singer, reared upon the old home farm, attended the schools
of Winthrop and during the periods of vacation assisted his father in the work
of the fields, so that he had had practical experience when he started out as a
farm hand at twenty-one years of age. He was thus employed for eight years
but gradually added to his savings until the amount was sufficient to "enable him
to purchase land and he secured the nucleus of the farm upon which he now
makes his home on section 5, Middlefield township. He has since added to the
property until his landed possessions now aggregate two hundred and sixty-three
acres, all in one tract, from which he annually gathers good harvests as a reward
for the care and labor which he bestows upon the fields. The major portion of
his attention is devoted to the farm with a result that justifies the expenditure
of time and money.
On the 20th of :\larch, 1887, Mr. Singer was united in marriage to Miss Ma-
tilda Dunlap, a native of Winfield, Ohio, and a daughter of William P. and
Ellen (Grove) Dunlap, both of whom were natives of Virginia., The father
came to Iowa in 1875, settling in Fremont township, Buchanan county, where
he secured one hundred and sixty acres of land and carried on general farming
and stock raising. He has departed this life but his widow survives and makes
her home near Quasqueton. Mr. and Mrs. Singer have become parents of two
children : Harold G., a teacher of manual training in the high school of Colfax,
Washington ; and William L., at home with his father on the farm.
Mr. Singer exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and meas-
ures of the republican party and for four years has serv^ed as trustee of INIiddle-
field township. He belongs to the Congregational church and its teachings guide
him in all of his life's relations. He takes an active interest in all public affairs
of the community and is a prominent and influential man of his township.
JOHN C. STEVENSON.
John C. Stevenson, an honored pioneer and a retired farmer of Littleton,
Iowa, has resided in this locality for many years and has witnessed the
great changes in conditions which have taken place here. There is only one
other man, Charles Melrose, Jr., living here today who was here when Mr.
Stevenson arrived. Our subject was born in Tippecanoe county, Indiana, May 11,
1840, a son of Alexander and Mary Ann (Cameron) Stevenson. The father
was a native of Pennsylvania, his parents being James and Elizabeth (Mitchell)
Stevenson, lioth natives of Lower Dublin. Their marriage occurred in the
Emerald isle on the 9th of April, 1807, and later in the same year they came to
America, locating at Path Valley, Pennsylvania, whence they subsequently
removed with their family to Boone county, Indiana, where the parents spent
MR. AND MRS. ,10HX C. «TEVE.\80X
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 39
their remaining years. James Stevenson was a weaver by trade. Our subject
has in his possession the recommendations given his grandfather in Ireland. His
grandmother died when forty-eight or forty-nine years old. She was the mother
of four daughters and three sons, but Alaxender, the father of our subject, was
the only son that grew to maturity and reared a family.
Alexander Stevenson was reared in Pennsylvania and Ohio and was married
in Ross county of the latter state, near Fort Defiance. On the 7th of September,
1850, he came west with his family from Colfax, Indiana, making the trip with
an ox team and three horses. He took up a claim on school land in Perry town-
ship, this county, which, however, proved not to be open to settlement at that
time, and in March, 1851, he filed upon a claim in Fairbank township. At that
time there were only two houses in Perry township and one in Fairbank town-
ship, the dwelling of Mr. Stevenson being the second erected in the latter. His
first residence was a log cabin, two and a half miles north of the village of Little-
ton, and the erection of even that rude structure was no inconsiderable task. It
was necessary to float logs to Independence in order to have them sawed so that
they could be used for flooring, and they hauled them back. The chimney was
built of stones, sticks and mud. There were no neighbors for miles to the north
of them and only three buildings in Independence. jNIr. Stevenson broke the
heavy sod of the prairie and split rails to make the fences for his fields. Although
the life of those days would seem very hard and uninviting to the present genera-
tion, the pioneers found many pleasant features in it apart from the stern
satisfaction of knowing that they were developing fine farms from wild land and
that they were laying the foundation for a highly prosperous community of the
future. Mr. and Mrs. Stevenson were among the most respected of those early
settlers and remained upon their farm in Fairbank toA^Tiship until their deaths.
The father was a democrat in politics and was one of the leaders in the Presby-
tesian church, being an elder of his congregation for fifty years and one of the
organizers of the church of that denomination at Littleton, which was established
in 1853. He died April 6, 1885, at the age of seventy-six years. His wife, who
was a native of Ohio, was also one of the charter members of the Presbyterian
church of Littleton. She died a few months before her husband, passing away
on the 4th of February, 1885, when seventy-seven years of age. To them were
born three children, but one son died at the age of five years and the daughter at
the age of two.
John C. Stevenson is the only survivor and he shared with his parents the
life of the pioneer. He was but ten years old when he accompanied them to this
county and a year later began breaking the prairie sod, driving five yoke of oxen.
It was a very wet year and breaking ground was unusuall.>^ difficult, but he was
of the stock that nothing could daunt and not only assisted in getting his father's
land ready for cultivation, but broke land for the new settlers who arrived in
the county. His opportunities for acquiring an education were very meager, as
there were no schools in the county for three years after the arrival of the family
and his only instruction was that given by his mother. In 1853 the first school-
house was built in Perry township and during the winter following he attended
regularly, walking a mile and a half each way. During the summer he assisted
with the work of the farm and continued to aid his father until his marriage.
In order to reach the nearest mill it was necessary to make a three days' journey
40 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
with oxen and there was always danger from the Indians, who were very numer-
ous and belonged to a number of tribes, including the Sioux, the Winnebagos
and the Misquakas. There were no bridges over the streams that had to be
crossed and in the spring floods the fords sometimes became impassable.
After his marriage ^Ir. Stevenson began his independent business career. He
became the owner of four hundred and thirty acres of land on sections 34 and 35,
Fairbank township, and there engaged in cultivating the fields and in feeding
stock for the market. He was also a well known breeder of pure blooded short-
horn cattle and for nineteen years shipped stock to Nebraska, Minnesota, the
Dakotas and Oklahoma, as well as to various parts of this state. He also engaged
in the dairy business quite extensively for a great many years and found this as
well as the other phases of his activity very profitable. He managed well his
diversified interests and manifested sound judgment in the investment of his
capital. In 1911 he retired and built his present beautiful home in Littleton,
where he has since resided.
Mr. Stevenson married Miss Mary Amelia Wilson, on the 4th of September,
1861, which was the bride's l)irthday. She is a native of Pennsylvania and a
daughter of Samuel and Sarah (Henry) Wilson, both likewise natives of the
Keystone state. Her mother passed away in 1850, but her father removed with
his family to Iowa in 1855, making the trip with a wagon and team of horses.
He located in Fairbank township, tliis county, where he purchased a farm, and
devoted his time to agriculture until Iiis death. Mrs. Stevenson M^as only a girl
when she came to this county and she and her future husband were schoolmates.
To them have been born ten children, namely: Laura J., at home; p]lmer, who
owns a part of the homestead ; Eflfie K., who is the wife of Rev, Parley E. Zart-
man, secretary of the Moody Institute of Chicago; Eber F., M. D., practicing at
Waterloo, Iowa; Mertie IL, who died in 1900; Ralph J., who is a farmer residing
near Rowley, this county ; Ray C, living at Littleton ; M. Grace, a stenographer
employed at the Moody Bible Instituti^ at Chicago; and two who died in child-
hood.
Mr, Stevenson is a democrat in politics, but at local elections votes for the
candidate whom he deems best suited for the office without regard to party affilia-
tion. He has held a number of township offices, being assessor of Fairbank town-
ship for four years, school director for thirty years, and for some time served as
justice of the peace. Ever since the organization of the Littleton Cemetery
Association he has served as its president and under his care the city of the dead
is kept in fine condition. In 1859 he united with the Presbyterian church and
in 1885 was elected an elder, serving in that capacity ever since, and in addition
has been clerk of the session for twenty-five or thirty years. Since 1885 he has
been treasurer of the church and has always taken a deep interest in everything
affecting its welfare. lie has not only given of his tinu^ to its affairs but has
contributed liberally toward its support and gave generously toward the building
fund of the new church edifice. Although he is seventy-four years of age and
has already lived longer than the three score years and ten which the Psalmist
allotted to man, he is still very active and enjoys excellent physical and mental
health, ^lany interests in his community have profited l\v his labors and counsel
and he is still a force in the life of his town. He is especially deserving of honor,
as he was one of thos(> first settlers who so l)ravelv labored amid hard conditions
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 41
of life and who persevered in spite of many obstacles, laying well the foundation
of the prosperity which is now so evident to all. In 1914 he and his wife visited
his old home in Indiana. On the 4th of September, 1911, they celebrated their
golden wedding, there being present on that occasion about two hundred relatives
and friends, and they were the recipients of many beautiful presents and the
congratulations and well wishes of all.
C. aUNZENHAUSER.
Coming to America when a youth of sixteen years, actuated by a desire to
enjoy better business conditions than he hoped to secure in the old world,
C. Gunzenhauser is today prominent in a substantial financial concern as cashier
of the Rowley Savings Bank. His advancement to his present enviable position
has been continuous and the steps in his orderly progression are easily discern-
ible. 'He was born in Germany in January, 1866, and is a son of John G. and
Elizabeth (Snyder) Gunzenhauser, who were also natives of the same country.
There the father worked as a laborer and continued his residence in Germany
until death called him in September, 1888. His wife, surviving for a number
of years, passed away in November, 1895.
C. Gunzenhauser pursued his early education in the schools of the fatherland
and there remained to the age of sixteen years, when, actuated by a spirit of
laudable ambition, he sailed for the United States in February, 1882. Later he
continued his education by pursuing a course in the Cedar Rapids Busniess
College. In Germany he had learned the cabinet maker's trade and after
crossing the Atlantic he settled in Iowa county, Iowa, and later removed to
Muscatine, where he worked for his brother in a foundry and machine shop for
one year. He next went to Oxford, Johnson county, Iowa, where he clerked in
a store until 1893. At that date he rented a tract of land which he cultivated
for three years. It was after this that he pursued his course in the Cedar
Rapids Business College, from which he was graduated with the class of 1896.
He realized fully the value of more thorough and advanced training as a prepara-
tion for life's practical and responsible duties. Moreover, in the school of
experience he has learned many valuable lessons and is today a well informed
business man, displaying sound judgment and keen discrimination. Returning
to Oxford, he there engaged in general merchandising on his own account for
three years and at the same time filled the position of assistant^ cashier in the
Oxford State Bank for a period of four and a half years. In April, 1902, he
removed to Rowley, where he embarked in the banking business, establishing the
Rowley Bank, which has recently been incorporated as the Rowley Savings Bank
with a capital of twenty thousand dollars and with the following otBcers: F. M.
Williams, president; Theodore Kirsch, vice president; and C. Gunzenhauser,
cashier. The bank is liberally patronized not only by the people of the town
but ]iy many throughout the surrounding country as well. The bank is the
only one in Rowley and previous to its reorganization Mr. Gunzenhauser had
erected a fine bank building and the deposits amounted to one hundred and
eight thousand dollars, the loans to eighty-five thousand dollars and the available
42 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
cash was more than forty thousand dollars. He is thoroughly acquainted with
the different phases of banking and his wise direction of the interests of the
institution insures its growth and prosperity.
On the 20th of October, 1908, Mr. Gunzenhauser was united in marriage to
Miss Nina Lindsay, a daughter of Robert and Laura Lindsay, the former a
native of Canada and the latter of Canton, Ohio. Her father was a miller by
trade, operating flour mills. In 1889 he came to Buchanan county, where he
purchased land on section 14, Homer township. His attention was then given
to general farming until 1904, when he retired from active connection with the
work of the fields and took up his abode in Rowley, where he was at the Head
of the telephone business for eight years. For the past three years he has
been assisting his son-in-law in the bank. He has now reached the age of
sixty-two, while his wife is living at the age of fifty-seven.
^Ir. and Mrs. Gunzenhauser have but one child, N. Elizabeth, four years of
age. The parents occupy a pleasant home in which the spirit of hospitality
reigns supreme. Mr. Gunzenhauser has been prominently connected with many
elements of public moment, cooperating in all the plans and projects for the
upbuilding and improvement of town and county. Politically he is a democrat
and at the present time he is serving as township clerk of Homer township,
having been continuously the incumbent in that position since January 1. 1907.
He belongs to Holman Lodge, No. 593, A. F. & A. M., and to the Eastern Star
chapter at Rowley, and he is a prominent and active worker in the Presbyterian
church, in which he is now serving as one of the elders. His has been a well
spent life actuated by high and lionorable principles, and he stands as an
excellent example of upright manhood and citizenship.
FRANK .M. WILLIAMS.
"Williams has it" is the slogan of the business conducted by Frank M.
Williams, a general merchant of Rowley. He is ever alert and energetic, ready
for any emergency and always watching for opportunities that will enable him
to honorably promote his business interests. He knows, too, that the way to
win trade is to satisfy his customers and he does this by keeping a large and
well selected stock which he sells at reasonable, prices. His store is today one
of the leading commercial establishments of the town.
Mr. Williams is a native of ^lasonville, Delaware county. Iowa, born ]\Iay
16, 1873, his parents being William ]\I. and Mary E. (Babcock) Williams, the
former a native of Wales and the latter of Illinois. The father was but four
years of age when his parents left Wales and came to the new world, settling
in Indiana, where he was reared and educated. AVhen a young man he accom-
panied his parents on their removal to Buchanan county, where he remained
for some time with his father and mother but went to Delaware county before
the outbreak of the Civil war. He filled the office of sheriff of that county
when the county .seat was at Delhi. Following the inauguration of hostilities
between the north and the south, he offered his services to the government and
enlisted as a member of Company C, Twenty-seventh Iowa Infantry, with whidi
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 48
he remained until the close of the war or for a period of three years, during
which he participated in a number of hotly contested engagements that con-
tributed to the success which finally crowned the Union arms. When the wai;
was over he took up his abode in Masonville, Delaware county, where he engaged
in general merchandising, conducting his store there for several years. He after-
ward rented land in Buchanan county and carried on general farming for ten
years on that place. He next removed to a farm near Brandon, investing in
eighty acres in Jefferson township which he developed and improved, continuing
the cultivation of that farm for many years. At length, however, he retired
from active business life and removed to Brandon, where he remained until
his death on the 18th of December. 1900. His widow passed away in 1905.
Frank M. Williams was reared and educated in Buchanan county, Iowa, and
remained with his parents until nineteen years of age, when he secured a clerk-
ship in the employ of John Cline of Brandon, who paid him for the first year
ten dollars per month and his board. He continued in Brandon until October
20, 1903, and gradually worked his way upward, so that for five years he was
there engaged in business on his own account. He left Brandon, however, be-
cause of the illness of his wife, hoping that a change of climate might prove
beneficial. Removing to Longmont, Colorado, he there engaged in the grocery
business for six months and for a similar period made his home in Denver. Re-
turning to Iowa, he settled in Fort Dodge, where he resided for some time, being
upon the road as a traveling salesman during that period.
Mr. Williams was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife on the 21st of
September, 1905. He had been married on the 21st of November, 1895, to Miss
:\Iary E. Jamieson, who was born in Brandon, November 21, 1878, a daughter
of Walter and Martha (Newcomb) Jamieson, who were natives of New York but
became pioneer settlers of Buchanan county, arriving here at a very early day.
Her father now makes his home in Brandon but her mother passed away
July 21, 1911.
After the death of his first wife Mr. Williams made his headquarters at
Mason City, Iowa, until 1910. He was again married on the 21st of Decem-
ber of that year, his second union being with Bertha E. Gaasch, of Linn county,
Iowa, a daughter of John W. and Mattie (Johnson) Gaasch, the former a native
of Dubuque county, Iowa, and the latter of Benton county. At an early period
in the development of Linn county, Mr. and :\Irs. Gaasch became residents of
that section and there he carried on farming until his death, which occurred in
1902, he being accidentally killed by a horse. His widow survives and yet makes
her home in Linn county.
Following his marriage ]Mr. Williams continued upon the road until January,
1912, when he came to Rowley and purchased the general mercantile business
of Van Orsdol & Lotts. He today has a fine store and enjoys an extensive
patronage. His business methods are such as commend him to public confidence
and support, and the people have come to know that his slogan, "Williams has
it," is no idle boast, for he carries a large and well selected line that meets the
requirements of the general public.
In his fraternal relations Mr. Williams is a Mason, belonging to Holman
Lodge, No. 593, and he is also identified with the Eastern Star. He exercises
his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the republican
44 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
party and, while well versed concerning the questions and issues of the day and
interested in his party's success, he does not seek nor desire office. His religious
faith is that of the Christian church, which numbers him among its loyal and
helpful members.
JASPER NEWTON BARR.
Jasper Newton Barr, a worthy representative of one of the honored pioneer
families of Buchanan county, is now living retired in Independence after long
years of active connection with agricultural interests, but is still the owner of
four hundred acres of valuable land. For sixty-seven years he has resided in
Buchanan county and there are no phases of its historj' with which he is not
familiar from pioneer times down to the present. He can relate many interesting
incidents of the early days and he rejoices in the later day progress and improve-
ment of the county.
His birth occurred in Washington township. September 12, 1847, and he is
the eldest of the three children of Thomas and Eleanor (Murphy) Barr. The
father was born in Carroll county, Ohio, July 30, 1823, of Irish ancestry, his
grandfather, Robert Bai-r. having come to America from the north of Ireland and
settled in Washington county, Pennsylvania. Tlie mother was also of Irish
extraction, for her ancestors came to the new world before the Revolutionary
war and some of the family served under General Washington in the struggle
for independence. In early life Thomas Barr was employed as a farm hand in
the Buckeye state. On coming west he was accompanied by his wife and his
cousin, Reuben Wickham, and his wife, the party traveling by team, each gentle-
man owning a horse. Reaching Buchanan county on the 18th of November,
1846, they found the work of improvement here scarcely begun. Most of the
land was still in possession of the government and upon the broad tracts of
prairie not a furrow had been turned. ^Ir. Barr entered a claim five miles north
of Independence, now known as the Barr homestead, and here the family experi-
enced many of the hardships and difficulties which come to the pioneer. The
only postoffice in the county at that time was Quastjueton, fifteen miles south of
where Mr. Barr located. There were still many Indians, but they belonged to
friendly tribes and most of them were going upon or returning from their trips
in the north or passing through on their way to reservations farther west. There
were many species of wild game and it was not difficult to secure venison, for deer
were plentiful and there were many wild turkeys and other lesser game. After
building a log cabin upon his place Mr. Barr mauled rails to fence his property
and carried on the work of general improvement and development for many
yeare, using ox teams in his work. As time passed on prosperity attended his
efforts and he ranked with the substantial farmers and stockmen of his township.
From time to time he added to his holdings until he was the owner of eight hun-
dred and forty acres of valuable land. In politics he was a democrat, but not
an office seeker. He continued to remain upon his farm until his death, which
occurred January 7. 1893. His wife, who was born in Guernsey county, Ohio,
December 20, 1824, survived him for a decade and passed away March 13, 1903.
THOMAS BAKR
MRS. THOMAS BARR
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 49
Tlieir children were : Jasper Newton ; Mrs. W. A. Rogers, who was formerly a
resident and landowner of Buchanan county, but now lives in Los Angeles, Cali-
fornia ; and John Wesley, of Arcadia, Oklahoma.
The school system of Buchanan county had been developed in only a slight
degree when Jasper N. Barr was a youth, but he pursued his studies in a log
schoolhouse for a time and later enjoyed the advantages of a course in the
Upper Iowa University. His training at farm labor was not meager and he
early learned valuable lessons concerning the value of industry and persistency.
He remained upon the home farm and in connection with its cultivation taught
in the rural schools during the winter months, becoming the teacher of many a
youth who has since gained prominence. He well remembers those typical
pioneer schoolhouses, in one of which he began his own education. The building
was erected of logs with slab seats, the desks were made of boards supported by
pegs driven into the wall, while the windows were covered with greased paper.
There were no blackboards or any of the conveniences found in the modem
schoolroom.
Yearning to see something of the great west, Mr. Barr went to Colorado
March 18, 1879, and while there taught school for thirteen consecutive months
without a vacation, going to one school on Monday after closing another on
Friday. While in that state he spent some time in the mining camps of Clear
Creek and Leadville during the height of the excitement there, but he never
participated in the wild life and revelry that characterized those places, for
he never used tobacco or intoxicants. At length he returned to the parental
home and engaged in farming in Washington township, being closely associated
with general agricultural interests in this county for many years. He is today
the owner of four hundred acres of valuable land, some of which includes the
original holdings of his father, and he has the original patents which were
granted by President Fillmore in 1846. His methods of farm work were practical
and his labors brought excellent results. He engaged extensively in raising stock,
becoming one of the leading representatives of that business in Buchanan county.
On the 12th of September, 1893, Mr. Barr was united in marriage to Miss
Mary Ellen O'Loughlin, vrho was born in this county, September 7, 1855, a
daughter of John and Margaret (Maloney) O'Loughlin, both of whom were
natives of County Clare, Ireland, the former born in 1824 and the latter in
1830. They came to the United States as young people and first settled in Ohio,
where Mr. O'Loughlin worked on the canals and in railroad building. In 1852
he came to Iowa and purchased land, but returned to Ohio, where he again
remained for a short time. He then took up his permanent abode near Otter-
ville, Buchanan county, in 1854, and thereafter was engaged in general farming,
devoting practically his entire time to agricultural pursuits and stock raising
in Washington township, where his landed possessions aggregated five hundred
and twenty acres. His political support was given to the democratic party
and his religious faith was that of the Catholic church. The five surviving mem-
bers of his family of ten children are yet residents of Buchanan county. Mrs.
Barr is also a member of the Catholic church.
Mr. Barr belongs to the Masonic fraternity and has been an active worker
in that organization. He is also an Odd Fellow and has held all of the offices
in the lodge. Throughout life he has largely maintained an independent course
Vol. II— 3
50 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
in thought and action. He is a great reader and of a literary turn of mind, and
has contributed many interesting articles to the papers on his travels and pioneer
times. He has also displayed ability as a poet and is one of the old school
of gentlemen whom it is a pleasure to meet. In polities he is not allied with any
party but votes rather for men and measures. In religion he believes that each
individual should have the opportunity to carry out his views in that regard.
His own life has been well spent and his business career has been crowned with
a measure of success that places him today among the substantial residents of
the county.
C. E. ILIFF.
For an extended period C. E. Iliff has been connected with the real-estate
business in Independence and at diiferent times has also been associated with
other business affairs which have featured as factors in the steady growth and
improvement of Independence and Buchanan county. He was born in Fayette
county, Iowa, on the 8th of April, 1870, his parents being J. N. and Rachel
(George) Iliff, both of whom were natives of Green county, Wisconsin, the
former born on the 27th of August, 1846, and the latter in 1850.
J. N. Iliff came to Iowa in September, 1849, and in the acquirement of his
education he supplemented a public-school course by study in Western College.
From pioneer times he was identified with agricultural pursuits until after the
outbreak of the Civil war. In 1863 he joined the army, becoming a member
of Company E, Ninth Iowa Cavalry, with which he served for two years and
eight months. He campaigned in the south especially against General Sterling
Price. When the w^ar was over he took up his abode in Fayette county, this
state, and there remained until 1870, when he removed to Spirit Lake. Even
then the stockades were standing that had been used at the time of the Spirit
Lake massacre, when the Indians put to death so many of the early settlers of
that district. Mr. Iliff took up land in Dickinson county and after proving up
his claim sold out and removed to Buchanan county. He also lived for a time
in Jesup, where he was engaged in the lumber and grain business and in
surveying. In 1880 he was appointed county surveyor and for sixteen consecu-
tive years filled that office in a most capable and commendable manner. Besides
being surveyor he filled the position of county sheriff from 1888 until 1892,
having been elected on the republican ticket. Neither fear nor favor swerved
him in the discharge of his duties and the record which he made in public
of^ce, as well as his business activity, placed him among the leading and valued
citizens of his community. He has been a lifelong member of the Methodist
church, active and earnest in its work. He is now living retired, making his
home in Independence with his son, C. E. Iliff.
In the public schools of Jesup, C. E. Iliff largely acquired his education
and when a youth of but fourteen years began working as a farm hand, being
thus employed for three years. He then entered the sheriff's office, acting as
deputy under his father through his term of four years. After a year's absence
he returned to the sheriff's office as deputy under E. 0. Craig and served in that
MRS. JASPER N, BARR
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 55
capacity until 1896, when he was elected sheriff and was continued in the posi-
tion for six years, or until 1902, making an excellent record by the prompt and
faithful manner in which he discharged his duties. In 1902 he became asso-
ciated with J. M. Chappell in the real-estate business, in which he has since been
engaged, and from that time he has also conducted other business enterprises,
having become proprietor of these as the result of trades. He is now owner of a
livery barn in Independence. He has become thoroughly acquainted with
property values, knows the land that is upon the market and has gained a good
clientage. He is also a stockholder in the Independence Cement & Tile
Company.
]\Ir. Iliff was united in marriage to Miss Ellen McDonald, who was born in
Buchanan county, a daughter of John and Ellen (Maddigan) McDonald, both
of whom were natives of Ireland, born in 1842 and 1847 respectively. On
leaving the Emerald isle John McDonald made liis way direct to Dubuque,
Iowa, and thence came to Buchanan county. He is now living in Independence
and is the owner of good land in the county. Mr. and Mrs. Iliff have become
the parents of three children : Mildred Bernice, Margaret Rachel and Edgar
Everett.
Mr. and ^Irs. Iliff hold membership in the Methodist church, and he is a
prominent Mason, belonging to the lodge, chapter and commandery. He is also
identified with the Knights of Pythias and has been chancellor commander in
that organization. He may truly be called a self-made man, for he started out
in life on his own account when a youth of but fourteen years and has since
been dependent entirely upon his own resources for the success which he has
achieved. Activity and energy have been the salient features in his career,
gaining for him a place among the substantial business men of Independence.
ALBERT BUEHLER.
Albert Buehler, well known as a highly respected farmer and stock-raiser
of Homer township, living on section 35, is busily engaged in the further
development and improvement of his farm, which comprises two hundred acres.
He is among the worthy sons of this section of the state that Germany has
furnished to Iowa, his birth having occurred in the fatherland April 19, 1861.
His parents, Alexander and Justine (Saal) Buehler, were also natives of
Germany. The father was a farmer by occupation and alw^ays carried on that
pur.suit in Germany till death called him in 1873. His widow survives and yet
makes her home in Germany.
Through the period of his minority Albert Buehler remained with his parents
and acquired his education in the public schools. In accordance with the laws
of the land he served for three years in the German army and in 1884, when
twenty-three years of age, he bade adieu to friends and native country and
sailed for the new world, wishing to test the reports which he had heard con-
cerning the favorable opportunities offered on this side the Atlantic. He set-
tled in Marion, Linn county, Iowa, where he began work as a farm hand, being
thus employed for five years. He afterward rented land in Benton county, Iowa,
56 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
and continued to cultivate leased farms in this state, in Texas and in Minnesota
for six years. It was his ambition, however, to own property and during that
period he not onh' carefully saved his earnings but also as carefully watched
his expenses in order to secure capital that would enable him to purchase land.
At the end of that time he bought one hundred and sixty acres on section 35,
Homer township, and since then he has added a forty-acre tract adjoining.
Today his farm of two hundred acres is a valuable property, carefully and
systematically managed. He follows modern methods of farming and the results
are not only sure but desirable. The fields bring forth good crops annually and
for these he finds a ready sale on the market. He also engages in stock-raising
and keeps on hand high grades of stock. In addition to his other interests he
owns stock in the Farmers Elevator Company of AYalker.
In February, 1889, was celebrated the marriage of Mv. Buehler and j\Iiss
Ellen Kleitch, a daughter of John and Kate (Nemmers) Kleitch, natives of
Germany, in which country the birth of ^Irs. Buehler occurred on the loth of
April, 1858. She was brought to America by her parents when six months old
and the family home was established in Jackson county, Iowa, where her father
rented land for some time. He afterward removed to Linn county, where he
purchased a farm and there carried on general agricultural pursuits throughout
his remaining days, his death occurring in 1882. His wife survived him for
nearly two decades, passing away in 1901. Mr. and ]\Irs. Buehler have seven
children, namely: Kate, Elizabeth, Charles, i\Iary, Nicholas, John and Lena.
The religious faith of the family is that of the Catholic church and in politics
Mr. Buehler is a democrat. His is one of the splendidly improved farms of
the county and the home is a hospitable one, the spirit of good cheer there
reigning supreme. They have gained many friends during the period of their
residence in this county and ^Ir. Buehler is numbered among the self-made
men who owe their prosperity entirely to their own labors. He has never had
occasion to regret his determination to come to the new world, for in this land,
where effort is unhampered by caste or class and where the door of opportunity
is open to all. he has worked his way steadily upward, possessing in generous
measure those qualities of industry and persistency which are indispensable
factors in the attainment of prosperity. He has never sought to win a fortune
through speculation or any underhand business method, but has been thoroughly
trustworthy in his dealings and solely through close attention to farming and
stock-raising has gained the creditable place that lie now occupies.
HARRY C. HAIXES.
On the pages of Buchanan county's history the name of Haines figures
prominently in the pioneer chapter, for when this section of the state was a
frontier region the grandparents of Harry C. Haines .settled here. Since that
lime representatives of the name have taken an active and helpful part in pro-
moting the work of public progress and improvement aiul today Harry C. Haines
is a well known representative of agricultural interests, owning land in Homer
township, his place of residence being on section 36. He was born ]\Iay 28, 1881.
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 57
in the township where he still resides, his parents being AVilliam A. and Anna A.
(Bnell) Haines, the former a native of Zanesville, Ohio, and the latter of Canada.
William A. Haines was but four years of age when brought to this county by his
parents. At that time Quasqueton was the county seat and no one dreamed that
Independence would become the center of county government nor that upon the
site would spring up a notably thriving, enterprising and progressive town.
From the time of his early arrival William A. Haines has continuously resided
in the county with the exception of one year and he has been a very energetic
and successful farmer. Year by j^ear he carefully tilled the soil in the produc-
tion of crops which brought to him a substantial income and at length when he
had acquired a handsome competency he put aside business cares and since the
spring of 1913 has lived retired, making his home in Rowley.
Harry C. Ilaines is a western man by birth, training and preference and is
imbued with the spirit which has been the dominant factor in the upbuilding
of this section of the state. He began his education in the* district schools and
afterward spent two terms as a student in the Charles City (Iowa) College. Later
lie entered the commercial department of the Upper Iowa University at Fayette,
from which he was graduated on the 13th of April, 1902. He was thus well
equipped l)y education for life's practical and responsible duties and he has
since learned many valuable lessons in the school of experience. AVith the com-
pletion of his commercial course he returned home and began working vrith his
father on the farm, where he remained until 1903, when he removed to a farm
of one hundred and twenty acres on sections 35 and 36, Homer township, belong-
ing to his father. Later he purchased forty acres of this, including the tract on
which the buildings are located, and has since given his attention to the improve-
ment of his farm, persistently carrying on his efforts year by year. He cultivates
the fields in the production of crops best adapted to soil and climatic conditions
here and he is also engaged in stock raising, making a specialty of handling dairy
shorthorn cattle and high grade Duroc Jersey hogs. He is an excellent judge
of stock, so that he is seldom, if ever, at fault in his judgment concerning the
value of an animal which he purchases.
As a companion and helpmate for life's journey Mr. Haines chose Miss Clara
E. Lindsay, their marriage being celebrated February 25, 1903. Her parents,
Robert and Laura (Leininger) Lindsay, were natives of Canada and of Canton,
Ohio, respectively. The father was a milh\Tight by occupation and in early
life crossed the border into the United States, settling in Virginia. It was in
the Old Dominion that Mrs. Haines was born on the 16th of November, 1882.
Her father there engaged in the millwright's trade and the flour-mill business
for nine years, after which he came to Buchanan county, wliere he carried on
general agricultural pursuits for some time. He is now engaged in banking
in connection with his son-in-law, C. Gunzenhauser, at Rowley, and is numbered
among the leading and enterprising business men of that place. Mr. and ^Irs.
Haines are the parents of five children, as follows: Maude E., a maiden of ten
summers; Elletha K., who is eight years old; and Lucille L,, Marian B. and
George William, who are six, four and two years of age respectively.
Mr. Haines votes with the democratic party but does not seek nor desire
public office, although he keeps well informed on the questions and issues of
the day. He and his wife hold membership in the Presbyterian church, and he
58 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
is a Mason, belonging to both the lodge and the Eastern Star chapter at Rowley.
He has never desired to change his place of residence, for he has always felt
that this county offered excellent opportunities for the agriculturist and that
its advantages in all general directions Mere equal to those to be found anywhere.
He is a young man working steadily toward success and is now well known as
a representative of the farming interests of his part of the county.
FRED F. AGXEW. M. D.
Dr. Fred F. Agnew, who has been continuously engaged in the practice of
medicine and surgery in Independence since 1903, was born in this county in
1874. His father, Isaac B. Agnew, was born in Hebron, Indiana, September 11,
1831, and in early life became a mail carrier, making his trips on horseback.
He also drove stock from Ohio and Indiana to Philadelphia for his uncle when
but a youth, and he was only eleven years of age when he began carrying the
mail. He was engaged in that sort of work until 1855, when he started for
Iowa, thinking to find better business opportunities and advantages in this new
and rapidly developing western country. He drove an o.x team from Indiana
to Buchanan county, where he settled upon a farm, becoming closely identified
with the agricultural development of this section. He married Sarah R. Dille,
who was born near Valparaiso, Indiana, in 1838, and they became the parents
of seven children, four sons and three daughters, of whom Fred F. Ls the sixth.
Three of the family are living in Buchanan county, but the parents have both
passed away. During the later years of his life Mr. Agnew was an active member
of the IMethodist church.
After acquiring his early education in the connnon schools, Dr. Agnew became
a student in the Upper Iowa University at Fayette, where he remained for three
years. He then became a pupil in the medical department of the Iowa State
University, in which he spent two years, and later he entered the Jefferson
Medical College at Philadelphia, in which he won his professional degree. He
has since taken post-graduate work in 1906, 1908, 1910 and 1914, and throughout
his professional career he has l)een a close anil earnest student of the science of
medicine. He did not immediately begin preparation for the practice of medi-
cine after completing his more specifically literary course, but when twenty-
three years of age began farming, which he followed for two years. It was then
that he entered medical college, and after his graduation he spent a year and
a half as interne in Blockley Hospital.
On the 1st of October, 1903, Dr. Agnew arrived in Independence and entered
upon the practice of medicine, becoming associated with Dr. A. G, Shellito. He
is a fellow of the Amei-ican College of Surgeons and also a memlier of the
Buchanan County Medical Society, of which he is the president, the Iowa State
Medical Society and the American Medical Association. Constant reading and
investigation have kept him in toiuii with modern thought in the field of his
chosen calling and his work has been highly beneficial to the public. He Ls
likewise the owner of valuable farm lands in Sumner township ami he operates
his fatlier's farm, which is devoted to general agricultural pursuits.
DR. FRED F. AGNEW
PUBLIC
A??Tnn IFVnv ,v.>
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 61
In 1906 Dr. Agnew was united in marriage to ^liss Minnie McBride, who
was born in this county, a daughter of James McBride, a native of New York.
They have three children : Frederick Bryant, born September 9, 1908 ; Kathryn
Alice, born July 30, 1910; and James Ward, born September 16, 1912.
Dr. A^new is well known in fraternal circles, holding membership in the
lodge, chapter and commandery of the Masonic fraternity and also with the
Knights of Pythias. In his life he exemplifies the beneficent spirit of the craft
which is based upon mutual helpfulness and brotherly kindness, and his practice
gives him many opportunities to follow the tenets of the order. In a calling
where advancement depends entirely upon individual merit and ability, he has
worked his way steadily upward and now enjoys a high and well deserved
reputation.
GEORGE F. SLEMMONS.
George F. Slemmons follows farming in Liber-ty township and was born upon
the farm upon which he now resides, his natal year being 1875. His father,
Jesse Slemmons, was bom in Harrison county, Ohio, in 1846, and when nine
years of age was brought to Iowa by his parents, the family traveling overland
to Liberty to^aiship, Buchanan county, where they arrived in 1855. This sec-
tion was then one of the frontier counties of the state and all the evidences of
pioneer life were here to be found. It was not an unusual thing to see Indians
and, in fact, the red men were almost as numerous as the white settlers. Wild
game of many kinds was to be had in abundance and there were also wild ani-
mals, Mr. Slemmons being chased by a panther during his boyhood days. There
were no schools or churches when the family first came and the Slemmons family
bore their part in instituting the improvements which have contributed to the
intellectual and moral as well as the material progress of the community. In
fact, Mr. Slemmons, the grandfather, was one of the founders of the Hickory
Grove Presbyterian church and his daughter taught school in a log house, which
was a private home, before any public schoolhouses were built.
After Jesse Slemmons became of age he, too, was very .active in all the
affairs of the community, contributing largely to upbuilding and public progress
along various lines. He became the second largest taxpayer in the township,
owning six hundred and thirty acres of rich and valuable land. Te fed and
shipped much stock and the different branches of his business were a source of
gratifying profit. The cause of education found in him a friend and he was an
earnest Christian man, holding membership in the Presbyterian church. He
also exercised considerable influence in politics and was one of the most promi-
nent citizens of the township. He died in 1898, while his wife, who bore the
maiden name of Elizabeth Work, was born in Harrison county. Ohio, in 1851,
and is still living.
George F. Slemmons was the eldest in a family of seven children. He at-
tended the township schools and further continued his education at Winthrop
and in Lenox College at Hopkinton, Iowa. He was twenty-two years of age
when his father died and returned home from school to look after the family
62 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
affairs. At that time he was elected a member of the school board, although so
young, and has held the office for about seventeen years, it being a well recog-
nized fact that he is a stalwart friend of public education and believes in con-
tinuous progress in the schools and the improvement of their methods. He has
also held other township offices and in many ways has given evidence of his loy-
alty to the best interests of the community. Like his father, he stands today
as one of the leading and prominent business men of his section of the county,
being extensively engaged in the feeding of cattle and sheep. He is also a di-
rector and stockholder of the Winthrop State Bank and is the owner of two
hundred and seventy acres of land. He devotes all of his time to his farm and
his success is the merited reward of his capable management and persistent
effort.
Mr. Slemmons was united in marriage to Miss INIabel L. Thompson, a daugh-
ter of Walter Thompson, and they have become parents of two children : John
Walter, born :\lay 20, 1907 ; and Ruth Gertrude, born July 13, 1909. Mr. Slem-
mons holds membership witli the Odd Fellows and has been an active worker in
his lodge. He also belongs to the Modern Woodmen camp, and lie is a mem-
ber of the Presbyterian cliurch, taking deep interest in its work. He serves as
one of its trustees, contributes generously to its support and does all in his
power to further the work of the church. The family name has long been in-
deli})ly impressed upon tlie liistory of this county and the work instituted by the
grandfather in pioneer times and continued by the father is now being carried
on by the son, llie name of Slemmons ever being synonymous with business enter-
prise, reliability and progressiveness in citizenship.
HENRY MEYER.
Henry Meyer, who in the course of an active, busy and useful life has con-
verted raw prairie land into highly cultivated fields and is now the owner of a
valuable farm pro})erty of two hundred and twenty acres situated on section 11,
Byron township, was born July 19, 1843, in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, a
son of Henry and Isadora (Sullivan) Meyer, of whom mention is made on an-
other page of this work in connection with the sketch of their son-in-law. Colonel
Jed Lake.
The boyhood days of Henry Meyer were spent at the old home in Pennsyl-
vania and at Rockford and Dixon, Illinois, following tiie removal of the family
to the middle west. In 1855, however, anotlier removal brought the family to
Buchanan county and their home was established in Byron township. Henry
^Meyer was then a youth of about twelve years. He continued to assist his
father in the task of developing and improving a new^ farm and at the same time
spent the winter seasons in the acquirement of his education. He gave his father
the benefit of his services up to the time of his marriage, which was celebrated ou
the 7th of July, 1869, ]\Iiss Sarah L. Spangler becoming his wife. She was
born in Coshocton county. Ohio, in January, 1844, and is a daughter of (Jeorge
and Rebecca (Cleggett) Spangler, both of whom were natives of ]\Iaryland. the
former of frerinan lineage and the lattei- of English exti'actioji. Removing to
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 63
Ohio, the father there engaged in fanning until his death, which occurred when
he was in middle life and before the birth of Mrs. Meyer. His widow survived
until sixty-five years of age. Mrs. Meyer spent her girlhood in the Buckeye
state and about 1865 came to this county, where her brother, Samuel T. Spangler,
was living. She made the trip in order to visit her brother and here formed the
acquaintance of ^Ir. Meyer, who sought her hand in marriage. They have be-
come the parents of three children : Isadora, the wife of AVilliam Sherren, a
resident farmer of Byron township ; Hattie Jane, the wife of J. W. Marshall, a
farmer of the same township ; and Lee L., who is a school teacher and also a
teacher of music, having taught for nine years in one district near the old home.
In early manhood Henry Meyer received from his father a gift of eighty
acres of land which was wild and unimproved, not a furrow having been turned
upon it. He bought an adjoining tract of eighty acres which was likewise raw
prairie, and later he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of the old home-
stead. With characteristic energy he began the development of his farm and
liis labors were attended with good results, his fields being brought to a high
state of cultivation, while the large crops annually garnered found a ready
sale on the market. In late years Mr. ]Meyer sold one hundred acres of the old
homestead property to his son-in-law, but he still retains the ownership of two
hundred and twenty acres of excellent farm land, which he personally culti-
vated until two years ago. He then rented the farm land but keeps the pastur-
age and is raising full blooded shorthorn cattle, which branch of his business
is bringing to him gratifying success.
In his political views Mr. Meyer has long been a stalwart republican, sup-
porting the party since casting his first presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln.
For several years he has been roadmaster and he thoroughly recognizes the value
of good highways in this age when the question of good roads looms large on
the public horizon. Otherwise he has never sought nor desired public office but
concentrates his energies upon his business afi'airs, which are capably and profit-
ably managed.
FRED FRANCK.
Fred Franck, numbered among the enterprising, prosperous and representa-
tive agriculturists of Buchanan county, owns and resides upon a valuable and
well improved farm of one hundred and sixty acres on section 8, Newton town-
ship, and also has a forty-acre tract in Cono township. His birth occurred in
Independence, Buchanan county, Iowa, in November, 1873, his parents being
Fritz and Fredericka (Geiser) Franck, both of whom were natives of Germany,
The father, a stonemason by trade, emigrated to the United States in the '50s
and located at Bufifalo, New York, where he worked at that occupation for several
years. Subsequently he came to Independence, Iowa, and here worked as a
stonemason for thirty years. On the expiration of that period he purchased a
tract of land in Homer township, where he carried on agricultural pursuits for
five years and then removed to Middlefield township, buying another farm Avhich
he operated throughout the remainder of his life. In his demise, which occurred
64 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
in September, 1906, the community lost one of its most substantial and re-
spected citizens. His widow resides on the home place and is well known and
highly esteemed here.
Fred Franck was reared and educated in the town of his nativity and
remained under the parental roof until twenty-four years of age. He then
started out as an agriculturist on his own account, operating a rented farm for
eight years. On the expiration of that period he purchased one hundred and
sixty acres of land on section 8, Newton township, and subsequently bought
a tract of forty acres in Cono township. He made a number of substantial
improvements on the place and now has a valuable and highly developed prop-
erty which yields him a gratifying annual income. In connection with the
cultivation of cereals he makes a specialty of the raising of Poland China hogs.
In February, 1904. "Sir. Franck was united in marriage to Miss Louise
Walter, a daughter of Christian and Caroline (Wahl) Walter, both of whom
were natives of Germany. The father emigrated to the United States in 1849.
locating at Wheaton, Illinois, wliere he remained for four years. In 1853 he
came to Newton township, Buchanan county, Iowa, and here purchased and
improved a tract of land which he cultivated until the time of the outbreak of
the Civil war. He loyally served as a member of the Union army for three
years and then returned to his farm in this county, here carrying on agri-
cultural pursuits successfully throughout the remainder of his active business
career. He subsequently lived retired at Walker for some time and spent his
last days in tlie home of his son at Quasqueton. where his demise occurred
in November, 1910. His wife was called to her final rest in January, 1904.
Mr. and Mrs. Franck have two children, Elta C. and Fred C, who are eight and
six years of age respectively.
Mr. Franck gives his political allegiance to the republican party and is
now serving as a trustee of Newton township, having held that office for two
years, while at one time he discharged the duties of constable. In Buchanan
county he has lived 'from his birth to the present time. He is a man loyal in
citizenship, reliable in business, at all times public-spirited and progressive and
his life measures up to the full standard of honora])le manhood, his record
being a credit to a name that has been known and honored in this part of Iowa
since pioneer times.
JOHN LAWRENCE McGRATH. D. V. S.
Dr. John Lawrence McGrath has been engaged in the practice of veterinary
surgery at Jesup since 1912 and is widely recognized as an able and successful
young representative of the profession. His birth occurred in Westburg town-
ship, Buchanan county, Iowa, on the 26th of June, 1881, his parents being
William and Klizabeth Ann (O'Donnell) ]\IcGrath, both of whom were natives
of Ireland, tiic latter l)orn in County Clare.
William McGrath crossed the Atlantic to the United States as a youth of
sixteen but at the end of a year returned to the Emerald isle. In 1861, when
a young man of twenty-one, he again came to America and for a perioti of
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 65
fourteen years was engaged in mining in Michigan and in Duluth, Minnesota.
The year 1875 witnessed his arrival in Buchanan county, Iowa, and here he
purchased a tract of land in Westburg township, where he followed farming
throughout the remainder of his life, passing away in 1904. His demise was
the occasion of deep and widespread regret, for he had won an extensive circle
of friends in the community which had been his home for almost three decades.
He gave his political allegiance to the democracy and was a devout communicant
of the Catholic church. His widow, who still resides on the home farm in
Westburg township and has now reached the age of sixty-one years, came to
this country in young girlhood. To them were born ten children, as follows:
John Lawrence, Eugene N., Martin Leo, Peter R., William C, Lewis A,, James
L., Bridget IVIary, Hanora and Johanna.
John L. McGrath spent the period of liis boyhood and youth on the home
farm and attended the public schools in the acquirement of an education. When
twenty-five years of age he left the parental roof and made his way to McKenzie
county, North Dakota, where he took up a homestead. At the end of eight
months, however, he gave up his preemption and acquired the property by paying
a dollar and a half per acre. He entered the Chicago Veterinary College in the
fall of 1908 and was graduated therefrom with honors in 1912. In that year he
opened an office at Jesup and has since built up and maintained an extensive
and profitable practice as a veterinary surgeon.
On June 19, 1912, Dr. McGrath was united in marriage to Miss Florence
Anna Collins, a native of Liberty township, this county, and a daughter of
Patrick and Bridget (Stafford) Collins, who were born in Ireland and survive,
making their home in Westburg township, Buchanan county. Our subject and
his wife are the parents of one child. Mrs. McGrath has always lived in Buchanan
county and is well known and highly esteemed here. In his political views
the Doctor is a democrat, while his religious faith is that of the Catholic church,
to which his wife also belongs.
MERRITT 0. FOUTS.
Called to the position of cashier of the Commercial State Bank of Inde-
pendence in January, 1911, Merritt 0. Fonts is still filling that position and is
proving a capable official, popular with the bank patrons and thoroughly reliable
in every relation. He was born at Brandon, this county, March 1, 1874, a son
of William H. and Mary A. (Romig) Fonts. The father's birth occurred in
Warren county, Indiana, May 30, 1834, and the mother was born in Washington
county, Wisconsin, April 21, 1844. W. H. Fonts engaged in merchandising
with his father and in 1851 came to this county, settling at Brandon. His
father established a sawmill and platted the town, after which he conducted a
mercantile enterprise. With the business interests of the town W. H. Fonts
was continuously identified up to the time of his retirement and contributed
much to the upbuilding and development of that place. He also became the
owner of large tracts of land and engaged extensively in farming. Apprecia-
tive of his worth and ability, his fellow townsmen frequently called liim to local
66 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
ofifices and for a number of years he served as postmaster of Brandon. His wife-
died in 1892 and he noM^ makes his home with his daughter Clara, the wife of
J. W. Elliot, a farmer residing near Brandon.
In the family were hut two children, the younger l^eing Merritt 0. Fonts,,
who in the pursuit of his education attended successively the schools of Brandon
and Independence and of Van Wert, Ohio. At the age of eighteen years he began
teaching school near Brandon and during periods of vacation was employed as
a clerk in a department store in Independence, where he remained for about two
years. He afterward engaged in the real-estate business in Independence for
about three years, at the end of which time he became manager for the Inde-
pendence Mills Company, but left that firm in less than a year in order to accept
public office.
In politics ^Ir. Fonts has always been a stalwart republican and in 1900 was
elected clerk of the district court, to which office lie was twice reelected. He
resigned before the expiration of his third term to accept the position of special
examiner for the United States bureau of pensions, spending most of the period
of his five years' incumbency in that office at Indianapolis and ^Milwaukee. On
leaving that position he became (-ashier of the Commercial State Bank in
January, 1911, and has since been thus identified with financial affairs.
On the 18th of March, 1896, Mr. Fonts was united in marriage to IMiss ^lae
Chapman, who was l)orn in Stillman Valley, Illinois, a daughter of AVilliam and
Ellen (Broad wood) Chapman, both of wliom were natives of Canada, whence
they removed to Illinois about 1870, settling at Stillman Valley, where the
father engaged in contracting and building. About 1884 he removed with his
family to Iowa and took up his abode upor a farm just south of Independence,
where he is still cariyiiig on general agricultural pursuits. Mrs. Fonts was
the youngest of four children and by hei- inai'riagc has become the mother of a
daughter and son, ]\Iildred J. and John Kcinieth.
Mr. Fouts holds membership with the Knights of Pythias and the ]\Iodern
Woodmen of America and is secretary of the Odd Fellows lodge. In all these
different organizations he is held ii\ high esteem, for he is loyal to their pur-
poses and in his life exemplifies their teachings. Tic is also a member of the
school board. His record is a creditable one in every relation. lie lias proven
thoroughly trustworthy in business and reliable in office and has the warm regard
and confidence of an cxt<Misiv(^ circle of friends.
CHARLES F. IIERRICK.
The predominant trait in the Herrick family is perhaps that of patriotism,
for in the different wars of the country the family has been represented and
among those who aided in defense of the Union in the darkest hour of our
country's history was Charles F. Ilerrick of this review. In days of peace, too,
he was equally loyal to his country and cooperated in movements for local prog-
ress and improvement. Thus it was that he became recognized as a citizen of
sterling worth in Buchanan county and his death was the occasion of deep and
r^
CHARLES F. HERRICK
r-
I
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 69
■widespread regret when, in 1905, he was called to his final rest. His birth
occurred in Lima, New York, in 1835.
Israel Herrick, his father, was of English parentage, but was bom in Ver-
mont in 1786. There is a long genealogical record of the family and frequently
the name of Herrick appears in the annals of America in connection with the war
history. Israel Herrick, Sr., grandfather of Charles F. Herrick, was one of the
Minutemen of the Revolution and his son, Israel Herrick, Jr., was a soldier
of the War of 1812. Then came Charles F. Herrick as a soldier of the Civil
war and his son, C. G. Herrick, as a soldier of the Spanish- American war. Israel
Herrick, Jr., was a carpenter and joiner by trade and removed westward from
New England in 1858, at which time he took up his abode in Buchanan county.
His son Charles, however, had come to this state in 1856, arriving on the day on
which James Buchanan was elected president of the United States. After his
arrival in Iowa Israel Herrick practically lived retired, although there is still
standing as a monument of his handiwork one of the buildings which he erected
after coming to Independence, where he remained a substantial and respected
citizen to the time of his death.
When thirteen years of age Charles F. Herrick was apprenticed to the
jeweler's trade, thoroughly mastering the business and becoming an expert work-
man in that line. In 1856, the year in which he attained his majority, he bade
adieu to his old home in the east and came to Independence, where he opened
a jewelry store, becoming one of the pioneer merchants of the city. He con-
tinued actively in the business until his death, which occurred forty-nine years
later. At different times he had partners, but never at any time did he sever
his own connection with the store which he established in pioneer days. In his
business he kept in touch with the advancement of the times and with the growth
and progress of the county, carrying a large and well-selected stock and enjoying
a liberal patronage by reason of his honorable methods and earnest efforts to
please his customers. For a time he conducted a music store in connection with
the jewelry business. He possessed natural musical talent and was always active
in musical circles.
In 1861 INIr. Herrick enlisted in the Eleventh Illinois Infantry at Rockford,
becoming a member of the regimental band. Later such bands were discharged
by general order and in 186-1 he again offered his services to the government
and was elected captain of Company D, Forty-sixth Iowa Infantry. After
serving for a short time, however, he was sent home in a precarious condition
because of camp sickness, being honorably discharged and mustered out before
the company disbanded.
Mr. Herrick was united in marriage to Miss Sarah E. Sauerbier, who was
born in Easton, Pennsylvania, January 27, 1842, a daughter of George and
Sarah A. (Haberacker) Sauerbier, both of whom were natives of Reading, Penn-
sylvania. The father, who was born September 21, 1805, died on the 5th of
August, 1885. The mother, who was born February 26, 1815, passed away INIay
15, 1877. It was in 1855 that George Sauerbier came to Iowa, settling in Inde-
pendence. He had engaged in the manufacture of hats when in Pennsylvania,
but lived retired in Iowa, owing to ill health. The house which he erected in
1856 is still occupied by his daughter and her family. It was first used as a store
when most of the city of Independence was on the west side. Mr. Sauerbier was
4
70 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
an active and earnest member of the Presbyterian church, both he and his wife
being widely recognized as people of sterling worth. They had but two children,
including Mrs. Herrick, who has long been a prominent figure in social and
religious circles of the city and interested as well in many civic problems.
To Mr. and Mrs. Herrick were born six children: Ellen A., Alice E., William
S., Mary P., Sarah E. and Charles G. The eldest is now the wife of S. P. Rider,
a retired wholesale dry goods merchant of Dubuque, and they have two children :
Herbert, a dentist practicing in Milwaukee, Wisconsin ; and Marie, the wife of
Merrill Burch, of Dubuque. The third daughter, Mary P., became the wife
of A. J. Schaefer, a dry goods merchant of Belvidere, Illinois, and they have
four children. The fourth daughter, Sarah E., became the wife of Reece Tucker,
a live-stock dealer of Glenwood Springs, Colorado, and they have three children.
The younger son of the family is Charles G. Herrick, now a jeweler and watch-
maker of Independence, his father's successor in business. He learned the trade
under the direction of his father, and in 1898 gave evidence of possessing the
same patriotic spirit that has ever been characteristic of the family, for he
joined Company E of the Forty-ninth Iowa Infantry, of which he became ser-
geant and was also sergeant-major of his regiment. With that command he
went to Jacksonville and on to Havana, Cuba, thus defending American interests
in the war with Spain. Since 1908 he has been continuously engaged in the
jewelry business in Independence, ranking with the leading and enterprising
merchants of the city. In 1900 he married Maude A. King, a daughter of
Prettyman King, who was born in Defiance, Ohio, in 1841, and attended the
Ohio Wesleyan University. He served as a captain in the Thirteenth Ohio
Volunteer Cavalry and made a splendid record, participating in twenty-four
important battles. He was also present at General Lee s surrender. He married
Miss Mattie Dorset, who died in 1868. Later Mr. King came to Iowa and for
two years was engaged in the dry goods business in Independence. He then
returned to Ohio and in 1872 again came to Iowa, being identified with general
merchandising in Hazleton. He was married again, his second union being with
Amelia Manz. His political allegiance was given to the republican party. By ■
his first marriage he had three children, of whom Mrs. Herrick is the youngest. "
To Mr. and Mrs. Charles G. Herrick have been born two children, Bernice and
Lucille. Like his father, Charles G. Herrick has been active in Masonic circles,
holding membership with the lodge, the chapter, the commandery and El Kahir
Temple of the Mystic Shrine. He has been junior warden and senior deacon in
the blue lodge and was its master for two years. In the commandery he has been
both the junior and senior warden and captain general. He also has membership
with the Knights of Pythias.
Charles F. Herrick always took a deep and active interest in civic affairs and
heartily cooperated in every movement for tlie benefit and upbuilding of town
and county. He was one of the early mayors of the city of Independence,
serving in 1868 and 1869. Again in 1896 he was appointed to fill out an unex-
pired term in that office and in 1905 was again elected the chief executive of
the city, filling the position at the time of his death. That he was on three
different occasions called to the office is indicative of the confidence reposed in
him by liis fellow townsmen. It also indicates that through the intervening
years he never lapsed in his loyalty to the city and its welfare, but again and
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 71
again gave evidence of his devotion to the public good. He likewise served as a
member of the city council and was at all times an earnest advocate of repub-
lican principles, being one of the active members of the party in Independence.
He figured prominently in the social as well as the political circles of the city
and was especially active as a member of St. James Episcopal church, serving
for many years as a vestryman and as superintendent of the Sunday school.
He was one of the most prominent Masons of Independence, passing through the
blue lodge and later taking the degrees of capitular, cryptic and chivalric
Masonry. He also crossed the sands of the desert witli the Nobles of the ^Mystic
Shrine. He was a senior warden of his lodge in 1868, its master in 1869, 1870,
1883 and 1884. He likewise filled one of the principal offices in the chapter and
in 1882 was elected eminent commander of the Knights Templar Commandery,
which office he filled for twelve years. He belonged to El Kahir Temple of the
Mystic Shrine at Cedar Rapids and from the time he became a member of the
order he was ever a worthy exemplar of the beneficent spirit of the craft, its
tenets and its teachings. His life was at all times honorable and upright and
in every relation he commanded the respect, confidence and good will of his
fellowmen. He contributed much to the material development of the city through
his business activity and equally to its advancement along political, social and
moral lines. He left behind him the priceless heritage of a good name and the
memory of a life that may well serve as a source of inspiration and also as a
benediction to those with whom he came in contact.
WILLIAM J. FRANCK.
William J. Franck is the owner of a well improved farm of one hundred
and sixty acres on sections 4 and 5, Newton township, and derives a gratify-
mg annual income in its operation. His birth occurred at Independence, this
county, on the 30th of September, 1878, his parents being Fritz and Fredericka
(Geiser) Franck, of whom more extended mention is made on another page of
this work in connection with the sketch of Fred Franck, brother of our subject.
William J. Franck acquired his education in his native town and in the
district schools of Homer and Middlefield townships. He remained under the
parental roof until he had attained his majority and then worked as a farm
hand for one year, while subsequently he cultivated a rented tract of land in
partnership with his brother for three years. On the expiration of that period
lie returned home and worked for his father for one year. He then again
rented a tract of land which he cultivated for about seven years and at the
end of that time purchased a farm of one hundred and sixty acres on sections
4 and 5, Newton township, his residence being on the former section. This
he has improved and has operated to the present time, carrying on his agri-
cultural interests in a inanner that has insured his continued and growing
success. He cultivates the cereals best adapted to soil and climate and also
raises thoroughbred Duroc Jersey hogs and high grade cattle, breeding princi-
pally Herefords.
72 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
In October, 1906, Mr. Franek was united in marriage to Miss Matilda Fest,
a daughter of John and Janet Alice (Ironside) Fest, whose record appears else-
where in this work. John Fest took up his abode among the pioneer settlers of
this county and is still actively engaged in farming in Newton township. Mr.
and Mrs. Franek have three children, as follows: William Raymond and
Hazel ]\I., who are seven and five years of age respectively; and Arthur L,,
three years old.
Mr. Franek is a democrat in politics and has fraternal relations with.
the Modern Brotherhood of America, while his religious faith is that of the
Congregational church. He has lived in Buchanan county from his birth to
the present time and has won an extensive circle of warm friends here.
A. G. BEATTY.
A. G. Beatty, an honored veteran of the Civil war conducting a real estate,
collection and insurance agency at Independence, was born in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, in 1842, a son of James and Grace (Stewart) Beatty, both of
whom were natives of Ireland. The mother was born in 1819. The father,
whose birth occurred in County Tyrone in 1818, was sixteen years of age when
he came to the United States, making his way to Philadelphia, where he began
learning the machinist's trade, which he followed for fifteen years. During
eight years of that period he had a machine shop of his own. In 1849 he removed
westward to Iowa, making the journey bj^ water, rail and stage coach until he
reached Jones county. Pleased with the prospects of the country and believing
that he might earn a good living here, he sent for his wife and three children,
who joined him in June, 1850. ]\Ir. Beatty had entered land from the govern-
ment in Jones county and was one of its pioneer settlers. There were no rail-
roads west of the ^lississippi and the entire country was wild and undeveloped.
All around were Indians but they were peaceful, belonging to the tribes of
Sac and Foxes and others who were leaving for reservations farther west.
James Beattj' continued to engage in farming in Jones county until 1876,
when he purchased land in Buchanan county, where he owned about four
hundred acres at the time of his death, which occurred in 1893 when he was
seventy-five years of age. He was an active and exemplary member of the
Baptist church and he and his ln*others built a church of that denomination in
Cascade, Iowa. At the time of the Civil war he responded to the country's call
for aid and became corporal in Company I, Twenty-first Iowa Infantry. He
participated in the battle of Helena, Arkansas, and various other important en-
gagements until he was discharged on account of physical disability in 1864
due to camp sickness and general breakdown in health from which he never
recovered. His life was an active, busy and useful one, and his influence was
always on the side of right and progress. His family numbered five sons, the
eldest being James Beatty, deceased, who was a resident of Philadelphia and
who served as commissary sergeant in a Pennsylvania regiment during the Civil
war.
I
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A. G. BEATTY
1
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 75
Another of the five sons who did active duty in defense of the Union was
■ A. (^. Beatty of this review. In his early boyhood he pursued his education in
one of the old-tnne log schoolhouses of Iowa and for one terra he was a student
m the Hopkinton Seminary, now Lenox College, at Hopkinton, Iowa. In early
boyhood he began learning the mason's trade and after reaching the age of
sixteen years gave his entire attention thereto until the outbreak of the Civil
war. Responding to the country's call for aid, he joined Company D Ninth
Iowa Infantry, under the command of Captain David Harper of Anamosa and
Colonel William Van Devere of Dubuque. He served for one year and was then
honorably discharged. At the battle of Pea Ridge, Arkansas, he was wounded
twenty-three times and his right arm is useless. While lying injured upon that
battlefield he would have given, had he owned it, the entire wealth of the United
States for a drink of water. He had nothing to drink and no medical attention
from six o'clock in the afternoon until ten o'clock the next dav. He was passed
by several times because the^ Red Cross attendants thought 'he was dead but
eventually he was picked up and his wounds cared for. He was also in the battle
of Sugar Creek. He still has in his possession a Testament which is stained with
blood, for he was carrying the little volume in his vest pocket on the battlefield
when injured. He also has bullets which were extracted from his body.
For some time after the war and his return to Jones county Mr. Beatty was
unfit for any work, but eventually he recovered from his many wounds He
then turned his attention to farming, which he followed in Jones county for
two years or until 1870, when he came to Buchanan countv. Here he again
carried on general agricultural pursuits and he is now the owner of farm prop-
erty in this county which he purchased in 1873. He continued to activelv till the
soil until 1882, when he removed to Independence and established a real estate,
iiLsurance and collection agency which he has since conducted with growing
success. He also became pension attorney in the interior department and at
different times he has held public offices, serving as justice of the peace of Sumner
township, as overseer of the poor of Independence and as steward of the
Buchanan county poor farm for three years.
Mr. Beatty has long been active in public affairs and is a stalwart advocate
of the republican party, doing everything in his power to promote its growth and
secure its success. He is equally active and earnest in his efforts to advance the
upbuilding of the Baptist church, of which he is a most faithful member. For
twenty years he served as clerk of the church, has been a member of the board
of trustees and was moderator of the Dubuque Baptist Association for three
years. For the past eleven years he has been commander of E. C. Little Post,
No. o4, G. A. R., and his long continuance in that position indicates how highly
he IS honored by his fellow members. He likewise served on the staff of the
national commander, Washington Gardner, of Columbus, Ohio, and is now on the
staff of David J. Palmer, national commander of the G. A. R. He has been
a member and chairman of various committees of the state encampment and
has also been a delegate to the national encampment.
In 1863 :\Ir. Beatty was united in marriage to :\Iiss Alice Cook Freeman
who was born in Missouri in 1841, a daughter of Sylvanus and Sophia (Cald-
well) Freeman, natives of Canada and New York respectively. Her father came
to the United States when a young man and followed farming in Wisconsin and
Vol. IT — 4
76 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
Missouri. After the outbreak of the Civil war he enlisted for service in Company
I, Twenty-fifth Wisconsin Infantry. His health became greatly impaired during
the time which he spent at the front, covering more than two years, and rendered
him unfit for business after he was mustered out. He subsequently removed to
Dubuque and he became an active member of the Grand Army of the Republic.
Mrs. Beatty is a prominent member of the Woman's Relief Corps, as are her
three daughters. To Mr. and Mrs. Beatty were born eight children, but five of
the number, all sons, died in infancy. Rosella, the eldest daughter, is the wife
of R. S. Glenn, a general merchant of Oelwein, Iowa, by whom she has five
children : Charles R., who is a graduate physician of the Johns Hopkins Uni-
versity ; Alice ; Violet ; Martha ; and Hetty. Grace, the second daughter, is the
wife of K. B. Miller, a general merchant of Independence, and they have two
children: Irene, the wife of Lloyd Harkness, a carpenter of Independence, by
whom she has two children ; and Myrtle, at home. Jennie V., the third daughter,
is acting as stenographer in her father 's office.
Mr. Beatty has no fraternal or club relationships save his connection with the
Grand Army of the Republic. He was, however, at one time secretary of the
Business Commercial Club, which has passed out of existence. He displays
many sterling traits of character which have won him high regard. His enter-
prise and energy have established him as a representative business man of Inde-
pendence, while in many ways he has proven his loyalt}^ and his patriotism in
citizenship, remaining as faithful to his country in days of peace as he was when
he followed the stars and stripes upon the battlefields of the south.
J. W. BIDDING P:R.
4
Among the more important and profitable commercial enterprises of Quas-
queton is the well appointed drug store owned and conducted by J. W. Bid-
dinger, who has been continuously connected with the trade in this city since
1903. He is a native son of Quasqueton, born in 1862. His father, Henry
Biddinger, was born in Tuscarawas county, Ohio. July 9, 1826, and in early
life learned the harness maker's trade in ^Marion, Iowa, having come to this
state in 1854, the journey being made across the country in the primitive manner
of travel in those days. He lived in Marion for several years and then came to
Buchanan county, settling in Quas^iueton, where he was engaged in business
as a harness maker and dealer for forty-one years. People came from Dubuque
to Quasqueton, driving over the prairies to trade with him. Conditions were
those of pioneer life and on all sides were seen evidences of the fact that this
was a frontier region. Quasqueton was then the largest town in the county.
There was plenty of wild game to be had, for the unsettled condition of the
prairies gave ample feeding ground for all kinds of wild game commonly found
in this latitude at an early day.
Mr. Biddinger was united in marriage to I\Iiss ^Telissa ]\IcBee, who was born
in Tcrre Haute, Indiana. February 27, 1832, and they became the parents of
five children, of whom J. W. Biddinger is the eldest son and the only one now
living in this county. The death of the father occurred in 1898, when he had
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 77
reached the age of seventy-two years, and the mother passed away in 1895.
They were consistent and active members of the Baptist church, in which
Mr. Biddinger held various offices, while in the organization of the early church
he took an active and helpful part. He was a man of high and honorable
principles and throughout his life was ever loyal to the sterling characteristics
of upright manhood.
J. W. Biddinger attended school in Quasqueton until fourteen years of
age, when he entered a school of medicine at Des Moines, becoming a student
in Highland Park College of that city. He afterward took up the study of
pharmacy at Highland Park and was graduated therefrom when twenty-one
years of age. He then secured a situation in Cedar Rapids, being employed in
a drug store there for seven years, after wliich he spent three years as clerk
in a drug store in Omaha, Nebraska. He afterward went to Thurman, Iowa,
where he had charge of a store until 1898, when he took a trip to Alaska, being
in the far northwest at the time of his father's death. He remained there for
a year and a half and with a number of companions with whom he had journeyed
to the northwest he laid out claims which they worked for gold. On one occa-
sion a vessel on which he was a passenger was shipwrecked on a glacier. He
tramped all over Alaska and is familiar with every phase of its pioneer develop-
ment. In 1900 he returned to Iowa and in 1903 again came to Quasqueton,
where he opened the drug store of which he is now proprietor and which for
eleven years he has conducted with growing success. He also owns land in this
county but devotes the major part of his attention to the drug trade.
In 1884 Mr. Biddinger was united in marriage to Miss Hermina Cooper and
they have a daughter, Nellie J., who is the wife of C. Hanson, a music dealer
of Oelwein. Mr. Biddinger takes no active part in politics nor is he associated
with any lodges. When leisure permits, he spends his time in fishing and
hunting and greatly enjoys those sports, but his attention is concentrated upon
his commercial activities and he is today one of the leading and prosperous
merchants of his native town.
JOHN MEYER.
John ]Meyer is a well known farmer, stock-raiser and feeder of Byron town-
ship, living on section 3. He is numbered among the pioneer settlers of Bu-
chanan county, having since 1855 resided within its borders. Pennsylvania
claims him as a native son, his birth having occurred in Lancaster county on
the 10th of November, 1848, his parents being Henry and Isadora (SulliVan)
Meyer, of whom mention is made in connection with the sketch of their son-
in-law, Colonel Jed Lake, on another page of this volume.
John Meyer was but seven years of age when the family came to Iowa and
he shared with the others of the household in the usual experiences and hardships
of pioneer life, for this was still a frontier region at the time of their arrival.
At the usual age he entered the public schools, to which he is indebted for
the educational opportunities which he enjoyed. His training in farm labor
was not meager and he remained at home until thirty-two years of age, although
78 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
in the meantime he had become the owner of land which he was cultivating.
When he attained his majority his father gave him eighty acres and to his
original holdings he has added from time to time as his financial resources
have increased until he now has two hundred and eighty acres, while his wife
is the owner of three hundred and fifteen acres, all in one body. This farm
Mr. j\Ieyer personally cultivated and developed until about three years ago,
when he rented all of his fields save about forty acres, in the midst of which
stands his home. He now raises cattle, horses and hogs and as a live stock
raiser and feeder is doing a profitable business.
On the 29th of December, 1880, Mr. Meyer was united in marriage to Miss
Emma A. Spangler, a daughter of Samuel T. Spangler, a leading citizen and
honored pioneer settler of the county whose sketch is to be found on another
page of this work. She was born in Coshocton county, Ohio, October 21, 1855,
and when quite young was brought l)y her parents to this county, where her
life has since been spent. In early womanhood she engaged in teaching school.
Our subject and his wife have one son, Cliff Spangler Meyer.
In his political views Mr. Meyer has long been an earnest republican, never
failing to cast his vote in support of the men and measures of the party. For
fifteen years he has held the office of road supervisor and has done much to
improve the public highways. For a similar period he served as school director
and the cause of education finds in him a stalwart champion. He has recently
erected a handsome residence upon his farm, built in a modern and attractive
style of architecture. lie and his wife occupy an enviable position in the regard
of their fellow citizens and the hospitality of their home is greatly enjoyed by
their manv friends.
GEORGE CECIL.
George Cecil, a resident farmer of Liberty township, is a self-made man
who, starting out in business life at the early age of twelve years, is today a pros-
perous agriculturist owning and cultivating two hundred and fifteen acres of
valuable and productive land in tbe township where his entire life has been
spent. lie was born in Liberty township in 1866, a son of Abraham and Rachel
(]\IcBane) Cecil, both of whom were natives of Tuscarawas county, Ohio. The
father, who was born in 1882, passed away in 1871. In early life he engaged
in farm work in his native .state but heeded the advice of Horace Greeley: "Go
west, young man, go west," and made his way over the country to Buchanan
county, where he arrived in 1850. He found here a section of the state in which
the work of modern civilization and improvement had scarcely been begun.
In fact there were all the evidences of pioneer life. There were no schools, no
churches and but few houses and those were mostly built of logs. He took up
govennnent land and the property which thus came into his possession as a
claim is now owned by his son George. He had to break the sod and perform
other arduous tasks incident to the development of new land and as the years
went on he achieved a measure of success which was most gratifying, coming
to him as it did as the reward of persistent, earnest and arduous effort. He
■ HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 79
was the owner of one hundred and twenty acres and through his labors his
farm became very productive. He was a man of sterling worth but of retiring
disposition.
George Cecil was the youngest in a family of ten children, five of whom are
yet living in Buchanan county. He attended the district schools but his educa-
tion opportunities were quite limited owing to the fact that his services were
early needed upon the home farm. He began to work as a farm hand in the
neighborhood when twelve years of age and was thus employed until he attained
his ma.jority, when he began farming on his own account. He now owns the
old homestead property which his father entered as a claim from the govern-
ment but to this has added from time to time until he is the possessor of a
valuable farm of two hundred and fifteen acres in Liberty township, constituting
one of the good farms of that locality. He cultivates the cereals best adapted
to soil and climate and is also successfully engaged in raising stock, deriving a.
substantial income from both branches of his business.
On the 19th of March, 1889, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Cecil and
Miss Jennie Roberts, who was born in Ohio, a daughter of John and Esther
(Bateman) Roberts. Tlie father was born in the north of Ireland in 1813 and
died in 1882, while the mother, a native of New Brunswick, was born in 1830
and is still living at the advanced age of eighty-four years. When only a boy
John Roberts crossed the Atlantic from Ireland to New Brunswick and there
lived until 1865, when he came to the United States, settling first in Ohio.
The year 1878 witnessed his arrival in Buchanan county, where he continued
to engage in general farming and stock-raising, which had hitherto occupied
his attention. He became a naturalized American citizen and, though never
a politician, he supported those measures and movements which he deemed of
benefit to his community. He was an active member of the Methodist church.
Mr. Cecil holds membership with the IModern Woodmen of America in the
camp at Independence. He is well known in the county where his entire life
has been spent and where he has so directed his efforts as to win success. He
certainly deserves great credit for what he has accomplished. Denied advan-
tages which other boys enjoy, he nevertheless has cultivated the substantial
qualities of industry, enterprise and integrity which lead to success and is today
one of the substantial farmers of Liberty township.
PHILLIP J. HENDERSON.
Phillip J. Henderson is the owner of a farm of one hujidred and twenty
acres on sections 11 and 15, Homer township, and that he thoroughly under-
stands modern methods of farming is indicated in the excellent and well kept
appearance of his place. He was born in Brandon, Buchanan county, April
25, 1865, a son of Phillip and Olive (Howe) Henderson, the former a native of
Missouri and tlie latter of Canada. Phillip Henderson, Sr., arrived in this
county in 1856 and was drafted for service as a soldier in the Civil war, becom-
ing a member of the Fourth Iowa Infantry, with which he Avent to the front,
being on active duty until the close of hostilities. He then returned to Buchanan
80 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
county, where he engaged in farming for some time. Eventually, however, he
removed to the southwestern part of the state, where he purchased land and
carried on general farming for several years. Finally he returned to Buchanan
county and bought land in Jefferson township, bending his energies to the
further development and improvement of that place, upon which he lived for
an extended period. His life's labors were ended in death on the lltli of
February, 1897. His widow survives and is now a resident of Cono township.
Phillip J. Henderson, whose name introduces this review, at an early age
started to earn his own living by work as a farm hand. His leisure hours were
few and indolence and idleness have been utterly foreign to his nature through-
out his entire career. He continued in the service of others until he reached the
age of twenty-five years and then began farming on his own account, cultivating
rented land for a long time. However, he carefully saved his earnings until his
labors had brought him sufficient capital to enable him to purchase a farm in
1899. He afterward sold that property and invested in one hundred and
twenty acres on sections 11 and 15, Homer township, whereon he has since
resided. He at once began to develop and improve the property according to
modern ideas of farming and has since successfully managed the place, save
for tv»o years, which he spent in the northwestern part of the state. The farm
presents a well kept appearance, there are good buildings upon the place and
these in turn are surrounded by well tilled fields, which give every evidence of
the careful supervision of the owner.
On the 10th of April, 1888, ]\Ir. Henderson was united in marriage to Miss
Minnie E. Patterson, a daughter of Nelson H. and Margaret (Gates) Patterson,
natives of New York and Pennsylvania respectively. The father was an engi-
neer and worked in the oil fields of Pennsylvania through the greater part of
his life. He lived for one year, however, in Buchanan county, Iowa, and then
went to the Wisconsin pineries to work and was never heard from again. His
wife passed away January 6, 1883. ]\Ir. and Mrs. Henderson have become the
parents of one son, George I., who was born December 24, 1892. and is now
engaged in farming in Sumner township.
The religious faith of the parents is that of the Methodist church, and the
political allegiance of Mr. Henderson is given to the republican party, which he
has supported since age conferred upon him the right of franchise. The greater
part of his life has been spent in Buchanan county and, while there has been
nothing spectacular in his entire career, it is that of an entei*prising agriculturist
and reliable business man and a citizen whose interest in the public welfare has
been manifested in many tangible ways.
R. G. SWAN.
R. G. Swan is a representative of a group of citizens whose lives are con-
spicuous for ability, force of character, integrity and generous aims. It is
impossible to be with him half an hour without recognizing his capacity and his
moral vigoi". He is a financier and man of affairs, whose identification with
business interests is of distinct value to the community, his efforts being of a
character that contributes to public prosperity as well as to individual success.
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 83
He was born at Birkenhead, England, November 4, 1860, a son of Joseph
and Martha Laura (Owen) Swan, the former a native of Liverpool, England,
born in 1826, while the latter was born in Wales in 1832. In early life Joseph
Swan pursued a course of instruction that was intended to fit him for a career
as an artist, but following his marriage he and his brother became managers of
the Tranmere ferries, which they conducted for about twenty years. On the
expiration of that period Joseph Swan was elected overseer of Tranmere, a
position similar to that of county treasurer in the United States. He held that
office until his retirement from active life, at which time he had been in the
government service for about thirty years. He never came to the United States
and passed away in his native country in 1909. His wife, however, visited
America before her marriage, coming on a sightseeing trip to the United States
— something that comparatively few in those days enjoyed — and during the
trip she visited Niagara Falls. The religious faith of the family was that of
the Church of England. Mr. Swan held various offices in the church.
R. G. Swan began his education in private schools and later attended the
Armstrong Academy at Tranmere, England, while subsequently he became a
student in the Roslyn Villa Academy at Tranmere. When fifteen years of age
he accepted the position of clerk in a brewery at Tranmere and in the Queen's
Brewery was advanced from one position to another until he occupied the head
clerkship and the cashiership in the office. He resigned his position in connection
therewith to come to the United States in 1880. He crossed the Atlantic merely
for the purpose of visiting the country. Having met a man from Independence,
Iowa, he was induced to come to this city and here remained for ten years. He
became associated with Thomas Coghlan & Sons in the furniture business and
has since made his home in Independence, although he has gone back to England
for brief visits. He became a citizen of the United States and is fully alive to
its interests. Since 1881 he has occupied the same store in Independence and
is now senior member of the furniture firm of Swan & Leytze. Theirs is today
one of the leading furniture establishments of this section of the state. A large
and carefully selected line of goods is carried and the business methods employed
by the house win for it the confidence of the public and gain for it a liberal
patronage.
The recognition of Mr. Swan's business ability has led to the solicitation of
his cooperation in connection with various other business enterprises and he is
now a director of the First National Bank, is a director of the State Savings
Bank at Quasqueton and president of the Iowa State Bank at Hazleton. He is
likewise vice president of the Independence Cattle & Horse Company, a corpora-
tion having over fourteen hundred head of shorthorn cattle and twenty-one
hundred acres of land. They also engage in raising mules and their business
is attended with substantial results. Mr. Swan is likewise interested in several
other business affairs in Independence and is justly accounted one of its foremost
citizens. He is forceful and resourceful and is ready to meet any emergency
v.'ith a conscientiousness that comes from a right conception of things and a just
consideration for what is best in the exercise of human activities.
In his political views Mr. Swan has long been a stalwart republican and has
taken an active and helpful interest in promoting party successes. He has
served as a member of the school board of Independence for nine years and he
84 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
is now coimty coroner, which position he has filled for fifteen years. For five
years he held the office of mayor and worked diligently in that connection to
further public progress and uphold the standards of civic virtue.
In 1882 Mr. Swan was united in marriage to ]\Iiss Eleanor G. Noble, a
daughter of J. D. Noble, who served as captain of a volunteer company which
was raised at Independence for service in the Civil war and became known as
Company C of the Twenty-seventh Infantry. He married a Miss Gillespie,
M^ho was a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I\Ir. and Mrs. Swan became
the parents of five children, one of whom, Charles Richard, died at the age of
six years. The others are as follows : Joseph N., a resident of Oakland, Cali-
fornia, is a graduate of the University of California and is now a journalist,
connected with the Oakland Tribune. He married Beatrice Lyons, a resident
of Oakland. Herbert G., the second son, is a graduate of the high school of
Independence and of the Shattuck ^Military School at Faribault, Minnesota.
He married Grace Cole, who was born in Independence, where they make their
home, Herbert being now associated with his father in the furniture and under-
taking business. Richard Mabie, also connected with his father in the furniture
and undertaking business, married Ethel Stocking, a daughter of L. D. Stocking,
of Independence. Agnes, a graduate of the Independence high school, is now
at home.
The religious faith of the family is that of the Episcopal church and in his
fraternal relations ]Mr. Swan is a Mason, connected with the lodge, chapter and
commandery at Independence. He is also identified with the Knights of Pythias.
His name has figured prominently in connection with public affairs in Buchanan
county for many years. He is a man of resolute purpose, who carefully formu-
lates his plans and carries them forward to successful completion, and he has
been willing to do his public work without any other reward than an occasional
expression of appreciation. His business enterprise, too, has been a factor in
advancing public prosperity, and his life counts for good in all of its various
relations.
NATHAN NORTON.
Nathan Norton is now living retired in Rowley but for a long period was
identified with general agricultural pursuits in this county. He has advanced
far on life's journey, having reached the seventy-seventh milestone. His birtli
occurred in Erie county, Pennsylvania, September 1, 1837, a son of Nathan and
Nabby (]McCray) Norton. The father's birth occurred in Newtown, Con-
necticut, January 14, 1792, and the mother was born there on the 6th of
December, 1794. Nathan Norton, Sr., became a farmer and after leaving New
England carried on agricultural pursuits in both Pennsylvania and Ohio. He
removed to McHenry county, Illinois, and there purchased and cultivated a
tract of land upon which he lived for several years. The year 1855 witnessed
his arrival in Buchanan county, where he bought eighty acres in Homer town-
ship and at once began to till the soil and add to the improvements upon the
place. In the later years of his life he left the active work of the farm to
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 85
others but continued to make his home upon that place until his death, which
occurred August 19, 1872. For several years he had survived his wife, who died
in March, 1865.
Nathan Norton, whose name introduces this review, was but a young lad
when his parents went to Illinois and there upon the home farm he spent much
of his youth, the public-school system of the state affording him his educational
opportunities. He was eighteen years of age when the family came to Iowa and
continuing upon the home farm, he took charge when his father retired. He
also purchased eighty acres adjoining, in Sumner township, and developed
both places, adding thereto many improvements which made the farms among
the most desirable in that section of the county. Year after year he carefully
tilled the soil and in the sale of his crops won substantial success. In 1903,
however, he retired and removed to Rowley. He also made stock-raising an
important feature of his business, handling shorthorn and thoroughbred Hol-
stein cattle and Poland China and Duroc Jersey hogs. Upon coming to Rowley
'he erected a fine residence, which he has since occupied.
On the 9th of November, 1859, when twenty-two years of age, Nathan Norton
was married to Miss Lovina Dodson, a daughter of Thomas and Charity (Gear-
lock) Dodson, the former born September 1, 1790, and the latter in January,
1794. They were pioneer settlers of Illinois and the father, who was a carpenter
by trade, was killed by falling from a building on which he was at work. Mr.
and i\Irs. Norton became the parents of three children: Walter R., now living in
Independence; Arthur E., a hardware merchant of Rowley; and Jessie, the
wife of H. Todd, a farmer of Cono township. The wife and mother passed
away February 5, 1874, and Mr. Norton was married in October of that year
to j\Iiss Orissa L. Blakeley, a daughter of Ambrose C. and Betsy (Lucky)
Blakeley, both of whom were natives of the Empire state, the father's birth
occurring in Windham, Greene county. New York, September 18, 1814, while
the mother was born in Rensselaerville, Albany county, August 30, 1818. Mr.
Blakeley was a farmer by occupation and removing to the west, became identi-
fied with the pioneer development of Buchanan county, taking up his abode
here before the city of Independence was established. He secured a tract of
land and was thereafter engaged in general agricultural pursuits until his
death, which occurred December 5, 1888, while his wife passed away July 2,
1883. By the second marriage of Mr. Norton three children have been born:
Herbert A., now engaged in the grain business in North Dakota; Emerson B.,
a farmer of Sumner township ; and Allen C, residing in Cedar Rapids.
Mr. Norton votes with the republican party and has ever kept well informed
concerning the questions and issues of the day. He filled the office of trustee
while living in Homer township, and he has been treasurer of the school board
for several years. Aside from his business his greatest activity has been along
the line of church work. He is a devout I\Iethodist and is a trustee of the
church and one of the class leaders. He united with the church when but
fourteen years of age and has always been most loyal to its teachings and pre-
cepts. The Methodist congregation of Rowley was organized in 1870 and the
house of worship erected in 1871 at a cost of twenty-five hundred dollars,
previous to which time the meetings had been held in the schoolhouse. That
building was wrecked in 1874 by a tornado. The members picked up the pieces
86 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
and rebuilt the church and in 1913 a new building was erected at a cost of
twenty-five hundred dollars. Today there is a membership of seventy-five and
the church is in a flourishing condition, the work being well organized and con-
stituting a force in the moral development and progress of the community.
ALEXANDER T. McDONALD.
Many of the business enterprises in Independence and a number of movements
for the welfare of the community along lines of civic progress owe much of their
success to the efforts of Alexander T. McDonald, who is one of the most prominent
men of Buchanan county. He was for many years a merchant of Independence,
but has now retired from active business, although he is still interested in a
number of concerns. The marked success which he has achieved has been due
entirely to his own initiative and business acumen, as he began life without*
capital or the aid of influential friends. Although he has accomplished much
and has been an important figure in many lines of activity in his county, he is
quiet, unassuming, approachable and affable.
Mr. McDonald was born in Manilla, Ontario, Canada, on the 14th of March,
1850, a son of Donald and Ann (Edwards) McDonald. His father was born
in Canada in 1825, his parents being Archibald and Flora ]\IeDonald, natives
of the highlands of Scotland, where their marriage occurred. They emigrated
to Canada in 1820 and the father operated a farm near Toronto, Canada, where
he passed away when about seventy years of age, and his wife died when about
seventy-five. They were members of the United Presbyterian church in good
standing.
Donald McDonald, the father of our subject, was reared upon the home farm
and educated in the schools of the neighborhood. His marriage occurred in
Canada and he continued to reside in that country for some time afterward,
but subsequently removed to the United States, arriving in Buchanan county,
Iowa, in 1875. He purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land in Byron
tovvaiship and began the improvement of his farm, which he operated for a num-
ber of years. He eventually sold the place, however, and removed to Inde-
pendence, living retired until his death, which occurred in 1898 when he was
seventy-three years of age. He was a member of the Presbyterian church and
his political allegiance was given to the republican part}'. His wife was born
in London, England, but accompanied her parents, Edward and Ann (Ashton)
Edwards, to Canada when but a child. Both her father and mother were also
natives of England. The former was a farmer and was also engaged in the
banking business and accumulated a considerable fortune. He died in 1847
when but forty-eight years of age and his widow survived for many years,
dying in 1880 when eighty years of age. They were both members of the
Church of England. The mother of our subject was reared and educated in
Canada and is still living at the age of eighty-eight years, making her home in
Independence. Her church membership is with the Presbyterian denomination.
By her marriage she became the mother of seven children, namely : Alexander
T., the subject of this review; Flora, the wife of Walter Thompson, a farmer
^tM^^
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 89
living in Byron township; Edward, of Seattle, Washington, government pure
food and drug commissioner for Washington and Oregon ; John, who previous
to his death in 1911 was a merchant of Tacoma, Washington; Richard, who is
engaged in the mercantile business in Tacoma; and Elizabeth and Sarah, both
living with their mother in Independence.
Alexander T. McDonald passed his boyhood under the parental roof and
was educated in the public schools. In 1872, when a young man of twenty-two
years, he came to Independence and engaged in the mercantile business in
partnership with his uncle, Thomas Edwards, this association being continued
for about twenty years. The firm operated a branch store at Brandon which
^Ir. McDonald managed, and they also had another branch at Oelwein, Iowa,
^Ir. Edwards eventually sold his interest in the business to James M. Romig
and Mr. McDonald continued as a partner of Mr. Romig for a number of years,
but he finally sold his interest in the enterprise to ^Ir. Romig and then engaged
in the wholesale glove and mitten business. He was associated in that under-
taking with James A. Wells under the name of the McDonald Glove Company.
This concern carried on business for about eight years but in 1907 was sold out
to Wells Keagy & Company. The McDonald Company had about five traveling
men upon the road and sold their product in Iowa, Minnesota and the Dakotas.
Mr. McDonald was highly successful both as a merchant and manufacturer,
as he conducted all of his business dealings upon the principle of fairness and
justice to all, and his name stood for a high standard of commercial ethics,
lie also at one time owned an interest in his brother's store in Tacoma. He has
invested heavily in land and owns about nine hundred and sixty acres of land
in Dickey county. North Dakota, a part of which is improved and which he
rents. He also holds title to about three thousand acres in Martin county. North
Carolina, which he expects to put upon the market in small tracts. Until 1914
he was the owner of one hundred and sixty acres of land in Buchanan county,
but a short time ago he sold it, receiving one hundred and fifty dollars per acre.
He has a half interest in two store buildings in Independence and is one of the
most substantial citizens of the place.
Mr. McDonald was united in marriage on the 17th of September, 1882, to
^liss Clara Romig, a native of Wisconsin, born November 13, 1856, and a
daughter of Isaac and Elizabeth Romig. Her father was born in 1814. The
family came to Iowa at an early day in the history of the state and settled in
Brandon, where Mr. Romig engaged in farming and also in mercantile business
until his death, which occurred on the 13th of May, 1887. His wife survived
for eight years, dying June 25, 1895. Mr. and Mrs. McDonald have no children
of their own but adopted his brother John's daughter, Nellie, when she was
but a small child and reared her as their own. She is now the wife of Perry
J. Miller, a real-estate man of Independence.
Mr. McDonald is a republican but has never been willing to accept local
office. He was, however, for a number ol years one of the board of trustees of
the Hospital for the Insane, which is located at Independence, being appointed
to that office by the state legislature. Fraternally he belongs to Independence
Lodge, No. 87, A. F. & A. M. ; Aholiab Chapter, No. 21, R. A. M. ; and Kenneth
Commandery, No. 32, K. T. Both he and his wife are consistent members of
the Presbyterian church. In addition to his business connections previously
90 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
mentioned, he is a stockholder and director of the Commercial State Bank of this
city and was also for a time engaged in the manufacture of lumber here and
was likewise interested in a number of the early business enterprises of Inde-
pendence. He has done a great deal toward developing the commercial and
industrial life of the county and has been associated in business with many
people. It is much to his credit that his dealings have been invariably straight-
forward and honorable and all those who have been brought in contact with him
hold him in the highest esteem and respect.
CHESTER M. ROBERTS.
Chester M. Roberts, who since 1905 has been cashier of the Peoples National
Bank at Independence, was born December 28, 1867, in Fa.yette county, just
over the border line of Buchanan county. His fatlier, John B. Roberts, was a
native of southern Indiana and in the early '50s arrived in Iowa, settling upon
a farm in Fayette county. He wedded Louisa M. Carpenter, who was born in
the state of New York and with her parents removed to St. Charles, Illinois,
whence they came to Iowa at an early period in the development of this state.
For many years Mr. and ]\Irs. John B. Roberts continued to reside upon a
farm in Fayette county but about 1883 removed to Fairbank, Buchanan county,
where he established a lumber yard, continuing in the business to the time of
his death, which occurred in the year 1900. Ilis wife survived him until
December, 1912, when she, too, passed away. At the time of the Civil war
]\Ir. Roberts enlisted for service in Company F of tlie First Iowa Cavalry and
remained at the front as a private for three years. He was always loyal in his
citizenship, tlisplaying the same spirit of patriotism in days of peace as in times
of war. To him and his wife were liorn five children, all of whom are yet
living: John H., a farmer residing at Lanark, Illinois; Guilford W., who is
engaged in the lumber business at Webster City, Iowa ; Chester ]\I. ; Cora E.,
the wife of W. C. Brant, a resident of Fairbank, Iowa ; and Grififith. who is
engaged in the lumber business at Ames.
Chester M. Roberts attended the public schools at Fairl)ank and also the
district scliools, but liis educational op])ortunities were somewhat limited and
it has been in the school of experience that he has mastered life's most valuable
lessons. He early became familial- with all the duties and labors tliat fall to
the lot of the farmer and remained at lioine, assisting his father until twenty
years of age, when he began clerking in a store in which he was employed for
about two years. He was afterward with an elevator company for about two
years and for a year was connected with his father in the lumber business. He
then came to Independence, having l)een appointed to public office. His politi-
cal allegiance has always been given to the democratic party. He filh^d the
position of deputy clerk under L. F. Springer for two years and was city
collector for seven years prior to 1901, when he was elected county treasurer,
succeeding James A. Poor, who had held this office about thirty years prior
to his death. He was elected on a minority ticket with a nia.jority of over
two hundred. This office he filled for two vears and was then reelected. He
HISTORY OP^ BUCHANAN COUNTY 91
resigned his position, however, to accept the office of cashier in the Peoples
National Bank in 1905 and has since served in that capacity. He has been
a popular official of the bank, courteous and obliging to its patrons and ever
loyal to the interests of its stockholders. He also owns an interest in a larm
of two hundred and ten acres, in which his partner is Rudolph Ligtze and which
is operated as a general stock and dairy farm. He is likewise interested in the
Wapsie Company and owns real estate in Independence.
On the 5th of September, 1891, Mr. Roberts was married to Miss Myrtle
M. Higbee, who was born in Fairbank, Iowa, a daughter of R. H. and Rachel
(Patterson) Higbee. In early life her father engaged in merchandising at
Fairbank as a partner of Mr. Roberts' father, and after the latter 's death Mr.
Higbee removed to Lewiston, Idaho, where he is now living retired. He served
in the Civil war with an Iowa regiment. To Mr. and Mrs. Higbee were born
four children : ]\Iarvin H., who conducts a cafe and delicatessen store in Lewis-
ton, Idaho ; Mrs. Roberts ; Elizabeth, the wife of T. J. Gorman, who is conducting
a millinery and tailoring establishment in Independence, and Maud G., the
wife of A. R. Luther, who is engaged in the real-estate and insurance business
in Independence.
Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Roberts. Eva R., who was
born August 25, 1892, is a graduate of the Independence high school and is now
remittance clerk in the Peoples National Bank. Esther L., born July 30, 1894,
is also a high-school graduate. Albert Chester, born December 21, 1906, com-
pletes the family. ]\lr. Roberts holds membership with the Masonic fraternity,
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias. His entire
life has been passed in this section of the state and he has an extensive circle of
friends here who entertain for him warm regard because his life has been well
spent. His salient traits of character may be marked sterling and his worth is
acknowledged by all with whom he has come in contact.
WALLACE M. HIGBEE.
For fifteen years Wallace M. Higbee has been one of the prominent and suc-
cessful merchants of Fairbank and since February, 1914, has served as post-
master of the town. He has also served acceptably as sheriff of the county and
as marshal of the city of Independence. He was born in Chautauqua county.
