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HISTORY OF
BUTLER COUNTY
IOWA
A Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress
and Achievement
By IRVING H. HA^T
VOLUME 11
ILLUSTRATED
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CHICAGO
THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY
1914
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MILLAED F. EDWARDS
BIOGRAPHICAL
MILLARD FILLMORE EDWARDS.
Not only does the Hon. Millard Fillmore Edwards enjoy the
distinction of occupying a foremost position in the legal frater-
nity of Butler county but has also prominently participated in
public affairs, wherein his efforts have been an acknowledged fac-
tor in serving the public good. He has been a member of the
state legislature, and in 1912 his talents again won him recog-
nition, for he was elected to the position of judge of the district
court of the twelfth judicial district. Upon the bench he has
found new scope for Ms activities and knowledge and has gained
wide recognition for his impartial administration of justice.
A native of Pennsylvania, Judge Edwards was born near
Muncy, Lycoming county, October 22, 1858, a son of William and
Catherine (Smole) Edwards, both of whom were natives of the
Keystone state. The father was born August 17, 1832, and after
a successful career as a farmer and stock-raiser passed away
March 7, 1897. The mother, whose date of birth was August 18»
1834, survived her husband about seven years, dying on the 23d
of July, 1903. In their family were five children: Mary, who
passed away in infancy; Millard Fillmore; Anna L., who was
born January 23, 1861, and is the wife of J. S. Cranmer, now of
South Williamsport, Pennsylvania ; Lydia C, born July 20, 1863,.
now making her home in Montoursville, Pennsylvania; and Au-
gustus E., who was born September 15, 1865, and is a resident of
New York city. The Edwards family is of Welsh lineage, while
the maternal ancestors of our subject came from Germany.
In the acquirement of his early education Judge Edwards
attended public school and private normal school in Lycoming
county, Pennsylvania, and subsequently entered the Pennsyl-
vania State Normal School at Millersville. In 1882 he graduated
from the Central State Normal School at Lock Haven, Pennsyl-
vania, his high standing in his class being evidenced in the fact
that he was selected as one of the class orators for the commence-
ment exercises. At intervals in the period in which he was acquir-
5
6 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
iug his education and fur some time afterward lie taught school
in his native county, advancing steadily until he attained the posi-
tion of principal of one of the graded schools. To perfect him-
self in practical knowledge he pursued during that period a course
in a commercial college at AYilliamsport, Pennsylvania. He came
to Iowa for the first time in 1883 and upon his arrival in this
state entered the law department of the State University in order
to prepare himself for the legal i3rofession, entering upon his
studies with the same energy and zeal which had won him suc-
cess in teaching. He was graduated in 1884, after Avhich he
returned to Pennsylvania, where he entered the law office of B. S.
Bently, of Williamsport. A year later he returned to Iowa and
in July, 1885, settled in Parkersburg, where he entered into part-
nership in the practice of law with the Hon. O. B. Courtright.
This connection continued for little more than two years, when
Mr. Edwards retired from the firm. In September, 1898, he was
joined by Robert F. Camp and the law firm of Edwards & Camp
was continued for ten years, or until 1908. Mr. Camp then
retired from the firm, being succeeded by J. V. Gregory under
the law firm style of Edwards & Gregory, which connection was
maintained until 1910. Subsequent to that time Judge Edwards
practiced alone and all through the years of his residence here
up to the time of his elevation to the bench he was connected
with much important litigation, handling some of the largest
cases that have appeared before the courts. He occupies a most
creditable and enviable position at the Butler county bar, due
largely to the fact that he has always prepared his cases with
great thoroughness and skill; that he is clear and forceful in
argument, commanding at all times the attention of court or jury.
He has gained many verdicts favorable to his clients, for his rea-
soning is logical, his deductions are sound and he is always pre-
pared to meet the most unlooked-for exigencies in any suit. He
was admitted to practice before the federal and state courts in
Iowa City in 1884 and until January, 1913, when he was elevated
to. the bench, continued in the private practice of law with remark-
able success.
In 1912 he was nominated and elected to the position of judge
of the twelfth judicial district of Iowa and, although he has held
this office a comparatively short time, has already established
a reputation for impartiality which places him high among the
representatives of the judiciary of the state. He has a thorough
understanding of intricate legal problems and, being deeply im-
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 7
bued with a sense of the majesty of the law and the important
functions of an ancient and noble profession, he discharges his
duties with admirable and conscientious ability. His decisions
are always based upon the letter of the law and are generally
accepted by both sides as final. His long and distinguished career
in private ^Dractice gained him the experience that greatly assists
him in upholding the dignity of his office and he is not only highl}^
respected in Parkersburg but throughout the entire twelfth
judicial district, comprising Butler, Floyd, Bremer, Cerro Gordo,
Hancock, Winnebago, Worth and Mitchell counties.
At Parkersburg, on the 21st of July, 1887, Judge Edwards
was married to Miss Ida Whiting, a daughter of C. L. and Kate
(Peterkin) Whiting, the former a well known and prominent
contractor and builder who also was engaged in agricultural pur-
suits for some time. The parents now make their home in
Snohomish, Washington. Judge and Mrs. Edwards have two
daughters, Helen Catherine and Mildred Irene. The former is a
graduate of Cornell College of Mount Vernon, Iowa, and received
the Master of Arts degree from Chicago University in August,
1913. She is now connected with the high school at East Waterloo,
Iowa, where she teaches Latin and English.
Judge Edwards gives his allegiance to the republican party
and has always taken a most prominent part in public life. He
served Parkersburg for two terms as mayor and during his
administrations brought about many beneficial results. Inter-
ested in educational matters, he has served on the school board
and was also for many years township clerk. In the greater poli-
tics of the state he has also participated, having been elected to
the twenty-eighth general assembly in 1899. His ability was
quickly recognized and he was made chairman of the house com-
mittee on telegraph, telephone and express and was a member
of the committee on judiciary, railroads and commerce, and peni-
tentiaries, judicial districts and police regulations. During this
one term he attained such prominence that during that session
he was made a member of the sifting committee toward the clos-
ing days of that legislature. He was reelected to the twenty-
nintli general assembly, continuing his creditable record and
doing much important work in committee rooms and on the floor
of the house. In his religious faith Judge Edwards is a Metho-
dist, being a member of that church in Parkersburg and serving
as trustee and one of the stewards of the same. Fraternally he
belongs to the Knights of Pythias. He owns his o\\ti residence,
8 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
aud liis home enjoys a reiDutation for the most kind-hearted hos-
pitality. Judge Edwards has become recognized as a power for
good in his town and county and has ever done his best to pro-
mote worthy public enterprises. He enjoys the utmost confi-
dence and regard of his fellow citizens and his life record is an
honor to the town and county which have honored him publicly and
privately and which have found him callable in public positions
of the greatest imiDortance. Judge Edwards during the time of
his residence in Butler county, has resided and now resides at
Parkersburg.
LUCIUS FRANKLIN BRISTOL.
Lucius Franklin Bristol is a leading citizen of Shell Rock and
Butler county. He conducts business as a contractor and builder
and has thus been prominently identified with the work of public
improvement. Formerly he was identified with mercantile inter-
ests and in all business relations has made a most creditable
record. His position too as a citizen is one most commendable, for
he has ever manifested a spirit of patriotism and loyalty and
served as a soldier in the Civil war. He was born in Kenosha
county, Wisconsin, June 17, 1843, and is a son of Lester S. and
Anzolette (Cleland) Bristol. The father was born in Auburn,
New York, in 1801, and the mother's birth occurred in Girard,
Pennsylania, July 17, 1814. In his boyhood days Lester S.
Bristol worked on the construction of the state prison at Auburn,
New York. He afterward learned the trade of carriage making,
which he followed throughout the remainder of his days, being
employed at different tunes in Charleston, South Carolina, Pitts-
burg, Pennsylvania, and Syracuse, New York. He was married
at Girard, Pennsvlvania, after which he removed westward to
Illinois and purchased eighty acres of land on the x^resent site of
Chicago. He resided thereon for one season and then sold the
property for five hundred dollars. About 1840 he went to Kenosha
county, Wisconsin, where he built a wagon shop and there worked
at his trade for a long period. He died in Butler county, Iowa, in
1871, having long survived his wife, who passed away on the 4th
of July, 1844. In their family were five children : AYalter L. now
lives in Cairo, Illinois. Edward C, who died in Seatttle, Wash-
ington, in 1912, was for five years and eight months a soldier. He
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 9
enlisted in the Seventh Iowa Cavalry, served all through the Civil
war and afterward participated in the military movement against
the Indians. George L., who served for three years as a member
of the Twenty-second Wisconsin Cavalry, died in Bristol, Wiscon-
sin, in July, 1901. Sarah Adaline was married in 1862 to A. G.
Stonebraker and died in 1864. L. F. Bristol completes the family.
The last named was reared in his native county, no event of
special importance occurring to vary the routine of life for him
until the outbreak of the Civil war, when his patriotic spirit was
aroused and he joined the Second Wisconsin Cavalry, with which
he served for eleven months. He was then honorably discharged
but he reenlisted in the Ninth Illinois Cavalry, with which he
remained until December, 1865. He was taken prisoner while
detailed to guard the paymaster on a Mississippi river boat above
Memphis in 1864. He was held a prisoner for five days, after
which he managed to make his escape, although twenty men fired
at him and many bullets pierced his clothing and hat. There were
about twenty shots in the leg which he carries today. While he
was in the service he had two horses shot from under him and
again and again he was in the thickest of the fight, serving most
of the time as a bugler of the Ninth Illinois Cavalry. When the
war was over he returned to his home with the most creditable
military record, having never been known to falter in the face of
danger no matter how great his peril.
Returning to Sharon, Wisconsin, Mr. Bristol was a resident
there until the spring of 1871, when he came to Shell Rock and
here established a retail furniture and undertaking business,
which he conducted for twenty years, winning a fair measure of
success. He also manufactured furniture at the same time. He
then went upon the road as traveling representative for wholesale
furniture dealers and was also interested in a furniture manufac-
tory. For the past four years, however, he has remained in Shell
Rock, where he has engaged in contracting and building, devoting
most of his time to the erection of houses, a number of which stand
as monuments to his skill, ability and enterprise.
In Wisconsin, in 1867, Mr. Bristol was married to Miss Abbie
L. Olmstead, who died in 1880, leaving two children : Edith, now
the wife of W. E. Probert, of Cedar Falls; and Ella M., the wife
of Arthur L. Dewey, of Memphis, Tennessee. Mr. Bristol's
present wife was Mrs. Cynthia E. (Lewis) Sutherland, and they
were married in 1893. Mrs. Bristol is a native of Jonesville,
Michigan. For many years she held a position in the Chicago
10 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
postoffice, where she was known to be thoroughly trustworthy and
competent. She has one son by her former marriage, Perley B.
Sutherland, a resident of Detroit, Michigan.
Mr. Bristol has always given his political support to the repub-
lican party, which was the defense of the union during the dark
days of the Civil war and has always been regarded as the party
of reform and i^rogress. He is well known as a member of Shell
Rock Lodge No. 270, I. O. O. F., of which he was the first secre-
tarv, and he is also connected with the Rebekahs. He is likewise
a member of the Grand Army Post and thus maintains pleasant
relations with his old army comrades. He enjoys reminiscences of
the days, when he followed the old flag on southern battlefields, and
it is well known that he is as loyal to the stars and stripes at the
present time as when he wore the nation's blue uniform. He is a
popular, genial man who has many friends, and Shell Rock
numbers him among its valued citizens.
WILLIAM H. MOORE.
Death called William H. Moore on the 11th of February, 1913,
and in his j)assing Clarksville and the community mourned the loss
of a representative and valued citizen. He had long been identi-
fied with agricultural interests and the way in which he managed
his business affairs made one recognize the fact that the wealth
of Iowa is in her soil and her strength lies in its intelligent de-
velopment. Mr. Moore was born in Schoharie county. New York.
March 14, 1840, and was a son of John and Alonsa (Turner) Moore,
who spent their entire lives upon a farm in the Empire state. The
paternal grandfather was a native of Holland and became the
founder of the family in the new world. John Moore was married
twice, his first union being with Betsy Wickes, by whom he had
three children, while by the second marriage there were five chil-
dren. John Madison Moore, a brother of William H. Moore,
became a resident of Butler county, as did his half-sister, Mrs.
Margaret Snyder.
William H. Moore engaged in teaching school in New York
and Wisconsin in early manhood and also followed the same pro-
fession in Butler county. Leaving the Empire state in 1861, he
removed westward to Wisconsin and was there residing when in
1865 he responded to the country's call for troops, enlisting in the
^'^'- KE¥/ YORK
-UC LIBRARY
LENOX
OATIONS
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 13
Forty-sixth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, with which he served
as a private for eight months, being on duty in Tennessee and
northern Georgia. In 1866 he arrived in this county and purchased
land in Butler township, where he devoted the remainder of his
active life to general farming. He had three hundred and twenty
acres in his home place and although he began farming here on
a small scale he was very successful, his labors being crowned
with substantial prosperity as the years went by. At length he
was in possession of a handsome competence sufficient to supply
him with all of the comforts of life through his remaining days
and at his death he left to his family a goodly competence. He
retired to Clarksville in the fall of 1908 and there remained in the
enjoyment of a well earned rest until called to his final home on
the 11th of February, 1913.
It was on the 17th of November, 1867, that Mr. Moore was
united in marriage to Miss Mary Ann Perrin, who was born
in Pennsylvania, October 20, 1847, and in the fall of 1851
came to Butler county with her parents, Jeremiah and
Elizabeth (Scarber) Perrin, who were natives of England
and after their marriage crossed the Atlantic to the United
States, settling in Pennsylvania. Ultimately they removed
to the west and both died in Butler county, Iowa, the mother
in 1865 and the father on the 26th of September, 1903. He
was a farmer throughout his active business life and in his
later years he also became interested in banking and was ac-
counted one of the prominent business men of this section of the
state. Since coming to Iowa with her parents in 1851 Mrs. Moore
has continuously resided in this county save the second year after
her marriage, when with her husband she returned to Schoharie
county, New York. About a year later, however, they again came
to Iowa, where she has since lived and now for more than six
decades she has been a witness of the growth and development of
this section of the state. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Moore were born six
children: Ellena, at home; Delmar J., who is a member of the
Waterloo Auto Supply Company at Waterloo, Iowa; Lizzie, the
wife of H. V. Chapin, of Red Bluff, California ; Anna Perrin, the
wife of J. L. Carr, of West Plains, Missouri ; Arthur Garfield, who
is operating the home farm east of Clarksville ; and Alpha Retta,
with her mother. All of the children were born in Butler county.
Mr. Moore was one of the valued representatives of the Grand
Army of the Republic and delighted in meeting with his old army
comrades. In politics he was a republican from the time that age
14 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
conferred upon him the right of franchise, and he held a number
of offices, the duties of which he acceptably discharged. During
the last nineteen years of his life he was a member of the Christian
church and for many years was a member and president of the
church board being also an elder of the church, and his daily record
was in harmony with his professions. His religion was not merely
a matter of Sunday observance but guided him in all of his rela-
tions with his f ellowmen and made him a citizen whom to know was
to respect and honor.
FRED L. STOBER.
Fred L. Stober, well known in financial circles of Butler
county, is cashier of the First State Bank of Grreene. It was in
the town of Greene that he was born July 11, 1877, a son of Louis
J. Stober, who came with his parents from Germany to America
during his childhood days. The family home was established in
Freeport, Illinois, where he grew to manhood. In 1876, at Bloom-
ington, Illinois, Louis J. Stober married Miss Fredericka Koehn,
who was also a native of Germany and was about eighteen years
of age when she became a resident of Illinois. It was in Freeport,
that state, that Louis J. Stober learned the harness-maker's trade,
which he followed continuouslv until 1876. The same vear he
removed westward to Iowa, settling in Greene, where he estab-
lished a harness shop, engaging in active business in this city for
thirty-five years thereafter. In 1912 he disposed of the shop and
since that time has lived retired, enjoying a well earned and well
merited rest. He and his wife became the parents of three sons :
Fred L., of this review; Dr. Alvin M., a successful medical prac-
titioner in Chicago; and Dr. Ray W., a well known physician of
Freeport, Illinois.
Fred L. Stober was reared at home and acquired his educa-
tion in the public schools of Greene. After completing the high-
school course he accepted a position in the First State Bank in
January, 1895, beginning in a humble capacity, from which he
rose rapidly. Soon after he became connected with the institu-
tion he was made bookkeeper, and he served as such until Janu-
ary, 1903, when he was elected cashier. He has since remained in
this position and has established himself firmly in the public
regard as one of the leading and reliable financiers of the county.
He is a stockholder in the bank and is a director in the Electric
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 15
Xiight & Power Company, which he aided in promoting, and he
is held in high regard by his business associates.
In Greene, on the 29th of November, 1900, Mr. Stober was
united in marriage to Miss May M. Mason, who was born in Clyde,
Ohio, and is a daughter of N. B. and Elizabeth (Carlton) Mason.
Mr. Mason is a native of New York and Mrs. Mason a native of
Ohio. He is a veteran of the Civil war and at one time was sher-
iff of Sandusky county, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Stober have three
children, Fred Mason, Maude E., and Louis James.
Mr. Stober is a Master Mason and is identified also with the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows. In the local organizations of
both he has been active and is a past grand in the Odd Fellows
lodge. His wife is connected with both the Rebekahs and the
Order of the Eastern Star.
Politically Mr. Stober gives his allegiance to the republican
party and he has filled several important positions of trust and
responsibility. He served for a number of years as town clerk
and since 1910 has been clerk of Coldwater township. He has also
been secretary of the school board and secretary of the Greene
Library Association. His public spirit has prompted him to
activity along many lines which have been of direct benefit to his
community and at the same time he is a representative business
man, carefully managing his individual affairs so that he is win-
ning good results for his family.
JOHN F. MOTT.
The official record of John F. Mott is creditable alike to him-
self and his constituents and the confidence reposed in him by
his fellow townsmen is best indicated in the fact that he is now
serving for the third term as mayor of Clarksville. Abraham
Lincoln has said: ''You can fool all of the people some of the
time and some of the people all of the time, but you cannot fool
all of the people all of the time," and when a man has been again
and again called to public office it is unmistakable proof of the
fact that his fellow towmsmen recognize in him the qualities of
an efficient officer and one who is conscientious in the discharge
of his duties. As chief executive Mr. Mott has given to his city
a businesslike and progressive administration characterized by
progress and needed reforms. A native of Livingston county,
16 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
New Y^ork, he was born August 1, 1844, of the marriage of Bethuel
and Eliza (Grovesteen) Mott, who were also natives of the Em-
pire state and there spent their entire lives. The father was of
English descent, while the mother came of German lineage, and
both come of old New Y^ork families represented in the state for
several generations. He became a paper manufacturer and con-
ducted the business until death ended his labors.
John F. Mott w^as the oldest of eleven children, three of whom
are now deceased. One of the number, Alonzo Mott, now living in
Clarksville, enlisted for service in the Civil war in 1863 as a mem-
ber of Com23any J, One Hundred and rift3^-third New Y^ork
Volunteer Infantry, and served until the close of hostilities under
General Banks. When John F. Mott was five years of age his
jDarents removed with their family to Esperance, Schoharie
countv, New York. When he was a voutli of fifteen he left home
and went to Montgomery county, that state, to which county his
parents subsequently removed, si3ending their last days in Amster-
dam.
It was in Montgomery county, in 1863, that John F. Mott was
united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Leonardson, who was born
in Canajoharie, New Y^ork. In November, 1865, they went to
Toledo, Ohio, and in 1871 became residents of Monroe couut.y,
Missouri, whence in 1873 they came to Iowa, traveling by
prairie schooner to Bremer county, where they located on a farm
near the Butler county line. There Mr. Mott carried on general
agricultural pursuits until 188], when he purchased a farm on
section 24, Butler county. He contimied its further cultivation
and development for some time but in Sej^tember, 1894, removed
to Clarksville, where he was engaged in the live-stock lousiness and
where he has since made his home. For a few years in early life
he worked with his father in the pai3er mill but the greater part
of his life has been devoted to agricultural pursuits. About ten
years ago he purchased two hundred and eighty acres of land in
Mower county, Minnesota, but sold it in the fall of 1912. He was
engaged in the live-stock business in Clarksville for twelve years,
buying, selling and shipping stock, but in 1902 withdrew from
that activity upon being elected to public office.
It was on that date that Mr. Mott was chosen county super-
visor, in which position he served for two terms or six years,
making a creditable record in that connection. He has always
been a stalwart republican in j^olitics and upon the party ticket
has been elected to a number of local offices. For some vears he
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 17
served as assessor and trustee of Butler township and he was
elected a member of the city council of Clarksville before being
first elected to the position of mayor, in which he is now serving,
for the third term of two years. He has ever exercised his official
prerogatives in support of measures and movements for the gen-
eral good and his official record is indeed commendable. He has
also been a member of the county central committee and his opin-
ions carry weight in republican circles.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Mott were born three children: Ada, the
wife of Grant A. Gibson, of Valley Ford, Washington; Charles,
who is living in Dexter, Minnesota; and Elmer J., of Raymond,
South Dakota. The two oldest are natives of New York and the
youngest of Missouri. Mr. Mott is a Mason, belonging to Butler
Lodge, No. 94, F. & A. M., and also to Temple Chapter, No. 74,
R. A. M. He and his wife have an extensive circle of warm friends
in Clarksville and throughout the county and he is justly num-
bered among the representative citizens of his section of the state.
WINFRED C. SHEPARD.
Winfred C. Shepard is numbered among the native sons of
Butler county, whose record reflects credit and honor upon the
place of his nativity. Making good use of his time and oppor-
tunities, he has gained for himself a creditable position as a
member of the bar and as president of the Craig-Ray Abstract
Company, Incorporated, of Allison. He was born in Clarksville,
January 25, 1879, a son of A. D. and Alice (Sill) Shepard. The
father was born in Vermont, December 2, 1852, and at the age of
fourteen years came to this county to live with an uncle, Ben-
jamin Priest, for his mother had died when he was very young
and his father Ernest Dexter Shepard had died during the Civil
war. A. D. Shepard has since lived in Butler county and now
makes his home on a farm near Clarksville, being one of the
worthy and respected representatives of agricultural pursuits in
this section of the state. In her earh^ girlhood his wife accom-
panied her parents on their removal from New York to Wisconsin.
Later her father came to Iowa and secured government land in
Jackson township, Butler county, to which the family removed.
Her parents were Mr. and Mrs. George Sill, the mother's maiden
name being Cooper. Both are now deceased. Mrs. Sill passed
18 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
away on the farm, on wliicli they first located and Mr. Sill died later
at his home southeast of Clarksville. In the family of Mr. and
Mrs. A. D. Shepard were seven sons and three daughters, all of
whom survived.
Winfred C. Shepard has spent his entire life in Butler county,
remaining on the farm with his father until seventeen years of age.
He attended the country schools and the Clarksville high school,
from which he was graduated with the class of 1897. Later he was
for two years a student in Cornell college at Mount Vernon, Iowa,
and in 1905 was graduated from the law department of Drake
University. Having thus qualified for a professional career he
returned to Allison, where he has since engaged in practice, being
now recognized as one of the able young members of the bar. He
prepares his cases with thoroughness and skill and in addition to
a gratifying private practice, he is acting as local attorney for
the Chicago & Great Western and the Chicago & Northwestern
Railroads. He is also president of the Craig-Ray Abstract Com-
pany, Incorporated, of Allison.
On the 1st of May, 1909, Mr. Shepard was married to Miss
Addie E. Loomer, a native of this county and a daughter of Phillip
Loomer of Clarksville. They have had one child, Virgil Eugene.
The parents are members of the Methodist church and Mr. Shep-
ard is a republican. He served for one term as mayor of Allison
and is the present city clerk. He has been a delegate to various
political conventions and is deeply interested in all the vital ques-
tions pertaining to good government, municipal, state or national.
In fact he is an alert, wide-awake, energetic man, who keeps
abreast with the times and his worth as a citizen is widely acknowl-
edged, while his position in professional circles is one of gTowing
importance.
MOULTON HARTNESS.
Of that class of public-spirited and progressive citizens upon
which the security of any community rests, is Moulton Hartness,
who for the past twenty-one years has practiced law in Greene,
winning in the interval a remarkable and well deserved profes-
sional success. He was born in Butler county, near Clarksville.
October 15, 1859, a son of George and Susan (Bonwell) Hartness,
the former born in Virginia about 1835. He came west with his
parents when he was still a child and located in Indiana, where he
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 19
grew to manhood. In 1855 tie came as a pioneer into Iowa, locating
in Butler county, where he resided for many years. He and his
wife became the parents of three children: Moulton, of this re-
view; John; and Eleanor E., who resides in Clarksville with her
mother.
Moulton Hartness remained upon the home farm until he was
eighteen years of age, acquiring his primary education in the coun-
try school and supplementing this by a course in the Clarksville
high school. After graduating from that institute he attended
business college in Keokuk and he later studied law under Captain
C. A. L. Roszelle, a prominent attorne}^ Mr. Hartness was ad-
mitted to the Iowa bar at Des Moines in 1890. He had previously
located in Greene, where he held a position in the First State
Bank, retaining this for a time after his admission. He resigned
it however, in 1892, and opened a law office in the First State Bank
building and since that time has been one of the active and promi-
nent members of the legal fraternity, of Butler county. He pos-
sesses a comprehensive and exact knowledge of underlying legal
principles and a clear and analytical mind, and these qualifications
have won him distinction in a profession where advancement comes
only as a result of superior merit and ability. Mr. Hartness has
accumulated an excellent law librar}^ one of the largest and most
complete in the county and he has remained always a close and
earnest student of his profession.
At Mount Pleasant, Iowa, November 28, 1889, Mr. Hartness
married Miss Venia E. Tracy, a native of Ohio, who was reared and
educated in Iowa. She is a graduate of the Mount Pleasant high
school and for some years engaged in teaching. Mr. and Mrs.
Hartness became the parents of two sons : Moulton, Jr., a gradu-
ate of the Ellsworth School of Stenography, who for a time read
law in his father's office, and is now a student in the law depart-
ment of the Iowa State University; and Joseph G., a graduate
of the Greene high school and now a student at Grinnell college.
Fraternally, Mr. Hartness is identified with the blue lodge
Masons, of which he is lodge master, and he is also a member of
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias.
Mrs. Hartness is a devout member of the Methodist Episcopal
church, president of the Ladies' Aid Society and also a member
of the Home Mission Society. Mr. Hartness gives his political
allegiance to the republican party and although he has never de-
sired office for himself has always taken a prominent part in
public affairs. The cause of education has found in him a loyal
champion, for he has accomplished a great deal of important work
20 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
along this line during his twenty years on the school board, for the
past fifteen years of which he has served as president. His cooper-
ation can always be counted upon in the promotion of public enter-
prises, which have for their object, community advancement and
growth. He was one of the promoters of the Electric Light &
Power Company, in which he is still a stockholder and director.
He is a man of more than ordinary ability and the jDosition which
he occupies in social, political and professional circles is the fit
reward of a life of well directed energy and straightforward deal-
ings.
HOK WILLIAM I. ATKINSON.
The consensus of public opinion accords Hon. William I. Atkin-
son a prominent position in public regard. Attacks have been
made upon him but they have been of a partisan nature and none
questioned the integrity of his motives or the honesty of his posi-
tion. It is said that no man in Butler county has a wider personal
acquaintance and perhaps none has a larger circle of friends.
Faith in him was strongly expressed in the election of November,
1912, when he was chosen to represent his district in the state legis-
lature, being the first native son that Butler county has sent to the
general assembly. He was born in Clarksville, March 17, 1876, his
parents being Henry and Sophia Atkinson, of whom mention is
made elsewhere in this volume. He was thirteen years of age when
his father died at which time he left the farm. He was the young-
est of seven children, but at an early age he realized the importance
of acquiring an education and he spared no labor that would bring
about this end. While attending high school the vacation months
were devoted to farm work and later he taught school, whereby he
was enabled to continue his own studies. His early teaching ex-
perience was in the rural schools of Butler county and subsequently
he was engaged as assistant principal of the schools of Clarksville.
He was also at one time principal of the school at Ridgeway, Win-
neshiek county, Iowa. He worked his way through three years at
the Upper Iowa University of Fayette and next entered the State
University, where he devoted a year to the study of history and
political science before entering the law college from which he was
graduated in 1906. He was then admitted to the bar, but has never
engaged actively in practice. The elemental strength of his char-
HON. WILLIAM I. ATKINSON
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 23
acter is displayed in the resolute way in which he obtained an edu-
cation in the face of difficulties and obstacles, which would have
utterly deterred many a young man of less resolute spirit and
laudable ambition. While in college he became greatly interested
in the lyceum business and following his graduation from the law
department he gave his entire attention to lyceum work, which
developed to large i^roportions and won him promotion from the
position of agent to that of district manager for the Mutual Lyceum
Bureau of Chicago, his territory comprising Iowa, South Dakota
and southern Minnesota. He managed the interests of the bureau
with such keen insight and capability that he won the commenda-
tion and approval not only of the home office, but of all those for
whose interests he cared in connection with public entertainments.
In September, 1913, at the convention in Chicago, Mr. Atkinson
was elected vice president of the International Lyceum Asso-
ciation.
Mr. Atkinson was united in marriage to Miss Rachel Patti
Maxon, a talented reader of Brooklyn, New York, who died in
1909. He has a circle of friends almost coextensive with the circle
of his acquaintances and they reach far beyond the limits of Butler
county, for he is now widely known in this and adjoining states.
In Masonry he has attained the Knight Templar degree and is also
a member of El Kahir Temple of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine.
He also belongs to the Knights of Pythias and the Benevolent
Protective Order of Elks. In politics he has ever been a stalwart
republican and following the suggestion of many friends he at
length announced himself as a candidate for the position of gen-
eral assemblyman from Butler county. His election followed and
during his first session he was given a chairmanship — an unusual
honor — being placed at the head of the committee of the college
for the blind. He is also a member of the committees on state edu-
cational institutions, normal schools, roads and highways, public
health, schools and text books, enrolled bills, appropriations and
soldiers' and orphans' homes. He is greatly interested in legis-
lation affecting schools and public health. He has studied the in-
terests of humanity rather than material things and he strongly
opposed the proposed change made by the state board of education
in state schools and has been an unfaltering advocate for better
rural schools. Speaking of his business career a contemporary
biographer has written, ''The story of his rise from an agent to the
district manager for the Mutual Lyceum Bureau, handling the
territory embraced in his own state. South Dakota and southern
Vnl. TT— 'J
24 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
Minnesota, is an inspiration to the many thousands who have since
looked to him for their higher, nobler amusements ; their purpose-
ful, profitable, mental and moral uplift, and those musical and
literary treats that have turned thousands of dreary evenings into
a joy forever. The lyceum and the chautauqua have been the
greatest liberalizers in religion, politics and business, more so than
any other institution extant. That is why Iowa appreciates Wil-
liam and looks to him as a candidate who will represent the state
as well as Butler county. On March the 8th, 1912, William I.
Atkinson of Clarksville, was elected a member of the State His-
torical Society in recognition of his work in that line. This is an
honor that comes only by invitation. Here I have not said a thing
about those traits of character, those tests of manhood's real worth
that are revealed only to those who know the inward workings of
our lives. I will simply say that God only makes a few men who
always ring true and fortunate indeed is he who enjoys the friend-
ship of one of these. ' '
Such a one is William I. Atkinson, whose splendid physique
is but the expression of a still broader, stronger and more stalwart
nature. With him life is real and earnest and he attacks each duty
with a contagious enthusiasm that produces gratifying results.
V. C. BIRNEY, M. D.
Dr. V. C. Birney, the oldest medical practitioner in Butler
county, dates his residence in Greene from 1872 and since that
time has become established as one of the leading and prominent
physicians and surgeons in this section of the state. He was
born in Ontario, Canada, November 1, 1849, a son of Dr. Lewis
and Mary (Ferris) Birney, the former a native of New York
state and the latter of Canada. The father grew to manhood in
his native community and later moved to Toronto, Ontario, where
he studied medicine. After receiving his degree he moved to the
States, locating in Floyd county, this state, in 1856. He engaged
in general practice there for many 3^ears, afterward moving to
Nora Springs, where he spent his declining years, his death oc-
curring about 1908. His wife survives him and is still hale and
hearty at the age of eighty-eight.
Dr. V. C. Birney came to Iowa with his parents when he was
but a child and he grew to manhood in Floyd county, acquiring
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 25
his primary education in the public schools. He supplemented
this by two years at Osage Academy. From his boyhood he had
studied medicine under his father and before he was twenty-one
he became thoroughly familiar with the basic principles of the
science. He took his first course of lectures at Rush Medical
College in Chicago but he completed his studies at Keokuk, re-
ceiving his degree of M. D. in 1878. Prior to receiving his degree
he practiced with his father for a short time and then in March,
1872, located in Greene, where he has since remained in practice.
He is without doubt the oldest physician in Butler and adjacent
counties and his broad and varied experience is one of his
greatest assets. He* has, however, kept in touch with the most
advanced thought of his profession, supplementing his early
training by special courses in medicine and surgery and by
constant reading, research and investigation. He is a prominent
surgeon, having performed many difficult operations most suc-
cessfully, and his practice is large and important — the result of
forty-one years of earnest, conscientious and disinterested work.
Dr. Birney is a member of the Butler County, the Austin Flint
and the Cedar Valley Medical Societies and in this way keeps
in touch with the most advanced medical thought. He has re-
mained always a close and earnest student of his profession and
has a fine medical library of which he makes constant use. He
has prepared and presented articles before the medical societies
to which he belongs and is a recognized authority upon many
branches of his profession. In the course of time he has secured
a comfortable fortune and he today controls valuable property
interests in Greene, owning an attractive residence on the west
side of the river and a large business house, in which he has his
office, where he carries a large stock of drugs and medicines for
use in his own practice.
Dr. Birney has been twice married and has two children by his
first wife : Nellie, who married Frank Ellis, of Los Angeles, Cali-
fornia, and Dr. V. C, Jr., who is practicing medicine in Portland,
Oregon. In Mason City, in 1897, Dr. Birney married Miss Ida H.
Hartz, who was born in Wisconsin but reared in Iowa. Dr. and
Mrs. Birney have become the parents of a daughter, Varillas
Helen.
Dr. Birney gives his political allegiance to the republican party
and served for six years as county coroner and for a number of
years as pension examiner and member of the board of health. He
is active in Masonic circles, holding membership in the blue lodge
26 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
at Greene, the chapter at Clarksville, the commandery at Charles
City and the shrine at Cedar Rapids. He has served through all
of the chairs and is past grand of the local lodge of the Independ-
ent Order of Odd Fellows, which he represented in the Grand
Lodge of Iowa. He is also a member of the Knights of Pythias.
A residence of forty-one years in Greene has gained for him the
respect and confidence of all who have had professional, social or
business relations with him.
COLONEL HOUSTON GREEN.
Colonel Houston Green, who was one of the veterans of the
Civil war, came to Butler countv soon after the close of hostilities
and here resided until his death, which occurred March 25,
]907. He reached the Psalmist's span of life of three score years
and ten, for his birth occurred in Claiborne county, Tennessee,
January 16, 1837, his parents being John and Orpha (Slatten)
Green, who were natives of North Carolina and South Carolina
respectively. Their last days, however, were spent in Scott
county, Kentucky, where Mr. Green followed the occupation of
farming, which he made his life work. He was a soldier of the
War of 1812. Four of the Green brothers married four sisters of
the Slatten family, and each had eleven children. Unto John
Green and his wife were born six sons and five daughters, Houston
Green being the youngest son. He and four of his brothers served
as soldiers in the Civil war, two enlisting from Illinois, while
three became members of the Kentucky regiments. Colonel
Houston Green was a young man of twenty-four years at the
time of the outbreak of hostilities. His patriotic spirit aroused,
he joined the Fourth Kentucky Volunteer Infantry, with which
he served for two years and three months and was then honorably
discharged on account of disability. Throughout the remain-
der of his life he was in delicate health. After his military experi-
ence he resided in Indiana and Illinois until he came to Butler
county, Iowa, in April, 1866, settling in Shell Rock township,
where his remaining days were passed, covering about forty-one
years. He always followed farming and prospered in his under-
takings, owning at one time four hundred and twenty acres of
rich and valuable land, which was divided among his children. He
displayed unfaltering industry and determination in carrying on
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 27
his farm work and contributed much to the progress of the county
along agricultural lines. He set an excellent example to others
in progressive methods of farming, and his place became one of
the attractive features of the landscape.
On the 11th of March, 1861, Colonel Green was married to
Miss Susan E. Bassett, who was born in Owen county, Ken-
tucky, October 2, 1844, a daughter of Luke and Janette (Wilson)
Bassett. The father was of Oerman parentage, and the mother
was a native of Kentucky, born August 24, 1823. His birth
occurred on the 11th of February, 1811, and throughout his entire
life he followed the occupation of farming, thus providing for
his family, which numbered eight children, four sons and four
daughters who reached years of maturity. The parents both
passed away in Kentucky, the father on the 1st of September,
1880, and the mother on the 26th of March, 1888. To Colonel and
Mrs. Green were born eight children: A¥illiam Albert and
Janetta, both of whom died in infancy; Amanda, who owns and
is operating a farm in Shell Rock township; Mason, living in
Marengo, Iowa; Nellie, who died at the age of four years; Adel-
bert, of Shell Rock township ; George, who resides with his mother
on the old home place, now comprising one hundred and sixty
acres, and Edward, also living in Shell Rock township.
Mrs. Green is a member of the Christian church, which she
joined in Bement, Illinois. She has ever been a devoted wife
and loving mother, giving to her children every possible atten-
tion and care. Colonel Green was also most devoted to his family,
and they mourned the loss of a loving husband and father when
he passed away on the 25th of March, 1907. He was a stanch
republican in his political views and filled some minor offices, the
duties of which he discharged with promptness and fidelity. He
belonged to the Shell Rock lodge, A. F. & A. M., and exemplified in
his life the beneficent spirit of the craft, which is based upon
mutual helpfulness and brotherly kindness.
J. L. SCRIPTURE, M. D.
Dr. J. L. Scripture, successfully engaged in the practice of
medicine and surgety in Clarksville, his wide knowledge, skill
and ability being recog-nized by his many patients, was born in
Dubuque, Iowa, March 13, 1870, and is a son of Calvin and Nancy
28 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
(Strohl) ScrijDture. The father's birth occurred near Lockport,
New York, in 1826 and when fourteen years of age he came to Iowa
with his parents, who located at Dubuque when that city contained
but two or three liouses. Calvin Scripture operated a threshing
machine for thirty years and then located on a farm three miles
west of Clarksville. He married Nancy Stroh], who was born in
Sandusky, Ohio, December 17, 1832, and who was brought to Iowa
by her parents about 1812, the family home being established on a
farm in Julian township, Dubuque county. They were married in
that county and there the death of Mrs. Scripture occurred in
February, 1896, while Mr. Scripture survived only until the follow-
ing July. In the early days he secured his land from the govern-
ment and he and his wife spent their entire married life U]3on the
farm which he developed and improved. Both were active and
faithful members of the Methodist Episcopal church, never missing
prayer meeting or any church service unless ill health forced them
to remain away. They lived upright, godly lives and their influence
was of far-reaching benefit among friends and neighbors.
Dr. Scripture was the seventh in order of birth in a family of
eight children, of whom two are now living, a sister, Carrie, making
her home with the brother. Under the parental roof Dr. Scripture
continued until 1886, when he went away to school, entering the
Epworth Seminary, Epworth, Iowa. He attended only through the
winter terms and completed his course in 1894. In that year he
entered the medical department of the State University and was
graduated therefrom in 1897. In the same year he opened an office
and began practice in Clarksville, where he remained for two and
one-half years, after which he pursued a post-graduate course in
New York city. He then located in Cresco, Howard county, Iowa,
where he remained for ten years, but in 1909 returned to Clarks-
ville, where he has since engaged in general practice. He has
always been a close student of his profession and by wide reading,
research and investigation as well as by post-graduate courses has
kept in touch with the advancement of the profession. He is also a
member of the County and State Medical Societies, and the Ameri-
can Medical Association and in all of his practice he holds to the
highest standards of professional ethics.
In 1899 Dr. Scripture was married to Miss Nellie E, Davis, a
native of Clarksville and a daughter of M. S. and Minnie (Millen)
Davis. They have one son, James Cyril. Dr. Scripture has served
on the executive committee of the Driving Park Association and
lias been a member of the board of health of his town. In politics
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 29
lie is a progressive and keeps well informed on the questions and
issues of the day. Fraternally he is a prominent Mason, having
served as worshipful master of Butler Lodge, No. 94, A. F. & A. M.,
and as high priest of Temple Chapter, No. 74, R. A. M. He also
belongs to Waterloo Council, R. & S. M., and to the Knight Tem-
plar Commandery at Cedar Falls. A liberal education qualified
him for his professional duties and in that regard he has made a
creditable record by his success in practice. At the same time he
has never been neglectful of his duties of citizenship and Clarks-
ville has benefited in many ways by his efforts in her behalf.
SCHUYLER HARDMAN.
Brutler county numbers among its most progressive and repre-
sentative agriculturists and among its best known native sons
Schuyler Hardman, who owns and operates a valuable farm of one
hundred and sixty acres on section 16, Dayton township, as well as
another forty acre tract in the vicinity. He was born in Cold-
water township, March 10, 1859, and is a son of Aaron Hardman,
a native of Antrim county, Michigan. The father grew to matur-
ity there and married Miss Christiann Lentz, a native of South
Bend, Indiana. After their marriage the parents moved west to
Iowa, locating in Butler county about the year 1853. The father
purchased land south of Greene and this he improved and operated
for many years, becoming a substantial and prominent farmer.
He later retired from active life and moved into Greene, where his
death occurred about the year 1878. His wife survived him a num-
ber of years, dying in Greene in 1908. After the death of her first
hnsband she wedded John V. Boggs, of Greene.
Schuyler Hardman is one of a family of nine children. He was
reared upon his father's farm in Coldwater township and ac-
quired his education in the district schools. In 1884 he married
Miss Castinah Shannon, who was born in Clarksville, Butler
county, in 1860, a daughter of John Shannon, a pioneer settler
in Butler county, who came here in 1856. After his marriage
Mr. Hardman located on the Shannon farm, near Clarksville, rent-
ing this property for sixteen years thereafter. During that time
he purchased an eighty acre tract on section 16, Dayton township,
and carried on the work of improvement along modern and pro-
gressive lines. In 1900 he moved upon this property and in that
30 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
year bought an adjoining tract of eighty acres, his holdings now
comprising one hundred and sixty acres. Upon this place he has
erected a two-story residence, a large barn, granary and hoghouse
and has made other improvements, setting out a large orchard and
a grove of evergreen and native forest trees. His fields are fenced
and crossf enced with woven and barbed wire and everything about
the place is kept in excellent condition, the property reflecting
the careful supervision and practical labor which the owner bestows
upon it. Mr. Hardman owns another forty acre tract also in
Dayton township. He raises high-grade shorthorn cattle, Perch-
eron horses and Duroc Jersey hogs and is recognized as one of
the most successful stock-raisers in this locality.
Mr. and Mrs. Hardman became the parents of three sons and
four daughters, of whom six are living : Aaron, who is engaged in
the grain business in Canada ; Royal, a student in the Greene high
school; Alberta, who was educated at Clarksville and at Cedar
Falls and who is now principal of the grammar schools at Liv-
ingston, Montana; Adelle, who is the wife of C. H. Schader and
makes her home at Sunnyside, Washington ; LaVerne, a student
in the Greene high school ; and Thelma, who is also pursuing her
studies. Mr. and Mrs. Hardman lost one son. Earl, who died at
the age of seven. The parents are members of the Methodist Epis-
copal church of Packard and Mrs. Hardman is serving as super-
intendent of the Sabbath school. She is also a member of the
Daughters of Rebekah.
Mr. Hardman is identified with Elm Springs Lodge, No. 318,
I. O. O. F., and is a republican in his political beliefs. He is in-
terested in the cause of education and has served as school director.
His many excellent qualities of mind and character have gained
him the esteem and good-will of all with whom he has come in
contact, while his progressive and practical methods in the culti-
vation of his farm have won him ranli with the representative
agriculturists of this locality.
J. M. RAMSEY.
J. M. Ramsey is editor of the Clarksville Star and well known
as a leading representative of journalistic interests in his section
of the state. He holds to high standards in newspaper publica-
tion, following none of the methods of '^yellow journalism," and
\
J. M. RAMSEY
.1
HYj
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 33
since purchasing the Star in 1909 its circulation and advertising
patronage have steadily increased.
Mr. Ramsey was born near Clarksville in one of the old-time
log cabins, February 25, 1869, his parents being Charles and Mar-
garet (Gabby) Ramsey, who were natives of Pennsylvania, the
former born in Harrisburg in 1836 and the latter in Washington
county in 1841. They were reared in the Keystone state but were
married near West Union, in Adams county, Ohio. In 1861 they
came to Iowa, settling a mile north of Clarksville. The mother
departed this life in 1893, while the father survived for a decade.
He took an active interest in politics as a supporter of the demo-
cratic i^arty and held many local offices. His religious faith was
that of the Presbyterian church and to its teachings he was ever
loyal. His life work was that of farming, which he conducted on
an extensive scale until after the death of his wife. He first came
to this county in 1857 but afterward returned to Ohio and brought
his family in 1861. He had removed from Pennsylvania to Ohio
with his parents when fourteen years of age and resided in the
latter state until he sought a home in Iowa. Here he began farming
and operated large tracts of land. In 1878 he had nearly six hun-
dred acres planted to wheat but the crop failed and he lost heavily.
An epidemic of diphtheria also raged in that year and two of the
children, George and Ida, died of the disease and were interred in
the Lynwood cemetery. To Mr. and Mrs. Charles Ramsey were
born eight children, of whom two died in infancy, while three are
now living: Janette, the wife of J. L. Caskey, of Akron, Iowa;
Charles, of Minnesota; and J. M. Ramsey.
The last named has been a lifelong resident of Butler county.
He pursued his early education in the public schools of Clarks-
ville and of Greene and later became a student at Cedar Rapids.
He spent the 5^ear 1904 in Mexico but the remainder of his life
has been passed in this county, his boyhood and youth being spent
upon the home farm, where he early became familiar with all of
the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist. In
1890 he entered the Star office and has since been identified with
the paper which he purchased in 1909, becoming sole owner and
editor. For twenty-three years he has been a newspaper man and
is familiar with every phase of newspaper publication both along
mechanical lines and in the assembling of news items and the
writing of editorials. He publishes his paper in behalf of local
welfare and has made it a clean, attractive and readable journal
which is now liberally patronized.
34 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
On the 30th of September, 1893, Mr. Ramsey married Miss
Delia Shafer, who was born in this county and is a daughter of W.
R. Shafer, of Clarksville. They now have two children, Edna
Georgia and Alice Lavon. Mr. Ramsey belongs to the Knights of
Pj^thias and is a member of the state lodge. In politics he is a
republican, influential in party councils. He has served on various
occasions as a delegate to the county, district and state conven-
tions and has occupied a number of official positions. For twelve
years he was assessor of the city and for five years was recorder of
Clarksville. On the 1st of July, 1913, he was apiiointed assistant
state game warden, which position he is now filling. His record in
connection with public office is a creditable one, for he has always
been loyal and prompt in the discharge of his duties. His jDublic
spirit had been manifest in many connections, not the least being
through the columns of his paper, in which he always champions
every measure and movement for the general good.
CLARK CARR.
Agricultural pursuits have long had a worthy representative
in Clark Carr, whose home farm of eighty acres is situated on
section 12, Jackson township, about a mile and three-quarters west
of Clarksville, on the Shell Rock river. Here he has lived since
the 5th of September, 1868, and the county knows him as one of
the worthy representatives of agricultural life — industrious, hon-
orable and persistent in all that he has undertaken. Fie was born
September 8, 1814, in Bennington county, Vermont, his parents
being C. R. and Rhoda (Brown) Carr. The father was born in
Pittsfield, Massachusetts, February 19, 1811, and the mother in
Rutland county, Vermont, February 26, 1811. They became resi-
dents of McHenry county, Illinois, in 1845 and after twenty-one
years there passed removed to Butler county in September, 1866,
spending their last days in Jackson township. The father fol-
lowed the trades of a carpenter and stone mason until he came to
Iowa, after which he followed farming. Both he and his wife
were members of the Baptist church in early life but as there was
no congregation of that denomination near their home in Iowa
they united with the Methodist Episcopal church. Christian prin-
ciples actuated them in all that they did and their good deeds made
their example one well worthy of emulation. The father died Feb-
i
i
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 35
ruary 2, 1888, and the mother, surviving for more than a decade,
passed away December 26, 1898. They were the parents of four
children beside our subject: Julia, the wife of George Smith, of
Jackson township; Mrs. Mary Rogers, who died in Clarksville;
Mrs. Lucinda Olson, of Junction City, Kansas; and Mrs. Lucina
Poisal, deceased. Mrs. Olson and Mrs. Poisal were twins.
In taking up the personal history of Clark Carr we present
to our readers the life record of one who is widely and favorably
known in this count3% where he has now lived for almost a half
century, having come here with his parents in 1866. He continued
at home until his marriage two years later. He had given active
manifestation of his patriotic spirit and his loyalty to his country
by enlisting on the 20th of August, 1862, in McHenry county, Illi-
nois, as a member of Compan}^ H, One Hundred and Twenty-
seventh Illinois Volunteer Infantry, with which he served until
the close of the war. He was taken prisoner at Youngs Point,
Louisiana, but was paroled after thirty days. The regiment was
attached to the First Brigade, Second Division, Fifteenth Army
Corps, known as Logan's Corps, and with his command Mr. Carr
went through the entire siege of Vicksburg, took part in the battles
of Lookout Mountain, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge and was
in the Atlanta campaign, in which he was for one hundred and five
days under fire. He had a most arduous military experience, but
he never faltered in the face of danger, bravely defending his
countr}^ and her interests whether on the firing line or the lonely
picket jDost. With the close of the war he participated in the Grand
Review in Washington, D. C, and was then mustered out, receiving
an honorable discharge in Chicago, on the 19th of June, 1865. He
returned home with a most creditable military record and the his-
tory of his service as a Union soldier is one of which he has every
I'eason to be proud.
Since the war Mr. Carr has been actively engaged in farming
in Butler county and at one time was the owner of two hundred
and forty acres of valuable land, of which he still retains eighty
acres, comprising the old homestead on section 12, Jackson town-
ship, a mile and three-quarters west of Clarksville. He took up
his abode upon this place forty-five years ago and in connection
with the production of crops best adapted to soil and climate he
has made a specialty of raising horses.
On the 5th of September, 1868, Mr. Carr was married to Mrs.
Frances J. Wamsley, who was born in Henry county, Indiana,
March 11, 1839, and died here on the 21st of September, 1911. She
36 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
was the widow of Martin B. Wamsley, who died while a prisoner
of war at Tyler, Texas. By her first marriage she had four chil-
dren: R. P., now deceased; S. B., living in Jackson township;
Mary E,, who became the wife of Harry Parker and died in lone,
Washington; and M. V., of Jackson township. These four chil-
dren were reared by Mr. Carr as his own. There were four chil-
dren born of the second marriage, but two sons died in infancy.
The elder of the surviving sons is William A., who occupies the
old homestead. The younger, James L., of Westplains, Missouri,
married Annie Moore, a daughter of W. H. Moore, deceased, of
whom mention is made elsewhere in this volume. The two chil-
dren of Mr. and Mrs. James L. Carr are Jerry and Roy.
Clark Carr has long been an active member of the Grand Army
of the Republic, liaving joined James Butler Post, No. 220, of
Clarksville, on its organization. He likewise belongs to Butler
Lodge, No. 94, A. F. & A, M., of Clarksville. His political alle-
giance is alwa^^s given to the republican party, but he has never
sought nor desired office. His religious faith is that of the Chris-
tian church. His whole life has been devoted to his home and
family. For forty-three years he had a most happy married life,
but since his wife's death has been very lonely. He remained upon
the home farm alone for two years but now his eldest son and his
family reside with him. He has Avitnessed many notable changes
in the county, which has been transformed from a frontier district
into a populous and prosperous region since he arrived. Some-
thing of the rise in land values is indicated in the fact that he
has refused one hundred and fifty dollars per acre for his farm.
It has been his home for fortv-five vears and he wishes to remain
upon the old homestead as long as he lives. His many friends
liope that he will be yet spared for many years to come, for he
has ever been regarded as a valued and representative citizen
and one whose genuine personal worth has gained for him the
esteem of all.
W. A. CARR.
W. A. Carr was born July 21, 1869, upon the farm on section
12, Jackson township, which is now his home. He was reared
in the usual manner of farm lads, attending the district schools
and working in the fields through the summer months. He con-
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 37
tinned with his father until the fall of 1903, when he went to
Gary, Deuel county, South Dakota, purchasing there a quarter
section of land, which he cultivated and developed for two years.
He then removed to the town of Gary, where he conducted a
produce business and shoe store, but sold out to his partner in
1913 in order to return to Butler county and assume the man-
agement of the old homestead. He still owns the farm in South
Dakota.
On the 7th of October, 1896, Mr. Carr was married to Miss
Marguerite May Lansing, who was born in Story county, Iowa,
in 1872. The three children of this marriage are: Wihna, born
in 1898; Dorothy Jane, August 29, 1903; and Elsie Mae, June
20, 1909. The parents are both members of the Christian church
and also of the Eastern Star. Mr. Carr has been identified with
the Masonic lodge from the age of twenty-two years and has
always been loyal to the teachings and tenets of the craft. He
served as school treasurer while in Gary and has held some local
offices in this county. He was reared in the faith of the repub-
lican party and has seen no reason to change his political belief
since arriving at years of maturity. In fact, he is more con-
vinced than ever in his opinions and it is well known fact that
his position upon any vital question is never an equivocal one.
He stands for what he believes to be right and in matters of citi-
zenship as well as in business relations has made a creditable
record.
JULIUS TEMPLE.
Julius Temple, one of the few remaining veterans of the Ci^dl
war and today one of the best known farmers and stock-raisers of
Dayton township, owns and operates one hundred and twenty
acres of excellent land three miles from Greene. He is numbered
among the pioneers in Iowa, having located here in 1858. He was
born near Springfield, Massachusetts, January 13, 1844, a son of
John Temple, also a native of that state, who passed away when
his son was still a child.
Mr. Temple remained in Massachusetts until he was fourteen
years of age and then came west, locating in the vicinity of Water-
loo, Iowa, where he attended high school. At the age of twenty he
moved to Wisconsin and in May, 1864, enlisted in Fond du Lac as
38 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
a member of Company D, Fort3'-lirst Wisconsin Yolmiteer In-
fantry. His regiment was sent south to Memphis and on the way
participated in several engagements imder General A. J. Smith.
Mr. Temple was in the battle of Holly Springs and fought against
General Forrest at Memphis. He took part in four engagements
during the march uj) the Tennessee river and he witnessed Lee's
surrender to Grant. At the close of hostilities he was mustered
out, receiving his honorable discharge at Milwaukee in Septem-
ber, 1865. Returning to Fond du Lac, AYisconsin, he spent the
winter with his uncle in that city and then in the spring of 1866
they both came to Iowa, the uncle buying a mill site at Eldora,
building a dam and erecting a flour and grist mill. They carried
on business there for a number of years but eventually Julius
Temple returned to the vicinity of Waterloo, where he purchased
a farm. At the end of two years he sold this property and ])ought
land in Floyd county, breaking one hundred acres and beginning
the work of development. Soon afterward, however, he disposed
of this property also and purchased the one hundred and twenty
acres in Dayton township upon which he has since resided. He
broke the soil, erected fences and put out a grove of forest and
evergreen trees as well as a fine row of cottonwood trees along the
road in front of his farm. At first he erected a small house upon
his place and this he later replaced by a large modern residence
with two ells. He erected also a substantial barn and granary and
corn cribs as well as other buildings which he keeps always in
good repair, his farm being one of the best improved and most
valuable properties in his locality.
Mr. Temple's marriage, which occurred May 10, 1873, was the
first ceremony of this kind to be performed in the town of Greene.
On that date he wedded Miss Beth Ann Miner, a sister of R. and
O. C. Miner, prominent business men of Greene, of whom further
mention is made elsewhere in this work. Mr. and Mrs. Temple
have two children. John, a resident of Greene, is married and
has one son. Walker. Jessie acquired her education in the public
schools of Butler county and is now at home. The parents are
members of the Greene Methodist Episcopal church.
Mr. Temple gives his political allegiance to the republican
party and has always taken an active interest in community
affairs, serving in various positions of public trust and responsi-
bility. He has been township trustee and township clerk and he
was also for three years a member of the county board of super-
visors. The cause of education finds in him a loval and devoted
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 39
champion and he was one of the men who helped to locate and
erect many of the school bnildings in Butler county. During the
long period of his residence in this locality he has contributed
materially to growth and development along many lines and is
recognized as one of the individual factors in general progress.
A man of sterling character, good business ability and progressive
public spirit, he has advanced steadily to a position of prominence
and importance and today holds a high place in the esteem and
confidence of his fellow citizens.
WILLIAM E. PATTERSON, M. D.
Dr. William E. Patterson, who in the thirteen years of his con-
nection with the medical profession in Greene has made steady
and creditable progress, establishing himself in an enviable posi-
tion in the regard of the public by reason of his skill and ability in
his chosen calling, was born in Clarksville, this county, October 7,
1875. He is a son of Francis Patterson, a native of Canada, who
came with his parents to the United States when he was still a child,
settling with them in DeKalb county, Illinois, where he grew to
manhood. He later moved to Iowa and settled in Butler count}^,
where he became one of the well known and prosperous residents.
Dr. William E. Patterson was reared in Clarksville and acquired
his earlv education in the citv schools. He afterward attended
Waterloo college and then studied for two years in the medical
department of the State University. At the end of that time he
entered the college of Physicians and Surgeons in Chicago, Illinois,
and was graduated from that institution with the degree of M. D..
in 1900. After completing his studies, Dr. Patterson settled in
Greene, where he has since engaged in the practice of his profes-
sion. He has, however, never considered his medical education
complete, but has taken many special courses and has remained
always a close and earnest student of his profession. His patron-
age has steadily grown, as he has demonstrated his skill and ability
and he is recognized as one of the most progressive and able medi-
cal practitioners of the county. He reads broadly and thinks
deeply and the result of his investigation and research is seen in
the excellent service which he renders his patrons. He is a mem-
ber of the American Medical Association and the Iowa State and
40 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
Austin Flint Medical Societies and he thus keeps in touch with
the trend of modern thought in his profession.
In Charles Cit}^, on the 14th of September, 1901, Dr. Patterson
was united in marriage to Miss Martha Smith, who was born in
Ohio and who lived there until she was eleven years of age. Her
family later moved to Iowa and settled in Marble Rock. Dr. and
Mrs. Patterson became the parents of three children: Max Ed-
ward; Katherine Faith; and Mary Ruth, who died in December,
1905. The family occui:)ies a comfortable home in Thorp's addi-
tion, the best resident section of Greene, and the parents are well
known in social circles.
Dr. Patterson gives his political allegiance to the republican
party and served one term as county coroner, and for some time
as a member of the board of health. He is connected with the
Masonic fraternity and an active member of the Independent
Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of P,ythias and the Benevolent
and Protective Order of Elks. His interests are thoroughly
identified with those of Oreene and Butler county where he has
passed his entire life, and where he is known as a public-spirited
and progressive citizen. In professional and social life he holds to
high standards and his worth as a man and a citizen is widely
acknowledged.
JOHN O. EVANS, M. D.
The name of Dr. John G. Evans has come to be regarded as
synonymous with general progress and advancement in Butler
county, for he is not only one of the leading physicians and sur-
geons of New Hartford, but is also mayor of the city and is an
active and influential factor in both political and business affairs.
He was born near Waterloo, in Blackhawk county, August 26,
1866, and is a son of John O. and Rebecca (McClintock) Evans,
natives of Pennsylvania, the former born in 1826 and the latter
in 1830. During his early years the father engaged in teaching,
but after coming to Iowa in 1855 turned his attention to farming,
oxDerating an excellent tract of land near Waterloo until his death,
which occurred in 1896. His wife i)assed away in 1899. They
were the parents of seven children, Josephine, David, Katie,
Dora, John G., William T. and Elmer L. The eldest son died in
infancy.
DE. JOHN G. EYANS
MRS. JOHN G. EVANS
Ry
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 45
Dr. Evans acquired Ms early education in the district schools
of Blackhawk county and afterward attended the Waterloo high
school, from which he was graduated in 1886. He then spent two
and a half years as clerk in a hardware store, but, having deter-
mined upon the practice of medicine as a life work, he abandoned
commercial pursuits to enter the office of Dr. D. W. Grouse. In
the fall of 1889 he enrolled as a student in the medical department
of the Iowa State University and was graduated with the degree
of M. D. on the 15tli of March, 1893. He afterward pursued a
postgraduate course in Chicago in 1897 and another in the Poly-
clinic College in that city in 1910. He has always remained a close
and earnest student of his profession, constantly broadening his
knowledge by reading, research and investigation. He began prac-
tice in New Hartford in 1893 and the recognition of his skill and
ability has brought him a large patronage. He has one of the best
equipped offices in Butler county, provided with all modern instru-
ments and appliances which are of recognized value in the work
of the profession. In addition to his large private practice he is also
local surgeon for the Illinois Central Railroad. He belongs to the
Butler County Medical Society, in which he served for several years
as secretary and for two years as president. He likewise belongs
to the Austin Flint, the Iowa State and the American Medical
Associations, and he is a leading member of the Railway Surgeons
Association. He attends with great regularity the meetings of
these different societies and thus keeps in touch with the trend
of modern thought in his profession. He has made a particular
study of preventive medicine and has been able to apply some of
his theories concerning sanitation and the laws of health during
his incumbency in the office of mayor of New Hartford, particu-
larly in clearing out all of the weeds and poisonous herbs within
the corporate limits of the city. Aside from his practice his busi-
ness connections are important, for he is one of the stockholders
of the New Hartford State Bank, the Security Savings Bank of
Cedar Falls and the Plainfield Savings Bank, of which he is also a
director and member of the examining committee. He owns two
residence properties in New Hartford. His business enterprise
and ability have carried him forward into important relations with
the commercial and financial interests of the coimnunity.
In New Hartford, on the 12th of June, 1894, Dr. Evans was
united in marriage to Miss Nettie Cousins, a daughter of Hon.
John A. and Rebecca Cousins, the former the oldest male resident
in Iowa. He was in business for a great many years in New Hart-
Vol. TI— 3
46 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
ford, being engaged in the sale of drugs, hardware, implements
and lumber, his business activity making him one of the foremost
representatives of commercial interests in the town. He was twice
elected to represent his district in the state legislature, in which he
served with distinction. Mrs. Evans was born in Grundv countv,
began her education there, and was afterward a student in the
public schools of New Hartford. AVhen sixteen years of age she
entered the Iowa State Teachers College. She did not graduate
there, however, but returned home and acted as her father's book-
keeper until her marriage to Dr. Evans. She is a lady of native
culture and refinement and is a prominent member of the Wom-
an's Club of New Hartford and the Woman's Relief Corps.
Dr. Evans holds membership with the Masons, and both he and
his wife are connected with the Eastern Star, in which she has
been warden and treasurer. He is a charter member of the Mod-
ern Brotherhood of America and medical examiner for the Modern
Woodmen of America. He gives his political allegiance to the
republican party and has been very active in school affairs, serving
for nine years as school director. In 1913 he was made mayor
of New Hartford and has proved an excellent executive, promoting
the best interests of the city in an intelligent and practical man-
ner. A man of broad culture and high standards, his interests
have extended to many fields and have become powerful forces
in promoting professional, political and business growth in this
section of the state.
LYMAN L. DOWNS.
Forty-three years have come and gone since L^mian L. Downs
arrived in Butler county, where he became an active factor in
agricultural pursuits, continuing the development of his fann
until, content with the competence which he had acquired, he put
aside business cares and retired to private life. He now makes his
home in Clarksville, where he is most pleasantly situated, and
his life history indicates what may be accomplished when energy
and perseverance lead the way and industry and honesty consti-
tute the salient features in the acquirement of success. He was
born in Belvidere, Boone county, Illinois, May 15, 1842, a son of
George W. and Marana (Norton) Downs, natives of New York
and of Michigan, respectively. In his boyhood the father accom-
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 47
panied Ms parents to Illinois and afterward went to Michigan,
where he was married. For many years he followed farming in
Illinois but later entered the wholesale and retail grocery busi-
ness in Belvidere. The only interruption to his active business
life came at the time of the Civil war, when he joined the com-
missary department, enlisting on the 4th of September, 1862, on
which date he became a member of Company G, Ninety-fifth Illi-
nois Volunteer Infantry. He was discharged during the second
year of his service and returned to his home. He died in 1892, at
the age of seventy-four years, having long survived his wife, who
passed away in 1854.
Lyman L. Downs is the only survivor of the three children born
of his father 's first marriage. The latter married again but there
were no children of that union. After spending his boyhood, youth
and early manhood in his native county Ljnnan L. Downs removed
to Butler county in May, 1870. He enlisted September 4, 1863, as
a member of Company G, Ninety-fifth Illinois Volunteer Infantry,
with which he served until honorably discharged at the close of
the war, returning to his home with a most creditable military
record. He had tried for enlistment the same year that his father
was mustered in but was not accepted on account of physical con-
ditions, but was accepted one year later. He devoted his energies
to farming in his native state until he came to Iowa, where he pur-
chased one hundred and ninety acres of land on section 5, Jack-
son township. Here he farmed until he retired and he is still the
owner of the land. In the sunmaer of 1912 he erected his present
commodious and attractive residence in Clarksville and is now
most pleasantly situated, the fruits of his former toil supplying
him with all of the necessities and comforts and man}^ of the lux-
uries of life.
In 1880 Mr. Downs was united in marriage to Mrs. Millie
Smith Howe, who was born in Indiana, May 3, 1845. Her father
died before she was born and she lost her mother when but a
year old. At six years of age she came to Butler county with her
gi-andfather, Almond Tree. Her grandmother had died when
Mrs. Downs was but two years old. Her grandfather was a grand
old man who had served in the War of 1812. He took care of
his little granddaughter as best he could without a woman's aid.
He would find her a place to stay and when he saw that she was
not being well treated he would get her and secure for her another
home. He died in Floyd county, Iowa, and his memory is deeply
cherished by Mrs. Downs. By her former marriage Mrs. Downs
48 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
had no children, but two have been born of the second union:
George A., now a practicing dentist of Sterling, Illinois, and Mar-
ana M., the wife of John W. Best, of Waterloo, Iowa.
Mr. Downs holds membership with the Grand Army of the
Republic and greatly enjoys meeting with his old-time comrades
and recalling the scenes of the tented fields. He is a prohibition-
ist and a Presbyterian — connections which indicate how high and
honorable are the principles which govern his life. He stands at
all times for those things which work for the betterment of the
individual and for the community and he has never deviated from
a course which he believed to be right between himself and his fel-
lowmen.
M. H. SPROUL.
For the past twenty-one years M. H. Sproul has been engaged
in the lumber and implement business in Greene and today con-
trols important interests along this line as a member of the firm
of Cave, Sproul & Company. He is numbered among the progres-
sive and substantial business men of Greene and among the promi-
nent and public-spirited citizens of Butler county, where since 1882
he has made his home. He was born in Ontario, Canada, June 9,
1861, a son of W. J. Sproul, also a native of that province, his birth
having occurred in 1833. The father grew to manhood in Ontario
and there married Miss Sarah J. Ray. He engaged in farming
in his native province for a number of years but in 1882
moved with his family to Iowa, making a permanent location in
Bennezette township, Butler county. There he and his sons pur-
chased a tract of six hundred and forty acres of land which they
improved and developed for a number of years. The father later
moved to Greene where he lived retired. His wife passed away
in 1904. In their family were five children, four sons and one
daughter, all of whom are living and are heads of families.
M. H. Sproul grew to manhood in Ontario, acquiring his edu-
cation in the public schools of that province. He accompanied
his parents to Iowa in 1882 and settled in Butler county, where
he has since remained a continuous resident. He engaged in farm-
ing in Bennezette township for ten years and then rented his farm
and moved to Greene, securing a position as salesman for the
firm of Cave, Tyler & Company, dealers in lumber and imple-
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 49
ments. At the end of ten years Mr. Sproul purchased an interest
in this concern, which was then reorganized under the name of
Cave, Sproul & Company. This is his present business connec-
tion and his energy and well directed labor have been helpful fac-
tors in making -this one of the leading firms of its kind in Iowa.
The company carries a complete stock of lumber and building
materials, farm implements, assorted vehicles and coal and the
members of the firm are ranked among the most progressive and
substantial business men of Butler county. Mr. Sproul is in
addition connected with the Greene Electric Light & Power Com-
pany, which he aided in promoting, and his name is a synonym
for integrity and straightforward dealing along business lines.
. In Ontario, on the 19th of December, 1881, Mr. Sproul was
united in marriage to Miss Eva Hanes, who was born in Minne-
sota but reared in Canada. Mr. and Mrs. Sproul are the parents
of two sons. Charles F. grew to maturity and turned his atten-
tion to farming. He died August 31, 1911, at the age of
twenty-seven, leaving a wife and two children. The younger son,
Carl, is engaged in farming near Greene.
Mr. Sproul is a Master Mason, belonging to the blue lodge at
Greene, and is past grand of the local lodge of the Independent
Order of Odd Fellows. He and his wife are members of the
Methodist Episcopal church. For over twenty-one years he has
been a resident of Greene and one of its most active and progress-
ive citizens and during that time he has gained the esteem and
high regard of all with whom he has come in contact.
W. H. BUCHHOLZ.
W. H. Buchholz, a representative of a well known pioneer
family of Butler county and one of the most prominent and repre-
sentative business men of Greene, where for the past eighteen
years he has controlled important mercantile interests, was born
in Fremont township, this county, September 12, 1872. His
father, William Buchholz, was born in Hanover, Germany, May
22, 1846, and came to America with his parents, locating in Clay-
ton county, this state, in 1853. There William Buchholz grew to
maturity, acquiring a limited education. He moved to Butler
county in 1866 and located on a farm near Clarksville, purchas-
ing one hundred and sixty acres of land upon which he resided for
50 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
a number of years. He was married in Rockford, Illinois, in 1872,
his wife being Miss Mary Brockmann, a native of Iowa. They
commenced tlieir domestic life near Clarksville and later moved
into the city, where Mr. Buchholz purchased an established mer-
cantile business, conducting it successfully for ten, or twelve years.
In 1906 he moved to Greene, where he joined his son in the organ-
ization of the firm of William Buchholz & Son, with which he is
still connected. His wife passed away in 1892, leaving four
children: W. H., of this review; Frances, the wife of Louis
Schellenger, of Clarksville; Nettie, who married Bert Ochiltree,
of Tipton, Iowa ; and Lelah, who lives at home.
W. H. Buchholz was reared in Clarksville and acquired his
education in the city schools. After clerking in the store of A.
Price for a number of years he moved to Greene, where he became
manager of the mercantile establishment owned by Mr. Price at
this place. At the end of one year he purchased this enterprise
and with his father formed the firm of William Buchholz & Son,
today one of the leading mercantile firms of the city. The part-
ners control a business worth from seventv-five to one hundred
thousand dollars a vear and their trade is constantlv increasing
in volume and importance. They erected the store which they
now occupy, a fine two-story brick building originally twenty-six
by one hundred and twenty feet in dimensions but since enlarged
to fifty- two by one hundred and twenty feet. In 1913 W. H.
Buchholz with F. G. Phillips of Clarksville erected two one-story
business buildings on Main street and they have rented one as a
theater and the other as a mercantile establishment. He was one
of the promoters of the Greene Electric Light & Power Com-
pany, of which he is now a large stockholder and president, and
his influence has been felt as a constructive force in the general
business development of the city.
In Clarksville, on the 25th of June, 1900, Mr. Buchholz was
united in marriage to Miss Etta Phillips, who was reared and
educated in that city. She is the daughter of F. G. and Mary
(McRoberts) Phillips, residents of Clarksville. Mr. and Mrs.
Buchholz both attend the Presbyterian church, to which they
are liberal contributors. Mr. Buchholz is identified with the
Knights of" Pythias and has passed through all the chairs of the
local lodge, being now past chancellor. He is independent in his
political views, supporting men and measures without regard to
party lines. For two terms he served as mayor of Greene and
during that time accomplished a great deal of progressive public
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 51
work, having been instrumental in effecting the installation of
the -water system in the city. A man of varied interests, he pos-
sesses the power of making all of these effective in their different
lines and his work has had an important influence upon the com-
mercial, moral and political life of the community.
HON. O. F. MISSMAN.
Hon. O. F. Missman, mayor of Allison and a prominent mem-
ber of the Butler county bar as well as manager of the Butler
County Abstract Company, belongs to that class of energetic men
whose recognition of opportunities results in a wise and prompt
utilization thereof, with the outcome that substantial results
accrue. Born in Hardin county, Iowa, near Ackley, on the 2d of
November, 1875, he is a son of Herman and Minnie (Specht)
Missman, both of whom were born near Hamburg, Germany, and
came to the United States when six and nine years of age respec-
tively. They made the voyage with their parents and for a time
were residents of Illinois, in which state they were married, the
wedding being celebrated in Dixon. About 1862 they arrived in
Iowa, residing in Hardin county, until 1878, when they took up
their abode near Hampton, Franklin county. In 1893 they
removed to Britt, Hancock county, Iowa, and they are now living
in Grarner, Iowa, Mr. Missman having retired from agricultural
pursuits to which he devoted many years of his life. In politics
a republican, he has always been loyal to the party and has
filled a number of township offices. Both he and his wife were
members of the German Evangelical church but now hold member-
ship in the Methodist Episcopal church. In their family were ten
children, six sons and four daughters, of whom one son, Clarence,
died at the age of twenty-three years.
O. F. Missman remained with his parents upon the home farm
until 1900, but wishing to follow a professional career, rather than
devote his life to the work of the fields, he then entered the law
department of Drake University, from which he was graduated in
1905. Previous to that time he had spent one year as a classical
student in the Iowa State University. He was admitted to the bar
in 1906 and soon afterward was elected clerk of the district court
of Hancock county, which office he acceptably filled for four years.
He was then nominated for county attorney of Hancock county,
52 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
but withdrew before tbe election and engaged in the law and
abstract business at Allison, which he has continued since.
In January, 1911, he took up his abode in the county seat and
is today numbered among the able members of the Butler county
bar. He carefully analyzes his cases, reaches logical conclusions
and his deductions are always clear and forcible.
On the 6th of January, 1907, Mr. Missman was married to
Miss Neva Cloe Welton, who was born in Carroll county, Iowa,
November 27, 1885, a daughter of T. M. and Vialle (Harvey) AYel-
ton, who are natives of Polk county, and now reside at Des Moines,
Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Missman have a son, Thomas Welton. The
parents are well known socially in Allison and have gained many
warm friends during the period of their residence here. They
hold membership in the Congregational church and Mr. Missman
is also a member of Opal Lodge, A. F. & A. M. He is likewise
secretary of the Butler County Fair Association and in politics
he is a republican. There have been no spectacular phases in his
life history, his record being characterized by devotion to duty and
his loyalty to his clients' interests has become proverbial. The
excellent record which he has made in professional circles and in
private life led to his selection for the important office of mayor,
in which he is now serving and his administration is characterized
b}^ promptness and businesslike methods, so that the city is profit-
ing under his regime.
CHARLES CLENN BURLING.
Charles Glenn Burling, of Clarks^dlle, filling the position of
county attorney and well qualified by a comprehensive knowl-
edge of the law and the careful preparation of his cases for the
duties that devolve upon him, was born at West Union, Fayette
county, Iowa, September 18, 1875, and is a son of F. S. and
Flora (Ketchum) Burling. The father, a native of England,
came west with his parents in early childhood and settled in Free-
port, Illinois, but subsequently removed to Fayette county, Iowa.
It was there that he married Flora Ketchum, a native of New
York, who had come to this state with her parents. They now
reside at Postville, where Mr. Burling has engaged continuously
and successfully in the practice of law since 1872, in which year
he Avas graduated from the law department of the State Univer-
CHAELES G. BURLING
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 55
sity of Iowa. Unto liim and his wife have been born four children :
C. G. ; Josephine, the wife of F. L. Marquis, of Waterloo, Iowa ;
Genevieve ; and W. H., who studied law under his father and at the
State University and is now practicing his profession as his
father's partner.
C. G. Burling remained with his parents until 1897, when he
came to Butler county, remaining for a few months at the county
seat and then remo^dng to Clarksville. He is a graduate of the
Postville high school of the class of 1892 and was graduated from
the State University in 1896, on the completion of the arts course,
and from the law department of the State University in 1897. It
was then that he came to Butler county, where he has since
remained, devoting his time and attention to his profession, in
which he has made steady advancement. In politics he has always
been a republican and upon that ticket he was elected county
attorney in January, 1901. The excellent record which he made
during his first term's service led to his reelection and he served
for four years. In January, 1913, there occurred a vacancy in
the office and the board of supervisors appointed him to the posi-
tion. Aside from his professional interests he is a director in
the Butler County State Bank of Clarksville and is financially
interested in farm lands.
On the 30th of December, 1903, Mr. Burling was married
to Miss Lula A. Ray, who was born in this .county and is a
daughter of J. W. and Emma Ray, of whom mention is made else-
where in this volume. The two children of this marriage are
Beth Ray and Irma May. Fraternally Mr. Burling is a Royal
Arch Mason and his allegiance to the organization and its prin-
ciples is never doubted. High principles of manhood and citizen-
ship have characterized his life and his salient traits are those
which win regard, good-will and confidence. In his profession he
has made substantial and gratifying progress and his developing
ability promises well for the future.
T. R. TAMMEN.
T. R. Tammen, cashier of the Beaver Valley State Bank, has
filled his present position since 1907. A native of Parkersburg,
he was born November 6, 1882, being the only child of Fritz and
Meta (Renken) Tammen, both of whom were natives of Germany,
56 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
the foiTQer born in 1841 aud the latter in 1817. The father came
to Iowa in 1873 and here successfully followed mercantile pur-
suits, being highly respected and esteemed in business as well as
in social cii'cles.
T- B. Tannnen attended school in Parkersburs: until seventeen
years of age and after taking a business course in Des Moines,
Iowa, entered into active connection with the banking business.
