V
K
HISTORY
OF
Jefferson County
IOWA
A Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress and
Achievement
Local history is the ultimate substance of national
history — Wilson
ILLUSTRATED
VOLUME II
CHICAGO
THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY
1912
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TILDEN FOUNDATIONS
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BIOGRAPHICAL
HON. JAMES F. WILSON.
No compendium such as this work defines in its essential limitations will
serve to offer a fit memorial to the life and work of the Hon. James F.
Wilson, who without invidious distinction may be termed the foremost
citizen of Fairfield. He left his impress not only upon community affairs
but upon the history of state and nation. As student, legislator, constitu-
tional lawyer and statesman he aided in guiding the destinies of the com-
monwealth and the country through critical crises and the greatness of
the man was never more potently shown than in his single-minded devotion
to duty without thought of self or of the honors which he was all un-
consciously winning.
The facts of his life are but the bare outline and they who would know
of the real man must read between the lines to learn of the spirit which
prompted him in all of his undertakings whether of an individual or public
character. He was born in Newark, Ohio, October 19, 1828, his parents
being David S. and Kitty Ann Wilson, who were married in Newark, the
former, however, having previously been a resident of Morgantown, Vir-
ginia, and the latter of Chillicothe, Ohio. While their financial resources
were limited, they were people of the utmost rectitude, of much native
intelligence and of sterling worth. Their Christian faith as members of
the Methodist Episcopal church was expressed in their daily lives and the
high ideals with which they were im.bued by their religious belief guided
them in the rearing of their children, of whom James F. was the eldest of
three. The father died in Newark, Ohio, in 1839, and the mother, reach-
ing an advanced age, passed away in Fairfield, Iowa, January 28, 1875.
Owing to the straitened financial circumstances of the family at the
time of the father's death James F. Wilson, then but a lad of ten years,
was forced to take up life's battles. With unflinching courage he met duty
and came off victor in the strife. His earnings went to the support of his
widowed mother and younger brother and sister and he uncomplainingly
performed the service of apprenticeship at the harness maker's trade, with-
out useless repining over his lack of opportunities and advantages which
many other boys enjoyed. The time he spent in school was exceedingly
limited but as one of his biographers has said "such was the vitality of
his mind and such his intuitive perception of the valley of knowledge that
5
6 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
he bent circumstances to his will and through individual application and
the timely assistance of immediate personal friends he managed to secure
a good practical education, including a knowledge of the Latin language.
In this connection it is interesting to recall the great interest which he mani-
fested in the cause of education in later years, when he had attained to
distinguished position and financial independence." Facing life and its
responsibilities thus early, Mr. Wilson seriously considered the question of
choosing a life work and, believing that he would find the profession of
law congenial and hoping that he might find it profitable, he entered upon
active preparation for the bar through the assistance of William B. Woods,
then a practicing lawyer of Newark. Ohio, and later an associate justice
of the supreme court of the United States. Judge Woods placed his law
library at the command of Mr. Wilson and directed his reading and study,
giving him many kindly words of advice and useful suggestions as to mak-
ing the most of his time and opportunities in the mastery of the principles
of jurisprudence. In 185 1 ]\Ir. Wilson was admitted to practice before the
bar of Ohio and for a year and a half thereafter followed his profession
in Newark. During that period, however, he considered the advisability
of 'establishing his home beyond the Mississippi, believing that in the then
new and growing west better opportunities would be offered a young man.
He brought with him as a companion and helpmate in his new home a young
wife, having on the 25th of November, 1852, wedded Miss Mary A. K.
Jewett, the second daughter of Alpheus and Aletha Jewett, of Newark,
Ohio. Soon after their marriage they sailed down the Ohio river to St.
Louis and up the Mississippi to Burlington, whence they traveled by stage
to Fairfield. Throughout all the ensuing years of a happy married life
they retained a residence in this cit3\ remaining not only among its most
honored and respected citizens but receiving there the afifectionate regard
and love which comes from close companionship and intimate acquaintance
with true friends.
Mr. Wilson at once entered upon the practice of law in Jefferson county
and in speaking of his professional career' at the time of his death the
Fairfield Ledger said : "Nor was he long in commanding recognition as an
able, conscientious and successful practitioner. He rapidly acquired a re-
munerative practice and soon stood in the front rank of his profession ; but
it was not as a lawyer trying cases in state and United States courts, where-
in he was destined to attain the full measure of his success and prominence.
However certain or ascendant would have been the promotion accorded
him in the narrower limits of his profession, they could not have been more
satisfactory to himself or useful to the public than those resulting from
his preeminent services in the field of state and national organic and statu-
tory lawmaking. In his early days, amid fast accumulating professional
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 7
duties, he found time to write the leading editorials of his party's local
paper. The rare ability there displayed in dealing with political questions,
then in a formative state, won for him an abiding confidence in the integ-
rity of his political thought and actions that followed him closely through-
out his extended public career."
It would have been impossible for a man of Mr. Wilson's marked ability
and public spirit to remain in the seclusion of private life. His fitness for
high offices and honors was soon recognized ; the sterling worth of his man-
hood was evident from the time of his arrival here and both by what he
said and what he did. He had been a resident of Fairfield for less than
four years when he was chosen a delegate to the convention called to re-
vise the state constitution, and of which convention there was one only
younger member. His mature wisdom and judgment seemed beyond his
years and he was also fertile and expedient in hours of required resource.
He left his impress indelibly upon the organic law of the state, aiding in
formulating many important passages and with remarkable sagacity safe-
guarding the state in the future as well as in the hour in which the constitu-
tion was formed and adopted. The following year there came to him ad-
ditional honors through public service, the governor appointing him assist-
ant commissioner of the Des Moines river improvement, then a matter of
much concern to the people of the state. His next public office was an
elective one, his county sending him as a republican member to the general
assembly. He was soon recognized as one of the most earnest and capable
working members of that body and especially did important service as
chairman of the committee on ways and means. His next step in advance
came to him in his election to the state senate in 1859 and during the first
year of his connection with the upper house he was made a member of the
judiciary committee, through whose hands passed for final inspection a
recent recompilation of the laws of the state, since known as the revision
of i860. He was chosen president of the senate during the second year
of his service and then passed on to the national halls of legislation. In
this connection the Fairfield Ledger wrote : "Possessed of great natural
ability as a writer and speaker, well disciplined in the law, familiar with
parliamentary rules and usages, painstaking to a degree, unsurpassed in
every undertaking, and patriotic to the core, Mr. Wilson was elected as a
republican representative in congress for the unexpired term of General
Samuel R. Curtis. He was reelected without opposition in nominating con-
vention to the thirty-eighth and thirty-ninth and fortieth congresses, serv-
ing from December 2, 1861, to March 3, 1869, his retirement in the latter
year being made possible only through his positive and repeated declination
of further renomination. On his entrance into congress he divided with
one other the sole responsibility of representing the state of Iowa in the
8 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
house of representatives. The labor performed in committee work is rec-
ognized as 'a fair test of any man's zeal, industry and influence in any
legislative body.' Without regard, then, to Air. Wilson's conceded power
as an advocate, his logic and eloquence in the arena of debate and simply
applying to him this fair test of legislative usefulness and fidelity, it will
be found that, while he may have had equals, he had no superiors in this
particular among all his able contemporaries. A hard worker at a me-
chanical trade at twenty-one, chairman of the judiciary committee of the
American house of representatives at thirty-five and a member of which
he was at thirty-three, is tribute enough to the man of talents and equally
splendid to the absolute freedom of aspiration and achievement accorded
the single individual under our matchless republican institutions. Mr.
Wilson was, perhaps, the youngest man ever assigned to this important
committee, yet he served thereon throughout his entire service in the house
and during the last six years, as already indicated, wa^ its honored chair-
man. This committee, on account of prevailing Civil war, the consequent
conflicts arising between constitution and statutes, intensified by the repres-
sion of the rebellion, and intrusion upon congressional action of a perfect
multitude of perplexing legal questions attendant upon the reconstruction
of erring states, was forced into the controlling rank and a conspicuous
responsibility unknown before or since. It was a severe test to any man,
however ripe in years or special acquirements, but when applied it found
in Mr. Wilson an all sufficient conscience and capacity. 'That he remained
uninterruptedly at its head and that no measure favorably reported upon
by him in this committee failed in the house is the best assurance of the
confidence placed by congress in his work.' " «
The congressional records attest the worth of Mr. Wilson's service in
Washington. In December, 1861, he introduced a resolution to instruct
the committee on militar}' affairs to report an additional article of war,
prohibiting the use of United States forces to return fugitive slaves. On
March 19, 1864, being the ist day of the first session of the 38th Con-
gress, Mr. Wilson gave notice of his intention and on the following day
there was his fulfillment by introduction of a joint resolution looking to
the adoption of the Thirteenth Amendment to the constitution, and he has
been accorded the credit of being the first man of national legislation acting
in this respect. It was Mr. Wilson who reported from the judiciary com-
mittee a joint resolution proposing an amendment to the constitution to
forbid the payment of any portion of the Confederate debt and materially
aided in its passage in the house though the measure was defeated in the
■senate. However, the object and purport of this measure became subse-
quently a part of the fourteenth constitutional amendment. Mr. Wilson
also reported from the judiciary committee a bill providing for the en-
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 9
f ranchisement of the colored people of the District of Columbia, another
giving freedom to the wives and children of the colored Union soldiers,
and the great civil rights bill.
Mr. Wilson stood as a sturdy opponent to the impeachment of Andrew
Johnson, president of the United States, when that subject came before
the fortieth congress, and the fact that after a most exciting debate he car-
ried his minority report through the house is indicative of his personal in-
fluence and of the confidence reposed in his judgment by his associates.
He declined high honors when General Grant, following his first election,
tendered him the portfolio of the secretary of state and later the choice of
two other cabinet appointments, but he felt at that time that his attention
was needed by his private affairs. Accordingly, he returned home and
through the succeeding twelve years gave his undivided time and energies
to the management of private and professional interests, serving only dur-
ing that period as a government director of the Union Pacific Railroad,
which position he filled for eight years.
When his private interests were in such a condition that he felt he
might again devote much time to public service, he reentered public life
and following the announcement of his candidacy for the United States
senate was unanimously elected by the legislature. Reelection continued
him in that office from March 4, 1883, until the expiration of his second
term on the 3d of March, 1895. In the senate as in the house his record
was characterized by strict adherence to the highest ideals of citizenship,
based upon a comprehensive understanding of vital and significant ques-
tions, combined with practical measures for the attainment of the ends
most to be desired. He was made a member of a number of the most im-
portant committees, including those on revision of laws, foreign relations,
postoffice, pensions, educational, labor, census, inter-state commerce and
the judiciary, being chairman of the first mentioned committee and second
in rank on the judiciary. Of this period of his life a contemporary biog-
rapher has said: "His service in the great national deliberative body was
marked by that same broad wisdom, fidelity and industry which had char-
acterized him as a public official throughout his previous service and he
thus added to his reputation as a broad and liberal-minded statesman. He
was the author of the 'original package act,' passed by the fifty-first con-
gress, its purpose being to give force and efifectiveness to the enactments
of the several states regulative or prohibitive of the traffic in intoxicating
liquors."
While his attention was largely on the questions and affairs of national
moment, Mr. Wilson never forgot the city and county of his adoption and
felt the deepest concern for the welfare and improvement of his home dis-
trict. He never regarded its interests as too small and unimportant to
10 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
claim his time and attention. He labored untiringly in behalf of the Jef-
ferson County Library Association with the result that largely through
his efforts a fine library building with exceptional equipment was secured.
From the time the association was organized he contributed generously
to its maintenance, increasing his benefactions in due proportion as his
financial resources permitted. He regarded this as one of the sources of
general education and each year gave to the library many volumes, while
his influence was the potent force in securing the cooperation of Andrew
Carnegie in a gift that enabled the association to erect its present magnifi-
cent building, the quarter of a block upon which the building stands being
the gift of Mr. and Mrs. Wilson. This was but one of many ways in which
Mr. Wilson manifested his deep interest in the city which he always re-
garded as his home. It was there many of his warmest friends lived and
no matter how exalted the station in which he found himself he never
forgot the associates of his earlier manhood, ever keeping for them a warm
place in his heart.
The home life of James F. Wilson was largely ideal. As the years
passed three children came to bless the household, of whom Rollin J., the
eldest son, is now a lawyer of Fairfield. The daughter, Mary B., remains
with her mother at the old family residence and James F. is an enterpris-
ing young business man of Fairfield. A short time after his retirement
from the United States senate Mr. Wilson passed away, on the 22d of
April, 1895, being in the sixty-seventh year of his age. His remains were
laid to rest in Evergreen cemetery, his name is engraven high on the list of
America's most honored men, and his memory is sacredly cherished by all
who knew him. Of him it was written : "Endowed with a rugged honesty
of purpose, a man of independent thought and action, one whose integrity
and honor were so absolute as to compel the respect and confidence of his
fellowmen, one whose life was filled with 'ceaseless toil and endeavor' and
whose strength was as the number of his days, one whose motives were
of that ideal order that practically made his life a consecration to duty and
to the measure of his possibilities for accomplishing good — it is not strange
that the biographer should hesitate when he attempts to render the lines
which shall pay a fitting memoir to such a good man and true as was
United States Senator James F. Wilson."
Certainly one of the most impartial estimates of his life character and
ability was given in the Burlington Gazette, a democratic paper, in com-
menting upon Mr. Wilson's address before a meeting called for congratula-
tion over the recovery of the president, a meeting non-partisan in char-
acter. The Gazette wrote: "Separating, as must sometimes be done, the
orator from the man and candidate, it is but just to recognize the many
sided ability of Mr. James F. Wilson. His address at Logan at the recent
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 11
meeting of rejoicing over the prospective recovery of the president is the
latest case in point. It is really admirable in every respect. Its sentiment
is not the commonplace which floats in the air after a great event and is
absorbed in the expression of everyday life, but is the result of a deep,
well contained and thoroughly disciplined mind given to the higher forms
of thinking. The style of composition, too, is no less admirable. Clear,
crisp and clean cut, with none of the faults of verbiage, every sentence
expresses in the best words of our vigorous language the thought its writer
intended. It is a style utterly devoid of metaphor or figure of speech, with
nothing of imagination, none of that warm glowing of fervor which dis-
figures the efiforts of all but the very smallest number of political orators.
Mr. Wilson has evidently drank long and deep at the well of pure English
undefiled. He has studied the masters of language. If he has not read
with care the great Scotch theologians and philosophers then his style car-
ries with it those surprises, and has that natural force which is always a
marvel in the vigorous but untrained thinker. From whatever source they
have come this power of expression has come. Mr. Wilson has it in a de-
gree surpassed by no man in Iowa or scarcely in the country. Then, think
of the number of addresses and the variety of subjects they have treated
in the last three months. Not all of them can secure that acceptation of
their ideas which distinguishes this Logan speech, but all have shown the
same virility and strength and the same wonderful power of expression.
An address on transportation questions, the boldest of many a year, a
lecture on the Bible before a college society, this oration at Logan on the
inner conditions of American public life, besides others not now easily re-
called, demonstrate the possession of a versatility seldom seen in public
men. We have no personal acquaintance with Mr. Wilson or sympathy
with his ambitions, but his great ability cannot with propriety be ques-
tioned. In this respect no man that Iowa in all its thirty-six years of his-
tory has sent to the senate has had anything like his power."