New York, on the 17th of August, 1856, a son of Charles and Flora S. (Smith)
Higbee, the former born in Onandaga county, New York, and the latter in
Cayuga county, that state. The mother is a direct descendant of the English
fajnily of Smiths who came to America in the seventeenth century, one branch
locating in New York and the other in New England. Charles Higbee died
in Fairbank, Iowa, but his widow survives and resides in Cedar Rapids. Three
children were born to their union, namely : Wallace M., of this review ; Lawrence
C, who was born in January, 1866, and resides in Fairbank; and Mrs. Linnie
Kraft, who is a resident of Cedar Rapids, this state. The two younger children
were born in Oren township, Fayette county. Iowa, and all were reared there.
92 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
Wallace M. Higbee accompanied his mother to Iowa in 1857, as his father
had located in Oren township, Fayette county, the year previous. They
traveled to Dubuque, Iowa, by rail and thence by team to Oren township, where
the son grew to manhood. He spent a great deal of his time in assisting his
father with the farm work but during the winters attended the district school.
He subsequently completed the course in the Independence high school and was
for a time a student in the Upper Iowa University at Fayette. After completing
his education he engaged in the livery business in Fairbank for a number of
years, but in 1891 gave that up in order to give his entire attention to his duties
as sheriff of Buchanan county. Although the county is strongly republican, he
was elected to the office upon the democratic ticket, which was a strong tribute
to the esteem in which he was held by the electors. He served as sheriff for
one term and was then appointed city marshal of Independence, holding that
office for three years. In 1899 he returned to Fairbank and established a store,
carrying jewelry, wall paper, paints, oils, cigai*s, stationery and drugs. On
the 14th of February, 1914, he disposed of his drug interests but retains the
rest of the business. He has a large and representative patronage and his
customers are assured of fair treatment, as he has an enviable reputation for
integrity and just dealing. On the 14th of February, 1914, he was appointed
postmaster of Fairbank and has proved prompt and accurate in his manage-
ment of the affairs of that office.
Mr. Higbee was married in Fairbank township, this county, on the 31st of
December, 1876. to ]\Iiss Harriet L. George, who was born in that township on
the 4th of October, 1860. She grew to wemanhood there and was there educated.
Her parents, Sampson and Cynthia (Saylor) George, were natives of England
and Tompkins county, New York, respectively. Her mother was born on the
29th of December, 1829. They were among the pioneers of Fairbank township,
having made the long journey overland from the east wlien it consumed weeks
instead of days as at the present time. Her father was a farmer in Fairbank
township during his active life but passed away at Independence. Her mother
is still living and resides in that city. They had eight children, seven of whom
survive: William F., a resident of Leadville, Colorado: Mrs. Lela Warburton,
of Ames, Iowa ; Horace G.. who was born August 7, 1857, and resides in Fair-
bank; ]\Irs. Higbee; Mrs. C. A. Mills, of Waterloo, Iowa; Ulysses S., deceased;
Ernest S., living at Palo Alto county, Iowa ; and Clarence, also a resident of that
county. All were born in Fairbank township and with the exception of the
eldest, in the same house, and attended the common schools of the community.
The family was well known and highly esteemed in this county. To 'Sir. and
Mrs. Higbee have been born four children, three of whom survive. Herbert
George was born September 13, 1878, and after graduating from the iiigh
school at Independence completed the four years' course at the Military Acad-
emy at West Point. He also graduated in pliarmacy at a college in Des Moines.
At present he is deputy revenue collector of Duliuque, Iowa, and captain of the
famous Governor's Grays of Dubuque. Mrs. Alice L. Smith, who was born Sep-
tember 8, 1880, is also a graduate of the Independence high school. She resides
at Storm Lake, Iowa, where her husband is a very successful physician. Pearl
died in infancy. Mrs. Amy M. Agncw, who was born November 27, 1886, was
graduated from the Independence high school and lives in Fairbank. All of
HISTORY OP BUCHANAN COUNTY 93
the children were born and reared in this county. Mrs. Higbee is a member of
the Methodist Episcopal church in Fairbank and is active in the work of the
various organizations in the church.
Mr. Higbee is a democrat and has served for a number of years as council-
man at Fairbank. He has also been for several years a member of the school
board and takes a keen interest in ever,ything that affects the welfare of the
public schools, as he realizes that an excellent system of education is a necessity
in a democracy. Fraternally he belongs to Fairbank Lodge, No. 292, A. F. &
A. M. ; and to Lodge No. 741, B. P. 0. E., at Oelwein. Besides his business
in Fairbank he owns a commodious and well furnished home here and is
recognized as one of the well-to-do citizens of the town. He is a man of com-
mendable public spirit and has been identified with many movements that have
resulted in good to the town.
MICHAEL L. SHINE, M. D.
Dr. Michael L. Shine, deceased, was for twenty-seven years a leading physi-
cian and surgeon of Winthrop, Iowa, and was always forgetful of self in his
care for his patients. This characteristic eventually cost him his life as his
death was occasioned by blood poisoning contracted while attending a patient.
He was born in Kentucky on the 29th of September, 1856, a son of Patrick and
Sarah Shine, both natives of Ireland. Upon coming to the United States they
resided in Kentucky for several months but in 1857 removed to this county
and located upon a farm in Westburg township. The mother died when the
subject of this review was but five years of age and he was only fifteen or sixteen
years old when his father also passed awa3^ Of the children born to that union
only one, John Shine, of Texas, survives.
As Michael L. Shine was the oldest son the care of the family devolved upon
him following the death of his father, and although he was but a boy he bravely
shouldered the burden and, engaging in farming, earned enough not only to
care for himself but to provide for the support of the younger children as well.
He had completed the course offered in the country schools but was not satisfied
as he desired to become a physician and when he reached his majority he decided
to work with that end in view. He was compelled to depend entirely upon his
own resources but he had a strong physique and a resolute determination to
succeed. He entered Tilford Academy at Vinton, Iowa, and worked his way
through, l)eing graduated with the class of 1882. He subsequently entered the
College of Medicine of the University of Iowa at Iowa City, but owing to lack
of funds was unable to complete the course. He walked from his home in
Quasqueton to Winthrop rather than pay money for a conveyance although it
was bitterly cold and began the practice of medicine in Winthrop. but the state
legislature soon afterward passed a law requiring a diploma from an accredited
medical school before one could be licensed to practice. He then returned to
the State University and completed his medical course, receiving the degree
of M. D. from that institution in 1887. He again located for practice in
Winthrop and from that time until his death was accorded the respect and
94 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
confidence of the community. He soon gained a large and representative prac-
tice and was very successful in curing or, if that were impossible, checking
disease. He was more than a physician to his patients as he took a personal
interest in their recovery and his cheerful personality inspired confidence in an
ultimate cure. Those to whom he ministered thought of him as a friend and
felt sincere sorrow when they heard of his untimely demise. He passed away
on the 2d of March, 1911.
Dr. Shine was married on the 21:th of September, 1884, to Miss Mary
Williams, who was born in Quasqueton, a daughter of Cornelius and Susan
(Kirk) Williams, natives of New York state and Ohio respectively and among
the pioneers of Buchanan county. By their marriage Dr. and Mrs. Shine
became the parents of four children : Ben Richard and Dan W., twins, born
June 17, 1885, the former of whom is a farmer and the latter a graduate of the
medical department of the University of Iowa with the class of 1914 and now
located for the practice of his profession at Farley, Iowa; and Byron Lewis
and Kirk Neal, at home.
Dr. Shine was a democrat in his political belief. He was a director of the
Winthrop Telephone Company and his influence was always used to secure a
normal steady growth for that concern. His fraternal relations were with the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the INlasons. He was a member of the
Buchanan County IMedical Association, the Iowa State ^ledical Association and
the National Association of Railway Surgeons and found these professional
organizations of much value. He was active in local political affairs, serving
for six years as mayor of tlie town, for a number of years as a member of tlie
city council, at the time of his death was president of the school board. He had
a large private practice and was also surgeon for the Illinois Central Railroad
and his days were busy ones. Nevertheless he could always be counted upon
to aid in the furtherance of any movement that sought the public welfare
and his unselfish spirit won him a warm place in the regard of many.
JAMES HOOD.
James Hood, deceased, was for many years a prominent farmer and stock-
raiser of Buchanan county and was well known within its limits. He was born
in Forfarshire, Scotland, November 19, 1834, and was there reared and educated.
He learned the blacksmith's trade in his native country and when a young man
came to the new world and settled in Illinois, where for a few years he worked
at his trade in the employ of others. When he had accumulated sufficient capital
he opened a shop of his own in Harvard, Illinois, which he conducted until 1867,
when he came to this county and bought three hundred and twenty acres of
land in Byron township. It was prairie land and as yet untouched by a plow,
and the first residence thereon was but a small rude building. ^Ir. Hood broke
his hnul, planted his crops as soon as possible and continued to cultivate the
place, reaping annually abundant harvests. He found Iowa land such a profit-
able investment that he added to his holdings by degrees until he became the
owner of over one thousand acres. The familv resided in the first dwelling
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 97
house for a number of years, but Mr. Hood afterward erected a fine residence
which was one of the best in the county. He was very successful in his work
as a farmer and as his sons started out in life for themselves he gave each of
them a tract of land. He retired from active labor in April, 1908, and removed
to Independence, where he lived until his death, which occurred on the 24th of
March, 1914.
Mr. Hood was married on the 31st of December, 1860, to Miss Jannet Mc-
Claren, who was born in Perthshire, Scotland, May 25, 1838. She remained
there until she was sixteen years of age, when she accompanied her mother and
brother and sister to the United States, the family locating upon a farm near
Elgin, Illinois. The mother died a few days later. ]\Irs. Hood resided in that
locality until her marriage and since the removal of the family to this county
in 1867 she has lived here. She still resides in Independence and has the esteem
of those who know her. To Mr. and Mrs. Hood were born nine children:
William H. and John Edward, farmers of Byron township ; Kate, the wife of
John Hamilton, and May, the wife of A. Burcher, agriculturists of Byron town-
ship ; Fred D., who follows farming in Byron township ; Martha C, who died
when sixteen years of age ; Albert J., who resides in Byron township ; George,
who passed away when a young man of twenty-six years ; and Florence, who
married Garfield Christianson, a farmer of Byron township.
^Irs. Hood is a member of the Presbyterian church and active in its work,
Mr. Hood was a republican in his political belief and much interested in public
affairs, although he never desired office for himself. He was a man of strict
integrity and gained an honored name at the same time that he amassed a com-
fortable fortune.
GEORGE T. BLAMER,
George T. Blamer is a well known lumber merchant of Independence, who
along business lines has steadily worked his way upward until he is now num-
bered among the men of affluence in this, his native county. His birth occurred
in Westburg township, September 20, 1869, his parents being Thomas and
Edna Ann Blamer, the former born in Chester, Ohio, in 1844, while the latter
was born in Connecticut in 1841.
Thomas Blamer attended school at Mentor, Ohio, and at Willoughby, Ohio.
He was married at the age of twenty-four years and soon afterward established
his home in Independence, Iowa, where he remained for a brief period. He
then purchased a farm in Westburg township, which he cultivated for six years
and at the end of that time returned to Independence, where he became man-
ager of the Grange elevator, being one of the pioneer grain merchants operating
at Independence, Rowley and Livermore. In the conduct of this business he
was associated with Mat Stewart for many years, also with the Van Orsdols of
Rowley and with A. INI, Record of Independence, having elevators in different
towns in Buchanan county. He continued in the grain business until 1889,
when he became associated with J. Waekerbarth in the lumber business, organ-
izing the Waekerbarth & Blamer Company, in which he continued until his
Vol. IX— ft
98 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
death in 1912. He was thus prominently identified with business affairs of
Buchanan county for many years and aided in its material development. He
was also one of the original stockholders of the Rush Park Seed Company, the
Commercial State Bank and the Independence Canning Company, of which he
was the treasurer. . He was like\^ase identified with the Kelly Canning Com-
pany of Waverly, Iowa, and for a brief period before embarking in the lumber
business was connected with Henry Stewart in the ownership and conduct of a
dry-goods store. He was widely recognized as a man of tireless energy and of
ability to devise and execute the right things at the right time. About thirty
years ago he served as one of the aldermen of Independence and at all times
was a stanch republican. To Mr. and j\Irs. Blaraer were born three children, of
whom George T. is the eldest. The second son, De Witt Blamer, bom in
Buchanan county in 1871, was graduated from the Naval Academy at Annapolis,
Maryland, in 1910, and was on the battleship Charleston when it sank on a reef
near the Philippine Islands. He managed to make his escape, however, and he
is still connected with the navy, being at the present time captain of the navy
yard at Bremerton, "Washington. The third member of the family is Mrs. Eliza-
beth Turney, of Rome, New York.
George T. Blamer, spending his youthful days under the parental roof, was
graduated from the high school at Independence and for two years was a student
in the University of Iowa. When twenty-one yeai's of age he became bookkeeper
in the Commercial State Bank, with which he was connected until 1893. In that
year he entered the employ of the Wackerbarth & Blamer Company as book-
keeper and is now secretary of the company, which was incorporated in 1902
and of which his father was the treasurer. He is thoroughly familiar with
every phase of the lumber business and has been active in controlling and develop-
ing the trade. He is a stockholder in the Commercial Bank and was a director
of the Buchanan County Fair Association. The exercise of effort and close
study of commercial conditions have made him a representative business man
and one whose success is well merited. In addition to his other interests he is
treasurer of the Independence Canning Corporation and he concentrates his
energies upon the lumber and the canning business.
On the 22d of June, 1898, Mr. Blamer was united in marriage to Miss
Leonora B. Phelps, who was bom in Independence, a daughter of the Rev. W.
B. Phelps. On the 2d of ^lay, 1864, in Palmer, Massachusetts, Rev. Phelps, of
Oneida, New York, wedded Hattie Smith, of Palmer, Massachusetts, and a
half century later they celebrated their golden wedding. At the time of their
marriage Rev. Phelps had just graduated from Princeton Seminary and they
went at once to Kill)ourn City, Wisconsin, where they experienced all the hard-
ships of mission life on the frontier. I^'rom Kilbourn City they came to Inde-
pendence, where Rev. Phelps was pastor of the Presbyterian church for ten
years. He afterward had the pastorate of two churches in Illinois — at Aledo
and Millersburg — and from 1884 until 1895 he was located at ^larengo, Iowa.
His next pastorate was at Sigourney and there because of throat trouble he was
compelled to abandon regular pastoral Avork. In 1902 he came to Independence
and he still does some supply work. At the age of seventy he was placed on
the list of honorably retired ministers. To Rev. and Mrs. Phelps were born six
children, of whom four are residents of Independence, I\Irs, W. M. Woodward,
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 99
Mrs. G. T. Blamer, Willis B. and ^liss Berniee Phelps. To Mr. and Mrs. Blamer
have been born four children : George Phelps, born June 17, 1899, and now
attending high school in Independence ; Howard ]M., born April 20, 1901 ;
Thomas Burton, born December 27, 1904; and Josephine Louise, July 8, 1911.
Mr. Blamer is prominently known in fraternal circles. He is a past chan-
cellor commander of the Knights of Pythias lodge of Independence and belongs
to the IMasonic fraternity. He is also on the advisory board of the boy scouts.
He gives his political allegiance to the republican party, which has elected him
to the office of alderman, and he has served as chairman of the republican cen-
tral committee from the fourth ward and has done effective work in promoting
the interests of the organization. Both he and his wife hold membership in the
Presbyterian church and Mrs. Blamer is likewise a member of the Daughters
of the American Revolution and is active in the organization of Pythian Sisters.
Mr. Blamer is serving as a trustee and elder in the church and both cooperate
in all movements and plans for the promotion of its growth and the expansion
of its influence. His military experience covers service as second lieutenant of
Company G of the Fifty-sixth Regiment of Iowa National Guard. His interests
in life are broad and his activities have been of benefit along many lines which
have promoted the welfare and upbuilding of city and county.
CHARLES EDWARD PURDY.
Charles Edward Purdy, formerly well known in banking circles, is now
devoting his attention to the supervision of his individual interests and invest-
ments. He stands today among the prosperous citizens of Independence, a posi-
tion which has been most worthily won, his record at all times measuring up
to the highest standards of manhood and of business integrity. He was born
at Galena, Illinois, May 20, 1855, a son of Eliphalet and Catherine (Jaquish)
Purdy, both of whom were natives of the state of New York, born in 1822 and
in October, 1827, respectively.
While in Galena Eliphalet Purdy engaged in the hotel business and in June^
1856, he removed from Illinois to Iowa, becoming proprietor of the Montour
House at Independence, which he conducted successfully for eighteen years, or
until 1874, when the hotel, which stood at the corner now occupied by the Com-
mercial Bank, was destroyed by fire. Mr. Purdy thereafter lived practically
retired until his death, although he was vice president of the Commercial Bank,
was one of the directors of the Peoples Bank and of the First National Bank
and was active in founding the Peoples National Bank. He was likewise one
of the organizers of the Commercial State Bank and owned the building now
occupied by that corporation. As his financial resources increased he made
extensive and judicious investments in property and was the owner of a num-
ber of valuable farms at the time of his death, which occurred in January,
1893. For twenty years he was a member of the school board and the cause of
education ever found in him a stalwart champion. He cooperated in many
other movements of direct benefit to the community and as the years went on
he became more and more widely recognized as a citizen of sterling worth. His
100 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
widow survives and makes her home in Independence. There were but two
children in the family and the younger son passed away in Galena.
Charles E. Purdy, whose name introduces this review, was only about a
year old when the family came to Independence and in the public schools of
this city pursued his early education, while later he spent a number of years
in Racine College of Wisconsin. When seventeen years of age he entered the
employ of a Mr. Curtis, a liveryman, and at the age of nineteen secured a posi-
tion in the Peoples National Bank, acting first as messenger, while later he
became bookkeeper, filling that position for eleven years. On the expiration of
that period he turned his attention to the grocery business, which he conducted
in connection with Mr. Will Scott. Afterward, however, he bought out the
interest of his partner and continued the business alone for six years. He was
then offered the cashiership in the Commercial State Bank and, accepting,
remained with that institution until February, 1912, when he resigned to devote
his entire attention to his individual interests, which are extensive and im-
portant. He is a director of the Corn Belt Telephone Company, with head-
quarters at Waterloo, Iowa, an organization capitalized for five hundred thou-
sand dollars, is a director of the Commercial State Bank, a stockholder in the
Quasqueton Savings Bank and the First National Bank, is one of the largest
stockholders in the Peoples National Bank, of which his father was one of the
original organizers and stockholders, find is receiver for tbe Keifer Savings
Bank at Hazleton.
Mr. Purdy has been administrator for several estates and is the owner of
tour hundred and eighty acres of valuable land in this county, operated as a
general stock farm. He also owns two business blocks on i\Iain street and is
the owner of a number of houses in Independence, which he rents. His invest-
ments have been judiciously made and his success is the merited reward of
■capable management, earnest effort, keen discernment and honorable dealing.
Public service, too, makes demand ui)on his time and energies, for he is the
present efificient and popular mayor of Independence, to which office he was
elected in 19l;i. He had previously served as city treasurer for three terms
.and in 1913 was a candidate for the state legislature, but was defeated by fifty
votes. He is proving a capable and progressive chief executive of his city and
has the indorsement of all fair-minded citizens. His political allegiance has
always been given to the republican party.
On the 12th of May, 1885, Mr. Purdy was united in marriage to Miss Maud
Durham, who was born in this city, a daughter of Charles M. and Helen
(Cameron) Durham, both of whom were natives of New York. The father was
appointed station agent at the time the Illinois Central Railroad was built
through Independence and continued in that position throughout his remaining
days. He, too, was mayor of the city, having been elected in 1881, 1882, 1883
and 1884. He came to Iowa prior to the Civil war and remained a valued resi-
dent of Buchanan county until called to his final rest. Mr. and JMrs. Purdy
have become parents of two children, Arda and Catherine, both at home.
In Masonry Mr. Purdy has attained high rank, having taken the degrees of
the lodge, chapter, comniandery and Mystic Shrine. He belongs to the Golf
and Country Clubs and of the latter is the president. He is also a member of
.the Episcopal church and his life has ever been in harmony with its teachings.
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 101
High and honorable principles have ever characterized his career and he is
honored and respected by all. No man occupies a more enviable position in
business or financial circles — not alone by reason of the success which he has
achieved but also owing to the straightforward business policy which he has
ever followed.
JOSIAH D. LAIRD.
Prominent because of his success as a farmer and also because of his long
residence in Buchanan county, Josiah D. Laird is numbered among the influen-
tial citizens of Jesup and Perry township. For fifty-four years he has lived in
this section of Iowa and there are few men who are so well acquainted with the
early history of this section or who retain a more distinct recollection of its
pioneer settlers than does Mr. Laird.
He was born in Mesopotamia, Trumbull county, Ohio, January 14, 1835,
and has therefore passed the seventy-ninth year of his age. His parents were
James and Katherine (Cox) Laird, the former a native of Pennsylvania, born
in 1806. His father, who also bore the name of James, was born in Scotland
and settled in the Keystone state in an early day. The father of our subject
was reared in the latter place and was there married, subsequent to which time
he purchased land in Trumbull county, Ohio, to which he removed. He cleared
his farm and eventually brought it to a high state of cultivation. In the winter
months, however, he engaged in teaching school for many years. He died in
Trumbull county when he had reached the age of sixty-five years. His wife,
who was born in 1809 and was of German extraction, died at the comparatively
early age of forty years.
Reared on the home farm in Trumbull county, Josiah D. Laird attended the
district schools of the neighborhood until he was fifteen years of age, at which
time he entered an academy at Orwell, Ohio. At the age of seventeen he taught
a winter term of school and subsequently taught one season at the academy
which he had previously attended. His time was alternated by farming and
teaching until 1860, when he came to Buchanan county, Iowa, to locate on one
hundred and sixty acres of land which had been given him by his father. Dur-
ing the succeeding three winters he engaged in teaching at Littleton and then
disposed of his land. He next engaged in buying grain for a time and in the
meantime built an elevator at Jesup. He dealt in farm lands and for five or
six years served as deputy sheriff in Buchanan county. He eventually made a
trade by which he came into possession of forty acres of land adjoining the
town of Jesup. He has since added to this until the property now comprises
two hundred acres, one hundred and forty acres of which lies within the cor-
porate limits. This land is well improved and is under a high state of cultiva-
tion. There are also to be found here three substantial sets of buildings. Al-
though well advanced in years he is still active and appears much younger. He
has seen this district develop into a prosperous region, having located here in
pioneer days even before the railroad was built and he has done not a little to
bring about the transformation that lias here been witnessed along various lines.
102 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
Mr. Laird was married on the 19th of March, 1863, to Miss Abbie Mosher,
a daughter of Allen and Phoebe (Wilbur) Mosher, who was born in Columbia
county, New York, May 5, 1835, and comes of Quaker stock. Her parents were
both natives of Columbia county and about 1855 they made their way to Clay-
ton county, Iowa, where the father engaged in farming. They subsequently
removed to Jesup, where they spent a decade, then made their home among
their children, spending much of their time with Mr. and Mrs. Laird. They,
too, were Quakers and both lived to a venerable age, the mother passing away
at the age of eighty-four, while the father reached the age of ninety years ere
he was called from this life.
The marriage of Mr. and ]\Irs. Laird has been blessed with three children :
Fannie K., the wife of Charles Oliver, of Omaha, Nebraska ; Jay R., who
operates the home farm; and Abbie May, the wife of E. R. Shoemaker, of
Waterloo. Iowa.
]\Ir. Laird has always been a stanch supporter of the republican party and
in his earlier life was very active in public affairs. For six years he served as
deput}' sheriff and at one time was a candidate for the office of sheriff* but met
defeat by fifteen votes. He was township trustee and also served as a member
of the board of supervisors for one term, while for many years he was a mem-
ber of the school board. Fraternally he is a Mason and both he and his wife
have been members of and active workers in the Presbyterian church for more
than half a century. For fifty years Mr. Laird was clerk of the sessions of the
Presl)yterian church but then resigned. Their children, too. are all devout
members of the church. His sterling traits of cliaracter have won for him a
wide ac(iuainlanc(' and he and his family enjoy the highest esteem of a host
of warm friends.
W. P. CRl'MBACKER. M. D.
Dr. W. P. Crumbacker is superintendent of tiie State Hospital at Inde-
pendence, having received his appointment to this position on the 1st of July,
1902. He is well qualified for the onerous and responsible duties which devolve
upon him in this connection and at all times has proven himself worthy the
liberal patronage accorded him.
He was born in Wheeling, Virginia, now West Virginia, in 1857, his parents
being J. H. and Hannah J. (Pollock) Crumbacker. The father's birth occurred
in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, in 1823, and the mother was born in
Belmont county, Ohio, in 1826. J. II. Crumliacker was a student in Bethany
College of Virginia, which was conducted by Alexander Campbell, the organizer
of the present Chi-istian church. He was a druggist and carried on business
witli his fathci' at Wheeling, while later he removed to Washington, Ohio.
.\t lengtli he took up the study of medicine and in 1865 was graduated from the
Sterling Medical College at Columbus, Ohio. He then located for practice in
Antrim, Guernsey county, Ohio, where he remained until his death, which
occurred in 1894. His wife survived him for about eleven years, passing away
V
.^^.^^^ cjr. §:
THE :
PUBLIC I.
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 105
in 1905. He was captain of the Ohio State Militia at Washington, Guernsey
county, Ohio, a member of the town council, of the board of education, and held
various minor offices, the duties of which he discharged in a prompt and capable
manner. He took an active interest in the promotion of the schools and his
efforts in support of higher education were far-reaching and beneficial. His
religious faith was that of the United Presbyterian church and he was an earnest
worker for the upbuilding of the organization. His family numbered six
children, five daughters and a son, of whom Dr. Crumbacker was the third
in order of birth.
In the village schools W. P. Crumbacker pursued his early education and
afterward attended an academy at Philadelphia, conducted by F. W. Hastings.
He spent two years, from 1876 until 1878, as a student there, after which he
entered the Medical College of Ohio, now the medical department of the
University of Cincinnati. He was graduated in 1882, with the M. D. degree,
and ten years later he pursued post-graduate work in the New York Polyclinic.
In 1897 he visited hospitals in Dublin, Ireland, and in Edinburgh, Scotland,
making special investigations concerning the treatment of nervous and mental
diseases. He has constantly read and studied along those lines and has attained
a high degree of proficiency in practice. His education, however, was not con-
tinuous but was acquired through the improvement of every opportunity which
came to him. He was only sixteen years of age when he began teaching in the
country schools of Guernsey county, Ohio. He followed that profession through
the winter months, while in the summer seasons he continued his studies, thus
alternating his time until his first year in medical college. Following his course
he practiced in Ohio with his father for two years and then entered the Athens
(Ohio) State Asylum, now the State Hospital, in which he became assistant
physician, remaining there for five years in that capacity. He afterward took
up private practice in Cambridge, Ohio, where he remained for a year, and on
the expiration of that period he returned to the Athens Asylum as superintendent,
filling that position for three years. He next went to the West Virginia State
Hospital for the Insane at Weston, West Virginia, continuing in charge for five
years, after which he resumed the private practice of medicine in Athens, Ohio,
where the succeeding three years were passed. He left that city for Pasadena,
California, to engage in the private practice of his profession in the Green Hotel,
the leading hostelry of that city. He remained as house physician, however,
for only a brief period and was then selected as superintendent of the State
Hospital at Independence, Iowa, entering upon his duties here on the 1st of
July, 1902. He has since continued in charge, covering a period of twelve
years, and during his regime the work has steadily advanced. Several new
buildings have been added, including a psychopathic hospital, while a new
nurses' building has just been completed. He has also introduced many radical
and beneficial changes in treatment. In his care of the patients he uses no
mechanical restraint and has abolished all of the severe methods which in past
ages made the care of the insane a blot upon the fair name of many a state.
He has made another improvement in the way of introducing female attendants,
having only sixteen male nurses. At the present time there are eleven hundred
and ninety-seven patients and one hundred and eight nurses. Dr. Crumbacker
is directly responsible for the entire institution in all of its branches. His
106 ~ HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
work here has been successful in the extreme. The entire atmosphere is one of
sympathy and help, and the work accomplished has been most commendable.
In 1888 Dr. Crumbacker was united in marriage to Miss Emma L. Bower,
a native of Athens, Ohio, and a daughter of Captain J. C. Bower, who was born
in Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, in 1835. Her mother, Lovisa (Cooley)
Bower, was a native of Athens county, Ohio. In early life Captain Bower
took up the occupation of farming, which he followed until he enlisted for
service in the Civil war, in which he held the rank of captain in a regiment of
Ohio infantry. Following the close of hostilities he resumed agricultural pur-
suits and cultivated .six hundred acres of land and also engaged in raising
horses, mostly driving stock. He also raised Holstein cattle and the various
branches of his business have proven profitable, owing to his practical and
progressive methods. At one time he served as coroner of Athens count}',
continuing in the office for three terms. He was a member of the state board
of agriculture several years, at one time being president of the board. Mrs.
Crumbacker is the second in order of birth in a family of five children and by
her marriage has become the mother of one son, James Bower, who is now a
student in Harvard University at Cambridge, ^Massachusetts.
Dr. Crumbacker practically gives his entire time to his professional duties
and interests and is continually seeking to augment his knowledge by reading
and study and thereby increase his skill and efficiency. He belongs to the
American Medico-Psychological Association, of which he has served on the
council for three years, and he also has membership in the Buchanan County
Medical Society and the Iowa State Medical Society. His practice represents
the ideas and ideals of a higher civilization, and the truths which he has gleaned
from his own broad experience have constituted a valuable contribution to
medical science.
DEWITT C. WOODRUM.
Dewitt C. AVoodrum is a well known and prosperous farmer residing in
Perry township, his land adjoining the corporation of Jesup on the north. He
was born in Shasta county, California, September 5, 1854, a son of Henry
H. and Nancy H. (Brassfield) Woodrum. The former was l)orn in
Kentucky, where he remained until he was a young man of alwut twenty
years of age, or until 1848 or 1849, when he removed to Iowa and settled
upon a farm near Oskaloosa. In 1852 he and his wife went overland to Cali-
fornia with ox teams and settled in Shasta county, where he farmed to some
extent. A great deal of his time, however, was given to mining and he was
often gone for many days at a time prospecting. After four years his wife felt
that the hardships of the new country and the loneliness were more than she
could endure and accordingly returned to her home in Iowa, bringing with her
the subject of this review, who was then but a small cliild. The latter never
saw his father again and did not hear from him for many years. At the time
of the Civil war the father joined the Union army and while in the military
service of the government received an injury which eventually caused his death.
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 107
although he lived to be seventy-six yeai's of age. The paternal grandfather of
our subject was a soldier in the War of 1812.
The mother of Dewitt C. Woodrum was a native of Indiana but was taken
by her parents when an infant to Peoria, Illinois, where she was reared. She
was married in Iowa and, as before stated, accompanied her husband across the
plains in 1852. Upon her return to the middle west she rode a burro and
carried her son in her arms for a distance of one hundred and fifty miles, or
until she reached Sacramento, where she took a boat for San Francisco. From
the latter city she went to the Isthmus of Panama, as she believed that route
preferable to the long overland trip. She died at the advanced age of seventy-
five years and six months.
Dewitt C. AVoodrum spent his boyhood upon the farm near Peoria with his
mother and step-father, but when sixteen years of age left home. He had care-
fully saved what little money he had received and had purchased a team, which
he took with him when he went to the home of an uncle. He had received very
little education previous to this time and, as he was eager to remedy his
deficiencies in that respect, he attended district school for three winters while
assisting his uncle with the farm work during the summers. At the end of that
lime he went to live with his grandfather, who owned a great deal of land and
loaned money at interest. The subject of this review assisted his grandfather
in many ways in the care of his business and in this way received a valuable
commercial education. Later he rented land in Marshall county, Illinois, which
he farmed for some time, but afterward became a dealer in horses and the
owner of a livery stable in the same county. Unfortunately the market for
horses was poor and money w^as hard to obtain and so he was compelled to sell
his livery in order to pay his creditors. He next rented a farm belonging to
liis uncle in Peoria county, Illinois, and devoted his time to agriculture and
dealing in horses. Upon leaving Peoria county he went to Ford county, Illinois,
and purchased a farm near Gibson City, which he operated for several years.
He kept everything upon the place in good repair and by wise management
conserved the fertility of the soil, and his foresight, coupled wdth the general
advance in land values, enabled him to sell his place at a large profit. He pur-
chased one hundred and sixty acres for six thousand dollars and at the end of
nine years sold his land for one hundred and sixty dollars per acre. He then
went to Gibson City and for three years engaged in the livery and horse busi-
ness, after which he bought three hundred and sixty acres of land in Lee- county,
Illinois, near the town of Dixon, paying forty-five dollars per acre. After cul-
tivating the same for four years he sold it for seventy-five dollars per acre.
He subsequently bought and sold four or five different tracts of land in the
vicinity of Dixon and in 1906 came to this county, purchasing his present farm,
which comprises one hundred and sixty acres in Perry township. He bought
it for seventy-five dollars per acre, l?ut it could now be sold for two hundred
dollars per acre. The land is very fertile and is in a high state of cultivation,
while the place is provided with the necessary buildings which are kept in fine
repair. Mr. Woodrum has prospered in his various undertakings and is now
in the possession of a competence.
Mr. Woodrum was married when twenty-two years of age to Miss Adeline
L. Wood, a native of Marshall county, Illinois, and they are the parents of two
108 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
children : Edna ^l., who has lived in various places in the west and has been
a mus^c teacher, but is now engaged in the millinery business in Montana ; and
Marie, at home.
Mr. Woodrum is a republican and takes a keen interest in everji:hing relat-
ing to the welfare of the community. Fraternally he belongs to Safety Lodge,
No. 416, K. P. ; Jesup Lodge, I. O. 0. F. ; to the Encampment ; and to the
Patriarchs Militant. His energy and business acumen have enabled him to
prosper materially and he has won also the respect of those who know him.
REV. THOMAS EDDY TAYLOR, D. D.
For many years Rev. Thomas Eddy Taylor devoted his life to the active
work of the ministr\- but has now retired, although there are few Sundaj^s
in which he does not act as a supply in some pulpit and his interest in the work
of the church has never abated in the slightest degree. He was born in Lake
county, Illinois, June 20, 1864, a son of Charles H. and Elizabeth Ann (Rawson)
Taylor. The father s birth occurred in Devonshire, England, January 24, 1837.
and he passed away on the 12th of October, 1905. As a boy he began earning
his own living and the necessity of providing for his own support greatly limited
his opportunities for acquiring an education. He came to the new world when
about eighteen years of age and settled in Lake county, Illinois. There he was
married on the 12th of October, 1861, to Miss Elizabeth Ann Rawson, who was
born in Michigan in 1841. ]Mr. Taylor afterward engaged in farming and also
became a local preacher of tlie ]\Iethodist Episcopal church. He resided in
Illinois luitil the fall of 1864, when he came with his family to Iowa, settling
on a farm in the northern part of Mitchell county, where he continued to make
his home until 1871. He was then admitted to the upper Iowa conference and
from that time until within eighteen months of his death he continued active
in the work of the ministry, being called to tlie pastorate of various churches in
northeastern Iowa. Near the close of his ministry he served as a presiding elder
for a term and a half, but because of failing health he went to California and
died at Burbank, that state. I\Irs. Taylor survives and is now a resident of
Manchester, Iowa.
Rev. Thomas Eddy Taylor is tbe eldest of a family of five children. He
supplemented his public-school course l)y study in the Upper Iowa University,
from which he was graduated witih the class of 1887. He al.so attended the
Moody Bible Institute and when he had finished school he took up the task of
preaching the go.spel, joining the upper Iowa conference of the Methodist
Episcopal church. His first (rharge was what was known as the eleventh circuit
north of Waterloo. He later filled the pastorates of the churches at ^larble
Rock, Greene, Cresco, Independence, Osage and then again at Independence,
and in 1911 he retired from the active work of the ministry, although he still
preaches almost every Sunday, doing supply work. He also frequently preaches
at the hospital at Independence. In 11)01 his alma mater conferred upon him
the Doctor of Divinity degree. In the previoiLs year Dr. Taylor began the
publication of a series of books, his authorsliip having since made him widely
''5?'^,
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 111
known. His first volume was "Studies in the Life of Christ," which has since
been followed by "Studies in the Apostolic Church" and "Studies in the Old
Testament." These volumes were adopted as the official Bible study text-book
in the Epworth League and also as the official text-book of the United Christian
Endeavor Society. It has likewise become the official text-book of the Young
People's Societies of Canada, and in 1901 he was given charge of the Bible study
department of the Epworth League for three years. In addition to his active
work along the lines of moral progress and development Dr. Taylor has become
interested in agricultural pur.suits and is the owner of two hundred and forty
acres of land in Buchanan county comprised in two farms, to one of which he
gives his personal attention and supervision. This is known as Idlewild and is
situated in Wasliington township. He operates this farm of one hundred and
sixteen acres in a general way but also specializes in the raising of shorthorn
cattle and Duroc Jersey hogs. The farm adjoins the city limits and is supplied
with all modern equipments and accessories.
On the 12th of June, 1889, Dr. Taylor was united in marriage to Miss Nellie"
i\largaret Huie, who was born at Polo, Ogle county, Illinois, a daughter of Robert
J. and Julia (Hammond) Huie. The mother was born in New York and about
1841 was taken to Illinois by her parents, her marriage being celebrated in
Polo in 1862. ^Ir. Huie's birth occurred in Ogle county, Illinois, in 1840,
and in early life he followed farming. Later he engaged in the lumber business
and was also employed as an official weigher at the stock yards at Polo by the
Illinois Central Railroad Company. In 1862, immediately after his marriage,
he enlisted for service in the Union army as a private of Company A, Ninety-
second Illinois Volunteer Infantry. He was afterward promoted to the rank of
orderly sergeant, subsequently became second lieutenant and still later first
lieutenant, serving altogether for three years, when he was mustered out. He
was with Sherman on the celebrated march to the sea and for a short time was
confined in the hospital with fever. At the close of his military experience he
returned to Illinois and assisted his father in the further development and im-
provement of a large farm. In the meantime he purchased a farm in Floyd
county, Iowa, and later came to this state with his wife and daughter, now Mrs.
Taylor. For seventeen years he resided upon his Floyd county farm and then
removed to Charles City, where he engaged in the lumber business until about
1895, after which he returned to his native county. A few years later he became
official weigher for the Illinois Central Railroad and is still a resident of Polo
hut is now living retired. He also engaged at one time in the life insurance
biLsiness, representing a mutual benefit association of New Jersey, but made that
simply a side issue to his other interests. While living in Floyd county, Iowa, he
served as assessor. His wife passed away in May. 1901. Mrs. Taylor was the
eldest" of their five children. She attended the Upper Iowa University, from
which she was graduated with the class of 1888, and she is a member of the
Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle and other organizations advancing
educational and church work.
Dr. and Mrs. Taylor have three children. Hartness D., who was born July
16, 1891, and was graduated from the Upper Iowa University in 1918, on the
completion of a course in the College of Liberal Arts, has been superintendent
of the public schools at Stanwood, Iowa, and is now studying law at Iowa City.
112 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
Karl S., born July 20, 1898, is in the second year of high school. Lloyd ]M.,
born September 20, 1901, is attending grammar school.
In his political views Dr. Taylor is a stalwart republican and at the present
time is a candidate for the office of representative to the state legislature. His
life interests have been broad and varied and he is identified with that class
of men who ever stand for progress and improvement. He is usually to be found
in those circles where intelligent men are met for the discussion of important
questions and association with him means expansion and elevation.
AVILLIS F. VAN ORSDOL.
It has been said that death loves a shining mark and many times this
seems to be exemplified when a leading and valued citizen is called from the
scene of his activities. Willis F. Van Orsdol was one of the valued residents
of Rowley and throughout his entire life displa.yed qualities and characteristics
that endeared him to all who knew him, causing his death to be greatly re-
gretted wherever he was known. He was born in this county in November,
1863, a son of James and Jessie Van Orsdol, who were pioneer settlers of this
part of the state. The father was for many years actively and successfully
engaged in general farming and eventually removed to Rowley, where he con-
ducted a grain and live-stock business in connection with his two sons, Willis
F. and Frank J., remaining active in tiiat partnership until his death, which
occurred July 24, 1912. His widow still resides in Rowley and extended
mention of them is made on another page of this work.
Willis F. Van Orsdol spent his youthful days in his parents' home and
good opportunities and advantages were afforded him. He attended the public
schools and also continued his education in Vinton, Iowa. After reaching his
majority he took up his abode in Rowley, where he became connected with the
live-stock and grain business, carrying on operations along that line until his
life's labors were ended in death on tlu' 27th of August, 1910, after he had
been ill for only a brief period. In business he was a resourceful, energetic
man who readily recognized and utilized opportunities and as the years went
on his reliable business methods, combined with unfaltering energy and de-
termination won for him a gratifying measure of prosperity.
In January, 1890, ^Ir. Van Orsdol was married to l\Iiss Emma Page, a
daughter of George W. and Lenora (Chandler) Page, the former a native of
New Hampshire and the latter of ]\Iaine. Her father was one of the firsrt
settlers of Linn county, Iowa, where he purchased wild land and developed
and improved a farm, being busily engaged in agricultural pursuits until after
the outbreak of the Civil war, when he considered his duty to his country his
foremost interest and enlisted from Linn county as a member of Company II,
Twentieth Iowa Infantry, with which he served for ten months. He then returned
to Linn county and throughout his remaining days was actively engaged in
farming, his death occurring June 5, 1888. His wife survives and took up her
residence in Rowley in 1904. To Mr. and Mrs. Van Orsdol were born three
children : Jay W., now engaged in the grain and stock business in Rowley,
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 113
who was married on the 13th of December, 1913, to Miss Ruby Finch, a native
of Courtland, New York ; Ivadel, six years of age ; and one who died in infancy.
They also adopted a little daughter, Genevieve, who came to them when but
five weeks old.
Mr. Van Orsdol was a member of Holman Lodge, No. 593, A. F. & A. M.,
and was also identified with the Eastern Star chapter and with the i\Iodern
Woodmen camp. He voted with the democratic party and never regarded
lightly his duties of citizenship but met every obligation that devolved upon
him in that connection through hearty cooperation with movements for the
general good. He affiliated with the Presbyterian church of which his widow
is a member and guided his life by its teachings. He left to his family not only
a comfortable competence, but that good name which is rather to be chosen
than great riches. He was an honorable and progressive business men, a loyal
citizen, a faithful friend and a devoted husband and father. Mrs. Van Orsdol
still makes her home in Rowley, where she owns an attractive residence and
she also has good farm lands in this part of the county.
GILBERT E. TITUS.
Gilbert E. Titus is a well known lumberman and horse dealer of Winthrop,
whose reputation for ability to correctly judge the good points of a horse has
extended beyond the limits of this coujity. AVlTolesale houses and ice dealers
throughout the state often intrust him with the buying of their horses, merely
telling him what type of horse they wish and the price they are willing to pay
and leaving the rest to him. He is a man seventy-five years of age but is still
very active in business and in the various phases of life.
Mr. Titus was born in Warrensville, Ohio, which is about eight miles from
the city of Cleveland, August 6, 1839, a son of John H. and Angeline (Miller)
Titus. His father was born near Rochester, Ohio, a son of Austin Titus. John
H. Titus was reared in the vicinity of Rochester and there married, after which
he removed to Warrensville, where he operated a sawmill and gristmill. These
v/ere destroyed by fire but he subsequently rebuilt the sawmill and continued
to conduct it for some time, eventually selling it. He then removed to Paines-
ville, Ohio, where he built a mill which he ran until 1862. In that year he
traded the mill, which was yielding good profits, for one thousand acres of land
in Wisconsiii and one thousand acres in this county. He came here and began
to develop the tract of land which he owned, w^hich was wild prairie as yet un-
touched by man. He farmed during the summers and in the winters went to
his holdings in Wisconsin, where he engaged in logging and in shipping the
lumber which he cut from his land to this place. At the end of three years he
sold his northern property and in 1865 started a lumber yard in Winthrop,
•conducting the same for a year, at the end of which time he sold out. In 1867
he started another yard, which he ran for two years, after which he sold it also.
From that time until he retired from active life he devoted his energies to
farming and developing his land, bringing it to a high state of cultivation. As
his children grew to maturity he gave each of them eighty acres of land and
114 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
started them out in life for themselves and as they had previously been well
trained in agriculture they have met with success. He remained in Winthrop
until about eighty-one years of age and then went to Storm Lake, where he
passed away a year later.
John H. Titus supported the republican party by his ballot and for many
years was a justice of the peace. By his sensible advice he was able to assist
many people in settling their differences outside of the court and thus saved
them unnecessary expense. He was reared in the Quaker faith and never de-
parted therefrom. His wife was born near Scottsville, which is in the vicinity
of Rochester, Ohio, and was there reared and married. She accompanied her
husband to Iowa in 1862 and passed away upon a farm near Aurora, October
14, 1864, when but fortj^-four years of age. She was the mother of twelve
children, two of whom died in childhood. Like her husband she was a member
of the Society of Friends. By a former marriage Mr. Titus had a son. Benja-
min, who is now living retired in Aurora, this county.
Gilbert E. Titus w^as reared at home and under the instruction of his father
early became proficient in agricultural w^ork. His schooling was that afforded
by the public-school system and he was well grounded in the fundamental
branches of learning. "When a young man of twenty-two or twenty-three years
he went to Titusville, Pennsylvania, where oil fields had just been discovered.
The man who first found out their existence was Jonathan Titus, a first cousin
of the father of our subject, and Titusville was named in his honor. Gilbert E.
Titus remained in that place for a year and a half and conducted a livery
stable and drove a stagecoach. At the end of that time he w^ent to Painesville,
Ohio, where he engaged in the livery business for two years. His father-in-law
was government inspector of hoi'ses at Cleveland and ]\Ir. Titus was associated
wdth him until the spring of 1864. He then sold out and in IMarch of that year
came to this county, locating upon a tract of land near Aurora. He erected a
number of buildings but after operating the farm for three or four years rented
it and came to AVinthrop, where he has since engaged in the livery liusiness and
in tlie buying and selling of horses. His long experience in that line lias made
him an almost infallible judge of horses and he often sees possibilities of develop-
ment in an animal that is to all appearances undesirable. Not once but many
times he has purchased such a horse and by giving it good care and training
has brought out the good points latent in it. He has prospered in his under-
takings and is now in possession of a competence which insures him of the
comforts of life.
Mr. Titus was married in Ohio to ^liss Caroline Abbott, a native of ^lassa-
chusetts and a daughter of R. H. Abbott, a railway contractor and government
inspector of army horses during the Civil war. To Mr. and Mrs. Titus have
been born two children : Bessie, the wife of Elmer Brintnall, a son of E. P.
Brintnall, deceased, and a carpenter and builder; and Lila, the wife of B. W.
Briggs, of Dubuque, Iowa.
Mr. Titus is an adherent of the republican party and has held a number of
local offices. In addition to serving as tow'nship trustee and constable he held
the office of deputy sheriff fourteen years and in that time arrested several
notorious horse thieves. Both he and his wife are members of the Congrega-
tional church and are active in the support of all good causes. ^\r. Titus be-
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 115
longs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Modern Woodmen of
America and is well known in both of those organizations. He holds the un-
qualified respect of those who have been associated with him in business or in a
social way and all who know him wish him many more years of health and
strength.
GEORGE A. SNOW.
George A. Snow, manager at Independence for the Meuser Lumber Com-
pany of Dubuque, is a self-made man who has been both the architect and
builder of his own fortunes. He now occupies a creditable position in commer-
cial circles and his worth is widely acknowledged. He was born in Tieon-
deroga, Essex county, New York, on the 12th of June, 1848, a son of W^illiam E.
and Alzina (Sweet) Snow, who were also natives of Ticonderoga. In early
life the father learned the ship carpenter's and house carpenter's trades and
in the year 1867 he came to Iowa, settling at Independence, where he engaged
in carpentering for a number of years. He then purchased a farm southwest
of the city and devoted his energies to general agricultural pursuits until
his life's labors were ended in death in January, 1892. For four decades he had
survived his wife, who passed away in 1852. After her demise the father
married her cousin, Miss Betsy J. Sweet, his second union occurring before his
removal to Iowa. There were two children of the first marriage, George A. and
Charles J., the latter now a resident farmer of South Dakota. There were also
two children of the second marriage : Emma, deceased ; and Jed, who resides
on the old homestead.
George A. Snow pursued his education in the schools of New York and for
one year in the schools of Independence. At the time of his mother's death,
which occurred when he was but four years of age, he went to live with his
maternal grandparents, with whom he remained until he was eighteen years of
age. He came to Iowa in 1869, joining his father, with whom he remained
through the winter. He then worked in Independence for others, being em-
ployed for one summer in the building of the big mill at this place. He after-
ward secured a clerkship in a store, remaining there and in other stores for
about eight years. He next turned his attention to the hotel business, which he
conducted for two years at Cedar Falls, Iowa, after which he became a land-
owner, also following farming for about eight years. On the expiration of
that period he again took up his abode in Independence and for nine years Avas
employed in the Leach lumber yard, at the end of which time Mr. Leach sold
the business to the Meuser Lumber Company of Dubuque. Mr. Snow remained
with them as manager of the business at Independence and is now in control
of the yard at this place. He has carefully directed the business, which has
become a profitable venture, and he has the entire confidence of the corporation
which he represents. He owns farm lands in Nebraska and in Minnesota, having
made judicious investment in real estate.
Mr. Snow has been married twice. In 1876 he wedded Miss Emma Fleming,
who was born north of Winthrop in Buchanan county, a daughter of James
116 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
Fleming, who was an early settler of the county, in which he followed farming.
To Mr. and Mrs. Snow was born one daughter, Lillian, who died in 1885. The
wife and mother passed away in 1879 and in October, 1882, Mr. Snow wedded
Mrs. Phoebe M. (Blair) Knapp, who was born in Pennsylvania, a daughter of
Joseph and Phoebe (Whitford) Blair, both of whom were natives of Essex
county. New York. They emigrated from that state to Pennsylvania and
thence came to Iowa about 1870, settling on a farm near Brandon, where they
continued until about three years prior to the death of Mr. Blair. At that
time he took up his abode in Brandon, where he lived retired for two years
but spent his last year in the home of his daughter, Mrs. Snow. He was nearly
ninety-five years of age at the time of his death, while his wife passed away
when eighty-five years of age. They had lived together in happy wedlock for
sixty-five years. IVIrs. Snow is the youngest of their four children. Mr. and
Mrs. Snow have an adopted child, Marie Knapp, who is a granddaughter
and who is now attending school.
In his political views Mr. Snow has always been a democrat but has never
been an office seeker. He has membership with the IModern Brotherhood of
America and with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He has worked
earnestly and persistently as the years have gone on and has made for himself
a creditable position in the business circles of Independence, while in social
life, too, he has won a desirable place.
ALFRED P. BURRHUS.
Alfred P. Burrhus has been closely associated with the material development,
political activity and moral progress of Quasqueton and is therefore accounted
one of its prominent and valued citizens. He is now engaged in the implement
business there, having been connected therewitli for a quarter of a century.
He is also a factor in banking circles and is the owner of extensive farm property
in the county. His birth occurred in Patterson, Putnam county, New York,
March 22, 1839, his parents being Luther and Mary (Penny) Burrhus, who
were also natives of that county. The father, who was born in 1806, devoted
his early life to farming, owning a tract of land in that state. He continued his
residence in the east until 1859 and then came to Iowa. Here he enlisted at
Independence as a member of the Graybeard Regiment and was with the array
until the close of the war, his command being largely engaged in guarding pris-
oners at Columbus, Ohio. When hostilities were over he returned to Buchanan
county and lived with his son Alfred until his death, which occurred in 1871,
when he was sixty-five years of age. He had long survived his wife, who died
in 1845 at the age of thirty-nine years. Mr. Burrhus gave his political support
in early life to the whig party, of which he was an active champion, and later
upon the dissolution of that party he joined the ranks of the newly formed
republican party. He always manifested a deep interest in the political questions
and situation of the country, both when in New York and in Iowa.
Alfred P. Burrhus was a pupil in the country schools of his native state and
afterward attended the high school at Poughkeepsie, New York. When sixteen
j^rfrd.
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 119
years of age he began teaching in the rural schools and the following year came
to Iowa, where he was employed as a teacher in the district schools of Delaware
county for a time. He afterward traveled in a photograph ear, making daguerreo-
types throughout northeastern Iowa for two years, and he visited Waterloo when
it was only a village. He afterward became interested in a hack line carrying
passengers between Waterloo and Dyersville, Iowa, and later he turned his
attention to farming, having saved from his earnings a sum sufficient to enable
him to purchase a tract of land in Liberty township, Buchanan count}'. He was
also appointed mail agent over the route between Winthrop, Rowley and IMarion,
carrying the mail for about a quarter of a century. While thus engaged he
established an implement business in Quasqueton, which he has conducted for
the pa.st twenty-five years and within that period has built up an extensive trade.
He now has one of the leading establishments of this character not onl}' in
Quasqueton but in the county, and he has also established branch implement
houses at Robinson and at Rowley, Iowa, devoting the greater part of his atten-
tion to that line. However, he is a stockholder in the State Savings Bank
of Quasqueton and in the State Bank of ]\Ionti, and for many years he has been
closely and extensively associated with agricultural interests, being the owner
of three hundred and ninety-five acres of valuable land in Buchanan county, some
of which is in Cono and some in Liberty township. He handles Durham cattle
for commercial purposes only and also full blooded Percheron horses.
In 1858 Mr. Burrhus was married to Miss Elizabeth Crooks, who died in 1872,
and the following year he wedded her sister, ]\Iartha A. Crooks, who was born
in Leesville, Ohio, and in 1856 was brought to Iowa by her parents, Alexander
and Hannah (Johnson) Crooks, natives of Ireland and of Leesville, Ohio, respect-
ively. In early life the father learned the tailor's trade in New York city
following his emigration from Ireland to the United States. He afterward
removed westward to Leesville and in 1856 came to Quasqueton, where he filled
the office of justice of the peace. Later he was elected sheriff of this county and
following his return to Quasqueton was again elected justice of the peace,
occupying that position to the time of his death, his decisions being strictly fair
and impartial. In Ohio, too, he was very active in politics. His religious faith
was a dominant feature in his life. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal
church, in which he served as trustee and was also superintendent of the Sunday
school. He was honorable in every relation and his life constituted an example
well worthy of emulation.
]\Ir. Burrhus has a family of four children, three of whom were born of the
first marriage and one by the second. F. C, the eldest, now a druggist of Denver,
Colorado, has lost his wife but has two .sons, Leo and Harold. Lois N. is the wife
of George Rozelle, representative of a pioneer family of Buchanan county and
a conductor on the Denver & Salt Lake Railroad. She is the mother of two
sons, Alfred and Harry McDonald, born of a previous marriage to George
McDonald. Artie E. is the wife of 0. D. Stapleton, a civil engineer living at
La Grange, Illinois, and they have four children : Doris, ]\Iabel, 0. D. and Billy
B. The fourth of the family is A. P. Burrhus, Jr., who is associated with his
father in the implement business. He married Ida Overly and they liave seven
children, namely : Walter B., Wilma, IMarjorie, Genevieve, Miriam, Pauline and
Kenneth.
Vol. II— c
120 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
Mr. Burrhus has long figured actively in political circles as a stalwart repub-
lican. He has been a member of the county central committee and a delegate to
state conventions and has done not a little to shape the party's policy in this
section of the state. At the present writing he is filling the position of township
clerk and is the efficient and popular mayor of Quasqueton. Fraternally a
Mason, he has filled all the offices in the local lodge, including that of master.
He is equally prominent in the Odd Fellows lodge, in which he has passed through
all the chairs, including that of noble grand, and he has been a delegate to the
grand lodge. Stronger still is his belief in and sympathy with the principles
and teachings of the ^Methodist Episcopal church, of which he is an active and
zealous member. He is serving as one of the stewards, is chairman of the board
of trustees and is superintendent of the Sunday school. He is constantly seeking
out new methods to interest the young people in the work of the church and to
instill into their minds those principles which work for the upbuilding of noble
character. He has ever been interested in all movements for the betterment of
existing conditions, whether for the mental, material, political or moral welfare
of his community. His life has indeed been a potent force for good and the
consensus of public opinion names him as one of the foremost citizens of Quas-
queton and his part of the county.
THOMAS SCARCLIFF.
Thomas Scarcliff is one of the most venerable citizens of Independence,
having passed the eighty-sixth milestone on life's journey. He first visited
the city in 1851 and later he took up his permanent abode here, since which
time he has been actively identified with its growth and development. At the
present time he is vice president of the Peoples National Bank. The success
which came to him in former years now enables him to live retired with an in-
come sufficient to supply all of his needs and his wishes. England numbers
him among her native sons, his birth having occurred in Dunston parish, near
Lincoln, in Lincolnshire. February 11, 1828. His parents were Henry and
Eleanor (Hurt on) Searclift', also natives of the same locality, the former born
in 1793 and the latter in 1791. Henry Scarcliff always made farming his life
work. He brought his family to America about 1865 and settled first in Rock
county, Wisconsin. He afterward purchased a farm nine miles from Janes-
ville and thereon continued for a number of years, after which he took up his
abode in the city of Janesville, where he lived retired to the time of his demise.
His wife died some years before, when about sixty-.seven years of age.
Thomas Scarcliff was the fifth in order of birth in a family of six children.
He attended school in his native country and at the age of nineteen years crossed
the Atlantic to the new world, making his way to Batavia, New York, where
he worked in a hotel. He was afterward employed as a clerk in Janesville,
Wisconsin, entering the service of Smith & Clarke, dealers in dry goods, with
whom he continued for about two years, receiving a hundred dollars for one
years' service. In 1851 he first came to Independence, making the trip with
horse and buggy across the country, but remained for only two nights at Inde-
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 121
pendenee. He then went to Janesville, Wisconsin, where he remained until the
following spring. At that time he went to Warren, Illinois, by rail, thence
by stage to Galena and on by boat to Dubuque. During that trip, while at
Warren, he was compelled to sleep on the floor of the depot, as no other quarters
could be secured. From Dubuque he traveled to Independence by farm wagon.
He had previously entered two hundred and forty acres of land adjoining the
town of Independence and upon his return he purchased forty acres on the
south side of Main street, for which he paid four hundred and fifty dollars.
This he afterward laid out in town lots. This forty-acre tract constitutes the
southeastern part of the city and he has sold out the entire tract. The former
purchase he also improved and has sold practically all of it for good prices.
A part of this has been laid off in town lots and constitutes the eastern section
of the city. In addition to dealing in real estate he engaged in the grain busi-
ness and at two times had corn cribs a quarter of a mile in length and sixteen
feet in width along the track. He sold his corn at Dubuque and on two dif-
ferent occasions he shelled and shipped over ninety thousand bushels. He
shipped the second car load of grain ever sent over the Illinois Central Railroad
from this point. Before the building of the railroad he at one time purchased
eighteen hundred bushels of wheat at forty-two and a half cents per bushel,
which he cleaned and screened and then sold at seventy cents per bushel, realiz-
ing a handsome profit on the investment. As the years went by Mr. ScarclifT
became identified with other business enterprLses. He is a stockholder in the
First National Bank and is now the vice president of the Peoples National
Bank. He was also one of the early stockholders in the Wapsipinieon ^Milling
Company but afterward disposed of his interest in that industry. Other busi-
ness concerns have profited by his cooperation and financial support and he has
thus contributed much to the business development and consequent prosperity
of the city.
On the 30th of September, 1862, the marriage of ]\Ir. Scarcliff and Miss
Harriet Crippen was celebrated in St. James Episcopal church, and thej^ were
the first couple married therein. The bride was born at Fort Covington, New
York, September 17, 1841, a daughter of Ransom B. and Marian (Stiles)
Crippen, both of whom were natives of Franklin count}', New York. They
came to Iowa at an early period in the development of this state and the father
was the first station agent at Winthrop, occupying that position for a number
of years. Later he removed to Independence, where he remained for a number
of years and then returned to New York, where both he and his wife passed
away. The death of Mrs. Scarcliff occurred April 2, 1911, and was deeply
regretted by many friends as well as by her immediate family. To Mr. and
Mrs. Scarcliff were born two children. Thomas E. married Lolah Ozias. whose
parents were also pioneers in this county, and they have one child, Helene
Anna. Thomas E. Scarcliff is engaged in the grain, coal and lumber business
in Independence. The other member of the family is Mrs. R. F. Clarke, the
wife of the president of the Peoples National Bank. They have three children,
ilargaret, Daisy and Frances.
Mr. Scarcliff belongs to the Masonic fraternity, with which lie has been iden-
tified for more than a half century. He is now a member of the lodge, the
chapter, the commandery and the Mystic Shrine. His political allegiance is
122 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
given to the democratic party and he served as a member of the city council
for a number of years, exercising his official prerogatives in support of many
public improvements. He is an exemplary member of the Episcopal church
and his entire life has been guided b}' its teachings, so that his career has at
all points been honorable and upright, winning for him the high respect and
warm regard of all with whom he has been brought in contact.
NATHANIEL G. PARKER.
Nathaniel G. Parker is" a veteran of the Civil war who has spent practically
his entire life in this county, remaining for sixty-eight years in the vicinity
of Quasqueton. He is now living retired in the town which in the early period
of the county's existence was the county seat. He was born in Linn county,
Iowa, in 1843. His father, Nathaniel G. Parker, Sr., was born in Pennsylvania,
near the Ohio state line, in 1806, and in early life learned and followed the
ship carpenter's trade near Sandusky. Ohio. There he resided until 1838,
when he went to Illinois, where he remained for a year. He then came to Iowa,
traveling overland to Linn county, where he settled in 1839. He worked as a
millwright near Cedar Rapids, being employed in a mill on Otter creek. He
afterward came to Buchanan county and helped i)ut in order the mill at
Quasqueton.
In 1846 Mr. Parker removed his family to that town and for four years
operated the mill. At tiiat period Quasqueton was the only village in the
county and pioneer conditions everywhere existed, the work of development
and civilization having scarcely been begun. ]\Iost of the liouses were built
of logs and they stood in the midst of a country of wild prairie and uncut
forests. Tlie Indians still visited the neighborhood and there was plenty of
wild game. Deer were frequently killed, while it was no uncommon thing to
secure wild turkeys, prairie chickens, quails, etc. Mr. Parker was one of the
first six taxpayers and he became closely and actively identified with the prog-
ress of the county. He helped to lay out the roads and erected the first church
and schoolhouses built in the county. Investigation into the early history shows
how closely and helpfully he was as.sociated with the pioneer development. He
acquired lands from time to time until his holdings were quite extensive, and
he broke the sod on the wild prairie with ox teams. In 1857, however, he sold
the farm which he had cleared for thirty dollars per acre and removed to Texas,
where he remained until 1860. He then returned northward to Kansas and
traded a yoke of oxen for a claim, but there was a scourge of grasshoppers,
totally destroying all crops, and feeling that he could not earn a living for
himself and family in that state, he traded his claim for a pony and returned
to Iowa, where he remained until his death, which occurred in 1877 when he
was seventy-one years of age. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Maria
Walker and was born in Connecticut in 1812. passed away in 1855.
Nathaniel G. Parker, who was largely reared in this county, pursued his
early education in tlx' little brick schoolhouse at Quasqueton which is still
standing, and he ivent through the usual experiences, trials, hardships and priva-
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 123
tions incident to pioneer life and at the same time enjoyed those pleasures
which come through the close companionship that is usually a feature of fron-
tier communities. Time passed on uneventfully for him until after the out-
break of the Civil war, when on the 5th of September, 1862, at the age of
nineteen years, he enlisted as a member of Company G, Sixth Iowa Cavalry,
being enrolled as a private at Quasqueton. He was mustered out as sergeant.
The regiment was organized at Davenport and he became the company's
saddler, having previously learned the trade under the direction of his father.
He participated in the battle of White Stone Hill from the 3d to the 5th of
September, 1863, was in the battle at Manovatse on the 30th of July of the same
year, and at Takaokuty on the 28th of July, 1864, being on duty much of the
time in the territory of Dakota.
When the war was over Mr. Parker returned to Quasqueton, where for a
short time he was engaged in the harness business. He afterward carried on
general farming but is now living retired and for sixty-eight years has made
his home in the vicinity of Quasqueton.
In 1878 Mr. Parker was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Biddinger, a
native of Ohio and a daughter of AVilliam and Katherine (Kitch) Biddinger.
Her father was born in Pennsylvania, in 1810, and his life record covered the
intervening years to 187-1. The mother was bom in Ohio, in 1824, and passed
away in 1901. ]Mr. Biddinger was a farmer in Ohio in early life and on
coming to the west in 1849 settled in Liberty township, Buchanan county,
when this was a frontier region. He traded Ohio property for Iowa lands
and made his way westward by boat to Dubuque and thence across the country
to his destination. He became a factor in the early development of this section
of the state and his wife was active in church work. In their family were eight
children, including ]\Irs. Parker, who has spent much of her life in Iowa.
Mr. and Mrs. Parker have had no children of their own but have reared two.
Fraternally he is connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and he
also wears the little bronze button that indicates his membership in the Grand
Army of the Eepublic. He is interested in that organization, which affords
him opportunity for association with the "boys in blue" who defended the
Union during the darkest days in the country's history.
MRS. MARY (COAVIE) McCARTY.
The life record of Airs. Alary (Cowie) AlcCarty is one which has gained for
her the esteem and admiration of all who know her, for she has accomplished much
that others would have failed to do. AVhen left a widow with four small children,
she not only kept them together but came to a new country and through busi-
ness ability and close application has succeeded in accumulating a comfortable
competence. She was born in County Limerick, Ireland, where she was reared,
and in young womanhood she crossed the Atlantic to the United States, settling
first in Detroit, Alichigan, where she formed the acquaintance of Alichael
AlcCarty, who sought her hand in marriage. He, too, was a native of County
Limerick, Ireland, and as a young man had come to the new world, making his
124 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
way to Detroit, where he was employed to the time of his death, which occurred
when he had advanced but a little way beyond the milestone that marks arrival
at adult age. At the time of his death they were the owners of a little home
in Detroit.
In 1869 or 1870, not long after the demise of her husband, Mrs. McCarty
with her four children, the eldest then six years of age, came to Iowa, living
with and working for a sister of her deceased husband on a farm in Byron
township. She saved her money until her industry and economical expenditure
had brought her a sum sufficient to enable her to purchase eighty acres of land,
and as her sons grew in years and strength they worked in the fields, more
and more largely relieving their mother. Mrs. McCarty, however, did not
scorn the out-of-door work and on more than one occasion drove the team which
hauled the harvester or did other work in the fields. She displayed splendid
business management and ability in the control of her business affairs and added
to her land from time to time until she is now the owner of two hundred acres,
constituting a very valuable property improved with splendid farm buildings.
The home place is especially well improved. There is a comfortable and at-
tractive residence, a large barn, the latest improved machinery and all the
other accessories of modern farm life. The family have always worked to-
gether, keeping but one pocket book and sharing with each other in all the
adversity as well as in the prosperity which has come to them. They now have
a herd of pure blooded Hereford cattle equal to any to be found in the state.
To ^Ir. and ^Irs. McCarty were bom two daughters and two sons : Mary, at
home; Lizzie, the wife of ]\Iichael Greeley, a resident farmer of Byron town-
ship ; John, at home ; and Daniel, who married Clara Lorang, a native of New
York state, and resides on the old homestead. ]\Irs. ]\IcCarty is now about
eighty years of age but is still active, hale and hearty. She and her family are
members of the Catholic church. She certainly deserves great credit for what
she has accomplished, showing that she possesses excellent business ability,
initiative and executive force, as well as those womanly qualities which have
made her a devoted mother.
MYROX L. EDDY.
Myron L. Eddy is a representative farmer of Washington township, owning
three hundred and thirty acres of rich and valuable land, and in addition to the
tilling of the soil he is engaged in buying and selling cattle. He was born in
Byron township, Buchanan county, on the 18th of October, 1859, his parents
being Levi H. and Maria (Smith) Eddy. The mother was born in 1841 and
died in 1884, at the comparatively early age of forty-three years. The fatlier's
birth occurred in Cherry Valley, Illinois, in 1839 and he passed away in Norfolk.
Nebraska, in 1902, but was buried, however, in this county. In early life he was
a stage driver in Illinois and on leaving that state he made his way to Independ-
ence, Iowa, arriving here when the town contained a single log house. He pur-
chased land for six doUars per acre and broke not only his o\\ti land but also his
neighbor's farm with the use of ox teams. It was in the early '50s that he
:\m. AND :mrs. :\iyPkOX l. eddy
THr "^
PUBLIC
J
AfrroR i.n\nT a-
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 127
arrived in Iowa and following the outbreak of the Civil war, a decade later, he
joined Company E of the Twenty-seventh Iowa Infantry-, with which he served
for four years. He was wounded in the battle of Pea Ridge, Arkansas, but
during the greater part of the time was on active duty with his command and
made a most creditable military record. When the war was over he returned
to this county, where he remained until the latter part of his life, when he
removed to Norfolk, Nebraska, where he conducted a hotel and was also in the
land business. He owned considerable land and also bought and sold stock.
At one time he- was the owner of about three hundred and fifty acres in Iowa
but sold nearly all of that property before his removal to Nebraska. He was an
active, earnest and loyal supporter of the republican party but never sought
nor desired office as a reward for party fealty. His death occurred in 1902,
when he was sixty-three years of age. In the family were eight children, seven
sons and one daughter, Myron L. being the eldest, and three of the number are
now residents of Buchanan county.
During his youthful days Myron L. Eddy attended the district schools and
when seventeen years of age he went to Colorado, spending two and a half years
in Denver. During a part of that time he was employed as foreman of con-
struction work on the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad. Returning to Iowa, he
was married when twenty-one years of age and began farming on his own
account, since which time he has devoted his time and attention to general
agricultural pursuits save for two years which he spent in "Waterloo, Iowa. He
now owns three hundred and thirty acres of valuable land in Washington
township, also buys and sells cattle and is an extensive feeder and shipper.
His farm presents a most neat and thrifty appearance. He has about one
hundred acres in corn, thirty acres in oats and the remainder in hay and pasture
land. He gives his undivided attention to his farming and live-stock interests,
and his capability in business is evidenced in his growing success.
On August 28, 1881, Mr. Eddy was united in marriage to Miss Lucy Henegar.
who was born near Quasqueton, a daughter of Daniel Henegar, who was born
in Canada in 1819 and when a young man came to the United States. He made
his way first to Illinois and afterward to Iowa, spending some years as a farmer
in Buchanan county. Later he removed to Kansas, settling near Winfield, where
he followed farming for six years. He then returned to Iowa, where his remain-
ing days were passed, his death occurring in 1885, when he was sixty-six years
of age. He married Melissa Brown, who was born in Canada in 1820 and who,
surviving for many years, passed away in 1913, at the notable age of ninety-
three years. They were the parents of two children, of whom ^Irs. Eddy is the
older. To Mr. and Mrs. Eddy have been born nine children, six of whom are
living, while two sons and a daughter have passed away. The family record
is as follows: Arthur M., a resident of Arkansas; Nellie, the wife of Ralph
Shoemaker, now upon the home farm with her father; Myrtle, the wife of
Elmer Bennett, who is also assisting his father-in-law upon the old homestead
farm and has two children, Leta and Dora Elaine; Delbert, who died in infancy;
Lula, who died at the age of sixteen years; Guy M., who died at the age of
seventeen years ; Oscar, at home ; Grace, the wife of Roy Castile, by whom she
has a son, Raymond Arthur; and Helen, who completes the family and is now
attending school.
128 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
Mr. Eddy holds membership with the Modern Woodmen of America and is
well known throughout Buchanan county, where the greater part of his life
has been passed. He is a self-made man, who has been both the architect and
builder of his own fortunes. As the years have gone by he has gradually worked
his way upward, proving the worth of industry and determination as factors in
the attainment of prosperity.
MICHAEL R. CONSIDINE.
Michael R. Considine, a prominent factor in financial circles of Buchanan
county, being vice president of the Jesup State Bank, is equally well known
as a farmer and stockman of this section. He is a native son of the county,
born on a farm in Perry township, September 8, 1867, his parents being Patrick
and Ann (Crane) Considine, both of whom were natives of Ireland. In
1852 the father emigrated to Canada in company with two brothers, a sister and
his parents, Patrick and Susan (Keane) Considine, natives of County Clare,
Ireland. There Patrick Considine, Sr., and his three sons worked on a railroad
for about five years, during which time they carefully saved their money, and
in 1856 the son Patrick, father of our subject, was sent to Iowa to buy a home
for the family. Looking about for a suitable location, he decided upon Perry
township, Buchanan county, as a desirable place in which to invest his money.
He purchased a tract of one hundred and sixty acres near Littleton, and the
following year he was joined by the other members of the household. Father
and sons then bent their energies toward the improvement and development
of the farm. In the course of time the sons married and established homes of
their own, all becoming well-to-do farmers of Perry township. Patrick Consi-
dine, Sr., spent his remaining years on his farm in Perry township and there
passed away. The mother of our subject, who bore the maiden name of Ann
Crane, emigrated from Ireland to the United States in her girlhood, her arrival
here being in the same year as that of ]\Ir. Considine. They were married in
this country and became the parents of four children. Through the death of
her husband Mrs. Considine was left with the care of her family but she
managed to keep them together on the farm, carefully rearing them and giving
them the advantages of an education such as were enjoyed in those early days.
She is still living at the age of ninety years and now makes her home with her
son Michael. She is a communicant of the Catholic church. The children
are : Ellen, the wife of John Keane, a farmer of Black Hawk county, Iowa ;
Mary, who is single and makes her home with her brother Michael ; Thomas,
who died at the age of seventeen years; and ^Michael R., of this review.
Michael R. Considine was deprived of a father's care at the age of two
years but he was carefully reared by his mother, who is now in turn cared for
by him. His elder brother died when a youth of seventeen years, so that as
soon as he was old enough the care of the farm devolved upon ^lichael. The
place comprised one hundred and sixty acres, which he cultivated until 1912,
when he rented the farm and with his mother and sister Mary removed to Jesup,
where they occupy a beautiful and substantial home. Prior to leaving the
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 129
farm, in 1901, Mr. Considine formed a partnership with Z. A. Comfort in
buying and shipping stock, and he is still dealing in live stock, disposing of
several carloads of cattle and hogs in the city markets each year. His business
interests are varied, however, for in addition to his stock business he is acting
as vice president of the Jesup State Bank, of which he' was one of the organizers
and is now serving on the board of directors. He likewise owns stock in the
telephone and creamery companies of the city.
It was on the 28th of October, 1895, that Mr. Considine was married to Miss
Bridget Meaney, who was born on the Emerald isle but in 1891 in company
with a brother emigrated to the United States. Like the other members of
the family, Mr. Considine is a communicant of the Catholic church, while
politically he supports the democratic party. For several years he has served
as township trustee. He is an alert and enterprising business man, possessing
all the requisite qualities of a sturdy Irish ancestry, and fully merits the high
esteem in which he is held alike by business and social friends.
MARTIN D. OZIAS.
Martin D. Ozias, a well known, highly respected and influential citizen of
Independence, is spending the evening of life in honorable retirement and justly
merits the ease and comfort which he now enjoys. He was throughout a long
period closely and actively identified with the agricultural interests of Buchanan
county.
He W'as born in Preble county, Ohio, November 22, 1832, a son of Jesse and
Temperance (Rice) Ozias. The father, also a native of Ohio, was descended
from Pennsylvania Dutch ancestry and his parents were pioneers of the Buck-
eye state. Jesse Ozias was reared in the state of his nativity and was there
married. He was a farmer by occupation and in 1851 removed with his family
to Buchanan county, Iowa, where he platted a town, named Chatham, which
was located near Littleton in Perry township. There he built a store, which he
operated for some little time, and then sold his interests here, returning to his
former home in Ohio. He spent but one year there, however, when he returned
to Buchanan county and he and his sons entered seventeen hundred acres of
land. He purchased the warrants and permitted his sons to locate the land.
This land they improved ,and the father was active in its cultivation throughout
a long period. He passed away at his home when he had reached the age of
eighty-six years and six months. In early years he was a whig but when the
republican party was formed he joined its ranks. His religious belief was that
of the Baptist church. His wife, who was likewise a native of Ohio, survived
him for two or three years and departed this life at the age of eighty-six.
Their family numbered seven children as follows: ^Martin D., of this review;
Julia, the widow of J. F. Wolf and a resident of St. Louis, Missouri; Eli R., of
Chicago, Illinois; Elizabeth, the wife of James AVhait, a resident of Washing-
ton ; Tilman, who makes his home in Phoenix, Arizona ; and two who died in
infancy.
130 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
Martin D. Ozias, the eldest of the children, was reared in the state of his
nativity to the age of nineteen years. He then accompanied the family on their
removal to Iowa, the year of their arrival in this state being 1851. He bought
four hundred acres in Fairbank township with land warrants that cost eighty-
seven cents per acre. He broke the sod, developed a farm, erected a house
thereon and eventually sold his land for nine and ten dollars per acre. In
1852 he purchased a half section of school land in Perry township, which he
also improved and to which he added until he now owns fifteen hundred acres
in Buchanan county, and he likewise owns four hundred acres in Minnesota.
He also owns a business building in Independence which is known as the Ozias
block and which is worth ten thousand dollars. Mr. Ozias sold his farm in
Perry township in 1869 and invested the money in four hundred acres in Wash-
ington township, two miles from Independence. On this he erected good build-
ings and made of it a valuable property. He was active in the management and
operation of his extensive landed possessions until 1908, when he rented all his
land and retired to Independence, where he occupies one of the beautiful resi-
dences of the city.
It was on the 3d of July, 1854, that Mr. Ozias was united in marriage to
Miss Clarinda J. Bright, who was born August 20, 1832, claiming Ohio as the
state of her nativity. She was a daughter of David and Lucinda Bright, who
were natives of Indiana but came to Buchanan county, Iowa, in 1850, where
her father became a prominent pioneer farmer of Washington and Perry town-
ships. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Ozias was blessed with seven children ; Mary
E., the wife of Simon Walker, of Perrj' township ; John L., a prominent farmer
of Perry township ; Martha, the wife of Andrew Dunlap, of Independence ;
Charles E., a farmer of Perry to^^^lship ; Anna E., the wife of Marcus Lauritsen,
a banker of Minnesota; Edward H., who operates his father's farm in Minne-
sota; and Lola, the wife of Tliomas E. Scarcliff, a dealer in lumber and coal in
Independence.
Mr. Ozias is a democrat where national issues are involved but at local elec-
tions he votes independently. He would never consent to accept official honors
but for a time in an early day he filled the office of justice of the peace. He
is the oldest Odd Fellow in Independence and holds membership in Independence
Lodge, No. 142. He is now in his eighty-second year but is still as active as a
man many years his junior. The wealth which he today enjoys has been earned
by intelligentl}^ directed labors, while his personal characteristics have estab-
lished him high in the regard of his many friends and acquaintances.
A. N. TODD.
A. N. Todd, lawyer, was born in St. Clair county, IMichigan, on the 19th of
April, 1854. His father, Morris Todd, was born in New York in 1830 and in early
life learned and followed the shipwright's trade. While in the east he wedded
Clara F. Finlayson, who was born in« the Empire state in 1836. Removing to
Michigan, he settled in St. Clair county, where he engaged in general mer-
chandising. In 1854 he came to Iowa, taking up his abode at Quasqueton. Having
A. N. TODD
Tn-
PUBLIC LI
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 133
acquired lands, he began- farming and carried on general agricultural pursuits
and stock-raising for many years. In fact, he was a well known and prominent
representative of that line of activity in Buchanan county to the time of his
death, which occurred in 1900. He held the office of county supervisor for one
term, having been elected on the republican ticket, and was the first assessor of
Liberty township. His family numbered seven children.
A. N. Todd, who was the eldest, attended the public schools of Buchanan
county and was graduated from the State University in 1876 with the degree of
Bachelor of Law. On attaining his majority he entered upon the practice of
law at Stockton, Kansas, but did not continue active in that field, turning his
attention to the real-estate business, in which he continued for four years. He
then went to Hiawatha, Kansas, where he practiced law and also engaged in the
real-estate business for six years. He next removed to Kansas City, Missouri,
where he followed his profession for five years, and in 1896 he came to Inde-
pendence, Iowa, where he is now engaged in law practice with H. C. Chappell.
He is likewise president of the fair association, but he devotes the greater part
of his time to his professional duties and is regarded as one of the able members
of the Buchanan county bar, owing to his comprehensive knowledge of legal
principles and his careful preparation of cases.
In 1876 Mr. Todd was united in marriage to Miss Julia E. Hovey, who was
born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in 1853, a daughter of James 0. Hovey, who was
born in Vermont in 1825, while his wife was also a native of that state, born
in 1829. Mr. Hovey came to Iowa from the Green IMountain state, settling in
Cedar Rapids, after which he removed to Quasqueton, Buchanan county, where
lie conducted a mill for three years. He next removed to Fairbanks, where he
operated a gristmill and conducted a store for several years. He then went to
Waverly, where he continued in the same line of business until his death. To
Mr. and Mrs. Todd has been born one child, Christie A., who was born in Rooks
county, Kansas, and is a graduate of the State Normal College at Cedar Falls.
Mr. Todd holds membership with the Odd Fellows. He has filled several
offices, having been city attorney of Rosedale, Kansas, city attorney of Inde-
pendence for eight years and mayor of the city for two years. He is thus active
in the public life of the community and has done much to further progress and
improvement.
OTTO TIELEBEIN.
Otto Tielebein is the owner of a well developed farm of one hundred and
twenty acres on section 3, Newton township, and is also manager of the imple-
ment business of Buckley Brothers at Kiene. He was born in Dubuque county,
this state, March 3, 1863, a son of Frederick C. and Catherine E. (Fisher)
Tielebein, both of whom were natives of Germany. In 1853 the father came
to America and, making his way into the interior of the country, settled in
Dubuque county, where he purchased land and carried on general farming
until 1865. He then came to Buchanan county, where he purchased one
hundred and sixty acres in Newton township, and again his persistency of
134 HISTOEY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
purpose and careful management were soon manifest in the improved appear-
ance of his place, which he cultivated throughout his remaining days. He
passed away in March, 1901, and his wife died in November, 1908.
Otto Tielebein was but two years of age when his parents came to Buchanan
county and he has since remained here, a witness of its growth and development
and an active factor in its business affairs. He is indebted to the public-school
system for the educational opportunities which he enjoyed, and he remained
upon the home farm with his parents until they were called to their final rest.
The father's land was then divided and Otto Tielebein purchased the interests
of some of the other heirs in the property, so that he now owns one hundred
and twenty acres of arable and productive land on section 3, Newton township,
adjoining the town of Kiene. In fact, he gave the land for the town site and
the right of way for the railroad. He is engaged in farming upon his place
and his labors are attended with good results. He practices the rotation of crops
and modern scientific methods of farming and annually gathers good harvests.
At the same time he capably manages the implement business of Buckley
Brothers at Kiene, where he was formerly engaged in the hardware business
but sold out. He is also a stockholder in a general store at Kiene.
Mr. Tielebein exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and
measures of the democratic party and he is identified with several fraternal
organizations, including the Masons, the Modern Woodmen of America and
the Modern Brotherhood of America. He has filled several local offices, serving
for four years as township clerk, as a member of the election board for fifteen
years and for twenty years as a member of the school board, of which he is now
the secretary. He was also township tnistee for three years and he has ever
been loyal to the office, discharging his duties with promptness and fidelity
and thus furthering the best interests of the public.
^VJ1J.1A.M SHERREN.
William Sherren is the o^^^ler of a valuable farm in Byron township. The
place is beautiful in the lay of the land and in the improvements which have
been made upon the farm. There is a large residence standing in the midst of
highly cultivated fields and the extensive barns indicate that stock-breeding and
feeding must be one of the important features of the place. Mr. Sherren was
born in Du])uque. Iowa, IMay 12. 1858, and is a son of Joseph and Jane (Lin-
coln) Sherren. The father, a native of England, was a gardener and when
about thirty years of age came to the United States. He fir.st settled in Ohio,
where he probably worked at his trade, and later became a resident of Dubuque,
Iowa, where he engaged in draying for three 3'^ears. In 1864 he went to Fayette
county, where he rented land for a year and then removed to Buffalo township.
Buchanan county, where he again cultivated rented land for two years. Death
then terminated his labors when he was but forty-four years of age.
The widow of Joseph Sherren, Mrs. Jane Sherren, had come to the United
States in her young womanhood on the same vessel which bore her future hus-
band. It was on shiphoai'd that they became acquainted and started Ihe friend-
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 135
slii]) which later terminated in their marriage. They had five children, one of
whom died in infancy and another at the age of two and a half years. After
the death of her first husband Mrs. Sherren became the wife of David Slater,
who has also passed away, and she now lives with a daughter, Mrs. Fred
Sampson, in Winthrop, Iowa.
William Sherren spent his boyhood upon the home farm and at the age of
fourteen began earning his own living by working as a farm hand in the employ
of neighbors, being thus busily engaged in the fields through the summer months.
In the winter seasons he attended the district schools. That he was faithful in
his work is indicated by the fact that he remained in the employ of one man
through seven summers. He afterward worked for three years by the day in
this county and subsequently drove a peddler's wagon for five and one-half
months. At the end of that time he rented his mother's farm, which he con-
tinued to cultivate for four j-ears and during that period he carefully and sys-
tematically saved his earnings. He next purchased one hundred and seventy-
nine acres of land in Buffalo township but was only able to make a partial
payment upon the property. He rented his place to his brother and continued
to cultivate his mother's farm for three or four years longer. He then sold his
land in Buffalo township and purcha.sed his present home place of one hundred
and sixty acres, which he has since improved with good buildings and on which
he has carefully carried on general agricultural pursuits with the result that
liis efforts are manifest in large crops which find a ready sale on the market.
Mr. Sherren was united in marriage to Miss Dora ^lyer, a daughter of Henry
Myer, and they have become the parents of five children, of whom three died in
early life, those still living being Verna and Maurice. In his political views
Mr. Sherren is a republican but has never consented to accept office, desiring
to concentrate his undivided attention upon his business affairs. He has worked
persistently and energetically as the years have gone on and that his labors
have been intelligently directed finds evidence in his fine farm, now one of the
best unproved in the township. He has closely studied the best methods of tilling
the soil and caring for the crops with the result that his place is most pro-
ductive, his farm work bringing him a substantial financial return annually.
WILLIAM 0. HAINES.
William 0. Haines was born upon the farm on section 14. Homer township,
which he is now operating, his natal day being June 29, 1888. His parents
were William A. and Anna (Buell) Haines, of whom mention is made elsewhere
in this volume in connection wdth the sketch of H. C. Haines. His boyhood
days were passed in the usual manner of farm lads. He attended the district
schools and worked in the fields through the summer months, early lieeoming
acquainted with the best and most practical methods of planting the crops and
caring for the harvests. He remained with his parents until he reached the
age of twenty-three years and then started out in life independently by renting
land near Independence for a year. He then removed to his father's farm on
section 14, Homer township, and has since continued its cultivation and further
136 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
development. The fields are now well tilled and good crops are gathered
annually. The place is divided by well kept fences and the latest improved
farm machinery is used to facilitate the work.
On the lOtli of February, 1912, Mr. Haines was united in marriage to Miss
Ethel Jayne, a daughter of Frank and Rosetta (Squires) Jayne, who were
natives of Illinois. The parents came to Buchanan county at an early period
in its development and the father secured a tract of land, upon which he en-
gaged in farming for many years, operating the place until 1911, when he put
aside active farm work, and is now emplo.yed at the Insane Hospital at Inde-
pendence. His wife passed away on the 25th of March, 1901.
In his political views Mr. Haines is a democrat and keeps well informed con-
cerning the vital questions before the country, yet does not seek nor desire
office. His religious belief is that of the Presbyterian church and to its teach-
ings he is most loyal. He has been a lifelong resident of this county and that
his record is an honorable and upright one is indicated in the fact that many
of his stanchest friends are numbered among those who have known him from
his boyhood to the present.
clarencp: b. everett.
Clarence B. Everett, president of the Fairbank State Bank, is a native of
Fair])ank township, this county, liorn September 5, 1855. His parents were
poineers of this county and he was the first white child born in Fairbank town-
ship. His father, F. J. Everett, was born in New York, on the 28th of ^larch,
1829, and began providing for his own sujiport when quite young. AVhen
twelve years of age he entered the employ of a bank in New York city and con-
tinued in that line of work until lie was twenty-five, when his health failed and
he came west, being at the time a bookkeeper in the Chemical Bank in New York
city. When he decided to emigrate lie went to Dubucpie. Iowa, on the advice
of friends, but did not remain there, liowevcr, and, keeping his course due west-
ward, he arrived at what is now Fairbank. walking the entire distance from
Peoria, Illinois, to Fairbank. He arrived here in 1858 and at that time very
little land had been taken up. He secured about twelve hundred acres and,
having faith in its value, he held it until he was able to sell at a great advance
over the price paid. Some of the land entered then is still in po.ssession of the
family. He thoroughly identified liiiiiself with the county and took an active
part in the upbuilding of tlie town of Fair])ank, operating the first sawmill in
the locality and was proprietor of a general store in Fairbank for many years.
He continued to make this community his home until his death, with the excep-
tion of a short time when he returned to the east. His wife was born in New
York state, May 28, 1829. and came to this county in 1853. Their marriage,
which occurred in 1854, was one of the first events of the kind to be celebrated
in Buchanan county. After the birth of the eldest children she returned to the
east and resided there for a time but came again to this county and continued
to live here until her death, which occurred December 11, 1899. F. J, Everett
died in Fairbank on the 25tb of October, 1898. To their union were born ten
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 137
children, of whom four are still living. The record is as follows : Clarence B.,
of this sketch ; F. G., who was born on the 1st of May, 1857, and died in Fair-
bank, Iowa, on the 12th of November, 1907 ; Newton B., a resident of Los
Angeles, California ; Hattie, deceased ; John, also deceased ; Mrs. Mary Davis,
living in Fayette, Iowa ; C. L., who died May 20, 1903 ; Eva and Emma, twins,
who died in childhood; and Mrs. Sarah Ross, a resident of Waterloo, Iowa.
All of the children were reared in this county.
Clarence B. Everett grew to manhood in Fairbank township and after at-
tending the common schools of tliat locality was for a time a student at Lenox
(College in Hopkinton, Iowa. He was for a time associated with his father in
the conduct of the latter 's general store, but in 1900 he entered the banking
business. His first position was that of bookkeeper of the Fairbank State Bank
and he later served as cashier. Since 1910 he has been president of the
institution.
Mr. Everett was married on the 8th of April, 1880, to Miss Achsah French,
who was born in Black Hawk county, Iowa, a daughter of Ezra and Melissa
(Siple) French, natives of England and Canada respectively. They were the
parents of the following children : Mrs. Everett ; Mrs. Rebecca Gates, of Oel-
wein ; Mrs. Mary Noss, who died in Waterloo, Iowa ; and Charles, a resident of
Wisconsin. All were born in Black Hawk county and were there reared, the
parents being among the early settlers of that section of the state. To Mr. and
Mrs. Everett have been born five children : Ed E., who attended the Iowa
Teachers' College at Cedar Falls and Drake Universit}^ at Des Moines, Iowa,
and who is now the auditor of Buchanan county and a resident of Independence ;
Mrs. Bessie Kautz, living in Oren township, Fayette county, this state ; C. Her-
bert, who is telegraph operator for the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad at
Thistle, Utah ; Harry, in the employ of the Canadian Pacific Railway in the
northwestern territory; and Mrs. Mildred Gorman, a resident of Independence.
All of the children were born and reared in Fairbank, Mr. Everett is a demo-
crat in his political belief.
AUGUST P. TIELEBEIN.
August P. Tielebein of Newton township, is the o\\Tier of one of the best
improved farms of Buchanan county, supplied with all modern accessories, con-
veniences and equipments. He has always lived in this county and has not only
been an interested witness of its growth and development, but has aided in
various projects for the public good. He was born in Newton township, Sep-
tember 4, 1866, a son of Frederick C. and Catherine E. (Fisher) Tielebein, of
whom mention is made in connection with the record of Otto Tielebein, on an-
other page of this work.
Mr. Tielebein of this review spent his youthful days upon the home farm
and he knew the joys and pleasures as Avell as the duties that fall to the lot of
the farm lad. His education was such as the public schools afforded, supple-
mented by a course in the Highland Park College at Des Moines, from which
he was graduated with the class in pharmacy in 1909. At the age of twenty-six
138 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
years he left the old homestead and purchased one hundred and twenty acres
of land on section 5, Newton township, which he at once began to develop and
improve. At a later date he added to his original holdings and now owns one
hundred and seventy acres in that farm, which he lias brought to a high state
of cultivation. He has since operated the land with the exception of four years,
during which he was engaged in the drug business at Ryan, Iowa, and five years
spent upon a ranch in South Dakota, where he took up a homestead and to it
added until he became the owner of thirty-three hundred acres in one piece.
That place is well stocked with forty-two head of horses and three hundred and
eighteen head of cattle. He employs a man to conduct and cultivate that ranch
and on the 2d of March. 1914, he returned to his old home in Newton township,
having one of the best improved farms in the county.
On the 19th of July, 1893, Mr. Tielebein was united in marriage to ^liss Mary
A. Daubenberger, a daughter of Frank and Catherine Daubenberger, the former
a native of Germany and the latter of Pennsylvania. Her fatlier was a youth
of fourteen years when he accompanied his parents on their removal to America.
He took up the occupation of farming, which he afterward followed, and after
cultivating a farm in Clayton county, Iowa, for a number of years removed to
Buchanan county, securing a tract of land in Middlefield township, whereon his
remaining days were spent. He died in 1900 and is survived by his widow. Mr.
and Mrs. Tielebein have become the parents of one child, Hazel C, born July 8,
1894. They are members of the ^Methodist Episcopal church.
In politics Mr. Tielebein is a progressive republican, and he belongs to the
Masonic fraternity, with the purposes of which he is in hearty sympathy. He
has served as school director and as assessor of his township and his influence
is always on the side of advancement and improvement. His life has indeed
been a busy and useful one, in which there has been much hard labor, but his
industry has been crowned with success and lie is today one of the substantial
agriculturists of Newton township.
ALEXANDER HOUCK.
Since 1900 Alexander Houck has rented his valuable farm in Westburg
township to his son and has lived in lionorable retirement from the responsibili-
ties of active life in Independence. He was born in Walton, Delaware county,
New York, on the 14th of June, 1844, a son of William and Lydia (Hoage)
Houck. The father was born in Schoharie county. New York, his parents being
Ruloff and Rachel Houck. Ruloff Houck was a native of Holland and was sent
to the United States with a colony before the war for independence. During
that struggle he was a tory, remaining loyal to King George. He lived to the
remarkable old age of one liundred years and his wife also survived to an ad-
vanced age. Both the father and mother of our subject were born in Decatur,
New York, and the former was a farmer by occupation. During his lifetime
much of the Empire state was a wilderness, and he cleared three farms, which
he improved and cultivated. He passed away in that state at the age of
seventy-one years and his wife died when fifty-six years of age. The father was
ALEXANDER HOUCK
MRS. ALEXANDER IIOUC K
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 143
a democrat in his political belief, and she belonged to the Methodist Episcopal
church. To their union were born seven children. The father had eight chil-
dren by a previous marriage, Miss Sarah Case, a native of New York, being hia
first wife.
Alexander Houck remained at home until he was twelve years of age, or
until the death of his mother. His father died two years later and he was
thrown upon his own resources. He worked upon farms by the moiith until
1862, when, on the 27th of August, he enlisted in Company C, One Hundred
and Forty-fourth New York Volunteer Infantry, serving with his command
until the close of the war and participating in a number of battles and skir-
mishes. He took part in the engagements before Charleston and in many battles
upon the Atlantic coast. He was honorably discharged on the 15th of June,
1865, in South Carolina and returned to Delaware county. New York.