He accepted a position with the State Exchange Bank, with which
institution he remained for five years, thoroughly acquainting
himself with the details of the business. In January. 1907. he was
elected to the position of cashier of the Beaver Valley State Bank
and has since remained in that connection, his efforts and ability
contributing in no small measure to the success which has attended
the institution. 'Mr. Tammen is also one of the directors of the
bank and holds considerable stock therein.
^h\ Tammen was imited in marriage to !Miss Geitrude Bode,
a daughter of Rev. Heniy and Grietje Bode, the ceremony tak-
ing place at Parkersburg on the 8th of August. 1906. Two chil-
di'en have been bom of this imion. Frederick B. and Harold C.
Mr. Tammen gives his political allegiance to the repub-
lican party and, although interested in matters pertaining to the
general welfare, has never entered actively into politics. He is a
member of the Chilstian Refonned church.
CHARLES MERRITT STARKTYEATHER.
Charles Merritt Starkweather has been a resident of Butler
county SLDce 1871 and smce that time has been prominently con-
nected with its agricultural mterests, owning today a well
improved and valuable farm of one hundred and sixty acres on
section 10, Coldwater township, and another tract of sixty acres
in the vicinity. He was born m Potter county. Pennsylvania, Sep-
tember 17, 1851. and is a son of Sidney William and Delight
(Lewis) Starkweather, natives of Xew York state, the former
bom in Chautauqua county. They removed to Potter county,
Pennsylvania, where the father engaged in farming for a number
of years. In 1871 he moved west to Iowa, locating in Butler
county, where he purchased ninety acres of land upon which was
a small log cabin. A few acres of the property were under culti-
vation and the remainder ^Ir. Starkweather cleared, carrying on
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 57
the work of developiag his homestead along progressive and mod-
ern lines. He replaced the log cabin by an excellent faiTQ house
and erected good barns and outbuildings, neglecting nothing
which would add to the appearance or value of the property. He
■died ujDon his farm in 1896. having survived his wife since 1892.
Charles Merritt Starkweather is one of the three surviving
members of a family of seven children. He was reared upon his
father's farm in Potter county, Pennsylvania, acquiring his edu-
cation in the district schools. From his childhood he aided in the
improvement and development of his father 's property and after-
ward assisted in the operation of the farm in Butler county. After
the death of his father he purchased the homestead, to which he
has later added from time to time, owning today two hundred and
twenty acres. He has built to and remodeled the house and now
has two banis, cribs and granaries and a machine shop, besides an
excellent hog house and a cement silo with a caj)acity of one hun-
dred tons. He has put out an orchard and a grove of forest and
evergreen trees which adds gi'eatly to the appearance of his place.
In addition to general farming he engages extensively in raising
Aberdeen Angus cattle, of which he has a herd of fifty head, some
pure-blooded and the remainder high-grade animals. He raises
also good grades of hogs, horses and sheep. He is a stockholder
in the Greene Cooperative Creamery Company and is known as
a resourceful and discriminating business man.
In Dayton township, this county, on the 22d of July, 1885. ^Ir.
Starkweather was united in marriage to Miss Tamar C. Delker.
who was born and reared in Butler county, a daughter of Fred-
erick Delker. one of the early settlers in this part of Iowa. ^Ir.
and Mrs. Starkweather have become the parents of nine chil-
dren: William F.. a farmer in Coldwater township, who married
Lottie Filkins, a native of Xew York state; Charles L., who is
aiding in the operation of the homestead : E. L.. who married Clara
Stepp, a native of Virginia, and now resides in Dayton township ;
Alice D.. the wife of George E. Hansen, a farmer in Coldwater
township: Archie G. : Clarence G. : Lawrence G. ; George Bolly
and Cecil W.
Fraternally Mr. Starkweather is a Master Mason, holding
membership in the blue lodge of Greene. He and his wife are
members of the United Brethren church of Coldwater. He was
for many years connected with the republican party but in 1912
joined the ranks of the progiTSsives. He served for two tei-ms
as road supervisor and has been prominently identified with school
58 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
affairs. He is a successful and prosperous farmer and a repre-
sentative business man and lie holds the esteem and high regard
of his neighbors and friends.
RICHARD MINER.
Since 1877 Richard Miner has l)een a resident of Iowa and
during the greater portion of that time has made his home in
Greene, where he is prominently connected with business inter-
ests as secretary of the Electric Light & Power Company. He
was born in Jefferson county, Ohio, April 30, 1845, and there
remained until he was ten years of age. He is a son of John and
Rebecca A. (Dudgeon) Miner, natives of Ohio. Both parents are
now dead. Our subject afterward resided for a similar period of
time in Greene county, Wisconsin, acquiring a common school edu-
cation. As a young man he came to Iowa, locating in Butler county
in 1877. He later removed to Clay county and there engaged in the
undertaking and furniture business for four j^ears. At the end of
that time he moved to Gi'eene and opened a furniture and under-
taking business here, continuing active in its conduct for twenty-
eight years thereafter. During the period of his residence here his
interests have extended to man}^ fields and have carried him for-
ward into important relations with business life. He was one of
the promoters of the Greene Electric Light & Power Company and
has been its secretary since its organization. The company pur-
chased the interests of the Greene Manufacturing & Milling Com-
pany and rebuilt the dam, thus obtaining w^ater power sufficient to
supi^ly both the electric light plant and the flour mills. It controls
large interests and has a representative patronage, its officers
being ranked among the prominent and substantial men of the
city. In addition to his connection with this company ]Mr. Miner
is a stockholder in the First State Bank of Iowa and has valuable
property interests, owning a fine brick business house which he
erected on Main street, and an attractive residence on the west
side of the river.
In Ackley, Iowa, March 20, 1872, Mr. Miner was united in
marriage to Miss Maggie Nary, a native of Ireland, and they have
become the i^arents of a daughter, Mary, who lives at home. Mr.
Miner is a blue lodge Mason and is connected also with the Inde-
pendent Order of Odd Fellows, being past grand of his lodge,
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 59
whicli lie represented in the Grand Lodge of Iowa. His daughter
is well known in the affairs of the Eastern Star, having served
as secretary of that organization for several years. Mr. Miner is
a republican in his political beliefs and since he assisted in the
incorporation of Greene has taken an active part in public affairs,
serving on the town board for twelve years and as a member of the
board of education. He is an able business man and a public-
spirited and progressive citizen and he holds the esteem and con-
fidence of all who are associated with him.
JEROME SHADBOLT.
Jerome Shadbolt passed away at the venerable age of eighty-
three years, six months and twenty-two days, on the 31st of
October, 1906. He had long been a resident of Butler county,
having arrived here in the year 1855. He was a man well known
for his business integrity and enterprise and much of his admir-
able character is indicated in the fact that he was in partnership
with one man for thirty-two years. He was born in Stillwater,
Saratoga county, New York, April 9, 1823, and when three years
of age was taken by his parents to Genesee county, that state,
where he remained until he reached the age of twenty-four. It
was on the 3d of September, 1846, in Batavia, Genesee county,
that he married Miss Louise L. Main, who was born there May 13,
1829, a daughter of William and Sophia (Briggs) Main, the
former a native of Maryland and the latter, of Boston, Massa-
chusetts. Mrs. Main was a daughter of Dr. William Briggs, a
native of England, who after coming to America enlisted as a
physician and surgeon under General George Washington at
the time when he first took command of the American forces. Dr.
Briggs was a prominent member of the medical profession in
Boston and was a splendidly educated man. Following the war he
took an active part in governmental affairs. His daughter Sophia
was left an orphan at the age of nine years, at the age of nine-
teen was a teacher in a high school of Boston and at twenty-two
years of age was married, becoming the wife of William Main, a
merchant of that city. She died in Batavia, New York. In their
family were eight children who reached adult age but Mrs.
Louise Shadbolt is the only one now living.
60 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
lu the year 1847 Jerome Sliadbolt and Ms young wife emi-
grated ^Yestwa^d to what was then the territory of Wisconsin.
They arrived in Milwaukee on the 14th of October but Mr. Shad-
bolt did not believe the little tillage by the lake would ever amount
to much and made his way northward a distance of twenty-one
miles, to Grafton, Wisconsin. There he purchased the water
]3ower rights and erected a large factory for the manufacture of
chairs. The business proved very profitable and he made money
in that connection until he sold out to his partner preparatory to
coming to Iowa. He arrived in Clarksville on the 4th of July^
1855, and was thereafter a resident of Butler county. He was a
contractor and builder by trade and here entered into partner-
ship with John Madigan, the relationship between them being
maintained most harmoniouslv and profitablv for thirtv-two vears.
during which period they erected many substantial structures in
and around Clarksville. Mr. Shadbolt also operated a steam
sawmill here for some time.
The only interruption to his business career came when in 1864
he responded to the country's call for troops, enlisting in the
Fifteenth Iowa Volunteer Infantrv, with which he w^ent to the
front. He participated in the celebrated march to the sea under
Sherman and was in the grand re^dew in Washing'tou, D. C, where
thousands of victorious Union soldiers marched through the
streets of the capital city from which hung a banner emblazoned
with the words: "The only debt that the country owes which she
cannot 'pay is the debt that she owes her soldiers." With the
close of the war he was honorably discharged at Davenport, Iowa.
In his later years he held membership with the Grand Army of
the Republic and took gi'eat delight in meeting with his old army
comrades. He returned from the war and again resumed his place
as a business man of Clarksville and in connection with his build-
ing operations he engaged in farming for five oi' six years.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Shadbolt were born seven children:
Jerome, who enlisted at the age of fifteen years for ser^vdce in the
Union Army, being at the front at the same time as his father,
died December 15, 1871. Ida M. is the wife of William Walsh, of
Clarksville. C. Sumner is living at Minneapolis, Minnesota. Al-
bon B. is a resident of Bremer county. Rouen is the wife of J. P.
Martin, of Butler county. Jessie O. is the wife of H. E. French,
who is mentioned elsewhere in this volume, and Charles P., died in
infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Shadbolt united with the Presbyterian
church on the 15th of April, 1900. Mrs. Shadbolt is a charter
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 61
member of the Women's Relief Corps and is the oldest li^dng mem-
ber of that body. She is at this time eight3^-four years of age and
a most remarkable woman for her years, still hale and hearty,
physically and mentally. Mr. Shadbolt was ever a man of unas-
sailable integrity and during his long residence in Clarksville he
made many friends by reason of his enterprise, perseverance and
reliability in business and his trustworthiness in other relations
of life. He lived to witness many changes during the period of his
residence here, covering more than a half century, and at all times
he bore his full share in the work of general development and
improvement.
FRANCIS E. NEWBURY.
Francis E. Newbury, a resident of Bristow, where he is now
engaged in buying cream, has been more or less actively identi-
fied with agricultural interests in Butler county for! forty-six
years. He was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin, January 8, 1844,
and is a son of H. A. and Catharine (McCay) Newbury, natives
of Connecticut, in which state they were married. They removed
westward to Wisconsin during its territorial days and their
remaining days were spent in Kenosha, where the father fol-
lowed the carpenter's trade and also carried on farming in
that localitv. Thev had a familv of three sons: John C, now
deceased, who served for about eighteen months in the Civil war ;
H. F., living in Brooklyn, New York; and Francis E.
The last named spent his boyhood days under the parental roof
in his native city and in 1864 responded to his country's call for
troops, enlisting as a member of Company G, Forty-third Wis-
consin Volunteer Infantry, with which he served for a year, being
mustered out at Milwaukee in July, 1865. He held the rank of
corporal and participated in several engagements, including the
last battle of the war.
For a year after the close of hostilities Mr. Newbury worked
on his father's farm in Wisconsin and was married there in the
fall of 1866. In the spring of the following year he brought his
young wife to Butler county, settling in West Point township,
where he purchased a farm which he cultivated and improved
until 1881. In that year he opened a hotel in Bristow which he
conducted until 1885 and then returned to the farm, upon which
62
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
lie lived for fifteen 3"ears, or until 1900. Since then he has made
his home in Bristow and still owns the farm, comprising" one
hundred and sixty acres of rich and productive land which yields
to him a good annual income. During the past three years he has
been engaged in buying cream in connection with his son.
As previously stated, it was in the year 1866 that Mr, New-
bury married, the lady of his choice being Miss Sophia Zemira
Pierce, who was born in Wisconsin in April, 1848, a daughter of
R. C. Pierce. The three children of this marriage are: H. C,
who is operating his father's farm; Floyd I., of Bristow; and
Lela C, the wife of W. A. Richards, a merchant of Bristow. The
family is well known in Butler county and its members are held
in high esteem.
In politics Mr. Newbury is a republican, voting for the party
since casting his first presidential ballot for Abraham Lincoln in
1864. He was then in the army and was but twenty years of
age but the right of franchise w^as accorded all soldiers. For
much of the time during the past forty years he has filled the office
of justice of the peace and is the present incumbent of that posi-
tion in Bristow. He was also county supervisor for one term and
has held a number of school offices, the cause of education finding
in him a stalwart friend. He belongs to the Independent Ordei'
of Odd Fellows and to the Grand Army of the Republic and of
both organizations is counted a valued representative. The long
vears of his residence in Butler eountv have made him widelv
known and his many sterling qualities have gained him the high
regard of friends and acquaintances alike.
HENRY DRALLE.
A fact that is not always given due recognition is that Ger-
many has furnished to Butler county a large percentage of her
substantial citizens, men who have adapted themselves to changed
conditions in this country and have become progressive and sub-
stantial residents of the communities in which they live. Such a
one is Henry Dralle, who was born in Westphalen, Germany, on
the 8th of August, 1862, his parents being William and Sophia
(Schmidt) Dralle, who w^ere likewise natives of Westphalen.
Their last days, however, were spent upon a farm in West Point
township, this county, where the father died in 1910, at the age of
O
—I
I— I
>bi3
\
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 65
seventy-one years, having long survived his wife, who passed
away in 1887, at the age of fifty-four. They came to the United
States in 1885, Henry Dralle making a trip back to the old country
to bring them to the new world. The father was a miUer by trade
and followed that pursuit in Germany, but after coming to the
United States gave his attention to farming and was the owner of
one hundred and sixty acres, which he left to his family at the
time of his death. There were six children: Henry; Minnie,
the wife of Herman Mehaus, of West Point township ; Lottie, the
deceased wife of Conrad Jakel; Wilhelm, of West Point town-
ship; Sophia, the deceased wife of William Rhodenback; and
Marie, the wife of Hico Folkers, of West Point township.
Henry Dralle was the first of the family to cross the Atlantic
to the new world, arriving in 1878, when a youth of sixteen years.
He first made his way to Grundy county, Iowa, and was employed
by the month for three years, after which he came to Butler
county. Here he again worked by the month as a farm hand for
two years and for three years he rented land. During that period
he carefully saved his earnings until his thrift and economy had
brought him sufficient capital to enable him to purchase eighty
acres on section 24, West Point township. To this he has added
from time to time as his financial resources have increased until
he now has two hundred and forty acres in the home place on
section 24, together with a farm of similar size on section 2. He
personally operates both tracts of land successfully, carrying on
general farming and stock-raising. The fields present a neat and
thrifty appearance and give every indication of the practical and
progressive methods of the owner.
On the 18th of February, 1888, Mr. Dralle was united in mar-
riage to Miss Lottie Schmidt, who was born in Westphaleu, Ger-
many, January 9, 1867, and came to Butler county with the Dralle
family when her future husband returned to Germany for his
parents. The}^ are own cousins and were schoolmates in the
fatherland. In 1907 they made a trip back to the old country,
spending two months there. They have had ten children : Min-
nie, the wife of Folkirt Folkers, of West Point township ; Henry,
also living in West Point township ; Annie, the wife of Will Fick,
of Jackson township ; Willie, Mary, Lottie, Aug^ist and Matie, all
at home ; Sophia, who died at the age of four months ; and Her-
man, who completes the family.
In his political views Mr. Dralle is a democrat and he and his
wife are members of the German Lutheran church. Mr. Dralle is
Vol. II— 4
66 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
a self-made man and deserves much credit for what he has accom-
plished. He came to the United States with his uncle, Conrad
Wallbaum, who paid his passage, and Mr. Dralle had to work for
a year in order to repay the money. He has seen many ups and
downs in life and has met many hardships and difficulties, but at
length has triumphed over these. That notable changes have
occurred is shown in the fact that in early days he sold hogs for
three dollars per hundred and oats for ten cents per bushel. He
now has as good a farm as can be found in the county and receives
substantial prices for his products. He bought his first land at
twenty-five dollars per acre and at his last purchase, made three
years ago, gave one hundred and thirteen dollars per acre, paying
twenty-seven thousand dollars for his last farm of two hundred
and forty acres, upon which his son Henry now resides. Although
Mr. Dralle had a hard struggle in the early days, he enjoyed good
health, was resolute and energetic and has steadily worked his
way upward until he is now one of the prosperous farmers of the
county, and all who know him acknowledge that his success is well
merited.
JOHN PIERSON NEAL.
John Pierson Neal occupies an attractive home in Clarksville
situated in the midst of a forty acre tract of land within the cor-
porate limits of the town, which he personally cultivates and
improves. He is also the owner of two hundred and forty acres
elsewhere in the county, which he leases. He is an energetic, wide-
awake business man alert and progressive and his present success
is the merited reward of his earnest and honest endeavor. He
was born in Greene county, Pennsylvania, April 4, 1846, and is a
son of William and Rebecca (Murray) Neal, the former a native
of Virginia and the latter of Ohio. They were married in the Key-
stone state and in 1849 became residents of Green county, Wis-
consin, where the}^ remained for fifteen years. In 1864 John P.
Neal arrived in Butler county, Iowa, and the following year was
joined by the others of the family. The parents both died upon
their farm in Jackson township, two and a half miles southwest
of Clarks^dlle, the mother passing away in 1868 and the father
in January, 1889. He was a cabinet-maker and in the early days
made all the coffins needed in his neighborhood. In this state he
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 67
carried on general farming and was the owner of one hundred and
twenty acres of rich and productive land, from which he annually
gathered good crops. His religious faith was that of the Baptist
church and in politics he was a democrat. His family numbered
ten children: Sarah Jane, now deceased; Lindsey Elziver, who
died in 1910; Mrs. Delilah Ann Johnson and Mrs. Mary Ellen
Morrison, both of whom have passed away; William A., living
in Jackson township ; Prances Caroline, who is the wife of J. Y.
Tilford and resides with her brother, John; James Estep, of
Olarksville; John Pierson; Robert Judson and Thomas Albert,
both now deceased. All of the children reached adult age.
John P. Neal has made his home in or near Clarksville since
1864. He was a youth of eighteen when he arrived in this county.
His education had been acquired in the schools of Wisconsin and
he there became familiar with all branches of farm work. He
resided on a farm in this county until 1900, when he left the old
home place in Jackson township and took up his abode in Clarks-
ville. He is still the owner of a tract of two hundred and fortv
acres on section 24, that township, which he brought under a
high state of cultivation. He cleared away the stumps, brush and
rocks and prepared the land for the plow, making the farm a
richly productive one from which he annually gathered good har-
vests as a reward for the care and labor he bestowed upon the
fields. He and his wife own one-half interest in the old homestead
of the Telford estate consisting of two hundred and forty acres
in Jackson and Butler townships. He also ov^nas forty acres within
the corporation limits and this he personally operates. He also
conducted a dray and livery business in Clarksville in 1887. His
life has been one of intense and well directed activity and what
he has accomplished is the fitting reward of his labors, making
him one of the substantial citizens of this part of the state.
Mr. Neal has been married twice. In 1873 he wedded Alvira
Wamsley, who was born in this county, July, 1855, and died in
August, 1885. To this union were born four children: Alice
Myrtle, who died at the age of twenty-two years ; May, who passed
away at the age of one and a half years ; Harlan Ray, twenty-two
years of age at the time of his death; and one son who died in
infancy. The eldest daughter had completed the third year work
in the state normal school and afterward taught until her death.
The son, Harlan, was a graduate of the Waterloo business college
and was billing clerk for the Fowler wholesale house in Waterloo.
In 1889 Mr. Neal was joined in wedlock to Miss Cora May Til-
68 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
ford, who was born in Benton county, Iowa, September 16, 1861,
and remained there until nineteen years of age, when she went to
Mediapolis, Iowa, where she sjDent two j^ears. She is a daughter
of John Young Tilford, a native of Indiana, who spent a greater
part of his life at Vinton, Iowa, as a farmer. He died in Clarks-
ville in 1912, after having resided there for several years. His
widow, who was Frances Caroline Neal, now makes her home
with her brother, John Pierson Neal. Unto our subject and his
wife have been born one child, Mary Lavenia.
Politically Mr. Neal is a democrat. He has held no political
offices, but for many years has been officially connected with the
schools and does all in his power to further the interests of educa-
tion. He and his wife and daughter are members of the Pres-
byterian church in which he is serving as an elder and he takes
active and helpful ^Dart in the church work, being ever loyal to
the teachings of the denomination. Honor and integrity have
guided him in all of life's relations and have commanded for him
the confidence, good-will and respect of those whom he has met.
HERMAN SCHMADEKE.
Herman Schmadeke is a retired grain and lumber merchant of
Clarksville, who owes his success not to anv fortunate combination
of circumstances or to the assistance of Avealthy kinsmen, but to
his own unaided efforts and business enterprise. He was born in
Hanover, Germany, January 6, 1859, his parents being Frederick
and Dorothy (Hasemeyer) Schmadeke, who came to the United
States in 1871 with three of their children, one son having preceded
the family to the new world. They settled in DuPage county, Illi-
nois, and in 1876 Mr. Schmadeke went to Freeman township,
Bremer county, Iowa, where he took up his abode on a farm, both
he and his wife passing away on that place. He was a manu-
facturer of rope in the old country, but after coming to the new
world continuously followed farming. He never took any active
part in public affairs, devoting his time to his business interests
and his family and to his duties as a member of the German Luth-
eran church. He was in his eightieth year at the time of his death,
for he was born in 1814 and passed away December 8, 1893. His
wife, who was born in 1824, died October 22, 1895. Their children
were Frederick, who was born in November, 1851, and now lives
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 69
in Fremont township, Butler county; Henry, whose home is in
Fremont township, Bremer county ; Herman ; and Louise, the wife
of Frederick Stradtmann, of Fremont township, Bremer county.
Herman Schmadeke was a youth of thirteen years when the
family crossed the broad Atlantic. He remained under the par-
ental roof until fifteen years of age and then began working by the
month as a farm hand being thus employed for two years. He
afterward learned the carpenter's trade, which he followed for
about twenty years, at the end of which time he entered the lum-
ber and grain business. In 1884 he came to Butler county and has
resided in Clarksville for thirty years. During seventeen years
of that period he was engaged in the lumber and grain busi-
ness and had three partners within that time. He built up an ex-
tensive trade, handling large amounts of grain and lumber each
year, while his annual sales brought him a gratifying income. He
is now practically living retired, although he takes some contracts
for building. For four years he was also a representative of mer-
cantile interests, conducting a general merchandise store which
he afterward sold to his son. He has ever been a man of deter-
mined purpose, carrying forward to successful completion what-
ever he has undertaken, and brooking no obstacles that could be
overcome by persistent, energetic and honorable effort.
In 1886 Mr. Schmadeke was married to Miss Caroline Becker,
who was born in Clayton county, Iowa, March 2, 1866, and came
to this county with her parents in early childhood. She is a daugh-
ter of Ferdinand and Louise (Buchholz) Becker, natives of Ger-
manv, and now residents of Clarksville. Mr. and Mrs. Schmadeke
have become the parents of six children: Alfred; Olinda, who
died AugTist 6, 1913, at the age of twenty-three years and five
months; Bertha, a teacher in the rural schools of the county;
Carrie, a high school graduate ; Arthur ; and Esther.
Mr. Schmadeke votes with the democratic party and his fel-
low townsmen, appreciative of his worth, ability and public spirit,,
have called him to public office, his service as a member of the
city council covering about ten years. For eight years he was
also a member of the board of education and the school system of
the county has found him a stalwart and helpful friend. He be-
came one of the charter members of the Evangelical church of
Clarksville and has served on its official board. The foregoing
indicates that he is interested in all that pertains to the material,
intellectual, social, political and moral development of the com-
munity. He has lived to see many changes in the county since he
70 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
arrived here. Land whicli could be purchased at a very low figure,
today commands high prices for the country has become thickly
settled. Mr. Schmadeke owns two good farms, one in this county
and the other in North Dakota. He started out in life for himself
empty-handed when fifteen years of age and gave his wages to his
parents until he reached the age of twenty-five. All has not been
smooth sailing. At times he has met hardships and difficulties,
but he has never faltered and his industry and perseverance have
at length brought him to the goal of success. He is proud of his
adopted country and his citizenship here and he believes that every
man in America has opportunity to make a good home if he is
but industrious and honest. His own life is a verification of this
belief and proves that success and an honest name may be won
simultaneously.
THOMAS HUNT.
Thomas Hunt is the oldest resident of Clarksville and there-
fore no history of the town would be complete vsdthout extended
reference to him. He participated in some of the troubles with
the Indians here in the early days and knows every phase of pio-
neer life. He arrived in Butler countv in 1854, so that almost
six decades have since come and gone in which he has witnessed
the changes wrought by time and men. A venerable citizen of
eighty-one years, he was bom in Trumbull county, Ohio, October
2, 1832, a son of Samuel and Sarah (Falconer) Hunt. The
mother's birth occurred in the same township in which her son,
Thomas, was bom and her natal year was 1806. She was a repre-
sentative of an old Virginia family. The father, Samuel, was
born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, in 1800. His father, Thomas
Hunt, was a native of New Jersey, whence he removed to Pitts-
burg, there organizing the first Presbyterian church of that city.
Subsequently he went to Jefferson county, Ohio, where he engaged
in preaching for twenty years at two different appointments,
spending his last days in that county. The ancestry of the family
can be traced still farther back. The Hunts came of English line-
age, three brothers of the name having come to America in colonial
days, settling in New Jersey and Virginia. Jonathan Hunt,
the great grandfather of Thomas Hunt was born in Eng-
land and after coming to the new world took part in the war for
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 71
independence, in which he was captured. In the maternal line
Thomas Hunt comes of Holland Dutch ancestry and the family
was early established in Virginia. Samuel Hunt and Sarah Fal-
coner were married in Ohio and following his death, which
occurred there when he was eighty years of age, she came to Iowa
and spent her last days with her son, Thomas, passing away at the
remarkable old age of ninety-four years. In the family were the
following children: William and H. D., both deceased; Thomas;
Mrs. Sarah Miller, now a widow living at Wilmont, Minnesota;
Mrs. Mary Husband, a widow living at Shell Rock, Iowa ; C. F.,
also of Shell Eock; Mrs. Minerva Nelson, a widow whose home
is in Washington Springs, South Dakota, and Mrs. Elizabeth
Fansaler, of Ohio.
Thomas Hunt spent the days of his boyhood and youth in Ohio
and was a young man of twenty-one years, when in 1854 he came
to this county. He settled in Butler township and has always
made it his home, residing upon a farm until fifteen years ago,
when he took up his abode in Clarksville. He is the owner of one
hundred and eighty acres of rich and productive land on sections
10 and 11 and for about thirty years he was engaged in the live-
stock business. He would purchase large herds of cattle in Minne-
sota and bring them to Iowa for sale. He also bought horses and
mules in St. Louis and sold them in North Dakota. He was an
excellent judge of live stock and thus his business affairs were
carefully and profitably conducted.
On the 13th of February, 1856, Mr. Hunt was united in mar-
riage to Miss Nancy Farlow, who was born in Boone county,
Indiana, December 2, 1838, and when fifteen years of age came to
this county with her parents, Abner and Sarah (Martin) Farlow,
the former a native of North Carolina and the latter of Darke
county, Ohio. They were married, however, in Indiana and spent
their last days in Winterset, Madison county, Iowa. They had
eight children, of whom six are living. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Hunt
were born seven children: Sarah Etta, the deceased wife of
Samuel Een; U. F., a resident of Fesington, North Dakota;
Charles A., of Milk River, Saskatchewan, Canada; Mary, the wife
of Thomas Dougherty of Mission, Texas; Samuel, of Missoula,
Montana ; Lillian, the wife of D. J. Moore of Chicago ; and T. A.
of Comstock, Wisconsin.
In politics Mr. Hunt is a republican and has served as town-
ship trustee and as justice of the peace. He was also township
school trustee and treasurer for a number of years, but his atten-
72 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
tion lias been given mostly to his business affairs up to the time
of his retirement. When he came to Iowa, this section of the
state was largely undeveloped. The broad prairies were covered
with an unbroken dazzling sheet of snow through the winter
months while in June they were starred with a million wild flowers.
Indians were still frequently seen in this part of Iowa and at
times occasioned trouble to the settlers on the frontier, Mr. Hunt
aiding in bringing them into subjection. It was an arduous task
to break the sod, plant the crops and develop new fields, especially
as the farm machinery of that day was by no means equal to that
which we use at the present time. However, Mr. Hunt was per-
sistent and energetic and as the years passed on he not only
converted his own land into productive fields, but saw a marked
change in the condition of the county and has ever rejoiced in
what has been accomplished along the lines of progress arid
improvement.
EDWIN MORRILL.
Edwin Morrill has many important claims to respect and honor
among his fellow citizens, for he is not only one of the prominent
and substantial men of Butler county but he is also one of the early
settlers in Iowa and one of the few surviving veterans of the Civil
war men to whom the country owes a debt of gratitude that can
never be fully repaid. He is now living retired in Greene, having
won rest and leisure during fortv-three vears of close identification
with agricultural interests of the locality. He was born in Pis-
cataquis county, Maine, January 22, 1844, and is a son of Frederick
Morrill, also a native of that locality. Frederick Morrill grew to
manhood there, afterward following farming for a number of
years. He later worked in a woolen mill for some time but in
1873 moved to Iowa, where he joined his son. He purchased a
farm near Greene and continued active in its development until
his death, which occurred in 1891, when he was seventy-eight years
of age. His wife who was Dianona S. Lyford, a native of the same
locality in Maine, survived him some years, dying at the home of
her daughter in Minnesota in 1910. In the family there were
ten children : Edwin of this review; Emma M., the deceased wife
of H. L. Douglas; Minnie A., now the wife of H. L. Douglas, of
I
EDWIN MORRILL
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 75
Wadena, Minnesota; Frederick, Jr., deceased; William H. S., a
resident of Wyndmere, North Dakota; and five younger children,
all of whom died in infancy.
Edwin Morrill was reared in his native county, acquiring his
education in the public schools. In 1862, when a young man of
eighteen, he joined Company B, Twentieth Maine Volunteer In-
fantry, for service in the Civil war. Soon after its organization
his regiment was sent south, where it joined McClellan's army. It
was engaged in the battle of Antietam and afterward participated
in all the battles of the Army of the Potomac, being present at
General Lee's surrender in 1865. Mr. Morrill was wounded at Get-
tysburg, being shot in the left leg below the knee, and he was
afterward in a hospital for four months. He later rejoined his
regiment at Rappahannock and nine days before the close of the
war was again wounded, being shot in the nose. He participated
in the grand review at Washington. He was mustered out with
his honorable discharge at Portland, Maine, and with a creditable
military record returned home. He afterward worked in a woolen
mill for five years but in 1870 moved to Iowa, locating first in
Floyd county, where he rented land. He afterward purchased a
quarter section of improved property, to which he later added one
hundred and sixty acres adjoining. Upon this he erected a good
residence and convenient barns and outbuildings and he continued
active in the operation of the property mitil 1895. In that year
he moved to Greene, where he purchased the comfortable residence
in which he now resides. He was formerly a stockholder and di-
rector in the Merchants National Bank, of which he served as
vice president for a number of years, and he was one of the pro-
moters of the Greene Electric Light & Power Company. His name
can always be found among the leaders in the support of any pro-
gressive ]3ublic movement and his cooperation in community affairs
is ready and hearty.
On Thanksgiving day, 1866, Mr. Morrill married Miss Addie
A. Cass, who was born and reared in Piscataquis county, Maine.
Mrs. Morrill died November 26, 1913. They became the parents of
three children: Estella, the wife of G. W. Brunner, a business
man and postmaster at Whittemore, Iowa; Herbert E., a resident
of Aberdeen, South Dakota, where he is an engineer on the Minne-
apolis & St. Louis Railroad ; and Anna, the wife of Fred Kivell,
of Greene. Mr. Morrill attends the Methodist Episcopal church,
of which he is a liberal supporter, and of which Mrs. Morrill was
also a faithful attendant.
76 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
Fratemally Mr. Morrill is a blue lodge Mason and lie is con-
nected also with Greene Post, No. 200, Gr. A. R., of wMch lie lias
served as commander. In June, 1913, lie attended the reunion of
the surviving participants of the battle of Gettysburg and received
a knife, fork, spoon and metal plate as a souvenir of that mem-
orable occasion. Mr. Morrill gives his political allegiance to the
republican party and has held various positions of trust and
responsibility, having served as township trustee of Pleasant Grove
township, Floyd county. Since moving into Greene he has been
elected mayor on two different occasions, his administrations being
characterized by a great deal of progressive work for the benefit of
the city. His interests are thoroughly identified with those of But-
ler county and of Greene and during many years his work has won
him the high place which he now occupies among progressive and
representative citizens.
FRANK L. WITT.
Frank L, Witt of Shell Rock possesses much of the enterpris-
ing spirit characteristic of the middle west. He has long been
identified with newspaper ]3ublication, and this has kept him in
touch with those progressive interests which mark the upbuilding
and development of the country. At the present time he is
engaged with his son in various undertakings, and is accounted one
of the worthy citizens of Shell Rock. He was born in Clarksville,
October 7, 1860, a son of Ross Elden and Sarah C. (Burton)
Witt, who were natives of Indiana. The mother came to this
county with her parents when seven years of age, the family
home being established near Clarksville. The parents of Ross E.
Witt removed to Keokuk, Iowa, and subsequently to Bedford.
He came to this county in 1859. It was on the 1st of January,
1860, in Butler county, that Ross E. Witt and Sarah C. Burton
were married. Here they resided until 1878, when they went to
Grand Forks, North Dakota, there remaining until 1887. They
next became residents of Henry county, Missouri, and in 1889
returned to Butler county, taking up their abode on what was
the old Burton homestead. Later they removed to Clarksville,
where their remaining days were passed. They had three chil-
dren : Frank L. ; Mamie E., who became the wife of E. R. Waugh
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 77
and died in Missouri; and Adelaide, the wife of Richard H.
Waugh, who is mentioned elsewhere in this work.
Frank L. Witt spent the first eighteen years of his life in his
native county and then accompanied his parents to Grand Forks,
where he was engaged in newspaper work until 1887. He next
went to Henry county, Missouri, and was a traveling salesman
for office supplies. He returned to this county and spent the win-
ter of 1890, after which he removed to Superior, Wisconsin, where
he engaged in newspaper work until the spring of 1892. In that
year he returned to Grand Forks, where he continued in active
connection with journalistic interests and also was engaged in
the theatrical business until 1896. Through the succeeding year
he was at Fargo, North Dakota, where he was connected with
newspaper publication and in November, 1897, returned to
Clarksville. He there continued his residence until December,
1900, when he purchased the Shell Rock News.
Some time later he admitted his elder son to a partnership
and later sold out to him. In 1905 Mr. Witt was appointed deputy
collector of internal revenue and filled that office for eight con-
secutive years. In politics he has been a life long republican,
unfaltering in support of the party.
On the 4th of November, 1880, Mr. Witt was united in mar-
riage to Miss Yashti C. M. Griggs, who was born in St. Paul,
Minnesota, in May, 1862, and was reared there and in La Crosse,
Wisconsin. The family afterward removed to Grand Forks,
where her father, John Griggs, became a prominent steamboat
man. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Witt were born two sons; Charles E.
and Fred B., both born at Grand Forks, North Dakota. The lat-
ter is engaged in the grain, lumber and coal business in Shell
Rock. The former, born April 8, 1882, has always been con-
nected with the newspaper business, acting as assistant to his
father for a long period, during which time he thoroughly
acquainted himself with the work of newspaper publication in
principle and detail. Soon after his father purchased the Shell
Rock News he became an equal partner in its ownership, and in
1910 he purchased the paper, of which he is now sole owner and
proprietor. This is a bright, newsy sheet, carefully edited, and
its circulation is a large and growing one, owing to the enterpris-
ing methods followed by Mr. Witt. In 1910 Charles Witt was
appointed postmaster at Shell Rock and his term expired in
January, 1914. He gave efficient service during his administra-
tion. On the 19th of May, 1906, he wedded Maude L. Waite, a
78 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
native of Belvidere, Illinois, and a daughter of Judson AVaite.
Fraternally lie is connected with the Elks, the Masons and the
Knights of Pythias, and his political support is given to the
republican party.
W. F. RAY.
It has been said that banking institutions are the heart of the
commercial body indicating the healthfulness of trade. It is a
well known fact that a safe, reliable and conservative banking
institution does more to establish public confidence in times of
widespread financial panic than any other single ageuc}". The
course followed in the State Bank of Allison has ever been one
which commends itself to the public and as its guiding spirit,
William F. Ray has made a splendid record. In other business
connections, too, he is widelv and favorablv known and his labors
have been an important event in promoting the material progress
and substantial upbuilding of Butler county. He was born at
Shell Rock, February 9, 1869, a son of John W. and Emma R.
(Bartholemew) Ray. The father's birth occurred in Mahoning
county, Ohio, in April, 1840, and when he was three years of age
he was taken bv his widowed mother to Cedar Falls, Iowa, the
husband and father having died during the infancy of his son,
John W. The latter spent his school days in Cedar Falls and in
early manhood engaged in the milling business as an employe, but
with the outbreak of the Civil war he put aside all business* and
personal considerations and enlisted in 1861 as a member of Com-
pany B, Thirty-first Iowa Infantry. This company was organ-
ized at Cedar Falls and he remained in the service for four years,
veteranizing on the expiration of a three years' term. When hos-
tilities had ceased he was honorablv discharged and returned to
his home with a most creditable militarv record. He continued a
resident of Cedar Falls until the spring of 1867, when he removed
to Shell Rock where he engaged in the milling business until 1879,
owning and operating both mills during that period. He Avas then
elected to the office of county treasurer and resided at Butler Cen-
ter, then the county seat, for a year. In 1880 the county seat was
removed to Allison and he continued his official duties at that
point, remaining in the office of county treasurer for two terms
and retiring from the position as he had entered it — with the con-
fidence and good-will of all.
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 79
He entered the banking business in Allison in 1882, continu-
^ ing to conduct a private and state bank until his death which
occurred September 7, 1907, at the age of sixty-seven years. His
business record was as creditable as was his official service, over
which there fell no shadow of wrong or suspicion of evil. In poli-
tics he was a republican and was always interested in matters of
progressive citizenship. He served for a number of years on the
board of education and the public schools found in him a stalwart
friend. He was also an exemplary Mason and attained the
Knights Templar degree in Cedar Falls Commandery. Allison
and Butler county mourned the loss of one of its prominent,
valued and honored citizens when he was called to the home
beyond. His widow still resides in Allison. Their family num-
bered four children : William F. ; Cora R., who is the widow of
Horace A. Foote, who now resides in Allison; Frank J., cashier of
the State Bank of Allison ; and Lulu R., the wife of C. G. Burling,
of Clarksville.
William F. Ray has been a life long resident of this county
and here and in Hampton, Iowa, acquired his public-school edu-
cation supplemented by a course in the Bayless Business College
at Dubuque, Iowa. He entered his father's bank as an employe
and later was engaged in the lumber business for a year. In part-
nership with G. M. Craig, in 1887, he organized the abstract busi-
ness of Craig & Ray and the partnership relation was maintained
until 1902, when they incorporated the business under the style
of The Craig-Ray Abstract Company. Mr. Ray continued as vice
president until 1910, when he sold out. About 1898 his father
had admitted him and his brother, F. J. Ray, as partners in the
banking business under the style of J. W. Ray & Sons. This was
the first bank of Allison. They continued as partners until 1902,
when the bank was incorporated under the state banking laws as
the State Bank of Allison. William F. Ray remained as vice
president until his father's death when he succeeded to the presi-
dency. He has also been president of the Citizen's State Bank
at Bristow, Iowa, since his father's death and has been interested
in that bank since 1897 as a stockholder. He is likewise a director
of the Butler County State Bank at Clarksville and in 1912 he
and his brother erected the new Allison hotel. In addition to his
realty holdings in the city, he has one thousand acres of farm land
in this county. He is one of the most substantial citizens of this
section of the state and while wisely and successfully promoting
80 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
his individual interests, lie also conducts his affairs in such a
manner that public prosperity is enhanced.
Mr. Ray has been twice married. In 1895 he wedded Laura
Youngblood, a native of Indiana, who died in November, 1908,
leaving three children: Roberta M., Lucile and Bernice. In
1909 Mr. Ray wedded Olive H. Timmons, a native of Dubuque
county, who was then a widow with one child, Matilda Jane, who
has now taken her stepfather's name. Mr. Ray has always been
interested in the upbuilding of the town and the surrounding coun-
try. He erected two beautiful homes in Allison and has done
much to improve the city along substantial lines. The bank of
which he is president owns its own building, which is a substantial
structure equipped with modern conveniences and every accessory
to safeguiard the interests of the depositors.
In politics Mr. Ray is a republican. In 1895 he was elected
mayor of the city and something of the chai'acter of his official
career is indicated in the fact that he was reelected for four suc-
cessive terms thereafter. For five years he served as a member
of the school board and he was on the building committee when
in 1912, a new school house was erected at a cost of twenty thou-
sand dollars. In 1908 he was made presidential elector from the
third congressional district of Iowa. While managing extensive
and important business interests, he never neglects duties of citi-
zenship and has made a most creditable and honorable record in
all of life's relations.
A. W. JOHNSON.
A. W. Johnson, widely known as a capable, prominent and
successful contractor and builder of Allison, has made his home
in this county since 1883 and for twenty-eight years has lived in
the county seat. He was born in Monroe, Ogle county, Illinois,
November 20, 1860, and is a son of John and Grace (Hagemeyer)
Johnson, both of whom were natives of Ost Friesland, Hanover,
Germany, where they were mai'ried. Two children were born
unto them ere they came to the new world. They settled in Ogle
county, Illinois, in 1873 and Mr. Johnson there spent his remaining
days, his death occurring upon the home farm in 1880. Two years
later the mother came to Iowa to live with her children and passed
away in 1890. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Johnson were born five
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 81
sons and a daughter: Herman, who is living on the old home-
stead in West Point township; Mrs. Jennie Roalf, deceased; A.
W. ; Frank, of Emmet county, Iowa; Henry, a resident of Minne-
sota ; and John, also of Emmet county. All of the sons are pros-
perous farmers with the exception of A. W. Johnson, who has
devoted the greater part of his life to building pursuits.
He was twenty-one years of age at the time of his father's
death and in 1883, when twenty-three years of age, came to But-
ler county. He was reared upon the farm and when he started
out in life on his own account it was as an agriculturist, but he
had learned the carpenter's trade when a boy and for the past
twenty-eight years has followed that pursuit with the exception
of the time which he devoted to political office. He is now widely
known as a contractor and builder and something of the volume
of his business and of his success is indicated in the fact that he
employs from eight to fourteen men. His work has stamped
him as a master in his chosen field. He conducts a general con-
tracting and building business, furnishes plans and specifications,
superintends construction, and during the long period of his resi-
dence in Allison has erected some of the finest homes in the city
and county. He has also built a number of business blocks and
public buildings and his work always gives satisfaction because of
the thoroughness with which it is done, the excellence of the ma-
terials used and the honesty of his business methods.
Mr. Johnson has been married three times. In 1884 he wedded
Miss Anna Pals, a native of Illinois and of Holland parentage.
She died in 1888, leaving a daughter, Grace, who is now the wife
of Clint Miller, of Minnesota. In 1894 he married Miss Carrie
Woodward, a native of Butler county. She died in 1897, leaving
a daughter. Pearl, who resides at Greene, Butler county. In 1902
Mr. Johnson was united in marriage to Miss Clara Mead, a native
of Butler county and a daughter of Henry C. and Julia Mead.
The father and mother are now deceased, the mother passing away
in August, 1913. One child, Alberta, has been bom to Mr. and Mrs.
Johnson.
In politics Mr. Johnson is an earnest and stalwart republican
and for a period of five years, from 1901 to 1906, he filled the office
of sheriff of his county. Fraternally he is connected with the
Masons, the Knights of Pythias and the Odd Fellows and is loyal
to the beneficent spirit and high purposes of those organizations.
He has always led a busy and useful life and has just completed
82 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
the new German Lutheran church at Allison. Most of the best
buildings in Allison and this section of the county stand as monu-
ments to his skill and enterprise. His record as a man and citizen
is commendable and the warm regard in which he is held indicates
that his has been an upright life.
AYILLIAM S. AUSTIN
Probabh^ no man is better known throughout Butler county as
a successful stock dealer and breeder than William S. Austin, who
operates the Oak Glen Stock Farm of five hundred and sixty acres
on section 10, Madison township. He was born in Washington
township, this county, October 15, 1877, and is a son of William
Anstin, a native of England, who came to America with his father,
Henry Austin, in 1846. Henry Austin located with his family
near Detroit, Michigan, and five years later moved to Wisconsin,
locating in Grant county, where his son William grew to man-
hood. In 1870 the latter moved to Iowa and located in Washing-
ton township, Butler county, where he purchased a tract of raw
land, breaking the soil and opening up a new farm. He there
married Miss Charlotte Smith, who passed away in Washington
township. William Austin, Sr., became a well known farmer
and stock breeder and accumulated extensive landed holdings in
Madison and Washington townships. After his wife's death he
continued on the farm until 1909 and then moved to Cedar Falls
and later to Aplington, where he now resides.
William S. Austin, one of a family of five children, of whom
two are still living, was reared in Washington township, supple-
menting a public-school education by two years at Ellsworth Col-
lege and attendance at the State Normal School at Cedar Falls.
Following the completion of his studies he engaged in teaching
for two terms in Butler county and after his marriage, which
occurred in 1903, he took possession of the Oak Glen Stock Farm,
upon which he has since resided. Upon it he has made excellent
improvements, erecting a good residence and substantial barns
and outbuildings, including a one hundred and twenty ton silo,
which was erected in 1911. He has fenced and cross fenced his
fields with seven miles of woven wire fencing and has neglected
nothing which would add to the appearance or value of his place.
Mr. Austin is a well known stock breeder, dealing principally in
THE F
'3LIC LIBRARY]
I
WILLIAM S. AUSTIN
i
MES. WILLIAM S. AUSTIN
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 87
Aberdeen Angus cattle, Poland China hogs and Angora goats.
He has a fine herd of eighty head of cattle with a pure-blooded
male, Ex. 111595, of the Trojan Erica family, at the head. Mr.
Austin has sold and shipped many pure-blooded animals to other
states and does an extensive business, being considered an expert
judge of stock values and one of the leading breeders in the state.
He makes an annual public sale of Poland China hogs and deals
also to some extent in Angora goats and Barred Plymouth Rock
chickens. He is one of the promoters of the Butler County Tele-
jDhone Company and served as president of this association for
several years.
On the 22d of March, 1903, in Humboldt county, Mr. Austin
was united in marriage to Miss Florence Rigby, who was born
and reared in Cedar county, Iowa, and educated at the Mechanics-
A'ille high school and the State Normal School, later engaging in
teaching in South English and Livermore, Iowa. She was assist-
ant principal at the latter place. Mr. and Mrs. Austin are the
parents of four children: S. Ralph, Lewis H., Edwin G., and
Charlotte M. The parents are members of the Methodist Epis-
copal church of Dumont, and Mr. Austin is one of the official
board. He has been connected with educational interests of this
locality for a number- of years, taking an active and prominent
part in the advancement of the public-school system. He is a
practical and successful farmer and a conservative and able busi-
ness man, and he has the esteem and confidence of the entire
communitv.
EUGENE OWEN
On the roster of county officials appears the name of Eugene
Owen, of Allison, who is now serving as county auditor, in which
connection he is making a creditable record. He was born in
Dayton township, Butler county, August 24, 1875, and is a son
of William R. and Paulina V. (McNames) Owen, the former born
in Wisconsin, January 1, 1849, and the latter in Michigan, No-
. vember 5, 1851. They came with their respective parents to But-
ler county and were married here. Mrs. Owen died upon the
home farm January 31, 1907, and Mr. Owen still resides upon the
farm, being numbered among the worthy and representative agri-
culturists of the community. His political indorsement is given
(Tnl. n—H
88 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
to the republican party. He and his wife became the parents of
two children, the elder being Jennie F., now the wife of Thomas
J. Shafer, sheriff of Butler county.
Eugene Owen was reared in the usual manner of farm lads and
remained on the old homestead with his parents until he attained
his majority. He attended the district schools and afterward the
Clarksville high school and business college. Upon starting out
in life on his own account he took up the occupation to which he
had been reared and continued to engage in farming until elected
to the office of county auditor on the 5th of November, 1912. He
entered upon the duties of this position on the 1st of January fol-
lowing and has made a record creditable to himself, to the repub-
lican party which elected him and to the county at large. He had
previously served as clerk of Dayton township for two terms and
while living in that township he was elected chairman of the
republican county central committee. He is still the owner of
one hundred and twenty acres of land on sections 14 and 24, Day-
ton township, and from his farm derives a gratifying and sub-
stantial income. In 1896 occurred the marriage of Mr. Owen to
Miss Lydia E. Ransom, who was born in Jackson township, March
11, 1877, a daughter of C. M. and Ruth Ellen (Beetle) Ransom.
The mother is now deceased but the father still resides on the old
home place in Jackson township. Mr. and Mrs. Owen have one
child, Grail M. Mr. Owen belongs to the Knights of Pythias fra-
ternity. He has been a lifelong resident of the county and that his
record is a creditable one is indicated by his extensive circle of
friends. He is now proving himself an efficient officer and one
to whom the countv mav safelv look for the careful protection of
its interests.
AARON MOSS.
Aaron Moss, one of the few surviving veterans of the Civil war
and a resident of Butler county since 1855, was born in Carroll
county, Indiana, August 2, 1842. He is a son of Rev. Phillip Moss,
who was minister of a church in Indiana for a number of years.
In 1855 he moved with his family to Iowa, settling on a farm in
Coldwater township near Greene. He was afterward active in
church work here, preaching over a large district and becoming
well known as a zealous and conscientious minister. He died upon
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 89
his farm in 1859 and was survived by his wife only a short time.
They were the parents of a large family of children, seven of whom
grew to maturity.
Aaron Moss was reared in Coldwater township and acquired
his education in the common schools. On the 3d of February,
1862, he enlisted, becoming a member of Company A, Twenty-first
Iowa Volunteer Infantry. He participated in many of the most
important engagements of the Civil war, including that of Harts-
ville, Missouri, and Vicksburg, and he commanded the company
for some time. He was present at the engagements at Spanish
Fort and Fort Blakely and he later joined Banks expedition up
the Red river to Shreveport. He became first sergeant. Upon the
close of the war he received his honorable discharge and returned
to Iowa, where he afterward engaged in farming for a few years.
When he abandoned this line of occupation he turned his attention
to the general merchandising business and some years later began
buying and shipping stock. He was, however, a brick and stone
mason by trade, and eventually he concentrated his attention upon
this work, following it for many years thereafter. He took up his
residence in Greene and assisted in the construction of most of the
brick business houses in the town and a number of the more impor-
tant residences. In his early days he was a well known vocalist
and taught a singing school for a number of years. He was, be-
sides, a member of the church choir and its leader for some time.
In Greene, on the 24th of December, 1865, Mr. Moss married
Miss Margaret A. Sturtz, a native of Pennsylvania, who moved
to Iowa. She passed away in October, 1902, leaving six children :
Elmer ; Fred ; Dr. Solomon, a dentist in Sheffield ; William ; Mrs.
Edward Earth of Greene; and Mrs. Maud Runyon of Council
Bluffs, Iowa. On the 20th of October, 1904, Mr. Moss was again
married, his second wife being Mrs, Sarah Shepard, who was born
in Pennsylvania. When she was ten years of age she moved with
her parents to Illinois and later came to Iowa. She had three sons
by her former marriage: William, of Kansas City, Missouri j
David, of Osage, Iowa ; and Charles, of Clarksville, Iowa.
Fraternally Mr. Moss is identified with the local lodge of the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows, in which he has served
through all the chairs and is now past grand and past district;
deputy. He was for two years president of the Regimental Asso-
ciation of the Twenty-first Iowa and is now serving as vice
president of that body. He was appointed as a member of the
Vicksburg National Park Commission by the governor of Iowa,
90 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
but bad to decline on account of bis wife 's bealtb. He bas been very
prominent in tbe affairs of tbe Grand Army of tbe Republic, botb
locally and nationally. He is a member of Greene Post, No. 200,
G. A. R., in wbicb be bas filled all of tbe offices. He bas been
adjutant and commander of tbe post and is at present cbaplain.
He was formerly aide-de-camp on tbe department commander's
staff and was also aide-de-camp on tbe staff of tbe commander-in-
cbief. He and bis wife are devout members of tbe Presbyterian
cburcb. Mr. Moss is one of tbe Avell known men of Greene, baving
been identified witb tbe growtb and development of tbe cit.y for
many years, gaining in tbe course of a long, useful and bonorable
life tbe esteem and confidence of tbe entire communitv.
DR. RAYMOND S. BLAIR.
For ten years Dr. Raymond S. Blair bas been one of tbe suc-
cessful pbysicians of Parkersburg and be bas not only attained
prominence along professional lines, but also bas actively partici-
pated in tbe public life of tbe city, baving been elected tbree times
to tbe mayor's cbair and now serving in tbat position, attaining
gratifying results in tbe interests of bis fellow citizens. Dr. Blair
was born in Harrison county, Kentucky, Marcb 28, 1877, and is
a son of James C. and Elizabetb ( Jobnson) Blair, natives of Ken-
tucky, tbe former born in 1840 and tbe latter in 1843. Tbe fatber's
occupation is tbat of a farmer. His wife j^assed away in 1899,
leaving two cbildren, RaAHiond S. and Walter B.
Until twelve years of age Raymond S. Blair attended scbool
in Harrison county and tben went to Ogden, Utali, tbere continu-
ing bis lessons for tbree years. At tbe end of tbat time be went
to Harrison county, Iowa, taking an advanced scbool course. He
tben removed to Des Moines, Iowa, wbere be took up tbe study
of osteopatby in tbe S. S. Still College of Osteopatby, graduating
January 26, 1902. He tben establisbed bimself in practice in Des
Moines, tbere continuing for two years, and tben moved to Grundy
Center. In tbat city be remained for only two montbs and tben
came to Parkersburg, Iowa. He was successful from tbe start
and bas since been attending to an ever increasing practice.
On December 25, 1906, at Cbicago, Illinois, Dr. Blair married
Miss Sue Alice Goodwin, a daugbter of A. H. and Isabelle Good-
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 91
win. The former served during the Civil war as captain of
Company A, One Hundred and Forty-sixth Indiana Volunteer
Infantry. Dr. and Mrs. Blair have one daughter, Elizabeth Alice,
born November 18, 1910.
Politically Dr. Blair is a republican and always has interested
himself in the welfare of his party. He was a republican commit-
teeman to the congressional convention of the Third Iowa district,
held at Waterloo, Iowa. In 1908 he was elected mayor of Par-
kersburg and his administration was so successful that he w^as
reelected in 1910 and again in 1912, now serving in that important
office. He has inaugurated and supported many beneficial reforms
and he is leaving the impress of his i^rogressive ideas upon the
city. Dr. Blair is president of the First Twenty-two Club and has
served for the past three years. Fraternally he is a Mason and
belongs to the Brotherhood of American Yeomen. His religious
faith is that of the Congregational church. Dr. Blair owns his
residence, where both he and his wife charmingly entertain their
many friends. He is widely known not only in Parkersburg but
in Butler county and in professional as well as political circles
enjoys great confidence and the good-will and regard of the general
public.
GEORGE W. STAUFFER.
George W. Stauffer, one of the active and progressive farmers
of Coldwater township, owning and operating two hundred and
thirty-five acres of valuable land on section 7, has been a resident
of Butler county since 1883 and during the intervening period
has been closely connected with agricultural interests. He was
born in Westmoreland county, near Pittsburg, Pennsylvania,
December 17, 1860, and is a son of John T. Stauffer, also a native
of that locality, where he was reared and educated. He married
there Miss Susan Strickler, also a native of the Keystone state,
and he engaged in farming in Westmoreland county for a number
of years. He later moved to Butler county, tliis state, settling in
Coldwater township, where he became a prosperous agricultur-
ist.
George W. Stauffer was reared upon the home farm in West-
moreland county and remained with his father until after he
attained his majority. He acquired an excellent education in the
1)2 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
common schools of liis native coimtv and later attended Mount
Pleasant College at Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania. He after-
ward engaged in teaching. He came to Butler county in 1883 and
located on land owned by his father, on section 6, Coldwater town-
ship. This he farmed and improved for a number of years, after
which he moved to Kansas, preempting land in Rush county.
When he sold this property he returned to Iowa, renting land for
a few years. Afterward he purchased a portion of the property
upon which he now resides and from time to time bought more
land until he is now in possession of two hundred and thirty-five
acres on section 7. He owns also a farm of two hundred acres
five miles north of his home, in Floyd county. Mr. Stauffer
engages in general farming and is also extensively interested in
stock-raising, keeping a fine herd of graded cattle and Duroc Jer-
sey hogs. He also does some dairy business and is a stockholder in
the Greene Cooperative Creamery Association. He is interested
also in the Farmers Cooperative Elevator Company and has an
excellent reputation in business circles.
On the 9th of April, 1883, Mr. Stauffer was united in mar-
riage to Miss Lucinda Heselroad, a daughter of William Hesel-
road, a native of Germany and one of the pioneers in Butler
county. He was for mam^ years a prosperous farmer of Cold-
water township. Mr. and Mrs. Stauffer have become the parents
of nine children : May, who married Fred Kulm, of Floyd county,
by whom she has two children : Albert, who is engaged in farming
in Floyd county ; Edith, the wife of Charles De Long, of Allison ;
Edna ; John ; Ruth ; Victor ; Ethel ; and Fern. Mr. and Mrs. Stauf-
fer are members of the Greene Methodist Episcopal church and
both are active Sunday-school workers. Mr. Stauffer is an indus-
trious and prosperous farmer and a careful and conservative
business man, and he is held in high esteem wherever he is known.
SAMUEL THOMAS.
Samuel Thomas, one of the first merchants in Greene and
since 1871 prominently connected with business interests of the
city, where he is now a successful dealei* in real estate, was born
in Canton, Bradford countv, Pennsvlvania, Januarv 29, 1848.
He is a son of Zenas and Maria (Carpenter) Thomas, the former
a native of New York state and the latter of Pennsvlvania, Zenas
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 93
Thomas engaged in business in Canton for some years but in 1860
moved to Iowa, locating in Chickasaw county, where he turned
his attention to farming, following this occupation until his death,
which occurred in 1881. His wife survived him for a number of
years.
Samuel Thomas accompanied his parents to Chickasaw county
in 1860 and he grew up on his father's farm there, acquiring his
education in the public schools and in Bradford Academy. He
later removed to Floyd county, where he engaged in teaching for
two years. In 1871 he moved to Greene and here Mr. Thomas of
this review built a business house and put in a stock of hardware
and implements, having the distinction of being the first man to
sell goods over a counter in the city. For over twenty years he con-
ducted the hardware and implement business and his patronage
increased steadily in volume and importance as his straightfor-
ward business methods and high standards became more widely
known. For some years past he has given a great deal of atten-
tion to dealing in real estate, handling Iowa and Dakota lands. He
has valuable private holdings, for he built and owns an excellent
brick business block with two large store rooms on the lower floor
and offices on the upper. Mr. Thomas has developed two editions
to the town of Greene called Thomas' first and second additions,
and has erected a number of residences in the city. He is known
as a farsighted and able business man and his success is well
deserved, rewarding many years of earnest and persistent work.
In Floyd county, on the 20th of October, 1879, Mr. Thomas
married Miss Armida Antoinette Pratt, who was born in Illi-
nois and reared in Chickasaw county, Iowa, where she engaged
in teaching for two years. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas became the par-
ents of six children : Maud, the wife of L. P. Stephens, of Greene ;
Mrs. Gertrude Shaw, a widow residing in Chicago ; S. Z., who is
engaged in farming in Wolf Point, Montana ; Dr. Alice, a gradu-
ate of the State Normal School, Mount Vernon College and the
medical department of the University of Illinois ; Mary, who died
at the age of twelve ; and Merta, who passed away in early child-
hood.
Mr. Thomas gives his political allegiance to the progressive
wing of the republican party. In 1883 he was elected treasurer
of Butler county, winning reelection at the end of his first term.
He has also served as a delegate to numerous county and state
conventions. He is a Master Mason and a member of the blue
lodge. For the past forty-two years he has been a resident of
94 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
Greene and during that time has been active in inaugurating and
shaping the business development of the city which counts him
among its most progressive and representative citizens.
OSCAR C. PERRIN.
Since 1887 Oscar C. Perrin has been connected with the First
State Bank of Greene and through successive stages of progress
and advancement has risen to the position of president of the insti-
tution. He holds a place of distinctive precedence in financial
circles of the city and has been carried forward into other im-
portant relations, being connected with some of the leading cor-
porate concerns of this section of the state. He was born in Butler
county, near Clarks^ille, January 2-1, 1868, and is a son of Jere-
miah and Anna (Hillman) Perrin, natives of England. As a
young man the father emigrated to America and settled first in
Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, whence in 1851 he moved west to Iowa,
locating in Butler county. He purchased a tract of unimproved
land near Clarks^ille and this he improved with a good residence
and substantial barns and outbuildings. From time to time he
purchased more land and was a very extensive property owner at
the time of his death, which occurred in 1905. He and his wife
were the parents of two sons: Oscar C, of this review; and M. J.,
who resides in Waterloo, Iowa.
Oscar C. Perrin was reared upon the home farm in this county
and supplemented a common-school education by a course in the
Clarksville high school. He began his independent career as a
banker, having assisted in the organization of the Clarksville State
Bank, of which he served as vice president. In 1887 he moved to
Greene and immediately afterward secured a position in the First
National Bank, which was later reorganized as the First State
Bank of Greene. For a time Mr. Perrin served as assistant book-
keeper and was advanced from this position to that of cashier, an
office in which he did capable and farsighted work for a number
of years. In 1903 he was elected president of the institution and
in this capacity has since served. In this position his initiative
spirit and organizing power have been called forth and his work
has been one of the leading factors in making the bank one of the
strong moneyed institutions of Butler county. He gives a great
deal of time to its affairs but he has also other important connec-
OSCAR C. PERRIN
T^T-
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 97
tions, being a stockholder in the himber and implement business
operated by Cave, Sproiil & Company. He was a promoter of the
Greene Electric Light & Power Company, in which he is still a
stockholder and director, and he has large real-estate interests,
owning several well improved farms in this county. He has
proven himself a reliable, capable and farsighted business man
and has an enviable reputation in business circles.
Mr. Perrin has been twice married. In December, 1893, he
married Miss Maude Mason, a native of Ohio. Mrs. Perrin died
in 1904. In Greene, in January, 1907, Mr. Perrin was again mar-
ried, Miss Mary Debbin, who was born, reared and educated in
this city, becoming his bride. Mr. and Mrs. Perrin reside in an
attractive residence on the east side of the cit^ and are well known
in social circles. Mr. Perrin gives his political allegiance to the
rejDublican party and has served as a member of the board of
aldermen and on the school board. Fraternally he is a Master
Mason and he and his wife belong to the Order of the Eastern
Star. Mr. Perrin is connected also with the Independent Order
of Odd Fellows and has served through all the chairs of the
Knights of Pythias. He is a man of sterling worth and high
integrity and well deserves the esteem and regard in which he is
uniformlv held.
THOMAS A. HOBSON, M. D.
For nearly a quarter of a century Dr. Thomas A. Hobson
has practiced medicine in Parkersburg and during that time has
gained an extensive and representative patronage. He was born
in Poweshiek county, Iowa, February 1, 1864, and is a son of
William B. and Mary (Caldwell) Hobson, the former born in
Steubenville, Ohio, and the latter in Ireland. The father was a
millwright and farmer. He came to Iowa about 1858 and made
this state his residence until his death, which occurred about
1893. All who knew him respected and honored him and he stood
high in the estimation of the general public. In the family of
William B. Hobson were nine children: James C. ; Rebecca;
Eliza ; Joseph C. ; Benjamin F. ; John W. ; Abraham J. ; William,
who died in infancy; and Thomas A., our subject.
Thomas A. Hobson attended school in Franklin county, con-
tinuing his preparatory course at the Friends Academy at Le-
98 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
grand, Iowa. He received liis professional training at the Iowa
State Universit}^ graduating from the medical department on
March 6, 1889, with the degree of M. D. Shortly thereafter in the
same year he opened an office in Parkersburg and has ever since
been engaged in general practice, attaining a high degree of suc-
cess. He conducts a private hospital, well appointed and equipped
for all emergencies that may arise. He is deeply interested in his
profession and keeps well in touch with the latest discoveries in
scientific research. Careful in diagnosis, he is decided after
reaching a conclusion and is seldom if ever at fault in applying
the remedy which the case on hand may demand. Moreover, he
inspires that confidence which is so necessary to effect a cure and
in many families is not only the trusted physician but is consid-
ered as their truest friend. Dr. Hobson is interested in any-
thing that tends to bring to man the key to that complex mystery
which we call life and his reading is broad and comprehensive, so
that his knowledge and efficiency have continually advanced.
At Bristow, Iowa, July 2, 1889, Dr. Hobson was united in
marriage to Miss Anna M. Anderson, a daughter of Benjamin and
Margaret (McKernan) Anderson. Dr. and Mrs. Hobson have
adopted a son, William Thomas Hobson. The Doctor and his wife
reside in their own home, which is renowned for its open-hearted
hospitality. In politics the Doctor is a republican but has never
cared to enter the arena of active public life although he served
as health officer of Albion township for one term. His religious
faith is that of the Methodist church and, interested in Sunday-
school work, he served for several years as superintendent. He is a
trustee of his church. Fraternally he is connected with the Masons
and the Modern Woodmen of America. As one of the long-
established physicians of Parkersburg, Dr. Hobson enjoys the
highest confidence and regard and well merits the esteem which is
generally conceded him.
CYRUS DOTY.
Cyrus Doty was one of the venerable, worthy and highly
respected residents of Butler county, his home being not far from
Clarksville, on section 14, Jackson township. He was the first
white child born in Ogle county, Illinois, his natal day being
September 4, 1834. His parents were Elisha and Hannah (Reed)
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 99
Doty. The father was born in Pennsylvania, September 7, 1806,
and was a son of Cornelius Doty, who was born in New Jersey in
1779. He was married in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, to
Catherine Sutton and they had two sons, Elisha and James. The
mother died soon after the birth of the younger and Cornelius
Doty married again and had quite a large family, including Cor-
nelius, who was born in Athens county, Ohio, July 25, 1824, and
was a soldier of the Mexican war, enlisting in Company A, Six-
teenth Illinois Regiment, and afterward reenlisting May 25, 1861,
for service in the Civil war as a member of Company I, Seven-
teenth Illinois Regiment. He was married in 1848, reared a large
family and died at Columbus Grove, Ohio, May 4, 1893. Another
son of the second marriage, Samuel Doty, was also a soldier of
the Civil war, after which he went to California, where his remain-
ing days were spent. The Doty family removed westward, became
pioneer settlers of Illinois and soon after the Black Hawk war
Cornelius Doty, Sr., removed to Texas, traveling across the coun-
try with wagons. He did not remain long, however, but returned
to Peoria, where he died in 1842, at the age of sixty-three
years.
Elisha Doty, the father of C^^rus Doty, was but an infant when
his parents removed westward from Pennsylvania to Peoria, Illi-
nois. When in young manhood he went to Ogle county, where
he became interested in milling and merchandising and in the
grain and live-stock business. He went through all of the experi-
ences of pioneer life. In 1824 he and another young man walked
from Peoria to the lead mines near Galena v/ith a view of finding
work, hiring Indians to ferry them across Rock river. Neither
were experienced in mining so did not long remain, but returned
to Peoria, where Elisha Doty took up the occupation of farming.
In 1828 he married Hannah Reed, who was born in New York,
October 10, 1808. They became the parents of six children, two
of whom were born at Peoria : Samuel, in 1830 ; James, July 10,
1832 ; Cyrus, September 4, 1834 ; Aaron, January 8, 1836 ; Louisa,
May 12, 1837 ; and Lavina. In the summer of 1832 Elisha Doty
made his way to Buffalo Grove, Ogle county, with a view of estab-
lishing his home there. The Indians, however, were so threaten-
ing that he remained but a short time, deeming it best to return
to Peoria. The Black Hawk war was soon declared and was
continued until 1833. In the spring of 1834 Mr. Doty made a
second attempt to secure a home at Buffalo Grove. He did not
enlist for service but was drafted and remained in readiness at
100 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
Peoria to go to the front if the call came. His brother, James^
who joined the army, was killed at the battle of Stillman's Rnn.
When peace was restored Elisha Doty brought his family to
Ogle county, where they underwent many of the hardships and
privations common to pioneer life. The}" had experiences with
prairie tires, with the Indians and with wild animals. Mr. Doty
found a bee tree, which he was carefully guarding for his own
use. On one occasion he found that the Indians were near it, but
as they saw Mr. Doty approach they ran away. He discovered
that they had cut down the bee tree and had the honej^ done up in
a deer skin, beside which were two guns. He took one of the
guns and retreated a little distance. Soon the Indians came back
and missed their gun. Mr. Doty motioned them to come to him,
but they took the honey on two ponies and made their escape. He
sent them word to come and pay for the honey and get their gun,
but they never did so. In the early days the settlers were troubled
with a large gray wolf that proved so destructive that they all
agreed together to pay ten dollars each to the man who would
kill the wolf. For some time Mr. Doty had a trap set, but with-
out avail. At length he placed his trap at a point where beef had
been butchered. It was securely tied to a poll ten feet long and a
cow bell tied to the other end. About ten o'clock Mrs. Doty heard
the bell ringing and Mr. Doty, calling two men to his assistance,
went for the wolf, which had dragged the poll and bell twenty-
five rods. The animal was soon dispatched and placed in a wagon
and the next morning Mr. Doty drove around among the neigh-
bors showing that he had killed the wolf and most of them paid
the ten dollar bounty. Mrs. Doty became ill and sent her son
Cyrus to call her husband, who was at work hauling wood. ^Ir.
Doty went for Dr. Benton, two miles away, and he bled her in
the arm according to the methods of the time, but she grew worse
and the next day Elisha Doty started for Dixon to call Dr. Everts.
He reached the Rock river just at night and was told the ice was
unsafe for a horse, but attempted to lead his horse across. He
proceeded only a short distance when the horse went through the
ice, but help soon came and the animal was saved. Mr. Doty then
walked across the river, found Dr. Everts and with him returned
to his home, but the mother's condition was such that she coidd
not be saved.
In 1842 Elisha Dotv w^as a second time married, Catharine
Jones becoming his wife. They had seven children who reached
adult age, and those now living are: Salina, of Charles City,
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 101
Iowa; Angeline, of Osage City, Kansas; Mrs. Marion Stone, of
Oklahoma; Erastus, of Clarksville; and Mrs. Alice Matcham,
of Packard, Iowa. Those deceased were Mrs. Harriet Kellogg, of
Montour, Iowa, and Mrs. Ida Ornsdorf , of Watonga, Indian Ter-
ritory. There were also two children who died in early life and
the mother passed away at Charles City, Iowa, September 12,
1902. Although the family experienced many of the privations
of pioneer life, Elisha Doty prospered in his business affairs as
the years went on. He was one of the builders of the first stone
windmill at Polo and as time passed on became an active factor
in milling and merchandising and in the grain and stock business.
When the panic of 1857 came on he threw his possessions into the
breach and prevented much financial disaster to his neighbors. In
1866 he removed to Tama county, Iowa, where his death occurred
December 16, 1893, his last days being spent in Montour.
Cyrus Doty remained in Ogle county, Illinois, until the 1st
of August, 1860, w^hen he came to Butler county, Iowa, k)cating
on the farm on which he spent his remaining days, his death occur-
ring February 15, 1912. He had a good business education and
made farming his principal life work. He owned three hundred
and twenty acres of land, which he converted into rich and pro-
ductive fields, deriving therefrom a substantial income.
On the 12th of March, 1856, Mr. Doty was united in marriage
to Miss Charlotte Aplington, who was born in Sanford, Broome
county. New York, July 20, 1836, and at sixteen years of age went
to Polo, Ogle county, Illinois, with her parents, James and Sarah
Jane (Anthony) Aplington. Her father died at Aplingion, Iowa,
a town which he and his brother Zenath had founded. Mrs. Doty
was one of a family of eight children, four of whom are now liv-
ing, and by her marriage she became the mother of twelve children :
Samuel N., who died at the age of forty-six years; Wil-
liam N., of this county ; Mary, at home ; Edith, the wife of Mitchell
McDonald, of Stillwater, Oklahoma; Charles, living in Osage,
Iowa; James, who died in infancy; Nellie Marietta, the wife of
Charles N. Richards, of Zion City, Illinois ; Rose, who is the widow
of W. C. Guptell and lives with her mother; Simon Harvey, of
Stillwater, Oklahoma; Lillian Catharine, who died at the age of
thirty-eight years, six weeks after her father's death; Myrtle,
the v^f e of Frank Davis, of this county, and Rev. Earl Isaac Doty,
who spent four years in China as a missionary and is now study-
ing in the Chicago University.
102 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
In politics Mr. Doty was a democrat and took a deep interest
in the political situation, yet did not seek nor desire office. He was
an active and consistent member of the United Brethren church
and his life was ever upright and honorable, winning for him the
high regard and good-will of all with whom he came in contact.
He was familiar not only with the phases of pioneer life in Illi-
nois but also in Iowa, and his efforts were an element in the ma-
terial development and substantial progress of both states.
HARRY A. LEETE.
Harry A. Leete, who for the past eleven years has conducted a
large furniture store and a well appointed undertaking parlor in
Greene, was born in Jackson township, this county, July 22, 1875.
He is a son of Allan Leete, a pioneer in Butler count}^ and one of
the first settlers in Jackson township, where he owned and oper-
ated a valuable farm for a nmnber of years. He was also well
known in public life, serving as county supervisor for some time
and holding various other positions of trust and responsibility.
Eventuallv he sold his farm and moved into Clarksville, where he
engaged in business for a few years and where his death occurred
in Aj)ril, 1913, when he was eighty-nine years of age. His wife
survives him and makes her home with her daughter at Packard,
this countv.
Harry A. Leete was reared upon the home farm in Butler
county and acquired his primary education in the district schools.
He later attended high school at Clarksville and after laying aside
his books became connected with his father's business enteriDrise
there, gaining valuable practical experience in the furniture and
undertaking business. This he supplemented by a course in em-
balming at Grand Forks, North Dakota. He remained in his
father's employ for two or three years and at the end of that time
moved to Greene, where he put in a stock of furniture and under-
taking goods and established himself in the business which has
engaged his attention for the past eleven years. He carries a well
selected stock of furniture, including pianos, organs, rugs and
mirrors, and he does practically all of the undertaking for Butler
county. He has met with excellent success in business and his
prosperity is the direct result of his own energ}^ and enterprise.
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 103
On the lOtli of October, 1898, in Clarksville, Mr. Leete mar-
ried Miss Pearl Gilbert, a native of Iowa, who was reared and edu-
cated in Clarksville, where she afterward engaged in teaching.
Mr. and Mrs. Leete have become the parents of a daughter, Doris.
The family reside in an attractive home in the new addition to
Greene. Mr. Leete is a member of the Greene lodge of the Knights
of Pythias and belongs to the Elks and the Modern Woodmen
of America. He and his wife are well known in Greene and hold
the respect and esteem of a large circle of friends.
HENRY ATKINSON.
No history of i^ioneer times in Butler county would be com-
plete without mention of Henry Atkinson, now deceased, who
arrived here during the early period in the development of this
part of the state. He was born in Yorkshire, England, October
3, 1831, a son of George and Margaret (Jackson) Atkinson, who
spent their entire lives in their native land. Their family num-
bered three sons and three daughters, of whom three came to the
United States. The brother of Henry Atkinson died, however,
soon after his arrival in the new world and tlie sister became a
resident of Kansas.
Henr}^ Atkinson spent his boyhood and youth in England to
tlie age of nineteen years, when he came with an uncle to America
in 1850. A location was made at Niagara county, New York,
where he worked for his imcle for a few years, before securing a
home in the new but growing west. He arrived in Clarksville
December, 1855, and spent the remaining days of his life in this
county. He became the owner of two hundred and forty acres of
rich and productive land six miles east of the town, which is still
in possession of the family and for a long period he energetically
and successfully carried on farming.
It was in 1860 that Mr. Atkinson was united in marriage to
Miss Sophia Cloukey, who w^as born in Ontario, Canada, October
15, 1833. Her parents removed to Vermont and she was reared
in the Green Mountain state, living there until 1857, when the
family home was established in Butler county. The journey west
was made by train to Dubuque, where they had to hire teams to
bring them to their destination, as there were then no railroads
through this part of the country. Many conditions of pioneer
104 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
life still existed, and at the time of tlieir arrival prairie fires were
burning and things did not look very inviting. Howevei', with
courageous spirit they began the establislnnent of a home. The
father entered land in Bennezette township, Butler county, and in
this county Augustus and Mary Ann Cloukey, parents of Mrs.
Atkinson and natives of Canada, si3ent their remaining days,
passing away in Clarksville. Their family numbered seven chil-
dren, two sons and five daughters.
Mr. and Mrs. Atkinson also had seven children: Yiola, the
wife of Arthur Downing of Kansas ; May, at home ; Francis, liv-
ing in Battle Creek, Michigan ; Lester, the principal of the schools
at Kesley, Butler county, Iowa ; George, whose home is in South
Dakota; Mrs. Clara Clock, deceased; and Hon. William I. Atkin-
son, of whom mention is made on another page of this work.
The death of Mr. Atkinson occurred Jiuie 10, 1889. His widow
made her home in Clarksville. In politics he was a republican, but
never sought nor desired office. He held membership in the Metho-
dist Episcopal church and his religious faith was manifest in all of
the relations of life. As a pioneer he lived to see some remark-
able changes as the wild prairie land was converted into rich
fields, as the log cabins were replaced by su])stantial and commodi-
ous modern residences and as the work of development and
improvement was carried steadily forward, bringing about the
prosperity and progress of the present day.
SAMUEL L. PATTERSON.