Perhaps after all the best estimate of his character is to be found in
opinions of those among whom he lived, who had a chance to study him in
every relation of life, to note his greatness and also to see his weaknesses,
if there were such, in his character. Therefore, the life history of James
F. Wilson cannot be more fittingly ended than by quoting from the Fair-
field Ledger of April 26, 1895, which pays tribute to his memory in these
words: "Fairfield is in deepest mourning. Her most eminent and most
highly honored citizen is gone. The earthly career of James F. Wilson,
student, legislator, constitutional lawyer and statesman is closed. He has
crossed to the great beyond just at the end of a long and useful public life,
and his last moments were passed just as he might have wished them —
amid the surroundings he loved so well, in the peace and quiet of his own
12 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
home, surrounded by those who loved him and whom he loved. As no
resident of Fairfield, in her history of half a century, had risen to the
heights which James F. Wilson attained, so no man so generally com-
manded the respect, the admiration, the love of her people. Strong as his
convictions were, partisan as he may have been in his political beliefs, there
was a rugged honesty about the man, a candor in his treatment of public
questions, a freedom from guile in his methods which early won and ever
retained to him the confidence of his fellow citizens and led them to seek
opportunities to do him honor. An impartial history of state and nation
will show that James F. Wilson was a great man. It will give him a high
rank with the legislators, the lawyers, the statesmen of his time. It will
show the impress of his wisdom on the affairs of his commonwealth and
his country. It will concede the keenness of foresight, shrewdness of judg-
ment, the honesty of the motives which governed the man, the ability and
capability with which he dealt with great questions through a long and
eventful public career. It will show that the people of Jefferson county did
not err when they sent the young lawyer to represent them at the state
capital; that the first district of Iowa passed righteous judgment upon the
abilities of the man when it promoted him to the halls of congress ; that the
management of affairs of great moment, as entrusted to him, could not
have gone to a small man nor one of mediocre ability ; that the friendship
of a Sumner, and a Blaine, that the trust and confidence of a Grant, were
not misplaced."
CHARLES MONROE JUNKIN.
Charles Monroe Junkin, trained for newspaper work under the able
leadership of his father, William Wallace Junkin, one of the veteran news-
paper men of Iowa, is not only engaged in the publication of the Fairfield
Ledger but is also associated with his brothers in the ownership and pub-
lication of five different papers in this state. This business has been de-
veloped along substantial and progressive lines not only in relation to
news gathering but also in regard to the organization and actual mechani-
cal work of bringing the papers from the press. The name of Junkin is
indeed well known to the newspaper world and has become a synonym for
a high standard of service and efficiency in this field.
He whose name introduces this review was born in Fairfield, May i8.
1855, his parents being William W. and Elizabeth (Patrick) Junkin. of
whom mention is made elsewhere in this volume. At the usual age he
became a pupil in the public schools and subsequently continued his educa-
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 13
tion in the Iowa College at Grinnell, and the Denmark Academy of Den-
mark, Lee county, which was the first high school established in the state.
Perhaps both early environment and natural predilection had something
to do with his choice of a life work. At all events his boyhood interest in
the printing business was followed by actual service in the office of the
Fairfield Ledger, where he learned the trade under direction of his father.
Subsequently he went to Washington, D. C, where he was employed in the
government printing office, thus adding to the knowledge which he had
already acquired concerning the printing business. Moreover he spent
two years as a journeyman printer, working in different offices throughout
the country from New York to Salt Lake City and from St. Paul to St.
Louis. On the 26th of May, 1878, he was admitted to partnership with
his father in the ownership of the Fairfield Ledger and the relationship
has since been maintained. Today he is in partnership with his brothers,
C. M., W. D, and P. S. Junkin, in the ownership of five newspapers and
at one time they were the owners of ten well known journals in this state.
Their interests include the Fairfield Ledger, the Albia Republican, the
Chariton Herald-Patriot, the Creston Advertiser-Gazette, a daily paper, and
the Bedford Times Republican. Their business exemplifies all that is most
progressive in newspaper publication, both in the matter of news collection
and in the work of bringing the material to the public. Every legitimate
method has been used to improve their papers and the large subscription
list which has been accorded the company makes their papers an excellent
advertising medium.
Charles M. Junkin, however, has never restricted his labors to the field
of newspaper publication. He is a man of resourceful business ability and
has become a potent factor in the successful management of various busi-
ness concerns. He has been and is identified with manufacturing enter-
prises, with banking interests and commercial pursuits and is a director
of the Iowa Malleable Iron Company, has connections with the Hawkeye
Pump Company and other manufacturing interests.
On the 8th of September, 1880, Mr. Junkin was united in marriage to
Miss Grace Slagle, a daughter of C. W. Slagle, and a native of Fairfield,
in which city the marriage was celebrated. In 1897 Mr. Junkin was called
upon to mourn the loss of his wife, and he later married Miss Mary Wilson
Blair in 1901. Mr. Junkin is a member of the Jefferson and Commercial
Clubs, of both of which he has served as president. In his political views
he has always been a stalwart republican and has done effective work in the
interests of the party, stanchly advocating its principles since attaining his
majority. In 1884 and 1896 he was a delegate to the republican national
conventions and was a delegate-at-large in 1900. He has served for three
years as a member of the republican state central committee and during one
14 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
year of that time was its secretary. For three years he was secretary of the
Iowa Press Association and for a similar period was secretary of the Re-
pubhcan League of Iowa. During the campaign of 1888 he assisted in
organizing eight hundred poHtical clubs in this state and in other ways added
in the work of the party. He filled the office of postmaster of Fairfield for
six years, during which period the free deliver}^ and rural free delivery
systems were installed, resigning his office during the presidency of McKin-
ley. It is a well known fact that in matters of citizenship he stands with
all those who are progressive and aggressive in support of public projects
and improvements and his influence has been a far-reaching element for
good along many lines which have had direct bearing upon the welfare of
the state.
S. K. DAVIS, M. D.
Few residents of Libertyville are better known than Dr. S. K. Davis,
whose activities extend beyond his professional interests and connect him
with the financial and agricultural life of the community as well. A na-
tive of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, he was born on the 30th of
September, 1863; a son of Elliott and Mary (Linn) Davis, who were also
natives of Westmoreland county. In the spring of 1866, his parents came
to Jefferson county, Iowa, locating in Buchanan township. There the
father followed general farming and also indulged in his hobby of fruit-
raising, his father before him having been a nurseryman. He passed away
in Buchanan township at the age of fifty-seven years ; his wife's death oc-
curred twenty years later, at the home of her daughter in Center town-
ship. In their family were ten children, as follows: W. C. who passed
away at the age of forty years; Edgar, who died in infancy; Ed H., of
Fairfield; a daughter whose death occurred in infancy; Ella, the wife of
W. H. Bates, of Center township ; H. D., residing in Libertyville ; Dr. S. K.
Davis, of this review; Elizabeth, who married J. T. Rodgers, of Center
township ; Albert, who passed away in infancy ; and Margaret, who wedded
John W. Reebler, of Fairfield.
Dr. S. K. Davis was a little lad of three years when the family home
was established in Buchanan township ; and there he made his home be-
tween the years 1866 and 1888. In the meantime, he attended the public
schools in the acquirement of his early education, and, later, pursued a
course of study at Parsons College of Fairfield. Deciding to become a
member of the medical fraternity, he took up the study of medicine in
Fairfield and Iowa City, and, subsequently, graduated from the College of
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 15
Physicians and Surgeons at Keokuk, Iowa, in 1888. From the first he has
been most successful, impressing all with whom he has come in contact
with his trustworthy character, his earnestness, zeal and scrupulous regard
for the ethics of his profession. He has other interests, as well. He owns
valuable farming property, and is vice president of the Libertyville Savings
Bank, having been connected with the bank since the organization of that
institution. His interest centers, however, in his profession, nothing being
permitted to interfere with the conscientious performance of his duties in
that direction ; and he is constantly broadening his knowledge and ability
through individual research and through his connection with the county,
district, state and national medical societies.
Dr. Davis was married, in 1890, to Miss Nellie Hewitt, who was born
in Jefferson county in 1867: a daughter of G. W. and Rocena Hewitt.
They have two children, Austin C. and Wyndon H. Dr. Davis gives his
political allegiance to the republican party, belongs to the Methodist Epis-
copal church and holds membership with the Masons, the Knights of Py-
thias and the Modern Woodmen of America, relations which serve as a
balance to a busy professional life and which tend to make his a well
rounded nature. He is held in high regard among his fellowmen, not only
for his professional skill and excellent business qualities but also for the
manly principles which have ever governed his career. Dr. Davis possesses
a kindly, genial, hopeful nature which makes him the loved and trusted
family physician in many households.
DANIEL B. GRABER.
Daniel B. Graber is another of Jefferson county's native sons who is
meeting with excellent success in the operation of his farm in Round Prai-
rie township. He was born in Lockridge township on the 4th of Feb-
ruary. 1869, and is a son of Christian and Fanny (Wyse) Graber. natives
of France, for further mention of whom refer to the sketch of John Graber.
Reared on the farm where he was born in the acquirement of an edu-
cation Daniel B. Graber attended the district schools in the vicinity of his
home. His mother passed away when he was a lad of ten years, and five
years later he laid aside his text-books and leaving the parental roof began
for himself. From that period until he was twenty years of age he worked
as a farm hand, and owing to the thrifty and diligent habits, instilled into
him from earliest childhood acquired sufficient capital to begin farming for
himself. His father had left him a tract of forty acres of unimproved
land and upon this he erected the necessary buildings for his comfort, then
16 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
turned his attention to the cultivation of his farm in connection with which
he operated some rented land. He was subsequently able to purchase three
acres across the road from his place together with a comfortable residence
and soon thereafter added to this an adjoining thirty-seven acres, making
the aggregate of his holdings eighty acres. Mr. Graber's land is well im-
proved and in a high state of cultivation, yielding abundant harvests in
return for his well directed efforts and constant application. His fields are
devoted to general farming in addition to which Mr. Graber makes a spe-
cialty of stock-raising, keeping a herd of cows and eight horses while he
annually raises about fifty hogs.
In March, 1892, Mr. Graber was united in marriage to Miss Jennie H.
Maxwell, a daughter of Isaac and Sarah (Logsdon) Maxwell, the father
a native of Indiana and the mother of Ohio. Isaac Maxwell in his child-
hood removed to Iowa with his parents, who located on a farm of one
hundred and sixty acres in Buchanan township, Jefferson county, during
the pioneer days, their farm being located northwest of Beckwith. When
old enough he started on an independent career and on the 15th of No-
vember, 1866, married Miss Sarah E. Logsdon, only daughter of William
and Hannah (Rizor) Logsdon and operated his father-in-law's farm of
one hundred and sixty acres, in addition to which he purchased an adjoin-
ing forty acres of his own in Round Prairie township. They were the
parents of three children, namely: John W., who with his family now lives
on the old home place; Jennie H., the wife of Daniel B. Graber; and Etta
M., the wife of William Horton. All reside near the old homestead. Mr,
and Mrs. Isaac Maxwell were attendants at the Free Methodist church,
of which she is a member. In their declining days Mrs. Maxwell proved
a great help and comfort to her parents and it can be said truthfully that
there were few in the township more highly esteemed and respected than
Mr. and Mrs. Maxwell.
William Logsdon, the grandfather was born in Homes county, Ohio,
February 26, 1823. In 1845 he married Miss Hannah Rizor and they
moved in the pioneer days of 1853 with teams from Ohio to Iowa, where
they bought a farm of one hundred and sixty acres, three miles southwest of
Lockridge in Round Prairie township. Gradually, he transformed the
timber farm by the hardest kind of work into arable land at the same time
buying in stock for different shippers and adding to his income in various
ways. To-day it is one of the valuable farm properties in Jefferson county.
William Logsdon lived on this farm to the patriarchal age of eighty-eight
years, four months and three days, his death occurring on June 29, 191 1,
while his wife had passed away September 23, 1896. By this marriage
three children were born, two boys who died in infancy and a daughter,
Sarah E., who married Isaac Maxwell. In 1871, Mr. and Mrs. William
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 17
Logsdon and fifty others formed the Free Methodist Society at Coalport,
and of that congregation only one member was surviving on Mr. Logs-
don's death. He was a kind-hearted man always looking at the bright side
of life, trusting in his Saviour and believing in humanity and well would
the word apply 'T have fought a good fight — I have finished my work —
I have kept the faith."
Isaac Maxwell operated his father-in-law's farm and his forty acres
in Round Prairie township, continuing to be identified with agricultural
pursuits until his death on the 19th of November, 1904. He was fifty-
eight years of age at the time of his demise, his birth having occurred in
February 9, 1846, while the mother, who now makes her home with Mrs.
Graber, is sixty-three years. Of the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Graber
there have been born three children : Zelta May, who was born on the
i6th of April, 1894, and who died on the 23d of May, 1908; Bernard S.,
who was born March 13, 1899; and Elda E., whose birth occurred on the
2d of November, 1903.
The family affiliate with the Protestant churches', and his political in-
dorsement Mr. Graber gives to the republican party, but he does not take
an active part in township campaigns, though he has served as a member
of the board of school directors in his district for some time and has given
good satisfaction in the capacity. Mr. Graber is held in high regard in
his community, ever having been found to be trustworthy and reliable
while his integrity is above question.
EDGAR R. ROBINSON.
Edgar R. Robinson, who for the past six years has been engaged in the
real-estate and insurance business in Batavia, was born on a farm in Can-
nan township, Henry county, Iowa, six miles northeast of Mount Pleasant,
on March 8, 1877. He is the youngest child born of the marriage of
John Q. and Anna (Mount) Robinson, the father a native of Chillicothe,
Missouri, but of Scotch extraction. Mr. Robinson came to Iowa in the
early '60s, locating on a farm in Henry county, in the cultivation of which
he engaged for forty years. At the expiration of that period he retired
from active work to Mount Pleasant, where he lived for four years, whence
he removed to Ottumwa and there he and his wife continue to reside.
Three children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Robinson, those beside our sub-
ject being, May, who is living with her parents and Charles W., a farmer
of Onawa, Iowa, who married Miss Mary Hobart of Mount Pleasant and
has two children Ralph and May.
18 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
The first twenty years of his life Edgar R. Robinson spent beneath the
parental roof. After graduating from the Mount Pleasant high school
in 1896 he entered the Wesleyan University of that place, taking one
year's collegiate work and a commercial course. He subsequently went to
Texas where for one year he was engaged in the fruit business. Return-
ing to Iowa at the end of that period he married and. removed to a farm
in Henry county, near New London. After cultivating his land for a year
he went to Van Buren county, where he bought one hundred and sixty
acres. ,He cultivated this farm until 1905 when he rented his place and
came to Batavia to open a real-estate and fire insurance ofiice. Progressive
and enterprising Mr. Robinson has been successful in his business and
now owns a highly improved farm in Locust Grove township near Batavia,
this county.
On the 17th of January, 1900, Mr. Robinson was married to Miss Alar-
garet Robertson, a daughter of John S. and Elizabeth (Gilbert) Robert-
son. The father at that time was engaged in the real-estate business in
Mount Pleasant, but he has since removed to La Grange, Illinois, where
he and his wife are now residing. Two children have been born to Mr.
and Mrs. Robinson : Mildred, who died at the age of fourteen months ; and
Carroll, who was born on the i8tli of April, 1907.
Mr. and Mrs. Robinson are members of the Methodist Episcopal church.