In the fall of that year Mr. Houck removed to Jones county, Iowa, where
he remained for one year, working upon farms by the month. He then came
to Buchanan county and was employed by others for two years. At the end of
that time he was married and, as his wife owned eighty acres of land in West-
burg township, the couple settled upon the place and Mr. Houck devoted his
time to its cultivation and improvement. . He purchased adjoining land until
the farm comprised nearly four hundred acres, but eventually disposed of all
but two hundred acres. He operated it successfully until 1900, when he rented
it to his son and removed to Independence, where he now lives retired. The
land is naturally very productive and its fertility has been carefully conserved
by modern methods of agriculture. Mr. Houck was a very progressive and
energetic farmer and his place yielded him annually a substantial return.
On the 15th of April, 1869, Mr. Houck was united in marriage to Miss
Elizabeth Stewart, a native of County Derry, Ireland, born on the 26th of
December, 1847. When quite young she was brought to the United States and
lived for three years in Philadelphia and for nine years in Bolton, New Jersey.
Her parents, Robert and Margaret (Gourley) Stewart, were likewise natives of
the north of Ireland and came to the United States about 1850. Her father was
a farmer in his native land, but for several years after emigrating to this country
was employed in a nail factory in New Jersey. In April, 1860, he came west
and located in Westburg township, this county, settling upon a tract of one
hundred and sixty acres of land, which he had purchased in 1856. He was
an indefatigable worker and soon had his land in a fine condition. As his capital
increased he invested in additional land until he became the owner of twelve
or thirteen hundred acres of fine land, besides owning a great many residences
in Independence. He eventually rented his farms and removed to Independence,
where he built a home and lived retired, with the exception of a couple of years,
when he again farmed, until his death, which occurred when he was eighty-nine
years of age. His wife also lived to a good age, dying when eighty-five years
old. They were both members of the Presbyterian church and Mr. Stewart was
a republican in politics. Mrs. Houck has lived the greater part of her life in
this county and is widely known and highly respected here.
To Mr. and Mrs. Houck were born seven children. Elsie is the wife of Erk-
son Houck, who is engaged in the real-estate business in Houston, Texas, and
they have two children, Alexander and Harriet. Robert W., a mail carrier on a
Vol. II— 7
144 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
rural route from Jesup, Iowa, is married and has three children, Frances,
Harold and Bernice. Harry, who is farming near Jesup, is married and has
two children, Herbert and Theodore. Stewart, who is operating his father's
homestead, is married and has four children, Donald, Kenneth, Marcia and
Wayne. Margaret is the wife of George E. Knapp, a lawyer of Vinton, Iowa.
Lulu married Roy G. Crowder and died when twenty-eight years of age, leaving
a son, John Alexander. ^Mabel is the wife of Harold Tabor, of Independence,
and they have two children, Elizabeth Janet and Charles Byron.
Mr. Houck is a member of the Masonic fraternity and his wife has been
connected with the Eastern Star for over twenty years. She attends the Pres-
byterian church. ]\Ir. Houck by his ballot supports the men and measures of
the republican party. He has taken quite an active and prominent part in
public affairs, serving on the school board, as township trustee and as assessor.
He enjoys the unqualified respect of those who have been brought in contact
with him, as his life has always been guided by high standards of conduct.
CHARLES W. FIESTER.
Charles W. Fiester, secretary and general manager of the West End Gro-
cery Company, in which connection he is directing an important business enter-
prise of Independence, was bom June 23, 1875, in the city which is still his
home, his parents being Roland B. and ^larietta (Lowmiller) Fiester, both of
whom were natives of Lycoming county, Pennsylvania, born near Williamsport.
In early life the father learned the carriage painter's trade and about 1864
removed to Iowa, where he continued in the painting business for a number of
years. In fact he still follows it to some extent, although he is now practicalh'
living retired from industrial life. He is city assessor of Independence, which
position he has filled for several terms. To him and his wife have been born
seven children : Janet, the wife of Austin Hatch, cashier of the Harlem National
Bank at Harlem, Montana ; Charles W. ; Sidney, who is engaged in the restau-
rant business in Chicago and wlio married Gertrude Nelson, a native of Michi-
gan ; William A., who is associated with his brother Charles in the grocery busi-
ness; Archie, a resident of Pittsfield, ^Massachusetts, who is in the employ of the
General Electric Company between Pittsfield and Schenectady, New York;
Lena, at home ; and Clarence, who is with his brothers in the grocery store.
Reared in his native city, Charles W. Fiester attended the public schools
and at the age of eighteen started out in life on his own account, being em-
ployed as clerk in a grocery store in Independence, where he worked for others
for about seven years. Since that time he has been carrying on business on his
own account as a stockholder in the West End Grocery Company, of which he
is the secretary and general manager. This is one of the important commercial
concerns of the city, having a liberal patronage. Mr. Fiester is also a land-
owner in Buchanan county but devotes his entire attention to the management
of the store, in which is carried a large and carefully selected line of staple and
fancy groceries. The business methods of the house are such as will bear the
closest investigation and scrutiny and their trade is constantly growing.
ALEXANDER HOUCK
As a Union Soldier
MR. AND MRS. ROBERT STEWART
r
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 147
On the 10th of November, 1908, Mr. Fiester was united in marriage to Miss
Mary Belle Uonnan, a native of Independence and a daughter of James B. and
Martha (Ross) Donnan. In early life her parents came to Iowa, where the
father practiced law and also engaged in the abstract business. Mr. and Mrs.
Fiester have one son, Charles Donnan, who was born April 26, 1911.
Fraternally Mr. Fiester is connected with the Odd Fellows and his religious
faith is that of the Presbyterian church. In polities he is a republican but the
honors and emoluments of office have no attraction for him. He has preferred
always to concentrate his energies upon his business affairs and throughout his
entire life has been connected with the grocery trade, which he knows thoroughly
and in which he is now meeting with substantial success.
WILLIAM E. GRISWOLD.
William E. Gri.swold was born on the 7th of October, 1866, upon the farm
of one hundred and sixty acres on section 30, Fremont township, which he now
owns and operates. His parents were Harvey and Mary E. (Dilenbeck) Gris-
wold. The father was born in Saratoga county, New York, a son of Josiah
and Elizabeth (Van Buren) Griswold, who spent their entire lives in the Em-
pire state. The latter was a relative of President Van Buren. Josiah Griswold
kept a tavern in New York .state for many years. In his family were six chil-
dren, of whom one son went to California. Harvey Griswold was the only one
of the family to come to this county, arriving here in 1855, and he entered land
from the government, the patents signed by President Pierce being still in the
hands of his son, William E. He entered three hundred and twenty acres at
that time and later entered one hundred and twenty acres more, but eventually
sold a part of his land. In 1862 he brought his family here from Janesville,
Wisconsin, and he continued to reside upon his land, which he farmed until his
death in 1883, when he was sixty odd years of age. He was a republican and
served upon the board of supervisors and also held a number of township
offices. Fraternally he belonged to the Masonic order. His wife was born
in Montgomery county. New York, and went to Wisconsin with her people,
where her marriage occurred. Three children were born there and two were
born after the removal of the family to this county. They are as follows : Hon.
Henry J., engaged in the real-estate business in Des Moines, was formerly state
representative and state senator. In early life he was a merchant of Winthrop.
Arthur M. is a farmer of Fremont township. Ida E. is the wife of Harry Hig-
man, ex-postmaster of Winthrop. Lizzie is the wife of W. B. Miller, a merchant
of Winthrop. William E. is the youngest of the family. The mother died in
1905 at the age of about seventy-two years. Her mother, who in her maidenhood
was Miss Catherine Moyer, died at the home of our subject when ninety years
old. Her birth occurred just three days before that of Abraham Lincoln. In
her religious belief she was a Congregationalist.
William E. Griswold was educated and grew to manhood in Fremont town-
ship and after reaching years of maturity was a carpenter, painter and paper
hanger. He followed these occupations for nineteen years, or until his marriage.
148 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
after which he removed to the farm where he now resides. It comprises one
hundred and sixty acres on section 30, Fremont township, and as its owner he
ranks with the substantial citizens of the county. His initiative and well
directed energy insure him good crops and as he studies carefully market condi-
tions he sells to good advantage.
Mr. Griswold was married in Winthrop on the 24th of February, 1903, to
Miss Anna Christensen, a native of Denmark. When a child of four years she
was brought to America by her parents, Hans and Christina Christensen who
now live retired in Independence. Her father was during his active life a
farmer and accumulated a competence. To Mr. and Mrs. Griswold have been
born two children, AVilda Marie, a child of eight years, and Gerald William,
four years old.
Mr. and Mrs. Griswold are members of the Congregational church and are
numbered among those whose lives are forces for good in the community. Mr.
Griswold is a republican, but has never accepted office. He belongs to the
Masonic order and to the ]\Iodern Woodmen of America and has many friends
in those organizations. He is respected by the community at large and has not
only achieved financial success but has also aided in the development of the
county.
BRUNO W. TIELEBEIN.
Bruno W. Tielebein, who has spent his entire life in Buchanan county and
enjoj's an enviable reputation as one of its representative agriculturists and
prosperous citizens, is the owner of an excellent farm embracing one hundred
and sixty acres on section 4, Newton township. Ilis birth occurred in that town,
ship on the 16th of May, 1868, his parents being Frederick C. and Catherine E.
(Fisher) Tielebein, more extended mention of whom is made on another page
of this work in connection with the sketch of Otto Tielebein, a brother of our
subject.
Bruno W. Tielebein attended the district schools in the acquirement of an
education and remained under the parental roof until twenty-seven years of
age. Subsequently he cultivated rented land until 1902. when he fell heir to
a farm of thirty-five acres on section 4, Newton township, the boundaries of
which he extended by purchase to include one hundred and two acres. He
improved the property and later bought more land until his place now comprises
one hundred and .sixty acres. He likewise owns a fifteen-acre tract of timber
land on section 31, Newton township, and in his undertakings as an agricnltnrist
has won a well deserved and most gratifying measure of success. In addition
to the cultivation of cereals he raises higli grade Poland China hogs and thor-
oughbred shorthorn cattle, this brancli of liis business adding nuUerially to his
annual income. He is also a stockhohler in the general store at Kiene and
enjoys an enviable reputation as one of the enterprising and substantial citi-
zens of his native county.
On the 27th of March, 1895, Mr. Tielel)ein was united in marriage to Miss
Elizabeth C. Schuman, a daughter of William and Susan (Harmon) Schuman,
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 149
both of whom were natives of Dubuque county, Iowa. The father came to Bu-
chanan county in an early day and purchased four hundred acres of land in
Newton township, here carrying on agricultural pursuits throughout the re-
mainder of his life. His demise occurred in October, 1911, but the mother
survives and resides on the old home place.
Mr. Tielebein gives his political allegiance to the republican party and is
identitied fraternally with the Modern Brotherhood of America, while his
religious faith is that of the Congregational church. He is esteemed by all who
know him and enjoys the respect and confidence of his friends and the general
public.
A. B. CROOKS.
A. B. Crooks, who in 1912 became manager of the implement business of
A. P. Burrhus & Sons at Rowley, was born in Ohio, June 11, 1852, a son of
Alexander and Hannah (Johnson) Crooks. The father was a native of Ireland
and when thirteen years of age ran away from home and came to America.
He landed at New York city, having worked his way across the water, and for
six years he was employed in different capacities in the eastern metropolis. He
spent much of three years in a store and afterward served an apprenticeship
of about three years to the tailor's trade. On the expiration of that period he
removed to Leesville, Ohio, where he engaged in the tailoring business on his own
account, conducting his establishment successfully at that point until 1856,
when he came to Buchanan county, settling in Quasqueton.
This was a new but rapidly developing region and Alexander Crooks be-
lieved that better business opportunities could be secured in the growing west.
He opened a tailoring establishment in Quasqueton which he conducted for ten
years and then turned his attention to the real-estate and insurance business.
In the meantime he was called to public office, having in 1862 been elected sheriff
of the county, in which position he served for four years. After his retirement
from office he returned to Quasqueton, where he continued in the real-estate
and insurance business until his death, which occurred in 1899. His wife, who
was born in Ohio, pa.ssed away in 1898.
A. B. Crooks was a little lad of but four summers when the family came
to Iowa, so that he was largely reared in Quasqueton and Independence, pur-
suing his education in the schools of the two cities. When his text-books were
put aside he engaged in farming upon a tract of rented land in Liberty town-
ship. This he continued to cultivate until 1872, when he removed to Grundy
county, where he worked on the farm of Governor Boise until the fall of 1878.
At that date he went to Nebraska, where he purchased one hundred and sixty
acres of wild land which he at once began to develop, living thereon for seven
years. At the end of that time he sold the property and returned to Buchanan
county, where he again cultivated a rented farm for two years. He then aban-
doned general agricultural pursuits and secured a clerkship in a store in
Quasqueton, where he remained for six years. He next went to Lisbon, Iowa,
where he resided for a year, his wife condvicting a millinery store there during
150 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
that period. At the end of that time they came to Rowley and Mr. Crooks
purchased a hotel and livery business. He later sold the livery barn and con-
ducted the hotel for three and one-half years, after which he engaged in truck
and fruit farming until 1912, when he accepted his present position as manager
of the implement store of A. P. Burrhus & Sons at Rowley.
On the 18th of August, 1877, Mr. Crooks was united in marriage to Miss
Hattie A. Odren, a daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth (Twitchell) Odren,
the former a native of Michigan and the latter of Ohio. They became pioneer
residents of Buchanan county and in 1854 removed to Howard county, where
Mr. Odren entered a claim from the government, on which he began to break
the sod. In the course of time he had transformed the place into productive
fields, which he continued to cultivate until 1870. He then came to Buchanan
county and rented land until 1878. In that year he removed to Nebraska,
where he secured a homestead claim but after a few years he returned to Bu-
chanan county and lived in Quasquetoii until the death of his wife, which
occurred in 1906. He is now residing in Cedar Rapids at the advancied age
of eighty-three years. He is one of the veterans of the Civil war. having served
for more than four years at tlic fi-ont as a member of the Fourth ^lichigan
Cavalry, during which he participated in a number of hotly contested engage-
ments and lielped to capture Jefferson Davis.
Mr. and Mrs. Crooks have become the parents of a daughter, Iva May,
now the wife of B. E. Davis, a truck farmer of Independence. Mrs. Crooks is
the proprietor of a millinery store in Rowley, having conducted the business
for twenty-two years. Her productions arc tasteful aiul stylish and her store
is liberally patronized.
The religious faith of J\Ir. and Mrs. Crooks is that of the Methodist church.
His political indorsement is given to the republican party, and he has served
as justice of the peace here for four years. He belongs to Franklin Lodge,
No. 59, I. O. O. F., of Quasqueton, and is interested in the growth and upbuild-
ing of the institution.
ALBERT :\1ERR1LL.
The Merrill family have been represented in this county. since pioneer times
and have been leaders in all that makes for the public welfare and the name is
highly honored in this locality. Albert Merrill is a worthy representative of the
family and has the unqualified respect of those who have been associated with
him. He is a retired farmer, living in Winthrop, enjoying a leisure won by
former years of wisely directed labor.
He was born in Tuscarawas county, Ohio, February 17, 1848, a son of John
and ^largaret ((Juthrie) .Merrill. The former was born in Pennsylvania and
was a son of Jesse IVFerrill. The ancestry is traced back to two brothers, who.
at an early day, emigrated from Holland to the United States. Je.sse Merrill
married Miss Nancy Hemphill, a native of the Keystone state, although her
parents were l)orn in Ireland. She accompanied her husband to this comity
and they remained residents thereof nntil called to their final rest. She died
ALBERT MERRILL
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 153
when about eighty-five years of age and he lived to the venerable age of ninety-
three years. After he came to this county, about 1855, he lived with his son
John and other members of his family. As a young man he ran a distillery
in Pennsylvania but in 1832 removed to Belmont county, Ohio, where he followed
farming.
John Merrill, father of our subject, was born in Washington county, Pennsyl-
vania, in 1812, and remained there until he was a young man of twenty years.
He then removed to Belmont count}', Ohio, where he married and where he
carried on farming for a time. However, in June, 1849, he came to this county
and settled four miles south of the present site of Winthrop. The land is now
in Liberty township but at that time the county was unorganized. He pur-
chased forty acres from a squatter and the family resided for some time in a
log house upon that place. He also took up a claim from the government and
began the improvement of his land. By degrees he added to his property until
at the time of his death, which occurred when he was eighty-two years of age,
he owned about one thousand acres of land in the county. He was not only
one of the leading agriculturists of his locality but was prominent in public
affairs. He was county supervisor at the time that the poor farm was pur-
chased and held various township offices. He and his wife were among the
charter members and organizers of what is now known as the Pine Creek
Presbyterian church, the history of which organization is given elsewhere in
this work. He was also an elder therein for many years. He died July 19,
1894, at the age of eighty-two years. His wife, who was in her maidenhood
Miss Margaret Guthrie, was born in Harrison county, Ohio, January 28, 1814,
a daughter of Robert and Jane (Cunighan) Guthrie, natives of Scotland and the
parents of a large family. Mrs. Merrill was reared in Ohio and there her mar-
riage occurred. Upon the .journey to Iowa it was necessary to go to Wisconsin
by canal and thence by ox team to this country. She was one of the honored
pioneer women of Buchanan county and did her full share in redeeming the
land from the wilderness. She survived her husband for several years and
passed away October 25, 1902, at the advanced age of eighty-eight years. In
their family were eleven children, namely: Jesse, who died when about thirty
years old ; Jane, a resident of Winthrop : Nancy, also living here ; Mary, the
wife of Charles Boon of Linn county, Iowa ; IMargaret, now Mrs. David Milne
and a resident of Creighton, Nebraska ; Robert, who met death by accident when
in his thirteenth year; Albert, the subject of this review; James, who was a
farmer by occupation and died in 1901 ; John, living retired in Ames, Iowa ;
Alice, the widow of Samuel Slemmons of Independence ; and Sarah, who married
Samuel Wilson and passed away in 1886.
Albert Merrill spent his boyhood under the parental roof and when his time
was not taken up by attendance at the public schools he assisted his father in
the work of the fann. When twenty-four years of age he located on one hundred
and sixty acres of wild land in Middlefield township that belonged to his father
and began operating the same. He subsequently bought the place and still later
purchased eighty acres adjoining. He built a good residence upon his land and
in many other ways improved his property and from time to time added to his
holdings until he was the owner of four hundred and forty acres of fertile land,
aU under cultivation. He successfully carried on agricultural operations until
154 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
1907, when he sold two hundred and eighty acres, retaining one hundred and
sixty acres, which he now rents to his sons. He purchased his residence in
Winthrop and has since resided here, enjoying a well earned ease. He has
extensive landed interests in other states, owning eight hundred acres in New
Mexico; twenty-eight acres of valuable irrigated land near Brownsville, Texas;
one hundred and sixty acres in the Panhandle of that state ; and three hundred
and twenty acres of wild land in Stanton county, Texas.
Mr, Merrill was married on the 23d of January, 1879, to ^Miss Fannie L.
Kershner, who was born in Ncm' York state, February 12, 1855, a daughter of
Jonathan and Jane (Vance) Kershner, natives of Pennsylvania and the Empire
state respectively. Her paternal grandfather, Jonathan Kershner, was born in
Germany. The parents of ]\Irs. ]\Ierrill came to this county in 1868 and located
in Liberty township, where they lived for a time, after which they removed to
Middlefield township, where her father died at the age of tifty-tive years. Her
mother made her home with the subject of this review until her death, which
occurred in 1913, when she had reached the advanced age of eighty-nine years.
Both were members of the Methodist church. To them were born seven children,
namely : John, a resident of Independence ; Florence, the wife of A. P. Miller,
of Boulder, Colorado; Mrs. Merrill: Fred, a resident of Winthrop; Mary, who
died in New York state when three years of age ; Edwin, who was accidentally
killed when a lad of fifteen ; and Anna, the widow of William Auten and a
resident of Winthrop. ^Frs. Merrill was fourteen years of age when she accom-
panied her parents to this county. By her marriage she became the mother of
eight children: Fred, who died at the age of seven months; Willis Hodge, who
is conducting a general .store in Winthrop ; Clyde R., at home ; Charles R., who
resides upon the home farm ; Jessie Jane, a nurse by profession ; Bessie, who is
engaged in teaching in this county and resides at home; Susie, who conducts a
millinery store in Winthrop ; and Hazel, likewise a teacher,
Mr, and ]\Irs, Merrill are members of the Presbyterian church and take a
keen interest in its welfai-e. The father and grandfather of Mr. Merrill were
the prime movers in establishing the first Presbyterian organization in Liberty
township and in building the first church edifice of that denomination in the
township, and he has been very active in erecting the three buildings of that
church. In early life he voted the republican ticket but of late years has given
his support to the prohibition party. He has served as trustee of his township
and as road commissioner and for fifteen yeai*s was a school director. He is
upright in all of his dealings, and his sincerity and straiglitforwardness have
won for him the esteem of bis fellow citizens.
JOSEPH II, RISELEY,
Since assuming off\vo in 1913, Joseph H. Riseley has demonstrated his
ability to liandlc the affairs of the postoffice at Winthrop with system and dis-
patch, and has also proved a courteous and ol)liging j)Ostmaster. Tie was
born in Ulster county. New York, on llic 13th of April. 1848, a .son of
Albert and Margaret (Bradstreet) Riseley. both natives of the FiUipire state.
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 155
The former engaged in moving houses and in various other lines of work
and so provided for the support of his family. He was married in August,
1844, to Margaret Bradstreet, a native of Delaware county, New York, who was
born March 11, 1820. In the fall of 1854 they came west and after two years
spent in Ogle county, Illinois, settled in this county and he took up forty acres
of land in Middlefield township upon a land warrant. As that was before the
days of ramifying railroad connections he drove through from Ogle county,
Illinois, to Buchanan county, Iowa, with oxen. In addition to cultivating the
land which he owned he rented a farm and began its operation. He also broke
tlie prairie sod for others, preparing many hundreds of acres in the county for
cultivation, and built a number of bridges for the county authorities. As he
was able he bought more land until he became the owner of six hundred and
forty acres all situated in Middlefield township. However, he lost part of this
through signing his name as security on notes. He subsequently removed to
Calhoun county, Iowa, where he lived retired for ten or twelve years. His wife
passed away in Rockwell City, February 15, 1899, when seventy-eight years
and eleven months of age. He later returned to New York and remarried, but
after remaining in his native state for a time he returned to Iowa, locating at
Rockwell City and there passed his remaining days, his death occurring October
27, 1910. He was liberal in his political views and, although he usually sup-
ported the republican party, upon occasion he voted for the man irrespective
of his party affiliation. He held a number of township offices and served as
county supervisor for three terms.
Joseph H. Riseley was a lad of eight years when brought to this county and
the greater part of his boyhood was passed in Middlefield township. As his
strength increased he aided more and more in the work of the homestead and
aside from breaking much of their o\\n land he broke many acres of prairie for
others. He remained at home until he was a young man of twenty-eight or
thirty years, but after his marriage he removed upon a quarter section of land
which his father gave him with the condition that he was to assume and pay off
the indebtedness upon it. After farming for some time he sold his place and
started a creamery near Fort Dodge, Iowa, operating the concern for a year,
when he sold his interest to his partner and removed to Calhoun county, Iowa,
where he engaged in the general mercantile business for two years. At the
expiration of that time lie sold his store and returned to this county and went
into the livery and horse business in partnership with G. E. Titus, continuing
in that relation for about three years. He was then elected county supervisor
and for six years devoted his entire attention to the work of that office. He
then purchased a small farm of thirty acres in this county, which he cultivated
intensively and greatly improved for two years, but, as he was appointed post-
master upon the 1st of September, 1913, he then located in Winthrop. He
quickly mastered the details of the work of the office and his services are giving
satisfaction to the people of the town.
Mr. Riseley was married on the 22d of February, 1876, to Miss Elma E.
Hulett, a native of Wisconsin and a daughter of Marshall and Margaret (Clark)
Hulett, natives of Vermont and New York respectively. Her father was a
farmer by occupation and emigrated with his family to Wisconsin, where the
family home was maintained until 1868, when they removed to this county and
156 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
he purchased two hundred acres of land lying in Liberty, Byron and Fremont
townships. He operated his land until his death, which occurred in June, 1903.
His widow survived him for ten years, passing away in 1913.
Mr. Riseley is a democrat and has served on the city council for a number
of years. Fraternally he belongs to Byron Lodge, No. 546, A. F. & A. M., and
conforms his life to the high standards of ethics inculcated by that order. His
life has been one of useful activity, and he has not only made many friends,
but has also retained their steadfast regard and esteem.
ALEXANDER M. DONNAN.
Alexander M. Donnan, the faithful custodian of public funds in Buchanan
county, liaving been called to the office of county treasurer in 1906, was born
in Independence, Iowa, on the 6th of October, 1871, a son of Jame.s B. and
Martha (Ross) Donnan. The father's birth occurred in West Charlton, Sara-
toga county, New York, December 17, 1840, while the mother was born in Lower
Waterford, Vermont, and was a sister of E. Ross, formerly president of the
Peoples National Bank of Independence, and a sister of Senator Ross of Ver-
mont, who was chief justice of the G-reen ^lountain state for many years and
succeeded Senator ]\Iorrell in the office of United States senator.
When twenty-one years of age James B. Donnan removed to the west and,
entering the office of his brother, W. G. Donnan, began reading law. He was
admitted to the bar soon after the close of the war and then entered upon
the active practice of his profession, in which he continued with his brother
for a number of years, or until his hearing failed and forced his retirement
from that field of professional activity. He then turned his attention to the
abstract business, in which he continued until 1911. At different times he
has held local offices, but has never been an aspirant for political preferment.
His wife died in August, 1906. In their family were five children : Lillian, the
wife of C. A. Rosemond, a resident of Bloomington, Illinois ; Alexander M. ;
Abbie, at home with her father; Mary B., the wife of C. W. Fiester: and Ruth
U., who died in 1909.
Alexander ^I. Donnan, reared in his native city, attended the public schools
of Independence and afterward spent two years as a student in Cornell College
at IMount Vernon, Iowa, and three years in the University of Illinois, trom
which lie was graduated with the class of 1895. During vacation periods he
worked in a store for a few years. He was graduated from the College of
Engineering of the University of Illinois and afterward turned his attention
to the profession of architecture, which he followed in Independence until
called to his present position, liaving been made county treasurer on the 1st
of February, 1906. He has since been the incumbent in the office, covering a
period of more than eight years, and has made a most creditable record by
the prompt, capable and thoroughly reliable manner in which he has discharged
his public duties.
In September, 1903, Mr. Donnan was united in marriage to Miss Helen
Maude Rosemond, who was born in Taylorville. Illinois, a daugiiter of (^aptain
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 157
W. E. and Caroline (Baumgartner; Roseinond, both of whom were natives of
Ohio. Removing westward, they settled in Taylorville, Illinois, and in the
spring of 1882 arrived in Iowa. At different times the father engaged in busi-
ness as a stockman and merchant. Settling in Independence, he devoted some
time to dealing in live stock, but later became connected with commercial inter-
ests, although at the present time he is living retired, both he and his wife being
still residents of Independence. He served in the Civil war with the rank of
captain, having enlisted in an Ohio regiment. On several occasions he was
wounded, being at one time injured at the battle of Lookout Mountain. His
famih' numbered six children, of whom Mrs. Donnan is the youngest.
In his political views Mr. Donnan has always been a stalwart republican
and does everything in his power to promote the growth and insure the success
of his party. He belongs to the ]\Iasonic lodge and to the Knights of Pythias
fraternity and the rules which further govern his conduct and guide him in all
his relations with his fellowmen are found in the Presbyterian church, of which
he is a faithful member. That his life has been well spent is indicated in the
fact that many of his stanchest friends are those who have known him from
his boyhood to the present time.
LOUIE L. KASSAR.
The farm of Louie L. Kassar is situated on sections 15 and 16, Homer town-
ship, and comprises one hundred and twenty acres of rich land. Thereon he
is engaged not only in the cultivation of cereals best adapted to soil and
climate but also in the raising of high grade stock and is meeting with success
in that undertaking. He was born in Illinois, August 26, 1878, a son of Louis
and Emma (Hudson) Kassar, both of whom were natives of Germany. In early
life they crossed the Atlantic to the new world and settled in Du Page county,
Illinois, where the father purchased and improved land, continuing its cultiva-
tion throughout his remaining days, his death occurring in 1880. His widow
survives and is now living in Buchanan county at the age of seventy-two years.
Louie L. Kassar was reared and educated in Illinois and in Buchanan county,
for with his mother he came to this county, settling on land which the father
had previou.sly purchased in Homer township. The usual experiences of the
farm boy fell to his lot, for from an early age he worked in the fields, assisting
in the task of plowing, planting and harvesting. Eventually he purchased the
old home place, comprising one hundred and twenty acres of sections 15 and
16, Homer township, his residence being situated on the former section. He
has greatly improved the property and- has continuously carried on farm work
here with the exception of two years which he spent in farming near Elkton,
South Dakota. Today upon his place are seen substantial buildings that furnish
ample shelter to grain and stock. He is making a specialty of high grade
shorthorn cattle and Poland China hogs and his annual sales of stock bring
to him a gratifying return.
In August, 1901, I\Ir. Kassar was united in marriage to Miss Edna Robson,
a daughter of Robert J. and Bessie (Councilman) Robson, the latter a native
158 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
of Illinois, while the former was born in Canada. The father made farmiug
his life occupation and after removing westward to Iowa in an early day settled,
in Clinton county, where he carried on general agricultural pursuits for some
time. He afterward came to Buchanan county and invested in land in Homer
township which he farmed for about twenty years. He is now living retired,
making his home in Nebraska, but his wife died in January, 1910. Mr. and
Mrs. Kassar have become parents of two children : Wayne F., ten years of age ;
and Donald L., aged three.
Mr. Kassar votes with the republican party and his ballot is intelligently
cast because he alwaj's keeps in touch with the modern, significant issues and
problems of the day. He and his wife hold membership in the Methodist
church, are loyal to its teachings and generous in its support. He has made a
creditable record as a farmer and, as the greater part of his life has been passed
in Buchanan county, he is widely known here.
WILLIAM E. POWLES.
William E. Powles, who passed away at Rowley on the 30th of May, 1907,
was long and actively identified with agricultural pursuits as a farmer of Sum-
ner township and spent the last seven years of his life in honorable retirement.
His birth otf-urred in Steuben county, Indiana, on the 28th of November, 1847,
his parents being John and Elmira (Perkins) Powles, the former a native of
England and the latter of Ohio. John Powles, a shoemaker by trade, located
in Illinois on coming to America and followed farming in that state for some
years. Subsequently he came to Buchanan county, Iowa, purchasing a tract of
land in Cono township which he cultivated throughout the remainder of his
life. He passed away when but forty years of age, and his wife is also deceased.
William E. Powles was reared and educated in Illinois and when a youth of
eighteen came with his parents to Buchanan county, this state. He purchased
and improved eighty acres of land in Sumner township and throughout the
remainder of his active business career devoted his attention to the operation of
that farm, annually gathering good crops which found a ready sale on the
market. In 1900 he put aside the work of the fields and took up his abode at
Rowley, where he lived in honorable retirement until called to his final rest,
passing away ]\Iay 30, 1907, after a short illness. For one year he served as
deputy postmaster at Rowley and made a creditable record in that connection.
His widow is still in possession of the lioine farm and also owns a handsome
residence at Rowley.
On the 18th of October, 1871. Mr. -Powles was united in marriage to Miss
Effie Spencer, her parents being Carlonas and Chnrity (Goodman) Spencer,
the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of Delaware county. New
York. Mr. Spencer, who was an agri('ulturi.st by occupation, came to Buchanan
county, Iowa, from Wisconsin in 1864, purchasing and improving a tract of
land in Sumner township which he cultivated for a number of years or until the
time of his retirement. He died while on a visit to Pennsylvania, in December.
1895, having survived his wife, who passed away in April. 1893. Mr. and Mrs.
(
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MR. AXD MRS. ^YILLIA]\I E. POWLES
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 161
Powles had no children of their own but reared eleven whom they fitted for an
honorable place in life.
Mr. Powles gave his political allegiance to the prohibition party, believing
that the liquor traffic is one of the worst evils with which this country has to
contend. He belonged to the Grange and to the Good Templars and in religious
faith was a Baptist, while his widow is a devoted member of the Methodist
church. His demise was the occasion of deep and widespread regret, for he had
resided in the community for more than four decades and had gained an extensive
circle of warm friends here.
EDMOND GALLERY.
Edmond Gallery, a well known and representative agriculturist of Buchanan
county, is the owner of a farm of one hundred and twenty-seven acres on
section 34, Fremont township, and also has another tract embracing one hun-
dred and forty acres on section 27 of the same township, cultivating all except
twenty-six acres, which he rents. His birth occurred in Springfield, ]\Iassa-
chusetts, on the 23d of August, 1868, his parents being Patrick and Johanna
(McGrath) Gallery, the former born in County Clare, Ireland, March 17, 1822,
and the latter in Tipperary, Ireland, in 1828. Their marriage was celebrated
in Springfield, Massachusetts, Patrick Gallery having emigrated to the United
States as a young man of twenty-one years. All of their children were born in
the Bay state. In 1869 the family came to Iowa, locating on a farm in Buchanan
county which the father operated until within six years of his demise, which
occurred on the 7th of June, 1900. He had lived here for more than three
decades and his death was the occasion of deep and widespread regret. His
wife was called to her final rest on the 8th of September, 1908. In their family
were five children, as follows : James, a resident of AVinthrop ; Ellen, the wife
of Michael Hogan, of Paoli, Kansas; Daniel, a farmer living near Paoli, Kansas;
Frank, a resident farmer of Fremont to^vnship ; and Edmond, the subject of
this review.
Edmond Gallery was but little more than a year old when his parents estab-
lished their home in this county and here he acquired his education. He
remained on the home place until the time of his marriage and then started out
as an agriculturist on his own account, having since operated the farm on which
he resides at present. He cultivates the cereals best adapted to soil and climate
and also raises and feeds stock, both branches of his business returning to him
a gratifying annual income. All of the improvements on the property stand
as monuments to his enterprise and energy, and in its neat and thrifty appear-
ance the place bespeaks the supervision of a practical and progressive owner.
At IMasonville, Delaware county, Iowa, Mr. Gallery was united in marriage
to Miss Alice Larkins, who was born in Chicago in 1874, her parents being
Edward and Delia (Ryan) Larkins. The father, a native of New York and a
carpenter by trade, passed away at Flint, Michigan. March 3, 1875. In Sep-
tember, 1853, in Chicago, Illinois, he wedded Miss Delia Ryan, a native of
Louth county, Ireland, by whom he had one child, Alice. The daughter was
162 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
educated in Iowa, coming to this state with her mother following the death of
the father. She was a teacher in the country schools for five years preceding
her marriage. She has become the mother of nine children, as follows: Eleanor,
who was graduated from the Notre Dame Convent, at Independence, Iowa, in
1913 and is now a teacher in the Middlefield No. 2 school; Anna, who finished
her studies in the Winthrop schools in 1914; Josie; Alice; Edmond; Francis;
Elmer ; Walter ; and James. All of the children are still under the parental roof.
Mr. Gallery gives his political allegiance to the democracy, exercising his
right of franchise in support of its men and measures. He is a devout com-
municant of the Catholic church and is identified fraternally with the Foresters.
In the community where practically his entire life has been spent he is widely
and favorably known, having in the course of his upright and honorable career
gained recognition as a substantial and progressive farmer and a public-spirited
and loyal citizen.
CHRIS GLEERl'P.
Chris Gleerup, a resident farmer of Liberty township, his home being on
section 20, was born at Jylland, Denmark, in 1848, his parents being Jens
Jensen and ]Mary (Matson) Gleerup, who were also natives of Denmark, both
born in 1814. In early life the father took up the occupation of farming, but
afterward learned and followed the potter's trade, owning and conducting quite
an extensive establishment for the manufacture of pottery. He also owned a
fair-sized farm in Denmark. He served in the Danish-German war of 1848
and he was a very active man in connection with public affairs in his com-
munity, holding various offices of responsibility in his town. He led a busy,
active and useful life and never came to the United States, devoting his life
to the management of his individual interests in his native country.
Chris Gleerup, who was one of a family of twelve children attended school
in Denmark and in early life learned the baker's trade, which he followed for
six years, beginning his apprenticeship when a youth of sixteen and continuing
until he reached the age of twenty-two. He afterward served for sixteen months
in the Danish army in accordance M'ith the laws of the country and then made
preparations for coming to the United States. Having crossed the Atlantic, he
journeyed to the middle west, reaching Buchanan county, Iowa, in 1874. Imme-
diately afterward he began farming in Liberty township, but after a brief
period devoted to agricultural pursuits there he removed to Independence and
for two years was connected with a confectionery store. He next went to Cedar
Falls, where he was engaged in the furniture business. He then sold out and
returned to Buchanan county, where he purchased land and was again engaged
in farming, but after a brief period was appointed steward of the county home,
which position he occupied for five years. He is today the owner of one hundred
and forty acres of land on section 20, Liberty township, and largely concentrates
his energies upon the development and improvement of his farm, which indi-
cates his careful, practical and progressive management in its excellent ap-
pearance.
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 163
Mr. Gleerup was united in marriage to Miss Anna Maria Nelson, a niece of
Charles Nelson, who was the pioneer of the Danish settlement in Liberty town-
ship. Her parent, Nels and Margaret (Rasmussen) Nelson, were natives of
Denmark. In early life the father followed farming in that country and he,
too, served in the war of 1848. He came to the United States in 1875, settling in
Buchanan county, where he owned a small tract of land but never became active
in affairs here. In religious faith he was a Seventh Day Adventist. To Mr.
and Mrs. Gleerup has been born a daughter, Ella, now the wife of Chris John-
son, a resident farmer of Liberty township, and they have three children, Evan,
Leta M. and Paul Weyler.
Mr. Gleerup votes with the republican party, but has never been ambitious
to hold office. He has been officially connected with the schools, however, serv-
ing as one of the directors for more than twenty years. He has been particularly
active as a factor in the Danish settlement and has freely given helpful advice
and counsel to all who have come to him, his opinions being much sought. For
the past thirty-six years he has been identified with the Danish Baptist church
and has held all of its offices, including those of Sunday school superintendent,
steward, trustee, etc. He is never too busy to find time to devote to church work
and has done much to further the moral development of the people of his com-
munity. He is very popular and well liked by all who know him, for it is
recognized that he is an honorable, upright man and he has social qualities which
find expression in friendliness, sympathy and kindness.
ARTHUR L. McCLERNON.
Arthur L. McClernon, filling the office of county recorder of Buchanan
county, was born in Independence on the 6th of March, 1878, a son of Hugh
and Bridget (Maroney) McClernon, The father was born in Belfast, Ireland,
and the mother in County Clare, Ireland. He was a saddler by trade, having
learned the business in Scotland, and he became a harness dealer ere leaving
his native country. In 1864 he sailed for the United States and for some years
remained in New York city, after which he came to Independence about 1868
or 1869. Here he engaged in the saddlery business in connection with his
uncle, the partnership existing until his uncle's death about two years later.
Mr. McClernon afterward remained in the business until his demise, which
occurred on the 31st of March, 1903. For several years he had survived his
wife, who died in 1896. In public affairs Mr. McClernon took a deep interest
and for many years filled the office of alderman, exercising his official preroga-
tives in support of many measures for the general good.
Arthur L. McClernon was the second in order of birth in a family of five
children. He attended the public schools of Independence and when seventeen
years of age took up the saddlery business in connection with his father, with
whom he was associated for about ten years or until the latter 's death. He
then took over the business, which he continued alone for about six years. At
the end of that time he disposed of his stock and went upon the road as a travel-
ing salesman for a large wholesale saddlery company, whom he thus represented
164 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
for about three years. He was then elected to his present office. In his political
views he has always been a stalwart democrat and in the fall of 1912 he was
elected county recorder of Buchanan county, assuming the duties of the office
on the 1st of January, 1913. He had previously served as alderman for a num-
ber of years. He now devotes his entire time and attention to his official duties
and is making a creditable record in that connection. His religious faith is
that of the Roman Catholic church. He is widely and favorably known in
[ndependence, where he has spent his entire life, and many of his stanchest
friends are those who have known him from his boyhood to the present time.
HON. T. F. HALSTEAD.
The position of Hon. T. Frank Halstead in public regard is indicated in the
fact that hLs fellow townsmen have chosen him to represent them in the general
assembly. He is well known in Buchanan county, where his entire life has
been passed, and his record stands in contradistinction to the old adage that
"a prophet is never without honor save in his own country."
He was born in 1862 and is a son of J. R. and Lovina (Everett) Halstead.
The father was born in New York in 1832 and is now living in Oklahoma. In
early life he followed agricultural pursuits in the Empire state and in 1850
traveled across the continent with an emigrant train to California. It was a
long and wearisome journey, for as he proceeded westward settlements were
less frequent until he got upon the broad plains, where one could travel hundreds
of miles without coming to a habitation. He continued, however, over the hot
stretches of sand and through the mountain passes until he reached the Pacific
coast, spending five or six yeai-s in California, where he purchased land and
engaged in the live-stock business. In 1856 he retraced his steps as far as
Illinois, but only remained in that state for a brief period and in the late '50s
arrived in Iowa, settling in Cono township, Buchanan county. He afterward
took up his abode in Liberty township and through the period of his early resi-
dence here shared in all of the hardships and privations wliich constitute the
leading features of pioneer life. He converted the wild prairie land into a well
improved farm, but at the time of his wife's death retired from active farm life
and removed to Oklahoma, where he now has financial interests that claim his
attention. Mrs. Halstead was a native of Ohio and during the period of her
residence in Iowa won many warm friends, who deeply regretted her demise.
Mr. Halstead was also a prominent and influential citizen of the county. He was
an active democrat and was called to a number of local offices. His business life
was devoted to general farming and stock-raising, and he was the owner of
one hundred and sixty acres of rich land. His religious faith was that of the
]\Iethodist church, and he frequently served as an official in the church. He
has many good substantial qualities and was well liked in Buchanan county.
T. Frank Halstead acquired his education in the country schools and, being
an only son, assisted his father and lived at home until his marriage. He then
began farming on his own account and has carried on general agricultural pur-
i?aits until a recent date, when he practically retired, leaving his sons to do the
HON. T. F. HALSTEAD
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 167
active work of the fields. He is still the owner of two hundred and five acrei
of rich and productive land and derives therefrom a substantial annual income,
which supplies him with all of the comforts and some of the luxuries of life.
He is also a stockholder in the Quasqueton State Savings Bank.
Mr. Halstead was married to Miss Clara M. Plank, who was born in Al-
lamakee county, Iowa, a sister of Dr. F. T. Plank, a practicing dentist of Inde-
pendence. They now have three children : Lewis R., who is on the farm with his
father ; Nellie, the wife of Clinton A. Kress, a farmer of Liberty township, by
whom she has one child, Vonda ; and Everett R., at home.
]Mr. Halstead holds membership with the Odd Fellows lodge at Quasqueton,
in which he has been very active, filling all the offices in that organization and
also acting as deputy grand master of Buchanan county. He is likewise identi-
fied with other fraternal organizations, to the teachings of which he is ever loyal.
His political allegiance is given the democratic party and he is recognized as
one of its most influential members in Liberty township and Buchanan county.
He has filled various township offices and in 1912 was elected to represent his
county in the thirty-fifth general assembly of Iowa. His election came as proof
of his popularity and the confidence reposed in him by his fellow townsmen, for
this is a republican county. He is equally active in support of measures which
are not influenced by political considerations, and his aid is always on the side
of progress and improvement and in behalf of those things which are a matter
of civic virtue and civic pride.
CHARLES FRUSH.
Charles Frush is conducting a profitable business in Jesup. where he is the
owner of a general mercantile store. Before engaging in this line of business
he carried on farming and his mse direction of his business interests combined
with indefatigable industry has won him a substantial measure of success.
The birth of Mr. Frush occurred in Jefl^erson countj^ Iowa, July 4, 1871,
his parents being G. H, and America L. (Harrison) Frush. The father was
born upon his father's farm in Ohio and when six years of age the grandparents
brought their family to Iowa, settling in .Jefferson county, where a farm was
purchased, upon which Q. H. Frush spent his boyhood and youth. He lived
upon that place for fifteen years and then wedded America L. Harrison. They
removed to Osborne county, Kansas, in 1872 and Mr. Frush homesteaded one
hundred and sixty acres of land, upon which he took up his abode, carefully
cultivating the fields for twenty-one years. He then sold that property and
returned to Iowa, settling in Westburg township, Buchanan county, in 1893.
Here he invested in a farm of one hundred and sixty acres, upon which he lived
for eight years, and then turned his attention to the coal business at Waterloo,
where he remained for four years. On the expiration of that period he sold his
interests in the town and liought a farm of four hundred and thirty acres in
Black Hawk county, to which he afterward added a tract of forty acres. Six
years were spent in that county, after which he again disposed of his farm and
removed to AVaterloo, where he and his wife still make their home. Mrs. Frush
Vol. II- 8
168 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
was born in Dubuque, Iowa, in 1829, and when a young lady accompanied her
parents on their removal to Jefferson county, where her marriage occurred.
Charles P'rush spent his youthful days upon the homestead farm in Kansas,
the family removing to the Sunflower state when he was only about a year old.
He acquired his education in the public schools and on the 16th of October,
1894, he returned to Iowa. For a year thereafter he worked as a farm hand in
Buchanan county and afterward joined his brother in renting and cultivating
a tract of land in Westburg township. They remained thereon for a year but
in the spring of 1897 Charles Frush rented a farm independently.
It was about that time that he was united in marriage to Miss Ina Jones, a
daughter of Henry and Mary (Hulderman) Jones, both of whom were natives
of Indiana, in which state they were educated and married. In 1883 they
removed to Kansas and purchased a farm near the Frush place. There the
daughter remained until her marriage to Charles Frush, when she accompanied
her husband to Iowa. The young couple began their domestic life upon a farm
which they occupied for two years and later they lived upon a rented farm near
Jesup for five years.
At the end of that time Mr. Frush turned his attention to commercial pur-
suits, purchasing in 1903 the general store of R. E. Taylor at Jesup. He has
since carried on merchandising and now has a good stock, covering various
lines that are usually in demand. His store is well arranged, his prices are
reasonable and his business methods thorouglily reliable. Accordingly he is
meeting with success and is now one of the substantial merchants of his part of
the county.
M. K. BRIERLY, D. U. S.
Dentistry is uni(|ue among the professions. The (lualities demanded for suc-
cess are of a threefold nature. One must possess mechanical skill and ingenuity
added to a knowledge of the scientific principles of the profession and, more-
over, must have business capacity akin to that which is demanded in commercial
relations. Di'. Brierly is well equipped along these different lines and as a
practitioner of Independence has made for himself a creditable position among
the practicing dentists of his section of the state. He was born in Spring Prairie,
Walworth county, Wisconsin, in 1864, a son of James and Mary (Hargreaves)
Brierly, both of whom were natives of England, the former born in Lancashire
in 1824 and the latter in 1840. The father learned the weaver's trade in Eng-
land and when eighteen years of age came to the I'nited States, making his way
to Spring Prairie, Walworth county, Wisconsin, where he engaged in farming,
purchasing land in that locality. There he remained up to the time of his death,
and he was an active supporter of the democratic party and frequently the
incumbent in public offices. He was also active in the work of the Congrega-
tional church and his well-spent life won for him deserved regard. In addition
to his farming interests he engaged successfully in the breeding of Shorthorn
cattle.
Dr. Brierly. who was the fifth in order of birth in a family of six children,
attended tho district schools and the public schools of East Troy, Wisconsin,
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 169
ill the ac(|nireinent of that general education which must constitute the founda-
tion for all specialized knowledge. At length he determined upon dental
practice as a lifework and with that end in view entered the Chicago College
of Dental Surgery, from which he was graduated with the class of 1892. His
dental course, however, did not immediately follow his public-school training.
When twenty years of age he began teaching in his home county and followed
that profession for three years. He afterward spent two years in the employ
of the Santa Fe Railroad in northern Illinois, doing sum-ey work, and it was
subsequent to that time that he took up the study of dentistry. Following
his graduation he returned to East Troy, Wisconsin, where he practiced for
three years and then came to Independence in 1895. Here he has since actively
followed his chosen calling, covering a period of alxiut twenty years, during
which time professional services have made heavy demands upon his attention
and his energies. He soon gave demonstration of his ability to do the delicate
mechanical work of the profession and at all times has kept abreast with the
latest scientific discoveries. He has no other business interests save that he is
the owner of two hundred and eighty-five acres of rich and valuable land in
Buchanan county.
In 1897 Dr. Brierly was united in marriage to Miss Emma Limbert, a
daughter of Frank Limbert, who was born in Auerbach, Bavaria, Germany,
in 1818, and is now living retired in Independence at the remarkable old age
of ninety-six years. His wife, who bore the maiden name of ^largaret Shep-
pard, was born in Germany in 1830. In early life Mr. Limbert was an iron
molder, following that business in Dayton, Ohio, for some time and afterward
removing to Waterloo, Iowa, where he worked at the same trade. In 1879 he
came to Independence and for a time engaged in farming in Buchanan county
as well as working at the iron molder 's trade. He had eight children, of whom
Mrs. Brierly is the seventh in order of birth. To Dr. and ^Irs. Brierly have
been born three children : Herbert, who was born in 1898 ; Marian, in 189D ;
and Lawrence, in 1903. All are now in school, the first two being high-school
pupils.
The religious faith of the family is that of the Baptist church, except that
Mrs. Brierly is a Presbyterian. Dr. Brierly 's political indorsement is given to
the republican party and his fraternal relations are with the Modern Woodmen
of America and the Knights of Pythias. Along strictly professional lines he
is connected with the State Dental Association and thus keeps in touch with
modern advancement in his chosen field.
GEORGE SAFER.
George Sauer, a prosperous and progressive agriculturist of Newton town-
ship, residing upon a valuable farm of one hundred and sixty acres on section
17, also owns another tract of eighty acres across the road on section 20. His
birth occurred in Dubuque county, Iowa, on the 19th of January, 1855, his
parents being Henry and ]\Iary Sauer, both of whom were natives of Germany.
They emigrated to the United States and first located in New York, while sub-
170 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
sequently they removed to Illinois and still later took up their abode in Dubuque
county, Iowa, where the father carried on agricultural pursuits for some time.
Eventually he came to Buchanan county, purchasing and improving a tract of
land in Newton township which he cultivated throughout the remainder of
his life. He won a gratifying measure of success in his undertakings as an
agriculturist and had become an extensive landowner when he passed away in
1904.
George Sauer attended the district schools in the acquirement of an educa-
tion and remained on the home farm until he had attained his majority. He
then secured employment as a farm hand and when twenty-six years of age
rented a tract of land which he cultivated until 1900. In that year he fell heir
to a farm of one hundred and sixty acres on section 17, Newton township, on
which he has resided continuously since, and he has since purchased a tract of
eighty acres across the road on .section 20. He is progressive in his methods
and brings to his work a ready understanding of the principles involved in
modern agriculture. His fields are highly cultivated and his buildings kept
well in repair, giving evidence of the practical spirit of the owner.
On the 17th of November, 1884. Mr. Sauer was united in marriage to Miss
Louise Klotz. a daughter of Charles F. and Rachel (Hekel) Klotz, both of
whom were natives of Germany. They cmigi-ated to the Tnited States and took
up their abode among the pioneer settler.s of Buchanan county, Iowa, the father
here carrying on general agricultural piu'suits for many years. He is now
living retired at Quasqueton, but the mother has passed away. ^Ir. and Mrs.
Sauer have one son. Fred William, who is twenty-five years of age and operates
one of his father's farms. Mr. Sauer gives his political allegiance to the repub-
lican party and his wife is a member of the Congregational church. They have
a wide acquaintance and their hospitable home is enjoyed by many friends.
RICHARD I. BUCKLEY.
Richard I. Buckley is a partnei- in the firm of Buckley Brothers, dealers
in agricultural implements at Rowley, and is classed with the enterprising and
successful young business men of Buchanan county, within the borders of which
he was born on the 12th of July. 1880. his birthplace being the old home farm
in Homer township. His father, Benjamin F. Buckley, was born ii» Barnstable,
Massaehusetts. April 'SO, 1838, and during his infancy his parents, ]\Ir. and
I\Irs. William Buckley, removed to Summer Hill, New York. William Buckley,
followed the sea for twenty-five years and by reason of industry and merit
worked his way upward from cabin boy to master of a vessel. Many times he
sailed around Cape Horn and visited various important ports. He was engaged
in whale fishing in the northern Pacific and experienced many narrow escapes
as a sailor.
Benjamin F. Buckley, father of Richard I. Buckley, remained at home with
his parents in Summer Hill, New York, until eighteen years of age, after which
he began earning his living, and while working out also attended school. He
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 171
engaged in teaching until he was twenty-three years of age, but with the out-
break of the Civil war he put aside all business and personal considerations and
in August, 1861, enlisted as a private in the Forty-fourth New York (Ells-
worth's) Regiment. After several months spent with that command he was
taken ill and was sent to a hospital at Philadelphia, where he suffered an attack
of typhoid fever. Following his partial recovery he was honorably discharged,
but after resting for thirty days he again enlisted, joining the One Hundred
and Thirty-eighth New York Infantry, which subsequently became the Ninth
Heavy Artillery. He continued with that command for fifteen months and in
recognition of gallant and meritorious conduct on the field of battle was com-
missioned a lieutenant in the Third United States Colored Regiment, and with
that command assisted in the recapture of Fort Sumter. About a year later
he was honorably discharged because of physical disability. Mr. Buckley then
came to Iowa and settled in Homer township, Buchanan county, where he pur-
chased one hundred and sixty acres of land. The tract was entirely destitute
of improvements and he at once began to develop and cultivate it, his labors
resulting in a quick and marked transformation of the place. The wild territory
was converted into productive fields and year by year he carefully tended his
crops until subsequent harvests were gathered. He thus operated his farm until
190], when he retired from agricultural life and moved to Rowley. He then
accepted the position of rural mail carrier and acted in that capacity for ten
year.s. He died January 14, 1913, and in his passing Buchanan count}' mourned
the loss of one of its honored pioneers and highly esteemed citizens. In early
manhood he had wedded Miss Addie J. Fleming, who was born at Sumner Hill,
New York, and who survives, residing in Rowley. They were the parents of
four children : Susie E., who was born November 20, 1867 ; William R., June
11, 1873; Edwin P., who was born Januarj^ 23, 1876. and is mentioned else-
where in this volume ; and Richard I., of this review, whose birth occurred on
the 12tli of July, 1880; William died in infancy. Mr. Buckley was long a
valued citizen of his community and served as assessor, clerk and trustee in
Homer township.
Born on the old homestead farm, Richard I. Buckley entered the district
schools at the usual age and therein continued his studies to the age of seven-
teen years, when he entered the Upper Iowa University at Fayette, remaining
as a student there for two years. He then returned home and thereafter gave
his father the benefit of his services in the cultivation of the farm until 1902,
when he took up his abode in Rowley and embarked in merchandising in part-
nership with G. J. Sherman, under the firm style of Buckley & Sherman. That
relation was maintained for a year and a half, at the end of which time ]\Ir.
Buckley .sold out and began work at the carpenter's trade, being thus identified
with industrial activity until December, 1913, with the exception of two years
which he spent in the service of "Uncle Sam" on a rural mail route. At the
date mentioned he formed a partnership with his brother, E. P. Buckley, and
engaged in the agricultural implement business, in Avhich the.y have since con-
tinued. They handle a large assortment of the leading makes of farm machinery
and their business in now extensive and profitable. In addition to their estab-
lishment at Rowley the Buckley Brothers have a branch hoiLse at Kiene, this
county.
172 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
On the 18th of December, 1900, Mr. Buckley was married to Miss L. Blanche
Ketterman, a daughter of James S. and Lucy (Storts) Ketterman, who were
natives of Indiana and Pennsylvania, respectively. At an early period in the
development of Iowa they settled in Benton county, where the father engaged
in general agricultural pursuits, operating his farm for many years, or until
1909, when he retired from active life. He is now residing in Urbana. Mr.
and Mrs. Buckley have became the parents of four children: Harold F., who
died in 1902; Richard Lowell, born April 27, 1904; Benjamin F., September 5,
1906 ; and Lillian R., February 18, 1912.
Mr. Buckley is well known as a representative of Masonic interests, being a
charter member of Holman Lodge No. 593, A. F. & A. M. He has held various
offices in the lodge and was master for two years. He also belongs to the Order
of the Eastern Star and was worthy patron for a year. In his life he exem-
plifies the beneficent spirit of this organization, which is based upon a recog-
nition of the brotherhood of mankind. He also has membership with the
Modern Woodmen of America. Politically he is a republican and his religious
faith is evidenced in his membership in the Methodist church. There have been
no unusual chapters in his life history, nothing particularly spectacular, yet
there is in his record that which is worthy of commendation and of emulation,
for he has displayed in business persistency of purpose coupled with integrity ;
in citizenship has shown fidelity to the public welfare ; and in his social relations
has ever been true to high standards of manhood which are manifest in con-
sideration for others, geniality, cordiality and sincerity.
P. G. FREEIMAN.
P. G. Freeman, now living practically retired in Independence, has been iden-
tified with many pioneer experiences of Buchanan county and has not only been
an interested witness of the growth and development of this section of the state,
but has taken a helpful part in promoting the changes which have brought
the county to its present state of progress and prosperity.
He was born in Allegany, New York, in 1839, a son of Isaac G. and Elizabeth
(Armstrong) Freeman, the latter also a native of Allegany. The father was
bom at Boundbrook, New Jersey, and in early life became a farmer of Allegany,
New York. In addition to tilling the soil he engaged in raising sheep. He took
an active part in the public life of the community, serving as sheriff for several
years in the early '30s and also commanding a regiment of the New York State
]Militia as colonel. On removing to the west he settled at Belvidere, Illinois,
where he carried on general agricultural pursuits, remaining there for eight
years. In the spring of 1854 he came to Buchanan county and took up land from
the government. Not a furrow had been turned or an improvement made upon
the place, but with characteristic energy he began to develop the fields and soon
brought his farm to a high state of cultivation. To his original holdings he
added until he was the owner of considerable land in Buchanan county. He
was likewise active in shaping the public policy and molding the destiny of the
p. G. FREEMAN
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 175
county along other lines. He filled the offices of county supervisor and justice
of the peace and was a recognized leader in the ranks of the whig party until
its dissolution and afterward in the ranks of the republican party. He was
also a very helpful and earnest member of the Baptist church and his life was
ever guided by its principles. In his family were twelve children, of whom
P. G. was the fourth in order of birth. One of his sons, Reuben, who was the
sixth child, served in the Civil war, going to the front as a member of Company
D, Twenty-seventh Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and died of measles, which he con-
tracted at Pea Ridge, Arkansas.
P. G. Freeman was but a little lad at the time of the removal to the Missis-
sippi valley. He pursued his education in the schools of Illinois and of Iowa,
and when eighteen years of age secured a clerkship in Van Winkle's store at
Lowell, Michigan. There he remained for two years, spending the last year
as manager of the Van Winkle sawmills at Greenville on the Grand river.
Because of sickness he then went to Beloit, Wisconsin, and for a year was
employed in the general store of W. P. Adams. On the expiration of that period
he returned to Buchanan county and entered the store of P. C. Wilcox of Inde-
pendence as clerk. The following year, 1861, he opened a store of his own, but
sold out in the fall of 1862 and became connected with Beardsley Brothers, a
wholesale house of Chicago, which he represented as salesman for five years.
His next connection was with the Edward Lafercade Erwin Company of Phila-
delphia, wholesale dealers in dry goods, with whom he continued for twelve years,
representing the house upon the road as a traveling salesman. When his em-
ployers sold out he became connected with John Mott & Company of New York.
Eventually he retired from the dry-goods business and afterward engaged in
buying and selling butter and eggs. He is the owner of a farm in Buchanan
county comprising two hundred and forty-six acres, which includes a part of the
original land taken up by his father, who had come to the west with an ox cart,
bringing with him sheep, horses, cattle and oxen. Before leaving the farm in
his boyhood Mr. Freeman had driven a six-yoke team of oxen in breaking up the
sod for his father and neighbors. He knows much concerning the early pioneer
experiences of this part of the state and can relate many an interesting incident
of the early days. In addition to his farming property he has other interests,
being now a stockholder, director and the treasurer of the Sherman Smith Manu-
facturing Company.
In 1865 Mr. Freeman was united in marriage to Miss Adelaide J. Smith, who
was born in New London, Connecticut, a daughter of Sabin Smith, a merchant
of that place. To that marriage was born a son, Ledyard M., who is a traveling
salesman, selling Ball brand products of Mishawaka, Indiana. He is married
and has one child, Kenneth G. Mrs. Freeman died in March, 1901, and in June,
1902, Mr. Freeman was again married, his second union being with Mrs. Jose-
phine (Smith) Jones, a native of Ohio and a daughter of Wilbur R. and Mina
C. Smith. Her father was a farmer of Ohio. Mrs. Freeman takes an active part
in the religious, social and club life of Independence, having been president
of the Ladies Musical Club, the Literary Club, the Missionary Society and was
the organizer of the Civic Improvement Club. She is deservedly recognized as
one of the most prominent women of Independence and her efforts along the
lines of progress are far-reaching and beneficial.
176 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
Fraternally Mr. Freeman is connected with the Masons and his political
allegiance is given to the republican party, while his religious faith is that of the
Presbyterian church. His has been an active and well spent life, in which effort
has brought to him success. Wherever he is known — and his business has brought
him a wide acquaintance — he is held in high esteem and most of all where he is
best known.
WILLIAM H. BLANK, JR.
William H. Blank, Jr., is a resident farmer of Liberty township, his home
being on section 10, where he now owns one hundred and sixty acres of land
devoted to general farming and stock raising. His life record had its beginning
in Du Page county, Illinois, his natal year being 1866. His father, William
H. Blank, was born in Niagara county. New York, in 1840, and is still living,
making his home on a farm in Liberty township with his son and namesake.
The mother, who bore the maiden name of ^lartha Ann Plank, was born in
Memphis, Scotland county, Missouri, in 1846, and departed this life in 1903.
In early manhood William H. Blank, Sr., engaged in farming in Illinois
and at the outbreak of the Civil war responded to the country's call for troops
to aid in crushing out the rebellion in the south. Prompted by a spirit of
patriotism, he accordingly enlisted in Company K, Thirty-sixth Illinois Infan-
try, with which he served for more than four years. He took part in a number
of hotly contested battles and became disabled. The most important engage-
ments in which he participated were those of Stone River, IMission Ridge and
Chickamauga, and at the time of his discharge he was holding the rank of
corporal. He stayed at the front as long as able and returned home with a
most creditable military record. He has long been an active and prominent
worker in the Methodist Episcopal church, in which he has held all of the
offices, doing all in his power to further the work of the church and extend
its influence. He is living practically retired from business, but is yet an
active man for one of his years. He came to Iowa in 1870, settling first in
Middlefield township, after which he removed to Quasqueton, but remained
there for only a l)rief period. He bought land north of the town and engaged
in general farming and stock raising for a long period, but at length put aside
the active work of tlic fields and now lives with his son William in Liberty
township.
William H. Blank, Jr., was but a young lad when brought bj'' his parents
to Iowa, and after mastering the branches of learning taught in the district
schools of Buchanan county, continued his education in the Upper Iowa Uni-
versity at Fayette. He always lived at home and in early manhood learned
the creamery business and for a time was connected with the creamery at
(Quasqueton. INIost of his life, however, has been devoted to general farming
and stock raising in Liberty township, where he owns one hundred and sixty
acres of good land. The fields respond readily to the care and labor which he
bestows upon them, and thus he annually harvests good crops. Practically
his entire time and attention are devoted to the farm, which is a valuable
property.
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 177
In 1894 Mr. Blank was united in marriage to Miss Mabel L. Crinklaw, a
native of Rockwell, Iowa, and a daughter of George B. and Alice (Simms)
Crinklaw. The father was born in London, Canada, in 1845, and the mother
in Byron, Illinois, in 1850, and both are now residents of Cedar Falls, Iowa.
When a youth of fifteen years George B. Crinklaw removed to Mount Carroll,
Illinois, and when he attained his majority he was ordained a minister of the
Methodist church. His first pastorate was at Sabula, Iowa, and while living
there he was married. He afterward became a resident of Buchanan county
and was the Methodist minister of Quasqueton. To him and his wife were
born seven chiklren, all of whom yet live with their parents save Mrs. Blank.
Rev. Crinklaw has always been an ardent temperance man and active worker
for the prohibition cause. His life has, indeed, been one of usefulness and
distinction, constituting an important force in the moral progress of the com-
munity. He is still connected with the Methodist conference, but is now on
the retired list, having devoted more than forty years to preaching the gospel
and much of this time has been given to Iowa pastorates.
To Mr. and Mrs. Blank have been born four children : Arlee, who is attend-
ing the high school at Independence ; Berdina, who is a pupil in the Winthrop
schools; and Verna and Dorothy, who are attending the district school. Both
Mr. and Mrs. Blank hold membership in the Methodist church, in which they
are actively interested, taking a helpful part in the work which means so much
toward molding character and shaping the ideals of the community. Their
lives have ever conformed to high standards, integrity, justice, charity and
sympathy featuring as factors in their careers.
P. F. HARRINGTON.
A highly improved farm is that owned by P. F. Harrington in Washington
township. It comprises one hundred and twenty acres and upon the place Mr.
Harrington has resided since August, 1900. He is one of the native sons of
the county, born in 1871, his parents being. John and Mary (Duffy) Harrington,
both of whom were natives of Ireland. The parents came to America when
young people, and during the period of the Civil w^ar John Harrington was
with the government in the bridge building department. Following the cessa-
tion of hostilities he removed westward to Iowa, settling at Independence, where
he began digging wells. Later he turned his attention to farming and also
engaged in breeding and raising Norman horses. At the time of his death he
was the owner of four hundred and ninety acres of rich and valuable land
near Hazleton, his possessions being the visible evidence of a life of well directed
energy and thrift. He passed away in 1908, at the age of sixty-eight years,
while his wife died in 1888 at the age of fifty-one years. When Mr. Harrington
retired from active farm life he removed to Oelwein and there his remaining
days were passed. Both he and his wife were Catholics in religious belief, and
he was a stalwai't advocate of the democratic party, active in its support, yei
he neither held nor desired public office. Three sons of the family still reside
in this county, one brother, T. E. Harrington, now living retired in Waterloo.
178 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
P. F. Harrington, whose name introduces this record, pursued his education
in the schools of Hazleton township and when seventeen years of age began
farming with his brother, J. M. Harrington, on the old family homestead, to
the further development and improvement of which he directed his energies for
five years. He then began farming independently and in August, 1900, pur-
chased land in Washington township, where he now owns and cultivates one
hundred and twenty acres, constituting one of the excellent farms in his part
of the county. His is one of the two homes of the township supplied with
electric lights. In all things he follows progressive methods and modern ideas,
and in large barns and good sheds he has provided ample shelter for both grain
and stock. He raises considerable stock, making a specialty of thoroughbred
Belgian horses, Duroc-Jersey hogs and Shorthorn cattle.
On June 4, 1900, Mr. Harrington was married to ]\Iiss Matilda Reide, who
was born on the farm which is still her home, her parents being Conrad and
Maria (Weber) Reide, both natives of Germany. The father, who died in 1912
at the ripe old age of ninety-two years, was a young man of twenty-eight years
when he crossed the Atlantic to America, settling near Erie, Pennsylvania,
where he engaged in farming. In 1860 he made his way westward to Iowa and
purchased land in Washington township, Buchanan county, becoming the owner
of two hundred acres, constituting one of the valuable farms in the district in
which he lived. Before leaving liis native land he served in the German army.
He was a member of the German Presbyterian church and his life was ever
honorable and upright. To Mr. and ^Irs. Harrington have been born two chil-
dren, Roland and Leo, born in 1902 and 1904, respectively, and now attending
school in Washington towaiship.
The religious belief of the family is that of the Catholic church, and they
attend St. John's church at Independence. Mr. Harrington is a democrat in
politics and has held a number of local offices, but has always preferred to con-
centrate his energies upon his business affairs, in which he is now meeting with
gratify- "^g success.
OLIVER KENNETH CREW.
Forest Lawn, one of the excellent farms of Washington township, is the
property of Oliver Kenneth Crew, who devotes much of his time and attention
to the development and improvement of his place, yet also has other business
connections establishing him as one of the enterprising citizens of his com-
munity. He was born in Belmont county, Ohio, February 10, 1852, a son of
Aquilla and Rachel (Farmer) Crew. Both were representatives of old American
families. The father was born in Virginia in 1816 and died in 1888, at the age
of seventy-two years. The mother was born in South Carolina in 1820 and
passed away in 1893, at the age of seventy-three years. In early manhood
Aquilla Crew, who was a farmer by occupation, removed from Virginia to Ohio,
where he became the owner of a tract of land and carried on general farming,
specializing in the production of tobacco and also in the raising of sheep. Both
he and his wife were of the Quaker faith and, unlike most peopl? of that religious
MR. AND AIRS. OLIVER K. CREW
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 181
persuasion, he took considerable interest in polities and filled the office of justice
of the peace. He also had two sons who were members of the Ohio State Militia
and thus showed their independence in regard to the teachings of their church
concerning militarj- service. In the year 1862 ]\Ir. Crew left Ohio and made his
way direct to Linn county, Iowa, where he was the owner of two hundred and
twenty acres of good farm land. Throughout his entire life he engaged in
sheep raising, ever making that an important feature of his farm work. •
Oliver K. Crew was the seventh in order of birth in a family of eleven
children and is the only one who came to Buchanan county. He acquired his
early education in the public schools of Ohio and was a youth of ten j^ears at
the time of the removal of the family to Iowa, where he continued his studies in
Linn county. He remained with his father upon the home farm until he had
attained his majority and afterward worked as a farm hand for four years.
He was then married and began farming on his own account in Linn county,
where he invested in land. In 1902 he removed to Buchanan county, where he
is also a landowner. He had previously lived in Keokuk county for eight years
after leaving Linn county.
His place, known as Forest Lawn, comprises one hundred and fifteen acres
of rich and arable land and is one of the splendidly kept farms of Washington
township. Since starting out in life on his own account Mr. Crew has engaged
quite extensively in the raising of Chester White hogs. He has also handled
standard bred horses and is today the owner of some high grade stock. He
won two prizes with a driving team at the Cedar Rapids State Fair, also carried
off the blue ribbon at the Linn County Fair and the Keokuk Fair, where he
displayed five horses and captured five first prizes. He has won prizes on both
his horses and hogs in every county fair where he has exhibited. No higher
indication of the value of his stock could be cited. He has ever believed in
holding to the highest standards in stock-raising and he has done much to improve
the grade of stock produced in this section of the state. He has also handled
Shropshire sheep, and while he never exhibited them but once, on that occasion
he took a second prize. He devotes the greater part of his time and attention
to his farming and stock-raising interests, but is also a stockholder in the Bu-
chanan County Fair Association and in the Western Iowa Land Company of
Waterloo.
On November 25, 1877, Mr. Crew was united in marriage to ^Miss Harriett
Ilodgin, who was born in Morgan county, Ohio, in 1856, a daughter of Robert
and Martha (Rhodes) Hodgin. The father's birth occurred in Morgan county,
Ohio, in 1828, and in early life he learned the tanner 's trade. He also conducted
a hotel when in the east, and on coming to Iowa in 1862 he began farming in
Linn county, where he purchased a farm and in connection with its cultivation
engaged in the raising of Berkshire hogs. In the later years of his life he retired
from active business and lived in Springville, Iowa, until his death, which
occurred in 1878 when he was fifty years of age. His widow resided at Belle
Plaine, Iowa, where she pas.sed away in August, 191-4, at the advanced age of
eighty-six years. ^Ir. Hodgin filled the office of justice of the peace and served
in other minor positions, being thus active in public life for many years.
Mrs. Crew was the second in order of birth in a family of three children
and is the onlv one who has ever become a resident of Buchanan county. By
182 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
her marriage she became the mother of eight children, but Claude, the third
in order of birth, died in 1903 at the age of twenty-four years. She was the wife
of C. E. Waklen, of Council Bluffs, an engineer on the Rock Island Railroad.
The children still living are as follows. Ora is the wife of S. S. Barkley, a
farmer owning one hundred and sixty acres of land in Holyoke, Phillips county,
Colorado, and they have three children : Bernard, born in 1902 ; Oliver Kenneth,
In 1907 ; and Cecil, in 1913. Bertha is the wife of John Heald, a machinist of
Mora, Minnesota, and they have three sons: Virgil, born in 1898; Merle, in 1904;
and Donald, in 1907. Lulu is the wife of Milton Whitcher, a farmer living near
West Union, Iowa. Olive is the wife of Hobart Pierce, a carpenter of Sac City,
Iowa, and they have one child, Quentin, born in 1913. Roy and Ray, twins, born
in 1890, are now upon the farm with their father. Cecil, born in 1894, is a
graduate of the Waterloo Business College and is now bookkeeper in the First
National Bank of Independence. The twin sons attended the high school of
Independence and they are members of the Mystic Workers.
Mr. Crew holds membership with the Royal Highlanders in Keokuk county."
In politics he is a republican but not an active party worker. He belongs to the
INIethodist church and his life has been ever upright and honorable, winning
for him the high respect of those with whom he has been brought in contact. His
has been an active and useful life and through his persistency- of purpose, capable
management and recognition of opportunities he has worked his way steadily
upward until he has become one of the prosperous farmers of Buchanan county.
EDWARD W. RAYMOND.
Edward W. Raymond is conducting a well equipped job printing estab-
lishment at Independence and is accorded a liberal and well deserved patronage.
He is likewise a well-known figure in the musical circles of the city as leader
and in.structor of Raymond's Concert Band. He has a wide acquaintance and
many friends attest their high regard for him. His birth occurred at Man-
chester, Iowa, June 28, 1867, his parents being Charles A. and Emma (Fleisch)
Raymond, the former a native of Vermont and the latter of New York city.
In early life the father learned the trades of a carpenter and mason. He was
quite young when he accompanied his parents to Iowa, and at the last call for
troops to serve for one hundred days during the Civil war, he joined an Iowa
regiment and went to tlie front. After the cessation of hostilities he followed
various vocations, continuing his residence in Manchester, however, until his
death. His widow afterward married Stephen S. Potter and is again a widow,
now residing in Independence.
Edward W. Raymond was the eldest of five children liorn of his mother's
first marriag(\ I lis education was acquired in the jniblic schools of Manchester
and when l)ut thirteen years of age he began learning the printer's trade at that
place, being connected with the Manchester Press for five years. He afterward
entered the office of the Manchester Democrat, with which he was associated
for eight years. He then came to Independence and rented the job department
of the American Trotter, a few years later purchasing that part of the plant
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 183
and thus establishing the present E. W. Raymond job printing house. He
has since continued in the business and his place is equipped with all of the
latest and most improved kinds of presses and other printing machinery for
doing the most up-to-date and attractive work. He has a stitcher, perforator,
cylinder press, punching machine and, in fact, everything to be found in a
first-class job printing office. He does contract work in addition to the usual
run of business which comes to the job printing office and he is accorded a liberal
patronage. He is likewise interested in other local enterprises and is accounted
one of the progressive, enterprising business men of the city.
On the 10th of April, 1887, occurred the marriage of Mr. Raymond and
Miss P]mma Elizabeth Alcock, who was born near Manchester, Iowa, a daughter
of Ralph and Almina (Krapti) Alcock, the former a native of New York and
the latter of Holland. The father was a farmer in early life but eventually
took up his abode in Manchester, where he was employed by others. There
he passed away in 1912, but his wife is still living in Manchester. To Mr.
and Mrs. Raymond have been born three children : Earl Edward, who was
born in October, 1889; jMinona Mildred, born August 5, 1892; and Clarence
Lionel, born December 12, 1906. The elder son wedded Miss Mary Fern Jean-
nette Farris, a native of Independence, and they have two children : Jeannette
Farris, born May 26, 1913; and Earline Elizabeth, born ]\Iay 5, 1914. Earl
E. Raymond is assisting his father in the printing business.
In fraternal circles Mr. Raymond is well known. He has attained the
Knight Templar degree in the York Rite, the thirty-second degree in the Con-
sistory and is now sword bearer in the Commandery. He also belongs to the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias and the Owls. His
political allegiance is given the republican party and he served for one term
as alderman. He is the present chief of the volunteer fire department and on
the 11th of August, 1913, was given a certificate recognizing his twenty years
of service in the company. He is also well known as the leader and instructor
of Raymond's Concert Band, numbering twenty-six pieces, and his musical
talent has been one of the notable attractions of many public and private
gatherings in this section of the state. He has an inherent love of music which
he has developed through study, and he has ^lade the band of which he is the
head one of the leading musical organizations of the state.
EDWIN P. BUCKLEY.
One of the more recently established but reliable and enterprising business
concerns of Rowley is that conducted by the firm of Buckley Brothers, of which
Edwin P. Buckley is a partner. The business was started only in 1913, but
the partners were already well known in their section of the county as reliable
and energetic men and thej' have secured a liberal patronage which is steadily
growing.
Edwin P. Buckley was born in Homer township, January 23, 1876, on the
old family homestead, a son of Benjamin F. and Addie J. (Fleming) Buckley,
who are mentioned elsewhere in this volume in connection with the sketch of
184 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
their son, Richard I. Buckley. The experiences of the youth of Edwin P.
Buckley were those which usually come to the farm lad. He worked in the
fields through the summer months and in the winter seasons pursued his studies
in the district schools, thus gaining along both lines in knowledge which has been
the foundation of his later success. He continued with his parents until twenty-
three years of age and then rented land in Homer township, carrying on general
farming for five years. .At the end of that time he had saved a sufficient sum
to enable him to purchase one hundred and sixty acres on sections 22 and 23,
Homer township. The ability which he displayed in carrying on farm work
was manifest in the fact that he was later able to add forty acres to his original
holdings. AVith characteristic energy he began to till the soil and added to his
farm the modern improvements which a progressive spirit demands. He con-
tinued actively in farm work until ]\Iarch 1, 1913, when he rented his place
and came to Rowley, where for six months he engaged in clerking in a store.
He then formed a partnership wdth his brother, Richard I. Buckley, under the
firm style of Buckley Brothers, and opened a general implement establishment,
of which they are the proprietors. Suceess^ has attended their efforts, it being
the legitimate outcome of their energy, capable management and trustworthy
business methods.
On the 10th of February, 1897, ^Nlr. Buckley was joined in wedlock with
Miss Nellie M. Lotts, a daughter of William G. and Ella (Creighton) Lotts,
the former a native of Wisconsin and the latter of Tennessee. In an early day
they arrived in Buchanan county and purchased land in Homer township, which
for many years Mr. Lotts continuously cultivated. At the present writing he
is living retired in Oelwein. In 1897 Mr. Buckley was called upon to mourn
the loss of his wife, who passed away on the 24th of April of that year, and
on the 9th of September, 1898, he was again married, his second union being
with Delia C. Wright, a daughter of Richmond and Alaria E. (Pease) Wright.
Her mother was born in Massachusetts, while her father's birth occurred in
Paris, Monroe county, Missouri, October 8, 1837. He was a son of Rev. Alfred
Wright, who in ]84fi brought his family to Iowa, settling in Anamosa, whence
he removed in 1853 to Quasqueton, Buchanan county, where he organized a
church. Richmond Wright was educated in the district schools and in Cornell
College of Iowa. In 1855 he took his initial step in the business world in
connection with his uncle, Ransom Wright, in burning brick, which business
he followed for several years. He afterward cultivated his father's farm until
1858, and during that period carefully saved his earnings until the sum was
sufficient to enable him to i)urchase eighty acres of land in Liberty township.
This was but the begiiniing of a successful career as an agriculturist, for he
bought more land from time to time until he owned three hundred and ten
acres. This he improved, adding all the modern accessories and equipments
of a model farm. The i-cnuiinder of his life was carefully and systematically
devoted to general agricultural pursuits with the result that he has won a place
among the prosperous farmers of the county. In 1875 he built a cheese factory
and a creamery upon his place and also conducted business along those lines.
In 1863 he was united in marriage to Miss Maria E. Pease and they became
the parents of four children: William, Louise B., Delia C. and Charles A.
The father, who was born October 8, 1837, passed away February 10, 1907,
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY ]85
when in the seventieth year of his age, and his wife, who was born January 16,
1834, died March 18, 1908.
Mr. and Mrs. Buckley are widely and favorably known in Rowley, having
a large circle of warm friends. For two years he served as assessor of Homer
township and is now filling the office of justice of the peace, his decisions being
strictly fair and impartial. He votes with the republican party, and he has
membership relations with the Modern Woodmen of America and the Methodist
church — associations which indicate the rules that govern his conduct, making
liim a man whom to know is to respect and honor.
ANDREW IIIGGINS.
Although now eighty-one years of age, Andrew Higgins still supervises the
operation of his farm, whi«h is situated in Washington township, not far from
Independence. Old age need not suggest, as a matter of course, helplessness
nor want of occupation. There is an old age which grows stronger mentally
and physically as the years go on and gives out of its rich stores of wisdom and
experience for the benefit of others. Such is the record of Andrew Higgins,
who is now one of the most venerable among the active farmers of Buchanan
county. He was born in County Derry, Ireland, in 1833. There also occurred
the birth of his parents, John and Margaret (Downey) Higgins. The father
died in Ireland in 1888, when over seventy years of age. He engaged in business
as a buyer and seller of fiax and had several teams which he used in hauling
flax to Belfast. He was also the owner of farm property and made his home
upon a farm, there rearing his family of seven children, who cultivated the
fields while he devoted his attention to other business pursuits.
Andrew Higgins is the eldest living member of that family, six of whom
came to the United States. His older brother died in Independence. Andrew
Higgins attended school in Ireland and when a youth of fifteen crossed the
Atlantic to the new world. For two years he resided in Pennsylvania, where
he worked as a laborer, and then continued on his westward way until he
reached Independence, where he was employed on the building of the court-
house. He afterward took up the occupation of farming, being employed by
the month until he saved from his earnings a sum sufficient to enable him to
purchase property. At length he invested in farm land in Washington town-
.ship at a time when its value was very low, paying but twelve dollars and
a half per acre. He is now the owner of a valuable farm of three hundred and
twenty acres, of which he has forty acres planted to corn and twenty acres to
oats, while the remainder is in hay or in pasture. He raises considerable stock
and is still active in the management and operation of his farm, although he
has long since passed the time when most men would put aside business cares.
Mr. Higgins was married July 18, 1864, to Miss Mary Ann Downs, who
was born in Holmes county, Ohio, in 1846, a daughter of Robert and Hannah
(Nevell) Downs, who were also natives of Holmes county. The father, born in
1823, died in 1860, at the early age of thirty-seven years, and the mother
passed away at the age of seventy-one. In early life ]\Ir. Downs engaged in
186 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
teaching school, but after he removed westward to Buchanan county followed
farming in Liberty township. While in Ohio he served as assessor, yet he was
not active in politics as a seeker for office. His life was characterized by high
and honorable principles and he belonged to the Bethel church in Liberty
township. In his family were four tlaughters, of whom Mrs. Higgins is the
eldest. By her marriage she has become the mother of eleven children, ten of
whom are living, while one died in infancy. The others are as follows: W. J.,
a resident farmer of this county, is married and has six children ; Ethel, Eva,
Grace, Frank, Charles and Ralph. Mary is the wife of Thomas Welch, living
in South Dakota, and they have ten children. Ellen is the wife of H. Bray,
a resident of Salem, Wisconsin, and they have five children : Celeste, Glenn,
Lillian, Henry and Ella. James is upon the home farm. Daniel, also living
upon the home farm, is married and has three children : -Lawrence, Howard
and Andrew. Andrew, residing upon his father's land in Washington town-
ship, is married and has .six children : Rose, ]\Iabel, Alice, Ella, Bernard and
Leo. Edward, connected with the gas plant at Independence, is married and
has three children. Adolphus is home with his parents. Lewis married Blanche
Stone, of Buchanan county, and has two children : Dorothy and Lewis. Emma
is the wife of Clint Christianson, of Milbank, South Dakota. There are now
forty-one grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
At the time of the Civil war Mr. Higgins attempted to join the army and
enlisted for active service, but was rejected on account of defective eyesight.
He holds membership in the Catholic church, and he votes with the democratic
party. He has held some local offices, yet has never been a politician in the
sense of office seeking, preferring always to give his undivided time and attention
to his business affairs. Whatever success he has achieved is the reward of his
own labors, and his life record shows wliat may be accomplished when energy
and deteniiination point out the way.
WILLARD B. COLTMAX.
Wilhird B. Coltman, one of tlie owners of tlic Bulletin Journal of Inde-
pendence, was born in Lafayette county, Wisconsin. February 15, 1876. His
parents, John H. and Iluldah (Lindsay) Coltman, were also natives of the same
county and in early life the father took up zinc and lead mining. He con-
tinued actively in that business until about 1898, when he removed to California,
locating first at Angels. He engaged in prospecting in that section of the state
and afterwards removed to Sonora, where he now resides. He is still engaged
in mining, having practically devoted his entire life to that occupation. While
a resident of Wisconsin lu* held various local offices and was an influential man
in the community in which he made his home. lu his family were three chil-
dren : Willard B. ; Lemoine, deceased; and one who died in infancy.
At the usual age Willard I>. Coltman became a pupil in the schools of
Lafayette county, Wisconsin, and pursued his studies through the granunar and
high schools. Later he pursued a private course in stenography, and all through
his life he has been a close and discriminating student in the school of expe-
WILLARD B. COLTMAX
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 189
rience. When about twenty years of age he went to Manchester, Iowa, where
he was employed in a printing office, remaining there until January, 1909. He
then came to Independence and was employed on the Bulletin Journal for one
year, at the end of which time he was admitted to a partnership, becoming a
member of the present firm of Willey, Farwell & Coltman. This paper was
established in the year 1864 and is the second oldest in Buchanan county. Mr.
Coltman devotes his entire attention to the office and its duties, practical expe-
rience as a printer well qualifying him to carry on the work.
On the 28th of June, 1904, occurred the marriage of Mr. Coltman and Miss
Gertrude M. Lawman, who was born at Manchester, Iowa, a daughter of Baltz
J. and Louise (Denzel) Lawman, both of whom were natives of New York. The
father engaged in the harness and saddlery business in Manchester for a number
of years, and both he and his wife passed away in that town. To Mr. and Mrs.
Coltman have been born two children : Frances Lenore, born July 24, 1905 ;
and Paul Denzel, born December 2, 1909.
Mr. Coltman exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and
measures of the republican party, but has never aspired to public office. He is
identified with several fraternal organizations, including the ]\Iasons, the Modern
Woodmen of America and the Knights of the Maccabees. He is also a member
of the Interstate Business Men's Association, and he stands for progress along
all lines, believing that the opportunity for advancement is ever before us and
should be utilized for the benefit of the individual and the community. He has
made close application and indefatigable energy the basis of his growing success,
which has brought him to a creditable position in newspaper circles of Iowa.
JOEL F. OSSMAN.
A good farm of one hundred acres on sections 10 and 11, Homer township,
pays tribute to the care and labor bestowed upon it by Joel F. Ossman, its
present owner. He was but a little lad of three years when brought to Buchanan
county in 1858, his birth having occurred in Pennsylvania, July 7, 1855. He
is a son of Israel and Catherine (Gharus) Ossman, who were natives of the Key-
stone state. The father followed agricultural pursuits and for some years
operated a farm in Pennsylvania. He also worked in coal mines there for three
or four years and in 1858 came to Buchanan county, Iowa, where he rented
land for sixteen years. He was ambitious, however, to own a farm and carefully
saved his earnings until he was able to purchase eighty acres in Fayette county,
Iowa. His time and attention were then given to the task of tilling the fields
upon that place, and subsequently he retired, taking up his abode in Rowley,
where his remaining days were passed. He died in August, 1897, and it was
ten years later that his wife passed away, on the 27th of August, 1907.
Joel F. Ossman, coming to Buchanan county at the early age of three years,
was here reared and educated and to his father gave the benefit of his service
in the work of the fields until twenty-seven years of age, when he rented land
and began farming on his own account. For seven years he cultivated that
place and then purchased one hundred acres on sections 10 and 11, Homer
Vol. n— 9
190 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
township, the buildings being upon the former section. He has since carried
on general farming and substantial results have accrued, for he is now one
of the well-to-do agriculturists of his community.
On the 7th of December, 1882, Mr. Ossman was united in marriage to Miss
Anna Ginther, a daughter of John T. and Betsy (Wheeler) Ginther, natives
of Ohio. The father was a farmer and at an early period in the development
of Buchanan county settled within its borders. He engaged in farming from
the early '50s until his death in 1884, his home place being situated in Sumner
township. His wife had passed away in 1870. To Mr. and Mrs. Ossman have
been born four children, as follows : Jessie, who is the wife of Raymond Hand,
an agriculturist of Cono township ; and Roy, Guy and Alva, all at home.
Mr. Ossman votes with the republican partj^ and has served as trustee of
his township for three years, but prefers to give his attention to his farm work
rather than to office holding. He belongs to the Modern Woodmen camp and
his religious faith is that of the Church of God, his membership being in
Bethel church near Independence. For more than a half century he has oeen
an interested witness of the county's development. At the time of his arrival
there were large tracts of land upon which not a furrow had been turned nor
an improvement made, and as the years have gone on the events which have
figured largely in the history of the county have left their impress upon his
mind and he can relate many interesting incidents of the early days and the
manner of living at that period. He has never been content to stand still,
but has always furthered that progress which is perhaps most manifest in the
methods of farming at the present time.
G. E. SHEFFIELD, M. D.
Dr. G. E. Sheffield, engaged in the practice of medicine at Quasqueton,
started out in life on his own account at the age of thirteen years and has
steadily worked his way upward, dependent entirely upon his own resources
since that time. He was born in New York in 1847, his parents being Edward
R. and Jane (Radcliffe) Sheffield. The father, a native of New Haven, Con-
necticut, was born in 1825 and in early life was associated with his father
in a tanning business. When about eighteen years of age he became foreman
of a paper mill and while thus employed was killed when but twenty-two years
of age. His wife, who was born in New York in 1827, long survived him,
passing avfay at the age of seventy-eight.
Their son, Dr. Sheffield, pursued his education in the schools of Ashland,
New York, and his professional training in Drapers College of that state. Long
before he entered upon preparation for the practice of medicine, however, he
was earning his living, for at the age of thirteen he started out to make his
own way in the world and he earned the money to continue his studies by
working in a dairy, milking cows for five years. When he had completed a
course of medicine in Drapers College, he made his way westAvard to Illinois in
1868, and there began practice, remaining in that state until 1877, which year
witnessed his arrival in Keokuk, Iowa. He followed his profession in that city
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 191
until 1890 and afterward went to Waterloo, Iowa, and later to California, where
he remained for eight 3'ears. In 1902 he returned to this state, settling in
Quasqueton, where he has since practiced, and he is now accorded a liberal
patronage.
In 1870 Dr. Sheffield was united in marriage to Miss Julia Sheff, a native
of Sangamon county, Illinois, and a daughter of Elijah and Julia (Wright)
Sheff, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of Onondaga county. New
York. In early life her father followed farming, but at the age of twenty-six
lost his eyesight and became a broom-maker. He removed to Illinois when
pioneer conditions existed in that state. Indians still roamed over the prairies
or through the forests and there was much wild game of all kinds. Chicago
was then a small village and the most far-sighted could not have dreamed that
it would ever reach its present metropolitan status. Mr. Sheff lived to witness
many changes in the country. He was a very intimate friend of Abraham
Lincoln, whom he entertained in his own home.
To Dr. and Mrs. Sheffield have been born six children: Edward, who is
engaged in farming; Jennie B., who is the wife of R. A. Brown, a hotel pro-
prietor at Quasqueton, by whom she has two children, Helen and Fern ; George,
an engineer on the Illinois Central Railroad at Waterloo; Cora, the wife of
F. D. ]\Ioore, who owns a fruit ranch near Spokane, Washington, and by whom
she has three children, Myrtle, Nellie and Hazel ; Herbert A., who is janitor of
the First National Bank building at Waterloo; and Lillian Ethelyn, at home.
Dr. Sheffield is a Mason and has been very active in the organization. He
has held all the offices of the local lodge and several times has been a delegate
to the grand lodge. He also belongs to the Eastern Star and, -in fact, organized
the chapter at Quasqueton. He has reason to be proud of his record in Masonic
circles, for his life has always been an exemplification of the teachings of the
craft, which is based upon a recognition of the brotherhood of man and which
at all times urges the acceptance of the .spirit of mutual helpfulness. He iS
continually holding out a hand of assistance to fellow travelers on life's journey
and his personal worth has insured him the high respect and warm regard of
those who know him.
EDWIN E. EVERETT.
On the roster of county officials of Buchanan county appears the name of'
Edwin E. Everett, who is now serving for the fourth year as county auditor,
in which position he has made an excellent record by the prompt, faithful and
able manner in which he has ever discharged his duties. He was born in Black
Hawk county, Iowa, June 3, 1881, a son of Clarence B. and Achsah (French)
Everett, also natives of this state. The father was the first white child born
in Fairbank, Iowa, his natal day being September 4, 1855, while the mother was
born in Black Hawk county, August 5, 1859. In early life Clarence B. Everett
engaged in merchandising in partnership with his father in Fairbank, but subse-
quently turned his attention to railroad work, in which he engaged for five j'ears.
He afterward established a hardware store in Fairbank and still later opened
192 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
a general store, which he conducted for a number of years. He withdrew from
commercial connections, however, in 1907 and entered the Fairbank State Bank
as cashier. He has since been elected to the presidency of that institution, and
now devotes his entire time to its management and upbuilding. Thus gradually
he has worked his way upward to a prominent position in business circles and
his life has been one of continually increasing usefulness and value to the com-
munity in which he lives. To him and his wife were born five children : Edwin
E. ; Bessie, the wife of F. W. Kautz, a farmer residing in Fairbank; C. Herbert,
a telegraph operator of Utah, connected with the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad
Company ; Harry L., a railroad man living at Le Pas, Canada ; and Mildred,
the wife of J. L. Gorman, who is engaged in the drug business in Fairbank.
At the usual age Edwin E. Everett entered the public schools of Fairbank,
in which he continued his education as a high school pupil until 1898. He
afterward spent a little more than a year as a student in Drake University at
Des ]\Ioines. After completing his studies he was employed in the Fairbank
State Bank as bookkeeper for about a year and then went to San Francisco,
California, on a prospecting trip. He afterward returned to Fairbank, and a
little later located in San Francisco, where he was employed as clerk in the
Russ Hotel for about three years. He next returned to Fairbank as cashier
of the State Bank, which position ho acceptably filled for about eighteen months
and then came to Independence as teller in the People's National Bank, con-
tinuing to occupy the latter position until elected to his present office.
In his political views Mr. P^verett has ever been a stalwart democrat and
keeps well informed on the questions and issues of the day. He has never been
a politician in the sense of office-seeking, hut four years ago was chosen county
auditor and is now the capable incumbent in that position, having made an
■excellent record through the prompt and faithful discharge of Ids duties. Fra
ternally he is connected with both the ^lasons and the Ivnights of Pythias and
is loyal to the teachings and purposes of those organizations. Much of his life
has been spent in Iowa, and he is well known as a representative young man,
alert and enterprising and embodying in lii.s life the progressive spirit which
has been the dominant factor in tlie upbuikling of this section of the country.
GEORGE LOWRY.
George Lowry, one of the venerable and respected citizens of Jesup, where
he is now living retired after a period of connection with agricultural interests
of Buchanan county, dating from 1869, was born in Underbill county, Vermont,
March 16, 1825. He is a son of James and Rebecca (Pratt) Lowry. The father
-was likewise a native of the Green Mountain state and was a soldier in the War
of 1812. In early life he followed the carpenter's trade, but in later life engaged
in agricultural pursuits. About 1835 he removed to Cass county, ^Michigan,
making a location in the village of Adamsville, where he continued to work
at his trade until 1856 or 1857, when he came to Iowa and secured a soldier's
grant of land of one hundred and sixty acres in Jackson county, which he
improved and to which he later added a tract of one hundred and twenty
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY • 193
acres. He cultivated this land until the time of his demise, which occurred
when he had reached the advanced age of seventy-seven years. His wife sur-
vived and subsequent to his death made her home in California with a daughter,
and there her death occurred. In their family were nine children, but only
two are living. The record is as follows : Ann, deceased ; George, of this review ;
Oliver, Jane, Myron, Elia and Emily, all of whom have departed this life;
Harriet, now making her home in California; and Frank, who has also passed
away.