Samuel L. Patterson occupies a leading position in financial
circles of Austinville as cashier of the Austinville Savings Bank,
and he has besides various other business connections the im-
portance of which places him among the substantial and repre-
sentative men of the community. His prosperity is due entirely
to his own efforts and demonstrates the value of perseverance,
industry and integrity as elements in a successful career. He was
born near Belfast, Ireland, April 28, 1870, a son of Samuel L. and
Jane (Lawson) Patterson, also natives of the Emerald isle, the
former born in 1842 and the latter in 1844. The father was a
farmer and stock dealer, following these occupations in Ireland
until his death in 1910. His wife survives him and makes her
home in her native count r v. Thirteen children were born to their
MR. AND MRS. SAMUEL L. PATTERSON
i i'r
JPUI
^Pv
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 107
union, David, Maggie, Hugh, Lizzie, Samuel L., Sarah J., Essie,
Robert, William J., Joseph, Martha, John, and a child who died
in infancy.
Samuel L. Patterson attended school in Ireland until he was
sixteen years of age and then secured a position as a farm laborer,
working for two years for twenty-five cents a day. After he came
to America he settled in Illinois, working as a farm hand in Kane
county for two and one-half years at a salary of twenty-three dol-
lars a month. In 1891 he moved to Aplington, this county, and
worked as a butter maker for four years, after which he came to
Austinville as manager and butter maker for the Austinville
Creamery, of which he is now half owner. He retained this posi-
tion until 1910, when he became connected with financial interests
as cashier of the Austinville Savings Bank, in which he is a stock-
holder and director. He is also a stockholder in the Farmers Sav-
ings Bank of Aplington, half owner of the Austinville Creamery
and has valuable property interests, including an excellent resi-
dence in the city.
In Washington township, on the 25th of September, 1899, Mr.
Patterson married Miss Alice E. Austin, a daughter of Henry
Austin, a prominent and wealthy farmer and stock breeder of that
locality, who met death by accident in Waterloo in 1911. Mr. and
Mrs. Patterson have two children, Clarence A. and Mildred A.
Mr. Patterson is an elder in the Presbyterian church and is a
member of the Masonic fraternity. He gives his political alle-
giance to the republican party and has served as chairman of
Washington township and as secretary of the school board. He
occupies a position of prominence and importance in business
circles of this locality, and his success has been well earned and
worthily used.
OWEN W. HARDMAjST.
Owen W. Hardman, a prominent and well known farmer and
stock-raiser of Dayton township, is a native son of Butler county,
born in Coldwater township, August 22, 1866. His father, Aaron
Hardman, was one of the early settlers in this state, settling in
Coldwater township, Butler county, Iowa. His death occurred
June 5, 1878.
Vo) II — f5
108 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
Owen W. Hardman was reared upon Ms father's farm and
acquired his education in the public schools of Greene. After
the death of his father he worked as a monthly laborer for several
years and then rented land which he operated for some time. In
1906 he purchased eighty acres in Dayton township and upon this
property he has since resided, carrying forward the work of its
development in a practical and progressive way. He repaired
the buildings which were upon the property when it came into
his possession, remodeled the house and erected a substantial barn
and granary, a wagon shed and corn cribs. He has fenced and
cross fenced his fields and put out a grove of orchard and orna-
mental trees and today the entire place reflects his careful and
well directed labor. In addition to general farming he engages
extensively in stock-raising, keeping a good grade of Durham
cattle, Duroc Jersey hogs and heavy work horses. He is one of
the directors and adjusters in the Farmers Fire Insurance Com-
pany of Butler county and is recognized as a man of excellent
business ability.
In Coldwater township, April 3, 1889, Mr. Hardman mar-
ried Miss Etta Keister, who was born and reared in Bennezette
township. They have three children : Glen, who is assisting in the
operation of his father's farm; Homer H. ; and Helen Gertrude.
The parents are members of the Methodist Episcopal church of
Packard and are known as people of exemplary character.
Mr. Hardman is a member of the Greene lodge of Odd Fel-
lows, in which he has held all of the chairs, and is now a past
grand. His wife is a noble grand of the Daughters of Rebekah
and well known in the affairs of that organization. Mr. Hard-
man's political allegiance is given to the republican party and for
a number of years he served as street supervisor of Greene. He
never neglects the duties of citizenship but concentrates his atten-
tion principally upon the conduct of his farm, in which he is meet-
ing with gratifying and well deserved success.
LAMBERT J. ROGERS.
During the period of the Civil war Lambert J. Rogers with
patriotic spirit responded to the call for troops and Since the close
of hostilities he has been equally loyal to the stars and stripes,
standing at all times for the best interests of the country. He has
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 109
made a creditable record in public office in Butler county and is
now numbered among the substantial business men of Allison,
where he is engaged in buying stock. His birth occurred in Wash-
ington county, New York, April 8, 1843, a son of Clark and Lovisa
(Herron) Rogers, both natives of the Empire state. They spent
the greater part of their lives in Washington county. New York,
and in 1853 removed westward to Wisconsin, settling in Walworth
county, where their remaining days were passed. The father died
in July, 1856, at the age of fifty-three years, and the mother passed
away in January, 1869, when sixty-five years of age. He had
always followed milling in support of his family, which numbered
five sons and three daughters, but one of the daughters died in
early girlhood. The only ones now living are Lambert J. and
John Rogers, the latter a resident of Sharon, Wisconsin.
Lambert J. Rogers was a little lad of ten years when he accom-
panied his parents to Wisconsin, where he remained until April,
1868, and then came to Butler county, Iowa, where he has since
lived. For eleven years he engaged in farming. It was prior to
his arrival in this state that he served in the army, enlisting in 1863
as a member of Company K, Second Wisconsin Cavalry, with
which he served for nearly three vears as a non-commissioned of-
ficer. He was on active duty, scouting and raiding most of the
time, and he was under General Custer in Texas. He was mus-
tered out at Austin, Texas, in December, 1865, and returned to
the north with a creditable military record, being only about twen-
ty-two years of age when the war closed.
After following farming in this county until 1879 Mr. Rogers
engaged in the live-stock business for about eight years, or until
January, 1887, when he took up his abode in Allison. He served
for four years as county recorder, occupying the position from
January, 1887, until 1891, after which he retired from office with
a creditable record. He then went upon the road as a traveling
salesman, but later was appointed postmaster and filled the posi-
tion for ten years under Presidents Harrison, McKinley and
Roosevelt. During the remainder of the time he has been engaged
in the live-stock business, in which he is very successful, capably
managing his interests so that substantial returns are obtained
upon his investment.
In May, 1866, Mr. Rogers married Miss Julia P. Dodge, who
was born in Genesee county. New York, March 15, 1843, and went
to Wisconsin with her parents, Josiah and Julia Dodge, who spent
their remaining days in that state. Mr. Rogers was called upon
no HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
to mouru the loss of his wife iu 1908, her death occurring in Wa-
verly, Iowa, on the 23d of August of that year.
In his political views Mr. Rogers is a republican and keeps well
informed on the questions and issues of the day. He is entitled
to wear the Grand Army button, holding membership in Lieuten-
ant Braden Post, No. 356, G. A. R., of Allison. He likewise be-
longs to the Knights of Pythias lodge. What he has accomplished
indicates the wise use he has made of his time and talents. The
years have brought him a substantial measure of success and pub-
lic opinion accords him a place with the representative and valued
citizens of Butler countv.
ORLANDO r. :miner.
Orlando C. Miner, a well known and prosperous hardware
merchant of Greene, who has been closelv connected with commer-
cial interests of the city for the past sixteen years, was born in
Green county, Wisconsin, November 15, 1867. He is one of a
family of eleven children, of whom three live in Greene : Richard,
a well known business man of the cit}^; Emma, who makes her
home with her brother; and Orlando C, of this review.
Orlando C. Miner came with his parents to Butler county,
Iowa, when he was only one year old, and he was reared upon his
father's farm in this locality, receiving a primary education in
the district school and supplementing this by a few terms in high
school. After reaching maturity he operated the homestead for
a few years and in 1897 moved to Greene, where he purchased an
established hardware business which he has since conducted. Being
a progressive and able business man, he has met with most gratify-
ing success in the conduct of this enterprise and has the confidence
and patronage of the people of Greene and of the surrounding
country districts. He carries a large and well selected stock of
shelf and heavy hardware and his business is constantly increasing
in volume and importance.
Mr. Miner and his sister are members of the Methodist Epis-
copal church and Miss Miner is well known in the affairs of the
church auxiliary societies. They reside in an attractive home in
Greene and are well known in social circles of the city. Mr, Miner
gives his political allegiance to the republican party and has served
as a member of the board of aldermen and for two terms on the
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY ill
township board. He is a Master Mason, belonging to the blue
lodge at Greene. From his infancy he has been a resident of Butler
county and has therefore witnessed much of the growth of this
locality, contributing in a substantial measvire to the later develop-
ment of the city of Glreene: He is an able and progressive man
of business and a public-spirited citizen, well worthy of the esteem
and confidence in which he is uniformly held.
FERDINAND BECKER.
Germany has furnished her full quota of valuable citizens to
Iowa, among the number being Ferdinand Becker of Butler
county, formerly closely identified with agricultural interests, but
now living retired in the enjoyment of a well earned rest. He
was born in Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Germany, November 30, 1837,
and is a son of Johann and Wilhemina (Koch) Becker. The
mother died when her son Ferdinand was but a year old. The
father died in Germanv, where he had learned and followed the
tailor's trade, making it his life work. He was twice married and
had nine children bv his first wife, but Ferdinand Becker was the
only child of the second marriage.
Public schools of his native country furnished Ferdinand
Becker his educational opportunities. He remained in the father-
land until nineteen years of age, and then, attracted by the reports
which he had heard concerning the opportunities and advantages
of the new world, he came to America in 1857, settling first at
Guttenberg, Clayton county, Iowa, where he began working by
the year as a farm hand, receiving one hundred and thirty-three
dollars per annum during the two years spent in that way. He
afterwartl operated a threshing machine for about seven seasons
and through the remainder of the year engaged in farming. In
1862 he went to South Dakota and secured a claim, but after work-
ing there for a short time with oxen he returned to Iowa. In 1866
he came to Butler county, settling five miles northeast of Clarks-
ville in Butler township, where he purchased eighty acres of land
and added thereto from time to time until he had one hundred and
sixty acres. Year after year he carefully tilled his fields and har-
vested his crops until he retired to Clarksville about seven years
ago. He still owns the farm, which is a well improved tract of
prairie land and which returns to him a gratifying annual income^
112 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
On the 25tli of March, 1863, Mr. Becker was united in marriage
to Miss Louisa Buchholz, who was born in Hanover, Germany,
August 30, 1844, a daughter of Henry and Caroline (Kalla) Buch-
holz, and went to Clinton county, Iowa, in 1854, with her mother.
Her father died in New York soon after his arrival on this side
of the water, but the mother passed away in Butler county. Mr.
and Mrs. Becker have become the parents of nine children : Wil-
liam, who is living on his father's farm in Butler township; Car-
oline, the wife of Herman Schmadeke ; Louise, who died at the age
of fifteen months ; Augusta, who is the wife of F. W. Meyer and
makes her home with her father ; Bertha, the wife of F. Fahshold
of North Dakota ; Anna, the wife of Henry Miller of Clarksville ;
Gesina, the deceased wife of Ed Klinemeyer ; Ferdinand of North
Dakota; and Rosa, the wife of Henry Bushing of North Dakota.
The parents are both members of the Lutheran church, loyal
to its teachings, and they are today among the most respected and
venerated of the old couples of Clarksville. Mr. Becker has passed
the seventy-sixth milestone on life's journey and his record proves
what may be accomplished in this land, where opi)ortunity is not
hampered by caste or class, but where the road to usefulness and
success is open to all.
AUSTIN C. WILCOX.
Austin C. Wilcox is now living retired in Clarksville and his
rest is well earned, as it follows many years of active, persistent
labor in the fields when farm work claimed his attention. He was
born in Binghampton, New York, December 26, 1840, his parents
being Austin C. and Hannah (Taylor) Wilcox, natives of Penn-
sylvania and of New York respectively. About 1848 they removed
westward to Dubuque, Iowa, by way of the river route, and the
father died in that citv almost immediateh^ after his arrival there,
the mother survivinar for onlv six davs. Thev had a familv of
seven children, the eldest being twenty years of age and the young-
est a baby of a year or two at the time of the parents' death.
The members of the family, besides our subject, were : Edward,
uow deceased; Gilbert, who enlisted from Des Moines and served
for three years in the Civil war but has now passed away; Mrs.
Lucy Petty, who has also departed this life ; George, who served
through the war, veteranizing as a member of an Illinois regi- ^
J
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 113
inent, but is now deceased ; Mrs. Lydia Matilda Henderson Hickel,
who was married twice and is now deceased, and Mrs. Emily
Hickel, who has also been called from this life.
Austin C. Wilcox was the fifth in order of birth and is the
only one of the children now living. Left an orphan at the age
of eight years, he went to live with strangers in Jones county, by
whom he was reared to the age of sixteen years. He spent the
succeeding year in Dubuque county and then made his way across
the plains to the Rocky mountains, where he spent a few months
in 1860. In the fall of that year, however, he came to Butler
county, which was still largely a frontier district, and he began
breaking the prairie with four oxen of his own. He knows all
of the phases of pioneer life and the hardships and difficulties inci-
dent to the development of a new farm.
Interruption to his business affairs came in the shape of mili-
tary service, for on the 16th of August, 1862, he enlisted as a
member of Company E, Thirty-second Iowa Volunteer Infantry,
from which he was honorably discharged at Mound City, Illinois,
on the 3d of April, 1864, owing to disability. He was engaged in
guard duty in Missouri, Tennessee and Kentucky until taken ill.
At the close of his military service Mr. Wilcox returned to
Butler county, and in January, 1865, went to Blackhawk county,
where he engaged in buying and feeding cattle and hogs for about
three years. In 1868 he returned and bought a farm in Jackson
township, where he carried on general agricultural pursuits for
almost a third of a century. In 1900, however, he retired and
took up his abode in Clarksville, where he now makes his home.
He is still the owner of three hundred and twenty acres on sections
25 and 36, Jackson township, which came into his possession as
wild prairie land and was converted by him into rich and produc-
tive fields. He built a good home at Clarksville on a tract of twelve
acres which he had purchased. Much of this, however, he has
since sold off in city lots, retaining now only four acres. His life
has been a busy and useful one. He knows what hard labor means,
for he performed the arduous task of developing a new farm. He
always kept up with the latest improvements in machinery and
utilized progressive methods in developing his place, which he
converted into one of the valuable properties of the township.
On the 14th of October, 1866, Mr. Wilcox was united in mar-
riage to Miss Martha E. Champlin, who was born January 17,
1850, in Illinois, and who was taken to Blackhawk county by her
parents, Mr. and Mrs. David A. Champlin, when she was ten years
114 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
of age. Mr. and Mrs. Wilcox became the parents of seven chil-
dren: David A., of Butler township, who is married and has
six children ; Cora, who died at the age of thirty-two years ; Inzie,
who is the wife of Edwin Hickel, of Waterloo, and has one child;
Jay, of Massachusetts, who is married and has two children;
Jennie, twin sister of Jay and the wife of E. A. K. Baxter, of
Parkersburg, Iowa, by whom she has two children; Maude, the
wife of Al Smith, of Dubuque county, by whom she has two chil-
dren; and Herbert, at home.
Mr. Wilcox has always voted the republican ticket until a few
years ago and might now be called an independent republican, for
if his judgment dictates his vote is cast for candidates of other
parties. His wife is a member of the Presbyterian church, to the
support of which she contributes liberally. He is a charter mem-
ber of Butler Post, G. A. R., of Clarksville, and greatly enjoys
meeting with his old army comrades. He is a self-made man and
one who deserves much credit for what he has accomplished. Not
all of the days in his career have been equally bright and as
recently as the spring of the present year he suffered heavy losses
by fire, which destroyed most of the buildings upon his farm.
But he has never allowed difficulties or obstacles to discourage him
and persistenth^ and energetically has worked his way upward
and is today numbered among the men of affluence in Butler
county, possessing a competence sufficient to supply him with all
of the comforts and some of the luxuries of life.
LEONARD LUCAS.
Coldwater township numbers among its most progressive, able
and valued citizens Leonard Lucas, who for a number of vears
has o^med and operated a fine farm of one hundred and twenty
acres on section 9, gaining wide recognition as a successful farmer
and stock-raiser. He was born in the province of Quebec, Can-
ada, August 29, 1859, and is a son of Leonard and Fannie (Foster)
Lucas, the former born in the north of Ireland in 1818 and the
latter in 1822. The father moved to the Dominion about 1833,
locating in Quebec province, where he engaged in farming for a
number of years. In 1869 he moved to Iowa, locating in Floyd
county, where he purchased a tract of wild land and opened up
a farm. From time to time he added to his holdings until he
LEONARD LUCAS
I
i
i
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 117
owned almost five hundred acres. This he later sold and moved
to North Dakota. He resided there until 1890, then moved to
Winnipeg, where his death occurred November 6, 1906. His wife
died March 16, 1899.
Leonard Lucas came with his parents to Iowa when he was
ten years of age. He was reared in Floyd county, this state, and as
a boy aided in the improvement and development of the home
farm. He remained with his father until he had attained his
majority, and then moved to North Dakota, where he entered three
hundred and twenty acres of land in Burleigh county. Portions
of this property he broke and upon it built a number of buildings,
continuing to reside upon the farm for four years. At the end of
that time he returned to Iowa and purchased one hundred and
twenty acres on section 9, Coldwater township, and upon this prop-
erty has since resided. When it came into his possession in 1885
it was in part a tract of uncultivated prairie land, but with char-
acteristic energy Mr. Lucas broke the soil and erected a number of
buildings upon his property and turned his attention to general
farming. He has built an excellent farm house and has put out an
orchard and a fine grove of fruit and evergreen trees, and he has
today an attractive place, second to none in the township in beauty
and value. In 1892, while still conducting his farm, Mr. Lucas
took charge of and managed the flour mill and feed business of the
Greene Manufacturing Company at Greene. He successfully con-
ducted the enterprise for four years and then withdrew therefrom
in order to concentrate his energies more exclusively upon the
management of his farm. His recent improvements include a
cement-block silo, with a capacity of one hundred tons, this being
one of the first buildings of this kind in Butler county. Mr. Lucas
raises black polled cattle, keeping pure-blooded and high-grade
animals, and he breeds Poland China hogs and Norman horses,
being well known as a successful breeder and dealer. He operates
a large dairy, important features of which are its neatness and
sanitation, and the products of the dairy command a ready sale in
the local market, securing the highest market prices. Mr. Lucas
was also one of the promoters of the Greene Cooperative Creamery
Association, of which he is now president, and in this connection
is proving himself a reliable and farsighted business man. In 1907
he was one of the organizers of the Farmers Cooperative Elevator
Companv at Greene and became the first manager of the enter-
prise, which is now conducting a business of mammoth propor-
tions. Mr. Lucas is likewise a director of the Butler County
118 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
Mutual Insurance Association, which is today one of the largest
county mutual insurance companies in the state. His activities
also reach out along other lines, for he is vice president and director
of the Butler County Fair Association and also of the Butler
County Farmers Institute. He is greatly interested in any organ-
ization which stimulates an interest in improved agricultural con-
ditions and he has himself been the leader in bringing about many
reforms and improvements in the methods of developing and culti-
vating the soil and caring for stock.
In North Dakota, on the 7th of July, 188^, Mr. Lucas was
united in marriage to Miss Ursula Whitten, who was born in
Augusta, Maine, where she was reared and educated. She later
moved west and engaged in teaching in North Dakota. Mr. and
Mrs. Lucas have become the parents of eight children: Alice, a
graduate of the Greene high school, married Walter McEwen, of
New Hampton, Iowa. Lillian, a graduate of the Greene public
school, for several 3^ears has been engaged in teaching. Gertrude,
also a graduate of the Greene school is the wife of Dayton Mather,
a farmer of Dayton township. Harriet, a graduate of the Greene
high school, engaged in teaching for one year. She later married
Chester Elgin and they located on a ranch near Cheyenne, Wyom-
ing, where she passed away December 5, 1912, leaving an infant
daughter. Her body was brought back to Greene and buried in the
Rosehill cemetery. Percival acquired his education in the public
schools of Coldwater township and supplemented this by a short
course in the agricultural college at Ames. He is now aiding in
the operation of the homestead. Eugenie is a graduate from the
Greene high school and is now attending Mount Vernon College.
The other children born to Mr. and Mrs. Lucas are Homer S. and
Darrell B.
Mr. and Mrs. Lucas are active members of the Methodist Epis-
copal church, of which Mr. Lucas is now steward. He is a Master
Mason, connected with the blue lodge of Greene. In former
years he was identified with the republican party but since 1912
has been an enthusiastic supporter of the progressive party.
Elected justice of the peace, he has now served for eight or ten
years in that capacity and his decisions have ever been fair and
impartial. He has also been identified with school interests in
this vicinity, serving as president of the school board of Coldwater
township for a number of years. His identification with party
management has come through his service as a delegate to numer-
ous county and state conventions and he also attended the progres-
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 119
sive national convention in Chicago in 1912, as an alternate from
the third district. He is a public-spirited and loyal citizen, who
in every relation of life conamands and merits the confidence and
high regard of his neighbors and friends. What he has accom-
plished in a business way places him among the representative
citizens of his part of the state. Each step in his career has been
a forward one, bringing him a broader outlook and wider oppor-
tunities. He has learned to correctly value those things which go
to make up life's contacts and experiences and his even-paced
energy has carried him into important relations.
JOHN P. Kl^LE.
John P. Kyle, a prosperous and progressive agriculturist of
Butler county, owning and operating a fine farm of eighty acres
on section 21, Bennezette township, has been a resident of this
locality since 1870, and during the intervening years has made
some substantial contributions to its development and growth. He
was born in Lancaster, Grant county, Wisconsin, April 4, 1859,
and is a son of Adam Kyle, a native of Germany, who came to
America with his mother when he was nine years of age. He was
reared upon a farm in Pennsylvania and after reaching maturity
came west, locating in Grant county, Wisconsin, where he pur-
chased a tract of timber land. This he cleared, fenced and im-
proved and afterward sold, buying another tract of forest land and
opening up a new farm. In 1870 he disposed of his interests in
Wisconsin and moved to Iowa, purchasing one hundred and sixty
acres of land in Bennezette township, Butler county. When this
tract came into his possession only a few acres were broken and
the buildings consisted of a log house, a straw shed and a stable.
Mr. Kyle broke more of the soil, repaired and remodeled the build-
ings and steadily carried forward the work of improvement. He
later erected a substantial residence, a modern barn and some good
outbuildings, and set out a grove of maple and cottonwood trees.
He added to his holdings from time to time, finally acquiring four
hundred and forty acres of valuable land. Upon this property
he spent the last years of his life, dying here about 1905. He was
known as one of the representative and substantial farmers of
Bennezette township and his passing was widely and deeply re-
gretted. He married, in Grant county, Wisconsin, Miss Theresa
120 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
Folk, who was born in Pennsylvania, of German parentage. She
survives her husband and resides upon the old homestead with her
sons.
John P. Kjde was reared upon his father's farm and from his
early childhood assisted in its improvement and cultivation. He
afterward assumed entire charge of the property- , which he man-
aged until he was forty years of age. In the meantime, however,
he had purchased a farm in Bennezette township and had erected
upon it a modern residence and substantial outbuildings, including
a double crib, a hog house and a blacksmith shop. In 1899 he
moved on to this property and there he has since made his home.
He has fenced and cross fenced his fields with barbed and woven
wire, has installed modern labor saving machinery and has ac-
quired an enviable reputation as a practical and progressive agri-
culturist. He has a blacksmith shop upon his premises and does
all his own work of this character besides all the carpentering nec-
essary to keep his buildings in good repair. All of these he erected
himself and the entire farm stands as a testimonial to his energy
and enterprise. In addition to general farming he engages also in
stock raising, keeping Duroc Jersey hogs, shorthorn cattle and
Percheron horses. He is a stockholder in the Greene Cooperative
Creamery and in the Farmers Elevator Company at Aredale.
On the 3d of April, 1899, in Coldwater township, Mr. Kyle mar-
ried Miss Mary Kohlhaas, a daughter of Henry Kohlhaas, of But-
ler county. Mr. and Mrs. Kyle have an adojDted son, Lowell. Mr.
Kyle gives his political allegiance to the republican party and has
served as road supervisor and as school treasurer. He has been
a delegate to numerous county conventions, has served on the
grand and petit juries and has always been found faithful and
reliable. He and his wife are members of the Roman Catholic
church and are held in high esteem and regard in the community
in which thev have resided for so manv vears.
GEORGE R. DENNIS.
George R. Dennis, clerk of the district court of Butler county,
was born at Grape Creek Mills, Frederick county, Maryland,
March 27, 1858, his parents being Samuel D. and Rebecca T.
(Walker) Dennis. The father, who was born in Frederick county,
Maryland, was a miller and followed the business for many years.
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 121
He was appointed flour inspector by the Governor of Maryland
and was occupying that position at the time of his death, which
occurred when his son George was nearly ten years of age. The
mother's birth occurred in Columbia, Pennsylvania, and she ac-
companied her parents on their removal to Utica Mills, Frederick
county, Maryland, where she was married. She died when her son
George was about six years of age and the remains of both the
father and mother now rest in the cemetery at Frederick City,
Maryland, where many notable people lie buried, including Fran-
cis Scott Key, author of the "Star Spangled Banner." The town
of Walkersville, Maryland, was named in honor of the maternal
ancestors of George R. Dennis, who was the third in order of birth
in a family of five children. The others, Rebecca, Mary, Ella and
Samuel D., are all now deceased.
F^ollowing the death of his parents Jacob D. Walker, an uncle,
became the guardian of George R. Dennis, but after about a year
tlie boy ran away from his uncle and made his home with John
O'Leary, a hotel keeper in Washington, D. C, for about three
years. The site of that hotel is now part of the capitol grounds.
At the end of that time his uncle discovered the whereabouts of
the boy, took him home and sent him^ to school at the Western
Maryland College, a Methodist Protestant institution. He passed
through the freshman class and then went to Poughkeepsie, New
York, where he attended Eastman's Business College, completing
a course there. He next went to Grand Rapids, Michigan, and
was floor foreman there for two years in a mill where twelve
millers were employed. He next went to Chicago and accepted
a position as clerk in the Everett House, spending a year or two
in that city. Later he worked on a farm for Curlis Ford, a wealthy
man living near Cedar Falls, Iowa, who treated him with great
kindness and consideration during the six years he spent in his
service.
In 1882 Mr. Dennis married Miss Roxie A. Kaiser and five chil-
di^en have been born unto them : Robert Guy, living at New Hart-
ford, Iowa; Miles Grafton, of San Francisco, California; Effie,
the wife of A. L. Webster, also of New Hartford ; Anna, the wife
of Floyd Moore, of Blackhawk county, Iowa ; and Harry, of New
Hartford.
For a year after his marriage Mr. Dennis continued in the
employ of Curlis Ford and then began farming on his own account.
Two years later he removed to New Hartford, where he resided
for twentv-two vears and for nine vears was engineer in a mill.
122 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
speuding the greater part of the remaiuder of the time as a painter.
He also occupied the position of assessor of New Hartford for
fourteen years. On the 1st of January, 1913, he came to Allison
and took up the duties of clerk of the district court, to which
position he had been elected in November, 1912. He was a demo-
crat in politics until 1896 and since that time had been a stalwart
supporter of the republican party. The offices of assessor and
clerk are the only ones that he has ever filled. It was his unpreju-
diced support of the primaries that secured him his nomination
and brought about his later election. In his fraternal connections
Mr. Dennis is a Mason, holding membership in Beaver Lodge, No.
472, A. F. & A. M., of New Hartford, in which he has held all of
the offices save that of master. He also belongs to Dumont Lodge,
K. P. While difficulties and obstacles beset him in his early career
he has worked his way upward, has proven his worth in various
connections and is now accounted one of the substantial citizens
and capable officers of the county.
EMIL W. PARNO.
A residence of over thirtv vears in Greene, during which time
his interests have extended to many fields of activity, has brought
Emil W. Parno into prominence in business and political circles
of the city, and has given him an important place among men of
marked abilitv and substantial worth. During all this time he
has been engaged in the jewelry business, and in the course of
years has built up a large and representative patronage and
formed valuable trade relations, so that today he is one of the
leading representatives of his business in Butler county. He was
born in Guttenberg, Clayton county, Iowa, March 12, 1860, and is
a son of August Parno, a native of Germany. The father grew
to maturity in that country, where he studied chemistry, and as
a young man crossed the Atlantic to America, locating in Clayton
county. There he secured emplo\mient as chemist for a manu-
facturing concern, holding his position until the outbreak of the
Civil war, when he joined an Iowa regiment, serving two years.
He was discharged on accoimt of disability and returned home,
but he never recovered his health, dying two years later, in 1866.
August Parno married Mrs. Sophia (Muller) Boiler, a native
of Germany, whose father was the incumbent of various positions
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 123
of public honor and trust. Mrs. Parno survived her husband for
many years. She had six children by her first marriage and one
son, Emil W., of this review, by her second union.
Emil W. Parno acquired his education in the common schools
of his native county and afterward learned the jeweler's trade
in Dubuque. He was for a time employed in the store conducted
by his brother-in-law and afterward came to Greene, where he
took charge of the business owned by his half brother, who had
died here. Emil W. Parno bought the stock of this enterprise
and closed the business, returning to Dubuque, where he secured
a position as manager in a jewelry concern. About 1884 he again
moved to Greene and established here a retail jewelry business
which he has since conducted. He carries one of the largest and
best selected stocks of jewelry in Butler county and he has built
up a large and representative patronage, for his business methods
are at all times straightforward and practical and his integrity
beyond question. He is also an optometrist of considerable repu-
tation, having made a special study of this science, and he gives
a great deal of attention to this department of his business. He
belongs to the Iowa and National Associations of Optometrists and
his ability in examining eyes and fitting glasses is widely recog-
nized.
In Charles City, Iowa, on the l-tth of January, 1884, Mr. Parno
was united in marriage to Miss Augusta Bernhard, a native of
Madison, Wisconsin, but reared in Charles City. Mr. and Mrs.
Parno have become the parents of two children. Their son, A.
W. Parno, was reared and educated in Greene and learned the
jewelry trade under his father. He is now carrying on a large
business of this character in Clarksville. Their daughter Irene
was also reared in Greene and is a graduate of the Greene high
school. She later took a musical course in a conservatory in Los
Angeles and is now engaged in teaching music in Greene. Mr.
and Mrs. Parno and their daughter made a trip to California in
February, 1913, visiting most of the coast cities and spending
several months in Los Angeles.
Mr. Parno is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fel-
lows, having joined the local lodge in 1882. He is identified also
with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. He is a progress-
ive and public-spirited citizen and has always been interested in
public affairs, having been one of the first to secure a franchise
for the installation of an electric light plant, this having later been
developed into the present Electric Light & Power Company. He
124 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
is independent politically and has held various positions of trust
and responsibility, serving for one term on the town board and
for two terms as mayor of Greene, and his record is one of disin-
terested and able work in the public service. He is widely and
favorably known in Greene and holds the confidence and regard
of all with whom business, political or social relations have brought
him into contact.
WALTER E. WEST.
The wealth of Iowa lies in her soil and in its intelligent develop-
ment and among the enterprising citizens connected with agricul-
tural interests is Walter E. West, whose home is on section 13,
West Point township, not far from Allison. The consensus of
public opinion numbers him with the progressive, farsighted busi-
ness men and along various lines his labors have contributed to
public progress and prosperity. He was bom in Blackhawk
county, Iowa, a mile north of Cedar Falls, on the 12th of June,
1867, and is a son of Thomas and Deidamia (Davis) West. The
father, a native of Ohio, died in Blackhawk county when his son
Walter was seventeen years of age and the mother afterward came
to live with her son, spending her remaining days in his home.
Both were married twice and bv his first union the father had
eleven children, while the mother had several children by a former
marriage. There were but two children of the second union, Wal-
ter E. and William W., the latter living near Granite Falls, in
Yellow Medicine county, Minnesota.
Walter E. West spent the davs of his bovhood and vouth in
the place of his nativity, acquiring a public-school education which
served as a foundation for his later success and advancement along
both intellectual and material lines. He arrived in this county in
1889, when a young man of twenty-two years, and has here since
resided. His entire life has been devoted to farming and the early
training of his youth in the work of the fields enabled him to care-
fully direct his labors when he began farming on his own account.
He is today the owner of eighty acres on section 13, West Point
township, and the remaining sixty acres lie just across the road in
Jackson township, on section 18. His place is well developed and
most of the improvements have been made by Mr. West, who is a
progressive farmer and keeps abreast with the most modern meth-
I
ME. AND MES. WALTEB E. WF^.ST
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 127
ods in tilling the soil and caring for the crops. His farm presents
a most attractive appearance, being divided into neat fields of con-
venient size by well kept fences, while the farm work is accom-
plished with the aid of the latest improved machinery. In other
connections he is recognized as a man of sound business judgment
and his cooperation is considered a valuable factor in the success-
ful management of his other interests. He is now vice president
of the Farmers Cooperative Elevator Company of Allison and is a
stockholder in the Farmers Cooperative Creamery Company of
that city.
On the 22d of December, 1887, Mr. West wedded Miss Linnie
E. Shields, who was born in Blackhawk county, March 2, 1867, and
is a daughter of Samuel Shields. They have three children : Lloyd
E., of Clarksville; Grace 0., the wife of Roy Neal, of Clarksville;
and Hazel, at home. The parents are members of the Congrega-
tional church of Allison, contributing generously to its support
and taking a helpful interest in its work. Mr. West has ever exer-
cised his right of franchise in support of both the men and meas-
uies of the republican party and feels a citizen's interest in
questions of vital concern to the county and to the state. He does
not seek nor wish for office, feeling that his time is fully occupied
]\v his business affairs, which are of growing importance and are
bringing to him gratifying returns.
HARRY C. DOORE.
The enterprising town of Greene numbers among its most able
and representative business men Harry C. Doore, who for the past
six years has conducted a large and important drug store there.
He is a native son of Iowa, born in Floyd county, December 12,
1875. His father, Allan J. Doore, was born in Dover, Maine, and
grew to maturity there. As a young man he came west to Iowa,
locating in Floyd county, where his marriage occurred. His wife
was in her maidenhood Miss Alice M. Lockwood, a native of New
York state, who came west after she grew to womanhood. Allan-
Doore engaged in agricultural pursuits in Floyd county for many
years, becoming well known throughout the state as a progressive
and successful farmer and stock-raiser and a dealer in Star seed
corn. He owned a farm of one hundred and sixty acres which he
kept always in a high state of cultivation. In 1903 he moved to
Vol. IT
128 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
Greene, where he lived retired until his death, which occurred
November 24, 1912. His wife survives him and makes her home
in Greene. To their union were born four sons and one daughter,
all of whom have married and are now heads of families.
Harry C. Doore was reared upon his father's farm in Floyd
county and acquired his early education in the public schools, sup-
plementing this by a course in pharmacy in Drake university at
Des Moines, from which he was graduated with honors in the class
of 1902. He later accepted a position in a drug store in Des
Moines, serving as pharmacist and clerk for four years, after
which, in 1907, he returned to Greene and purchased an interest
in an established drug business. In the following year he bought
his partner's stock and has since continued the enterprise alone.
In addition to a large stock of drugs and medicines he carries also
oils, paints, varnishes, stationery, books and magazines and has a
large soda fountain. All the branches of his enterprise have be-
come important and profitable under his able management and his
patronage is constantly growing, for his prices are reasonable and
his business methods courteous and straightforward.
In Greene, on the 18th of June, 1913, Mr. Doore was united
in marriage to Miss Ella Hesalroad, who was born and reared in
Butler county, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. AY. W. Hesalroad.
Mrs. Doore is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and
belongs to the church auxiliary societies. Mr. Doore is connected
fraternally with the Knights of Pythias, holding membership in
the local lodge at Greene. He has an enviable reputation in busi-
ness circles and in the social relations of life commands the esteem
and regard of all who are associated with him.
J. A. BARLOW.
Butler county has been signally favored in the class of men
who have occupied her public positions, in which connection J.
A. Barlow should be mentioned, as he is now capably filling the
office of county treasurer. Allison numbers him among her native
sons, his birth ha^^dng here occurred April 27, 1886. His parents,
John and Bell (Oleson) Barlow, are residents of Dumont, where
the father is engaged in the banking business. He was filling the
office of countv clerk at the time of the birth of his son, J. A.
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 129
Barlow, and after Ms term of office had expired he removed with
the family to a farm in Ripley township, five miles southwest of
Allison, there residing for five years. He next returned to town,
the family taking up their abode in Dumont when J. A. Barlow
was but nine years of age.
The subject of this review had acquired his education in the
public schools of Dumont and was employed in his father's bank
for six years, or until his election to his present position in Novem-
ber, 1912. He then returned to Allison, his native city, and as-
sumed the duties of the office of county treasurer on the first of
January, 1913. He is systematic, methodical, prompt and reliable
and is making a most creditable record in office. He was elected
on the republican ticket, having always been a supporter of the
party since age conferred upon him the right of franchise. He
likewise served as town clerk for four years while in Dumont. He
belongs to the Knights of Pythias fraternity and has many friends
in that organization as well as in other connections. Those who
know him esteem him for his sterling worth and none hold him in
as high regard as those who have known him longest, a fact which
indicates a well spent life.
EOY J. POOLEY.
Among the younger business men of Greene who have made
their influence felt in the later commercial development of the city
is numbered Roy J. Pooley, prominently connected with impor-
tant business interests as secretary and manager of the Gates Dum-
ber & Implement Company. He was born in Floyd county, near
Greene, December 12, 1886, and is a son of John B. Pooley, a
native of England. As a young man the father emigrated tO'
America, locating first in Winnebago county, Hlinois, where he
remained for a number of years. He later settled near Greene,
in Floyd county, Iowa, and there purchased a tract of wild land
which he cleared, eventually developing a productive and profit-
able farm. He married in Floyd county Miss Priscilla J. Fid-
dick, of English parentage, a daughter of James Fiddick, who was
a mechanic in the British government shipyards for a number
of years and who was stationed for a time in South Africa, where
Mrs. Pooley was bom.
130 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
Roy J. Pooley was reared on his father's farm in Floyd county
and acquired his early education in the public schools of that
locality. He afterward attended the Greene high school and later
the Iowa State College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts at
Ames, where he took a course in civil engineering, graduating with
the class of 1910. He was afterward appointed city engineer of
Charles City, serving in that <3apacity for almost two years.
Eesigning at the end of that time he came to Greene, where he asso-
ciated himself with the Hon. Charles Gates, assisting in the
incorporation of the Gates Lumber & Implement Company, of
which he became secretary and manager. These responsible posi-
tions he still holds and they have called forth his initiative spirit
and organizing power — qualities which have been helpful factors
in the development of the business. The company carries a large
stock of lumber and building materials and also deals extensively
in farm implements and machinery. In addition it is interested
in the contracting and building business on a large scale and has
important connections along this line. The concern is one of
the substantial business institutions of Butler county and as its
manager Mr. Pooley takes rank among representative and pro-
gressive citizens.
On the 6th of September, 1911, in Greene, Mr. Pooley was
united in marriage to Miss Nelle M. Stickney, a niece of Mrs.
Charles Gates, by whom she was reared and educated. Mr. and
Mrs. Pooley have become the parents of a son, Selwin Dwight.
Mr. Pooley is a menber of the Knights of Pythias. He and his
wife are members of the Greene Presbyterian church and are active
in church and Sunday school work. They are people of exemplary
character, well known and highly esteemed in Greene and through-
out Butler county.
HENRY MULLER.
Henry Muller, .senior member of the firm of Muller & Brock-
mann, dealers in lumber, coal, grain and building material at
Clarksville, is a representative business man of the county, enter-
prising and energetic. He became identified with his present in-
terests in 1910 and has displayed marked business ability and
perseverance in their control. Since 1893 he has continuously
resided in Butler county, arriving here when a young man of
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 131
twenty-six years. He was born at Schessinghansen, Kreis Nien-
burg, Germany, on the 1st of May, 1867, his parents being Hein-
rich and Louisa (Beermann) Miiller, also natives of Germany.
The father died in 1895, but the mother is still living there.
Henry Muller was one of a family of five children, of whom
only he and his brother Ernest came to the United States, the
latter now living in Bremer county. Henry Muller was reared as
a farm boy, his father having devoted his life to agricultural pur-
suits, and after attaining his majority he seriously contemplated
the question of coming to America that he might enjoy the better
business advantages which report said could be secured here. At
length his mind was made up and, bidding adieu to friends and
native land, he sailed for the United States. Making his way to
Butler county, Iowa, he began working as a farm hand and
was thus employed for two years. He had previously fol-
lowed farming in Germany and had spent three years as a mem-
ber of the German army before crossing the Atlantic. After two
years passed in the employ of others in this county he purchased
ninety acres in Butler township and as his financial resources in-
creased added to his holdings until he is now the owner of two
hundred and ten acres in that township. He also owns a farm
of one hundred and sixty acres in Floyd county and from his
landed possessions derives a substantial annual income. Year
after year he carefully tilled the soil and continued to engage
in farming until 1910, when he purchased his present business,
becoming a member of the firm of Muller & Brockmann. They
not only have a liberal patronage, but they also own much business
property, including their elevator, lumber sheds, etc. They enjoy
an extensive trade as dealers in lumber, coal, grain and building
material and their enterprising and reliable methods are pro-
ductive of gratifying results. Mr. Muller is also a director in
the State Savings Bank of Clarksville and he owns an attractive
home property in the town.
It was in the year 1896 that Mr. Muller was united in mar-
riage to Miss Anna Becker, who was born in this county March
27, 1873, a daughter of Ferdinand Becker, mentioned elsewhere
in this work. The three children of this marriage are Theodore,
Gertrude and Hertha. In the summer of 1913 Mr. Muller went
abroad, spending two months in Germany on a visit to his mother.
He came here with two thousand dollars and that he is now num-
bered among the substantial citizens of the county is the direct
result of his own labors. In politics he has always been a repub-
132 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
lican since becoming a naturalized American citizen. Both he
and his wife hold membership in the German Lutheran church
and they are prominent socially, the hospitality of the best homes
of this part of the county being freely accorded them.
FRED ROVER.
Since 1884, Fred Rover has been prominently connected with
agricultural interests of Butler county as the owner of a fine
farm of one hundred and sixty acres, lying on section 28, Cold-
water township. Throughout the years he has steadily carried for-
ward the work of improving and developing this property and
because his methods have always been practical and progressive,
he has met with gratifying and well deserved success. He was
born in Bremer coimty, this state, February 11, 1861, and is a
son of Henrv Rover, a native of Germanv, who came to America
when he was a young man, locating in Kane county, Illinois. He
worked on a farm there for several vears and there married Miss
Louise Gkirgens, also a native of Geraiany. After his marriage
he moved to Iowa and entered land in Bremer county, acquiring
one hundred and sixty acres at a dollar and a quarter per acre.
He broke the soil and opened up a farm, later adding eighty acres
to his holdings. Upon this property he erected an excellent resi-
dence and substantial buildings, making it eventually, one of the
best equipped and modern farms in Maxfield township. He spent
the declining years of his life upon his farm, dying December 21,
1911. His wife survived him onlv a short time, dying February
24,1913.
Fred Rover grew to manhood in Bremer county and acquired
his education in the public schools of the vicinity and in the Luth-
eran college at Waverly, where he spent one winter. Previous
to this time his father had purchased five eighty-acre tracts of land
in Butler count}^ and in 1884 Fred Rover located on one hundred
and sixty acres of this property, which he cleared, fenced and im-
proved. He has erected upon it a fine two-story house, a modern
barn, a granary and a hog house ; has also put out an excellent grove
of forest and evergreen trees and has installed a gasoline engine
and pmnp, which supplies the house and barn with water. In addi-
tion to general farming, he also engages in stock-raising, keeping
high-grade cattle, Poland China hogs and Norman horses. He first
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 133
specialized in raising red polled cattle, and afterward the Here-
ford and now the polled Durham. He is a stockholder in the
Farmer's Co-operative Elevator Company and in the Northern
West Point Creamery Company, which was organized some years
ago.
Mr. Rover is married and has three children : Hulda ; Emma ;
and Eldo H., who is aiding in the operation of the home farm. Mr.
Rover is a member of the Lutheran church and he gives his political
allegiance to the republican party. He is now in the fifteenth year
of his able service as a member of the township board and is at all
times progressive and public-spirited in matters of citizenship,
giving his aid and cooperation to many movements for the general
good. In business he is known as a man of strict integrity and
honor and he holds the confidence and respect of the entire com-
munity.
W. W. R. SHAFER.
Since 1864 W. W. R. Shafer has lived in Dayton township and
during the greater part of this period has made his home upon
the farm on section 36, which is yet his place of residence. By
following always the most practical methods he has met with grat-
ifying success in his farming operations and is today numbered
among the representative agriculturists of the locality. He was
born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, January 10, 1846, a
son of Thomas Shafer, who moved from Pennsylvania to Ohio
about the year 1854 and three years later went to Green county,
Wisconsin. In 1864 he moved to Iowa and located in Clarksville,
purchasing land in the vicinity and also engaging in the manu-
facture of flour. He passed away about the year 1893 and was
survived by his wife until 1911.
W. W. R. Shafer came to Iowa with his parents when he was
eighteen years of age and assumed charge of the farm, operating
and improving this in the interests of his father until after the
latter 's death. The son then purchased the homestead and since
that time has steadily carried forward the work of its develop-
ment. He has erected an excellent residence* upon it, a barn, gran-
ary and corn cribs, and has divided the place into convenient fields
with fences of woven wire. In addition to this he has set out a
fine grove of fruit, forest and evergreen trees, and in fact has
134 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
neglected nothing which would add to the appearance or value of
the place. He raises a good grade of Durham and Aberdeen-
Angus cattle, Poland China hogs and heavy work horses and his
stock-raising interests are extensive and important.
In Brodhead, Wisconsin, December 21, 1865, Mr. Shafer was
united in marriage to Miss L. J. Clemmer, a native of Green
county, that state. Mr. and Mrs. Shafer became the parents of
nine children: Thomas J., now sheriff of Butler county; F. L.,
of New Hampton; V. R., a resident of Waterloo; Mrs. Rettie
Moulton, a widow residing in Cedar Falls; Delia, the wife of J.
M. Ramsey, editor of the Clarksville Star; Celia, who married
Clyde Newman, of Clarksville ; Alice, at home ; Lena, who became
the wife of J. K. Gabby and died in 1906; and George C, who
passed away in 1908. The parents are liberal supporters of the
Methodist Episcopal church of Clarksville.
Mr. Shafer gives his political allegiance to the democratic
party and has served as township trustee a number of times and
also as township clerk, as a member of the grand and petit juries
and as delegate to numerous conventions. A resident of Butler
county for almost half a century, he has thoroughly identified his
interests with those of the locality and has made his work an im-
portant force in advancement and growth. He is widely known
throughout the county as a representative citizen and commands
the confidence and respect of the entire community.
JOHN WESLEY CUNNINGHAM.
Dr. J. W. Cunningham, a resident of Butler county, Iowa,
since 1888, was born in Rutland, Wisconsin, September 17, 1873.
His father. Reverend William Cunningham, a minister in the
United Brethren church and a pioneer preacher both in this state
and in Wisconsin, moved to Iowa in 1874 and has since held vari-
ous positions in the state.
When only one year of age. Dr. Cunningham came with his
father to Iowa and has made his home in Butler county since he
was fifteen years of age. After completing his preliminary edu-
cation, which he took in Leander Clark College at Toledo, Iowa,
he studied medicine under Dr. A. J. Hobson of Hampton, Iowa,
and later entered the medical department of the Iowa State Uni-
versity, graduating with the degree of M. D. in 1897. He also took
DE. JOHN W. CUNNINGHAM!
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 137
a post-graduate course in Chicago and has since kept in close touch
with modern methods in the medical practice.
After he received his degree, Dr. Cunningham located in Ap-
lington, where he began the practice of his profession in April of
1897. At the end of two years, he moved to Clarksville and after
three years came to Dumont, where he formed a partnership with
Dr. H. E. Day. Their association continued for three years. At
the end of that time, Dr. Cunningham opened his present suite of
offices, and his practice has grown steadily, extending beyond the
limits of Dumont into the surrounding country districts.
He is regarded as one of the most able physicians in this sec-
tion of Butler county for he supplements his thorough knowledge
of the underlying principles of his profession by constant study
and research along many lines, keeping in touch with the trend of
modern medical advancement.
He is a member of the Butler County, the Iowa State and the
Austin Flint Medical Societies and has presented many excellent
articles before these organizations.
On the 23d day of June, 1898, Dr. Cunningham was united in
marriage to Miss Mary Frances Stockdale, a daughter of C. J.
Stockdale, a long-time and well known resident of Butler county.
To this union were born four sons : Ralph Wesley Cunningham,
who was born October 28, 1900; and triplet boys, born March 9,
1903, two of whom lived but a few days and the other, Elmer
George, lived to be two years and died at the home of the Doctor's
sister, Mrs. A. E. Fox, of Chicago, where he had been taken for
medical treatment. On the 22d day of February, 1904, Mary
Frances, wife of Dr. Cunningham, passed to the Great Beyond.
On June 29th, 1905, he was again married, his second union
being with Miss Ethel Grace Stockdale, sister of his deceased wife.
To this union one daughter, Thelma Irene, was born on October
5, 1907.
At the meeting of the supreme lodge of the Mystic Workers of
the World, held in Milwaukee in June, 1912, Dr. Cunningham was
elected supreme medical examiner of the order. The Mystic Work-
ers have a membership of seventy-five thousand and are one of the
best and most progressive fraternal insurance organizations doing
business in America today. Dr. Cunningham deserves great credit,
not only because of his ability to hold such a position, but because
he was elected to this responsible place on the first ballot, with a
field of six candidates in the run, showing beyond a question or a
doubt that he is eminently fitted and qualified for the position.
138 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
Dr. Cunningham is a Master Mason, belonging to the blue lodge
at Clarksville, and he is connected also with the Knights of Pyth-
ias, being past chancellor connnander of the Dumont lodge of that
organization. He is well known in social circles of Dumont and
in his profession has made rapid and continuous advancement,
standing today among its most prominent representatives in this
part of the state.
RICHARD GONZALES.
Richard Gonzales is a retired farmer now living in Allison.
Success came to him during long connection with agricultural in-
terests by reason of his unfaltering industry, his perseverance and
his determination. He ranks, too, not only among the prosperous
citizens of Butler county, but also among those whose lives have
been actuated by a patriotic devotion to public duty. This was
especially manifest in Mr. Gonzales at the time of the Civil war
when he responded to the call for troops, going to the front with
an Ohio regiment. He was born in Columbiana county, Ohio,
November 21, 1840, a son of Richard and Jane (Gonzales) Gon-
zales. The father was a native of Pennsvlvania and the mother a
native of Columbiana county. Both Mr. and Mrs. Richard Gon-
zales were reared in Columbiana county and were there married.
Mr. Gonzales died in Missouri prior to the birth of his son, Richard,
and the mother afterward lived in Carroll county, Ohio, but spent
her last days in the home of her son, Richard, in Butler county,
Iowa, here passing away when in her seventieth year. She had five
children : Nancy Ann, who died in young womanhood, while teach-
ing school; Samuel, who enlisted in September, 1862, in the Ohio
Cavalry, went with Sherman on the march to the sea and was
honorably discharged at the close of the war; Silas, who died in
Nebraska; Benjamin, living in Texas county, Missouri; and
Richard.
The last named was reared in Carroll county, where he remained
until he came to this county in 1867. He has now made his home
here for forty-six years and has therefore witnessed much of the
growth and development of this part of the state. He was a young
man of but twenty-one years of age when he enlisted for service in
the Civil war, joining Company I, Ninety-eighth Ohio Volunteer
Infantry in August, 1862. He was mustered in in September and
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 139
on the 8th of October, 1862, at Periyville, Kentucky, was wounded.
For a time he was in the field hospital, but his injuries were so
serious that he was honorably discharged on the 11th of March,
1863.
Throughout his entire life Mr. Gonzales has followed farming
and is now the owner of one hundred and twenty acres of good
land west of Allison. He has sold the old home place, however,
and since the fall of 1899 has made his home in Allison, where he
is pleasantly situated, the fruits of his former toil supplying him
with all of the comforts and many of the luxuries of life.
On the 1st of January, 1867, Mr. Gonzales was married to Miss
Susan Crumbecker, who was born in Carroll county, Ohio, Septem-
ber 2, 1837, a daughter of Isaac and Hannah (Miller) Crumbecker,
who were natives of Maryland, but removed to Carroll county,
Ohio, in childhood, Mrs. Crumbecker being ten years of age when
the Miller family went to the Buckeye state. She was born in
1802 and her husband in 1801. Both died in Ohio, Mr. Crum-
becker at the age of seventy-nine years and his wife when sixty-
two years of age. They were pioneer settlers of that state, taking
up their abode there in the midst of the forest, but developing a
good home in which they reared their family. Mrs. Gonzales re-
mained under the parental roof to the time of her marriage and
then started for Butler county, Iowa, with her husband. They
settled first near Butler Center, which was then the county seat
and he paid five dollars per acre for his first farm which is now
worth one hundred and seventy-five dollars per acre. As the years
passed on five children were added to the household: Ida S., the
wife of Walter S. Bell of West Point township ; John B., of St.
Louis; Frank C, of TraA^or, Iowa; Mary Jane, the wife of B. L.
Burbank of Trayor ; and Anna May, the wife of the Rev. W. W.
Parks, a Congregational minister of Allison. All of the children
were born upon the old homestead farm in this county. The sons
are now Congregational ministers and the family are members of
the Congregational church.
Mr. Gonzales has long taken an active part in church and tem-
perance work. His political allegiance was always given to the
republican party until the election of 1912. At that time he be-
came identified with the progressive party, for he does not believe
in the blind follovdng of party leaders nor in legislation enacted
for the benefit of the few rather than of the many. Fraternally
he is connected with the Grand Army of the Republic, his military
service entitling him to wear the little bronze button, an emblem
140 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
of honor and distinction to every American man, who rightfully
possesses it. Mr. Gonzales has led a busy and useful, but quiet and
unostentatious life and his sterling worth has gained him the high
regard of all who know him.
JUDGE C. B. WESTON.
Judge C. B. Weston, one of the few remaining veterans of the
Civil war, and one of the early residents in Butler county, where
he has made his home since 1874, is munbered among the prominent
and rei3resentative citizens of Greene, where for almost twenty-
five years he has done far sighted and capable work as justice of the
peace.
Judge Weston was born in Laporte, Indiana, in 1840, and ac-
quired his education in the public schools of his native city. On
the 6th of August, 1862, he enlisted for service in the Ci"\il war,
joining Comj^any B, Seventy-third Indiana Volunteer Infantry.
He went south with his command and participated in many of the
most important engagements of the war, receiving a slight gun-
shot wound at Stone River where his regiment lost one hundred
and twenty-five men. He took part also in the engagement at
Blunt 's farm, where his colonel was killed. He served until the
close of the war, receiving his honorable discharge at Naslnille,
Tennessee, in 1865. During his service he was promoted from the
rank of corporal to that of first sergeant, an office which he held
when he was discharged. With this creditable military record,
Judge Weston returned to Laporte, where for one year thereafter
he engaged in general farming until 1866, when he sold his prop-
erty and moved to Pleasant Grove township, Floyd comity, Iowa,
where he farmed and held various positions of public trust, in-
cluding that of township trustee, school director and con-
stable, until 1871, when he moved to Marble Rock, Iowa.
After engaging in the furniture business there for three
years he moved to Greene, being one of the first men
to locate there. He worked on the construction of the flour
mill and dam for about eighteen months and then estab-
lished himself in the livery business, conducting a profitable
enterprise of this character for several years. He was appointed
notary public and afterward held many other important positions
of public trust and responsibility, including that of Butler county
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 141
soldier 's relief conunissioner, in which lie served for fifteen years.
Eventually he was appointed by the county board of supervisors
to fill out an unexpired term as justice of the peace, and he has
been constantly reelected since that time, being now in the twenty-
fifth year of his able and public-spirited service. His office is in a
fine two-story brick building, which he owns and he has other valu-
able property holdings, including an attractive and modern house
on the west side of the river.
At New Carlisle, St. Joseph county, Indiana, on the 4th of
March, 1866, Judge Weston married Miss Sarah Isabelle Reyn-
olds, a native of Indiana and a graduate of the New Carlisle
Institute. Mrs. Weston died in Greene on the 15th of September,
1908, leaving four children: Frank L., a resident of British
Columbia ; Numa, a resident of Greene ; Effie Pearl, who married
James H. Cook of Indianapolis, Indiana; and Charles B., Jr., of
Spokane, Washington.
Judge Weston is a Master Mason, holding membership in the
blue lodge at Greene, and he is also identified with the Order of
the Eastern Star. He is a member of Greene Post, No. 200, G. A.
R., of which he was for ten years commander, and of which he is
now adjutant. He holds a high place among the prominent and
highest respected residents of Greene and is moreover entitled to
representation in this volume as a veteran of the Civil war, to
whom the country owes a debt of gratitude which can never be
fully repaid.
EDWARD WEBSTER KESTER.
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, so was the life of this
good man. Edward Webster Kester, who passed away on the
27th day of October, 1913, was greatly respected and revered in
the community in which he so long made his home. He was for
an extended period a resident of Butler county, becoming iden-
tified with its development and upbuilding more than thirty-one
years prior to his death. He was born in Boston, Erie county.
New York, on the 23d of June, 1834, and was the fourth in
order of birth in a family of seven children, whose parents were
Jeremiah and Elizabeth (Wilson) Kester, both of whom were
natives of New Jersev. In earlv childhood they removed from
142 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
that state to Erie county, New York, in company witli their
parents, who drove across the country with ox teams to what was
then the far west. The district in which they settled was largely
wild and undeveloped. There were still many Indians to be seen
and in many sections the work of tilling the soil seemed scarcely
begun. Both the Kester and the Wilson families were identified
with the Society of Friends, or Quakers. The grandparents and
parents of Edward W. Kester remained residents of Erie county.
New York, throughout their remaining days, the father passing
away in 1884, when seventy-eight years of age, while the mother
died when eighty-six years of age. They had a family of seven
sons: Eber and Samuel, who died in childhood; Stephen, de-
ceased; Edward W. ; Josiah H., living in New York; Enos, who
died in childhood ; and Ellis, also a resident of the Empire state.
Edward W. Kester spent the days of his boyhood and youth
in his native county and in fact continued his residence in the Em-
pire state until 1882, when he removed to Butler county, Iowa,
where he continued to make his home until called to his final rest.
While in New York he spent three years as a traveling salesman
upon the road and the remainder of his time was given to agri-
cultural pursuits. After coming to Iowa he again engaged in farm-
ing, but for twenty years prior to his demise made his home in
Allison. At one time he was the owner of three hundred and
seventy acres of rich and valuable land adjoining the town but
eventually sold that property. In all of his active business life
his agricultural interests were carefully managed and his business
affairs wisely conducted, so that he derived therefrom a substantial
and well merited competence.
On the 1st of March, 1860, Mr. Kester was united in marriage
to Miss Adaline Jones, who was born in Erie county. New York,
February 25, 1834, and died in this county March 31, 1898. There
were three children of that marriage : Earl ; Eva ; and Lissa, who
died in infancy. The son married and died seventeen days before
the birth of his son, Newton, who was adopted by Mr. Kester, his
paternal grandfather, and now resides in Greene, Iowa. He is
married and has one child, Francis Edward. The daughter, Eva,
is the wife of E. L. Hill, of Mason City, Iowa.
Mr. Kester was a republican in his political views and always
kept well informed on the questions and issues of the day. He
served as town assessor and as a member of the city council, in both
of which offices he discharged his duties with promptness and
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 143
fidelity. He was reared in the faith of the Society of Friends and
was a member of the church the time of his demise. Fraternally
he was connected with Opal Lodge, No. 417, F. & A. M., of Allison,
and was its treasurer for twenty-six years. His life always ex-
emplified the beneficent spirit of the craft and he followed closely
its teachings concerning mutual helpfulness and brotherly kind-
ness. Mr. Kester was in his eightieth year at the time of his de-
mise. One of the local papers wrote of him: "In all his career
he has been a good neighbor, a true friend and an honest man and
he closed a business life covering half a century with a most honor-
able record." All who knew him mourned his death, for he had
been found straightforward and reliable in business, faithful in
friendship and honorable in every relation.
HENRY CLAY McNAMES.
A history of the pioneer settlement and later development of
Butler county would be incomplete without mention of Henry Clay
McNames, who settled in the locality in 1868 and has since re-
mained an honored and respected resident. He was born in New
York state, on the Hudson river, January 8, 1844, a son of William
and Polly (White) McNames, both natives of New York state.
In 1844 the family moved westward to Michigan, locating in
Lenawee count}^ which was then a vast wilderness covered with
primeval forest. William McNames died in Butler county in 1902.
Henr}^ Clay McNames grew to manhood in Michigan and from that
state enlisted for service in the Union army, joining in 1862 Com-
pany B, Eighteenth Michigan Volunteer Infantry. He went south
to Alabama with his regiment and there did provost duty and
assisted in guarding the railroads. Mr. McNames was for sixteen
months in Nashville and he served until the close of the war, receiv-
ing his honorable discharge at Jackson, Michigan, in July, 1865.
After he was mustered out Mr. McNames returned home and
began learning the wagon-making trade at Fairfield, Michigan.
In 1868, accompanied by his father and the other members of the
family, he moved west to Iowa, locating in Dayton township,
Butler county. Here Henry C. McNames purchased one hundred
acres of land, partially improved, there being an old house upon it
and forty acres under the plow. He cleared the remainder of the
property and afterward added to it an adjoining tract of ten acres.
144 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
whereon he erected a house and barn and other necessary buildings.
The McNames family still reside upon this property and in addi-
tion to Its cultivation Mr, McNames of this review is engaged in
business in Packard, where he purchased a repair shop in partner-
ship with Mr. Holt, a blacksmith. He has secured a large patron-
age, for his work is first-class in every particular and his business
methods at all times straightforward and honorable.
The McNames family is as follows : Henry Clay, of this re-
view; Abraham, who served in the Civil war as a member of the
Eleventh Michigan Volunteer Infantry ; Mary, who lives with her
brother, of this review; Mrs. Lucinda Chittenden, a widow; and
Caspar, a resident of Colorado.
Mr. McNames gives his political allegiance to the republican
party and although he has never sought public office, is interested
in everything pertaining to the welfare of the community. He has
been a resident of Dayton township for forty-five years and has
witnessed a great deal of the development of this section of the
state. His life has been active, industrious and straightforward
and in its course he has worked his way steadily upward, at the
same time gaining the good-will and confidence of the people of
the communitv where he makes his home.
IRVING MINOT FISHER.
Iowa leads the country in the production of corn and is scarcely
second to any other state in the Union in the gi'owing of other
cereals and in stock-raising. Among those who have added to the
fame of the state in the production of fine stock is Irving Minot
Fisher, owner of the well known, historical and renowned Iowa
Central Stock Farm, situated a mile and a half southwest of
Allison, in West Point township, Butler county. It is without
doubt one of the finest farms in the state. Upon the place are
two large dwellings, one being the country home of the owners, Mr.
and Mrs. Fisher, while the other is occupied by a tenant. There
are several large barns, cattle sheds, a hog house, machinery
houses and other modern equipments and improvements upon the
place. The big white barn is a notable feature in the landscape
and is the finest in the county. Mr. and Mrs. Fisher came to this
farm January 6, 1875, after he had entered into an agreement
with its owner, Hon. H. L. Stout, of Dubuque, who was one of
v<^^
MRS. IRVING M. FISHER
lEYIXG M. FISHEE
JRK
"4
"10N3
I
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 149
Iowa's best men and millionaires. Mr. Fisher accepted the posi-
tion of superintendent of this farm, then comprising more than
twenty-five hundred acres and recognized as the finest stock
farm in the country, where the best horses and finest shorthorn
cattle were kept that could be obtained in Europe and the United
States. Through all the intervening years Mr. Fisher has been
connected with the management and improvement of the farm and
upon its division he purchased the tract of three hundred and
twenty acres which he now owns.
A native son of New England, he was born in Williamstown,
Massachusetts, his parents being Minot and Mary (Austin)
Fisher, who were likewise natives of the old Bav state. The Fisher
familv was one of the old Colonial families, its founders in Amer-
ica being among the Puritans who settled in Dedham, Massa-
chusetts, where they owned large estates. Representatives of the
name also became founders of the Dedham Bank. One of the
ancestors in England had a coat of arms bestowed upon him and
this seal Joshua Fisher, the first member of the family to come
to America, used on his will and also used in connection with the
bank. The ancestral record of the family is one of which Irving
M. Fisher has every reason to be proud, the line being traced back
as far as 1585.
Having lost his mother when five years of age, Irving M.
Fisher then lived with an uncle and aunt for two years, after
which his father married again. He attended school in his native
state until twelve years of age, when he went to Bennington, Ver-
mont, in order to secure employment on a farm. He worked on
the farm of Colonel Baker and at the same time was granted the
privilege of spending some time in the public school. In the fall
of 1857 he came to Iowa with Henry Baker, a son of Colonel
Baker, who brought his family to the middle west, settling at
Bradford, Iowa. Mr. Irving remained with them until July,
1861, when his patriotic spirit could no longer be content to
remain at home while the country was engaged in civil war, so
he enlisted as a member of Company B, Seventh Iowa Infantry.
He continued to serve until honorably discharged because of dis-
ability at Pittsburg Landing in Tennessee, March 22, 1862. With
his regiment he participated in the battle of Belmont and the
sieges of Fort Henry and Fort Donelson. After recovering his
health he assisted in recruiting work and reenlisted October 12,
1862, as a member of Company C, Fourteenth Iowa Volunteer
Infantry, in which he was made a sergeant. He acted in the ord-
Vcl. It - 8
150 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
nance department under General A. J. Smith, participating in
the battle of Shiloh, the siege of Vicksburg, Tupelo, and then
in the Red River ex23edition and was always on active duty, prov-
ing his loyalty to his country in many a situation that demanded
marked valor and bravery. He was mustered out November 16,
1864, at Davenport, Iowa.
Mr. Fisher was married on the 1st of January, 1867, to Miss
Mary J. Biggar, a teacher in the public schools. The wedding
was celebrated in her father's home in the presence of a few
friends by the Rev. John K. Nutting, pastor of the Congregational
church. The bride was the third daughter of William and Eliza-
beth (Simpson) Biggar, of Franklin county. New York, and was
born in Huntingdon, Huntingdon county, Quebec. She was a
descendant of a family of educators of Scottish origin. They
were also landowners and the town of Biggar in Lanarkshire
was named in honor of the family. Mrs. Fisher was most care-
fully educated in a Christian home, received instruction in an
academv and taught for a number of vears in some of the best
schools in Chickasaw count}^, ranking high as a student and
always holding a first class teacher's certificate. She acquired a
business education and possesses rare executive ability, which
was greatly appreciated by Mr. Stout, the former owner, during
the term of years in which Mr. and Mrs. Fisher were managing
the farm. Mrs. Fisher is a lover of books and literature and
her writings are valued by the press as well as by her many
friends. She is and always has been a worker for the best inter-
ests of the public schools and her influence has been a potent force
in promoting educational progress.
Mr. and Mrs. Fisher spent two years on a stock farm neai'
Charles City, Iowa, previous to coming to the Iowa Central Stock
Farm in Butler county, then owned by the late Hon. H. L. Stout.
For seventeen years they superintended this farm, or until Mr.
Stout decided to divide the large area of land, at which time they
purchased the home place, consisting of three hundred and
twenty acres. They have always maintained the same high stan-
dards in the control of the farm and in stock-raising and the
property is unsurpassed by any stock farm in the state. Mr.
Fisher handles only the highest grades of pure-bred stock and
there is ever}^ equipment and convenience for the care of the ani-
mals and the improvement of the farm. Mr. Fisher is a member
of the Grand Army of the Republic and thus maintains pleasant
relations with those with whom he was associated as a wearer of
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 151
the blue. He has been a lifelong republican and has enjoyed the
acquaintance of a number of men prominent in public life, includ-
ing Senator W. B. Allison, Speaker D. B. Henderson, Governor
Gear and others. Mr. and Mrs. Fisher are members of the First
Congregational church of Allison, of which they were virtually
the founders. They have always contributed liberally toward its
upbuilding and support. Mrs. Fisher is the founder of the
Benevolent and Patriotic Society, which was organized in 1898
and is still doing good work. In fact, their influence is always on
the side of progress, reform and improvement and they hold to
the highest standards of citizenship and of conduct as well as of
business honor.
FRANK H. BROCKMANN.
Success has crowned the efforts of Frank H. Brockmann, who
now makes his home in Clarksville, where he owns a large and
attractive modern residence. For an extended period he has been
identified with farming and stock-raising in this county and on the
8th of August, 1910, he purchased a half interest in the Great
Western Elevator and in lumber and coal yards. The business
is conducted under the style of Muller & Brockmann, Frank H.
Brockmann, however, taking little active part in its management,
his son Martin relieving him of the necessity of activity in that
connection. He is now vice president of the State Savings Bank
of Clarksville and his name is an honored one in commercial and
financial circles. His birth occurred in Guttenberg, Clayton
county, Iowa, July 24, 1858, his parents being Barnard and Gesina
(Johnson) Brockmann, both of whom were natives of Germany
but came to America .in 1846, sailing to New Orleans and thence
proceeding up the Mississippi to St. Louis, where they were mar-
ried. For two years they were residents of Dubuque, Iowa, and
then removed to Guttenberg, where their remaining days were
passed, the father dying in 1863, at the comparatively early age of
forty-two years, while the mother passed away in 1884, at the age of
fifty-eight years. Mr. Broclanann was engaged in the manufacture
of brick until 1858, when he purchased land and later carried on
farming to the time of his death. Five years after losing her first
husband Mrs. Brockmann was married to Fritz Kretzmeyer.
There were no children of that marriage, but seven were born of
152 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
her first union : Josepli, who is now living in Rockf orcl, Illinois ;
Mary, who became the wife of William Buchholz and died in
Clarivsville; Margaret, the widow of Henry Lundt, of Butler
township ; Katie, the deceased wife of Mike Gorsche ; Frank H. ;
Matilda, the widow of Henry Busching of Waverly, Iowa ; and Au-
gust, living in Clayton county.
Frank H. Brockmann was reared in the county of his nativity,
spending his youthful days in the acquirement of an education and
in farm work through the sunmier months, assisting his mother
in the cultivation and improvement of the homestead. He re-
mained in Clayton county up to the time of his marriage, which
occurred on the 24th of January, 1884, the lady of his choice being
Miss Aniia Meyer, who was born in Clayton county, Septembei-
27, 1863, a daughter of William and Mary (Brandt) Meyer, na-
tives of Germany. Coming to America about 1846, the father
settled in Cincinnati and in Guttenl^erg, Iowa, he wedded Miss
Mary Brandt, who crossed the Atlantic some time after he had
made the voyage. Their last days were spent in the home of Mr.
and Mrs. Brockmann, the father, who was a farmer, passing away
in 1903, at the age of seventy-five years, while the mother died in
1907, at the age of seventy-four years.
Following their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Brockmann removed
to Fremont township, Butler county, where they made their home
continuously until 1912. He then retired from agricultural pur-
suits and the family removed to Clarksville, where he erected a
beautiful and commodious residence in the modern style of archi-
tecture and equipped with all modern accessories and conveniences.
His farm comprised two hundred and forty acres on sections 16
and 21, Fremont township, and was well improved by him. He
raised the cereals best adapted to soil and climate and also made
stock-raising a feature of his place. He was also connected with
important business interests in ClarksviHe in partnership with his
brother-in-law, George Meyer, but sold out. On the 8th of August,
1910, he purchased a half interest in the Great Western Elevator
and in lumber and coal yards that are now owned by the firm of
Muller & Brockmann. They deal not only in grain, lumber and
coal, but also in cement and all kinds of building material. Mr.
Brockmann does not take an active part in the management of the
business, however, but leaves this to his son Martin, for whom he
purchased it. He is the vice president of the State Savings Bank
of Clarksville and is now acting as president in the absence of that
officer. He still owns his farm property in this county and recently
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 153
disposed of farming interests in Minnesota. He was the first
treasurer of the Butler-Bremer Telephone Company and contin-
ued in that position until his removal to Clarksville in 1912.
While his business affairs have been extensive and important
Mr. Brockmann has also had time to capably perform the duties
of citizenship and in that connection has fxilly met every obliga-
tion that has devolved upon him. He has always given his political
allegiance to the democratic party and was its nominee for the
office of county treasurer in 1912, at which time he received a large
vote. For twenty-seven years he was school treasurer of district
No. 5, Fremont township, and for many years he was a trustee
and during the last six years of his residence in Fremont township
he filled the office of assessor.
Mr. and Mrs. Brockmann became the parents of six children,
but lost their first-born, Carrie, at the age of five years, and their
third child, Lydia, when a year and a half old. Those who still
survive are Martin, Hulda, Albert and Edwin. The first named,
residing with his father, now conducts the grain, lumber and coal
business. The parents are members of the Evangelical Lutheran
church of Clarksville and their influence is always on the side of
progress, reform, justice and truth. The life record of Mr. Brock-
mann may well serve to inspire and encourage others, for he came
to this county empty-handed, his only capital being industry and
commendable ambition. He realized that there is no royal road
to wealth, but that persistent effort, thrift and honesty will bring
one at length to the goal of prosperity. He therefore cultivated
those qualities and he is today one of the substantial citizens of
the county. The most envious cannot grudge him his success, so
honorably has it been won, so worthily used.
JOHN NEVINS, M. D.
Dr. John Nevins, a resident of Greene for the past thirty years
and today accounted one of the most prominent and representative
members of the medical profession in Butler county, was born in
Laporte, Indiana, June 11, 1857. His parents afterward moved to-
Valparaiso, where he began his education, later taking a high-
school course in Hampton. His parents passed away when he was
a mere boy, and his progress in the world has been due to his own
efforts and determination. There were three small children at the/
154 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
time of the parents' death. Our subject attended Lombard Uni-
versity at Galesburg, and after leaving he taught school two years
in various places, after wliich he moved to Greene. In this city
he engaged in the drug business for some time, being a registered
pharmacist, and this led to his interest in the science of medicine,
which he studied under a preceptor for two years. He then took
three courses of lectures at Rush Medical College in Chicago and
was graduated from that institution with the degree of M. D. in
1886. Immediately afterward he formed a partnership with Dr.
Huckins and engaged in general practice. After four years the
association was discontinued and since that time Dr. Nevins has
been alone. In the course of years he has built up a large and rep-
resentative practice and has won a high place in public regard,
for he has become known as a conscientious, skillful and able phy-
sician, well versed in underlying medical principles and keenly
alive to the responsibilities which his profession entails upon him.
He has remained always a close and earnest student, keeping in
touch with the most advanced medical thought, and in addition to
this he completed in 1900 an extensive post-graduate course. He
built and operates a hospital in Greene and is greatly interested in
the growth of the institution, which is completely appointed, being
provided with neat and well furnished apartments for patients and
a well equipped operating room.
In Greene, in 1901, Dr. Nevins was united in marriage to Miss
Bessie Haggerty, who was born in the vicinity of that city. Dr.
Nevins is independent in his political views, supporting men and
measures rather than parties. He has never sought public office,
however, for his attention is centered upon his profession, in which
he has won that distinction and prominence which come only as
the result of unusual merit and ability and which are especially
praiseworthy when, as in the case of Dr. Nevins, they have been
gained by one who from early youth has been compelled to rely
isolely upon his own powers and resources.
MURRY P. JONES.
Among the citizens of Butler county who have been identified
with her agricultural interests, but have won success sufficient to
enable them to now live retired is Murry P. Jones, of Allison, who
at one time was the owner of an excellent tract of land in this
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 155
section which he brought under a high state of cultivation, convert-
ing it into a model farm. He was born in Erie county, New York,
August 3, 1839. His father, Nathaniel Jones, was a native of Mont-
gomery county. New York, and became a pioneer of Erie county,
to which he removed in 1814. He had previously served for one
year as a soldier in the War of 1812. He was married in
Erie county to Miss Adaline Spaulding, a native of New Eng-
land and their remaining days were passed on a farm in that
county, the mother only being about forty-four years of age at the
time of her demise, while the father reached the advanced age of
seventy-four years. They had a family of four sons and six
daughters, of whom Murry P. Jones is the youngest son, although
three of the daughters were younger members of the family. Pour
of the daughters are still living and two of the sons, the brother of
our subject being J. M. Jones of Anamosa, Iowa.
No event of special importance occurred to vary the routine
of farm life for Murry P. Jones in his boyhood and youth. He
worked in the fields through the summer months and attended
school in the winter seasons, and after reaching manhood he
engaged in farming in Erie county. New York until 1879, when at
the age of forty years, he came to Butler county, and has since
resided within three miles of his present home. He made farm-
ing his life work, but retired about twelve years ago. He was the
owner of a quarter section of rich land which he brought under
a high state of cultivation, transforming it into productive fields
from which he annually gathered good harvests.
On the 14th of November, 1867, Mr. Jones married Miss Amelia
Horton, who was born in Erie county. New York, July 17, 1847,
a daughter of Hiram and Jane (Underbill) Horton, who were
natives of New York and spent their entire lives upon farms in
Erie county, where their parents had located in pioneer times
removing from the eastern part of the state to Erie county, where
they experienced the usual hardships and privations incident to
pioneer life in a forest country. Mrs. Jones was the third in a
family of five children and by her marriage has become the mother
of five children. Dr. Perry Horton Jones, the eldest, is a dentist
and farmer living near Fort Meyer, Florida ; Lenora J., is the wife
of Grant Hardman of Park Rapids, Minnesota; Ward Murry has
been a teacher in the agricultural college at Ames since his gradu-
ation therefrom in 1897; Ira Weston, who was graduated from
Ames in 1903, studied law for two years in Des Moines and then
went to Yale, completing his course there in 1906, since which
156 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
time he has practiced his profession at Clear Lake, Iowa; and
Helen M., who is a graduate of the domestic science department of
the Ames agricultural college, is now teaching in the State Agri-
cultural College of Kansas at Manhattan. The eldest son is a
graduate of the dental department of the State University at
Iowa City. The youngest daughter is a native of Butler county,
but the other children were born in Erie county. New York^
although reared in this state. The son, Ward M., now has a leave
of absence for one year and is giving his time to alumni work in
Iowa. He has edited and managed the paper called the Alumnus
for several years.