He is connected with the Masonic order being a member of Kilwinning
Lodge, No. 198, A. F. & A. M.. and the Odd Fellows, belonging to Ohio
Lodge, No. 120, I. O. O. F., both of Batavia. He also holds membership
in the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, Ottumwa Lodge, No. 347, and
the Brotherhood of American Yeomen, being identified with the organiza-
tions of Ottumwa. Mr. Robinson votes the republican ticket, but,
although he is interested in all matters pertaining to the municipal wel-
fare, has never been a candidate for political honors. He is one of the
capable young business men of the town, whose future, as gauged by his
past, gives every assurance of being most promising.
MILTON D. BALDRIDGE, M. D.
One of the highly esteemed pioneer residents of Batavia was the late
Dr. Milton D. Baldridge, who for fifty years was identified with the medical
fraternity of Jefferson county. He was born in Guernsey county, Ohio,
on July II, 1826, being a son of Dr. John Baldridge.
Early having decided to adopt the medical profession for his life voca-
tion, while yet a lad Milton D. Baldridge began studying with his father.
DR. MILTON D. BALDRIDGE
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 21
After the completion of his prehminary education he entered the Cincin-
nati Medical College, from which institution he was graduated with the
degree of M. D. in the winter of 1848-9. He immediately engaged in
practicing, in addition to which in 1856 he was also identified with the
mercantile business. The following year, however, he came to Jefferson
county, settling in Batavia, where he devoted his entire attention to pro-
fessional practice until his death on the ist of June, 1907.
Dr. Baldridge was twice married, his first union having been with Miss
Isabella A. Alexander in 1851. Mrs. Baldridge was born in Lebanon,
Ohio, in 1826, and died in Jefferson county, Iowa. On the 226. of Septem-
ber, 1877, Dr. Baldridge was again married to Miss Nancy Hite, a native
of this county, her birth having occurred in the vicinity of Brookville in
1847. Mrs. Baldridge is a daughter of Henry and Mary (Mobley) Hite,
the father a native of Richmond and the mother of Washington county,
Virginia. They came to Iowa in 1845, locating on a farm near Brookville,
where the mother passed away in 1902, the father, however, survived until
1905. Dr. Baldridge and his second wife were the parents of two sons.
John Henry, who is the elder, is a well known physician and surgeon of
Batavia. He obtained his preliminary education in the common and high
schools of Batavia, after which he took a ocmmercial course in the Busi-
ness College at Quincy, Illinois. His professional studies were pursued in
the Medical College at Keokuk, this state, where he was awarded the
degree of M. D. with the class of 1906. Returning home he entered in
practice with his father with whom he continued to be identified until the
latter's death. He has been very successful, being well adapted to the
profession he is following, and has a most lucrative practice. He married
Miss May Reno, a daughter of Willis and Mary Reno, also residents of
Batavia, the father being a well known retired farmer of Wapello county,
who recently located here. Two children have been born to Dr. and Mrs.
Baldridge, Helen and Willis. Milton Baldridge, who was named for his
father, is living on the old family homestead with his mother. He acquired
"his education in the school for the deaf, at Council Bluffs, Iowa, of which
he is a graduate. His energies have always been devoted to agricultural
pursuits and he is now operating his mother's farm of forty acres, located
near the village of Batavia. He married Miss Emma Dorn, of Waterloo,
Iowa, and they have one child, Waldo.
The late Dr. Baldridge was an earnest member of the Masonic fra-
ternity, in which organization he had attained high rank. He was a member
of Batavia Lodge, No. 198, A. F. & A. M., and he was also a Knight
Templar, being identified with an Ottumwa lodge, and belonged to the
Shrine of Davenport. His political support he gave to the republican party
and always took an active interest in the workings of the party. He was
Vol. II— 2
22 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
highly esteemed in Batavia professionally and privately, having, during
the half century of his residence here, demonstrated his high principles and
worth in all of his relations of life.
PETER H. ROTH.
Peter H. Roth, occupying a pleasant home at No. 107 West Adams street
in Fairfield, has here resided since his removal from Packwood. Previous
to the time when he took up his abode in the latter place he had been closely
and actively associated with farming interests for many years and won a
measure of success that now entitles him to live retired and yet with suffi-
cient to supply him with all of the necessities and some of the luxuries of
life. He was born in Wayne county, Ohio, April 17, 1842, a son of Joseph
and Mary (Klophefenstein) Roth. The father was a native of Alsace,
France (now Germany), and was of French descent. He followed the
occupation of farming and in early life became a cheese maker. After
crossing the Atlantic to the new world he devoted his attention exclu-
sively to general agricultural pursuits. It was in 1840 that he sailed for
America and until after his marriage he was a resident of Wayne county,
Ohio, removing westward to Jefferson county, Iowa, in 1842. He then
established his home in Cedar township, preempting one hundred and sixty
acres of government land upon which not a furrow had been turned nor
an improvement made. The soil, naturally rich and productive, responded
readily to the care and labor which he bestowed upon it and the fields
brought forth golden harvests that enabled him in time to add to his hold-
ings until he was the owner of one thousand acres of fine land in Fair-
field and Cedar townships. In fact he became one of the largest property
holders in that part of the county. There he was busily employed in the
task of developing and improving his land throughout his remaining days
and upon the old homestead he reared his family and there passed away in
1896, having for twelve years survived his wife. They were the parents
of thirteen children of whom eight are now living, namely: Peter H., of
this review; Mrs. Rebecca Messer, living in Richwood, Iowa; John, a
farmer of Cedar township; Mrs. Mary Kyle, of Fairfield; Jacob, whose
home is in Birmingham, Van Buren county; Mrs. Annie Lampson, living
in Milwaukee, Wisconsin ; Edward, whose home is in Holden, Nebraska ;
and Ben F., a resident of South Omaha, Nebraska.
Peter Roth has spent the greater part of his life in Jefferson county
and the schools of Fairfield township afforded him his educational priv-
ileges. Farm work to some extent interfered with his studies for his as-
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 23
sistance was needed in the fields and he aided in the work of plowing,
planting and harvesting and also operated a threshing machine each sea-
son until he reached the age of twenty-eight years. He then began farming
on his own account on a tract of land in Black Hawk township belonging
to his father, and when his labor had enabled him to save a considerable
sum from his earnings he purchased this place of two hundred acres and
made his home thereon for twenty-eight years, or until ill health forced re-
tirement, when he rented the place and removed to Packwood where he
spent nine years. On the expiration of that period he took up his abode in
Fairfield and is now pleasantly situated in a comfortable home at No. 107
West Adams street. He still owns the old homestead farm of two hun-
dred acres in Black Hawk township and its rental supplies him with a sub-
stantial income.
On the 26th of January, 1870, Mr. Roth won as a companion and help-
mate for the journey of life Miss Mary Weitzel, their marriage being cele-
brated on that day. Her parents were George and Amelia (Brady) Weit-
zel. Her father was born in Alsace (then France), Germany, and was
of German lineage. By trade he was a cabinet maker and followed that
pursuit in his native country until 1840, when he came to America, settling
in Ohio. Later he removed to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he resided
until 1866, when he came to Jefferson county, Iowa, and bought a farm
north of Fairfield in Black Hawk township. He thereon made his home
for ten years, at the end of which time he removed to Muscatine, Iowa,
and died there in 1893. His wife died upon the old homestead farm in
Black Hawk township forty years ago. She, too, was born in Germany
and they were married in that country before sailing for the new world.
In their family were five children : Mrs. Minnie Schaffer, of Fairfield ;
Mrs. Roth ; Mrs. Elizabeth Bpsworth, whose home is in Clay, Iowa ; Fred,
a resident of Tekamah, Nebraska ; and Mrs. Emma Christensen, of Omaha,
Nebraska. Unto the marriage of ]\Ir. and Mrs. Roth have been born two
daughters. Cora, the elder, is the wife of Dr. J. O. Laird, a practicing
dentist of Malvern, Iowa, and they have one child, Donald Roth, five years
of age. Lulu E. is the wife of O. F. Fryer, a banker of Fairfield, Iowa,
and they have one child, Maurice Laird, thirteen years of age. who at-
tends school in Fairfield and spends much of his time with his grandparents.
In his political views Mr. Roth is an earnest republican, supporting the
party since age conferred upon him the right of franchise. He has filled
a number of public positions, the duties of which he has discharged with
promptness and fidelity. For several years he was a trustee of Black
Hawk township and for eighteen years was treasurer of the school funds
of that township. He also served as assessor in Black Hawk township for
two years and for a similar period in Polk township. Both he and his wife
24 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
are consistent and faithful members of the Methodist Episcopal church of
Fairfield, being always loyal to their professions. While living in Black
Hawk township Mr. Roth became a member of the Odd Fellows lodge at
Richland, Iowa. His wife is a member of the Home and Foreign Mission-
ary Societies of the Fairfield Methodist church and both are held in the
highest esteem because of their loyal support of and interest in all those
measures which tend to uplift the individual and promote civilization. In
every relation of life Mr. Roth has been found reliable, trustworthy and
honorable, and therefore he has been accorded high respect and esteem by
those who know him. He has lived in the county from early boyhood days
and is familiar with its history throughout almost the entire period of its
development, his memory forming a connecting link between the primitive
past, with all of its hardships and trials, and the progressive present with
its opportunities, its advantages and its prosperity.
ROBERT DAVIDSON.
Robert Davidson is one of those men whose ambition and inherent ability
enabled him to rise above his environment, and despite the lack of those
advantages usually deemed essential to success in any vocation in life, rose
above and dominated conditions as he found them, creating for himself a
position that has won the respect of the entire community of which he has
been a member for over forty years.
Yorkshire, England, was the scene of his birth, which occurred on the
9th of March, 1840. There his parents, John and Hannah (Lee) David-
son, spent their entire lives the father having been a day laborer. Their
family numbered eleven, of whom our subject is the only son now living
and the only member of the family to have become an American citizen. A
small income that had to supply the wants of a large household precluded
the possibility of Robert Davidson acquiring an education. His wage-
earning career began when he was little more than a child and as a lad he
worked for seven years in a brick and tile yard in Yorkshire. He was not
of the type to calmly accept conditions as he found them, but constantly
chafed at the limitations of his opportunities, feeling convinced that he pos-
sessed the qualities to lift himself into a better position under more favor-
able circumstances than that in which he was born. America seemed to
hold forth such opportunities and having acquired the necessary passage
money, at the age of nineteen years he sailed from Liverpool for New York
city, coming from there directly to Jacksonville, Illinois. He obtained work
as a farm hand, continued as such until the summer of 1861, when he of-
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 25
fered his services to the nation. On the 2d of September, 1861, he enlisted
at Jacksonville as a private in Company K, Twenty-Seventh Illinois Vol-
unteer Infantry, joining his regiment at Cairo, Illinois. During the three
years he spent at the front he took part in the following engagements : Bel-
mont, Union City, Lavergne, Stone River, Chickamauga, Rocky Face, Re-
saca. Mud Creek, Kenesaw Mountain, Peach Tree Creek, and the sieges
of Island Number Ten, Corinth, Nashville, Atlanta and many minor en-
counters. During the Battle of Chickamauga under General Pope, Mr.
Davidson was severely wounded in the right thigh and left on the field.
For six months thereafter he was unable to leave the hospital, but upon
his recovery rejoined his regiment on the march from Chattanooga to At-
lanta. The tenacity of purpose and determination that distinguished him
as a soldier has characterized his entire life. Upon receiving his discharge
he returned to Jacksonville, resuming the duties of civil life as a farm hand.
His industry and thrift ultimately enabled him to begin an independent
career, and for five years he farmed as a renter in Illinois, whence he came
to Iowa. He located in Wapello county, buying a farm that he operated
for thirty-five years, acquiring during that period a competency, on which
to retire. In 1905 he sold his farm and removed to Batavia, where he and
his wife are now residing. He has withdrawn from all active work, save
that now and then he assists his son Marion in the store, and is enjoying
the ease and comfort so justly earned by his long years of toil.
Mr. Davidson celebrated Christmas, 1865, by his marriage to Miss
Mary Louisa DeSollar, the ceremony being performed by the Rev. W. H,
Jordan in the vicinity of Jacksonville, Illinois. Mrs. Davidson, who was
born in Akron, Ohio, is the eldest of nine children born to Henry Brown
and Christiana (Clemmons) DeSollar. The father was born in London,
England, whence he emigrated as a lad of ten years to Bethel, Illinois,
where he learned the wagon maker's trade. The mother was a native of
Canada but in her early youth she removed to Ohio and there she met and
was subsequently married to Mr. DeSollar. She passed away at Bethel
sixty-four years ago, and he subsequently located at Beardstown, Illinois,
where he followed his trade until his death in 1891. Nine children were
born unto Mr. and Mrs. Davidson : Frank, who is an architect in Chicago,
married Mrs. Emily Hardy. Charles, a stenographer in the government
service in Colorado, married Miss Emma May Sears of Nebraska, and they
have one child, Edith Alberta. John is living in New York city, where he
is employed by a large publishing house. George, a manufacturer of the
acetylene light plants of Ottumwa, Iowa, married Jennie Kraemer of Lo-
cust Grove township, Jefferson county, and they have four children : Verna
Maxwell ; Letha Mildred, Edith Eleanor and Donavan Dail. Arthur, who
is a bookkeeper in Chicago, married Fern Murray, of Oxford, Ohio, and
26 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
has one son, Murray. Henry Edwin, a farmer of southern Missouri, mar-
ried Estelle Milligan of Des Moines, Iowa, and had four children: Edna
May; Gerald Edwin; and Robert Willard and Raymond WiUiam, twins.
The last three are deceased. Thomas William, a photographer of
Chicago, married Mabel Almeda Mussenden, of that city. Leroy, the man-
ager of the United States Express Company at Freeport, Illinois, married
Mabel Marie Holmes of that city and has one child, Gordon Leroy. Marion
Albert, a furniture dealer and undertaker of Batavia, married Nellie Ray
Shaw of Ottumwa and has one daughter, Mary Marguerite.
The family always attended the services of the Methodist Episcopal
church of which Mr. and Mrs. Davidson are devoted members. He is a
republican in his political views and while a resident of Wapello county
served for many years as a member of the district school board. Despite
his lack of educational advantages, Mr. Davidson has always been a close
observer and thinker, his undertakings ever having been distinguished by
intelligent judgment and practical ideas.
WILLIAM P. CAMPBELL.
William P. Campbell, who has made his home in the village of Brook-
ville for more than three decades, has lived retired since 1901, but for a
number of years was actively engaged in business as the proprietor of a
sawmill. His birth occurred in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, on the 27th of
Februar)', 1842, his parents being Thomas C. and Susan (Evans) Camp-
bell, both of whom were natives of the Keystone state. The father came of
Scotch ancestry ; the mother was of German lineage. They came to Iowa in
1857, locating in Fairfield, Jefferson county, where Mr. Campbell worked
at the cabinet-maker's trade for several years. Subsequently, he turned his
attention to general agricultural pursuits, purchasing a farm near Perlee,
eight miles east of Brookville. After the death of his wife, he put aside
the active work of the fields and took up his abode in Brighton. Washington
county, Iowa, where he spent the remainder of his life in honorable
retirement.
William P. Campbell remained under the parental roof until sixteen
years of age, attending the district schools in the acquirement of an educa-
tion. He first worked as a farm hand by the month, but, later, purchased an
interest in a sawmill, operating the same prior to his marriage. Locating in
Brookville, he there conducted a sawmill until 1901, when he retired from
active business life. He sold his farm of forty-eight acres, in Black Hawk
township, and purchased his present homestead of six acres in the village of
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 27
Brookville, Locust Grove township. At the time of the Civil war, he en-
listed in the Union army as a member of Company B, Nineteenth Iowa Vol-
unteer Infantry, serving with distinction for twenty-three months. He par-
ticipated in several important engagements, and was discharged because of
impaired eyesight. Today, he is almost totally blind.