George Lowrj' w^as reared under the parental roof and accompanied his
parents on their various removals during the period of his boyhood and youth.
He later learned and worked at the carpenter 's trade, being thus engaged until
1850. He was married about this time, but his wife died in 1853 and he subse-
quently went to California by the overland route, making the journey as far
as Salt Lake City with horses, but at that point he traded his horse team for a
yoke of oxen and continued his journey to Bidwell's Bar, Oroville and Spanish
Town. He then hired a man to drive his team and haul freight, while he spent
three years at Bidwell's Bar, California, working at his trade. He was also
interested in a mine, but eventually sold his interest therein for five hundred
dollars. He spent five years there working at his trade and then, disposing of
his team and other interests, returned to Michigan, where he purchased a farm,
operating the same some seven or eight years. In 1867 he came to Iowa, operat-
ing his father's farm in Jackson county two years, on the expiration of which
period he made a permanent location in Buchanan county, purchasing land in
Westburg township, his place comprising one hundred and sixty acres, on
which had been erected a small house. He made many improvements on the
farm and added sixty acres to his original holdings, operating the same until
1911, in which year he took up his abode in Jesup, where he has since lived
in honorable retirement. His undertakings both as a farmer and carpenter
were attended wdth a gratifying measure of success, and he has long been
numbered among the prosperous and esteemed citizens of his community.
Mr. Lowry has been twice married. He was first married about 1850 to
Miss Sarah E. Mattox, of ]\lichigan, who died three years later, leaving one son,
Charles Wallace, a resident farmer of Buchanan county. His second union was
with Sarah E. Plass, who was born October 14, 1843, in Elkhart county, Indiana,
a daughter of John and Eliza E. (Curtis) Plass. Her father was a native of
New York and was a blacksmith by trade, following this line of work in Kansas,
where he died at the age of seventy-eight years. His father, William Plass,
was a native of Holland, while his mother was born in Germany. Mrs. Lowry 's
materal grandfather was a Scotchman and was a soldier in the Revolutionary
war. Her mother, Mrs. Eliza E. Plass, departed this life at the age of seventy-
seven years. Mrs. Lowry spent her early life on the state line between Indiana
and Michigan and by her marriage has become the mother of one son. James R.,
who makes his home in Jesup.
]\Ir. Lowry has alw^ays supported the men and measures of the democratic
party, but has never consented to hold public office. His wife is a member of
the Methodist Episcopal church. Although he has reached the advanced age
of eighty-nine years, he still retains his mental faculties unimpaired and takes
a keen interest in the happenings of the times. He has always been a steady,
194 • HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
hard-working man and the course he has followed has commended him to the con-
fidence and good-will of all and he has an extensive circle of friends throughout
Buchanan county.
WHEELER B. HALLECK.
Wheeler B. Halleck, president of the Winthrop State Bank, and also an
extensive landowner, is a man of excellent financial ability whose resources are
constantly increasing. He was born in Erie county, New York, on the 16th of
March, 1*846, a son of Peter M. and :Mary B. (Buffum) Halleck. The father
was born in Steuben county. New York, on the 25th of June, 1820, and accom-
panied his parents, Caleb and Dorcas (JMarcelle) Halleck, to Colden, Erie county,
New York, when a child, receiving his education there. He was one of a family
of nine children and early began to provide for his own support, working upon
nearby farms and living at home. After reaching mature years he engaged in
farming and also ran a sawmill. In 1845, when a young man of twenty-five
years, he married Miss Mary Buffum at Colden. She was born June 15, 1822,
in Erie county, near Colden, and was one of thirteen children, whose parents
were Wheeler and Electa (Curtis) Buffum. Her father was born in November,
1800, and died in 1887, while her mother, born in IMay, 1803, passed away in
1883. ^Ir. and Mi-s. Peter M. Halleck remained for ten years at Colden after
their marriage, but then came west, settling at Buffalo Grove, Buffalo township,
this county. They left New York on the 8th of May, 1855, and visited six
months in Illinois before continuing their westward journey. Upon arriving at
their destination Mr. Halleck purchased one hundred and sixty acres and farmed
the same for twenty-five years. His health then failed and he removed to what
is now Buffalo Grove, ])ut in 1887 he left that place and settled at Aurora, where
he resided until his death in 1897. He was a republican in politics, but never
accepted office. His religious faith was attested by his membership in the Free-
will Baptist churcli. He was the father of eleven children, namely: Wheeler
B., the .sul).ject of this review; Richard B., a resident of Lamont, Iowa; Sylvester
0., who died in 1909 ; Mary A., now Mrs. James Weston, of Aurora, Iowa; Ennna,
living in Sioux City, Iowa ; Hannah E., a resident of Winthrop ; Dorcas Electa,
now Mrs. Adelbert HaM^kins, of Aurora ; Ruby and David C, both deceased ;
Henry H., of Oelwein ; and Sarah Anna, deceased. The mother, who is still
living at the venerable age of ninety-two years, resides with her daughter, Mrs.
James Weston.
Wheeler B. Halleck was a child of nine years when the family removed to
this county and located in Buffalo town.ship. His boyhood was spent upon the
home farm and his education was. acquired in the public schools of the neighbor-
hood. When the family first came there was no schoolhouse and the children
of the locality were taught in his father's home. When he became of age he
located in Winthrop and engaged in the livery business and in the buying of
horses for a time, but in 1875 he was married and turned liis attention to farming ,
for eight years. He then again located in AYinthrop and from 1884 to 1892 he
engaged in l)uying and selling horses and cattle. In 1892, in association with
WHEELER B. HALLECK
PI
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 197
Elmer Brintnall, he owned and managed a lumberyard, but in 1897 sold his
interest in that enterprise. In 1884 he was one of the leaders in the organization
of the Winthrop State Bank and sold a great deal of the stock in that institution^
He was from the start a director therein, and in 1911 was elected its president,
which office he still holds. In this capacity, as in all others, he manifests financial
acumen and detailed knowledge of the business situation. He has invested
heavily in land and owns eighteen hundred acres, all fenced and in pasture
land, in Meade county. South Dakota; two hundred and forty acres in Macon
county, Missouri, all of which is improved ; and one hundred and twenty acres
in Littlefield township, this county, which is in a high state of cultivation.
In 1875 Mr. Halleck married Mrs. Frances J. (Miles) Smiley, a native of
Illinois, whose death occurred in January, 1906. Mr. Halleck is a republican in
his political belief, has served as township trustee, and upon coming to Win-
throp was elected alderman, holding that office at the time that the town was
incorporated. He belongs to the Congregational church and is a trustee therein.
Fraternally he belongs to Winthrop Lodge No. 550, I. 0. 0. F. He has proved
very successful and is respected in his eommunitj^ for his ability and his integrity
and honesty.
HARRY HIGMAN.
Harry Higman has resided in Winthrop since 1877, save for five years which
he spent in South Dakota. He is now engaged in the real estate and insurance
business here and is meeting with well deserved success. He was born in
Plymouth, England, July 1, 1854, a son of William and Harriet (Bray) Hig-
man, also natives of that place, born in 1814 and 1821, respectively. They
brought their family to America in 1858, and remained for eighteen years at
Galena, Illinois, where they first located, but in 1876 removed to ^lanehester,
Delaware county, Iowa. The following j^ear they came to this county and
located at Winthrop, where the parents resided until called to their final reward.
The father was during his active life an agriculturist, but for a number of
years prior to his death lived retired. He died in 1904 when about ninety years
of age. He was a member of the Episcopal church. His widow survived for
three years and died when eighty-six years old. To them were born seven
children, three of whom survive, those besides Harry being: J. B., a retired
farmer of Manchester, Iowa ; and Mrs. Annie Noble, of Graettinger, Iowa.
Harry Higman was but a child of four .years when he accompanied his
parents to this country and his education was received in Galena. Illinois.
After graduating from the high school he remained upon the home farm for
a time, but subsequently engaged in the manufacture of butter and cheese near
Winthrop, Iowa, for four years, during which time he resided at Winthrop.
His marriage then, occurred and he removed to Plankington, Aurora county,
South Dakota, when that state was still a territory. There he took up a home-
stead claim and also a tree claim, three hundred and twenty acres in all, and
improved the homestead, residing there for five years. At the end of that time
he returned to Winthrop and was employed at a creamery as butter-maker for
198 HISTORY OF RUCHANAN COUNTY
two years. He was subsequently in the retail harness business for seven or
eight years, and in 1897 was appointed postmaster by President McKinley,
serving in that capacity for sixteen and a half years. During his incumbency
in that position the rural free delivery system was established throughout the
country and the four routes which radiate from Winthrop were then instituted,
being among the first started in this part of the state. Since retiring from the
office of postmaster he has engaged in the insurance and real estate business
and is also interested with L. X. Xorman in a moving picture theater. His
long residence in this part of the county has thoroughly familiarized him with
property values and this knowledge, cpupled with his business experience and
sound judgment, makes him unusually efficient as a real estate agent. He
represents several of the better known insurance companies and is doing con-
siderable business in that line. He is prouder, however, of his long service as
postmaster than of his success as a private business man, and his record is
indeed one that reflects much credit upon him.
Mr. Higman married Miss Ida E. Griswold, a daughter of the late Harvey
Griswold, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work. She was reared
and educated here and by her marriage has become the mother of three children,
the eldest of whom was born in South Dakota, the others being natives of Win-
throp. Arley B. is at home and is assistant postmaster: Gladys N. and Marian
J. are also at home.
Mr. and ^Irs. Higman are members of the Congregational church and assist
in its work. ]\Ir. Higman is a republican and for many years has taken an
active part in politics as county committeeman. He belongs to the ^lodern Wood-
men of America, No. 434, at Winthrop, of which he is clerk, and also to the
local lodge of the IMasons. He is one of the most widely known men in Winthrop
and the number of his friends is proportionately large, as his splendid qualities
of character command the respect and regard of those who are brought in contact
with him.
WILLIAM BOYACK.
William Boyack is practically living retired in Independence, although he
still has valuable farming and stock-raising interests in Buchanan county. He
was born in Dundee, Scotland, on the 24th of December, 1851, his parents being
William and Jane (Doig) Boyack, who were likewise natives of the land of hills
and heather. Both have now passed away, the father's death having occurred
when he was eighty-two years of age. When in Scotland he worked as a weaver
in Dundee and there lived until after his marriage, subsequent to which time
he came to the United States, Avhere he followed general farming and stock-
raising. He arrived in Iowa in 1855 and was thereafter a resident of this state
to the time of his demise. He was very active in politics as a supporter of the
republican party, although he had no political aspirations.
William Boyack attended school in Sumner, Buchanan county, Iowa, and
when about twenty-one years of age began farming in Buchanan county, and
subsequently carried on general agricultural pui-suits to the time that he estab-
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 199
lished his home in Independence. He still owns valuable farm property in this
county and is engaged in raising red Duroc Jersey hogs and Durham cattle.
He owns one hundred and forty-five acres of rich and productive land and the
careful cultivation of his fields has brought to him a very substantial measure
of success.
On April 12, 1883, Mr. Boyack was united in marriage to Miss Ida Safford,
a native of Michigan and a daughter of M. 0. and Eliza (Hoard) Safford,
who removed from ^Michigan to Iowa, settling in Buchanan county, where the
father carried on farming. His family numbered twelve children. To Mr.
and Mrs. Boyack have been born five children: Frank, living on the home
farm in Sumner township ; Mercan William ; Nellie, a graduate of the high
school and of the Cedar Rapids Business College, since which time she has
been teaching in the schools of this county; Bessie, who is a graduate of the
Independence high school and is now the wife of Earl E. Penrose, living on a
farm at Bonner Springs, Kansas ; and Donald, at home.
Mr. Boyack is an Odd Fellow and is the present noble grand of the lodge
at Independence. He also belongs to the Modern Brotherhood of America. His
political allegiance is given to the republican party and he was especially active
in political affairs when living in Sumner township. From the age of four
years he has been a resident of Iowa and throughout almost the entire period
of his connection with the state he has been identified with its agricultural
development, his success being attributable to the capable, persistent manner
in which he has cultivated his fields and raised his stock.
DANIEL KAUTZ.
Daniel Kautz has lived retired at Rowley since the spring of 1914, but still
owns two hundred and forty acres of rich and productive land on section 20,
Cono township, where he successfully followed farming throughout his active
business career. His birth occurred in Germany on the 25th of April, 1849,
his parents being Daniel and Katherina (Stauffer) Kautz, who were likewise
natives of that country. They emigrated to the United States in 1855, locating
first in New York and six months later making their way to West Chicago, Illinois,
where the father was employed as a section hand. In 1866 he came to Buchanan
county, Iowa, and purchased and improved a tract of land in Cono township,
which he cultivated throughout the remainder of his life. His demise occurred
on the 17th of February, 1888, when he had attained the age of seventy-two
years, while his wife died July 12, 1887, at the age of sixty-nine.
Daniel Kautz, whose name introduces this review, -was a lad of six years
when he accompanied his parents on their emigration to the new world and
acquired his education at West Chicago. He was a youth of seventeen when
the family home was established in Buchanan county, this state, and remained
on the home farm until his marriage. Subsequently he took up his abode on
his wife's farm of forty acres in Cono township and turned his attention to
the further cultivation and improvement of the property. Later he purchased
eighty acres more and afterward bought a quarter section of land, devoting his
200 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
attention to general agricultural pursuits with excellent success until the spring
of 1914, when he put aside the active work of the fields and purchased an
attractive residence in Rowley, where he has since lived retired. His holdings
embrace two hundred and forty acres of valuable land on section 20, Cono
township, and he is also a stockholder in the Farmers' Land Company of
Waterloo, Iowa.
On the 20th of December, 1879, ]\Ir. Kautz was united in marriage to Mrs.
IMagdalena (Pfaadt) Kaesser, a daughter of Jacob and Magdalena (Kautz)
Pfaadt, both of whom were natives of Germany. The father was a wool spinner
in that country and there spent his entire life, passing away in 1872, while the
demise of the mother occurred in Buchanan county, Iowa, in 1874. To Mr.
and Mrs. Kautz have been born five children, as follows: Fred, who operates
his father's farm in Cono township; Minnie, the wife of Elmer Height, of
Walker, Iowa ; Ann, who gave her hand in marriage to Eli Housholder, a car-
penter residing at Rowley; and William and Frank L., who operate their father's
farm. By her first husband Mrs. Kautz had four children, namely: Lena,
who is the wife of ^Martin Kress, a farmer of Cono township ; Henry, an agri-
culturist by occupation and a resident of Arlington ; Edward, who makes his
home in Oregon ; and Charles, who follows farming in this county.
Mr. Kautz gives his political allegiance to the democracy and has served
as school director of Cono township for a period of seventeen years, the cause
of education ever finding in him a stanch champion. His religious faith is
that of the Presbyterian church, the teachings of which he exemplifies in his
daily life. The period of his residence in Buchanan county covers nearly a half
century and his record is that of one of its most esteemed, substantial and
representative citizens.
ELIAS PARKER.
Elias Parker is perhaps the oldest business man in Jesup or in that section of
Buchanan county, and although he is now eighty-five years of age he is to be
found daily at his store, which is one of the important concerns of the city.
He was born in the state of New York. August 20, 1829, a son of Oliver Parker,
and was left an orphan at the early age of three and a half years, after which
he made his home with relatives, by whom he was reared and educated. At the
age of eighteen years he started out to make his own way in the world, and
to this end served a three years' apprenticeship to the blacksmith's trade.
^Ir. Parker remained in the east until April, 1857, which date marks his
arrival in Buchanan county. On locating in Littleton, he had but twenty-five
dollars in his pocket but he was determined to establish himself in business. He
purchased a slab shanty on credit and went to work at the blacksmith's trade,
going in debt for his material. In August following he was joined by his wife,
whom he had wedded in the east, and to provide a home for her he had to
borrow money, paying for the same four per cent interest per month. He was
also obliged to ])orrow a stove, bed and other necessities but he went to work
in earnest and for six vears conducted a blacksmith shop in Littleton. He then
X
-J
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 203
purchased a farm in Perry township, paying for the same eight hundred dollars,
this money having been furnished him by his wife's people. He broke the wild
land, cleared and improved the same and thereon made his home four years. On
the expiration of that period he took up his abode in Jesup and opened a wagon
and blacksmith shop, which he conducted with success until 1884, when he dis-
posed of his interest in this line and engaged in the hardware and implement
business. In February, 1912, he once more sold out and embarked in the furni-
ture and undertaking business, to which he has since added a line of implements
and also deals in coal. He is associated in business with his son, Oliver, and
they enjoy an extensive and gratifying patronage, being classed among the repre-
sentative business men of this section of the county. Mr. Parker does not feel
the weight of his years, being still hale and hearty, and is found daily at his
place of business, discharging his duties in the same capable manner that has
ever characterized his career.
Mr. Parker was married on the 8th of October, 1856, to Miss Amelia C. Brown,
a native of New York, and they reared five children to years of maturity : Ida
A., the wife of James McSparran, who lives in Jesup ; Oliver, who was born
October 3, 1860, and is now associated with his father in business; Isabelle, the
wife of V. W. Davis, cashier of a bank in Fairbank, Iowa ; Fred E., who died
when a young man ; and Leora, the wife of C. A. Emerson, of Jesup. Two chil-
dren died in infanc.y.
Mr. Parker gave his earl}^ political allegiance to the whig party but when the
republican party was formed he joined its ranks. He never aspired to public
office though he has served as a school director. Looking back over his past
record, one cannot help rejoicing in the success he has achieved and feel that it
is justly merited, for. deprived of parental care at a tender age, he early had to
depend upon his own resources and though at times the outlook seemed dis-
couraging, he worked on with tireless energy and today stands among the
successful and representative men of Buchanan county.
MARTIN SCHNEIDER.
Martin Schneider, a representative agriculturist and well-known citizen of
Buchanan county, who has here resided for a period covering thirty-six years,
owns and operates an excellent farm embracing one hundred and sixty acres
on section 21, Newton township, and also owns other land in that township.
His birth occurred in Dubuque county, Iowa, in July, 1861, his parents being
Christian and Catherine (Buck) Schneider, both of whom were natives of Ger-
many. The father emigrated to the United States in an early day, locating in
Dubuque county, Iowa, where he purchased and improved a farm which he
operated until 1878. In that year he came to Buchanan county and bought a
tract of land in Newton township, which he improved and in the cultivation of
which he was actively engaged throughout the remainder of his life. His demise
occurred in 1892, while his wife was called to her final rest in 1894.
Martin Schneider accompanied his parents on their removal to this county,
and remained at home until he had attained his majority. Subsequently he
204 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
devoted his attention to the cultivation of rented land for three years, and on
the expiration of that period purchased a farm of two hundred acres in Newton
township in association with his brother. He cultivated the property for five
years and then sold his interest, purchasing a farm of one hundred and sixty
acres on section 21, Newton township, which he improved and which he has
operated continuously and successfully since. In 1909 he bought another farm
of one hundred and twenty acres on sections 16 and 17, Newton township, which
is being operated bj^ his sons. In connection with the cultivation of cereals he
also devotes consideration attention to live-stock interests, buying hogs, sheep
and cattle at the town of Kiene. He is likewise a factor in financial circles as
vice president and a stockholder of the Walker Exchange Bank of Walker, Iowa.
On December 12, 1882, Mr. Schneider was united in marriage to Miss IMartha
]\I. Hoover, a daughter of Samuel and Hulda (Cummings) Hoover, both of
whom were natives of Ohio. The father came to Buchanan county. Iowa, in an
early day with his parents, the family taking up their abode among the first
settlers here. Samuel Hoover operated a farm in Newton township throughout
his active business career. Both he and his wife are deceased. To Mr. and ^Irs.
Schneider have been born foiu* children, as follows : Nettie passed away in
]\Iay, 1911, and was the wife of Victor Hocken, an agriculturist of Newton town-
ship. They had a daughter named Elva, who makes her home with Mr. and
Mrs. Schneider. George AV. and Nelson ]\r. operate their father's farm, and
Ida L. is at home.
In his political views Air. Sclmcider is a stanch republican. He acted as
trustee of Newton township for a period of seven years and has also served as
school director for a number of years, ever proving a most capable and trust-
worthy public official. Fraternally he i.s identified with the Independent Order
of Odd Fellows, belonging to the lodge at Troy Alills. while his religious faith
is tluit of the Congregational church. He possesses many qualities that have
commended liim to the friendship and kindly regard of all with whom he has
come in contact and he has long been numbered among the valued and repre-
sentative residents of his communitv.
JAMES ORR.
The home farm of James Orr on .sections 2 and 11, Homer township, con-
stitutes one of the attractive features in the landscape and is the tangible evi-
dence of a well-spent, active and useful life, for largely through his efforts this
farm has been brought to its present high state of cultivation. Air. Orr was
born in Ireland in October, 1847, and of that country his parents, John and
Mary ^Kirkpatrick) Orr, were also natives. The father devoted his life to
farming and both he and his wife remained residents of the Emerald isle until
their life's labors were ended, Air. Orr passing away in 1906 and his wife
in 1910.
The youthful days of James Orr were devoted to the acquirement of a
public-school education and to farm work in Ireland, for he remained with his
parents until twenty-four years of age. Ambitious to enjoy the privileges and
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 205
opportunities of the new world, he came to America at that time and crossed
the continent as far as Buchanan county. In Homer township he was employed
as a farm hand for about seven years, but it was his desire to engage in farming
on his own account and he accordingly rented land which he cultivated for five
years. On the expiration of that period he bought one hundred and twenty
acres in the southern part of Homer township, which he afterwards traded as
partial payment upon his present place, comprising two hundred acres on sec-
tions 2 and 11, Homer township. His residence is situated on the former section
and near his pleasant and commodious home stand substantial barns and sheds,
so that there is ample shelter for grain and stock. The fields produce golden
harvests and the work is carried on so methodically and systematically that
there is little doubt as to what the result will be. Aside from his other interests,
Mr. Orr is a stockholder in the Rowley Bank.
On the 24th of March, 1885, was celebrated the marriage of James Orr and
Miss Sarah Agnew, a daughter of John and Eliza (Orr) Agnew, who were
natives of Ireland. Her father was likewise a farmer and carried on that occu-
pation throughout his remaining days in the old country, where his death
occurred in 1886, while his wife survived until 1893. Mr. and Mrs. Orr have
two children : John, at home ; and Elizabeth, who is teaching school at Ackley,
Iowa.
For four years Mr. Orr has filled the office of justice of the peace and his
decisions embody both the law and the equity in the case. Politically he is a
republican and in religious belief is a Presbyterian, serving as an elder in the
church in which he has his membership. His fellow townsmen among whom
he has lived for four decades have learned to know that he is a man of his
word, that what he promises he will perform, and that he is thoroughly trust-
worthy in all of his business dealings.
EDWARD L. PLANK.
Edward L. Plank, a well known and successful agriculturist residing on
section 1, Cono township, is the owner of an excellent farm embracing one
hundred and forty-seven acres of rich and productive land. His birth occurred
in Allamakee county, Iowa, on the 1st of April, 1867, his parents being John
and Eva C. (Barnhart) Plank, the former a native of Detroit, Michigan, and
the latter of Germany.
The paternal grandfather of our subject was a Methodist preacher who
emigrated to the United States in a very early day, locating at Detroit, where
he spent the greater part of his life as a minister of the gospel. When seventy-
five years of age he abandoned the pulpit and went to South Dakota, taking
up a homestead on which he spent the remainder of his life. John Plank,
the father of Edward L. Plank, made his way to Allamakee county, Iowa,
many years ago and there carried on agricultural pursuits for a period of about
twenty-two years. In 1876 he came to Buchanan county, purchasing a tract
of land in Middlefield township which he cultivated until 1881. In that year
he took up his abode in Cono township and bought the farm which is now in
206 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
possession of our subject and which comprises one hundred and forty-seven
acres on section 1, improving the property and operating the same success-
fully until 1892, when he put aside the active work of the fields. His remaining
years were spent in honorable retirement at Quasqueton, where his demise
occurred in December, 1908, the community thus losing one of its most esteemed
and substantial citizens. His widow, who survives and makes her home at
Quasqueton, enjoys an extensive and favorable acquaintance throughout the
county in which she has now resided for nearly four decades.
Edward L. Plank, who was a lad of nine years when the family home was
here established, acquired his education in the district schools of the county
and also attended the public schools of Quasqueton. After attaining his
majority he rented the home farm on shares for three years and during the
next five years rented the place for cash. He then purchased the property
and in its further development and improvement has been actively engaged to
the present time. He cultivates the cereals best adapted to soil and climate
and for the past fifteen years has also raised thoroughbred Poland China hogs,
finding both branches of his business gratifyingly remunerative. The Quasque-
ton State Savings Bank numbers him among its stockholders.
On the 31st of December, 1891, ^Ir. Plank was united in marriage to ^liss
Nellie Perkins, a daughter of Joshua and Fannie (Leatherman) Perkins, who
were natives of Maine and Illinois respectively. They came to Buchanan county,
Iowa, in a very early day and the father operated a farm near Quasqueton
throughout the remainder of his life, passing away in October, 1911. The
mother was called to her final rest in October, 1908. Mr. and Mrs. Plank have
seven children, as follows: Neta ]\I., twenty-one years of age; Flossie I., who
is eighteen years old; Lewis H., a youth of sixteen; and Eva F., Ethel M.,
Raymond E. and lona G., who are fourteen, ten, eight and five years of age
respectively.
Mr. Plank gives his political allegiance to the democracy and is now serving
in the capacity of trustee, having held that ofifice for the past six years. He
is also candidate for the position of county supervisor, being nominated at the
convention in June, 1914. His religious faith is that of the Methodist church,
the teachings of which he exemplifies in liis daily life. His unbending integrity
of character, his fearlessness in the discharge of duty in every relation in which
he has been found, and his appreciation of the responsibilities which rest
upon him make him a citizen whose worth is widely acknowledged.
F. W. NICHOLS.
F. W. Nichols has resided in Fairbank for almost fifty years and in that
time has seen Fairbank grow from a tiny settlement to the present thriving
town. He has contributed to its development and his long and useful life here
entitles him to the regard of his fellow citizens. He has also another claim
upon the respect and honor of this generation, as he is a veteran of the Civil
war, having served in that memorable conflict for almost three years. He was
bom in Lower Canada, June 16, 1833, a son of Truman and Abigail (Minkler)
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 207
Nichols, natives of Canada and New York, respectively. The father died in
Iowa and the mother in Sycamore, Illinois. To their union were born four
sons : Henry, deceased ; Elum, who resides in Sandwich, Illinois ; F. W., of
this review ; and John, deceased.
In 1838 F. W. Nichols was taken by his parents to Illinois, the family
locating in St. Charles, where they remained the first winter. The following
spring, however, they settled upon a farm in Du Page county, and there Mr.
Nichols of this review grew to manhood and became a farmer. On the 2d of
September, 1862, he enlisted in the Union army, being enrolled in Company F,
One Hundred and Fifth Illinois Volunteer Infantry. He was with his command
for nearly three years and participated in many hotly contested engagements,
but on the 7th of June, 1865, was honorably discharged. His regiment was at
different times attached to the command of General 0. 0. Howard and to that
of General "Williams. At the close of the war Mr. Nichols returned to Illinois,
but in the fall of 1866 came to Fairbank. He engaged in the mercantile business
in partnership with Jacob I. Minkler, the association being maintained for a
number of years. After the partnership was dissolved he became a stock buyer,
and has since been identified with a number of business interests of the town.
He has excellent judgment and his wisely directed activities have brought him
a competence which enables him to live retired. He owns his success solely to
his own industry, good management and thrift and these qualities have also
won him the respect of those who know him.
Mr. Nichols was married in Illinois on the 1st of September, 1865, to Ellen
M. Green, who was born in Hardwick, New York, on the 10th of August, 1841,
a daughter of George A. and Hannah Moore (Hughes) Stittman. Her father
was born in Connecticut on the 15th of June, 1812, and died in Battle Creek,
Michigan. Her mother was a native of Pennsylvania, born August 21, 1818,
and also passed away in Battle Creek. There were seven children born to their
union: George A., deceased; Mrs. Maria White, of Mu.skegon, Michigan; Mrs.
Nichols ; Phoebe, Richard and William, all deceased ; and Mary A. George and
Richard were both in the Seventh Michigan Battery during the Civil war and
are buried at New Orleans, Louisiana. The former died in July, 1866, and the
latter July 5, 1865. All of the children were born in the state of New York,
except the youngest, whose birth occurred at Coldwater, Michigan.
To Mr. and Mrs. Nichols were born the following children : Laura A., whose
birth occurred August 7. 1866, and who died August 31, 1868; Mrs. Abigail
Dewey, whose birth occurred August 3, 1868, and who is now residing in Moville,
Iowa; Mr.s. Hattie Poison, born July 11, 1870, who died September 13, 1900;
Mrs. Kate Knight, born April 30, 1872, now residing in Salem, Missouri; Wil-
liam A., born on the 7th of April, 1875, who is living near Middle River, Minne-
sota ; and Mrs. Ellen S. Corrigeux, born September 25, 1880, now a resident of
Spokane, Washington. All of the children were born and raised in Fairbank.
Mr. Nichols has been superintendent of the Sunday school of the Methodist
Episcopal church at Fairbank for twenty-five years and since 1868 has been a
trustee of the church. In the many years that he has gladly given his time
and service to the church his influence has affected many lives and he has been
a potent force in the maintaining of a high moral standard in the community.
His wife is also an active member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Politically
208 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
Mr. Nichols is a republican and fraternally belongs to the Knights of Pythias
of Fairbank and also to the Grand Army of the Republic. Mrs. Nichols holds
membership in the Pythian Sisters and in the Woman's Relief Corps. For
forty years Mr. Nichols has been identified with the Cemetery Association of
Fairbank, which has the task of keeping the local City of the Dead in good
condition. Mr. Nichols owns his residence in Fairbank and has accumulated
sufficient property to enable him to live in leisure. He and his wife are held
in warm regard by their fellow citizens and there is no couple in the county
more highly respected than they.
JOHN H. WILLEY.
John H. Willey, one of the owners and editors of the Bulletin Journal, has
devoted his entire life to newspaper publication and is well known among the
representative.s of that field of business in the state. His birth occurred in
Zanesville, Ohio, April 1, 1853, his parents being ]\Ioses H. and Charlotte Belle
(]\Ioore) Willey. The father's birth occurred in West Virginia in 1820 and the
mother was born in Pennsylvania in 1831. In early life Closes H. Willey fol-
lowed the occupation of farming but afterward learned the carpenter's trade
and became a contractor and builder. When a young man he removed to Ohio,
residing in that state until 1856, when he brought his family to Iowa, settling
in Oskaloosa, but later removing to Atlantic in 1868. He continued in business
as a contractor to the time of his death, which occurred in 1887. He was an
expert mechanic and, therefore, found little difficulty in securing a liberal
patronage. His widow still survives and now makes her home in Independence.
In their family were ten children, of whom six are j^et living.
John H. Willey, the second in order of birth, was but three years of age
when the family arrived in Iowa and in the schools of Oskaloosa he pursued his
education, but from an early age he has been dependent upon his own resources,
working for others since a mere boy. He had learned the printer's trade before
he reached the age of twenty years, at which time he purchased a half interest in
a newspaper at Atlantic, Iowa, with which he was connected from 1874 until
1880. He then became sole owner of the paper, which he published for eleven
years. On the expiration of that period ho sold out and a year later came to Inde-
pendence. Here he purcha.sed the Bulletin Journal and for two years was in
partnership with AVilliam Toman. This is the second oldest newspaper in the
county. Mr. Willey is still connected therewith as editor and in the ownership
of the paper has as his partners A. H. Farwell and Willard B. Coltman. He
devotes his entire time to the interests of the paper and has gained a good sub-
scription list and advertising patronage. The paper is carefully managed and
attractively edited, and IMr. Willey keeps in touch with the trend of general ad-
vancement, which is as marked in the field of journalism as in any other walk
of life.
On the 28th of September, 1876, Mr. Willey was united in marriage to Miss
Jennie Boyer, who was born in Zanesville, Ohio, a daughter of Oliver J. and
Emily Boyer, who were natives of Maryland. Soon after the Civil war they
r
JOHN II. W ILLEV
A. H. FARWELL
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 213
came to Iowa, settling at Clinton and subsequently removing to Boone, where the
father did railroad work until a short time prior to his death, which occurred in
1907. He served for four years as a private in the Civil war. His wife died
when Mrs. Willey was a mere child. She was the eldest of tive children. To I\Ir.
and Mrs. Willey have been born four children: Nellie E., now the wife of R.
B. Hovey, who is living retired in Chicago ; one who died in infancy ; Harry R.,
who is a regular in the United States cavalry and is now on the Mexican border ;
and Horace B., who is assisting his father in the newspaper office.
Mr. Willey belongs to the Knights of Pythias and to the Independent Order of
Odd Fellows, and he attend.s the Methodist church, of which his wife is a member.
His political allegiance is given to the republican party, the principles of which
he upholds through the columns of his paper. He stands at all times for progress
and improvement and gives his aid to any movement or measure which he deems
of benefit to the community. Practically his entire life has been passed in this
state and for fifty-eight years he has been an interested witness of its progress.
Personal effort and newspaper publication have both been made to serve public
ends, and he deserves mention as one of the representative and valued residents
of Buchanan countv.
HENRY F. BALL.
Henry F. Ball is a resident farmer and a township trustee of Liberty town-
ship. Success has come to him as the reward of persistent effort, wisely and
intelligently directed, for he started out in life for himself as a farm hand with
no capital and has achieved success by dint of determined purpose, indefatigable
energy and business integrity. He was born in Linn county, Iowa, in 1866, a
son of Marcus Lysander Ball, who was born near Syracuse, New York, in 1838,
and had attained the age of sixty-eight years when, in 1906, he was called to
his final rest. In early life the father worked on canal boats in the east and
also learned the shoemaker's trade, but the reports which reached him con-
cerning the opportunities, the growth and the advantages of the middle west
drew him to Iowa and he made the overland trip to Jones county. He settled
upon a tract of land which his father had entered from the government, and
there began the development of a farm.
The grandfather died soon after his arrival in Iowa and Marcus L. Ball then
removed to Linn county, where he carried on general farming until 1866. In
that year he arrived in Buchanan county, where evidences of pioneer life and
conditions still existed. He had to haul his produce to Manchester and at times
the roads were almost impassable, l)ut with persistent energy he continued his
farm work. In 1882 he removed to Liberty township, where he also owned
land, and there he carried on general farming until he retired from active life
and took up his abode in Winthrop where, in 1906, he met death by accident,
being killed by a train. He had been somewhat active in public affairs, having
served as road supervisor for twenty years. He was a zealous advocate of the
republican party and did all in his power to further its growth and win for
"Tol. 11—10
214 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
it success. He was a charter member of the Presbyterian church and assisted
in organizing the Unity Presbyterian church. He also aided in organizing
the Farmers' Mutual Insurance Company of Independence, and in all things he
was actuated by a progressive spirit, which was never content to rest with
present conditions, but was always seeking something better and something in
advance. In early manhood he wedded Ellen Keller, who was born in Ohio in
1845. They traveled life's journey happily together for many years and were
then separated by the death of the father in 1906, while the mother passed
away in 1912.
Henry F. Ball had only such educational advantages as the district schools
of that day afforded, and M^hen but a boy he began work as a farm hand, and
from that time forward lias been dependent upon his own resources. When
twenty-one years of age he purchased eighty acres and since that time has been
busily engaged in general farming. To his original holdings he has added
until he now owns one hundred and eighty-five acres, in the midst of which
stands a comfortable and commodious residence. The barns and outbuildings,
too, are such as one would expect to find upon the land of a progressive farmer
and the fields present a neat and thrifty appearance. In a word, Mr. Ball
has led an active, useful and well spent life and has won the merited rewards
of labor.
It was in 1889 that Mr. Ball was united in marriage to Miss Flora Swartzel,
a native of Buchanan county and a daughter of Frank and Lucy (Sherretts)
Swartzel, who are natives of Ohio and are now seventy and sixty-seven years
of age respectively. The father has made farming his life work. In the early
'50s he came to Iowa, locating near Quasqueton, and he is well known in this
part of the county. Mr. and ^Nlrs. Ball have become the parents of four
children : Lila, the wife of Charles Switzer, by whom she has one child,
Mervene ; Eulalie, the wife of Carl Gates, a farmer and representative of a
pioneer family, by whom she has a son, Elmo ; Neva, who is a graduate of the
Iowa State Teachers' College and has taught in the schools of this county; and
Frank, who is associated with his father in the farm work.
Mr. Ball is a charter member of Winthrop Lodge, No. 550, I. 0. 0. F., and
has taken an active interest in its work and filled all of its chairs. His political
indorsement is given to the republican party, and he has served as township
trustee for the past twelve years. He Ls also the township director of the
Farmers Insurance Company. His interest in the public welfare is manifest
in many tangible ways, and lie is a well known and popular man of his
township.
CALVIN HUBERT GILBERT.
Calvin Hubert Gilbert, of Independence, is one of the leading photographers
of Iowa, a fact which is attested by the many medals and honor awards which
he has received in exhibition contests. Moreover, he is today the president
of the Iowa State Photographers' Assoeiation — a position which indicates his
high stvinding among the representatives of the art.
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 215
Mr. Gilbert was born near Beloit, Wisconsin, June 24, 1874, and is a son of
William H. and Lucy M. (Truesdell) Gilbert, the latter a sister of Gaylord
Sankston Truesdell, the noted American artist, who won the gold medal at the
Paris (France) Salon, for a study of cattle in oil. Mrs. Gilbert was born at
Waukegan, Illinois, on the 8th of May, 1848. The birth of William H. Gilbert
occurred at Pulaski, New York, on the 9th of September, 1840, and in early
life he learned the carpenter's trade. He was still but a young lad when he
accompanied his parents to Afton, Wisconsin, where he was reared to manhood
and later he went to Chicago. It was there that he learned the trades of
carpentering and cabinetmaking and he continued in active business in Chicago
until after the outbreak of the Civil war, when he put aside all personal con-
siderations and enlisted for active duty at the front, becoming drummer boy
of Company A, Nineteenth Illinois Infantry, the Zouaves. He enlisted for
the entire war, and with his company fought at the battle of Chickamauga.
He was captured while attending the wounded on the battlefield and confined
in six rebel prisons, including Andersonville and Libl)y, his incarceration cover-
ing seventeen months, at the end of which time he finally succeeded in making
his escape. Our subject has in his possession a number of interesting relics
which his father made while in prison. After his escape he was taken to the
Charleston hospital, where he was treated for eight months, for his health had
become greatly impaired through the ravages of prison life. When the war
was over he was mustered out and returned to his father's farm near Beloit,
Wisconsin, where he recuperated. He then took up his abode in that city and
worked at the carpenter's trade for several years. In later years being unable to
work at his trade, he assisted his son in the studio until his death, which
occurred November 14, 1906. He was an earnest Christian man, holding mem-
bership in the Baptist church, in which he served as deacon. His life was
indeed honorable and upright in all of its purposes and in all of his actions,
and he left to his family the priceless heritage of an untarnished name. His
widow .survives and now resides in Independence.
Calvin H. Gilbert is an only child. He attended school in both Beloit and
Afton, Wisconsin, and afterward took special work in a training school at
Chicago which fitted him for the duties of secretary in the Young Men's
Christian Association. He was eighteen years of age when he began studying
photography in Janesville, Wisconsin, devoting two years to a mastery of the
principles of the art. He then took charge of a studio at Antioch, Illinois,
where he remained for a year. He was afterward in Clinton, Wisconsin, where
he conducted a studio for eighteen months, and later spent one year as operator
in a photographic gallery in Elkhorn. He was afterward with Norman B.
Lawson of Chicago for six months and in the Gibson .studio for a short time.
It was during that period that he attended school, pursuing his special course,
after which he became assistant secretary of the Young Men's Christian Asso-
ciation at Janesville, where he remained for about a year. In the year 1898
he came to Independence and for a year was employed in the photographic
studio of Mr. Fairbanks. He was then elected secretary of the Young Men's
Christian Association but after serving a year as such purchased the Fair-
banks studio in 1901 and has since conducted it. It is most thoroughly
equipped and he does most artistic and expert work at reasonable prices.
216 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
Mr. Gilbert has never deviated from the highest artistic standards. He
has kept in touch with the most advanced processes of photography and under-
stands fully the scientific principles underlying his work as well as the artistic
worth and value of light, shade and posing. In 1902 he won the gold medal
in the miniature class and gained the same medal through three successive
years and also one silver medal. He won the prize in Class B for portrait
work and two diplomas in Indiana on the same exhibit in 1907. The silver
medal which he gained was awarded in 1908 on Class A. In 1910 he secured
the gold medal in that class in Iowa. In 1912 he was elected the second vice
president of the Iowa State Photographers' Association and the following
year he was appointed the first vice president, while in 1914 he was elected
president of the association — a fact indicative of his high standing among his
brother artists. He devotes his entire time to the studio. He also displays
marked artistic talent as a painter in oils. He was gifted by nature with
ability which he has developed through study and experience until he stands
as one of the eminent representatives of photographic art in Iowa. He has
attended all the state and a number of national photographers' conventions and
thus has kept abreast with the most advanced ideas and methods.
On the 20th of December, 1899, Mr. Gilbert was married to ^liss Oma
Kiefer, who was born in Ilazelton. Iowa, a daughter of William H. and Ella
(Bates) Kiefer. The father's birth occurred at ^lishawaka, Indiana, September
26, 1856, and the mother was born at Janesville, Wisconsin, Septemljer 19, 1857,
Mr. Kiefer engaged in merchandising in early life at Ilazelton, Iowa, for exactly
twenty years and then removed to Independence, where lie organized the Iowa
Grocery Company, conducting business under that name for four or five years.
He then retired and became a salesman for the ilishawaka Woolen Company,
which he represented for three or four years. He is now engaged in selling
specialties for the National Clock & Manufacturing Company, being the Iowa
representative of that iiouse, and he makes his home in Independence. He was
at one time alderman from the fourth ward. To him and his wife have been
born three children, of whom Mrs. Gilbert is the eldest. The others are: Donna,
who became the wife of W. B. Piielps, a traveling salesman, and died April 17,
1911. leaving a child, Pauline, who is living with her paternal grandparents;
and Beulah, the wife of (Jeorge Scully, of Waverly, Iowa, who is county
treasurer of Bremer county. Mr. and Mrs. Kiefer also reared a child, Robert
Bates, a nephew, whose mother died when he was but eight months old and who
has ever been given the place of a son in the household, although not legally
adoj^ted. He is a graduate of the Upper Iowa I'niversity of the class of 1913
and is at present studying law. To Mr. and ^Ir.s. Gillx'i-t liave been born three
children: Anita Grace, born January 29, 1901; Helen May, February 24,
UnVA- and Donna Elizabeth, May 28, 1913.
Ml-. Gilbert holds membership with the Modern Woodmen of America, with
the Modern Brotherhood of America, with the Methodist Episcopal church and
witli the Brotherhood of the Methodist Episcopal church. His political allegiance
is given the republican party, although he displays independent tendencies,
voting according to the dictates of his judgment regardless of party ties. His
entire life has been guided by upright principles and purposes. He has never
deviated from a course which his judgment has sanctioned as right between
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 217
himself and his fellowmen, nor are his standards the superficial ones of the
world, but have their root in those principles which are the basic element of the
Christian religion, and it is this which has made him thoroughly reliable in all
of his business dealings and progressive in all of life's relations.
HORACE W. HOVEY.
Horace AV. Hovey is now living retired at Independence but for forty-two
years was engaged in the drug business in this city and won the success which
now enables him to put aside further business cares. His birth occurred at
Worcester, Vermont, September 26, 1841, his parents being Horace and Alpha
(Hammond) Hovey, who were also natives of New England, the former having
been born at Hanover, New Hampshire, August 2, 1805, and the latter at
Thetford, Vermont, July 29, 1803. The ancestry of the family in America is
traced back to 1635, Horace W. Hovey having in his possession the genealogy
from that period to the present in a work that was largely prepared by his
cousin, Horace, who recently passed away. The coat of arms is a hand holding a
pen, with a scroll beneath and the words "Hinc Orior, " by this we rise. A brother
of Horace Hovey, Sr., was one of the founders of Wabash College in Indiana. The
paternal grandfather of our subject served in the Revolutionary war and patriot-
ism has always been one of the salient characteristics of the family. In early life
Horace Hovey, Sr., carried on general agricultural pursuits. He continued his
residence at Worcester, Vermont, to the time of his death and held the office of
justice of the peace there, but political honors and emoluments had no attraction
for him.
Horace W. Hovey was the third born in a family of five children, three of
whom are yet living. He acquired his preliminary education in the district
schools of Vermont and afterward attended Wabash College of Indiana. His
youthful days were spent upon the home farm with the usual experiences that
fall to the lot of the farm lad. He assisted in the work of plowing, planting
and harvesting and after the close of the Civil war, when in his twenty-fifth
year, he made his way westward to Iowa, arriving at Independence in 1868.
There he began learning the drug business and was in the employ of A. B.
Clarke until 1882. He then purcha.sed the store, which he successfully con-
ducted for thirty years or until 1912, when he sold out and is living retired,
enjoying a rest which he has truly earned and richly deserves. He is spending
his leisure time in travel, gaining thereby the knowledge and culture which
only travel can bring.
On the 20th of June, 1872, ]Mr. Hovey was united in marriage to Miss Marial
Barnhart, who was born at ]\Iayville, Chautauqua county. New York, a daughter
of Peter and Sarah (Herrick) Barnhart. the former born in Somerset county,
Pennsylvania, in 1789. and the latter in Essex county, Vermont, in 1801.
]\Ir. Barnhart became an early settler of New York, where he followed various
business pursuits, being connected with the management of a hotel, with the
tanning business and with farming. About 1857 he brought his family to
Iowa, settling in Independence, where he lived retired. His sons engaged in the
218 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
newspaper business, establishing what is now known as the Conservative. Later
four of the brothers engaged in the type foundry business in Chicago, fortaing
the firm of Barnhart Brothers & Spindler, which has become one of the
largest type foundries in the world. Mr. Barnhart died in the year 1876,
while his wife survived until 1878. Their daughter, Mrs. Hovey, was the
fifth bom in a family of nine children and she is entitled to belong to the
Daughters of the American Revolution, for her paternal grandfather was a
soldier in the war for independence. Her father was twice married and had
six children by his first union. To Mr. and Mrs. Hovey has been born a son,
Royal Barnhart, who was born March 20, 1874, and resides in Winnetka, Illinois,
his business interests being in connection with the Barnhart Brothers type foundry
of Chicago, of which he is a director. He was married October 31, 1905, to
Miss Nellie E. Willey, and they have three children: Ruth Marial, born Janu-
ary 21, 1907 ; Sarah Elizabeth, June 23, 1908 ; and Eugenia, August 23, 1912.
In 1877 Mr. Hovey erected his present residence in Independence and here
expects to spend his remaining days. His has been a well spent, useful and
active life, crowned with a measure of success that is the direct reward of his
efforts. His record should serve to inspire and encourage others, showing what
may be accomplished when energy and ambition point out the way. He belongs
to the Presbyterian church and his entire career has commanded for him the
confidence and good-will of those with whom he has been associated, for he has
ever been honorable, straightforward and reliable in every relation of life.
MONSIGNOR J. J. GARLAND.
Monsignor J. J. Garland, who passed away September 15, 1914, after thirty-
seven years in the priesthood, came to Independence on the 24th of June, 1912.
He was born at Dover Plains, New York, on the 5th of March, 1854, a son of
Thomas and Rosanna (O'Dowd) Garland, who were natives of Ireland. The
father, who was born in 1820, died in 1892. The mother, who was born in 1822,
passed away October 5, 1877. It was in the year 1846 that Thomas Garland
came to the United States, settling in Dutchess county, New York, where he
resided until 1855. He then removed to Kewanee, Illinois, where he owned
land and became a successful farmer. He had but two children, the daughter
being Mrs. John Hunt, of Sheldon, Iowa.
The son, Monsignor J. J. Garland, was only about a year old when his parents
settled in Kewanee, Illinois, in April, 1855. In 1867 he was sent back to New
York, where he entered the Seminary of Our Lady of Angels at Suspension
Bridge, there pursuing his classical course. He remained there for four years,
but completed his course in St. Ignatius College at Chicago, Illinois, in 1871.
In September of the same year he entered the Seminary of St. Bonaventure in
Allegany, New York, where he completed his philosophical and theological
studies. Being adopted by the late Archbishop Hennessy in 1876, he was called
to Dubuque but, being too young for ordination, he was sent by the Arch-
bishop to St. Joseph's College at Dubuque to become a member of the faculty
M0X81GX0R J. J. GARLAND
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 221
as master of discipline. On the 24th of February, 1877, he was ordained to the
priesthood and was immediately appointed assistant to the late Rt. Rev. E. C.
Lenihan, then of Sioux City, where he experienced real pioneer missionary life,
for the parish contained nine counties of northwestern Iowa. In order to visit
the Catholic families scattered over that vast territory, the priests were com-
pelled to ride horseback or in himber wagons over the prairies, finding shelter
at night with the frontier settlers.
On the 11th of December, 1877, Father Garland was sent to take charge
of a portion of Cresco parish in Howard county, known as the Crane Creek
settlement. There, sixteen miles from a railroad, he labored for several years,
organizing the mission into a parish, building a parochial residence and securing
from the government a mail route. In 1880 he was assigned to Center Grove,
Clinton county, as the successor of Rev. J. B. Gaffney, and there he undertook
the task of erecting a new church. He had lime hauled from ]\Iaquoketa and
lumber from Clinton, while other necessary building materials could be secured
at that place. After eight years there spent he arrived at Eagle Grove, Wright
county, on the 26th of January, 1889. This was a new railroad town and a
division point on the Northwestern, and he also served the churches at Dun-
eombe, Lehigh and Coalville in Webster county. He built the first church in
Lehigh, but was relieved of the mission work in 1890. At the time of his arrival
in Eagle Grove he found practically no church or school and only twenty-eight
families, but the following year he secured the building of a substantial church
which was dedicated by Bishop Cotter. On the 20th of June, 1894, however,
the building was totally destroyed by a cyclone. He at once undertook the work
of rebuilding, and this time the edifice was constructed of brick. He also estab-
lished a parochial school, erecting the Dominican convent and high school of
the Sacred Heart. In 1902 he celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of his
ordination to the priesthood, and two years later Eagle Grove was made a
deanery, with Father Garland as its first dean.
On the death of the Very Rev. P. J. McGrath, August 14, 1904, he was
appointed to succeed him as rector and dean of the Charles City deanery. On
the 24th of June, 1912, he came to Independence and on the 18th of May, 1913,
he was made a monsignor by Pope Pius X. He labored untiringly to further
the interests of Catholicism and had the satisfaction of seeing the work of the
church grow in each city in which he was stationed.
JOHN W. LEAVEN.
John W. Leaven, a representative and enterprising young agriculturist re-
.siding in Newton township, is the owner of a well improved farm comprising
one hundred and twenty acres on section 20. His birth occurred in Benton
county, Iowa, on the 5th of May, 1885, his parents being Nicholas and Anna
(Lanser) Leaven, both of whom are natives of Holland. The father came to
the United States with his parents when ten years of age, the family home
being established in Dubuque county, Iowa. Subsequently he removed to
Benton county, this state, and there successfully carried on agricultural pur-
222 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
suits for a number of years. In time he disposed of his property and came to
Newton township, Buchanan county, here purchasing and improving a farm
of three hundred and sixty acres which he operated for seven years. On the
expiration of that period he put aside the active work of the fields and took
up his abode in Walker, where he has since lived in honorable retirement. His
wife also survives and they enjoy an extensive and favorable acquaintance
throughout the community.
John W. Leaven was reared and educated in the county of his nativity
and remained under the parental roof until twenty-four years of age. He then
started out as an agi'iculturist on his own account, cultivating rented land for
two years, at the end of which time he bought from his father a tract of one
hundred and twenty acres on section 20, Newton township, this county. He has
made a number of excellent improvements on the property and has been actively
and successfully engaged in its operation to the present time, carrying on the
work of the fields in a most practical, progressive and resultant manner.
On the 25th of November, 1909, Mr. Leaven was united in marriage to Miss
Mamie Burke, a daughter of Thomas and Catherine (Tarpy) Burke. Her
father came to Buchanan county in an early day and has since followed farm-
ing in Newton township. Our subject and his wife have three children, namely :
Anna Catherine and Bernice, who are four and two years of age respectively ;
and Thomas Francis, who is in his first year.
Mr. Leaven gives his political allegiance to the democracy and is a Catholic
in religious faith. His life is actuated by high principles and characterized by
manly conduct, and in his home community he enjoys that warm personal
friendship and kindly esteem which are always given in recognition of genuine
worth in the individual.
GUY I. GROVER.
Guy I. Grover is a native son of Homer township, born on the 4th of March,
1876, and he still resides in that township, owning a tract of land on sections
2 and 3. His parents. Azotus and Olive E. (Buell) Grover, are mentioned on
another page of this volume. When Guy I. Grover had attained to sufficient
age he entered the public schools and when he had mastered the branches of
learning there taught he became a student in the Upper Iowa Universit.y at
Fayette. He then remained with his parents until he reached the age of twenty-
two years, after which he began farming and rented land of his father for
eight years. At that time the father died and the son came into possession of
a place of one hundred and twenty acres on sections 2 and 3, Homer township,
and later he purchased sixty acres adjoining, so that he now has" a fine farm
of one hundred and eighty acres. A glance at the place indicates something
concerning the owner. Neatness and order characterize* the entire farm and
his earnest work finds its reward in the abundant harvests which he gathers.
He also buys, sells and raises stock in large numbers. His judgment couceniing
the value of an animal is seldom, if ever, at fault and he is thus able to make
judicious purchases and profitable sales.
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 223
On the 23d of December, 1897, Mr. Grover was united in marriage to Miss
Eunice Grain, who was born March 26, 1876, a daughter of Charles E. and
Elizabeth (Haines) Grain, the former a native of New Jersey and the latter
of Ohio. Mr. Grain followed farming as a life work and in 1853 arrived in
Iowa, settling in Cedar county, where he purchased land and began farming.
He afterward removed to Linn county, where he again carried on farming and
later he removed from that place to Buchanan county, living in Rowley for
five years or until the time of his death, which occurred in June, 1910. His
widow survives and now makes her home with her children. Mr. and Mrs.
Grover have four children, namely : John Devere, a youth of sixteen ; Walter
Lloyd, fourteen years old ; and Charles Azotus and Elizabeth Buell, who are
eight and five years of age respectively.
Taking up the study of political questions in his early manhood, Guy I.
Grover became convinced that the republican party could best solve the govern-
mental problems vexing the country and he has never seen occasion to change
his opinion. He belongs to the IMethodist church at Rowley and is superin-
tendent of its Sunday school. In its teachings are found the source of his moral
strength and his devotion to the highest standards. He ever attempts to live
peaceably among his fellowmen, works persistently to further the best interests
of the community and at all times his influence is on the side of righteousness
and truth.
GEORGE SHERRER.
George Sherrer, deceased, was during his lifetime one of the representative
farmers of Buchanan county. He was bom in Bavaria, Germany, on the 23d
of September, 1854, a son of Valentine and Magdalena (King) Sherrer* The
former, who was born in Bavaria in 1829, emigrated to America and settled
in Iowa in 1871. He passed away in March, 1909. His wife was born in the
same kingdom and in the same year and also died in 1909. Thej^ had seven
children, of whom George Avas the eldest.
George Sherrer was educated in Germany and had liberal advantages along
that line. During his youth he was in the employ of others and after coming
to this country continued to work as a farai hand until he had saved money
enough to purchase land. In 1878 he bought an eighty acre tract in this county
and gave his attention to its cultivation, carrying on general farming. His
widow still lives upon that place. He subsequently bought two hundred and
seventeen acres in Delaware county, Iowa, which he also cultivated, and as the
owner of two hundred and ninety-seven acres of rich Iowa land he was finan-
cially independent and enjoyed the comforts of life. He was a man of marked
industry and enterprise and was also characterized by sound judgment, which
enabled him to manage his business affairs so as to avoid waste and secure the
maximum profit. He died July 31, 1908, and his many friends mourned his loss.
Mr. Sherrer was married in P'ebruar}^, 1876, to Miss Frances Halamrach,
who was })orn in Bavaria, Germany, in 1857, a daughter of George and Mar-
garet (Marshall) Halamrach. Her father, who was a decorator by profession,
224 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
was born in Bavaria in 1835 and came to America in 1866. He died in 1868,
His wife was also a native of Bavaria and was born in 1835. She passed away
in January, 1908, surviving her husband for forty years. To their union were
born four children, of whom Mrs. Sherrer is the eldest. The latter became the
mother of eight children : Mrs. Barbara Faber ; Mrs. Jenny Shaufhauser ;
Mrs. Mary Reed ; Charles M. ; Arthur, at Monti ; Frank S., living in Fremont
township, this county ; Albert, at home ; and Mrs. Eveline CrLsull. Mrs. Sherrer
owns and her son Albert operates one hundred and sixty-seven acres of land
in Delaware county and eighty acres in Buchanan county, following general
farming, and stock raising. The family is of the Catholic faith.
Mr. Sherrer was a democrat in his political belief and served upon the
school board. Fraternally he belonged to the Modern Woodmen of America
and his widow is a member of the Royal Neighbors. He possessed in large
measure those sturdy and admirable qualities of character which have made
the Teutonic race such a power in the world, and he not only won success for
himself but also contributed to the prosperity of Buchanan county.
HORACE L. BOIES.
Horace L. Boies, an extensive landowner and farmer living at Quasqueton,
where he is also connected with banking interests, belongs to that class of men
who have won success through the ready recognition and utilization of oppor-
tunity. He was born in Boone county, Illinois, November 1, 1850, a son of
W. D. and Sarah (Bugby) Boies. The life record of the father covered a span
of eighty-six years, his birth having occurred near Buffalo, New York, in 1820,
while in 1906 he passed away. His wife was a native of New England, bom
in Putney, Vermont, in 1822. In early manhood W. D. Boies followed the occu-
pation of farming in the Empire state and afterward removed westward to
Illinois, settling about sixty-five miles from Chicago, the journe.y being made
before any railroad lines had been built into that city. For many years he was
identified with agricultural interests in Illinois and in 1873 arrived in Buchanan
county, Iowa, establishing his home in Liberty township, where he owned con-
siderable land. In addition to general farming he engaged in the manufacture
of cheese.
Horace L. Boies was a pupil in the district schools of Illinois and continued
his education in the public schools of this state after coming to Iowa in 1869.
It was subsequent to the time when h'^ attained his nineteenth year that he
became a student in the high school in Waterloo, studying under Professor
Van Colin, afterward state superintendent of education. He began business
life as a farm hand, working for an uncle in Grundy county after a year spent
in Quasqueton. In 1873 his father brought the family to Buchanan county,
and Horace L. Boies returned to Quasqueton, where he has since lived. That
his life has been one of unremitting diligence and determination, that his invest-
ments have been judiciously made and his business affairs carefully conducted
is indicated in the fact that he is now the owner of six hundred acres of valuable
land in Buchanan county, and he devotes most of his time to assisting his sons
HORACE L. BOIES
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 227
in looking after the farms. He is also the vice-president of the Quasqueton
State Savings Bank and in business affairs his judgment is sound, his sagacity
keen and liis enterprise unfaltering.
On August 29, 1880, Mr. Boies was united in marriage to Miss Jennie Tower,
who was born in Canada, July 2, 1850, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas
Tower, both of whom were natives of England. The father came from that
country when a young man and for several years followed farming in Canada.
In November, 1865, he arrived in Buchanan county, Iowa, settling near Win-
throp, where he made purchase of farm property . until he was the owner of
more than six hundred acres. He became a naturalized citizen of the United
States, but he did not seek to figure prominently as an office holder, preferring
always to give his time and attention to his general farming and stock-raising
interests. His business was so capably conducted that success in large measure
attended him. He and his wife are buried at Fort Dodge, Iowa.
To Mr. and Mrs. Boies have been born four children : Hawley, who attended
the Upper Iowa College at Fayette and the Cedar Falls Normal School, is now
living on one of his father's farms. He married Lulu Slater and has three chil-
dren, Willis, Wilma and Leonard. Lucretia, who attended Upper Iowa Univer-
sity at Fayette, died at the age of twenty-three years. Ruth is the wife of
Dr. E. W. Shine, a graduate of the State University of Iowa City. Glenn also
occupies one of his father's farms. He wedded Leta Gaylord, whose grandfather
was one of the pioneer settlers of Byron township, and they now have two chil-
dren, Marion and June.
Mr. Boies gives his political allegiance to the republican party and keeps
thoroughly informed concerning all of the vital questions and problems of the
day. His fellow townsmen, appreciative of his worth and ability, have fre-
quently called him to township and town offices, and he has served both as
councilman and mayor of Quasqueton and as township trustee, exercising his
official prerogatives in support of many valuable and progressive public meas-
ures. His religious faith is that of the Methodist church and the underljdng
principles concerning man's duty to his fellowmen find expression in his every-
day life, as seen in his honorable business dealings, in his devotion to the public
good and in his helpful attitude toward his fellow townsmen.
WILLIAM B. MILLER.
William B. Miller is a native son of the county and has gained and held the
respect of those who have come in contact with him. He is now manager of a
hardware and implement store in Winthrop for the W. D. Hoyt Company,
which concern also owns stores in Manchester, Earlville and Robinson. He
was born in Quasqueton, Liberty township, on the 12th of March, 1862, a son
of William and Lavonia (Fleming) Miller. The former was born in Prussia,
January 11, 1829, and removed to Canada with his parents when but a child
of two years. He was married on the 2d of November, 1856, in this county,
where he had settled in 1855. He was a blacksmith by trade and followed
that occupation until late in life, when he became a partner of his son William
228 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
B. in the conduct of a hardware business. This association was formed in
October, 1890, and was continued until the death of the father on the 3d of
August, 1898. In 1862 he enlisted in the First Iowa Cavalry and served
throughout the Civil war until its close, being honorably discharged in 1865.
His wife was born in New York state, November 27, 1836, and died Novem-
ber 8, 1887. She an-ived in this county in 1853. They had three children,
namely : Delia, now the wife of William Baitey, who lives in Sebastopol. Cali-
fornia ; William B., of this review ; and Minnie, the wife of C. W. Bucher. of
Winthrop.
William B. Miller received his education in the district schools and in the
schools of Quasqueton. After reaching manhood he farmed for tAvo years and
subsequently, in connection with his fatlier, bought the hardware stock of Wil-
liam Wynette, of AVintbrop, on the 1st of October, 1890. After the death of
his father he continued alone in business until 1912, or for twenty-two years.
During that time he became thoroughly familiar with the various makes of
hardware and implements and acquired the ability to judge accurately the value
and lasting qualities of any article in those lines. He also came to understand
the problems of the buyer and salesman and was recognized as one of the most
able men in the hardware trade in this county. In 1912 he sold his store and
accepted the position of manager for the AVinthrop branch store of the W. D.
Hoy.t Company, Avhich is one of tlie largest concerns in the county, incorporated
under the state laws of Iowa. Their name is a synonym for integrity, initiative
and high quality of goods. The fact that Mr. Miller is their representative in
Winthrop is added proof of his capability and enterprise.
Mr. Miller married Miss Lizzie A. Griswold, who was born on the 10th of
December, 1863, and is mentioned elsewhere in this work. To their union have
been born three children : Glen H.. born 1890, is a graduate of Cornell College
at Blount Vernon. Iowa, receiving the degree of Bachelor of Science in 1913;
Donna, born 1894, is a graduate of the Winthrop high school and is bookkeeper
in the store of Mhich Mr. Miller is manager; and Alarjorie, born 1900, is attend-
ing school.
Mr. Miller is a republican and since attaining his majority has taken an active
part in politics. Fraternally he is a member of the ]\Ia.sonic order, of the
Eastern Star and of the Woodmen. His wife is likewise a member of the Eastern
Star and the Congregational church. Mr. Aliller owns his comfortable home
in Winthrop and is one of the substantial citizens of the town.
AV ALTER GEORGE STEA^ENSON.
AValter George Stevenson, ca.shier of the First National Bank at Inde-
pendence, was born in Muscatine, Iowa, April 4, 1860. His father, George D.
Stevenson, was born in the state of New York in 1796 and removed from the
Empire state to Pennsylvania, becoming one of the pioneers in the section in
which he settled. lie aided in clearing a tract of land and engaged in farming,
carrying on agricultui'al i)ursuits there until his removal to Iowa in the '50s,
at which time he took up his abode in Muscatine, where he engaged in farming,
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 229
owning a large tract of land near that city. He carefully cultivated and tilled
the fields and while so engaged made his residence in Muscatine. About 1864,
however, he removed to Independence, where he engaged in the furniture busi-
ness in partnership with William Sampson. This relation was continued for
several years, at the end of which time Mr. Stevenson retired from the business.
In the meantime he had aided largely in promoting various improvements in
Independence and his worth as a man and citizen was widely acknowledged.
He owned a number of residence properties vvhich he rented to others and
which he left for the support of his family. He was also actively interested
in the sash and door factory at one time and was widely recognized as a man of
determined purpose who in his business career brooked no obstacles that could
be overcome by persistent and honorable effort.
]Mr. Stevenson never aspired to public office, but his patriotic spirit was
manifest in his service in the War of 1812, in which he carried an old flintlock
pistol and also a sword which are now in possession of his son, Walter G., and
are most highl.y prized. George D. Stevenson was married twice and by his
first union had a large family. After losing his first wife he married again, his
second union being with Sarah A. Carpenter, who was born in England in
1841. They had four children, of whom Walter G. is the eldest. The father
died in August, 1870, and the mother passed away on the 24th of ^lay, 1875.
He was a most earnest worker in the Methodist Episcopal church, served on
its board of trustees and did everything in his power to promote the church
work.
Walter G. Stevenson, spending his youthful days in his parents' home,
acquired his education in the public schools until graduated from the high
school with the class of 1878. He afterward entered the Upper Iowa Uni-
versity and was graduated with the class of 1883. He then took up the profes-
sion of teaching, which he followed at Fairbank and later in the high school
of Independence, devoting about five years to the work of the schoolroom. In
the meantime he had served as deputy county clerk and it was subsequent to
that period that he became a teacher in the high school at Independence. He
was afterward teller in the Commercial State Bank, to which position he was
called in 1892, serving in that capacity for about ten years. He next entered
the First National Bank as assistant cashier in January, 1902, and thus served
until about 1911, when he was elected to his present position — that of cashier.
He is a popular official, prompt and faithful in the discharge of his duties,
courteous in his treatment of the bank 's patrons and at all times carefully safe-
guarding the interests of the stockholders. He is likewise a stockholder in the
Iowa State Bank at Hazleton and in the State Savings Bank at Quasqueton,
but he devotes the major part of his attention to his duties as cashier of the
First National Bank.
]Mr. Stevenson is well known in the Knights of Pythias lodge, in which he
is serving as master of the exchequer. His religious faith is evidenced in his
active and helpful membership in the Methodist Episcopal church. In politics
he is a republican with independent tendencies. He served as deputy county
clerk for eighteen months under 0. M. Gillett and W. E. Bain but otherwise
has not sought nor desired office. He is pleasantly situated in his home life.
He was married December 20, 1894, to Miss Mattie E. Miller, a native of this
230 . HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
county and a daughter of Samuel and Sarah Miller. Theirs is a hospitable
home whose good cheer is greatly enjoyed by their many friends, and both
Mr. and Mrs. Stevenson are widely and favorably known in Independence and
throughout Buchanan county.
LEON C. SIMMONS.
Leon C. Simmons is proprietor of the largest hardware store in Buchanan
county and is .justly accounted one of the most enterprising and progressive
business men of Independence. He conducts his interests according to the most
modern commercial methods and his earnest endeavor to please his patrons has
acquired for him the large trade that he now enjoys. This county numbers
him among her native sons, his birth having occurred at Winthrop on the 8th
of September, 1879, his parents being Adam C. and Eva E. (Pulis) Simmons.
The father was l)orn in Ohio and in early life took up the occupations of a
farmer and of a mechanic. He came to Iowa prior to the Civil war and follow-
ing the outbreak of hostilities put aside all business and personal considerations,
enlisting in 1862 as a member of Company B, Twenty-fifth Iowa Regiment.
He was commissioned on the 28th of September, 1864, as a corporal and was
honorably discharged June 6, 186.5, at Washington, D. C. He participated in
a number of the most hotly contested engagements, but was never wounded
nor confined in a hospital through ilhiess.
After being mustered out ^Ir. Simmons again returned to Iowa and located
once more in Blount Pleasant, but afterward went to Winthrop, where he wns
united in marriage to IMiss Eva E. Pulis, who was born at Geneva, Wisconsin,
on the 15th of July, 1854. He then engaged in the business of driving wells,
Imt afterward removed to Independence and filled the office of deputy under
Sheriff Ed Curier for two terms. He continued his residence at the county
seat until his detlth, which occurred in February, 1898, and his widow is still a
resident of Independence. In fiddition to his service as deputy sheriff Mr. Sim-
mons likewise filled the office of constable for a number of years and made an
excellent record as a public official. He was twice married and by the first
union had one child, Katherine, now the wife of Frank Aborn, a druggist i^esid-
ing at Sheffield, Iowa. By the second marriage there were three children:
Leon C. ; Vera, the wife of George K. Perrin, who is engaged in the general
insurance business at Hutchinson, Kansas; and Don, a window trimmer living
at Los Angeles, California.
Leon C. Simmons atteiuled the public schools of Independence and made
his initial step in the business world when eighteen years of age as a clerk in a
grocery store. He was afterward employed as a .salesman in the retail clothing
store owned by his father-in-law for ten years, at the end of which time he pur-
chased a half interest in a hardware store. The partnership existed until 1910,
when Mr. Simmons became sole proprietor, and he is totlay conducting the
largest store of the kind in the county. The building has been remodeled and
completely restocked by Mr. Simmons since 1910. He has a modern, up-to-date
store, handling all kinds of heavy, shelf and builder's hardware, stoves and
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 231
plumbing and heating apparatus. His trade is now extensive and he has ever
recognized the fact that satisfied patrons are the best advertisement. The
foundation upon which he has builded his success has been made of energy,
industry and straightforward dealing and he is now one of the prosperous
merchants of the city. He also has other local interests.
On the 12th of November, 1905, Mr. Simmons was united in marriage to
Miss Caroline Littell, who was born at Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin, a daughter
of AV. H. and Helen Josephine (Tabor) Littell, natives of New Jersey and of
New York respectively. They were married, however, in Wisconsin and in
1879 came to Independence, where Mr. Littell embarked in merchandising,
in which he engaged until 1895, when he retired from active business. He
still retains his residence in Independence, where he has vested interests. After
coming to the county he became a landowner. He was a soldier of the Civil
war, enlisting for three years in a Wisconsin regiment. He was forunate in
that he escaped wounds and illness, although he was often in the thickest of
the fight and took part in the long marches and arduous campaigns that
marked the progress of the Civil war.
Mr. Simmons gives his political allegiance to the republican party, but has
never sought nor desired political preferment. He is a Mason and a Knight
of Pythias. Both he and his wife are well known socially and have an extensive
circle of warm friends in this county. He deserves much credit for what
he accomplished, for he started out in life empty-handed. The steps in his
orderly progression, however, are easily discernible and mark the wise use of his
time, talents and opportunities.
CLINTON WILSON WOLGAMOT.
Clinton Wilson Wolgamot recently sold his draying business in Fairbank,
in which line he had been engaged since 1913, although previous to that time he
was a stock buyer. He was born in Fairbank township, this county, October
18, 1859, a son of Joseph and Atha T. (Buckmaster) Wolgamot. The former
was born in Maryland in February, 1829, and while still an infant of less than a
year was taken by his parents to Holmes county, Ohio. He enlisted as a private
from that county for service in the Mexican war and was in the army for about
three years. His wnfe was born in Holmes county, Ohio, ^lareh 3, 1822, and
passed away in Fairbank, Iowa, September 16, 1898. He died in Fairbank on
the 27th of August, 1911. To their union were born eight children, six of whom
survive: Dr. A. R., whose birth occurred on the 10th of January, 1852, and who
passed away in Stockville, Nebraska, in 1909 ; Andrew, who was born June 23,
1853 ; Mrs. Nancy McGranahan, of Ocheyedan, Iowa, who was born May 8, 1855 ;
Jasper, who was born August 16, 1857, and is now a resident of Portland,
Oregon; Clinton W., of this review; John W., who was born April 30, 1862,
and now resides in Fairbank ; D. Sheridan, who was born January 10, 1 865, and
is a resident of Fairbank township ; and Mrs. Eva Higbee, who was born Feb-
ruary 23, 1868, and resides at Vermidji, Minnesota. The two eldest children
were born in Holmes county, Ohio, and the six younger in Buchanan county.
232 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
All were reared here and received their education here, all but two being gradu-
ated from the local high school.
After Clinton W. AVolgamot had completed his schooling he gave his atten-
tion to farming in his home community for many years. For eight years,
however, he cultivated land in 'Brien county, Iowa. He was engaged in buying
stock at Fairbank for twelve years and as he is an excellent judge of cattle and
hogs he found that business profitable. In 1913, however, he abandoned that
and bought the dray line in Fairbank which he has recently sold, after running
it for about a year. He was well equipped for the transfer business and was
not only careful, thus avoiding damage to the goods intrusted to him, but was
also rea.sonable in his charges.
Mr. Wolgamot was married at Littleton, Iowa, October 29, 1883, to Miss
Martha Hitchens, who was born in the state of New York on the 3d of August,
1858, a daughter of John and Gertrude Hitchens. Her father passed away
at Hazleton, Iowa, and her mother at Fairbank. There were four children in
their family, two of whom survive : Mrs. Nettie Thomas, of Linn county, this
state ; and Mrs. Wolgamot. By her marriage the latter has become the mother
of four children, a.s follows: ]\Irs. Flossie Smalley, who was born in O'Brien
county, Iowa, and is now residing in ^Minneapolis, ]\Iinnesota; Earl, who is a
professional baseball player and is at present employed by West Union as
catcher; and Atha and Wesley, both residing with their parents. The three
younger children were all born in Fairbank and all were reared here and
acquired their education in the local schools.
Mrs. Wolgamot is a member of the ^lethodist Episcopal church of Fairbank,
and Mrs. Wolgamot belongs to the local camp of the Modern Woodmen of
America. He is a democrat in his political belief and is stalwart in his support
of that party at the polls. He owns a comfortable home in Fairbank, and his
many admirable qualities of character have won him the esteem of many friends.
JOHN A. WEBER.
A bus3' life is that led by John A. Weber, who is extensively and successfully
engaged in farming, owning and cultivating a valuable property of three hun-
dred and sixty acres in Wasliington township. He was born in Luxemburg,
Germany, in 1854, and of that place his parents, Theodore and Mary (Kiefer)
Weber, were also natives, both born in 1818. They continued residents of Ger-
many until their son John was a lad of thirteen years and then sailed for the
new world, attracted by the broader business opportunities offered on this side
the Atlantic. The father had just previously been engaged in merchandising
in Ronsdorf, Germany, and had followed farming in that country, owning land
there. On reaching the new world he made his way at once to Buchanan county,
Iowa. It was in 1867 that he became identified with farming interests in this
county, where he continued the work of tilling the soil to the time of his death.
His study of the political situation of the country led him to give active support
to the democratic party after he had become a citizen of the United States, but
Mil. AND .MRS. JOHN A. W KUKK
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 235
the honors and emoluments of office had no attraction for him, as he always
preferred to give his attention to his business affairs. As the years passed by
he prospered and became the owner of two hundred acres of land. Both he
and his wife were of the Catholic faith. The former died in 1891, at the age
of seventy-three years, and the mother passed away in 1890, at the age of seventy-
two years. In the family were fifteen children, but not all lived to adult age,
John A. Weber being the youngest now living. He has one sister, Emma Weber,
who is a resident of Independence.
John A. Weber began his education in the schools of Germanj' and continued
his studies in the schools of Buchanan count3^ His training at farm labor was
not meager, for from an early age he assisted his father in the development of
the fields upon the old homestead. He was twenty-four years of age when he
began farming on his own account and has since followed that pursuit, winning
success as the years have gone by. From time to time he has added to his
holdings until he is now the owner of three hundred and sixty acres of arable and
productive land in Washington township, all of which he farms himself. He
has a splendidly developed property, of which one hundred acres is planted to
corn, with sixty acres in oats and the remainder in hay and pasture land, save
twenty acres of timber. He makes stock-raising an important feature of his
place, specializing in Durham cattle and Poland-China hogs. Ever\i:hing about
his farm indicates his careful supervision and progressive methods, and at all
times he utilizes the latest improved machinery to facilitate the work of the fields.
In 1878 ]\Ir. AYeber was united in marriage to ]\Iiss Anna Gerslenberger, who
was born in Dubuque, a daughter of Frank and Theresa (Ernest) Gerslenberger,
both of whom were natives of Schleswig, Germany. The father, who was bom
in 1826, passed away in 1908, and the mother, who was born in 1831, is now
living in Dubuque at the advanced age of eighty-three years. ]\Ir. Gerslenberger
was a young man of about twenty-five years when he bade adieu to friends and
native country and sailed for the United States. He began farming near Dubuque
and afterward came to Buchanan county in 1874. Here, too, he became inter-
ested in agricultural pursuits as the owner of about two hundred acres of land.
He and his wife held membership in the Catholic church, in the faith of which
they reared their family of six children.
To i\Ir. and Mrs. Weber have been born twelve children : Rosa, now thirty-
five years of age, is the wife of Leonard Pint, a resident farmer of Perry town-
ship, and they have eight children : Elizabeth, Joseph, Hilda, Herman, Verona,
Gertrude, Alatilda and ^Margaret ; George, thirty-four years of age and now
engaged in farming in Washington township, wedded ilary Pint, a sister of
Leonard Pint, and they have three children : Lewis, Herbert and Lillian ;
Mathias, thirty-two years of age, also owns and cultivates a farm in Washington
township, and he wedded Anna Pint, by whom he has two children, Oscar and
Ervin : William, aged thirty, is a farmer of Fulton, Kansas, who married Nellie
Shields: Frank, twenty-nine years of age, follows farming in Washington town-
ship : Elizabeth, twenty-six years of age, is at home with her parents ; Charles,
twenty-three years of age, and John, twenty years of age, are assisting their
father upon the home farm ; Matilda, aged eighteen, is a teacher in Washington
township ; Leonard, fourteen, Theresa, thirteen, and Edward, eight, are all at
home with their parents and are attending the public schools.
Vol. n— n
236 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
The family are communicants of St. Joseph's church. Mr. Weber has been
a resident of the county for forty-seven yesirs, and has therefore witnessed much
of its growth and development. He has seen the wonderful changes which
have occurred, transforming the wild lands into fine farms, while towns have
been converted into cities. He rejoices in what has been accomplished and stands
ready to further any movement for the general good. In politics he is a democrat.
CHARLES E. BOYACK.
Charles E. Boyack is now living practically retired in Independence, in
which city he took up his abode in 1908. Indolence and idleness, however, are
utterly foreign to his nature and to some extent he continues active in the field
of surveying and engineering work. He was born in this county in 1862, a sou
of William and Jane (Doig) Boyack, both of whom were natives of Dundee,
Scotland, born in 1822 and 1824 respectively. They were reared and married
in that country and there the father learned and followed the trade of linen
weaving. On crossing the Atlantic to America they took up their abode in
Rockford, Illinois, in 1851, and there spent two years, during which period he
was foreman of a lumber yard. In 1853 they arrived in Buchanan county,
settling in Sumner township, where Mv. Boyack purchased land and began
farming. In addition to tilling the soil he engaged in raising thoroughbred,
.shorthorn cattle and Poland China hogs and took several prizes at the county
fairs. He was, however, not much of an exhibitor, being more of a breeder.
He had no political aspiration for himself, yet was active in politics in Sumner
township and labored earnestly to uphold those principles in which he believed.
Many sterling traits of character won for him the confidence and high regard
of those with whom he came in contact, and he remained one of the valued
residents of Buchanan county until his death, which occurred in 1901.
Charles E. Boyack, who was the youngest in a family of six children,
acquired his early education in the common schools of Buchanan county. When
about twenty-five years of age he formed a partnership with his father to carry
on general farming and stock-raising, making a specialty of pure blooded cattle
and hogs. Year after year he continued to live upon the farm until he removed
to Independence. At different times he has been called to public office. In
1894 he was elected county supervisor on the republican ticket, and he has also
been county surveyor for six years and county engineer for three years. He
had acquired his knowledge of engineering when working in that way as a boy
upon the farm and he still engages in engineering to some extent. He yet
owns farm lands in Buchanan county, but is not actively engaged in their
cultivation at the present time.
In August, 1892, :Mr. Boyack was united in marriage to Miss Helena Clue,
who was born in Buchanan county and in early life was left an orphan. Her
father came to Iowa direct from Germany. He was a stonecutter by trade and
worked in connection with dressing the stone used in the building of the state
hospital but lived upon a farm. He had only two children. Mrs. Boyack
being the younger. By her marriage she has become the mother of two daughters.
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 237
Ruth Agnes, who was born in this county and is a graduate of the high school
of Independence, is now engaged in teaching in the country schools. Elsie
Virginia, born in Buchanan county, is a high-school graduate and also a teacher
in the country schools.
Mr. Boyack belongs to the Odd Fellows' society and the >Modern Woodmen
of America. He has always been very active in support of the republican party,
for he believes its principles contain the best elements of good government.
He stands loyally for everything which he thinks has a bearing upon the welfare
and upbuilding of his city and county. Here he has always lived and his many
excellent traits of character are recognized by his large circle of friends.
JOHN WEIHER.
John Weiher, who has lived retired at Rowley since 1910, was for a number
of years actively and successfully identified with agricultural pursuits in this
eounty, owning and operating an excellent farm of two hundred acres in Cono
township. His birth occurred in Germany on the 3d of April, 1837, his parents
being John and Marj^ (Deikmann) "Weiher, who were likewise natives of that
country. The father, a farmer by occupation, passed away in Germany in
1847, but the mother died in the United States.
John Weiher acquired his education in the schools of his native land and there
lived for a number of years after attaining his majority, following farming as
a means of livelihood. In 1864 he crossed the Atlantic to the United States
and made his way to Wisconsin, where he was engaged in agricultural pursuits
for six years, being employed as a farm hand for four years and cultivating
the soil on his own account for two years. Subsequently he came to Buchanan
county, Iowa, and purchased and improved a tract of two hundred acres in
Cono township, devoting his attention to its operation throughout the remainder
of his active business career. In 1910, having won a comfortable competency,
he left the farm and took up his abode in Rowley, where he is now spending
the evening of life in well earned ease.
Mr. Weiher has been married twice. In October, 1860, he w^edded Miss
Carlonia Ludemann, by whom he had four children, as follows : John, who is a
resident of Chicago; Augusta, who gave her hand in marriage to Charles
Heiland, of Rowley ; Emma, who passed away in 1902 ; and Frank, a resident of
Rowley. The wife and mother was called to her final rest September 10, 1900,
and on the 10th of June, 1904, Mr. Weiher was again married, his second union
being with Miss Catherine Ossman, who was born in Pennsylvania in 1850.
Her parents, Israel and Katie (Garis) Ossman, were pioneer settlers of Buchanan
county, Iowa, and here resided until they passed away, the former in 1899 and
the latter in 1906. Israel Ossman gave his time and energies to general agri-
cultural pursuits throughout his entire business career.
In his political views Mr. Weiher is a democrat, while his religious faith is
that of the Presbyterian church. The hope that led him to leave his native
land and seek a home in the new world has been more than realized, for here he
has found the opportunities which he sought and in their wise utilization has won
238 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
a gratifying measure of prosperity. He has now passed the seventy-seventh
milestone on life's journey and enjoys the respect and veneration which should
ever be accorded one who has traveled thus far on this earthly pilgrimage and
whose career has been at all times upright and honorable.
MANLY I. PERRY
Manly I. Perry, engaged in general merchandising at Quasqueton, is actuated
in all of his business activities by high standards and follows the most modern
commercial methods. He was born in Jones county, Iowa, in 1868, a son of
Malachi and Lucretia (Cutler) Perry. The father was born in De Kalb county,
Illinois, in 1844, and the mother's birth occurred in Linn county, Iowa, in 1850.
In early life the father followed farming and on coming to Iowa settled in
Jones county, but afterward removed to Linn county. At the period of the
Civil war he put aside all business and personal co)isiderations, feeling that his
first duty was to his countr^^ and enlisted in Company K, First. Iowa Cavalry,
with which he served for three years, and, although he participated in a number
of hotly contested engagements, he was never wounded nor taken prisoner. In
1886 he removed to Buchanan county and engaged in farming in Cono township
up to the time of his retirement from agricultural life. He then removed to
Quasqueton, about two years prior to his death, and engaged in the butcher
business with his son.
Manly I. Perry was largely reared in Linn county and acquired his educa-
tion as a public-school student. He began working in the fields when but seven
years of age and assisted his father until he reached the age of fourteen, after
which he began working for others, spending the succeeding seven years as a
farm hand in the employ of different people in the neighborhood. He afterward
engaged in farming on his own account for three years and tlien opened a meat
market in Quasqueton, continuing in the butcher business for nine years. Suc-
cess attended his efforts in that direction and led him to branch out along other
commercial lines. He opened his general mercantile store, which he has now
conducted for about thirteen years, winning a substantial measure of prosperity.
He carries a good line in all the different departments and his reliable business
methods, earnest endeavor to please his patrons and fair prices have won for
him a continually growing trade.
In 1890 Mr. Perry was united in marriage to ]Miss Stella C. Williams, who
was born in Quasqueton, Iowa, a daughter of George and Emily A. (Wilkins)
Williams. Her father, who was born in Pennsylvania, learned the carpenter's
trade in early life and after living for some time in Wisconsin came to Iowa,
arriving in this state after tlie Civil war, in which he had served as a member
of a Wisconsin regiment. He found pioneer conditions in this state and shared
in the arduous task of early development and improvement. Owning land, he
followed farming in Buchanan county for some time, but was living retired
when death called him. He was an active member of the IMethodist church
and was recognized throughout the community as an exemplary Christian man.
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 239
To Mr. and ^Mrs. Perry have been born two children : Floyd, who is in the
store with his father; and Bernice, who is attending school.
In his political views Mr. Perry is a republican, but does not seek nor
desire office. He belongs to the ^Masonic fraternity and to the Eastern Star.
He has held all of the offices in the Odd Fellows' society and is connected with
the Eebekahs. He also has membership with the Modern Brotherhood of
America and the Modern Woodmen of America and in both of those organiza-
tions has held office. The varied interests of his life are given a proportionate
measure of time and attention, but are never allowed to interfere with the
capable conduct of his business affairs. He has won success and in addition
to his store is the owner of farm lands in Buchanan county. His has been an
active, useful and well spent life, placing him among the representative mer-
chants of his town.
EVINGTON F. MUIMFORD.
Every state in the Union perhaps has contributed to the citizenship of Iowa,
and among the many who have come from New York is numbered Evington F.
Mumford, who was born in Lewis county, that state, on .the 1st of September,
1847, a son of W. C. and Mary (Walsworth) Mumford, natives of New York.
The father owned land and improved a farm in the Empire state, there spending
the greater part of his life. He died in 1886 and for two years was survived by
his wife, who passed away in 1888.
The usual experiences of a farm lad came to Evington F. Mumford in his
boyhood, which was spent in New York. He remained with his parents until
he attained his majority and then made his way westward to Illinois, where
he rented land and carried on farming for six years. At the end of that time
he purchased eighty acres which he cultivated for about six years and on selling
out he bought a swamp at ten dollars per acre. When the state ran a big ditch
through this he also further tiled the land and converted one hundred and
sixty acres of untillable swamp land into a fine farm upon which he reared his
family. After cultivating that place for sixteen years he traded it at a rate
of one hundred and forty dollars per acre for his present place in Buchanan
county, which comprises three hundred and twenty acres on sections 3 and 4,
Homer township, and which was known as the S. S. Allen farm. In addition
to his previous farm he gave four thousand dollars for his present property, the
transfer being made on the 1st of March, 1910.
Mr. ]\Iumford at once began the further development and improvement of
his farm, which is now one of the attractive properties of the county. The
evidences of thrift and untiring industry are there seen and all of the modern
buildings and improved machinerj^ upon the place indicate the fact that the
owner has kept in touch with the trend of advancement along agricultural lines.
He also engages quite extensively in stock-raising, making a specialty of handling
thoroughbred Hereford cattle and Poland China hogs.
On the 1st of September, 1870, Mr. IMumford was united in marriage to
Miss Hannah ]\Ioon, a daughter of Thomas and Ann (Haxby) Moon, who were
240 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
natives of England and in an early day came to the United States, the mother
being then a little child, but the father was practically grown when he made
the voyage to the new world. He located in Illinois and purchased land near
Kewanee, where he carried on farming throughout his remaining days, passing
away in 1878. His wife survived for more than two decades, dying on the
7th of September, 1899. To Mr. and Mrs. Mumford have been born six children,
as follows : John T., at home ; Ella, who passed away in 1873 ; Elizabeth A.,
who is the wife of Bert Fifield, of Illinois, and the mother of a daughter, Irene,
thirteen years old ; Alice, who gave her hand in marriage to Elisha Myer and
resides near Trenton, Missouri; Leonard B.. at home; and Manville, who follows
farming near Vista, Iowa.
A republican in politics, a Baptist in religious faith — these are the associa-
tions of Mr. ^lumford outside of business. He is neglectful of none of the
duties which devolve upon him in a public relation but has made farming his
chief interest and his labors have resulted in the attainment of a high measure
of success which is the merited reward of his industry and close application.
HON. BEX.IA.MIX F. STODDARD.
Hon. Benjamin F. Stoddard for many years has been prominent in public
affairs of Buchanan county and his intiuence has been felt throughout the state
of Iowa, as he was for two terms a member of the general assembly. He is the
present mayor of Jesup and brings his wide knowledge of civic and governmental
matters to the administration of the affairs of the town, proving an unusually
able and progressive executive.
He was born at Gales Ferry, near New London. Connecticut, on the 9th of
July, 1848, a son of Isaac A. and Celia M. (Cortes) Stoddard. The father was
a native of the same place and the subject of this review is a representative of
the sixth generation of the family born at Gales Ferry, the Stoddards having
resided in this country since about IGoO, when William and Anthony Stoddard
came here from England. The mother was also of English descent and was
born at Windham, Connecticut.
In early life Isaac A. Stoddard was a whaler and had many interesting expe-
riences in the Arctic seas. In 1855 he came with his family to Iowa and settled
in Clayton county, near the town of McGregor, where he resided for four years.
At the end of that time he removed to Grand Meadow township, where he
purchased one hundred and sixty acres of wild land. He cleared the farm and
cultivated it for a number of years, or until 1867, when he sold the place and
came to Buciuuian county, buying one hinidred and sixty acres east of Jesup.
He operated that farm until his death, whieh oecurred when he was eighty-nine
years of' age. He was a man of iron constitution and was vigorous and active
until a very short time before his death. He was a republican in politics and
held all of the township offices. He was also very active in church work. Innng
a local minister of the Methodist Episcopal church and prominent in the Sunday
school. His wife died when the subject of this review was fourteen years of
age and when she was hut forty years old. Her religious affiliation was with
HON. BENJAMIN F. STODDARD
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 243
the Congregational church and she could always be depended upon to aid in
the work of that organization. By her marriage she was the mother of three
children, namely: Benjamin F. ; Mary M., the wife of N. R. Reynolds, of
Luverne, Minnesota; and Isaac C, who died when thirty-five years of age.
Benjamin F. Stoddard was about six years of age when the family removed
to Iowa and remained at home until he was a youth of eighteen years. He then
began the study of telegraphy at Jesup and for about two years followed that
occupation, being stationed at various points on the Illinois Central Railroad.
At the end of that time he abandoned telegraphy and learned the miller 's trade,
which he followed for six years at Independence, Iowa. He then began farming
and still oversees the cultivation of a valuable tract of land which he owns in
Perry township, this county. About thirty-eight years ago he built his present
home in Jesup and has since been a resident of the town. A great deal of his
time has been devoted to public service, as he has held all of the town offices
and, as before stated, is the present mayor. He represented his district in the
state legislature in the thirty-third and thirty-fourth general assemblies and
proved an efficient member of that body. He served on the following committees :
Railroads and transportation, roads and highways, food and dairy, agriculture,
telegraph and express, schools and text-books, senatorial districts, federal rela-
tions, and was chairman of the committee on horticulture. He readily learned
the intricacies of legislative procedure and manifested excellent judgment in
deciding upon the merit of the bills that came up for consideration, and was an
important factor in securing the passage of a number of measures which proved
beneficial to the state at large.
On the 12th of February, 1875, the marriage of I\Ir. Stoddard and Miss
Electa A. Labour was solemnized. Mrs. Stoddard was born May 21, 1849, in
the state of New York and came to this locality in 1867. They have two children :
Gertrude E., the wife of R. W. Houck, of Jesup; and Margaret M., assistant
superintendent of the Northwestern Hospital at Moorhead, jMinnesota.
Mr. and Mrs. Stoddard are active and consistent members of the ]Methodist
Episcopal church. He is a republican in politics and his advice is much sought
in local councils of his party. Fraternally he belongs to Siolem Lodge No. 222,
A. F. & A. M., of Jesup, and both he and his wife are members of the Eastern
Star. He is one of the prominent citizens of Jesup and his endorsement of any
project does much toward insuring its success.
GEORGE W. FRANCK.
A farm of one hundred and sixty acres situated on section 8, Newton town-
ship, pays tribute to the care and labor bestowed upon it by George W. Franck,
and he holds title to one hundred and forty acres of land in that township.
He was born in Independence, Buchanan county, February 22, 1882, a son of
Fritz and Fredericka (Geiser) Franck, who are mentioned in connection with
the sketch of Fred Franck, on other pages in this work.
At the usual age George W. Franck became a public-school pupil, pursuing
his studies in the schools of Homer and Middlefield townships. When not busy
244 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
with his text-books lie worked in the fields and received thorough training in the
best methods of plowing, planting and harvesting. To his father he gave the
benefit of his services until twenty-four years of age and then started out in life
on his own account, choosing as an occupation the pursuit to which he had been
reared. During the greater part of the time he has lived in Newton township and
he is now operating what is known as the Hekel place of one hundred and sixty
acres on section 8. He has recently purchased from George Hekel one hundred
and forty acres on sections 16, 17 and 24, Newton township, and in the spring
of 1915 expects to build a residence on section 16, when he will then remove to
that place.
On the 8th of September, 1909, Mr. Franck was married to Miss Julia May
Fest, a daughter of John and Janet Alice (Ironside) Fest. Mr. and Mrs.
Franck have become the parents of three children, Benjamin G., Gilbert W.
and Leon L., aged respectively four, two and one years.
The religious faith of the parents is that of the Congregational church and
they are well known in the community where they reside. They have many
sterling traits of character which have gained for them the friendship and high
regard of those with whom they have been brought in contact. ]Mr. Franck
votes with the republican party but does not seek office as a reward for party
fealty, preferring always to give his attention to his business affairs, which are
now bringing to him the substantial rewards of labor.
FRANK E. SHIMER, M D.
Dr. Frank E. Shimer, who has been actively engaged in the practice of
medicine at Jesup for the past nine years, is widely recognized as an able and
successful representative of the profession in Buchanan county. His birth
occurred in Benton county, Iowa, on the 9th of October, 1880, hLs parents being
John A. and Ellen (Clarke Shimer, the former a native of Black Hawk
countv, this state, and the latter of Buchanan countv. Jesse Shimer, the
paternal grandfather of our subject, came to Iowa from Pennsylvania in 1854,
settling in Black Hawk county. The maternal grandparents of Dr. Shimer
came to Buchanan county, Iowa, from Indiana, and here their daughter Ellen
was reared. She passed away at the age of forty-eight years but is survived
by her husband, who makes his home at Laporte City, Black Hawk county, Iowa.