Mr. Jones was reared in the Universalist faith and has led an
upright, honorable life. He belongs to the Independent Order of
Odd Fellows and he has always given his political support to the
republican party since casting his first presidential ballot for
Abraham Lincoln in 1860. He has never sought nor desired office,
however, preferring to concentrate his energies upon his business
affairs, which have been capably managed and have brought him
the success that now enables him to live retired.
M. F. STANTON.
M. F. Stanton, familiarly known as Colonel Stanton, is one of
the most successful farmers and stock-raisers of Coldwater town-
ship, owning and operating a fine farm of one hundred and twenty-
two acres on section 8. He is moreover an auctioneer of
considerable reputation, and he has made this branch of his activity
very important. He has lived in Iowa since 1867 and in Butler
county since 1884, but he was born in Washington county, Wiscon-
sin, December 27, 1865. His father, Thomas Stanton, was a native
of New York and there grew to manhood and married Miss Anna
Martin. After his marriage he moved west to Wisconsin, settling
in Washington county where he resided for a few years. In 1867
he moved to Iowa, locating in Chickasaw county, where he pur-
chased land and opened up a farm, engaging in agricultural pur-
suits in that locality for many years.
M. F. Stanton was reared in Chickasaw county, remaining upon
the homestead until he was seventeen years of age. He then moved
to Butler county where he worked as a monthly farm laborer for
seven or eight years. In 1893 he located in Greene and turned his
MR. AND MES. M. F. STANTON
. ^
RY
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 159
attention to the livery business, conducting a profitable enterprise
of this character for three years. He later purchased a farm in
Coldwater township, but sold this property in 1899, buying a farm
in Bennezette township of one hundred and twenty acres, which
he farmed for five years, selling this in 1904. He then bought the
place upon which he now resides. Upon it he has erected sub-
stantial buildings and he has installed modern labor saving ma-
chinery, keeping everything about the place up-to-date in every
particular. He engages in general farming and is also extensively
interested in stock-raising, keeping graded cattle, horses, hogs and
sheep. The farmers' annual picnic, an occasion of much impor-
tance to the community, is held in the beautiful walnut grove situ-
ated on Mr. Stanton's present farm. In 1909 he took a course in
auctioneering at Trenton, Missouri, and in a class of sixty-five
students, passed his examination with a very high average grade,
reaching as high as ninety-eight in some departments. Since com-
pleting this course he has conducted a number of sales in Butler,
Floyd, Bremer and other counties and is well known as a suc-
cessful auctioneer.
On the 23d of May, 1893, in Greene, Mr. Stanton married
Miss Teresa Downing, a daughter of J. E. Downing and a sister
of P. J. Downing, of whom further mention is made elsewhere in
this work. Mrs. Stanton was born and reared in Butler county
and was for some years engaged in teaching. She and her hus-
band are the parents of four children: Catherine Anna; Ella
Marie; Leo Ambrose; and Teresa Genevieve. Politically Mr.
Stanton is a stanch democrat and is interested in public affairs,
although not active as an office seeker. He and his wife are mem-
bers of the Greene Catholic church and are people of exemplary
character, commanding and holding the respect and warm regard
of all who come in contact with them.
JAMES P. MARTIN.
James P. Martin is a self-made man and as the architect of
his own fortunes has builded wisely and well. He knows what
hard labor means and he also knows that success will crown
earnest, persistent and honorable effort. He is today the owner
of one hundred and sixty acres, one-half of which lies on sec-
tion 25, Jackson township, and the remainder across the division
160 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
line, in Butler township. It is, however, all in one farm. Mr.
Martin is a native of Northamptonshire, England. He was born
October 1, 1850, and is the eighth in a family of fifteen children,
whose parents, John and Hannah (Perrin) Martin, spent their
entire lives in England, where the father was a shepherd. Three
of the children, William, James and Mrs. Katharine Shannon, now
of Kansas, came to the United States.
James P. Martin spent the days of his boyhood and youth in
his native country. He had few advantages but he was ambitious
to make the most of his opportunities and believed that he might
more rapidly win success in the United States. Accordingly, in
June, 1871, he crossed the briny deep and made his way direct
to Clarksville, coming by stage from Waverly to this place. He
has resided in this county continuously since and throughout the
entire time has been connected with farming interests. He did
not have a dollar when he arrived and, in fact, was in debt for
most of his passage. He was industrious, however, and did not
fear earnest, persistent labor. He worked out by the month for
five years and six months and then rented land for about ten
years, during which time he carefully saved his earnings until
his perseverance and industry enabled him to purchase land. He
has since owned two other farms and his possessions now comprise
one hundred and sixty acres of rich and arable land lying in Jack-
son and Butler townships. The place is well improved and he
has brought his fields to a high state of cultivation. This fai-m
was secured from the government by Douglas Marquand, who
sold it to his son, from whom James P. Martin was the pur-
chaser.
On the 13th of March, 1877, Mr. Martin was united in marriage
to Miss Hattie R. Shadbolt, who was born in Clarksville,
April 17, 1850, and is a daughter of Jerome and Louise Shadbolt.
Her father is now deceased but the mother resides in Clarksville
and the family history is given on another page of this work. Mr.
and Mrs. Martin are the parents of five children : Lulu Hannah,
the wife of W. J. Sutcliff , of Waterloo, Iowa ; Anna Margaret, the
wife of Robert Burroughs, of Jackson township; John J., at
home; Orin William, of Waterloo; and Charles Levant, also of
Waterloo.
Politically Mr. Martin has always been a republican until the
last election, when he became identified with the progressive wing
of the party. He is now serving for the fifth year as township
trustee and has made a creditable record in public office. He has
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 161
also filled a number of school offices and is a stanch believer in the
cause of public education as one of the bulwarks of the nation.
Fraternally he is connected with the Masonic lodge and religiously
with the Methodist Episcopal church at Clarksville. His life
record may well serve as a source of inspiration and encourage-
ment to others, showing what may be accomplished. One seeing
him comfortably situated upon his pleasant farm in Butler county
can hardly realize what a period of toil was encompassed in his
youth and early manhood. For a few years he worked on a farm
with teams in England and his last four years in that country
were spent as a gamekeeper on an estate of five thousand acres
in Northamptonsliire, During the first two years and a half of
his residence in America he worked in Coldwater with his brother
William, who now resides in Jackson township, and during sev-
eral succeeding years he was employed by his uncle, Jeremiah
Perrin. He always held to the laudable ambition of one day
becoming the owner of a farm and he never lost sight of this pur-
pose, which he ultimately realized, winning a foremost place
among the substantial and prosperous farmers of his community.
He and his wife made their first trip back to their old home in
England in 1912 and it was a most pleasurable occasion, renewing
the friendships of early youth and looking upon the scenes amid
wdiich his childhood was passed.
JAMIN B. TRACY.
Jamin B. Tracy, who has been engaged in the nursery business
for about twenty years, during the past ten of which he has main-
tained his nursery in Greene, is a native son of Butler county,
born in Coldwater township, November 12, 1870. His father,
Edward Tracy, was born in New York state, May 16, 1835, and
was reared and educated there. On February 25, 1856, he married
Miss Hannah B. Backus, a native of Genesee county and soon
afterward they moved west to Iowa, arriving in Butler county,
March 18, 1857. The father preempted land in Coldwater town-
ship, securing one hundred and seventeen acres, to which he later
added eighty acres, which he purchased. Upon this property he
made substantial improvements and he continued to carry for-
ward the work of its development until 1910, when he sold the
place and purchased a home in Greene, where he has since lived
162 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
retired. For a number of years he was identified with the local
republican organization and he has held various positions of pub-
lic trust. He supported John C. Fremont in 1856 and since the
organization of the republican party, has voted for every repu}>-
lican nominee, until 1912, when he joined the ranks of the pro-
gressives. He and his wife became the parents of five children:
Rachel Ann, who married R. Palmatier, and who died April 13,.
1913, leaving one son; Charles H., residing in Greene; Carrie,
the wife of Frank Harlenske, of Pratt, Kansas; Jamin B., of
this review ; and Nettie, who lives at home.
Jamin B. Tracy was reared upon the home farm and acquired
his education in the country schools. His advantages along this
line, however, were limited and he is largely self-educated. He
remained upon his father's property until he was twenty-five
years of age, and then turned his attention to the nursery busi-
ness, establishing a nursery upon the farm in 1893. In partner-
ship with his brother, Charles H. Tracy, he acquired about twenty
acres which he planted in nursery stock and evergreens, build-
ing up a large and representative patronage and continuing in
his original location for about eight years.
There are numerous farms throughout Butler county which
have excellent fruit trees, which were supplied from the Tracy
nursery. There are also a number of groves of white and Scotch
pines and Norwa}^ balsam firs, which came from the same source.
In 1903 the nursery stock was moved to Greene, Jamin B. Tracy
purchasing a tract of land on the west side of the city. His suc-
cess has continued uninterrupted and he is today numbered among
the progressive and substantial business men of the city. In 1905
he established a lumberyard in connection with his nursery,
putting in a good supply of lumber and building material, and he
now controls an important and growing trade along this line.
On the 3d of July, 1895, in Elma, Iowa, Mr. Tracy married
Miss Elcina McDonnell, who was born and reared in Howard
county, but later moved to Floyd county. She was educated in
Marble Rock and was a teacher for a number of years. She is
the daughter of John and Christina (Fallgatter) McDonnell, na-
tives of Canada and Wisconsin respectively and early settlers of
Howard county, Louisiana. Mrs. McDonnell died February 17,
1895. Mr. McDonnell is now a resident of Roberts, Idaho. Mr.
and Mrs. Tracy became the parents of three children : Mearl V. ;
Edward Daniel; and Lucile E. Mrs. Tracy is a poultry fancier
of considerable reputation, and breeds white Plymouth Rock
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY m
chickens and white Pekin ducks and white Embden geese. She
has entered exhibits at numerous poultry shows and has taken
a number of premiums. Mr. Tracy is a member of the local lodge
of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of which he has served
through all the chairs and is now past grand. He and his wife
are members of the Rebekahs and they attend the Methodist Epis-
copal church. They are people of the highest respectability well
known and greatly esteemed throughout Coldwater township
where they have a representative circle of friends.
MISS GRACE E. DREHER.
Miss Grace E. Dreher is filling the office of recorder of Butler
county and the record she has made in this position is a refuta-
tion of the statement that a woman will lose her womanly quali-
ties if in office. Thoroughly capable and competent, the duties of
the position are discharged in a prompt and businesslike way
and at the same time Miss Dreher is sociallv one of the attractive
young ladies of the county seat. She was born near Warner in
Brown county, South Dakota, April 1, 1886, a daughter of Frank
and Clara (Bernard) Dreher. The father was born in Naper-
"ville, Illinois, August 14, 1855, and the mother in Helena, Wiscon-
sin, August 26, 3863. They were married at Aberdeen, South
Dakota, November 19, 1884. In 1888, owing to the hard times in
that state they drove across the country to Iowa and settled on a
farm between Dumont and Bristow. When their daughter, Grace,
was seven years of age they removed to Allison, where they have
since resided and here the father followed the carpenter's trade,
being actively identified with building operations in the county
seat and through the surrounding district.
Miss Dreher, an only child, has resided in Allison since seven
years of age. She passed through consecutive grades in the pub-
lic schools until graduated from the high school of Allison in May,
1902. In the following August she entered the county recorder's
office as assistant under John Hunt and so continued until Janu-
ary 1, 1906. She spent the next year in the county treasurer's
office and the following four years was deputy county auditor. At
the primary in 1910, she was nominated for her present position
and in the fall of 1912 she received indorsement of her first term's
service in a reelection, being given a large vote on both occasions.
164 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
In 1910 she had no opposition and in 1912 had no opposition in the
primaries but had an opponent in the election. She was the candi-
date of the republican party and her course has justified the con-
fidence and trust reposed in her. She had had thorough training
in the work of the office and she has made an excellent official,
qualified in every particular to discharge the duties devolving
upon her.
She belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church and is highly
esteemed socially in the county, having a very large circle of
warm friends.
W. S. MOXTGOMERY.
A citizen of high repute, well known and widely respected
throughout Butler county is W. S. Montgomery of Allison. He
was born in Dubuque county, Iowa, February 16, 1853, a son of
James and Sarah (Glew) Montgomery, both of whom were natives
of Pennsylvania, the former born September 8, 1819, and the lat-
ter February 28, 1825. The father became a resident of Dubuque
county in 1836 and the following year the mother arrived in com-
pany with her parents. It was in that county that they became
acquainted- and in 1840 were married. Mr. Montgomery contin-
ued to reside there until September 3, 1886, when he was called
to the home beyond and the mother died in Led^-ard, Iowa, No-
vember 27, 1909. She was for seventv-two consecutive vears a
resident of this state and few of Iowa 's citizens lived to watch her
growth and progress for a longer period. Mr. Montgomery was
a farmer by occupation and in 1848 secured land which he devel-
oped into a fine farm on which he made his home until his death.
It was situated sixteen miles northwest of Dubuque in Concord
township, Dubuque county, and he led the life of the usual pio-
neer settler who takes advantage of the early opportunities offered
and eventually wins success. Unto him and his wife were born
eleven children, of whom three died in childhood, while six, three
sons and three daughters, are yet living. W. S. Montgomery had
five brothers and five sisters and he was the middle one of the
family. His eldest brother, Joseph, enlisted in August, 1861, in
the Ninth Iowa Volunteer Infantry and died in the service in
November, 1863. All of the other sons of the family became farm-
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 165
ers save the youngest, who is a traveling salesman and the daugh-
ters all married farmers.
W. S. Montgomery was reared in his native county which
remained his place of residence until 1880. For a time he worked
on the farm and taught school in the winter months, but he
regarded this merely as an initial step to other professional labor
and took up the study of law, being graduated from the law depart-
ment of the Iowa State University at Iowa City in 1875. Being
without money, he resorted to school teaching to supply his imme-
diate wants and was thus engaged until 1879, when he went to
Dubuque and spent a year in the law office of J. C. Longueville.
He then came to Clarksville, Butler county, where he entered upon
the practice of law in connection with C. A. L. Roszell, but after
a year and a half the firm of Roszell & Montgomery was dissolved.
The latter practiced alone until September, 1882, when he was
elected clerk of Butler county and entered upon the duties of the
office January 1, 1883. He served for four years or two terms, at
the end of which time he bought an interest in the abstract and law
business of Lathrop & Levis, with whom he continued until 1893,
under the firm name of Lathrop, Levis & Montgomery. In that
year they sold out to the Craig-Ray Abstract Company and Mr.
Montgomery concentrated his energies upon the practice of law
in which he is now engaged. He is an able member of the bar,
easily recognizing the salient points in a case and presenting his
cause strongly and logically, his arguments seldom failing to win
favorable verdict.
In November, 1884, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Mont-
gomery and Miss Florence Peet, who was born near Clarksville,
Iowa, April 24, 1863, a daughter of C R. and Sarah (Parsons)
Peet, who were natives of New York state. They came to Iowa
after their marriage, casting in their lot with the pioneer set-
tlers of Butler county. The father was killed in a railroad acci-
dent near Cedar Rapids in 1879 and the mother died in Allison in'
1901. After coming to Iowa, Mr. Peet began farming and eventu-
ally became known as a dealer in fine stock. He brought the first
blooded cattle and horses to this county and was a prominent stock
man. He was very energetic and persistent in his business affairs
and he built and conducted a hotel at Clarks\dlle, of which he was
proprietor at the time of his death. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Mont-
gomery were born two children : James L, who died at the age of
four months and Sarah Ruth, the wife of H. W. Mercereau of Long
Beach, California. In 1902 Mr. Montgomery went to Long Beach
166 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
for the benefit of his wife's health, remaining there for five
years.
Mrs. Montgomery passed away in 1907 and he then returned to
Allison, where he still makes his home. He has been a life long
republican and in 1911 was appointed county attorney to fill a
vacancy. The following year he was nominated and elected, but
resigned the office in January, 1913, to resume the private prac-
tice of law. For a short time he served on the city council, but
public office has had little attraction for him. In May, 1884, he
was made a Mason, his membership being in Opal Lodge, No. 417,
F. & A. M., Allison. The same year he joined the chapter and
commandery and is now a Knight Templar, loyal to the teachings
of the order and exemplifying in his life the beneficent spirit of
the craft. Few of the native sons of Iowa have longer resided
within her boundaries. He has made a creditable record as a
member of the bar and as a citizen, and enjoys in high degree
the confidence, good-will and respect of his fellow townsmen.
EPHRAIM TOWN.
The name of Ephraim Town is closely associated wdth the his-
tory of Shell Rock, where he established the first hardware store
in 1873. He has since been identified with other lines of business
and at all times has been a progressive citizen, his labors con-
tributing to general prosperity and advancement as well as to
individual success.
Born in Franklin, Vermont, April 15, 1832, he is a son of
Ephraim and Jane (Willis) Town, the former a native of the
Green Mountain state, while the latter was born near Queenstown,
Canada, just across the Vermont border. Both died in Frank-
lin, Mr. Town on the 13th of March, 1864, at the age of seventy-
three years, nine months and twenty-two days and Mrs. Town
March 18, 1884, at the age of eighty-three years, one month and
twenty-nine days. The Town and Willis families are both of Eng-
lish origin. Ephraim Town, Sr., was a soldier in the War of
1812 and in days of peace followed agricultural pursuits. He
was twice married and by the first union had three daughters,
while the children of the second marriage were eleven in number,
two daughters and nine sons.
EPHEAIM TOWN
' YORK
.3RARY
IONS
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 169
Epliraim Town, whose name introduces this review, pursued
his education in the schools of Vermont and remained in that
state until twenty-two years of age. He spent the winter of 1854
in Chicago, hauling grain to the boats, and in the spring of 1855
he arrived in Shell Eock. The following year he began work at
the carpenter's trade in connection with the construction of mills
here. He followed carpentering for a number of years and with
Hiram Ross operated a planing mill and made the first coffin
used for an interment in the Shell Rock cemeterv. Later Mr.
Town became actively connected with merchandising as one of
the proprietors of the first hardware store of Shell Rock, being
in partnership with J. D. Powers. The business was established
in 1873 and was conducted for three years when the firm became
Town & Murray. Mr. Town next engaged in the lumber and
grain business as a member of the firm of Phillips, Town & Com-
pany, continuing in that line for . three years and subsequently
he spent a number of years in the creamery business. He has
always manifested enterprise, energy and determination in car-
rying on his business affairs and has ever been found thoroughly
reliable as well as progressive. He always enjoyed good health
until 1912, when he suffered a slight stroke of apoplexy. He is
a man of splendid physique, being six feet and two inches in
height and weighing usually two hundred pounds.
Mr. Town has some valuable land holdings, consisting of con-
siderable town property and three hundred and sixty acres of
valuable farming land. In 1895 he retired from active business,
having sold out his creamery and now lives a retired life in his
beautiful home on the banks of the Shell Rock river. He is a
fine type of highl}^ successful business man, entirely self-made,
coming here without a dollar and now one of the most prosper-
ous men in the county.
In 1860 in Shell Rock, Mr. Town was united in marriage to
Miss Mary Jane Adair, who was born in Linn county, Iowa, Oc-
tober 6, 1841, and came to this county with her parents, George
W. and Elizabeth Adair. She died in Shell Rock, June 29, 1895,
leaving five children; Charles, who is engaged in the hardware
business with his brother, Willis, at Dumont, this county; Ella
L., the wife of Arthur Austin of Shell Rock; Willis, of Dumont;
Dana E., a resident farmer of Shell Rock township ; and Flora E.,
the wife of Fred G. Mclnroy. Since the mother's death Mr. and
Mrs. Mclnroy have resided with Mr. Town. In fact she has
acted as her father's housekeeper from the age of thirteen.
Toi. n— »
170 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
In politics Mr. Town lias been a life long democrat. He was
elected the first mayor of Shell Rock and has served for three
terms since then. His administration has been characterized by
needed reforms and improvements and his public record is a most
creditable one. For many years he was justice of the peace and
his decisions have ever been strictly fair and impartial. He has
also been a member of the school board for many years and for
twenty years served as its president and was a member of the
building committee at the time of the erection of the new school.
He has been identified with the school board altogether for thirty
vears and the cause of education finds in him a stalwart champion,
whose labors in its behalf have been effective and far-reaching.
Since the organization of the Methodist Episcopal church in Shell
Rock his name has been on its membership roll. In fact he was
a member of the official board when the church was organized
and he was a member of the building committee at the time of
the erection of the present house of worship. He belongs to Es-
callop Lodge, No. 261, A. F. & A. M., of which he has been treas-
urer for many years; Jethro Chapter, R. A. M., of Waverly;
Baldwin Commandery, K. T., of Cedar Falls ; and El Kahir Tem-
ple, A. A. O. N. M. S., of Cedar Rapids. He has also attained the
thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite and belongs to the
Eastern Star. His life exemplifies the beneficent spirit of the
craft and throughout his entire career he has closely followed
the principles which he has adopted. He is now a venerable citi-
zen of eighty-one years and receives the respect and honor which
should ever be accorded one of his vears whose life has been well
spent. Every one in Shell Rock knows Ephraim Town and none
speak of him except in terms of praise.
GEORGE BARNETT.
George Barnett, who is one of the active and prosperous
farmers of Bennezette township and one of the influential and
representative citizens of this locality, was born in Dubuque
county, Iowa, September 21, 1851. He is a son of Longridge and
Sarah (Lowen) Barnett, natives of England, the father having
been born and reared in the vicinity of London and the mother
being a native of that city. Longridge Barnett came to America
in 1845 and settled in New York, whence after a short time he
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 171
moved to Pennsylvania and there engaged in farming. He after-
v^ard came west to Iowa, locating in Dubuque county, where he
remained until 1866. In that year he moved to Butler county and
for thirty-four years thereafter was prominently connected with
agricultural interests of this locality. When he disposed of his
holdings here he moved to Nebraska, where he spent the last
years of his life.
George Barnett accompanied his parents to Butler county in
1866, when he was fifteen years of age, and he aided his father
in improving and developing the farm in Bennezette township.
After reaching maturity he remained upon the homestead for a
short time, but in 1873 purchased a farm on section 11. This com-
prised one hundred and sixty acres and Mr. Barnett cultivated it
for a number of years, making it a valuable and productive prop-
erty. About 1883 he moved to Vancouver, Washington, and there
spent four years in the liunber business, mo\dng from that city to
Portland, Oregon, where he conducted a sawmill and engaged in
the manufacture of lumber for some time. He later returned to
Vancouver and was connected with a large lumber manufacturing
company there as a log buyer for four years. In 1895 he returned
to Iowa and, settling in Butler county, bought the property upon
which he still resides. He owns a well improved farm of three
hundred and twenty acres in sections 22 and 27, Bennezette town-
ship, and upon this has erected substantial buildings and set out
a grove of forest and pine trees, which forms an excellent wind-
break for his buildings. In connection with general farming Mr.
Barnett is also a stock breeder and dealer, keeping a herd of thirty
head of pure-blood and high-grade Aberdeen Angus cattle. He
raises also Duroc Jersev hosrs and heavv work horses. He is a
stockholder in the Farmers Cooperative Elevator Company of
Aredale and was one of the promoters of the Bennezette Tele-
phone Company, of which he is president.
Mr. Barnett has been twice married. He wedded first, on No-
vember 25, 1883, Miss Elvira J. Alexander, who was born and
reared in Canada, coming to Butler county when she was eighteen
years of age. She passed away in 1899, leaving one son, Clarence
E., who is aiding in the operation of the home farm. On the 13th
of January, 1900, in Bennezette township, Mr. Barnett married
Mrs. Katie (Reed) Be Armoun, who was born and reared in the
vicinity of Dumont. Mrs. Barnett has one daughter by her former
marriage, Eula, who is now the wife of E. C. Miller, a farmer of
Bennezette township. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Barnett have been born.
172 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
four children, Raymond R., Ruth R., Florence May and Alice
Cora.
Mr. Barnett gives his political allegiance to the republican
party and stands high in its councils, ha^dng served as delegate to
numerous county and state conventions and having held various
positions of public trust and responsibility. He has rendered
excellent service on both the grand and petit juries and is now in
his fifth term as assessor, discharging the duties of this office in
a creditable and able manner. He and his wife are members of
the Wesleyan Methodist church, of which Mr. Barnett has been
trustee for years, and they are people of exemplary character,
highly esteemed and respected wherever they are known.
THOMAS BETTESWORTH.
Thomas Bettesworth is numbered among the pioneers in
Iowa, his residence in this state dating from 1865. He has lived
in Butler county since 1872 and during the entire period of his
residence here has been closely connected with agricultural inter-
ests, winning success, which places him among the men of marked
ability and substantial worth in the community. He was born in
England, August 24, 1837, a son of George and Mary (Marchant)
Bettesworth, both natives of England. The son acquired his edu-
cation in the public schools of his native country. As a young
man he emigrated to America, coming directly to Iowa and
settling in Lyons, Clinton county, in 1865. He made his home with
his brother and sister for two years and then in 1867 moved to
Jackson county, where he engaged in gardening. He later estab-
lished a nursery in which he raised a variety of fruit trees as well
as evergreen and ornamental trees, having at one time fifteen acres
planted in nursery stock. In 1872 he moved to Butler county
and purchased three tracts of land in Coldwater township, his
entire holdings amounting to one hundred and thirty-two acres.
He later sold portions of this property and by buying adjoining
pieces has his farm novv^ all in one tract. He has added to and
remodeled his house and fenced and cross fenced his fields, erected
substantial buildings and set out an orchard and a grove. The
farm is today one of the most attractive and valuable in this sec-
tion of the state and it reflects ever^^iere the manv vears of care
and labor which the owner has bestowed upon it. In addition to
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 173
general farming, Mr. Bettesworth engages in stock-raising, keep-
ing a good grade of cattle, a number of horses and some Duroc
Jersey hogs, which he considers the best species for fattening for
the market.
Mr. Bettesworth has been twice married. He wedded first
in Jackson county. Miss Abbie Wright, who passed away in 1890,
leaving two sons ; the elder, Lyman resides in Texas where he is
connected with a lumber company. Walter is married and
engaged in farming in Butler county. Mr. Bettesworth had
another son by his first marriage, who died in childhood. In 1894
Mr. Bettesworth wedded Mrs. Louisa France, a native of Ger-
many, but reared in the United States. They have become the
parents of a son, George L., who is aiding in the operation of the
homestead.
Mr. Bettesworth was for several years road supervisor of Cold-
water township and he was for some time closely identified with
school affairs. He is a progressive, public-spirited and able citi-
zen and is well and favorably known in Coldwater township, with
the development and growth of which he has identified his inter-
ests for over forty years. Although he has reached the age of
seventy-six, he is still active in the world's work and seems yet
in his prime in spirit and interests. A man of high character and
sterling worth, he enjoys the confidence and warm regard of all
who know him.
F. H. VOSS.
F. H. Voss is engaged in the grain and live-stock business at
Clarksville and close application and energy are constituting the
foundation upon which he is building his success. Like many
substantial citizens of the county, he is of German birth, the place
of his nativit}^ being Nienberg, Hanover, while the date is April
27, 1876. His parents, Fritz and Wilhelmina (Nordmann) Voss,
were also natives of Hanover, the former born January 27, 1854,
and the latter on the 4th of February, 1853. They came to But-
ler county, Iowa, in 1882, and settled on a farm six miles north-
east of Clarksville, in Fremont township, where they resided until
they retired about five years ago, taking up their abode in Clarks-
ville. The father is a carpenter by trade, following that pursuit
in his native land, but after coming to America he devoted his
174 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
energies to farming. The family numbered four children : F. H. ;
Louise, who is the widow of H. W. Miller, of Fremont township ;
Millosine, the wife of F. A. Nordmann, of Butler township ; and
William J., who is living on the old homestead in Fremont town-
ship. The two eldest came with their parents to the United States
and the two youngest were born in this county.
F. H. Voss remained under the parental roof until the time
of his marriage, when he began farming on his own account,
establishing his home five miles northeast of Clarksville, in Butler
township. After devoting three years to the tilling of the soil he
removed to the town and opened a meat market, which he con-
ducted for a year. He then began buying and shipping stock,
which business he has followed for the past decade. He conducted a
dairv for five vears which he sold out in 1910. He owns a half inter-
est in the Rock Island grain elevator at Clarksville in connection
with a partner, C. P. Christensen, under the firm style of Voss &
Ohristensen, the partnership having been in existence for two
years. His property interests likewise include two farms in this
county, one of two hundred and forty acres and the other of
one hundred and sixty acres. He also has two farms in Minne-
sota, one of eighty acres in Chippewa county, together with a
tract of land of tAvo hundred acres in Yellow Medicine county.
In all of his business affairs he seems to prosper. His judgment
is sound, his sagacity keen and his enterprise unfaltering. He
seems ever to recognize the possil>ility for success and discrimi-
nates readily between the essential and the non-essential in all
business transactions. His father had only enough to buy furni-
ture and two cows when the family arrived in America and F. H.
Voss has made all that he has with little assistance from his
fathei*. His determined purpose has enabled him to carry for-
ward to successful completion whatever he inidertakes and in man-
aging his private business interests he has also contributed to the
general j^rosperity.
On the -Ith of Octol^er, 1900, Mr. Voss was united in marriage
to Miss Millosine Nordmann, who was born in Hanover, Ger-
many, February 4, 1880, and in 1892 was brought to Butler county
by her parents, Henry A. and Caroline (Frietag) Nordmann,
who are now living retired in Clarksville. Mr. and Mrs. Voss are
members of the German Evangelical church and this is also the
faith of the family. Throughout his entire life Mr. Voss has dis-
played the sterling traits of character of the German race and has
made himself a valued citizen, contributing largely to the com-
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 175
mercial enterprise and agricultural development of this part of
the state. He has a circle of friends almost coextensive with the
circle of his acquaintance and no history of Clarksville would be
complete without mention of him.
LEMUEL WYGLE.
Lemuel Wygie, one of the well known farmers and progress-
ive and influential citizens of Dayton township, owning and oper-
ating a valuable farm of two hundred acres on section 34, was
born June 17, 1854, and is a' son of Corbin Wygle. The father
was a native of Union county, Ohio, and grew to manhood there.
He moved to Iowa in 1854, purchasing a tract of land in Dayton
township, Butler county. This he cleared, fenced and improved
and for many years thereafter carried forward the work of its
development and cultivation, becoming one of the well known
and substantial farmers of this localit}^ He died in February,
1898.
Lemuel Wygie was reared upon his father's farm, acquiring
his education in the district schools. He made his first purchase
of land in Jackson township, where he purchased eighty acres,
which he was obliged to break before beginning the work of cul-
tivation. At the end of five years he sold this property and bought
one hundred and eighty-nine acres on Shell Rock river, in Day-
ton township. He located upon this place and farmed it for
twelve years, after which he sold his holdings and bought the
farm which he now owns. He has two hundred acres on section
34, Dayton township, and this he has improved with a neat resi-
dence, a large barn, a granary, cribs and other convenient out-
buildings. He has fenced and cross fenced his fields and has a
fine natural grove of native timber, making an effective wind-
break around the house and buildings. He raises a good grade of
Durham cattle, Diiroc Jersey hogs and heavy work horses, and is
also interested in dairying, all departments of his activities being
important and profitable.
In Jackson township, this county, on the 18th of December,
1888, Mr. Wygle married Miss Nellie Leete, a daughter of A. N.
Leete and a sister of H. A. Leete, of Greene, of whom further
mention appears elsewhere in this work. Mrs. Wygle was born
in Wisconsin but was reared in Butler countv. She and her
176 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
husband became the parents of six children: Abbie, Clarence,
Arthur, Fannie, Bernard, and one child who died in infancy. The
l^arents are members of the Methodist Episcopal church of
Packard.
Mr. Wvgle gives his political allegiance to the republican party
and served for a time as road supervisor and for two terms as
township trustee. A resident of Butler county during practically
his entire life, he has witnessed a great deal of its growth and
develojDment and has done his full share in promoting its advance-
ment. He is numbered today among the influential men of the
county and his worth as a man and a citizen is widely acknowl-
edged.
WILLIAM TRINDLE.
Almost every state in the union has furnished its quota of
citizens to Iowa. The state that has produced the best corn crops
of the country has also produced some of the strongest men of the
nation, and its residents on the whole are a prosperous, contented
and progressive class, who are winning success in carefully directed
farm work. Of this nmnber William Trindle is a repre-
sentative and has a pleasant home on section 32, West Point town-
ship. He comes of Scotch ancestry, the family having been founded
in America by his grandfather, William Trindle, and his two
brothers, Andrew and John, who crossed the Atlantic and settled
in Pennsylvania. John, who remained single, secured a position
in connection with government surveys and at the time of his
death left a large fortune, but the family could not establish a
claim to it ; for the records of his two brothers had been destroyed.
George M. Trindle, son of William Trindle, was born in West-
moreland county, Pennsylvania, February 26, 1826, and having
arrived at years of maturity, there was married on the 17th of
July, 1851, in Fairfield township, that county to Miss Sarah Mc-
Dowell, also a native of that county, born April 17, 1832. They
began their domestic life in the east, but in 1863 removed westward
to Iowa, establishing their home in Butler county, where they
lived for thirty years, Mr. Trindle passing away on the 16th of
June, 1893. He had followed farming during much of his life and
during the last twenty years was also a minister of the United
Brethren church, but made his home upon his farm, having one
MR. AND MES. WILLIAM TRINDLE
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 179
lamdred aud sixty acres of productive land, which responded
readily to the care and cultivation which he bestowed upon it. He
was a most earnest temperance worker and sought in every way
possible to promote the moral progress in the community in which
he lived, his influence being an effective force for good among his
friends and neighbors. His wife still survives and now makes her
home with a daughter near Bowman, North Dakota. In their
family were seven children : William ; Susan Mary, the wife of
Charles Coryell, of Minnesota; Almira Jane, the wife of A. J.
Sylvius, of Bowman, North Dakota ; James A., living in Marshall-
town, loAva ; Emily Eleanor, the deceased wife of Robert Santee ;
George, who died in infancy ; and C. L., living in Jackson town-
ship.
William Trindle, whose name introduces this record, was born
in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, July 29, 1852, and there
spent the first eleven years of his life, accompanying his parents
on their removal westward to this county in 1863. One half cen-
tury has since come and gone and during the entire period he has
been an interested witness of the changes which have occurred,
converting the wild prairie district into a rich farming region,
dotted here and there with beautiful homes, substantial school
buildings and churches and other evidences of a progressive civil-
ization. William Trindle was reared as a farm lad, working in
the fields when not occupied with the duties of the school room.
In manhood he has been content to give his time and attention to
the occupation with which he had become familiar as a boy and
thus concentrating his efforts upon a single line of activity, he has
won prosperity and is now the owner of three hundred and twenty
acres of rich land, constituting the west one half of section 32,
West Point township, upon which he has resided for a quarter of
a century. The improvements upon the place are the tangible evi-
dences of a well spent life characterized by energy and thrift.
On the 25th of February, 1880, Mr. Trindle was united in mar-
riage to Miss Keziah Cornford, who was born in Milwaukee, Wis-
consin, April 9, 1847, and is a daughter of John and Mary Ann
(Ralph) Cornford, who were natives of England, born near Lon-
don. Both passed away in Wisconsin, the father when but forty-
four years of age and the mother in 1903 at the advanced age of
eighty-nine years. They had two children born in England ere
they came to America about 1845. Their family numbered nine
children, of whom one son died at the age of twenty-five, while
two other children have also passed away, leaving six yet living.
180 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
Mr. and Mrs. Trindle have three children : Anna, the wife of Jesse
Young, residing near Turtle Lake, Wisconsin ; Nellie, the wife of
S. G. Young of Turtle Lake, Wisconsin ; and William Irving, who
married Laura Berkley and who remains upon the old homestead
and now operates the farm.
The parents are members of the Christian church of Bristow,
are liberal in its support and take an active part in its work. Mr.
Trindle is serving as one of its elders and does all in his power
to further its cause. He holds membership with the Modern
Brotherhood of America and he gives his supi^ort to the republi-
can party, being now identified with its progressive wing. He has
held only school and road offices nor does he desire further politi-
cal preferment. Living in the county for a half century, he is
largely familiar with its history, his memor}^ going back to the
time when this part of the state was mostly an unfenced prairie,
upon which few houses had been built. It was a dangerous thing
to travel in this district in the winter time, for there wei-e no
homes in which to seek shelter from the storms and it was not an
unusual thing for a blizzard to sweep over the district. The mail
was received twice a week being brought in b}^ stage from Cedar
Falls and Hampton. Farsighted men, however, recognized the
natural advantages of the country and came to claim its rich
agricultural lands, while the present generation, profiting by their
labors, have become prosperous farmers. The country is now
well developed and its attractiveness has been enhanced by the
labors of such men as William Trindle, who is justly accounted
one of the progressive farmers of his part of the state.
J. B. HICKMAN.
J. B. Hickman is nmnbered among the pioneer settlers of
Butler county, having since 1865 made his home within its bor-
ders. Great changes have since occurred, the labors of time and
man having wrought a marked transformation in the county,
which was largely undeveloped and unimproved when he took up
his abode within its borders. He can relate many interesting inci-
dents of the early days, for through thirty years he kept a diary,
writing in it each day until his eyesight failed him. He is now in
his seventy-sixth year, his birth having occurred in Lincolnshire,
about ten miles from Boston, England, on the 29th of July, 1838.
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 181
His parents were Matliew and Frances (Humble) Hickman,
natives of Lincolnshire, who in 1854 came to the United States,
bringing with them their seven children. They took passage on
the sailing vessel Empire State and were seven weeks and two
days in crossing the Atlantic. After landing at New York they
proceeded by way of the water route to Kenosha, Wisconsin, and
a year later the family removed to Green county, that state, where
they resided until 1865, w^hen they came to Butler county, Iowa,
settling three miles northeast of Clarksville. The father made
farming his life work and developed his land in this county into
a rich and productive tract, residing there until his death, in
April, 1886, when he was in his seventy-seventh year. His widow
survived until 1898 and passed away at the age of eighty-seven
years. Their children were seven in number: Mary, who died
in Clarksville in 1911, was the wife of Robert Skinner and had
nine sons and a daughter. Dorothy is the widow of John Carter
and lives in Green countv, Wisconsin. J. B. is the next in order
of birth. Ann is the wife of William Hanks, of Kenosha county,
Wisconsin. Frances is the wife of David Martin, of New Mexico.
William died in Rockford, Iowa, and Lucy is the widow of Julius
Rambo and makes her home in Clarksville.
J. B. Hickman was a youth of sixteen years at the time of the
emigration from England to America. He accompanied his par-
ents to Wisconsin and remained with them most of the time until
lie was twenty years of age, although he spent one winter in the
south before the war, working on the levee. In 1863 he went to
California, where he remained for a year, and in 1864 he made a
trip to England and visited the scenes of his childhood and mar-
ried, returning to the LTnited States in 1865 to Butler county,
Iowa, where he has since resided and has been numbered among its
leading and representative agriculturists. His life has here been
devoted to general farming and he still owns eighty acres of good
land on section 8, Jackson township.
It was in the year of his arrival in this county that he mar-
ried, the lady of his choice being Miss Elizabeth Humble, whom
he wedded in September, 1865. She was bom in Lincolnshire,
England, December 4, 1845, and was a daughter of John and Lucy
(Stir) Humble, who spent their entire lives in England. The
marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Hickman has been blessed with seven
children : Frances Eveline, who is the widow of Charles D. Acker-
man and resides in Dayton township ; Lucy Ann, the wife of John
Orr, of West Point township ; Harold, who died at the age of three
182 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
and one-half years ; Cora Helen, the wife of Ed Hershey, of West
Point township ; Daisy May, who died at the age of f onr months ;
Wesley Roy, who operates the home farm; and Ralph Matliew,
living in Jackson township.
Since attaining his majority J. B. Hickman has been a stal-
wart republican, feeling that the party principles contain the best
elements of good government. For five years he served as town-
ship clerk and has held some school and road offices. He has
been a member of the Odd Fellows lodge at Clarksville since- its
organization thirty-five years ago and he is a consistent member
of the Congregational church of Allison. His life has been well
spent and his many sterling traits of character have commended
him to the confidence, good-will and high regard of all with whom
he has come in contact. He traveled quite extensively in early
manhood but for forty-eight years has resided continuously upon
the farm which is now his home and is today numbered among the
valued early settlers who are familiar with the history of this
section and have contributed to its progress and upbuilding.
BURT CURTIS.
Burt Curtis is engaged in the cultivation of a farm of four
hundred acres on section 32, Jackson township. He leases his
land but owns a forty acre tract in Butler township. His farm-
ing activities are carried on extensively and his practical methods
and sound business judgment are manifest in the success which is
attending his labors. New York claims him as a native son, his
birth having occurred in Onondaga county, December 14, 1871.
He was but four months old when, on the 4th of April, 1872, he
was brought by his grandparents, Japhet and Sarah Ann (Tay-
lor) Curtis, to Butler county and they took up their aliode near
Clarksville, where the grandfather died in 1879. His widow long
survived, however, and passed away in 1906.
Burt Curtis was trained to habits of industrA^ economv and
perseverance. His educational opportunities were those afforded
by the public schools and in the school of experience he has learned
many valuable lessons. He has engaged in farming independently
since he was large enough and is now the owner of forty acres of
land in Butler township, which was his grandfather's homestead.
His farming interests, however, are carried on much more exten-
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 183
sively than would be possible on Ms own property, lie leasing
four hundred acres on section 32, Jackson township, where he
devotes his time to general farming and stock-raising. The work
is systematically done and his labors are productive of good
results. In addition to his individual interests of that character
he is a director of the Butler County Mutual Fire & Lightning
Insurance Company, with which he has thus been connected for
the past nine years, and is a stockholder in the Farmers Coopera-
tive Creamery Company of Allison and in two different tele-
phone lines of the county.
On Christmas day of 1899 was celebrated the marriage of Mr.
Curtis and Miss Sarah Jane Allan, who was born in 1870, a daugh-
ter of James Allan, mentioned elsewhere in this volume. The five
children of this marriage are Mary Ellen, James Bruce, Lela
Bernice, Bessie Christina and Ruth Viola,
The parents hold membership in Unity Presbyterian church
and Mr. Curtis belongs also to the Masonic fraternity and to the
Modern Woodmen camp. In politics he is a progressive. He
does not believe in the blind following of party leaders but thinks
for himself and his opinions are the expression of honest convic-
tion. He stands for all that he believes to be best in citizenship
and his cooperation can be counted upon to further any measure
or movement for the public good.
LAFE BELDEN.
Lafe Belden, superintendent of the County Farm, in which
connection he is making a most creditable record, was born upon
a farm in Floyd county, near Rudd, Iowa, April 22, 1862, and was
brought to Butler county in his infancy by his parents, Gardner
and Jane (Durgin) Belden, who settled in Clarksville. Both the
father and mother were natives of Pennsylvania but were mar-
ried in Ohio. Soon afterward they removed to Minnesota, where
the father engaged in business as a teamster, freighter and mail
carrier in the early days when Minnesota was a frontier state.
He was employed in that capacity not only in the northwest but
also in the southwest and became familiar with all the middle sec-
tion of the county. Eventually he took up his abode in Clarks-
ville, where for many years he followed the blacksmith's trade, his
death occurring in 1905, when he had reached the venerable age
184 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
of eighty-six years. His wife still resides in Clarksville, at the
age of eighty-five, and is very active for a woman of lier years.
Their family nmnbered three children: Joseph, of Hampton^
Laf e ; and Emma, the wife of Jasper King, of Allison.
Lafe Belden spent the days of his boyhood and youth in his
parents' home in Clarksville and at the age of twenty years went
to Colorado, wdiere he was employed a part of the time on the
railroad and a part of the time in a smelter at Pueblo. He spent
four years in the west, returning in 1886.
It was in December, 1890, that Mr. Belden was united in mar-
riage to Miss Ella Wells, who was born in Waverly, Iowa, and
died in Clarksville June 2, 1913, at the age of forty-five years.
Following his marriage Mr. Belden entered the hotel business at
Steamboat Rock and later conducted a hotel at Allison. Subse-
quently he conducted a similar business at Greene and then
returned to Allison, after which he was appointed to his present
position as superintendent of the County Farm on the 1st of
March, 1909. He has now creditabl}' filled the office for four years
and the record is one which commends him to the confidence and
good-will of the public, for he is capable and conscientious in the
discharge of his duties.
In politics Mr. Belden is a republican but not an active party
w^orker, taking only a citizen's interest in the questions and issues
of the day. Fraternally he is a Mason, belonging to Butler Lodge,
No. 94, A. F. & A. M., of Clarksville. Mr. and Mrs. Belden have
had no children of their owm but have reared an adopted son,
Cecil Mellinger, the child of Mrs. Belden 's half-brother. He is
now nineteen years of age and has lived with them since six months
old. Mr. Belden is a free-hearted man, genial in disposition^
kindly in spirit and very popula-r, his many attractive social quali-
ties winning him high regard wherever he is known.
AARON KINGERY.
Among the valued and representative citizens of Greene is
numbered Aaron Kingery, who since 1910 has lived retired in the
city after thirty years of close connection with agricultural inter-
ests of Coldwater township. He w^s born in Bennezette town-
ship, this county, April 19, 1860, and is a son of William Kingery,
of whom further mention is made elsewhere in this work.
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 185
Aaron Kingeiy was reared in Coldwater township, upon the
farm which he now owns. He aided in the operation of the home-
stead until he was twenty years of age and then rented the
property from his father, carrying forward the work of its
improvement for three years thereafter. At the end of that time he
purchased one hundred and sixty acres of raw land on section 29,
Coldwater township, breaking the soil and improving this prop-
erty for nine years thereafter. When he sold this farm he pur-
chased the homestead from his father and immediately began the
work of improvement. In 1901 he built a modern two-story resi-
dence and he erected also a large barn and convenient outbuild-
ings. He fenced and cross fenced his fields with woven and barbed
wire and eventually became the owner of one of the finest farms
in Coldwater township. In addition to raising hay and grain he
was also a stock-raiser on an extensive scale, keeping good grade
Durham cattle, Poland China hogs and heavy work horses. He
was a promoter of the Farmers Cooperative Elevator Company
of Greene and is still serving as a member of the board of directors.
He is also a stockholder in the Greene Cooperative Creamery
Association. In 1910 Mr. Kingery rented his farm and moved into
Greene, where he purchased the attractive residence in which he
has since lived retired.
On the 7th of June, 1883, in Greene, Mr. Kingery was united
in marriage to Miss Mary E. Humbert, who was born in Indiana
and reared and educated in Carroll county. Mr. and Mrs. Kingery
became the parents of eight children. Floyd W. is operating his
father's farm. He is marri^ed and has one daughter. Daisy
became the wife of W. B. Solt, of Morrison county, Minnesota.
They have two sons, Lester D. and Lyle Eugene. Pearl May is
the wife of Archie Worth, a farmer of Coldwater township.
Ruth, Ora and Clara are students in the Greene high school.
Lester D. met death by accident when he was two years of age
and one child died in infancv. Mrs. Kinsrerv is a member of the
Brethren church of Greene.
Mr. Kingery gives his political allegiance to the republican
party and served for a time as street commissioner of Greene.
While on his farm he was identified with educational work
for a number of years, serving as a member of the board
of school directors. He has been a resident of Butler county
during his entire life and has witnessed a great deal of the growth
and development of this section of the state. To the extent of his
ability he has aided in improving agricultural conditions and has
186 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
cooperated in all measures and projects of reform and advance-
ment. His present retirement is well deserved, rewarding many
years of active and faithful labor.
aEORGE HENRI CARTER.
In the death of George Henr}^ Carter, Butler county lost a
rei3resentative citizen, his associates a faithful friend and his fam-
ily a devoted husband and father. He was born six miles south-
east of Monroe, in Green county, Wisconsin, December 8, 1860,
and was the third in order of birth in a family of eleven children
born to the marriage of John and Dorothy (Hickman) Carter.
His youthful days were spent under the parental roof with the
usual experiences of pioneer life. He spent what time he could in
the schoolroom, but with the opening of the plowing season began
work on the farm. He continued at home until the time of his
marriage, save for one year which he spent in the employ of a
neighboring farmer. On starting out in life on his own account
he purchased forty acres near Monroe, which he cultivated for
two years. In March, 1886, he arrived in Butler county, having
in the previous September purchased a farm upon which he
resided to the time of his death, which occurred September 11,
1901. His original purchase was eighty acres and the farm now
consists of one hundred and twentv acres on section 16, Jackson
township, where he carried on general agricultural pursuits and
stock-raising. He also engaged in handling sheep and in buying
wool.
On the 17th of April, 1884, Mr. Carter was united in marriage
to Miss Rosina Hefty, who was born in Green county, Wisconsin,
March 26, 1863, a daughter of Abraham and Rosina Hefty, who
were natives of Switzerland, the former born November 20, 1833,
and the latter February 26, 1837. Abraham Heftv came to the
new world when nineteen years of age, establishing his home in
Wisconsin. He lost his mother when but three years old and his
father when eight years of age and was reared by an uncle. For
ten years he was employed in the pineries of Wisconsin and after-
ward became a successful farmer. He was a well educated man
and was a citizen of worth, his death being deeply regretted when
he passed away in Monroe, Wisconsin, July 11, J901. His wife,
who accompanied her parents to Wisconsin when ten years of age,
CtEOEGE h. caetee
1
n
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 189
is still living in Monroe. They had a family of eleven children:
Fred A., a resident of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Mrs. Carter; Anna,
the wife of R. G. Pfund, of Monroe; Margaret, the wife of A.
Jenny, of Monroe ; Martha M., who died at the age of seventeen
months ; Edward, living in Colorado ; Martha M., who is the second
of that name and became the wife of J. S. Ohl of Monroe ; John
Henry, living in North Dakota; Jacob, who died in infancy; Min-
nie, the wife of John Edward Pfund, of Grand Rapids, Wiscon-
sin; and Matilda Pauline, the wife of O. E. Schroeder of Free-
port, Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Carter have but one child, Frank A.,
who was born in Wisconsin, February 20, 1885, and was married
in that state in Februar}^, 1908, to Miss Rosa C. Mayer, of Green
county, Wisconsin. He now operates the home farm for his
mother and also eighty acres which he owns.
Mr. Carter was a democrat in his political views and kept well
informed on the questions and issues of the day, but never sought
nor desired office, preferring to concentrate his energies upon his
business affairs. When death called him on the 11th of Septem-
ber, 1901, he left behind him many friends, for his sterling worth
had gained for him the confidence and good-will of all with whom
he came in contact.
CHARLES V. CAVE.
Charles V. Cave, one of the active and progressive business
men of Greene, controlling important commercial interests as
senior member of Cave, Sproul & Company, lumber and imple-
ment dealers, one of the most important mercantile firms in this
section of the state, was born in Clarksville, Iowa, February 18,
1866. His father, William R. Cave, was a native of Maryland,
born in Baltimore, June 2, 1831-, a son of William Cave, who later
moved with his family to Indiana, locating in Paris. There the
I father of the subject of this review grew to maturity and later,
in 1856, he moved to Iowa. From Clarksville, this state, in 1862
he enlisted for service in the Civil war, joining Company G,
Thirtv-second Iowa Volunteer Infantrv. He received his honor-
able discharge at Keokuk, Iowa, in 1865, but during the war had
contracted a disease from which he never fully recovered. He
returned home and engaged in carpentering, contracting and
r building in Clarksville and throughout the adjacent country, carry-
Vol. J I— 10
190
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
ing oil this business until liis death, which occurred July 2, 1905.
He was a member of the Grand Army post at Clarksville and was
well and favorably known in that city. On the 19th of April, 1856,
he married Miss Florella Goodhue, and to their union Avere ])orn
five children, of whom Charles V. of this review was the only son.
Charles V. Cave was reared in Clarksville and attended gram-
mar and high schools in that city. He afterward clerked in the
mercantile store conducted by Alfred Price, receiving during the
two or three vears of his connection with this concern an excellent
pi-actical business training. In 1888 he came to Greene and estab-
lished here a branch store for Mr. Price, remaining manager of
this enterprise until 1892. In that year he moved to Minnesota
and started a lumber business at Ellsworth, but he disposed of his
holdings at the end of a year and returned to Greene, purchasing
an interest in the firm of which he is now senior partner. They
commenced in a small way and extended the field of their business
as their enterprise grew, and they now carry a large stock of
liunber and building material besides farm imjilements, vehicles,
coal and cement. The company also handles a large contracting
and building business, its territory extending beyond Greene into
the adjacent country. It employs from ten to fifteen men in the
various departments and owns a modern business house, with im-
plement rooms, lumber sheds and coal house and everything neces-
sary for the able conduct of a large and growing business. Mr.
Cave is recognized as a capable and discriminating business man
and a far sighted financier and a great deal of the remarkable ad-
vancement and growth of the concern with which he is connected
is due to his energy, ability and enterprise.
In Greene, on the 27th of December, 1891, Mr. Cave was united
in marriage to Miss Daisy Williams, who was born in Delaware
county and lived there until she was eight years of age. She then
moved with her parents to Osage county and later to Greene. She
is a daughter of James W. Williams, one of the early settlers of
Iowa, Avho located in this state in 1853. Mr. and Mrs. Cave have
become the parents of two children, Dorothy and Lawrence V.
Mr. Cave is well known in Masonic circles, holding membership
in the blue lodge at Greene, the chapter at Clarksville and the
Waterloo conmiandery. He has served as secretary of the blue
lodge for ten or twelve years. In addition to this he is a charter
member of the Knights of Pythias, which he joined in Clarks-
ville, later transferring his membership to the Greene lodge. He
has served through all the chairs and is now past chancellor, and
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 191
he has besides represented both the Greene and the Clarksville
lodges in the Grand Lodge of Iowa. He has been connected with
business interests of Greene for many years and during the time
has gained the confidence and esteem of the people of the city and
an enviable place among public-spirited and progressive citizens.
IRVING H. HART.
I
I
Irving H. Hart, who has done valuable work as an educator
for the past fifteen years, held the position of superintendent of
schools in Allison from 1908 to 1912, and in the latter year was
elected superintendent of schools in Butler county, in which
capacity he is now ably serving. His birth occurred in Grinnell,
Poweshiek count}^, Iowa, on the 3d of September, 1877, his parents
being A. C. and Elizabeth (Biggar) Hart. It was in 1866 that
A. C. Hart came to Iowa with his father, locating in Chickasaw
county. By profession he is a school teacher. For the past three
years he has resided in Washington, taking up his abode there in
1910. His wife's family came to Iowa from the Province of
Quebec, Canada, in 1856, also locating in Chickasaw county. Mrs.
Hart was called to her final rest in 1883.
Irving H. Hart, who lost his mother when a little lad of six
years, was reared by his uncle, I. M. Fisher, at Allison, where he
attended the public schools in the acquirement of his early educa-
tion. Subsequently he pursued a course in liberal arts at Grinnell
College and received his diploma from that institution in 1898,
while in the army. In April, 1898, while still a college student, he
enlisted for service in the Spanish- American war as a member of
Company K, Fiftieth Iowa Volunteer Infantry. He was mustered
out in December, 1898, having seen no active service. For the past
fifteen years, as above stated, he has been identified with educa-
tional work, and his labors in this connection have been attended
with far-reaching and beneficial results. He has had charge of
schools in the states of Missouri, Nebraska, Texas and Iowa. From
1908 to 1912 inclusive he served as superintendent of schools in
Allison, Iowa, and is now acting as county superintendent of
schools here, having been honored by election to that responsible
position in 1912. For a short time — from May until October,
1908 — he was also identified with journalistic interests as editor of
the Butler County Tribune at Allison.
192 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
At Hebron, Nebraska, on the 20tli of December, 1902, Mr. Hart
was united in marriage to Miss Ida Fay Pew, by whom he has
four children— two sons and two daughters. He attends the serv-
ices of the Congregational church and in politics is a republican.
Though still a comparatively young man, Mr. Hart has already
attained a prominent position in educational circles, and is a highly
respected and esteemed citizen of his community.
GEORGE A. McINTYRE.
George A. Mclntyre, an attorney of Shell Rock and the mayor
of the town, was born at PaAv Paw, Lee county, Illinois, February
27, 1856, a son of Abijah S. and Sarah (Sawyer) Mclntyre. The
father was born in the vicinity of LaPorte, Indiana, and the
mother's birth occurred in Lee conmty, Illinois, November 24, 1832.
They were married in the latter state, October 6, 1853. The father
Avas of Scotch descent, his father having been a native of Scotland.
The maternal grandfather, Joseph Sawyer, served as a drummer
bo}^ in the War of 1812. He was of English descent and was born
in 1793, while his death occurred October 11, 1872. George A.
Mclntyre well remembers him as a tall, large man. He was a
school teacher for many years and spent the greater part of his
life in Lee county, Illinois, but at an early day in the development
of Iowa, came to this state. His last years, however, were passed
in Marshalltown, Iowa. He was the owner of a farm near Albion
and when Abijah S. Mclntyre brought his family to low^a they
stopped for a while at the farm of Mr. Sawyer. Abijah ]\lclntyre
when a young man was a cooper by trade, but afterwards studied
medicine and then turned his attention to its practice, entering
upon the work of the profession about the time that he married
Sarah Sawyer. She was a nurse, and while her husband, who was
the only physician in Paw Paw, was performing his professional
duties she did all of the nursing in important cases for him. The
father died in Albion, Marshall county, Iowa, when his son,
George, was six years of age. He had two sons by a former mar-
riage, Horace and William and a daughter Laura. The sons en-
listed from Dixon, Illinois, for service in the Civil war and George
A. Mcrnt}'re remembers them marching away with their com-
pany. Horace was killed while serving in the army, but William
is now a practicing physician living near Lincoln, Nebraska. He
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 193
was at one time a professor in the medical department of the Uni-
versity of Nebraska. The mother died at the home of her son,
George A., on the 6th of January, 1909. On the 23d of June, 18G6,
she became the wife of Gideon G. Aurmeyer and they had one
child, Frank G., now in Neligh, Nebraska. George A. Mclntyre
has an own sister, Alice, who is the wife of Henry Teft of Reno,
Nevada.
George A. Mclntyre was reared in the family home at Albion,
where he attended the public schools and the seminary following
its establishment. There he received instruction from Professor
Samuel G. Smith and Professor T. B. Taylor, both of whom be-
came prominent educators and the latter became a member of the
law firm of Taylor and Evans of Hampton, Iowa. Mr. Mclntyre
engaged in teaching school for two years and afterward entered
the law department of the State University at Iowa City in 1876.
He was graduated therefrom in 1877. He was also a member of
the first second year class in the law department and graduated
therefrom in 1878. He then began practice at Marshalltown,
where he remained until 1881, when he removed to Allison, Butler
county. There he continued in active practice until 1884, when
he came to Shell Rock. He was editor and publisher of the Shell
Rock News from that date until 1898, and at the same time he
continued in the practice of law. In 1896 he was elected county
attorney and served until 1900, filling the position for two con-
secutive terms. In politics he has always been a republican and
active in political work. At four different periods he has served
as mayor of Shell Rock, his occupancy of the office covering a more
extended period than that of any other incumbent in the position.
His elections always came unsolicited and at the present time he
is serving by appointment to fill out an unexpired term. Mr. Mc-
lntyre has also been attorney for the town since 1884. He has been
admitted to practice in the state and federal courts and has been
an active representative of the profession since his admission to
the bar.
In 1877 occurred the marriage of George A. Mclntyre and Miss
Hanna Moreland of Marshalltown, Iowa, who died April 4, 1881,
leaving a daughter, who was born July 5, 1879, and is now a stenog-
rapher at Imperial, California. She was graduated from a busi-
ness college in Cedar Rapids and also in Chicago. In 1882 Mr.
Mclntyre was again married, his second union being with Miss
Mary Jones, a daughter of Captain J. R. Jones, and Angeline B.
194 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
Jones, the former having won his title by service in the Civil war.
He was also sheriff of this county for three terms.
Fraternally Mr. Mclntyre is a Mason, belonging to the lodge
at Shell Rock and the chapter at Clarksville.
He is also connected with the Knights of Pythias and with
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, both at Shell Rock. His
political support is given to the republican party, and he is ever
interested in the welfare of county, state and nation. He is known
as the father of the primary in Butler county, being a leader in the
movement that secured its adoption. He used his paper to advo-
cate the cause and his efforts resulted in the volunteer use of
primaries in this county before the state law was passed requir-
ing it. This was a protest against the wrongful manipulation of
the old caucus system. Mr. Mclntyre was a candidate for the
office of state senator from the district comprising Butler and
Bremer counties in a contest with E. W. Soesbe and later with
Charles Gates of Greene. Mr. Mclntyre took an active part in
the formation of the Republican state league and was president
of the third congressional district and was chairman of the
national committee of league work. He represented the league in
indorsing a presidential candidate for nomination in 1896. This
was in the interest of Senator Allison and in accordance with the
constitution of the league. This work took him to Washington
and to New York city. He has always been more or less active in
politics and at all times has been actuated by a spirit of devotion
to the public good. Progress and patriotism might be termed the
keynote of his character.
BAINBRIDGE LEAVENS.
Bainbridge Leavens, now in his eightieth year, is living on a
farm on section 25, Butler township, not far from Shell Rock. He is
the owner of three hundred and sixty acres of valuable land, and
his holdings represent a life of industry and thrift, for all his pos-
sessions have been acquired through his own efforts. Mr. Leavens
was born in Cuyahoga county, Ohio, July 1, 1834, a son of Stephen
and Juliet (Merrick) Leavens. The father was born in Massa-
chusetts, August 16, 1802, and the mother's birth occurred in
New York, August 20, 1809. When their son Bainbridge was two
years of age they started for DuPage countv, Hlinois, but the
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 195
father died while en route. The mother continued on her way to
Illinois and while living in that state married again. She had
three children by her first marriage, and there were two sons and
a daughter by the second union. The children of Mr. and Mrs.
Leavens were Stephen, who was born March 31, 1830, and is now
deceased ; Bainbridge ; and Francis, born July 24, 1836, who has
also passed away.
Bainbridge Leavens remained in DuPage county with his
mother until he came to Butler county, in 1857, casting in his lot
with the early settlers of this part of the state. He took up his
abode upon the farm which is still his home, his stepfather having
entered the land in his name. The patent issued in 1854 is signed
by President Franklin Pierce, and gives Mr. Leavens title to
the southwest quarter of section 25, range 92. It has never passed
from his possession and is still occupied by Mr. Leavens, who now
has three hundred and sixty acres, constituting a rich and produc-
tive farm, while he and his sons have elsewhere in the township
five hundred acres. His life has been devoted to general farming
and stock-raising, and his business affairs have been capably man-
aged, bringing him a substantial and well merited return for his
labors.
On the 22d of October, 1862, Mr. Leavens was married to Miss
Adaline E. Wheeler, who was born in Chautauqua county. New
York, April 22, 1838, and came with her parents to the middle
west. She died in December, 1882, leaving three children: Eu-
gene Le Roy, who operates the home farm for his father, and
who was born September 15, 1863, and married Julia H. Wood, by
whom he has three children, Adaline, Ethel and Bainbridge ; Niles
Wheeler, born May 14, 1865, who was accidently killed by the dis-
charge of a gun in 1888 ; and Martin Bailey, born April 21, 1875,
who married Ethel Corey. They reside in California and have one
son, Martin Bailey, junior.
Since casting his first presidential ballot for John C. Fremont
in 1856, Bainbridge Leavens has always voted for the candidates
of the republican party until 1912, when he cast a ballot for Roose-
velt, thus announcing his supjDort of the progressive movement.
For nine years he served on the board of county supervisors and
his reelection to the office, in which he remained for three terms,
indicated his capability, efficiency and the confidence reposed in
him by his fellow townsmen. He is a Mason, belonging to Escal-
lop Lodge, No. 261, A. F. & A. M., at Shell Rock and to Jethro
Chapter, R. A. M., at Waverly. Mr. Leavens is truly a self-made
196 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
man. He owes Ms success entirely to liis persistent, earnest lab-
ors. Wliile he lost liis father at an early age, his stepfather was
kind and helpful to him, so that he did not recognize the loss of
his natural parent. He was trained to habits of industry and
economy and thus given an excellent foundation upon which to
build success. Wishing to make his fortune on the frontier, he
came to Iowa in a covered wagon drawn by oxen, reaching his
destination after about a month's travel, the Mississippi river be-
ing crossed by a ferry-boat. When they were in the middle of
the river the cattle came very near sinking the ferry and some-
thing had to be done. A man of much streng-th, who w^as a passen-
ger on the boat, then pushed the cattle into the river and they sw^am
across, the boat being thus saved from sinking. During the
first year of Mr. Leaven's residence here five young wolves were
dug out of a hole by his farm and he tamed one of them so that it
became very gentle and played like a dog.
An old Indian trail crossed the farm from northeast to south-
west and was from eight inches to a foot wide and where nothing-
impeded it was as straight as a line. Every phase of pioneer life
is familiar to Mr. Leavens. The nearest railroad point was at
Dunleath, opposite Dubuque. No roads w^ere cut through at the
time of his arrival in Butler county. He has witnessed the advance
of land values from one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre to one
hundred and seventy-five dollars per acre. His memory forms a
connecting link between the primitive past and the progressive
present, and he relates many interesting incidents of the early days
when Butler county was on the frontier. He has lived to
see wonderful changes and has borne his full share in the w^ork of
development.
DIRK ROTTINK.
Various countries have furnished citizens to Butler county
and America has been termed a great melting pot where the na-
tionalities have been fused into an American citizenship wherein
are blended the strongest, most stable and most commendable
characteristics of the different peoples. At all events, the sons of
Holland, now living in Butler county, are recoi^nized as a valu-
able element here and to this class belongs Dirk Rottink, who was
born in Holland, on the 5th of May, 1864, a son of Gerrit and Johan-
o
I— I
!^
5
I
L
L
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 199
nail (Biittega) Rottink, who spent tlieir entire lives in their native
land. Dirk Rottink is the seventh in order of birth in a family
of nine children. His brothers, John and Herman, came to the
United States, John being the first to cross the Atlantic, then
Dirk and last Herman. All still reside in Butler county, and
sketches of Herman and John Rottink are given elsewhere in
this volume.
Reared in his native land. Dirk Rottink was employed in a
weaving factory until he came to Iowa, in 1882, when a youth
of eighteen years, his brother having sent him a ticket and sev-
enty-five dollars in money with which to come to the United States.
He traveled as a steerage passenger across the Atlantic, joined
his brother in this county and began work on a farm at fifteen
dollars per month. He was employed in that way for four years,
after which he rented a farm for seven years. He next purchased
eighty acres of land in Beaver township, which he cultivated for
ten iyears and then sold that propert}^ investing in his present
farm of two hundred and eighty acres on sections 8 and 9 Rip-
ley township. Here he carries on general farming and stock-
raising and has been very successful since starting out in life for
himself in the new world. He has recently completed a modern
residence of eight rooms and is preparing to take life easy, let-
ting his sons operate the farm. He prefers, however, to live
in the country rather than in town as so many do who practically
retire from farm life.
In 1886 Mr. Rottink was united in marriage to Miss Johannah
Menkens, who was born in Holland, April 20, 1851, and came
alone to the new world in 1883. Thev have four children who
are living: Anna May, Henry D., Willie H. and Harry John,
and they lost three children in infancy. The living children all
yet remain at home and the sons are operating the farm, which
will net them about five thousand dollars for the present year,
of which sum they give their father one thousand dollars.
Mr. Rottink resided in a city in his native land and worked at
tlie weaver's trade, but on coming to America he decided to de-
mote himself to agricultural pursuits and has always remained
upon the farm. He made two trips back to the old country,
going first in January, 1908, and again in November of the same
year, retui'nirg from the second trip in 1909. These trips made
him more than ever satisfied with his home in Iowa, for in Hol-
land he saw people who had worked harder than he and 3^et who
had nothing, while he was in possession of a good property and
200
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
a substantial income. In politics lie has been a republican since
the right of franchise was conferred upon him in 1887. He is a
member of the Evangelical church in Ripley township, and his
hfe has ever been actuated by high and honorable principles,
never permitting him to take advantage of another. He has al-
ways depended on industry and determination for his success
and has therefore also w^on an honorable name.
CHARLES BORNEMAN.
E'or a number of years past Charles Borneman has been closely
and influentially connected with agricultural and stock-raising in-
terests of Butler county and is today one of the largest landown-
ers in Madison township, his holdings comprising eight hundred
acres. He is numbered among the early settlers in Iowa, his resi-
dence here dating from 1877, but he was born in Germany in 1853.
He remained in his native country until he was fourteen years of
age and began his education in the public schools. In 1867 he
came to America and joined his older brother, Fred, in Evansville,
Indiana, where he worked on a farm during the summers and
attended school in the winter months. In 1877 he came to Iowa
and for a time worked by the month on a farm in Franklin county.
After his marriage, which occurred in 1877, he rented land for
several years and finally purchased one hundred and sixty acres
on the county line in Butler county, a tract which forms a portion
of his present farm. This was all wild land which Mr. Borneman
broke, fenced and improved, providing the place with a com-
fortable dwelling. From time to time he added to his holdings
until his farm reached its present extensive proportions, making
him one of the largest landowners in his locality. On the east side
of his section, facing the road, Mr. Borneman has erected a two-
story modern house and has provided the place also with a good
barn, a granary and corn cribs, and convenient outbuildings shel-
tered from the wind by a grove of forest and evergreen trees. In
addition to general farming he also engages in stock-raising on an
extensive scale and his interests, being carefully managed, have
brought him an enviable degree of success.
^ In Franklin county, September 25, 1877, Mr. Borneman mar-
ried Miss Sophia Nulty, a native of Gei-many, who was brought
to America at the age of seven and reared in Franklin countv.
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 201
To this union were born eleven children, three of whom have
passed away. Those living are : Minnie, born December 4, 1878 ;
Adolph, bom January 27, 1880; Sophia, born August 19, 1887;
Fred C, born October 19, 1890; William, born February 10, 1893;
John C, born September 15, 1895; Louie, born May 30, 1898,
attending school ; and Bertha, born May 4, 1908. Adolph, Fred C,
William and John C. are all aiding in the operation of the home-
stead. Charles, whose birth occurred December 6, 1884, died in
1910 at the age of twenty-five. Henry, born November 11, 1882,
passed away at the age of one and a daughter, Lena, born June 7,
1904, died February 9, 1905.
Mr. Borneman is independent in his political views, support-
ing men and measures rather than parties. He served as road
master for a number of years and was for eighteen years school
director, the cause of education finding in him an earnest and able
champion. He has been a delegate to a number of county conven-
tions and has served also on the grand and petit juries. He and
his family attend the United Brethren church. His is a splendid
example of the value of energy, perseverance and enterprise in
attaining success, for he began his independent career upon rented
land and by frugal living and intelligent management has worked
his way upward to success, standing today among the large land-
owners and representative farmers and stock-raisers of his
locality.
JAMES ALLAN.
From bonnie Scotland came James Allan, who still has strong
love for the land of his birth as well as an ardent attachment for
the land of his adoption, which has afforded Mm advantages that
have enabled him to win success and become one of the men of
affluence of Jefferson township. He makes his home on section 4,
and although he was practically empty-handed when he came to
the new world, he is now the possessor of a farm valued at fifty
thousand dollars. He was born at Callander, Perthshire, Scot-
land, May 15, 1839, and is a son of Benjamin and Christina (Mc-
Laughlin) Allan, who spent their entire lives in the land of hills
and heather. James was the third in order of birth in their family
of nine children, of whom but two are now living, his sister being
Mrs. Christina McFarland, a widow residing in Cedar Rapids.
202
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
James Allan, avIio is her junior and the only other living mem-
ber of the family, spent not only his youth and early manhood in
Scotland, but remained there to the age of forty-four years, com-
ing to the United States in 1883. His investigations of the oppor-
tunities offered in this land, led him to send for his family the
following year. He had learned and followed the stone cutter's
trade in his native country, and he took up work at his trade after
coming to Iowa and only recently ceased to labor along that line.
On bringing his family, however, he established his home upon a
farm, which he yet owns and occupies. His first purchase com-
prised eighty acres, but as his financial resources increased he ex-
tended the boundaries of his farm until it now comprises three
hundred and twenty acres on section 4, Jefferson township. James
Allan now leaves the active work of the fields to others, his son
having charge of a part of it. The place is the visible evidence of
a well spent life, for he was but eleven years of age when his father,
who was a practicing plwsician, passed away in Scotland at the
age of forty-eight. It became necessary soon afterward for James
Allan to earn his own livelihood and from that time forward he
has been dependent entirely upon his own resources. He bought
his first eighty acres for eighteen dollars per acre, but when the
deal was completed he still owed eight hundred dollars on the
transaction. He gave his wife eighteen dollars, all that he had
left, with which to meet the family expenses and then sought work
at his trade, while the farm work was conducted bv his mfe and
children. As a stone cutter he earned money necessary to develop
the farm and the family passed through hard times. When nec-
essary to go to town on business, he would frequently be all day
without a meal, but perseverance and energy conquered all diffi-
culties and the farm property today is worth fifty thousand dol-
lars. Mr. Allan has always regretted that he did not come to the
United States earlier, but in the comparatively brief period of his
residence here he has made rapid progress and is today numbered
among the men of affluence in his community.
In 1864 occurred the marriage of Mr. Allan to Miss Mary Ann
Leather, who was born in Cumberland, England, March 23, 1841,
and there resided until her marriage, which was celebrated in her
native land, Mr. Allan having gone from Scotland to England when
twenty years of age. Five children were born unto them : Da^id,
who died at the age of two years; John, living in West Point town-
ship ; Sarah Jane, the wife of Burt Curtis, of Jackson township ;
William, also living in Jackson township ; and Christina, the wife
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 203
of Frank Beryls of Minnesota. The parents liold membership in
the Presbyterian church, and their lives have been guided by high
and honorable principles, which have won for them the warm and
endearing regard of all who know them. Mr. Allan has never
deviated from a course which he believed to be right between him-
self and his fellowmen, but has endeavored to do unto others as
he would have them do unto him and in his business career has
demonstrated the truth of the old adage that honesty is the best
policy.
WILLARD FREDERICK BROWN.
Willard F^rederick Brown owns and operates two large grist-
mills at Shell Rock and is thus prominently connected with indus-
trial activity. He is also a representative of agricultural interests
as the owner of an excellent farm of two hundred and forty acres
in Shell Rock township. He was born in Delaware count}^, New
York, August 14, 1864, and eight years later was brought to
Shell Rock, Iowa, by his widowed mother and his uncle and aunt,
Mr. and Mrs. J. F. Wright. Mr. Wright was at that time pro-
prietor of a mill at this place. Mr. Brown's parents were Fred-
erick and Mary (Follett) Brown, natives of Otsego county. New
York. The father died when the son was eight years of age. He
had been identified with the manufacture of lumber and of doors,
sashes and blinds. Following the death of her husband the mother
came here to reside with her sister Mrs. Anna J. Wright, who was
born in Otsego county, New York. Mr. Wright built the west
side mill at Shell Rock. Two years after her arrival Mrs. Brown
passed away, thus leaving the subject of this review an orphan
boy. He continued to reside with his aunt and uncle until the lat-
ter 's death on Christmas day of 1891. He began working in the
mill in 1885 and has continued in the business since that time,
having charge of it since the uncle 's death. In 1903 he purchased
the east side mill and now operates mills both on the east and west
sides. They were originally flour mills but they are now operated
as merchant and customs grinding mills in connection with the
conduct of a grain and elevator business. He buys and sells all
kinds of gTain and has done important work as a factor in promot-
ing business activity in this section. His enterprise and energy
have made him well known, and he is highly esteemed for his busi-
ness integrity.
204 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
On the Uth of December, 1905, Mr. Brown was united in mar-
riage to Miss Lillian E. Carson, a native of Wisconsin, who was,
however, reared in Iowa. She is the daughter of J. H. and Celesta
Carson. Her father is now deceased, but her mother is a resident
of California.
Mr. Brown served on the city council for about fifteen years
and exercised his official prerogatives in support of many bene-
ficial and public measures. His political allegiance was formerly
given to the republican party, but he is now a stanch advocate of
the progressive party. His fraternal relations are with the Elks
and the Knights of Pythias and in those organizations he has
many friends. He is ever a genial social gentleman, always cour-
teous and always thoroughly reliable, and he ranks with the valued
and representative men of Butler county.
HERMAN F. WILD.
Prominent among the energetic, capable and farsighted busi-
ness men of Allison is Herman F. Wild, the vice president of the
State Bank and vice president of the Craig-Ray Abstract Com-
pany. Correctly judging of his own capacities and powers and of
those things which go to make up life's contacts and experiences,
he has so directed his interests and utilized his time that the re-
sults have been most gratifjdng, his efforts contributing to gen-
eral prosperity as well as to individual success. He was born in
Rhenish Bavaria, German}^, November 23, 1864, and is a son of
Abram and Caroline (Miller) Wild, who were also natives of that
locality and spent their entire lives there as farming people.
Herman F. Wild was the youngest of their seven children. He had
two brothers and a sister who came to the United States : Abram,
who died in Michigan ; Rudolph, of California ; and Katharine, the
wife of Abram Wild, of Cedar Falls, who although of the same
name was not a relative.
Herman F. Wild remained under the parental roof until six-
teen years of age and then bade adieu to family, friends and the
fatherland and came direct to Iowa, settling at Cedar Falls, in
Blackhawk county, where he joined his sister, who had been in
this country for six or seven years. During the succeeding winter
he attended the public schools and thus learned the English lan-
guage. In the following spring he worked in a brickyard and the
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 205
next spring went to Waterloo, where he was employed in a grocery
store. He thus continued until January 1, 1886, when with a
cousin he came to Allison and here embarked in merchandising, in
which they continued for seventeen years under the firm style of
Wild & Company. They had a well appointed store and were
accorded a liberal patronage to the time when the business was
sold, in November, 1902. The following year Herman F. Wild en-
tered the employ of the State Bank of Allison, in which he con-
tinued until the fall of 1906, when he was elected county treasurer
and entered upon the duties of the office January 1, 1907. That
he was most competent and faithful is indicated by the fact that he
was twice reelected and served in all for six years, or for three
terms, ending on the 1st of January, 1913. In the preceding No-
vember he purchased the interest of G. M. Craig in the Craig-
Ray Abstract Company, Incorporated, of which he is now the
vice president, and for a number of years past he has also been
the vice president of the State Bank of Allison. He is a man of
keen insight and unflagging energy and in business circles of
Allison has made for himself a creditable and enviable position.