On the 27th of February, 1876, Mr. Campbell was united in marriage
to Miss Anna Troette, a daughter of Benjamin and Sarah Elizabeth (Fil-
son) Troette; the former a native of France and the latter of Ohio. They
were married in Pennsylvania and came west in 1855, when their daughter
Anna was a child, locating in Birmingham, Van Buren county, Iowa, where
they spent the remainder of their lives. Benjamin Troette, who was a
brick mason by trade, passed away thirty-two years ago. He had long sur-
vived his wife, whose demise occurred fi-fty-three years ago. Unto Mr.
and Mrs. Campbell have been born eight children. Walter, an agricultur-
ist of Crawford county, Iowa, wedded Miss Lettie Gunn of that county, by
whom he has four children: Geraldine, Anna, Willie and Crawford. Jes-
sie, who gave her hand in marriage to Enos Lewman, a farmer of Jefferson
county, passed away on the i8th of July, 1910. Clarence E. devotes his
attention to general agricultural pursuits in Crawford county, Iowa. Myrtle
is the wife of James W. Grimes, a farmer living west of Libertyville, by
whom she had three children : Cecil ; Clive ; and Intha, who is deceased.
William passed away when a youth of eighteen. George, a well known land
agent of Packwood, Iowa, handles western and northwestern farm lands
and local real estate. Charles and Fred are both at home with their parents.
In politics, Mr. Campbell is a stanch republican, loyally supporting the
party which was the defense of the Union during the dark days of the Civil
war. He was a member of Abingdon post of the Grand Army of the Re-
public, until it was disbanded. His wife belongs to the Methodist Episco-
pal church of Brookville, Iowa. Mr. Campbell has many friends in Jeffer-
son county, among whom he is most highly esteemed and respected.
ELLIOTT P. TAYLOR.
The life record of Elliott P. Taylor is an interesting and varied one,
telling the story of a man who is versatile in his achievements, faithful in
the pursuit of his calling and prudent in the choices which he has made.
His most conspicuous efforts have been devoted to his country in the days
of war by his loyal service in the army, in the days of peace by the faith-
ful performance of his duties as postmaster of Glasgow during an unbroken
period of eighteen years. He was born in Aurora, Illinois, in December,
28 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
1845, his parents being Dr. Samuel W. and Jane (Tanner) Taylor, who
came of Irish ancestry, the father being a native of Ohio and the mother of
Illinois. Dr. Taylor obtained his education at Hughes Medical College of
Keokuk, Iowa, and upon receiving his degree entered upon the practice of
his profession in Illinois and Keokuk. Iowa. In 1853 he became a resident
of Jefiferson county, locating at Glasgow, where he established a flourish-
ing practice, and continued his ministrations of the sick for the rest of his
life. During the war he gave his services to the soldiers of the Union army
and was made a commissioned officer, serving as a surgeon in the Fourth
Iowa Cavalry until 1864. His death occurred July 5, 1899, almost half a
century after the demise of his wife, who departed this life in i8ciO.
Elliott P. Taylor was given excellent home training and attended school
both in Keokuk and in Jefferson, county. When only sixteen years of age
he was fired with enthusiasm by the thrilling rumors of war which reached
their little town in Iowa and thereupon enlisted in Company M, Fourth
Iowa Cavalry. They saw active service, Mr. Taylor being mustered out
at the close of the siege of Vicksburg. He reenlisted immediately and
continued his service during the remainder of the war. He returned to
Glasgow and here for a short time engaged in agriculture, renting a farm
for this purpose until he bought a tract of forty acres in Henry county,
Iowa. He discontinued agricultural labors upon being appointed to the posi-
tion of postmaster of Glasgow and for the remarkable period of eighteen
years attended to the duties of this office with conscientious diligence and
efficiency. During this time and dating back to his association with farm-
ing interests he was also engaged in buying and selling stock, carrying on
a business from which no inconsiderable profit accrued. Upon retiring from
the office of postmaster he removed with his family to Fairfield, Iowa, and
there assumed the management of the Gantz Hotel, which he conducted
for one year. Pleased with his results in the hotel business, he returned to
Glasgow and there opened up a hotel, which he has managed on his own
account ever since. It is a most attractive place, cheerful and pleasant in
the interior and surrounded by a neat and well cared for lawn. He also
owns a valuable residence property here. Mr. Taylor possesses business
talent and executive ability and in the efficient conduct of his hotel gives
evidence of his ability to manage.
On November 6. 1867, Mr. Taylor was united in marriage to Miss Clara
E. Strong, a daughter of John and Julia (Carpenter) Strong, the former
a native of Ohio and the latter of New York. Mrs. Taylor was born August
19, 1849, in Jefferson county, Iowa, the family having come here to live
in 1844. The father had followed agricultural pursuits in Ohio and on
coming here entered one hundred and sixty acres of land in Henry county.
This farm he cultivated for a number of years, selling it at length in order
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 29
to remove to Fairfield, Iowa, where he worked at the cooper's trade for a
number of years. He then moved to Knox county, IlHnois, and there again
pursued agricultural labors. In 1857 he returned to Glasgow and here
worked at the cooper's trade until his death October 30, 1866, at the age
of fifty-seven years. His wife survived him more than four decades,
passing away September 5, 1908, at the advanced age of ninety-two years.
Mr. and Mrs. E. P. Taylor were the parents of six children : Jennie, the
wife of James Grant, a farmer of Cedar township ; Julia, the wife of Pro-
fessor C. D. McLain, of Iowa Wesleyan College at Mount Pleasant ; Ber-
nice, the wife of Ralph A. Billingsly, a resident of Glasgow ; Clififord, man-
aging a general store in Glasgow under the firm name of Helfenstien &
Taylor; Maude, who died in infancy; and Jesse, who died September 15,
1889, at the age of fourteen years.
The Taylor family holds membership in the Methodist Episcopal church
and politically Mr. Taylor gives his support to the republicans. He is an
Odd Fellow, being a member of Lodge No. 45 of Glasgow. In memory
of army days he maintains pleasant relations with old-time comrades in
the A. R. Pierce Post, G. A. R., of Glasgow. He is not the only member
of his family, however, who has won honor on the battlefield, his wife's
brother George Strong having met with like distinction. In memory of
his service and the fact that he was the first volunteer of his company and
the first one to die his comrades have honored his name by incorporating
it in the name of one of the posts of their order, the George Strong Post,
G. A. R., of Fairfield. In the enjoyment of a fair competence, which puts
him beyond the reach of the uncertainties and cares met with in the struggle
for a livelihood, Mr. Taylor lives quietly and in comfort, in the enjoyment
of good health and a buoyant spirit.
BENJAMIN HANSON.
That success which follows close application and an intelligent direction
of labor came to Benjamin Hanson, who for a number of years was en-
gaged in fruit-raising near Lockridge, Jefiferson county. He made a close
study of horticulture and the best methods of cultivating and developing
fruit, learning many practical lessons in the school of experience and
steadily continuing along the path of progress. England numbered him
among her native sons, his birth having there occurred on the 3d of June,
1831. His parents, Thomas and Mary Hanson, were also natives of that
country, where the father learned and followed the weaver's trade, always
30 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
utilizing his knowledge of that business in order to support his family.
Both he and his wife spent their entire lives in their native country.
Benjamin Hanson was reared in England and his early experiences
impressed upon his mind the value of industry, determination and perse-
verance. He was twenty-five years of age when he determined to try his
fortune in the new world, for he had heard favorable reports concerning
business opportunities on this side of the Atlantic. He therefore saved his
earnings until his capital was sufficient to enable him to make the venture
and after his arrival in the United States he was employed on a carding
machine in a woolen factory in this county. He worked in that way for
twelve years until his industry and careful expenditure had brought him
sufficient capital to enable him to engage in business on his own account.
He purchased eleven acres of land near the town of Lockridge and turned
his attention to the raising of fruit, devoting the remainder of his life to
that business. He closely studied the question of the best methods of
caring for the trees and thus enhanced their productiveness. He was an
earnest and untiring worker and did everything in his power to attain suc-
cess that he might provide a comfortable living for his family.
On the i6th of May, 1868, Mr. Hanson was united in marriage to Miss
Lilly Hopkirk, a daughter of William and Jane (Redpath) Hopkirk, both
of whom were natives of Scotland who about 1834 came to the United
States, settling in New York, where for several years the father worked
at the dyer's trade, which he had previously learned in his native country.
He subsequently went to Ohio but after a short residence in that state
came to Jefferson county, Iowa, and in 1842 entered land here when Iowa
was still under territorial government. Not a furrow had been turned
nor an improvement made upon the land when it came into his possession
but he at once took up the arduous task of breaking the sod and improving
the fields. His first home was a log house and his barn was also built of
logs. The farm is located in what is now Lockridge township and to its
further cultivation and improvement he devoted the remainder of his life,
becoming recognized as a leading agriculturist of the community, whose
methods were at once practical and progressive. He also figured promi-
nently in public affairs and was a recognized leader in the ranks of the
republican party, which elected him to represent his district in the fifteenth
general assembly. That he proved a worthy member of the state legisla-
ture is indicated by the fact that he was returned to the sixteenth general
assembly and at different times he filled many township and county offices,
discharging his duties with a promptness and fidelity that won him the
high commendation of all concerned. In an early day he served as justice
of the peace and held court in his own home. He lived to see many notable
changes in the county and was an active participant in the work which led
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 31
to its substantial development and improvement. He died in 1892 at the
age of eighty-one years, his birth having occurred in 181 1. His wife, who
was born in 181 3, passed away in 1869, at the age of fifty-six years. In
their family were eleven children, of whom four are deceased. Three of
the number still reside in Fairfield, one in Sheldon, Iowa, one in Lockridge
township, one in California, and another in the state of Washington. Of
these, their daughter, Mrs. Hanson, is now living in Fairfield. By her mar-
riage she became the mother of one child, Mary J., who is now the wife
of George W. Unkrich, a merchant of Fairfield, with whom Mrs. Hanson
now resides, their home being at No. 401 West Washington street.
In his political views ]\Ir. Hanson was a republican, supporting his
party from the time that he became a naturalized American citizen. He
always kept well informed on the questions and issues of the day but
never sought nor held office. He and his wife held membership in the
Baptist church at Lockridge and Mrs. Hanson now is a member in the
Congregational church at Fairfield. Closing a life ever upright and honor-
able, always loyal to high and manly principles, Mr. Hanson died January
12, 1893, amid the deep regret of all who knew him, for he had come to
be recognized as a worthy citizen, who well merited the respect of his
fellowmen.
' WILLIAM WALLACE JUNKIN.
The name of William Wallace Junkin is deeply inscribed upon the
pages of Iowa's history and honor and respect are accorded him whose
work in the editorial field, in the government service and in every connec-
tion has been so directly beneficial to the state and of such permanent use-
fulness. Mr. Junkin became a resident of Iowa when it was still under
territorial organization, arriving in the year 1843. He was then a lad of
twelve years, his birth having occurred in Wheeling, West Virginia, Janu-
ary 26, 1831.* His parents were Joseph and Sarah (Rambo) Junkin, both
of whom were natives of Pennsylvania, the former born October 20,
1788, and the latter on the 3d of June, 1790. They were married on the
20th of December, 1808, and became the parents of six sons and five
daughters. David Finley, the eldest, who was born February 12, 1810.
was married November 13, 1834, to Harriet Walker, and died September
8, 1844. Eleanor, born September 24, 181 1, was the wife of James Gibson
and died in 1848. Joseph, born May 2, 1813, passed away on the 14th of
August of the following year. Joseph, the second of the name, born
February 10, 181 5. was married November 8, 1836, to Mary M. Cotton
32 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
and died recently at Red Oak, Iowa. Nancy Galloway was married May
3, 1836, to Robert S. Hunter and resides in New Castle, Pennsylvania.
John George, born February 10, 1819, died October 19, 1837. Sarah
Margaret, who was born June 16, 1821, became the wife of George W.
Clutter, who served as a captain in the Mexican war and died July 16,
1857, after which his widow, on the 21st of September, 1865, became the
wife of the Rev. Frederick A. Shearer and is now living in Colfax, Iowa.
Mary B. F., born February 24, 1824, died June 18, 1833. Narcissa Dodd-
ridge, born April 2, 1826, was married March i, 1849, to James Shriver
Beck, of Fairfield, Iowa. Matthew Johnson, born May 16, 1829, died, a
few years ago in Fairfield. He had been married on the 15th of March,
1855, to Ellen E. Moorman who passed away in 1869. The other member
of the family is William Wallace Junkin, of this review. The father died
January 22, 1857, in Fairfield, where the mother also passed away on the
17th of April, 1865.
The family had become residents of Iowa in the spring of 1843, settling
first in Lee county, whence they removed the following year to Louisa
county. In 1845 they came to Jefiferson county and two years afterward
took up their abode in Fairfield. Before coming to this state, when a lad
of about ten years, William W. Junkin had been employed in a printing
ofifice, working as typesetter on the Argus of Wheeling, West Virginia.
After coming to Fairfield he secured a position in the office of the Iowa
Sentinel which that year was established in this city by A. R. Sparks. In
the summer of 1848 the owner of the paper sold out to Ezra Brown and
R. B. Pope and thus Mr. Junkin was thrown out of employment, but through^
the influence of Mr. Sparks he secured a position under Colonel Barlow
Granger, of Des Moines, whom he assisted in issuing the first number of
the Star in June, 1848, this being the first paper printed in the capital city.
After a residence of several months in Des Moines Mr. Junkin returned
to Fairfield. During the winter of 1848-9, however, he was employed in
the office of the Ottumwa Courier which was published by Street & Warden,
and in November, 1849. was employed as a compositor on ^ the Fairfield
Ledger which had been established a short time before by Orlando Mc-
Craney. Mr. Junkin occupied his position on the Ledger until the spring
of 185 1, when he went to Richmond, Virginia, where he was employed for
two years in the state printing office. He had become attached to the west,
however, and on the i6th of May, 1853, returned to Fairfield where ten
days later he purchased a half interest in the Ledger, then owned by A.
R. Fulton, the purchase price being four hundred and sixty dollars. Thus
for the first time he became part owner of a newspaper. The business
connection was continued until August 14. 1854, when Mr. Junkin became
sole proprietor. The paper has since been published by members of the
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 33
family although at different times Mr. Junkin was associated with different
partners. On the 8th of August, 1868, he formed a partnership with
Ralph Robinson, receiving twenty-five hundred dollars for a half interest
in the office. This relationship was maintained until January 5, 1875,
when Mr. Robinson retired and owing to the increase in circulation and
the improvements made in the office he was able to secure forty-five hun-
dred dollars for his share in the business. At that time Charles M. Jun-
kin, the eldest son of William W. Junkin, became manager of the paper
and brought with him to this new connection not only the experience he
had acquired under the careful direction of his father but also the knowl-
edge gained while in the government printing office in Washington, D. C.
On the 26th of May, 1878, he was admitted to a partnership under the
firm style of W. W. & C. M. Junkin. He is still one of the owners of the
Fairfield Ledger and has raised it to a high standard of newspaper
publication.
While private business interests have made large demand upon the
time and energies of William Wallace Junkin he has yet found opportunity
for cooperation in the public life of the community. On the 22d of April,
1889, he was appointed inspector of Indian agencies under the administra-
tion of Benjamin Harrison, being one of five employed in that department
of public service. His political allegiance had been given to the republican
party since age conferred upon him the right of franchise and his efforts
in its behalf were of a character which contributed largely to its local
success. He stands for progress and improvement along all lines, was
active in the construction of the new Methodist Episcopal church, has been
a liberal contributor to the support of the public library and did much to
encourage the building of railroads and thereby advance the interests of
the state.