Frank E. Shimer spent the days of his boyhood and youth on the home
farm and supplemented his early educational training by a course of study in
the high school at Laporte City. Having determined upon the practice of
medicine as a life work, he entered the medical dejiartment of the University
of Illinois in 1901 and at the end of four years was graduated from that insti-
tution, receiving the degree of M. D. on the 6th of June, 1905. He passed the
required examination before the state board of Illinois and a month later
opened an office at Jesup, Iowa, where he has remained continuously to the
present time, his practice having steadily grown as he has demonstrated his
skill and ability in coping with the intricate problems which continually con-
front tli(> ]>hysician in his efforts to restore health and jirolong life. With the
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 245
advanced tlioiight of the profession he keeps in close touch through his mem-
bership in the Buchanan County Medical Society, the Iowa State Medical So-
ciety and the American Medical Association.
On the 30th of September, 1905, Dr. Shinier was united in marriage to Miss
Tina Ashley, a native of Black Hawk county, Iowa, by whom he has a daugh-
ter, Dorothy A. He gives his political allegiance to the republican party and
is identified fraternally with the Knights of Pythias, belonging to Safety
liodge. No. 416, at Jesup. A man of genial, cordial nature, he has gained the
good will and friendship of all with whom he has been associated in profes-
sional, fraternal and social relations.
FRANK E. KERR.
Frank E. Kerr is a resident farmer of Byron township, living on section
15. The farm that he now owns is also the place of his birth and his natal day
was October 11, 1870. His parents were William and Amanda Morehouse
(Hearn) Kerr. The father was a native of Scotland, born in 1830, and after
spending the period of his minority in the land of hills and heather he came
to the new world in 1852, settling first in New York state, where he was
employed until 1859. He then came to Buchanan county and in 1860 made
his way westward to the Black Hills, where he engaged in teaming for five years.
He then returned and bought land in Byron township in 1865. This district was
then largely undeveloped and the land which came into his possession was wild
and unimproved, but with characteristic energy he began its cultivation and
converted it into productive fields. He also added to his holdings until at one
time he owned three hundred and twenty acres, of which he later sold forty
acres, retaining possession of a tract of two hundred and eighty acres until
his death, which occurred on the 9th of May, 1906.
The political- views of Mr. Kerr accorded with the principles of the repub-
lican party and his religious belief was that of the Presbyterian church. He
was a self-made and succe.ssful man to whom difficulties and obstacles seemed
but to serve as an impetus for renewed effort. Gradually he worked his way
upward and no one could grudge him his prosperity, so honorably was it attained.
Mrs. Kerr was a native of Ohio. In early womanhood she married a Mr.
Hearn, who died while serving the country as a soldier in the Union army during
the Civil war. In 1868 she became the wife of William Kerr and twenty
years later passed away leaving two sons, Frank E. and William, who own the
old homestead.
Frank E. Kerr spent his boyhood days upon the home farm and pursued his
education in the public schools. At the time of his marriage he rented the
farm from his father and thus continued its cultivation until the father 's death,
when he and his brother inherited the place.
It was in February, 1898, that Frank E. Kerr was united in marriage to
Miss Florence Elliott, who was born in Fremont township, this county, a daughter
of George and Jannette (Sharp) Elliott. The father was born in England in
1830 and when ten years of age went to Illinois with his parents. In 1856 he
246 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
came to this county and operated a threshing machine in Jefferson township
for three years. He then removed to Byron township, where he lived for three
years and on the expiration of that period took up his abode in Fremont town-
ship, where he purchased land which he brought to a high state of cultivation.
From time to time he added to his holdings until he became the owner of four
hundred and eighty acres upon which he is still living at the ripe old age of
eighty-four years. He has held various township offices and has been a promi-
nent leading citizen of the community. His wife was born in New York, in
1843, and in her girlhood came to Iowa, where she engaged in teaching school
prior to marriage, which was celebrated in 1861. To Mr. and Mrs. Elliott
were born eight children, of whom seven are yet living. Mrs. Kerr was edu-
cated in the public .schools of this county.
In his political views Mr. Kerr is a stalwart republican and several times
has served as school director but has never sought nor desired political office,
preferring to concentrate his energies upon general farm work, in which he is
busily and successfully engaged. His farm is well improved, giving evidence
of the care and supervision of the owner, who in all of his methods is most
practical and progressive.
A. F. TUNKS.
A. F. Tunks, living retired in Jesup, was engaged for many years in business
as a contractor and builder, and various substantial structures in Buchanan
county stand as monuments to his thrift and enterprise. A native of Ohio, he
was born in 1842, a son of Levi and Sarah (Alexander) Tunks. In 1854 the
father took his family to Illinois, settling in Winnebago county, where he pur-
chased sitxy acres of land, upon which he resided for a decade. In 1864 he
removed with his family to Tama county, Iowa, but the following year became
a resident of Black Hawk county, where he invested in eighty acres on which
he lived to the time of his death, when he was seventy-four years of age. His
wife, a native of New Jersey, went to Ohio with her parents, who purchased
land in that state and there carried on farming throughout their remaining days.
It was in Ohio that she became the wife of Levi Tunks, and thereafter she accom-
panied her husband on his various removals, which brought her ultimately to
Iowa. Following his death she went to Center Point, Linn county, to live with
her son Allen and there passed away.
A. F. Tunks was largely reared upon his father's farm in Winnebago county,
Illinois, and is indebted to the public-school system for the educational oppor-
tunities which he tliere enjoyed. When his text-books were put aside he began
learning the carpenter and joiner's trade, which he followed until he enlisted
for service in the Civil war, joining Company I, Seventy-fourtli Regiment of
Illinois Volunteers, in 1862. He spent a year at the front and then, because of
illness which rendered him unfit for further duty, was honoral)ly discharged.
He immediately returned home and afterward assisted his fatlier in the cultiva-
tion of the farm until 1866, when he came to Buchanan countv.
5^
i-
1
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 249
In March, 1862, in Illinois, ^Ir. Tunks was united in marriage to Miss Lucinda
Elliott, a daughter of Samuel and Lydia (Hulse) Elliott. Her father was born
in Ohio in 1832 and attended the public schools of that state. When twenty-five
years of age he married and afterward removed to Winnebago county, Illinois,
where he purchased land and improved a farm, upon which he lived for thirty-
five years. He then sold out and went to Tama county, Iowa, where he invested
in farm land which he cultivated for fifteen years, when he sold. His wife died
in Jesup at the age of sixty-six years, and Mr. EUiott, surviving her for a con-
siderable period, lived upon his son's farm in Tama county until his death,
which occurred when he had reached the age of eighty-two years. Their daugh-
ter, ]\Irs. Tunks, was born in Winnebago county, where her girlhood was passed
and where the public schools afforded her the educational privileges which she
enjoyed. By the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Tunks have been born eleven children :
Mrs. Harriet Hohl, now living in Waterloo ; Archie B., who died in Jesup ; Mrs.
Laura Horn, living in Jesup ; Harry E., whose home is in Brandon ; Will A.,
of Jesup; Fred C, of Waterloo; Mrs. Nellie Brown of Jesup ; Frank; Mrs.
Bessie Barrett, Henry and Ruby, all living in Jesup.
Removing to Iowa, Mr. Tunks settled in Brooklyn, Pow^eshiek county, in
1864 and there worked at his trade for two years, after which he went to Tama
county, where he again followed his trade for a decade and also did some con-
tract work. On the expiration of that period he came to Buchanan county,
settling in Perry township, where he worked at his trade and later took up
contracting and building, continuing actively in the business until he retired
and removed to Jesup, where he and his wife now reside. He is the owner of
three good residence properties in Jesup and a farm in WLsconsin and from his
realty holdings derives a gratifying annual income. Mr. Tunks is now seventy-
two years of age, while his wife has reached the age of sixty-seven. He belongs
to the Odd Fellows lodge of Jesup, with which he has been affiliated for fifteen
years, and he exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and measures
of the republican party. His worth as a citizen is well known. He has lived a
busy and useful life, and his industry and integrity have been the salient features
in his career. He now well deserves the rest which has come to him, for in
former years he so carefully conducted his business affairs that he became the
owner of valuable property holdings that now return him a gratifying annual
income.
E. W. COMFORT.
E. W. Comfort, successfully carrying on general farming on section 33,
Perry township, was born in Cook county, Illinois, in 1859, a son of W. M. and
Matilda (Blackman) Comfort. The family lived upon a farm in Illinois until
1863 and then removed to Buchanan county, the father purchasing two hundred
and sixteen acres of land in Perry township, known now as the old Comfort
farm.
E. W. Comfort was at that time four years of age and upon that place the
days of his boyhood and youth were passed, his time being divided between vsork
250 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
in the fields as age and strength increased and the duties of the schoolroom. The
practical experience of his youth well qualified him to carry on farm work when
he started out in life on his own account in early manhood.
On September 1, 1889, Mr. Comfort was united in marriage to Miss Anna
Vaneman, a daughter of U. B. and Martha (Smith) Vaneman. Her father w^as
born near New Castle, Pennsylvania, and was a son of David and Anna (Cunning-
ham) Vaneman. His boyhood was spent in the Keystone state and his education
was there acquired. Later he accompanied his parents to Buchanan county, Iowa,
where his father in 1857 purchased a farm in Fairbank to\^^lship. There the son
remained until after the outbreak of the Civil war in 1861, when he enlisted for
service in the Twenty-seventh Iowa Infantry. He was on continuous duty for
two years, at the end of Avhich time he became ill and was honorably discharged
at Cairo, Illinois. He then returned to Littleton, Iowa, and remained upon his
father's farm until his marriage to Miss Martha Smith, a daughter of JMartin
and Minerva (Spalding) Smith. The marriage was celebrated October 6, 1864.
They then went to Flint, Michigan, where Mr. Vaneman worked on his farm of
eight}^ acres for seventeen years. He then returned to Westburg township,
Buchanan county, where he resided for some time, after which he sold his farm
property there and took up his abode in Hazleton, living retired until his death,
which occurred January 17, 1913. His widow survives him at the age of
seventy-three years and is living with her son in Buchanan county. Mrs. Vane-
man was born in Jefferson county, New York, in 1841, and with her parents came
to Buchanan county, living in Fairbank township up to the time of her marriage.
Their daughter, Mrs. Comfort, spent lier girlhood days in Buchanan county and
pursued a public-school education. To ^Ir. and ^Irs. Comfort have been born
ten children: Frank Harrison, living upon his father's farm; Mrs. Nellie Martha
Sampson, now of Jesup ; ^Nlrs. Hazel ^Matilda McVenes, also of Jesup ; Ray Wy-
man; Jennie Sarah; Arthur David: Ilattie May; Willie McKinley; Charlie
Wesley ; and Mabel Grace. The last seven named are all yet at home. The parents
are members of the Methodist church and are loyal to its teachings.
Mr. Comfort votes witli the republican party and is interested in its success
and growth but does not seek nor desire office as a reward for party fealty.
He stands for progress and improvement in public affairs, however, as well as
along agricultural lines, but he concentrates his energies upon the operation of
his farm of two hundred and forty acres, willi the result that determination
and energy have brouglit him to a creditable position among tlie well-to-do agri-
culturists of Perry townsliip.
JOSEPH LIMBERT.
Joseph Limbert is one of the partners in a wholesale cigar and pipe business
at Independence and concentrates his efforts upon the upbuilding of the trade,
which has already assumed extensive and gratifying proportions. He was born
in Auglaize county, Ohio, on the 30th of September, 1861, a son of Francis
Limbert, who was born in Germany, January 1, 1828. The father was brought
to the United States when but six years of age by his parents and in early life
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 251
he learned aud followed the molder's trade in Dayton, Ohio. He made the
first car wheel manufactured by the Barney-Packard Manufacturing Company
of Dayton and for several years followed his trade there, but after an accident
which caused him the loss of the sight of one eye he turned his attention to
farming.
In 1864 Francis Limbert came to Iowa, settling at Waterloo, where he
resumed the molder's trade and was thus engaged until the sight of the other
eye became impaired. He then took up his abode upon a farm in Westburg
township, Buchanan county, in 1868, and was identified with general agricul-
tural pursuits in the ownership and cultivation of one hundred and sixty acres
of land until 1881, when he retired and established his home in Independence,
M'here he still resides. He was married in Ohio in early manhood to Miss
Margaret Sheppard, who was born in Germany in October, 1829, and came to
the United States with her parents when four years of age. She died in 1910.
In their family were seven children, of whom Joseph is the fifth. The father
led a busy and useful life, always concentrating his energies upon his industrial
or agricultural interests and taking no active part in political affairs.
Joseph Limbert was but three years of age when the family came to Iowa
and through much of his life has been a resident of Buchanan county. He
pursued his education in the public schools of Westburg township and when
twenty years of age engaged in merchandising in connection with N. E. Becker,
liis brother-in-law, at Allison, this state, there remaining for a year and a half.
He afterward clerked for Steven Tabor in a grocery store in Independence for
two years and then went upon the road as a traveling salesman for Chamberlin,
Dewstoe & Company, wholesale tobacconists, whom he represented for fifteen
years, or from the 1st of January, 1885, until 1900. He then severed his con-
nection with that house and formed a partnership with his brother, Albert F.
Limbert, for the conduct of a wholesale bu.siness in cigars and pipes, and bought
his brother's interest in 1901. He employs four men to represent him upon
the road, while he also acts as a traveling salesman. He is a jobber of the well
known cigar Wapsipinicon, which name is derived from an old Indian legend.
A band of Sac warriors, led by Pinnekon, were accompanied by a band of Fox,
led by Fleet Foot, on the warpath against the Sioux, to avenge the death of
members of Pinnekon 's tribe. On their return from a victorious battle Pinnekon.
with some of Ms braves, visited the village of the Fox and there wooed and won
Wapsie, the daughter of Good Heart, chief of the Fox tribe. The evening before
they were to be married and leave for the Sac village, Wapsie and Pinnekon
floated down the river to Cedar Rock. There he was shot from ambush by Fleet
Foot, mad from jealousy, and sank in the river with Wapsie.
On the 8th of October, 1885, Mr. Limbert was united in marriage to Miss
Stella A. Kent, a native of Independence and a daughter of Silas and Roxie
Ann (Welsh) Kent, both of whom were natives of New York and are noAV
deceased. Her father was killed at the Ith of July celebration at Ashville,
New York. He went to California in 1849 during the gold rush, but after a
brief period there spent returned to New York, making the journey l>oth ways
by wagon train. His wife was an active member of the Methodist church. In
their family were three daughters, of whom Mrs. Limbert is the youngest. She
has three children: Fred K., born in 1887, who was graduated from the Inde-
252 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
pendence high school and is now a traveling salesman for his father; Cora
]\Iargaret, at home ; and Ralph R., who was born in 1894 and is now traveling
for his father. Mrs. Limbert is an active member of the Presbyterian church
and is also prominent in the social and club life of the city.
Mr. Limbert belongs to the Odd Fellows society, the Modern Woodmen of
America and is a charter member of Wapsie Council, No. 413, United Commer-
cial Travelers. He has never sought nor desired political office, preferring to
concentrate his energies upon his business affairs, yet he is deeply interested in
the welfare and progress of the city and is especially known for his activity in
efforts for beautifying Independence through floral adornment.
FRED C. NORMAN.
Fred C. Norman, agent for the Illinois Central Railroad at Independence, was
born in Ohio in 1860, a son of Nicholas and Mary (Taylor) Norman, both natives
of England. The father was born in Somersetshire, in 1820, and the mother in
1823. Coming to the United States, he settled first in Ohio, where he began
farming when about twenty-one years of age. He lived in that state for two
years and then removed to Illinois, establishing his home near Chicago, whicli
was then a small place. A year later he came to Buchanan county, Iowa, settling
in Winthrop. Here he purchased land and carried on farming throughout the
greater part of his life. There were still many evidences of pioneer conditions
in Buchanan county at the time of his arrival and he lived to see the progres.s
and improvement wrought by man. After taking out naturalization papei*s he
became a stalwart republican but did not seek nor desire office, preferring to
concentrate his efforts upon his business, for in addition to tilling the soil he
engaged extensively in raising cattle, making a specialty of Durhains. He died
in 1904. His wife, who had come to the new world when about twenty-one year.s
of age, passed away in 1911.
Fred C. Norman was the seventh in order of birth in a family of twelve
children and he supplemented his district-school education by study in Winthrop.
When twenty-one years of age he became a telegraph operator and agent on the
Illinois Central at Winthrop, which position he filled for eighteen years, and was
afterward traveling agent and operator for three years. He was division agent
for four years, and in the variou.s capacities in which he served proved able and
conscientious. In 1908 he was transferred to Independence, where he has since
been agent. On one occasion he retired from railroad work and went upon the
road as a traveling salesman for an implement house but afterward returned and
is now the efficient and popular agent at Independence.
In 1886 Mr. Norman was married to Miss Gelia Adams, a native of Liberty
township, this county, and a daughter of ]\I. R. and Nancy (Logan) Adams, both
of whom were natives of Ohio. Her father, born in Keene in 1840, came to
Iowa with his l)roth('r when sixteen years of age and settled near Quasqueton
in 1856, casting in his lot with the early settlers. He drove across the country,
for there were no railroads from Earlville to his desination. He became the
owner of two hundred acres of land in Liberty township and thereon engaged
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 253
in farming until 1883, when he put aside the work of the fields and embarked
in the grocery business in Independence, where he still conducts his store. He
has been identified with the interests of the county from pioneer times. The
first school built in Liberty was erected upon his land and he has ever been a
friend of intellectual and moral progress. In early life he was active in the
Presbyterian church but afterward joined the Congregational church and has
done much to further its interests and promote its success, serving as one of its
deacons and trustees. His daughter, ]\Irs. Norman, is very active in the social,
church and club life of Independence. To Mr. and Mrs. Norman have been
born two children : Milton, who is with the Illinois Central Railroad at Waterloo
as telegraph operator ; and Winifred B., at home.
Mr. Norman is well known in Masonic circles as a member of the lodge,
chapter and commander}^ In politics he has always been active as a supporter
of the republican party and has held various offices, including that of council-
man and mayor of Winthrop.
DAVID SHERIDAN WOLGAMOT.
David Sheridan Wolgamot, who is a farmer residing in Fairbank township,
is a native of that township, born January 10, 1865. His parents were Joseph
and Atha T. (Buckmaster) Wolgamot, natives of Maryland and Holmes county,
Ohio, respectively. The father served for three years in the Mexican war arid
in the early fifties came with his family to this county, ca.sting in his lot with
the pioneer settlers. He died in 1911, having survived his wife since 1898. A
more detailed account of their lives is given in the sketch of Clinton W. Wol-
gamot, found on another page of this work.
David S. Wolgamot was one of the eight children born to his parents and
was reared in his native township. His elementary and secondary education
was acquired in the public schools of Fairbank, and he later attended the pharma-
ceutical department of the Iowa State University at Iowa City. He subse-
quently engaged in the live-stock business at Fairbank for fifteen years and
during part of that time conducted a dry goods store there. In 1911 he
purchased eighty acres of fine land in Fairbank township, and has since devoted
the greater part of his time to the cultivation of the same. As the soil is
naturally productive and as he uses practical methods in his farming he harvests
annually crops which average a large yield to the acre and he shares in the
prosperity which is the usual lot of the Iowa farmer. For the last few years
he has also engaged in the buying and selling of land.
David S. AVolgamot was married at Fairbank on the 24th of August, 1899, to
Miss Sarah E. Davis-Sanborn, who was born in Monona, Clayton county, on the
1st of February, 1872. She came to Buchanan county in 1881, when a child of
nine years, and as her parents were both deceased she was adopted by Merrill
and Mary E. Sanborn. Her foster father is deceased, but IMrs. Sanborn resides
in Fairbank. There were four children in the Davis family : Frank, who lives
in Black Hawk county, this state ; Mrs. Wolgamot ; Warren, of Huron, South
Dakota ; and Mrs. Minnie Belle Reisner, of Brock, Alberta, Canada. All of these
254 ' HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
children were born in Clayton county, Iowa. Mrs, Wolgamot is a member of the
Baptist church of Fairbank.
Mr. Wolgamot is a man of broad views in polities and has never allied himself
with any party, preferring to vote independently. Although he has been elected
to several offices in the township he has always refused to qualify. Fraternally
he belongs to Fairbank Lodge, No. 148, A. F. & A. M., and to the Elks at Oelwein.
His perseverance and industry have secured him a comfortable living, and he
enjoys the confidence of those who know him.
GEORGE W. RAMSEY, M. D.
For many years Dr. George W. Ramsey was engaged in the active practice of
medicine but in 1908 retired from the profession and took up his abode upon a
farm a mile from Independence, in Washington township, where he owns forty-
five acres of good land. He was born in Tuscarawas county, Ohio, in 1848, a
son of William and Elizabeth (Palmer) Ramsey, both of whom were natives of
Pennsylvania, born in 1815 and 1816 respectively. In early life the father was
apprenticed to the carpenter's trade in Ohio, the family having previously
removed to Harrison county, that state. He continued his residence in the
Buckeye state until 1853, when he came to Iowa, settling on Pine creek, in
Liberty township, this county. The journey was made by steamboat from
Wheeling, West Virginia, to Dubuque and thence by team to Buchanan county.
This was then a wild and largely unsettled region. He entered land from
the government and began building a log house before he received the patent
to his land. There were then no railroads in the county and Independence was
but a tiny village. With characteristic energy ^Ir. Ramsey continued the work
of breaking the sod and transforming the wild prairie into cultivable fields.
Year after year he carried on his farm work and became one of the prosperous
agriculturists of Buchanan county, owning at the time of his death two hundred
and eighty acres of valuable land. He was ever a loyal member of the Baptist
church and died in that faith in 1878, at the age of sixty-three years. His wife
long survived him and passed away at the advanced age of eighty-one years.
Three of their children are yet living.
Dr. Ramsey, the eldest of the family, was a lad of but five years when the
parents came to Iowa. He pursued his early education in one of the old-time
log schoolhouses of Liberty township and he was a member of the first class
that was graduated from the State Agricultural College at Ames, the year being
1872. Determining upon a professional career, he next entered Rash INIedical
College of Chicago, from which he was graduated with the M. D. degree in
1876. He did not at once, however, prepare for the practice of medicine.
Through the period of his boyhood and youth he remained upon the home farm
and after his graduation from the agricultural college he taught school to some
extent in this county and also in Illinois. It was afterward that he entered
Rush Medical College and following his graduation therefrom he located for
practice at Magnolia, Putnam count}-, Illinois, where he remained for six years.
He then removed to Hennepin, the county seat of that county, and for four years
DR. GEORGE \V. KAMSKV
MRS. GEORGE W. RAMSEY
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 259
he filled the office of coroner there, being the only democrat elected in that
county at the time. He practiced there for ten years and then removed to
Masonville, Iowa, where he continued in practice until 1908. For a time
he w^as in partnership with Dr. E. Gay lord, a graduate of the Michigan
State University and also of a college in Nashville, Tennessee. He served as a
surgeon in the United States army during the Civil war and had charge of the
officers' hospital at Nashville. In 1908 Dr. Ramsey retired from active practice
and took up his abode upon a farm about a mile from Independence, where he
has forty-five acres of good land, to the cultivation and improvement of which
he now devotes his energies.
On the 28th of February, 1888, Dr. Ramsey was united in marriage to Miss
Fannie Aurora Davis, a native of Morgan countj', Ohio, and a daughter of Dr.
E. W. and Ann (Balderson) Davis. Her father, who was a first cousin of
Jefferson Davis, president of the southern Confederacy, was born in Virginia
and died in 1872, at the age of fifty-seven years. The mother, who was
born in Ohio in 1818, was sixty-five years of age when she passed away in
1883. The parents of Dr. Davis died when he was quite young, and in early
life he was employed on boats and afterward worked his wa}' through a medical
school of Philadelphia. He then began practicing in Marietta, Ohio, and because
of his own ill health he traveled around in a wagon. Eventually he reached
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, but was compelled to seek a change of climate, his last days
being spent in Fulton, Illinois. In the Davis family were nine children, of whom
Mrs. Ramsey is the fifth. She has a twin brother, Warren, who was a member
of Company H, One Hundred and Third Illinois Infantry, entering the army
from Lewistown, Illinois. He was injured while at the front but recovered and
is now living in Canton, Illinois. Another brother, Joseph Davis, served with
the southern army under General Robert E. Lee. Dr. and Mrs. Ramsey have
one child, Evangeline Enola.
In political affairs Dr. Ramsey has taken an active part as a supporter of
the democracy and served as a member of the county central committee and of
the judicial committee in Illinois. While living at Masonville he filled the office
of mayor, resigning that position when he removed to this county. He was
especially successful in his practice and won an enviable reputation as an able
and leading physician and surgeon. As the years went by his efforts brought
him substantial success and ultimately enabled him to put aside his business cares
and enjoy freedom from arduous professional duties. He is eligible to member-
ship in the Sons of the American Revolution, his grandfather Palmer was killed
at the battle of Brandywine.
ARTHUR E. NORTON.
Arthur E. Norton, of Rowley, is a representative of one of the pioneer
families of Buchanan county and was born in Homer township on the 18th of
May, 1867, his parents being Nathan and Lovina (Dodson) Norton, of whom
mention is made elsewhere in this volume.
Vol. 11—12
260 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
The usual experiences of the farm lad came to Arthur E. Norton during
his boyhood and youth, his time being divided between the work of the fields
and the acquirement of a public-school education. After attending the district
schools he continued his studies at New Hampton, Iowa, and then returned to
the farm, remaining with his father until twenty-five years of age. He then
started out in business life independently, continuing the cultivation of a farm
until 1893, w^hen he came to Rowley, where in partnership with James Clayton he
purchased a hardware stock and embarked in business as a merchant. They
continued together with mutual pleasure and profit for nineteen years, at the
end of which time ^Ir. Clayton sold his interest to Mr. Rosencrans, who is still
a partner of Mr. Norton, They have a good store filled with an attractive line
of shelf and heavy hardware and their trade is increasing annuall}' because their
business methods are such as will bear the closest investigation and scrutiny.
They erected a business block and now have a patronage which is most extensive
and gratifying, their annual sales reaching a large figure. While thus connected
with commercial interests of Rowley Mr. Norton has also served as postmaster
for seventeen years and was deputy postmaster for four years.
On the 31st of October, 1894, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Norton
and >Iiss Mary J. Clayton, a daughter of Robert and Hannah (Winn) Clayton,
who were natives of Wisconsin. The father was a farmer bj' occupation and
owned a tract of land in Wisconsin until his removal to Iowa, when he purchased
a farm in Homer township, Buchanan county, upon which he has since lived.
He is now seventy-seven years of age. His wife also survives and they are
among the most liighly esteemed of the worthy couples of the township. Mr.
and Mrs. Norton have become the parents of one son, Robert A., now eleven
years of age. The family residence is an attractive home standing in the midst
of beautiful grounds covering ten acres. Mr. and ^Irs. Norton are most hos-
pitable people and they have a circle of friends in Rowley and this section of
the county that is ahuost coextensive with the circle of their acquaintance.
For eight years Mr. Norton filled the otfiee of township clerk, to which position
he was chosen as a candidate of the republican party. He belongs to Holman
Lodge, No. 593, A. F. & A. M., to the Eastern Star chapter and to the Modern
Woodmen camp. He is also a member of the Methodist church and his religious
belief has been a strong element in shaping his life and guiding him in all of his
relations with liis fellowmen. He has always lived in this county and his many
sterling traits of character have gained for him the confidence and good-will
of all with whom he has been })rought in contact.
EDWARD O. CRAIG.
Edward O. Craig is living retired and the rest which has come to him is
well merited and richly deserved. A native of Pennsylvania, lie was born at
Reading on the 26th of September, 1852, bis father being Andrew V. Craig,
whose birth occurred in Virginia in 1814. In early life he liecame a marble
noiker and after removing from the Old Dominion to Pennsylvania continued
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 261
in that line of business. He married Caroline 0. ^liller, who was born in
Virginia in 1816, and after living for a few years in the Keystone state they
came to Iowa in 1855, settling in Quasqueton, where Mr. Craig engaged in
farming. He became the owner of a place east of Quasqueton and there passed
away seven years later. He was a prominent and influential resident of the com-
munity, served as school director and as justice of the peace and was ever
actively and helpfully interested in matters relating to the general welfare. He
died in 1862, while his wife also passed away on the home farm, her demise
occurring in 1879.
In a family of eight children Edward 0. Craig was the sixth in order of
birth. His youthful days were spent upon the home farm, with the usual
experiences of the farm lad who early begin.s work in the fields. At the age of
sixteen years he assumed the management of the place. He was but ten years
of age at the time of his father 's death. For three years he attended the schools
of Quasqueton and then went to country school. When he was still but a youth
he assumed the heavy respon-sibilities incident to the care and development of
the homestead farm, on which he continued for a number of years, busily en-
gaged in its further development and improvement. AVhile there residing he
was elected a member of the board of supervisors and remained in that position
until elected sheriff of the county, at which time he removed to Independence,
where he has since made his home. He served as .supervisor for three terms, or
for nine years, and it was in 1884 that he assumed the duties of sheriff, making
a most creditable record by the prompt and capable manner in which he met
every task that devolved upon him. He continued in the position for four years
and after leaving the sheriff's office turned his attention to the real-estate
business, in which he engaged for five years. Since that time he has lived
practically retired save for five years which he devoted to the hotel business in
Independence. He owns land in Buchanan county and from his farm properties
derives a substantial rental, that provides him with all of the necessities and
comforts and many of the luxuries of life.
^Ir. Craig owns and occupies a modern and attractive residence in Inde-
pendence. He was married on Christmas day of 1878 to Miss Mary L. Brown,
a native of Pennsylvania and a daughter of Samuel and Sarah Brown, who
were also born in the Keystone state. The father, who was a l^lacksmith by trade,
brought his family to Iowa about the same time the Craig family arrived in this
state. He settled in Linn county and followed lilack.smithing until after
hostilities broke out between the north and the south, wlien he enlisted for
service in the Thirty-first Iowa Infantry Regiment. He laid down his life on
the altar of his country, dying in the hospital at St. Louis while wearing the
blue uniform of the Union troops, his death occurring in June, 1863. His wife
passed away in Linn county, Iowa, near Springfield, April 13, 1860. Mr. Brown
had served as justice of the peace after coming to this state and was ever de-
voted to the welfare and upbuilding of the community in which he made his
home. Mrs. Craig was the youngest of seven children and by her marriage has
become the mother of five children: Orville B., who was born August 22, 1880,
and is now a shoe merchant of Independence; Ola E., who was born October 1,
1886, and is the wife of Roy p]bersoll. a farmer residing in Fremont township ;
Walter W., who was born February 17, 1890, and is a mail clerk on the Illinois
262 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
Central Railroad ; one who died in infancy ; and Edith L., who was born Febru-
ary 15, 1895, and passed away on the 15th of January, 1903.
Mr. Craig is an exemplary representative of the teachings of Masonry, in
which order he holds membership in the lodge, chapter and commandery. He
is also identified with the Modern AYoodmen of America and the Modern Brother-
hood. His political allegiance has always been given to the republican party and
his religious faith is that of the Methodist Episcopal church. His life has been
well spent and his many sterling traits of character are recognized b}' all who
know him. In his business career he owes his success to close application, un-
faltering energy and judicious investment and he is now enjoying the merited
and deserved rewards of his labor.
THOMAS R. MARSHALL.
Thomas R. Marsliall is a highly esteemed retired farmer residing in Win-
throp. He is a native of Ohio, born in Franklin, Harrison county, June 2, 1844,
a son of Joseph and Jane (.McFadden) Marshall, the former a native of New
England »nd a cooper by trade. The father passed away on the 19th of January,
1845, when but thirty-four years of age. He had gone to Illinois in the fall
of 1844 and expected to remove there in the following spring, but died before
he could carry out his plans. He was a captain in the old state militia of Ohio
and his swoi'd is still in the possession of the family. The mother of ^Ir.
]\Iarshall of this review was born in Ohio, l)ut her parents were natives of the
north of Ireland, whence they emigrated to the United States and settled in the
Buckeye state in the early days of the history of that commonwealth. She was
the mother of five children by her marriage to ^Ir. Marshall, the youngest,
the subject of this i-eview, being but .seven months old at the time of the death
of the father. The mother subsequently remarried, becoming the wife of John
Stoneman, by whom she had two daughters, Elizabeth and Susan Edith. They
accompanied their father to this county in 1855, the wife and mother having died
in August, 1854, and he built the first sawmill within the confines of the county
and also one of the first lime kilns. His death occurred in December, 1866.
Thomas R. Marshall was but ten years of age when his mother died and he
subsequently lived with an inicle for a year, after which he went to Pike county,
Illinois, where he made his home with his mother's sister. He worked upon his
aunt's farm until he was fourteen aiul during the winters attended the district
school. He subsequently worked as a farm hand and was so engaged for ten
years, seven of which he spent in the employ of one umn. In March, 1864, he
enlisted in Company V. One Hundred and Thirty-seventh Illinois Yolunteer
Infantry for om- hundred days and fell sick at ^lemphis. Tennessee, where he
was on guard duty. He was taken prisoner by Forrest and, as he was not able
to march or ride, he was left near Memphis and later placed in the hospital, where
he was taken care of until he recovered sufficiently to go to Springfield, Illinois,
where, on the 29th of November, 1865, he was honorably discharged from the
military service. He then returned to his home and continued as a farm hand
until after his marriage, after which he rented a farm, which he cultivated for
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 263
fourteen years, but in the spring of 1882 he came to Iowa and bought a place
in Byron township, comprising one hundred and sixty acres. The purchase
price was twenty-five dollars per acre and he was compelled to borrow the money
to pay for his land, but he subsequently liquidated this debt. After farming
this property for fourteen years he sold it and purchased ninety acres of land
located just north of Winthrop and operated this place until 1910, when he dis-
posed of it, receiving one hundred and twenty dollars per acre. He then came
to Winthrop and has since lived here in the enjoyment of a richly deserved leis-
ure. He w^as alert and enterprising in the management of his farm work and
his industr}^ coupled with his sound judgment, enabled him to add to his re-
sources year by year and to gain a competence.
In 1867 Mr. Marshall was united in marriage with Miss Susan Lighter, a
native of Pike county, Illinois, who passed away in Iowa on the 21st of March,
1899, leaving four children. William J. is a farmer of Byron township. Jennie
M. became the wife of Solomon Overbaugh, who died in April, 1902, and after
his death married A. W. Xorman, of whom mention is made elsewhere in this
work. Arthur Thomas is engaged in building bridges in Buchanan county,
and Cora May is the wife of C. J. Mulford, of Winthrop. On the 30th of Oc-
tober, 1907, ^Ir. ]\Iar.shall married Mrs. Hannah (Beith) White, born in Largs,
Scotland, on the 19th of March, 1843, whence she was brought to the United
States by her parents, Thomas and Gene Beith, when but fifteen months old.
The family settled at St. Charles, Kane county, Illinois. Her father was a
mason by trade and followed that occupation for ten years, after which, in
1854, he came with his family to Iowa and .settled in Byron township, this
county, where he entered government land which he improved. In 1873 he sold
his property and removed to Dixon county, Nebraska, where he took up land.
However, the family remained in that state only a few years, after which they
returned to this county, where Mr. Beith died in April, 1882. He was a school
director and was prominent in local affairs. After his death his widow made her
home with her daughter ]\Irs. Marshall until her demise, which occurred March
29, 1913, when she had reached the venerable age of ninety-three years. Both
she and her husband were members of the Presbyterian church. Mrs. Marshall
was about eleven years of age when she accompanied her parents to this county
and continued her education in the public schools, which were held in the homes
of the settlers, as there were no schoolhouses built at that time. On the 4th of
]\Iay, 1861, she was married to Robert White, a native of Canada, who passed
away in 1888. They had no children of their own, but adopted two : Munsey,
who resides in ]\lanson, Iowa ; and Herbert H., a dentist practicing in Chicago.
Mrs. ^larshall is a member of the Congregational church, but Mr. ^Marshall
belongs to the ]\Iethodist church and has been very prominent in the work of that
organization. He has held church office for forty years, being steward and
trustee for twenty-eight years, and was the first Sunday school superintendent,
being elected to that position when the church was organized. Before coming
to this state he was a Sunday school superintendent in Illinois when quite a
young man. He has been a member of the Methodist church since he was a boy
of twelve years and in the intervening years has striven constantly to guide liis
life by the teachings of Christianity and to apply the golden rule to his dealings
with his fellowmen. His political allegiance was for many years given to the
264 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
republican party, but he is now a stanch supporter of the prohibitionist party.
For several years he has been school director and he has been treasurer for
twelve years, discharging the duties of his office with ability and conscientious-
ness. While actively engaged in farming he was known as one of the progressive
agriculturists of the county and did much to aid in the development of its
resources besides securing a competence for himself. His salient traits of
character are industry, integrity and kindness, qualities which invariably com-
mand respect and win regard.
WHEELER D. HEARN.
Wheeler D. Hearn, who owns and operates a farm of one hundred and fifty-
seven and a half acres on section 31, Fremont township, was born in Liberty
township, this county, on the 24th of September, 1861, a son of Jacob and
Amanda (Morehouse) Hearn. The former was born in Tuscarawas county, Ohio,
in 1838 and came with liis parents, ^Ir. and Mrs. Isaiah Hearn, to this county
at an early day in its history. Isaiah Hearn conducted the first tavern on the
state road on Pine creek in Liberty township and also owned a small farm, where
he resided at the time of his death in 1864. lie had several children, two of
whom survive: Mrs. Matilda Anders, of Oelwein, Iowa; and Isaac, a resident
of Wamego, Kansas.
Jacob Hearn was married in this county and resided upon a farm in Liberty
township. At the time of the Civil war he enlisted in the Sixteenth Iowa Volun-
teer Infantry, but after serving with his command for nine months he was
killed in 1864 on Sherman's famous march to the sea. His wife was born in
Cumberland county. Ohio, and came west with her parents in girlhood. She
was married on Pine creek and became the motlier of two sons: Wheeler D.,
the subject of this review; and Palmer I., who is a farmer in Fremont township.
The latter was born in Byron township, this county, on the 5th of August, 1864,
and resided there until three years after his marriage to Miss Josephine Harper,
a native of Tuscarawas county, Ohio, who came to this county with her parents
when sixteen years of age. Her father, IMichael Harper, was a veteran of the
Civil war. To Mr. and Mrs. Elmer I. Hearn were born eight children, seven
of whom survive, namely : Alta, the wife of C. L. Decker, a farmer of Fremont
township ; Mae, a teacher in the schools of this county ; and Daniel E., Maud
Amanda, Laura, John and Frank, all at home. Elmer I. Hearn is a republican
in his political belief and is a memlier of the Modern Woodmen at Mason ville.
After the death of Jacob Hearn, his widow married William Kerr and they
removed to Byron township, where she died in 1888. To this union were born
two sons, Frank and William, both farmers of Byron township.
Wheeler D. Hearn was reared in Byron township and remained with his
mother until he was twenty-three years of age. He was then married to ]\Iiss
Laura Yaw, who was born in Byron township, this county, in August, 1865, a
daughter of Calvin and Mary (Howard) Yaw, both natives of Cattaraugus
county. New York, where they were married and whence they emigrated west
about 1854. They located in Byron township, this county, where the mother
CALVIN YAW
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 267
died in Jime, 1888, when sixty-one years of age. Mr. Yaw survived until March,
1894, dying at the age of eighty-two years upon a farm in Fremont township,
which he had purchased in the '80s from John Campbell and which he had
improved and developed. He was prominent in public affairs and supported
the candidates of the republican party by his ballot. His wife was a Baptist
in her religious faith. Mrs. Hearn is the third in order of birth in a family of
four children, of whom two are deceased: Flora, who died in infancy; and
Hattie, who died when fifteen years old. Her brother Frank is living at Win-
throp, Iowa. To Mr. and Mrs. Hearn have been born five children, three of
whom are natives of Byron township and two of Fremont township. Frank
resides in Winthrop and owns and operates a threshing outfit. He married
Miss Kate Parker, of Independence. Mamie, Idella and Margaret are all at
home, as is also Donald, who has a barber shop at Winthrop.
Mr. Hearn now owns the farm on section 31, Fremont township, which was
formerly the property of his father-in-law, ]\Ir. Yaw, and has continued the
work of developing the place, which is now one of the valuable farm properties
of the county and which is in a high state of cultivation. In addition to the
raising of grain he devotes considerable attention to stock-raising and is as
successful as a stockman as he is as an agriculturist. He is recognized as one
of the progressive and substantial residents of the county and holds the full
confidence of all who know him. His political allegiance is given to the repub-
lican part}^ and he has served as township trustee since 1908 and as a member
of the school board. Fraternally he belongs to the INIodern Woodmen of America
and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Winthrop, and his daughters are
members of the Rebekahs. The family attend the IMethodist Episcopal church
and contribute to its support. Mr. Hearn, in addition to his farming and stock-
raising interests, is connected with the public utilities of the county, being presi-
dent of the local telephone company, which gives excellent service to its patrons.
He gives much personal attention to the affairs of the company and its credit-
able record is due in large measure to his business sagacity and personal oversight.
NICHOLAS N. COMBS.
Nicholas N, Combs, living on a farm on sections 21 and 22, Homer township,
was bom in Lawrence, Van Buren county, ^Michigan, August 5, 1S69, his parents
being Charles and Susan (Grover) Combs, of whom mention is made elsewhere
in this volume in connection with the sketch of J. D. Combs. He was a little
lad of but seven summers when the parents arrived in Buchanan county, Iowa,
so that he was practically reared here. The public schools afforded him his
early educational privileges and he afterward attended the State Normal School
at Cedar Falls. When his text-books were put aside he returned home and gave
his father the benefit of his services until the father's death in 1893. He then
inherited the home farm, comprising one hundred and twenty acres on sections
21 and 22, Homer township, and since that time he has made quite a change in
the appearance of the place by adding many modern improvements. He is en-
gaged in the raising of thoroughbred Hereford cattle and also Poland China hogs
268 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
of a high grade, and annually sells considerable stock, thereby substantially in-
creasing his income.
Mr. Combs has never married, his sister, Maria A., acting as his housekeeper.
She was bom in Lawrence, Van Buren county, Michigan, August 23, 1865, was
also reared and educated in Buchanan county, and has spent the greater part
of her life in Homer township. They are both adherents of the Methodist faith
and Mr. Combs votes with the democratic party. He is likewise a charter mem-
ber of the Modern Woodmen lodge at Rowley. It is not difficult to find those
who speak of him in high terms, for he has long lived in this section of the state
and has guided his life by the standards of upright manhood and honorable
citizenship.
ROBERT FULTON CARSEY.
Robert Fulton Carsey, filling the office of justice of the peace and accounted
one of the representative residents of Independence, was born at Arrow Rock,
Missouri, in 1856. His father, ]\Iilton Perry Carsey, was born in Ohio in 1824
and now, at the age of ninety years, is living with a .son at Sherman, Texas.
The mother, who bore the maiden name of Mary A. Jones, was born in London
in 1834 and died in the year 1912. Just prior to his marriage Milton P. Carsey
removed westward to St. Louis and became a shoe merchant of that city. He
afterward took up his abode at Boonville, Missouri, and still later at Arrow
Rock, from which point he came to Iowa, settling first in Keokuk. In all these
different places he continued to engage in the shoe business, while still later
he was a shoe merchant in Carthage, in AVebster and in Fountain Green, Illinois.
He removed from Illinois to Texas, taking up his abode in Sherman, where he
lived retired from active life.
The fourth in order of birth in a family of ten children, Robert F. Carsey
spent his youth as a pupil in the country schools of Illinois to the age of sixteen
years, when he began working on a farm. He then entered a shoe shop, learning
the trade, spending four years in that way, during which time he received only
his board and clothing in compensation for his services. He continued with one
employer for six years and then bought out the business at Carthage, Illinois,
where he conducted business on his own account for five or six months. He
then went to Keokuk, where he spent a year and a half. In early life he was
the champion foot racer in and around Keokuk and in a try-out he made a
record of one hundred yards in ten seconds on the track at Keokuk, with two
timekeepers holding watches. He was very active in athletic circles and greatly
enjoyed contests of skill.
On leaving Keokuk I\Ir. Carsey went to Quincy, Illinois, and in the vicinity
of that city began farming, eventually becoming the owner of land. He lived
there for only three years, at the end of which time he bought one hundred and
six acres of land in Hancock county. Iowa, where he engaged in farming until
1891. He then became a reporter for the American Trotter of Independence,
with which he was connected until its editor Mr. AVilliams moved away and the
l)ul)licatioii was suspended. Dui'ing that time IMr. Carsey was also engaged in
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 269
training race horses and was the owner of Sally Toler, a grand circuit racer
that lost only one race in the entire season. i\Ir. Carsey also owned and trained
many other horses and was trainer of a public stable. He owned a farm and
his business was successfully conducted.
Mr. Carsey has been married twice. He first wedded Jenny McClintock,
who was born in Adams county, Illinois, a daughter of John and Barbara
(Wolfe) McClintock. Her father was a farmer of Adams county, Illinois,
where he owned considerable land and was a preacher of the Dunkard faith.
The Wolfe and McClintock families were very prominent in Adams county
and the representatives of the former are still active in both political and
church circles there. To Mr. Carsey 's first marriage there were born two chil-
dren : Alice Viola, a commercial artist with the D. C. Bowling Company of
Chicago; and Edmund Arthur, who is teaching in Normal, Illinois. On the
28th of December, 1913, Mr. Carsey was united in marriage to ]\Irs. Mary E.
Mison, who was born in England, a daughter of Robert Bland, also a native of
that country, and a sister of John Bland, the florist at the State Hospital in
Independence.
]\Ir. Carsey holds membership with the Knights of Pythias. His political
allegiance is given to the democratic party and for six j-ears he has filled
the office of justice of the peace in Washington township. He belongs to the
Christian church and is a citizen widely and favorably known in Independence.
CHARLES HEILAND.
Charles Heiland, who was long and actively identified with agricultural pur-
suits in Buchanan county, still owns two hundred and ninety acres of valuable
land on sections 18 and 19, Cono township, but since March, 1911, has lived
retired at Rowley. His birth occurred in Germany on the 1st of December,
1855, his parents being Carl and Carrie (Heiland) Heiland, who were likewise
natives of that country. The father, who there followed merchandising through-
out his entire business career, was killed in a runaway accident in 1860. The
mother, long surviving him, passed away in the year 1906.
Charles Heiland was reared and educated in the land of his nativity, and
after putting aside his text-books secured employment as a farm hand. In 1873,
when a youth of seventeen, he crossed the Atlantic to the United States and
made his way direct to Buchanan county, Iowa, here working as a farm hand
for a period of five years. Subsequently he cultivated rented land for a year
and then purchased a tract of eighty acres on Section 19, Cono township, Avhich
he improved. As the years passed and his financial resources increased, owing
to his untiring industry and capable management, he extended the boundaries of
his farm by additional purchase until it now embraces two hundred and ninety
acres of valuable land, eighty acres of which lie on section 18. In the operation
of that place he was actively and successfully engaged until March, 1911, when
he abandoned agricultural labors and removed to Rowley, where he has since
lived in honorable retirement.
270 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
On the 1st of November, 1880, Mr. Heiland was united in marriage to Miss
Augusta Weiher, a daughter of John and Carlonia (Ludemann) Weiher, of
whom more extended mention is made on another page of this work. Our sub-
ject and his wife have four children, as follows: Carl, who operates his father's
farm; Katie, who gave her hand in marriage to Rozell Butterfield, an agricul-
turist of Benton county, Iowa; William J., who operates one of his father's
farms: and Carrie N., who is the wife of Joseph Boelder and resides in
Nebraska.
]\Ir. Heiland gives his political allegiance to the democracy and has served
as school director of Cono township for a period of fifteen years, making a cred-
itable record in that connection. His religious faith is that of the Presbyterian
church. Coming to the new world in early manhood, he eagerly availed himself
of the opportunities here afforded and worked his way steadily upward to a posi-
tion among the prosperous and substantial citizens of his community. The
period of his residence in Buchanan county covers more than four decades, and
he enjoys an extensive and favorable accpiaintance within its borders.
LEWIS SHOENUT.
Lewis Shoenut, deceased, was one of the most prominent residents of Fair-
bank, having extensive business interests in the town. He was born in Chicago,
Illinois, on the 17th of August, 1853, a son of Mr. and Mrs. E. L. Shoenut,
both natives of Germany. They emigrated to this country and settled in
Chicago when it was a mere village and gave little promise of ever becoming
the great city that it is today. They subsequently removed to Independence,
Iowa, and kept the first tavern there. The father also owed a farm in the
locality. Both died in Independence.
Lewis Shoenut was the only child born to his parents and accompanied them
on their journey westward from Illinois, arriving in Dubuque, Iowa, in 1854.
They almost immediately removed to Independence, where he attended the
public and subscription schools. In 1888 he removed to Fairbank and for more
than twenty years he engaged in mercantile business here, retiring from the
same in August, 1913. He was a progressive and successful merchant, being
always anxious to improve his stock and satisfy his customers. He was inter-
ested in many other business projects and helped to incorporate the Farmers
State Savings Bank of Fairbank, of which he served as president for a time.
He was still a stockholder and director in that institution at the time of his
death. He likewise owned an interest in the elevator at Fairbank and had
invested heavily in local real estate, owning a number of business blocks and
dwelling houses in Fairbank, besides his own commodious residence. He was
also the proprietor and manager of the opera house and was one of the most
important men in the financial world of Fairbank. He had retired from active
work and devoted his time to looking after his extensive business interests,
but death claimed him on the 3d of October, 1914. and the community thus
lost a valued and useful citizen.
LEWIS SHOENUT
J
1
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 273
Mr. Shoenut was married at West Union, Iowa, in 1883, to Miss Ella Leonard,
who was born in Fairbank, where she was educated and grew to womanhood.
Her father, Matthew Leonard, died in 1893, but her mother, who was in her
maidenhood Miss Catharine Kehoe, survives and resides with her daughter,
Mrs. Shoenut. There were six sons born to ^Ir. and Mrs. Leonard, namely:
Thomas, now a resident of Herman, Nebraska: and Patrick, ]\Iat, John, James
and Henry, all five deceased.
Mr. and ^Irs. Shoenut became parents of two daughters. Mrs. Catharine
Leehey, who was born at Independence, Iowa, was educated in the parochial
schools at Fairbank. She married Hugh Leehey and passed away at Fairbank
in 1909. Helen, who was born in Fairbank, Iowa, attended the parochial school
of her native town and died in August, 1911.
Mr. Shoenut was a communicant of the Catholic church of Fairbank, to
which his wife also belongs, and they contributed generously to the furtherance
of its work. He was a democrat in politics and served as mayor of Fairbank
for one term. He was councilman for twelve years and did a great deal both
in an official capacity and as a private citizen to secure the progress and advance-
ment of his community. He resided in Buchanan county continuoush' from
1854, with the exception of one year, and, as he was but an infant when brought
here by his parents, he spent practically his entire life here. His was a nature
that could not endure inactivity and his initiative and enterprise not only won
him prosperity but benefited the county as well, and he was held in high esteem
by his fellow citizens.
THOMAS ROBINSON.
Thomas Robinson is a retired farmer, but still makes his home on his farm
on section 20, Liberty township, where for many years he was busily engaged
in tiUing the soil. He was born in Lincolnshire, England, May 28, 1830, and is
therefore one of the venerable citizens of Buchanan county, having passed the
eighty-fourth milestone on life's journey. His parents, John and Sarah Robin-
son, were also natives of England and the family is noted for longevity. Both
the father and mother lived to a ripe old age, and the former died in California
when a nonagenarian. He devoted his early life to farming but afterward
worked as a railroad contractor in England. The hope of bettering his financial
condition led him to seek a home in the United States, and after crossing the
Atlantic he made his way to Wisconsin, where he carried on farming for many
years, and upon his retirement from active business life he went to California,
where he lived retired until called to the home beyond.
Thomas Robinson had practically no school advantages. His early life was
largely devoted to farming and after coming to the United States he made his
home in Iowa. At the time of the outbreak of the Civil war he enlisted as a
member of Company E, Fifth Iowa Infantry, under Captain Lee, and served
for three years, when he reenlisted and served one month and one day. He
acted as wagonmaster and was driver of a six-mule team. He was on active
274 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
duty in the battles of Corinth and luka and carries the sears of wounds sus-
tained.
After the war Mr. Robinson returned to Buchanan county and was employed
on a railroad which was then being built between Dubuque and Sioux City.
Later he removed to Liberty township, where he owns one hundred and fifteen
acres of land on section 20. He then turned his attention to general farming,
which he followed for many years, carefully tilling his fields and cultivating his
crops, which brought to him good financial returns as time passed. He now
has a comfortable home and a good competence with which to meet the demands
of life throughout his remaining days.
Mr. Robinson has been twice married. His first wife died in 1882. and in
1885 he wedded Margaret Wilson, a native of Ohio. He has one son, Thomas,
who married ^larie Dougherty, of Independence. Mrs. Robinson is a representa-
tive of one of the oldest families of Buchanan county, closely connected with
its history from pioneer days.
Mr. Robinson has held some local offices, and when his health permitted he
was an active member of the Grand Army of the Republic and of the Inde-
pendent Order of Odd Fellows. He is today one of the oldest and best known
men of his township and a well spent life has won liim the regard and respect
of those with whom he has been l)rought in contact. He has never had occa-
sion to regret his determination to come to the new world, for here he found the
business opportunities which he sought and by a life of earnest and persistent
labor gained a substantial measure of success that now enables him to live
retired.
A. H. GROVER.
A. H. Grover, who passed away on tlic 12th of May, 1906, liad been long
and actively identified with agricultural jnirsuits in Buchanan county, and at
the time of his demise owned more than ciglit hundred acres of valuable land.
His birth occurred in Jackson county, Iowa, on the 15th of December, 181:4, his
parents being Harvey and Lucinda (Griffen) Grover, the former a native of
Chautauqua county. New York, and the latter of Ohio. Harvey Grover. an agri-
culturist by occupation, took up his abode among the first settlers of Jackson
county, Iowa, and there purchased a tract of land which he cultivated during
the remainder of his life, passing away in 1847. His wife, who survived him
for more than a half century, was called to her final rest in 1903.
A. II. Grover was reared and educated in the county of his nativity. In
1861 he enlisted for service in the Union army as a member of Company I, Thirty-
first Iowa Infantry, remaining with that command until honora])ly discharged on
the 22d of ^lay, 1864, and participating in several ])attles. He fought under
General (Jrant and made a splendid military record, never faltering in the per-
formance of any task assigned him and at all times proving a brave and loyal
soldier. For one year following the cessation of hostilities he devoted his atten-
tion to agricultural pursuits in Jackson (-(mnty. Iowa, and in 1867 removed to
Jones county, this state, where he continued to reside until 1870. In that year
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 275
he came to Buchanan county and purchased a tract of land in Homer township,
which he improved. As the years passed and his financial resources increased,
owing to his untiring industry and capable management, he augmented his hold-
ings by additional purchase until at the time of his death he owned more than
eight hundred acres of rich and productive land. He passed away on the r2th of
May, 1906, at the end of thirty-six years' residence in this county, and the com-
munity mourned the loss of one of its most prosperous agriculturists and highly
esteemed citizens.
On the 4th of March, 1864, ^Ir. Grover was united in marriage to Miss Olive
E. Buell, a daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth (Bouck) Buell, both of whom
were natives of Canada. The father, a farmer by occupation, took up his abode
in Jackson county, Iowa, in 1862, but at the end of two years returned to his
native country, where he passed away in 1879. His wife was called to her final
rest in the year 1889. To Mr. and ^Irs. Grover were born eleven children, as fol-
lows : Harvey Y., who is a resident of Rowley, Iowa ; Agetta, who died in De-
cember, 1869 ; William A., who follows farming in Homer township ; Nellie, who
gave her hand in marriage to Stewart Sloans, an agriculturist of Cono township ;
Byron E., a resident of West Branch, Iowa; Guy I., who is engaged in farming
in Homer township ; John A., living at Rowley, Iowa ; Ethel, who is the wife
of W. H. Junkins, of Hartland, Minnesota ; Mary, the wife of Edgar Crane,
who follows farming in Homer township ; Laura, who is the wife of Harvey
Sprague, an agriculturist of Hazleton township ; and Mabel, who passed away on
the 1st of February, 1892. Leora B. Grover, daughter of Harvej' Y. Grover,
and a little maiden of seven years, has been in the home of Mrs. Olive E. Grover
since babyhood. John A. Grover, who lives with his widowed mother in Rowley,
has operated the home farm since his father's demise and is widely recognized
as an enterprising and successful agriculturist of the community.
In his political views, ^Ir. Grover was a stanch Republican, and for one
term ably served as county supervisor of Buchanan county, while for a number
of years he also acted as a trustee. He was a valued member of Francis Post
of the Grand Army of the Republic at Walker, and also a worthy exemplar of
the Masonic fraternity, while his religious faith was that of the JNIethodist church.
His life record is an example of what may be attained when industry and energy
lead the way, and the high esteem and confidence that was conceded him on
every hand was but justly bestowed upon him.
DARIUS GATES.
Among those who, while active factors in the world's work, contributetl to
the development and substantial improvement of Buchanan county, was Darius
< rates. He was born in Pennsylvania, October 27, 1854, a son of Ira and Mari-
etta (Bowman) Gates, who w^ere likewise natives of the Keystone state. They
there resided until 1868, when they removed westward, arriving in Buchanan
county, Iowa. The father purchased land in Homer township and cultivated it
through his remaining days. His wife died in the year 1890.
276 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
Darius Gates was a youth of fourteen when he reached Buchanan count}-,
having previously been a public-school student in his native state. He then
started out in life on his own account, and, dependent upon his own resources
from that early age, could surely be called a self-made man. He was employed
as a farm hand for some time, but the ambition to engage in farming on his
own account was strong within him and prompted him to save his earnings and
live most economically until the sum he possessed was sufficient to enable him to
start out in life independently. He then rented land which he cultivated until
1881, and during that period he again practiced close economy, as well as in-
dustry, so that he was at length able to purchase a farm in Homer township.
From that time on his progress was continuous, and after several years he sold
his original property and bought two hundred acres on sections 25 and 35,
Homer township. He then had the added incentive of developing a larger farm,
to the cultivation and improvement of which he devoted his remaining days.
About four years' illness preceded his death, which occurred April 26, 1895,
when' he was at the comparatively early age of forty years.
It was on the 25th of April, 1880, that Mr. Gates was united in marriage to
Miss Alma Combs, a daughter of Charles and Susan (Grover) Combs. To Mr.
and ^Irs. Gates were born three chiUlren. as follows: Ralph E., now thirty-three
years old; and Charles R. and Harry I., who are thirty and twenty-three years of
age, respectively. All are still at home with their widowed mother. In 1906
Mrs. Gates purchased the place where she now lives — a fine farm of two hundred
and forty acres on sections 27 and 28, Homer township, and has since directed
the operation of tliis farm.
Mr. Gates served as a trustee of his township and was holding that office at
the time of his death, having l)een elected on the republican ticket. He was
ever a most earnest supporter of the republican party, believing firmly that its
principles contained the best elements of good government. He was e(|ually loyal
in his belief as a .Methodist, and Christian teachings guided him in every relation
of life, making him a man whom to know was to respect and honor. His death
was deeply deplored not onl>- l)y his immediate family but liy many friends.
Success had attended his labors, bringing him a comfortable competence, and
in addition to leaving to his family a good farm he also left to them the still
more priceless heritage of that good name which is rather to he chosen than
great riches.
HARRY L. COBB.
As a dealer in shorthorns, Harry L. Cobb is known throughout not only
Buchanan county and Iowa, but throughout the United States, for some of his
herd hold the world's record among stock of that class. He deserves much
credit for what he has accomplished, for his .success is the legitimate outcome of
carefully directed labor and wisely planned investment. He was born Novem-
ber 20, 1869, in the house which he now occupies at Independence, his parents
being Edwin and Phinanda (Butterfield) Cobb, who were both natives of the
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 277
Empire state. The father was bora at Windham, Greene county, in the midst
of the Catskill mountains, June 7, 1823, and the mother's birth occurred at
Johnson Creek, Niagara county, July 17, 1825.
In early life Edwin Cobb became a farmer and dealer in live stock. Emigrat-
ing westward, he first settled in Illinois, and in 1853 came to Iowa, establishing
his home in Independence, on the spot where his son Harry L. now resides. At
that time this section of the state was but sparsely settled and the work of im-
provement and development seemed scarcely begun. Mr. Cobb became the owner
of a fine farm adjoining the city. At first he engaged in selling wagons, which
he hauled from Dubuque. He also bought hides, furs, etc., and along these
different lines of commercial activity laid the basis of his success. A few years
later he built his residence, known as the Cobb place, and conducted a hotel
•
there in early times, but later he devoted his entire attention to farming and
as soon as the county became sufficiently settled to make such a business a
paying one. he engaged in buying and shipping stock, which he sent to Chicago
and other markets, continuing actively and successfully in that business until his
retirement, which occurred a few years prior to his death. The Cobb place covers
four acres, situated directly across the street from the Hawthorne school in In-
dependence. In addition to his other business affairs, Mr. Cobb was a director
of the First National Bank for many years. Throughout his life he carried on
farming and stock-raising and became the owner of two valuable farm properties.
To him and his wife were born five children : Franklin Butterfield, who was
born November 13, 1855, and died February 27, 1910 ; Edwin Simon, who was
born October 19, 1858, and is now state agent for a large flour mill of Kansas,
his home being in Cedar Rapids; Albert Sidney, who was born August 30, 1862,
and is engaged in merchandising in Independence; George Woodworth, who was
born September 25, 1865, and is now connected with a large cattle company
operating in southern California, his home being in Pomona ; and Harry L., of
this review. All the children were born in the Cobb home in Independence.
In early times Edwin Cobb served as treasurer of the school board and was
connected with the fair association, but he steadily refused to fill political posi-
tions. With the growth and development of the county he was closely associated
and his name is found on the roll of honored pioneer settlers who laid the foun-
dation for the present prosperity and progress of the county. He died June 3,
1914, lacking but four days of being ninety-one years of age. He had long sur-
vived his wife, who passed away February 20, 1872.
Harry L. Cobb acquired his education in the public schools of Independence
and in the Upper Iowa University at Fayette. He worked with his father until
he attained his majority and then began to acquire interests with the latter in
the live-stock business. He has always resided in Independence and was contin-
ually connected with his father in live-stock dealing until the latter 's death.
About 1908 Harry L. Cobb l)egan buying and breeding pure bred dairy short-
horn cattle, starting with a pair. He now has a valuable herd, includuifu the
cow which holds the world's shorthorn record for milk and l)utter. This cow
is Ruth III, and the register number is 20440. Mr. Cobb likewise owns the cow
which stands in the second place, Charlotte B. He keeps on hand a number of
pure blooded cows, shipping all over the United States. Recently he shipped to
California a number of choice cattle, which he sold at fancy prices, and .he devotes
278 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
his entire time to the live-stock business and to farming, his activities in those
directions bringing him a substantial annual income.
On the 30th of May, 1890, Mr. Cobb was united in marriage to Miss Pearl
Kays, a native of Independence and a daughter of James and Palona (Spencer)
Kays, the former born in Pennsylvania in 1835, and the latter in Ohio in 1841.
In early life Mr. Kays followed blacksmithing. He emigrated westward to Wis-
consin and thence to Independence, where he arrived about 1864. Here he also
engaged in the blacksmithing business for a number of years. He then removed
to a farm in the vicinity of Hazleton, whereon he lived for fifteen years, and at
the same time conducted a blacksmith shop on his farm. He next took up his
abode in the town of Hazleton, where he again conducted a smithy. Later he
returned to Independence, where he remained for a number of years, and then
went to Waterloo, Iowa, where he now lives retired, making his home with his
daughter. To Mr. and Mrs. Kays were born seven children : Emma, the wife
of John Coonrad, a lumber dealer of Waterloo; Irene, the deceased wife of
Lester Lawrence, who is residing in Cedar Rapids ; Laura, who died in childhood ;
Nettie, the wife of Myron Yining, a carpet maker of Waterloo ; Ora, who married
Lillian Peterson, and is a traveling salesman, living at Waterloo; Mrs. Cobb;
and Nellie N., the wife of Charles Baker, a traveling salesman, living in
Kansas City.
]\Ir. and Mrs. Cob)) have become parents of five children: Grace, who was
born May 15, 1891. and died in infancy; CJlen Albert, who was born Noveml^er
2, 1892. and who is associated with his father in the stock business; Veda, who
was born September 21, 1899; Harriet Lucile, born December 3, 1903; and
Harold George, born December 2. 1910. Glen A. Cobb married Verona Sensor,
who was born in Ilawkeye, Iowa, and tliey have a daughter, Marion Leona, born
August 27. 1914.
^Ir. Cobb belongs to the Masonic lodge and is a loyal advocate of its teach-
ings. The greater part of his attention, however, is devoted to liis business
affairs and his wise management of his interests has led to the attainment of
substantial success. ]\Ioreover. he has done mucli to improve the grade of stock
raised, not only in this section of the state but in other parts of the country, and
has done much to win for Iowa its well earned reputation as a leading live-stock
center of the country.
JACOB ARNOLD.
On the 15th of August, 1905, occurred the demise, of Jacob Arnold, who,
although born in Germany, was for many years a resident of Buchanan county,
Iowa, gaining in that time many warm friends. His natal day was the 14th of
January, 1834, and he remained in the fatlierland until he was a young man of
twenty, when he crossed the Atlantic to America and continued his way west-
ward to Du Page county. Illinois, where he located. He was married in 1862,
and in 1865 he and his wife with their two oldest children came to Buchanan
county, making the journey in a wagon. Tliey settled upon an eighty acre tract
of wild prairie land in Cono township and ^Ir. Arnold immediately began its
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 281
cultivation. He was compelled to go in debt in order to make his first purchase,
but as both he and his wife were hard workers and economical the indebtedness
upon the property was eventually paid off and Mr. Arnold bought more land
from time to time until he became the owner of about nine hundred acres, from
which he derived a handsome income. He was industrious and alert and his
success was but the merited reward of his enterprise and good management.
In 1862 Mr. Arnold married Miss Katherina Kautz, a native of Germany,
born on the 3d of November, 1846. Her parents, Daniel and Katheriue (Stoffer)
Kautz, who were likewise natives of the fatherland, came to the United States
when she was a child of nine years. The family settled in Du Page county,
Illinois, but both Mr. and Mrs. Kautz died in Cono township, this county, where
they had resided for some time before called to their final rest. All of the children
born to Mr. and Mrs. Arnold are married and have homes of their own. At the
death of the father the property was divided and each received a good farm.
Mr. Arnold was a member of the Presbyterian church, to which his wife also
belongs. In political matters he supported the democratic party and held various
township offices. His widow still resides upon the eighty acres which they first
purchased and which has remained the homestead throughout the many years
since their arrival in this county. Mr. Arnold conformed his life to high stand-
ards of conduct and in addition to winning material success, gained the sincere
respect and esteem of those who knew him, and his death in 1905 deprived the
county of a valued resident.
JOHN W. WOLGAMOT.
John W. Wolgamot, of Fairbank, is one of the leading auctioneers of this
part of the state and cries many sales annually. He was born in Fairbank
township, Buchanan county, April 30, 1862, a son of Joseph and Athae T. (Buck-
master) Wolgamot, natives of Maryland and Holmes county, Ohio, respectively.
The father was taken by his parents to Holmes county, Ohio, when but an infant.
He was a soldier in the Mexican war, serving for three years, and at the close
of the war returned to Oliio. In the early fifties he brought his family to Bu-
chanan county, where he lived until his death, which occurred at Fairbank
in 1911. His wife died in 1898. They were the parents of eight children, of
whom the subject of this review is the sixth in order of birth. A fuller account
of the lives of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Wolgamot will be found in the sketch of
Clinton W. Wolgamot, which appears elsewhere in this work.
John W. Wolgamot grew to manhood in this county and received his educa-
tion in the common .schools. He followed agricultural pursuits until 1882, when
he engaged in the butchering business and in the buying and selling of live
stock in Fairbank. He continued in those occupations for some time but is now
an auctioneer and his services are often required in other counties, as he has a
a reputation for efficient work that extends throughout this section of Iowa.
He understands his business thoroughly and is almost always al)le to secure a good
price for the articles offered at auction. He is not only largely in demand for the
sales of household goods, but cries most of the sales of live stock and farm iraple-
Vol. 11—13
282 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
ments held in this county and many held in adjoining counties. He understands
a crowd thoroughly and this knowledge enables him to present the merits of the
article which is for sale in such a way as to get a good price for it.
Mr. Wolgamot was married, in Waterloo, Iowa, on New Year's day, 1896,
to Miss Ida Hoffman, who was born in Dixon, Illinois, January 3, 1866. In
1872 she accompanied her parents to Iowa, the family locating near Dunkerton
on a farm. Her father, William Henry Harrison Hoffman, was born in Penn-
sylvania and died in Fairbank, Iowa, 1897. Her mother, who was in her
maidenhood Miss Rebecca Hersel, was also a native of the Keystone state and
likewise died at Fairbank. To their union were born seven children, of whom
four are living. The brothers and sisters of ]\Irs. Wolgamot were : Mary
Luetta, who died in Pennsylvania when a child of two years; Reuben, residing
in Bondurant, Iowa ; John Aaron, whose home is near Butterfield, Minnesota ;
Charles Luther, of Staples, Minnesota ; Alice May, who died when nine years
of age ; and Mrs. Rosetta jMatilda Busby, \vho died in Fayette county, Iowa. The
eldest child was a native of the Keystone state, the four next in order of birth
were born in Illinois and the two youngest in Black Hawk county, Iowa. Mrs.
Wolgamot is a member of the Episcopal church and aids in the work of its
various organizations.
Mr. AVolgamot is a democrat in his political allegiance and has always taken
an active part in public affairs. He served one term as deputy sheriff of Bu-
chanan county and has been a member of the council at Fairbank as well
as city marshal and constable. Fraternally he belongs to the Elks at Oelwein.
His time has not been entirely taken up by his auctioneering business and he has
bought, improved and sold a number of farms in this community. He owns
two substantial business houses in Fairbank and also one hundred and sixty acres
of good land near Otoka, South Dakota. His wife owns and manages the leading
millinery store in Fairl)ank. They both have marked business ability, which
they have developed, and both are successful and prosperous. All of their rela-
tions with their fellowmen are guided by liigh standards of conduct and their
friends are many.
AMOS G. SIIELLITO, M. D.
Dr. Amos G. Shellito, engaged in the general practice of medicine at Inde-
pendence, was born in Crawford county, Pennsylvania, August 20, 1860, a son
of George and Amanda (Slocum) Shellito. The fatlier was born in Crawford
county, Pennsylvania, in 1821, and the mother's birth occurred in Vermont in
1830. George Shellito always followed the occupation of farming and spent
his entire life in his native county, where he died in the year 1892. His wife
survived him for about thirteen years, passing away in 1905.
Dr. Shellito was the third in a family of six children and after attending
the public schools of his native county continued his education in the preparatory
department of Allegheny College. He also attended medical school in Cleveland
for one year and then entered a medical college at Baltimore, Maryland, from
which ho was graduated in 1882. The same year he came to Iowa, settling at In-
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 283
dependence, where he entered upon the practice of his profession. He has since
continued in the general practice of medicine and has been accorded a liberal
patronage.
In December, 1884, Dr. Shellito was married to Miss Nellie F. Campbell,
who was born in Independence, Iowa, a daughter of John H. and Ruth R.
(Judd) Campbell, both of whom were natives of New York. They came to Iowa
about 1856 and Mr. Campbell engaged in the banking business, he and his
brother organizing the First National Bank of Independence, with which insti-
tution he was connected until his death, which occurred in 1886. His wife
passed away January 20, 1910. Dr. and Mrs. Shellito have a son, Judd Campbell,
who was born May 25, 1889, and is now attending the Johns Hopkins University
at Baltimore, Maryland, as a student in the medical department.
Dr. Shellito is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and gives liis
political allegiance to the republican party but is without aspiration for office.
He belongs to the ^Masonic fraternity, holding membership in the lodge, chapter,
commandery and Mystic Shrine. Along strictly professional lines his connection
is with the Buchanan County Medical Society, the Iowa State Medical Society
and the American Medical Association. Thus he keeps in touch with the advance-
ment made in his chosen field of labor.
GEORGE W. KLOTZ.
A farm of one hundred and twenty acres on section 4, Newton township,
pays tribute to the care and labor bestowed upon it by its owner and occupant,
George W. Klotz, who was born January 8, 1867, in the township which is still
his home. He is a son of Charles F. and Rachel (Hekel) Klotz, who were natives
of Germany. In early life the father came to the new world, making his way to
Dubuque county, Iowa, whence he afterward came to Buchanan county. All
through his life he followed the occupation of farming and in Newton township
he purchased a tract of land which he continued to develop and cultivate until
1907, when he retired from active business and took up his abode in Quasqueton,
where he still remains. In 1907 he was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife,
who died in February of that year.
George W. Klotz has always been a resident of this county, spending his
youthful days in the usual manner of farm lads, early becoming familiar with
the best methods of plowing, planting and harvesting. He remained with his
parents to the age of twTuty-five years and then rented land and began farming
on his own account. He was given one hundred and twenty acres of land on
section 4, Newton township, by his father and has since devoted his energies to
the further development and improvement of the property. Iowa's soil is
naturally rich and productive and pays good return for the care and labor be-
stowed upon it. The farm of Mr. Klotz is now well improved with modern
accessories and conveniences, and he uses the latest machinery to facilitate the
work of the fields. He also engages in stock-raising, handling high grade cattle,
sheep and hogs, and he is a stockholder in the Kiene Store Building Company in
the village of Kiene. Earnest, persistent labor has been the source of his success.
284 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
Year by year he has worked on persistently and energetically and in his business
management has displayed sound judgment.
In June, 1892, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Klotz and Miss Nellie
Perry, a daughter of Malachi and Lucretia (Cutler) Perry. Four children have
been born of this union, namely : Arlene, who is the wife of John Buchanan, of
Jackson, Iowa ; Florence, a maiden of fifteen summers ; and ^Marion and Nellie,
who are ten and eight years of age respectively. ^
Mr. Klotz is a believer in the principles of the republican party, and for
four years he served as trustee of his township, while he has also been justice
of the peace. Otherwise, however, he has not held nor desired public office,
preferring to give undivided attention to his business affairs. He has member-
ship with the ]\Iodern Brotherhood of America and the family attend the Con-
gregational church. In those associations are found the motive springs of his
conduct, making him a man of genuine worth enjoying the unqualified regard of
neighbors and friends.
THEODORE B. HOUSHOLDER.
The j^ear 1886 witnessed the arrival of Theodore B. Housholder in Buchanan
county, at which time he purchased land and became identified with agricul-
tural pursuits. For many years he carried on general farming but since 1910
has lived retired in Rowley, enjoying a well earned rest. His birth occurred
in Barrington, Cook county, Illinois, on the 7th of December, 1858, his parents
being Charles and ^laria (Casteline) Housholder, botli of whom were natives
of New York. Removing westward, they settled in Cook count}', Illinois, at an
early period in the development of tliat section of the state and there the
father embarked in farming, continuing to engage in that occupation throughout
his remaining days. Both he and his wife have passed away.
Theodore B. Housholder was reared and educated in his native county and
received ample training in farm work through the assistance which he rendered
his father in cultivating tlie fiekls of the old home farm. On attaining his
majority his desire to engage in l)usiness on his own account caused him to rent
land which he cultivated until 1S86. He then removed westward with Buchanan
county as his destination and purchased forty acres of land in Homer township.
This he at once began to cultivate l)ut after three years sold out and purchased
eighty-five acres, upon which he made his home throughout the remainder of
the period that he tlevoted to active business. His labors were soon evidenced
in the good crops which he gathered and in the excellent appearance of his
place, characterized at all points by neatness and thrift. His careful manage-
ment of liis ])usiness aft'airs and his well directed industry brought liim a
competence sufficient to enable him to put aside further cares in 1910 and retire
from active life.
On the 20th of February, 1880, Mr. Honsholder was married to Miss Amanda
Shouler, a daughter of Eli and Mahala (Hankins) Shouler, who were Illinois
pioneers, removing to that state from Wisconsin and there spending their re-
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 285
maining days. Mr. and Mrs. Housholder have become the parents of three sons,
Eli, Jay and Wayne, all residents of Rowley.
Mr. Housholder is a republican in his political views and keeps in touch
with the leading questions and issues of the day. He has served as a trustee
of Homer township. He and his wife are highly esteemed in the community
in which they make their home. More than a quarter of a century has passed
since their arrival in this county and throughout the entire period their lives
have been such as to win for them the confidence and good-will of all with
whom they have come in contact.
WILLIAM G. BROWN.
William G. Brown is one of the foremost business men of Independence, a
position to which he has attained through indefatigable energy and intelligently
directed effort. He started out in life practically empty-handed and is today
one of the partners in an enterprise employing two hundred and eighty people.
He was born in Independence, July 25, 1869. His father, Ellis P. Brown, whose
birth occurred in New London, Chester countj^ Pennsylvania, in 1836, came
to Iowa from Pennsylvania in 1864 and engaged in the grain business in Inde-
pendence. He wedded Mary E. Norris, who was born in New Philadelphia,
Ohio, in 1842. Following their removal to Iowa she engaged in the millinery
business, her store being located in the building in which originated the great
fire that practically destroyed Independence on the 3d of ^lay, 1874. It was
with difficulty that they managed to escape from the tire, which completely
destroyed the business. Ellis P. Brown was a .soldier of the Civil war, serving
for ninety days with the Pennsylvania Artillery, his command being called out
at the battle of Gettysburg. He was of the Quaker faith. He had no political
aspirations and held no public ofifice, but his life was upright and honorable
and won for him warm regard.
William G. Brown, the elder of two children, attended the schools of Inde-
pendence and at the age of eighteen years accepted the position of baggageman
in his native city in the employ of the Illinois Central Railroad. When he had
thoroughly acquainted himself with the duties of that position and proven his
worth, he was advanced to the position of ticket agent at Dubuque in the service
of the Chicago & Great Western. In 1897, however, he returned to Independence,
where he opened a cafe which he conducted until 1911. He next entered
into partnership with E. 0. Parker and Joseph Limbert for the manufacture
of novelty cards and jobbing of other fancy novelties. The business was started
in one room and something of its rapid and .substantial growth is indicated in
the fact that they now occupy five store buildings. They conduct their own
printery and employ two hundred and eighty people. The cigar and candy
boards and other novelties which they make are sold all over the United States,
Mexico and Canada and their output along all lines is shipped to every part
of this country, their business being now one of mammoth proportions. Mr.
Brown keeps in close touch with the trade, studies its indications and the de-
mands of the public and is ever ready to meet any emergency that may arise.
286 HISTORY OP^ BUCHANAN COUNTY
In 1906 Mr. Brown was united in marriage to Miss Bonita Walker, of Inde
pendence, a daughter of John W. and Maria Agnes (Nay lor) Walker, the former
born in Indiana in 1847 and the latter in Pennsylvania in 1848. The father
died in 1905, at the age of fifty-eight years, and the mother now makes her home
at Weyerhauser, Wisconsin, at the age of sixty-six years. In early life the
father was a resident of Orangeville, Illinois, and was there located at the
time of the Civil war. Responding to the country's call for troops, he went
to the front and while in the army sustained a sunstroke from which he never
fully recovered. He was a carpenter and builder and in the '70s removed to
Iowa, where he made his home for a considerable time. At length he left Inde-
pendence and went to Yates Center, Kansas, and later removed to Wisconsin,
where he passed away.
"Slv. Brown holds membership with the United Commercial Travelers. He is
a man of marked initiative spirit who at all times is forceful and resourceful.
His plans are carefully formed and promptly executed and, moreover, he has
the abilit.y to recognize and utilize opportunities which others pass heedlessly
by. Gradually he has worked his way upward and today he is at the head
of an extensive and prosperous business which is not only a source of gratifying
individual income but also an element in the prosperity of Buchanan county.
GEORGE W. BARE.
Homer township is divided up into many excellent farms which indicate the
progressive spirit of their owners in their well tilled fields, good crops and sub-
stantial buildings. George W. Bare has a fine tract of land on sections 27 and
28, Homer township, comprising two hundred acres. His life record began
in Fairfield county, Ohio, on the 4th of July, 1861, his parents being John and
Elizabetli (Haas) Bare. Tlie father was born in Pennsylvania, but the mother
was a native of Switzerland. In early life John Bare learned and followed the
carpenter's trade and after leaving Pennsylvania lived for some time in Ohio be-
fore going to Indiana. Following his arrival in the last named state he settled
in Whitley county, where his remaining days were passed. He died in 1863,
while his wife's death occurred in 1879.
George W. Bare, spending his youtiiful days in Indiana, attended the public
schools there and received thorough training in farm work, early taking his
place in the fields in connection wifii the tasks of plowing, planting and harvest-
ing. He remained at home until 1880. when at the age of nineteen years he
came to Buchanan county, where for four years he cultivated a rented farm.
He then put aside that task and was employed as a farm hand for four years. At
the end of that time he again began farming on rented land, spending two
years in Benton county, Iowa, after which he purchased eighty acres on section
27, Homer townshij). He then bent every energy to the development of that
place and from time to time he has extended the boundaries of his farm until
it now comprises forty acres adjoining the original homestead, and in 1912 he
bought eighty acres on section 28, IIonuM* township, making in all two hundred
acres wbicli lie is carefulh- tillinir. The high tas.seled corn and the golden heads
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 287
of the wheat indicate that his methods of cultivating the soil are practical and
insure substantial results. In his pasture lands are found high grade stock,
including thoroughbred shorthorn cattle and Poland China hogs.
On the 30th of April, 1890, Mr. Bare was united in marriage to Miss Eva
L. Robison, a daughter of L. E. and Fannie (Mosier) Robison, who were natives
of New York. The father followed farming until after the outl)reak of the Civil
war, when he enlisted for service at the front with the boys in blue, joining the
Sixteenth New York Heavy Artillery in January, 1864, and being subsequently
transferred to the First New York Mounted Rifles, with which command he served
until the close of the war. Ifa 1869 he arrived in Buchanan county and two years
later purchased land in Homer township upon which he continued to reside until
1908. During that period he carefully carried on general farming but ulti-
mately retired and removed to Walker, Iowa, where he now resides at the age of
seventy years. His wife is sixty-two years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Bare are the
parents of eight children, namely : Elmer D., who is twenty-three years of age
and is an electrician at Walker ; Lida J., twenty-one years of age, who is a milliner
of Dumont, Iowa ; Charles Leslie, a young man of nineteen years ; John, a youth
of fourteen ; and Harold, Hattie, Carrie and Fannie, who are twelve, ten, six
and four years of age respectively. The last six named are still under the
parental roof.
Mr. Bare exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and measures
of the democratic party and has filled the office of justice of the peace, in which
connection he carefully w^eighs the evidence of the case and bases his decisions
upon the equity and the law. He belongs to the Modern Brotherhood of Amer-
ica and to the Methodist church and in these associations are found the motive
springs of his conduct, making hiin a man worthy the high respect of those
with whom he has dealings or with whom he is brought in contact in social rela-
tions.
DON W. ANDERSON.
Don W. Anderson has for a number of years been identified with business
activity in Rowley and is now a salesman in the F. j\I. Williams general store.
He was born in Otterville, this county, November 7, 1885, his parents being
William and Flora (Pratt) Anderson. The father, a native of Indiana, arrived
in Buchanan county in early life in company with his parents. He afterward
followed farming for some time and finally turned his attention to commercial
pursuits, engaging in the grocery business in Otterville, where he conducted a
store for about eight years. He still makes his home in that place, but his wife
passed away in 1885.
Don W. Anderson was but two weeks old when his mother died, and he after-
ward lived with his uncle, L. R. Miller, at Independence, until nine years of age.
He pursued his early education in the schools of that city and subsequently
attended Highland Park College at Des Moines, Iowa, from which he was grad-
uated with the class in pharmacy in December, 1904. After completing that
course he worked in a drug store for others and afterwards engaged in busi-
288 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
ness on his own account. For two years he was proprietor of a drug store at
Aurora, this county. Later he spent a year in Independence, and then came to
Rowley, where he conducted a drug store for two years. On the expiration of
that period he turned his attention to the real estate business, with which he was
connected until January, 1914, when he accepted his present position as clerk
in the general store of F. M. "Williams. He is well known to the trading public,
is ever courteous in his treatment of patrons and thoroughly reliable in his busi-
ness methods.
On the 28th of October, 1905, Mr. Anderson was united in marriage to Miss
Lena Hutton, a daughter of Ira and Louise (Culbertson) Hutton, the former a
native of Kansas, and the latter of Greele}-, Iowa. Her father was at one time
engaged in the creamery business in Otterville and also in Independence, and
is now conducting a similar enterprise at Earlville. Mr. and Mrs. Anderson
have three children, namely : Gladys and Merle, who are five and four years
of age, respectively; and Roth, who is in the second year.
The religious faith of the famil.y is that of the Presbyterian church, to
which both Mr. and Mrs. Anderson belong. Politically he is a democrat and is
a candidate for the office of clerk of the court on that party ticket. At the
present writing he is filling the office of assessor of Homer township, which posi-
tion he has occupied for two years. He holds membership with the Masonic
lodge at Rowley, with the Eastern Star Chapter, and with the Modern Wood-
men Camp at Otterville, and to the teachings of those organizations is always
loyal. He and his family occupy a pleasant residence in Rowley, which he owns,
and their home is the abode of a warm-hearted hospitality which is greatly en-
joyed by their many friends. ^Ir. Anderson is a young man of genuine personal
worth and justly merits the high esteem which is uniformly accorded him.
ZEXAS A. CO.MFORT.
Zenas A. Comfort, a prominent factor in financial circles of Buchanan county,
is the president of the Jesup State Bank at Jesup and is also a successful stock-
man and owner of extensive farm lands. His birth occurred in Cook county,
Illinois, August 19, 1850, his parents being William and .Matilda (Blackman)
Comfort. The parents were both natives of Canada but took up their abode in
Illinois early in life, being married near Elgin, that state. Tiie father, who was
a farmer by occupation, took up his abode in Buchanan county. Iowa, in 1868,
purchasing four hundred and eighty acres of land a mile and a half east of
Jesup. This he improved and cultivated throughout his remaining days, p'assing
away on the home farm at the age of seventy-two years. He was a republican
in his political affiliations and was an active member of the ]\K'thodist Episcopal
church. He was well known throughout the county and his death brought to
the community a distinct loss. His wife survived for a few years and passed
away July 17, 1910. in the faith of the ]\Iethodist church, in which she was like-
wise a devoted and active worker. In their family were seven children: Zenas
A., of this review ; W. J., who makes his home in Sioux City. Iowa ; George M.,
who has i)assed away : E. W., who operates the old homestead farm in Perry
ZENAS A. COMFORT
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 291
township ; Levi L., who has also departed this life ; Elmer E., a farmer of Perry
township; and Matilda, the deceased wife of John Cruikshank, of Cedar Rapids.
Zenas A. Comfort was educated in the schools of Illinois and was a youth of
eighteen years when the family home was established in Buchanan county. He
assisted his father in the cultivation of his new land and remained under the
parental roof to the age of twenty-five years, when he was married and estab-
lished a home of his own on eighty acres of land in Perrj^ township. To this
tract he added eighty acres four years later and actively engaged in its cultivation
for many years. During the winter months he gave his attention largely to
shipping stock, but in 1901 he disposed of all his stock, rented his farm to his
son and took up his abode in Jesup. He here formed a partnership with ]\I. R.
Considine and from that time to the present they have engaged quite ex-
tensively in buying and shipping stock. In 1901 ]Mr. Comfort and J. H. Carey
solicited stock and organized the bank which has since conducted business under
the style of the Jesup State Bank. Upon the inception of this institution Mr.
Carey was elected president and Mr. Comfort w^as made vice president. Five
years later the death of Mr. Carey occurred and ^Ir. Comfort then succeeded
to the presidency, in which capacity he has since served, contributing in no
small degree to the growth and success of the institution. In addition to his
banking interests ^Ir. Comfort has accumulated farm lands in North and South
Dakota, Minnesota and Texas, his possessions now aggregating nine hundred
acres. He also owns city property in Jesup and holds stock in the telephone
company and the creamery of this place and in the Rath Packing Company at
Waterloo, Iowa.
Mr. Comfort was married, September 6, 1875, to ]\Iiss Mary Jane Wills, a
native of England, and their union has been blessed with seven children : Fred',
Clifford and Jesse, all of whom follow farming in Perry township ; Jasper, who
resides in Texas ; Birdie, the wife of W. J. Campbell, a merchant of Jesup ; Lora
A., at home ; and one who died in infancy.
In politics Mr. Comfort is a stanch republican and both he and his wife are
devoted members of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which for many years
he has served as a trustee. His life has been characterized by principles that
command respect, and in all his dealings he has shown a probity that reflects
upon him the highest credit.
REMINGTON FRED FRENCH.
Remington Fred French is well known as an active and successful live-
stock dealer, which business he has conducted along extensive lines. His birth-
place was in Buchanan county, a mile and a half north of his present place of
residence, his natal day being August 29, 1870. He is one of a family of eight
children born unto Philander and Mary Ann (Van Netten) French. The father's
birth occurred in Cayuga county. New York, November 12, 1812, and the mother
was born in New Jersey, March 20, 1832. Mr. French always followed farming
and for a number of years in early life engaged in surveying. He came to Iowa
about 1848, settling in Buchanan county, about a half mile .south of the county
292 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
farm. He became a land owner and continued upon his farm throughout the
remainder of his days, devoting his entire life to the cultivation of his fields,
covering three hundred and sixty acres, his efforts resulting in greatly enhanc-
ing the value of his property. He died July 30, 1892, and his wife passed away
March 28, 1913.
Remington F. French was a pupil in the old stone school house in the home
district and afterward pursued a business course in Des Moines. Later he was
graduated from the Iowa State University, having completed the law course
with the class of 1899. He remained at home until twenty-one years of age, and
after preparing for the bar he formed a partnership in 1899 with Captain
Holman, who was then county attorney. The relationship between them existed
for three years, at the end of which time Mr. French removed to his present
home, which he had previously owned. He has made all of the improvements
upon the farm, which is today one of the finest places in the county. He has
two hundred and thirty-five acres of excellent farm land, which he cultivates in
a general way, and in 1907 he began the breeding of full-blooded Belgian horses.
In 1911 he began importing direct from Belgium, making the first trip in that
year. He made his own selections and did his own l)uying and today owns a
number of full-blooded imported horses. He sells in a numl)er of surrounding
states and in Canada, handling more stock of this kind than all other stock dealers
of the county together. He is a most careful buyer, seldom if ever at error
in estimating the value of a horse, and his success is well deserved. He devotes
his entire time to his farm and his livestock interests and is today one of the.
representative men in this line in Buchanan county. For some years he was
extensively engaged in feeding cattle upon a farm north of the poor farm,
but sold that property. He afterward disposed of his farm a mile and a half
east of his present place, which is situated in Washington township and is one
of the valuable properties of the county. He is now concentrating his energies
upon the breeding, raising and sale of horses. His stable contains the mare
which won the first prize in the three-year-old class at the Iowa State Fair in
1913, and also the colt which won the first weanling's prize in tiie same year.
He likewise has the sire of this colt in his stable. He is also the owner of a
pair of four-year-old mares which won second prize at the State Fair in 1911
and again in 1912, and he is the owner of the stallion which won second prize
in the three-year-old class in 1913. He is likewise the owner of a grandson of
the stallion which won five championships in Belgium and Paris exhibits in
consecutive years. He now has on hand thirty head of full-blooded Belgian
horses. He has no desire to be the largest importer, but has ambition to handle
horses of the highest grade. His stable for mares is one hundred and twelve by
thirty-tM^o feet, with a shed in the rear sixty-four by twenty-four feet. The
stallion barn is equipped witli box stalls and its dimensions are thirty-two by
eio-htv feet. He has everv facilitv needed in connection with his Inisiness and
his name is familiar to horsemen throughout the country. He is an expert .ludge
of horses and his business has been so conducted as to win substantial .success.
On the 30th day of May, 1900, :Mr. French was united in marriage to Miss
Kate Wilson, whose birth occurred upon a farm a half mile east of her present
home, her parents being Elzie and ^laria (Kaufman^ Wilson, both of whom
were natives of Wayne eounty, Ohio, the former born August 8, 1844. and the
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 293
latter on the 20th of August, 1853. They came to Iowa on the 4th of May, 1864,
and Mr. Wilson followed farming and stock raising, living for many years on a
farm a half mile east of the French farm, save for a short time upon a farm in
Buffalo township, later returning to the old homestead. Eventually, however,
he left the farm, although he is still a resident of the county. For a number
of years he was one of the stockholders and directors of the Commercial National
Bank and was a holder of key No. 2 to the vaults. He never sought nor desired
political office, yet filled the position of supervisor. To him and his wife were
born two children, Mrs. French being the younger and the only daughter. She
attended the city schools of Independence and pursued a course in music in
Oberlin College at Oberlin, Ohio, and also studied in Chicago, thus developing
her native talent. To Mr. and Mrs. French have been bom two children : Mar-
garet Wilson, born August 12, 1903 ; and Ruth Virinda, born February 2, 1906.
In his political views Mr. French is a Republican and is now serving as a
member of the board of county supervisors. He belongs to the Masonic fra-
ternity, in which he has taken the degrees of lodge and chapter.
ROBERT EPHRATM LEACH.
The news of the sudden death of Robert Ephraim Leaeli, which was occa-
sioned by an accident, on the 30th of August, 1914, came as a shock to Inde-
pendence, as he was a man in the prime of life and possessed of great physical
vigor. He was one of the leaders in civic affairs, prominent in fraternal circles
and a business man of no mean ability. He was often referred to as the best
educated man in Independence, and was proficient in many languages and also
in higher mathematics. He did not admit all to intimate relationship, but those
who were privileged in being his close friends held him in the highest honor, as
they found him in all circumstances a man true to his word, even at the greatest
material cost to himself, and unflinchingly loyal to any cause in which he be-
lieved. For a number of years he was one of the leaders of the bar of Buchanan
county, but for some time previous to his death he concentrated his energies
upon the management of his estate and that of his aged father, Ephraim Leach,
'one of the pioneers of the county.
Mr. Leach, of this review, was born in this city on the 13th of February,
1869, a son of Ephraim and Mary E. (Traeey) Leach. A sketch of the father
appears elsewhere in this work. The subject of this review was the only child
born to his parents and was reared in Independence, attending the public schools
of the city. However, his secondary education was acquired in Waterloo, and
after being graduated from the high school there in 1886 he entered the State
University of Iowa at Iowa City, and completed his course there with the class
of 1889. After spending two years in post-graduate work in Harvard Univer-
sity he entered the law department of the University of Iowa, from which he was
graduated with his legal degree in 1894. His college career was one of unusual
success, both in scholastic attainments and in the field of student activities. His
scholarship was of a high order and won him election to Phi Beta Kappa, an hon-
orary college fraternity founded at William and Mary in 1776 for the purpose of
294 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
recognizing marked ability shown in college work and also with the aim of
fostering the love of learning. That he held the respect and esteem of his college
mates is apparent from the fact that he was elected a member of Beta Theta
Pi, a leading college fraternity, and was president of Phi Delta Phi, a law
fraternity.