He likewise has farming interests in Minnesota in connection with
his cousin, George W. Wild. He never brooks obstacles and
difficulties that can be overcome by persistent, earnest and honor-
able effort, and his unfaltering determination and capable manage-
ment have brought him a large measure of success.
Mr. Wild has been married twice. In 1886 he wedded Miss
Emma Wild, a distant relative, who died in 1904, leaving two chil-
dren, Lillian H., who is living with her sister; and Carrie F., the
wife of John Wilson, of Cheyenne, Wyoming. In December, 1906,
Mr. Wild married Eva F. Speedy, and they have a son, Carroll H.
Mr. Wild gives his political allegiance to the republican party
and has been an active worker in its ranks. On various occasions
he has been called to public office and at the jDresent writing is serv-
ing as a trustee of West Point township. He is also a member of
the school board of Allison and does all in his power to advance the
interests of public education. He served on the city council for a
number of years and in all of these connections has conscientiously
furthered the public good. At the present writing he is chairman
of the republican county central committee, and his opinions carry
weight among party leaders. He was one of the committee of
appraisers on the collection of the inheritance tax, appointed by
the district judge. Fraternally he is connected with Opal Lodge,
No. 417, A. F. & A. M., of Allison and is a member of the First
206 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
Congregational church. These associations indicate much of the
nature of his interests and the rules which govern his conduct and
show him to be a man of high principles.
ROBERT M. SKLLLEN.
One of the most attractive and well managed farms in Cold-
water township is the Oakland Shade Stock Farm, a fine property
of three hundred and fifty acres lying on section 7. Its owner,
Robert M. Skillen, has resided upon the propert}^ since 1890 and,
having followed always the most progressive and xoractical methods
in the management of his farm, has made it a valuable property
and has secured for himself a position among the progressive and
representative farmers and stock-raisers of this locality.
Mr. Skillen is an early resident of Butler county, having made
his home here since 1872. He was born in Genesee county, New
York, December 12, 1862. When he was seven years of age he
came west with his parents, settling in Buchanan county, Iowa,
whence he moved to Butler county. His childhood was passed
upon his father's farm in this vicinity and from an early age he
assisted in its operation. After reaching maturity he rented
land of his own, which he developed and improved for five 3^ears,
after which, in 1890, he purchased one hundred and twenty acres
in Coldwater township, a portion of the property upon which he
now makes his home. At intervals he has added to his holdings
and the farm now contains three hundred and fifty acres all in a
high state of cultivation. Upon it he has erected a modern resi-
dence, two substantial barns, two hog houses and a cement silo with
a capacity of about two hundred tons, and he has set out an orchard
of fine fruits and a grove of forest pines and evergreens, neglecting
nothing which will add to the beauty or value of the place. For
the past twenty-nine ,years Mr. Skillen has been a well known
breeder of Duroc Jersey hogs and has held two auction sales on his
farm in recent years, his animals always commanding high prices.
He is interested also in raising pure-blooded registered shorthorn
cattle and has now a herd of sixty head. His stock-raising inter-
ests are extensive and important, and he is known as one of the
most successful breeders and dealers in this part of the state. Mrs.
Skillen is well known as a poultry fancier, keeping some fine
Barred Plvmouth Rock chickens, bronze turkevs, Pekin ducks and
«/ 7 « 7
EOBEET M. SKILLEN
I
VRYl
I TtL C
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 209
Toulouse geese and has made exhibits of these at a number of
poultry shows. Mr. Skillen has also entered animals at a number
of county fairs and has received a number of premiums on Duroc
Jersey hogs. He was one of the promoters of the Farmers Cooper-
ative Elevator of Greene and of the Greene Cooperative Creamery
Association and has an enviable reputation in business circles.
In Greene, on the 18th of March, 1888, Mr. Skillen was united
in marriage to Miss Sarah Hesalroad, who was born and reared in
Coldwater township, a daughter of William Hesalroad, an early
settler, who emigrated from Germany to this country. Mr, and
Mrs. Skillen are the parents of four children: Laura Belle, the
wife of Hugo Holzschuh, of Floyd county ; Ida Grace ; Clarence
Wilbur, who is aiding in the operation of the home farm; and
Clyde Robert.
Mr. Skillen is a stanch republican, believing firmly in the prin-
ciples and policies of the party, but he has never sought public
office, preferring to concentrate his attention upon his business
affairs, in which he has already been so successful that he is today
numbered among the leading representatives of stock-raising inter-
ests in Butler county. .- "
O. FEED CHASE.
O. Fred Chase, one of the able and progressive business men of
Beaver township, prominently connected with i[mportant mer-
cantile interests as manager for the Townsend & Merrill Lumber
& Coal Company, of New Hartford, was born in Franklin county.
New York, October 18, 1873. He is a son of Oscar F. and Georgess
(Bennett) Chase, the former a native of Bangor, New York, born
in 1837, and the latter born in New York state in 1846. The father
has been for many years proprietor of a sawmill and lumberyard
and still makes his home in his native state. He and his wife be-
came the parents of nine children, Metta, Robert, Charles, O. Fred,
Merton, Miller, Alice, Gordon and Jean.
O. Fred Chase acquired his education in the public schools of
Franklin county, attending until he was seventeen years of age.
He then worked for a short time in his father's sawmill, after
which he bought a half interest in a clothing store, which continued
in operation for three years thereafter. On the 1st of February,
1902, he moved to Iowa and worked in the sawmills, on the rail-
Toi. n— 1 1
210 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
road and at the carpenter's trade until 1910, when he was made
manager of the Townsend & Merrill Lumber & Coal Company, of
New Hartford. This position he has since held and has proved
well titted for its responsible duties, possessing sound business
judgment, keen discrimination and excellent administrative abil-
ity.^ Mr. Chase is the owner of one hundred and sixty acres of
land in North Dakota.
Mr. Chase attends the Baptist church and is connected frater-
nally with the Masonic lodge. He is a democrat in his political
beliefs and while a resident of New York served for one term as
assessor of Franklin county. His attention is now, however, con-
centrated upon his business affairs, in which he has made steady
progress, being numbered today among the leading and representa-
tive citizens of New Hartford.
RICHARD C. BODE.
Among the prominent and able citizens of Austinville is nmn-
bered Richard C. Bode, who in 1913 retired from active life after
many years' close connection with mercantile interests as pro-
prietor of a large general store. He was born in Stephenson
county, Hlinois, November 25, 1871, and is a son of Rev. Cornelius
and Hilkea (Ammermann) Bode, natives of Germany, both of
whom were born in 1843. The father came to America when he
was seven years of age and grew to manhood in Illinois. In 1891
he moved to Iowa and has since been a resident of the state. He
and his wife became the parents of seven children : John ; Rich-
ard C. ; Henry; Mamie; William; Anna; and Lillie, who died at
the age of thirteen years.
Richard C. Bode acquired his education in the public schools
of Michigan and Harrison, South Dakota. When he was twenty
years of age he began working as a farm laborer and after one year
rented a farm in Wright county, Iowa. He afterward formed a
partnership with his brother John, bu}dng two hundred acres of
fine land. They rented this property and Mr. Bode of this review
came to Austinville in 1892, where he built the first mercantile
store in the town, engaging in business in partnership with George
Peters. At the end of one year he purchased Mr. Peters' interest
and admitted his brother John into partnership. They conducted
the enterprise under the name of Bode Brothers until 1905, when
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 211
Ricliard C. Bode bought his brother 's interest, continuing in busi-
ness alone. He secured a large and representative patronage, for
he carried a large and well selected stock of goods and constantly
adhered to high and honorable business standards. In 1913 he
disposed of his interests in the concern and since that time has lived
in practical retirement, although he engages to some extent in
dealing in real estate. He controls valuable property interests,
owning two fine farms in Hancock county and a residence in
Austinville. He is a stockholder, director and vice president of
the Austinville Savings Bank and half owner of the Austinville
Creamery, and his ability is recognized and respected in business
circles.
At Clara City, Minnesota, May 25, 1904, Mr. Bode was united
in marriage to Miss Lena Voss, a daughter of Thomas and Fannie
(Greenfield) Voss, who lived in Minnesota but in 1908 came to
Austinville where the father, a retired farmer, died in 1912. The
mother is still living there. Mr. and Mrs. Bode are the parents of
four children: Hazel, Francis M., Cornelius R. and Thomas L.
Mr. Bode is a member of the Christian Reformed church, in
which he is deacon, treasurer and Sunday-school teacher. He
gives his political allegiance to the republican party and was for
four years postmaster of Austinville and for seven years treasurer
of the school board of Washington township. He is one of the rep-
resentative citizens of the community, for his interests have
extended to many fields, lying always, however, along lines of
progress and advancement.
AREND DREYER.
Arend Dreyer, proprietor of an up-to-date drug store in
Aplington and a native son of the city, was born December 22, 1886,
his parents being Harm and Etta (Arends) Dreyer. The father
was born in Germany in 1848 and after settling in Aplington
engaged in the general merchandise business, in which he is still
active. He and his wife became the parents of eleven children:
Hattie, deceased; Albert; Henry; John; Harm; Arend, of this
review ; Fannie ; Jennie ; William ; Hattie ; and Claus.
Arend Dreyer attended public school in Aplington until he
was fourteen years of age and then became a clerk in a drug store,
holding this position from 1901 until 1907. He then went to Are-
212 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
dale, this state, where lie spent three years as proprietor of a drug
store. At the end of that time he returned to Aplmgton and pur-
chased the drug store which he still conducts. He has stock valued
at forty-five hundred dollars including a fine line of drugs,
stationery, paints, oils and wall paper. He has a very attractive
establishment, up-to-date in every particular, and he controls an
important and growing patronage.
In Aphngton, March 13, 1907, Mr. Dreyer married Miss Anna
Wiesley, a daughter of Louis and Rosina Wiesley, the former a
minister of the gospel, who died in 1904. Mr. and Mrs. Dreyer
have become the parents of four children, Etta R., Louis, Kenneth
and Robert. Mr. Dreyer is a member of the Baptist church and
a progressive republican in his political beliefs. He never seeks
public office, preferring to concentrate his attention upon his busi-
ness affairs, in which he is meeting with gratifying and well
deserved success.
BENJAMIN F. KINGERY.
Benjamin F. Kingery, a representative of a well known pio-
neer family of Iowa and one of the progressive and successful
native sons of the state, was born in Bennezette tow^nship. May
30, 1858. His father, William Kingery, was born in Pennsylvania
in 1826 and resided in that state for a number of years. As a
young man he went to Indiana, locating in Carroll county, where
he married Miss Mary M. Etter, a native of Ohio. After farming
in Carroll county, Indiana, for a number of years Mr. Kingery
moved to Iowa, settling in Bennezette township, Butler county,
in 1856, among the earliest pioneers. He purchased a tract of
raw land and opened up a farm, which, however, he later sold,
buying another property of two hundred acres near Greene. After
developing and impro^dng this for a number of years he retired
from active life, moving into Greene, where his death occurred
in 1898. His wife survives him and makes her home with her son
Amos. On the occasion of her eighty-first birthday, on the 29th
of June, 1913, her children, grandchildren and great-grandchil-
dren and a few of her oldest friends gathered at the residence of
Benjamin F. Kingery and a dinner was served in the grove in cele-
bration of the event.
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 213
Benjamin F. Kingery was reared upon the home farm and
from his early childhood assisted with the work of its improve-
ment and development. He married when he was twenty years
of age and located on an eighty acre tract, the property of his
wife. Upon this he built a small house, put out a grove of forest
and evergreen trees and an orchard and fenced his fields. He
afterward replaced the first dwelling by a modern residence and
built other barns and outbuildings, making the place one of the
best equipped in the county. From time to time he added to the
farm and it now comprises two hundred and eighty acres. He is
also the owner of a tract of timber land. He engages in general
farming and stock-raising and has met with gratifying and well
deserved success. He was one of the promoters of the Greene
Cooperative Creamery Company and is a stockholder in the Farm-
ers Elevator Company.
Mr. Kingery has been twice married. On May 30, 1878, he
wedded Miss Mary J. Hart, who was born and reared in Butler
county. They became the parents of three children: Lloyd S.,
who died in childhood ; Andrew Leroy, who passed away October
13, 1907; and William M., who was reared upon the home farm
and educated in the public schools. He married, on the 27th of
November, 1907, Miss Edna C. Loomer, a daughter of Frank D.
Loomer, of Clarksville. Benjamin F. Kingery lost his first wife
in April, 1907, and in November, 1908, he was again married, his
second union being with Miss Grace Schriever, a native of Hol-
land, who came to Iowa when she was a young woman.
Mr. Kingery gives his political allegiance to the republican
party and is now in the twelfth consecutive year of his service as
township trustee. He has also been prominently identified with
school affairs and is a progressive, public-spirited and loyal citi-
zen, whose record is a credit to a name that has long been an hon-
ored one in this community.
CHARLES E. AVERY.
[
Charles E. Avery carries on general farming on section 35,
Butler township, where he has an excellent tract of land of three
hundred and twenty-seven and a half acres. The modern improve-
ments upon the place are the work of his hands, and the trees are
of his planting. He was born in Boone county, Illinois, October 29,
214 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
1855, and is a son of Gilbert L. and Sallie A. (Sponable) Avery.
The father was born in Susquehanna county, Pennsylvania, Feb-
ruary, 1827, and the mother's birth occurred in Ohio in 1834.
When eighteen years of age Gilbert L. Avery accompanied his
parents to Illinois. In 1859 when our subject was four years old
the family removed to McHenry county, Illinois, where the
mother died when her son Charles was thirteen years old. The
father afterward lived for many years in that county and now
makes his home with a daughter in Los Angeles, California. He
still owns about five hundred acres in two farms in McHenry
county and is very active for a man of his age. He began going to
California merely for the winter months, but now makes his per-
manent home there. In politics he is a republican, and for two
terms he served as county supervisor. His religious faith is indi-
cated by his membership in the Baptist church. In the family of
Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert Avery were five children: Elizabeth M.,
the wife of V. D. Glass, of Los Angeles, California ; Charles E. ;
Sarah, who became the wife of William Miller and died leaving
one child ; Marion E., the wife of Frank Carpenter, of Omaha,
Nebraska ; and George F., of Santa Ana, California.
Charles E. Avery remained in Illinois with his father until the
fall of 1880, when he came to Butler county and has since resided
upon the farm which has now for a third of a century been his
home. It comprises three hundred and twenty-seven and a half
acres of rich land on section 35, Butler township — land that
responds readily to the care and cultivation of the owner, who
follows modern and progressive methods in the development of
his place. He uses the latest improved machinery and annually
gathers good crops. The farm is pleasantly and conveniently
located two and one-half miles north of Shell Rock, and all of its
equipments have been secured by Mr. Avery, its trees set out and
its buildings erected by him.
In 1880 occurred the marriage of Mr. Avery to Miss Carrie
May Poyer, who was born in McHenry county, Illinois, December
28, 1858, and there resided until her marriage. She is a daughter
of D. W. and Lydia Poyer, the former now deceased, while the
latter resides in Belvidere, Illinois, with her youngest daughter.
Mr. and Mrs. Avery have a family of eight children : Guy L., who
was born August 2, 1881 ; George, who was born April 9, 1884, and
is living in Marengo, Illinois ; Marian, who was born October 28,
1885, and is the wife of the Rev. W. H. Hoge, of Rochester, New
York, who was a student in the Baptist Theological seminary;
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 215
Dee, who was born February 5, 1888, and is at home ; Clark, who
was born July 17, 1891, and is a resident farmer of Butler town-
ship; Ernest, born March 19, 1893; Earl, born January 8, 1896;
and Glenn, born July 2, 1900. The Avery family is well known
in this county, where Mr. and Mrs. Avery have made their home
since 1880, and their many substantial traits of character have
gained them the warm regard and friendship of many with whom
they have been brought in contact.
JAMES H. CARPENTER.
Since 1905 James H. Carpenter has owned and operated a fine
farm of eighty acres on section 7, Beaver township, and on this
property engages in general farming, dairying and stock-raising
with gratifying success. He has been a resident of Butler county
since 1880 but was born in New York state, July 8, 1850. His par-
ents, Henry and Maria (Cookingham) Carpenter, were also na-
tives of the Empire state, the former born in 1812 and the latter
in 1827. The father came to Iowa in 1879 and engaged in farm-
ing in this state imtil his death, which occurred in 1884. His wife
survived him many years, dying in 1910. Nine children were born
to their union, Melissa, Sarah J., James H., Antoinette, Augusta,
Margaret, George, Ada B. and Arabella.
James H. Carpenter was educated in the public schools of
New York state, attending until he was thirteen years of age. In
1875 he moved to Bremer county, Iowa, and there engaged in farm-
ing for five years. At the end of that time he moved to Butler
county and in 1884 took up his residence in Parkersburg, where
for thirteen years he engaged in contracting and building, meet-
ing with gratifying and well deserved success. He continued ac-
tive at this occupation until 1905, in which year he moved to Beaver
township, buying eighty acres of land on section 7. Here he raises
hay and oats which he feeds to his stock, keeping on an average
thirty head of cattle, thirty hogs and five horses. He also operates
a dairy, and his wife has three or four hundred chickens, which
she sells in the local market.
In Fond du Lac county, Wisconsn, February 3, 1870, Mr. Car-
penter married Miss Emma F. Carpenter, a daughter of Daniel
and Eliza (Mason) Carpenter, the former a well known farmer of
that locality who died in 1907, at the age of seventy-five. His wife
216 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
has also passed away, dying in 1901, wlien she was sixty-nine years
of age Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter became the parents of six chil-
dren Daniel H., who was born in 1875, is a carpenter and farmer
in Beaver township. He married Miss Alma Ganoung. The next
child, who was born in 1877, died in infancy. Lucelie M., born m
1878 ' married Stewart Bennett, a carpenter of Parkersburg, and
they have one son, Harold E. James H., born in 1880, is now de-
ceased. Arvilla was born in 1882. Minnie E., who was born m
1889, married Dennie L. McDowell, a farmer in Jefferson town-
Mr. Carpenter is a republican in his political beliefs. He
was school director for district No. 9 for several years and accom-
plished a great deal of effective work in the cause of education.
His attention is, however, largely given to the conduct of his farm
which, under his able management, has become one of the valuable
properties in this vicinity.
JUDGE J. R. FLETCHEE.
Nature endowed Judge J. R. Fletcher with strong mentality
and his developing powers made him a leader of public thought
and action in Butler county for many years. He reached the ripe
old age of seventy-eight years and through the entire span of his
life commanded the respect, confidence, good-will and honor of his
fellow townsmen. He was born in Bedford Springs, Bedford
county, Pennsylvania, in 1835 and died in Clarksville, Iowa, July
19, 1913, when in his seventy-eighth year. He was the second of
the eight children born to William and Elizabeth S. (Rippey)
Fletcher, the former a native of Bedford county and the latter
of Cumberland county, Pennsylvania. They spent their entire
lives in the Keystone state, and the father followed merchandising.
Liberal educational opportunities were accorded Judge
Fletcher so that he had ample opportunity to deA^elop the talents
with which nature endowed him. Following his graduation from
a private school he attended college in Pittsburgh and later
entered upon the study of law under the direction of his uncle,
John Blodgett, being admitted to the bar when yet in his 'teens.
Thinking the West would constitute a better professional field for
a young man, he made his way to Iowa and engaged in practice in
Rock Island, Illinois, and in Davenport and Le Claire, Iowa. He
JUDGE J. R. FLETCHER
'Z NEW YO..
iirUBLIC LIBRAKx
■QN9
i'-J
I
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 219
also became a land agent and bought land in Butler county on
bis own account, making investments until be owned one thousand
acres tbree miles west of Clarksville. At tbat time Clarksville
was tbe county seat of Butler county, and taking up bis abode in
tbe town, be engaged in tbe practice of law for several years but
did not find tbe profession altogether congenial and decided to
develop bis farm. He built a fine residence thereon and resided
there for a short time, engaged in raising high-grade stock, but
eventually he gave up the stock business and rented bis farm.
Much of bis life, however, was given to the management of agri-
cultural interests, and he derived therefrom a substantial annual
return.
Mr. Fletcher also figured prominently in public life. He was
one of tbe first county judges of Butler county and was defeated
for congress in the republican convention by only one vote. He
secured a position in the Department of tbe Interior at Washing-
ton, where he remained for about three 3^ears and then returned to
Butler county, erecting a commodious and attractive residence in
Clarksville, from which point he superintended bis farming inter-
ests, making his law practice a side issue from that time forward.
In 1867 Judge Fletcher was married to Miss Fannie Water-
man, who was born in Allegany county, New Y'ork, and in early
childhood went to Moline, Illinois, with her parents, by way of
New Orleans and the Mississippi river. She was graduated from
tbe public schools of Moline and from the Illinois State Normal
school. She began teaching when but twelve years of age, having
classes in the Moline schools, and when but fourteen she was given
a country school. She continued actively in the work of teaching
to the time of her marriage and was one of tbe teachers in Le
Claire, Iowa, when she formed the acquaintance of Judge
Fletcher. They bad no children of their own, but they reared
several little girls, all of whom on reaching womanhood became
school teachers. The Fletcher home is ever noted for its hospi-
tality and good cheer and is a favorite resort for many friends.
Judge Fletcher was a lifelong republican, save that in 1896 be
supported Bryan. He belonged to the Masonic fraternity and in
his life embodied its teachings concerning mutual helpfulness and
brotherly kindness. One of the local papers said of him, ''He was
a great student and a constant reader, a deep and conscientious
thinker and a fluent talker. His ready command of the English
language remained his best asset and it was a pleasure to converse
with him. His friends respected him for bis amiable disposition,
220
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
his gentle refinement of manner and his intense love of nature. In
the affairs of the conmiunity in which he resided he was always
ready to do what he could that right might triumph."
He leaves behind him an untarnished name and the memory
of his life is cherished by all who knew him. His sterling qualities
made him honored and respected wherever known and most of all
where he was best known.
FRED H. TOLL.
The attractiveness of this county as a place of residence is
indicated in the fact that so many of her native sons have remained
within her borders after attaining man's estate, feeling that
nowhere else could better opportunities be secured or better advan-
tages enjoyed. Among her farming people who have always lived
in the county is Fred H. Toll, vv^ho was born in Jefferson township,
December 25, 1870, a son of Frederick and Jane (Borchers) Toll,
both of whom were natives of Germany, the former having been
born near Berlin, May 13, 1839, while the latter was born in Han-
over on the 3d of September, 184T She was but nine years of age
when brought by her parents to America, the family home being
established in Illinois, while Frederick Toll came just before he
had reached the age when he would be called upon for military
service in Germany. He was a youth of about nineteen when he
arrived in Illinois, and it was on the 4th of July, 1867, in Waverly,
Iowa, that he married Jane Borchers. They began their domestic
life upon a farm in Jefferson township, Butler county, and there
lived for many years. About 1902 Mr. Toll retired from active
business cares and removed to Shell Rock. He had been very
successful in his business life, for he started out empty-handed
and at the time of his retirement was the owner of six hundred
acres, while at the present writing, in 1913, his landed possessions
aggregate six hundred and sixty acres. He is one of the exten-
sive and prosperous landowners of the county, and his life record
should serve as a source of encouragement and inspiration to
others, showing what may be accomplished when honesty, industry
and ability lead the way. To him and his wife were born eight
children: Florence, the deceased wife of Ed C. Trager; Fred H.;
Charles A., "William and George O., all of whom reside in Jefferson
township; Irving P., whose home is in Albion township; Carrie,
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 221
tlie wife of Ray Betts, of Shell Rock ; and Clarence, who resides
upon the old homestead in Jefferson township.
Fred H. Toll spent his youth as do most farm boys, dividing his
time between the duties of the schoolroom, the pleasures of the
playground and the work of the fields. He was early trained to
habits of industry and he has always carried on general agricul-
tural pursuits in Jefferson township, being now the owner of two
hundred and fifty acres of land on section 5, together with a five-
acre tract of timber land in Ripley township. For eighteen
years he has lived upon this place and carries on general agricul-
tural pursuits and the raising of high-grade stock of all kinds. In
fact, his livestock is the principal feature of his place, and its sale
brings to him gratifying annual returns. His farm is well
improved as the result of the enterprising efforts and progressive
ideas of the owner, who keeps abreast of the times in every par-
ticular so that his farm has become one of the attractive places
in Jefferson township, giving evidence of a spirit of modern enter-
prise and successful achievement. His activities, too, have
reached beyond his farming interests, for he is now a stockholder
in the Farmers Cooperative Creamery Company of Allison and
a stockholder in the Star Telephone Company of Shell Rock, and
the Mapleleaf of Allison.
A pleasant home life had its beginning in his marriage to Miss
Mynelia Fellows, who was born in Jefferson township, August 24,
1870, and is a daughter of Arthur C and Catharine (North) Fel-
lows. The father was born in New York, July 17, 1847, and the
mother's birth occurred in Pennsylvania, October 27, 1843. They
arrived in Butler county in 1868, and Mr. Fellows continued to
make his home here until his demise. It was on the 16th of Decem-
ber, 1869, that he married Catharine North, after which he pur-
chased what is now the Toll farm, becoming the owner of eighty
acres in October, 1870. Upon this place he resided until his death,
which occurred May 22, 1884. His widow survived him for about
nine years, passing away March 1, 1893. They were the parents
of two children, Mrs. Toll and Clara, the latter the wife of Charles
Toll, a brother of our subject and also a resident of Jefferson
township. As the years passed Mr. Fellows prospered in his
chosen life work and, adding to his holdings, was the owner of one
hundred and seventy acres of rich farm land when he died. There
were no buildings upon this place when he made his first purchase,
but he energetically began the work of improvement and that work
has been still further carried on by Mr. Toll since he came into
222 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
possession of the property. Mrs. Fellows left Pennsylvania when
a little maiden of six summers and was a resident of Ohio until she
came to Iowa. She started for this state with her first husband,
who died, however, while on the way. She then returned to Ohio,
but five vears later, or in 1867, came to Iowa. Here she married
Mr. F'ellows and in 1870, they became the owners of the farm upon
which Mrs. Toll has lived from her infancy, save for one year after
her marriage, when they resided upon a rented farm in the neigh-
borhood. Mr. Toll purchased from his sister-in-law her interest
in the property and has added eighty acres to the original tract,
so that he is now the owner of a valuable farm of two hundred and
fifty acres, constituting one of the fine j^roperties in Jefferson
township. In the midst of the place stands a comfortable resi-
dence, in the rear of which are good barns and substantial out-
buildings and these in turn are surrounded by well kept fields
annually producing rich harvests as a reward for the care and
labor bestowed upon them.
As the years have gone by Mr. and Mrs. Toll have become the
parents of seven children : Elsie C. ; Vera, who died at the age of
six years ; Arthur, who has also passed away ; Vern ; Hazel ; Ken-
neth and Marjorie. Mr. Toll is a member of the German Lutheran
and Mrs. Toll of the Congregational church, and Mr. Toll is a re-
publican in politics. He has served for some years as township
trustee and has made a creditable record in office. In fact, he is
a public-spirited citizen and one whose loyalty to the interests and
welfare of the community is widely acknowledged.
JACOBUS VALENTINE.
Jacobus Valentine, proprietor of a large variety store in Ap-
ling-ton, was born in Germany, October 24, 1870. He is a son of
Ausbrand and Bouke (Adams) Valentine, also natives of the
fatherland, the former born in 1815 and the latter in 1839. The
parents came to America in 1884 and settled in Iowa, where the
father engaged as a farmer until his death in 1889. His wife sur-
vives him and makes her home in Aplington. Ten children were
born to their union: Katie; Joe and Lambert, who have passed
away; Anna; Suanetta; Jacobus, of this review; Elizabeth;
Gertte ; Joe and Lambert, the second of the name.
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 223
Jacobus Valentine attended school in Germany until he was
twelve years of age and then came to America with his parents,
pursuing his studies in the public schools of Iowa. He afterward
worked upon his father's farm until 1889, in which year he moved
to Aplington, opening a jewelry store. He afterward conducted a
photographic studio and eventually disposed of this in order to
establish himself in his present business. He has now a stock
valued at thirty-five hundred dollars and controls an important
patronage, which has been accorded to him in recognition of his
honorable business methods and his reasonable prices.
At Aplington, March 4, 1899, Mr. Valentine married Miss
Matie Jurgena, a daughter of Albert and Flora (Putcher) Jur-
gena, the former a well known farmer of this locality. Mr. and
Mrs. Valentine have two children: August A. and Flora M. Mr.
Valentine is a member of the German Reformed church and a
democrat in his political views. He has valuable property inter-
ests in Aplington, owing besides his store building a comfortable
residence, in which he and his family reside. He is one of the most
highly respected business men of the city and holds the esteem
and good-will of all with whom he is associated.
RICH A. VOOGD.
Rich A. Voogd, manager for Voogd & Company, general mer-
chants of Aplington and also well known in business circles as a
successful real-estate dealer, was born in Grundy county, Iowa,
February 19, 1874, a son of Abe and Bena (Rykena) Voogd, na-
tives of Germany. The father came to America in the early '60s
and after residing in Illinois for six years moved to Gr"mdy
county, Iowa, where he engaged in farming until his det-.T in
1882. His wife survives him and makes her home in Aplington.
Four children were born to their union. Oltman is editor of the
Aplington News. He married Miss Clara Paul and they have four
children, Abe, William, Margaret and Paul. Rich A., is the sub-
ject of this review. Dick married Miss Lila Austin, a daughter
of one of the pioneer settlers of Butler county. Abe is engaged
in the general merchandising business. He married Miss Thina
Hooker.
Rich A. Voogd acquired a public-school education, attending
until he was fifteen years of age. He has been in the general mer-
224 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
chandise business since that time and has risen to be general man-
ager of the enterprise operated by Voogd & Company in Apling-
ton. In addition to this he is manager of Voogd & Company's
elevator and also deals extensively in real estate, being a recog-
nized authority on land values. All of his interests are carefully
and conservatively conducted and his success has placed him in an
enviable position in business circles.
Mr. Voogd married in Aplington on the 3d of March, 1894,
Miss Bena Weiss, a daughter of Fred Weiss, formerly in the grain
business here. The father died in 1904. Mr. and Mrs. Voogd have
three children : Fred R., Beulah and Edward. Mr. Voogd attends
the Presbyterian church and is a democrat in his political beliefs.
He is widely and favorably known in Aplington as a careful and
reliable man of business and as a progressive and public-spirited
citizen.
H. N. EEINTS.
H. N. Reints, a representative and successful business man of
Kesley, for the past twelve years connected v^th baulking inter-
ests here, was born in Aplington, this county, June 27, 1879. He
acquired his primar}^ education in the public schools of that city
and afterward took a commercial course at Des Moines Business
College. After lea^dng school he went to work in his father's
store, where he clerked for a year and a half, after which he under-
took the management of the lumberyard at Aplington, which
had been purchased by Reints & DeBuhr and which they conducted
successfully. In June 1900, the firm of Reints & DeBuhr decided
to establish a branch lumber and banking business at Kesley^
Iowa, Mr. Reints being now cashier and manager of the institution
which they founded. In 1911 they built a large brick business
block, which they have equipped as a modern banlv, and here they
carry on a general banking business, dealing also in real-estate
and insurance. They control a large and representative patronage,
for Mr. Reints has the confidence and esteem of the people of the
city and is held in high respect in business circles.
On the 27th of June, 1912, Mr. Reints was united in marriage
to Miss Minette Rabe, who was born and reared in Chickasaw
county, acquiring her education there and at Fayette and Nora
Springs. Mr. Reints has just completed the erection of a modern
residence in Kesley, and he and his wife are well known in social
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 225
circles. He was one of the promoters of the Tri-County State
Bank, organized in North Dakota in 1908, and he held the position
of president of that institution for five years, until he disposed of
his interest. He is a man of energy, resource and capacity, and
these qualities will undoubtedly carry him still farther forward
on the road to success.
CHARLES A. TOLL.
Charles A. Toll needs no introduction to the readers of this
volume for he is a representative of one of the pioneer families
of the county. His birth occurred in Jefferson township, about a
mile south of the farm on which he now lives, October 19, 1872,
and he is the third in a family of eight children born of the mar-
riage of Erederick and Jane Toll, of whom mention is made else-
where in this volume. His youthful days were spent under the
parental roof and in retrospect one can see him as he trudges off
to school, a farm boy, to master the branches of learning taught
in the district. He was continually learning, too, as he tramped
through the fields — learning lessons taught in the school of ex-
perience — and he is today a well informed man. He has always
been content to follow the occupation to which he was reared —
that of farming — ^which George Washington said: "Is the most
useful as well as the most honorable occupation of man."
Mr. Toll remained with his parents up to the time of his
marriage and then purchased his present property, known as the
William Marlow farm, becoming the owner at that time of two
hundred and forty acres. He has since added an eighty acre tract,
so that he now has three hundred and twenty acres lying on sec-
tions 4 and 9, Jefferson township, together with a six acre tract of
timber land on section 28, and twenty-seven acres adjoining the
fair grounds in Allison. He has made many substantial improve-
ments upon his home place, which is one of the best equipped
farms in the district. In 1912 he built a large barn forty-four by
sixty-six feet with twenty foot posts and a hip roof. It has con-
crete flooring and is a model stock barn fully equipped with
everything to promote the care of the stock. All of the other out-
buildings upon the place are good and are kept in a state of
excellent repair. Most of these were erected by Mr. Toll, who car-
ries on his farming along scientific lines, while at the same time he
226 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
is familiar with all of the practical phases of the business. He
raises liigh-gTade stock of all kinds and engages in breeding horses,
keeping a fine stallion. He also feeds about two carloads of cattle
each year and from two to three carloads of hogs annually. In
addition he is a stockholder in the Farmers Cooperative Creamery
Company of Allison, in the Farmers Cooperative Elevator Com-
pany of Allison, in the Allison Opera House and in two local tele-
phone lines. His investments have been judiciously made and
have brought to him a very gratifying financial return. In addi-
tion to his other interests Mr. Toll is a stockholder in the County
Fair Association and acted as su23erintendent of the horse depart-
ment in 1913. In 1910 he set out upon his place an acre of catalpa
trees which is today called the best grove in the state.
On the 29th of April, 1897, Mr. Toll was married to Miss Clara
M. Fellows, who was born in Jefterson township February 6, 1873,
and is a daughter of Arthur and Catharine (North) Fellows. Our
subject and his wife now have two children, Lois and Esther. Mr.
Toll votes with the republican party and keeps well informed on
the vital questions of the day. He has served as a township trus-
tee but prefers to concentrate his efforts upon his business affairs.
He belongs to the Lutheran church and his wife to the Congrega-
tional church, and they are both jDeople of sterling worth, enjoy-
ing in full measure the regard and esteem of all with whom they
have come in contact. Within recent years Mr. Toll has become
well known in business and financial circles, and at all times his
record has been characterized by constructive measures. He has
never been known to take advantage of the necessities of another
in business transactions, his enterprise and energy being the f oim-
dation of his well known prosperity.
P. J. DOWNING.
P. J. Downing is numbered among the early settlers of But-
ler county, his residence here dating from 18*67. He has wit-
nessed a great deal of the growth and development of the locality
and since reaching maturity has borne an active and honorable
part in the work of advancement, winning success which places
him among the prominent and substantial farmers of Coldwater
township.
MR. AND MRS. P. J. DOWNING
NEW YORK
- ^^BRARY
ON 6
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 229
He was born in the northern peninsula of Michigan, January
22, 1861 and is a son of John E. and Catherine (Moroney) Down-
ing, natives of Ireland. The father remained in that country un-
til he was twelve years of age and then emigrated to America,
settling in Massachusetts, where he worked in a factory until
1857. In that year he came west to Michigan and engaged in
copper mining in the northern peninsula. He was married in
that state in 1859. In 1861 he came to Iowa, settling in Buchanan
county, where he engaged in farming for six years, and in 1867
removed to Butler county, where he took up a homestead of eighty
acres on sections 25 and 26, Bennezette township. This he broke
and improved, adding to his holdings from time to time until he
finally owned three hundred and twenty acres. This property
he afterward rented and removed into Greene, where he engaged
in the livery business for some time. He died in this city about
1908, having survived his wife about three years.
P. J. Downing was the second in order of birth in a family
of twelve children, of whom ten are still living — six boys and
four girls. He was reared upon his father's farm in Bennezette
township and remained at home until he grew to manhood, aiding
in the operation of the homestead. When he began his independ-
ent career he purchased eighty acres of raw land in Bennezette
township, broke the soil, fenced his fields and carried on the work
of cultivation for a number of years. About 1897 he purchased
an eighty acre tract in Coldwater township and to this he has
made additions from time to time, owning six hundred and forty
acres of valuable land ; four hundred in the home farm, one hun-
dred and sixty in another tract and eighty acres in Bennezette
township. Upon his property he has erected a modern two story
residence, a large barn, a machine house and a hog house, and
he has set out a good orchard and a fine grove of pines, which
forms an excellent wind break north and west of his house. In
addition to general farming he is extensively interested in stock-
raising and has valuable herds of high-grade cattle and a number
of horses and hogs. He was one of the promoters of the Farmers
Cooperative Elevator Company and the Farmers Cooperative
Creamery of Greene and is well known and highly regarded in
business circles.
In Rockwell, Iowa, November 8, 1888, Mr. Downing married
Miss Lucy McGarry, who was born in Fayette county and edu-
cated in the public schools of that locality. Her father, James
McGarry, was a pioneer of Fayette county and well known in the
Vol. IT— 12
230
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
contracting and building business there. Mr. and Mrs. Downing
became the parents of five children : John Henry, who is aiding
in the operation of the homestead; James E., who died in 1900,
when he was eight years of age ; Mary ; Leo B. ; and Joseph.
Mr. Downing gives his political allegiance to the democratic
party and he served as trustee of Bennezette township for three
years and was for several years secretary of the school board of
that township. His wife and daughter are members of the Royal
Neighbors and he is identified with the Catholic Order of For-
esters. The family are members of the Roman Catholic church.
The Downing home is one in which courtesy and hospitality abound
and in which the stranger is always made to feel welcome and at
home. Mr. Downing is the owmer of a fine automobile with which
he is very generous, taking his friends on long rides through the
country. He is popular in Butler county on account of his many
acts of kindness, his geniality and his many sterling qualities of
mind and character.
JOHN A. ROLFS, M. D.
Dr. John A. Rolfs, who since 1905 has been engaged in the
general practice of medicine in Aplington, was born in Scott
county, this state, December 26, 1873. He is a son of Maas P. and
Mary (Memeier) Rolfs, natives of Germany, the former born in
the Dittmarsch in 1830 and the latter in 1848. The father was a
teamster and farmer and died in 1890, his wife surviving him until
1907. To their union were born six children : Claus C, a retired
employe of the Weirhauser Dinkman Lumber Company of Daven-
port, in whose service he did creditable work for twenty-five
years; Professor P. H., the dean of the Latin department of the
University of Florida; John A., of this review; Mary C, a gradu-
ate of the Iowa Agricultural college with the degree of Bachelor
of Science ; William F., a physician and surgeon at Mullan, Idaho ;
and Fritz M., chief of the agricultural experimental station in
South Carolina.
Dr. John A. Rolfs acquired his early education in the public
schools of Scott county and afterward attended the Le Claire high
school and the Iowa State Agricultural College, from which he was
graduated November 9, 1892. He then enrolled in the Cook County
Normal School and after the completion of his course engaged in
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 231
teaching at Le Claire. He was principal of the Le Claire schools
for two years and was afterward instructor in mathematics in
Duncan's Business College at Davenport. Having determined to
study medicine, he entered Drake University at Des Moines and
was graduated from that institution in 1904 with the degree of
M. D. He began the practice of his profession in Eldridge but
after nine months removed to Aplington, where he has since re-
sided. He engages in the general practice of medicine and has
secured a large and representative patronage, for he is conscien-
tious and thorough in his treatment of his cases and his skill and
ability are widely recognized. Dr. Rolfs is registered as a biolo-
gist in Germany and France and has paid particular attention to
the study of this science. For the past eight years he has been
health officer of Monroe and Washington townships and has
proved unusually competent in the discharge of his responsible
duties. He owns an attractive residence in Aplington and is wide-
ly and favorably known both in social and professional circles.
On the 3d of September, 1902, at Davenport, Dr. Rolfs was
united in marriage to Miss Mathilda Peters, a daughter of John
Peters, a retired farmer living in that city. Dr. and Mrs. Rolfs
have two children, Fred A. and Floyd O. Dr. Rolfs is connected
fraternally with the Knights of Pythias and the Modern Wood-
men of America and is a republican in his political beliefs, serv-
ing at the present time as chairman of the republican central
committee. In his profession he adheres always to the highest
ethical standards, and he is ranked with the leading representa-
tives of the medical fraternity in this section of the state.
RICHARD H. WAUGH.
Richard H. Waugh is filling the office of county supervisor and
rendering creditable service to his fellow citizens in that connec-
tion. He makes his home on section 30, Butler township, where
he has a well developed farm, having brought his fields to a high
state of cultivation in accordance with the progressive methods of
the present day.
Richard H. Waugh was born in Henry county, Missouri, Sep-
tember 11, 1870, his parents being John W. and Julia A. (Hamil-
ton) Waugh, who were natives of Montgomery county, Indiana.
The father died in Henry county, Missouri, in 1910, at the age of
232 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
seventy years, and the mother passed away at the age of thirty-
six, when her son Richard was a lad of thirteen years. Both the
father and mother were reared in the Hoosier state but removed
to Missouri at the close of the Civil war and their remaining
days were spent there upon a farm. The father engaged in rais-
ing and feeding stock and was very successful in his undertakings.
As he prospered he added to his holdings until he was the owner
of fourteen hundred acres. In ante-bellum days he was a stanch
advocate of abolition principles, and when the republican party
was formed to prevent the further extension of slavery he joined
its ranks and continued one of its stalwart supporters. His re-
ligious faith was that of the Methodist Episcopal church and
earnest Christian belief guided him in all of the relations of life.
To him and his wife were born nine children: W. B., who for
many years was connected with mining interests at Joplin, Mis-
souri, but is now residing in California; Mattie, the wife of Ed
Darr, of Blair stown, Missouri; James H., a wealthy farmer of
Henry county, Missouri; Ed R., who has large farming interests
in the same county ; Richard H. ; Mary, the wife of Dr. L. L.
Smith, of Urich, Missouri; Mrs. Jennie Crist, deceased; Walter
S., who resides upon the old homestead in Missouri ; and Minnie,
the wife of James Adair, of Chilhowee, Missouri.
Richard H. Waugh was reared in his native county, acquiring
a common-school education and working upon the home farm
until twenty-three years of age. On the 2d of October, 1893, he
arrived in Butler county, having driven from the old home in a
covered wagon in fourteen days. He was married here on the 8th
of October of that year to Adelaide Witt, who was born in Clarks-
ville, March 28, 1875, and when four years of age went to North
Dakota, with her parents, R. E. and Sarah C. (Burton) Witt.
The father was born in Dublin, Indiana, December 15, 1840, and
her mother's birth occurred at Rock\411e, that state, in 1842. Mr.
Witt removed to Iowa in 1854, settling in Butler county, and on
the 1st of January, 1860, was married here to Sarah C. Burton.
After they had lived for four years in North Dakota they went to
Missouri, where they remained for two years and then returned
to Butler county, Iowa, where Mr. and Mrs. Witt spent their last
days, his death occurring May 27, 1909, while his wife survived
until July 1, 1911. He followed farming during the greater part
of his life yet was a machinist and followed the trade to some
extent. He was living retired in Clarksville at the time of his
demise. His family numbered three children: Frank L., of Shell
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 233
iiock; Mamie, the deceased wife of Ed R. Waugh, of Henry
county, Missouri; and Mrs. Richard H. Waugh. Unto Mr. and
Mrs. Richard H. Waugh have been born three children: Mark,
nineteen years of age; Elizabeth, thirteen; and Harvey, ten.
Mr. Waugh has resided in or near Clarksville since coming to
Iowa and has always engaged in farming. He now owns one
hundred and thirty acres of land on section 30, Butler township,
a mile and a half south of the town. He carries on general farm-
ing and stock-raising, and his place is well improved with all the
modern equipments and accessories of the model farm of the
twentieth century. In politics he has been a lifelong republican
and for many years served as a trustee of Butler township, while
at the present writing he is acceptably filling the office of county
supervisor. He belongs to the Masonic fraternity and the Inde-
pendent Order of Odd Fellows, and both he and his wife hold
membership in the Eastern Star. They attend and support the
Christian church of Clarksville, and they are widely and favorably
known socially, the hospitality of the best homes of their section
of the county being cordially extended.
DICK VOOGD.
Dick Voogd, mayor of Aplington since 1903, postmaster since
1910 and connected with important professional interests through
his control of a large and growing law practice, was born in
Grundy county, this state, June 3, 1877. He is a son of Abe and
Bena (Rykena) Voogd, natives of Germany, the latter born in
1849. The father came to Illinois in the early '60s and after about
six years moved to Grundy county, where he followed farming un-
til his death in 1882. His wife survives him and makes her home
in Aplington. Four children were born to their union. Oltman,
editor of the Aplington News, married Miss Clara Paul and they
have four children, Abe, William, Margaret and Paul. Rich. A.,
manager of Voogd & Company's general store in Aplington, mar-
ried Miss Bena Weiss and they have three children, Fred, Edward
and Beulah. Abe, a general merchant in Aplington, married Miss
Thina Hooker. Dick is the yoimgest member of the family.
Dick Voogd acquired his education in the public schools of
Aplington, attending until he was fifteen years of age. He was
afterward for three years clerk in a drug store, after which he
234 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
went to Highland Park College in Des Moines, where he studied
pharmacy. He was graduated as a registered pharmacist in 1895
and for three years thereafter continued his connection with the
drug business. At the end of that time he joined his brother Olt-
man in the conduct of the Aplington News but three years later
entered Iowa State University, graduating from the law depart-
ment in 1903. In the same year he was admitted to practice be-
fore the state and federal courts and opened his present office in
Aplington. He has had a very successful professional career and
controls a large and representative patronage, connecting him
with a great deal of important litigation.
In Cedar Falls, on the 25th of December, 1912, Mr. Voogd
was united in marriage to Miss Lila Austin, a daughter of William
Austin, a pioneer settler of Butler county. Mr. Voogd belongs
to the Masonic lodge, attends the Presbyterian church and gives
his political allegiance to the republican party. His interests have
extended to many fields lying always along lines of progress and
advancement, and he is numbered today among the men of ability
and worth in the community.
JAMES P. BANNON.
Among Butler county's most progressive and successful na-
tive sons is numbered James P. Bannon, who owns and operates
two faiTQS in Madison tovniship, one of one hundred and sixty
acres and the other of eighty. He was born on the farm whereon
lie now resides July 31, 1871, his parents being James and Kath-
erine (Coyle) Bannon, the former a native of County Carlow,
Ireland, and the latter born in County Monaghan in 1831. The
father came to America in his childhood, locating v^ith his parents
in Albany, New York, where he grew to manhood. He learned the
bricklayer's trade and followed this in early life in Chicago, where
his marriage occurred in 1856. Ten years later he came to Iowa,
locating in Butler county. He purchased land in Madison town-
ship and erected thereon a good stone house, in which his son now
resides and which is one of the two stone residences in the town-
ship. James Bannon worked at the bricklayer's trade and also
engaged in general farming for the remainder of his life, dying
upon his property in Butler county, October 4, 1911.
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 235
James P. Bannon was reared upon his father's farm in Madi-
son township and remained at home until his marriage, which
occurred in 1891. He then settled upon the farm on which he still
resides and since that time has steadily carried forward the work
of improvement and development. He has remodeled the stone
house which his father erected; has built a new barn, a granary
and corn cribs, and set out also a grove of fruit and ornamental
trees. In addition to the home place of one hundred and sixty
acres Mr. Bannon owns also a tract of eighty acres in the vicinity.
He is a stockholder in the Butler County Telephone Company and
in the Farmers Cooperative Telephone Company, and is recog-
nized in business circles as a man of capacity, sound judgment and
keen discrimination.
On the 18th of February, 1891, Mr. Bannon was united in
marriage to Miss Mary E. Kirby, a native of Iowa and a daughter
of William Kirby, one of the early settlers in Butler county. Mr.
and Mrs. Bannon are the parents of two children, Alice Katherine
and James Francis, students in the public schools.
The parents are member of the Roman Catholic church and Mr.
Bannon gives his political allegiance to the democratic party. He
is very prominent in public affairs and has served in various posi-
tions of trust and responsibility. For eight years he was
township assessor and has also been prominently connected with
educational interests, besides serving as a delegate to numerous
county conventions. A residence in Butler county dating from
his birth to the present time has made him well and favorably
known, and he is justly regarded as one of the leading agricul-
turists and representative citizens of his locality.
JOHN H. BICKER.
John H. Bicker is the owner of a well improved farm of forty
acres, located on section 31, Albion township, Butler county. He
was born in Germany, on the 13th of February, 1856, a son of John
H. and Anna K. (Kuhlman) Bicker, who were likewise natives
of the fatherland, the former born in 1834, and the latter in 1839.
The father was a linen weaver in his native country but he is now
deceased, his death having occurred in 1905, while his wife died in
1903. They were the parents of nine children.
236
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
JoliB H. Bicker acquired his education in the schools of Ger-
many, attending to the age of fourteen years. He was then em-
ployed at farm labor until 1886, in which year he emigrated to the
new world in the hope that he might better his financial condition.
He first located in IlHnois, there spending twelve years, or until
1898, when he came to Butler county and purchased ninety acres
of land in Albion township. He cultivated this tract until 1910,
when he disposed of it and purchased forty acres, his present
farm, located on section 31, Albion township. He raises the vari-
ous grains adapted to Iowa soil and is meeting with success in
his work. Besides the horses necessary for carrying on his farm
labor, he also keeps ten head of cattle and twenty head of hogs
of good grade.
Mr. Bicker has been married twice. His first wife bore the
maiden name of Dena Blohm and by her marriage became the
mother of one daughter, Anna. The wife and mother departed
this fife in 1887, and on the 16th of February, 1900, in Parkers-
burg, Iowa, Mr. Bicker wedded Mrs. Anna Johnson, a widow, who
had a daughter, Anna, who is still at home. Mr. Bicker's daaighter
is now the wife of Rajnnond Church, who is proprietor of a garage
in Parkersburg.
In politics Mr. Bicker is a republican, while in religious faith
he is a Baptist. He is much interested in the church and the work
in its various departments, especially the Sunday-school depart-
ment, of which he is the superintendent. He is a man of many
sterling characteristics, respected and esteemed by all with whom
he is brought in contact, either in a business or social way.
ORLOW F. BLASIER.
During a period of residence in Butler county, covering thirty-
nine years, Orlow F. Blasier has made valuable contributions to
the advancement and growth of this part of Iowa, and as a resident
of Greene, has since 1882, borne an active and honorable part in
municipal development. His interests have been thoroughly
identified with those of the city and have extended to many fields,
but his most important work has been done in connection with the
Shell Rock Valley Telephone Company, of which he has been
president and manager since its organization.
ORLOW F. BLASTER
t THE NEW YORK i
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 239
Mr. Blasier is a native of New York, born in Oneida county,
November 14, 1853. He was reared there, acquiring Ms primary
education in the country school and supplementing this by a course
at Casnovia college, from which he was graduated. He afterward
engaged in teaching in Oneida county for two years, but in 1874,
moved west to Iowa, locating in Butler county, where he pur-
chased land. He bought one hundred and fifteen acres in Cold-
water township and operated this for a number of years, adding to
his holdings from time to time until he finally owned one hundred
and seventy acres. In 1882, he rented this property and moved
into Greene, where he has since resided. In the year of his arrival
here he was elected justice of the peace and was reelected for
twelve consecutive years. During this time he also engaged in
promoting telephone companies in Greene, Marble Rock and Rock-
ford, and he became very well known in these fields. In 1897 he
purchased a telephone concern in Greene and organized the Shell
Rock Valley Telephone" Company, of which he has since served
as president and manager. The company purchased a business
house on the main street of the town and has established per-
manent offices on the second floor and it has direct connection with
other lines for long or short distance and operates a complete ex-
change, where courteous, prompt and intelligent service can
always be secured. Mr. Blasier has worked earnestly and persist-
ently for the success of the concern and its growth and develop-
ment is due largely to his energy and enterprise.
On the 6th of April, 1906, Mr. Blasier was united in marriage
to Mrs. Elizabeth Reeve, who was born and reared in Greene. She
has three children by her former marriage: Alice, the wife of
N. E. Kester, of Greene ; Elva, a trained nurse in Cedar Rapids ;
and Roger, an electrician. Mr. Blasier has a daughter by a former
marriage ; Celia, the wife of David Gates, of Marble Rock.
Mr. Blasier is well known in the Masonic fraternity, holding
membership in the blue lodge at Greene, the Rockf ord chapter, the
Waterloo commandery, the shrine at Cedar Rapids and the con-
sistory at Davenport. He is also a member of. the Modern Wood-
men of America, and the Mystic Workers, and he and his wife are
identified with the Eastern Star. Mrs. Blasier is also a member
of the Rebekahs and has served through all the chairs of her lodge
and is past grand. Mr. Blasier gives his political allegiance to the
democratic party and is well known in its local ranks, having for
the past four years served as a member of the town council and
having always taken an active interest in public affairs. His resi-
240
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
dence iu Butler county lias covered a period of almost forty years
aud during that time Ms public spirit has never been doubted nor
Ins business or personal integrity questioned. In consequence lie
holds the esteem and high regard of a large circle of friends.
ALBERT WILLIAM JENNY.
For twenty-two years Albert William Jenny has resided on
the farm on section 16, Jackson township which is now his home.
He was early thrown upon his own resources and is a self-made
man, his life record indicating the fact that it is only through
the pressure of adversity and the stimulus of opposition that the
best and strongest in man is brought out and developed. Ohio
numbers him among her native sons, his birth having occurred
in Monroe county, February 19, 1863. His parents, John and
Barbara (Shaffer) Jenny, were also natives of the same county,
and the former was a son of John and Elizabeth Jenny, natives of
Canton Berne, Switzerland. Coming to the United States in 1830,
they made their way westward by way of the Erie canal and their
remaining days were spent in Monroe county, Ohio, where John
Jenn3% Sr., engaged in farming. He had followed school-teaching
in his native country and also engaged in teaching after coming
to the new world. He was, however, a weaver by trade and in the
United States gave his attention to agricultural pursuits and
upon his farm reared his family of twelve children. The maternal
grandparents were Mr. and Mrs. George Shaffer, who came from
Stuttgart, Germany. Both died in Monroe county.
The death of John Jenny, Jr., occurred when his son, Albert
William, was but one year of age, and the mother now resides in
Moundsville, West Virginia, with her daughter, Lena, who is the
wife of William Litman. There were but two children in the
family, the daughter being the younger. Albert W. Jenny was
reared in his native county, where he remained until twenty years
of age. The experiences of his youth were those which usually
come to the farm lad who di\ddes his time between the work of
the fields and the acquirement of an education in the public
schools. Leaving Ohio, he went to Green county, Wisconsin,
where he remained for seven years. In 1891 he came to his pres-
ent place, on section 16, Jackson tovmship. From an early age
he has earned his own living and soon learned the value of money
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 241
and the forcefulness of industry and perseverance as factors in
tlie attainment of success. His prosperity is attributable entire-
ly to Ms own labors, and lie is now the owner of a good farm of
one lifundi'ed and twenty acres, which has been well developed by
him. It was entirely destitute of improvements when he took
possession, there being not even a fence, but he has erected good
buildings and now has a property which forms one of the attrac-
tive features of the landscape.
In 1891, in Wisconsin, Mr. Jenny was united in marriage to
Miss Frances Carter, who was born in Green county, that state,
in 1870, a daughter of John and Dorothy (Hickman) Carter. The
two children of this marriage are Herbert Newton and Edith
Enola. In politics Mr. Jenny is a democrat and for four years
filled the of&ce of trustee of his township but has never cared for
nor desired political preferment. He holds membership with the
Modern Woodmen of America and has many friends both within
and without that order.
H. B. AKIN.
Among the early settlers and the progressive and valued resi-
dents of Butler county is numbered H. B. Akin, engaged in agri-
cultural pursuits upon a fine tract of land adjoining the town of
Dumont. For many years he was closely and prominently con-
nected with educational interests of this section of the state and
he was for two terms county superintendent of schools, a position
which he filled with credit and ability. He was born in Colum-
biana county, Ohio, December 15, 1857, and there remained until
he was six years of age, when the family removed to Greene
county, Indiana. Five years later they came to Iowa, locating in
Clarksville, this county, in 1868. He supplemented a primary-
school education by a course in the Ep worth Seminary and by one
year in the State Normal School, after which he turned his atten-
tion to teaching. After teaching for ten years in the country
schools he tanght for two years in Dumont and then served for
four years as county superintendent, being located in Allison and
discharging the duties of that position in a manner which re-
flected credit upon his ability, energy and public spirit. After
his term of service as county superintendent Mr. Akin resumed
his teaching in the Dumont school and for some years thereafter
242 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
was closely cuiinected witii educational work as president of tlie
JDumont school board, i'or a number of years past he has been
engaged in agricultural pursuits and is now the owner of a small
farm adjoining the city of Dumont.
On the 16th of November, 1898, Mr. Akin was united in mar-
riage to Miss Anna Brown, a daughter of the Hon. H. C. Brown,
of whom further mention is made elsewhere in this work. Mr.
and Mrs. Akin are the parents of three children, Raymond B.,
Homer B. and Floy B.
Mr. Akin give his political allegiance to the republican party
and has always been interested and active in public affairs, holding
various positions of trust and responsibility. He served for four
years as township clerk and has also been president of the repub-
lican township committee and a member of the county conunittee.
On numerous occasions he was a delegate to county and congres-
sional conventions and is always to be found among the leaders
in the promotion of any worthy public project. Fraternally
he is connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, hav-
ing served through all the chairs of the local lodge, which he has
also represented in the grand lodge of the state. He served three
years as district deputy. He is also connected with the Rebekahs,
the Yeomen and the Mystic Workers. He is one of the best known
men in his part of Butler county, where he has resided since his
childhood and where his mam^ excellent qualities of mind and
character have gained him the respect and esteem of all who have
been in any way associated with him.
FRED O. NEWCOMB.
When this county was largely an unsettled and undeveloped
district, only a few courageous pioneers having penetrated into
Butler county, the Newcomb store, of which Fred O. Newcomb
is now proprietor, was founded. That was in the year 1855. The
family name has since figured continuously and honorably in con-
nection with the material development and business activity of
the county. Fred O. Newcomb was born in Shell Rock, April 9,
1858, his parents being Orlando S. and Huldah Caroline (Carter)
Newcomb, who were natives of Geauga countv, Ohio, the former
born May 20, 1830, and the latter April 29, 1832. The ancestrv
can be traced back to Governor William E. Bradford, first gov-
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 243
eriior of Massachusetts, who came to America on the Mayflower.
His daughter married a Newcomb from whom Fred O. Newcomb
is descended, and thus he is entitled to membership in the society
known as Descendants of the Mayflower. The father traveled over
Indiana, Illinois and Iowa, selling notions from a wagon and
arrived in Shell Rock on the 4th of July, 1855, when the first cele-
bration held in the county was taking place. He enjoyed the hos-
pitality of the people and was so well pleased with the indications
and prospects of future development that he decided to locate
here. He then returned to Ohio and on the 20th of September,
1855, was married. On the 8th of the following month, having
returned to Shell Rock, he opened the Newcomb store, carrying a
line of general merchandise. He was in business until his death,
although he was not active in the management of the store during
the latter part of his life. He at first had a small stock in a little
room on the east side of the river and lived in a slab shanty. Dur-
ing the first winter of his residence here he froze his feet, so poor
were the accommodations for heating the house. Difiiculties and
obstacles did not discourage him, and with persistent energy he
worked his way upward, becoming in time a prosperous merchant.
His brother-in-law, J. H. Carter became a partner in the business,
which he conducted for three years, while O. S. Newcomb was in
the arm}'.
He enlisted from Shell Rock in the summer of 1862, becoming
a member of Company E, Thirty-second Iowa Volunteer Infan-
try, with which he served for three jea,YS. For more than thirteen
months he was held as a prisoner of war at Tyler, Texas. He
was taken prisoner on General Banks' Red River Expedition on
the 9th of April, 1864, and was incarcerated at Tyler until the
close of the war. He was captured while assisting Fred Carter,
his wife's j^oungest brother, from the field after he had been
wounded. The commercial instinct was strong within him. He
was a natural born trader and usually won success in all transac-
tions. During the war while imprisoned he would sell tobacco
to his army comrades, some of whom were unable to pay him
until after they returned home following the close of hostilities.
After the war was over Mr. Newcomb resumed business as a mer-
chant of Shell Rock and was active in the store until 1904. The
firm was Newcomb & Carter for some time. In 1884 their store
was destroyed by fire, at which time Fred O. Newcomb became
a partner in the reestablishment of the business, the store being
opened where it is now. The business, however, has had a con-
244 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
tiiiuous existence since 1855 and is today the oldest mercantile
enterprise of the county.
Wliile at the front as a prisoner of war Orlando Newcomb
was converted and joined the Christian church. He was after-
ward an active Christian man, and as there was no church of his
denomination in his neighborhood he united with and was an
earnest worker in the Methodist Episcopal church. He wore the
grand army button and greatly enjoyed meeting with his former
comrades— the boys in blue. He died in Shell Eock, March 2,
1904. His wife was a great union leag-ue worker during the war
and afterward became very active in the Woman's Christian Tem-
perance Union, remaining president at Shell Rock for twenty
years, or from the organization of the local union until her death,
August 10, 1913. All this indicates how closely the Newcombs
have been associated with the moral development, the substantial
upbuilding and the progress of town and county.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Orlando Newcomb were born three chil-
dren : Fred O. ; Minnie, the wife of T. S. Kenyon of Peoria, Illi-
nois; and Mabel E., the wife of Frank T. Bement of Spokane,
Washington, who is engaged in the wholesale lumber business.
Fred O. Newcomb attended the Cornell College at Mount Ver-
non, Iowa, and afterward entered the State University at Iowa
City in 1878. He pursued a four years' course and was graduated
in 1882 with the Bachelor of Arts degree. He remained there as
business manager of the Iowa City Republican, a daily and weekly
paper, in connection v^th which a bindery and publishing busi-
ness was conducted. In 1884 when his father's store was de-
stroyed by fire, he returned home and entered actively into the
management of the business, with which he has since been con-
nected. In the great fire of 1889 the store burned again but Mr.
Newcomb rebuilt it on the same ground. He has here a two-story
brick structure twenty-four by one himdred and twenty feet with
a tin roof. He carries a large and selected line of goods and con-
ducts an extensive and profitable business. He is thoroughly
familiar with every detail of the trade, and his progressive meth-
ods, earnest desire to please his patrons and his fair dealing have
constituted the basis of the success which has attended him since
he became one of the owners of the establishment. He is likewise
the owner of a farm in this county and another in Minnesota and
is a stockholder in the Creamery Company of Shell Rock.
On the 9th of July, 1884. Mr. Newcomb was united in mar-
riage to Miss Mary F. Kimball, who was born in Iowa City, and
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 245
is a daughter of Dr. George E. Kimball, of that place. Mrs. New-
comb was a school mate of her husband and a graduate of the uni-
versity in the class of 1879. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Newcomb have
been born three children : Gertrude, the wife of Dr. J. R. Thomp-
son of Waterloo, Iowa; Francis H., who is associated with his
father in business ; and Martha, now a student in the State Normal
school.
The elder daughter was graduated from the State University
on the 25th anniversary of her father's graduation. She has
three children. The son, Francis, married Miss Ona Emig of
Santa Clara, California, and they have one child. It was in Janu-
ary, 1913, that Francis became his father's partner in business,
the store being thus continued to the third generation.
In his political views Mr. Newcomb has ever been an earnest
republican and was continuously called to office as alderman and
mayor until, tiring of the work, he refused to again become a can-
didate. For twenty years he was a member of the school board
but resigned that position when made a member of the board of
regents of the Iowa State University by appointment of the state
legislature, in which capacity he served until the board of regents
was abolished in 1911. Fraternally he is connected with the
Masons, the Odd Fellows, and the Knights of Pythias. His rec-
ord adds new laurels to those connected with the name. His
father came to Iowa as a pioneer settler, and the work which he
instituted has been carried on by the son amid changing surround-
ings and conditions. In all, Mr. Newcomb has manifested a spirit
of enterprise that has been unfaltering and his progressiveness
has been of untold value to the community as well as to himself.
CLAUS A. IDLINGS.
Since 1895 Claus A. Iblings has been closely connected with
agricultural interests of Dutler county and is today the proprietor
of one of the finest farms in Monroe township. In addition to
this he deals in real estate on an extensive scale and has acquired
important interests along this line, standing among the men of
marked ability and substantial worth in the community. He was
born in Stephenson county, Illinois, February 20, 1871, and is a
son of Ibling and Anna (Whilhelms) Iblings, natives of Germany,
the former born in 1842 and the latter in 1846. The father came
246 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
to America about 1856, settling in Illinois, where he engaged in
farming. In 1886 he moved to Butler county and followed agri-
cultural pursuits here until his death in 1907. His wife has also
passed away, her death having occurred in 1911. In their family
were ten children : John, Christ, Katie, William, Claus A., Peter
H., Henry, Emma, Herman and Anna.
Claus A. Iblings acquired his education in the district schools
of Stephenson county and in public school in Parkersburg, Iowa.
After he laid aside his books he worked for two years as a farm
laborer and then spent a similar period of time operating rented
land. In 1895 he purchased one hundred and sixty acres in Mon-
roe township and to this has since added one hundred and twenty
acres, these two properties constituting his present holdings. He
raises fine grades of hay, corn and oats and has important stock-
raising interests, keeping thirty head of cattle and nine horses.
He is also a large dealer in real estate and a stockholder in the
First National Bank of Parkersburg and has been very success-
ful in the conduct of his business interests.
On the 5th of March, 1894, Mr. Iblings married Miss Matie
Slight, a daughter of Martin and Geeske (Junchens) Slight, the
former a well known farmer in the vicinity of Parkersburg. Mr.
and Mrs. Iblings have become the parents of six children. Earl,
Grace, Martha, Annetta, Mathilda and Carl. Mr. Iblings is a
member of the Baptist church and is a republican in his political
views. He has gained an enviable reputation as a practical farmer
and a progressive and farsighted business man.
WALTER G. AUSTIN.
Walter G. Austin, manager of the Austin estate and president
of the Austinville Savings Bank, was born in Washington town-
ship, this county, on the 20th of December, 1872. He is a son of
Henry and Sarah M. (Smith) Austin, the former born in England
in 1844 and the latter in New Jersey in 1840. The father came to
America when he was two years and a half old and settled with his
parents in Michigan, but he grew to manhood in Grant county,
Wisconsin. He afterward moved to Washington township, Butler
county, Iowa, and remained one of the prominent and representa-
tive farmers of that locality until his death, which occurred in
1911, he having survived his wife six years. Thev were the par-
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ME. AND MRS. HENRY AUSTIN
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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 251
ents of three children: Walter G., of this review; Alice E. ; and
Clarence W.
Walter G. Austin acquired his education in the district schools
of Washington township and in the Waterloo Business College,
which he attended for three years. After he laid aside his books
he settled in Austinville, where in 1893 he took charge of his
father's grain, coal, lumber and live-stock business. For the past
three years he has been manager of the Austin estate, which is
large and important, calling for the services of a man of unusual
business ability and executive power. Mr. Austin is also presi-
dent of the Austinville Savings Bank and a powerful factor in
financial circles.
On the 12th of May, 1897, Mr. Austin married Miss Cora F.
Dahn, a daughter of Fred E. and Minnie (Filk) Dahn. Mr. and
Mrs. Austin have three children. Marguerite, Donald and Beryl.
Mr. Austin is a member of the Presbyterian church and a repub-
lican in his political beliefs. He is one of the prominent business
men and highly respected citizens of Austinville and of Washing-
ton township, and he enjoys the esteem and good-will of all who
are brought in contact with him.
HARM VAN HAUEN.
Harm Van Hauen, one of the substantial and representative
farmers of Albion township, was born in Germany, November 12,
1855. He is a son of Henry and Hattie (Johnson) Van Hauen,
also natives of the fatherland, the former born April 4, 1824, and
the latter August 5, 1824. The parents came to Iowa in 1878, and
the father engaged in farming in this state until his death, March
8, 1908. He had survived his wife since April 4, 1904. Seven
children were born to their union, Fannie, Henry, Harm, Okke,
John, and two children who died in infancy.
Harm Van Hauen attended school in Germany until he was
thirteen and one-half years of age and then accompanied his
parents to America, completing his education at Florence Sta-
tion, Illinois. At the age of sixteen he began working on his
father's farm and so continued until 1878, when he moved to
Butler county, renting a tract of eighty acres. He later pur-
chased eighty acres of land, to which he added forty acres,
paying for this last piece of property eighteen dollars and seventy-
T«L n— 1 3
252 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
live cents per acre. He disposed of tMs in 1893 and in the same
year bought one hundi'ed and eighty acres on sections 31 and 32,
Albion township. He has since made his home upon this prop-
erty, whereon he engages in general farming, dairying and stock-
raising, keeping forty head of cattle, seventy-five hogs and twelve
horses.
On the 13th of March, 1879, at Parkersburg, Mr. Van Hauen
married Miss Mary Boomgaarden, a daughter of Okke Boom-
gaarden, and they have become the parents of eleven children.
Hattie married Ben Adolph, a farmer in Marion township, and
they have four children, Tillie, Hermann, Marie and one as yet
unnamed. Okke became the wife of Trina De Oroote, a farmer
in Albion township. Lizzie married Henry De Groote, Jr., a
farmer in Albion township, and they have four children, Henry,
Harm, Aima and one who died in infancy. Fannie became the
wife of George Wildefur, a farmer residing in Mason City, and
they have two children, Benjamin and Harm. Amelia married
Claus Klaasen, a farmer in Lyon county. The other members
of the family are Henry, Harm, Jr., Ella, John, Marie, and a
child, who died in infancy.
Mr. Van Hauen is a deacon in the German Reformed church
and a republican in his political beliefs. For fourteen years he
has been president and a director of the school- board and is now
trustee of Albion township, discharging his duties in a creditable
and farsighted manner. He holds a high place among the repre-
sentative citizens in his localitv and his worth is widelv acknowl-
edged.
JOHN ROTTINK.
It is not as easy task to sever home ties and go thousands of
miles away from those among whom one's life has been passed.
It requires courage to cast in one's lot in a conmiunity which has
no connection with the old home, but this John Rottink did and
he feels that he has had no occason to regret the step. He was
born in Holland, October 4, 1850, and is a son of Gerrit and Jo-
hannah (Buttega) Rottink, of whose family of nine children he
is the second. He was the first of three brothers to come to Iowa,
and the other two are still residents of this county and are men-
tioned elsewhere in this volume. All three had worked in a weav-
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 253
ing factory in Enscliede before crossing the Atlantic. John Rot-
tink was employed in the factory from the time that he was
seven and a half years of age until he reached the age of twenty-
four years when he came to the United States. He left home,
however, on attaining his majority and the first year thereafter
the only money which was not expended for actual necessities was
eight cents which he paid for apples. He saved money with which
to come to the United States, it requiring five years to accumu-
late enough to meet the expenses of the trip. In 1874 he crossed
the Atlantic and made his way direct to Butler county, Iowa,
where he worked for three and a half years on a farm for Louis
Hoffe. During the first four months he received fifteen dollars
per month and through the winter was paid but ten dollars per
month. The succeeding year he was paid eighteen dollars per
month for a part of the time and twenty dollars for the remainder,
and during the last year he was paid twenty-five dollars per month
acting as overseer of the farm. He afterward worked for a year
for Joe Linn, after which he rented a farm for two years. He
next bought eighty acres and to this he added as he could until he
is now the owner of four valuable farms, aggregating eight hun-
dred acres. He operates only the home farm himself, comprising
one hundred and twenty acres on section 6, Jefferson township.
All of the farms have been well improved by him and in connec-
tion with tilling the soil, he has engaged in masonry, carpenter
work and painting.
He now has a good home situated on a hill commanding a fine
view over an area of twelve miles of prairie country. In addition
to his Iowa property he at one time had two hundred and seventy
acres in Texas which he sold, and he now has one hundred and
sixty acres in Missouri, together with one hundred and seventy
acres on section 4, Ripley township, and two hundred and eighty
acre on sections 20, 21 and 28, Jefferson township. He carries on
general farming and stock-raising and both branches of his busi-
ness have proven profitable.
When twenty-nine years of age Mr. Rottink was married in
Cedar Falls, Blackhawk county, to Carolina Negel, who was born
in Butler county, November 16, 1861, a daughter of John H.,
Negel, who was from the same town in Holland as her husband..
He now resides in Shell Rock and is almost a centenarian. Hc'
settled in Illinois when but seventeen years of age and later be-
came a pioneer of Butler county, where he purchased land for
two dollars and a quarter per acre. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Rottink
254 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
have been born seven children : Hendrick, who died in infancy ;
Horace E., hving in western Canada; Etta, the wife of William
Dailey, of Shell Rock; Amy, the wife of Meno Van Sam, of Ben-
nett township ; Levi, at home ; Fenie, wife of John Clear, living
near Parkersburg ; and Helen, at home. All of the children were
" born in Jefiierson township. The parents are members of the
Evangelical church, and Mr. Rottinlv has always been a republican
since he became a naturalized American citizen. His life record
should serve as a source of encouragement and inspiration to
others, showing what may be accomplished when one is willing
to work and one's labors are directed by intelligence. Energy and
perseverance have brought him to his present enviable position as
one of the prosperous farmers of the county.
HOULIHAN BROTHERS.
Beaver township finds progressive and worthy representatives
of its agricultural interests in John and Thomas Houlihan,
comprising the firm of Houlihan Brothers, farmers and stock-
raisers on section 35. Thev are members of one of the best
known pioneer families of this locality, their father, Maurice
Houlihan, having been one of the first settlers in this part of Iowa.
He was born in Ireland in 1823 and when he was twenty years of
age emigrated to America, landing^ in New Orleans. He there
worked as a laborer and afterward on railroad construction, mak-
ing his way from New Orleans to Dubuque, Iowa. From Dubuque
he moved to Cedar Falls. He became the first section boss on the
Illinois Central Railroad in New Hartford. At a very early date
he moved into Butler county and took up land in this locality
when pioneer conditions prevailed everywhere and when Indians
were camped on the river bank two hundred feet from the home of
the subjects of this review. Maurice Houlihan cultivated and im-
proved eighty acres of land on section 35, Beaver township, and
remained a resident of this locality until his death in 1888. His
wife, who was in her maidenhood Miss Bridget Moore, was born
in Ireland in 1821 and died in 1886. In this family were four
children, Anastasia, John, Thomas and Maurice. All are single
with the exception of the last mentioned, who has been three
times married. He now makes his home in Sheboygan county,
Wisconsin.
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 255
John and Thomas Houlihan and their sister Anastasia were
educated in the public schools of Butler county and the brothers
have been engaged in farming since the beginning of their active
career. They and their sister own two hundred and thirty-five
acres of land lying on sections 34 and 35, Beaver township, and
upon this fine property they reside. They raise hay and grain and
keep sixty head of cattle, two hundred hogs and eight horses. The
Houlihan Brothers have been very successful in the conduct of
their interests, steadily carrying forward the work of developing
their holdings along progressive and practical lines, and they have
now one of the finest and most modern farms in this localit}^
They are stockholders in the New Hartford Creamery Company
and own the site and buildings of the New Hartford Farmers
Savings Bank, one dwelling in New Hartford, four lots and one
business building. They are resourceful and farsighted business
men, careful in the management of their extensive interests and
able to carry forward to successful completion whatever they un-
dertake. They are members of the Roman Catholic church and
give their political allegiance to the democratic party. In busi-
ness circles they have attained an enviable reputation, and their
personal characteristics have gained them the esteem and confi-
dence of many friends.
B. F. HAMILTON.
B. F. Hamilton, living on section 8, Butler township, has fol-
lowed farming throughout his entire life and for twelve years
has lived at his present place of residence, where he carries on
general agricultural pursuits and stock-raising. He was born in
Franklin county, Iowa, March 26, 1878, and is a son of William
and Martha (Quiggie) Hamilton. The father, a native of Ire-
land, was born August 20, 1834, and after arriving at years of
maturity he was married November 17, 1856, to Miss Mary Dave,
by whom he had five children : Mrs. Mar}^ Etta Hance, of South
Dakota; Margaret Elizabeth, deceased; John W., living in Minne-
sota; George, also a resident of that state; and James Atlas, of
Franklin county, Iowa. Having lost his first wife, Mr. Hamilton
was again married, his second union being with Miss Martha
Qinggle, who was born in this country in 1844, but was of German
and Scotch descent. They were married in DeWitt county, Iowa,
256
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
the father having come to this state when sixteen years of age,
while the mother accompanied her parents to Iowa in her early
girlhood. Following their marriage they removed from DeWitt
to F'ranklin county and thence came to Butler county, where the
father died June 5, 1896, when in his sixty-second year. The
mother survives and is now living in Elgin, Illinois. The children
of this marriage were: Ada Maria, now deceased; William H., a
resident of Colorado ; Mary Etta, who has also passed away ; B.
F. ; and Oliver Lyle, deceased.
From the age of eight years B. F. Hamilton has lived in But-
ler county and has a wide acquaintance among its citizens. He
has always followed farming, save for a period of a few months,
in which he engaged in the marble business at Charles City. For
twelve years he has remained upon his present farm, comprising
one hundred acres on sections 5 and 8, Butler township, his resi-
dence standing on section 8. The place has been well improved
by Mr. Hamilton, who carries on general farming and stock-
raising. His modern and progressive methods are followed by
excellent results.
On the 1st of March, 1899, Mr. Hamilton married Miss F'lora
Gabby, who was born in Butler township in 1880, a daughter of
Beveridge T. and Ellen (Henney) Gabby, the former deceased
and the latter a resident of Clarksville. Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton
have two children; Lvle and Grace. Mr. Hamilton is a Mason
in full sympathy with the principles of the society. In politics
he is a republican, stalwart in support of the party principles.
He was ajDpointed to fill a vacancy in the office of township trus-
tee and was then elected to the position which he is now filling.
For the past eight years he has been president of the township
school board, and the cause of education finds in him a warm and
stalwart friend, who does all in his power to further the inter-
ests of the schools.