On the 14th of September, 1854, Mr. Junkin was united in marriage to
Miss Elizabeth Patrick, a daughter of William and Amy (Morris) Patrick.
Mrs. Junkin was born in Ross county, Ohio, and was brought to Fairfield
county by her parents in 1847. She became, by her marriage, the mother
of eight children, the eldest of whom, Charles Monroe, is mentioned else-
where in this volume. May, born August 19, 1856, was married on the
i6th of May, 1877, to Nathaniel McGiffin and resided for a time in Mon-
tana but is now deceased. Gertrude, born September 7, 1858, was married
January 3, 1878, to W. W. McCracken, president of the Ravalli County
Bank at Hamilton, Montana. Virginia, a twin sister of Gertrude, is the
wife of J. B. Swinburne, a resident of Washington, D. C. Amy, born
February 5, 1862, is the wife of the Rev. J. F. Hintshouse, now of Fair-
field, Iowa. William David, born April 14, 1864, is now in partnership
with his brothers in the ownership of five newspapers of Iowa. Paul
34 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
Sheridan, born August 12, 1867, is now publishing the Creston (_Iowa)
Advertiser-Gazette and is a member of the firm in which his brothers are
his partners. Robert Tupper was born June 23, 1871, and died in 1905.
Such in brief is the life history of William Wallace Junkin, whose
residence in this state, covering a period of sixty-eight years, well entitles
him to mention in this volume, for he is one of the pioneers of Iowa and
the active and helpful part which he has borne in matters of citizenship
indicates his public-spirited devotion to the general good.
SAMUEL SALTS.
An honorable record of service in the war and faithful devotion to the
advancement of agricultural interests in Jefferson county places Samuel
Salts among the number whose names deserve worthy mention in the
pages of this history. He was born in Warren county, Indiana, August
30, 1844, his parents being John and Jane (Stephenson) Salts. The
family, which w^as originally named Salt, was established in this country
by the great-grandfather, Thomas Salt, who came from Ireland to Virginia
in 1776, where he became a planter, taking up land under a patent issued
by Governor Hastings of Virginia. The grandfather, John Salts, came
from Ohio to Indiana, in 1832, and there took up land for cultivation.
The patent conferring the title upon him was issued by territorial Governor
Harrison, and is an interesting document in reference to its bearing on
family history, since it shows the name to have been changed from Salt to
Salts some time in the period intervening between 1776 and 1832. These
two patents are at present in the possession of F. M. Salts, who regards
them as among the most valuable relics in his antiquarian collection. John
Salts, the father of Samuel Salts, was born in Ohio of Scotch-Irish par-
entage. At the age of twelve years, he was taken by his parents to Warren
county, Indiana, where he remained until his death. His wife, who still
survives him and is at this writing in her eighty- fourth year, lives in
Hedrick, Iowa.
Spending his boyhood days in his native locality in Indiana, Samuel
Salts obtained his education in the Sumter school in his home district.
When old enough to assist his father with plowing and reaping, he gave
his attention to the cultivation of the fields, and chose this as the calling
which he followed during his life. In April, 1864, at the age of twenty
years, he entered the army, enlisting in Company K, One Hundred and
Thirty-fifth Volunteer Infantry, and served in the war until its close.
During this time, he took part in a number of important skirmishes and
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 35
did considerable garrison duty. He received his honorable discharge at
Indianapolis, Indiana, and returned home to resume farming. In the
spring of 1868, he came to Iowa, locating on a farm in Locust Grove town-
ship. For four years after his arrival, our subject operated a sawmill,
but discontinued this in order to devote his undivided attention to his
agricultural interests. In 1874, he bought the farm on which he now
lives ; a tract of ninety acres of fertile land, yielding abundant crops. He
met with much success, the reward of steadfast toil and unflagging effort,
devoted to progress and improvement. He is no longer actively occupied
with the management of the farm , his son John now performing this work
for him. He continues to live on the place, however, overseeing the man-
agement and giving aid with wise counsel.
The marriage of Mr. Salts and Miss Rhoda Fisher, a daughter of a
pioneer resident of Locust Grove township, occurred on September 21,
1871. Mrs. Salts' mother died when she was a child. Her father, George
Fisher, who was of German descent, was born in Pennsylvania and as a
young man came to Iowa in the early days before the land was opened to
settlers ; when Indian barbarities were rampant throughout this territory
and the white man was outnumbered by his copper-colored brother in the
proportion of five to one. He entered a claim in Des Moines township,
Jefferson county. This tract he cleared and cultivated, remaining upon
it until some time during the Civil war, when he sold it and removed to
a new place which he purchased, in Locust Grove township, where he
resided until his death. On July 30, 1898, Mrs. Salts departed this life.
She was survived by her husband and twO' children : John, who is at home
with his father and operates the home place ; and Samuel Guy, who lives
on a farm adjoining the father's and is married to Miss Martha J. Craw-
ford, a daughter of William J. Crawford, a farmer of Locust Grove
township.
In July, 1900, Mr. Salts was again married, the second union being
with Mrs. Annie P. Hudgell of Fairfield, Iowa. She passed away on
May 5, 1906, deeply mourned by her husband to whom she had been a
faithful and devoted wife. Mr. Salts has two sisters and two brothers ;
four, besides himself, being all that remain of a family of twelve. They
are: William Salts of Des Moines township; James O. Salts of Fairfield,
Iowa; Lucinda, the wife of James Pelkenton of Fairfield, Iowa; and
Rhoda, who lives with her mother in Hedrick, Iowa.
Politically, Mr. Salts is conservative, and stanchly upholds the princi-
ples adhered to by the "stand pat" republicans. He is still serving as
assessor of Locust Grove township, having held this position for the past
thirteen years. He has likewise occupied the office of trustee of the town-
ship for several terms, and was a director of the school board in the
36 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
Brookville independent school district. In his fraternal relations, he is a
loyal Mason, being a member of Fairfield Lodge, No. 15, A. F. & A. M. ;
to which his sons likewise belong. The latter, also, are members of the
Odd Fellows lodge of Fairfield. Mr. Salts is a good father and a loyal
friend, possessing the warm regard of all who know him. He was appointed
on General Tuttle's staff with the rank of captain.
LEWIS ACHENBACH.
Lewis Achenbach, well-known as a prosperous representative of the
agricultural interests of Jefferson county, was born on the farm which he
now operates. May 23, 1865. His parents, Ludwig and Margaret (Theo-
phel) Achenbach, were natives of Germany. His father, on his arrival
in this country, in 1849, located in Ohio, but soon went farther west,
choosing Jefferson county, Iowa, for his home. Here, he located near the
town of Lockridge and secured employment with the Chicago, Burlington
& Quincy Railroad, which was then constructing its road through this
region. He continued at this work for several years, when he bought
forty acres of land in Lockridge township and engaged in farming. From
time to time, he bought more land, increasing the size of his farm, until it
comprised one hundred and seventy acres. He cultivated this land till
eight or ten years before his death, when he rented it to his sons, and
retired to live free from responsibilities thenceforth. His death occurred
in July, 1898. His wife passed away many years earlier, in December,
1882.
Lewis Achenbach was brought up at home. He was sent to the Lock-
ridge township schools, where he was educated in the common branches
of learning. After concluding his schooling, he assisted with the work on
the home farm. When he came of age, he rented land and began to farm
for himself, living with his parents, however, with whom he remained
until their death. On this occasion, the home farm came into his possession ;
and to the cultivation of this tract of one hundred and seventy acres he
has given his whole energies ever since. He is a practical farmer, and
progressive in his methods ; believing in the best possible equipment for
a farm, in order to attain the most satisfactory results. The buildings, all
erected by himself, are well constructed and modern in detail. He raises
on an average sixty head of hogs a year; he keeps twenty-five head of
cattle and ten horses.
On January 17, 1892, Mr. Achenbach was united in marriage to Mary
L. Graf, a daughter of John and Louisa (Snyder) Graf. Her parents,
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 39
too, were natives of Germany, having came to this country with the in-
coming tide of foreign population, during the middle of the nineteenth
century. When her father was old enough, he began to farm, buying for
this purpose a farm in Lockridge township. Here he remained till death
claimed him in May, 191 1. His widow survives him and is now in her
seventieth year.
Five children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Achenbach. Their names
are : Clara E., aged eighteen ; Herman H., aged fifteen ; Bertha A. died
in 1900; Ruth M., aged eight; and William Henry, aged five. Mr. Achen-
bach is a republican, and was elected by the members of his party to serve
three terms as trustee and as secretary of his township. He was secretary
of the school board for fourteen years. In his religious faith, he and his
family give their support to the Lutheran church. Mr. Achenbach is a
man of high moral character, and responsive to every appeal for the ad-
vancement of his community.
JOHN L. WRIGHT.
John L. Wright, one of the prominent and substantial residents of
Cedar township, owns an excellent farm of one hundred and sixty acres
on section 14 but has lived practically retired during the past four years,
leaving the active work of the fields to his son, Henry Clay. His birth
occurred near Winchester, Scott county, Illinois, on the nth of September,
1840, his parents being Jacob and Rebecca (Groce) Wright. The father
was born in Lincoln county, Kentucky, on the 29th of May, 1803, and was
a son of Philip Wright, a well known wheelwright of the Blue Grass state.
In early manhood Jacob Wright removed to Cumberland county, Kentucky,
where he was married. In 1829 he removed to Scott county, Illinois,
where he worked at the wheelwright's trade and also followed farming.
In 1847 he left that state and came to Jefferson county, Iowa, locating on
the farm which is now in possession of our subject. He paid nine hun-
dred dollars for a tract of three hundred and twenty acres and in the
spring of 1848 took up his abode thereon. There was not a rail on the
property and in addition to clearing the ground, he and his son William
made four hundred rails per day, hauling them with oxen. Four years
later Jacob Wright walked back to Illinois in order to obtain from his
father-in-law sufificient cash to purchase a tract of one hundred acres lying
north of his farm. That property is now the site of the Wright cemetery
and was donated by Jacob Wright for a public burying ground. The body
of his son, Josiah Wright, who died in 1852, was the first one to be interred
Vol. n— 3
40 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
therein. On the homestead on section 14, Cedar township, the parents of
John L. Wright spent the remainder of their lives, the father passing away
on the 2ist of June, 1894, and the mother on the 30th of April, 1876.
Their marriage had been celebrated in 1828. Their remains were interred
in the Wright cemetery. Unto this honored pioneer couple were born ten
sons, as follows: William, who is a resident of Fairfield, Iowa; Noah,
who is deceased; Elijah, living in Wichita, Kansas; Peter, who has also
passed away ; Isaac, of Audubon county, Iowa ; Thomas, who resides in
Barton county, Missouri; John L., of this review; Alfred, living in Fair-
field, Iowa; Isom, who is deceased; and Josiah, who died as a child.
John L. Wright remained under the parental roof until he had attained
his majority. His mother taught him how to spin and in this art he became
as proficient as any girl in the section where they resided. There being
no daughters in the family, he assisted his mother in many of the duties
which usually fall to the other sex. In 1865 he spent a brief period in
Illinois as a farm hand. In 1875 he purchased eighty acres of land from
his father and, as a reward for his filial devotion, was given the forty-
acre tract on which stood the old homestead. At the present time he owns
one hundred and sixty acres of as fine land as can be found in JeflFerson
county. In 1907 he put aside the active work of the fields and turned over
the management of the farm to his son, Henry Clay, who himself owns
a twenty-acre tract which he bought from his uncle Alfred in 1906.
On the 15th of June, 1879, in his own home, Mr. Wright was united
in marriage to Miss Laura Jane Rodabaugh, a daughter of Joseph and
Catharine (Eichelbarger) Rodabaugh, who were natives of Pennsylvania
and Maryland respectively. The father's birth occurred March 16, 1818,
while the mother was born on the 6th of November, 1822. They were
married on the 13th of October, 1839, and in the spring of 1843 came to
Jefferson county, Iowa, from Ohio. Joseph Rodabaugh owned an apple
nursery three miles northwest of Birmingham, this state, and did an ex-
tensive business, his being at that time the only nursery in the locality.
In 1882 he left his farm and took up his abode in Birmingham, where his
wife passed away on the 21st of July, 1898. Mr. Rodabaugh is now living
in retirement in California, one hundred miles south of San Francisco,
making his home with his daughter, Mrs. Mary De Hart. He is ninety-
three years of age and promised that he would return to Iowa on a visit
when he had reached the century mark. When eighty-one years old he
married Mrs. Isabelle Rodabaugh, the widow of his brother, Daniel Roda-
baugh, who was at that time seventy-nine years of age.
Mr. and Mrs. John L. Wright have one son, Henry Clay, whose birth
occurred on the farm on which he now resides, on October 26, 1881. He
attended the district schools of Cedar township in the acquirement of an
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 41
education and since putting aside his text-books has devoted his time and
energies to general agricultural pursuits, being now numbered among the
progressive and enterprising young farmers of the community. On the
2ist of December, 1904, he wedded Miss Elizabeth Mardock, a daughter
of William and Sarah (Wilson) Mardock, the former a native of Van
Buren county and the latter of Jefferson county, this state. At the time
of his marriage William Mardock resided on a farm a mile and a quarter
south of that of John L. Wright. He is now employed in the Iowa tile
ditcher factory and resides with his wife at Mount Pleasant, Iowa. Mr.
and Mrs. Henry C. Wright have one child. Ruby lola, who was born on
the I2th of December, 1907. Henry Hammons, an uncle of Mrs. H. C.
Wright, participated in the Civil war and had a brother, Wesley, who died
while at the front. On the 29th of November, 1910, Mrs. John L. Wright
passed away in the faith of the Freewill Baptist church, having been a
member of a church of that denomination near Birmingham, Iowa.
Both John L. Wright and his son give their political allegiance to the
democracy, believing firmly in its principles. Among the most valued objects
in possession of our subject is a singing book which was used by his mother
when a girl. He also has a spinning wheel made in Illinois by his father,
who was a fine workman. Mr. Wright has now passed the seventy-first
milestone on his earthly pilgrimage and is spending the evening of life in
well earned ease, happy in the friendship and esteem of all who know him.
HENRY CLAY RANEY.
Henry Clay Raney, whose demise occurred on the 19th of August,
1903, was for twenty years one of the prominent members of the Jefferson
county bar. He is one of the best known business and professional men of
Fairfield, the city of his residence. His birth occurred on a farm in sec-
tion 31, Cedar township, this county, on the nth of December, 1855, his
parents being William and Hannah (Loomis) Raney. The father, born
in Berkeley county, West Virginia, on the loth of August, 1821, was a
gentleman of Scotch-Irish descent ; and an agriculturist by occupation.
Removing with his parents to Greene county, Ohio, he there remained
until 1844, when he came to Iowa territory by horseback on a prospecting
tour. Two years later, he returned to the new state of Iowa, locating on
a farm on Lick Creek, Van Buren county. On the 13th of August, 1846,
he wedded Miss Emily Alexander, of Greene county, Ohio, whom he
brought to this state, and who passed away on the 19th of August, 1847.
In 1 85 1, William Raney married Miss Hannah Loomis, and, the following
42 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
year, took up his abode on a farm in Cedar township, Jefferson county.