After leaving law school he pursued his legal studies in the office of Wood-
ward & Cook, and was in due time admitted to the bar. He subsequently prac-
ticed his profession alone for a year, but upon the death of J. S. Woodward,
formed a partnership with the latter 's partner, J. E. Cook, and this law firm
continued until about 1905. ^Ir. Leach then again practiced by himself for a
time, but subsequently became associated with R. J. O'Brien in the formation
of a law firm, which continued until January, 1909. At that time Mr. Leach
withdrew from the firm and devoted his time and energy to the management
of his other interests and those of his father. He was successful in everything
that he undertook, bending the powers of his fine intellect, trained in the best
schools of the country, to the accomplishment of whatever task he had in hand,
and the association of his name with any project insured its validity. As a
lawyer he was aggressive in the conduct of any case intrusted to him, his wide
learning and his keen, vigorous mind making him an opponent much to be
feared, and he won an unusually liigh percentage of the cases in which he ap-
peared as counsel.
Mr. Leach was married on the 28th of June, 1S94, to ]\Iiss Kate E. Wood-
ward, a daughter of ]\Ir. and ]\Irs. J. S. Woodward, a sketch of whom appears
elsewhere in this work. To ^Ir. and ^Irs. Leach were born four children :
Robert Woodward ; Jerome Southwick, who is deceased ; Epliraim ; and Catliarine,
also deceased,
Mr. Leach was a member of the Presbyterian church and practiced in his
daily life the teachings of Christianity. Fraternally he was prominent, belong-
ing to Tndepeiulence Lodge, A. F. & A. M. ; Aholiab Chapter, R. A. M. ; Kenneth
Commandery, K. T. ; Crescent Lodge, K. P.; Wapsie Camp, M. W. A.; Indepen-
dence Lodge, I. 0. 0. F.; and Anchor Homestead. B. A. V.: and he was also
affiliated with a number of other organizations, including the Harvard Club of
Chicago, the Buchanan County Bar Association, and the Iowa State Bar Asso-
ciation. He was an accomplished linguist, being master of the English, German,
Greek. Latin, French, Spanish and Italian languages, and able to translate
to some extent two other foreign tongues. Not only was he gifted as a language
student, but lie was also a mathematician of exceptional ability. He realized
the importance to a community of a good school syst^^n and he recognized also
the fact that the best work can only lie done when there is adequate eciuipment,
and was the one man who did the mo.st towards securing the fine new high
school building, which is the pride of the city. A gi-eat many, disliking the idea
of the expense of erecting a modern high school building, were in favor of
patching up the old one, but Mr. Leach circulatA'd a petition and secured a
sufficient numlier of signatures to insure the success of the plan to erect a new
building.
l*olitically Mr. Leach belonged to the republican party, and was active in
its ranks until 1912, at which time he joined the progressive party, and from
that year until his death was one of the leaders of the new organization in this
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 295
state. He was delegate from Iowa to notify Colonel Roosevelt of his nomination
for president. He was candidate for Congress in this district upon the pro-
gressive ticket and his energetic and telling campaign resulted in his polling
many more votes than the politicians of the older parties believed possible. He
was a man who, while quietly insisting upon his rights, was also scrupulous in
the discharge of his duties and just to ail men. In his family relations he was
_all that a man should be, and his friends found that his loyalty was unchanging
and steadfast. His sense of obligation included the community in which he
lived his entire life, and no citizen of Independence ever labored more unselfishly
or sincerely for her welfare. He was a man of magnificent physique and his
great strength and reserve force, coupled with his fine mind, enabled him to
achieve much in diverse lines of endeavor.
A. ROY LUTHER.
A. Roy Luther, a real estate agent of Independence, and one of the native
sons of the county, was born in 1880, a son of W. S. Luther, whose birth oc-
curred in Castile, New York, April 1, 1833. In early life he was connected
with a cousin in the foundry business, but at the outbreak of the Civil war all
business and personal considerations were put aside and he joined the array as
a member of Company A, One Hundred Forty-ninth Regiment, New York Vol-
•unteer Infantry. In the Dismal Swamp he contracted sickness which forced
him to obtain a leave of absence. His trip home led to no improvement, and he
was later obliged to resign. He went to the front as sergeant, and when he left
the army he was holding the rank of second lieutenant. After the war he went
to southern Ohio, where he remained for five years, engaged in the oil business,
but he still maintained his home in Castile, New York.
In 1869 W. S. Luther arrived in Iowa, settling at Independence, where he
engaged in the agricultural implement business, establishing the firm of Bartle,
Luther & Brownell, which relation was maintained for fifteen years. Later he
was at Ossian, Iowa, and at Austin, Minnesota, in the creamery business with
C. "W. Williams, and subsequently he returned to Independence. During the
period of his early residence here he was also interested in a sash and door
factory. It was in Castile, New York, in 1871, that he was united in marriage
to Miss Anna Shea, who was born in St. John, New Brunswick, August 11, 1850.
They became the parents of five children, who are yet living, all being residents
of Independence, namely: W. S. and A. R., who are engaged in the real estate
business; J. S., who is bookkeeper for the People's National Bank; W. P., who
is associated with his brothers, A. R. and J. S., in the cigar l)usiness ii,i Tnde
pendence ; and Mrs. J. B. Steinmetz, of Independence. The father died in
March, 1914, in the faith of the Methodist church, in which he held membership.
The mother survives.
A. Roy Luther attended school in Independence and when seventeen years
of age enlisted as a member of Company E, Forty-ninth Iowa Volunteer In-
fantry, for service in the Spanish-American War. He served for one year in
Jacksonville, Florida, in Savannah, Georgia, and in Cuba, and while at Jack-
296 HISTOKY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
sonville suffered from typhoid fever. After his return he went into the post-
ofifice as junior clerk, remaining there under several different postmasters, or
for a period of fourteen years. In November, 1912, he entered the real estate
and insurance business, and now confines his attention to real estate dealing,
being an active representative of that line of business.
Mr. Luther was united in marriage to Miss Maude Higby, a native of Fair-
bank, Iowa, and they have one child, Elizabeth May, who was born September 2,'
1910. Mrs. Luther was for six years on the concert stage, in which connection
she traveled all over the United States and through its colonial possessions.
Mr. Luther belongs to the Masonic fraternity, and is a chancellor commander
of the Knights of Pythias. He also has membership with the Spanisli War
Veterans, and in politics he is an active republican, doing all in his power to
promote the growth and further the success of the party. He has made a com-
mendable record in business circles and possesses the enterprise and energy
which overcome difficulties and obstacles and advances steadily toward the goal
of prosperity.
LOUIS F. KLOTZ.
A student of history cannot carry his investigations far into the records of
Buchanan county without learning that the name of Klotz figures prominently
on its pages from pioneer times to the present, especially in connection with
the agricultural development of this region — and agriculture is the principal
source of the prosperity and advanced condition of the county today. Among
those actively engaged in farming in Newton township is Louis F. Klotz, who
resides on section 9. It was in that township that he was born on the 12th of
February, 1873, his parents being Charles F. and Rachel (Ilekel) Klotz, of whom
mention is made in connection with the sketch of George AV. Klotz, on another
page of this volume.
As the years of boyhood and youth passed, Louis F. Klotz divided his time
between the acquirement of a public school education and the work of the fields.
He early received practical training in the Ix'st methods of plowing, planting
and harvesting, and through the period of his minority remained with his par-
ents. He then started out in life on his own account by renting land from his
father, and eventually inherited one hundred and twenty acres of land on sec-
tion P. Newton townsliip, and upon that farm has since resided. His life of ac-
tivity, enterprise and ])rogressiveness is evidenced in the excellent appearance of
his place, which is lacking in none of the equipments of the model farm. Every-
thing is well kept, the place is divided into fields of convenient size by substan-
tial fences, and good barns and outbuildings furnish ample shelter for grain
and stock.
On the 6th of March. 1894, 'Mr. Klotz was united in marriage to ^liss Edith
M. Ironside, a daughter of James and Matilda (Fike) Ironside. To Mr. and
Mrs. Klotz have been born three children, namely: Gertrude M., nineteen years
old; and Franklin L. and Donald D., who are sixteen and eight years of age,
respectively.
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 297
In addition to his farming interests Mr. Klotz is a stockholder in the Kiene
Store Building Company. He has always been actuated by a spirit of progress
in business affairs, and he believes just as thoroughly in advancement in public
connections. He is a stanch advocate of the temperance cause and expresses
his opinions in this particular at the ballot box by casting his vote for the pro-
hibition party. He has filled the office of justice of the peace for one term and
at the present writing is serving as road supervisor— a position of growing
importance in this age when public opinion is concentrated upon the subject
of good highways. Fraternally he is connected with the Modern Brotherhood of
America, and with the Union Federation lodge. He belongs to the Congrega-
tional church of Kiene, and is one of its trustees and superintendent of the
Sunday school, doing all in his power to further the growth of the church and
extend its influence. His has been a well spent life, as is attested by the high
regard in which he is uniformly held, while many of his stanchest friends are
those who have known him from his boyhood to the present.
WILLIAM C. FALCK.
William C. Falck is one of the leaders in commercial and financial circles
of Laiiiont, being president of the Farmers Savings Bank and also a well known
merchant, dealing in coal, grain, feed and farm and power machinery. He was
born in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, on the 27th of May, 1871, a son of Lorenz
and Amelia (Zilliot) Falck. The father was born near Strasburg, Germany,
and was brought to America by his parents when a child of seven years. The
family resided for a time at Allegheny, Pennsylvania, and then removed to
Cincinnati, Ohio, whence, in 1848 or 1849, they Avent to Fort Atkinson, Iowa.
The grandparents of our subject passed away in this state, the grandfather
being more than eighty years of age at the time of his demise. Lorenz Falck
grew to manhood in Iowa and then returned to Allegheny. Pennsylvania, where
he was married. He lived there for some time but in 1874 removed to Win-
neshiek county, Iowa, where he made his home until 1890, when he located
upon a farm in Fayette county which he had purchased. He devoted his time
to its cultivation until April, 1914, when he retired, and he has since resided at
Strawberry Point. He owns about four hundred acres of land, which is oper-
ated by his sons, and also holds title to other property. In the days before the
railroads McGregor was the market to which they hauled their grain and stock.
The mother of our subject was born in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, of German
ancestry. Her parents were brought as children to America from Alsace-Lorain
and were married in the Keystone state. She passed away in the fall of 1878,
leaving five children, one son and four daughters, the latter being: Mrs. Carrie
Haines, a resident of Davenport, Iowa ; Mrs. Emma Haines, who passed away
in Davenport; Ida, the wife of J. B. Wiesender, of Fayette county, this state;
and Elizabeth, who resides with her sister, Mrs. AViesender. The father was
married twice, Miss Anna Falck becoming his second wife. She is still living.
To their union were born nine children, eight of whom survive ; Sophia, at
home ; Fred, a farmer residing near Ridgeway, Iowa ; Theodore, who is mar-
298 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
ried and lives upon a farm near the homestead iu Fayette county ; Charles W.,
Walter and Leon, all living upon the home farm; and Saloma and Freda, both
at home.
William C. Falck was reared in Winneshiek count}^ Iowa, and there attended
the public schools in the acquirement of his elementary education. He subse-
quently was a student in the Breckenridge school at Decorah, Iowa. After
reaching maturity he came to this county and purchased land in Madison town-
ship, which he cultivated assiduously until 1913. He still owns two farms in
that township. In November, 1913, he removed to Lamont and purchased the
coal, feed and machinery business formerly owned by James Carr. In the com-
paratively short time that has since elapsed the patronage has grown rapidly
and the business is steadily increasing in volume. He handles the best grades
of anthracite and eastern bituminous coal, feed of all kinds, grass seeds and
also the best makes of farm and power machinery. His practical knowledge
of agricultural implements and of the best seed has been of great value to him
in his mercantile enterprise, as it enables him to buy to advantage. His busi-
ness methods are above reproach and he has won immediate recognition as a
progressive and efficient business man. Aside from his store he is connected as
president with the Farmers Savings Bank, which was organized in 1910. He
was one of those wlio established the bank and was a member of its first board
of directors. He has l)een president foi- tlu- i)ast three years and for a year
previous to his election to that position was vice president. He has been con-
nected with the institution since its organization and not a little of the credit
for its continued prosperity is due to him.
On the 13th of October, 1897, ]\lr. Falck was united in marriage in Fayette
county, Iowa, to IMiss Anna Wolfe, of Scott township, that county, and they
have become parents of nine children. Two were born in Clayton county, six
in Fayette county and one in Buchanan county. They are as follows: Elsie,
Ida, Dorothy, Lydia, Louis, Helen, Otto, Irma and Myra, all at home.
Mr. Falck is a republican and has served in various local offices. The family
belong to the Lutheran church and the parents are active in its work. Mr.
Falck owns his residence in the northwestern part of town and also, as previ-
ously mentioned, two fine farms in this county. He is a man of financial acumen
and this, coupled with his industry and enterprise, insures him success in his
business undertakings. His strict adherence to high standards of conduct and
his agreeable personality have gained him a place in the warm regard and high
esteem of many.
sa:\iuel t. spangler.
Samuel T. Spangler, deceased, was one of the prominent pioneer farmers and
stock dealers of Buffalo township, representing that class of men who have
laid broad and deep the foundation upon which has been built the present prog-
ress and prosperity of the county. He was born in Maryland on the 11th of
June, 1829, a son of George V. and Rebecca (Cleggett) Spangler. The father
was a farmer and the owner of a number of slaves. He removed from Maryland
r
MRS. SAMUEL T. 8PANGLER
SAMUEL T. SPANGLER
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 303
to Ohio when his son Samuel was nine years of age and in the Buckeye state the
boy was reared, having the usual experiences which fall to the lot of the farm
lad who divides his time between the work of the fields and the acquirement of
a common-school education.
When twenty-one years of age Mr. Spangler bought a farm in Ohio and
cultivated it until 1856, when, attracted by the business opportunities of the
growing west, he came to Iowa, making the journey by rail to Dubuque and
thence by wagon to Buchanan county, settling in Buffalo township, where he
purchased one hundred and sixty acres of prairie land. With characteristic
energy he began its development and improvement, turning the sod and bringing
the fields under a high state of cultivation as the years went on. He traded
horses for this land without seeing the property ahead of time, but there was no
disappointment awaiting him in the rich and arable soil of this county. He
successfully developed and improved his farm, which is still in possession of
the family, and he added to his holdings from time to time until he became the
owner of about fifteen hundred acres, which he still retained at his death and
left as a valuable estate to his widow. He was also among the pioneer stock-
raisers of the county, making a specialty of handling thoroughbred Durham
cattle, which had excellent opportunity to graze upon his broad pastures. For
his stock he always received good prices and thus his different business affairs
brought him substantial success. He was one of the organizers and stockholders
of the Aurora Savings Bank of Aurora, this county, was elected its first president
and so continued until his demise.
On the 31st of July, 1851, Mr. Spangler was united in marriage to Miss
Sarah M. Adams, who was born in Keene, Ohio, December 29, 1833, a daughter
of John Q. and Lavina (Walker) Adams, who were natives of Massachusetts
and of Maine, respectively, the father being a second cousin of John Adams,
president of the United States. Mr. Adams was a mechanic and farmer and
in an early day removed westward to Ohio, where he owned a large tract of
land. He was born in 1800 and died at the age of seventy-two years, while his
wife, who was born in 1807, passed away at the age of eighty-three years.
Their daughter, Mrs. Spangler, remained under the parental roof until the
time of her marriage and in"^ 1856 accompanied her husband to Iowa, since
which time she has lived upon the old homestead farm, where they took up
their abode fifty-eight years ago. She spends, however, much time in travel
and in visiting relatives. She became the mother of three children : Ella L.,
the wife of A. T. Flickinger, a practicing attorney of Council Bluffs, Iowa;
Emma, the wife of John Meyer, of Byron township; and George F., mentioned
elsewhere in this volume.
JMr. Spangler voted with the democratic party and was called by popular
suffrage to represent his district in the state legislature for one term. He was
also justice of the peace in pioneer times and his decisions were strictly fair
and impartial, "winning golden opinions from all sorts of people." He pre-
ferred, however, to concentrate his energies upon his business affairs, which were
of growing importance, and thus was he occupied until his death, which occurred
April 29, 1907. He left behind him the record of a well-spent life, characterized
by enterprise and honor in business and fidelity to duty in every relation. He
lived to witness many changes from pioneer conditions to later day prosperity
Vol. 11—14
304 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
and progress, his memory forming a connecting link between the primitive past
and the progressive present. Wherever he was known he was held in high
esteem and most of all where he was best known — a fact indicative of a life of
upright manhood.
JACOB WACKERBARTH.
Jacob Wackerbarth, president of the Wackerbarth & Blamer Lumber Com-
pany of Independence, is a business man of marked energy, identified with vari-
ous corporations which feature largely in the development, upbuilding and
material progress of Independence. Tireless energy, keen perception and ability
to plan and perform are salient factors in his life record and he possesses in
large measure the quality of common sense, which is too often lacking in the
business world, its absence being the cause of the great majority of failures.
A native of Germany, he was born in Hesse-Cassel on the 30th of May, 1855.
His father, Heinrich Wackerbarth, and mother, Anna E. Kaiser Wackerbarth,
were both natives of Hesse-Cassel. His mother died when her son Jacol) was
only eighteen months old. In his native country Heinrich Wackerbarth fol-
lowed farming, owning extensive lands, and he was also mayor of the village in
which he lived. He was a prominent and infiuential citizen of the connnunity
in which he made his liome. He never neglected the higher, liolier duties of
life in meeting the demands of a inorc material character which were made
upon him, but Avas ever an active and faithful member of the Reformed church.
Jacob Wackerbarth was the fiftli in order of hii-th in a family of six chil-
dren. He attended school in Germany and when sixteen years of age came to
the United States, arriving in Indepeiulence on the 3d of May, 1872. He made
his way direct to this city from New York and liere engaged in the trade of
cari'iage making, wliicli he had previously learned in Germany. This pursuit
he followed a])Out one year, at the expiration of which time he went to Chicago
and worked in a sash and door factory nearly one year, when he returned to
Independence and again engaged in the manufacture of carriages, which he
followed about two years. In the month of July. 1876, he returned to tlie old
country, where he remained about four months, settling up his father's estate.
Immediately after his return he went into the retail boot and shoe business in
Independence. With him in this business, G. A. Steinmetz was engaged, which
connection finally led to the formation of the firm of Steinmetz & Wackerbarth.
In 1881 Mr. Wackerbarth engaged in the lumber business under the firm style
of Zinn & Wackerbarth. That connection was maintained for seven years, at
the end of which time Mr. Zinn sold out to Mr. Thomas Blamer, leading to the
organization of the present firm, known as the Wackerbarth & Blamer Com-
pany. Of this corporation Mr. Wackerbarth is the president and is active in
the control of an extensive and growing enterprise. This by no means indicates
the limit of his ))usiness activity, however, for he is the president and was one
of the organizers of the Independence Canning Corporation, is president of the
Independent Ice Company and president of the Gedney Company, which owns
and manages the liotel and opera house at Independence and also controls a
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 305
similar business at Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and at Atkinson, Nebraska, as a
company ranch and business property. The ranch comprises thirteen hundred
and twenty acres of land and on it the company is extensively engaged in rais-
ing cattle and horses. In addition Mr. Wackerbarth is a stockholder in the
Commercial State Bank, is president of the Kelley Canning Company of Wav-
erly, Iowa, and is a stockholder of the Sherman Smith Manufacturing Com-
pany. He is preeminently a business man and one who has wielded a wide
influence in commercial, industrial and agricultural circles.
On Christmas Eve, 1879, occurred the marriage of Mr. Wackerbarth and
Miss Pauline Zinn, a native of this county and a daughter of Eckhardt and
Mary Zinn, both of whom were natives of Hesse-Cassel, Germany. Mr. Zinn
came to Iowa in 1850, being one of the pioneers of this county and carried on
business as architect and contractor for some 3'ears. Later he turned his atten-
tion to the lumber trade, taking into partnership with him his son-in-law, Jacob
Wackerbarth. Mrs. Wackerbarth, who was the third in a family of seven chil-
dren, died on the first of February, 1893, leaving four children. The eldest,
Fred J., was born October 8, 1881, graduated from the Independence High
School in 1900, and is now vice president of the Wackerbarth & Blamer Lum-
ber Company and is assistant treasurer of the Independence Canning Corpora-
tion. In July, 1913, he married Maud Stephens Volk of Rock Island, Illinois.
The three daughters, Minnie P., born July 6, 1883, Carrie E., born November
9, 1885, Neva R., born February 16, 1891, are all residing in Independence.
They are all graduates of the Independence High School, Carrie E. also grad-
uating from the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago, and Neva R.
from Northwestern University at Evanston, Illinois.
In 1897 occurred the second marriage of Mr. Wackerbarth, this union being
with Miss Minnie Wolters, a native of Wisconsin. Her father was born in Ger-
many and became an early settler of Allamakee County, Iowa, where he had
large land holdings. To ]\Ir. and Mrs. Wackerbarth have been born two chil-
dren : Carl A., who was born December 25, 1898, and Erwin II., born Decem-
ber 13, 1900. The parents are active members of the German Presbyterian
church. Having ever concentrated his energies upon his business affairs, Mr.
Wackerbarth has a wide circle of friends in the business world. He has never •
had occasion to regret his determination to come to the new world, for here he
has found the opportunities which he sought and in their improvement has made
steady advancement, ranking today as one of the representative business, men
of the county, .strong, forceful and resourceful, ready to meet any emergency
and controlling his interests with the clear judgment and sagacity that ulti-
matelv win success.
AA^LLIS G. KTEFER.
Willis G. Kiefer, cashier of the Hazleton State Bank and also interested in
real-estate dealing, belongs to that class of business men whose entei-prising
efforts are an element in public progress and prosperity as well as in individual
success. A native of St. Joseph county, Indiana, he was born October 24, 1868.
306 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
His father, Jacob Kiefer, was born in Portage county, Ohio, in 1842 and was
of German descent, his father, George Kiefer, having been born near the Rhine,
in German}', in 1812, while the mother, Mary Ann (Schale) Kiefer, also a
native of that country, was born in 1815. They came to the United States in
early life, the father arriving in 1832. He settled in New York and afterward
removed from that state to Ohio, where he purchased land. By trade he was
a weaver and he continued in that business in addition to clearing and cultivat-
ing his land. In 1847 he removed to Indiana and again he cleared a tract of
land and converted it into cultivalile fields, maintaining his home thereon until
1872, when he removed westward to Iowa, settling in Independence, where he
worked with his brother in the coopering business.
Jacob Kiefer was reared in Indiana and in 1861 responded to the country's
call for troops, enlisting at Mishawaka, that state, as a member of Company F,
Forty-eighth Indiana Volunteer Infantry. He held the rank of sergeant at the
time of his discharge. He participated in many important engagements, includ-
ing the battles of Jackson, Corinth, luka, Vicksluirg, and Champion's Hill. He
was on duty under General Sherman until 1865 and went with him on the
famous march from Atlanta to the sea. He was never wounded and was the
only one of those who enlisted from his home town to return alive. He became
a resident of Iowa in 1869 and has taken a very active part in public affairs in
Buchanan county, his influence always being on the side of progress, upbuild-
ing and improvement. He served for nine years as a member of the ])oard of
supervisors and for the past seventeen years has been postmaster of Hazleton.
His political allegiance is given to the repul)lican party, and his religious faith
is that of the IMethodist churcli. of which he is a loyal representative. He
belongs to the Knights of Pythias lodge and is an active and valued member of
the Grand Army post at Hazleton. in wliieh he has filled the office of com-
mander.
Willis G. Kiefer is the eldest son in a family of three sons and four daugh-
ters. Four of the number yet reside in Iowa and three in Buchanan county.
Brought to this county in infancy, Willis G. Kiefer attended the country schools
of Hazleton township and afterward became a student in the Upper Iowa Uni-
k versify at Fayette, being graduated on the completion of the commercial course
and also pursuing to some extent tiie normal course. He remained under the
parental roof until he had attained his majority but at the age of sixteen years
began teaching in the district schools and also followed the same profession in
the primary department of the town schools for one term. Later he was ad-
vanced to higher grades and when he was twenty years of age was a teacher at
Gurnee, Illinois. When twenty-one years of age he was married and retired
from the profession of teaching to become a factor in financial circles of Hazle-
ton. He joined the Kiefer Brothers Banking Company, with which he remained
as bookkeeper and teller until IVIay, 1893. He then organized the Hazleton
State Bank, of which he became cashier, his father-in-law. T. E. McCurdy,
becoming its president. Mr. Kiefer is the heaviest stockholder in the bank,
which has been established upon a paying basis, its safe conservative policy
recommending it to the general support of the public. He is also interested in
the real estate business and has negotiated many important property transfers.
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 307
In 1889 occurred the marriage of Mr. Kiefer and Miss Inez L. :\IcCurdy, a
native of Buffalo township and the only child of Timothy E. and Kathryn
(Nelson) MeCurdy, the former born in New Comerstown, Ohio, in 1843, and
the latter in Buchanan county, Iowa, in 1859. Mr. McCurdy came to this state
immediately after the Civil war, in which he saw active service for one year as
a member of an Illinois regiment. He was wounded in battle and returned
home. After coming to Iowa he began farming in Buffalo township and was
closely identified with agricultural interests there for about two decades, retir-
ing from active farm life in 1885. He is now president of the Hazleton State
Bank and has interests in other financial institutions of Iowa. He has filled
the office of county supervisor, is now the capital extension representative and
has been representative from his district in the general assembly. His political
allegiance is given to the republican party and his opinions carry weight in its
local councils. He has labored untiringly to secure success for the party and
in all matters of citizenship maintains a progressive and helpful attitude. To
Mr. and Mrs. Kiefer has been born a daughter, Laura Ruth, whose birth oc-
curred in Hazleton on the 2d of April, 1901.
]Mr. Kiefer has membership with the Knights of Pythias and with the Mod-
ern Woodmen of America. He takes no active part in politics but is an earnest
worker in the ^Methodist rhurch, serving at present as one of the trustees, while
formerly he was superintendent of the Sunday school. He givers generously to
the support of the church and does not hesitate to give his time to further the
various lines of church work. His interest in the welfare and upbuilding of
the community is deep and sincere and is manifest in many tangible efforts for
public progress. His work of a public nature has been as resultant as have his
efforts in business life and he is today accounted one of the foremost citizens of
Hazleton and Buchanan countv in connection with financial affairs.
W. C. KENNEY.
W. C. Kenney has been identified with general agricultural pursuits in this
county for nearly a half century, owning and operating an excellent farm of
two hundred and twenty-five acres in Westburg township, and for the past
twenty-eight years has also conducted a general store at Shady Grove, in Jef-
ferson township. His birth occurred in Concord. New Hampshire, in 1847, his
parents being Joseph M. and Helen (Osbourn) Kenney, who were likewise na-
tives of that state. In 1854 the family home was established in Dodge county,
Minnesota, where the father bought a tract of government land.
W. C. Kenney, who was a little lad of seven when he accompanied his par-
ents on their removal to Minnesota, attended the public schools in the acquire-
ment of an education. In 1867, when twenty years of age, he came to Buchanan
county. Iowa, and purchased a farm of two hundred and twenty-five acres in
Westburg township, in the operation of which he has been actively engaged to
the present time, the well tilled fields annually yielding golden harvests as a
reward for the care and labor which be bestows upon Them. In 1886 he em-
barked in the mercantile business at Shady Grove and has remained the pro-
308 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
prietor of a general store at that place throughout the intervening twenty-eight
years, being accorded a gratifying and well merited patronage a,nd being widely
recognized as an enterprising and reliable merchant.
In 1867 Mr. Kenney was united in marriage to Miss Comantha Boyles, by
whom he has three children, namely: Fred C, G. W. and Frank E. He gives
his political allegiance to the republican party and for a period of twelve years
acted as postmaster of Shady Grove, making a most creditable record in that
connection. Fraternally he is identified with the Masons, belonging to Siloam
Lodge, No. 222, at Jesup, Iowa. Mr. Kenney is a man of exemplary character,
reliable in business, progressive in citizenship and faithful to all ties and obli-
gations, and he commands and holds the confidence and regard of all who are
associated with him.
HAROLD A. HOUSHOLDER, M. D.
Dr. Harold A. Housholder, of Winthrop, is still a young man but has already
achieved a position of leadership in medical circles of his locality. He was born
in Fremont township, this county, October 23, 1881, a son of Alva C. and Ella
T. (Parson) Housholder, the former a native of IMcHenry county, Illinois,
born in 1850. His father, Henry Housholder, was a native of Pennsylvania
and upon coming west first settled in Indiana, where he farmed for a number
of years, later removing to Illinois. He died, however, in Buchanan county,
Iowa, in 1880. His ancestors were Holland Dutch but the family was established
in this country many years ago. The name originally was Haus-Halter. Henry
Housholder married Miss Elizabeth Casterline, a native of Indiana and of
English extraction. Alva C. Housliolder was reared and educated in Illinois
and removed with his parents to this county in 1876, his father buying a farm
upon which stood a tavern on tlie old road connecting Dubuque and Sioux City.
Alva C. HoushohU'r bought a farm north of Winthrop, which he operated until
his father's death wlien he returned to his father's farm and conducted the same
until 1884, when he returned to his own property and followed agricultural
pursuits until 1889, when he purchased a general store in Winthrop, which he
conducted successfully until 1894, when he sold out and again bought land
in this county. After farming his place for two years he sold it and in 1899
removed to Van Buren county, wiiere he bought land which, however, he soon
disposed of. He then went to Clark county, ^Missouri, where he rented land
for two years, but in 1905 went to Bentonsport, Iowa, where he lived for some
time, after which he located at Quasqueton, living there for three years. At
the expiration of that time the family removed to Center, Oliver county,
North Dakota, where the father took up a homestead, which he improved. Since
receiving a deed to the same he has rented it and is now living at Fort Clark,
North Dakota. His wife was born in Ogle county, Illinois, and they had three
children: Francis L., who is engaged in the practice of dentistry at Minot,
North Dakota; Harold A., of this review; and Netta Elizabeth, the wife of H. H.
Kenyon, a banker of Zap. North Dakota.
DE. HAROLD A. HOUSHOLDER
i
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 311
Dr. Housholder was reared in this county and was graduated from the
public schools of Winthrop. In the fall of 1900, when a young man of nine-
teen, he entered the Iowa State Academy, a private institution of high grade,
from which he was graduated in 1901. He then entered the medical department
of the State University of Iowa, which on the 15th of June, 1905, conferred
upon him the degree of M. D. He immediately began the practice of his
profession at Quasqueton, this county, where he remained until 1909. In that
year he went to Center, North Dakota, but on the 1st of October, that year, located
at Minot, that state. After three years spent there he returned to Winthrop,
low^a, and in the two years that he has been in practice here he has gained
a reputation as a practitioner of excellent training and scrupulous conscien-
tiousness. He is an accurate observer and his years of practice have given him a
definite knowledge and a certainty of decision that cannot be acquired in any
other way. He is a member of the county and state medical societies and of
the American Medical Association and in this way keeps informed as to the
methods used by progressive physicians and surgeons elsewhere and also as
to the newest discoveries and theories in the more abstract fields of medical
science. His practice is representative and is steadily growing and his col-
leagues in the profession entertain for him a sincere respect.
On the 27th of December, 1905, Dr. Housholder was united in marriage
to Miss Lelia M. Bloom, of Winthrop, and to their union two children have
been born, IMaurice Leonard and Shirley Claire. The Doctor votes the democratic
ticket in national affairs but at local elections is nonpartisan. His wife belongs
to the Methodist Episcopal church, in the work of which she takes a keen interest,
and he is a member of the Masonic order. They are popular socially and hold
the full confidence and respect of all who have been brought into contact with
them.
JOHN L. WALKER.
John L. Walker, a prominent and prosperous agriculturist residing in West-
burg township, has devoted his attention to farming throughout his entire busi-
ness career and has met with excellent results in his operations. His birth
occurred in Black Hawk county, Iowa, in 1859, his parents being William and
Elizabeth (Hall) Walker, both of whom were natives of Scotland, the former
born in 1827. Emigrating to the United States, William Walker took up his
abode on a farm near St. Charles, Illinois, and subsequently removed to Black
Hawk county, Iowa, where he bought land at a dollar and a quarter per acre.
Later he augmented his holdings by additional purchase and at the time of his
; death owned five hundred acres of valuable land. His demise occurred on the
1st of January, 1895. He was a Presbyterian in religious faith and a worthy
exemplar of the Masonic fraternity. His wife had come to the United States
with her parents in 1844 and the family home was established in Illinois, in
which state she was married. The young couple then took up their abode in
Black Hawk county, Iowa. To them were born nine children, as follows:
Eliza, Agnes, Frank, J. L., William, Mary, F. C, Nettie and George.
312 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
John L. Walker was reared under the parental roof and obtained his edu-
cation in the public schools. After putting aside his text-books he assisted in
the operation of the home farm for two years and subsequently purchased a
tract of land adjoining the homestead, cultivating the same for twelve years.
On the expiration of that period he purchased his present farm of three hundred
and twenty acres in AVestburg township, Buchanan county, which he has operated
continuously and successfully since, annually' harvesting bounteous crops which
find a ready sale on the market.
In 1884 Mr. Walker was united in marriage to ^liss Eleanor Hallmon, a
daughter of Samuel Hallmon, who is a native of Pennsylvania and settled in
Black Hawk county, Iowa, in 1867. He is now living retired at Jesup. Mr.
and Mrs. Walker have nine children, namely : F. F., Robert W., Blanche E.,
Ruth A., Karl E., Quincy S., Dewey E., John P. and William K.
The religious faith of the family is that of the Presbyterian church. Mr.
Walker enjoys the confidence and esteem of all who know him, and while he
has attained to individual prosperity, has done much toward raising agricul-
tural standards and has contributed by his labor toward making this one of
the most prosperous farming sections of the state.
OSCAR J. METCALF.
Oscar J. Metcalf, who throughout the entire period of his life bore a most
enviable reputation as an upright business man, a progressive citizen and a
friend and neighbor of sterling worth, figured for many years as an active
factor in the commercial circles of Buchanan county. ]\Ir. Metcalf was born in
Hampshire county, Massachusetts, on the 3d of August, 1830, a son of Eli S.
and Laura (Barker) Metcalf. His paternal grandparents were natives of Scot-
land, but emigrated to the United States, settling in ^Massachusetts, where his
father, Eli S. Metcalf, was born. The latter was a farmer by occupation and in
the fall of 1830 removed to Ohio by wagons and settled in Huron county, whicli
was a part of the Western Reserve. He cleared the land of the timber and
undergrowth that covered it, but only lived seven years after removing to that
state. Pie is buried in the New Haven, Ohio, cemetery. The mother of the
subject of this review was also a native of the Bay state, although her parents
were born in England. She died when her son Oscar J. was but five years of
age and, as his father died two years later, he was thi-own upon his own re-
sources when a mere child. He was one of three children, the elder being Eli
F., a farmer residing at Dell Rapids, South Dakota, while the younger is Ange-
line, the wife of Daniel Bruner, a farmer of Sonoma county, California.
Left an orphan when but seven years of age, Oscar J. Metcalf afterward
lived with Ames Ogden. a Virginian, who was then residing in Huron county,
Ohio, to whom he gave the l)enefit of his labors until he reached the age of
eighteen years. His opportunities and advantages were extremely meager dur-
ing that period. He attended only parts of three terms of the district scliool
in the woods of Ohio. At the age of eiglitccn, however, he went to Oberlin,
where he worked at odd jolts to pay his way through Oberlin College. He also
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 313
learned and followed the carpenter's trade while there and in the fall of 1854
he came to Iowa, settling at Dubuque, where he engaged in teaching school
through the winter months and working at his trade through the remainder of
the year until about 1860. The spring following his arrival in this sl^te he
purchased one hundred acres of land in Hancock county, for which he paid one
hundred and twenty-five dollars, or the usual government price of a dollar and
a quarter per acre. However, he continued to follow carpentering and teach-
ing until 1860, when he purchased a store at Epworth. Dubuque county, which
he conducted until 1872, and at the same time dealt in grain and live stock at
that place. He met with substantial success in the business, but eventually sold
out and removed to Winthrop, where he established a lumber, grain and coal
business. He first dealt only in grain, but afterward purchased a lumberyard.
He handled almost all of the grain that was shipped from Winthrop and also
sold practically all of the coal that was used in the town for many years. He
made good improvements in the way of building an elevator and coal and lum-
ber sheds. Because of failing health he sold his elevator, warehouse and lum-
beryard in 1899 and retired, but when his health improved he again purchased
an interest in a lumberyard and personally looked after his business affairs up
to the time of his demise, which occurred when he was eighty-four years of age.
He also engaged in dealing in real estate and was a notary public, holding a
license as such for many years and witnessing the signing of many important
documents.
Mr. Metcalf was united in marriage in Dubuque county, Iowa, on the 1st of
November, 1855, to ]Miss Abigail, Freeman, a native of Lorain county, Ohio, who
died at Epworth, this state, on the 7th of June, 1869, leaving three children,
namely: Laura Hattie, the wife of Edgar Brintnall, of whom mention is made
elsewhere in this work; Sherman A., who died when fifty-two years of age and
left two children ; and Oscar Eli, who died when thirty-two years of age. Mr.
^Metcalf was married the second time. Miss Isabella Frater becoming his wife on
the 21st of February, 1871. She was born in Durham, England, on the 14th
of March, 1851, a daughter of Ralph and Mary (Stott) Frater, both likewise
natives of that country. Her father was a landowner and stock dealer and in
1856 went to Australia, where his death occurred. In 1867 his widow came
with her three daughters to Iowa, joining a son and uncle who resided in Far-
ley, this state. She remained at that place until her death, which occurred
when she was eighty-three years of age. She was a member of the Church of
England and a woman of estimable character. Mrs. Metcalf was about sixteen
years of age when brought to this county and was but nineteen years of age
when married. She gave her husband's three motherless children the same
loving care which she bestowed upon her own children, who were three in num-
ber, namely: Belle, now the wife of Dr. B. H. McKeeby, a dentist of Cedar
Rapids, by whom she has two sons; MoUie A., the wife of Dr. H. H. White, a
dentist of Chicago; and :Mildred, at home. Mrs. ^Metcalf is the fortunate pos-
sessor of a lovable, cheerful disposition which binds her friends to her in strong
ties of affection. She and her daughters are members of the Congregational
church.
]\Ir. Metcalf was a republican in his political lielief and cast his first ballot
for Fremont as president. However, in local affairs he often voted independ-
314 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
ently, as he felt that party affiliations counted for less in county and township
elections than the fitness of the candidates. While living in Dubuque county
he was county supervisor, but was never an office seeker. He was prominent in
local Masonic circles, being one of the charter members of the local lodge. He
was initiated into the order in 1866 at Epworth, Dubuque county. He also
belonged to the Eastern Star. He belonged to the state militia until 1864, when
the call came for one hundred day men and he enlisted in Company C, Forty-
fourth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and served with his command until the close
of the war. The regiment was a part of the Army of Tennessee and most of its
service was in the state of Tennessee, where it was largely used on guard duty
and in skirmishes. Before enlisting Mr. ^letcalf gave practical evidence of his
patriotism by helping support some of the families whose breadwinners were in
the service of the Union.
Mr. Metcalf was a member of the Presbyterian church. His life was at all
times actuated by high and honorable principles and he bore an enviable reputa-
tion throughout the period of his residence in Buchanan county. The integrity
of his business methods was never called into question and to his family he left
not only a comfortable competence but also the priceless heritage of an untar-
nished name. None speak of him save in praise, and the high esteem in which
he was held in Winthrop was but the merited reward of a long and upright life.
He passed away on the 14th of October, 1914. His life was as the day with its
morning of hope and promise, its noontide of activity, its evening of completed
and successful effort ending in the grateful rest and quiet of the night.
W. N. LOY.
W. N. Lo}^ was born in JNIorrow county, Ohio, July 10, 1843, and became a
pioneer settler of Buchanan county, Iowa, in 1856. In the years which have
since come and gone he has not only been an interested witness of the develop-
ment and upbuilding of the county, but has also borne an active and helpful
part in the work which has brought about present day conditions.
He was a youth of thirteen when he came to Iowa with his parents, F. S.
and Clarassy (Purvis) Loy. The father was born in Pennsylvania in 1823 and
the mother in New York in 1822. When a young man F. S. Loy went to Ohio,
and when old enough began farming in that state, being there connected with
agricultural interests until 1854, when he made the trip overland with teams to
Grant county, Wisconsin. He there purchased land when the district in which
he settled bore the evidences of frontier life. In 1856 he journeyed by wagon
from that state to Buchanan county and lived in Independence until 1858, de-
voting his time to teaming between that place and Dubuque. Independence was
then a mere village and gave little promise of its later rapid and substantial
development. All around was the wild prairie, dotted in summer with a million
wild flowers and in winter covered by a dazzling and unbroken sheet of snow.
There were all kinds of wild game to be had and deer were seen on the town
site. In 1858 Mr. Loy began breaking the sod upon the farm land which he
had secured, clearing and cultivating his fields and erecting the necessary build-
MR. AND MRS. W. N. LOY
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 317
ings upon his place. He took possession of the property in 1860 and for many
years thereafter actively engaged in tilling the soil and raising stock. He made
a specialty of raising shorthorns and he was also the owner of a large number
of driving horses which won prizes at fairs. His shorthorns were also prize
winners at the Buchanan county fairs. Mr. Loy was engaged on the construction
of the first hotel, The Empire, in Independence in 1856, and in many ways
was closely associated with the initial steps in the county's development and
progress. He was an active republican in the local councils of his party and
did much to aid in winning success for its candidates. He was also a zealous
member of the Presbyterian church and contributed to the support of various
churches in Independence in the early days. He died in this city at the ripe old
age of eighty-five years, while his wife passed away in Sumner township at the
age of fifty-eight.
W. N. Loy, a youth of thirteen when the family came to Iowa, continued
his education in • the schools of Independence, being a pupil in one of the
pioneer schoolhouses which was built about 1858. He remained at home until
twenty-five years of age and then began farming, which he followed until
the outbreak of the Civil war, when all business and personal considerations
were put aside and he joined the "Boys in blue" of Company H, Twenty-
seventh Iowa Volunteer Infantry. He served for eighteen months, going north
on scout duty in the vicinity of St. Paul and afterward south to Tennessee,
where he was largely engaged on provost duty. After the war he returned to
this county, settling upon a farm in Sumner township. He acquired eighty
acres, which he still owns and which he cultivated for many years with good
success, although he is now living retired in Independence, where he has made
his home for the past two years.
On the 15th of September, 1871, Mr. Loy was united in marriage to Miss Mary
E. North, who was born in Washington county, Wisconsin, a daughter of Nelson
and Isabelle (Wiley) North. Her father was born in Shoreham, Vermont, in
1824 and died in 1891. Her mother, whose birth occurred in Trumbull county,
Ohio, in 1830, is still living at the age of eighty-four years, in Sumner town-
ship. IMr. North went from New England to Wisconsin when a young man,
settling there before the state was admitted to the Union. He purchased
land and resided thereon until 1865, in which year he came to Iowa, making the
trip overland. He purchased a farm in Sumner township and in both Wis-
consin and Iowa engaged in the raising of shorthorn cattle in addition to
general agricultural pursuits. He also held local township offices in both states
and for seven years he was county assessor in Wisconsin.
To Mr. and Mrs. Loy were born four children : Elsie B., now the wife of
John Firth, a farmer living near Independence, by whom she has one child,
Susan; Frederick, who was a farmer of Sumner township and died in 1912,
leaving a wife and daughter, Elsie; Elma C, now the wife of Charles 0.
Jones, who is connected with the State Hospital at Independence and by whom
she has three children, Nellie, Sarah and Howard ; and Lucy E., who married
Walter M. Jones, a brother of Charles 0. Jones, and they now have three
children, William B., Kenneth N. and Donald F.
Mr. Loy is active in the Grand Army of the Republic and his wife in the
Woman's Relief Corps. They are well known as pioneer residents of the
318 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
county, Mr. Loy having resided here for fifty-six years, during which notable
changes have occurred, for when he came this entire district was then largely
undeveloped and unimproved. There was still considerable wild game to be
had in the forests, the timber w^as uncut and the prairies uncultivated, while
the now thriving towns and villages of the county had not yet sprung into
existence. Mr. Loy has borne his part in the work of general improvement
as the years have gone by and can tell many an interesting tale of the early
days and of the events which have marked the progress of this section of
the state.
LEX T. SWARTZELL.
Len T. Swartzell, who since 1902 has been sole owner of the largest store in
Hazleton and who has other important business interests and connections estab-
lisliing him as one of the leading and energetic business men of his section of
the state, was born in Quasqueton in 1869, his parents being David S. and Mary
E. (Moore) Swartzell. The father was born in Pennsylvania in 1837 and was
a son of Solomon Swartzell, who became one of the pioneer residents of this
county and one of the first to engage in the raising of fancy stock in this part of
the state. He was active in politics and several times was called to public office.
He served as deputy sheriff in an early day and was also town constable. The
family arrived in Iowa in 1855 and settled upon the fai'm where Len T. Swart-
zell was born. There David S. Swartzell remained until the time of his marriage
to Miss Mary E. Moore, the wedding being cele])rated in Quas(|ueton. She was
born in Ohio in 1842 and following their marriage they began their domestic life
in Quas(iueton, where the father engaged in the implement business. During
the later years of his life he conducted a poult i-y business and was also the owner
of good farm property in this county. During the period of the Civil war he
served for three years in an Iowa regiment. He died in 1912 at the age of
seventy-five years, while his widow now makes her home in Quas(|ueton at the
age of seventy-two years.
Len T. Swartzell was the fourth in order of birth in a family of ten children
and in his youthful days attended school in (Quasqueton, but when fourteen years
of age began earning his own liveliiiood, entering the employ of A. P. Burrhus,
a liveryman, for whom he worked for three years. He was afterward for seven
years in the employ of J. M. Benthall. proprietor of a general store at Quasque-
ton, and later he went to Maxwell, where he was with the Kimball & Swartzell
Clothing Company, l)ecoming connected therewith in 18f)3. He severed his
connection with that firm two years later and in the meantime he was also part
owner in a store at Washington, Iowa. In 1896 he removed to Independence, but
remained there for only a brief period and in October of that year came to
Hazleton, where he embarked in general merchandising in connection with \V. E.
Curtis, the partnership continuing for five years. In 1902 he became sole owner
of what is now the largest store in Hazleton. He carries a large and carefully
selected line of goods and his sales increase annually, for his business methods
commend him to the confidence and patronage of the public He is also interested
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 819
iu the general mercantile business of Swartzell Brothers at Stanley, Iowa, and
is a stockholder and director in the Iowa State Bank and in the Farmers Tele-
phone Company of Hazleton.
In 1892 INlr. Swartzell was united in marriage to Miss Gertrude Everett, who
Avas liorn near Tama City in 1873, a daughter of Jackson and Sarah (Addy)
Everett. Her father came to this state with his family in 1851 and they cast in
their lot with the pioneer settlers of Tama county, which was then a wild and
almost unpopulated district. There were no railroads and no roadhouses for
stage travelers. Jackson Everett was a farmer by occupation and owned consid-
erable land. His brother Thomas was a soldier of the Civil war, going to the
front from Iowa.
To Mr. and Mrs. Swartzell have been born two children, who are yet living.
Clifford E., born in Maxwell, Iowa, in 1894, is a graduate of the Hazleton schools
and of the Oelwein high school and for the past three years has been pursuing
the collegiate course in the ITniversity of Minnesota as a member of the class
of 1915. Marion was born in Hazleton in October, 1909.
Mr. Swartzell is a member of Hazleton Lodge, No. 678, I. 0. 0. F., in which he
has held all of the offices. His wife is active in club and social circles of the city,
and both are widely and favorably known. They have many friends and the
hospitality of their home is greatly enjoyed by those who know them.
JOSEPH SMITH.
Joseph Smith owns and occupies a farm of one hundred and sixt,v acres in
Homer township, which he has converted from a tract of wild prairie into richly
productive fields. A native of New York, he was born September 21, 1857, his
parents l)eing Ferdinand and Magdelina (Graff) Smith, both of whom were na-
tives of Germany, the former born in Prussia, and the latter in Bavaria. Coming
to America in 1852, the father settled in New York and after residing for a
number of years in the Empire state, made his way westward to Benton county,
Iowa, where he worked in a sawmill for some time. Finally he purchased land
there which he cultivated and improved until 1897. He then retired and took
up his abode in Norway, Iowa, where he made his home until his death, which
occurred on the 29th of December, 1908. It was almost five years later before
his wife was called to her final rest, her death occurring on the 22d of Sep-
tember, 1913.
While born in the east, Joseph Smith has spent the greater part of his life
in Iowa, having been reared in Benton county, where he acquired his education
in the pul)lic schools. He remained with his parents until he reached the age
of twenty-four years and worked for his father in the fields upon the old home
place. He then purchased one hundred and twenty acres of land on section
27, Homer township, and afterward added thereto forty acres adjoining on sec-
tion 34, Homer township. The tract was nothing but wild land when it came
into his possession. He broke the sod, tilled the fields and cultivated his crops
and today the land is rich and mellow, responding readily to the care he be-
stows upon it.
320 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
On the 13th of June, 1882, Mr. Smith was married to Miss Theresa Nolte, a
daughter of George and Mary (Death) Nolte, natives of Prussia. The parents
came to America and settled in New York in 1852, the father there securing
employment at the blacksmith's trade. After three years, however, he removed
westward to Indiana, and a year later came to Iowa, settling in Fayette county,
where he purchased two hundred and twenty acres. This he developed and im-
proved, and upon the farm spent his remaining days, dying on the 1st of June,
1891, while his wife's death occurred ten years later, on the 15th of May, 1901.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith are the parents of an only child, Mary M. They are Cath-
olics in religious faith, and Mr. Smith is a democrat in his political views.
CHARLES E. BOIES.
Charles E. Boies is one of the extensive landowners of Buchanan county, his
possessions aggregating eight hundred acres. Of this he is personally cultivating
a farm of one hundred and sixty acres and in addition buys and ships cattle and
horses, the extent and importance of his business connections making him widely
known. He was born in Boone county, Illinois. January 15, 1859, and was a
nephew of Governor Boies of Iowa. His father. William D. Boies, was a native
of Aurora, Erie county, New York, l)orn August 24, 1819. and his life span cov-
ered eighty-six years, his death occurring in September, 1905. He always
followed farming and upon liis removal from New York made his way to Boone
county, Illinois, where he took up his abode ui)on a farm in 1847. In early life
he engaged in teaching .school for twelve dollars per month and walked four miles
to the schoolhouse. His wife was also a schoolteacher. In pioneer times in Boone
county he had to market his wheat and other farm products in Chicago, hauling
his grain witli ox teams to that city. In Boone county he remained until 1873,
when he came to Bucliaiiaii county and i)ui'chased a tract of land known as the
Hatch farm, near Quas(|iU'ton. With cliaracteristic energy he began its further
development and resided thereon until 1895, when he took up his abode in the
village, spending his remaining days in tlic enjoyment of a rest which he had
truly earned and richly deserved. His l)usiness affairs were most carefully con-
ducted and his investments .judiciously made. At one time he was the owner of
twelve hundred acres of land near Quasqueton and in connection with general
farming conducted an extensive dairy business, having a large herd of cattle.
He engaged successfully in tiie manufacture of cheese and all of the products of
his dairy found a ready sale upon tlie market.
AVilliam D. Boies was also active as a factor in the public life of the com-
munity. While in Illinois he served as county supervisor for twelve or fifteen
years and after coming to Buchanan county filled the office of justice of the peace
in Liberty townsliip for several years, his decisions being strictly fair and
impartial. In early manhood he wedded Sarah C. Bugbv, who was born in
Vermont in 1821. and they became the parents of six children, of whom C. E.
Boies is the fifth in order of birth. Three of the nuinber have passed away, while
three yet survive. One brother. II. L., is a resident of Quasc|ueton, while W. D.
Boies, of Sheldon, Iowa, is now upon the bench as district judge.
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 321
Charles E. Boies completed his education in the high school at Sycamore,
Illinois, and when twenty-one years of age began farming on his own account,
renting land from his father, under whose direction he had become thoroughly
familiar with the best methods of tilling the soil and caring for the crops while
he assisted in the work of the home farm. He was identified with general agri-
cultural pursuits continuously until 1873 and came with the family to Iowa. In
1890 he removed to Rowley, where he embarked in the hotel, livery and live-
stock business, which he conducted for six years. In 1896 he went to Quasqueton,
Avhere he engaged in buying cattle and horses until 1902. He then removed to
Independence, where he continued in the same business, and in 1908 he settled
upon his farm south of the city, in Sumner township. Here he owns and culti-
vates one hundred and sixty acres of rich and productive land and still buys
and ships cattle and horses. As the years have gone on he has added to his hold-
ings until he is now the owner of eight hundred acres of valuable farm land in
Buchanan count3\ The soil is naturally rich and productive and he derives a
gratifying annual income from his property.
In 1880 Mr. Boies was united in marriage to Miss Clara ]\Iiller, who was born
in McHenry county, Illinois, a daughter of William J. and Elmira (Benson)
Miller. The father was born in Illinois in 1826 and the mother's birth occurred
in Chautauqua county. New York, in 1833. Mr. Miller became a farmer of
McHenry county, Illinois, and in connection with the tilling of the soil engaged
in stock-raising. He served for one year as a private of Company I, Ninety-fifth
Illinois Volunteer Infantry, during the Civil war, and at the close of his military
experience returned to his native state. Later, however, he removed to Iowa,
settling in Liberty township, Buchanan county, in October, 1865, so that the
residence of the family here covers almost a half century. Mr. Miller was county
recorder for two terms, being elected on the greenback ticket. In addition to his
agricultural interests he engaged in teaching in the country schools and in Row-
ley. He passed away in 1895 and Mrs. Miller now makes her home with her
daughter in Buchanan county. Mrs. Boies is worthy matron of the Eastern
Star and for four years has been superintendent of the household department of
the County Fair Association. She takes an active part in church, social and
club life in the town and her work and influence along those lines is most valuable
and beneficial.
To Mr. and Mrs. Boies have been born three children. Ethel, born in this
county, is now the wife of E. M. Wilcox, a farmer of Liberty township. Both are
graduates of the Cedar Falls Normal School and at the time of the Spanish-
American war ]\Ir. Wilcox went from Montour, Iowa, to the front with the Forty-
ninth Iowa Infantry. For four years he engaged in teaching school in the
Philippines. Unto him and his wife have been born two children, Marion and
Charles. The second member of the Boies family is Inez M., who is a graduate
of the Independence high school and of the Cedar Falls Normal School, and is
now a teacher in the primary department in Independence. Burr B.. born in
1890, is upon the home farm with his parents.
Fraternally ]\Ir. Boies is a Mason and is connected with the Eastern Star.
He also belongs to the ]\Iodern Woodmen camp, and his religious faith is evidenced
in his membership in the Methodist church. He takes an active interest in public
affairs and cooperates in many movements for the benefit and upbuilding of this
322 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
section of the state. He is now a stockholder in the Fair Association. In politics
he is a republican and his party has elected him to the office of county supervisor
for a term of three years. His efforts in behalf of the public welfare have been
far-reaching and beneficial and his life work makes him one of the valued citizens
of the county.
ROBERT H. COPELAND.
Robert H. Copeland is a retired farmer living in Independence but for many
years was actively and successfully connected with general agricultural pur-
suits in Buchanan county. He is also one of the veterans of the Civil war and
there are in his life history many chapters worthy of commendation and approval.
He is now in the seventy-ninth year of his age, his birth having occurred in
Albany county, New York, in 1835, his parents being Robert and Mary (De Long)
Copeland, the former born in Scotland in 1781 and the latter in New York in
1787. Robert Copeland came to the United States when a small boy and resided
in the Empire state until 1837. He then removed with his family to Ohio,
settling near New Philadelphia, wliere he worked at the carpenter's trade and
also engaged in farming two hundred acres of land about four miles from the
town. He thus led a busy, active and useful life and after his retirement from
business affairs he took up his abode in town, where he held the office of justice
of the peace for many years, his decisions being strictly fair and impartial. He
served as an officer under General Butts in a New York company of militia
in the War of 1812. His wife died in 1839 and he passed away in 1866,
Robert H. Copeland was one of the two children born of his father's second
marriage. He attended school in New Philadeljihia and when seventeen years
of age he learned the blacksmith's trade under his brother, who crossed the plains
to California in 1849. Our subject worked at his trade in New Philadelphia
until 1855, when he heard the call of the west and in company with another
young man left home and friends in Ohio, journeying westward by train to
Freeport, Illinois. From that point lie walked to Quasqueton. Iowa, where
he arrived on the 24th of April, 1855. He found conditions similar to those
which are always characteristic of pioneer life. There were plenty of Indians,
but they were friendly, and there was all kinds of wild game, including deer.
Mr. Copeland secured employment as a farm hand but worked in that way for
only a few months, after which he located in Independence and secured employ-
ment in a brickyard, aiding in the manufacture of the brick used in the con-
struction of the first l)rick l)uildings in Independence. In 1856, however, he
returned to Liberty township and broke the sod upon a tract of prairie land
preparatory to farming. He then carried on general agricultural pursuits until
1864, when he answered the call of President Lincoln for volunteers and enlisted
as a member of Company D. F'ifteenth Iowa Infantry, with which he served
until the close of the war. He was with Sherman on the march to the sea and
participated in the sharp fighting at Atlanta and at Savannah, Georgia. When
the war was over he returned to his farm and in connection with tilling the soil
he worked at liis trade until his retirement from active business in 1911. He is
ROBERT H. COPELANU
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 325
now enjoying a well earned and well merited rest and is accounted one of the
worthy and highly respected citizens of his community.
Mr. Copeland has been married twice. He first wedded Miss Louisa Mc-
Gonigle, who was born in Buchanan county, a representative of one of the early
families who settled in this county in 1849. She passed away in 1888, leaving
behind her many warm friends. By her marriage she had become the mother
of five children: Eudora, the wife of W. J. King, a blacksmith of Waterloo,
by whom she has two children, Gladys and Golda; Lilah, the wife of Helmer
Nibeck, a farmer of Fremont township, by whom she had four children, Lena,
Odessa and Leora and R. H., who died in 1913 ; Elsie, the widow of Roscoe
Singer, of Oelwein, Iowa, and the mother of two sons, John and Robert; J.
Dewey, who owns land and follows farming in Liberty township and who is
married and has six children, Plummer, Gertrude, Catherine, Phoebe, Robert
and Dewey; and Gertrude, the wife of P. M. Freeman, a prominent farmer of
Hazleton township, by whom she has two sons, P. M. and Kermit. In 1890 Mr.
Copeland was again married, his second union being with Miss Amy Perkins,
a native of Vermont and a daughter of John D. and Tryphene (Shurtliff)
Perkins, w^ho removed to Wisconsin in 1855, the father there carrying on farming
throughout his remaining days.
Mr. Copeland belongs to the Church of God. He has always given his
political allegiance to the democratic party and has filled some local offices. He
is an active member of the Grand Army of the Republic and thus maintains
pleasant relations with the "Boys in Blue," with whom he did active service
on southern battlefields. He has always been as true and loyal to his countrj^
in daj^s of peace as when he followed the nation's starry banner through the
south.
PETER SCHROLL.
Peter Schroll, a well known and enterprising agriculturist of Westburg town-
ship, is the owner of an excellent farm comprising one hundred and sixty acres
on section 15, which he has operated continuously and successfully for the past
twenty-two years. His birth occurred in York county, Pennsylvania, in 1850,
his father being Daniel Schroll, likewise a native of the Keystone state. In 1850
he removed to Illinois and subsequently took up his abode in Coffeyville, Kansas,
where he entered a tract of land. A short time afterward, however, he disposed
of the property and made his way to Montana, spending the remainder of his
life in that state.
Peter Schroll was still but an infant when the family home was established
in Illinois. The year 1892 witnessed his arrival in Buchanan county, Iowa, and
here he has since devoted his attention to general agricultural pursuits, purchas-
ing a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Westburg township, in the operation
of which he has won a most gratifying and well merited measure of prosperity.
He conducts his interests in a most practical and progressive manner and enjoys
an enviable reputation as one of the representative and respected citizens of his
community.
Vol. n.— 17
Vol. 11—15
326 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
In 1870 Mr. Sehroll was united in marriage to Miss Belle Wheeler, by whom
he has had nine children, as follows : Catherine, who passed away September 22,
1876, in Illinois; Charles D.; Phoebe E.; Grace Belle; Elizabeth Helen; James
Alvin, who died in 1908 ; Chester Peter ; Ira Orville ; and John Burton.
JOHN N. SMITH.
John N. Smith, cashier of the Iowa State Bank at Hazleton, has in his busi-
ness career made steady advancement through the utilization of opportunity,
through fidelity to duty and through the employment of the qualities of enter-
prise, diligence and deteruiination. He was born in Guthrie county, Iowa, No-
vember 1, 1880. His father, Frank Smith, was a native of Luxemburg, Ger-
many, born in 1834, and was only ten years of age when he accompanied his
parents on the voyage across the Atlantic to the new world, the family home
being established near Sheboygan, Wisconsin, where the father carried on agri-
cultural pursuits until 1870. In that year Frank Smith removed to Guthrie
county, Iowa, settling on a farm, on whick he continued to reside until called
to his final rest. He was the owner of one hundred and sixty acres of land and
successfully carried on general farming and stock-raising.
In early manhood Frank Smith wedded ^Margaret IMeyer, whose birth oc-
curred near Luxemburg, Germany, in 1838. They became the parents of five
children, of whom John N. is the youngest. The father has now passed away,
dying in 1898, at tlie age of sixty-four years, but the mother is living in Guthrie
county with a daughter at the age of seventy-six years. In politics he was a
democrat but never aspired to hold office. One of his brothers, who came to the
United States at the same time he crossed the Atlantic, was killed in the battle
of Gettysburg, while serving as a member of a Wisconsin regiment during the
Civil war.
John N. Smith was reared under the parental roof and pursued his educa-
tion in the schools of Yale, Iowa, and in a ])usiness college at Des Moines.
Througli his youthful days he renuiined upon the home farm and early became
familiar with the l)est methods of tilling the soil and caring for the crops. He
was twenty years of age when he entered upon his business course at Des Moines
and after his graduation went to California, where he spent a year and a half
for the benefit of his health. He then returned to Iowa, making his way to
Independence, where in 1902 he became associated with the Palmer Hubbard
Produce Company in the capacity of bookkeeper. He thus served for three
years, after which he was appointed deputy county clerk under J. T. Steven-
son. Later he was with the First National Bank of Independence as bookkeeper
and in 1910 he was elected by the republican party to the office of county clerk,
in wliich he made so excellent a record during his term that he was reelected in
1912. However, he was solicited to become cashier of the Iowa State Bank at
Hazleton, in which he is also a stockholder and director, and accei)ted the posi-
tion. He likewise owns farm lands in this county and is conducting a growing
and profitable insurance business.
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 327
In 1904 Mr. Smith was united in marriage to Miss Bertha A. Triiax, a native
of Guthrie county, Iowa, and a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John W. Truax, who
are still living in that county, representatives of early families there. John W.
Truax has land which his father, James Truax, entered from the government.
The grandfather was one of the first to become identified with the work of
general improvement and development in that section of the state and for many
years carried on general farming and stock-raising. He died at the very vener-
ble age of ninety-eight years. In the family of Mr. and Mrs. John W. Truax
were five children, of whom Bertha A. is the eldest. She has spent her entire
life in this state and was a teacher of music and also a school teacher in the
Yale schools. By her marriage she has become the mother of five children,
Alton L., J. Vernon, Wilma Pauline, Frances Alella and Kathryn.
Mr. Smith is an exemplary representative of the ]\Iasonic fraternity and a
past master of Independence Lodge. He regards it as the duty as well as the
privilege of every American citizen to exercise his right of franchise in support
of the measures which he believes to be factors in good government. Accordingly
he has been an active worker in the republican party and has done much to
further its interests, nor is he neglectful of the higher duties of life. He belongs
to the ]Methodist church and is interested in its welfare and generous in its
support. He has made a creditable record in every relation and at all times has
been actuated by principles of truth and honor.
EVERETT C. WARD, M. D.
Dr. Everett C. "Ward, successfully engaged in the practice of medicine and
surgery at Brandon, is widely recognized as a prominent and able representative
of the profession in Buchanan county. His birth occurred in Humboldt county,
Iowa, in 1876, his parents being C. E. and Harriet (French) Ward. The father
was born in New York city in 1826 and when a youth of fifteen went to Vermont,
where he lived with relatives and learned the tailor's trade, working at that
occupation for a time. Subsequently he removed to Brooklyn, Wisconsin, and
there married Miss Cynthia Eddie. At the age of twenty-six j-ears he located on
the farm of his father-in-law. clearing and improving the property and carrying
on general agricultural pursuits with excellent success. His wife died when they
had been married five years, and five years later he wedded Miss Harriet L.
French, a daughter of Samuel and Phoebe French.
In 1874 Mr. and ]Mrs. Ward took up their abode in Humboldt county, Iowa,
where he purchased and improved a farm of one hundred and sixty acres which
he operated for seven years. On the expiration of that period he disposed of the
property and bought another quarter section in the same vicinity which he
cultivated continuously for thirty-one years. He then took up his abode in Ren-
wick, Humboldt county, where his wife passed away in 1913, at the age of
seventy-three years, and subsequently he came to Brandon, Buchanan county.
Here he makes his home at the present time, having now reached the venerable
age of eighty-eight years. He served as an enlistment officer for the Federal
army during the period of the Civil war and has ever given his political allegiance
328 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
to the republican party, which was the stanch support of the Union during the
dark days of the Civil war. His religious faith is indicated by his membership
in the Baptist church.
Everett C. Ward spent his boyhood on the home farm in Humboldt county
and after leaving the Renwick high school entered college at Des Moines, where
he continued his studies for three yeai*s or until obliged to abandon them tem-
porarily on account of illness. Subsequently he spent two years in the study of
osteopathy at Des ]\Ioines and then entered the medical department of the State
University of Iowa at Iowa City, from which institution he was graduated with
high honors four years later. He located for practice at Mount Auburn, Benton
county, Iowa, there remaining for three and a half years, and on November 12,
1910, opened an office at Brandon, Buchanan county, where he has remained con-
tinuously to the present time, being accorded a liberal and lucrative patronage.
His ability and skill have been constantly manifest in the excellent results which
have attended his efforts for the alleviation of human suffering and the restora-
tion of health.
On the 5th of August, 1909, Dr. Ward was united in marriage to Miss Laura
B, Furry, a daughter of John and Elizabetli (Jones) Furry. They have one
child, Everett Lynn Ward. Dr. Ward is a repu})lican in politics and is identified
fraternally with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Rebekahs and the
Modern Woodmen of America. On account of his unsullied character and his
usefulness in his profession he justly ranks high in the respect of the entire
community.
GEORGE D. BLACK.
George D. Black justly deserves to be called a self-made man, for he started
out to earn his own living when a lad of but twelve years. Today he is exten-
sively engaged in the cultivation and production of gladioli and in this connec-
tion is known not only throughout the United States but also to growers of this
plant in foreign lands as well. He has built up an extensive and profitable
business and a view of his place in the blooming season is indeed a rare treat.
Mr. Black was born in Butler county. Ohio, June 18, 1858, a son of Henry
and Sophia (Deem) Black. The father, a native of Pennsylvania, came of
German parentage. In early life he learned the cooper's trade and emigrated
from Pemisylvania to Ohio, removing to the latter state at a period whicli ante-
dated railroad building. There he engaged extensively in the cooperage busi-
ness, continuing his residence in Ohio until 1859. when he came to Iowa, settling
about three miles from Brandon, in Buchanan county. There he purchased a
small tract of land and built a log cabin. He had brought some nursery stock
with him and began the development of a nursery, but lost this through climatic
conditions. Soon afterward he was taken ill with typhoid fever and never
regained robust health. He died in 1892 in the ninety-first year of his age.
His wife, a native of Butler county, Ohio, still remains upon the old home farm,
the boundaries of which have been extended by additional purchase, ^h: Black
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 329
had been previously married twice and George D. Black is the eldest of nine
children born of his father's third marriage.
The educational opportunities of George D. Black were limited. His labors
were needed upon the home farm but in the winter months he attended the dis-
trict school near by and when twelve years of age began to earn his own living
and also assist in the support of the family by working for others. When
eighteen years of age he secured a position as a farm hand and in that way
earned a sum sufficient to enable him to continue his education as a student in
the Tilford Collegiate Academy at Vinton, Iowa, where he remained the major
part of three years. During the most of that time he. did janitor work in pay-
ment of his tuition. He taught school for two winters and after completing his
course in the Tilford Collegiate Academy he again took up the profession of
teaching. He also conducted an apiary near Brandon, on the old home farm,
and at one time owned one hundred and eighty stands of bees, which in one year
produced thirteen thousand pounds of honey. After a few years he gradually
worked into the nursery and seed business and as he did so withdrew from
bee culture and the production of honey. As his nursery business developed he
began dealing in seeds at Brandon and later put his seeds in all the stores of
the county. He continued upon the old home place up to the time of his marriage
and then removed to Independence.
Mr. Black has now practically discontinued the seed business and does not
issue a catalogue, as was formerly his custom, but concentrates his eflforts upon
the propagation and production of gladioli. He has a tract of twenty acres of
land all platted within the limits of Independence. He devotes his attention
to the nursery business, specializing in the production of gladioli, and now has six
acres in bulbs. He has a large yellow seedling of his own and received a reward
of merit in England from the National Gladioli Society and is assured of a first-
class certificate, these certificates never being issued the first year. He frequently
imports bulbs from Holland and other foreign countries and has some of the
rarest and finest specimens of the flower to be found on the American continent.
Independence is noted as a center of gladiolus production. Mr. Black is a con-
tributor to the ^Modern Gladiolus Grower, a magazine issued in 1913 and pub-
lished at Calcium, New York.
On the 15th of April, 1890, Mr. Black wedded Miss Martha E. McLaughlin,
a native of Canada and a daughter of Robert and Laura (Baxter) McLaughlin,
both of whom were natives of that country. The father became a woodworker
and operated a factory at Oshawa, Canada, his principal output being wooden
clocks, although he manufactured many other things in wood. About 1871 he
came to Iowa, settling at Brandon, where he engaged in the building of wagons,
cutters and buggies, continuing active along that line until competition became
too strenuous. He then turned his attention to the house-moving business, in
which he continued until he retired from active life about 190-4. He is now
eighty-eight years of age, and he and his wife reside with Mr. and Mrs. Black.
Mr. McLaughlin served in the war with Mexico and is perhaps the only Mexican
war veteran now living in Buchanan county. His famih' numbered five chil-
dren, of whom Mrs. Black is the second. Three children have been born to ]Mr.
and Mrs. Black. Robert Henry, born June 18, 1892, is a graduate of the In-
dependence high school and also of the Upper Iowa University of Fayette of
330 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
the class of 1913. Immediately after his graduation he went to Philadelphia,
where he became connected with the Burpee seed house, and he is now located
at Albert Lea, Minnesota, where he is engaged in the seed business. Oscar W.,
born in 1894, and Harry N., born March 12, 1897, are both at home and are
assisting their father.
Mr. Black is a charter member of the Odd Fellows lodge at Brandon, and
both he and his wife are connected with the Fraternal Bankers Association.
They also belong to the Methodist Episcopal church and he is serving as class
leader at Independence. In politics he has been a stalwart republican since age
conferred upon him the right of franchise and while at Brandon he served as
justice of the peace and held other township offices. He has ever been actively
interested in the welfare and development of the section in which he makes his
home and cooperates heartily in every movement for the public good. He has
become widely and favorably known and in his chosen field of business has made
for himself an enviable name and place. His is a creditable record inasmuch as
he started out in life on his own account when -a youth of but twelve years, since
which time he has been dependent entirely upon his own resources.
CLESSOX A. K ION YON.
Clesson A. Kenyon is a retired business man living in Lamont and is among
the most highly respected citizens of the town. lie was born in tlic neighl)oring
county of Delaware on the 2r)th of September, 1861. a son of Amos and Caroline
(WycofP) Kenyon. The father was born in Hutbiiid. Vermont, June 3, 1819,
and there grew to manliood. He was married in his native state and subse-
(juently came to Iowa, locating in Delaware county, in the early '40s. He bought
one hundred and sixty acres of land in that county and eighty acres in Buchanan
county and farmed it until his death on the oth of May, 1891, when seventy-
two years of age. His wife was born in the l^rovince of Quelle, Canada, on
the 17th of May, 1825, l)iit was educated in Vermont, where their marriage
occurred. She passed away on the 23d of July. 1889.
Clesson A. Kenyon was the ninth in order of birth in a family of ten chil-
dren and received his early education in the common schools of the county. He
subsequently attended Manchester Academy at Manchester, Delaware county,
and T'pper Iowa University at Fayette. He took a normal course and after leav-
ing school taught for live winters. Uj^on abaiuloniug that profession he farmed
the home place for three years and then purchased eighty acres of land near
Lamont. He operated that tract of land for six years and on selling it embarked
in general mercantile business in Lamont with his brother. In 1899, under
President McKinley, he was appointed postmaster and held that office for four-
teen and a half years, handling the incoming and outgoing mails with dispatch
and accuracy. He was the candidate on the republican ticket for county recorder
in the election of November, 1914, and received a splendid majority. His term
of two years begins Jamuiry 1, 1915.
Mr. Kenyon married INIiss Eva M. Sheldon, a daughter of William P. and
Julia (Smith) Sheldon. The father was l)orn in Allegany county, New York.
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 331
July 29, 1827, and in May, 1858, came to Iowa. He taught school and farmed
in connection with his brother for some time. He then bought land in Dela-
ware county and operated his farm until 1888, when he retired and moved to
Strawberry Point, Iowa. He resided there for five years but now makes his
home with the subject of this review. His marriage to Miss Julia Smith oc-
curred on Christmas day, 1862. She was born in Michigan on the 18th of
September, 1837, and came to Iowa with her parents when sixteen years of
age. She died on the 4th of October, 1910. In the Sheldon family were two
children, Mrs. Kenyon, and Frank, who is a commission agent living in Chicago,
Illinois. Mrs. Kenyon spent two years in the Manchester Academy after com-
pleting the public-school course and subsequently attended Upper Iowa Uni-
versity at Fayette for a term. She taught school for six terms previous to her
marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Kenyon have three children : Mildred E., born Decem-
ber 27, 1886, is the wife of David Curtis, a resident of Lament; Claire C, born
June 1; 1888, is a registered pharmacist in the Miller drug store at Waterloo,
where he makes his home. He married Miss Anna Pieper, by whom he has a son,
Paul, born February 3, 1914. Gladys Julia, born January 6, 1892, is still at
home. All of the children are graduates of the public schools.
The family attend the Methodist church and are always willing to cooperate
in any movement seeking the moral welfare of the communit}'. Mr. Kenyon
belongs to Mohawk Lodge, No. 310, K. P. ; to Bush Camp, No. 2605, M. W. A. ;
and Lamont Camp, No. 214, W. 0. W. Mrs. Kenyon is a member of the Pythian
Sisters, and is a member and the recorder of the Royal Neighbors since 1903.
They have many friends in Lamont and in the surrounding country and all
who know them hold them in high esteem.
MRS. JOSEPH BUNNELL.
Mrs. Joseph Bunnell, who makes her home on a farm in Jefferson township,
has continuously resided in this county during the past thirty-six years and is
well known and highly esteemed throughout the community. She was born in
New York on the 1st of July, 1839, and on the 3d of October, 1860, gave her
hand in marriage to Joseph Bunnell, whose natal day was April 15, 1835. The
young couple established their home in Indiana immediately following their
marriage, and in that state Mr. Bunnell engaged in the milling business, operat-
ing a flour and sawmill with the turning lathe attachment. Mrs. Bunnell still
has two chairs that were made by him at that time. In 1864, dviring the gold
excitement then raging in Idaho, he and others started for the west, going by
rail to the end of the road, which was at Grinnell, Iowa, and then across the
plains by ox teams and covered wagons. He remained in the west for two years
and at the end of that time returned to Indiana, where he was engaged in the
hardware business until 1873.
That year witnessed the arrival of Mr. Bunnell and his family in Iowa and
for about five years they made their home upon a farm in Black Hawk county,
hut in 1878 became residents of Buchanan county, purchasing a tract of land
in Jefferson township. Mr. Bunnell won prosperity in the conduct of his farm-
332 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
ing interests and became widely recognized as a substantial farmer and a
respected citizen. He passed away on the 30th of July, 1911, at the age of
seventy-six years.
For over a half century he and his wife had traveled life's journey together
and on the 3d of October, 1910, celebrated their golden wedding, at which time
their children and grandchildren were all present. Their children are : ]\Irs.
O. M. Kinney, H. S. and B. B. Since the father's death the last named has
operated the home farm and is meeting with good success in its cultivation. He
was married on the 25th of December, 1895, to Miss Grace Standish, and they
have four children. Miles Standish, Floyd B., Clarence J. and Sarah B. The
family is one of prominence in the community where they reside and are held
in high esteem by all who know them. Although not a member of any religious
denomination, Mrs. Bunnell is a firm believer in the Bible and her life has ever
been in harmony with its teachings.
RANFORD E. COOK.
Ranford E. Cook owns and operates five hundred and eight acres of land,
most of which is situated on section 19, Fremont township. This land has been
in his possession for thirty-three years and he has long been numbered among
the substantial and progressive farmers of the county. In addition to culti-
vating the soil, he raises high grade stock, breeding Belgian draft horses and
Black Polled Angus cattle. For many seasons he has owned a threshing
machine and has threshed most of the grain in his neighborhood.
Mr. Cook was born in Oswego county, New York, on the 29tli of February,
1856, a son of Emery and Mary Jane (Benson) Cook. The former was born
in Chautauqua county. New York, on the 17th of February, 1829, and lived
there until 1869, when he removed with liis family to iManchester, Delaware
county, Iowa. He rented a farm for some time but subsequently purchased
one hundred and forty acres three miles west of Manchester, which he farmed
for about thirty years. At the end of that time, or in 1905, he sold his land
and retired. He is still living, making his home with a daughter in Coffins
Grove township, Delaware county. His wife was born in Oswego county,
New York, on the 16th of June, 1833, and they were there married. She
passed away in this state in 1903. To Mr. and Mrs. Emery Cook were born
five children: Malcolm, whose birth occurred on the 2d of April, 1854, and
who is a farmer of Liberty township, this county: Ranford, of this review;
Edward W., who was born December 14, 1858, and lives in Coffins Grove town-
ship, Delaware county; Helen M., who was born August 17, 1863, and died in
1891; and Susie L., who was born August 17, 1870, and resides in Coffins Grove
township, Delaware county.
Ranford E. Cook was educated in New York until he was a lad of thirteen
years and then he accompanied his parents on their removal to Delaware county,
this state, remaining at hom^' until twenty-two years of age. He then rented
a farm for five years and subsequently came into possession of the land which
he now operates. It comprises five hundred and eight acres and all but a
RANFORD E. COOK
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY ^ 335
quarter section is situated on section 19, Fremont township. The one hundred
and sixty acre tract is located three miles from the other. Mr. Cook raises
a great deal of grain but is chiefly interested in stock. For twenty-five or
thirty years he has been a well known breeder of Belgian draft horses and
his stallions have always been registered animals. He also raises high grade
Black Polled Angus cattle. For thirty seasons he has owned a threshing
outfit and has been given the patronage of the farmers of his neighborhood.
Mr. Cook was first married when twenty-eight years of age and, as his first
wife died, in 1891 he married Miss Neva B. Coates, who was born in Delaware
county, Iowa, on the 14th of September, 1863, a daughter of Ezra and Eliza-
beth (Hetherington) Coates. Her father was born in New York in 1835 and
is still living in Delaware county. Her mother, who was born in Ohio in
1837, died in 1867 while still a young woman. They were married in Iowa
City, this state, and had four children, namely : Sadie, the wife of Louis Coon
of Delaware county ; Clarence, deceased ; Neva, the deceased wife of our subject ;
and Charles, a resident of INIinnesota. Mrs. Cook passed away January 19,
1910. She was the mother of six children: James Blaine, who was born Feb-
ruary 8, 1893, and is operating a farm in this county; Helen Margaret, who
was born May 8, 1895 ; Donald Dean, whose birth occurred March 9, 1897 ;
Clarence Coates, whose birth occurred on the 23d of February, 1899 ; Clyde
R., born May 25, 1905 ; and Mary Elizabeth, who was born December 29, 1909,
All of the younger children are at home.
Mr. Cook was reared in the faith of the ^Methodist Episcopal church and
still gives his allegiance to that denomination. He is a republican in his politi-
cal belief and is serving as school director. Although he takes a citizen 's interest
in matters of public concern, he has devoted the greater part of his energy to
his private affairs and in attaining his individual success he has also contributed
to the advancement of the agricultural and stock-breeding interests of Buchanan
county.
THOMAS CONSIDINE.
Thomas Considine is well known as a pioneer of Buchanan county and Perry
township, for he has been identified with the agricultural interests of this section
since 1857, covering a period of fifty-seven years. He was born in County
Clare, Ireland, September 14, 1842, a son of Patrick and Susan (Keane) Con-
sidine, who were likewise natives of County Clare. Patrick Considine followed
farming in his native county and in 1852, in company with his wife, three sons
and one daughter, left the Emerald isle for Canada, the family home being estab-
lished in Hamilton. There father and sons worked on the railroad for a few
years. Their greatest ambition was to get to the United States and make for
themselves a good home. To this end they worked diligently and saved their
earnings, and in September, 1856, the son, Patrick, Jr., was sent out to invest
in farm land. He decided upon Buchanan county, Towa, as a desirable place
in which to live and purchased a farm of one hundred and sixty acres near
Littleton, in Perry township. He then joined the other members of the family
336 - HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
in Canada, but the following year they came to this state, though for several
months they worked on the railroad, in the meantime making their home in
Dyersville. In December of 1857 they took up their abode upon the uewl}^
acquired farm and at once undertook the task of breaking and developing laud
in this then new and largely unsettled region. The father remained on this
place throughout the remainder of his life and passed away at the advanced
age of ninety-two years. The mother died in 1878 at the age of seventy. He was
a democrat in his political views and both he and his wife were devout members
of the Catholic church. Their four children were as follows : Patrick, who
engaged in farming in Bachanan county and died at the age of thirty-eight
years; Michael, who was also engaged in farming in this section and died at
the age of seventy-three ; Thomas, of this review ; and ^largaret, the widow of
]Michael Cunningham and a resident of Waterloo, Iowa.
Thomas Considine was in his tenth year when the family left the land of
their nativity for Canada, so that his early education was acquired in the latter
place. He worked as water boy for the railroad company and was a youth of
fifteen years when the family home was established in Buchanan county, sub-
sequent to which time he continued his studies in the schools of Littleton. He
remained on the home farm until he had reached the age of twenty-seven years,
when he establislied a home of his own by his marriage. He purchased a part
of his present farm property in Perry township and he has added to it until
the place now embraces two hundred and seventy-three acres. He has improved
his property witli substantial buildings and now owns one of the most valuable
and up-to-date farms in tliat section of Buchanan county.
Mr. Considine has ))een married twice. His first union was with IMiss
Bridget ]\Ieany, the marriage ceremony ])eing performed January 31, 1870.
She was a native of County Clare, Ireland, and in 1866, during her girlhood,
emigrated to the United States. She passed away January 6, 187J), leaving two
children : Charles James, wlio is associated with his father in the operation of
the farm ; and Mary, who died at the age of fifteen years, on the 12th of Novem-
ber, 1885. For his second wife ^Ir. Considine chose ]\Irs. Annie (Nolan) Brown,
whom he wedded April 30, 1880. She was l)orn in County Wexford, Ireland,
and was there reared and married, after which she came with her husband to
the United States and located in Freeport, Illinois. Later their home was
established in Winthrop, Iowm. and it was in that city that Mr. Brown's death
occurred. The widow then made her home in Independence, Iowa, until her
marriage to Mr. Considine. By tliis union there is a son and daughter: Thomas
Joseph, who is still with his parents; and Frances Margaret, the wife of James
Meany, a resident farmer of Perry township.
In politics an ardent democrat, Mr. Considine has always manifested a deep
concern in public affairs, although he has persistently refused to accept public
position at the hands of his fellow citizens. He and his family are comnninicants
of the Catholic church. It was the pioneers who through their patience and
energy and their wise foresight organized and built up a community here which
in its general prosi)erity. its orderly society, the pleasantness of its honu-s and
the intelligence and moral tone of its people is all that goes to make up a desir-
able civilization, and in this work Thomas Considine took a large part. In the
fifty-seven years that have passed since he took up his abode in Buchanan county.
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 337
he has witnessed many changes and now in the evening of life he can enjoy many
comforts, as the result of a life spent in usefulness and activity. At the age
of seventy-two years he is still hale and hearty and is surrounded by a host
of warm friends who entertain for him the highest respect and esteem.
N. M. MIGUET.
N. M. Miguet is now living retired in Hazleton, but for many years was
actively identified with farming interests in Buchanan county, where he still
owns four hundred and ninetj^-four acres of land which returns to him a gratify-
ing annual income. He was born in France in 1842. His father, John Peter
Miguet, was a farmer of that country, born near Paris, in which section he
eventuallj' became the owner of a farm. In 1847 he crossed the Atlantic to the
new world, making his way to Dubuque, Iowa. He sailed for New Orleans
and was fifty-six days upon the water. He then proceeded up the Mississippi
river and from Davenport continued his journey to Dubuque. He remained for
several years in Dubuque county, where he secured land which he cleared and
developed. There were no railroads in that district at that time, as Dubuque
was but a village. It seemed that the work of progress and development had
been scarcely begun and Mr. Miguet bore his part in the work of pioneer improve-
ment there. In 1856 he removed to Buchanan county, which was also a frontier
district. He took up his abode in what was then Superior, but is now Hazleton
township, and purchased land three miles west of Hazleton, the original home-
stead comprising eighty acres now in possession of his son N. ]\I. ]\Iiguet. The
father carried on general farming and stock-raising and his careful management
of his business affairs brought to him a substantial measure of prosperity as
the years went on. Before leaving his native country he wedded Frances Bar-
donett, who was also born near Paris. They became the parents of ten children,
two of whom are residents of Hazleton. Both the father and mother have now
passed away, the former dying at the age of eighty-one years, March 10, 1880,
and the latter when eighty-seven years of age, February 19, 1888.
N. ]\I. Miguet Avas a little lad of five years when the family emigrated to
the new world and was a youth of but fourteen when they came to Buchanan
county. Here he continued his education in the district schools, walking four
miles to attend a school, Avhich was held in the basement of a house, for at that
period there were no regular schoolhouses or church buildings in the township
and he conned his lessons while sitting on a slab bench. His educational oppor-
tunities were meager, but he employed his time to good advantage and in the
school of experience he has since learned many valuable lessons. AVhen only a
small boy he began to look after the affairs on the farm, because his father
could not speak English and therefore the son, who had readily picked up tlie
language, managed his business interests. The occupation to which he was
reared he made his life work and he continued upon the homestead farm, to
which he added four hundred and fourteen acres, until liis retirement from
active business in 1895, when he removed to Hazleton. He still gives general
supervision to the place, which is operated by his son, and he is today one of
338 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
the prosperous citizens of Buchanan county, as is any man who can claim the
ownership of four hundred and ninety-four acres of the rich and valuable farm
land of this section of the state. Year after year he carefully tilled his fields,
conducting the farm work along ])rogi*essive lines, and year after year he
harvested good crops which brought to him a gratifying income.
On the ITtli of September, 1863. Mr. INIiguet was united in marriage to Miss
Caroline A. Long, who was born in Pennsylvania in 1847 and. whose life record
covered the intervening years to the 3d of January, 1908. Her parents were
John jM. and Margaret (Gross) Long, both of whom were natives of Germany.
Her father died when fifty-five years old and her mother at the venerable age of
ninety years. They came to the United States when twenty-four years of age
and settled in Pennsylvania. ]Mr. Long followed farming there, but afterward
removed westward to Illinois and in 1855 came to Iowa, taking up his abode in
ITazleton township, then known as Superior township. There he secured land
and began farming, carefully tilling his fields and also successfully raising stock.
He owned two hundred acres of rich laud, which responded readily to the care
and cultivation he bestowed upon his fields. To him and his wife were born
five daughters and a son, of whom ]\Irs. Miguet was the fourth in order of
birth. Living as they did upon the frontier, the Long home was placed at the
disposal of the public for school purposes and for preaching. The parents
were Presbyterians in religious faith and were very active workers in church
circles, their influence counting as a strong element for good in the community
in which they made their home.
Mr. and Mrs. Miguet became parents of six children: John L., a landowner
of Buchanan countv who married Ennna AYise and has five daughters, Mvra.
Caroline, Modesta, Lucille and Ella ; Edward T., who is residing upon his father's
farm and married Susie Ewing. by whom he has a son, Hugh ; Carrie, the wife
of Charles Shaefer, who for eighteen years was agent of the Burlington Rail-
road at Hazleton and is now a real-estate man of San Diego, California, by
whom she has two children, Zella and Zora ; Ella, the wife of F. W. Clark, a
farmer of Buffalo township: pjinma. the wife of J. T. Simek, a carpenter and
liuilder of Hazleton, by whom she has two cliildren, Len T. and Ijera ; and Dest,
a traveling salesman representing the Mulford ^Medicine Company of Des
Moines.
For fifty-eight years Mr. Miguet has been a resident of this county and is
therefore familiar with its history in all tlie phases of its groAN-th and develop-
ment, lie lias not only been an interested witness of the changes which have
occurred but has been a cooperant factor in many measures for the public good.
Twenty-eight.years ago he was chosen count.v supervisor for a term of three years
and sixteen years afterward was again elected to that office, in which he served
for six yeai*s. He was township treasurer for five years and has also been town-
ship trustee. He is president of the board of education and when his present
term expires will have served for twenty-eight years as school director. The
cause of education has ever found in him a stalwart champion and at all times
he stands for progress and improvement. He was first elected county super-
visor on the democratic ticket, but later study of political conditions led him to
change his opinions and he is now active in the republican party. Fraternally
he is connected with the i\Iasonic lodge at Hazleton and his religious faith is that
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 339
of the Presbyterian church. He is a man who has always believed in making
present conditions better than those with which he was surrounded in his youth
and his influence therefore has ever been cast on the side of advancement and
improvement.
JOSEPH J. SMITH.
Joseph J. Smith, a highly respected and representative farmer of Washington
township, owns three hundred and twenty-six acres of land and since 1874 has
been identified with agricultural pursuits in Buchanan county. He was born
in County Derry, Ireland, in 1844, a son of J. D. and Sarah (White) Smith,
who were also natives of County Derry. Coming to the United States in early
life, they were married in New York and there the father, who was a black-
smith, followed his trade for seven years, after which he returned to Ireland,
where he reared his family. He engaged in business as a grain merchant there
until 1861, when he returned to the new world, settling at Chatham, Canada.
After a year, however, he crossed the border into the United Staves and settled
in Michigan, near Lake Superior, where he engaged in mining, remaining in that
locality for six years.
J. D. Smith afterward came to Buchanan county and purchased land in
Byron township, giving his attention here to general agricultural pursuits. At
the time of his retirement he was one of the prosperous farmers of his locality,
owning two hundred and forty acres of rich and productive land. He also
engaged successfully in the raising of Durham cattle. To him and his wife
were born ten children, seven sons and three daughters, all of whom were born
in Ireland. One son, Isaiah Smith, now occupies the old homestead farm in
Byron township. Upon that place the father lived to the time of his death,
which occurred in 1893 when he had reached the very advanced age of ninety-
six years. His wife passed away ten years before, at the age of seventy. In
religious faith they were Presbyterians and in political belief Mr. Smith was
a republican, active and loyal in the support of the party. He was interested
in all that pertained to public progress and cooperated in many movements which
were directly beneficial to the community.
Joseph J. Smith attended school in Ireland until the time when the parents
returned to the new world. He came with them to Iowa and when about thirty
years of age began farming on his ovm account in Washington township. Pre-
vious to that time he had been employed in the copper mines near Lake Superior
but since 1874 he has continuously engaged in general agricultural pur.suits
in this county, covering a period of forty years. His holdings today emlirace
three hundred and twenty-six acres of arable land and in addition to cultivating
the crops best adapted to soil and climate he raises considerable stock, making
a specialty of Poland China hogs. His farm presents a neat and thrifty appear-
ance and everything about the place indicates his careful supervision and
progressive methods.
In 1880 Mr. Smith was united in marriage to Miss Margaret Herrigan, wlio
was born in New York in 1849 and passed away in this county in 1909 at the
340 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
age of sixty years. Her parents were Jeremiah and Catharine (Devert) Her-
rigan, both natives of Ireland. Crossing the Atlantic, they landed at New York
and afterward made their way to Buchanan county, where the father purchased
a farm. He continued to make his home in this county to the time of his death.
In politics he was an active democrat and his religious belief was that of the
Catholic church. To Mr. and Mrs. Smith were born four children: J. J.,
thirty-three years of age, who is now with a dredge company in ^Missouri and
is the owner of land in this county; J. D., thirty-two years of age, and Leo,
thirty-one years of age, both at home ; and Maude, the wife of William Fenner,
a farmer of Washington township, by whom she has three children — Leo, who
was born May 11, 1911; Harold, February 17, 1912; and Evelyn ^largaret. June
18, 1914. The religious faith of the family is that of the Presbyterian church,
father and children all being members thereof.
Mr. Smith has no political aspirations but votes with the republican party and
is a firm believer in its principles. He stands for progress and improvement in
public affairs, just as he does in business life, and his cooperation can always
be counted upon to further movements for the general good. The greater part
of his attention, however, is given to his farming interests and he is today
accounted one of the leading farmers of Wasliington township, where by careful
management and practical methods he has won well deserved success.
W. L. POOLER.
W. L. Pooler, actively engaged in farming in Westburg township, was born
in Clayton, Iowa, in 1859, a son of G. AV. and Mary A. (Benedict) Pooler. The
father's birth occurred at Swanton, Vermont, in 1822, and, leaving New Eng-
land, he became a resident of Allamakee county, Iowa, in 1852. There he pur-
chased one hundred and twenty acres of government land, upon which not a
furrow had been turned or an improvement made, but with characteristic energy
he began to break the sod and till the soil. Later he sold the property at a
profit of twelve hundred dollars in gold and returned to Vermont for a short
visit. He then again came to Iowa, arriving in Jesup, Buchanan county, in
1867. There he purchased a home, which he occupied for three years, after
which he took up his aliode in Westl)urg township, where he again became owner
of a tract of land of one hundred and twenty acres. Later he invested in one
luindred and sixty acres and to that added from time to time until he was the
owner of four hundred and forty acres of rich and productive land in this
county. Year after year he carried on general farming, making his home upon
his place until 1888, when he returned to Jesup and occupied the property which
he had purchased when he first came to this county. There he continued to
reside until his death, which occurred on the 16th of October, 1895.
It was on the 20th of September, 1855, that Mr. Pooler was united in mar-
riage to ]\Iiss ^lary A. Benedict, who was born in New York in 1834 and came
to this state a])out 1852 with her parents, the family home being established
in Clayton county, where her father took up land and carried on general farm-
ing for about fifteen years. In 1867 he removed witli his family to Jesup and
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 341
the same year purchased land in Westburg township, residing upon his farm for
twelve years. He then again took up his abode in Jesup, where Mrs. Benedict
still makes her home. Mr. Benedict, however, spent his last days in Nebraska,
where he died April 19, 1908.
On the old home farm in Westburg township W. L. Pooler spent the days of
his boyhood and youth and in the public schools he acquired his education.
The occupation to which he Avas reared he decided to make his life work and in
1895 he purchased the old home property, upon which he still resides. In the
intervening period, covering nineteen years, he has given undivided attention
to the work of further developing and improving the place and now has an
excellent farm equipped with all modern accessories and conveniences.
Cn the -Ith of February, 1880, Mr. Pooler was united in marriage to Miss
Emma McKibben, of Westburg township. Her father was born in Pennsylvania,
March 10, 1831, and her mother was born in Ohio, March 22, 1834. The latter
died in Nebraska, February 10, 1904. To Mr. and ]\Irs. Pooler have been born
seven children : Etta M., now Mrs. Mastelles ; Mrs. Elva B. Stevens ; Mrs. Irene
E. Burrell; Lula AY., who died July 4, 1914; George D., Leon E. and Mary W.
Mr. Pooler is an Odd Fellow and he attends the Methodist church — as.socia-
tions which indicate much of the nature of his interests and the rules which
govern his conduct. He has lived continuously in this county since 1867, or
from the age of eight years, and thus for forty-seven years has been a witness
of the continued growth and development of this section of the state. He has
borne his part in the work of general advancement and rejoices in what has
been accomplished. He has never sought to figure prominently in any public
connection, prefering always to concentrate his energies upon his business affairt^,
and through his close application, energy and determination he has won a credit-
able measure of success.