HERMAN ROTTINK.
Herman Rottink, busily engaged with agricultural pursuits,
has owned and operated his present farm on sections 26 and 27,
Butler township since 1899. It is situated on the Shell Rock river
from which it derives its name of Riverview Farm. It is unsur-
passed in beauty, equipment and progressiveness by any farm of
HERMAN ROTTINK
YORK
;ARY
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 259
Butler township and the owner has every reason to be proud of
the record which he has made as an agriculturist, having worked
his way upward from a humble position to one of affluence. He
was born in the Netherlands on the 1st of January, 1849, and is a
son of Gerrit and Hannah (Buttega) Rottink, who spent their
entire lives in their native land, the father acting as gardener for
wealthy families.
Herman Rottink was the youngest of a family of nine chil-
dren, two of whom came to the United States. He arrived in the
year 1883, hoping to find better opportunities in the new world
than he could secure in his native land. While in Holland he had
served for four years, from 1869 until 1873, in the army. He
worked in a cotton factory in Holland and understands the manu-
facture of all kinds of cotton cloth. He did not see any chance of
rapid progress along business lines, however, and attracted by the
more favorable opportunities of the new world, he came to the
United States, accompanied by his wife and two children, arriving
in Butler county in 1883. He had incurred an indebtedness of one
hundred and one dollars in order to come to the new world and
during the first year he worked out as a farm hand, but the second
year he rented the land. He practiced rigid economy and care-
fully saving his earnings at length secured a sum sufficient to
enable him to purchase his present farm in 1899. It comprises
two hundred and forty-eight acres on sections 26 and 27, Butler
township, and when he took possession the buildings upon it were
an old house, which was a combination of brick and frame, an
old barn and an old corn crib. He now has a large three story
modern residence of eight rooms, a big barn eighty by forty feet
with hip roof and sheds and outbuildings for the shelter of grain
and stock.
He carries on general farming and stock-raising and has every
reason to be proud of the fact that he has made the Riverview
Farm the finest in Butler township. He has also become a stock-
holder in the Farmers State Bank of Shell Rock and in the Shell
Rock Creamery.
In 1873 Mr. Rottink was married to Miss Swenna Schmidt, who
was born in Hanover, November 28, 1848. The children of this
marriage are seven in number : Greit, at home ; Hannah, the wife
of K. Pitcher, living on a neighboring farm ; Emma, the wife of
Ernest Graham of Clarksville ; Herman, twin brother to Emma,
now assisting in the work of the home farm; Cora, the wife of
Hollie Pulis of Butler township ; Sarah, at home ; and Mary, the
260 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
wife of Al Kimball of Clear Lake, Iowa. The five younger chil-
dren were born in this county.
Mr. and Mrs. Rottink hold membership in the Methodist Epis-
copal church and they have become widely and favorably known
during the thirty years of their residence in this county. Mi\
Rottink may truly be called a self-made man and deserves much
credit for what he has accomplished. Starting out in life empty-
handed he has worked his way steadily upward and determina-
tion, energy, frugality and industry have been the crowning points
in his career.
HIRAM E. FRENCH.
Hiram E. French carries on general farming on section 8,
Butler township and is the owner of a well improved place con-
stituting the northeast quarter. The changes he has made have
converted this into a valuable farm from which he annually
gathers good crops as the reward of his industry, perseverance
and sound judgment. A native of Grant county, Wisconsin, he
was born May 30, 1858, and is the son of George and Persis
(Scott) French. The father's birth occurred in Montreal, Can-
ada, in 1818, and the mother was born in Chaiitauqua county,
New York, February 17, 1834. With her parents she removed
westward to Freeport, Illinois, and thence went to Wisconsin.
George French also lived for a time in Freeport, before remov-
ing to Wisconsin, but it was in the latter state that they were
married, the wedding being celebrated in Grant county, Decem-
ber 6, 1854. Sixteen vears later, or in 1870, thev came to Butler
county, Iowa, and their remaining days were spent here upon
the farm. The father died February 15, 1897, having for al)out
fourteen years survived his wife, who passed away April 2, 1883.
They were active members of the United Brethren church and
throughout their earnest Christian lives displayed many ster-
ling traits of heart and mind. They had five children : Mrs. Em-
ma Crawford, who died in Oregon; Hiram E.; Emery, who also
passed away in Oregon; Delbert, who died in Clarksville; and
one son, who died in infancy.
Hiram E. French was a lad of twelve summers at the time
the family removed to Iowa, and here he has since lived, being
actively identified throughout his entire life with general agri-
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 261
cultural pursuits. He is today the owner of one hundred and
sixty acres, constituting the northeast quarter of section 8, But-
ler township. Upon the place is a fine old home, which was built
by his father-in-law, who was a carpenter and owned the eighty
acre tract on which the house is located. There are good sheds
and barns for the shelter of grain and stock, all of which were
built by Mr. French, and the farm presents a neat and thrifty
appearance, indicating his careful supervision and practical, pro-
gressive methods.
On the 27th of April, 1881, Mr. French was married to Miss
Jessie Shadbolt, who was born in Clarksville, May 31, 1863, and
has spent her entire life in this county. She is a daughter of
Jerome and Louise (Main) Shadbolt, who were natives of New
York and were married in Wisconsin. They were early settlers
of Butler county, and the father died in this county, but the
mother is now living in Clarksville. Mr. and Mrs. French have
become the parents of three children: Clem E., who was born
August 2, 1883, and died February 12, 1884; Loraine J., the wife
of Ervin Klingman, who resides on a farm near her father's;
and Earl H., who was born June 22, 1898, and died May 18, 1901.
The daughter was born March 20, 1886. The parents are mem-
bers of the Methodist Episcopal church, and Mr. French gives
his political support to the republican party. He has never sought
nor desired office, preferring to concentrate his energies upon
his business affairs, and the care with which he has managed
his farming interests, combined with his industry and persever-
ance, have brought him substantial and well merited success.
JOHN REWERTS.
John Rewerts, carrying on general farming and stock-raising
upon a fine property of one hundred and twenty acres on section
10, Madison township, was born in Iowa, October 9, 1875, and is a
son of Johan Rewerts, a native of Germany. The father came to
America when he was a young man and settled immediately in
Grundy county, Iowa, where he married Miss Tetta Boedeker. He
afterward purchased a tract of wild land in Madison township,
Butler county, and opened up a new farm, gradually adding to
his holdings until he owned one hundred and thirty-seven acres
in his homestead as well as three other fine properties in the
262 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
vicinity. He is today one of the valued and respected residents
of Madison township and has reached the advanced age of seventy-
six years.
John Rewerts was brought to Butler county in 1879 and reared
upon his father's farm in Madison township, acquiring his educa-
tion in the district schools. When he was twenty-three years of
age he rented land in Madison township and at the end of three
years rented another tract from his father which he afterward
purchased and whereon he still resides. He has made excellent
improvements uj)on it, fencing the fields, setting out fruit, shade
and ornamental trees and adding to the buildings and equipment.
He raises a good grade of Durham cattle, Duroc Jersey hogs and
work horses, and his extensive interests are managed always in a
capable and progressive way. He is a stockholder in the Farmers
Cooperative Elevator Company and also in the Butler County
Telephone Company.
On the 7th of January, 1903, Mr. Rewerts was united in mar-
riage to Miss Jabena Ruter, a native of Madison township, and
they became the parents of two children, but one, an infant son,
died in 1912. The other is a daughter, Tetta Tena.
The parents are members of the German Reformed church of
Dumont. Mr. Rewerts gives his political allegiance to the repub-
lican party and served as a member of the school board for a num-
ber of years. He is a progressive, practical and successful farmer,
and he holds the esteem and confidence of all who are in any way
associated with him.
HENRY C. ROVER.
Among the prosperous and progressive agriculturists of But-
ler county is numbered Henry C. Rover, who since 1886 has been
closely connected with agricultural interests of Coldwater town-
ship, where he owns two hundred acres of land. He was bom in
Bremer county, this state, April 30, 1859, and is a son of Henry
and Louise (Gurgens) Rover, of whom more extended mention is
made elsewhere in this work.
Henry C. Rover was reared upon his father's farm in Bremer
county, remaining at home until he reached maturity. When he
began his independent career he worked for three or four years
as a farm laborer, and then, in 1886, moved to Butler countv.
ME. AND MRS. HENRY C. ROVER
i
YURK
\
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 265
locating on land in Coldwater township which he purchased from
his father. He began with one hundred and eighteen acres and
this he broke, fenced and improved. Later he added to his hold-
ings and his property now aggregates two hundred acres, well
equipped and well managed in every particular. Mr. Rover has
erected upon it a comfortable farm house, has fenced and cross
fenced his fields with woven wire and has put out a grove of forest
and evergreen trees. He has erected a barn, granary and cribs,
has installed a wind pump and has made other important improve-
ments, neglecting nothing which would add to the appearance or
value of the property. In addition to general farming he engages
extensively in stock-raising, keeping good grades of cattle, horses,
sheep and hogs. He also operates a model dairy, owning a number
of milch cows. He is a stockholder in the Farmers Cooperative
Elevator & Grain Company and is a man of recognized business
ability and discrimination. .
In Bremer county, on the i2th of March, 1886, Mr. Rover mar-
ried Miss Emma Kaiser, also a native of that locality, and a daugh-
ter of Henry and Emily (Gromoe) Kaiser. The father died in
1906, and the mother now^ resides in Waverly, Iowa. Mr. Kaiser
was a veteran of the Civil war, enlisting in the Fifty-fifth Illinois
Infantry and he served throughout the entire period to the close
of the war. He was wounded and did valiant service for the
union. Mr. and Mrs. Rover have become the parents of seven
children: William H., who resides in Waverly; Minnie, the wife
of Chris Hencken, a farmer of Butler county ; Henry F. ; Emil J. ;
John W. ; Lillian; and Elmer, who died at the age of eighteen
months.
Mr. Rover is a member of the Lutheran church and he gives
his political allegiance to the republican party. He has, however,
never sought nor desired public office, preferring to concentrate
his attention upon his business affairs, which are capably con-
ducted and are bringing him a gratifying measure of success.
OKKE VAN HATJEN.
Germany has furnished to Butler county many of its repre-
sentative citizens, and among this class may be numbered Okke
Van Hauen, who is the owner of two hundred six and a half acres
of fine farming land on section 28, Albion township. As above
266 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
mentiuned, lie was burn iu the fatherland ou the 24th of September,.
1858, a son of Henry and Hattie (Johnson) Van Haiien, who were
likewise natives of *^ that country, the former born April 4, 1824,
and the latter on the 5th of August, 1824. The father followed
farming as a life work. He remained in his native land until
1870, when, believing that he might better provide for his f amil}'
in the new world, he emigrated to America, locating first in Free-
port, Illinois. After eight years spent there, however, he came to
Butler county and here spent his remaining years, passing away
March 8, 1908, when he had almost reached the advanced age of
eighty-four years. His wife preceded him in death, passing away
April 4, 1904. They became the parents of seven children, Fannie,
Henry, Harm, Okke, John, and two who died in infancy.
Okke Van Hauen, the subject of this review, was reared in
Germany to the age of eleven years, when he accompanied his
parents on their removal to this country. His education, which
was begun in Germany, was continued for five years in the school
at Florence Station, Illinois. After putting aside his text-books,
he was employed at farm labor until 1882, when, having in the
meantime acquired a sum sufficient to begin business on his own
account, he rented a tract of land, cultivating the same during
the next decade. He met with success in this venture, for he has
ever been diligent and economical, and at the end of ten years he
found himself in possession of a sum sufficient to enable him to
purchase land, becoming the owner of two hundred six and a half
acres, located on section 28, Albion towmship. He carries on his
work according to the most modern methods, keeps his land in
condition, and therefore annually harvests excellent crops as a
reward for his labor. He keeps on hand f<n'ty head of cattle, mak-
ing a specialty of raising beef cattle, has eleven horses, and raises
one hundred head of hogs for the market each year.
It was on the 4th of April, 1882, that Mr. Van Hauen estab-
lished a home of his own by his marriage in Parkersburg, Iowa,
to Miss Aleida Leister, a daughter of John and Johanna (Well-
man) Leister. The father was proprietor of a hotel in Germany
and also conducted a meat market. He came with his family to
Iowa in 1880 and has since made his home in this state. Mr. and
Mrs. Van Hauen have become the parents of eight children, as
follows : Henry, who is a merchant of Parkersburg, and wedded
Miss May Sensenbach, by whom he has one daughter, Beulah;
John, who is in business in partnership with his brother Henry,
and who wedded Miss Minnie Peterson, by whom he has one
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 267
cMd, Gale ; Hattie, who is the wife of Chris Schalzberg, a farmer
of Jackson township, by whom she has three children, John,
Aleida and Otis ; Jennie, who is the wife of Henry Boike, a farmer
of Beaver township ; May ; Heman ; August ; and Alice.
A republican in politics, Mr. Van Hauen has been called upon
to serve in many public offices, the duties of which he has always
discharged faithfully and well. For ten years he served as presi-
dent of the school board, while at the present time he is serving as
treasurer of the same. For six years he likewise served as road
superintendent, while for one term he filled the office of assessor.
He belongs to the German Baptist church, of which he is a trustee.
He is devoted to his home and his family and takes keen delight in
his church work. He is loyal to his adopted country and in his
dealings with his fellowmen is honest and straightforward in a
marked degree, so that all who know him have for him the highest
esteem.
JAMES H. AMICK.
James H. Amick of Shell Rock, is the owner of valuable prop-
erty interests in the town and also of two excellent farms in the
county. His possessions are the visible evidence of his life of
thrift and industry, and it has been through determined purpose
and unfaltering labor that his possessions have accrued. Mr.
Amick is a native of Summerville, Nicholas county, West Virginia.
He was born March 21, 1852, a son of Gideon and Emily (Stuart)
Amick, the former a native of Monroe county, West Virginia, and
the latter of Greenbrier county, of the same state. The paternal
grandfather, John Amick, was a native of North Carolina and
was of German descent. He was a powder manufacturer and also
'engaged in teaching school. Emigrating to West Virginia, he
married Martha Hage, who was a native of Germany. They had
nine sons and three daughters, the family including Gideon Amick,
who wedded Emily Stuart. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Gideon Amick
were born ten children : Rebecca, who became the wife of Daniel
Wahl and is now deceased ; Minerva, who became the wife of Bert
Hibbs and has also passed away ; William, living in San Francisco,
California; Ira S., a resident of Shell Rock township; James H. ;
Isabella, who is the widow of Lovett Sherwood and resides at
Shell Rock; Mary Elizabeth, who died in Linn county, Iowa, in
268
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
1867; John Henry, living near Seattle, Washington; Perry, who
died in 1861; and Emily, who died in infancy, soon after the
mother's death. The mother died in October, 1861, when her son,
James, was but nine years of age. She was of Scotch lineage and
her last days were spent in AVaterloo, Iowa. It was in 1852 that
the family removed from West Virginia to Elkhart, Indiana, where
they remained until the fall of 1855 and then came to Iowa, settling
in Linn county. There they resided until March, 1861, when they
became residents of Waterloo. The mother died soon afterward
but the family continued to reside there until August, 1867, when
they came to Shell Rock, where the father passed away six years
later, or in 1873. He was a stone cutter, following that trade
throughout his entire life.
Since 1867 James H. Amick has resided in Shell Rock with
the exception of two years spent in California. He worked at
the stone cutter's trade, which he learned under the direction of
his father, but after following that j)ursuit for three years he
turned his attention to farming and was actively connected with
the tilling of the soil until 1895, since which time he has made
his home in the town. He is still the owner of two farms in Shell
Rock township, one comprising two hundred acres and the other
eighty-eight acres. This is valuable property and returns to him
a gratifying annual income. In addition he owns the opera house
which was built in 1888 by a stock company, of which Mr. Amick
was one. Gradually he acquired the interests of the other stock-
holders and is now sole proprietor. His attention is given mere-
ly to the supervision of his business investments, which are now"
large and bring to him a gratifying return.
Mr. Amick has been married twice. On the 14th of April,
1874, he wedded Ella Hitchcock, who died August 18, 1877, leav-
ing one child, Mabel, who is now the wife of Harvey Metzger, a
farmer living near Shell Rock. On the 14th of June, 1883, Mr.
Amick wedded Addie Bowen, and they have five children:-
Blanche, the wife of Forest Shipman of Bremer county ; Mamie,
the wife of Launie Bisplmghoff, of Shell Rock; Arnold, Law-
rence and Mildred, all at home.
Mr. Amick 's political position has never been an equivocal
one. He has always supported the democratic party since age
conferred upon him the right of franchise, his first' vote being
cast for Samuel J. Tilden for president. He has served on the
city council for six years and has been a member of the board of
education for the past fifteen years. He is a strong temperance
I
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 269
man and is one of the oldest members of the Odd Fellows at
Shell Rock, having joined on the 5th of January, 1878. His in-
fluence is always on the side of right, progress, reform and im-
provement, and his sterling worth is recognized by all with whom
he has come in contact so that the circle of his friends has been
a constantly growing one.
GEORGE O. TOLL.
Important agricultural and business interests claim the atten-
tion and profit by the cooperation and sound judgment of George
O. Toll. He accomplishes what he undertakes by reason of enter-
prising methods, determined effort and unfaltering industry. He
has a wide acquaintance in this county, in which his entire life
has been passed, his birth having occurred in Jefferson township,
March 19, 1876, his parents being Frederick and Jane (Borchers)
Toll, now residents of Shell Rock. Their family numbered eight
children, of whom George was the fifth in order of birth. He was
reared as the other members of the family, upon the home farm,
and at the usual age entered the district schools, in which he ac-
quainted himself with the common branches of learning, thus
laying the foundation for his later success. When not busy with
his text-books his time was largely given to farm work, and the
practical experience which he received under the direction of his
father constituted the foundation upon which he has builded his
advancement and his prosperity. He now cultivates one hundred
and eighty acres of his father's land, and the neat and thrifty ap-
pearance of the place, which is situated on section 16, Jefferson
township, indicates his progressive methods and enterprising
spirit. He makes his efforts count for the utmost, and his well
managed business affairs have classed him with the substantial
farmers of the community. His progressiveness is further indi-
cated in the active interest which he has taken in business affairs
having much to do with the common welfare. He is now presi-
dent of the Jefferson Telephone Company, a farmers ' cooperative
company, is a stockholder in the Farmers' Cooperative Elevator
Company of Allison and is secretary and treasurer of the South-
eastern Threshing Company, a company with twelve stockholders.
On the 30th of December, 1901, Mr. Toll was united in mar-
riage to Miss Mabel Winona Hewitt, who was born in Charles
270 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
Mix county, South Dakota, August 9, 1880, and has the distinc-
tion of being the hrst white girl born in the county (the name
Winona, in the Sioux language, means first girl). She was a
maiden of ten or twelve summers when her parents, William and
Jennie (Kirk) Hewitt, came to Iowa. Her father was a native of
Honing-ton, England, born December 21, 1846, and the mother's
birth occurred in Ohio, September 8, 1852. They were married
in South Dakota, seven years after his arrival in the United
States, the wedding being celebrated on Christmas day of 1878.
Throughout his life Mr. Hewitt carried on farming and removed
to Butler county, where he continued to engage in general agri-
cultural pursuits until his life's labors were ended in death on the
1st of January, 1902. His widow survives him and yet makes
her home in this county. They were the parents of three children :
Mrs. Toll; Myrtle Margaret, now the wife of William A. Toll,
of Jefferson township ; and Grant Ross, living in the same town-
ship. Mr. and Mrs. George O. Toll have two children: Winona
Jennie, who was born June 15, 1904; and Rosamond Margaret,
born April 5, 1906. While the family home is on section 16, Jef-
ferson township, Mr. Toll owns an eighty-acre tract of land on
section 1, Fremont townshi}). His political indorsement is given
to the republican party and for the past three years he has filled
the office of assessor of his township, while at the present writ-
ing he is secretary of the township school board. He was reared
in the German Lutheran church but since his marriage has at-
tended and supports the Congregational church, of which his wife
is a member. They are both held in high esteem socially, and their
own home is a hospitable one, whose good cheer is greatly enjoyed
by their many friends.
HON. H. C. BROWK
In 1866, one year after the close of the Civil war, in which he
had rendered the Union valuable and faithful service, Hon. H. C.
Brown came to Iowa and in the following year settled in Butler
county, where his citizenship has since been regarded as one of
the greatest single forces in community upbuilding. For over
thirty years he has resided on his present farm near Dumont but
he has not by any means confined his attention to its cultivation,
:S NEW YORK
•[r^ MB.RARY
HON. H. C. BROWN
MRS. H. C. BROWN
\
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 275
altliough he has made it a valuable and productive property. He
has established a number of business enterprises and has besides
done notable work in the field of public service, where his con-
scientiousness, enterprise and sound political judgment have
brought him into prominence. Mr. Brown was born in Belknap
county, New Hampshire, January 1, 1831, and grew to manhood
on a farm there, his educational advantages being confined to those
offered by the common schools. After his marriage, which
occurred in 1856, he engaged in farming on rented land in New
Hampshire for some years and was meeting with a gratif3dng
measure of success when in the panic of 1857 he lost all of his
fortune. In August, 1864, he enlisted in the First Heavy Artillery
and was sent to Washington, where he did guard duty during the
Civil war, rising from the rank of private to that of orderly ser-
geant. He received his honorable discharge at the close of the war
and was mustered out of service in Julv, 1865.
In his early manhood Mr. Brown had learned the shoemaker's
trade and followed this for some time after his return from the
army, working at his trade during the winter months and during
the summer aiding in the operation of his father's farm. In 1866
he came west to Iowa and purchased three hundred and twenty
acres of wild land in Blackhawk county. He broke the soil and
after making a number of improvements upon the place sold it
and purchased an eighty acre tract near Waterloo. Soon after-
ward he returned to New Hampshire but in 1867 came again to
Iowa, settling in Butler county, where he has since resided. In
1876 he bought six hundred and eighty acres near the town of
Dumont and at the same time rented a tract of three hundred and
twenty acres, upon which he made his home while carrying out
the im|)rovements upon the land which he owned. For many years
thereafter he engaged to some extent in buying and' dealing in
farming property and recently sold his six hundred and forty acre
tract for sixty-four thousand dollars. At the present he owns a
farm lying partl}^ within the corporate limits of Dumont and is
erecting upon it a modern residence which when completed will
be one of the finest of its kind in Butler county. He has resided
upon this propert}^ for over thirty years and the results of his
careful supervision and intelligent management are evident in the
appearance of the farm, which is up-to-date in every particular.
It is equipped with substantial barns and out-buildings, the fields
are fenced and crossfenced and a grove of evergreen and orna-
mental trees affords the necessary wind break.
Vol. n— 14
276 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
Althougli Mr. Brown is regarded as one of the leading agricul-
turists of Butler county, his interests have extended to many other
fields, touching closely the business development of this section of
the state. In 1880 he opened a lumberyard in Dmnont and is still
connected with the conduct of this enterprise, controlling a large
and profitable business. He was a promoter of the Agricultural
and Horticultural Society of Butler county and served as presi-
dent and as treasurer of this organization. To his initiative spirit
and executive ability the First National Bank of Parkersburg
owes its existence and to his unusual financial acumen is due a
great deal of its present prosperity. He served as its first presi-
dent and his ability, enterprise and energy influenced its policy
for many years thereafter. In addition to these enterprises Mr.
Brown was a promoter of the Cooperative Creamery Association
and the Farmers Elevator Company of Dumont and has accom-
plished a great deal of important work in the best interests of his
town and county.
Since the organization of the republican part}^ Mr. Brown has
been one of its most earnest and loval advocates. Previous to its
establishment he affiliated with the old line whigs but since the
Civil war has been a stanch republican, supporting the principles
and candidates of this party with the same energy and singleness
of purpose which mark his efforts in whatever direction they are
turned. He served as a member of the Nineteenth general assem-
bly of Iowa and upon the completion of his term w^as reelected to
that body. His public spirit and political ability carried him for-
ward into close connection with important legislative interests,
as is evident by the fact that he was chairman of the committee
on cities and towns and prominent in the work of eight or ten other
committees, his legislative record being varied in service and
faultless in honor. A stanch advocate of the cause of temperance,
Mr. Brown was fearless in his support of prohibition principles in
the house of representatives and by untiring work upon the floor
of the house accomplished the passage of a number of temperance
measures. He has held various other positions of public trust
and responsibility and has been a delegate to numerous state,
county and congressional conventions.
On the 16th of September, 1856, in Belknap county, New
Hampshire, Mr. Brown was united in marriage to Miss Mary F.
Bickf ord, a daughter of Captain Arthur Bickf ord, one of the
prominent men of that locality. Mr. and Mrs. Brown became the
parents of three children, one of whom, a daughter, Clara, died
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 277
at the age of seven years. The others are : Anna, the wife of H.
B. Akin, former superintendent of schools of Butler county ; and
George S., of Dumont, of the firm of George S. Brown, Son &
Company, dealers in lumber, etc.
Mr. Brown is connected with the blue lodge in Masonry and
is a member of the Grand Army post at Bristow. During the
forty-six years of his residence here he has been one of the great-
est individual forces in the promotion of the general good of the
community, a moving spirit in the organization and support of
various progressive public projects. The years have brought
hiib success, prominence and a substantial fortune and today, at
the age of eighty-three, he seems yet in his prime in spirit and
interests, a man of keen intellectual power, unusual business abil-
ity and progressive public spirit.
PETER H. IBLINGS.
Among the men of Butler county who have made substantial
contributions to the advancement of practical agriculture in the
vicinity is numbered Peter H. Iblings, who owns three hundred
and twenty acres of fine land on section 26, Monroe township and
in its cultivation has followed always the most modern and pro-
gressive methods, surrounding himself with an enviable degree
of prosperity. He was born in Stephenson county, Illinois, Feb-
ruary 14, 1876, and is a son of Ibling Iblings, who was born in
Germany in 1842 and who came to America about the year 1856.
The father settled in Butler county, Iowa, in 1886 and engaged
in farming in this locality until his death which occurred in 1907.
His wife, who was in her maidenhood Miss Anna Whilhelms, was
born in Germany in 1846 and died in Butler county in 1911.
They had ten children: John, Christopher, Katie, William,
Claus A., Peter H., Henry, Emma, Herman and Anna.
Peter H. Iblings attended district school until he was eight-
een years of age and then spent two years in Ames Agricultural
College. He afterward worked upon his father's farm until he
was twenty-two years of age and then rented land for two years.
At the end of that time he bought two hundred and forty acres in
Allen township, a tract which he sold at the end of three years,
purchasing the farm upon which he now resides. He owns three
hundred and twenty acres on section 26, Monroe township and
278 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
harvests every year abimdaut crops of hay, corn, oats and rye,
which he sells in the local market. He has also important stock-
raising interests, keeping seventy head of pure-bred, registered,
polled Angus cattle, one hundred and fifty hogs and fourteen
horses. Mr. Iblings makes it his aim to keep abreast of the
modern advancement in the science of agriculture and is a con-
stant reader of the best farm journals. In consequence of his
practical ideas and unremitting efforts his farm is one of the fin-
est in the township and he himself is numbered among the repre-
sentative and able agriculturists.
At Clara City, Minnesota, on the 21st of June, 1906, Mr. lb-
lings married Miss Jessie Voss, a daughter of Tonious Voss, a
farmer living in Austinville, Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Iblings have
two children; Herman and James.
Mr. Iblings is a stockholder in the Farmer's Cooperative Ele-
vator Company at Charles City, Iowa. He gives his political
allegiance to the republican party and is a member of the Baptist
church. He has been very successful in the conduct of his farm-
ing interests, his success rewarding unremitting industry and
practical labor.
GERT DE BOWER.
Many of the sterling traits of the German race find manifesta-
tion in Gert Be Bower, an enterprising farmer, whose realization
of the fact that success is the outcome of industrv, determina-
tion and perseverance has enabled him to win a place, by the
exercise of these qualities, among the substantial farmers of Jef-
ferson township. He lives on section 8 and has a well developed
farm.
He was born in East Friesia, Germany, August 4, 1861, and
Is a son of Harry and Isabel (Sucher) Be Bower, who in the
year 1872 became residents of Dane countv, Wisconsin. The
father, however, was not long permitted to enjoy his new home,
his death occurring two or three months after his arrival. The
family resided there for about two years and then removed to
Lodi, Columbia county, Wisconsin, where they made their home
until coming to Iowa about a quarter of a century ago. Here
the mother passed away in 1891. The family was brought to the
United States by two uncles, Gert and Sim Be Bower. Thev
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 279
were in very straightened financial circumstances when they
arrived, and the uncles furnished a little home for them to live in
the first year. All of the boys began to work and all remained
at home until they married and made homes for themselves. All
now own good places, and most of their success has been won
in Butler county. In Wisconsin they cultivated a rented farm
but after coming to Iowa purchased property and thus gradually
worked their way upward until they gained a place among the
substantial residents of the county. In the family were six chil-
dren: Ed and Paul, who are resident farmers of West Point
township; Mrs. Tina Fraese, now deceased; Dora, the wife of
Louis Hummel, of West Point township ; Gert of Jefferson town-
ship; and Herman, who is living in Jackson township.
Gert De Bower was a little lad of but eight summers when
he accompanied his parents on the voyage across the Atlantic.
His youth was a period of earnest and unremitting toil because
of the financial condition of the family, which made it necessary
that he begin work at an early age. The habits of industry
and determination, which he then developed, have clung to him
through life and have constituted the foundation upon which
his success has been built. From early youth he has worked
in the fields and has at length gained the legitimate reward
of his labors, being now the owner of a valuable farm of
four hundred acres on section 8, Jefferson township, on which
are two sets of farm buildings. His first purchase was one hun-
dred and sixty acres, but he afterward bought the Baldwin farm
adjoining, comprising two hundred and forty acres. He pur-
chased the entire tract and is known as a most successful general
farmer and stock-raiser. His fields produce excellent crops of
corn, wheat and other cereals and in his pastures are seen high
grades of stock. The work of improvement has been carried for-
ward along progressive lines, and that he is a wide-awake, alert
and energetic business man is furthermore shown in the fact that
he is a director of the Farmers Cooperative Elevator Company
of Allison, a director of the Farmers Cooperative Butter fac-
tory of Allison, a director of the Farmers Cooperative Telephone
Company of Jefferson township and a director of the Butler-
County Fair Association. He takes an active interest in the last
mentioned, believing in anything that will stimulate activity and_
promote the standards of farming in this part of the state.
In 1890 Mr. De Bower was united in marriage to Miss Minnie
Hummel, who was born in Arlington, Columbia county, Wis-
280
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
consin, June 12, 1867, and is a daughter of Frank Hummel, who
was born on the ocean while his parents were coming to America.
The mother of Mrs. De Bower was a native of Germany, and
both Mr. and Mrs. Hummel were residents of Wisconsin until
called to their final rest. Unto Mr. and Mrs. De Bower have
been born ten children: Emma, who is the wife of Otto Ernest,
of Schuyler, Nebraska, and has one child. Pearl ; George, who is
living with his sister Emma ; and Elsie, Lawrence, Frank, Clar-
ence, Elmer, Roy, Vernie and Alvin, all at home. All of the
children were born in this county.
The family are members of the German Lutheran church, and
Mr. De Bower gives his political indorsement to the republican
party. He belongs to the progressive class of agriculturists, to
whom this county owes her progress, upbuilding and improve-
ment. He has indeed won the proud American title of self-made
man. In America labor is king. The man who is willing to
work and whose efforts are directed by intelligence can always
win advancement. It has been in this way that Mr. De Bower
has gained his present creditable position as one of the substan-
tial residents of Butler county.
JAMES WARREN HICKLE.
James WaiTen Hickle owns and cultivates an excellent farm
of one hundred and fifty acres, situated on sections 28 and 29,
Butler township. He is a native of the neighboring state of Illi-
nois, his birth having occurred in McLean county, near Bloom-
ington, on the 2d of December, 1854. His parents were John
and Hester (Van Gundy) Hickle, natives of Ohio, where they
were reared and married. They later removed to Illinois, where
they remained for ten years and in 1856 they came to Butler
county, settling upon the farm which is now the home of their
son, James W. Here the father carried on general agricultural
pursuits until his death, which occurred December 16, 1894, when
he was eighty-two years of age, for he was born on the 24th of
August, 1812. His wife, who was born July 7, 1820, was almost
a nonagenarian at the time of her demise, on the 20th of June,
1910. In politics Mr. Hickle was a stalwart republican and held
a number of local offices, the duties of which he discharged with
credit to himself and satisfaction to his constituents. He belonged
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 281
to the Masonic lodge for thirty-six years, having become a
charter member of the lodge at Clarksville. He was ever pub-
lic-spirited and progressive in all of his relations to the commu-
nity, promoted many projects for the public benefit and donated
from his farm a tract of land for the Lowell cemetery. To Mr.
and Mrs. John Hickle were born the following children: Jacob
H., now living in Clarksville; William, also a resident of
that place; Alfred, a farmer of Jackson townsliip; David, who
died in 1909 ; James W. ; Eliza, who lives with a brother ; Charles,
a resident of Butler township ; and three who died in childhood.
James Warren Hickle was but two years of age when brought
by his parents to Butler county. At that time he came to the old
homestead farm and has hereon since resided. He owns one
hundred and fifty acres of land pleasantly and conveniently
located on sections 28 and 29, Butler township, not far from
Clarksville. All the improvements have been made by the family,
and the farm is now an excellent property, the land being divided
into fields of convenient size by well kept fences, while substan-
tial barns and outbuildings offer shelter for grain and stock. The
latest improved machinery also facilitates the work of the fields
and indicates the careful supervision of the owner. Mr. Hickle
has always voted with the republican party and believes firmly in
its principles.
JOHN P. ABENDS.
One of the active and progressive young business men of
Aplington is John P. Arends, who since 1909 has conducted a
large hardware, heating, lighting and plumbing establishment in
the town. His birth occurred here November 13, 1884, his par-
ents being John P. and Grace (Iben) Arends, both bom in Ger-
many in 1853. The father was the first hardware merchant in
Aplington and was connected with that line of business here
until his death in 1902. His wife survives him and still makes
her home in Aplington. They became the parents of six children.
The oldest, Arend P., is a salesman with headquarters in St.
Louis, Missouri. He married Miss Minna Fink and they have
become the parents of a daughter, Maurine. Gertrude lives at
home; John P. is the subject of this review; Robert is also at
home; and Henry was taken in as a partner with his brother,
282
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
John P., in the hardware business in Aplington, in February,
1913. The youngest member of the family, Florence, lives at
home. John P. Arends was graduated from the Aplington high
school in 1899 and took a course in the Waterloo business col-
lege, from 1900 to 1902. At the time of his father's death, in
February, 1902, he was called upon to work in his father's hard-
ware store, assisting his older brother, Arend P., in conducting
the business until May, 1903, when the estate was settled. In
December, 1903, he moved to Marshalltown, Iowa, but in 1909
returned to Aplington and established himself in business, open-
ing a hardware, heating, lighting and plumbing concern. He
has met with a gratifying degree of success and has now a large
patronage accorded to him in recognition of his honorable and
upright methods and his reasonable prices.
In Marshalltown, Iowa, on the 16th of May, 1905, Mr. Arends
was united in marriage to Miss Bessie L. Hauser, a daughter of
David Hauser, a retired farmer living in Union. Mr. and Mrs.
Arends have four children : David R., Roger, John P., Jr. ; and a
son, born January 15, 1914, and not named at this writing.
Mr. Arends is independent in his political views. He is a
young man' of energy, resource and capability, and he will
undoubtedly be carried forward into still more important relations
with business interests of the community.
PAUL J. GERDES.
The Evergreen Home Stock Farm, comprising three hundred
and twenty acres of the finest land in Butler county, is the prop-
erty of Paul J. Gerdes, and its excellent condition and modern
equipment testifies to his progressive and practical agricultural
methods and to the care and supervision which he bestows upon
his property. He was born in Peoria county, Illinois, March 26,
1866, a son of George P. Gerdes, a native of Germany, Avho emi-
grated to America and located near Peoria, Illinois, where he
worked in the coal mines for about thirteen years. In 1881 lie
moved to Iowa, settling on a farm in Carroll county, where
he spent the remainder of his life, dying there in 1909. His wife
survives him.
Paul J. Gerdes came to Iowa with his parents when he was
about sixteen years of age and remained with his father on the
PAUL J. GEEDES AND FAMILY
a
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 285
farm until he reached manhood. He afterward worked as a farm
laborer for four years and after his marriage, which occurred in
1891, he rented land in Butler county for five years and then pur-
chased his father's property of one hundred and forty-five acres.
At the end of six years he sold this and moved to Butler county,
buying the farm whereon he now resides. He owns three hun-
dred and twenty acres of well improved land on sections 17 and
18, Madison township, and upon this he has made excellent im-
provements, setting out a grove of evergreen and forest trees and
providing his place with substantial buildings, including a scale
house, a granary, corn cribs, a milk house and a garage. His
place is known as the Evergreen Home Stock Farm and upon it
he raises horses and a good grade of shorthorn cattle and Duroc
Jersey crossed with Poland China hogs. He is a stockholder in
the Butler County Telephone Compan}^ and in the Farmers Co-
operative Elevator Company of Dumont. In addition to his home
farm he owns eighty acres in Franklin county, and this place is
also well improved and highly developed.
On the 13th of March, 1891, in Butler county, Mr. Gerdes mar-
ried Miss Hattie Betten, a native of Germany, who came to Amer-
ica when she was eight years of age and was reared in Carroll
countj^, Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Gerdes became the parents of five
children: Hilda, the wife of Albert Lowling; Dirk P., who is
aiding in the operation of the homestead; George H. ; and two
children who died in infancy. The parents are members of the
German Reformed church, and Mr. Gerdes gives his political alle-
giance to the republican party. He is one of the progressive and
representative business men of Madison township and in attaining
the enviable degree of success which he today enjoys has con-
tributed in substantial measure to community growth and develop-
ment.
ROBERT G. WOLFENSPERGER.
Agricultural interests of Beaver township find a progressive
and worthy representative in Robert G. Wolfensperger, engaged
in general farming, dairying and stock-raising upon one hundred
and sixty acres of land on section 32. He was born in New Hart-
ford, Iowa, April 2, 1885, a son of Newton and Emma (Packard)
286 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
Wolfensperger, tlie former boru in Morgansville, Maryland,
in November, 1861, and the latter in Grant county, Wiscon-
sin, in 1868. The father came to Iowa about the year 1879 and
his marriage occurred in Waterloo about 1884. He was con-
nected with agricultural interests in that locality for a number
of years thereafter and is now living retired in New Hartford.
He and his wife have four children, Robert G., Lola G., Orrin
E. and Orphia A. Members of this family have been in America
for many generations. Mr. Wolfensperger's maternal grand-
father, Robert Packard, was a mail carrier between Dubuque and
Chicago in pioneer times and was several times shot by highway-
men while discharging his duties.
Robert G. Wolfensperger acquired his education in the public
schools of New Hartford and was graduated from the high school
at the age of eighteen. He afterward worked on the farm with
his father until 1907 and then entered the restaurant business
in New Hartford, continuing in this for two years. In 1911 he
rented his father's farm of one hundred and sixty acres on sec-
tion 32, Beaver township, and upon this property has since resided.
He raises grain and hay, all of which he feeds to his stock,
raising an average of fifty-fiA^e head of cattle, one hundred hogs
and twelve horses every year. He ships to outside markets, but
the products of his large and profitable dairy are all sold in the
local market. Mr. Wolfensperger has met with a notable degree
of success in the conduct of his farming interests and is recog-
nized as one of the most able agriculturists in the county. He
owns a half interest in one hundred and sixt}" acres in Mower
county, Minnesota, and is a stockholder in the New Hartford
Creamery Company and the Packard Power & Mining Company,
of Gypsum, Colorado.
In New Hartford, on the 1st of September, 1909, Mr. Wolf-
ensperger married Miss Myra Morton, a daughter of John and
Emma (Cumming) Morton, the former a retired farmer living
in New Hartford. He was born in Hadley, Massachusetts, in
1835 and came to Iowa in 1858. In 1861 he enlisted in the Fif-
teenth Iowa Volunteer Infantry and served during the entire
course of the Civil war. His wife was born in Ohio in 1850 and
died in 1909. They had five children: Nina A., who has passed
away; Anna S.; Ida I.; Charles A.; and Myra, the wife of the
subject of this review. Mr. and Mrs. Wolfensperger have become
the parents of two sons : Wendell E. and Harland Morton, born
December 7, 1913.
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 287
Mr. Wolfensperger is a member of the Baptist church. He
is independent in his political beliefs and is connected frater-
nally with the Modern Woodmen in America. He is a young
man of energy, resource and capacity and will undoubtedly be
carried forward into still more important relations with the agri-
cultural life of the township.
HENRY E. DAY, M. D.
Dr. Henry E. Day, who for the past fifteen years has prac-
ticed medicine and surgery in Dumont, was born in Somerset-
shire, England, July 21, 1868, a son of John and Sylvia Day, also
natives of England. The father engaged in farming in Somer-
setshire until his death and afterward the mother and her chil-
dren came to America, locating at Auburn, New York, where she
still resides. She had two sons: Dr. Henry E., of this review;
and Dr. "W. E., a well known physician of Clarksville, Iowa.
Dr. Henry E. Day remained in England until he was seven-
teen years of age and acquired his primary education there. He
crossed the Atlantic to America in 1884 and came direct to Iowa,
locating first in Franklin county, where for a time he worked on
a farm during the summer months, attending school during the
winter. He afterward removed to Bristow, where he pursued his
education, still spending his vacations working as a farm laborer.
Having determined to study medicine, he entered the office of
Dr. Hobson, of Bristow, later taking a course of lectures in the
medical department of Iowa State University and graduating
with the degree of M. D. in 1897. During his university course
he remained with Dr. Hobson, studying under him and assisting
him when not attending lectures. After his graduation he formed
a partnership with Dr. Appleby and began the practice of his
profession at Bristow, continuing there until his removal to Alli-
son. About 1898 he came to Dumont, where he has since resided.
He is recognized as a man of superior professional attain-
ments, well versed in the underlying principles of medicine
and in touch with the most advanced medical thought. His prac-
tice has increased yearly in volume and importance and its pro-
portions now place him among the most successful physicians
and surgeons in his part of the county. Dr. Day is a member of
the Butler Countv and the Iowa State Medical Societies and also
288 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
of the Austin Eliut Medical Association. He 1ms been president
of the county society and is well known in the affairs of all of
these organizations. In addition to his professional practice he
is local surgeon for the Chicago & Northwestern RaHroad Com-
pany and medical examiner for a nmnber of life insurance com-
panies. ^ T^ TA
On the 29th of December, 1907, in Hampton, Iowa, Dr. Day
was united in marriage to Miss Fannie Coryell, a native of Iowa
and a daughter of C. H. Coryell, one of the early settlers m
Hampton. Dr. and Mrs. Day have three children, Mina E., Don-
ovan H. and Clifford C.
Dr. Day was reared in the Episcopal church but he and his
wife and family now attend the Methodist Episcopal church of
Dumont. Fraternally Dr. Day is a Master Mason and is con-
nected with the Allison blue lodge. He is also affiliated with the
Knights of Pythias. He has been for fifteen years in active prac-
tice in Dumont and by his labors and high professional attain-
ments has gained an enviable position in the regard of the public
and in the ranks of the medical fraternity of Butler county.
CHARLES H. HUNT.
A farm of one hundred and sixty acres on section 33, Butler
township, pays tribute to Charles H. Hunt, who resided thereon
for a number of years before he came to Clarksville, where he is
now engaged in the fire insurance business. He was born in But-
ler township, August 7, 1866, a son of Heman and Sarah (Hus-
band) Hunt. He was the youngest of three sons and has been a
lifelong resident of the township in which he still makes his home.
The district schools afforded him his educational opportunities,
and in his youth his time was divided between the duties of the
schoolroom, the pleasures of the playgrounds and the work of the
fields. He early became familiar with the best methods of tilling
the soil, and after he had attained his majority he began farming
on his own account. He was thus engaged until 1909, and his
quarter section of land was converted into rich and productive
fields, while many substantial improvements were added to the
farm and stand as monuments to his thrift and industry. For
one year in early manhood he also engaged in teaching school and
later worked in a bank at Shell Rock for nearlv six vears, or from
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 289
the 15tli of May, 1888, until the 20th of August, 1893. It was
subsequent to that date that he purchased his present farm, which
he continued to cultivate until he established his home in Clarks-
ville, where he is now engaged in the fire insurance business. He
has secured a liberal patronage, and the policies which he writes
amount to a large figure annually.
On the 2d of December, 1896, Mr. Hunt was married to Miss
Margaret M. Leeper, who was born near Heyworth, Illinois, and
resided there until her marriage. Mr. Hunt belongs to the Inde-
pendent Order of Odd Fellows and gives his political support to
the republican party, believing that the principles of its platform
are most conducive to good government. The fact that many of
his stanchest friends are those who have known him from his boy-
hood to the present time is an indication that his has been an
active, well spent and honorable life.
ROBERT HUNTER.
I
Robert Hunter, carrying on general farming on section 4,
Shell Rock township, his place being well improved according to
modern methods of agriculture, was born in New York city, in
March, 1850, a son of Samuel and Sarah (McBride) Hunter,
both of whom were natives of Ireland. They came to the United
States with two sons about 1850 and settled in New York city,
where the father's death resulted from sunstroke when Robert
Hunter was about two years of age. The mother afterward
went to Belmont, Ohio, to live with an uncle and there passed away
when her son, Robert, was about eight years of age. The family
numbered four children: John S., living in Ohio; Samuel of
Philadelphia ; Robert ; and Sarah, the wife of L. W. Howard of
Shell Rock township.
Following the mother's death the family was scattered, Robert
Hunter remaining with the uncle until his death and afterward
living with the uncle 's eldest son until he, Robert, had reached the
age of twenty-two years. At that time he removed to Hamilton
county, Iowa, but five years later came to Butler county and has
since resided on his present farm comprising one hundred and
twenty acres on section 4, Shell Rock township. He paid twenty-
five dollars per acre for this property, which is today worth one
hundred and fifty dollars per acre. He carries on general farming
290 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
and stock-raising, and the fields yield liim golden harvests, while
his annual income derived from his stock is also a gratifying one.
In 1882 Mr. Hunter was united in marriage to Miss Parintha
A. Robins, who died in Shell Rock township in 1891. The chil-
dren of that marriage were: Naomi, a school teacher of the
county; Clifton, a farmer of Shell Rock township; Ethel, who
died at the age of two years; Bertha, at home; and Laura, who
died at the age of three years. For his second wife Mr. Hunter
chose Miss Minerva Oberdorf, whom he wedded in 1896, and
they have a daughter, Ruth. Mr. Hunter has long been a resident
of this county and has witnessed much of its development and
improvement, always taking an active part in measures for the
general good. He is also interested in the moral progress of the
community and is a consistent member of the Baptist church of
Shell Rock.
HENRY WILSON.
Henry Wilson derives a gratifying and substantial income
from his farm of two hundred and forty acres on sections 19 and
20, Jefferson township. His property is well improved, his home
being situated on section 20, and the land is today worth one hun-
dred and fifty dollars per acre, owing to the excellent care he has
given it and his practical, systematic and scientific methods of
development. Illinois numbers him among her native sons, his
birth having occurred in McHenry county, June 1, 1862. He is a
son of John M. and Dora (Coster) Wilson, who were natives of
Mecklenburg- Schwerin, Germany. They were married about 1860
in McHenry county, Illinois, Mr. Wilson having for seven years
resided in this country, while his wife had but recently arrived
at the time of her marriage. In 1869 they removed to this county,
taking up their abode in Jefferson township. He always made
farming his life work and became the owner of one hundred and
sixty acres of rich and productive land. In addition to tilling the
fields he raised considerable stock and milked many cows. For
five years he had from five hundred to seven hundred head of
cattle, which were herded over the prairie, and he milked as high
as forty cows, being assisted in the work by his sons, the boys being
thus kept busy. Removing to Dumont, he there established a
creamery and a general merchandise business, which he conducted
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 291
for eight years. He was recognized as a man of sterling qualities,
and his word was always regarded as good as his bond. He was
an enterprising business man, a hard worker, persistent, deter-
mined and progressive, and as the years went by he achieved a
success that was well merited. His educational opportunities
were extremely limited. He could not read nor write, and yet no
one could surpass him at figuring in his head and the result was
always accurate. He possessed strong native intelligence and
throughout his entire life learned continuously in the school of
experience. In politics he was a stanch republican, believing
firmly in the principles of the party. He was also an active and
faithful member of the German Evangelical church, taking a
most helpful part in its work and was the builder of the house
of worship for that denomination at Dumont. To him and his
wife were born six sons: Henry; John and Harvey, who are
residents of Jefferson township; Christ, living in Dumont;
Charley, also of Dumont; and William, of Dougherty.
Henry Wilson was only about seven years of age when the
family came to this county, and here he has since made his home.
The public schools afforded him his educational opportunities,
and his business training was received under the direction of his
father. During the eight years in which the family resided at
Dumont he assisted his father in conducting the creamery busi-
ness and the store, and for thirteen years altogether he was engaged
in the manufacture of butter. With the exception of the period
spent in Dumont he has always been a resident of Jefferson town-
ship. He has made most of the improvements upon his tract of
two hundred and forty acres, which he purchased ten years ago
of Samuel Williams, one of the pioneer settlers of the county, who
entered the land from the government. Mr. Wilson paid fifty
dollars per acre for this property, and it is today worth one
hundred and fifty dollars, owing to the improvements which he
has placed upon it and the high state of cultivation to which he
has developed the fields. He makes live stock the principal fea-
ture of his farm, keeps high grades of horses, cattle and hogs and
milks from eighteen to twenty-five head of cows, his dairy products
finding a ready sale. Mr. Wilson is also a stockholder in the
Farmers Cooperative Elevator Company of Allison and is secre-
tary and treasurer of the Central Jefferson Telephone Company.
He is an alert, energetic business man with keen sagacity and
sound judgment, and these qualities have been the salient forces
in bringing him the success he now enjoys.
292 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
Mr. Wilson is pleasantly situated in liis home life. He was
married July 26, 1883, to Miss Mary Eenning, who was born in
McHenry county, Illinois, October 8, 1863, and came to Butler
county in 1864 with her parents, Charles and Christina (Linnen-
beck) Renning, who were natives of Germany and were married
there. Arriving in the new world, they settled in Illinois and
thence came to Iowa, where the father died in December, 1907, at
the age of seventy-three years, while the mother now makes her
home in Jefferson township with her son Charles. Mr. and Mrs.
Renning had five children, all of whom are residents of this county.
Mr. and Mrs. Wilson also have five children : Frank E., at home ;
Lottie M., the wife of Tracy Scott, of Clarksville ; Fred and For-
rest, at home; and Nellie, the wife of Ray Scott, of Jefferson
township.
Mr. Wilson has held some school and road offices and has been
township trustee. He is an earnest republican in his political
views, supporting the principles of the party from the time he
attained his majority. He is a Y^eoman, and he belongs to the
Evangelical church. These associations indicate much of the
nature of the principles which govern his life, constituting him a
man of sterling worth. He regards the attainment of success as
but one feature of life and is ever ready and willing to perform
his duties of citizenship and to meet his obligations to his fellow-
men.
JOHN HOWE.
During the long years of his residence in Butler county John
Howe was closely associated with farming interests until a few
3^ears prior to his death, when he removed to Shell Rock, there
spending his remaining days. He was in the seventy-eighth year
of his age when he passed away, his birth having occurred in Phila-
delphia, Pennsylvania, August 1, 1832. His parents were James
and Margaret Howe. The father died when our subject was a
small boy and the mother passed away in 1866.
Mr. Howe remained a resident of his native state throughout
the period of his boyhood and youth and in 1855, when about
twenty-three years of age, removed to Ohio. He did not tarry long
in that state, however, but continued on his westward way to Mus-
catine, Iowa, from which point he walked to Shell Rock. He
JOHA' HOWE
i
r£^!0^<
1
e-i
• HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 295
entered a tract of land in Butler township, this county, and then
returned to Ohio, but in 1859 again came to Butler county, where
he made permanent settlement. Not a furrow had been turned or
an improvement made upon his land when it came into his pos-
session. With characteristic energ}^ he began to develop it and
the remainder of his active life was devoted to farming. He
brought his fields under a high state of cultivation and as the years
passed on he gathered good harvests as a reward for his labors.
He then retired to Shell Rock, where his remaining days were
passed. He was the owner of two hundred and forty acres while
actively engaged in farming, but shortly prior to his retirement
he sold one hundred and sixty acres and afterward disposed of
the remainder. He came to this county a poor man and as the
years passed he made steady progress along the path of success.
In February, 1882, Mr. Howe was united in marriage to Miss
Harriett Smith, who was born in Indiana, January 6, 1853. She
was left an orphan in early age and in 1872 came to this county to
live with a sister, Mrs. Mary Ann Williams, who is now deceased.
The death of Mr. Howe octo'red March 7, 1910, and was the
occasion of deep regret to many friends. He held membership in
the Methodist Episcopal church, to which Mrs. Howe still belongs,
and he was also a member of the Odd Fellows lodge at Shell Rock.
In politics he was a republican but did not seek nor desire office,
preferring to live a quiet home life.
He lost his father when a small boy and from an early age was
dependent upon his own resources, becoming a self-made man in
the truest and best sense of the term. While he won success, it
was never at the price of another's failure. In all of his busi-
ness career he followed constructive methods and his industry and
integrity were the salient forces that gained for him his pros-
perity.
JACOB KINGERY.
Jacob Kingery, a representative and valued citizen of But-
ler county, familiarly known as "Jake" to his many friends, was
born in Bennezette township, March 25, 1862. He is a son of
William and Mary M. (Etter) Kingery, the former a native of
Pennsylvania and a pioneer in Iowa. More extended mention
of his career may be found elsewhere in this work.
Vol. n— 16
296 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
Jacob Kingery was reared on the home farm in Coldwater
township, acquiring his education in the district schools. He
remained with his father until he was twenty-two years of age
and then worked out on a neighboring farm as a monthly laborer.
He later rented land which he farmed for six years, after which
he purchased an eighty acre tract, a portion of the farm upon
which he now resides. When this land came into his possession
only a portion of the soil was broken and there was an old house
upon it. With characteristic energy Mr. Kingery cleared more
land, fenced the property into convenient fields, set out a grove
of forest and evergreen trees, built a new house and erected a
number of other substantial buildings. He afterward added to
his holdings an adjoining tract of sixty-five acres on section 8,
across from the home farm, and later bought a tract of one hun-
dred and sixty acres on section 6 and upon this farm has just
built a new house, a corn crib and a number of outbuildings. He
has fenced and cross fenced the fields and set out an orchard form-
ing a windbreak north and west of the buildings on the home farm.
He has also tiled all of his land, greatly increasing its value thereby.
In addition to the operation of these farms Mr. Kingery has other
important business interests, being a stockholder in the Greene
Cooperative Creamery Association and in the Farmers Elevator
Company.
On the 30th of March, 1884, in Coldwater township, Mr. Kin-
gery married Miss Eva A. Burkholder, a native of Virginia and a
daughter of Henry Burkholder, who moved from that state to
Butler county, when Mrs. Kingery was still a child. Mr. and Mrs.
Kingery became the parents of ten children. Lewis H. is a farmer
in Floyd county. He is married and has two children. Frank
C. is operating his father's one hundred and sixty acre farm on
section 6. He is married and has one son. The other members of
this family are: Mary; Gertrude, the wife of Leland Ray, of
Butler county; Katie; Anna; Albert; Beulah; Delmar; and one
child, Raymond, who died at the age of seven months.
Mr. and Mrs. Kingery are members of the Church of the
Brethren of Greene, and Mr. Kingery has been a deacon for many
years. He is active in church and Sunday-school work, having
served as superintendent of the Sabbath school and also as assist-
ant. He gives his political allegiance to the republican party and
is now serving his third tenn as township trustee, having been
first appointed to this office to fill a vacancy. He has also been
Identified with school affairs for a number of vears. His record
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 297
shows conclusively what may be accomplished by perseverance
and industry, for he started out in life with comparatively no
resources and as a result of his hard work and good management
is now the owner of two valuable farms. The spirit of progress
actuates him in all that he does, and he keeps continuously abreast
of the trend of the times, a fact indicated in his recent purchase of
a new 1912 model Oakland touring car. He is known as a man
of exemplary character and high principles and holds the esteem
and confidence of his fellow citizens.
GEORGE A. HAHN.
Various business and public interests have profited by the
cooperation, enterprise and sound judgment of George A. Hahn,
one of the enterprising farmers of Ripley township, living on
section 5. He is a native of this county, his birth having occurred
in Jefferson township, March 28, 1866, his parents being Fred
and Mar}^ (Yarcho) Hahn, both of whom were natives of Ger-
many, the former of Saxony and the latter of Mecklenburg.
When young people they crossed the Atlantic and became resi-
dents of Harvard, Illinois, where they were married. About
1863 they removed to Butler county, Iowa, settling in Jefferson
township, where the wife and mother passed away on the 19th of
December, 1885. The father afterward married again and re-
moved to Muscatine county, Iowa, where he died January 8, 1900,
at the age of seventy-two years. Throughout his entire life he
was a farmer, and although he came to the United States empty-
handed, he won success as the years went on and became pros-
perous. He had six children, all born of the first marriage::
Augustus, now living in Allison ; Mary, the wife of Louis Yarchoy
of Waterloo, Iowa; Charles, who followed farming near Shell
Rock and died March 19, 1908; George A.; Ernest, of Jackson
township ; and Amelia, who died at the age of two years.
George A. Hahn has spent his entire life in this county where
he has followed farming and carpentering. He made his home
in Jefferson township until he came to his present farm in Rip^
ley township in 1900. He began here with one hundred and
sixty acres of land but now has two hundred and forty acres, con-
stituting an excellent farm, upon which he has placed most of
the improvements, doing all the carpenter work himself. The:
298 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
farm presents a neat and thrifty appearance and, in fact, con-
stitutes one of the attractive features of the landscape. He raises
high-grade stock of all kinds and in addition to his farm interests
is president of the Fairview Telephone Company and a stock-
holder in the Cooperative Creamery Company.
On the 6th of May, 1891, Mr. Hahn was united in marriage to
Miss Anna Reisewitz, who was born in Berlin, Germany, March
4, 1873, and in 1883 went to Holland, Grundy county, Iowa, with
her parents, Joseph and Paulina (Fritche) Reisewitz. Her
father was a truck gardener and died in Cedar Falls in March,
1912, at the age of seventy-five years, and the mother still resides
there. The family remained at Holland only a few weeks and
then went to Cedar Falls, where Mrs. Hahn lived to the time of
her marriage. Eight children have been born to Mr. and Mrs.
Hahn, namely: Ray, born March 22, 1892; Fred, born Septem-
ber 22, 1894; Rachel, whose birth occurred February 21, 1896;
Mary, born October 14, 1900; Clara, born September 6, 1902;
George, whose birth occurred June 7, 1905; Lee, born December
19, 1906; and John, born September 26, 1908. Of these all are
living, except Fred, who died at the age of six years and George,
who died in infancy.
In his political views Mr. Hahn is a republican and served as
township trustee for six years. He has also been president of
the school board and the cause of education finds in him a stal-
wart friend. In fact, he takes an active and helpful interest in
all that pertains to the welfare and progress of the community
and is a most loyal and progressive citizen. As a native son, he
has long witnessed the development and progress of the county,
and he has a wide acquaintance in this section of the state, where
his friends are many.
JOHN LEEPER.
John Leeper is living retired in Clarksville but for thirty
years was busily engaged in the development and cultivation of a
farm of four hundred acres, which he owns in Jackson township.
He ranked with the leading and representative agriculturists of
the community and has made an excellent business record, his his-
tory proving conclusively what may be accomplished when one has
the will to dare and to do. He was born in McLean county, Illi-
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 299
nois, December 19, 1856, and is a son of Charles and Isabel (Oliver)
Leeper, who were natives of Kentucky and Ireland respectively.
They went to Illinois with their parents in early childhood and
were married in that state. The father died upon the old home-
stead in McLean county in October, 1906, at the advanced age of
eighty-four years, and the mother is still living there. They had
a family of eight children, seven of whom yet survive, William,
the sixth in order of birth, having died when about ten years of
age. The others are : Thomas, who is living with his mother, at
Heyworth, Illinois ; John, the second in order of birth ; Mary, the
wife of J. B. Buck, also of Heyworth ; Margaret, the wife of C. H.
Hunt, who is mentioned elsewhere in this volume; Charles O.,
whose home is in Heyworth; A. J., a resident farmer of DeWitt
county, Illinois ; and Elizabeth Jane, who is with her mother.
John Leeper acquired his early education in the public schools
of his native county and afterward spent three 3^ears as a student
in the Wesleyan University at Bloomington, completing the
academic course by graduation. In 1881 he became identified
with Butler county, where he entered the live-stock business and
also engaged actively in farming. This was not his first trip to
Iowa, for he had spent the summer of 1877 here before he entered
the university, his father owning a half section of land, which
John Leeper cared for through that summer. In 1881, however,
he started in business independently and gradually worked his
way upward. To his original possessions he added until within
the boundaries of his farm are comprised four hundred acres.
His place is situated on section 35, Jackson township, and he
conducted it successfully until the spring of 1911, when, satisfied
with his possessions, he put aside further business cares to live
retired in Clarksville, giving his attention now merely to the
supervision of his invested interests. His success did not come to
him without effort ; in fact, he has lived the life of a most energetic
and persistent business man and it has been through the capable
control of his farming and live-stock interests that he has won the
prosperity which he now enjoys.
In 1883 Mr. Leeper was united in marriage to Miss Margaret
A. Tilford, who was born in Benton county, Iowa, June 13, 1864,
and arrived in Butler county in the spring of 1881. Her parents
were John and Mahala (Harper) Tilford, the former a native
of Indiana and the latter of Iowa. The mother died at Vinton,
while the father passed away in Clarksville. Mr. and Mrs. Leeper
have become the parents of four children. Charles Young, who
300 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
operates tlie home farm, married Edith Bohner and has one son,
Donald. John St. Clair, living in Waterloo, wedded Mabel Smith.
Le Roy, also of Waterloo, wedded Maude Walz. Mahala com-
pletes the family. J. S. and L. E. are attorneys in Waterloo and
were graduated from the liberal arts course at Iowa City and
from the law department of the State University. They are now
practicing under the firm style of Leeper & Leeper. All of the
sons are graduates of the high school at Clarksville and the eldest
son, Charles, spent two years in the mechanical engineering depart-
ment of the State University.
In his political views Mr. Leeper is a democrat, well informed
on the questions and issues of the day. For four years he served
as assessor of Jackson township and was twice the democratic
nominee for county clerk. He has served as county committee-
man and does all in his power to further the interests of the party,
in the principles of which he firmly believes. Working his way
steadily upward, he has made good use of his time, talent and op-
portunities, and his even paced energy has carried him into im-
portant relations.
HERMAN JOHNSON.
Herman Johnson, a highly respected and enterprising farmer
of West Point township, living on section 13, was born in Ost
Friesland, Hanover, Germany, February 16, 1853. His parents
were John and Grace (Hagemeyer) Johnson, also natives of
Hanover. Their last days, however, were spent on this side of the
water, the father passing away in Ogle county, Illinois, in 1880,
when fifty-six years of age, while his wife died at the home of her
son, Hemian, December 26, 1890, at the age of sixty-five years.
Their family numbered six children: Herman; Jennie, the
deceased wife of Charles Rolfs; A. W., mentioned elsewhere in
this volume ; Frank IL, whose home is in Terril, Iowa ; Henry,
living in Minnesota ; and John A., of Lake Park, Dickinson county,
Iowa.
Herman Johnson spent the first eighteen years of his life in
his native land and attended school until fifteen years of age, after
which time he worked as a laborer in Germanv until he came'to the
United States in 1871. Making his wav into the interior of the
country he settled at Rochelle, Hlinois, and soui^ht immediate
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 301
employment, for he brought no capital with him. He worked as a
farm hand for four years and during that period sent back such
favorable reports concerning America, its conditions and its oppor-
tunities, that his father and the family came in 1873. Herman
Johnson began farming in connection with his father in Ogle
county, Illinois, in 1876, the business association being maintained
for four years. In 1880, however, Herman Johnson was married
and began farming on his own account, following agricultural
pursuits in Ogle county through the succeeding decade. He
arrived in Iowa in 1890 and purchased his present farm of two
hundred acres, for which he paid thirty dollars per acre. He
immediately began its development and has placed upon it all of
its present improvements which include fine buildings — a commo-
dious and attractive modern home and substantial barns. A good
grove had been set out and an orchard had been planted by I. M.
Fisher, the former owner. He makes a specialty of stock raising,
feeds all of the grain which he raises and also buys some.
The place is called the Ash Lane Farm, its name being taken
from the fact that there is a lane leading to the house bordered on
each side by a row of fine ash trees. There is also an evergreen
growth surrounding the home and upon the place are fruit trees
of all kinds for the family use. The farm is now splendidly
equipped with all modern conveniences and accessories and pro-
gressive methods are followed by Mr. Johnson in raising and
handling stock, so that his labors are crowned with a very gratify-
ing measure of success.
In 1880 Mr. Johnson was united in marriage to Miss Kate
Rippentrop, who was born in Hanover, Germany, near the birth-
place of her husband, on the 25th of February, 1860, and in 1864
was taken to Illinois by her parents, John and Minnie (Dutcher)
Rippentrop, who now reside north of Rochelle, Illinois. They
are a most venerable couple, the father having reached the age
of ninety-three while the mother is eighty-six years of age.
Although now so far advanced in years, they live alone on the old
homestead on which they first located in 1874. Mr. and Mrs. John-
son have three children : George H., of Portland, Oregon ; Minnie
Grace, also living in that city ; and Genevieve, at home.
In his political views Mr. Johnson was a stalwart republican
for many years and is now identified with the progressive party.
He never fears to announce and support his honest convictions
and seeks ever the welfare of the community. He has served as
township trustee and also in road and school offices. He belongs
302
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
to the Masonic fraternity, exemplifying in his life its teachings
concerning mutual helpfuhiess and brotherly kindness. He is also
a consistent member of the Congregational church. Whatever
success he has achieved is attributable entirely to his own efforts.
He reached Chicago on the Sunday following the great fire which
broke out on the 9th of October, 1871. He made his way into the
interior of Illinois and empty-handed started out in life there,
possessing no capital save determination and ambition. He has
made good use of his time and opportunities and the labors which
he has wrought have given him place among the prosperous
farmers of West Point township.
D. A. McGregor.
D. A. McGregor follows farming on section 2, Jefferson town-
ship. It was upon this place that his birth occurred, September
1, 1867, his parents being Duncan and Janette (Stewart) Mc-
Gregor, both of whom were natives of Perthshire, Scotland. The
former was a son of James and Christiana (McCowan) McGregor.
The grandmother died in her native land but the grandfather came
to America and passed away at the home of a daughter in March,
1865, at the age of sixty-three years. He had four children by his
first marriage and two by his second, namely : James, a venerable
citizen of Butler county ; John, who died in Kentucky ; Peter, who
died in Australia ; Duncan ; a daughter who died in childhood ; and
Christina, who became the wife of Noble Thompson and passed
awav in this countv.
Duncan McGregor was born in Perthshire, Scotland, Septem-
ber, 1836, and remained in his native country through the period
of his minority but in 1857 crossed the Atlantic and made his way
to Ohio, where he joined his brother, James. There they worked
in a sawmill and on a. farm. Duncan McGregor afterward worked
in Butler county for two years for his brother, receiving payment
in a tract of land of eighty acres. After seven years in the United
States, he went to New York to meet his intended bride and had
to wait for an entire month before the sailing vessel on which she
had taken passage arrived. At length, however, the voyage was
ended and the young couple met and came on to Dubuque, Iowa,
where they were married. This was in 1864. They began their
domestic life on the eighty-acre tract of land previously mentioned
D. A. McGREGOE AND FAMILY
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 305
and as his financial resources increased lie kept adding to Ms hold-
ings until he had three hundred and twenty acres on sections 2
and 3, Jefferson township. This farm he still owns and was ac-
tively engaged in agricultural pursuits until his wife's death, on
the 1st of January, 1906, since which time he has spent the winter
months in San Diego, California. He has led the life of an indus-
trious, energetic, hard-working man and well deserves the rest
which has come to him. He has ever been a great reader and has
kept informed concerning the leading questions, interests and
issues of the day.
He has always voted with the republican party, and his religious
faith is that of the Presbyterian church. Unto him and his wife
were born seven children, of whom five died in 1880 of diphtheria ;
Margaret at the age of sixteen; Janette at the age of eleven;
Jemima, John and Charles. The second of the family, James Mc-
Gregor, is now living in Oskaloosa, Iowa, while D. A. McGregor,
the third of the family 3^et makes his home here. They were to
have a fine dairy of forty cows to milk in order to keep all the
children busy and were to ship butter to Boston, this being one
of the first dairy enterprises of Butler county, but the children
became ill at the time of a diphtheria epidemic and one after
another passed away until five graves had been made side by side
in the family burial lot.
D. A. McGregor has alwa3^s resided upon the old homestead
farm, save for one year which he spent upon a farm of one hun-
dred and sixty acres on section 11, Jefferson township, which he
owned. He has chased cattle over the prairies when there were
no fences here. Looking back to that period it seems that the
work of development and improvement had scarcely been begun
then, so many have been the changes which have since occurred.
Mr. McGregor has improved the farm according to modern meth-
ods and he has made a specialty of bee culture, keeping about one
hundred colonies. He is the only farmer of his locality who is
engaged in feeding cattle. He buys and feeds cattle on quite an
extensive scale, and the business adds materially to his income.
In 1901 Mr. McGregor was married to Miss Marion Lindsay,
who was born in Scotland, June 1, 1866, and in 1878 went to Bur-
lington, Iowa, with her parents. After residing there for about
twenty years she was married. She is a daughter of William and
Agnes (Brown) Lindsay. The father died in Burlington in 1903,
when seventy-four years of age, and the mother passed away at
the home of Mr. and Mrs. McGregor in April, 1910, at the age of
306 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
seventy-four years. Mrs. McGregor is a graduate of the high
school of Burlington, Iowa, and of the city training school for
teachers. She secured a state teacher's certificate and for twelve
years was a successful teacher in the Buiiing-ton city schools. Mr.
McGregor attended the Breckenridge Institute in Decorah, Iowa,
and both are greatly interested in education, it being their purpose
to provide their children with excellent advantages in that direc-
tion. They have three sons : Duncan, William Lindsay and John
Stewart.
The name of McGregor has long figured in connection with the
history of northern Iowa. The mother of our subject spent many
lonely days here when her husband was gone to Cedar Falls, the
nearest trading point and the railroad terminal. Settlements were
few in those days. It was only here and there that one would come
upon a pioneer home as he rode over the almost trackless prairie,
but the fertility of the soil naturally won the attention of progress-
ive men, who were willing to brave the privations and hardships
of pioneer life in order to enjoy the advantages that could be se-
cured in this rich prairie country. Duncan McGregor was of this
class and the work which he instituted has been taken up and car-
ried forward by his son, D. A. McGregor, who is today one of the
leading and representative farmers of Jefferson township.
HENRY W. COSTER.
The home farm of Henry W. Coster is situated on section 10,
Shell Rock township, and comprises eighty acres of rich and pro-
ductive land adjoining the corporate limits of the town of Shell
Rock. The place is well improved with modern equipments and
presents a neat and attractive appearance, indicative of the care-
ful supervision of a progressive owner. Mr. Coster is a native
of McHenry county, Illinois, born November 10, 1868. The fol-
lowing year he was brought to Butler county by his parents, John
and Minnie (Stamer) Coster, in whose family were three chil-
dren, of whom Henry W., is the eldest. At the arrival of the
family in this county they took up their abode upon a favm in
Jefferson township, and there Henry W. Coster remained with
his parents until 1892, when he was married. He then began
farming on his own account about a mile from the old homestead,
cultivating that property until 1906, when he sold out and bought
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 307
his present farm of eighty acres adjoining Shell Rock. The
place is well improved with good buildings, and the fields are
carefully tilled according to modern scientific methods of farm-
ing. For the past eighteen years he has made a specialty of
breeding and raising Poland China hogs, which he exhibits at the
local fairs, winning many premiums thereon. In addition to
his farming and stock-raising interests he is president of the
Hawkeye Telephone Company of Shell Rock.
In 1892 Mr. Coster was united in marriage to Miss Millie B.
Echart, who was born in Butler county in 1872, a daughter of
Louis and Mary (Frances) Echart. The father was a native of
Grermany and the mother of England, and they now reside in
Shell Rock, Mr. Echart having retired from agricultural pur-
suits. Mr. and Mrs. Coster have three children: Elma L., Hazel
B. and Gretchen M. The eldest daughter is a graduate of the
high school of Shell Rock of the class of 1912 and is now teach-
ing in Jefferson township, where she first attended school and
where her mother also attended school.
Mr. Coster votes with the republican party, and he served as
township clerk for a number of years. He was also chairman
of the township central committee for several years and has
done all in his power to further the interests of the party and
promote its success. He and his wife belong to the Congrega-
tional church of Shell Rock, and he holds membership in the In-
dependent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias and the
Yeoman. Industry and determination have been the guiding
points of his life, and year after year has found him in advance
•of the financial position which he previously occupied. He is
now in comfortable circumstances, and his careful management
argues well for future success.
A. D. SHEPARD.
A. D. Shepard, a highly respected farmer of Butler town-
ship, living on section 5, was born in Rutland county, Vermont,
December 2, 1852, his parents being Dexter C. and Usula Abigail
(Wilder) Shepard. The father was a native of New England
and in the opening year of the Civil war enlisted in the Seventh
Vermont Volunteer Infantry. Going to the front, he died at
New Orleans, while serving under General Butler. While a
308 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
resident of the Green Mountain state lie engaged in the hunber
business, operating a sawmill for many years. He was a repre-
sentative of one of the old New England families of Scotch
descent, and the "Wilder family also of Scotch lineage, was founded
in New England in colonial days. Mrs. Shepard was born in
Rutland county, Vermont, and passed away in Peoria, Illinois,
when her son, A. D. Shepard, was but four years of age. She had
two children, the younger being Irving G., of Valley county,
Nebraska.
Left orphans at a very early age, the two boys went to live
with their maternal grandparents upon a farm in Rutland county,
Vermont. In 1868 A. D. Shepard arrived in .Jackson township,
Butler county, Iowa, with a cash capital of twenty-six dollars,
which he had saved from his earnings. Here he worked for his
uncle, Benjamin Priest, for five years and then returned to Ver-
mont, spending a year and a half in his native state. On the
expiration of that period he brought his brother back with him
to Iowa, where he gathered a herd of four hundred head of cattle,
which he herded on the present site of Allison and in that locality.
All through his life he has embraced every opportunity for se-
curing honorable advancement in a business w^ay, and after his
marriage he began farming, which he has since followed in But-
ler and Jackson townships, owning now sixty acres on section
5, Britler township.
It was in December, 1875, that Mr. Shepard married Miss
Alice Sill, who was born in CattaraugTis county, New^ Y^ork, June
17, 1857, and resided there until nine years of age, when she was
brought to a farm in this county by her parents, George and
Maria (Busch) Sill, who were natives of the Empire state, but
spent their last days in Iowa, dying near Clarksville.
Mr. and Mrs. Shepard became the parents of ten children:
George Earl, living in Conrad, Iowa ; Ernest Dexter of Marshall
countv; Winfred Clvde, who is mentioned elsewhere in this vol-
ume; Benjamin Howard, a resident farmer of Fremont town-
ship; Eber Clarence, whose home is in Bremer county; Isadore
Alice, who is in the telephone office at Greene; Edna Gertrude
Ivers A., Addie U., and Forrest Eugene, all at home. The son,
Benjamin, born in Jackson township, April 15, 1882, began farm-
ing on his own account at the age of twenty-one years and now
owns seventy-five acres in Dayton township, beside cultivating a
rented farm of two hundred acres in Fremont township, where
he resides. He was married in 1903 to Anna Ransom, a native
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 309
of tMs county and a daughter of C. M. Ransom of Jackson town-
sMp. They now have two sons, Lester Albro and Burr Alonzo.
Mr. Shepard is a republican, stalwart in support of the party,
and he has held a number of township offices in Butler township.
His religious faith is that of the Baptist church. Those who know
him esteem him for his sterling worth, for his integrity and his
upright life. They recognize in him a self-made man, whose suc-
cess is attributable entirely to his own labors.
AREND ESSMAN.
Among the representative and valued citizens of Madison
township is numbered Arend Essman, who dates his residence in
Butler county from 1879 and who during the intervening period
has been an active factor in the agricultural, business and politi-
cal life of the community. He was born in Oldenburg, Germany,
May 9, 1847, and grew to manhood there, acquiring his educa-
tion in the public schools. In December, 1865, he emigrated to
America and after his arrival in this country went immediately
to Illinois, where he joined his brother Frederick, becoming a
farm laborer. At the end of five or six years he rented land and
engaged in farming there until 1879, when he came west to Iowa,
where he also followed agricultural pursuits upon a rented farm.
However, before the expiration of one year he purchased two
hundred and forty acres upon which was a small house. Most
of this land had been broken and Mr. Essman steadily carried
forward the work of its further improvement, making it in time
one of the valuable and productive farms in the locality. He
later purchased more land and is now the owner of another farm
of two hundred and twenty-five acres on section 31, Madison
township. He has added to and remodeled the house and has now
a large, two-story residence, modern and well furnished in every
particular. There is almost a village of buildings upon his prop-
erty, for in addition to his house he has two large barns, a gran-
ary, a hog house, a cattle shed and a machine shop. The fields
are fenced and cross fenced and he has set out a grove of forest,
fruit and evergreen trees, which adds greatly to the appearance
and value of the place. In addition to general farming Mr. Ess-
man engages also in raising and feeding cattle and hogs, and his
stock-raising interests are extensive and important. He was one
310 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
of the promoters of the Butler County Telephone Company and
of the Farmers Cooperative Elevator Company of Dumont, and
he is also a stockholder in the Dumont State Bank.
In Ogle county, Blinois, March 6, 1873, Mi\ Essman was
united in marriage to Miss Minnie Nolte, a native of Germany,,
who came to the United States when she was fifteen years of
age. Mr. and Mrs. Essman have become the parents of four sons :
John H., a prominent farmer of Madison township; Henry F.^
who owns three hundred and twenty acres of land in Noble county,
Minnesota ; and Fred W. and Herman B., assisting in the opera-
tion of the home farm.