Hannah Loomis, a native of Ohio, came to this county with her parents
in 1839. Her father, Nathaniel Loomis, was a gentleman of Scotch-Irish
descent, and a farmer of Holmes county, Ohio. In 1891, William Raney
left the farm in Cedar township, and took up his abode in Fairfield, where
he spent the remainder of his life in honorable retirement. He passed
away on the 17th of October, 1892. He had been a resident of this county
for four decades, and had gained an enviable reputation as a substantial
agriculturist and representative citizen. His wife, surviving him for ten
years, was called to her final rest on the 14th of November, 1902.
Henry Clay Raney began his education in a district school of Cedar
township, and, later, attended the academy at Birmingham, Iowa. In
1877, he entered Parsons' College, from which he was graduated in June,
1880. being a member of the first class of graduates the institution sent
out. He had completed the four-year course in three years. Having de-
termined upon the legal profession as a life work, he read law for one year
with the firm of Leggett & McKemey, and, on the 24th of August, 1882,
was admitted to the bar. Subsequently, he pursued a course of office
study in Chicago, preparatory to taking up the practive of law with Leggett
& McKemey. After spending one year in the office of that firm, Mr. Raney
opened an office of his own, and, for twenty years, or until the time of his
demise, enjoyed an enviable reputation as one of the prominent members
of the Jefferson county bar. His activities, however, were not confined
to the practice of law. At the time of his death, he was a member of the
firm of Raney Brothers, conducting the Fairfield Brick & Tile Company.
He was likewise the president, and one of the organizers, of the Jefferson
County Telephone Company. He proved so capable an official that he was
chosen the president of the Iowa Telephone Association, and, afterward,
became the chief executive officer of the Interstate Telephone Association.
On the 7th of February, 1883, Mr. Raney was joined in wedlock to
Miss Mary Bogle, a daughter of Samuel and Rachel (Wilson) Bogle, both
of whom were natives of Perry county, Ohio; the former was born in 1832
and the latter in 1835. In 1856 they came to Iowa, locating in Lee county.
The following year witnessed their removal to Van Buren county, where
they continued to reside throughout the remainder of their lives. Samuel
Bogle followed farming until 1867, when he took up his abode in Birming-
ham, Iowa, there living retired until called to his final rest on the 27th
of June. 1890. His wife passed away on the 7th of December, 1910.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Raney were born five children, as follows: William,
who died in infancy ; Franklin Clay, who is employed in the advertising
department of the Hershall Company of Peoria, Illinois, and who wedded
Miss Hazel Workman, of Mount Zion, Iowa ; Ralph Bogle, who died at
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 43
the age of eleven months ; Ellery M., now a student in Harvard University ;
and Elizabeth, who attends the Fairfield public schools.
In politics, Mr. Raney was a progressive republican and was called
upon to serve the public in the line of his profession. He acted as county
attorney and also as city solicitor of Fairfield, and was a member of the
city council during one year. He was a pronounced prohibitionist, bitterly
opposed to the sale of liquor in any of its forms, and, during his term as
county attorney, waged continual war against violators of the law in this
and adjoining counties. Mr. Raney was a distinguished member of the
Jefferson County Bar Association, which organization, together with the
Iowa Telephone Association and the Fairfield Presbyterian church, paid
glowing tributes to his memory. In boyhood, he joined the Presbyterian
church and remained loyal to the tenets of that denomination throughout
the remainder of his life. For twenty years, he was an earnest and active
member of the Fairfield Presbyterian church and, during that entire period,
was an efficient member of the board of trustees, acting as chairman of
the board for fifteen years. His widow also belongs to that church. She
now resides at No. 209 West Grimes street, where she took up her abode
after the demise of her husband, who passed away in their home on South
Main street. In the course of a successful business and professional
career, Mr. Raney gave evidence of the possession of those sterling traits
of character which in every land and clime awaken confidence and regard.
His memory remains as a blessed benediction to those who knew him.
JACOB S. McKEMEY.
Jacob S. McKemey needs no introduction to the readers of this volume,
for his long and prominent connection with the bar and his helpful advocacy
of many progressive measures of citizenship have made him widely known.
His entire life has been passed in Jefiferson county and in his history there
is no esoteric phase. He has always been actuated by a sense of loyalty
to duty, which is as strongly manifest in his public relations and in his
private life as in his professional connections, where he serves the interests
of a large clientele.
Mr. McKemey was born in Fairfield, September 7, 1854, and is a
representative of one of the oldest families of this section of the state,
his parents, Joseph A. and Cynthia (Hemphill) McKemey, having come
to Iowa in 1839, when this district was still a part of the territory of
Wisconsin. Extended mention of his parents is made elsewhere in this
volume, for no record of Jefiferson county would be complete without
44 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
mention of them. The youthful days of Jacob S. McKemey were passed
in a manner similar to that of most lads of the period. He was a pupil in
the public schools prior to entering Iowa College at Grinnell, and with a
good literary education to serve as the basis for his professional knowledge.
he took up the study of law in the office of the well known firm of Stubbs
& Leggett of this city. His thorough preliminary reading qualified him
for admission to the bar and on the 3d of May, 1877, he successfully passed
the required examination. He then entered into partnership with his for-
mer preceptor, Charles D. Leggett, and the association was maintained for
ten years, or until Judge Leggett's elevation to the bench on the 6th of
December, 1886. Mr. McKemey then formed a partnership with Eben
F. Simmons, who had been a student and clerk in his office for several
years but following the retirement of Judge Leggett from the bench the
old partnership relation was resumed and the firm of Leggett & McKemey
still continues. The years have chronicled a continuous increase in their
business and there have been few important cases tried in the courts of
this district with which they have not been associated either as counsel
for the defense or prosecution. The zeal with which Mr. McKemey has
devoted' his energies to his profession, the careful regard evinced for the
interests of his clients and the assiduous and unrelaxing attention to all
details of his cases have brought him a large business and made him very
successful in its conduct. His arguments have always elicited warm com-
mendation not only from his associates at the bar but also from the bench.
In addition to his law practice, Mr. McKemey is one of the stockholders
of the Iowa State Savings Bank and was chosen a member of its first
board of directors.
• Mr. McKemey has been married twice. He first wedded Miss Ada
Light, a daughter of Solomon Light. She passed away on the loth of
June, 1887, leaving a son, Charles L., whose birth had occurred July 2^,
1882. On the 19th of June, 1889, Mr. McKemey was married to Miss
Julia Scofield, a daughter of Bryant Scofield, of Carthage, Illinois, in
which city Mrs. McKemey was born and from its college was graduated.
Coming to Fairfield, she was elected superintendent of the schools here and
by reelection served for four years at the head of the public-school system
of this city. Both Mr. and Mrs. McKemey attend the Congregational
church and his political allegiance is given to the republican party because
of his firm belief in its principles. He has never been an aspirant for
office, for he has ever felt that his professional duties demanded all his
time and attention save that which he wished to give to home and social
interests in his leisure hours. Choosing a business in which individual
merit is the source of all advancement, he has gradually worked his way
upward and the bar and the public both accord him prominence in the
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 45
ranks of the legal fraternity of Jefferson county. He is notable for the
care and precision with which he prepares his cases ; his briefs always
show wide research, careful thought and the best and strongest reasons
that can be urged for his contention, presented in cogent and logical form
and illustrated by a style unusually lucid.
THOMAS HENRY DOOGAN.
Thomas Henry Doogan, who engages in general farming and stock-
raising in Lockridge township, has been a resident of Jefferson county for
thirty-one years. He was born in Ireland in Monohan county, township of
Diescart, near Carrickmacroso, in September, 1854, and is a son of James
and Bridget (Rafferty) Doogan, also natives of the Emerald isle, where
his father owned a farm that he cultivated during the entire period of his
active career. There he passed away in 1881, but the mother survived until
1890.
Reared and educated in his native land, Thomas Henry Doogan re-
mained at home assisting his father about the farm until he was twenty-
six years of age. Having decided to seek a larger field in which to expend
his energies in a country where efforts would be rewarded by more than a
living, he took passage for the United States in May, 1880, and on the 2d
of June landed in New York city. He made his way inland to Fairfield,
where he worked for a year on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railroad.
Later he worked in the coal mines and also as a farm hand, having been in
the employ of Mr. Sampson, a farmer residing in the vicinity of Lockridge,
for four years. As he was ambitious to become the owner of a farm, Mr.
Doogan was very thrifty, carefully saving as much of his meagre wages
as he could until he had sufficient capital to begin for himself. For ten
years thereafter he farmed as a renter, meeting with such success in his
efforts that at the end of that period he had the means to purchase a forty-
acre tract, that formed the nucleus of his present homestead in Lockridge
township. His unremitting energy and the intelligent direction of his activi-
ties enabled him to extend the boundaries of his farm by the addition of
another forty acres, and in 1906 he increased his holdings by the purchase
of an eighty-acre tract in Round Prairie township. He is now the owner of
one hundred and sixty acres of fertile land, all of which is under cultivation.
In connection with the operation of his land Mr. Doogan is engaged in
stock-raising, and keeps about twenty head of cattle and six horses, while
he annually raises thirty hogs. He has always been very successful in both
undertakings and during the period of his residence here has made many
46 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
and extensive improvements, having erected good barns and outbuildings
as well as a residence on his premises, all of which are kept in good repair,
everything about his place suggesting a careful regard for details that be-
speaks success.
For his wife Mr. Doogan chose Miss Alice Nicholson, their union being
celebrated on the 14th of March, 1884. Mrs. Doogan is a daughter of
George and Anzaletta (Bonnifield) Nicholson, natives of England and Vir-
ginia, respectively. The father, who was born in 1808, emigrated to the
United States in 1835, locating at Waterville, New York, later removing to
Cincinnati, Ohio, where he remained for some time. He subsequently came
to Jefferson county, purchasing a farm in Lockridge township that he im-
proved and operated until 1865, when he disposed of it and removed to
Wapello county, Iowa. There he purchased a hundred-acre tract that he
operated until his death. Both Mr. and Mrs. Nicholson passed away in
1878, her demise occurring in July, at the age of fifty-three years while he
died in September, after attaining his seventieth year. To Mr. and Mrs.
Doogan there have been born five children : Charles, who died on the 19th
of March, 1910, at the age of twenty-three years and four months ; ^Martha
Edna, who is twenty-two, living at home with her parents ; Mary, the wife
of Arthur Davis, of Lockridge; Lucinda, who died on the 14th of Janu-
ary, 1894, at the age of six months: and John, who is a youth of sixteen
years at home.
Mr. Doogan is a communicant of the Roman Catholic church, in the
faith of which he was born and reared, but his wife and family affiliate
with the Baptist church. He votes the democratic ticket, but has never
held any official position save that of school director and has served in this
capacity for the past ten years. The entire credit for his success must be
given to Mr. Doogan, as he began his career in the United States with prac-
tically no capital save his determination of purpose and tireless energv. by
means of which he has attained the position he now holds in the community.
ROBERT BRUCE STEPHENSON, M. D.
Dr. Robert Bruce Stephenson, engaged in the practice of medicine for
more than a quarter of a century, in which period he has ever been con-
scientious and faithful in the performance of his professional duties, was
born in Lockridge township, Jefferson county, on the 19th of December,
1857, his parents being Robert and Elizabeth (Hopkirk) Stephenson, the
mother the only daughter of Hon. William Hopkirk. She was born in
New York, and is now a resident of Fairfield. The father, Robert Stephen-
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 47
son, was a native of England, and died in Fairfield, February 14, 1909, at
the age of seventy-seven years. He was eight years of age when he
accompanied his parents on the voyage across the Atlantic, the family
home being established in West Virginia, whence they afterward removed
to Indiana and subsequently to Iowa, settling in Jefferson county before
the state was admitted to the Union. Robert Stephenson was engaged in
farming in this county prior to the Civil war. After the outbreak of
hostilities between the north and the south he joined the Union army and
lost his right leg in battle. He afterward engaged in raising fruit and
also filled several local offices, serving as justice of the peace and post-
master at Lockridge, while for four years he was county recorder. In
the family were nine children, of whom five have passed away, three dying
with diptheria during the war and the other two dying in infancy since
the close of hostilities. The four yet living are : Robert Bruce ; Ralph,
who is at the head of the Iowa Telephone Company in Des Moines ; John,
acting as rural mail carrier out of Fairfield ; and Flora, the wife of Oscar
Baltz, of Fairfield.
Dr. Stephenson made his start in life working by the month as a farm
hand and also in early manhood engaged in teaching in the district schools.
He supplemented his early education by a course in Parsons College, at
Fairfield, from which he was graduated with the class of 1883, and thus
with a good literary education to serve as a foundation upon which to
build the superstructure of his professional learning, he entered the Starling
Medical College at Columbus, Ohio, and was there graduated in the class
of 1885. Returning to this county he then practiced for seven years in
Lockridge and for two years thereafter in Mystic. In 1894 he came to
Libertyville, where he has since remained and a growing and extensive
practice has been accorded him. He possesses marked ability in the field
of his chosen calling because he is continually studying and his perusal
of the best medical journals and works, keeps him in touch with the
advanced thought and methods of practice of the present day.
In 1886 Dr. Stephenson was married to Miss Laura Effie Jenks, who
was born in Buchanan township, this county, and is a daughter of Samuel
and D. A. Jenks. She is a graduate of Parsons College and taught school.
They now have two children : Laurence B. and Edwin J., both graduates
of Parsons College. The elder completed his course in 1902 and is now
a student in the engineering department of the Iowa State University.
Edwin J., was graduated from Parsons College in 191 1, and in the fall
of the same year entered the engineering department at Iowa City. Both
sons are good ball players, as was the Doctor before them, and were leaders
in the baseball, the basket ball and football teams at Parsons College. Dr.
Stephenson has always encouraged his sons in manly athletic and outdoor
48 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
sports. His political allegiance is given to the republican party and he
keeps well informed on the questions and issues of the day, serving for
some time as a member of the county central committee but never seeking
political office. He holds membership in the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows, the Knights of Pythias and the Modern Woodmen of America
and is a faithful and devoted member of the Presbyterian church, in which
he has filled the offices of elder and also superintendent of the Sunday
school. His influence is always on the side of right and progress, of
reform, justice and truth, and his nobility of character, his public-spirited
citizenship and his professional skill have gained him a most creditable
position in the regard of his fellowmen.
HENRY RUPP.
General farming and stock-raising have always engaged the attention
of Henry Rupp, who owns one of the valuable and attractive homesteads
of Lockridge township. He was born in Holmes county, Ohio, on the
9th of August, 1849, ^^^ ^s a son of John and Lena (Bateman) Rupp.
His parents were both natives of Germany, whence they emigrated in
1848 to the United States, first settling in Ohio. There the father suc-
cessfully engaged in farming for six years when in 1854 he removed with
his wife and family to Jefferson county. Upon his arrival here he invested
in two hundred acres of government land in Lockridge township, that he
cultivated and improved until his death, meeting with such lucrative re-
turns from his endeavors that he was later able to extend his holdings.
He passed away on his farm in May, 1893, while the mother died in
April, 1890.
Henry Rupp, who was only a lad of five years when he came to
Jefferson county with his parents, obtained his education in the district
schools of Lockridge township. When he had acquired such knowledge
as was deemed essential for the successful pursuit of an agricultural career,
he left school and gave his undivided attention to the operation of the
home farm under the supervision of his father. In 1877, at the age of
twenty-eight years, he began to work for himself, settling in Montgomery
county where he bought a farm that he operated for five years. In 1882
he disposed of his property and returning to Jefferson county bought the
old homestead, containing three hundred and sixty acres of land, one
hundred of this being located in Henry county and the remainder in
Lockridge township. Here he has ever since engaged in general farming
and stock-raising, in both of which he has met with most excellent success.