JERRY W. WOOFF.
Buchanan county lost a worthy citizen when Jerry W. Wooff was called to his
final rest on the 6th of January, 1913. He was a representative farmer of
Westburg township and in business affairs had become firmly established as an
energetic, progressive man, while in matters of citizenship he was at all times
reliable. His birth occurred in Lancashire, England, November 4, 1841, his
parents being Thomas and Jane (Thompson) Wooff. The latter was a daughter
of Anthony and Elizabeth Thompson. Mr. and IMrs. Thomas Wooff w^ere mar-
ried in 1840 in England and in 1847 came with their family to the United States,
settling at St. Louis, Missouri. For five years Mr. Wooff engaged in mining
near St. Louis, where he passed away on the 20th of June, 1852, his wife sur-
viving him for some time.
Jerry W. Wooff was reared on a farm near St. Charles. IMissouri, and through
the period of his boyhood and youth gave much of his attention to the work of
the fields. When twenty-five years of age he went to Green county, Wisconsin,
where he was married, and in 1869 he arrived in Buchanan county, Iowa, settling
in Westburg township, where he purchased one hundred and twenty acres of
342 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
land. He afterward sold that property and invested in one hundred and sixty-
acres, which he continued to cultivate and improve to the time of his death,
which occurred on the 6th of January, 1913. In all of his farm work he fol-
lowed modern methods, keeping in touch with the advancement of the times, and
he used the latest improved machinery to facilitate the work of the fields.
Mr. Wooff was united in marriage to Miss Katherine MaddreU, who was born
in Wisconsin in 1847, a daughter of John T. and Elizabeth (Hover) Maddrell.
Her father was born on the Isle of Man, off the coast of England, January 20,
1814, and came to the United States in 1840, settling in Brooklyn, New York,
where he established a tailoring shop, which he conducted for two years. He
then removed westward to Benton, Wisconsin, where he continued in the same
line of business for three years. He subsequently removed to Shullsburg and
in 1852 made an overland trip to California, remaining a year and a half on
the Pacific coast. He then returned by way of the water route and again became
identified with the interests of the middle west, with which he was connected
until his death on the 5th of April, 1888. His wife was born upon a farm in
Mercer county, Pennsylvania, and when eighteen years of age removed westward
with her parents to Nauvoo, Illinois. After a short time, however, they went to
Benton, Wisconsin, and it was there that Mr. and Mrs. ^laddrell were married
on the 27th of April, 1845.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Wooff were born seven children : Mrs. Nellie Schroll, of
Westburg township ; John T. ; Sadie E., now Mrs. Martin, whose husband is a
farmer of Westburg township ; Will H., living upon the home farm with his
mother; Mary, who died April 1st, 1882; J. W. also upon the home farm; and
Lee R., who completes the family. Mrs. Wooff still occupies the old homestead,
which is being operated with the aid of her sons.
Mr. Wooff was a soldier during the Civil war, being enrolled in Company B,
Tenth Regular Volunteers of INIissouri, and serving for about three years. He
was a devoted husband and father, finding his greatest happiness in promoting
the welfare of his wife and children. He deserved much credit for what he
accomplished, as he started out in life empty-handed and gradually worked his
way upward through determination and energ>' that brought him at length to a
position among the substantial farmers and stock-raisers of his section of the
state.
HENRY TEMPUS.
Henry Tei^pus is one of the prominent farmers and dairymen of Buchanan
county. In fact, his dairy is one of the finest in this part of the state. His
home is pleasantly situated about two miles from Independence and is frequently
visited by those who are interested in modern, progressive methods of farming
and dairying.
Mr. Tempus was born in Independence on the 2d of February, 1859, a son
of Peter and Elizabeth (Book) Tempus, both of whom were natives of Ger-
many. The father was born in Hessen-Nassau on the 20th of July 1820, and
learned the tailor's trade in his native country. Before emigrating to the new
■J.
MR. AND MUS. PETER TEMPI'S
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 347
world he served for three years as a tailor in the German army. In the early
'50s he bade adieu to his fatherland and sailed for the new world, making his
way to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he worked at his trade. He afterward went to
Pittsburgh, still later to Dubuque, Iowa, and ultimately arrived in Independence.
His objective point was New Ulm, Minnesota, but the news of the massacre there
prevented him from continuing on his way to that place. The journey from
Dubuque was made by stage, for there were no railroads west of the city at
that time. He was the first tailor in Dubuque and was also one of the pioneers
in that line of business in Independence, where he remained continuously to the
time of his death, which occurred on the 12th of October, 1900. In early man-
hood he had wedded Elizabeth Book, who was born in Germany, January 6, 1836.
Not far from the present home of Henry Tempus there still stands a log house
in which his mother worked for ]\Irs. John Boone when she was but fourteen
years of age. She had come from Germany with her parents, the family settling
in Fairbank township, Buchanan county. After coming to the new world,
Peter Tempus was drafted at Independence for service in the Civil war, but
was not called into action, as it w^as found that the quota was full. More than
fifty-five years ago he aided in organizing the German Presbyterian church of
Independence and was ever active in its work and upbuilding, thus leaving the
impress of his individuality for good upon the progress and development of
this section of the country.
Henry Tempus attended school in Independence before the high school had
been established. In earl}- life he took up the carpenter's trade, which he
followed for several years, and in 1903 began farming, to which he has since
devoted his energies. His place is situated about two miles from Independence
and upon his farm he has a herd of forty head of pure-blooded Jersey cattle.
His dairy is considered the finest in his part of the county and is frequently
visited by those who are interested in modern dairy management. He supplies
butter to many of the leading families of Independence, and his business along
that line has reached extensive proportions. He also engages in raising Duroe-
Jersey hogs and in the management of his interests is meeting with excellent
success, for his judgment is sound, his industry indefatigable and his methods
practical and progressive.
On the 17th of November, 1885, Mr. Tempus was united in marriage to Miss
Nellie J. Sherman, who was born near Jesup, Iowa, a daughter of Jacob and
Katherine (Breithaupt) Sherman, both of whom were natives of Germany, the
former born in 1832 and the latter in 1836. Her father came to the new world
Avhen about twenty-two years of age and in 1857 became the owner of a farm
of two hundred and forty acres near Jesup, which has since been in possession
of the family. He died June 12, 1893, but his widow still survives and is now
living in Jesup, at the age of seventy-six years. To Mr. and Blrs. Tempus have
been born five children : Peter F., born November 2, 1887 ; Ida Bertha, October
5, 1889 ; Earl Albert, September 22, 1891 ; Henry Charles, May 21, 1893 ; and
Carl Harold, December 12, 1898. All are yet at home with their parents, and
the family is widely and favorably known in Independence and throughout this
part of the county.
Mr. Tempus holds membership with the Mystic Toilers of Independence, but
is not active along fraternal or political lines, preferring to give his undivided
Vol. 11—18
Vol. n— 16
348 ^ HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
attention to his business affairs, which, capably and intelligently directed, are
bringing to him substantial success, so that he ranks with the leading farmers
and dairymen of this part of the state.
ROBERT H. JAMIESON.
In connection with the story of business enterprise in Brandon and that sec-
tion of the county, the name of Robert H. Jamieson should be prominently men-
tioned, for he has figured largely in promoting real-estate dealing, banking and
live-stock interests. Thus various lines of business still claim his attention and
make him one of the representative and valued residents of Buchanan county.
Mr. Jamieson was born in Jefferson township, May 6, 1875, a son of Walter
and Martha (Newcomb) Jamieson. The father's birth occurred at Amboy Cen-
ter, Oswego county. New York, January 22, 1843, his parents being Robert and
Euphimia (McCollum) Jamieson, who owned and occupied a farm in that local-
ity. In 1852 they removed with their family to iMayville, New York, where the
father engaged in the tanning of leather. Robert Jamieson was a native of
Dumfriesshire, Scotland, and spent his youthful days upon a farm in that
country. Coming to the United States, he settled first at Amboy Center, New
York, whence he removed to ]\Iayville, as previously stated. There he was busily
engaged in the conduct of his tannery until the 3d of August, 1861, when he
enlisted for service as a member of the Seventy-second New York Infantry, re-
maining at the front for almost a year. He was shot and instantly killed in
the battle of AVilliamsburg on the 5th of May, 1862.
Walter Jamieson accompanied his parents on their removal to Mayville and
when a youth of eighteen years he enlisted for service in the Civil war, enrolling
as a member of Company G, Seventy-second New York Volunteer Infantry, on
the 17th of Jul3% 1861. He remained at the front for three years and later
reenlisted. On the 2d of July, 1863, he was wounded at the battle of Gettysburg
and was honorably discharged March 4, 1864. On the 9th of September follow-
ing he again offered his services to the government, joining Company B, Nine-
teenth Regiment of the Veteran Reserve Corps, with which he continued until
November 15, 1865, and was then honorably discharged. On the 12th of March,
1866, he returned to Mayville, New York, but after a short time left his old home
in the Empire state and started westward to Iowa with Buchanan county as his
destination. He bought a farm a mile east of Brandon, in Jefferson township,
and to the original tract of ninety-five acres kept adding from time to time until
he is now the owner of two hundred and twenty-five acres constituting one of
the, excellent farms of Jefferson township. He is now seventy-one years of age,
with a clear mind and his physical faculties as well in splendid condition. In a
word, he is a very active, energetic man and his worth in the community is
widely recognized. He has filled a number of local offices, serving for two terms
as county supervisor and also filling the position of township assessor for twenty
years.
On the 4th of July, 1868, Walter Jamieson was united in marriage to Miss
Martha Newcomb, a daughter of George and Eliza (Hob'son) Newcomb. She
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MR. AND MRS. JACOB SHERMAN
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 351
was born on a farm in Chautauqua county, New York. July 13, 1850, and with
her parents came to Buchanan county, her father purchasing a farm of forty
acres in Jefferson township. Later he bought an eighty-acre tract and then sold
the original place. Upon his farm he continued to reside until his death, while
his wife survived him and died upon the same farm in 1884. Their daughter
Martha became the wife of Walter Jamieson in AVaterloo, Iowa, and they be-
gan their domestic life on the old home farm a mile east of Brandon. There
they continued to reside until the death of Mrs. Jamieson, July 2, 1911, and
the father now makes his home with his son Robert in Brandon.
Rol)ert H. Jamieson spent his boyhood upon the old homestead farm a mile
east of Brandon with the usual experiences that fall to the lot of the farm lad.
He pursued his education in the public schools and on the 5th of June, 1895,
when twenty years of age, was united in marriage to Miss Anna Williams, a
daughter of John and Lucinda (Couts) Williams and a granddaughter of
Steven D. and Mary Ann Williams. John Williams was born on his father's
farm in Indiana and when a young man made his way to Benton county, Iowa,
purchasing a tract of land north of Vinton. His farm comprised two hundred
and sixty acres, upon which he resided, carefully cultivating the fields, to the
time of his death, which occurred March 1, 1913. His parents also went to
Benton county, where their last days were passed. Mrs. John Williams, the
mother of Mrs. Jamieson, was born in Pennsylvania and in her girlhood accom-
panied her parents to Newhall, Benton county, Iowa, where her father entered
a claim, securing one hundred and twenty acres. This he eventually sold and
took up his abode in Vinton, where he remained until the death of his wife in
1845. He survived her until 1889 and passed away in Newhall. Iowa. It was
their daughter Lucinda who became the wife of Mr. Williams, and among
their children was a daughter Anna, who became the wife of Mr. Jamieson.
By the last marriage there have been born five children : Ruth L., Mary E. and
Walter J., all at home ; George H., who died in 1913 ; and Marlin G.
Following his marriage Mr. Jamieson began cultivating his father's farm,
giving much of his attention to stock-raising and shipping. His business affairs
were carefully, systematically and successfully conducted and he remained upon
the farm until 1911, when he removed to Brandon. He still manages the farm,
however, and is extensively engaged in the handling of stock and in the con-
duct of a real-estate business. In the year 1910 he sold to farmers and other
citizens living within a radius of fifteen miles of Brandon cattle to the value of
one hundred thousand dollars, and he is today one of the leading stock dealers
of the county. For the past eight years he has been a director of the Brandon
State & Savings Bank, and he is also manager of the Brandon Cooperative Ex-
change, which deals in grain, lumber, coal and live stock. His real-estate affairs
are managed with the same thoroughness and progressiveness that characterizes
his activities in other fields of business. He is thoroughly conversant with prop-
erty values and now has under course of construction six modern dwellings
which are a credit to the city of Brandon. He was one of the leaders in the
movement which made possible the building of the new electric railroad through
Brandon and he subscribed a very liberal amount of stock, also giving the right
of way through forty acres of valuable land. He readily recognizes the oppor-
tunities for growth and development in his section of the county and cooperates
352 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
in all movements for the benefit and upbuilding of his city and surrounding
country. He possesses initiative spirit and has a genius for devising and execut-
ing the right thing at the right time, joined to everyday common sense. His
activity and ability have marked him for leadershij) and his fellow townsmen
have great faith in his judgment.
GEORGE W. WURTZ.
General agricultural pursuits claim the time and energies of George W.
Wurtz, the owner of an excellent and well improved farm in Westburg township.
His birth occurred near West Chicago, Illinois, in 1861, his parents being Chris-
tian and Elizabeth (Boughman) Wurtz. The father, a native of Germany, emi-
grated to the United States in 1848, and after two years he removed to West Chi-
cago, Illinois, and has there resided continuously throughout the intervening
sixty-four years. There he wedded Miss Elizabeth Boughman. who passed away
in 189-1.
George W. Wurtz wa.s a man of forty years when in 1901 he came to Bu-
chanan county, Iowa, and purchased the farm in Westburg township which he
has since operated. Success has attended his undertakings as an agriculturist
and he is justly entitled to representation among the substantial and enterprising
citizens of the community.
In 1890 Mr. Wurtz was united in marriage to Miss Emma Arnold, her father
being Jacob Arnold, a native of Germany. lie emigrated to the United States
as a young man, settling first at West Chicago. Illinois, and in 1866 purchased
a tract of land in Cono township. Buchanan county. Iowa, taking up his abode
among the early settlers here. His demise occurred when he had attained the age
of seventy-one years. Our subject and his wife have five children, namely:
Christopher J., Rose Nellie. George W.. Emory Earl and Pearl Emma. Mr.
Wurtz belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church and in his home community is
well known and highly esteemed as an upright and honorable citizen.
EDSOX A. LEWIS.
Iowa offers splendid opportunities to the agriculturist, as lands are naturally
rich and arable and respond readily to the care and cultivation bestowed upon
them. The man, therefore, who wisely and systematically directs his labors in
the tilling of the soil can i-eadily win success and this Edson A. Lewis has done.
For a long period he was closely connected with farming interests in Buchanan
county, but is now living retired in Hazleton. He was born in Essex county. New
York, April 19, 1850, a son of Allen A. Lewis, whose birth occurred June 22,
1823, and who is now living in Hazleton at the unusual age of ninety-one years.
He is a son of James and Daphne (Allen) Lewis, both of whom were natives
of New Hampshire. The father passed away in 1854 at the age of sixty-nine
years, while the mother died in the year 1879. James Lewis followed the occu-
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 353
pation of farming, as had his father, Abel Lewis, who was one of the patriots of
the Revolutionary war and served for eight years, from 1775 to 1783, as aii
aid on the staff of one of the generals in the Revolutionary war.
Allen A. Lewis continued in the same occupation which had been followed
by his father and grandfather. In early manhood he married Levisa McKenzie,
who was born in the state of New York, August 28, 1825, and is now living at
the advanced age of eighty-nine years. They are perhaps the most venerable
couple in this county. Mrs. Lewis is a daughter of Robert McKenzie, who was
born in Essex county, New York, October 20, 1792. and died at the age of sixty-
seven years. His w-ife, ^Irs. Jemimah (Strong) McKenzie, was born June 8,
1792. Robert McKenzie was private secretary to and lieutenant on the staff of
a general who commanded the American troops near Lake Champlain in the War
of 1812. It was in early life that Allen A. Lewis removed from New Hampshire
to New- York and after remaining for an extended period in that state he came
to Iowa in 1864. In New York he served as captain of a rifle corps of the State
Guards, but could not enter the army at the time of the Civil war because of
his health. Following his removal to the west he settled in Hazleton township,
this county, and began farming. He brought his fields to a high state of cultiva-
tion and also engaged extensivelj' in stock-raising, making a specialty of handling
sheep. He had one of the best improved farms of the county, his home being an
attractive and substantial residence, and upon the place were also good barns
and outbuildings and the latest improved machinery of the day. He was always
active in republican affairs in his township and held several local offices, although
he was never an aspirant for political preferment. Mrs. Lewis has always been
very active in the ]\Iethodist church and today, at the age of eighty-nine, does
more real church work than many of the younger women of the congregation.
Edson A. Lewis acquired the rudiments of an education in the district
schools, which were taught in the farmers' homes, as there were no schoolhouses
at that period. Being an only son, he remained with his parents, assisting his
father in the farm work, and together they acquired three hundred and five
acres of land. As the years went on the son more and more largely relieved his
father of the work of the farm and he has always featured stock-raising as an
important branch of his business. He handles high grade stock and in this, as
in other branches of his farm work, displays progressive methods, keeping in
touch with all the modern ideas which mark progress along that line. He has
seen Buchanan county grow in many ways, but there is no more noticeable evi-
dence of advancement than is to be seen in the means of conveyance, for when
the family first came here even buggies were very uncommon and today it is no
unusual thing to find the farmer, as well as the townsman, using his motor car.
Edson A. Lewds became an active worker upon the home farm when but sixteen
years of age and worked persistently and energetically for a long period until,
having become the possessor of a handsome competence, he put aside business
cares and is now living retired.
On the 25th of December, 1878. occurred the marriage of Mr. Lewis and
Miss Abbie C. Beers, who was born in New^ York, December 23, 1852, a daughter
of Benjamin Beers, who at an early age became a cabin boy on a sloop used
as a provision ship in the War of 1812. He was born in Vermont in 1799 and
passed away at the age of sixty-seven years. His wife, who bore the maiden
354 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
name of Susanna Barton, was an own cousin of Phoebe and Alice Gary and
was born at Sandy Hill, Argyde county, New York, in 1810. Her life record
covered a span of eighty-two years, being ended in 1892. Both removed in
their youth to Essex county, New York, and there Benjamin Beers followed the
cooper's trade. He afterward began farming in that state, owning a tract of
land. In early manhood he was an active whig and upon the dissolution of that
party he joined the ranks of the new republican party. His fellow townsmen,
appreciative of his worth and ability, frequently called him to public office.
Both he and his wife remained residents of the Empire state until called to their
final rest. Mrs. Lewis had a brother, George \Y. Beers, who was a non-commis-
sioned officer in the Civil war and died from wounds received at the battle of
Antietam. There were twelve children in the family, of whom ]\Irs. Lewis was
the eleventh in order of birth. Both of her parents held membership in the
Baptist church and took a most active and helpful part in its work, doing all
in their power to advance moral progress.
To Mr. and Mrs. Lewis have been born three sons. Ralph Clifton, bom in
1879 and living upon a farm in this county, married Clara FoUmer and has
two children, Ross and Mabel. Both the parents have attended the Upper Iowa
University at Fayette. Harry C. died at the age of seventeen months. Allen
Barton, born in 1886, is a graduate of the Oelwein Business College at Oelwein,
Iowa, and married Miss Bernice Few. He is engaged in the hardware business
at Whitehall, Illinois, and is a verj^ active church worker. The eldest son is
serving as a school director.
About thirty years ago Mr. Lewis, acknowledging the power of the Supreme
Being, became an active worker in the ^Methodist church and has done much to
increase the influence of the Prairie Grove church and also of the ^Methodist
church of Hazleton. He has reared his family in that faith and has lived to
see his sons also become active in church work. Mr. Lewis has served as a
teacher and aS superintendent in the Sunday school, as a trustee and steward
in the church, and has filled other of its offices, being now the church librarian.
He is an ardent temperance worker and was a most earnest supporter of the
Good Templars during its existence. He now has membership with the Modern
Woodmen of America. It will be easily seen that his life is actuated by high
and honorable principles and that he has labored effectively for the uplift and
benefit of tnankind, never deviating from a course which he believes to be right
nor faltering in his allegiance to a cause which he has espoused.
HENRY F. SUIIR.
Henry F. Suhr was for an extended period actively engaged in general
farming in Buchanan county but has retired from agricultural life and makes
his home in Hazleton. where he has business connections as vice president of
the Iowa State Bank of Hazleton and as president of the Hazleton Farmers
Telephone Company.
He was born in Hessen, Germany, May 10, 1857, and was the second in a
family of five children whose parents were William Henry and Wilhelniina
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 355
(Prasuhn) Suhr. The father's birth occurred in Hessen, in 1826, while the
mother was born in 1828. William H. Suhr carried on farming to a limited
extent in that country, where he owned a small tract of land, but thmking that
better business opportunities might be secured on this side the Atlantic, he
sailed for the United States in 1868 and made his way across the country to
Iowa, settling at Dyersville. There he worked on the railroad until 1870, when
he removed to Buchanan county, settling in Washington township, where he
owTied one hundred and sixty acres of laud, there devoting his attention to
general farming and stock-raising until his death. He took out his naturaliza-
tion papers, becoming a citizen of the United States, and his study of the
political situation and questions of the day led him to give his allegiance to the
republican party. He held several local offices but was not very active in politics.
He was, however, a devoted member of the German Presbyterian church, acted
as one of its early elders and took a most helpful interest in the various lines of
church work. He died in 1898 at the age of seventy-two years, and his wife
passed away in 1906 at the age of seventy-nine years. All of their children
were born in Germany, save one, and three of the family are yet residents of
Buchanan county.
Henry F. Suhr was a lad of thirteen years when he arrived with his parents in
this county, within the borders of which he has since made his home. He
attended the Robinson school in Washington township and when not busy with
his text-books worked in the fields, continuing to assist his father in the develop-
ment of the home farm until twenty years of age, when he started out in life
on his own account and worked for nearby farmers for about three years. He
then began farming on his own account and after cultivating rented land for
a year invested in one hundred and twenty acres in Hazleton township. Upon
that tract he made his home for about twenty-one years and annually gathered
good harvests and also successfully raised stock, his business affairs lieing wdseh'
and intelligently directed so that he gained gratifying success. At length he
left the farm and took up his abode in Hazleton, where he is connected with
the Iowa State Bank as vice president and with the Hazleton Farmers Telephone
Company as the president. At this writing he looks after the latter 's interests
in road work.
On the 30th of November, 1882, w^as celebrated the marriage of Mr. Suhr and
Miss Alice McFarland, a native of Linn county, Iowa, and a daughter of Thomas
and Almanda (Lee) McFarland, both of whom were born in Virginia. The
latter w^as a daughter of Daniel R. Lee, who was a brother of General Robert
E. Lee. Strongly related in blood, they held opposing views at the time of the
Civil war, for Daniel R. Lee enlisted with his son at Indianapolis, Indiana, for
service in the Union army. Thomas McFarland was reared upon a farm in
Virginia and about the year 1853 arrived in Iowa after having resided for a time
in Indiana. He w^as married in this state to Almanda Lee and returned to
Indiana when his daughter, Mrs. Suhr, was three years of age. He had made
the trip from Indiana to Iowa with ox teams and used oxen in his farm work.
On returning to the Hoosier state he lived near Crawfordsville and was employed
as a sawyer in the lumber mills of that locality. In 1874 he again came to
Iowa, settling in Linn county, where he carried on farming. He spent the last
part of his life, however, in Pendleton, Oregon. In his family were nine children,
356 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
of whom jMrs. Suhr is the eldest. Mr. and Mrs. Suhr have adopted two chil-
dren : Ida May James, now the wife of E. F. Latham, of the Hazleton Telephone
Company, by whom she has two children, Thelma A. and Opal Lucille; and
Arthur H., a farmer of this county, who is married and has two children, Norma
and Loraine W.
Mr. Suhr is identified with the Modern Woodmen of America and the Knights
of Pythias. He votes with the republican party and keeps well informed on
the questions and issues of the day but does not seek nor desire political pref-
erment. Practically his entire life has been passed in Buchanan county and his
memory forms a connecting link between the primitive past and the progres-
sive present, for he can relate many interesting incidents of the early days as
well as of later progress and improvement. He has manifested in his life many
substantial qualities and thus it is that he enjoys the confidence and high regard
of all with whom he has been associated. His religious faith is that of the
Presbyterian church, in which he is serving as a trustee. He is one of its
earnest members, his belief finding exemplification in his daily conduct.
GEORGE GERSTENBERGER.
George Gerstenberger has extensive property holdings in this county, his
landed possessions aggregating five hundred acres, and in all of his farm work
he follows the most progressive methods. He is a native of Dubuque county,
Iowa, born November 27, 1864. His father, Franz Gerstenberger, was born in
Germany in 1828 and there learned and followed the miller's trade until 1860,
when he bade adieu to friends and fatherland and sailed for the new world.
Making his way across the country, he settled first in Dubuque, where he resided
until 1865. That year witnessed his arrival in Buchanan county, where he turned
his attention to farming, purchasing both prairie and timber land. He had
about two hundred and sixty acres and he brought his farm to a high state of
cultivation. He planted shade trees, set out an orchard and made his place most
attractive in appearance, as well as most productive through the employment of
modern methods. For aliout six years he lived retired prior to his death, which
occurred in 1882. He was a democrat in politics, but without aspiration for
office. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Teresa Ernst, was born in Germany
in 1830 and is now living at the advanced age of eighty-four years. They were
the parents of six children, of whom (ieorge was the fourth in order of birth, and
three of the number are now living in this county.
George Gerstenl)erger, reared in Iowa, enjoyed such educational advantages
as the common-school system of the state afforded and during his youthful days
early became familiar with the best methods of carrying on farm work. He
started out independently when twenty-five years of age, purchasing land, since
which time he has carried on fanning on his own account. He is today the
owner of the old family homestead of two hundred and sixty acres and an addi-
tional tract of two hundred and forty acres, making in all about five hundred
acres. He has seventy-five acres planted to corn, fifty acres in oats and jnuch of
the remainder in hay. and not a little of liis crops is used for his stock-raising.
^m. AND MP^xS. (iKOKGE (;f-:rsti:ni5i:i;(;kr
r
J
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 359
He makes the latter an important feature of his business and derives therefrom
a, substantial annual income. He has two good houses upon his place and the
farm is well improved in other directions. In fact, it is lacking in none of the
equipments and accessories of a model farm.
On January 14, 1890, Mr. Gerstenberger was united in marriage to Miss Mary
Heid, a native of Johnson county, this state, and a daughter of John and
Mary (Schnoeblen) Heid, the former a native of Florida and the latter of
Johnson county, Iowa. They are now residents of Oklahoma. The father has
made farming his life work. He was one of the pioneer settlers of Johnson
county, Iowa, where he lived until 1888, when he came to Buchanan county.
Here he won a place among the prosperous agriculturists of the district, owning
about four hundred acres of rich and arable land. In 1909 he removed to Okla-
homa, where he is still busily engaged in farming and stock-raising, having in
that state about five hundred acres. His political allegiance is given to the
democratic party and his religious belief is manifest in his membership in the
Catholic church.
To Mr. and Mrs. Gerstenberger have been born ten children: Frank, John,
Fred, Joseph, Teresa, Leo, George, Anthony, Anne and Alice. The family circle
yet remains unbroken by the hand of death and all are still under the parental
roof. They have been reared in the faith of the Catholic church, attending
St. Mary's church at Hazelton, to which the parents belong, and Mr. Gersten-
berger is a democrat in his political opinions. He is willing to aid in movements
for the public good and has held some local offices, but he prefers to concentrate
his energies upon his business affairs, which are carefully guided by sound judg-
ment and have become important elements of prosperity.
J. BARNEY LUX.
J. Barney Lux owns and occupies an excellent farm of one hundred and
eighty acres in Sumner township and in addition is the owner of a quarter sec-
tion of land in Westburg township. Whatever success he has achieved is the
direct result of his own labors, and he early came to a recognition of the eternal
truth that "industry wins." He was born near Joliet, Illinois, in 1864, a son
of Henry and Elizabeth (Gravenish) Lux. The father was a native of Luxem-
burg, Germany, born in 1835, and he died at the age of sixty-eight years. His
wife,' who was born in Germany about 1828, passed away in 1906. Henry Lux
spent the period of his minority in his native country and then when twenty-one
years of age came to the United States, settling first in Chicago. He afterward
took up his abode upon a farm near Joliet, Illinois, where he remained until the
early '70s, when he came to Iowa, locating near Fairbank in Hazleton township.
There he became the owner of land which he cultivated and improved for about
seven years. He next removed to a farm north of Independence, in Washing-
ton township, and subsequently took up his abode in Homer township, where
he remained for seven years. He afterward removed to Laurens, Iowa, there
remaining until his death, at which time he was the owner of farm property in
360 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
Pocahontas county. He was a member of the Catholic church and was a demo-
crat in his political belief.
J. Barney Lux is the second in order of birth and the only one of the six
children in the father's family who is now living in Buchanan county. Here
he attended the country schools and when not busy with his text-books his time
was given to the task of cultivating and improving the fields. He started out in-
dependently when twenty-one years of age and was employed by neighboring
farmers until he reached the age of twenty-six. He then began farming upon
the place of his father-in-law, which he cultivated for several years. He care-
fully saved his earnings until his industry and economical expenditure had
brought him a sum sufficient to enable him to purchase property, and that he
has succeeded in his undertakings is indicated in the fact that he is now the
owner of one hundred and eighty acres of land in Sumner township and one
hundred and sixty acres in Westburg township. Thereon he is engaged in the
raising of Poland China hogs and Durham cattle and both branches of his busi-
ness are bringing to him substantial success, his entire time being given to his
farm interests.
Mr. Lux was joined in wedlock to ]\liss Alvina Stewart, a native of this
county. They have had no children of their own, but the kindness of their hearts
has prompted them to rear four, two girls and two boys, to whom they have
given every advantage of home and school life, caring for them until they have
been able to care for themselves. Two of the number are married and all four
are a credit to the careful rearing of their foster parents.
Mr. Lux is an Odd Fellow and in politics is a republican. He has served
as township trustee and in other local offices but has little aspiration along that
line, preferring to concentrate his energies upon his business affairs. He has
been a resident of Buchanan county for four decades and has therefore wit-
nessed much of its growth and development. He has taken an active interest in
the work of progress as the years have gone by and his aid can be counted upon
to further beneficial public measures. ]\Ioreover, his life record shows what can be
accomplished in business when energy and determination point out the path
to success.
THOMAS KELSH.
Although Thomas Kelsh has only held the office of postmaster of Lamont
since May 20, 1914, he has already demonstrated his fitness for the place and
his capacity for systematic and accurate handling of routine work. He is
efficient, courteous and obliging, and his appointment to the office meets the
ai)])roval of his fellow citizens.
He was born in Platteville, Grant county, Wisconsin, in November, 1863, a
son of Thomas and Ann (Virden) Kelsh. The father was born in County
Meath, Ireland, and in 1843, as a young man, emigrated to America. He first
located in Pennsylvania, where he was engaged in mining for nine years, and
then removed to Grant county, Wisconsin, where he mined and farmed. In 1872
he went to Dubuque county, Iowa, and followed agricultural pursuits there for
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 361
ten years, but in 1882 removed to this county, locating in Madison township,
where he farmed until his death, which occurred in 1894 when he was seventy-
four years of age. He was a communicant of the Catholic church and a demo-
crat in politics. His wife was also a native of County Meath, Ireland, and died
in this county in 1900 at the age of seventy-nine years. She also belonged to
the Catholic church. The subject of this review is the youngest of the seven
children born to them, three of whom survive. The others are: J. M., of
Erametsburg, Iowa, where he is engaged in farming; and John, a railroad man
of Cedar Rapids.
Thomas Kelsh, Jr., was reared in Dubuque and Buchanan counties and was
given the advantages of a good education, graduating from the Dyersville
high school with the class of 1881. Upon starting out in life for himself he
became an agriculturist and operated his farm near Lamont until the spring of
1914, when he accepted the office of postmaster of that place. He was successful
as a farmer and his services in his present capacity are highly acceptable to his
constituents.
In 1897 Mr. Kelsh was united in marriage to Miss Frank M. Quick, a
daughter of William and Mary Quick, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in
this work. With the exception of four years, Mr. Kelsh has resided in Lamont
since 1897. From 1904 until 1910 he was mayor of the town and was for three
years previous to that a member of the city council. He vinderstands well the
problems of municipal government as applied to the small town, and as mayor
and councilman did much to secure efficiency in the administration of public
affairs and to advance the welfare of the community along lines of civic progress.
For the past eight years he has been a member of the township board and
for three years has served upon the school board. From 1894 until 1897 he was
secretary and general manager of the Farmers Creamery and proved an able
business executive. He is a democrat and has been county committeeman from
Madison township for twenty years and his counsel is often sought in regard
to the best policy to pursue in local political affairs. His religious faith is
indicated in his membership in St. Mary's Catholic church of Lamont and he
belongs to the Knights of Columbus. He is also a member of the Modern Wood-
men of America and the Woodmen of the World, belonging to the camps of
those organizations at Lamont. Whether as a private citizen or as a public official
he has measured up to high standards of citizenship, which demand that, if
need be, private interests be subordinated to the general welfare, and in all rela-
tions of life he has conducted himself as a man of honor and integrity.
CHARLES E. MEYTHALER.
Charles E. Mey thaler, a prominent representative of agricultural interests,
owns a farm of one hundred and sixty acres of rich and valuable land in Sumner
township, where he is engaged extensively in the cultivation of corn and also
in the raising of full blooded Holstein cattle. He was born in this county in
1876, a son of Christian and Margaret Haman :\Ieythaler, the former born in
Germany in 1836 and the latter in Pennsylvania in 1840.
362 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
When nineteen years of age Christian Mey thaler crossed the Atlantic to tlie
new world and settled in Green county, Wisconsin, where he became the owner
of land, upon which he lived for about ten years. He then removed to Black
Hawk county, Iowa, where he also owned and cultivated a farm, but after a
brief period there passed took up his abode in Independence, where he followed
the stonemason's trade, which he had previously learned in Wisconsin. He lived
in Independence at the time of the memorable fire and afterward was employed
in connection with the building of the hospital and on the erection of many of
the new structures of the cit}'. He afterward took up his abode upon a farm
north of Independence, where he lived for several years, and it was upon tliat
place that his son Charles E. was born. After about five years there spent
he removed to a farm three miles south of Independence, upon which he con-
tinued to reside until 1902, when he sold that property. He is now a resident
of Spokane, Washington, where he makes his home with his daughter. In the
family were twelve children, of whom Charles E. was the eighth in order of
birth. Six of the number are yet residents of Buchanan county, where all own
land. In addition to tilling the soil the father was well known as a successful
breeder of shorthorn cattle, which he raised more for connnercial purposes than
for the prize ring. His political allegiance is given to the republican party and
his religious faith is that of the Methodist church.
Charles E. Meythaler attended the common schools of this county and at the
age of twenty-one years began farming, spending two years in the employ of
others. When a young man of twenty-three years he rented a tract of land
and started out independently. He has since been thus engaged and is today
the owner of a valuable property of one hundred and si.xty acres, of which he
has fifty-five acn^ i)lanted to corn, twenty acres to oats, while the remainder
is meadow and pasture land. He raises full blooded Holstein cattle, having
about sixty head of tlioroughbreds on his place. He maintains a dairy in con-
nection therewith, but sells his milk to otliei- i)arties to deliver. He has a bam
fifty-six by sixty-two feet and his farnj is thoroughly ecpiipped for the conduct
of the business to which lie devotes his energies. He is an active, energetic
business man. progressive and enterprising, and ticcomplishes what h(^ under-
takes.
in 1899 Mr. Meythaler was united in marriage to Miss Alice Warlmrton,
a daughter of William II. and Ellen C. (Irvine) Warburton, both of whom were
natives of Ogle county, Illinois. Her father was born in Galena in 1845. His
father had removed to Illinois before Chicago sprang into existence, the little
village there being known as Fort Dearborn. He was an exhorter of the jNIetho-
dist church and in 1850 went to California, attracted by the discovery of gold
on the Pacific slope. His son William H. Warburton attended the Rock River
Methodist Seminary of Illinois and retained his residence in Ogle county until
1869. when he came to Buchanan connty, Iowa, settling in Sumner township,
where he has since harvested forty-six crops. He has one hundred and sixty
acres of rich ami productive land, known as the Pleasant View farm, and aside
from his business affairs he has been prominent in other connections. He has
held all the township offices, gives his political allegiance to the republican party
and has been a member of the county central committee. For five years he has
been president of the Farmei-s County Institute and is known as the father
1
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 363
of the institute. He is especially active as a member of the Presbyterian church,
in which he has served as deacon and superintendent of the Sunday school.
The scope of his activities is broad and his efforts have been of the greatest
possible value to his fellow townsmen. He it was who made and used the
first King road drag in this county and at all times he has stood for advance-
ment and progress. He married Ellen C. Irvine, a representative of one of the
pioneer families of Ogle county, Illinois. To ^Ir. and Mrs. Warburton have
been born three children : Carrie, who is very active in Sunday school work
and has attended the international and world's conventions as a delegate; Alice,
now Mrs. Meythaler; and Clyde W., who is in the United States service as a
small grain expert.
JNIr. and Mrs. Meythaler have become the parents of three children : Irvine,
born in 1901 ; Marion, in 1909 ; and William Charles, in July, 1912. Mr. Mey-
thaler belongs to the Buchanan County Fair Association and also to the Iowa
Holstein Breeders Association. His political allegiance is given to the repub-
lican party, but he has no desire for office. In the Presbyterian church he has
taken an active and helpful interest and is now serving as* one of the deacons.
His life has been well spent and his many sterling traits of character have won
for him the confidence, good-will and high regard of all with whom he has been
associated. He has always resided in Buchanan county and among his stanchest
friends are many who have kno^^Ti him from his boyhood to the present time.
JOHN D. THOMPSON.
John D. Thompson has been engaged in business in Lamont for many years
and is now the owner of a general store. Also for a time he served as post-
master of the town. He was born in Kane county, Illinois, May 19, 1860, and
received his education in the country schools near Lamont, his parents remov-
ing to this countv while he was still a child. He remained at home until he was
twenty-eight years of age and then for four years operated a farm of two
hundred and forty acres on section 36, Madison township. At the end of that
time he removed to Lamont and purchased a half interest in a furniture and
undertaking business. He was appointed postmaster of the town under Cleve-
land's administration and held that office for four years or from 1892 to 1896.
He still retained his interest in the furniture and undertaking establishment
while serving as postmaster and in the meantime became connected with the
coal, feed, grain and stock business. He eventually sold his interests in all of
these undertakings save the stock business, which he has continued to engage
in to some extent ever since. In 1900 he invested in a meat market, which he
conducted until 1912, and still owns the building and fixtures. While he was
engaged in the butcher business he was elected secretary of the Cooperative
Creamery, which is located in Lamont, and held that responsible position Tor
seven years. For the last three years he has been again engaged in mercantile
business, conducting a general store in Lamont. He knows what lines of goods
are demanded by his customers and spares neither time nor pains in securing
364 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
a stock that best supplies the local demands. His business methods are above
reproach and his patronage is growing steadily.
Mr. Thompson was married January 1, 1891, to Miss Sadie Colomey, a
daughter of Levi and Mary (Hutchinson) Colomey. The father was born in
Farmington, New Hampshire, February 26, 1832, and in 1867 came to Delaware
county, Iowa, and settled upon a farm. However, he continued to follow his
trade, which was that of a shoemaker, and resided in Delaware county until
1889, when he came to Buchanan county. His ^^^fe was born at Litchfield,
Kennebec county, Elaine, February 12, 1834, and lived there until sixteen years
of age, when she accompanied her parents to Massachusetts, her marriage
occurring in Natick, that state. They had five children. Herbert Erwin, who
resides in Kansas, has been twice married. Childs B. died when sixteen years
of age. Anna May died when a child of three years. Sadie is now Mrs. Thomp-
son. Mrs. Etta M. Sherwin is residing in Kansas and is the mother of five
children. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson are the parents of two children. George
Levi, whose birth occurred November 1, 1891. is now taking the animal hus-
bandry course in the Ames Agricultural College. Mary Cynthia, born August
27, 1893, completed one term of study at the Iowa State College for Teachers at
Cedar Falls after completing the course offered by the high school at Lament.
^Ir. Thompson is a democrat and has taken an active part in public affairs.
He was the second mayor of Lamont and held that office for four years, giving
the municipality a thoroughly efficient atlministration. Fraternally he is a
charter member of Mohawk Lodge, No. 310, K. P., and is also a member of Bush
Camp, No. 2605, M. W. A. His wife belongs to the Pythian Sisters, the Rebekahs,
the Royal Neiglibors and the Woman's Relief Corps of Lamont. Both are widely
known and higlily esfcciiicd in Lamoiif. wbcre they have resided for many
years.
CORNP:Lirs TOOMEY.
Cornelius Toomey is a prosperous farmer living on section 25, Westl)urg town-
ship, where he owns a good farm, within the borders of which are comprised
one hundred and sixty acres. Illinois numbers him among her native sons, his
birth having occurred in ]\IcHenry county in 1843, his parents being Cornelius
and Catherine (Riley) Toomey. The former was a native of Ireland, born in
County Cork,^and on coming to the United States settled in McHenry county,
Illinois, where he purchased a tract of land of eighty acres. He bent every
energy to the further development and improvement of the place and remained
thereon for twenty years. He then sold it and came to Iowa with Sumner town-
ship, Buchanan county, as his destination. There he purchased eighty acres of
land and continued to live thereon until his life's labors were ended in death in
1889.
The religious faith of Cornelius Toomey. Sr., was that of the Catholic church,
and his political belief was that of the democratic party. His wife was also a
native of County Cork, Ireland, and it was when she was a young lady that she
accojiipanied her parents to the new world, becoming a resident of McHenry
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 365
county, Illinois, where her father purchased farm land and continued to carry
on general agricultural pursuits until his death. It was in that county that
Catherine Riley became the wife of Cornelius Toomey. She accompanied him
to Iowa, and they continued to live upon the old homestead in Sumner township
throughout their remaining days and were witnesses of much of the growth and
development of this section of the state.
Cornelius Toomey, whose name introduces this review, spent his boyhood
largely upon the old home farm and is indebted to the public school system of
the county for the educational opportunities which he enjoyed. His time was
divided between his studies, the pleasures of the playground and the work of
the fields, for at an early age he began assisting his father in the cultivation of
the crops. He remained at home until 1894 and then purchased a farm in
Westburg township comprising one hundred and sixty acres on section 25. In
the intervening period, covering twenty years, he has wrought many changes
in the appearance of his place through the improvements he has made upon it
and the careful, systematic manner in which he has developed his fields.
Mr. Toomey was united in marriage to Miss Amy Tole, and they have a
daughter, Alice, who is in her nineteenth year. The family are well known in
the part of the county in which they live and have many warm friends. Mr.
Toomey votes with the democratic party, but neither seeks nor desires office,
preferring to concentrate his energies upon his business affairs. His religious
faith is that of the Catholic church. From his boyhood days he has continu-
ously resided in Buchanan county and is interested in everything that pertains
to its upbuilding and progress.
GEORGE W. HARDWICK.
George W. Hardwick, successfully engaged in general farming and stock-
raising, his position, by reason of his ability, being one of leadership in his
chosen calling, was born in Westburg township in 1871, a son of Thomas and
Margaret (Schutte) Hardwick. The family is of English descent. The father
was born in England in 1818 and, coming to America, was employed as a farm
hand in the state of New York for two years. He then made his way westward
to Illinois, where he worked upon a farm for a similar period, and in 1855 he
came to Iowa, entering a tract of government land four miles north of Winthrop.
He then returned to Illinois, where he remained for one year, and in the spring
of 1856 he again went to Winthrop, making the journey across the country with
ox teams. With characteristic energy he began to break the sod, till the fields
and otherwise improve the property. He lived there for ten years, keeping
bachelor's hall, but in 1866 sold his farm and removed to Westburg township,
where he purchased eighty acres of land, upon which he lived until July 20,
1912, on which date he passed to the home beyond. For several years past
the half century mark he had been identified with agricultural pursuits and at
all times had stood for progress and improvement. He displayed sound judg-
ment in business affairs, unfaltering energy and most commendable persistency
of purpose.
366 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
In addition to being a successful farmer Thomas Hardvvick was one of the
organizers and stockholders of the Jesup State Bank. His political allegiance
was given to the republican party, and his religious faith was that of the
Episcopal church. His wife was a native of Wisconsin but in her girlhood days
went to Jefferson township, this county, where, in 1868, she became the wife
of Thomas Hardwick, and unto them were born two children, the elder being
John T. Hardwick, now a prominent resident farmer of Westburg township.
At the usual age George W. Hardwick became a pupil in the public schools
and through the period of his boyhood and youth he worked in the fields,
gaining practical knowledge of the best methods of cultivating the soil and caring
for the crops. After his text-books were put aside he began farming on his own
account, cultivating a part of the old homestead until his father's death, when
he inherited his present place of three hundred and twenty acres situated in
Westburg township. Thereon he built a beautiful residence and has added
many other modern equipments indicative of his progressive spirit. His farm
constitutes one of the attractive features in the landscape by reason of its
excellent buildings, its fine shade trees, its well tilled fields and high grades of
stock, for in addition to general farming Mr. Hardwick engages in raising and
feeding stock, handling both cattle and hogs.
On the 81st of March, 1909, Mr. Hardwick was united in marriage to Miss
Frances Ellen Ross, who was born in England in 1886, a daughter of William
Ross. She came to the United States with iier parents when three years of age,
the family home being established in St. Louis, Missouri, while later a removal
was made to Chicago, wliere her parents are still living. To Mr. and Mrs.
Hardwick has been born a daughter, Frances Ross.
Mr. Hardwick votes with the republican party, but has never wanted office.
This does not mean that he is neglectful of the duties of citizenship ; on the
contrary he willingly and helpfully supports many measures for the general good,
and his cooperation can always l)e counted upon to further the public welfare.
He is a man of unfaltering energy who allows no obstacles or difficulties to bar
his path to success, and as the years have gone by he has gained for himself a
very creditable position among the leading farmers and stock-raisers of the
countv.
AUSTIN W. I'ERKINS.
Austin W. Perkins is a veteran of the Civil war and a retired farmer of
Middlefield township. He has almost reached the eightieth milestone on life's
journey and certainly deserves the rest which has come to him after a life of
activity and usefulness crowned with sulistantial success and the high respect
of his fellowmen. He was born in Woodstock, Maine, August 8, 1885, his parents
being Luther and Sallie (Dural) Perkins. The father was a native of England,
but was only six months old when brought to the United States, the family home
being established in Maine. He attended one of the old-time backwoods schools
of Maine and wIkmi a young man began preaching for the Baptist church, devot-
ing his life to that calling, but deatli claimed him when he was still in early
r
AUSTIN W. PERKINS
MRS. AUSTIN W. PERKINS
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 371
manhood. The mother of our subject was probably born in Maine and was of
French extraction.
Austin W. Perkins started out in life on his own account after his father's
death when he was a young man of twenty years. Previous to this time, however,
he had worked as a farm hand for Stillman Berry, who afterward became his
father-in-law. He was employed for a time in a sawmill at Bangor, Maine, and
later worked in a store wath his brother at Chelsea, Massachusetts. In 1856 he
came to Buchanan county, Iowa, and located upon a tract of land which he and
his wife had inherited from her father. This place has since been his home and
year after year he tilled the soil and cultivated his fields, but in 1898 retired from
farming and has since left the operation of his land to others.
Mr. Perkins also took a most helpful interest in public work. He aided in
organizing schools and churches and in furthering many projects intended for
the benefit and upl)uildiug of the community. He is today the only survivor
among the voters at the first township election of Middlefield township, this being
in the fall of 1857. The spirit of patriotism has ever been strong within him
and following the outbreak of the Civil war he enlisted in 1862, becoming a
member of Company H, Twenty-seventh Iowa Infantry, with which he served
for three years, participating in eleven important engagements under Colonel
J, S. Gilbert and Captain J. ^lilkr. The regiment was attached to the Second
Brigade, Third Division of the Sixteenth Corps of the Army of the Tennessee.
He took part in the battles of Pleasant Hill, Yellow Bayou, Tupelo, Nashville,
Fort Blakely and others. He was never wounded but his health became impaired.
He rendered valua))le and valiant service to his country and returned home with
a most creditable military record.
On Januaiy 27, 1857, Mr. Perkins was united in marriage to Miss Olive Berry,
who was born in Paris, Maine, March 23, 1838, a daughter of Stillman and Persis
(Cushman) Berry and a representative of one of the prominent early families of
the Pine Tree state. Her father farmed in Maine for a number of years and then
made the journey across the country to Quasqueton, which was then the only
town in that vicinity, arriving in 1855, when all of the conditions of pioneer life
were here to be met. He worked to some extent at the carpenter's trade in the
early days and erected some of the first buildings of the township. He was a
true pioneer, active, helpful, energetic and willing at all times to assist a neighbor
or friend or to promote public progress. He held membership in the Baptist
church, guided his life by its teachings and served as one of its deacons.
Mr. and Mrs. Perkins became the parents of five children, all born here. The
eldest, Julia A., is the wife of A. S. Leach, a former Protestant Methodist
preacher, who is now engaged in business at Coggon, Iowa. They have four
children. Luther Stillman, the second member of the family, was born May 5,
1859, and now occupies the old home farm in Middlefield township, which he is
carefully and systematically condvicting. He married Miss Cora A. King, a
daughter of Ezra B. King, one of the active and prominent pioneer settlers of
Byron township. Mr. and Mrs. L. S. Perkins had two children, Addie 0. and
Bertha E. The former is the wife of Marshall Ball, who is engaged in the auto-
mobile business in Jesup, Iowa, and they have one child, Harold. The younger
daughter, Bertha E., became the wife of Albert.P. De Greif, a prominent farmer
of Middlefield township, but she died September 19, 1910, leaving two children,
Vol 11— 17
372 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
Cora May and Arthur L. Cynthia A. Perkins is now the ^^^do\v of Charles M.
Hunt, who was a prominent citizen and political leader of Pocahontas, Iowa, and
they had four children, Gilbert, Melville, Hazel and Wilbur. Gilbert A. Perkins,
the fourth member of the family, is with the Warfield-Pratt-Howell Grocery Com-
pany of Cedar Rapids. He is married and has a daughter. Evangel, aged eighteen
years. Addie 0., the youngest member of the family, died in 1879. Mr. Perkins
now has fourteen grandchildren and one deceased and also fourteen great-grand-
children and one deceased. His wife died on the 9th of March, 1898, mourned
by all who knew her.
Mr. Perkins was one of the organizers of the Baptist church at Winthrop,
served as a deacon in the same during its existence and was superintendent of
the Sunday school for seven years. He has always been a progressive citizen,
helpful in his attitude toward public affairs, and filled the office of constable of
his township for one year and as school director for one term. He is a very
prominent and influential member of the Grand Army of the Republic and for six
3^ears has been chaplain of the post at AVinthrop. He has attended both the state
and national encampments for seventeen consecutive years. His life has been
exemplary in many respects and he has never taken a drink of liquor or used
tobacco in any form. He has traveled to considerable extent, making four trips
to the Pacific coast, a like number to the Atlantic coast and has also visited
Canada and Mexico. His son, L, S. Perkins, with whom he now resides, has like-
wise been prominent in Middlefield to\niship. He, too, was a deacon in the Bap-
tist church and now attends the Methodist Episcopal church of Winthrop. His
life is an exemplification of Christian teaching and his religious faith finds mani-
festation in his honorable business dealing and in his straightforward conduct
in every relation of life.
DORIC C. CARVEY.
Doric C. Carvey, who resides on section 26, Hazleton township, started out
to earn his own living when a little lad of but thirteen years. That he has
come off victor in the battle of life is evidenced in the fact that he is today
the owner of a valual)le farm property of two hundred and five acres and he
enjoys a well earned reputation as a careful man of business, enterprising and
progressive.
Mr. Carvey was born in this county April 26, 1870, his parents being D. C. P.
and Euphrasia (Tucker) Carvey, who were natives of the Empire state, born
in 1834 and 1844 respectively. The year 1867 witnessed their arrival in Iowa
as they removed to this state from Walworth county, Wisconsin, driving across
the eomitry with three horse teams, crossing the ice at Dubuque. The ladies
of the family, however, came by train. ]\Ir. Carvey settled in Hazleton town-
ship Avhen there were only a few homes within its boundaries. There was
one log sclioolhouse but no churches and it seemed that the work of settlement,
development and civilization had scarcely been begun. The father was not
long permitted to enjoy his new home, for his death occurred through an acci-
dent in a threshing machine three years later. He filled the offices of county
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 373
treasurer and collector when in Walworth county and his political allegiance
was always given to the republican party. In his family were seven children,
two sons and five daughters, of whom one daughter is now living in Hazleton
township. Upon his arrival in this county the father secured one hundred and
sixty acres of raw prairie land, on which not a furrow had been turned nor
an improvement made. He broke the sod and began the development of the
fields and continued actively in his farm work until his death. It was Mr.
Carvey and J. E. Tryer, who were instrumental in securing the building of a
schoolhouse near the former's farm.
It was in that school that Doric C. Carvey began his education and later
he had opportunity to attend the Upper Iowa University at Fayette. Owing
to his father's early death, which left the family in somewhat straitened cir-
cumstances, it was necessary that he begin to earn his own living when but
thirteen years of age and out of his wages he also contributed to the support
of the family. AVhen twenty-one years of age he started out as a farmer
on his own account by renting land and carefully saved his earnings until
his industry and economic expenditures had brought him sufficient capital to
enable him to purchase property. To his original holdings he has added until
he now owns two hundred and five acres in Hazleton township, all well improved
and highly cultivated. He paid his own way while at the Upper Iowa Uni-
versity and after attaining his majority engaged in teaching in the country
schools for six terms, but now he devotes his undivided attention to his farm
and its further development. He also engages in raising good stock, the annual
sale of which brings him a substantial return. Upon his farm are found all
modern equipments and accessories and his work is conducted along the most
progressive lines of agriculture.
Mr. Carvey was united in marriage February 26, 1896, to Miss Elizabeth
Menzel, who was born in Buchanan county, a daughter of John H. and Marie
(Schneider) Menzel. natives of Germany. Her father was born in Prussia in
1832, and her mother was born in that kingdom in 1835. They came to the
United States when twenty-three and twenty-two years of age respectively.
John H. Menzel did not have to serve in the German army, but his father
fought under Blucher in the Franco-Prussian war and was wounded in the
battle of Waterloo in 1815. In his native country John H. Menzel followed
farming and in 1856 he became a resident of Dubuque, then a small town,
remaining there for about eleven years. In 1867 he came to Buchanan county,
where he worked as a farm hand until he had acquired a sufficient sum to
enable him to purchase land in this county. In addition to tilling the soil he
engaged quite extensively in raising stock and also bought and sold stock. He
has been a resident of Iowa since pioneer times. There was still plenty of
game to be had in the state at the time he took up his abode in Dubuque. He
has held some local offices and has been an active and earnest worker in the
Lutheran church. In 1901 he was called upon to moum the loss of his wife.
To Mr. and :^Irs. Carvey have been born six children : Esther and Eva, who
are attending high school in Hazleton ; and Lois, John, Dorothy and Donna,
who are pupils in the district schools. Mr. Carvey is a republican in his politi-
cal views and has served as trustee of Hazleton township and as justice of the
peace. He is not a politician, however, in the sense of office seeking, but takes.
374 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
an active part in furthering all movements which he believes will better politi-
cal conditions or advance the civic standards of town or county. He and his
wife hold membersliip in the Methodist Episcopal church, in which they take
a deep and helpful interest. For five years Mr. Carvey was superintendent of
the Prairie Center Sunday school and he is one of the trustees of the church.
Aside from his church work he has allowed himself little leisure for outside
interests, preferring to concentrate his energies upon his business affairs, and
it has been his close application and unremitting industry that have won for
him the measure of success that he now enjoj^s.
JOHN A. BUCK.
John A. Buck, who is now practically retired but who until 1914 followed
farming in Liberty township, is well known as a capable and successful agricul-
turist, but there are other interests in his life which are equally worthy of men-
tion, for his efforts have been an element in promoting moral progress and in
advancing the public welfare along various lines. He was born in Tuscarawas
county, Oliio, in 1852, a son of John and Margaret (Slemmons) Buck, the former
a native of Washington, Pennsylvania, born June 28, 1812, and the latter of
Harrison county, Ohio, born June 22, 1816. The father died in Tuscarawas
county, Ohio, January 4, 1890, and the mother passed away there July 28, 1898.
In early life the father followed farming. When a young man he removed from
the Keystone state to Ohio, and was thereafter a resident of Tuscarawas county
until death called him. He was active in public affairs as a supporter of the
democratic part.v. his opinions carrying wciijlit in its local councils. He served
in all the township offices and was likewise county supervisor. The Presbyterian
church numbered him among its most earnest, zealous and faithful members and
for fifty-two years he was one of the elders. In the family were nine children,
of whom John A. Buck is the fiftli in order of l)irth. One of the sons, Thomas,
now a resident of Texas, sei-A^ed in tlie Civil war with the one-hundred-day men.
John A, Buck entered the country school near his father's home in Tuscara-
was county and after mastering the branches of learning therein taught at-
tended New Comerstown College. In early life he worketl with his father
upon the farm and afterward divided his time between farm work in the summer
months and teaching in the country schools until 1879, when he arrived in
Buchanan county, Iowa. Settling in Liberty township, he was employed for
several years as a farm hand by Jesse Slemmons. Later he bought land which
he now owns in Liberty township, comprising one hundred and sixty acres, and
the greater part of his life has been devoted to general agricultural pursuits. He
was, however, for three years engaged in the grocery business in Rowley but
returned to the farm which he still occupies. In 1914, however, he put aside
the active work of the fields and is now practically living retired.
On the 10th of November, 188G, Mr. Buck was united in marriage to Miss
Margaret R. Work, a daughter of George L. and Sarah (Crouch) Work, natives
of Washington county, Pennsylvania, and Harrison county, Ohio, respectively.
Mr. Work was born December 5, 1809, and his wife's natal day was June 19. 1816.
PIISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 375
In early life he became a physician, having attended a medical school in Athens,
Ohio, and until 1854 he practiced in the Buckeye state. He then removed west-
ward to Davenport, Iowa, and became one of the early physicians of that city,
where he was well liked and won substantial success, practicing there until his
death, which occurred in that city, on the 8d of March, 1854. His widow died
in this county, July 21, 1889. They had six children, of whom two sons, John
and Alexander, enlisted at Hopedale, Ohio, for service in the Civil war as
members of the Forty-third Ohio Infantry and were killed in battle. Dr.
Work was always very active in public affairs, especially helpful toward school
and church. For many years he was an elder in the Presbyterian church and
at all times guided his life by its teachings, so that his career was a most honor-
able and useful one and his memory remains as a blessed benediction to those
who knew him.
Mr. and Mrs. Buck have two children : Margaret Ellen, who was formerly
with Chappell & Todd as stenographer and is now an employe of the Donnon
Abstract Company ; and Mary Belle, at home. Mr. Buck and his family are ever
interested in matters pertaining to the welfare and progress of their section
of the state. They hold membership in the Presbyterian church of Pine Creek
and in its work have been most helpful, Mr. Buck serving as an elder of the
church for twenty-seven years and also filling other offices such as trustee and
steward. For the past quarter of a century he has been a school director and
his inliuence is always on the side of progress and improvement, right, justice
and truth.
ERNEST M. WHITNEY.
Ernest M. Whitney is a farmer and stockman, owning and operating a finely
improved farm of two hundred acres on sections 23 and 27, Madison township.
He was born upon a farm near the place where he now resides on the 18th of
September, 1869, a son of the late David M. Whitney, a sketch of whom appears
elsewhere in this work. The father was married twice and the subject of this
review has a brother living and a half sister, namely: Clarence ]\I., also a
farmer of Madison township; and Jennie, now Mrs. Leslie P. Clubine, of
Lamont. He had four other brothers, but they have passed away. They were
Woodford and Willard, twins, who died when six months old; Herbert, who
died when nine years of age ; and Claude, who died when a boy of fourteen years.
Ernest M. Whitney was reared upon the homestead in Madison township
near his present farm, and attended the common schools of the neighborhood,
acquiring a thorough knowledge of the fundamental branches of learning.
From boyhood he was accustomed to the work of the farm and upon reacliing
maturity continued to devote his time and energy to agriculture. He has
resided at his present place for the past twenty-seven years and has made most
of the improvements thereon. It comprises two hundred acres of land on sections
23 and 27, Madison township, and is one of the best developed fanning proper-
ties of the locality. Mr. Whitney not only keeps everything about his farm in
excellent condition and gives his growing crops the care necessary to insure
376 HISTORY OP BUCHANAN COUNTY
a large yield, but also studies the markets carefully and is enabled to sell his
grain at a good advantage. He also raises stock to some extent and finds this
likewise a profitable undertaking.
On the 19th of September, 1887, Mr. Whitney was united in marriage at In-
dependence, Iowa, to Miss Minnie Van Vors, who was born in this county on
the 9th of April, 1868. Her parents were David and Mary (Foote) Van Vors,
the former of whom was born in New York state and came west in young
manhood, being married in Illinois. He continued to reside there for some
time thereafter but brought liis family to Iowa while it was still a pioneer region.
Pie passed away May 30, 1900, when sixty years of age. His widow, who has
now reached the age of seventy-two years, resides at Independence. Mrs. Whit-
ney is one of a family of six children, four of whom survive. The others are :
Mrs. Ida Flauher, a widow residing at Ames, who has two children living and
one deceased ; Jason, the manager of the Iowa Telephone Company at Dubuque,
Iowa, who married Lottie Baird and has a son ; and Edith, now Mrs. Austin
Sill, of Independence. AValter, who died in 1901. married Miss Mary Vanek
and to their union was l)orn a son, Edgar. The widow resides at Dubuque.
AVillie, who completes the family, died in infancy. To ]\Ir. and Mrs. AVhitney
have been ])orn seven children. Harry died in infancy. Ina is the wife of
Herman Sliarff. a resident of Ijamont and a dealer in pumps and a well driller
by occupation. They liave three children, Edith, Hugo and Gladys. Myrtle,
a graduate of the Lamont High school, class of 1910, Orville, Jason, Ruth and
Jennie are all at home.
Mv. Wliitney is a republican and is a member of the school board of the
independent district of Lamont. Fraternally he belongs to the subordinate
lodge and encampment of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and has
passed through all of the chairs in botli. His wife and daughters belong to the
Rebekahs, and Mrs. Whitney and Miss Myrtle have ))oth filled all of the chairs in
that organization. Tho.se who have known Mr. Whitney most intimately hold
him in the highest esteem, which is an indication of his sterling integrity and
the loyalty of his friendship.
JEFFERSON DAVIS COMBS.
JeflPerson Davis Combs, living on .section 10, Homer township, was born
July 31, 1861. in Mina, New York, a son of Charles and Susan M. (Grover)
Combs, who were likewise natives of the Empire state. The father was a
farmer by occupation and following his removal westward to Michigan secured
a tract of land which he cultivated for fourteen years. In 1876 he arrived in
Buchanan county and purchased two hundred and forty acres on sections 21
and 22, Homer township. He at once began the task of developing and improv-
ing the place and in the course of years brought his farm to a iiigh state of
cultivation, his labors being rewarded by golden harvests. He died October
2, 1893, while his wife, who survived for more than ten years, passed away
in :\Iarcli, 1904.
O
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< ^
r
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 379
Jefferson D. Combs grew to manhood in Homer township and remained
with his parents upon the farm to the age of thirty-six years, when he pur-
chased one hundred and sixty acres of land on section 10, Homer township.
He at once began to develop this along still more progressive lines and today
has one of the best improved farms of the county. He is engaged in the raising
of thoroughbred Hereford cattle and Poland-China hogs, and he is a stock-
holder in the Rowley Bank,
On the 10th of August, 1897, Mr. Combs was united in marriage to Miss
Lillian Ferry, a daughter of Hobert G. and Susanna (Smiley) Ferry, the
former a native of Massachusetts and the latter of Wisconsin. The father
was a carpenter by trade and in an early day came to Buchanan county, where
he took up farming, which he followed in Homer and Sumner townships.
Later, however, he removed to Independence, where he resumed work at his
trade and engaged in carpentering throughout his remaining days, passing
away April 6, 1895. His wife died January 9, 1906. Mr. and Mvs. Coml)s
are the parents of six children, as follows: Ruth A., who is sixteen years of
age; Charles IL, a j^outh of fourteen; Newell, twelve years old; and Wilma B.,
Helen B. and Lois Gunilda, who are ten, seven and four years of age re-
spectively.
The religious faith of the family is that of the Presbyterian church, and
the political belief of Mr. Combs is that of the democratic party. He has
never sought nor desired political office but for fourteen years has served as
school director and is still acting in that capacity. He belongs to the Modern
Woodmen of America, and, while there is nothing in his life record that
differentiates it greatly from the lives of others who have followed farming
in this part of the state, there are nevertheless qualities worthy of high com-
mendation and of emulation. He has always closely applied himself to the
duties in hand, has been honorable in his dealings with his fellowmen and
through laudable ambition and unremitting diligence has gained a creditable
place among the substantial farmers of Homer township.
JOHN F. CARR.
John F. Carr is a furniture dealer and undertaker of Lamont and is ranked
as one of the successful business men of the town. He was born in Madison
township, this county, on the 1st of October, 1861, a son of John and Anna
(Kane) Carr, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work. He was educated
in the country schools near his home and subsequently took a business course
in the academy at Manchester, Delaware county, this state. He completed his
work there in 1886 and afterward operated his father's farm for six years.
In 1892 he became associated with his brother, James Carr, and J. D. Thompson
in the general produce and cattle business. Upon the dissolution of the
firm Mr. Carr of this review took over the furniture business and has since
conducted it. He is also a licensed embalmer, having passed the required
examination before the state board of examiners at Des Moines, Iowa. His
services in that line are expert and his charges are reasonable. His furniture
380 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
store is one of the best in his part of the county and his patronage is large
and steadily increasing.
Mr. Carr is a democrat in his political belief and has been a delegate to both
state and county conventions of his party. In 1909 he was alderman from the
second ward and the credit for the installation of the present water system is
due to him more than to any other member of the council. Fraternally he is a
charter member of Mohawk Lodge, No. 310, K. P. His life has been one of
industry and upright living, and his sterling qualities of character insure him
the respect of those who know him.
JOHN F. HEKEL
John F. Hekel, devoting his energies to farming and stock-raising in Lib-
erty township, his home being on section 24, was born in Newton township,
this county, in 1867, his parents being Julius and ^lary (Cottenburg) Hekel.
The father's birth occurred near Brussels, Germany, in 1831, while the mother
was a native of Dubufjue county, Iowa, in 1839.
"When but a boy Julius Hekel came to the United States in company with his
parents, who traveled across the country to Iowa, settling in Dubuque county.
There Julius Hekel worked as a laborer and farm hand until 1851, when he
came to Buchanan county, settling in Newton township. Here he found the
conditions usually met with in pioneer districts — raw prairies, uncut timber and
streams unbridged. He met with all of the hardships and privations incident
to frontier life, but he was actuated by a strong desire to become the owner
of a good farm and the difficulties which lie encountered did not deter him.
In fact, his efforts were an element in the early development and progress of
this section of the state and he is numbered among those to whom the county
owes a debt of gratitude for what they accomplished in pioneer times. He was
also active in early affairs aside from farming, for he assisted in building
churches and schools and otherwise advancing early improvements. He also
aided in organizing the township. At the time of his arrival Indians were still
numerous in this section of the state and they passed to and fro from their
hunting trips in the north. Deer and lesser game were to be had in abundance.
Mr. Hekel belonged to the German Methodist church and was active in its
work, thus contributing to the early moral progress of the community. He
prospered in a material way, becoming the owner of three hundred and sixty
acres of rich and valuable land, which he continued to successfully cultivate until
his death, which occurred in 1886.
John F. Hekel was one of a family of eight children. He attended the
rural schools of Newton township and when eighteen years of age began farm-
ing on his own account on lands given him by his father, and when the father's
health became such that he was no longer able to carr\^ on the work John F.
Hekel lived for a time on the old homestead in Newton township and managed
its cultivation and development. In 1895 he removed to Liberty township, where
he is now the owner of three hundred and sixty acres of valuable farm land,
giving his attention to its general supervision and furthf-r improvement. He
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 381
carefully tills the fields and golden harvests reward his labors. In addition to
raising cereals he also buys, sells and ships stock and feeds a large number of
cattle annually. His business interests are carefully managed, for he is wide-
awake, alert, sagacious and persevering. In addition to his other interests he is
a stockholder in the State Savings Bank of Quas(iueton.
On September 3, 1890, Mr. Hekel married Miss Lillian M. Daubenberger, a
native of Clayton county, Iowa, and a daughter of Frank and Catherine (Rupp)
Daubenberger. The father was born in Germany in 1839 and died in the year
1901, while the mother, who was born in Indiana in 1848, still resides in
Buchanan county. In his boyhood days ]\Ir. Daubenberger came to the United
States with his parents, who established their home amid the pineries of Wis-
consin, living there until 1855, when they removed westward to Clayton county,
Iowa. Frank Daubenberger there remained until 1889, when he came to
Buchanan county, settling in Middlefield township, owning there one hundred
and sixty acres of good farm land. In 1907 he retired and took up his abode
in Newton township, where he was living at the time of his death. In religious
faith he was a Catholic.
To Mr. and ^Irs. Hekel have been born three children : Lester C, who
is at home with his father on the farm, assisting in its cultivation ; and Artie
M. and Gilbert L., who are attending school. The family is well known and
the parents have the warm regard of those with whom they have come in
contact.
Mr. Hekel is a Mason and is an active member of the Odd Fellows lodge,
in which he has filled all of the offices. He votes with the republican party,
has been active in township affairs and has filled several local offices. He belongs
to the Unity Presbyterian church of Liberty township arid is zealous and helpful
in its work. His life interests are many and indicate his breadth of thought and
purpose. He neglects no duties, never fails to meet his obligations and A\asely
uses his time, talents and opportunities not only for his own benefit but also
for the public welfare.
J. D. SWEENEY.
The history of business development and material growth in Brandon would
be incomplete were there failure to make prominent reference to J. D. Sweeney,
who was largely instrumental in organizing the new Farmers State Savings
Bank of Brandon, of which he is the president. He has also become well kno\ni
through his active identification with farming interests. He was born in Belle-
ville. Canada, in 1865, his parents being Michael and Mary (Kilty) Sweeney.
The father was a native of County Tipperary, Ireland, and upon his emigra-
tion to the new world settled at Belleville, Canada. He made the trip across
the Atlantic when a youth of twelve years, in company with his parents, who
purchased a tract of wild land from the government, securing one hundred
acres which was covered with timber. The grandfather at once began to cut
away the trees and clear the fields and there he continued to carry on general
agricultural pursuits up to the time of his death.
382 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
Michael Sweeney went from Canada to New York, where he worked at his
trade for some time, but later removed to Charleston, South Carolina, where
he spent a few years. He then returned to Canada and was united in inarriage
to Miss Mary Kilty. Afterward he sold the old home farm in the Dominion
and removed to Hancock county, Michigan, where he rented a tract of land and
carried on general agricultural pursuits for four years. In 1870 he arrived in
Buchanan county and invested in property in Jefferson township, becoming
the owner of one hundred and sixty acres which is now the home of his son,
J. D. Sweeney, and upon which he lived to the time of his death. His labors
wrought a marked transformation in the appearance of the place, for his work
brought the fields to a high state of cultivation and he added to the farm many
modern ecpiipments. His political views were in accord with the principles of
the democratic party and his religious faith was that of the Catholic church. '
His wife was a native of Canada, where she was educated and married. She,
too, spent her last days in Jefferson township.
J. D. Sweeney was reared under the parental roof and in his boyhood learned
lessons concerning the value of industry, perseverance and determination. His
mental discipline was received in the public schools, and after his text-books
were put aside he learned the carpenter's trade but devoted his time prin-
cipally to his farm, having a good tract of land on section 15, Jefferson town-
ship. The soil is naturally rich and productive and the care and labor which
he bestows upon the place results in good harvests. In addition to tilling the
soil Mr. Sweeney has become actively interested in financial affairs as president
of the Farmers State Savings Bank, which he aided in organizing, and also as
secretary of the Farmers Cooperative Exchange, which deals in grain and live
stock. He is also interested in timber lands near Morton, Washington, and in
coal-bearing properties in the same vicinity.
Mr. Sweeney is unmarrietl and his sister .Martha lives witli him upon the
farm. His political indorsement is given to the democratic party and he is now
chairman of the democratic central township committee. He has been secretary
of the school district for nineteen years and is interested in much that pertains
to general progress and improvement. He has adhered to the religious faith of
the family and is a Catholic.
SAMUEL MILLER.
Samuel Miller is numbered among the pioneer settlers of this county, he and
his wife arriving here from the east in 1857. hi the nearly fifty-eight years
succeeding they have resided here continuously, and they have done their full
share in the upbuilding and development of this section of their adopted state.
Mr. ]\Iiller was born in Preble county, Ohio, in May, 1883, a time when the
Buckeye state itself was on the frontier. In early life he learned the carpenter's
trade, which he followed till 1856, wlien he embarked in the grocery business at
Lexington, conducting a store there for a year, when he concluded to try his
fortune in the new and growing west. His father had been here the previous
year and had l)ought a small farm near Littleton, wiiich they were to divide.
SAMUEL MILLER
HISTORY OF BLX'HAXAX COUNTY 385
Samuel Miller had only recently been married, and his small savings were barely
enough to bring himself and wife west and make the first payment on their land.
Without teams or farming tools, he turned his attention to his old trade, working
in connection with his brother, David. There are still houses and barns standing
in the vicinity of Littleton which they constructed in the '50s and '60s, cutting
and hewing lumber from the native timber for framework that has defied time.
Those truly were times that tried men's souls. The 3'ear following their arrival
came an almost total crop failure, along with the hard times consequent upon
the money panic. Wildcat money received one day was apt to be no good the
next, and there was almost no specie in circulation. For his carpenter work
Mr. Miller was largely paid in barter, corn, provisions, etc. Many a grist of corn
and wheat he carried a mile and a half to the old Littleton mill, then carried
home his flour or meal. Although their little house had real lumber siding, the
shingles were sawed and dressed down from native oak, and the beds, tables and
other furniture were almost wholly his own handiwork from native trees. They
were homesick almost to death, but were without the money to go back to Ohio,
and had to remain here. Little by little, by means of hard labor and the closest
economy, they began to gain. Mr. [Miller of this review finally got an ox team,
later a horse, then a team, and with these enough machinery to work his little
farm, gradually giving up his trade for agriculture. Forty-nine years ago he
bought the farm he still owns, moving on to it the next year. Occasionally he
added to his land holdings and began to work into stock-raising. He was one of
the early cattle feeders of his locality, and almost the first farmer there to ship
stock of his own feeding to the Chicago market.
In 1884, their three sons and one daughter having grown to mature years
and prepared to start in life for themselves, Mr. and Mrs. ^liller rented the old
home place and moved into the home in Independence, where they have since
lived. Shortly afterward he engaged in ])uying live stock, in which he has been
interested almost continuously since, for fifteen years past as senior member of
the firm of Miller & Son, his partner being his eldest son, A. P. Miller. When
the latter was elected to the board of supervisors they sold their Independence
stock business, but a year or two later bought the Doris elevator, with the
accompanying grain, live stock, coal, flour and feed business, which they still
continue to carry on, although both live in Independence.
Fifty-nine years ago at West Alexander, Ohio, Mr. Miller was united in mar-
riage to Miss Sarah A. Wikle, who was born in that state in 1834 and survives,
after almost sixty years of faithful companionship. At eighty-one and eighty
years of age respectively they enjoy better health than is usual at their age.
Mr. Miller is particularly well preserved. His mind is keen and active, and he
takes a live interest in public matters as well as in business. They became the
parents of four children, all of whom survive: Alonzo P., a stock and grain
buyer, who has served the county two terms on the board of supervisors ; Mattie E..
the wife of AY. G. Stevenson, cashier of the First National Bank; William C, a
practicing physician in Independence, and Warren F., editor of the Independence
Conservative.
It is seldom that one of :Mr. [Miller's years remains active in business, and
his record should put to shame any man of much fewer years who, grown weary
of the struggles and burdens that he should bear, would relegate his duties to
386 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
others. While living in the county he has served as a member of the board of
supervisors and filled a number of township offices, discharging his duties with
promptness and fidelity. The religious faith of his wife and himself is that of
the Presbyterian church, in the work of which they have been active and helpful,
guiding their lives by its teachings.
J. D. NABHOLZ.
J. D. Nabhok, carefully, systematically and successfully carrying on general
farming in Jefferson township, his home being on section 36, was born in
Homer township, this county, in 1865, his parents being David and Susan
(Kronmiller) Nabholz. The father's birth occurred in Germany in 1836, his
parents being Paul and ^larj- Nabholz. His youthful days were spent in Wit-
tenberg, Germany, where his education was acquired, and in 1854, when eighteen
years of age, attracted by the opportunities of the new world, he came to the
United States. He settled first near Rochester, New York, and there worked
as a farm hand for six years, after which he made his way westward to Iowa,
traveling l)y wagon across the country to Jefferson township, Buchanan county,
where he purchased forty acres of land which he at once began to cultivate and
improve. His place was situated near Independence. Subsequently he rented
a farm five miles to the north.
In 1863 ]\Ir. Nabholz married .Miss Susan Kronmiller, a daughter of Jacob
and Margaret Kronmiller. Following their marriage they settled upon a farm
ill the southwestern part of Homer township, where later Mr. Nabholz pur-
chased one hundred and twenty acres of land at ten dollars per acre. Upon
that farm lie remained until 1869, when he sold the property and removed
to Linn county, Iowa, purchasing one hundred and twenty acres upon which
he resided for seven years. He then traded that property for a farm in Jeffer-
son township, Buchanan county, of three hundred and sixteen acres, which he
continued to cultivate and develop until 181)!). He then removed to Brandon and
bought a small farm of twenty-seven acres upon which he spent his i-emaining
days, his death occurring January 23, 1906. His interest in the political situa-
tion of the country led him to give earnest support to the republican party and
he guided his life by the teachings of the German Evangelical church, of which
he was a member. His wife was a native of Montgomery county, Ohio, born
January 21, 1843, and with her parents she went to Linn county, Iowa, in
her ehildhood days, the family driving across the country with a team. The
father purcliased land and improved his property, thereon making his home
until 1880, when he sold out and went to independence, where he purchased
a residence and lived retired until the death of his wife iu 1889. He afterward
made his lioiiie with his daughter, ^Irs. Hemphill, at Lafayette, Iowa, until
his demise November 6, 1894.
J. D. Nabholz spent his boyhood in Linn and Buchanan eounties, attending
school in both counties. He lived upon his father's farm until he reached
the age of twenty-six years and then took up his abode in Jefferson township,
this county, where he l)egan farming on his own account. He was married in
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 387
1890 to Miss Jennie Briggs, a daughter of Jonathan and Rachel (Roszell)
Briggs. Her father was born in Belvidere, Illinois, in 1842, and with his par-
ents went to Missouri, where he lived for some time. He made the journey to
Benton county, Iowa, in a covered wagon and there on the 23d of March, 1866,
he wedded Miss Rachel Roszell, a daughter of Hiram and Mary (Doles) Roszell,'
after which he rented a farm which he occupied for some time. Later he came
to Buchanan county and purchased a farm upon which he and his wife continued
to reside until their deaths. Mrs. Briggs passed away November 1, 1912, when
about sixty-six years old, and the death of Mr. Briggs occurred on the 4th of
March, 1913, when he was seventy-one years of age.
Following their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Nabholz took up their abode upon a
farm of eighty acres which he purchased and to which he added until he had
one hundred and sixty acres. In 1899 he traded this property with his father
and returned to the old homestead, upon which he now resides, having one of
the most thoroughly up-to-date, progressive and well developed farms of Jeffer-
son township, lacking in none of the accessories and conveniences of a model
farm of the twentieth century. As the years have gone on, Mr. Nabholz has
prospered and his success is evidenced in the fact that he is now the owner of
three hundred and thirty-six acres of rich and valuable land.
To him and his wife have been born two children, Edith and Millard, both
yet at home. In his political views Mr. Nabholz is a republican. Fraternally
he is connected with the Masons at Vinton, Iowa, and his religious faith is that
of the Methodist Episcopal church. High and honorable principles have invari-
ably guided him and have been manifest in his straightforward business dealings
and in all of his relations with his fellowmen.
W. F. STUMMA.
W. F. Stumma is a prosperous farmer of Westburg township living on sec-
tion 34. He dates his residence in Iowa from 1867, arriving here when a lad
of but eleven years, his birth having occurred in Wisconsin in 1856. His parents
were Frederick W. and Ernestina Stumma. The father, who was born in
Hanover, Germany, in 1820, spent the period of his minority in that country
and in 1844 crossed the Atlantic to the United States, making his way to Wis-
consin. In 1846 he enlisted for service as a private in the Mexican war, becom-
ing a member of Company K of the Wisconsin Infantry. When the city of
Mexico was captured he climbed the wall and was one of the first men to get
inside the city. He served under General Winfield Scott. When the war was
over he returned to Wisconsin and the government in recognition of his serv-
ices gave him a land warrant for one hundred and sixty acres, whicli he located
in Sheboygan. He at once began to improve the tract and lived thereon until
1867, when he sold that property and came to Buchanan county, settling in Jef-
ferson township, where he purchased ninety acres of land. He was thereafter
engaged in the further development of that place until his death, which occurred
when he was sixty-six years of age. The community found in him a worthy
and representative citizen and reliable business man. His political faith was
388 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
that of the republican party and his religious belief that of the German Lutheran
church.
Mrs. F. W. Stumma was born in Berlin, Germany, in 1832, and in 1840 was
brought to America by her parents, who settled in Sheboygan county, Wis-
consin, Avhere they purchased land. She there resided up to the time of her
marriage and afterward accompanied her husband to this state. She survives
and is now living in Jefferson township. Her parents both passed away in
Sheboygan county, Wisconsin, her father in 1860 and her mother in 1892 at the
advanced age of ninety-two years.
W, F. Stumma was largely reared on the old homestead farm on which his
parents took up their abode on coming to Iowa. His education, begun in the
public schools of Wisconsin, was continued in the public schools of this st&te,
and when not busy with his text-books his attention was mainly given to the
farm work, so that broad practical experience cpialified him for carrjdng on
farming on his own account when he started out in life independently.
It was in 1886 that Mr. Stumma was united in marriage to Miss ^laggie
Schulte, a daughter of Arndt and Augusta (Gosse) Schulte, of Jefferson town-
ship. Following his marriage Mr. Stumma purchased a tract of land of eighty
acres in Westburg to^\^lship whereon he has since made his home. He has
brought his fields to a high state of cultivation and has added many modern
equipments to his farm. He has good l)uildings upon the place, his barns
furnishing ample shelter for grain and stock, and his land is divided into fields
of convenient size by well kept fences. As the years went by a daughter came
to bless their home, Eva May, now Mrs. Nevin Shane, of Jesup.
In his political views Mr. Stumma is an earnest republican, doing all in his
power to promote the growth and insure the success of the party, which has
called him to various local offices. He was township trustee for four years,
was road supervisor for four years and for fourteen years has served as school
director, the cause of education finding in him a stalwart champion. He belongs
to the German Lutheran church and his aid and influence are always given on
the side of progress, reform, justice and truth. The spirit of advancement has
ever actuated him and he was the first farmer to own an automobile in Buchanan
county and also among the first to secure certain kinds of improved machinery.
As the years have gone by his business affairs have been conducted so carefully
and wisely that he now not only owns a good farm property in Westburg
township but also attractive residence property in Independence and in Jesup.
E. D. CORN^VELL.
E. D. Cornwell has been a lifelong resident of Sumner township and is now
the owner of one hundred and thirteen acres of the original Cornwell homestead,
which has been in possession of the family for about forty-nine years. He was
born in Independence on the 11th of April 1868, his parents being Charles
E. and Sarah J. (Carpenter) Cornwell, both of wliom Avere natives of New
York. The father was born at IMiddlebery, April 30, 1841, and the mother's
birth occurred in Warsaw, Wyoming county, August 17, 1844. ^Ir. Cornwell
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 389
was the owner of one himdred acres of land in New York, but, thinking to
find still better opportunities in the growing west, he came to Iowa in Sep-
tember, 1865, and resided in Independence until he could erect buildings and
otherwise prepare his farm for occupancy. He went to ^Michigan, where he was
married, and then brought his bride to his new home. He and his brother had
first come to Buchanan county, making the trip by wagon, but when the family
removed to the west the railroads were being built. On the first trip, however,
there was no railroad bridge at Dubuque and they crossed the ice on sleighs.
On leaving Independence Mr. Corn well took up his abode upon a farm three
miles south of the city, in Sumner township. There were eight children in his
father's family and practically all of them removed to the west in the early
days, becoming actively identified with the pioneer development of different
sections.
Following his removal to the farm Charles E. Corn well continuously and
successfully cultivated his laud until his life's labors were ended in death on
the 15th of October, 1891, when he was fifty years of age. He had held local
township offices, but he always preferred to concentrate his energies upon his
business affairs and lived a quiet, unassuming but useful life. His widow sur-
vives and is living with her son in Sumner township at the age of seventy
years. There were but two children in the family and the daughter, Gertrude,
also resides with her mother and brother in Buchanan county.
E. D. Cornwell largely acquired his education in public school Xo. 6 in
Sumner township, but for a short period while visiting an aunt he attended
school in Cleveland, Ohio. Practically his entire life has been spent on the
old home place, where he now resides, and through the period of his youth his
time was divided between the acquirement of an education and the Avork of the
fields. When his father's health became impaired E. D. Cornwell assumed the
management of the farm and has since carried on general agricultural pursuits
and stock-raising. He now has one hundred and thirteen acres of the original
homestead and his place is a valuable farm property, splendidly improved with
all modern improvements and accessories. His home is one of the finest in the
township and there are also large and substantial barns and outbuildings for
the shelter of grain and stock. In fact, this is one of the best improved farms
in the county, thoroughly modern and up-to-date in every particular. His resi-
dence is built in attractive style of architecture and supplied with every con-
venience.
In 1902 Mr. Cornwell was united in marriage to Miss Cora McGrew, who
was born in Legrand, Iowa, a daughter of A. H. and Lydia J. (Hiatt) McGrew.
Her father was born in Ohio in 1848 and his life record covered the inter-
vening years to the 5th of October, 1903. The mother, who was born in 1846.
is now living in Whittier, California. At an early day A. H. McGrew came to
this state and lived for a time in Marshalltown and also in Oskaloosa. He after-
wards established his home in Sumner township, Buchanan county, and still
later lived in Independence. At the time of his death he was a resident of
Manchester, Iowa, where he had been a news dealer. He and his wife were
members of the Society of Friends, or Quakers, and were married according to
the ceremony of that sect. Later, however, they united with the Methodist
church, in the work of which they took an active part. Unto Mr. and IMrs.
390 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
Cornwell have been born three children : Charles Edward and Helen Marian,
who are attending school in Sumner township ; and Ruth Elizabeth.
Mr. Cornwell holds membership with the Odd Fellows and the Woodmen
of the World and in both has filled the various offices in the local lodges. His
entire life has been passed in Buchanan county and the work instituted by his
father has been carried on by him. He has ever been dominated by the spirit of
enterprise and progress and is today one of the progressive farmers and valued
citizens of Sumner township.
SAMPSON C. HITTLE.
Sampson C. Hittle, deceased, carried on general farming in Washington
township for many years. He was born in Nachusa township, Lee county,
Illinois, December 27, 1847, and is the seventh in order of birth in a family of
eight children whose parents were Jacob and Nancy (Culp) Hittle, both of
whom were natives of Somerset county, Pennsylvania. The former was born
in 1804 and the latter in 1808. In Pennsylvania the father engaged in business
as a teamster until 1840, when he moved westward to Lee county, Illinois.
There he turned his attention to farming and became the owner of two hundred
acres of good land. In addition to cultivating the fields in the production of
crops best adapted to soil and climate, he engaged in the raising of fine Morgan
horses. His political belief was that of the republican party and he took an
active and helpful interest in its work. His religious faith was that of the
German Baptist church, and his life ever measured up to high standards of
honor and manhood. He died in the year 1877, survived by his wife for five
years, her death occurring in 1882, in Illinois, as had his. They had one son,
Alexander P., who came to Iowa in 1863 and enlisted in the Ninth Iowa Cavalry,
of which he became a sergeant. He had his second finger shot off in the battle
of Shiloh, but he recovered from his injuries and lived until 1883. George W.
Hittle, another son, was wounded and died in battle at Perryville, Kentucky.
In taking up the personal history of Sampson C. Hittle, we present to our
readers the life record of one who was widely and favorably known in this
county by reason of his active connection with public affairs as well as agri-
cultural interests. He was educated in the conunon schools and through the
summer months aided his father in the work of the fields, thus gaining practical
experience in the best methods of tilling the soil. He remained upon the home
farm until twenty- two years of age and then began cultivating his father's land
on his own account. In addition to general farming he raised shorthorn cattle
and made a specialty of Poland-China hogs. He remained a resident of Illinois
until February, 1884, and then removed to Buchanan county, Iowa, where he
so lived as to win the high regard and good will of all of his fellow citizens. In
the year of his arrival he purchased land and was the owner of one hundred
and sixteen acres in Washington township, which ho cultivated with the aid
of his son.
On the 5th of February, 1874, Mr. Hittle was united in marriage to Miss
Caroline Albright, who was born in Somerset county, Pennsylvania, a daughter
MR. AND JNIRS. 8AMP80X C. HITTLE
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 393
of Frederick A. and Caroline (Specht) Albright, both of whom were natives
of Germany and came to America in childhood. They were married in Penn-
sylvania, where Mr. Albright followed the carpenter's trade, but after their
removal to Illinois he turned his attention to farming. His political allegiance
was given to the democratic party and he held membership in the Lutheran
church. His family numbered thirteen children, of whom Mrs. Hittle was the
fourth in order of birth. The father died in 1900, at the age of eighty-two
years, and the mother passed away in 1902, at the age of seventj^-five years. To
Mr. and Mrs. Hittle were born seven children : Anna, the wife of W. A. Robin-
son, a farmer and horseman of Buchanan county, by whom she has four children,
Myrtle, Lucius, Wilmer and Palmer ; Elva, the wife of Palmer Ramsey, a retired
farmer of Independence, by whom she has one child, Ruth Atta ; May, who is a
professional nurse; Harry L., a farmer of Leo, Alberta, Canada; iNIinnie, at
home ; Edna, the wife of Park AValker, a farmer of Hewitt, Minnesota, by whom
she has one child, Delbart; and Arthur, who operates the home farm, which
presents a neat and thrifty appearance, indicating his careful supervision and
practical methods.
Mr. Hittle was a stanch republican in his political views, active in the work
of the party, and he held some minor township offices. The religious faith
of himself and family is that of the Presbyterian church and they are people
of sterling worth who display many admirable traits of character and rank
high in the community in which they reside. They are living lives of usefulness
and Avorth, and their many splendid qualities have gained for them high regard.
FRED RETZ.
Fred Retz, a successful stockman and prominent citizen of Lamont, is
entitled to honor as a self-made man, his prosperity being due to his well directed
labor. He was born near Berne, Switzerland, on the 20th of January, 1861, a
son of Jacob and Mary (Heddicker) Retz, who in 1872 brought their family to
the United States. They located first at Elkader. Iowa, where they lived for
a short time and then removed to Elgin, Fayette county, Iowa, where they resided
for many years. While there the father engaged in the sawmill business. In
1884 the family located on a farm near Manchester in Delaware county. In
1904 the father retired and the family removed to Lamont. He died there in
1908 at the age of seventy-three years and was survived three years by his
wife, who died in 1911 when about the same age. They were Lutherans in
religious belief. To their union were born eight children, of whom five are
living. The youngest died in childhood at Manchester. Mrs. Ada Ryan lives
in Lamont. Mrs. Hedwick Ryan is the wife of a farmer of Delaware county.
Amiel and Albert are both farmers of that county. Mrs. IVIary Stone resides
in Buchanan county. Jacob, who died in 1910, was a farmer of Fayette county.
Fred completes the family.
Fred Retz attended school in his native country and after emigrating to
the United States was a student in night school for a time but his educational
advantages were somewhat limited. Although his scholastic training was rather
Vol 11—18
394 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
>
meager, he received thorough instruction in the best methods of farming and
through actual experience became familiar with all of the varied work to be
done upon a farm. After reaching mature years he continued to cultivate the
fields and was very successful in that occupation. He still owns three hundred
and thirty acres of fine land, two hundred and fifty acres on section 2, Fremont
township, and eighty acres in Madison township, adjoining Lamont. He now
leases this property. In 1900 he moved to Lamont in order to give his family
the advantages of the schools of the town, as he realizes the necessity of a
good education if one is to win success in the present day. He owns a garage
in Lamont and is vice presicTent of the Farmers Savings Bank, which he aided
in organizing. He is a man of marked business ability and succeeds in what-
ever he undertakes.
Mr. Retz was united in marriage in 1886 in Buchanan county to Miss ^lary
Stone, a native of Delaware county and a daughter of the late E. D. Stone,
a pioneer of this part of Iowa, who died in 1911 at the advanced age of eighty-
five years. He was very active and the owner of a fine farm of three hundred
and twenty acres. His widow, who is eighty-five years old. resides upon the
homestead. To Mr. and Mrs. Retz have been born five children, all natives of
Buchanan county, namely: ]\Iabel. the wife of Alonzo Jenks of Lamont; Elsie,
the wife of Roy Halleck, of Waterloo, l)y whom she has two sons; Earl, who
manages his father's garage at Lamont; Hazel, assistant cashier in the Farmers
Savings Bank of Lamont ; and Howard, at home.
Mr. Retz is independent in i)olitics and lias been so ])usy with his individual
affairs that he has never accepted office except that of school director. Socially
he belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias
and his wife and daughters are members of the Rebekahs and the Pythian
Sisters. He is one of the substantial and well-to-do residents of Lamont and has
the satisfaction of knowing tliat all that he has accom})lished.is due to his 9wn
sound judgment and persevering labor. In achieving success he has followed
methods that are above suspicion, and he holds the untjualified respect of all who
know him.
JOHN JOSEPH NEV.
John Joseph Ney, a member of the Iowa bar enjoying a state-wide reputa-
tion and since June, 1912. senior partner in the law firm of Ney & Bradley of
Iowa City, was born in Sandusky, Ohio, June 8, 1852, a son of Patrick and
Ann (Corcoran) Ney, who were natives of Ireland. After coming to America
the father was employed largely at farm labor for a time. In New York city
he was married and afterward removed with his wife to Ohio, where he entered
upon the business of contracting. He graded several miles of the Pittsburgh,
Fort Wayne & Chicago Railroad and later purchased a farm at Areola, a station
on the road eight miles west of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Upon that farm were
born the following children : Edward. Mary A., Sara C, Patrick K.. Michael J.
and C. W., all of whom are yet living.