Mr. Essman votes the democratic ticket on national issues^
but in local affairs supports the men whom he considers best
fitted for office. On different occasions he has been elected a
trustee of Madison township and served in all sixteen years in
this position. He has also been active in educational work, serv-
ing as township school treasurer for four years, and he has been
a delegate to numerous county conventions and served on the
petit jury. He and his family are members of the German
Reformed church and are known throughout the township as
people of the highest respectability. Throughout the long period
of his residence here Mr. Essman has been a valuable factor in
promoting community development along many lines, and his
individual success places him among the prominent and leading
citizens of the communitv
FARLEN B. MINER.
The year 1866 witnessed the arrival of Farlen B. Miner in
this county, where he has resided continuously since, with the
exception of a period of six years spent in Nebraska. He owns
a farm of one hundred and sixty acres on section 21, Shell Rock
township, and, although there were no buildings upon the place
when he took possession, it is now a well improved property,
equipped according to the modern methods of farm development.
Mr. Miner was born in Green county, Wisconsin, September 13,
1859, a son of John W. and Rebecca (Dudgeon) Miner, who were
natives of Tuscarawas county, Ohio, the former born in 1821 and
the latter in 1827. They were married in the Buckeve state
and about 1853 removed to Wisconsin, where thev resided until
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 311
1866. They then came to Butler county, settling in Shell Rock
township, where both passed away, the father dying in 1881 at
the age of sixty-one years, while the mother's death occurred in
1910, when she was eighty-three years of age. Mr. Miner had
devoted his entire life to farming and thus provided a comfortable
living for his family. Both he and his wife were members of the
Methodist Episcopal church, and for many years he was one of
the church trustees at Shell Rock. The family numbered thir-
teen children. Thomas, who served through the Civil war as a
member of the Thirty-second Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, died
in Washington. Richard is living at Greene, Iowa. Charles
makes his home at Ravenna, Nebraska, where he has filled the
office of postmaster for sixteen years. Beth Ann is the wife of
Julius Temple and resides near Greene. John H. is living at
Loop Center, Nebraska. James makes his home at Ravenna,
Nebraska. Edward A. is a resident of Grand Island, Nebraska.
Farlen B. is the next in the family. Emma and 0. C. are also of
Greene. Sadie is the wife of Walter Curtis, of Waterloo. Marion
and Mary were twins. The former died at the age of twenty-one
years, and at the time of his death was county recorder of Butler
county and was the youngest county officer in the state of Iowa.
The latter is the wife of Albert Bonwell of Idaho. The oldest
son, Thomas, was wounded at the battle of Resaca and was at the
hospital at the time of the close of the war. He was also held as
a prisoner in Libby prison for some time.
Farlen B. Miner came with his parents to Butler county in
1866 and has always lived in this locality since that time, save for
a period of six years spent in Buffalo county, Nebraska, to which
he removed two years after his marriage. He has been a life-
long farmer and now owns and cultivates one hundred and sixty
acres of land on section 21, Shell Rock township. There were no
buildings upon the place when it came into his possession, and he
has since erected a substantial residence, good barns and sheds.
He uses the latest improved machinery to carry on the work of
the fields and is a leader rather than a follower in all that tends
to promote progressive farming in this district.
In January, 1885, Mr. Miner was united in marriage to Miss
Nettie L. Roberts, who was born in this county May 29, 1864, a
daughter of Benjamin and Sarah Ann (Ayers) Roberts. The
father, a native of Pennsylvania, died in this county in February,
1884, at the age of fifty-one years. The mother, a native of Illi-
nois, died in 1868 at the age of twenty-nine years. They were
312 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
married in this county and their remaining days were here passed,
Mr. Roberts following farming and carpentering. Unto him and
his wife were born but two children : Helen J., the wife of J. H.
Richardson of Shell Rock; and Mrs. Miner. The latter has
become the mother of six children : Ward R., of Whiting, Iowa,
where he is overseer of a ranch ; Leland R., who is draftsman in
the Iowa Dairy Separator factory of Waterloo, Iowa; J. W., a
student of Ames College; Ethel, attending the State Teachers'
College at Cedar Falls; Merle M., a teacher in the rural schools
of Butler county; and Earl F., at home. The children have been
provided with liberal educational advantages. The two eldest
sons are graduates of Ames College, Ward having completed the
course in agriculture and animal husbandry, while Leland pur-
sued the mechanical engineering course. The former was judge
on the college team that judged the stock at the International
Stock Show in Chicago in 1908. J. W. Miner is pursuing a
course in veterinary surgery, and the eldest daughter is studying
home economics. It will thus be seen that the family are deeply
interested in education along the broadening lines which lead to
improvement in those things which have to do with the every day
duties of business and home life.
In his political views Mr. Miner is a republican and is now
serving as township trustee. He is a Mason, belonging to Shell
Rock lodge, and he is a member of the Methodist Episcopal
church. The family is widely and favorably known, the mem-
bers of the household occupying an enviable position in social
circles.
GEORGE ADAIR.
Among the pioneer settlers of Butler county George Adair is
numbered. Six decades have been added to the cycle of centuries
since he arrived in this section of the state. In fact no other resi-
dent of Shell Rock has so long lived in this district and through-
out the entire period he has played well his part as a public-spirited
citizen and an honorable man. For sixteen years he has been
president of the Shell Rock Creamery Company and for an ex-
tended period was actively identified with farming interests. In
fact he has conti'ibuted much of the agricultural development to
m
GEOR(iE ADAIR
RY
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 315
this section of the state and became widely known as proprietor of
the Oakley Stock Farm.
Mr. Adair was born near Cedar Rapids, Iowa, January 21,
1847, and is a son of George W. and Elizabeth Ellen (Smith)
Adair. The father was born near Lexington, Virginia, October
31, 1813, and the mother's birth occurred in Michigan, March 24,
1824. Coming to Iowa, he settled in Muscatine county, east of
West Liberty in 1837. He was accompanied by his younger
brother, William. In the same year Elizabeth Smith arrived in
company with her father and settled in the same locality. They
were married at Cedar Rapids in 1840 and there resided until
1853. In 1849, attracted by the discovery of gold in California,
Mr. Adair drove an ox team across the country to the Pacific coast,
being absent from home for two years. He was in hopes that the
trip would benefit his health and found that it did. He spent some
time in the mines, returning in 1851, and the following year he
came to Butler county. Here he purchased forty acres of land of
Alex Glenn and the following year purchased more land from
Aaron Moore. Twelve blocks of the city of Shell Rock have been
laid out on the forty acre tract which he purchased in 1852. The
plat was recorded in 1855. It was in the spring of 1853 that he
moved his family here, and that year he built a sawmill and dam
across the Shell Rock river. He operated the mill, sawing for the
settlers, and he also rafted timber down to Waterloo. He con-
tinued in the mill until 1869.
However, in the meantime, in 1867, he opened a hotel known
as the Shell Rock House and conducted it until 1878, when he went
to Kansas to visit a son and daughter. He died at Smith Center,
that state, on the 3d of September, 1879. He was most prominently
identified with industrial activity in this county at an early day.
He built, between 1855 and 1857, the west side flouring mill in con-
nection with his brother William, and soon after they sold their
grist-mill to John F. Wright. In 1867, in company with E. W.
Metzger, he built the east side flouring mill, which he operated for
a number of years. He was thus closely associated with the busi-
ness development of the community, and his enterprises were of
untold value to the early settlers, who depended upon his oper-
ations for breadstuffs and for lumber. He was one of the incor-
porators of the first Methodist Episcopal church and erected the
first house of worship in Shell Rock, it being the first church organ-
ized in the county. He took an active and helpful part in the
church work throughout the remainder of his life and his wife was
Vol. II— 1 G
316 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
equally earnest in her cooperation with all that pertained to the
moral development of the coimnunity. He was earnest in his sup-
port of the temperance cause and in politics he was a democrat but
never took an active part in politics aside from casting his ballot.
He labored untiringly, however, to check the use of alcoholic bev-
erages and was a member of the Independent Order of Good Tem-
plars, the meetings of which were held in his house. His life was
indeed one of usefulness to the community and his worth was ac-
knowledged by all who knew him. His wife survived him for almost
a quarter of a century and died in Shell Rock in 1902. She shared
with him in all his good work for the benefit of his fellowmen and
many have reason to bless their memory.
They had a family of nine children: Mary Jane, the eldest,
became the wife of E. Town of Shell Rock, but is now deceased.
John, of Sioux City, Iowa, enlisted in June, 1861, as a member of
Company B, Seventh Iowa Volunteer Infantrj^ and after veteran-
izing served imtil July, 1865. He participated in many battles, his
first engagement being at Belmont, Missouri. He was a member
of what was called the Hornet's Nest Brigade and took part in the
battles of Shiloh and Lookout Mountain and the Atlanta cam-
paign. He also went on the campaign through the Carolinas and
participated in the grand review in Washington, D. C. Lucy Ann
became the wife of R. D. Bowen of Smith Center, Kansas. George
is the next of the familv. William W. is living in Kansas. Eliza-
beth Ellen is the wife of A. A. Allburn of Sioux City. Sarah Maria
is the wife of Thomas Rawlings of Wakefield, Nebraska. Blanche
A. became the wife of Charles Herrington of Wakefield, Nebraska.
Nettie is the wife of George E. Mead of Shell Rock.
George Adair was a little lad of six siunmers when brought
by his parents to Butler county, where he has resided continuously
since, covering a period of sixty years. There is no resident of
Shell Rock Avhose connection with the district antedates his and as
a pioneer settler he has witnessed almost the entire growth and
development of this part of the county. On the 14th of May, 1864,
when a young man of seventeen years, he enlisted as a member of
Company E, Forty-fourth Iowa Volunteer Infantry and served
for one hundred days. He has always been actuated by a spirit of
patriotism and has ever taken a helpful part in upholding the in-
terests of county, state and nation. His reminiscences concerning
this county are most interesting. He recalls the first Fourth of
July celebration which he ever witnessed. In fact it was the first
held in this county, the celebration taking place at Shell Rock in
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 317
1855. The people came in ox teams and on that occasion nearly
every man, woman and child in the county was here.
Through his boyhood George Adair attended the district schools
and worked in his father's sawmill. Since 1869 he has been identi-
fied with agricultural pursuits and is now the owner of three hun-
dred and sixty acres of valuable land two miles southeast of Shell
Rock. He still gives supervision to the place, although his son is
actively operating it. The farm is splendidly improved and has
upon it an immense barn fifty-two by ninety feet, also two con-
d^rete silos and every modern improvement. The place is known
as the Oakle}^ Stock Farm and Mr. Adair was the first breeder
of Holstein cattle in this locality, continuing the breeding business
for thirty years. While he is not active in the operation of the
farm, he keeps in touch with every feature of the business and,
moreover, he has for the past sixteen years been president of the
Shell Rock Creamery Company, a cooperative creamery business
which is incorporated. For fourteen years he was president of the
Butler County Farmers Institute and he is a life member of the
County Fair Association, of which he has been a director and
treasurer. His association with the last two organizations indi-
cates his deep interest in all that pertains to the development and
improvement of the county along agricultural lines.
In 1872 Mr. Adair was united in marriage to Miss Ella Mason,
who was born in Northampton, Massachusetts, July 5, 1853, and
in 1856 was brought to Iowa by her parents, who located in Madi-
son township, this county, but afterward removed to Cedar Falls
and later came to Shell Rock. Her father, William Mason, was
a native of England and was a woolen manufacturer. After com-
ing to Iowa he purchased a half interest in a woolen mill in Shell
Rock. While in Massachusetts he married Amelia Murgatroyd,
also a native of England. Mr. and Mrs. Adair became the parents
of five children : Claude Duvall, who is living on his father's farm,
married Inez Temple and they have five children, Rex C, Zella
Leone, Keith C. and Forest C, twins, and Victor Bruce. Allison
G. was the second in order of birth and died at the age of two years,
and ten months. Allen L., the third of the family, is a resident of
Eagle, Idaho. He married Hilda Benson and they have two daugh-
ters, Ellen A. and Esther. Ada Lucile is the wife of A. F. Garner
of Shell Rock township and they have two sons, George Mathias
and Vernon Adair. William Mason, of Shell Rock, married Maude
Irma Goodsell and is employed as a butter maker in the Shell Rock
Creamery.
318 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
In his political views Mr. Adair is a democrat and has been his
party's candidate for county supervisor and for representative.
For thirty-three years he has been identified with the Odd Fel-
lows Societv and' was chairman of the board of trustees of the
Orphans and Old Folks Home of the Odd Fellows at Mason City.
His life has been one of intense and intelligently directed activity.
As the years have gone by he has put forth his effort in such a way
that substantial results have accrued. His labors have enabled
him to overcome all difficulties and obstacles and gradually he has
advanced until he now occupies a position among the substantial
citizens of the countv.
JOHN H. HALL.
John H. Hall is the proprietor of the Sunnyside Stock Farm,
one of the valuable properties of Jefferson township. Its name
indicates the uses to which it is largely put, and the owner is
regarded as one of the leading stock-raisers of his district. A
native of Herfordshire, England, he was born AugTist 27, 1846,
his jDarents being James and Martha (Day) Hall, who were
natives also of the same shire. The year 1854 witnessed the
arrival of the family in the state of New York, settlement being
made at Richwood flats, Saratoga county. Six months later they
resumed their journey across the country with De Kalb county,
Illinois, as their destination. Seven years were there spent and
in 1861 they came to Butler county, Iowa, settling in Jefferson
township. While in England the father was a shepherd, but in
America followed the occupation of farming. He was in veiy
close financial circumstances when he crossed the Atlantic but
his indefatigable energy, perseverance and capable management
made him a wealthy man, his landed possessions comprising seven
hundred acres at the time of his death, which occurred in 1891,
when he was seventy years of age. His wife died in 1900, at the
age of seventy-two. Their children were seven in number : John
H. ; James, living in Jefferson township ; Elizabeth, the wife of
Al Nicholas of West Point township ; Maria, the wife of Levi B.
Knapp of Shell Rock; Joseph, who died at the age of sixteen
years ; Isaac, living in Minnesota ; and Charles of Shell Rock.
The last three were born in the United States.
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 319
John H. Hall accompanied Ms parents on their various remov-
als, but at the age of fifteen years he reached Butler county,
V7here he has resided continuously since 1861. He early became
familiar with the arduous task of developing the new farm, and
he has never hesitated to accomplish his purpose when it must
be done at the cost of earnest, self-sacrificing labor. He has always
carried on general farming, and the years have brought him pros-
perity, so that he now has extensive landed possessions. His home
place comprises three hundred and twenty acres on sections 25
and 26, Jefferson township, in addition to which he owns a farm
of one hundred and sixty acres on section 26, forty-five acres of
timber on section 35, Jefferson township and two hundred acres
in Shell Rock township, upon which his son now resides. He has
long made stock-raising the principal feature of his farm work
and handles high grades of stock for which he finds a ready and
profitable sale upon the market. In purchasing cattle his sound
judgment stands him in good stead. He is seldom, if ever, at
fault in estimating upon the value of an animal, and when his
stock are ready for the market their excellent condition insures
a speedy sale.
On March 11, 1889, Mr. Hall was united in marriage to Miss
Elizabeth Marie Manzel, who was born in Germany on the 17th of
August, 1873. She lost her father when but eight years of age
and in 1887 came to Iowa with her widowed mother and a brother,
Henry Manzel, who is living in Shell Rock township with his
mother, who, having married again, is now the wife of Carl Cole-
man. Mr. and Mrs. Hall have become the parents of six chil-
dren: John, at home; James, living on his father's farm in Shell
Rock township; Martha and Isaac at home; Lillian, who is a
student in Osage Seminary ; and Ruth, who completes the family.
Mr. Hall has an excellent home for his family. The farm'
upon which he resides has been in the possesssion of the Halls;
for over forty years, John H. Hall having purchased his first
quarter section from his father. The purchase price was thirty-
two hundred dollars, of which sum his father allowed him one
thousand dollars as a present. It was prairie land and John H.
Hall broke the sod and planted his crops, so cultivating the wild
tract into productive fields. He also at once began making sub-
stantial improvements, and his progressive methods, as the years
have gone by, have wrought radical changes in the appearance
of the place, which is today one of the fine farms of .Butler
county. In politics Mr. Hall was always a republican until 1912^
320 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
since which time he has voted with the proliibition party. He
and his wife belong to the Baptist church of Shell Rock, and they
are held in high esteem, their many excellent traits of heart and
mind endearing them to a large circle of warm friends.
CHARLES K. YOST.
Charles K. Yost, living on section 6, Ripley township, was
born in Crawford county, Ohio, March 28, 1845, a son of Jacob
and Julia (Kauffman) Yost. The father was born in a house
that stood on the dividing line between Pennsylvania and Mary-
land and his natal year was 1809. The mother was a native of
Oliio, and they were married in the latter state. In the spring
of 1852 they arrived in Linn county, Iowa, where Mrs. Yost
passed away in the fall of the same year. The father afterward
removed to Toledo, Tama county, Iowa, where he remained until
1858, conducting a grocery store in that town. He next came to
Butler county, settling in Madison township, but afterward re-
moving to the vicinity of West Fork about 1866. There he passed
away at the venerable age of eighty-two years. He was a shoe-
maker and followed that trade in early life and to some extent
after coming to this county, working at the trade at the time when
all shoes were made by hand. He also owned a farm in Madison
township, which he afterward sold and purchased one in Ripley
township. In Toledo he married, but his second wife passed
away two years later, leaving no children. His third wife was
Eveline B. Scott. There were five children by the first marriage :
Mrs. Mary Ann Riddle, deceased; Sarah Jane, the widow of
David Mason, residing at Meriden, Connecticut, where her hus-
band was overseer of a large woolen mill; Josiah, who enlisted
from this county as a member of Company C, Thirty-second Iowa
Volunteer Infantry and was discharged owing to disability but
later reenlisted, his death occurring since the war; Charles K.;
and Mrs. Elizabeth Tarr, who died in California. By the father's
third marriage there were the following children: J. B., living
in Minnesota; Lucretia, deceased; George, also of Minnesota;
E. E. and Lincoln, who are residents of Ripley township ; Sher-
man, of Ripley township; Luther, of Hancock county, Iowa;
Cornelius, whose home is in Minnesota ; and Rachel, the wife of
John McLaren, of Ripley township.
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 321
Charles K. Yost came to tMs county with Ms father about
1858 and has here since resided, covering a period of fifty-five
years, in which he has witnessed almost the entire development,
progress and upbuilding of the county. He has always followed
farming and at one time owned four hundred and sixty-five acres
but has since sold a portion. He now owns two hundred and
eighty acres in this county and two hundred acres in Richland
county, North Dakota. He has two hundred acres in the home
place, which is well improved, being supplied with all the equip-
ments and accessories of the model farm of the twentieth century.
He has resided on this place since 1883 and is now practically
living retired, having rented his farm to a son-in-law. There
are two sets of buildings upon the place, and everything indi-
cates the progressive spirit of the owner.
In 1871 Mr. Yost was united in marriage to Miss Aurilla Kin-
caid, who was born in Rockford, Illinois, June 4, 1851, a daughter
of Edwin and Catharine (Kershner) Kincaid, who were natives
of Maine, the former born in March, 1825, and the latter in April,
1828. They were married in the Pine Tree state and about 1850
came to Illinois with their one son. Other children were added
to the family after their arrival here. Both parents died in Rip-
ley township about 1890, only a week apart. They lived for six
years in Wisconsin before coming to Iowa, whither they traveled
with ox teams in 1859. They had ten children : Louis, now living
in Oklahoma; Mrs. Yost; William, who died in Oregon; Myrtie,
the wife of William Reed, of Oregon; Jessie, the wife of John
Randolph, of Washington; Eugene, whose home is in Texas;
Clara, the widow of Robert Smith, of Oregon ; Ella, the deceased
wife of Amos Vogt; and Edwin, who died in childhood. They
had an adopted son that died in early life.
Mr. and Mrs. Yost became the parents of six children: Wil-
liam Quincy, now living in Minnesota; Delia, the wife of Irvin
Knoll, living upon her father's farm; Edwin, who is on his
father's farm in North Dakota and also owns two hundred acres,
cultivating, therefore, four hundred acres; Clara, the wife of
Hugh Mosher, of Dubuque ; Lela, the wife of Richard Ludeman,
of Parkersburg; and Charles L., at home. The maternal grand-
father of Mrs. Yost was James Kershner, a native of France,
born on the Rhine. He served for fifteen years and six months
in the army under Napoleon. His wife, Mrs. Dereva Kershner,
was born on the German side of the Rhine. Coming to America,
they settled in Maine, where they died at an advanced age. The
322 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
paternal grandfather of Mr. Yost served in the German army in
time of war.
In Ms political views Mr. Yost is a republican, stanchly sup-
porting the principles of the party. He served as township trus-
tee for a number of years and since 1874 has been school treasurer
of school No. 3 in the district of Fort Sumter. He has in
this connection paid all of the school teachers and has boarded
over thirty of them. He and his wife are United Brethren in
religious faith and are members of the Hitesville church in Rip-
ley township. He is today one of the valued citizens of the county,
a man whose well spent life has gained for him the high and well
merited regard of those with whom he has been brought in con-
tact.
CLARENCE W. SOESBE.
A young man of energy, resource and discrimination, Clarence
W. Soesbe has been closely connected with financial interests of
Greene since he began his active career and has risen to be vice
president of the Merchants National Bank. He has other im-
portant business connections and is well known in the city and
vicinity as a progressive, able and farsighted business man. He
was born in Greene, this state, September 1, 1880, and is a son of
E. W. Soesbe, who was born in Jones county, Iowa, November 11,
1851. The grandfather, William Soesbe, was a native of Ken-
tucky, born in 1810. He was one of the first settlers in Jones
county, Iowa, having taken up his residence there in 1839. E. W.
Soesbe grew to manhood in that locality and in 1870 moved to
Butler county, locating in Greene. In this city he married Miss
Carrie L. Cross, a native of Butler county and a daughter of J. J.
Cross, who entered land in Fremont township in pioneer times.
E. W. Soesbe was a lawyer by profession, being associated with
his brother, S. W. Soesbe. S. W. Soesbe was the first station agent
at Greene, filling that position for a number of years. In 1883 the
two brothers formed a partnership with J. B. Shepardson, organ-
izing a private bank in Greene, the firm name being Soesbe, Shep-
ardson & Company. This was reorganized in 1903 as the Merchants
National Bank with E. W. Soesbe as president and his son,
Clarence W., as cashier. Six months later the father died and
Mr. Shepardson was made president, an office which he still holds.
Mrs. E. W. Soesbe still retains her residence in Greene.
CLARENCE W. SOESBE
Pthk
[public
1
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 325
Clarence W. Soesbe was reared in Greene, acquiring Ms early
education in the public schools of the city. He was graduated
from the high school in 1896 and he later worked for one year in
a bank. At the end of that time he entered the State University
at Iowa City and was graduated from the liberal arts depart-
ment in the college of law in 1901, receiving numerous honors. He
afterward returned home and entered his father's bank as cashier,
a position which he held for two or three years. At the end of
that time he was elected vice president and this responsible posi-
tion he still holds, his energy and ability being important factors
in developing the extensive business which the bank controls. Mr.
Soesbe acts as agent for the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance
Company of Milwaukee and is engaged also in the real-estate busi-
ness, handling improved farming lands in Butler and adjacent
counties.
In West Branch, Iowa, on the 14th of June, 1904, Mr. Soesbe
married Miss Clara Stuart, a native of Iowa, born in Johnson
county. She was educated in the State University, graduating in
1902, and together with Mr. Soesbe, was a member of Phi Beta
Kappa and other societies. Mr. and Mrs. Soesbe have two sons.
Earl W. and Lee S. The parents are members of the Greene
Methodist Episcopal church, of which Mr. Soesbe has served as
recording steward for the past nine years. They are very promi-
nent in church and Sunday school work and well known in
religious circles. A native son of Greene, Mr. Soesbe has thor-
oughly identified his interests with those of the city, his activities
touching various phases of its public and business life. He is a
progressive and able citizen and a careful and conscientious busi-
ness man and he holds the confidence and esteem of the entire com-
munity.
FEEDERICK TOLL.
Frederick Toll, one of the esteemed residents of Shell Rock,
who in former years was actively identified with agricultural,
stock-raising and dairying interests and other business affairs in
Bntler county, contributing to its material growth as well as to
his individual success, was born in the province of Bromberg,
Cedeneth, Prussia, Germany, May 9, 1839, his parents being
Christian and Carolina (Werner) Toll. The mother died when
326 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
her son, Frederick, was but six years of age, and the father after-
ward married Johannah Udehart. In 1858 they crossed the At-
lantic, made their way to Chicago, where they spent the winter
and afterward resided for several years at Howard, McHenry
county, Illinois. In 1863 they came to Butler county and settled
in Jefferson township, where their remaining days were passed.
The father was a brick manufacturer of Germany, owning
and operating a brickyard there, but after coming to this coun-
try he followed farming. Unto him and his first wife were born
six children : Caroline and Charles, both deceased ; Frederick, the
third in order of birth; Adolph, who has also passed away; Mrs.
Minnie Apf el of Shell Rock ; and Herman, of Washington. Unto
the father's second marriage were born two children: Mrs. Johan-
nah Jacobs, of Clarksville ; and Augusta, of Chicago.
Frederick Toll spent the greater part of his boyhood and
youth in his native land and there learned the brick maker's
trade with his father. He followed that pursuit until he came
to the United States, landing at New York on the 8th of October,
1858. He soon afterward joined his j)arents and resided with
them until after the removal of the family to Iowa. At the time
of his marriage he started out in business independently, pur-
chasing one hundred and twenty acres of school land two miles
east of Butler Center, for which he paid two dollars per acre. It
was entirely wild and imimproved, when it came into his posses-
sion. He had no capital when he started out in life on his own
account, but he was allowed ten years in which to pay for the
property and, carefully saving his earnings, he was not only able
to discharge his indebtedness, but also to add to his land, making
purchases from time to time until he was the owner of six hun-
dred and forty acres of good farm land and eleven acres of tim-
ber. The entire tract is situated on Jefferson township, save one
hundred and forty acres in Butler township. Mr. Toll made stock-
raising the principal feature of his place. He raised a large
number of hogs each year and also handled cattle. He conducted
a dairy, milking twenty-three cows, at one time and he was a
director in the Cooperative Creamery Company of Coster. He
resided in Jefferson township for forty years,' from 1863 until
1903, when he retired to Shell Rock, where he has since lived in
the enjoyment of a well earned rest.
In 1867 Mr. Toll was united in marriage to Miss Jane Borcher,
who was born in Hanover, Germany, September 3, 1851, and went
to New Jersey in 1854 with her parents, Carl and Christiana
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 327
(Hinemeyer) Borcher. In the year 1856 the parents left New
Jersey and removed westward to Illinois, coming in 1865 to But-
ler county, her father taking up farming in Ripley township.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Toll were bom eight children: Flora, who
became the wife of Ed Trager and died leaving two children;
Pred H. and Charles A., who are mentioned elsewhere in this
volume; William A., living in Jefferson township; George O., a
sketch of whom appears on another page of this work ; Irving of
Swanton ; Carrie, the wife of Roy Betts of Shell Rock ; and Clar-
ence, who is living on the old homestead in Jefferson township.
In his political views Mr. Toll is a republican, having voted
for the party since becoming a naturalized American citizen. He
is one of the pioneer settlers of this part of the state, there hav-
ing been but two houses on the Butler Center road at the time
of his arrival. He hauled his goods to Cedar Falls, which was
the nearest railroad market, and he underwent many of the hard-
ships and privations of pioneer life. He can recall many changes
which have occurred during the half century of his residence in
the county, for work of development and improvement has done
away with all of the pioneer conditions and brought about a condi-
tion of progressive prosperity that is most gratifying.
FRED W. CROSS.
I
Among the men of Fremont township who have risen by the
force of their energy and ability to a place of importance in busi-
ness circles is numbered Fred W. Cross, a well known farmer and
stock-raiser. In the course of many years' residence here he has
accumulated valuable holdings and now owns in conjunction with
his sons three fine farms on section 15. He was born in Bremer
county, Iowa, June 4, 1857, and is a son of Jackson J. Cross, a
native of Cattaraugus county, New York. The father there resided
until he was seventeen years of age and learned the carpenter's
trade. He afterward worked at building railroad bridges in Ohio
and Indiana for a number of years and then removed to Illinois,
where he married Miss Permelia Ballard, also a native of Cat-
taraugus county. New York. In 1853 Jackson Cross came to
Iowa, settling at Syracuse, Bremer county, where for a time he
engaged in contracting and building. Later he located on a farm
on section 1, Fremont township, buying one hundred and fifty-
328 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
six acres, fifty-six of which he afterward sold. Upon the one
hundi-ed acres remaining he resided for a number of years, becom-
ing a prosperous and substantial agriculturist. He later removed
to Chickasaw county, settling in Nashua, where he now resides.
He held various positions of public trust and responsibility in
Fremont township and was well and favorably known in this
locality.
Fred W. Cross was reared at home and aided in the operation
of his father's farm until he was twenty-five years of age. He
married in 1882 and immediately afterward took up his residence
upon a portion of the farm which he now owns. At that time
he purchased eighty acres of land in Fremont township and after
breaking the soil began the work of improvement and cultivation.
He set out a gi'ove and an orchard and remodeled the house, which
is now an excellent two-story residence. He also erected a barn
and convenient outbuildings. From time to time he purchased
more land and now owns in conjunction with his sons four' hun-
dred acres on section 15, this being divided into three farms.
They make a business of raising high-grade shorthorn cattle,
Poland China hogs and heavy work horses, and they have made
this branch of their business extremely profitable.
On the 8th of March, 1882, in Floyd county, Mr. Cross mar-
ried Miss Evelyn Porter, who was born in Chickasaw county, but
reared in Floyd county. For a number of years previous to her
marriage she engaged in teaching. Mr. and Mrs. Cross became
the parents of five children: Charles, an evangelist; Harry, who
is married and operates one of his father's farms; Fred and Vic-
tor, partners with their father in his farming and stock-raising
operations; and Edith, a successful school teacher.
ALFRED HICKLE.
Alfred Hickle is engaged in general farming on section 26,
Jackson township. His life record contains no spectacular phases
but proves what may be accomplished when industry and per-
severance become the salient features in a man's life. He was
born in McLean county, Illinois, March 2, 1846, and was a little
lad of seven summers when brought to Iowa by his parents, John
and Hester (Van Gundy) Hickle, who are mentioned in connec-
tion with the sketch of W. J. Hickle on another page of this work.
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 329
Their family numbered seven children, of whom Alfred is the
third in order of birth. He remained with his parents upon the
farm in Butler township until he enlisted for active service in
the Civil war in 1863, as a member of Company G, Eighth Iowa
Cavalry. He served for two years and one month, or until the
close of hostilities, and participated in a number of hotly con-
tested battles, which led up to the final victory that crowned the
Union arms.
Following the close of the war Alfred Hickle returned home
and assisted his father to the time of his'marriage in 1870. He
then took up his abode upon a farm belonging to his father in
Butler township, residing there for twelve and a half years, or
until he purchased his present farm on the 17th of April, 1882.
He first became the owner of eighty acres, but has since extended
the boundaries of his place until it now comprises one hundred
and sixty acres on section 26. No improvements had been made
upon the place when it came into his possession, although the
prairie sod had been broken and some crops had been planted.
Mr. Hickle made all of the improvements, erecting a substantial
residence and good barns and outbuildings, and he also set out
all of the trees. There was no shade upon the place when he
took possession, but today fine growing trees add to the attractive
appearance of his place. During the past thirty-one years he
has done much hard work here, and the farm shows the result
thereof, being today one of the highly cultivated and well
improved places of Jackson township.
On the 15th of May, 1870, Mr. Hickle was united in marriage
to Miss Annie McClintock, who was born in Dubuque county,
Iowa, April 21, 1852, and on the 28th of March, 1865, came to
this county with her parents, J. H. and Ruth (Winchell) McClin-
tock, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of New
York. Their last days, however, were spent in this county. They
had a family of three sons and three daughters, and two sons and
two daughters are yet living. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Hickle have
been born two children. Alvin D., the elder, resides on his
father's farm and married Gertie Arts, and they have three chil-
dren — Dora Anna, Grace Ruth and Robert Alfred. Florence
Mabel is the wife of George Woolridge of Tripp county, South
Dakota. They have four children: Clarence Warren, Dorothy
Viola, Donald Ernest and Ruth A.
Mr. Hickle is a republican in his political views and is a pub-
lic-spirited citizen, whose support can be counted upon to further
330 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
measures and movements for the general good. He belongs to
the Grand Arm}^ of the Republic and is as loyal to his country
in days of peace as when he followed the old flag upon the battle-
fields of the south.
REV. JOSEPH J. GOUGH.
From early pioneer times the name of Gough has been closely
associated with the agricultural development of Butler county
and this section of the state and at the present writing Joseph J.
Gough is engaged in active church work, while at the same time
he carries on his farming and stock-raising interests. He has
always believed with Lincoln that "there is something better than
making a living— making a life," and, while he possesses the
laudable ambition of providing well for his family, he has also
found time and opportunity to aid in the establishment of those
principles which are ever factors in upright, honorable manhood.
His birthplace was his father's farm, four miles northwest of
Clarksville, and his natal day June 12, 1858. He was thfe fourth
in a family of six children born to William and Susannah (Walsh)
Gough, who are mentioned in connection with the sketch of
Thomas A. Gough on another page of this work.
Joseph J. Gough has spent his entire life in Butler county
save for four years, from 1879 until 1883, passed in Valley City,
North Dakota. He broke prairie for one season and had a pre-
emption claim of a quarter section of land. He also speculated
in cattle and horses. With the exception of this period of four
years he has always been identified with farming interests in
Butler county and for twenty-two years he operated a threshing
machine here. For a quarter of a century he has resided upon
his present place, being now the owner of two hundred and forty
acres of rich and valuable land on sections 3 and 10, West Point
tow^nship, his home being situated on the latter section. When
he purchased this it was raw prairie, not a furrow having been
turned nor an improvement made upon the place, but with char-
acteristic energy he began its development, recognizing the pos-
sibilities here offered. He turned the sod for the first time upon
his quarter section, fenced the land, took out the stones and
erected all of the buildings upon the place, which is now a well
improved property, lacking in none of the accessories of the model
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 331
farms of the present age. His time has been given to the cultiva-
tion of crops best adapted to soil and climate and to the raising
of stock of all kinds, and both branches of his business have proved
profitable, owing to his capable management and enterprising
spirit. He is recognized as a man of sound judgment and keen
discrimination, and his cooperation is regarded as a valuable
factor in the management of other interests. He is identified
with the Farmers' Cooperative Elevator Company of Allison, of
which he was secretary for a time, and he is also a stockholder
of the West Point Mutual Telephone Company.
On the 27th of January, 1886, occurred the marriage of Mr.
Gough and Miss Emma J. Chapman, who was born in Butler
county, December 12, 1865, a daughter of Ira and Mary (McKin-
ney) Chapman. The mother died when the daughter was but six
years old, and the father is now an inmate of the Gough home.
Seven children have been added to the Gough family as the years
have gone by. Edward T., who married Miss Edna Robbins, is
a Methodist Episcopal preacher, residing at Boston, Massachu-
setts. After his graduation from the Upper Iowa University
he attended the Boston University for three years, pursuing the
theological course. His wife is also a graduate of the Upper
Iowa University and spent one year in the study of music in
Chicago. They were married on the 3d of September, 1913, and
started the same day for Boston, where they are now located.
Susannah E. is the wife of A. E. Kernahan, who was graduated
from the Upper Iowa University and is now a student in the
theological department of Boston University. Mildred J. is the
wife of Lewis Currell, who for several years has been superin-
tendent of schools at different places and is now located on a
farm in West Point township, Butler county. Wilford I., who
married Lilly Roberts, is a resident farmer of West Point town-
ship. Joseph J. is at home. Galal R. is a high-school pupil at
Bristow. John B., who was named after a distant relative, the
famous temperance lecturer, John B. Gough, is now a high-school
pupil at Bristow.
Since age conferred upon him the right of franchise Mr.
Gough has voted with the republican party. He holds member-
ship in the Methodist Episcopal church and for the past ten years
has been a local preacher in that denomination, having now been
minister of the church at Aredale for the past two and a half
years. He devotes all of the time possible to church work. A
self-educated man, he never had the advantage of the high-school
332
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
or college course, but he possesses a large library and has been
an extensive reader. Possessing a retentive memory, he is con-
tinually adding to his knowledge and thus promoting his efficiency
as one of the world's workers, and his high ideals of life find
expression in his practical and effective efforts for the benefit of
his fellowmen.
J. C. CARTER.
Statistics show that many of the substantial citizens of this
county have come from Wisconsin. With the tide of emigration
steadily flowing westward they crossed the Mississippi to become
active factors in the development of a frontier region here.
Among the number is J. C. Carter, who was born in Monroe,
Green county, Wisconsin, October 25, 1856, his parents being John
and Dorothy (Hiclmian) Carter, who were natives of Yorkshire,
England, and arrived in America at the age of seventeen and
eighteen years respectively. They were married in Green county
and there the father passed away June 25, 1881, at the age of
fortv-nine vears. The mother still survives and is living in that
county, having reached the age of seventy-nine years on the 22d
of April, 1913. Mr. Carter was a successful farmer and a good
man, whose religion was to do right to all his fellows. His politi-
cal indorsement was given to the republican party and he held a
number of local offices. Legislative honors would have also been
conferred upon him, but he preferred not to become a member of
the general assemblv. His life record indicates what mav be
accomplished when laudable ambition and unabating energy point
the way, for he started out in life empty-handed and by means of
his persistent and well directed labors he left an estate valued
at eighty thousand dollars.
His children, eleven in number, were: J. C, of this review;
W. M., of Clarksville ; George Henry, who died in Jackson town-
ship in September, 1901, leaving a family, who are still living in
this county; Joseph, who died in his third year; Frank E., of
Monroe, Wisconsin ; Fred M., also living in Monroe ; Fannie Mary,
the wife of A. W. Jenny, mentioned elsewhere in this volume;
Dora May, the wife of Edwin Deal of Monroe, Wisconsin ; Anna
E., the wife of William Dreibelbis of Green county, Wisconsin;
I
J. C. CAETEE
^ T
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 335
Ella M., the wife of John Haase, of Monroe ; and Newton Le Roy,
who died at the age of eighteen years.
J. C. Carter spent the days of his boyhood and youth in his
native county and is indebted to its public-school, system for the
educational opportunities which he enjoyed. He came to Iowa
in 1886 when a young man of thirty years and has since lived
upon his present farm on section 17, Jackson township. His first
purchase of land made him owner of eighty acres, to which he
has added from time to time, thus extending the boundaries of
his farm until it now comprises three hundred and twenty acres.
It is without a doubt one of the finest farms in all the county, the
work of cultivation and the improvements that have been made
upon it enhancing its value until it is now worth two hundred
dollars per acre. Its buildings are substantial ; commodious barns
and sheds furnish ample shelter for grain and stock ; and the home
is an attractive residence. Mr. Carter has largely engaged in
raising stock, both cattle and hogs, and has had as high as three
hundred head of cattle upon his place at one time. His shipments
average about six carloads of stock annually, he sending away a
carload about every two months. Mr. Carter, however, feels that
his active labors as farmer and stock-raiser are nearly at an end,
for he has rented his farm for the succeeding season, and will retire
from business life in February, 1914, removing at that time to
Allison. He was prominently identified with financial interests
as a director and president of the Farmers Savings Bank at Alli-
son, having been at the head of that institution for ten years, or
until it was sold. He is also a stockholder in the Farmers Co-
operative Elevator Company of Allison; the Cooperative Cream-
ery Company of Allison, and is secretary of the Farmers Mutual
Telephone Company. His cooperation is eagerly sought in the
conduct of important business interests because it is recognized
that his judgment is sound and his enterprise unfaltering.
In 1884 Mr. Carter was married to Miss Mary B. Earlewine,
who was born in Monroe, Wisconsin, in 1861, a daughter of Jack-
son and Mary Jane (Ely) Earlewine, the former a native of Ohio.
His death occurred in Broadhead, Wisconsin, where his wife still
lives. Mr. and Mrs. Carter have become the parents of six chil-
dren : Charles Hugh at home ; Elsie B. ; Ruth Imo, a graduate of
the high school of Allison and now engaged in teaching; Amy
Ethel; Mary Hope, who died at the age of six months; and
Dean J.
Vol. 11—17
336
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
Mr. Carter has ever been a public-spirited citizen, interested in
all measures for the general good and his cooperation has been a
valuable factor in promoting worthy public projects. He is a
director of the Fair Association of Allison and as such has done
much to stimulate an interest in its exhibits. He Avas census
enumerator for the United States when but twenty-two years of
age and has been school officer for many years but has no political
ambition. He votes independently, holding himself free to sup-
port the candidates whom he regards as best qualified for public
office. His record proves how excellent are the advantages which
Iowa offers to her agriculturists. The man who is not afraid to
work will always find that her soil responds readily to his wise
cultivation. Mr. Carter won success in that way and his many
friends rejoice that a well earned rest is soon to be his.
FRANK A. YEOMAN.
Frank A. Yeoman owns one hundred and ninety acres of val-
uable land comprised in two farms, and in their development he
has met with a degree of prosperity which places him among the
substantial and prosperous agriculturists of Dayton township.
He has been a resident of Iowa since 1866, coming to this state
when a youth of sixteen years, his birth having occurred in Loraine
county, Ohio, May 4, 1850. When he was two years of age his
parents removed with their family to Wisconsin, where he resided
until he reached the age of ten years. In 1860 the family returned
to Amherst, Ohio, remaining in that state until 1866, in which
year they again migrated westward, their destination being
Mahaska county, Iowa, where the father purchased a farm of two
hundred acres. Upon that place Frank Yeoman grew to man-
hood and in 1872, when a young man of twenty-two years, he
came to Butler county, where he was employed as a farm hand
for some time. Subsequently he returned to Mahaska county,
where he was married.
Mr. Yeoman then rented a farm in that locality, but at the
end of four years came again to Butler county, where he settled
upon a tract of land of two hundred acres. For ten years there-
after he made his home upon that property and in 1890 took up
his abode upon a tract of two hundred acres adjoining his pres-
ent farm, there remaining until 1912. In the meantime he pur-
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 337
chased a farm of eighty acres which he improved and developed,
but did not locate thereon until 1912. Upon the natural building
site he erected an excellent residence. The house stands high,
commanding an excellent view of the surrounding country and
a comprehensive view of the farm. He set out a good orchard,
built a substantial barn, fenced his fields and carried forward the
work of improvement along the most progressive lines. From
time to time he added to his holdings, owning today two excellent
farms comprising one hundred and ninety acres. In the cultiva-
tion of these properties he is assisted by his son, and they have
been very successful, conducting both general agricultural pur-
suits and stock-raising, which they carry on extensively. They
breed shorthorn and Polled Durham cattle, Belgian and Norman
horses and a good grade of hogs, and their live-stock interests
constitute an important source of revenue for them. Mr. Yeo-
man is, moreover, a stockholder in the Farmers' Cooperative
Elevator Company of Greene and is widely recognized as a man
of business ability and sagacity, ^is success is entirely due to
his own well directed labor, for he began life with few resources
and has steadily worked his way upward to success.
In Mahaska county, Iowa, on the 30th of March, 1876, Mr.
Yeoman was united in marriage to Miss Katherine Stout, a native
of Mahaska county, Iowa, and they have become the parents of
three children. Charles Arthur is in partnership with his father
and resides upon one of the latter 's farms. He is married and has
one son, Gilbert. Lila May is the wife of Lon Woodward, of
Greene, and they have two sons. Luella married Theodore-
Thomas, of Greene, and they have four children, two sons and
two daughters. In 1912 Mr. and Mrs. Yeoman made a trip tO'
the Pacific coast, traveling through the Rocky mountains and,
visiting Denver, Salt Lake City, Seattle, Spokane and many other
places of interest.
Fraternally Mr. Yeoman is identified with the Independent
Order of Odd Fellows, of which he is a past grand, and he and
his wife are members of the Rebekahs. He is independent in his
political views and has always taken an active part in community
affairs, being recognized as a public-spirited and progressive
citizen. He was elected township trustee and was twice reelected
to this office. He has also been a delegate to numerous county
conventions. He is a trustee in the Packard Methodist Episcopal
church and takes an active and helpful part in various lines of
church work. Throughout his residence in Butler county, cov-
338
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
ering about thirty-live years, he has proved himself an active and
industrious farmer, a careful and conservative business man and
a progressive and public-spirited citizen, his many salient traits
of character winning him the confidence, esteem and good-will of
the entire community.
JOHN H. PLANTZ.
John H. Plantz, now deceased, was the owner of an excellent
farm on section 36, Shell Rock township, where his family still
resides. He was born in Johnstown, New York, May 31, 1830,
a son of Peter and Margaret (Putnam) Plantz, who were also
natives of the Empire state, but died in Illinois. The family
continued to reside in New York until 1846, when they removed
to Ogle county, Illinois. The father was a millwright and fol-
lowed that trade during the greater part of his life. To him and
his wife were born nine children: Catharine, the deceased wife
of Timothy Plantz ; John H. ; Jacob, who has passed away ; Mar-
tin, who is living in Nebraska ; Maria, the wife of Harry Clayton,
of Des Moines, Iowa ; Rebecca, the deceased wife of John Kiested ;
Victor, a resident of Des Moines; David, of Washington; and
Malvina, the deceased wife of Will Wright.
John H. Plantz was a youth of sixteen years when the family
left the east and went to Illinois. He continued a resident of
Ogle county until 1861, when he came to Iowa and settled on a
farm five miles south of Shell Rock, there residing to the time
of his death which occurred forty-five years later, on March
21, 1906. He always carried on general agriculture pursuits, yet
also worked at the carpenter's trade to a considerable extent. He
carefully developed his place and made it a well improved farm,
the changes being wrought through his own efforts. His fields
were carefully tilled so that he annually harvested good crops.
He erected a large residence and substantial outbuildings, which
in turn were surrounded by broad acres devoted to the cultiva-
tion of com, wheat and other cereals. He also made stock-raising
a feature of his place.
On the 4th of June, 1857, Mr. Plantz was married to Miss
Samantha Whitney, who was bom in Prescott, Ontario, Canada,
July 15, 1834, and in 1854 went to Illinois with her sister and
brother-in-law. Her parents were Samuel and Mary (Jackson)
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 339
Whitney, who spent their entire lives upon the farm in Ontario.
They had nine children, four sons and five daughters. It was
in Ogle county, Illinois, that Mr. and Mrs. Plantz were married
and to them were born five children: Cynthia, who became the
wife of George Hettler and died in Colorado ; Hannah Margaret,
the wife of Henry Nichols of Des Moines, Iowa; William W.,
who operates the home place for his mother ; Joseph Milton, liv-
ing in Nashua, Iowa ; and Harry Roy, of Finchf ord, Iowa. The
two eldest children were born in Illinois and the three youngest
upon the home farm in Shell Rock township. Mrs. Plantz is
now in her eightieth year, yet does all of her own housework and
is accounted one of the good housekeepers of this part of the
county. In politics Mr. Plantz was a republican, and his sup-
port was given to the party without hope of the rewards of office.
He was willing, day after day, to perform the duties that devolved
upon him, and his sterling traits of character gained for him
the respect and confidence of all who knew him. Mrs. Plantz
has now been a resident of Butler county for fifty-two years and
can relate many interesting incidents of the early days when this
was the frontier district and the work of development and
improvement seemed scarcely begun. Many changes have occurred
since then, and the primitive homes have been replaced by com-
modious and substantial farm residences. There are also many
changes in the methods of farming, as improved agricultural
implements have been introduced. Well advanced in years, Mrs.
Plantz is still active, and it is the wish of her many friends that
she may yet be spared for years to come.
I
CHARLES ERNEST CRAHAM.
Charles Ernest Graham needs no introduction to the readers
of this volume, for he has been a lifelong resident of Butler county,
his birth having occurred on the 10th of September, 1868, in
Clarksville, in the house which he now occupies. He is a son of
the Rev. George and Almyra (Rose) Graham. The father was
born in Bucyrus, Ohio, on the 13th of December, 1826, and the
mother's birth occurred in Granville, that state, August 3, 1830.
They were reared and married in Ohio. The father was educated
in the Washington and Jefferson College and a theological college
and, having determined to enter the ministry, became a Presby-
340 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
terian clergyman. For nearly forty years he was the loved and
esteemed pastor of the Presbyterian church at ClarksviUe and
no man in this county has had more to do with its moral devel-
opment. He had held only one pastorate before he removed to
Clarksville and from that time forward he devoted his efforts and
energies to the work of upbuilding his church in this section of
Iowa. He was a man of no restricted influence, being denied
not the harvest nor the aftermath of his labors, and his good
work is still an active force in the lives of many with whom he
came in contact. He died in Clarksville on the 28th of October,
1900, honored and respected by all who knew him. In no less
degree was his wife esteemed and when her death occurred, on
the 12th of December, 1905, many friends mourned her loss. Aside
from his duties as a clergyman Rev. George Graham served for
a short time as superintendent of schools in Butler county to fill
a vacancy in that office. Unto him and his wife were born four
children: Mary, who is now li^dng with her brother, M. H., of
Mahtowa, Minnesota; Frank H., a resident farmer of Butler
township; M. H., a farmer of Mahtowa, Minnesota; and Charles E.
Throughout practically his entire life Charles E. Graham has
been a resident of Clarksville, acquiring his education in its pub-
lic schools and afterward conducting a photographic gallery for
about three years.' He also spent a year in photographic work
in Eldora and was upon the road for twelve years in connection
with scenic work, but made Clarksville his home. During that
period he represented the interests of the Scenic Art Company,
of which he was sole proprietor, and he had a number of employes
with him. At different times he conducted two newspapers, the
Brookston (Ind.) Reporter and the Tremont (111.) Sun, owning
and editing both for a year. He then sold out and returned to
the road, being engaged in photographic work for a short time.
At length he entered upon his present business of painting and
decorating and is proprietor of a well appointed paint and wall
paper store in Clarksville, which he established in 1912. He car-
ries a large and well selected line of wall paper and takes contracts
for work of this character. He possesses an artistic nature, which
has found expression in his photo.graphic work and is of much
assistance to him in carrying on his present business, enabling
him to make most helpful suggestions to his patrons.
^ Mr. Graham was married on the 12th of Januarv, 1907, to
Miss Emma Rottink, who was bom in Butler township and is a
daughter of Herman Rottink, who is mentioned elsewhere in this
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 341
volume. Mr. and Mrs. Graham have a son, George Gordon. In
his political views Mr. Graham is an earnest republican and keeps
well informed on the questions and issues of the day, yet has
never been active as an office seeker, although he filled the posi-
tion of deputy county aAiditor. He has always remained loyal
to the Christian faith in which he was reared, being a member
of the Presbyterian church, and his life has ever been character-
ized by high and honorable principles that make him worthy of
the warm regard in which he is uniformly held.
ANSON G. WELCH.
Among the men who enjoy a high reputation as able, up-to-
date and shrewd business men in Butler county is Anson G. Welch,
prominently and widely known in connection with the Welch
Grain Company, an establishment which is of the greatest impor-
tance to the farming district surrounding New Hartford. Mr.
Welch is a native of Iowa, his birth having occurred in Marshall
county, March 5, 1877. He is a son of Isaac P. and Elizabeth
(Compton) Welch, natives of Virginia, the former of whom was
bom in 1831 and the latter in 1839. The father was one of a sur-
veying party which many years ago made their surveys in this
part of the state. He is now in partnership with our subject under
the name of the Welch Grain Company. There are six living
children in the family of Mr. and Mrs. Isaac P. Welch: Rachel
E., Harriet A., Mary A., Anson G., Bertha E. and Charles L;
There are also four deceased: Rosa V., Augusta, John W. and
Edwin.
Anson G. Welch was reared under the parental roof and
attended school in Grundy Center, this state, until sixteen years
of age. He then turned his attention to farm work, continuing
along that line until 1909. He then spent one year in traveling
and, returning to New Hartford, engaged with his father in grain
buying, their operations being conducted under the name of the
Welch Grain Company. Shrewd, and an able business man, Mr.
Welch has been exceedingly successful in his line, in which he has
come to be recognized as an expert. The firm buys a great deal
of the grain which is raised in this section, and Mr, Welch has
been able to market his staple to such good advantage that pros-
342
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
perity has rewarded his transactions although he has been in
business but a few years.
Politically Mr. Welch is a republican, giving his stanch sup-
port to the measures and candidates of that party. He is inter-
ested in all matters of public benefit, but he himself has never
seen fit to enter the political arena although his interest in the
cause of education has led hun to accept a position on the school
board, of which he is still a member. He attends the Methodist
church and fraternally is affihated with the Modern Woodmen of
America. In business circles of New Hartford he enjoys a repu-
tation as one of the most progressive men in commercial life, and
he is generally highly respected, for all of his business transac-
tions have ever been such as to merit the highest confidence.
HENRY W. HARMS.
For thirty-eight years the name of Harms has figured in con-
nection with the history of Butler county, being identified with its
agricultual and financial interests. Henry W. Harms is today
an active farmer, owning and cultivating the old home place of
three hundred and twenty acres on sections 6 and 21, Jefferson
township. His residence is a commodious and beautiful one stand-
ing on an elevation and commanding a fine view of the surround-
ing country. Every phase of farm life is carefully superintended
by him and his practical methods and capable management have
made him one of the men of affluence of Butler county.
Henry W. Harms was born in East Friesia, Germany, August
16, 1868, his parents being G. P. and Deboi^lj (De Bower) Harms,
who were also natives of the same locality, the former born Febru-
ary 19, 1844, and the latter on the 31st of Au.s^ist, 1837. They
were married in 1867. Mrs. Harms was at that time a widow and
by her former husband, Martin Meffen, who was a sailor and was
drowned at sea, had one child, a daughter, Martha, who is now the
wife of Ed De Bower, of West Point township. In the fall fol-
lowing the birth of their son, Henry W., Mr. and Mrs. G. P.
Harms crossed the Atlantic and became residents of Dane county,
Wisconsin, wliere they resided for a number of years, or until the
fall of 1875. They then came to Butler county, arriving at the home
of William Folkers, north of Allison, on the'lOth of O^ctober. The
father drove a team and Henry W. Harms also drove one from
ME. AND :\IRS. G. P. HARMS
n
i tt»o*
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 345
Wisconsin, while the women and children of the household fol-
lowed on the train. For four years G. P. Harms cultivated rented
land and then purchased one hundred and twenty acres of what
is now the old Harms homestead. The family practiced frugality,
economy and industry so that Mr. Harms was able to add one
hundred and sixty acres to his original purchase and later bought
tracts of one hundred and twenty, one hundred and sixty and two
hundred acres respectively. Subsequently his sons rented a
quarter section east of him and when they had saved one thousand
dollars he sold them the quarter, allowing them two thousand dol-
lars for their one thousand dollar pajmient down. Later he sold
them still more land. The father continued to engage actively in
general agricultural pursuits until 1896, when he removed to a
small place and let his son, Henry W. Harms, have the old home-
stead. He then retired and now spends a part of his time in visit-
ing around among his children. He has made two trips back to
Germany since coming to the new world and during 1912 spent
most of the summer in Europe. The success which has come to
him enables him now t6 enjoy life without further care concern-
ing an income. For a time he owned a controlling interest in the
Farmers Bank of Allison and he also conducted a lumberyard
for a number of years both enterprises proving a gratifying
source of profit. He also bought and sold considerable land, from
which he realized a good return. He has ever been most generous
with his means in assisting others and has been especially help-
ful to many German friends in enabling them to secure farms. He
had only about twenty-five dollars when he arrived in this county
and a widowed mother and younger brothers and sisters in Ger-
many, who were dependent upon him for support. His entire life
was one of unfaltering industry and perseverance and gradually
he worked his way upward, his record proving that success is not
a matter of genius or of fortunate circumstances, as some declare,
but is rather the outcome of clear judgment and imfaltering enter-
prise. While he became a self-made man he has never selfishly
hoarded his gains nor is there any taint of dishonor about his
accumulations. He has never taken advantage of the necessities
of others in business transactions, and his record is another proof
of the old adage that honesty is the best policy.
In politics G. P. Harms has always been a stanch republican
since becoming a naturalized American citizen and has taken an
active part in political affairs, being much interested in the sig-
nificant and vital questions of the day. In 1900 he was called
346 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who passed away in February
of that year, her death being deeply regretted by many friends as
well as by her innnediate family. She was a member of the Ger-
man Lutheran church, to which Mr. Harms also belongs. He
assisted in founding the church of that denomination at Vilmar
and afterward organized the church in Jefferson township known
as the Friedens German Lutheran church. Thus he has gone on
doing good in one way or another as the years have passed, and
his iffe record is fraught with many kindly deeds. To him and his
wife were born five children : Henry W. ; Tina, the wife of Wil-
liam J. Poppen, of Jefferson township; Kate, the wife of F. A.
Poppen, of the same township ; Minnie, who married H. Foulkon,
of Rockwell, Iowa; and Ed, living in West Point township.
Henry W. Harms was brought to America when but six weeks
old and has been a resident of Butler county from the age of seven
years. He has always followed farming, to which occupation he
was reared, early becoming familiar with the best methods of till-
ing the soil and caring for the crops. He is now the owner of the
old homestead of three hundred and twenty acres and is most
pleasantly situated in life. His attractive home, occupying an
elevation that enables him to look far over the country, is
large and built in an attractive style of architecture. In the
rear are large barns and substantial outbuildings and his modern
and highly unproved farm machinery indicates his progressive
spirit. He makes stock-raising an important feature of his busi-
ness and uses all of the grain which he produces. He now handles
about one hundred head of cattle and two carloads of hogs annually
and his business affairs are capably and successfully managed.
In 1913 he purchased another farm, becoming the owner of two
hundred and forty acres near Piceville, Howard county, Iowa.
In addition to his agricultural interests he was a director of the
Farmers Savings Bank of Allison and he is now a stockholder in
the Farmers Cooperative Elevator of Allison and president of
the Jefferson Central Telephone Company. His business judg-
ment is sound and his discrimination keen, and as the years go by
his well directed interests contribute to public prosperity as well
as to individual success.
Mr. Harms has been married twice. In 1894 he wedded Talka
Hoodjer, who died in June, 1900, leaving five sons, Gerhard, Claus,
Edward, William and Henry. In 1901^ Mr. Harms married Miss
Alcha Hoodjer, a sister of his first wife. Both were born in Ger-
many and came to America about 1892. Their father was Claus
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 347
Hoodjer. There have been seven children bom of the second mar-
riage, Grace, Mattie, Walter, Ella, Gertrude, John and Paul. The
religious faith of the family is that of the German Lutheran
church, and their loyalty thereto is pronounced, while their sup-
port is generous and helpful. Mr. Harms is a progressive republi-
can and for four years has been trustee of his township. He is
ever active in conserving interests for promoting the public wel-
fare and his influence is always on the side of progress, truth,
reform and improvement.
CHARLES E. CHURCH.
Charles E. Church, a valued and representative citizen of
Parkersburg, prominently connected with business interests as
the proprietor of a modern garage, was born in Waverly, Iowa,
March 1, 1866. He is a son of Francis M. and Fannie (Brown)
Church, the former born in New York state in 1836 and the latter
in DuPage county, Hlinois, in 1839. The parents came to Beaver
township, this county, in 1869 and the father died in that locality
October 6, 1910. In their family were ten children: Cora, who'
died at the age of three; Mary A., who passed away on the 14th
of October, 1910; Fred A., who resides in Waterloo; Francis E.,
of Sinclair, who married Lydia Card, by whom he has four chil-
dren; Charles E., of this review; Florence A., who married
Charles A. Dean, a farmer in Waterloo, by whom she has seven
children ; Sarah J., who makes her home in Waterloo ; Eva, who
became the wife of B}T?on Norton, of Shell Rock, and died leav-
ing eight children; Arthur E., at home; and Jennie, who married
Arthur Robertson, an electrician in Chicago, by whom she has
two children.
Charles E. Church engaged in farm labor until he was thirty-
two years of age and then moved to Parkersburg, where he estab-
lished himself in the livery business. At the end of two years ha
purchased a restaurant which he conducted for four years, after
which he was in the saloon business for a similar period of time.
He then purchased a hotel in Parkersburg and after conducting
it for five years rented the establishment and became interested
in a garage, which he has since owned. He has met with an
enviable degree of success, for he is a farsighted and resourceful
business man, quick to recognize a business opportunity and capa-
348 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
ble of carrying forward his plans to successful completion. He
has valuable property interests, owning besides his hotel a garage,
two tine residences in Parkersburg and a half section of land m
North Dakota. ivr /-ti i
Ou the 22d of February, 1889, in Waverly, Iowa, Mr. Church
married Miss Hannah Card, a daughter of Lyman Card, a pioneer
of Butler county. Mr. and Mrs. Church have two children, Ray-
mond C. and Harrv S. The elder son married Miss Anna Becker,
a daughter of John Becker, a farmer in Parkersburg, the mar-
riage taking place on the 4th of September, 1912.
Mr. Church is connected fraternally with the Knights of
Pythias. He gives his political allegiance to the republican party
and has been road superintendent and school director, proving
himself a reliable and capable public official. He holds the
esteem and confidence of all who have personal or business rela-
tions with him.
W. M. NESBIT.
W. M. Nesbit, a resident farmer of Jefferson township, highly
respected for his sterling worth, makes his home on section 28
and is the owner of an excellent farm of two hundred and ten
acres which he has brought under a high state of cultivation.
He was born in Freeport, Illinois, December 17, 1853, and is a
son of Jacob and Elizabeth (Case) Nesbit, the former a native
of Pennsylvania and the latter of Vermont. They were married
in Freeport, and there the father died of cholera during the
infancy of his son, W. M. Nesbit. The mother passed away in
Cedar Falls, Iowa, when the son was eleven years of age. He
was the elder of two children, his sister being Eva, the wife of
William Shorter, of Mount Grove, Missouri.
Following the removal of the family to Iowa, W. M. Nesbit
resided in Blackhawk county until he came to Butler county in
1875. He has since lived upon his present farm with the excep-
tion of a period of two years. His entire life has been devoted
to agricultural pursuits and prospering in his undertakings, he
has become the owner of two hundred and ten acres situated on
section 28, Jefferson township. Only about sixty acres had been
placed under the plow when he took possession. Since then he
has splendidly improved the property according to modern meth-
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 349
ods of farming. A tine, large residence stands in the midst of
well tilled fields, and the neat and thrifty appearance of the place
indicates the careful supervision of the owner.
On the 7th of March, 1874, Mr. Nesbit was united in marriage
to Miss Sarah E. Hayes, who was born in Jefferson township,
October 21, 1855, and has the distinction and honor of being the
first white child born there. Her parents are William M. and
Rachel (White) Hayes. The father's birth occured in West Vir-
ginia, October 17, 1824, and the mother was born in New York
on the 15th of September of the same year. They were married
at Shabbona Grove, Illinois, and in October, 1843, became resi-
dents of this county. Mr. Hayes was the first white settler in
Jefferson township. He entered laud on West Fork Bottom
and resided there throughout the remainder of his days. He
broke the prairie with ox teams and performed all the arduous
tasks necessary in the cultivation and development of the new
farm. The neighbors were few and widely scattered. In 1864 Mr.
Hayes was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who died on
the 12th of February, 1864. He long survived and passed away
March 13, 1897. In politics he was a stanch republican, while
his religious faith was that of the Methodist Episcopal church,
in the work of which organization he took an active and helpful
part. In the Hayes family were nine children: Elizabeth, who
was born February 9, 1844, became the wife of John Dilts, of
Council Bluffs, Iowa; Susan, born July 16, 1847, died November
6, 1863; Nancy Ann, born January 24, 1849, became the wife of
Arlo Marchant, a civil war veteran, and died August 12, 1904;
Miles, born December 4, 1850, died July 1, 1851 ; Calista A., born
in April, 1852, became the wife of James Shorter, of Shell Rock,
who was a Civil war soldier ; James, born February 8, 1854, died
on the 30th of September of the same year; Mrs. Nesbit; Ben-
jamin D., born February 7, 1858, is now residing near Council
Bluffs, Iowa; and Louisa, born August 30, 1860, is the wife of
George Richardson, of Montana. Mrs. Nesbit was born in one
of the old time log cabins but now resides in one of the finest
homes in Jefferson township. The residence contains ten rooms
and is finished in pine and oak with cypress floors. It is con-
veniently arranged and tastefully furnished and one of its charms
is its warm hearted hospitality.
Mr. and Mrs. Nesbit have one child, Arthur B., who was born
January 27, 1879, and is now a young man of thirty-five years.
Mr. Nesbit exercises his right of franchise in support of the men
350
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
and measures of the republican party, and for the past twelve
years he has been township clerk. He is a Mason, belonging to
Compass Lodge, No. 239, A. F. & A. M., Parkersburg. His saU-
ent traits of character are such as commend him to the good-will
and contidence of all, and as the years have passed by he has gained
a prominent position among the substantial farmers and highly
respected citizens of Jefferson township.
WILLIAM A. TOLL.
The student of history cannot carry his investigations far into
the annals of Butler county without learning that the Toll fam-
ily has played an active and prominent part in shaping the events
wliich have contributed to the progress and upbuilding of this
section of the state. The Tolls are, indeed, one of the worthy
pioneer families and of this family William A. ToU is a worthy
representative. He was born August 2, 1874, in Jefferson town-
ship, upon a farm adjoining his present place of residence, his
parents being Frederick and Jane (Borchers) Toll, who are now
li^dng in Shell Rock. Seven of their children are yet living and
of this number William A. Toll was the fourth in order of birth.
With the exception of a year or so spent in Shell Rock he has
always made his home in Jefferson township. He purchased the
electric light plant at Shell Rock and operated it for about two
years, when he returned to the farm. He was reared to agricultural
pursuits, early receiving practical training in the best methods
of tilling the soil. He took his place in the field almost as soon
as old enough to handle the plow and gave his father the benefit
of his services up to the time of his marriage, since which he has
carried on general farming on his own account. He rents from
his father a tract of land of two hundred acres on section 16 and
also leases a quarter section elsewhere, so that he is extensively
enga.a^ed in fanning. His life is a busy and useful one, in which
he is accomplishing substantial results, yet he never sacrifices the
business interests and opportunities of others to his own advan-
tage. In addition to cultivating the fields he makes live stock an
important feature of his place and is now specializing in the rais-
ing of Hampshire hogs and fine-wool sheep. For a time he was
associated with W. H. Betts in the ownership of fine race horses,
continuing m that connection for ten years. Personallv he owned
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 351
Echo, Jr., wMch won a five thousand dollar purse at Hamlin,
Minnesota, with a pacing record of 2 :7i/4 in 1905. He only lost
one race that season and on that occasion came out second. His
horse, however, was sick at the time. Echo, Jr., proved to be
one of the largest money winners in the United States that year.
Mr. Toll also owned the sire of Echo, with a record of 2 :19, and
the dam of Sis Havock. He was likewise the owner of Bell
Charleston, with a record of 2:17%, and he has had many fine
colts. From his boyhood he has been interested in fine horses
and is never without some excellent specimens of the noble steed.
Mr. Toll was married February 19, 1902, the lady of his choice
being Miss Myrtle Hewitt, who was born in Charles Mix county,
South Dakota, August 29, 1882. Her sister Mabel was the first
white child born in that county and they are daughters of Wil-
liam and Jennie (Kirk) Hewitt. Her father is deceased, but her
mother still resides in Butler county. Mr. and Mrs. Toll lost one
child, Byrl, who died in his fourth year. Mr. Toll was reared
in the German Lutheran faith, and his wife is a member of the
Congregational church and together they attend its services and
contribute to its support. In politics he is a republican, and his
worth as a citizen has been recognized in liis selection for many
township offices, the duties of which he has discharged with
promptness and fidelity. He belongs to the Masonic and Odd
Fellows lodges at Shell Rock, and both he and his wife are con-
nected with the Eastern Star and the Rebekahs. They have a
very wide acquaintance in the county with which their circle of
friends is almost coextensive. The hospitality of the best homes
is gladly given them, and in their own home they maintain the
cordial welcome of pioneer times. As people of sterling worth
they are widely known, and as a business man Mr. Toll is reckoned
with those who, while promoting individual interests, also con-
tribute to the public welfare and prosperity.
JOHN H. ESSMAN.
John H. Essman, a progressive and successful farmer of Madi-
son township, owning and operating two hundred and forty acres
of choice land on section 20, was born in Ogle county, Illinois,
October 1, 1875. He is a son of Arend Essman, of whom further
mention is made elsewhere in this work.
352 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
John H. Essman came to Butler county with his parents in
1879, and was reared upon his father's farm in Madison town-
ship, aiding in its operation until he reached manhood. After his
marriage, which occurred in 1900, he located on a portion of his
father's property and after renting this for some tune purchased
the farm, which he still owns. Upon it he has made a number
of improvements, building a large two-story modern residence, a
substantial barn, good cribs and convenient outbuildings. He has
fenced and cross fenced his fields and has made his property one
of the most attractive and valuable in the vicinity. In addition
to general farming he engages also in raising graded cattle, good
work horses and Duroc Jersey hogs, and he is widely known as
a successful and progressive farmer and stock-raiser. He holds
stock in the Butler County Telephone Company and also in the
Farmers Cooperative Elevator Company of Dumont.
On the 21st of February, 1900, in Franklin county, this state,
Mr. Essman was united in marriage to Miss Mary Hirth, who
was born in Grundy county, Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Essman have
become the parents of four children: Lulu, Emma M., Arnold
R. and John L.
The parents are members of the Reformed church. Mr. Ess-
man gives his j)olitical allegiance to the democratic party and is
interested in public affairs without being active as an office seeker.
He is one of the well known farmers and business men of Madi-
son township and has the confidence and esteem of the entire
community.
GEORGE H. MEAD.
George H. Mead, a well known and respected farmer, was born
in a. log cabin on the old family homestead on section 15, Ripley
township, where he still resides, his liatal day being September
13, 1870. His parents were Henry C. and Julia E. (Horton)
Mead. The father's birth occurred at Swanton, Vermont, October
24, 1835, and he was the fourth son in a family of twelve children.
His youthful days were spent upon a farm in New England and
when a young man he came to the west, living for several years
with his brother Norman, in Illinois. In the fall of 1858 he
returned to Vermont, where he married Miss Emily S. Phillips,
and soon afterward he took his bride to Carroll countv, Illinois,
I
THE NEW
• ^OA't^lONS
ME. AND MES. GEOEGE H. MEAD
HENRY C. MEAD
I
'TUB Lie Lli3
LEHOX
RATIONS
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 357
where they lived until 1861 and then removed to Butler county,
Iowa, settling on a farm near Aplington. Later they took up
their abode on what became known as the old home farm near
Butler Center. In August, 1864, Mrs. Mead passed away and
on the 18th of April, 1868, Mr. Mead was again married, his second
union being with Miss Julia E. Horton, who was born at Lewis-
ton, Niagara county, New York, April 14, 1843, and was the young-
est of the seven children of Ira and Mariette Horton. After
attending the public schools she became a student in the college
at Niagara Falls, making her home at that time with an elder
sister. She afterward went to the home of another sister in Fenni-
more Center, Wisconsin, where she taught school for a few years
before coming to Iowa. In the spring of 1864 she went to live
with her sister, Mrs. E. C. Briggs, at Cedar Falls and taught
school near there during the following winter. Following her
marriage to Mr. Mead they traveled life's journey happily
together for forty-one years. When he arrived in this county all
he possessed was a yoke of cattle. When h-e died he was the owner
of nineteen hundred and forty acres of valuable land, all in Rip-
ley township with the exception of a quarter section in South
Dakota. He bought and fed cattle, making most of his money in
that way, and as he prospered he made judicious investments
in real estate until his holdings were very extensive. After being in
failing health for a number of years he retired from active busi-
ness life, purchasing a pleasant home on Elm street in Allison,
where his remaining days were passed. He always regretted the
fact that he had to leave the farm, to which he made daily trips
when able. He was one of the early settlers and valued citizens
of the county and when he passed away there were not many living
who had preceded him to this district. He met all the hardships
and privations of pioneer life, yet as the years passed on worked
his way steadily on toward the goal of success. He never neglected
a duty, was loyal in citizenship, faithful in friendship and devoted
to his family. He passed away in Allison, August 11, 1909. Later
Mrs. Mead built a beautiful and commodious home in the city,
equipped with all modern conveniences, and there she passed her
declining days, her death occurring July 30, 1913. She had ever
been most devoted to the welfare of her children and her example
as a loving and tender wife and mother is one which may well be
emulated. In the family were eight children: Mamie, who died
in infancy ; George H. ; Etta, who died in early childhood ; Clara,
the wife of A. W. Johnson, of Allison : Clark, who was a twin of
Vol. n— 18
358 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
Mrs. Johnson and died in childhood ; Ada, the wife of Bert Rich-
mond, of Ripley township ; Alice, the wife of George Raisty, of the
same township, and Rufus C, of Allison.
George H. Mead has spent his entire life upon the farm which
he now owns and occupies save for a period of four years. His
early experiences were those which usually fall to the farm lad.
He assisted in the work of the fields, acquired a public-school edu-
cation and enjoyed such sports as the boys of the neighborhood
delighted in. With advancing years he assumed the duties of
manhood and is now the owner of the old homestead of seven hun-
dred and twenty acres, together with a quarter section that his
father gave him before he died. The farm has been well improved
by George H. Mead and is a stock farm, Mr. Mead being exten-
sively engaged in buying, feeding and selling stock. In business
affairs he shows sound judgment and unfaltering enterprise, and
his success is growing year by year.
On the 9th of October, 1898, Mr. Mead was united in marriage
to Miss Lola Wagner, who was born in Monroe, Wisconsin, Decem-
ber 26, 1880, and was six years of age when brought to this county
by her parents, J. R. and Jane (Divan) Wagner, who now reside
in Beaver township. Mr. and Mrs. Mead have three children:
Hazel, born in May, 1899 ; Clifford, born October 9, 1902 ; and Ger-
trude, May 6, 1906. In ]3olitics Mr. Mead is a republican and has
filled the office of township tiuistee but has never been an office
seeker, preferring to concentrate his energies upon his business
affairs, which, capably conducted, are bringing to him substantial
success.
JOHN HOHL.
John Hohl, proprietor of the Wabeek Hotel at Shell Rock, is
a native of Switzerland, his birth having occurred at Rehetobel,
in the canton of Appenzell on the 8th of August, 1856. His par-
ents were John Jacob and Anna (Kellenberger) Hohl, whose
entire lives were spent in Rehetobel. The father was a manufac-
turer of curtains, conducting an extensive business which gave
employment for about a half century to between one hundred
and one hundred and fifty people. Not only in business affairs,
but in other connections was he a prominent and representative
citizen there. He acted as superintendent of the poor farm with-
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 359
out pay for about ten years, and for nineteen years he was a mem-
ber of the city counciL At his own expense and assisted by
others, he built for the benefit of the public a boulevard that
obtained a fine view of Lake Constance. He took a delight in help-
ing the needy and was ever ready to extend the hand of assistance
to those who needed it. His life was indeed one of worth and
value to the community in which he lived, and his wife was a
much loved woman because of her many good deeds and her splen-
did qualities of heart and mind. His death occurred in 1892 and
his wife survived him for about a decade, both passing away
when seventy years of age. Their children were seven in num-
ber: John Jacob, a lieutenant colonel and a prominent man of
Switzerland, where he died in 1912 ; Mrs. Albertina Bishof berger,
who died in 1873 ; John ; Rose, who died in childhood ; Mrs. Anna
Banziger, living at Lichtensteig in the canton of St. Gall, Switz-
erland; Ernest, who died in infancy; and Arnold, of Rehetobel.
John Hohl is the only representative of the family in the new
world. He was graduated from the state college at Appenzell
when fifteen years of age and also attended an academy near
Geneva, winning second honors at his graduation in 1875. On
the 8th of August, 1876, he married Anna Katharina Schlapfer,
who was born at Rehetobel, December 7, 1853, a daughter of J. J.
Schlapfer.
In his youth and early manhood John Hohl worked with his
father in his curtain and embroidery manufacturing establish-
ment and afterward conducted a general store on his own account.
This was destroyed by fire on the 21st of June, 1890, and Mr. Hohl
lost all that he had.
Friends wanted to help him to start again, but he declined the
assistance, not wishing to be under obligations to anyone and
later he decided to come to the United States to here build up his
fortunes anew. He planned that his wife should remain in Switz-
erland for two years and in 1891 he sailed for the United States
as a steerage passenger, Denver, Colorado, being his destination.
From New York he proceeded to Denver, traveling in an immi-
grant train that was four days en route. He spent eight months
in that city, where he found plenty of friends but no work as
times were hard. Later in the year he went to Bower, Nebraska,
where he joined one of his old classmates of Switzerland, who
was proprietor of German Nurseries. With him Mr. Hohl
remained for nine months. He then went to Omaha, where he
continued for a few weeks, but times were hard and business dull
360 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
there and he walked from Omaha to Stuart, Iowa, in January,
1893, when the thermometer was sixteen degrees below zero. He
was four days and four nights in covering one hundred and five
miles. On the way his companion stole some ducks, which they
sold to a poultry house, but Mr. Hohl declined to take them or to
help carry them or to receive a dollar from their sale, although
he had not a cent in his pocket. Arriving at Stuart, Iowa, he
secured a position as night clerk in a hotel and for seven years
remained in the employ of the same man, his wife joining him
there and also working in the same hotel. When his first em-
ployer sold out Mr. Hohl continued to work for his successor for
three years, managing the hotel. In 1903 he entered the hotel
business on his own account at Stuart and won success during the
three years thus spent. He afterward remained at Waterloo,
Iowa, for six months, conducting Hotel Royal, but his financial
resources were not strong enough to meet the demands of the
business and he removed to Greene, Butler county. He con-
ducted the Commercial Hotel for nearly six years there, after
which he sold out and came to Shell Rock on the 18th of June,
1912. The Wabeek Hotel here was remodeled and refitted accord-
ing to modem ideas, and he has built up a now widely extended
reputation for chicken dinners and for good ser\dce.
The hotel has become a favorite resort with the traveling
public. Many automobile parties from Waterloo and other
points, come here for the famous chicken dinners, which are
served every day of the year. When Mr. Hohl left Greene, one
of its newspapers, the Iowa Recorder, made the following com-
ment: ^'John Hohl has gone and there is no one who can fill his
place in the commimity. His motto, 'be cheerful' was his guide
at all times, prosperity or adversity alike, and stick to it he would.