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 49
He raises about seventy-five hogs annually and keeps fifty head of cattle
and fifteen horses. Mr. Rupp takes great pride in the appearance of his
farm and during the period of his occupancy has effected many improve-
ments that have added greatly not only to the appearance but value of the
property. His barns and outbuildings are substantially constructed and
kept well repaired, while his residence is a comfortable farmhouse sur-
rounded by neatly kept gardens and lawns, that afford a pleasing and
inviting appearance. A man of progressive ideas and business sagacity,
his place is provided with such modern agricultural implements as will
lessen the labor and expedite the work connected with the tilling of the
fields or care of the crops.
Mr. Rupp has been married twice. His first union was with Miss
Josephine Vohries, the event being celebrated in 1877. Mrs. Rupp was a
daughter of Daniel and Malinda (Austin) Vohries, natives of Ohio, who
were among the early settlers of Jefferson county. The father acquired
some government land that he cultivated for many years, but he is now
living retired in Mount Pleasant, this state, while the mother is deceased.
To Mr. and Mrs. Rupp there were born the following children : Hattie,
the wife of Ernest Rauscher, a farmer of Lockridge township ; Harlan E.,
a druggist at Botha, Washington ; Harry, who is a blacksmith at Lock-
ridge ; Ida, the wife of C. F. Bogner, a farmer of Lockridge township ;
Ernest E., who is living at home; and one who died in infancy. On the
8th of June, 1892, after an illness of eight days, Mrs. Rupp passed away.
In 1896, Mr. Rupp married the second time, his present wife having been
prior to her marriage. Miss Lizzie Achenbach, a daughter of Ludwig and
Margaret Achenbach, who are mentioned at greater length in the
sketch of Lewis Achenbach.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Rupp affiliate with the German Lutheran church,
numbering many friends among its congregation. He is one of the highly
respected and estimable citizens of Lockridge township, where he has
resided during the greater part of his sixty-two years, the loyalty of his
friends being a tribute to the character of the man whom they have known
from boyhood.
EDWIN TULLER.
Coming to Jefferson county in 1855 ^^ the age of thirteen years, Edwin
Tuller has lived here almost continuously since that time, thus being inti-
mately associated with the historic changes and material development that
have been wrought in this part of the country through the passing years
50 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
He was born two miles south of Worthington, in Franklin county, Ohio.
May i8, 1841. He is a son of Ezekiel and Elizabeth (Loy) Tuller. The
father was descended from Yankee parentage, being born in Connecticut.
He chose the pursuit of agriculture for his calling, and, finding opportuni-
ties in this direction more bountiful in the rich agricultural sections of the
middle western states, migrated to Ohio. There he was married to Eliza-
beth Loy, a native of Virginia, whose parents had removed to Franklm
county, Ohio, when she was a girl. Mr. and Mrs. Tuller followed the
westward trend of population, coming to Jefferson county, Iowa, in 1855.
Four years later, the father died on his farm five miles southeast of Fair-
field ; and, subsequently, the mother removed to Missouri, where she passed
away, in 1876.
The early years of his life Edwin Tuller spent in Ohio, being a resi-
dent of Franklin county during the first eight years and then of Madison
county. When his parents removed to Iowa, in 1855, he completed his
education in the district school near his home, assisting with the work in
the fields until he reached maturity. He then formed a partnership with
David Sears, of Locust Grove township, engaging in the harvesting of
crops on a basis of a two-thirds share. After his marriage, Mr. Tuller
operated the farm owned by his wife's mother. This he managed for two
years, when he discontinued farming in order to try himself in another
occupation. The romance of the west attracted him to the foothills of
the Rockies, and there he secured employment in hauling freight for a
firm in Omaha, Nebraska. During this time, the scenes of his labors were
amid the rugged mountain region of northern Utah ; his daily journeys
taking him within three hundred miles of Salt Lake City. Presently, he
returned home and once more took up farming. In 1866, our subject re-
moved to the farm on which he lives at present, and, three years later,
bought the place ; adding to it by subsequent purchases until he owned at
one time four hundred acres of rich and productive land. Not wishing to
continue the burden of operating so extensive an area, he parted with some
of his holdings, retaining one hundred and ninety-six acres for his own
use. This tract he now rents to his son, only supervising the management
in an advisory capacity. Always industrious and faithful in the perform-
ance of those duties which devolved upon him, he w^as rewarded in his
work with well deserved success.
Mr. Tuller and Miss Susan A. Sears, a daughter of Jacob L. and Mary
(Sargeant) Sears, natives of Kentucky and Ohio, respectively, were united
in marriage on December 24, 1863. The Sears family came from Coles
county, Illinois, to Iowa in 1839; the father entering land from the govern-
ment in Locust Grove township, Jefferson county. He operated the farm
and was an extensive landowner, being recognized as one of the substantial
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 51
citizens of the county, where he and his wife lived until their death. Mrs.
Tuller passed away at the family residence on the homestead, May 22,
1903, leaving six children : George, who operates a farm seven miles
southwest of Ottumwa, Iowa, is married to Sarah Long, of Batavia, Iowa,
by whom he has two children, Raymond and Arthur Le Roy ; William H.,
who lives on the home farm, is married to Miss Nellie Gow, of Fairfield,
by whom he h&s one child, Gladys Marie ; Mary, the wife of W. B. Duns-
worth, a dairyman and farmer of Kittitas county, Washington, has one
child, Edwin Burrell; Cora E., the wife of H. D. Smith, a farmer of
Batavia, has five children, Verle Carleton, Eura Delle, Glenn Tuller, Eunice
Cora and Exie Olive; Charles, a dairyman and farmer of Kittitas valley,
Washington, is married to Miss Mary Stansell, of Jefferson county, Iowa,
by whom he has eight children, Harry Israel, Adalene Elizabeth, Orville
Edwin, Lloyd, Elbert and Everett, twins, Irene Lucile and Viola May ;
Bertha M., the widow of Emory Parrett, a farmer who died October 27,
1903, is the mother of two children, Ila Hester and Alberta Maude.
In his religious faith, Mr. Tuller is a member of the Presbyterian church,
to which his wife also belonged. Politically, he is a stanch democrat,
believing in a liberal policy for the best interests of the country. In the
community in which he lives, he is held in high esteem by all who know
his devotion to the principles of truth and justice. He is a man possessed
of a strong personality, and has a host of warm friends.
JUDGE CHARLES D. LEGGETT.
Few lawyers have made a more lasting impression upon the bar of the
state, both for legal ability of a high order, or for the individuality of a
personal character which impresses itself upon a community than has
Judge Charles D. Leggett, now practicing as a member of the firm of
Leggett & McKemey. A large law practice is accorded him in recognition
of his ability, which enables him to successfully cope with the intricate
problems of the law and by reason of clear analysis and keen insight to
reach a logical conclusion. He has spent almost his entire life in Jefferson
county, although his birth occurred in Carrollton, Carroll county, Ohio,
October 8, 1849, his parents being Richard H. and Beersheba (Viers)
Leggett. The father was for many years one of the enterprising and
prominent citizens of Fairfield, to which city he removed with his family
in 1855. He was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, March 25,
181 1, and was a son of Jesse and Mary (Cheek) Leggett. He came of
English ancestry in the paternal line, the family having been founded in
52 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
America during colonial days by representatives of the name who settled
in Maryland. Richard H. Leggett was a little lad of six years when he
accompanied his parents to Carroll county, Ohio, and to the common
school system of that district he was indebted for the educational privileges
he enjoyed. Early in his business career he engaged in merchandising and
subsequently became proprietor of a hotel in Ohio. When the country
became involved in war with Mexico he put aside all business and personal
considerations to espouse the American cause and raised a regiment and
was commissioned its colonel. The troops, however, were never called
out for active duty on account of the termination of the war.
While living in Ohio, Richard H. Leggett was married in Jefferson
county, on the 25th of April, 1833, to Miss Beersheba Viers, who was born
at Island Creek, that county, April 29, 1815, her parents being Elisha W.
and Margaret (Ferrell) Viers. Her father, who was of English descent,
was born in Montgomery county, Maryland, while her mother, who came
of Irish parentage, was a native of Virginia. Mr. and Mrs. Leggett began
their domestic life in Ohio; there they retained their residence until 1855,
and then came to Fairfield, Iowa. For eighteen years he had been engaged
in the conduct of a hotel in CarroUton, Ohio, and upon his arrival in
Jefferson county, Iowa, opened a hotel in Fairfield, remaining for a con-
siderable period the proprietor of a popular hostelry known as the Leggett
House. This brought him a wide acquaintance and his genial manner and
personal worth gained him the warm friendship of the majority of those
with whom he came in contact. His early political allegiance was given
to the deomcratic party but when Fort Sumter was fired on he joined the
republican party and continued one of its stanch supporters until his de-
mise. His fraternal relations were with Clinton Lodge, No. 15, A. F. &
A. M. and his wife was a member of the Presbyterian church, which she
joined in 1858. The death of Mr. Leggett occurred September 8, 1884,
and his wife passed away October 23, 1892. In their family were nine
children, of whom three died in childhood, while two sons and four
daughters reached adult age. These are : Samantha, the wife of Rev.
John Huchuly ; Ella, who became the wife of Dr. Thomas Smith, of New
Philadelphia, Ohio, and died March 15, 1857; James Milton, who wedded
Jessie Coulter, and died in Chicago, April 15, 1890; Permelia, the wife
of George W. Phelps, of Fairfield ; Charles D.. whose name introduces
this review ; and Frank E., the wife of Charles Whiting, of Aradell, New-
Jersey.
In taking up the personal history of Charles D. Leggett we present to
our readers the record of one who is widely known in Jefferson county,
having for fifty-six years made his home within its borders. He was a
lad of six summers when the family came to Iowa and in the schools of
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 53
Fairfield he pursued his early education, which was supplemented by study
in Griswold College, Davenport, and a course in Kenyon College, at
Gambier, Ohio, where he was graduated in 1869 at the head of his class.
A review of the broad field of business in its agricultural, commercial and
professional departments, led him to decide upon the practice of law as
his life work and he therefore began reading with the Hon. D. P. Stubbs,
of Fairfield, as his preceptor. He thoroughly acquainted himself with
Kent, Blackstone and other commentaries and after careful preparation
successfully passed the examination that admitted him to the bar on the
5th of January, 1872. Soon afterward he was admitted to practice in the
United States circuit and supreme courts and on the day of his admission
to the Iowa bar he formed a partnership with his former preceptor, D. P.
Stubbs, under the firm name of Stubbs & Leggett. For five years he
practiced in that connection and then on the dissolution of the firm was
joined in a partnership relation by Jacob S. McKemey. They were asso-
ciated under the firm name of Leggett & McKemev until the senior partner
was elected to the bench of the second judicial district in 1886. He served
for one term and his course was distinguished by high legal ability.
His opinions were exceptionally free from all bias. His thorough legal
learning and wide experience in the courts, the patient care with which he
ascertained all the facts bearing upon every case which came before him,
gave his decisions a solidity and exhaustiveness to which no members of
the bar could take exception. Upon his retirement on the expiration of the
four years' term he resumed his former partnership relation and the firm
of Leggett & McKemey remains as one of the most prominent in the
annals of Iowa's jurisprudence. Judge Leggett has argued many cases and
lost but few. No one better knows the necessity for thorough preparation
and no one more carefully prepares his cases than he. His course in the
court room is characterized by a calmness and dignity that indicate reserve
strength. He is always courteous and deferential toward the court, kind
and forebearing toward his adversaries and his handling of a case is
always full, comprehensive and accurate, while his analysis of the facts
is clear and exhaustive.
On the 2d of September, 1885, was celebrated the marriage of Judge
Leggett and Miss Beatrice Cunningham, of Centerville, Iowa, a daughter
of P. F. Cunningham. She was born in Centerville and is a graduate of
Parsons College, at Fairfield. The children of this marriage are : Richard,
C, born October 8, 1886; Ruth, born March 21, 1889; George P., born
January 19, 1893; and Elizabeth, born January 21, 1897. Judge Leggett
has always given his political allegiance to the republican party but has
never sought ofiice outside the strict path of his profession, preferring to
concentrate his energies upon the duties that come to him as a member of
54 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
the bar. His devotion to his cHents' interests is proverbial and his position
in the public regard is indicated in the fact that his name is always found
high on the list of the leading citizens of Jefferson county.
GUSS A. SMITHBURG.
Guss A. Smithburg is of Swedish origin having been born in Sweden,
August 5, 1842. He was the son of Peter and Catherine Smithburg,
natives of Sweden where his father was a coppersmith by trade, working
at this occupation until he came to America in the year 1848. He settled
in Jefferson county where he bought one hundred and sixty acres of land
in Lockridge township. He was about to cultivate his property and make
improvements thereon when he met with a sudden death. On his way to
a neighboring sawmill, whither he was going for the purpose of buying
his building materials, he was drowned in Brush Creek, the mill-race on
which Ross's sawmill was situated. Mr. Smithburg's death left his widowed
wife alone with- six children, strangers in a strange land. Guss A. Smith-
burg, who still retains some dim recollections of this period, was only six
years old at the time. His mother, however, met the situation confronting
her with the heroism born of stoical determination and, with the help of
the older children, carried out her husband's plans for clearing and im-
proving the land, so that in time her farm bore abundant crops. She
remained on the homestead until her death, which occurred in 1869, at
the age of sixty-eight years.
Guss A. Smithburg was educated in the Lockridge township district
schools. At the age of nineteen years he enlisted in Company M, Fourth
Iowa Cavalry and served all through the Civil war. Upon the termination
of the war he returned to his home and lived with his mother until her
death. Then he gained possession of the home farm by right of purchase
from the other heirs and, devoting himself to the cultivation of this land,
has continued to operate it ever since. He now enjoys the reputation of
owning one of the finest and best improved farms in Jefferson county,
having added to the original land until he had two hundred and forty
acres in all.
The marriage of Guss A. Smithburg to Miss Christina Anderson was
celebrated December 27, 1868. She was a daughter of Andrew M. and
C. Louisa (Johnson) Anderson, natives of Sweden who came to Jefferson
county in 1849. Here they acquired forty acres in Lockridge township
which they cleared and improved. At the outbreak of the war Mr. Ander-
son sold this farm and removed to Henry county, Iowa, where he bought
GUSS A. 8MITHBURG
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MRS. GUSS A. SMITHBURG
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 59
land near Swedesburg. He operated this for the remainder of his life.
He died in 1890, being- eighty-one years of age, his widow surviving him,
being now ninety years of age and making her home at present in Galesburg.
Mr. and Mrs. Smithburg were the parents of eight children. The
living are: Elmer M., residing in Lockridge, Iowa; Alma M., twin sister
of Elmer, married to Frank Cox of Cedar township, Jefferson county ;
Bertha, the wife of E. A. Kauffman, a farmer in Lockridge township ;
Walter W., who has taken up a homestead in Canada ; Minnie, married to
Clarence Wedertz, living at Keokuk, Iowa ; Ralph E., a farmer in Canada.
The deceased are: Clara E., the first born, who died December 5, 1873,
at the age of four years ; and Clark A., who died December 9, 1873, at
the age of one year.
Mr. Smithburg has served as trustee of his township for several years.
He is a republican in his political allegiance. As a veteran of the Civil
war he is an enthusiastic member of the George Strong Post, G. A. R., at
Fairfield, Iowa. He worships in the Methodist church in which his wife
is also a member. The handsome home in which he lives and the broad
acres of rich fields with which it is surrounded give ample testimony of
the success that has crowned his life's labors.
GREER McKEE.