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 395
In 1872 the family removed to the Ney farm in Newton township, Buchanan
county, Iowa, and Patrick Ney, the father, continued as a successful farmer
and contractor up to the time of his death. He came to this state from
Indiana with a complete railroading outfit and graded the heavy work on what
is now the Illinois Central west of Winthrop. When the company became
financially embarrassed and was unable to pay off the men Mr. Ney, although
not personally responsible, was liable for this debt, paid off his men and moved
the railroading outfit to Austin, Minnesota. He afterward sold out his interest
in a contract there and returned to his home in Indiana. Later he enlisted for
service as a private in the Fifth Indiana Battery of Light Artillery and follow-
ing his return from the war engaged as a contractor on the Fort Wayne, Jackson
& Saginaw, the Fort AVayne & Grand Rapids and the Fort Wayne, Muncie &
Cincinnati Railroads. He also built the Baker street and Clinton street sewers
in Fort Wayne and completed a contract on the Grand Trunk Railroad in
Michigan and another contract on the Paducah & Elizabethtown Railroad in
Kentucky. He constructed the abutments of a bridge at Fairbank and Quas-
({ueton in Buchanan county in 1871 and was a pioneer in the use of the prairie
boulder for bridge work. He completed an important contract for the state of
California on the Sacramento river, known as the debris work, and returned
to his Iowa home again, subsequent to which time he made a visit to the scenes
of his childhood in Ireland. Later he again came to Iowa and died at Dubu(iue
in 1892, his remains being interred in the Catholic cemetery at Independence.
Mrs. Ney was a sterling wife and mother and a most valuable helpmate. Both
were enterprising, industrious, energetic people and they reared and educated
a large family who are now^ a credit to their name.
John J. Ney, spending his youthful days under the parental roof, devoted
his attention to the acquirement of an education, supplementing his study in
the schools by a law course and thus winning admission to the bar on the 9t.h
of September, 1875. He became a member of the firm of Lake, Harmon & Ney
and later formed the firm of Burchart & Ney. In 1884 he was elected circuit
judge to fill out the unexpired term of B. W. Lacy and in 1886 was elected
district judge and again chosen to that office in 1890. He resigned to accept
the position of resident professor of law in the Iowa State University in 1894
and upon removing to Iowa City formed a law partnership with Milton Remley,
the then recently elected attorney general of the state. IMr. Ney continued
in law practice as a member of that firm and also filled the position of resident
professor through the four succeeding years. His partnerehip witli ^Ir. Remley
was dissolved in 1904, after which Judge Ney continued alone in practice until
June, 1912, when the present law firm of Ney & Bradley was formed at Iowa
City. He is an eminent member of the l)ar of this state and his record on the
bench is in harmony with his record as a man and lawyer, being characterized
by the utmost fidelity to duty and a masterful grasp of every pro])lem presented
for solution. His knowledge of the law is comprehensive and exact and his
growing ability has brought him to a place of distinction among the leading
attorneys of Iowa. He served as city attorney of Independence in 1877 and as
mayor in 1878, and save for the last named position his official service has always
been along the strict path of his profession. His political aHegiance has ever
been given to the democratic party.
396 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
At Chicago, on the 3d of October, 1878, Judge Ney was united in marriage
to Miss Emily Frances Colby, a daughter of Abram Maher and Mary A. Colby.
To this marriage there were born the following named : Marian, Francis J.,
Philip R., Genevieve F. and John J., all born in Buchanan county before the
removal to Iowa City. The eldest son was married to Miss Ora Hewitt, of
Sidney, New York, in 1913, and they now reside in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Mrs. Emily Ney passed away in 1893 and was laid to rest in Independence.
On the 20th of February, 1904, at Iowa City, Judge Ney wedded Anastasia
Mullin, a daughter of William and Ellen Mullin, of Iowa City.
The religious faith of Judge Ney and his family is that of the Catholic
church. He has membership in the Commercial Club and in the Elks Club of
Iowa City. He is widely known throughout the state as an able and learned
lawyer, and in a profession where advancement depends entirely upon individual
merit he has worked his way upward until he occupies today a commanding
position among the leading lawyers of the Iowa bar.
JOHN BERKIDUE.
John Berridge is a retired farmer living in Lamont l)ut still owns a farm
of two hundred and forty acres on sections 20 and 21, Madison township, which
is operated by his son, and one hundred and sixty acres in Fayette county, Iowa.
He was born near Union Mills. Indiana, January 17, 1849, a son of William and
Sarah (Miller) Berridge. The former was born in Cranfield, England, in 1830,'
and in the early '40s came to America, settling in Ohio. He subsequently
removed to Michigan, making his iiome in Sturgis, that state. In 1861 he
located in Illinois and in 1907 he passed away in Pecatonica, that state. He
was nuirried in Ohio to Miss Sarah Miller, who was also born in Cranfield,
England, in 1832, and who passed away in l^ecatonica, Illinois, in 1912. To
their union were ])orn four children: Susie, deceased; George, who is living
at Bangor, JMichigan ; Joseph, deceased; and John of this review.
When still a child the last named accompanied his parents to Michigan and
later moved with them to Illinois. He remained at home until twenty years
of age, when he came to Lamont. Iowa. He was pleased with conditions here
and for five or six years rented land in the vicinity of Lamont. At the end
of that time he purchased the farm of two hundred and forty acres which he
still owns and devoted his time and energy to its cultivation until 1903. In
that year he retired and moved to Lamont, where he now resides. During his
active life he was a thoroughly alert and progres.sive farmer and realized a
gratifying profit annually from the sale of his grain and stock.
In 1873 Mr. Berridge was united in nuirriage with Miss Eliza Rowse, a daugh-
ter of Joseph and Mary (Wood) Rowse. The father was liorn in England in
1832 and passed away in Manchester, Delaware county, Iowa, in 1899. His
wife was born in New York state, of German descent, in 1834, and died at Man-
chester, Iowa. To their union were born six children : Eliza, now ]\Irs. Berridge ;
George, a resident of Aurora ; William, whose home is in Canada ; Mary Ann,
deceased; Hattie. living in Sioux City. Iowa; and Lottie, a resident of Oelwein.
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 397
To Mr. and Mrs. Berridge were born five childi-en : LeRoy Earl, the oldest,
was born April 7, 1874, and died on the 13th of the following October. Graced
born November 3, 1875, is married and lives in Glidden, Iowa. Albert, born
November 4, 1878, is married and resides on the home place. Laura, born
September 12, 1881, engaged in teaching in western Iowa for a time but is
now the wife of C. G. Curtis, a resident of De Smet, South Dakota. Robert,
born November 1, 1887, died in Des Moines when twenty-one years of age.
Mr. and Mrs. Berridge belong to the Methodist Episcopal church, are active
workers in the cause of religion, and he is president of the board of church
trustees. He is a republican in politics and fraternally belongs to Lamont Lodge,
No. 656, I. 0. 0. F. Mrs. Berridge is a member of the Royal Neighbors and is
also a member of the Woman's Relief Corps of Lamont. He is connected with
a number of the business interests of the town, being a director of the Lamont
Savings Bank and president of the local creamery. He has not only won
financial success but has also gained the respect of his fellow citizens, who
esteem him as a man of incorruptible integrity and of marked public spirit.
SAM KANOUSE.
Sam Kanouse. numbered among the prosperous, representative and progres-
sive agriculturists of Jefferson township, owns and operates a valuable farm of
one hundred and sixty acres on section 33. His birth there occurred on the
15th of February, 1866, his parents being Benjamin and Elizabeth (Monbeck)
Kanouse. The father was born on a farm in Ohio on the 27th of June, 1827, and
acquired his education in the public schools of that state. On the 23d of
October, 1851, he wedded Miss Elizabeth Monbeck and during the next two
years operated a rented farm. Subsequently he came to Buchanan county, Iowa,
entering a forty-acre tract of government land in Jefferson township Avhich he
improved and on w^iich he made his home for two years. On the expiration
of that period he returned to the Buckeye state, where he operated a rented
farm for two years and then again came to Jefferson township, this county,
taking up his abode on the farm of forty acres which he had entered from the
government and residing thereon for a number of years. Subsequently he dis-
posed of the property and for a short time cultivated a rented tract in the
vicinity, while later he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land south
of Brandon, in Jefferson township, whereon he spent the remainder of his life.
His demise occurred on the 20th of February, 1893, and the community thus
lost one of its representative agriculturists and respected citizens. His wife
passed away soon afterward. She was also a native of Ohio and was reared and
educated in that state.
Sam Kanouse spent the days of his boyhood and youth on the old home farm
near Brandon and attended the public schools in the acquirement of an educa-
tion. General agricultural pursuits have claimed his time and energies through-
out his entire business career and he has always remained on the old homestead,
operating the same in accordance with the most practical and modern methods.
He is likewise interested in a threshing outfit operated from Brandon and has.
398 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
long been numbered among the enterprising and progressive citizens of his
native county.
In his political views ]\Ir. Kanouse is a democrat and is widely recognized as
a loyal and public-spirited citizen who does everything in his power to promote
the general welfare. He owns stock in the new electric railroad running between
Waterloo and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. His entire life has been spent in Buchanan
county, and he enjoys an extensive and favorable acquaintance ^\'ithin its bor-
ders, so that this record cannot fail to prove of interest to many of our readers.
JOHN FEST.
The life record of John Fest indicates what may be accomplished when energj'
and industry lead the way. Although he started out as a farm hand working at
a small salary, he is today the owner of six hundred acres of rich land situated
in Newton township, his home place being on section 9, where he has lived for
more than three decades.
He was born in Dubuque county, January 15, 1857, and comes of German
ancestry, his parents, Charles and Louisa (Klotz) Fest, both being natives of
Germany. The father crossed the Atlantic when thirty-three years of age and
settled in Galena, Illinois. He was a mason by trade and became a master
mechanic. After emigi^ating to the new world he worked at his trade until 1867.
After living for some time in Dubuque county, Iowa, he went to Wisconsin, where
he owned forty acres of land. He employed a man to cultivate his fields, while
he continued to work at his trade, and in 1867 he came to Buchanan county,
where he purchased eight}^ acres of wild land covered with brush, the tract being
situated in Newton township and constituting a part of the present possessions
of his son John. With characteristic energy the father began the development
of this place and continued to break the sod, till the fields and cultivate his crops
until 1880, when he retired and returned to German}-, where he spent his remain-
ing days, his death occurring in 1889. His wife was but two years of age when
brought to the United States and her last days were spent in Decatur county,
Iowa, where she passed away in 1900.
John Fest was reared and educated in Cassville, Wisconsin, and with his
parents came to Iowa upon their return to this state. He remained with them
until 1879, when he began working as a farm hand, being employed in that way
for five and a half years. He next rented the old home place, which he cultivated
for two years, after Avhich he purchased one hundred and sixt.v acres of the farm,
which is located on section 9, Newton township. With characteristic energy he
began its further development, and improvement and today has one of the best
improved properties in the county. He has cultivated this farm continuously
since September, 1883, and understands thoroughly the best methods of tilling
the soil and producing his crops. This is evidenced in the fact that success in
substantial measure has attended his efforts, eiia])ling him to add from time to
time to his holdings until his possessions now aggregate six hundred acres of rich
land, most of which is in Newton township. He is engaged in the raising of
thoroughbred Aberdeen Angus cattle, Belgian horses and Duroc Jersey hogs
JOHN FEST
I
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY > 401
and his live-stock interests are an important feature of his business, adding
materially to his annual income. He is also a stockholder in the Robinson
Lumber Company at Robinson, Iowa.
On the 12th of September, 1883, Mr. Fest was united in marriage to ]\Iiss
Janet A. Ironsides, a daughter of James and Matilda A. (Fike) Ironsides. The
father, a native of Scotland, crossed the Atlantic to Canada in early life and in
1852 came to Iowa, settling in Newton township, Buchanan county, where he
purchased land and devoted his remaining days to general agi'icultural pursuits.
He died June 19, 1908, at the advanced age of eighty-six years, and his wife, a
native of Canada, passed away January 19, 1909, at the age of seventy-five years.
Mr. and Mrs. Fest became the parents of six children, as follows : Alva James,
who resides at home and operates one of his father's farms; Matilda A., who
gave her hand in marriage to AVilliam J. Frank, an agriculturist of Newton town-
ship; Julia M., who is the wife of George W. Franck, also a farmer of Newton
township ; Mary E., a maiden of thirteen summers ; Ralph E., who is eleven years
of age ; and Grace, who passed away in June, 1899.
;Mr. Fest is the oldest member of the Odd Fellows society living in this section
of the county, his membership being in the lodge at Troy Mills. He also has
membership in the Modem Woodmen of America and in the Protestant Methodist
church, while politically he is a republican. His has been an active, busy and
useful life. He has never allowed obstacles nor difficulties to bar his path,
regarding them rather as an impetus for renewed effort. He has worked with
unfaltering purpose and indefatigable euergj^ to achieve success and his life
record should serv'e as a source of inspiration and encouragement to others, show-
ing what may be accomplished when there is a will to dare and to do and when
laudable ambition finds expression in intelligently directed effort.
LOUIS H. DESTIVAL.
Louis H. Destival was born in Buchanan county in 1871 and is a repre-
sentative of one of the old pioneer families, established here in 1859. At the
present time he is carrying on general farming and stock-raising and makes
his home in Hazleton township. His father, Charles E. Destival, was born in
Switzerland in 1833 and his grandparents were Isaac and Susan Destival, also
natives of the land of the Alps.
When fifteen years of age Charles E. Destival came to the United States
and was employed iji the east in a brickyard. In 1853 he arrived in Iowa,
journeying westward with an emigrant train of ox teams and wagons. He
began work on the railroad which Avas then being l)uilt from Dubuque to
Manchester, and in 1859 he came to Independence, where he was employed
in a brewery until 1861. The following year he was married and in 1863 he
left his young wife for active service at the front, having enlisted in Company
K of the Ninth Iowa Cavalry, under Captain Shawhan of Sigourney. He
served for two years, lacking five weeks, and was largely engaged in scout
duty and in fighting bushwhackers. On one occasion he had his horse shot from
402 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
under him but personally sustained no injuries. He became a second cor-
poral and color bearer and made a most creditable military record through
his loyalty and bravery. He now maintains pleasant relations with his old
army comrades through his membership in the Grand Army of the Republic.
After the close of the war he returned to Buchanan county, where he engaged
in farming and also in clearing land for his neighbors, ridding it of brush and
timber. He still owns farm property in this county and for many years was
actively engaged in tilling the soil, but for the past decade has lived retired
in Hazleton. Prior to the Civil war he gave his political allegiance to the demo-
cratic party, but in 1860 he voted for Abraham Lincoln and has since supported
the republican party.
In 1862 Charles E. Destival was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth
Eldridge, who was born in Syracuse county, New York, in 1846. Her father,
also a native of the Empire state, bom in 1813, died in 1867. His wife, Mrs.
Saliua Eldridge, was likewise a native of New York. ]\Ir. Eldridge followed
farming in the east until 1854, when he came to Iowa, settling on the present
site of Oelwein, although the town was not established at that time. His wife
taught the first school in Oelwein. He afterward removed to Independence
and later lived in Hazleton township to the time of his death. He Avas a demo-
crat in politics and filled a number of public offices, his neighbors having great
confidence in his ability and trustworthiness. To Mr. and ]\Irs. Destival were
bom six children, who are yet living: Edward, of Hazleton township, who is
married and has six children ; Carrie, the wife of L. Walker, by whom she has
five children; Lena, the wife of Mat Hitchin, of Hazleton, and the mother of
one child; Mrs. Effie Nelson, of Oakland. California, who has three children;
Louis H.. of this review; and Edith, the wife of T. Lahner, of Hazleton township.
Louis II. Destival attended the district schools and remained upon the home
farm until he had attained his majority, dividing his time between the duties
of the schoolroom, the pleasures of the playground and the work of the fields.
He then began farming on his own account and now resides in Hazleton town-
ship upon a tract of land of seventy-five acres, which he has purchased. The
soil is rich and productive, and he successfully engages in the production of
crops adapted to climatic conditions. He also raises stock, making a specialty
of mules, and for five years dealt in live stock in Hazleton in connection with
farming.
In 18!)") :\li'. Destival wedded Miss Emma Lahner, a daughter of Antone and
Clara Lahner. Her father, a native of Germany, remained there until about
thirty years of age. He had a brother who served in the army under Napoleon.
On coming to the new world Antone Lahner settled in Illinois and became an ex-
tensive landowner of that state, winning success as the years went by through
his judicious investments and carefully managed business affairs. About 1884
he removed to Iowa and settled on the farm now occupied by Mr. and Mrs.
Destival. He was an active democrat, a well read man and pronounced in his
views. He passed away in 1890, at the age of seventy-two years, and his wife,
who was born in Canada, is now living in Hazleton township at the age of sixty-
two years. In the family of Mr. and ^Irs. Louis H. Destival are five children :
Victor L., Doris E., Louis D., Fern and Vivian, and the circle yet remains
unbroken by the hand of death.
HISTORY OP BUCHANAN COUNTY 403
Mr. Destival has membership with the Modern Woodmen of America and
the Orients. He has been a lifelong resident of this county and is a worthy
representative of an honored pioneer family that has been represented in the
county for several years exceeding a half century.
A. D. MOUNT.
Iowa well deserves its reputation as one of the leading agricultural states
of the Union. Its undulating prairie land offers excellent opportunities to the
farmer and the state has become thickly settled with a class of enterprising
farmers whose work is attended with excellent results. Among those who have
busily and successfully tilled the soil in Buchanan county is A. D. Mount, now
living on section 8, Jefferson township. He is also president of the Farmers Co-
operative Exchange of Brandon. His birth occurred in this county October
28, 1865, his parents being Robert and Mary Jane (Rohn) Mount. The father
was a native of County Donegal, Ireland, and when twenty years of age came to
the United States, establishing his home in eastern Pennsylvania. He became
timekeeper and foreman at the rock quarries at Glendon and also engaged in
teaching school there at night. He was thus busily engaged for a number of
years, having scarcely an idle moment in all the twenty-four hours. He then
married and removed to the middle w^est. settling in Jefferson township, Bu-
chanan county, where he purchased a farm of one hundred and sixty acres. This
he carefully improved and developed, remaining thereon to the time of his
death. He held membership in the Catholic church and gave his political alle-
giance to the democratic party. It was in Easton, Pennsylvania, that he wedded
Mary Jane Rohn, who was born in Bethlehem, that state, in which place both
her father and mother passed away.
A. D. Mount spent his boyhood upon the home farm at Easton, Pennsylvania,
and in 1874, when a youth of nine years, accompanied his parents on their
westward removal to Buchanan county, Iowa, the father purchasing a farm
in Jefferson township. He remained there with his parents until he reached
the age of fourteen, at which time he accepted the position of foreman on con-
struction work for the Burlington Railroad. He was also employed in a similar
capacity on the Illinois Central but later he abandoned railroad work and went
to Dakota, where he was employed as a harvest hand through one summer. In
the following spring he made his way to Valentine. Nebraska, and on by wagon
to the Pine Ridge agency, in South Dakota, where he was employed by the
United States government in building schoolhouses in which to educate the
Indians. In the fall of that year he drove overland from Pine Ridge to Run-
ning Water, North Dakota, where he w^as in charge of a bunch of horses on a
range. A short time afterward, however, he left that district and returned to
Buchanan county, settling in Independence, where he remained through the
winter. In the spring he accepted a position with the Illinois Central Railroad
as construction foreman at Cherokee, Iowa, where he remained until February.
He then returned to Independence and in the spring of that year rented the
404 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
farm that had belonged to his father. Since then he has been closel}' associated
with agricultural interests in this part of the state.
In the fall of that year Mr. Mount married Miss Sarah Burns, a daughter
of James and Catherine Bums. Her father died August 6, 1912. Her mother
was born in Ireland, came to the United States when a young lady and settled
in New York, where she became the wife of James Burns. They removed west-
ward to Independence, Iowa, where Mr. Burns purchased a house and worked
by the day to the time of his death. His wife passed away in 1910, while he
survived her about two years.
Following their marriage IMr. and Mrs. Blount began their domestic life upon
a farm, which they occupied until 1902. Later, however, that property was sold
and Mr. Mount purchased one hundred and sixty acres on section 8, Jefferson
township, where he now resides. He has long been an active and progressive
agriculturist and is prompted in all of his business affairs by laudable ambition.
He sees the opportunities for advancement and has cooperated in many move-
ments which have resulted beneficially to the community. He is now president
of the Farmers Cooperative Exchange of Brandon, is a director of the Farmers
Mutual Telephone Company of Jesup and is a director of the Farmers Savings
Bank of Brandon.
To Mr. and Mrs. Mount have been ])oni seven children : ]Mrs. Mary Agnes
Messingham, now living in Independence ; and Raymond L., Robert V., Frank
A., Gertrude L., Genevieve E. and Elmer J., all at home. Tlie family have
been reared in the faith of the Catholic church, of which ISIr. and Mrs. Mount
are members. His political indorsement is given to the democratic party. For
four terms he was assessor of Jefferson township, and in 1910 was census
enumerator for that township. He is affiliated with the Modern Woodmen of
America and has been consul and clerk of the local camp. His activities have
touched various lines and all beneficially, and his work has been a factor in
general progress and improvement as well as in his individual success.
EDGAR E. BRINTNALL.
The State Bank of Winthrop has for many years enjoyed the full confidence
of the community and its resources have constantly grown. Much of this con-
tinued prosperity is due to the watchfulness and financial ability of its cashier,
Edgar E. Brintnall, who for twenty-nine years has held that position and has
virtually determined the policies of the institution.
He was born in AYindham county, Vermont. April 17, 1852, a son of Ervin P.
and Wealthy J. (Willey) Brintnall. The father Avas likewise a native of the
Green Mountain state as were also his parents. Prosper and Amy (Johnson)
Brintnall. Prosper Brintnall enlisted with a Vermont regiment for service in
the War of 1812 and was a carpenter by trade. Both he and his wife lived to an
advanced age. His parents Avere Jonathan and ]\Iary (Williams) Brintnall, the
former of Avhom came to the United States from England and located in Massa-
chusetts, later becoming a soldier of the Revolutionary Avar. His Avife was bom
June 21, 1750, in Massachusetts.
EDGAR E. BRINTNALL
I
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 407
Ervin P. Brintnall, the father of our subject, was reared iu Vermont and
there married, but in 1854 he removed to Illinois, locating at Elgin, where he
followed the carpenter's trade until the summer of that year. He then came to
Iowa for the purpose of looking over the country with the intention of settling
here and as he did not wish to spend any more money than necessary upon the
trip he walked from Delhi to AVaterloo, a distance of fifty miles. He returned
to Illinois and continued to reside in that state for a number of years but in 1864
removed to Iowa with his family and settled upon a farm in Byron township, one
mile and a half north of AVinthrop. The place comprised one hundred and sixty
acres, which he secured by trading his house and lot in Elgin for it. He devoted
his energies to its cultivation for a number of years but eventually turned it
over to his sons, making his home with the subject of this review in Winthrop
until his death, which occurred on the 31st of January, 1911, when he was in his
eighty-fourth year. He was an active republican and quite prominent in local
affairs. For several years he held the office of county supervisor and also served
in a number of township offices. He was a member of the Congregational church
and a deacon therein for many years, always manifesting the greatest interest in
anything pertaining to its welfare. He followed his trade to some extent after
removing to this county and the first Congregational church at Winthrop was
one of the structures erected by him. His wife, who was in her maidenhood
Bliss Wealthy J. Willey, was born in Keene, New Hampshire, in 1828, and was
the daughter of Benjamin and Abigail (Burgess) Willey, likewise natives of the
Granite state. Both families were of old New England stock. Her parents
removed to Illinois with their family but her mother died when but forty-six
years of age. Her father then lived with his children and from 1868 until his
death, which occurred when he was about eighty years of age, made his home
with his daughter, Mrs. Brintnall. She died in 1878, when about fifty years old.
She was also an active and consistent member of the Congregational church and
jjy her marriage had five children, namely: Edgar E., of this review; Florence,
the deceased wife of C. A. Frederick; Elmer; Herbert, a merchant of Marshall-
town, Iowa; and Angle, an employee of the state at Clarinda, Iowa.
Edgar E. Brintnall was but an infant when the family removed to Elgin,
Illinois, and his boyhood was spent in that city and upon a f ami near Shaumberg
until the removal of the family to this county. After completing the course
offered by the public schools he entered Lenox College at Hopkinton, Iowa, and
studied there for a time. He subsequently took a commercial course at Daven-
port, Iowa, and then for a number of years taught school during the winter and
assisted his father upon the farm in summer. In the fall of 1885 he accepted the
position of cashier of the Winthrop State Bank and has held the same ever since.
The directors and the -ther officers of the bank have the utmost confidence in his
ability and integrity and le^^'^e its management almost entirely to him, and during
the many years that he has u^en cashier he has completely justified their trust
in him. He is sanely progres/^e and under his direction the institution has
paid good dividends to the stockholders and has at the same time amply safe-
guarded the funds of its depositors and extended credit in such a way as to
foster the legitimate business interests oi the community.
Mr. Brintnall was married on New Year's day, 1877, to Miss Laura H. Metealf,
a native of Epworth, Dubuque county, Iowa, and a daughter of 0. J. and Abbie
408 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
(Freeman) Metcalf. A sketch of her father appears elsewhere in this work.
She was reared and educated in Dubuque county and taught school before her
marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Brintnall have a son, Harold E., who resides upon a
part of his grandfather's homestead and engages in general farming and the
breeding of registered Holstein cattle. He married Miss Mable Potter and they
have two sons: Douglas Harold, a lad of seven years; and Edgar Samuel, an
infant.
Mr. Brintnall was in his early life a stanch republican but of late years has
supported the prohibition party, as he believes that the liquor problem is one of
the great issues before the American people at the present time. He has ]3een
nominated by his party for a number of offices, including that of auditor of the
state, congressman and county treasurer. Both he and his wife are members of
the Congregational church and he has been the leader of the choir for the past
forty-eight years, a record that is seldom equalled. He owns part of the old
Brintnall homestead in this county l)ut the management of the bank demands
practically all of his time and energ}\ He is recognized as an astute business man,
as a public-spirited citizen and as a man of incorruptible integrity and is held
in high esteem by his fellow townsmen.
MARWOOD LEVI SHORT.
Marwood Levi Short was born iii Ontario, Canada, August 26, 1861, but
from the age of ten years has lived in Buchanan county and is now actively
identified with the farming interests of Hazleton township. His fatlier, James
W. Short, was boi-n in Devonsliire, England, in 1834, and in 1856 made the
voyage across the briny deep to Canada, where he engaged in farming for a
number of years. He wedded Mary Front, who was born in 1840, and in the
year 1869 they left Canada for the United States, settling in Tama county,
Iowa. They removed to Buchanan county, in 1871, and ^Ir. Short purchased
land in Buffalo township, where he lived until 1880. He then took up his abode
in Hazleton to\\iiship, where the family has since resided. He carried on gen-
eral farming and stock-raising, and his business affairs were capably and suc-
cessfully managed. In the later years of his life he removed to Hazleton, retir-
ing from active, business, and at the time of his death he was a resident of ]\Iin-
ncsota. His widow survives and now lives with her children in Iowa. Late in
life he became a meml)er of the .Methodist Episcopal chun-li.
]\Iarwood L. Short, who is one of a family of thirteen children, was but
eight years of age when the family crossed the border into the United States,
so that he was largely reared in Tama and Buchanan counties. His youthful
days were spent upon his father's farm, which lie heli)ed to im])rove. early be-
coming familiar with the best methods of tilling the soil and caring for the
crops. When he married he began his domestic life upon a rented farm, there
living for three years, at the end of which time he found that he had saved a
sufficient capital to enable him to become a property owner. He then purchased
his father's farm of one hundred and sixty acres, on which he has since lived.
The place gives evidence of his careful supervision and indicates that his
^ HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 409
methods are at onee practical and progressive. Annually his fields bring forth
good harvests and in his barns and pastures is found high grade stock. Beside
his other interests he is a stockholder in the Iowa State Bank of Hazleton.
On the 24th of September, 1891, Mr. Short was married to Miss IMalx-l
Miller, a native of this county and a daughter of William and Florence (Irvin)
Miller, both of whom were natives of Scotland, born near Aberdeen. The father,
who was born in 1835, passed away in 1900. and the mother's death occurred
in 1880. On coming to the new woyld William Miller first settled in Canada,
but afterward came to the United States, taking up his abode in Hazleton
township, Buchanan county, in 1856. He drove across the country and cast in
his lot with the pioneer settlers. The township was then unimproved prairie
land, only a few settlements having been made within its borders, and there
was much game to be had in this part of the state. There were no railroads at
the time of his arrival and the work of progress and development seemed
scarcely begun. He took an active interest in the work of general improvement
and his labors resulted beneficially for the community as well as himself.
To ]\Ir. and Mrs. Short have been born six children : Myrtle, who is the
wife of Guy Allen, living on a farm in Hazleton tpwnship ; Carl, upon the home
farm ; Wendel, who is now attending business college in Oelwein ; Harold ;
Grace ; and Florence. Mr. Short holds membership with the Guardians of
Liberty, and he and his family occupy an enviable position in social circles, the
hospitality of the best homes of this section of the county being freely accorded
them. His life has been in a measure quietly and uneventfully passed, but he
has displayed the sterling qualities of perseverance, energy and reliability in
business and has made for himself a creditable place among the wide-awake and
progressive farmers of Hazleton township.
B. F. NABHOLZ.
General farming finds a worthy representative in B. F. Nabholz, who is the
owner of an excellent tract of land of two hundred and eighty acres on sections
25 and 36, Jefferson township, where he now resides. The place presents a
neat and attractive appearance that is indicative of the careful management
and practical methods of the owner. Mr. Nabholz is a native son of Iowa, his
birth having occurred in Linn county in 1870, his parents being David and
Susan (Kronmiller) Nabholz, more detailed mention of whom is given in the
sketch of J. D. Nabholz in this work. The educational opportunities which he
enjoyed were those afforded by the public schools and upon the home farm he
was trained in the work of the fields, early gaining wide knowledge of the best
methods of tilling the soil and harvesting the crops.
When twenty-two years of age Mr. Nabholz was united in marriage t<» Miss
Abbie De Nio, a daughter of Philip and Loretta (Ilouck) De Nio, of Brandon.
Her father was born in New York in 1827, was reared and educated in that
state and afterward married Miss Ilouck. In 1855 he removed westward to
Jones county, Iowa, where he rented land, continuing its cultivation for two
years. In 1857 he came to Buchanan county, casting in Ins lot with its pioneer
410 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
settlers. He took up his abode in Jefferson township, where he purchased a
farm about four miles north of Brandon, comprising one hundred and twenty
acres of rich and cultivable land. Year by year he carefully tilled the soil,
bringing his fields to a high state of improvement. In 1894, however, he put
aside the active work of the farm and removed to Jesup, where he remained for
two years and then went to Brandon, where he resided until called to his final
rest in 1902. His wife survives him and is now living with a daughter in Jef-
ferson township at the age of seventy-seven years. To Mr. and Mrs. Nabholz
have been born three children : ]Mabel, F. W. and Ethel, all yet at home.
Following their marriage ^Ir. and ^Irs. Nabholz began their domestic life
in Jefferson township, where he purchased two hundred and eighty acres of
land that now constitutes one of the valuable and highly improved farms of
the county. It is equipped with all modern accessories and conveniences and
in its operation Mr. Nabholz has ever displayed a progressive spirit. He has
kept in touch with the advanced methods of farming, as is indicated in the fact
that he built the first silo in Jefferson township. He uses the latest improved
machinery to facilitate the work of the fields and every phase of practical and
progressive modern farm life finds expression on his place. His large crops are
carefully and systematically harvested and handled and he also has good grades
of stock.
Mr. Nabholz gives his political allegiance to the republican party, which he
has supported since age conferred upon liim tlie right of franchise. He keeps
well informed on the (|uestions and issues of the day. but while he votes for
republican candidates, he lias never sought nor desired office for himself. He
belongs to the Metliodist Ei)iscopal churcli and the ruling spirit of his life is
found in his religious ])elief. making him a man upright and reliable in every
connection and honored wherever he is known.
CLARENCE M. WHITNEY.
The farmers of Buchanan county are progressive and up-to-date and are
prosperous as a whole, as this is one of the best agricultural sections of the state.
Clarence ^I. AVhitney, who owns one hundred and sixty acres of fine land on
section 26, Madison township, is enei-getic and alert, always seeking for improved
methods or machinery, and liis wisely directed labor yields him a comfortable
annual income.
He was born in .Madison tow nship, December 29. 1865. a son of the late David
M. Whitney, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work. He was reared
upon the home farm in :\Iadison township and at the usual age entered the public
schools, completing the course offered. He subsequently attended the University
of Upper Iowa at Fayette and then taught for one term at Fremont Center, this
county. However, the greater part of his life has been occupied in farming and
he has found it a congenial and profitiible calling. He ownis and operates a well
improved farm of one hundred and sixty acres which constitutes the northeast
quarter of section 26. JMadison township, and follows diversified farming, giving
considerable attention to the raising of graded stock.
HISTORY OP BUCHANAN COUNTY 411
In 1.892 Mr. Whitney was united in marriage to Miss Hattie Wilkins, who
was born in Jesup in 1867, a daughter of William and Elizabeth (Goodrich)
Wilkins, who came to this county in 1863 and located at Jesup. Her father was a
wagonmaker and followed that trade until his death, which occurred in 1890
when he was sixty-one years of age. He was born in Cattaraugus county, New-
York, and as a young man went to Winnebago comity, Illinois, being married in
1861 at Rockford, that state. His wife was a school teacher for a number of years
previous to her marriage. Mr. Wilkins worked in a carriage factory in Rockford
for some time but subsequently removed to this county, as before stated. He was
a Presbyterian in religious belief and his wife was a Methodist. The latter died
in 1898 at the age of fifty-four years. Mrs. Whitney is the only one of their
children now living. A sister died in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, about four years ago,
and a brother died at Lamont and a sister died at Mount Auburn, Iowa, a number
of years ago. jMts. AVhitney was reared at Jesup and remained at home until
her marriage. She has become the mother of four children : Winfred, usually
known as Fred, Glenn, Eva and Angie, all at home.
Mrs. Whitney is a member of the Baptist church and takes a lively interest
in everything affecting its welfare. Mr. Whitney is a republican in politics and
fraternally belongs to the Knights of Pythias. Both he and his wife are natives
of this county and have spent their entire lives here, always manifesting the
spirit of true citizenship which places the public good above private interests and
individual gain.
C. F. STUMMA.
C. F. Stumma, proprietor of a garage and dealer in automobiles in Brandon,
was born in Jefferson township, Buchanan county, in 1869, a son of Frederick W.
and Ernestina (Hartzberg) Stumma, of whom mention is made elsewhere in this
volume in connection with the sketch of their son AV. F. Stumma. The boyhood
days of C. F. Stumma were spent upon the home farm with the usual experiences
of the lad who divides his time between the duties of the school room, the pleasures
of the playground and the work of the fields.
Our subject continued at home until twenty-four years of age and then made
arrangements for having a home of his own in his marriage to ]\Iiss Emma Luloff,
a daughter of August and Fredericka (Harp) Luloff. The father, a native of
Germany, came to the United States in his boyhood days in company with his
parents, who settled in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. They purchased government land,
securing one hundred and sixty acres, a part of which was covered with timber.
At that place August Luloff was reared and in 1861 he responded to the country's
call for aid, enlisting in the Union army, in which he served for three years, when
he was honorably discharged. He then returned to his home in Sheboygan,
Wisconsin, and there married ^liss Fredericka Harp, a daughter of Alexander
and Minnie Harp. For five years he engaged in farming on his father's land
and then removed westward to Iowa, settling in Jefferson township, this county,
where he purchased a valuable tract of one hundred and sixty acres. Upon this
farm he remained until death called him on the 23d of August, 1896. His widow
\.
412 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
survives and is now living with a son at Cedar Rapids at the age of sixty-six
years. She, too, is a native of Germany and was brought by her parents to the newl
Avorld, the Harp home being also established in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, where her
father purchased a farm of one hundred and sixty acres. This he at once began
to develop and improve and lived thereon for nineteen years, after which he and
his family also became residents of Jefferson township, Buchanan county, where
Mr. Harp bought one hundred and twenty acres of land. He employed the same
practical methods in tilling the soil here and became recognized as an enterprising
agriculturist of his community. His wife died in 1884 when sixty-three years of
age. Mr. Harp survived for some time and was living with his daughter, Mrs.
Weiser, of Black Hawk county, when he passed away in 1894. He was a republi-
can in his political views and was a member of the German Lutheran church.
Following his marriage IMr. Stumma purchased a farm of eighty acres in
Jefferson township, north of Brandon, whereon he resided for twenty years,
during which period he carefully cultivated his fields and added many improve-
ments to the property. Annually, as the result of his practical and progressive
methods, he gathered good crops and all departments of his farm work w^ere
carefully directed and brought to him a substantial measure of success. -After
tw^o decades spent upon the farm he sold that property and removed to Brandon,
where he deals in automobiles and also conducts a garage. He is agent at this
place for the Ford car and has sold many of those machines throughout this part
of the county. His garage business is also profitable and his energy and deter-
mination are the salient features in his growing success.
Mr. and Mrs. Stumma are parents of a son. Earl, who is still at home. In his
political views Mr. Stumma is an earnest repul)lican and keeps well informed on
the questions and issues of the day. but does not seek nor desire office as a reward
for party fealty. His entire life has been spent in this county, covering a period
of forty-five years, and he is a representative of one of the old and valued pioneer
families of this section of the state.
JAMES CARR.
James Carr has been engaged in the grain and produce business in Lamont
for twenty years and is widely known as a reliable and enterprising man. He
was born on section 86, Madison township, this county, December 26, 1863, a
son of John and Anna (Kane) Carr. The former was born in County Cavan,
Ireland, November 25, 1825, and when a child of four or five years was taken to
Canada. The family subsequently removed to New York city, where he received
the greater part of his education. From the age of fourteen to that of twenty-six
he served upon a num-of-war and upon his return to the life of a civilian he pur-
chased a farm in Cattai-augus county. New York. He remained upon his land
for about ten years and then removed to Madison township, this county, and
bought land on section 36. His first purchase was an eighty acre tract but by
degrees he added to his possessions until at the time of his death he owned six
hundred and seventy acres of land. He gave each of his sons a farm and thus
gave them a splendid start in their business careers. He was married in New
JAMES CAER
MRS. JAMES CARR
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY ■ 417
York city to Miss Anna Kane, who was bom near Dublin, Ireland, a daughter
of Joseph Kane. Her sister's husband was a professor in a college there and she
came to America with some of her sister's children, settling in New York city.
She w} s a private tutor there until her marriage, which occurred about 1848.
She beov^rae the mother of ten children, namely : Monica Rhoda, who was born
June r 3, 1849, ana died in infancy ; Michael, who was born June 28, 1850, and is
now a attorney of Manchester, Iowa ; Peter, born May 25, 1852 ; Margaret, whose
birth )ccurred October 29, 1853 ; Sylvester, who was born November 17, 1855,
and passed away when a young man of twenty-five years; Mary, who was born
July 21, 1857, and died when a girl of thirteen ; Joseph, who was born September
26, 1859, and is residing upon the home farm ; John, born October 1, 1861, who
is th'^ proprietor of a furniture store in Lamont; James, of this review; and
Ellen, born July 31, 1866.
James Carr attended the country schools until he was twelve years of age
and then the public schools of Manchester for three years. Subsequently he was
a student in the Manchester Academy for two years and in the University of
Upper Iowa at Fayette for two years. He later taught school for about a term
and then farmed for a year, after which he was employed in the postofifice of
Majichester for four years. After his marriage he again turned his attention to
agi culture, being so engaged for seven years. At the end of that time he
rep oved to Lamont and in ^March, 1896, became a partner in a general produce
business. He subsequently bought out the interests of the others and has since
conducted the business alone. It has grown steadily in volume and he has made
a reputation for fair dealing which is one of his most valuable assets.
Mr. Carr was married May 2, 1886, to Miss Jessie M. Wing, a daughter of
Israel and Lydia (Jones) AVing. Her father was a native of Cherry Valley, New
York, born January 17, 1833, and when a boy accompanied his parents to
Indiana, remaining there for a number of years. His father was a farmer and
shoemaker. Israel Wing was married at Laporte, Indiana, to Miss Lydia Jones,
who was there born ]\Iarch 27, 1836, and was educated in her native city. They
became the parents of six children : Elliott Alfred, who was born August 17,
1857, and is now a resident of Lamont ; Frances T., who was born January 13,
1859, and died September 30, 1862 ; Alice Ann, who was born November 24, 1861,
and died on the 15th of October of the following year ; La Dora, who was born
November 21, 1865, and resides at Lamont ; Jessie M., the wife of Mr. Carr; and
Mary Eliza, who was born August 24, 1870, and resides at "Wadena, Minnesota.
The father died July 16, 1899, and the mother November 19, 1896. Mrs. Carr
vvas educated in the country schools of Madison township, this county, and
remained at home until her marriage. She has become the mother of twelve
children : James Lowell, born February 17, 1887, who is married and resides
upon a farm in this county ; Reuben Israel, born October 19, 1888, who is a
farmer by occupation and who married Miss Ethel Tuttle, by whom he has two
children, Ronald H. and Harold James ; Mary Frances, who was bom August 24.
1890, and died January 16, 1895 ; Nellie La Dora, who was born March 23, 1892,
and is teaching school in this county ; Phoebe Grace, who was born February 23,
1894, and is now a clerk in the postoffice ; Jessie IMildred, who was born January
25, 1896, and is keeping house for her brother ; Marion, who was born April 3,
1898, and is attending school ; Elsie Almira, born April 12, 1900 ; Claude Eaton,
Vol. n— 19
418 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
June 7, 1902; Eva Margaret, April 25, 1906; Marjorie Esther, September 19,
1907 ; and Stella Goldie, March 13, 1910.
The family are communicants of the Catholic church and do all in their power
to promote the growth of its work. Mr. Carr is a democrat in politics and takes a
commendable interest in all matters affecting the welfare of the community.
He is quite prominent in the local councils of his party and has been a delegate
to numerous county and state conventions. Fraternally he belongs to Mohawk
Lodge, No. 310, K. P., Lamont Lodge, No. 656, I. 0. 0. F., and Solomon Lodge,
No. 594, A. F. & A. M. His wife is a member of the Order of the Eastern Star.
He has other business interests aside from the buying and selling of produce as
he is a director in the Lamont Savings Bank. During the years that he has
resided in Lamont he has cooperated in many movements that have resulted in
the advancement of the material and civic interests of the town and has won
many friends, who are enthusiastic in his praise.
E. F. W. LULOFF.
E. F. W. Luloff is a self-made man in the highest and best sense of the term.
He started out in business life emptyhanded, having no inherited wealth or
influential friends to aid him, but through his integrity and industry he has
worked his way upward and is today the owner of a valuable farm property of
one hundred and sixty acres on section 28, Westburg township, worth one hun-
dred and seventy-five dollars per acre.
Wisconsin numbers i\Ir. Luloff among her native sons, his birth having there
occurred in 1866. His parents were Louis and Henrietta (Gosse) Luloff. The
father was born, reared and educated in Germany and eventually married Miss
Henrietta Gosse. Coming to the United States, they made their way into the
interior of the country, settling in Sheboygan county, Wisconsin, where the
father purchased a farm of forty acres. After developing it for a time he sold
that property and in 1867 came to Buchanan county, Iowa, settling in West-
burg township, where he made investment in one hundred and eighty acres.
He improved this by erecting substantial buildings and bringing the fields under
a high state of cultivation. In fact, he added all of the accessories and con-
veniences of a model farm and carefully tilled his fields until 1879, when death
terminated his labors. He was a veteran of the Civil war, having served for four
years with the boys in blue of the Union army. He participated in the battle
of Gettysburg and a number of other important engagements, which proved the
strength of the Union troops and led up to the victory that finally crowned the
northern arms. Politically he was a democrat and was a member of the Ger-
man Lutheran church. His widow survived him for thirty-two years and passed
away on the 13th of March, 1911, upon the old home place where her son, F. A.
Luloff, now resides. She spent her girlhood days in Germany and was educated
there. Her religious faith was also that of the German Lutheran church.
No event of special importance occurred to vary the routine of farm life for
E. F. W. Luloff in his boyhood and youth, which was spent upon the home
place now owned by his brother-in-law. He is indebted to the public-school
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 419
system for the educatioual advantages which he enjoyed and later he took up
farming, purchasing the William Polk farm. At a subsequent date he sold that
property and invested in the Robert Stewart .farm. He holds title to three
hundred and forty acres of fine land and is a substantial agriculturist of the
county.
On the 3d of February, 1892, Mr. Luloff was united in marriage to Miss
Ida Ehrke, a daughter of Carl and Amelia (Ebert) Ehrke. Mrs. Luloff was
born in Brandenburg, Germany, in 1873. Both Mr. and Mrs. Ehrke were na-
tives of Brandenburg, Germany. They began their domestic life in that country
following their marriage in 1866. On coming to the United States, Mr. Ehrke
went first to Baltimore, ^Maryland, and on leaving the east made his way to
Independence, Iowa, where he lived for two years. He then purchased a farm
of eighty acres three miles east of Jesup and occupied that place for nine years.
He then sold out and bought a farm five miles south of Aurora, in Buchanan
count}', becoming owner of one hundred and twenty-seven acres, on w^hieh he
lived for ten years and then rented the property, taking up his abode in La-
mont, Buchanan county, where he and his wife now reside, the former at the
age of seventy-four years and the latter at the age of seventy years. Mrs. Luloff
was educated in Brandenburg, Germany, and came with her parents to the new
world. She is a member of the German Lutheran church and displays many
excellent traits of heart and mind. To Mr. and Mrs. Luloff have been born two
children: Arthur L., who was married October 23, 1913, to Miss Adelia Hart-
ing, of Spring Creek township. Black Hawk county; and Clarence C. Both
sous are upon the home farm.
The family is widely and favorably known in the county, the hospitality of
many of the best homes being freely accorded them. Mr. Luloff' early learned
the lesson that industry is the foundation upon which all true and honorable
success is built and therefore cultivated that quality with the result that is now
seen, he being today the owner of two of the valuable and highly cultivated
farms of Westburg township.
G. B. CLOSE.
G. B. Close is a resident farmer of Sumner township, where he ovms one
hundred and eighty-eight acres of land. His has been an eventful life with many
varied experiences. He was born in this county in 1850. His father, Thomas.
Close, was a native of Lincolnshire, England, bom in 1803, and his father was a
carpenter of Dublin, Avhere he met his death in a faU. John Close, a brother of
Thomas, became a tailor of Connecticut, and Thomas Close was for fourteen years
a master tailor in the British army, on duty in both the East and the West Indies.
He crossed the Atlantic to the United States when twenty-seven years of age and
kept drifting w-estward until eventually he became a resident of Janesville,
Wisconsin, where he was living at the time of his marriage to Miss Mary Hull,
a native of Ohio. The Hull family came from England but was of German
lineage.
420 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
On leaving Wisconsin, Thomas Close removed to Iowa, coming with. Rufus
Clarke, the brewer, and several others in 1846. He carried the first mail between
Cedar Falls and Dubuque and on the first trip rode a black pony and carried
three letters. He afterward took up land from the government, securing eighty
acres now included within the city limits of Independence, for which he paid a
dollar and a quarter per acre. He afterward purchased land in the neighboring
township and in the early days he was also engaged in the grocery and hotel
business. At the time of his death, which occurred in 1869, he was living retired
but had purchased and sold many acres of land in Buchanan county and con-
tributed much to its material development and improvement. He built the first
two-story brick house in Independence, at which time there was a brick kiln at
Gatesville, now extinct. His political allegiance was given to the democratic
party and he was once a candidate for sheriff. His religious belief was that of
the Episcopal church. He was very helpful and considerate in his relations to
his fellowmen and displayed many sterling traits of character which won him high
regard. Throughout his life he exemplified the beneficent spirit of the Masonic
fraternit}', in which he held membership.
G. B. Close, who was one of five children, attended school in Independence
and also became a student in the seminary at that city. When only nine years of
age he began riding running horses and followed the race track for twelve years,
riding in the summer months, while in the winter seasons he was employed as a
farm hand at a salary of but eight dollars per month. He afterward served an
apprenticeship at the cigar maker's and butchering trades and he also punched
cattle and conducted other business interests of that character. He herded
cattle and horses and also raised hogs in Wisconsin and Nebraska, and in 1892
built upon his farm in Sumner township, just south of Independence, a packing
plant thirty by ninety-six feet and an ice liouse thirty-two by one hundred feet.
There he employed eighteen men in the conduct of his business, which, however,
he closed out in 1896. In 1898 he went to Nebraska, shipping a bunch of cattle to
that state, where he ranged cattle for five years. However, he continued to make
his liome in Independence, where he conducted a butchering business. He is
still the owner of an excellent farm of one hundred and eighty-eight acres which
he keeps in a high state of cultivation and from wliich he derives a gratifying
annual income.
In 1886 Mr. Close was united in marriage to ^liss ]\Iargaret Costello, a native
of Philadelphia and a daughter of Patrick and ]\Iary (Lawless) Costello, both of
whom were natives of Ireland. Her father was fifty years of age when he came to
the United States. He established his home in Newton township upon a farm
near the village of Newtonville, Iowa, and after carrying on agricultural pursuits
there for a number of years lived retired in Walker, where his death occurred
in 1905, when he was about eighty-six years of age. His wife afterward removed
to Independence, where she passed away in 1910 at the very advanced age of
ninetj^-two years. One of their daughters is a Catholic mm of Philadelphia. In
the family were five children, of whom two died in Ireland, while one is yet living
in Oklahoma. To Mr. and Mrs. Close have been born seven children, of whom
six survive : May, a graduate nurse now connected with the Mercy Hospital of
Chicago ; George, who is engaged in the cattle business in Oregon ; Julia, a nurse
who was graduated from Mercy Hospital in Des ]\Ioines : Charles, who is engaged
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY J:21
in the cattle business at Boone, Colorado, representing the Thatcher Brothers
of Pueblo, that state; Ella, a stenographer of Independence; and Marguerite,
who is teaching in the country schools.
Mr. Close has served as a member of the city council but felt that one term
was sufficient. He has always concentrated his energies upon his farming opera-
tions, in which he is now actively engaged, and in addition to tilling the soil he is
raising Duroc Jersey hogs. He also owned some horses during the Williams
regime. He was in races all over the country when riding running horses. He
belongs to the Episcopal church, although his family are of the Catholic faith,
and he is also a member of the Legion of Honor. His life activities have taken
him into many districts and brought him many and varied experiences, all of
which he has used to good advantage, learning therefrom valuable life lessons.
He early recognized the fact that industry, diligence and persistency of purpose
are the salient features of success and these he has utilized in the attainment of
the prosperity which is now his. ,
JAMES F. LAMB.
James F. Lamb, one of the prominent and leading agriculturists of Jefferson
township, is the owner of an excellent farm comprising one hundred and seventy
acres on section 16. He is numbered among the worthy native sons of Buchanan
county, his birth having occurred in Jefferson township in 1872. His parents,
Bernard and Ellen Martin Lamb, were both natives of County Cavan, Ireland.
The father emigrated to the United States with his parents as a young man and
located in Boston, Massachusetts, where he was successfully engaged in the shoe
business for seven years. On the expiration of that period he sold out and came
to Jefferson township, Buchanan county, Iowa, purchasing the farm of one hun-
dred and seventy acres which is now in possession of our subject. The operation
of that place claimed his atteaition throughout the remainder of his active business
career and his last years were spent in honorable retirement at Independence,
this county, where he had purchased a nice home and where his demise occurred
at the age of seventy-nine. He gave his political allegiance to the democracy and
was a devout communicant of the Catholic church. Mrs. Lamb, who passed away
in Independence six years prior to the death of her husband, had come to this
country in company with her parents, who took up their abode in Boston, Massa-
chusetts, and there died. She belonged to the Ancient Order of Hibernians and
in religious faith was a Catholic.
James F. Lamb attended the public schools in the acquirement of an educa-
tion and has always remained on the old home farm where he was born and which
he now owns and operates. The place comprises one hundred and seventy acres
of rich and productive land on section 16, Jefferson township, and in its cultiva-
tion he has met with gratifying success, raising the cereals best adapted to soil
and climate and also devoting considerable attention to live stock.
When a young man of thirty-three years Mr. Lamb was united in marriage to
Miss May Duddy, her parents being P. C. and Catherine Duddy, both of whom
are natives of Ireland. They emigrated to the United States, were married at
422 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
Philadelphia and are now residing on a farm at Clear Water, Minnesota. Mr.
and Mrs. Lamb have two children, Ita K. and Gerald D.
In politics Mr, Lamb is a democrat and his influence is ever on the side of
public progress and improvement. He was instrumental in having the new elec-
tric railroad built through Brandon and his cooperation may ever be counted upon
to further any movement or measure instituted to promote the general welfare.
His religious faith is that of the Catholic church, and in the community where
his entire life has been spent he is well known and highly esteemed as an upright,
honorable and valued citizen.
CHARLES G. TRASK.
The attractiveness of Buchanan county as a place of residence is indicated
in the fact that many of her native sons have remained within her borders, not
caring to change the place of their abode, but recognizing the fact that they can
have as excellent opportunities and advantages here as could be secured elsewhere
in the country. Such a one is Charles G. Trask, of Sumner township, who was
born in this county in 1864, his parents being Ami H. and Austa N. (Fry)
Trask, the former a native of Chautauqua county. New York. ])orn November 3,
1826. while the latter was a native of Wisconsin. Ami II. Trask came from the
sturdy, thrifty, intelligent and patriotic stock of New England on whom fell the
brunt of the battles for American independence. When thirteen years of age
he left the east and removed to Rock county, Wisconsin. He learned the brick-
maker's trade in early life, but the tasks around the brickyard soon became
irksome and he turned to the cabinetmaker's trade. His education in books was
limited, but he early learned lessons of industry, economy and perseverance.
When twenty-one years of age. or on the 8d of June, 1847, he started for Iowa,
and took up his residence at Quascpieton. where he remained about two years.
The tovm contained only one log house and it was no unusual thing to see
buffaloes, deer and other wild animals. The forests were uncut, the prairies
uncultivated and much of the county was still in just the condition in which it
came from the hand of nature.
One of Mr. Trask "s first tasks after reaching this state was in helping to put
down the first dam across the Wapsipinicon river, where the mill now stands,
and for his labors he received seventy-five cents per day. In 1847 he took a
contract with Eli Phelps to carry the mail from Quas(|ueton to Duliuque and was
thus engaged for two years. In 1849 he went to St. Paul, Minnesota, but
.remained only until the following year, when he returned to Independence. He
was then attacked with the gold fever and in May of that year started across the
plains as one of a company of emigrants. The trip was full of incidents and
thrilling experiences. On one occasion they had thirty horses in a string and
saw an Indian sneaking upon them attired in a bearskin with the intention of
stealing the entire number. The red man, however, forfeited his life. At length
the long .iourney across the hot stretches of sand and over the mountain
passes was completed and Mr. Trask arrived in California, where he
remained for three years, visiting all the important mining camps, including
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 425
Sacramento, Shasta, Eureka and Trinidad. On the 31st of December, 1853, he
sailed on the ship Brother Jonathan for the Isthmus and was transferred at
San Juan Del to the vessel Northern Light, which bore him as a passenger to
New York. He then returned to Independence and afterward engaged in freight-
ing between this point and Dubuque. In 1855 he established a livery stable and
throughout the remainder of his life he dealt more or less in horses. He was the
owner of four hundred acres of valuable land and was also one of the directors
of the Peoples National Bank, which he assisted in organizing. His political
allegiance was originally given to the whig party and when that organization
passed out of existence he joined the ranks of the new republican party . and
afterward became a stanch prohibitionist. He was one of the oldest settlers and
also one of the most substantial and representative men of the county. He was
opposed to anything that indicated evil or detrimental tendencies and supported
all measures which worked for the uplift of the individual and the benefit of
the community.
Charles G. Trask, an only son, attended the public schools of Independence
and also spent two years as a student in a convent of this city. He early received
business training and experience under the direction of his father, and when
about sixteen years of age he began buying and driving young stock for his
father. Afterward he left liome, traveling around the country, and at Water-
loo, Iowa, he entered the employ of the Illinois Central Railroad as a brakeman.
AA^hile thus engaged he lost a leg when but nineteen years of age. He then
returned to Independence, where he engaged in the livery business with his
father, taking charge of the barn in 1891, his father having died on the 24th of
June of that year. He has always engaged in buying stock and in carrying on
general agricultural pursuits and in 1891 became manager of his father's estate.
AYhile he has long owned land in the county, he did not remove to his farm until
about eight years ago, or in 1907. He today has one of the finest country
homes in Buchanan county and one of the best improved farms in Sumner town-
ship. The place presents a most neat and attractive appearance, the fields are pro-
ductive, and large crops are annually harvested, while stock-raising remains an
important feature of the business. He handles much stock, although specializing
in no particular breed. In addition to his other interests, he is one of the
directors and stockholders of the Peoples National Bank of Independence.
Mr. Trask was united in marriage to Miss Ida May Krebs, who was born in
Black Hawk county. Iowa, a daughter of ^lartin and Katherine (Reichert)
Krebs, both of whom are living in La Porte City at the age of seventy-six years.
The paternal grandfather was a physician of Milwaukee and practiced there
successfully for a number of years. In the '50s he came to Iowa and purchased
farms for his son and practiced medicine in this state, and such was his person-
ality that he was generally l)eloved. His wife was in her maidenhood Miss
Barbara Fry. Martin Krebs came to this state in 1859 from Milwaukee by M^ay
of the lake and was married at Waterloo at the old Central Hotel. He and his
wife removed immediately to their farm in Black Hawk county, where their
children were all born. For thirty years they resided upon that place and were
known as prominent residents of their locality. They are now living retired in
La Porte City. The father has taken a most helpful interest in church, civic
and social affairs and has long been a devoted member of the German Lutheran
426 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
church. Mrs. Trask, who was the fourth in order of birth iu a family of ten
children, has become the mother of four sons : two who died in infancy ; Archi-
bald Hugh, who is employed in the hardware establishment of L. C. Simons of
Independence ; and Judd Marvin, who is attending school in Independence. Mr.
Trask is an Odd Fellow and has held all of the offices in the lodge. He is broad-
minded in his views concerning political and civic conditions. He votes with
the republican party and stands for progress and improvement at all times, seek-
ing ever the welfare and upbuilding of the district in which he lives.
JOHN G. BUSCHKE.
Although John G. Huschke, a resident of Westburg township, started out to
earn his own living as a farm hand working for a meager wage, he is today one
of the successful agriculturists of Buchanan county, owning three hundred and
eighty acres of rich and arable land valued at one hundred and seventy-five
doUars per acre. All this represents his own earnings and his place is well
improved with all the equipments and accessories of a model farm of the twen-
tieth century. His land is situated on section 4, Westburg township, and the neat
and thrifty appearance of the place is indicative of his careful supervision,
practical methods and sound judgment.
Mr. Huschke was born in Scott county, Iowa, December 28, 1861, and is a
son of Bernard and Barbara (Wachter) Huschke. The father was a native of
Prussia, born in 1830, and when twenty-two years of age made the voyage across
the Atlantic to the new world and into the interior of the country. In 1852 or
1853 he took up his abode in Scott county, Iowa, where he was employed as a
farm hand until 1858, during which period he carefully saved his earnings until
he felt justified in purchasing property. He then invested in eighty acres in
Scott county and lived upon that farm for nine years. He next removed to
Pleasant Valley township, in the same county, purcliasing one hundred and sixty
acres which he owned and cultivated for thirty-five years. His last days were
spent in well earned and honorable retirement in Davenport, where he passed
away in 1912. His wife was a native of Switzerland and was but four years of
age when brought to America by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Wachter, who
were also natives of the land of the Alps. They, too, settled in Scott county,
Iowa, where her father purchased eighty acres. There she lived at home until
her marriage, becoming to her husband a faithful companion and helpmate on
life's journey.
John G. Huschke was comparatively young when he started out to earn his
living as a farm hand, working by the month. He also followed threshing until
twenty-nine years of age and then purchased a farm of one hundred and four
acres situated in Poweshiek county, near Brooklyn. That farm soon gave evi-
dence of the care and labor he bestowed upon the fields and after operating the
place for thirteen years he sold out for ninety dollars per acre. He then came to
Buchanan county and purchased two hundred and twenty acres in Westburg
township for sixty-five dollars per acre. Upon this place, which is situated on
section 4, he has since made his home and liis farm is now a valuable and pro-
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 427
ductive property, constituting one of the attractive features of the landscape.
He has prospered as the years have gone by and the farm has advanced in value
through the work he has put upon the fields. He practices the rotation of crops
and other modern methods of farming and he also conducts a dairy business and
raises stock. In 1912 he added to his property holdings by purchasing one hun-
dred and sixty acres of land in Perry township for ninety-two and a half dollars
per acre.
Mr. Husehke was married in 1895 to Miss Mary M. Schmidt, a daughter of
Charles Schmidt, who was born in Germany in 1827. After coming to the United
States he remained in New York for a short time and then continued on his
westward way until he reached Davenport, Iowa. He was a carpenter by trade
and followed that pursuit in Davenport until he reached the age of sixty-two
years, when, having acquired a handsome competence, he retired from active life,
although he is still living in that city at the age of eighty-seven years. His wife
was born in German}^ in 1825, was there reared and in that country became the
wife of John Beck. After crossing the Atlantic and settling in New York, Mr.
Beck died and there his widow married Charles Schmidt. Mrs. Husehke was
reared in Davenport, acquired her education in the schools of that city and was
married there, and she has become the mother of six children : Ann, the wife of
Theodore Schmidt ; Theresa, who married Philip Schmidt ; Bernard ; Marie ;
Mildred; and Clara.
The parents are members of the Catholic church, and politically Mr. Husehke
is a democrat. His interest in community affairs is that of a public-spirited citi-
zen and not of an office seeker. He is a self-made man who as the architect of his
fortunes has builded wisely and well. An analyzation of his life work shows that
diligence, determination aud fair dealing have been the salient points in his
business career.
FARMERS SAVINGS BANK.
The Farmers Savings Bank at Lamont, Iowa, in the four years of its
existence, has gained the confidence of the business houses and also of the
private individuals of the town and its deposits have steadily increased. Its
policy has been one of progression, tempered, however, with enough conservatism
to adequately safeguard the interests of stockholders and depositors. It was
chartered on the 3d of March, 1910, under Iowa laws with authority to transact
general banking business. The first officers were : D. J. Kenna, president ;
W. C. Falck, vice president ; and M. J. Nolan, cashier. The board of directors
included Messrs. D. J. Kenna, W. C. Falck, Fred Retz, J. H. Brown, Thomas
Vanek, A. K. Anderson and A. L. Seeber. At the present time the administra-
tive officers are AV. C. Falck, president; Fred Retz, vice president; and O. C.
Gladwin, cashier. Mr. Gladwin has held the office of cashier since April 1,
1911, and the active management of the institution is left largely to him. The
directorate comprises, in addition to the above mentioned officers, J. H. Brown,
Thomas Vanek, Frank Dozark and A. K. Anderson. The institution is capitalized
at fifteen thousand dollars, the present surplus is one thousand and the deposits
428 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
average about ninety-eight thousand dollars. The bank owns the building in
which it is situated and which was erected in the fall of 1910, and is one of the
best business blocks in Laniont. It is twenty-two by fifty-six feet in dimen-
sions, is of pleasing design and of excellent material, and the upper floor is
given over to office rooms. The affairs of the bank are in good condition and,
although its first consideration is the safety of the funds intrusted to it upon
deposit, it is so judiciously managed that it earns a good dividend for its stock-
holders.
WARREN F. MILLER.
Warren F. Miller, editor of the Independence Conservative, is a native of
Buchanan county and has passed most of his life here. He is the youngest son
of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Miller, pioneer settlers, and was born on a farm in
Perry township, November 13, 1866. He was fortunate in parents who indulged
his wish for a better education than the county schools afforded, and he entered
Lenox College at the age of thirteen, graduating from there with the degree of
Bachelor of Sciences in 1884, when a little past seventeen years of age. That fall
he began his first term as a teacher in a Delaware county rural school, having to
get a special permit from the state superintendent because of being under the
required age. lie followed teaching for several years succeeding, in the mean-
time taking a course in the Cedar Rapids Business College during a summer
vacation.
In 1891 Mr. Miller resigned the principalship of the F'airbank schools to
accept the position of deputy to L. F. Springer in the office of clerk of the district
court. After two years he resigned this to enter the law school of the University
of Iowa, from which he graduated in 1894. A few weeks later he and a class-
mate, the late C.Tj. Everett, opened a law office in Independence, but this part-
nership was dissolved with the beginning of the succeeding year, when Mr.
Everett entered a partnership with Judge Ransier. and ]\Ir. Miller with his
former chief, L. F. Springer, under the firm name of Springer & Miller. He was
elected city attorney of Independence the succeeding spring, serving two years,
during which time it fell to him to prepare the ordinances, contracts, etc., for
the new municipal lighting plant. In the fall of 1896 he gave up the practice
of law to enter country newspaper work, he and his fath(»r purchasing an interest
in the Conservative. He was associated with L. W. Goen for a little over six
years in publishing the Conservative, the ^Millers then selling their interest back
to Mr. Goen. It was during this time that Warren F. Miller was elected mayor
of Independence, serving two terms and declining to be a candidate for a third.
He then moved to Kansas, where he' owned and published the Courier-Democrat
for upward of six years. His next newspaper veiiture was at Le Mars, where he
purchased the Le Mars semi-weekly Glo])e-Post, which he conducted till he sold it
in December, 1913, and returned to Independence.
In March, 3914. Mr. Miller of this review, associated with S. Miller and
Mattie E. Stevenson, purchased the Independence Conservative from the Goen
estate and he became its editor and business manager. This brought him back to
WARREN F. MILLER
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 431
his old field of labor. New equipment was added and new life put into the paper,
now in its sixtieth year, and the effect was at once apparent in the tone of the
paper and its steady increase in business. He feels that he is probably located
for as many years of business life as may be spared him, with his one ambition
to make the Independence Conservative one of the best of its class.
Mr. ^liller is a member of the Masonic order and of the Benevolent and Pro-
tective Order of Elks. He was reared in a Presbyterian family and united with
that church in Independence under the pastorate of Rev. D. W. Fahs, in 1898.
He was married in Independence, May 25, 1898, to Miss Nella E. Smale, one
of the talented musicians of the city and the youngest daughter of George Smale,
a pioneer druggist. They have a family of three children: Paul, aged fifteen,
a student in the high school ; Leo. aged ten. and Marian, aged eight, both in the
citv grade schools.
As would be expected of the editor of a democratic paper, Mr. Miller is a
consistent and persistent democrat. He has been a member of the county central
committee, wherever located, every year but one since he was twenty-two, county
chairman once in Iowa and twice in Kansas, and was a member of the state com-
mittee in Kansas when he removed from that state. At forty-eight he is satisfied
if the long hours and multifarious grind of country newspaper work affords him
an occasional day to go fishing.
EZRA Mackenzie.
Ezra MacKenzie is the owner of Brunswick Park, a fine farm of two hundred
and eighty acres in Hazleton township, which is so called in honor of his birth-
place — New Brunswick, Canada. His natal day was March 21, 1853, and his
parents were Daniel and Phoebe (Brundage) MacKenzie, who were also natives of
New Brunswick, the former of Scotch and the latter of English descent. As far
back as is known the MacKenzies have followed agricultural pursuits. In the
year 1800 the family was established in New Brunswick, and Daniel MacKenzie
became one of the extensive landowners there, his possessions aggregating seven
hundred acres. He was regarded as one of the substantial and valued citizens of
the community in which he made his home and his life was ever in harmony with
his professions as a member of the Freewill Baptist church. He died in 1890,
at the age of seventy-six years.
Ezra MacKenzie pursued his education in the schools of New Brunswick and
when twenty-four years of age came to the United States, since which time he has
made his home in Buchanan county. He had previously owned a shingle mill
and worked in the timber in the winter months, owning a big timber tract. After
coming to this country he was employed as a farm hand for a time but as soon
as possible made investment in land, to which he has since added until he now
owns two hundred and eighty acres in Buchanan county which he calls Brunswick
Park. His farm has been carefully developed and improved according to modern
methods and all of the equipments and accessories of the model farm of the
twentieth century are found upon his place. He is prominently known as a
stock-raiser, handling Polled Durham cattle and Percheron horses, \v'liich he
432 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
raises for sale and for exhibition purposes. Pie has Avon many prizes at the
county fair on his horses and his stock is one of the attractive features of his
farm. In business affairs his judgment is sound, his discrimination keen and his
enterprise unfaltering. Aside from his interests as the owner of Brunswick
Park he is a stockholder, director and the president of the creamery company, is
president of the Corn Growers' Association, is president of the Cooper Valley
Telephone Company, president of the Hazleton Fair Association and a stock-
holder in the Buchanan County Fair Association.
Mr. ]\IacKenzie was united in marriage to ]\Iiss Alice J. Miller, a native of
Hazleton township and a daughter of George M. Miller. Her father was born in
New York, in 1837, and was a son of Adam and Baehabee (Pettis) Miller, the
former born in Connecticut in 1794 and the latter in Rhode Island in 1800. Adam
Miller became a carpenter and builder in New York and in 1849 removed west-
ward to the vicinity of Rockford, Illinois, where he worked at his trade and also
became actively identified with the sheep industry, driving sheep overland, as
there were then no railroads in that part of the country. On the 13th of Septem-
ber, 1852, he came to Buchanan county and purchased land in Hazleton township,
which his sons cultivated. They were pioneers in raising shorthorn cattle and
Chester White hogs and were extensively engaged in shipping hogs which were
used for breeding purposes. Adam ^liller was a resident of Buchanan county
at the time of his death. He served as a drum major in the War of 1812, going
to the front from AVasliington county. New York.
George M. Miller attended the district schools near his home and when twelve
years of age started out in life on his own account. He went witli a brother to
Illinois and there worked on a farm and in a tavern, drove stage and also attended
to various duties in the store of Benjamin Hoyt, of Boone county, Illinois, in
the town of Newburg, which is now extinct. He came with his father to I^uehanan
county when a youth of about fifteen years and here worked as a rail splitter and
also engaged in hauling merchandise into this county l)efore the advent of rail-
roads. In fact he worked at anything and everything that is necessary in con-
nection with the early settlement and development of a frontier district. In 1853
he purchased land from the government, entering his claim, and soon afterward
became actively engaged in farming; in which occupation he continued year
after year with excellent success. As his financial resources increased he added
to his holdings and when he removed to Hazleton was the owner of seven hundred
and sixty acres of valuable farm land in Buchanan county, now in possession of
his son and daughter. He was not only a leading farmer but also a representative
citizen. He served as supervisor of his county for eight years and was a trustee
of the College for the Blind at Vinton. He was active in the republican party
and at all times cooperated in the movements for the benefit and upbuilding of
this section of the state. He made the first shingles that covered the first church
in Independence and helped cut the logs foi* the first bridge over the Wapsipini-
con river. In Masonry he was well known as a member of the lodge, chapter and
Eastern Star at Independence. The first meeting of the Baptists in this county
was held in the home of his father, Adam Miller, while the first Presbyterian
gathering Avas in the home of John Long in Hazleton township.
It was in 1857 that George M. Miller was united in marriage to Miss Margaret
Spragg," who was born in New Brunswick, Canada, in 1835, a daughter of John
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 433
and Amelia (Taylor) Spragg, who were also natives of Canada, born in 1805
and 1812 respectively. Becoming residents of the United States, they made their
way to Iowa in 1855 and their last days were spent in Hazleton township, where
they were identified with agricultural pursuits. Mr. Spragg became one of the
substantial farmers and reliable citizens of the community and lived to the
advanced age of ninety-four years. To Mr. and Mrs. Miller were born three
children : Edgar F., who owns and occupies a farm west of Hazleton, where he is
engaged in the raising of Galloway cattle; Alice J., now Mrs. MacKenzie; and
Letta A., the wife of W. E. Curtis, a real-estate dealer of Cedar Rapids, by whom
she has two children. By the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. MacKenzie there have
been born five children : Ethel is the wife of W. H. Hatch, a representative of a
pioneer family of this county living near Oelwein, and they have three children,
MacKenzie, Willis Ezra and Robert ; Inez became the wife of Simon G. Corcoran
but has passed away. Donald M. is at home with his parents. Ross Daniel, a
farmer of Buchanan county, married Grace Duke and has one son, Hugh.
E. Bruce married Berdina Scott and lives upon the farm of his father-in-law in
Fayette county.
]\Ir. MacKenzie took out his naturalization papers soon after coming to the
United States and has been a student of the political questions and issues of the
day. A zealous republican, he has served his party with the sincere desire to see
its principles triumph — principles in which his faith is bound. He is a member
of the Baptist church and served as superintendent of the Union Sunday school
of the Presbyterian and Baptist churches for twenty years. His influence has
always been against evil and on the side of right, justice and truth. He belongs
to the Knights of Pythias and has taken an active interest in the work of the local
lodge and in the state organization as well, filling all the chairs in both the sub-
ordinate and grand lodges. He has held every office in the Modern Woodmen
camp and his wife is active in the Pythian Sisters and in the Eastern Star. Of
the Eastern Star she has been worthy matron for two years and for seven consecu-
tive years has represented the Pythian Sisters in the Grand Temple of Jowa. She
is also president of the county organization of the Woman's Christian Temper-
ance Union and also of the local Woman's Christian Temperance Union. Both
Mr. and Mrs. MacKenzie rank high in the social circles of the city and their
influence is widely felt for good. Mr. MacKenzie has always been foremost in
support of and promotion of the most progressive ideas relating to the material
development and civic progress of his community and is recognized as the leader
in his township. His life is one of general worth and usefulness and on the
pages of his history appears a clean record.
DAVID H. REVEL.
David H. Revel, dealer in agricultural implements at Brandon and also
identified with financial interests as one of the organizers and stockholders of
the Farmers Savings Bank, was born in Harrison township, Benton county,
Iowa, on the 2d of July, 1865, his parents being William and Amy (Davis;.
Revel. The father's birth occurred in Southampton county, Virginia, in 1818.
434 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
He was a son of Hamilton Revel, Avho was born on a farm in the Old Dominion,
the family having been established in Virginia at an early epoch in the history
of that state.
William Revel was reared on the old home farm and at the age of seventeen
years removed westward to Greensburg, Indiana, where he was employed as a
farm hand until he reached the age of twenty-four years. He then married and
rented land from the man by whom he had previously been employed by the
month. For seven years he lived upon that place and then came to Iowa, set-
tling in Benton county in 1849 about four miles south of Brandon. He was one
of the pioneers of that district, for the work of progress and improvement
seemed scarcely begun in that section of the state. Much of the land was still
in the possession of the government and Mr. Revel entered a claim of one hun-
dred and sixty acres. There were no railroads in the county and he had made
the journey overland with a team of horses and a wagon. He experienced many
of the hardships and privations of pioneer life, but as the years went on frontier
conditions were replaced by those of modern civilization. He broke the soil,
tilled the fields and in time brought his farm to a high state of cultivation.
Moreover, he extended the boundaries of his property by additional purchases
at various intervals until he was the owner of five hundred and twenty acres
of rich and valuable land, upon which he lived to the time of his death in 1891.
His widow survives and is now living with her daughter, ]\Irs. Lizzie AVallace,
on a farm in Harrison township, Benton county, at the age of eighty-eight
years.
Mr. Revel was a republican in his political vieAvs and was a consistent and
earnest member of the Christian church. Mrs. Revel was born on a farm near
Greensburg, Indiana, in 1826, and much of her life was spent amid pioneer sur-
roundings before time and man wrought the changes which made this section
of the state one of its prosperous and populous districts. She was a represen-
tative of one of the old New England families. Her father was born in Vermont
and when a young man learned the cabinetmaker's trade in the east. He after-
ward removed to Kingston, Indiana, where he married, and there worked at his
trade for a time. He afterward purchased a farm of eighty acres, on which he
took up his abode, and he supported his father and mother in their old age.
His life was a busy, useful and honorable one and he continued his residence in
Indiana until called to his final rest.
David H. Revel, whose name introduces this review, spent his youth upon
the old homestead farm in Harrison township, Benton county, and after master-
ing the branches of learning taught in the district schools became a student in
Tilford Academy at Vinton, Iowa, in which he completed his course in 1889.
He then returned to the old home place and devoted two years to its further
cultivation. He then made arrangements for having a home of his own through
his marriage to Miss Emma Yount. a daughter of Fred and ^lary Yount. Pur-
chasing a farm east of Brandon, Iowa, he resided thereon for about five years
and then sold that property and took up his abode in the town, where he pur-
chased a store building and opened a stock of farm machinery and agricultural
implements. From the beginning he has enjoyed a liberal patronage, which
has steadily increased as his enterprise and thorough reliability have become
recognized. He is a man of energy and of keen discrimination and carries for-
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 435
ward to successful completion whatever he undertakes. He does everything pos-
sible for the upbuilding and improvement of Brandon and was one of the organ-
izers of the new Farmers Savings Bank, of which he became a large stockholder.
He was one of those who championed the movement for the building of the
electric railroad through Brandon, doing everything in his power to secure the
execution of the project.
In 1913 ^Ir. Revel was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who was
born in Jefferson township, this county, in 1864 and spent her entire life here.
She was for a quarter of a century a devoted and faithful member of the Chris-
tian church and was the organizer of the Cemetery Association, of which she
was president at the time of her death. Her many excellent traits of heart and
mind endeared her to all who knew her and she left behind an extensive circle
of friends. Mr. Revel has one son, Howard G., who is twenty-one years old and
a partner of his father's in business. He attended the public schools and the
Tilford Academy at Vinton. Iowa, and was graduated from the Commercial
College of Cedar Falls, Iowa, in June, 1914. Mr. Revel is \ndely and favorably
known in Brandon and throughout the surrounding district and enjoys the high
regard and confidence of all with whom business or social relations have brought
him in contact. •
ALBERT A. SMITH.
Albert A. Smith operates four hundred acres of fine land located on sections
28, 29, 32 and 33, Madison township. He carries on general farming but pays
special attention to the raising of cattle. He breeds high grade black Polled
Angus, the heads of the herd being all registered animals. He w^as born in
^ladison township on the 12th of April, 1859, a son of Lemuel Holly and Mary
(Colby) Smith. The former was born in Rutledge, Vermont. July 29, 1823,
and in 1839, when a youth of sixteen years, went to ]\IcHenry county, Illinois.
He subsequently purchased land there and farmed in that state for a number
of years. During this period, or in 1849, he took an overland trip to the gold
fields of California, where he remained for less than one year. Returning to
McHenry county, Illinois, he resumed his farming operations. His marriage
occurred there, but in 1854 he brought his family to ]\Iadison township, Buch-
anan county, Iowa. He entered some land from the government and bought
other tracts until he was the owner of one thousand four hundred acres, part
of which was in Buffalo township. He supervised the operation of his land
until his death, which occurred in September, 1902. His wife was also a native
of Rutledge, A^ermont, born May 22, 1826, and her death occurred in March,
1904. Eight children were born to them, namely: Montraville, who makes his
home in Kansas ; Nellie, now the wife of William Andrews, of North Dakota ;
Olive, who married R. M. Jenks and is now deceased; Herbert, who resides in
tile state of AVashington ; Carrie E.. who is the widow of C. E. Todd and resides
in Minneapolis, Minnesota ; Albert A. ; Mary, who died in childhood ; and Mary,
the second of the name, who lives in Minneapolis. The four oldest children
were born in Illinois and the younger ones in this state.
436 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
Albert A. Smith received his elementary education in the country schools
and supplemented the knowledge thus acquired by two terms of study in Fay-
ette College. He remained at home until he attained his majority. Early in
life he began assisting his father with the work of the farm and when it became
necessary for him to decide upon a life occupation he determined to devote his
time and energy to agriculture. He now owns four hundred acres of land and
is successfully carrying on mixed farming. He takes a great interest in the
raising of high grade cattle and ships many head annually to Chicago. He
breeds black Polled Angus cattle and, as the animals at the head of his herd
are all registered, his stock is of high grade. He is considered one of the well-
to-do and progressive agriculturists and stockmen of the county and his assets
are steadily increasing.
On the 9th of September, 1883, Mr. Smith was united in marriage with
Miss Amy A. Garland, a daughter of William and Elsie (Dykeman) Garland.
To Mr. and Mrs. Smith have been born two sons. Carroll G., whose birth
occurred on the 3d of August, 1888, operates part of his father's f-arm. He is
a graduate of the Lamont high school and married Miss Edith Hauser. Albert
Putnam, who was born November 19, 1889, lives at home. The family are con-
sistent members of the ^Metliodist Episcopal church.
Mr. Smith is a democrat and is one of the leaders in political circles of this
county. He has often been a delegate to the county conventions of his party
and is serving his fifth year as one of the board of trustees of ]\Iadison town-
ship. In his early manhood he held that office for twelve consecutive years.
He has been vice president of the Lamont Savings Bank for the last four years
and in that connection has manifested the same sound judgment that has char-
acterized his management of his private affairs. He is a man of strict integrity
in his dealings with his fellowmen.
WALTER THOMPSON.
Although he began his business career without resources other than his
strength, intelligence and determination to succeed, and although he had to go
into debt in order to buy his first land, Walter Thompson is now one of the sub-
stantial citizens of Byron township and the owner of a fine farm on section 27,
and considerable other real estate as well. He was born in Ontario county,
Ontario, Canada, May 13, 1850, a son of George and Catherine (Metcalf)
Thompson, both natives of Ireland, the former born in Tipperary and the latter
in Belfast. The father emigrated to Canada with his parents when a boy of ten
years and lived there until his death, which occurred when he was eighty-six
years of age. He was a farmer by occupation and was highly respected in his
community. The mother was but an infant when brought by her parents to
New York city, where she was reared and educated. She died in Ontario at the
age of eighty years. Both parents were members of the Eposcipal church, to the
support of which they contributed. Twelve children were born to them, of whom
the subject of this review was the fifth in order of birth.
MRS. WALTER THOMPSON
WALTER THOMPSON
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 441
Walter Thompson was reared at home and aided his father in the operation
of the homestead. He was educated in an old log schoolhouse, studying there
during the winters until he was twenty-two years of age. He was then married
and engaged in farming in Canada until 1876, when he came to this county and
purchased his present farm of one hundred and sixty acres, paying thirty dollars
per acre. He also owns two other farms in Washington township, one compris-
ing one hundred acres and the other forty-five acres, both of which he rents.
He likewise holds title to ten acres of land in Independence which he leases to
others, and has a lot in Tacoma, AVashington. He never allowed himself to
become discouraged by temporary hardships or obstacles in his way, as he was
convinced that persevering labor and good management would enable him to
attain success eventually, and his faith has been justified, as he is now one of
the well-to-do farmers of his locality. He understands agriculture thoroughly
and is enterprising, planting his crops in good season and giving them the
necessary cultivation during the summer months. As a result he harvests
annually large crops which he sells at a good price.
In the county of Ontario, Canada, Mr. Thompson was united in marriage to
Miss Flora Jane McDonald, who was born in Ontario on the 10th of April, 1852,
and was reared and educated in her native country. They have four children :
Florence, the wife of Edward Hood, a farmer of Byron township ; Lewis Walter,
at home ; Mable, the wife of George Slemmons, of Libert.y township ; and Verna,
at home.
Mr. Thompson is a republican in his political belief and has been quite active
in local affairs. For nine years he has served on the county board of commission-
ers and was reelected in the fall of 1914, his term to begin January 1, 1915. For
twenty or twenty-five years he has served as township trustee, which office he
holds at present, and for several years he has been a member of the school board.
Both he and his wife belong to the Presbyterian church, in which he has served
as elder for thirty years. Fraternally he belongs to Winthrop Lodge, No. 546,
A. F. & A. M. ; the Modern Woodmen of America ; Crescent Lodge, K. P., of
Independence ; and both he and his w^fe hold membership in the Royal Neighbors.
The life record of Mr. Thompson is an example of what a man of initiative, indus-
try and sound judgment may accomplish if he but persists in his endeavor to
achieve success. Not only has he won material prosperity, but he is also one of
the most respected citizens of his township.
JOHN LEARY.
Early in life John Leary realized that the chief factor in the attainment of
success is industry, and in cultivating and utilizing that quality he has become
one of the well-to-do farmers of Westburg township, where he now makes his
home, owning and cultivating two hundred and forty acres on section 3. He
was born in Rochester, New York, in 1852, his parents being Dan and INIargaret
(McMullen) Leary. The father, a native of Ireland, came to the United States
when thirteen years of age, settling in Rochester, New York, and removing to
Kendall. Orleans county, that state, in 1856. For ten years he was a stage
Vol. 11—20
442 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
driver and later rented a farm which he cultivated for a short time. He sub-
sequently returned to Rochester, where he worked as a boiler maker until his
health failed him and he went to live with his daughter at Carlton, Orleans
county, where he passed away in 1903. In politics he was a democrat and his
religious faith was that of the Catholic church. His wife was born in Dublin,
Ireland, and when a young lady came to the United States, making her way to
Rochester, New York, where she became the bride of Dan Leary.
Their son, John Lear}', remained under the parental roof until nineteen
years of age and then started to earn his living b,y working as a farm hand.
He was employed in that manner for seven years, after which he removed to
La Rose, Marshall county, Illinois, where he followed farm work for five years
and also operated a farm on shares for two years. About that time he wedded
Miss Mary Ellen Wills, of Lacon, Illinois, and they began their domestic life
upon a rented farm of one hundred and sixty acres. In the cultivation of that
property he met with success and afterward rented another tract of one hun-
dred and forty acres, thus making three hundred acres which he farmed for
ten years. He afterward left that place and rented another tract of two hun-
dred and twenty acres on which he remained for three years. On leaving Illinois
he took up his abode in Barclay township, Black Hawk county, Iowa, and after
living upon a rented farm there for two years he removed to Perry township,
where he rented two hundred and seventy-five acres, continuing the cultivation of
that place for three years. He next came to Buchanan county and in Westburg
township purchased two hundred and forty acres constituting his present home.
This is today a valuable farm property. He paid sixty-five dollars per acre for
the first quarter section and seventy-four dollars per acre for the remaining
eighty acres. He has added many modern e<|uipineiits and improvements to his
place and has good farm buildings which furnish ample shelter for grain and
stock, while in his sheds is found the latest improved farm machinery.
In all these years Mr. Leary has had the able assistance and encouragement
of his "wife, who was born in Lacon, Illinois, in 1863. a daughter of David and
Mary (Martin) Wills. Her father was born in Ripley, Oliio, in 1830, a son of
Samuel and Belinda (^Martin) Wills, and left home at the age of fifteen years,
going to Peoria, Illinois, where he learned steaml)oat engineering. He after-
ward accepted a position as engineer on one of the ^Mississippi river boats and
was on the Jennie Lind during the Civil war. He was also an engineer on Mis-
souri river boats and on boats on the Illinois river at different times, and in
the winter seasons when navigation was impossible he worked at his old trade
of coopering, which he had learned and followed in Ohio and in Peoria, Illinois.
At length he retired to Henry, Marshall county, Illinois, where he passed away
in 1906 at the age of seventy-six years. His wife was born in County Cavan,
Ireland, in 1836, and was a little maiden of but eleven summers when brought
to the United States. Her father died near Pittsfield, Massachusetts, almost
immediately after their arrival, but the mother and daughter continued on their
way to Lacon, Illinois, and lived upon a rented farm. Mrs. Wills now makes
her home with Mrs. Leary. To Mr. and Mrs. Leary have been born five chil-
dren : Charles E., George E., Ora J., Owen D. and Harry W.
The political belief of Mr. Leary is that of the democratic party. Tbe visible
evidence of his life of thrift, industry and determination is liis W(>1I kept farm,
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 443
Avhich he has gained entirely through his own efforts. His business career has
at all times been creditable and his path has never been strewn with the wreck
of other men's fortunes. On the contrary he has ever been reliable and trust-
worthy in his dealings and his prosperity has its root in indefatigable labor.
WILLIAM H. GARLAND.
William H. Garland is a native son of Buchanan county and throughout his
life his interests have been identified with those of the community in which he
lives. He owns and operates two hundred and sixteen acres of land on sections
19 and 20, Madison township, and raises black Poland China hogs and high
grade cattle and horses.
He was born upon the farm where he now resides, on the 11th of July, 1865,
a son of W^illiam and Elsie (Dykeman) Garland. The father passed away at
that place on the 4th of March, 1906, at the age of seventy years. He Avas born
in Cambridgeshire, England, and came to America when sixteen years of age,
locating first at Palmyra, Wisconsin, where he worked for some time. He was
married in Janesville, that state, on the 1st of March, 1863, and in 1865 re-
moved to this county. The family home was established upon land which is
a part of the farm in ^ladison township now in possession of the son William
H. The place was partially improved when it came into his possession but he
further developed it and erected better Iniildings. He bought at first eighty
acres which he operated for a while, and then conducted a mill at Manchester,
Iowa, for some years but in 1877 returned to his farm in this county and resided
there until he removed to Lamont in October, 1898. He was a democrat in pol-
itics and fraternally belonged to the Masonic order. His wife was born in Wal-
worth county, Wisconsin, November 1, 1844, a daughter of Henry and Anna
(W^hittaker) Dykeman. both natives of Schoharie county. New York. She is a
member of the Order of the Eastern Star at ^Manchester. She is still living at
the age of seventy years and resides at Lamont. Besides her son she has a
daughter, ]\Irs. A. A. Smith, of Madison township.
William H. Garland was reared in this county and has made his home here
during his entire life save for a few years spent in Manchester. He attended
school in that city and also pursued his studies in the Richardson schoolhouse
at Buffalo Grove, Madison township. More than two decades ago he took charge
of the home farm and has since cultivated it. The place now comprises two
hundred and sixteen acres of fine land and as he is a man of industry and
sound judgment his success has been assured and his resources have steadily
increased. He follows diversified farming and gives considerable attention to
the raising of black Poland China hogs and cattle and horses.
Mr. Garland was married in this county to Miss Kate Jenks, a half-sister of
C. E. Jenks, of Madison township. She was born and reared in that township
and by her marriage has become the mother of two children : Elmer, a young
man of twenty-two years; and Edith, aged fifteen. Both are at home.
Mr. Garland is a democrat in his political belief and fraternally belongs to
the Yeomen of Aurora. Buchanan county is proud to claim him as a native
444 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
son and is the gainer because he has continued to reside here, devoting his life
to the cultivation of some of the rich land which is the source of the wealth of
the countv.
JAMES VAN ORSDOL.
When death called James Van Orsdol a feeling of deep, genuine and wide-
spread regret was felt throughout Rowley and the surrounding territory, for
through an extended period he was actively connected with business interests in
the town and county as a farmer, as a hotel proprietor and as a dealer in grain
and stock. His life record spanned seventy-seven years, his birth having occurred
in Cook county, Illinois, on the 7th of July, 1835, and his death in RoM'ley on
the 24th of July, 1912. His parents were William and Mercy (Miller) Van
Orsdol, natives of New York. Through much of his life the father followed
farming near Crystal Lake, Illinois, but died in 1844 when a comparatively
young man. ^Irs. Van Orsdol long survived him and passed away in Rowley
in 1889.
James Van Orsdol was reared and educated in Illinois and was also married
in that state. In 1861 he arrived in Buchanan county, driving across the country
and here investing in eighty acres of land in Liberty township. With char-
acteristic energy he ])egan to develop this place and afterward added to it from
time to time by additional purchase until he was the owner of more tlian four
hundred acres. For twenty years he lived upon the farm, carefully and sys-
tematically tilling the soil and winning thereby a substantial competence. At
length he rented his farm and removed to Rowley, where he opened a hotel
which he successfully conducted for nine years. Within that period he pur-
chased one hundred and sixty acres of land in Homer township and he culti-
vated both farms in connection with the management of the hotel. Eventually,
however, he closed out his hotel business and concentrated his energies upon the
grain and live-stock business in connection with his sons, at the same time carry-
ing on his farming interests. He nevei" sought to figure prominently in any
public relation, preferring to concentrate his energies upon his business affairs,
and an analyzation of his life record shows that industry, determination and
commendable aml)ition were the salient features in his career.
On the 28th of December. 1858, when a young man of twenty-three years,
Mr. Van Orsdol was married to Miss Jessie Forrest, a daughter of AVilliam and
Jennie (Drynen) Forrest, who were natives of Scotland. On crossing the
Atlantic the father settled in Canada at an early day, and it was while the
family resided in that country that Mrs. Van Orsdol was born on the 14th of
September, 1837. The following year the father took his family to Illinois,
where he purchased land and developed a good farm in McIIenry county, there
carrying on agricultural pursuits for a number of years. Finally he retired
from active business life and removed to Chicago, where he remained until he
was called to his final rest in 1851. His wife died in July, 1884. ]\Ir. and ]\lrs.
Van Orsdol became the parents of six children, of whom two died in infancy.
The others are : Charles W.. who is a resident of St. Paul, Minnesota ; Willis F.,
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY 445
whose demise occurred on the 27th of August, 1910 ; George, who passed away
in 1871; and Frank J., a stock and grain dealer of Rowley.
The family circle was again broken by the hand of death, when on the 24th
of July, 1912, Mr. Van Orsdol passed away after an illness of but five days.
He had filled the office of county supervisor for three years and was always
loyal to the best interests of the community, although not a politician in the
sense of office seeking. He voted with the democratic party and held member-
ship in the Presbyterian church. He lived the life of an earnest, consistent
Christian gentleman and the teachings of his religion found exemplification in
his daily conduct and in all of his relations with his fellowmen, so that his record
constitutes an example well worthy of emulation. Mrs. Van Orsdol still survives
her husband and is now living at the age of seventy-seven years in Rowley,
where she has an extended circle of warm friends.
HENRY E. BURKE.
Henry E. Burke is engaged in general farming, owning and cultivating two
hundred and ten acres in Hazleton township. He was born ]\Iarch 25, 1862,
in Independence and his entire life has been passed in this county. His parents
were Robert and Ann (McLaughlin) Burke, both of whom were natives of Ire-
land. The father, who was born in 1830, died in 1896 and the mother, who was
born in 1841, is now living with a daughter in Chicago. Robert Burke was
twenty-one years of age when he came to the new world and the lady whom he
afterward married crossed the Atlantic when a maiden of seventeen summers.
He resided for a time in Baltimore, ^Maryland, and in 1857 arrived in Inde-
pendence, which was then a small town and gave little evidence of the growth
and prosperity to which it would attain. The McLaughlins arrived in Iowa in
1859 and it was subsequent to that time that the young couple were married.
In early manhood Robert Burke learned the mason's trade, which he followed
until his retirement from active business, being employed on all of the early
brick buildings erected in Independence. He also owned land near this city,
but never engaged in farming, and he was living in Independence at the time
of his demise. His political allegiance was given to the democratic party, and
his religious belief was that of the Roman Catholic church.
In the family were four children, but Henry E. Burke, the second in order
of birth, is the only one now residing in Buchanan county. He attended the
schools of Independence and remained with his parents until thirty-five years
of age. He engaged in teaming and also in the cultivation of land owned by
his father. After starting out in life independently he carried on farming in
Sumner township for five years and in 1904 removed to Hazleton township,
settling upon his present farm of two hundred and ten acres, which is a well
developed property. He has brought his fields to a high state of cultivation
and annually harvests good crops as a reward for the care and labor he bestows
upon the place. He also raises considerable stock and his business affairs are
most carefully, energetically and systematically managed and directed. In ad-
446 HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
dition to his other interests he is a director and stockholder in the Bryantburg
Savings Bank.
In 1890 Mr. Burke was united in marriage to Miss Margaret Crinnion, a
native of Ireland and a daughter of Michael and Ann (McGinnis) Crinnion,
who were also natives of the Emerald isle and are now residing upon a farm
in Fairbank township, this county. They came to the United States in 1882,
settling first in Illinois and thence removing to Iowa. In their family were
twelve children. Mr. and Mrs. Burke have become the parents of four children :
Robert, who wedded Mary Michaels and has one son; and Harry, Thomas and
Leo, who are assisting their father in the cultivation of the home farm.
The religious faith of the family is that of the Catholic church, and Mr.
Burke has membership with the Knights of Columbus at Oelwein. In politics
he is a democrat, but does not seek nor desire office, preferring to concentrate
his energies upon his business affairs, in which he is meeting with substantial
success as is indicated in the fact of his ownership of his presen 