Those 'marble cake' arms, that 'bald spot', a pinch of 'Copen-
hagen', the 'elastic step', and the familiar greeting, all gone! John
is now a resident of Shell Rock, where he and his good wife will
run the hotel and they surely know the hotel business and we
know they will please their patrons and make friends. We wish
them success in every way."
Mr. Hohl is a big-hearted, generous-spirited man always ready
to help the needy and nothing gives him more pleasure than to
supply a meal to a hungry man who is without the means to pay
for it. He is always ready to contribute to a worthy cause and
is a public-spirited and loyal citizen. In politics he has been a
stanch democrat since becoming a naturalized American citizen
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 361
in 1896. He had the pleasure of introducirig the Hon. W. J.
Bryan to an audience six months after becoming an American
citizen, in the campaign of that year. Mr. Hohl has entertained
at liis hotel six of the governors of Iowa. He has contributed
liberally to the church and has fin-thermore shown the spirit of
helpfulness and generosity in his adoption of a little lad now known
as Richard Hohl. The only children born to Mr. and Mrs. Hohl,
twins, died in infancy. Although the early years of his residence
brought to him hardships and difficulties, Mr. Hohl never re-
gretted his determination to come to America and as the years
have gone by has met with a fair measure of success. More than
his material gain he has gained the regard, good-will and friend-
ship of all with whom he has come in contact.
JOHN B. BURROUGHS.
John B. Burroughs is one of the honored veterans of the Civil
war, who has to his credit active participation in many of the
hotly contested battles that led to the preservation of the Union.
In days of peace his attention has been given to general agricul-
tural pursuits, and for forty-six years he has resided upon the
farm which is now his home, on section 34, Jackson township.
He was born in Hunterdon county, New Jersey, May 1, 1837, and
is a son of Jeremiah and Betsy (Seal) Burroughs, who were also
natives of that state, in which they spent their entire lives, the
father there following the carpenter's trade. The family num-
bered six children: Joseph, who enlisted in a New Jersey regi-
ment and was killed at the battle of Gettysburg; Mrs. Jane
Rinehart, who died in New Jersey ; John B. ; Charles, who died
in New Jersey ; Samuel, who enlisted from Illinois near the close
of the war and died in Tennessee while serving his country ; and
Robert.
No event of special importance occurred to vary the routine
of life for John B. Burroughs in his boyhood and youth, which
were passed in his native state. As he approached manhood,
however, he began considering the subject of a life work and of
a favorable location and resolved to try his fortune in the middle
west. In 1859, therefore, he left New Jersey and made his way
to DeKalb county, Illinois, where he was living at the time of
the outbreak of the Civil war. On the 15th of June, 1861, he
362 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
offered his services to the government and was for three years
a member of Company D, Fifteenth Illinois Volmiteer Infantry.
For about a month he was in Missouri chasing Price. The regi-
ment arrived in Fort Donelson a half hour after his surrender,
but participated in the battle of Shiloh and in other engagements.
Mr. Burroughs was ever a brave and loyal soldier, faithfully dis-
charging every duty that devolved upon him.
With the close of the war he returned to Illinois and worked
as a farm hand until his marriage. He then came to Iowa in
1867 and took up his abode upon his present farm. He first pur-
chased eighty acres of land and when he had succeeded in making
a final payment on the place he purchased another eighty acres.
Again, when his indebtedness on that was discharged, he bought
other tracts and eventuallv became the owner of six hundred and
eighty acres of rich and arable land. He has a quarter section
in Jackson township and two hundred and forty acres across the
road in Jefferson township. There were no improvements upon
the original tract of eighty acres when it came into his possession,
but with characteristic energy he began the development of the
farm, erected substantial buildings, planted his crops, divided the
place into fields of convenient size by well kept fences and secured
the latest improved machinery for planting and hai^esting. He
has always carried on stock-raising in connection with general
farming and both branches of his business have proven profitable.
In Illinois, in 1866, Mr. Burroughs was united in marriage to
Miss Susan Buck, who was born in Pennsylvania in 1844 and
when a young lady went to Illinois. The children of this mar-
riage were ten in number : Elizabeth, the wife of Pierce Thomp-
son, of Shell Rock; John, who died at the age of fifteen years;
Prank, of Minnesota; May, a resident of California; Robert,
whose home is in Jackson township; Alfred, also of the same
township ; Vivian, the wife of Ray Randall, of Dayton township ;
Margaret, the wife of John Martin, of Nora Springs ; Grace, the
wife of Frank Booker, of Rochester, Minnesota; and Lela, at
home.
Mr. Burroughs exercises his right of franchise in support of
the men and measures of the republican party. He has held some
school offices, but has never been ambitious for political prefer-
ment. He belongs to the Grand Army of the Republic at Allison
and thus maintains pleasant relations with his old army comrades.
His is a creditable life record, and he has been as true and loyal
to his country in days of peace as when he followed the old flag
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 363
upon the battlefields of the south. His life on the whole has been
quietly passed, but has been characterized by many substantial
qualities, including persistency of purpose, laudable ambition and
honesty in all business relations.
JOHN COSTER.
Agricultural interests found a worthy representative in John
Coster, living on section 22, Jefferson township. He was born in
Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Germany, March 3, 1847, his parents
being John and Louise (Crove) Coster, whose destination at the
time of their emigration to the new world was McHenry county,
Illinois, where they arrived in 1860. The father died in that state,
but the mother long survived and passed away in Butler county,
Iowa, in 1899, at the home of her son, John, when she had reached
the advanced age of seventy-nine years. She had five children,
three born of her first marriage and two of the second union.
Henry Yarcow lives at Shell Rock. Minnie Yarcow became the
wife of John Porman, but both died in this county. Dora mar-
ried John Wilson and both are deceased. Fred Coster remained
in the fatherland and there passed away. John is the subject of
this review.
John Coster was a lad of thirteen years at the time of the
emigration to the new world, and after living in Illinois for nine
years he came to Butler county in 1869, when a young man of
twenty-two. He has since resided in Jefferson township upon the
farm which is now his home, with the exception of one year. He
was actively engaged in general agricultural pursuits until about
ten years ago, when he retired from active life, although he still
makes his home on the farm. He is the owner of four hundred
acres of valuable land, all in one body, and for about thirty-two
years he was extensively engaged in raising cattle and hogs. He
made a specialty of Duroc Jersey hogs and won prizes and sweep-
stakes at the local fairs. In the early days he operated a thresh-
ing machine for fifteen years, and the various branches of his
business were so conducted that he gained substantial and well
deserved success, being now numbered among the men of affluence
in his county. A little village which sprang up in his neighbor-
hood was called Coster and a postoffice was established there, but
364 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
it was discontinued when the rural free delivery route was insti-
tuted.
On December 22, 1867, Mr. Coster was married to Miss Minnie
Stamer, who was born in Schwerin, Germany, in 1844, and came
alone to the United States. They became parents of two sons
and a daughter: Henry W., living at Shell Rock; John, of Mus-
catine, Iowa ; and Mary, the wife of Newton Ranmega, of Coster.
The parents are members of the United Evangelical church of
Coster, and for twenty-seven years Mr. Coster has been super-
intendent of the Sunday school and a most active worker in the
church. His political indorsement is given to the republican
party, and for eleven consecutive years he filled the office of town-
ship trustee. Then a period elapsed in which he was not in office,
but at the present time his incumbency in that position covers
four years. He is much interested in everything tending to stim-
ulate agricultural development and progress among the farmers
and stock-raisers and for eight years has been president of the
Butler County Fair Association. He is also interested in the
Farmers' State Bank of Shell Rock. When he came to Iowa,-
accompanied by his wife and one child, his possessions consisted
of eighty dollars in money, three horses and two cows. He at
first rented eighty acres of land, which he cultivated for two years,
during which period he carefully saved his earnings and then
bought eighty acres of the farm upon which he now resides, pay-
ing seventeen dollars per acre. To this he has added as his finan-
cial resources have increased until he is now the owner of a
valuable property, which is the visible evidence of his life of well
directed energy and thrift.
THOMAS A. COUGH.
More than a century ago Washington said that "agriculture is
the most useful as well as the most honorable occupation of man,"
and this statement has found verification in all the ages. Upon the
successful tilling of the soil depends all other business activity and
this country draws her wealth greatly from her agricultural states,
chief among which is Iowa — the corn center of America. Among
the worthy representatives of farming interests in Butler county
is Thomas A. Gough, who is living on section 4, West Point town-
ship.
THOMAS A. GOUGH
NEW
I f NOX
Al"!ON8
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 367
He was born in Jackson township, March 18, 1860, and is a son
of William and Susannah (Walsh) Gough. The father, born in
England in July, 1817, died in May, 1907. The mother, born in
Ireland about 1825, came to the United States when twenty-five
years of age, while William Gough arrived in this country at the
age of thirty-five. They were married in Illinois and came to Iowa
nearly sixty years ago, settling first in Jones county, whence they
came to Butler county. They had but one child at that time, the
others all being born in this county, where Mr. and Mrs. Gough
spent their remaining days, their last years being passed in retire-
ment in Bristow, where Mrs. Gough departed this life in 1901, at
the age of seventy-six. They had eight children : Caroline Par-
melia, the wife of J. W. Kephart, of Dumont, Iowa; William
Clark, of Yellow Medicine county, Minnesota; George Walker,
living in Clarksville ; Joseph Jeremiah, of West Point township ;
Thomas A. ; Elizabeth Jane, the wife of B. H. Corey, of Bristow ;
James Edward, who died at the age of three and a half years ; and
a daughter wdio died in infancy.
Thomas A. Gough has known no other home than Butler county,
his entire life being passed within its borders, and thus for fifty-
three years he has been a witness of its growth and development,
taking an active part in all that has pertained to its progress. He
has carried on farming and stock-raising and has engaged in buy-
ing cattle, making shipments to Chicago for the past quarter of a
century. In addition to his farm of one hundred and sixty acres
on section 4, West Point township, he owns one hundred and sixty
acres in Yellow Medicine county, Minnesota, and he also has gold
mining interests in Colorado. For forty-two years he has lived on
the place which is still his home. There were only three houses
within sight when he came here, although one could look for miles
across the prairie. No roads had been laid out and the work of
civilization and development seemed scarcely begun, yet Butler
county was even then becoming fast settled b}^ an enterprising
class of citizens, who soon converted her wild prairies into pro-
ductive fields. The splendid appearance of Mr. Gough 's farm is
attributable entirely to his own labors. He fenced his land and
erected all of the present buildings upon his place, while his father
set out a grove and Thomas Gough planted an orchard of three
hundred trees. The grove consists of maple, willow and cotton-
woods and adds much to the pleasing appearance of the farm. Mr.
Gough has long been numbered among the leading stockmen of the
county, feeding about three carloads of cattle each winter. He has
368 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
two silos and an immense cattle shed, sixty by sixty-eight feet, with
twenty-four foot center posts. There are also two wings and thus
the buildings and equipments upon the place furnish ample shelter
for hay and stock. None of the accessories of the model farm are
lacking and not the least of the elements which contribute to his
success is Mr. Gough's ability to correctly judge of the value of the
cattle which he buys, being seldom if ever at error in matters of
judgment. He is likewise president of the West Point Mutual
Telephone Company and is a most progressive business man, keep-
ing abreast of the times in every particular.
On the 17th of November, 1892, Mr. Gough was united in mar-
riage to Miss Alma E. Early, who was born in Muscatine county,
Iowa, September 15, 1864, a daughter of Thomas Mason and Rhoda
(Overturf ) Early, the former a native of Kentucky and the latter
of Pennsylvania. They were married in Muscatine in 1863 and
now reside in Allison. Mr. and Mrs. Gough had six children but
Galen, the first born, died in infancy. The others are Esther,
Marion, Everett, Naomi and Glenn.
Politically Mr. Gough is a republican and is now serving as one
of the trustees of his township, while for six years he was town-
ship clerk. For many j^ears he has been a member of the school
board and is still acting in that capacity. He was also assessor
of the township for two years and has discharged every official
duty with promptness and fidelity. The guiding principles of his
life are found in his faith as a member of the Methodist Episcopal
church, his membership being with the congregation in Bristow,
where he is serving as a church trustee.
As a pioneer settler Mr. Gough is familiar with the history of
this part of the state and can relate many interesting incidents of
the early days. His father was a pioneer Methodist Episcopal
preacher and circuit rider, who rode all over the country, preach-
ing in isolated communities at a period when the Indians were al-
most as numerous as the white settlers in this part of the state.
At times the people would become greatly alarmed at the rumor
that the Indians were uprising and Thomas A. Gough can dis-
tinctly remember the Indians coming to his first home. Wild game
and wild animals were numerous in those days, the father fre-
quently killing catamounts and wild cats. Deer were very plenti-
ful and would eat out of the corn crib upon the Gough farm, while
all kinds of feathered game were to be had in abundance. The
methods of farm work at that time were very dissimilar to those
of the present. Mr. Gough can well remember the old time farm
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 369
machinery and recalls witli pleasure the progress that has been
made from the days of the log cabin with the puncheon floor to the
present period of pros]3erity, when he, like many other substantial
farmers, occupies a modern and attractive home, supplied with all
of the conveniences and comforts known at the present day. His
long residence here has brought him a wide acquaintance and his
sterling characteristics have gained him many friends.
MORRISON A. TAYLOR, M. D.
Laudable ambition has prompted the efforts of Dr. Morrison
A. Taylor, a capable, conscientious and successful physician of
Clarksville, who holds to high professional standards and has
been accorded a liberal patronage. He was born about one and a
half miles east of Clarksville, on the 2d of December, 1857, and
is a son of James R. and Esther Ann (Cook) Taylor, the former
born in Fairfield county, Ohio, in 1829, and the latter in Foun-
tain county, Indiana, in 1830.
The Taylor family was founded by the youngest son of an
English earl, who about the close of the sixteenth century re-
moved with members of the family to Scotland. Representatives
of the family afterward went to the north of Ireland, and two
brothers later crossed the Atlantic to Massachusetts in colonial
days. They were Scotch-Irish Presbyterians. The maternal
grandfather of Dr. Taylor was Dr. John Koch, who came from
the Rheinlands of Gemanv. He was an eminent scholar and a
distinguished physician. He settled in Pennsylvania, but after-
ward removed to Indiana, where he purchased a farm, upon
which his remaining days were passed. His religious faith was
that of the TJniversalist church. He changed the name from Koch
to Cook. His wife was in her maidenhood a Miss Mounts, and
was descended from French Huguenot ancestry. Their daughter
Esther Ann Cook has in her possession the deed to the old home-
stead here, signed by Franklin Pierce. She became the wife of
James R. Taylor. They were both reared in Fountain county,
and in 1855 they became residents of Butler county, Iowa, settling
on a farm in Butler township, whereon the father spent his re-
maining days. He passed away in July, 1905, and his widow now
resides in Clarksville. He was the owner of one hundred and
sixty acres of good farm land, which he secured from the govern-
370 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
ment and forty acres of timber. When it came ioto his posses-
sion not a furrow had been turned nor an improvement made
upon it, but he converted it into rich and productive fields, and
it became a valuable property. In early life he had learned
the trades of millwright and carpenter and joiner under the di-
rection of an uncle in Ohio and Indiana and after coming to
this state he built, in connection with Asa Low, the first bridge
across Shell Rock river at Clarksville. He erected many houses
and barns in the town and surrounding country and also built a
mill here. His life was a very busy one and prominently con-
nected him with the agricultural and industrial interests of the
county. He was a consistent and earnest worker in the Christian
church throughout his entire life, being numbered among its
most valuable members. His early political allegiance was given
to the whig party, and on its dissolution he joined the ranks of
the new republican party, with which he was identified through-
ooit his remaining days. He did not care for nor seek office, how-
ever, preferring to give his undivided attention to his business
affairs, which were extensive and important and made him one
of the leading citizens of Butler county. Mr. and Mrs. Taylor
were the parents of four children: Morrison A.; John M., of
Mason City, Iowa, who is married and has a son and daughter;
Priscilla, who became the wife of Gordon McDonald and died
in Louisiana in September, 1898, leaving six children; and Rosa
E., the wife of L. M. Valentine, of Mason City.
Dr. Morrison A. Taylor, whose name introduces this record,
began his education in the district schools and had attended high
school before he entered the Breckenridge Institute at Decorah,
Iowa, in 1880. Following his course there he returned home and
taught through the winter. In the fall of 1888 he went to Val-
paraiso, Indiana, and entered the Northern Indiana Normal
School but was taken ill and returned home before he completed
the course. He says he received the greatest inspiration of his
life while a student there. He afterward taught special lines
at Breckenridge Institute and later became principal of the school
at Aplington, this county. He was also a teacher at Geneva,
Iowa, and was principal of the Riceville schools and for three
years he was principal of the schools at Alexandria, South Da-
kota. He regarded all this as an initial step to other professional
labor, for it was his desire to become a member of the medical
fraternity and with that end in view he entered the State Uni-
versity at Iowa in 1894 and was graduated from its medical de-
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 371
partment witli the class of 1897. He has since practiced medicine,
in which he has displayed notable ability, but he is also an in-
ventor and is devoting much of his time to his patents, his
mechanical ingenuity finding expression in many improved
devices.
In 1898 Dr. Taylor was married to Miss Manie A. Axtell, who
was born at Strawberry Point, Iowa, in March, 1876. She is a
daughter of Augustus E. and Martha (Bartlett) Axtell. Her
father was born in Massachusetts, September 29, 1822, and was
a son of Daniel and Jane (Wellman) Axtell, the former born
February 22, 1787, and the latter October 26, 1791. Augustus
E. Axtell went to Ohio in his childhood days and in that state
was married to Martha Bartlett, who was born in Vermont in
1832, and went to Ohio with her parents. Mr. and Mrs. Axtell
removed to Clayton county, Iowa, in 1857, and the farm which
he then purchased remained his home until his death, which
occurred in August, 1906. To him and his wife were born five
children and by a former marriage he had three children. Dr.
and Mrs. Taylor have three daughters: Eoba Hellene, born in
December, 1899; Hester Miriam, born in South Dakota in 1903;
and Barbara Gretchen, in 1906.
Dr. Taylor is a progressive in politics. He holds firmly to the
principles in which he believes and does not hesitate to express
his honest convictions. He belongs to Butler Lodge, No. 94, A.
F. & A. M., of which his father was a charter member and the
junior deacon. Dr. Taylor likewise has membership in the In-
dependent Order of Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias
lodge. His life principles have their root in his belief as a mem-
ber of the Christian church, in which he has served as deacon, as
a member of the official board and as chorister. For thirty years
he has been superintendent of the Sunday school and, in fact, is
deeply interested in every department of the church work, do-
ing all in his power to further its growth and extend its influ-
ence.
FRANK BROWN.
Frank Brown, a well known farmer of Beaver township, was
born in Blackhawk county, Iowa, March 29, 1877. He is a son
of Hiram and Margaretta (Winch) Brown, the former born in
Connecticut in 1839 and the latter in Massachusetts in the same
372 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
year. The parents afterward moved to Iowa, settling in Black-
hawk county, where the father engaged in farming. He passed
away in 1904 and is survived by his wife, who makes her home
in Waterloo. In their family were seven children: Eugene, who
has passed away ; Henry ; Walter and Anna, deceased ; Frank, of
this review; Leonard; and Sherberne.
Frank Brown attended district school in Blackhawk county
until he was sixteen years of age and afterward worked as a farm
laborer until he was twenty-nine. He then spent about three
years on his father's farm, after which he moved to Waterloo.
He remained there for one year and then in 1909 came to Butler
county, where he purchased the farm on section 29, Beaver town-
ship, whereon he has since resided. He engages in general farm-
ing and also feeds stock, kee23ing twent3^-eight head of cattle,
fifty hogs and four horses. In addition to this he operates a
dairy and has made this branch of his activities important and
profitable.
On the 29tli of March, 1905, in Waterloo, Mr. Brown married
Miss 011a Fay Sells, a daughter of Nathan G. and Iva (Ingalls)
Sells, pioneer settlers in Butler county. Mr. and Mrs. Brown
became the parents of seven children : Leslie C. ; Bernice I., who
has passed away; Eugene W.; Russell H.; Mildred H.; Iva M.;
and John Gr.
Mr. Brown is a member of the Methodist church and a repub-
lican in his political beliefs. He is held in high regard in Butler
county and has an extensive acquaintance within its borders.
W. H. H. FLEEK.
W. H. H. Fleek has many claims to the esteem and respect of
his fellow citizens, for he is not only a veteran of the Civil war
but also an early settler in Butler county and a man who has
contributed in substantial measure to the agricultural growth and
development of his locality. He was born in LaFayette, Indiana,
July 4, 1841, and when he was thirteen years of age went with
his uncle, E. T. Fleek, to Green county, Wisconsin, and there
gi^ew to manhood on the latter 's farm. On the 22d of April,
1861, he joined Company C, Third Wisconsin Volunteer Infan-
try, and went into camp at Fond du Lac. After drilling for some
time the regiment was sent east and joined the army of the Poto-
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 373
mac, later taking part in General Banks' retreat. Mr. Fleek
was taken prisoner and sent to Bell Island, where lie was held
for three months and then paroled. He rejoined his command
at Antietam and participated afterward in the battle of Gettys-
burg. His regiment was sent to New York city at the time of
the draft riots there and was later transferred to Tennessee,
where it took part in the battles of Lookout Mountain and Mis-
sionary Ridge. Upon the close of his first term Mr. Fleek reen-
listed and after a thirty-day furlough rejoined his regiment at
Fayetteville. He took part in the Atlanta campaign, during
which there was a fight or a skirmish every day for over a month,
and after the fall of Atlanta he joined Sherman on his march to
the sea. Before leaving the city he was detailed orderly and
served in that capacity until the close of the war, his regiment
taking part in the grand review at Washington. Afterward Mr.
Fleek returned home on a veteran's furlough, receiving his hon-
orable discharge at Madison, Wisconsin, in 1865.
With a creditable military record Mr Fleek returned to Green
county and located on a one hundred acre farm which he operated
and developed for some years, after which he sold the property
and moved to Iowa, settling in Butler county in 1877. He pur-
chased a farm of one hundred and twenty acres on section 21,
Dayton township, and has since carried on the work of improving
and developing this property, which he has made one of the finest
and most productive in the township. Mr. Fleek engages in gen-
eral farming and stock-raising, keeping a high grade of horses,
cattle and hogs.
While home on a furlough, on the 22d of February, 1864, at
Brodhead, Wisconsin, Mr. Fleek was united in marriage to Miss
Sarah M. Woodling, who was born in Indiana, a daughter of
Francis Woodling, a pioneer in Green county, Wisconsin. Mrs.
Fleek passed away in California, April 15, 1906, leaving four
children: J. G. and Marion, of Los Angeles, California; Ruth,
the wife of Alvin Codd, also of Los Angeles; and Gertrude, a
resident of California. Mr. and Mrs. Fleek lost one son and
three daughters. Ty grew to maturity and married George Free-
man. Her death occurred in 1897. Bertha passed away in
Highland, California. Ord C. met death by accident in High-
land. Belle married William Brown and resided for a number
of years in Waterloo, where her death occurred.
Mr. Fleek cast his first vote for Abraham Lincoln in 1864 and
has supported every republican nominee for president since that
374 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
time. Fraternally he is a Master Mason and a member of the
Grand Army post of Greene. He is interested in the betterment
of the community where he has so long resided and has borne an
important part in promoting general progress. He is a man of
many sterling traits of character, capable in business, progressive
in citizenship and at all times trustworthy and reliable.
FRANK BEACH.
Frank Beach, living retired in Dmnont after many years of
close connection with agricultural interests of Franklin and But-
ler counties, was born in Peoria county, Illinois, December 26,
1842. He was reared upon a farm in that locality and acquired
his education in the district schools. In 1862 he enlisted in Com-
pany K, Eighty-sixth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and was sent
with his regiment to Louisville, Kentucky, later taking part in
the campaign after General Bragg. He was honorably discharged
on account of disability and returned to Illinois, where after
recovering his health he engaged in farming for two years. In
1866 he sold his land in Peoria county and moved to Iowa, making
the journey with teams and coming directly to Butler county,
where he located on an eighty acre tract of wild land, which he
had previously purchased. Soon afterward, however, he went to
Franklin county, where he rented land, operating this for one
year and at the same time breaking the soil upon his property in
Madison township and building upon it a comfortable home.
Afterward he took up his residence upon this place and while
carrying forward the work of its development engaged in break-
ing land for his neighbors, receiving as a compensation for this
service the first two crops grown upon the farm. Mr. Beach after-
ward sold his land in Madison township and bought two hundred
and forty acres in Franklin county which he broke, cleared and
improved, from time to time adding to his holdings until he
accumulated four hundred acres of valuable land, which he still
owns. He engaged in general farming and stock-raising upon this
property until 1908, when he rented the tract and moved into
Diunont, where he has since lived retired. He has valuable prop-
erty interests here, owning a number of residence lots upon which
he has erected two dwellings.
FEANK BEACH
ox
aTiON3
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 377
On the 29th of December, 1864, Mr. Beach was united in mar-
riage to Miss Sarah Elsey, a native of Essex, England, and a
daughter of Robert Elsey, who emigrated to America and located
at Rome, New York, where he passed away. His wife survived
him and later moved to Elgin, Illinois, where Mrs. Beach was
reared and educated. Mr. and Mrs. Beach became the parents of
four children: Lydia, who died at the age of fourteen months;
Lillian, the wife of William Brandenberg, a merchant of Kesley ;
Frank W., who lives at home, and Emily C, the deceased wife of
Fred Foote, by whom she had two children.
Mr. Beach has given his political allegiance to the republican
party since he cast his first ballot for Abraham Lincoln in 1864.
He has been very active in public affairs and has been honored by
his fellow citizens by election to various positions of public trust
and responsibility, his official record being characterized by the
accomplishment of a great deal of important work. He was for
four years assessor of Madison township and while a resident of
Franklin county was identified with the work of the school board
for a quarter of a century. He served for two years as justice
of the peace in Franklin county and for three years in Dumont.
He has been a delegate to numerous county conventions both in
Butler and Franklin counties. He and his wife are members of
the Methodist Episcopal church of Dumont, and Mr. Beach is a
charter member of the Dumont lodge of the Knights of Pythias
and belongs to the Grand Army post at Ackley. He has been
well known in this part of Iowa for many years, and his integrity
and ability have gained him the respect and confidence of all who
have had business or personal relations with him. He is an own
cousin of General McPherson of military fame and moreover, he,
himself, is entitled to a place in this volume as a veteran of the
Civil war, to whom the country owes a debt of gratitude that can
never be fully repaid.
PHILIP LOOMER.
''The weary wheels of life at length stood still" for Philip
Loomer on the 3d of January, 1914. He had reached the
advanced age of eighty-seven years, thirty-five years of which
time had been spent in Butler coimty, and during much of that
period he was actively engaged in the development and improve-
Vol. TT— 19
378 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
ment of a farm of two hundred and seventy acres, but about
fifteen years ago retired to Clarksville. He was born in Nova
Scotia, Canada, October 6, 1826, a son of Benjamin and Eunice
(Jess) Loomer, both of whom were natives of Nova Scotia, the
latter of French Huguenot descent. The Loomer family comes of
English ancestry, and representatives of the name after living
for some time in New England removed to Nova Scotia just prior
to the Revolutionary war. In 1841 Benjamin Loomer removed
with his family to Wisconsin. They sailed from Nova Scotia to
Boston, reaching their destination only after twenty-one days
because of strong head winds. From that point they proceeded
by rail to Norwich, Connecticut, thence by steamboat to New
York, up the Hudson to Albany, through the Erie canal to Buf-
falo, by steamboat to Milwaukee and thence to Walworth county,
Wisconsin, where they located on government land. It was a
wild and undeveloiDed tract, not a furrow having been turned or
an improvement made. The father was not long permitted to
enjoy this new home, his death there occurring in 1847. In 1878
the mother went to Florida with her two sons-in-law, and after-
ward removed to Oswego, Kansas, where she died in 1879.
Philip Loomer was the only survivor in a family of three
sons and two daughters. He was a youth of fifteen at the time
of the removal to Wisconsin and later began farming there on
his own account, after purchasing a quarter section of land in
Columbia county at one dollar per acre. He carried on farming
in that district until 1878 and then sold out, removing to Butler
county, Iowa. Here he purchased a farm four miles east of
Clarksville, comprising two hundred and seventy acres of arable
land. Fifteen years ago he retired, taking up his abode in Clarks-
ville.
Mr. Loomer was twice married. On the 24th of March, 1851,
he married Marv Ann Cass, who died October 17, 1863. Thev
were the parents of four children, two of whom died ere the
mother's death. Albert, born October 27, 1852, is a resident of
Minnesota. He has six sons, all of whom are married, and a
daughter, who remains at home. Ella Jane, the second child of
Mr. and Mrs. Philip Loomer, died at the age of eight years.
Fred died at the age of forty years, leaving a widow and four
children. Charles, the youngest of the family, was but two years
of age at the time of his demise. On the 13th of March, 1864, Mr.
Loomer married Lucretia Smith Cass, a sister of his first wife.
She was born in New Hampshire, June 10, 1838, and was but
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 379
twelve years of age wlien slie went to Wisconsin with lier parents.
The cMldren of this marriage are as follows: Eugene, who died
at the age of two years ; Arthur, living in Armstrong, Iowa ; Flo-
rence, the wife of George Cruthers of Waverly, Iowa; Lillian,
the wife of Homer Smith of Brightwood, D. C. ; Mary, the wife
of N. O. Edwards, of Butler township; Lester, living on his
father 's farm ; Jennie, the wife of Arthur Moore, of Butler town-
ship ; and Addie Eugenie, the wife of W. C. Shepard, of Allison.
Mr. Loomer had twenty-six grandchildren and seventeen great-
grandchildren. There are four granddaughters and six grand-
sons who are married.
Mr. Loomer was entitled to w^ear the Grand Army button and
was a member of the James Butler post, at Clarksville. He
enlisted in December, 1864, as a member of Company I, Forty-
fourth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, and served until the close
of hostilities. That honorable principles were salient features
in his life is indicated in the earnest support which he always
gave the temperance cause and the interests of religion. He voted
with the prohibition party and was a member of the Methodist
Episcopal church, and his was an earnest Christian life. He
occupied a large, fine home in Clarksville, attractively located and
surrounded with magnificent shade trees. Here he passed the
evening of his days in quiet contentment and enjoyed the honor
and respect of his fellow^ townsmen, because of his well spent life,
which was indeed an example worthy of emulation.
FRED WILLIAM SCHNEE.
^ Among the able and prosperous farmers of Coldwater town-
ship and among Butler county's most progressive and successful
native sons is numbered Fred William Schnee, who owns and
operates a fine property of eighty acres on section 21. He was
born in this township, December 6, 1876, and is a son of Otto and
Wilhelmina (Becker) Schnee, natives of Germany. The father
came to America when he was a young man and settled imme-
diately in Bremer county, this state, where he purchased land
and operated a farm for some time. He moved to Butler county
in 1865 and bought the farm in Coldwater township which is now
owned by his son. Here he made his home until his death, which
occurred in 1879. His vdfe survived him many years, passing,
380 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
away in 1911. In their family were eight children, five sons and
thi'ee daughters.
Fred W. Schnee was reared upon his father's farm and
acquired his education in the district schools. F^rom his early
childhood he assisted with the operation of the homestead and
became in time an able and practical agriculturist. Upon the
death of his mother he bought the interests of the other heirs and
succeeded to the homestead, which he has since operated. To the
buildings already upon the property he has added a modern resi-
dence, a barn and a crib, and he has made other improvements,
having set out an orchard and a grove of forest and evergreen
trees which protect the west and north sides of his house. Mr.
Schnee raises high-grade cattle and hogs and Norman horses and
his stock-raising and general farming interests are extensive and
important. He is a stockholder in the Greene Cooperative Cream-
ery Association and in the Farmers Cooperative Elevator Com-
pany, and his ability is recognized and respected in business
circles.
In Coldwater township, on the 22d of April, 1908, Mr. Schnee
was united in marriage to Miss Ida Tinnemann, who was born,
reared and educated in Butler county and who formerly engaged
in teaching. Mr. and Mrs. Schnee have become the parents of a
daughter, Martha Marie. Mrs. Schnee is a member of the
Lutheran church, and Mr. Schnee is connected fraternally with
the Knights of Pythias. He gives his political allegiance to the
democratic party, but has never held office, preferring to concen-
trate his attention upon his business affairs, which are capably
conducted and have brought him a gratifying measure of success.
ANDREW J. McELHANEY.
Agricultural pursuits have found a worthy representative in
Andrew J. McElhaney, who resides on section 30, Butler town-
ship. Busily employed in the development of his farm, he has
little time for outside interests, and the success, which is reward--
ing his labors, is the direct result of his industry and enterprise.
He was born in Indiana county, Pennsylvania, January 13, 1840,
a son of George and Ann (Bolen) McElhaney. The father was
also a native of the same county, born September 6, 1818, while
the mother's birth occurred in Bedford countv, Pennsvlvania,
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 381
October 15, 1813. She was the daughter of George Bolen, a sol-
dier in the Revolutionary war, who served at Valley Forge and
went through all the hardships of that memorable winter. He,
too, was a native of the Keystone state, as was the paternal grand-
father of our subject, who came of Scotch parentage. Mr. and
Mrs. George McElhaney remained in Pennsylvania until the fall
of 1852, when they removed to DeKalb county, Illinois, and there
resided until 1857. In that year they settled in Bremer county,
Iowa, and in 1858 came to Butler county, locating on a farm near
Butler Center. Subsequently they went to Nebraska, where Mr.
McElhaney died about fifteen years ago. His widow now makes
her home with her daughter in Waverly, Iowa, and she was one
hundred years of age on the 15th of October, 1913. While in
the east George McElhaney was a boatman on the canal but after
removing to the west followed farming. To him and his wife
were born eight children : Andrew J. ; Mrs. Mar}^ Ann McGregor,
of Butler county; Mrs. Sarah Sewell, of Waverly, Iowa; Wash-
ington, who is living in South Dakota; Martha, a resident of
Omaha, Nebraska; John; Jane, whose home is in Illinois; and
James, of Wheatland, Wyoming. He served for three years in
the Civil war, enlisting at Clarksville as a member of Company I,
Third Iowa Infantry.
A similar spirit of patriotism prompted Andrew J. McElha-
ney to go to the defense of his country during the dark hour in
its history. He enlisted on the 24th of May, 1861, as a member
of Company B, Fifteenth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, with which
he served until June 27, 1865, being mustered out at Springfield,
Illinois. He was captured at Moon Station, Georgia, and held
as a prisoner of war for seven months, being incarcerated at
Andersonville. It was not until the 29th of April, 1865, follow-
ing the surrender of General Lee, that he was released. He
participated in many of the most hotly contested engagements,
including the battles of Shiloh, Fort Donelson, Corinth, Bighatchie
and the siege of Vicksburg, beside many others of less importance.
The first year of his military experience was spent in Missouri,
following Price. Later he was with the army of the west under
Generals Grant and Sherman. He went through all of the experi-
ences incident to army life, never wavered in the face of danger
and by reason of his courage and loyalty, returned home with a
most creditable military record.
When the war was over, Mr. McElhaney began farming in
DeKalb county, Illinois, where he remained for three years and
382 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
then came to Butler county. He has resided upon his present
place for more than thirty-six years, having sixty-three acres on
sections 19 and 30, devoted to general farming and stock-raising.
His business affairs are capably conducted, and the neat and
thrifty aj^pearance of his j^lace indicates his careful supervision
and progressive methods.
In September, 1865, almost immediately after his return from
the army, Mr. McElhaney was married to Miss Elida Scholl-
maker, who was born in Boone county, Illinois, June 13, 1846,
and is a daughter of Nicholas and Priscilla (Strawn) Scholl-
maker. Her father was a native of New York, and her mother
of Canada, and both died in Clarksville. Mr. and Mrs. McElha-
ne.y have six children : Fred Albert, now living in Bremer county ;
Mrs. Julia Surfess, who died, leaving one child; George, of
Nebraska; May, the wife of Bert Sturdevant, of South Dakota;
Myrtle, the wife of Ed Roberts, living on a farm adjoining her
father's; and John, who operates the old home farm.
In politics Mr. McElhaney has always been a stalwart repub-
lican, exercising his right of francliise in support of the men and
measures of the party, yet he has never sought nor held office.
His religious faith is evidenced in his membership in the Chris-
tian church. This has been the guiding spirit of his life and has
made him one of the respected citizens of Butler county, his
integrity of character being acknowledged by all.
W. H. HICKLE.
W. H. Hickle, one of the substantial residents of Clarksville,
has resided in the town for the past twelve years, prior to which
time he was actively engaged in farming. He also bought and
shipped stock for several years, and his carefully managed busi-
ness affairs brought him a gratifying measure of success, that
now enables him to live retired. He was bom in Ross county,
Ohio, December 10, 1842, a son of John and Hester Ann (Van
Gundy) Hickle. Their family numbered seven children, of whom
six are now living. Two of their sons, Jacob H. and John Alfred,
enlisted from this county for active service in the Civil war, the
former being a member of the Thirty-second Iowa Volunteer
Infantry and the latter of the Eighth Iowa Cavalry.
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 383
W. H. Hickle, the second in order of birth, was brought to
this coimty by his parents from McLean county, Illinois, the fam-
ily home having previously been in the vicinity of Bloomington,
Illinois, for about eight or ten years. They arrived in Butler
county on the 10th of May, 1856, and cast their lot with its pioneer
settlers. Much of the land was still unclaimed and uncultivated,
and the work of progress and improvement seemed scarcely begun.
In June the prairies were starred with a million wild flowers and
in December were covered with one dazzling and unbroken sheet
of snow. One could ride for miles without coming to a fence to
impede his progress, but as the years passed on the work of devel-
opment was carried forward by a resolute, energetic band of
pioneer settlers and Butler county has been brought to its present
state of progress and improvement.
W. H. Hickle was fourteen years of age at the time of the
removal to this county and was here reared to share with the
family in the arduous duties of frontier life. After attaining
his majority he began farming on his own account, remaining at
home until the time of his marriage, after which he farmed in
Jackson township until he put aside business cares. He had one
hundred and twenty acres in the home place and at different
times owned other tracts of land. In addition to cultivating the
cereals best adapted to soil and climate he also engaged in buying
and shipping stock for several years and his business affairs were
so capabl}^ and successfully managed that he now finds it possible
to live retired without further recourse to labor, in order to pro-
vide himself and family with the necessities and comforts of life.
In 1867 Mr. Hickle was married to Mrs. Lydia Wilcox Hen-
derson, a widow, who was born in New York, and at an early day
became a resident of Dubuque county, Iowa. She died in But-
ler county, May 2, 1905, at the of fift.y-six years. There were
three children of that marriage: Frank, who died in infancy;
May, who died at the age of two years; and Stella, the wife of
George Atkinson, of Washington Springs, South Dakota, by
w^hom she has tw^o children, Lucile and Mary Ranelda.
In political views Mr. Hickle has always been an earnest re-
publican since age conferred upon him the right of franchise,
and he cast his first presidential vote for President Lincoln at his
second election. Mr. Hickle has been called upon to fill a num-
ber of township offices including that of clerk and trustee, and
he has also served in a number of school offices, the cause of edu-
cation finding in him a stalwart champion. His religious faith is
384 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
that of the Baptist church, and his life has been guided by its
teachings. He is regarded as one of the substantial and respected
citizens of Clarksville and well deserves mention among the rep-
resentative men of this count v, in which he has now lived for
fifty-seven years, his memory forming a connecting link between
the primitive past and the progi'essive present, while in the work
of general development he has always borne his part.
REV. CONRAD WELTXER.
Rev. Conrad Weltner has for the past thirty years been pastor
of the Lutheran St. John congregation of Yilmar and is also at the
head of a new church which he has recently completed at Allison.
He was born at Melsungen, Hesse-Cassel, Germany, on the 12th
of April, 1862, and was baptized on the 30th of the same month.
His parents, Martin and Margaretha (Riemann) Weltner, Avere
married on the 19th of December, 1858, and became the parents
of four children, namely : William, who acts as pastor of a church
at Lizard, Iowa ; Conrad, of this review ; Carl ; and Helen.
After his confirmation Conrad Weltner entered the Latin
school of Pastor Kloeffler in his native city and a year later be-
came a student in the Mission Institute of ^Metropolitan Yilmar
at Melsungen. In June, 1880, he emigrated to the United States
with four other students and entered the Theological Seminary
of the Lutheran Iowa Synod at Mendota, Illinois, being there
placed under the care of the well known Drs. Sieginund and Gott-
fried Fritschel. In July, 1881, he became an assistant of the Rev.
George Landgrebe at Toeterville, Mitchell county, Iowa. On the
6th of November of the same year he received his first call from
the Lutheran congregation at Myrtle, Minnesota, and on the 14th
of December, 1883, he accepted a call from the Lutheran St. John
congregation of Yilmar, Butler county, Iowa, where he has re-
mained as pastor throughout the intervening thirty years. He
has ever labored with consecrated zeal and his efforts have been
a potent element in the moral development of the community.
The new church at Allison which was recently completed by him
also receives his services as pastor.
On the 8th of September, 1886, Rev. Weltner was united in
marriage to Miss Dorothea Lehmann, a daughter of Fred and
Auguste (Schwitzke) Lehmann, of Watertown, Wisconsin. They
REV. CONRAD WELTNER
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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 387
have six children, as follows : Lillie, who was born on the 23d. of
January, 1890, and baptized on the 2d of February ; Carl, born Sep-
tember 27, 1891, who was baptized on the 11th of October ; William,
who was born December 17, 1892, and baptized December 30th;
Kurt, who was born on the 19th of October, 1894, and baptized
November 4th; Paul, born January 15, 1898, who was baptized
on the 6th of February ; and Emma, whose birth occurred Decem-
ber 5, 1900, and who was baptized on January 1st of the following
year.
WILLIAM FOLKERS.
William Folkers is busily engaged in general farming on the
old family homestead on section 14, West Point township, to
which place his parents removed when he was but two weeks old.
He was born in Ereeport, Illinois, March 11, 1876, a son of Wil-
liam and Halloa (Jensen) Folkers, who were natives of Hanover,
Germany, the former born October 12, 1833, and the latter Jan-
uary 18, 1838. They were married in 1864 and in 1867 became
residents of Freeport, Illinois, where they resided for nine years.
On the expiration of that period they removed westward to But-
ler county and for thirty-seven years have remained upon the
farm which is now their home. The father has devoted his entire
life to general agricultural pursuits. He arrived in the United
States empt^^-handed, but he believed this to be the land of
opportunity and resolved to win success, if it could be secured
through indefatigable industry and honorable methods. As time
passed on he kept adding to his possessions until he became the
owner of six hundred and eighty acres in West Point township,
but he has since disposed of all of this to his children, except the
home place, comprising a quarter of section 14. He carried on
general farming and stock-raising for many years but during the
past fifteen years has lived retired, leaving the active work of the
fields to others. He is a member of the German Lutheran church
of Vilmar, to which his wife and children also belong, and earnest
Christian principles have actuated him in all of his life record.
His political support has ever been given to the democratic party.
To Mr. and Mrs. Folkers have been born eight children : Folkert,
who is living in West Point township ; Bertha, the wife of F. G.
Brennecke of Sumner ; Frank, a veterinarian, practicing his pro-
388 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
f ession in Allison ; Katie, the wife of Henry Maas, of Coldwater
township; Hikko, of West Point township; William, of this
review; Helen, the wife of Herman Laclage, of Plainfield, Iowa;
and Agnes, who is with her parents.
William Folkers was brought to the farm upon which he now
resides when two weeks old and has since lived here, although he
and his family now occupy a home separate from his parents.
He was reared to farm life, early becoming familiar with the
best methods of tilling the soil and caring for the crops. Fifteen
years ago he took charge of the old homestead and has since
relieved his father of all care and responsibility in connection
with its cultivation. He now owns eighty acres north of Allison,
adjoining the corporate limits, which he rents. He is capable and
energetic in his business affairs and is justly accounted one of
the leading farmers of his community.
In August, 1898, Mr. Folkers was united in marriage to Miss
Lena Schroder, who was born in Illinois, June 30, 1876, and in
her childhood days was brought to Butler county by her parents,
John and Dora (Bane) Schroder, natives of Germany. Her
father died here, but her mother is now a resident of Allison.
Mr. and Mrs. Folkers have two children, Flossie and John. The
parents are members of the Lutheran church, taking an active
and helpful interest in its work. Mr. Folkers gives his j)olitical
allegiance to the democratic party but has no desire for public
office. He feels that all of his time should be given to his busi-
ness affairs, and he is an energetic man, persistent and reliable,
who well deserves classification with the representative agricul-
turists of the county in which he has spent practically his entire
life.
HENRY DE GROOTE, Sr.
Henry De Groote, Sr., a well known farmer of Albion town-
ship, was born in Germany, October 8, 1857. He is a son of John
and Trena (Harmes) De Groote, also natives of the fatherland,
the former born in 1833 and the latter in 1824. The parents came
to Iowa in 1884, and the father worked as a farm laborer in this
state until his death, which occurred January 12, 1912. His wife
has also passed away, dying March 31, 1891.
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 389
Henry De Groote, Sr., is one of a family of three children.
He acquired his education in the public schools of Germany,
attending until he was fourteen years of age, after which he
worked upon a farm in his native land until 1882. In that year
he crossed the Atlantic to America and settled in Grundy county,
Iowa, whence after eight years he came to Butler county, where
he has since resided. In 1902 he bought two hundred and seven-
ty-eight acres of land on sections 24 and 25, Albion township,
and upon this property raises small grain and hay and is also
extensively interested in dairying and stock-raising, keeping one
hundred hogs, sixty head of cattle and twenty horses.
In Germany, on the 27th of November, 1880, our subject mar-
ried Miss Antje Jacobs. They became the parents of ten chil-
dren. Henry, Jr., is a farmer in Albion township. He married
Lezzie Van Hauen, and they had four children. Trena has passed
awav. Joe lives at home. Anna married William Hassman, a
farmer in Albion township, and they have three children. Jacob
has passed away. The other members of this family are, Jacob,
the second of the name, Harry, Thomas, Andrew and Greta.
Mr. De Groote, Sr., is a member of the Reformed church and
a republican in his political beliefs. He is one of the most highly
respected citizens of Albion township, where he has resided for
manv vears and where he holds the esteem and confidence of all
who are associated with him.
JOHN KALKWARF.
John Kalkwarf, a progressive and able agriculturist of But-
ler county, o\\Taing and operating one hundred and fifty acres on
section 1, Monroe township, was born in Germany on the 28th
of September, 1855. He is a son of Henry and Flora (Sanders)
Kalkwarf, also natives of that country, the former born in 1815
and the latter in 1824, The father, who was a linen weaver by
trade, died in 1896, having survived his wife six years. They
were the parents of seven children, Gertrude, Trena, Rena, John,
Reint, Flora, and Fannie.
John Kalkwarf attended school in Germany until he was
fourteen years of age and afterward worked on a farm in that
country until 1883. He then came to America, settling in Grundy
county, Iowa, where he engaged as a farm laborer for six years.
390 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
In 1890 he came to Butler county and after renting land for four
years bought one hundred and fifty acres on section 1, Monroe
township. He has operated this property since that time and
has been very successful, his general farining and stock-raising-
interests being today extensive and important. Mr. Kalkwarf
raises hay, corn and oats, all of which he feeds to his stock, keep-
ing on an average thirty head of cattle, forty hogs and nine horses.
His animals are sold in the local market, where they command a
high price and a ready sale.
On the 1st of February, 1889, in Grundy county, Mr. Kalk-
warf married Miss Fraukelena Kliege, a daughter of Ernest and
Foske (De Yries) Kliege, the former a well known farmer of
that locality. Mrs. Kalkwarf died in 1909, when she w^as about
forty years of age, leaving nine children, Lena, Florence, Henry,
John, Gertie, Dena, Ernest, Elsena and Fred. Lena married
Cornelius Jurgens, who is engaged in farming in Ripley town-
ship.
Mr. Kalkwarf attends the German Reformed church and is a
republican in his political beliefs. For six years he was a mem-
ber of the school board, and he is at all times interested in com-
munity affairs, cooperating heartily in all measures and projects
for general advancement and growth. He has an enviable repu-
tation in Butler county, holding the esteem and confidence of an
extensive circle of friends.
FRANK S. KILSON.
The Tall Pine Stock Farm, situated on section 29, West Point
township, is the property of Frank S. Kilson. It bears an ap-
propriate name because of the fine pine trees upon the place, which
were set out b}^ Lewis Kilson, father of our subject. Here the son
is conducting a profitable business as a stock-raiser, making a
specialty of black polled cattle, his herd at the present time num-
bering ninety head. He has come to be recognized as an authority
upon stock-raising in this part of the state and his success pro-
claims his judgment to be sound and his methods enterprising.
Frank S. Kilson was born in McHenry county, Illinois, June
28, 1854, and is a son of Lewis and Carry (Nelson) Kilson, both
natives of Norway, born on the 28th of November, 1807, and in
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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 393
June, 1822, respectively. Both came to the United States about
1831 and after spending a winter in Cincinnati, Ohio, Lewis Kil-
son removed to Illinois. The mother of our subject on crossing
the Atlantic went to Dane county, Wisconsin, and there became the
wife of Iver Nelson. There were several children by that marriage
but the husband and the children all passed away in Wisconsin.
Following the death of her first husband Mrs. Nelson became the
wife of Lewis Kilson. He, too, had been married before when in
Illinois and there were three children by that union. These were :
Anna, now the deceased wife of Silas F. Woodworth; Albert M.,
of Garden City, Kansas, who is a pioneer of that state and has
served in the Kansas legislature ; and Martha A., the deceased wife
of John Wilks, who has been a member of the senate of South
Dakota. Following the marriage of the parents of our subject
they established their home in Illinois, but in October, 1855, came
to Butler county, Iowa, removing from Woodstock, Illinois, and
taking up their abode upon what is now the old Kilson homestead.
In June, 1855, Mr. Kilson had visited this section of the state and
had secured a government claim. In fact, he had entered three
eighty-acre tracts and he purchased other land until he was the
owner of a half section. This he greatly improved, converting it
into productive fields, and upon the farm he spent his remaining
days, his life's labors being terminated in 1889. For eight years
he had survived his wife, who died in 1881. In early life he was a
mechanic, but throughout all his later years he followed farming.
However, his labors ever displayed mechanical ingenuity and in
the early days he made cutlery, after which he would go out and
sell the knives. He also made candlesticks in Illinois before re-
moving to this state and he was very ingenious in producing these
different mechanical devices. He became a very well informed
man, possessed ever a receptive mind and a retentive memory.
After coming to the new world he adopted the customs of the
country in every respect, even dropping the language of his native
land and becoming thoroughly American. He never lost his love
for his native land, but he had the strongest attachment for his
adopted country and there could be found no native son whose
loyalty was greater. In politics Lewis Kilson was a stanch repub-
lican and he always kept well informed on the questions and issues
of the day. His religious faith was that of the Presbyterian de-
nomination and he assisted in the building of a number of
churches. In a word, he was a good citizen, ever deeply interested
in the material, intellectual, political, social and moral progress of
394 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
the county. He won a fair measure of success for his day and. he
lived to see the district in which he located become the habitation
of a prosperous and contented people. When he arrived here
Dubuque was the nearest railroad point and later a line was built
to Cedar. Falls, and it was not until after the war that Butler county
had a railroad. From pioneer times to the present the name of Kil-
son has figured prominently in connection with the history of the
county, its bearers taking active part in the work of upbuilding
and development.
Frank S. Kilson is the eldest of six children, the others being :
George E., who for the past thirty years has lived in California,
s]3ending twenty-seven years of this time as station agent at Sati-
coy; Alice, the wife of J. T. Thompson, of Norfolk, Nebraska,
whose father, Charles Thompson, established the Iowa Central
Stock Farm of Butler county; Charles Grant, living two and a
half miles southeast of Allison ; Walter L., who was born in 1866
and died in 1905 ; and Oscar, who died at the age of three years.
A half-brother, Albert M., enlisted from Butler county in 1864, in
the Second Iowa Cavalry, and served until the close of the war,
while his son Charles was in the Spanish- American war, was shot
in the Philippines and now resides in Scott City, Kansas.
Frank S. Kilson, numbered among the honored pioneer resi-
dents of the county, has here resided since the fall of 1855, arriv-
ing when a babe of little more than a year. He has always carried
on farming, starting out in business life on his own account
at the time of his marriage, and after his father's death he pur-
chased the interests of the other heirs in the home place and is now
the owner of two hundred and forty acres of rich and arable land
on section 29, West Point township. It is an attractive place, con-
stituting one of the pleasing features in the landscape, and most of
the improvements upon the farm are tangible evidences of the
thrift and enterprising spirit of the owner. The soil is very fertile
and he raises large crops, which he cultivates according to the most
modern methods. He also keeps good stock and is well known as a
dealer in cattle, making a specialty of black polled cattle, of which
he now has ninety head. Many of these are full-blooded animals,
which he raises for beef.
In 1883 Mr. Kilson was united in marriage to Miss Sarah
Knight, who was born in Wisconsin in 1860 and came to Butler
county with her parents, Henry and Sarah (Dye) Knight, who
were natives of England and spent their last days in this county.
Mr. and Mrs. Kilson have two children : Carrie, the wife of Rob-
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 395
ert A. McKernan, of West Point township; and Lanta Dale, at
home.
Mr. Kilson, whose worth as a citizen is widely recognized, has
served his township as clerk for twenty years and has held a num-
ber of road and school offices. He always votes with the republican
party. His religious belief is indicated in his membership in the
Christian church at Bristow. Fraternally he is well known, be-
longing to Vulcan Lodge, No. 498, A. F. & A. M., the Royal Arch
chapter at Clarksville and Garfield Lodge, I. O. O. F., at Bristow.
The Kilsons are one of the old families of the county and Kilson
Creek was named in honor of Lewis Kilson. From pioneer times
to the present representatives of the family have been numbered
with the valued, leading and representative citizens of this part of
the state, at all times taking active and helpful interest in every-
thing pertaining to the general welfare.
C. I. BOLTON.
C. I. Bolton, a pioneer settler of Butler county and today one
of the prominent and substantial farmers of Beaver township,
was born in Cedar county, this state, July 12, 1856, a son of John
Henry and Mary Bolton, natives of West Virginia, the former
born in 1819 and the latter in 1830. The father died in 1897 at
the age of seventy-eight and is survived by his wife, who makes
her home in New Hartford. Twelve children were born to their
union : John ; James L. ; Anna E. ; Mary J. ; Sarah ; C. L, of this
review ; William L. ; Oscar J. ; Minnie C. ; Charles H. ; Louis ; and
Martha.
C, I. Bolton acquired his education in the district schools of
this county, attending until he was nineteen years of age. He
then turned his attention to farming and has been identified with
agricultural pursuits since that time. He came to Butler county
about the year 1867 and when he began his active career pur-
chased the property on section 5, Beaver township, upon which
he has since resided. The years have brought him success, promi-
nence and substantial fortune so that he is todav numbered among
the men of worth and ability in his community.
Mr. Bolton has been twice married. In 1880 he wedded Miss
Flora H. Whipple, who died in 1885, leaving four children as
follows: Myrtle, Mabel, Ida and Edna E. In 1886, Mr. Bolton
396 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
married Miss Edna E. Dorens, and they have become the parents
of four children : Cecil, Jane, C. L, Jr., and Mary.
Mr. Bolton is independent in his political beliefs and inter-
ested in public affairs, although not active as an office seeker.
He has been a resident of Butler county for forty-six years and
during the greater part of that tune has been connected with
agricultural interests. He has gained a gratifying degree of suc-
cess in the conduct of his personal affairs and has also contribu-
ted materially to the general growth.
JOHN A. ZIMMERMAN.
John A. Zimmerman, one of the active and progressive farmers
and stock-raisers of Bennezette township, owning and operating
three hundred and sixty-five acres of well improved and valuable
land, w^as born in Johnson county, Iowa, August 9, 1862. His
father, Christopher Zimmerman, was born in Switzerland, the
land of the Alps, in 1813 and was reared in his native country. He
later went to England, whence after five years he crossed the At-
lantic to America. He located first in Virginia and from that
state enlisted for service in the Mexican war. After his discharge
he came to Iowa and located in Johnson county, where he mar-
ried Miss Catherine Boiler, born near the river Rhine in Germany.
In 1854 Christopher Zimmerman purchased land in Linn county,
buying three hundred and twenty acres, which he improved and
cultivated for some time. He afterward sold this tract and re-
turned to Johnson county, buying forty acres, to which he added
from time to time until he was finally the proprietor of a farm of
two hundred acres. He remained a resident of that locality for
many years thereafter, dying upon his property June, 1893, when
he was eighty years of age.
John A. Zimmerman was reared in Johnson county and ac-
quired his education in the schools of Iowa City. He later learned
the carpenter's trade, which he followed for three years, after
which he spent a similar period of time as a butter maker. He re-
mained in Iowa City until 1894 and then moved to Butler county,
purchasing one hundred and sixty acres of land in Bennezette
township. Upon this he built a small shanty, in which he lived
while he carried on the work of opening up and improving his
farm. From time to time he bought more land and has now exten-
JOHN A. ZIMMEEMAN
K
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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 399
sive holdings, owning three hundred and sixty-five acres. Upon
this he has just completed the erection of a two story hollow-tile,
rough cast finish residence, one of the finest and most modern in
the county. He has a good barn, granary and hog house and other
substantial buildings and the entire place is well improved in
every particular. The fields are fenced and crossfenced and Mr.
Zimmerman has also provided a grove and orchard. In addition
to general farming he is a stock breeder and dealer on an extensive
scale, raising pure-blooded Aberdeen Angus cattle, Duroc Jersey
hogs and Percheron horses. He is a stockholder in the Farmers
Cooperative Elevator Company at Aredale and was a promoter of
the Bennezette Farmers Telephone Company.
On the 19th of March, 1890, Mr. Zimmerman married Miss
Julia A. Parsons, and they have become the parents of seven chil-
dren, Charles W., Minnie Etta, Fred, Kate, Wilbur, Nellie and
Wanda. Mr. Zimmerman is a member of the blue lodge Masons
and has passed through all the chairs of Zion Lodge, No. 32, I. O.
O. F., of which he is past grand. -He is a progressive republican
but has never taken more than a citizen's interest in politics. He
is interested in the cause of education and for a number of years
past has been identified with school work as a director. He is one
of the best known citizens of Bennezette township and his con-
tributions to its general growth and development have been many
and substantial.
JAMES E. MILLER.
James E. Miller needs no introduction to the readers of this
volume, because of his long and close connection with the busi-
ness and social interests of Butler county. For over thirty years
he was closely and prominently identified with commercial activ-
ity in Greene, but he now makes his home in Mason City, Iowa,
where he is the correspondent and representative of I^amson
Brothers & Company of Chicago. Mr. Miller is a member of the
Chicago Board of Trade, clearing his business through Lamson
Brothers & Company of Chicago. During all the years of his
residence in Greene his activities touched closelv the business and
public interests of his community, and he was regarded as one
of the prominent, influential and valued citizens. Iowa, too, num-
bers him among her pioneer residents, for he has lived in this
Vol 11—20
400 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
state since 1856. He was born in Carroll county, Indiana, Janu-
ary 7, 1853, and is a son of A. and Anna (Harter) Miller, the
former a native of Ohio, in which state he was reared to man-
hood. He afterward removed to Indiana, settling in Carroll
coimty, where he engaged in farming for several years. In 1856
he started overland with team and wagons and took wp his abode
in Roundgrove, Floyd county, Iowa, just north of Greene. There
he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land within two
and a half miles of the town and at once began to break the sod,
fence and improve the fields and do all the other work necessary
to opening up and cultivating a new farm. For several years
thereafter he continued to engage in agricultural pursuits, but
in 1873 he sold his homestead and removed to Vernon county,
Missouri, where he purchased four hundred acres of land. For
nineteen years thereafter he cultivated this propei-ty, becoming
prominent and influential in agricultural circles. He died upon
his faiTii in 1892, having for three years survived his wife, who
passed away in 1889.
James E. Miller was three years of age when he was brought
by his parents to Iowa. He was reared on his father's farm in
Floyd county and from early youth assisted in its operation,
remaining at home until twenty-four years of age. He then pur-
chased land in the same locality, which he cultivated for five
years, and then traded for one hundred and twenty-five head of
cattle, which he fattened and shipped to Chicago, realizing an
excellent profit upon his stock.
During the time Mr. Miller owned his farm he engaged also
in the hotel business in Greene, conducting a popular hostelry
there for three years. He afterward established a grocery and
general merchandise store there, and when he disposed of this
engaged in the grain business. He erected a large elevator and
for twenty-one years thereafter operated the elevator and con-
tinued in the grain trade, which he conducted upon an extensive
scale. In 1912 he disposed of his interests at Greene, but in the
meantime, in 1900, had established an elevator at Independence
and in 1901 a similar enterprise at Packard. He still owns these
elevators but maintains his residence in Mason City, Iowa, where
he is now the correspondent and representative of Lamson Broth-
ers & Company of Chicago.
In Roundgrove, Iowa, in 1877, Mr. Miller married Miss Mary
Martin, and thej^ became the parents of four children. The eld-
est, John W., is engaged in railroading in Glen wood, Minnesota,
i
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 401
W. F. is in ttie grain business at Packard. Anna Mabel married
Harry Putnam, a rancher in Lordsburg, California. The young-
est child, Gladys, is a student in the Greene high school. Mrs.
Miller passed away in April, 1911. In September, 1912, Mr. ]\iil-
ler was again married, his second union being with Mrs. Sophro-
nia Knox, of Greene, Iowa.
Mr. Miller is affiliated with the republican party and has held
various offices of public trust and responsibility. He served for
two terms on the town board, was for seven years town marshal
and was for five years deputy sheriff during the same time. In
addition to this he has served as delegate to numerous county
conventions. He is well known in fraternal circles, holding mem-
bership in the Masonic blue lodge at Greene and in the Eastern
Star, to which his wife also belonged. In 1875 he joined the local
lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, an organiza-
tion which at that time had five degrees instead of three. Mr.
Miller is past grand of the subordinate lodge and is also a charter
member of the Knights of Pythias. He and his wife belonged to
the Methodist Episcopal church, of which Mr. Miller has been
steward for years. He was formerly numbered among the most
prominent and public-spirited citizens of Greene and this posi-
tion he gained through many years of upright living and straight-
forward dealing, but in August, 1913, he removed to Mason City,
where he and his wife now make their home, Mr. Miller's busi-
ness project being a large and important one.
HENRY PREY.
Henry Prey, a farmer of Washington township, owning two
hundred acres of excellent land, was born in Germany, January
30, 1871. He acquired his education in the public schools of
Germany and Hlinois, having been but eleven years of age when
his parents came to America. He stayed with his parents and
helped in the farm work, continuing thus until he was twenty-one,
when he entered the College of Commerce in Freeport, Illinois.
Upon the completion of his course he engaged in teaching, fol-
lowing this occupation for three years. In 1893 he and his
brother Harm purchased a threshing outfit and after they had
operated this for seven years Mr. Prey of this review rented land.
In 1898 he bought eighty acres in Butler county and to this he
402 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
has added from time to time until he now owns two hundi'ed
acres. He raises hay, corn and oats and is also interested in stock
breeding, keeping twenty-five head of cattle, sixty hogs and eight
horses.
In Washington township, on the 1st of April, 1895, Mr. Frey
was united in marriage to Miss Gertie Van Loh, a daughter of
George Van Loh, a farmer, who passed away at the age of twenty-
four years. Mr. Frey is independent in his political views and
has served as township trustee and president of the school board.
He is numbered among the representative citizens, devotes con-
siderable of his time to gospel ministry and kindred work and
has the esteem and confidence of an extensive circle of friends.
EDWIN L. NORTON.
For almost sixty years Edwin L. Norton has been a resident
of Butler county and is one of its extensive landowners. His
home place, known as the Oak Ridge Stock Farm, is located at
Nortons Corners on section 32, Shell Rock township, and there he
engages in raising high-grade stock, including horses, cattle and
hogs. He has now traveled life's journey for seventy-five years
and as one of the pioneer settlers of this locality, his memory forms
a connecting link between the primitive past and the progressive
present,
A native of Ohio, he was born in Cuyahoga county, on the 15th
of August, 1838, and is a son of Lyman and Hannah (Gates)
Norton, who were also natives of the Buckeye state. In 1842 they
removed to De Kalb county, Illinois, and in the fall of 1854 the
father arrived in Butler county, Iowa, settling in the district
which became known as Nortons Corners in Shell Rock township.
There he resided until 1862, when he went to Missouri, but after
a short time returned to De Kalb county, Illinois, where his last
days were spent, reaching the venerable age of eighty-four years.
The mother also died in He Kalb county, but before the family re-
moved to Iowa. The father afterward married again and his second
wife died in De Kalb county. Lyman Norton was a farmer and also
worked at the carpenter's trade to some extent. In antebellum
days he was a strong opponent of slavery and when the republican
party was formed to prevent its further extension, he became one
of its strong advocates.
EDWIN L. NOETON
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 405
In the family were three daughters and four sons born of the
first marriage : Ann, who became the wife of Frank Stevens and
is now a widow living in Shabbona, Illinois ; Melissa, who became
the wife of John Smith and died in Oregon in 1910 ; Laura, who
became the wife of Alby (Mose) Robinson and died in this county;
Edwin L. ; Byron and William, who enlisted in Missouri for serv-
ice in the Civil war, the former being killed in battle, while the
latter was mortally w^ounded in a conflict and died a few days
after reaching home; and Le Roy, who has been superintendent
of schools during the greater part of his life and now makes his
home in Michigan. There were also seven children born of the
father's second marriage.
Edwin L. Norton was a youth of about fourteen years at the
time of his mother's death and in 1854, when sixteen years of age,
he came with his father to Butler county, where he has since lived
with the exception of a few months spent in Kansas. He has
always followed farming and now owns about four hundred acres
of rich and valuable land. His home is situated on section 32,
Shell Rock township and he has two hundred and forty acres on
sections 5 and 6, Beaver township. The two farms are only about
a half mile apart. The purpose to which the home place is largely
devoted has given to it the name of the Oak Ridge Stock Farm,
for here Mr. Norton raises high-grade stock, including cattle,
horses and hogs. His political support is given to the republican
party and he keeps well informed on the questions and issues of
the day but does not seek nor desire office, having always preferred
to concentrate his energies upon his business affairs which,
capably managed, have brought to him success.
In 1861 Mr. Norton was married to Miss Mary M. Waters,
who was born in Cortland county. New York, in 1844, her parents
being Servetus and Mercy (Helm) Waters, natives of Connecti-
cut and New York respectively. They removed to He Kalb county,
Illinois, when Mrs. Norton was ten years of age and in 1858 came
to this county, where both passed away when well advanced in
years. The father died in 1892 in his ninetieth year and the
mother when eighty-four years of age. They were the parents of
seven children: Amos, who died in Oregon; Abner, who died in
Denver, Colorado; Alzina, who became the wife of John Robins
and died in this county; Elnora, who became the wife of Olen
Stevens and both died in Illinois ; Joseph, of Seattle, AYashington ;
Julius, who was killed at the battle of Pleasant Hill while serv-
ing in the Civil war ; and Mrs. Norton.
406 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
Four children were born nnto Mr. and Mrs. Norton : Florence
became the wife of M. G. Parks and died at the age of twenty-two
years, leaving a daughter, Blanche, who is now the wife of Milton
Willey, of Shell Rock township, by whom she has three children :
Margaret ; and twins, born in December, 1913. Byron, the second
member of the Norton family, resides upon and operates the home
farm. He married Eva Church, who was born September 3, 1873,
and died May 5, 1910. They became the parents of seven children :
Earl, Madge, Lois, Ruth, Vera, and Harry and Howard, twins.
Estella Norton, the third member of the family, became the wife
of M. G. Parks of Albion township and they have three children :
Leland, Edith and Harland. Maude, the fourth member of the
family, is the wife of Clyde Bolton, living on her father's farm in
Beaver township^, and they have one son, Wayne.
No history of this county would be complete without mention
of Edwin L. Norton, so long has he resided in this district. There
were few white settlers living in Butler county at the time of
his arrival and the Indians were still numerous in some sections.
Land was largely unclaimed and uncultivated but the soil was
naturally rich and productive and offered excellent opportunities
to the farmer. Mr. Norton has lived to witness all the changes
which have since occurred — changes wrought by time and man,
and he can relate many interesting incidents concerning the his-
tory of the county from pioneer times to the present.
THOMAS H. Mccarty.
Thomas H. McCarty, engaged in general farming, dairying
and stock-raising upon three hundred acres of excellent land on
sections 11 and 12, Beaver township, was born in Ireland, June
14, 1858. He is a son of Thomas and Bridget (Deonje) Mc-
Carty, also natives of the Emerald isle, the former born in 1821.
The parents came to America in 1855 and settled in Bremer
county, where the father passed away. His wife afterward moved
to Beaver township, this county, where her death occurred in
1898. She and her husband had eight children, of whom the sub-
ject of this review is the only one surviving.
Thomas H. McCarty acquired his education in the public
schools of Beaver township, attending until he was fifteen years
of age. He afterward worked upon the farm and in 1898, when
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 407
Ms motlier died, inherited the homestead to which he has since
added until he now owns three hundred acres. He raises all
kinds of small grain, but gives special attention to dairying and
stock-raising, keeping eighty head of cattle, mostly Durhams and
one hundred hogs. He sells in the local markets and has made
his stock-raising interests an important source of income to him.
Mr. McCarty is a stockholder in the Farmer's State Bank at
Shell Rock and in the Union Creamery in Blackhawk county.
He is independent in his political beliefs and served one term
with credit and ability as school director. His religious views
are in accord with the doctrines of the Roman Catholic church.
His industry, integrity and enterprise are the qualities upon
which he has founded liis success and this places him today among
the representative and valued citizens of the community.
THOMAS P. WAUDBY, D. V. S.
Dr. Thomas P. Waudby is numbered among the foremost vet^
erinary surgeons in Butler county and since 1873 has been in
the active practice of his profession in Aplington, He was born
in DeKalb county, Illinois, April 4, 1848, and is a son of Robert
and Orrey T. (Norton) Waudby, the former born in England in
1815 and the latter born in 1825. The father moved to Hlinois
in 1843 and died in that state in 1893. His wife survived him
until 1900. In their family were eight children: Frank, de-
ceased; Thomas P.; William F., who has also passed away; Rob-
ert; Adelaide; Mary J., deceased; Lovisa, and Isabelle.
Thomas P. Waudby acquired his early education in the public
schools of DeKalb county, Illinois. He enlisted for the Civil war
as a member of Company A, Forty-sixth Iowa Volunteer
Infantry, serving for one hundred days. After his discharge at
Davenport, Iowa, he was thanked personally for his services by
President Lincoln. He afterward reenlisted in the Sixth Iowa
Cavalry and at the close of hostilities in 1865 was mustered out at
Sioux City. After his return he entered the Iowa State Veteri-
nary College at Dubuque and in 1873 began the practice of his
profession at Aplington, where he has since resided. He has met
with excellent success, for he understands his work in principle
and detail and is conscientious and thorough in his treatment of
a case.
408 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
At Monticello, Iowa, on the 18tli of October, 1868, Mr. Waudby
married Miss Lucy P. Hall, a daughter of Mortimer M. and Laney
D. (Cassleman) Hall, both of whom have passed away. The
father met death by drowning in 1861, when he was forty-nine
years of age, and was survived by his wife until 1872. Mr. and
Mrs. Waudby have become the parents of eleven children. The
eldest, Orrey E., was bom August 26, 1869. She married Frank
H. Hill, a merchant in Allison, and they have two children, Luella
R. and Francis M. Frank H. was born September 18, 1871, and
is now a barber in Voorhies, Iowa. He married Mrs. Lorena
Sparks. Harriett E., who was born January 1, 1874, has passed
away. William R. was born on the 2d of March, 1876, and is now
a resident of North Dakota. He married Miss Lizzie Strehlow
and has two children, Irene and Wayland. Thomas R., who was
born January 24, 1878, has j)assed away. Orren A. was born May
31, 1880, and is now engaged in farming in Minnesota. He mar-
ried Miss Mary A. Bisbee and they have four children, Lucy A.,
Harriett L, Zola and Orren I. Charles E. was born July 20, 1882,
and is now a minister at Hartwick, Iowa. He and his wife, who
was in her maidenhood Miss Bertha De Boer, have one child,
Clell. Innes was born September 27, 1884, and is engaged in
the barber business. Lawrence Gr. was born July 10, 1886, and
is now an electrician at Shelby, Iowa. He married Miss Mabel
Brook and thev have two children, Ruth and Lawrence. Harri-
son, who was born December 3, 1888, has passed away. Addie
E. was born August 31, 1891, and lives at home.
Dr. Waudby is connected fraternally with John Braden Post,
No. 242, G. A. R., of Parkersburg. He gives his political allegi-
ance to the republican party and served for six years as road
superintendent, discharging his duties in a capable and conscien-
tious manner. He has high standing in professional circles and
is, moreover, entitled to a place in this volume as a veteran of
the Civil war to whom the country owes a debt of gratitude that
can never be fully paid.
INDEX
Adair, George 312
Akin, H. B 241
Allan, James 201
Amick, J. H 267
Arends, J. P 281
Atkinson, Henry 103
Atkinson, W. 1 20
Austin, W. G 246
Austin, W. S 82
Avery, C. E 213
Bannon, J. P 234
Barlow, J. A 128
Barnett, George 170
Beach, Frank 374
Becker, Ferdinand Ill
Belden, Lafe 183
Betteswortli, Thomas 172
Bicker, J. H 235
Birney, V. C 24
Blair, R. S 90
Blasier, O. F 236
Bode, R. C 210
Bolton. C. 1 395
Bornemau, Charles 200
Bristol. L. F 8
Brockmann, F, H 151
Brown, Frank 371
Brown, H. C 270
Brown, W. F 203
Buchholz, W. H 40
Burling, C. G 52
Burroughs, J. B 361
Carpenter, J. H 215
Carr, Clark 34
Carr, W. A 36
Carter, G. H 186
Carter, J . C 332
Cave, C. V 189
Chase, O. F 209
Chnrch, C. E 347
Coster, H. W 306
Coster, John 363
Cross, F. W 327
Vol. n— 81
409
Cunningham, J. W 134
Curtis, Burt 182
Day, H. E 287
De Bower, Gert 278
De Groote, Henry 388
Dennis, G. R 120
Doore, H. C 127
Doty, Cyrus 98
Downing, P. J 226
Downs, L. L 46
Dralle, Henry 62
Dreher, Grace E 163
Dreyer, Arend 211
Edwards, M. F 5
Essman, Arend 309
Essman, J. H 351
Evans, J. G 40
Fisher, I. M 144
Fleek, W. H. H 372
Fletcher, J. R 216
Folkers. William 387
French, H. E 260
Frey, Henry 401
Gerdes, P. J 282
Gonzales, Richard 138
Gough, J. J 330
Gough, T. A 364
Graham, C. E 339
Green, Houston 26
Hahn, G. A 297
Hall, J. H 318
Hamilton, B. F 255
Hardman, O. W 107
Hardman. Schuyler 29
Harms, H. W 342
Hart, I. H 191
Hartness, Moulton 18
Hickle, Alfred 328
Hickle, J. W 280
Hickle, W. H 382
410
INDEX
Hickman, J. B ISO
Hobson, T. A 97
Hohl, John 358
Houlihan Brothers 254
Howe, John 292
Hunt, C. H 288
Hunt, Thomas 70
Hunter, Robert 289
Iblings, C. A 245
U)ling,s, P. H 277
Jenny, A. W 240
Johnson, A. W SO
Johnson, Herman 300
Jones, M. P 154
Kalkwarf, John 389
Kester, E. W 141
Kilson, F. S 390
Kingery, Aaron 184
Kingery, B. F 212
Kingery, Jacob 295
Kyle, J. P 119
Leavens, Bainbridge 194
Leeper, John 298
Leete, H. A 102
Loomer, Philip 377
Lucas, Leonard 114
MeCarty, T. H 406
McElhaney, A. J 380
McGregor, D. A 302
Mclntyre, G. A 192
McNames, H. C 143
Martin, J. P 159
Mead, G. H 352
Miller, J. E 399
Miner, F. B 310
Miner, O. C 110
Miner, Richard 58
Missman, O. F 51
Montgomery, W. S 1(J4
Moore, W. H 10
Morrill, Edwin 72
Moss, Aaron 88
Mott, J. F 15
Muller, Henry 130
Neal, J. P 66
Nesbit, W. M 348
Nevins, John 153
Newbury, F. E 61
Newcomb, F. 242
Norton, E. L 402
Owen, Eugene 87
Parno, E. W 122
Patterson, S. L 104
Patterson, W. E 39
Perriu, O. C 94
Plantz, J. H 338
Pooley, R. J 129
Ramsey, J. M 30
Ray, W. F 78
Reints, H. N 224
Rewerts, John 201
Rogers, L. J 108
Rolfs, J. A 230
Rottlnk, Dirk 196
Rottink. Herman 256
Rottink, John 252
Rovei-, Fred 132
Rover, H. C 262
Schmadeke. Herman 68
Schnee, F. W 379
Scripture, J. L 27
Shadl)olt, Jerome 59
Shafer, W. W. R 133
Shepard, A, D 307
.Shepard, W. C 17
Skillen, R. M 206
Soesbe, C. W 322
Sproul, M. H 48
Stanton. M. F 156
Starkweather, CM 56
Stauffer, G. W 91
Stober, F. L 14
Tammen, T. R 55
Taylor, M. A 369
Temple, Julius 37
Thomas, Samuel 92
Toll, C. A 225
Toll, Frederick 325
Toll, F. H 220
Toll, G. O 269
Toll, W. A 350
Town, Ephraim 166
Tracy. J. B 161
Trindle, William 176
Valentine, Jacobus 222
Van Hauen, Harm 251
Van Hauen, Okke 265
Voogd, Dick 233
Voogd, R. A 223
Voss, F. H 173
Waudby. T. P 407
Waugh, R. H 281
Welch. A. G 341
Weltner, Conrad 384
West, W. E 124
INDEX 411
Weston, C, B 140 Wygle, Lemuel 175
Wilcox, A. C 112
Wild, H. F 204 Yeoman, F. A 336
WUson, Henry . . ^,^ 290 Tost, C. K 320
Witt, F. L * 76
Wolfensperger, R, G 285 Zimmerman, J. A 396
^