There is no record which the American citizen holds in higher honor
than that of the man whose strength of character, determination of pur-
pose and indefatigable energy have enabled him to work his way upward
from a humble position to one of affluence and who, throughout his busi-
ness career, has followed a straightforward, honorable course, that neither
seeks nor requires disguise. Such has been the record of Greer McKee,
and no history of Jefiferson county would be complete if it failed to make
mention of this venerable citizen who, although he has now reached the
eighty-fourth milestone on life's journey, is still as active in the world's
work as many men of much younger age. He was born on the 8th of
November, 1827, in Washington county, Pennsylvania, and comes from a
family which has been represented in this country since colonial days.
The American progenitor of the family was William McKee, the grand-
father of our subject, who was born in County Derry, in the north of
Ireland, of Scotch-Irish descent, and came to America prior to the Revolu-
tionary war and fought throughout the long war for independence. Fie
was a man of good college training who had been educated for the Presby-
terian ministry, but later in life learned the trade of a coverlet weaver.
Vol. II.— 4
60 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
following that occupation in connection with agricultural pursuits in Lan-
caster county, Pennsylvania, for a number of years. In his family were
nine children of whom three sons died in early life, while three sons and
three daughters lived to maturity. Of this number Henry McKee, the
father of Greer McKee, was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, and
spent almost his entire life in the Keystone state. Prior to his demise he
removed to Ohio, locating in Harrison county, and there continued to fol-
low the trade of a carpenter until his death. He had beerh, a soldier of
the war of 1812, and took part in the battle of Plattsburg. He married
Elizabeth Duncan, who was born, reared and married in Washington
county, Pennsylvania, where her death also occurred. Her father, James
Duncan, was a lifelong resident of the Keystone state, where he carried
on general farming. He, too, was a soldier of the Revolutionary war,
and Greer McKee, of this review, believes that he is the only man in the
state of Iowa who is the grandson of two Revolutionary soldiers. By a
former marriage to John McCloskey, Mrs. McKee had four children, and
unto her second marriage were born two children of whom Greer McKee
is the elder. His sister, Mary Jane, who married Andrew Myers, is now
a resident of Spokane, Washington, her husband having died shortly after
participating in the battle of Perryville, in the Civil war, his death being
caused by a wound received in that engagement.
Greer McKee was but six years of age when his mother passed away.
He continued a resident of Pennsylvania until his sixteenth year, when
he went with his father to Harrison county, Ohio, where he remained until
he enlisted for service in the Civil war on the 15th of May, 1864, joining
Company E, One Hundred and Fifty-seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, for
one hundred days' service. He had previously, however, served in the
state troops, the martial spirit which characterized the father and grand-
fathers being strong within him. After the close of hostilities, he came
to Iowa, in the spring of 1865, and located in Liberty township, Jefferson
county, upon the farm which is now his home, his first purchase making
him the owner of one hundred and twenty acres. In early life, Greer
McKee had learned and followed the trade of carpentry, which he had
mastered under the direction of his father, and for which he had strong
preference. After arriving in Iowa, he also engaged in that occupation
in connection with his farming for about four years, but, later, withdrew
from that line of activity to devote his entire attention to his agricultural
pursuits, which demanded more and more of his time. He applied himself
diligently to the tasks at hand, and, as the years passed, success in large
measure attended his efforts so that he was able, from time to time, to
add to his original holdings until, eventually, he became one of the largest
landowners in his section of the county. At one time, he owned five
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 61
hundred acres, all located in Jefferson and Van Buren counties, one hun-
dred and twenty acres in Audubon county and one hundred and sixty acres
in Ringgold county. With the exception of one hundred and fifteen acres
upon which he now resides, however, Mr. McKee has disposed of all of
his property as advancing years have made it impossible for him to per-
sonally supervise such extensive holdings. His home place is located in
Jefferson county, on the Van Buren county line, and is a finely developed
farm, equipped with modern improvements and accessories. His life record
may well serve as an example to others inasmuch as he started out in
life a poor boy, without any special advantages at the outset of his career ;
but by earnest endeavor, close application and well directed efforts, he
worked his way upward in the business world until he became one of the
wealthiest residents of this district. Much of his property and income,
however, has been turned over to his children, all of whom he has helped
in a very substantial manner.
Mr. McKee was married, on the ist of March, i860, in Harrison county,
Ohio, to Miss Mary Ann Tedrow, who was born in that county January
8, 1842, a daughter of Goliah and Christian (Miller) Tedrow, both of
whom passed away in Ohio. Unto Mr. and Mrs. McKee have been born
twelve children, as follows : Flora Bell, who married James F. Lawson,
of Liberty township ; G. T., of Union township, Van Buren county ; Mary
Elizabeth, the deceased wife of Reuben Johnson ; W. G., of Van Buren
county ; Anna Eliza, who wedded James Simpson, of this township ; John,
who resides at home with his father, and owns one hundred and sixty
acres of land in Van Buren county; Rosetta, the wife of William Lawson,
of Liberty township ; Ira, who passed away at the age of three years ;
Willis C, of Center township, Jefferson county ; L^. S. Grant, of Van Buren
county ; Jennie May, a student at Parsons College ; and Nora, who married
Pearl Kirkhart. All of this number were born in Jefferson county, Iowa,
with the exception of the three eldest, whose births occurred in Ohio.
Mr. McKee has found the inspiration for the faithful performance of
each day's duties in his connection with the Presbyterian church, of which
he has been a member for sixty years. He now belongs to the church at
Birmingham, of which he has served as elder since his arrival here, at
the present time acting as ruling elder. He gives his political allegiance
to the republican party which stood as the support of the Union during
the dark days of the Civil war, and on that ticket was elected to the office
of township trustee. He has also held school offices throughout much of
the period of his residence here, and has been most zealous in his support
of all movements which have for their object the improvement and de-
velopment of the community, being a stalwart champion of material, in-
tellectual and moral progress, recognizing, as he does, that each plays an
62 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
important part in the world's affairs. He taught Sunday school for about
sixty years. In spite of his eighty-four years, Greer McKee is still to be
found at work in the fields or about the farm ; and, so lightly do his years
rest upon him, that he claims he can pile more hay on a wagon today than
any other man in the locality. His has indeed been a well spent life,
characterized by faithfulness to duty in every relation. Today, he enjoys the
veneration and respect which should ever be accorded one of advanced
years whose life has been in large measure an exemplification of all that
is praiseworthy in man's relation to his fellowmen and to the community
in which he resides.
GEORGE BRADFIELD.
George Bradfield, who for the past seven years has lived retired in
Brookville, was numbered among the substantial and representative agri-
culturists of Jefferson county during his early manhood ; later, he engaged
in business as a huckster and painter of Fairfield. His birth occurred in
Monroe county, Ohio, on the i6th of January, 1837, his parents being
Stephen and Nancy (Bradfield) Bradfield, both of whom were natives of
Prince William county, Virginia, in which state their marriage was cele-
brated. The father came of English descent ; the mother was of Scotch
lineage. In 1831, they removed to Ohio, locating in Monroe county, where
they continued to reside until 1849, which year witnessed their arrival in
Jefferson county, Iowa. Stephen Bradfield operated a rented farm in
Fairfield township for several years. Subsequently he purchased a tract
of land north of Abingdon, in Polk township, residing thereon throughout
the remainder of his life. His wife survived him for seven years.
George Bradfield obtained his education in the district schools. After
he had attained his majority, he worked on shares with his father, residing
under the parental roof until thirty years of age, when he was married
and established a home of his own. In 1863, he enlisted for service in the
Union army as a member of Company F, Third Iowa Cavalry. He par-
ticipated in the battle of Little Rock, Arkansas, and was then assigned to
the Eastern department, taking part in the engagements at Oxford and
Guntown, Mississippi. He was also in a number of skirmishes incident
to Price's raid through Arkansas and Missouri, and on the Blue river. On
one occasion, his horse was killed and fell upon him, dislocating one of
his ankles and shoulders. After spending four months in the hospital at
Jefferson City, Missouri, Mr. Bradfield returned to his company at Louis-
ville. Kentucky, and did active duty as a soldier until the cessation of
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 63
hostilities, when he was mustered out at Davenport, Iowa. Returning
Home with a creditable military record, Mr. Bradfield resumed farming,
in association with his father. Following his marriage, he took up his
abode on a farm in Wapello county, where he remained for one year ;
subsequently, he spent four years on the old Gow place in Fairfield town-
ship, Jefferson county. Removing to Kansas, he there remained for four
years, on the expiration of which period he was obliged to leave the Sun-
flower state because of the ravages of the grasshoppers. In 1874, he re-
turned to this county, locating in Brookville, where he made his home for
twenty years. He next removed to Fairfield, where he resided for two
years ; he then spent four years in Brookville, and afterward again lived
in Fairfield for five years. While a resident of Fairfield, he was success-
fully engaged in business as a huckster and painter, but, during the past
seven years, has lived in honorable retirement at Brookville, owning an
attractive residence and thirteen acres of land in section 11, Locust Grove
township.
On the 19th of February, 1867, at the home of the bride's parents in
Fairfield township, Mr. Bradfield was united in marriage to Miss Christina
C. Gow, a native of Ohio and a daughter of Peter and Jeanette (Parker)
Gow, both of whom were born in Glasgow, Scotland. Emigrating to
America, her parents first located in Ohio ; later, about 1848, they took up
their abode on a farm in Fairfield township, Jefferson county, Iowa. The
last years of their lives, however, were spent in retirement at Fairfield.
The record of the children of Mr. and Mrs. Bradfield is given below.
Cora Eva gave her hand in marriage to Benson Ashmead, an agriculturist
residing east of Bloomfield, by whom she has five children : Ethel, Edgar,
Clifford, Fred and Carl. Harry E. operates a farm of one hundred and
twenty-eight acres, just south of Brookville, in association with his son
Bruce. In early manhood, he wedded Miss Nora Hoffman, daughter of
Esham Hoffman, a well known farmer of Locust Grove township. Unto
them were born four children, two of whom survive; Bruce and Bernice.
Both Mr. and Mrs. H. E. Bradfield are devoted members of the Methodist
Episcopal church at Brookville. The former served as assessor of Locust
Grove township for one term. Frank Bradfield, who farms a tract of
land northeast of Brookville, married Lilly Ireland, of Locust Grove town-
ship, by whom he has two children, Hilda and Charles. The mother was
twice married, her first husband being Nelson Goodman, by whom she
had one child: Marjory May Goodman.
In politics, Mr. Bradfield is a stanch republican, loyally supporting the
party which was the defense of the Union during the dark days of the
Civil war. For four years, he held the office of postmaster at Brookville,
under President Benjamin Harrison. Both he and his wife belong to the
64 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
Methodist Episcopal church of Brookville, taking a helpful part in its
work. Mr. Bradfield was a member of Abingdon post of the Grand Army
of the Republic, until it was disbanded. Now, in the evening of life, he
is living retired, enjoying the fruits of his former toil in well earned ease.
DAVID L. BROWN.
It has often been said that death is no respecter of persons, but when
the aged are called, although regret is often felt at their passing, it yet
seems to be in the course of nature. When the young are called, however,
no such feeling palliates the deep grief that comes to those who are left
behind and there must ever remain a feeling of sorrow that a career is
thus cut short. Many of the older citizens of Jefferson county remember
with pleasure their acquaintance with David L. Brown, who was identified
with the coal mining interests of Coalport before the Civil war and again
from the time he returned, a wounded soldier, until death claimed him in
1869.
He was born in Clinton, Pennsylvania, October 25, 1840, his parents
being John B. and Jane (Dalton) Brown, the former a native of Scotland
and the latter of the Keystone state. On coming to the new world John B.
Brown settled in Pennsylvania, where he resided until 1849, when, attracted
by the discovery of gold in California and the opportunities there offered, in
a business way, he went to the Pacific coast, where he remained until 1859.
In that year he retraced his steps as far as Jefferson county, Iowa, where
he took up his abode, turning his attention to the coal mining business at
Coalport. He was thus engaged throughout the remainder of his life and
both he and his wife passed away in this county.
David L. Brown was a little lad of eight years when the long journey
was made to California, and was a youth of nineteen when the family
came to Jefferson county. His education, which was begun in the schools
of the Golden state, was continued after he reached Iowa and his home
training stimulated in him habits of industry and resolute purpose. On
August 9, 1862, he enlisted for service as a member of Company G, Thir-
tieth Iowa Infantry, and served until the charge on Vicksburg, when he
was seriously wounded and because of his condition was forced to return
home. For a year thereafter he was obliged to go about on crutches. On
again coming to Jefferson county he reentered the coal business, in which
he had previously engaged, and on the death of his father in 1865 took
charge of his coal interests at Coalport. He found, however, that
the heavy work was more than he could stand and the drain upon his
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 65
strength and vitality was such that his health became undermined and he
passed away on the 29th of April, 1869.
Mr. Brown left a young widow, having been married on the loth of
December, 1867, to Miss Mary U. Hopkirk, whose parents were William
and Jane (Redpath) Hopkirk, natives of Scotland. About 1834 they left
the land of hills and heather and came to the United States, settling first
in New York, where the father followed the trade of dyeing for several
years, having previously acquainted himself with the business when in
Scotland. He afterward went to Ohio but a few years later came to
Jefferson county, settling here in 1842. That the district was still sparsely
settled is indicated by the fact that there was land yet unclaimed and he
entered a tract from the government. The state, too, had not been ad-
mitted into the Union and there were many evidences of frontier life on
all sides. Mr. Hopkirk took up the arduous task of developing a new
farm and built thereon a log house and barn and year by year continued
the cultivation of his place until it became one of the well improved farms
of Lockridge township. His labors enhanced its productiveness and there-
fore its value and the excellent work which he did in the cultivation of the
fields furnished an object lesson that others might well follow". Moreover,
he became to a considerable extent a director of public opinion and during
his residence on the farm he was called to represent his district in the
fifteenth general assembly, where he made such a creditable record that
he received public indorsement in a reelection to the sixteenth assembly.
He gave careful consideration to each question which came up for settle-
ment and he at all times enjoyed the confidence and respect of his colleagues
in the assembly. He likewise filled various local offices in the township
and county and acted as justice of the peace, holding court in his own
home. His official service was ever characterized by a loyal devotion to
duty that none questioned. Born in 181 1, he was eighty-one years of age,
when, in 1892, he was called to his final rest, and his wife, who was born
in 1813, reached the age of fifty-six years, her death occurring in 1869.
In their family were eleven children, six of whom are deceased. Of the
others, two are residing in Fairfield, one in Lockridge township, one in
California, and another in the state of Washington.
Of this family Mrs. Brown was born in West Virginia, on the 25th of
February, 1842, and was brought to Iowa by her parents when three months
old. Her girlhood days were spent under the parental roof and she was
carefully trained in the work of the household, so that she was well
qualified to take care of a home of her own at the time of her marriage.
To Mr. and Mrs. Brown was born one child, Mary J., born November 21,
1868; she graduated from the Fairfield high school in 1888 and has taught
school for twenty years ; she is now a teacher in the Logan school at Fair-
66 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
field. Mr. Brown and his wife attended the Methodist church, but Mrs.
Brown later on joined the Baptist denomination in Lockridge and about
1887 she and her daughter became members of the Methodist church here.
His political belief Mr. Brown accorded the republican party. His was re-
garded as a most untimely death, for he had not yet passed the twenty-
eighth milestone on life's journey. He was laid to rest with full military
honors and is yet remembered by many of the older settlers as a young
man of good business ability, whose sterling qualities were such as to gain
for him the admiration and the friendship of many. His associates and
friends all mourned his death but the loss came with greatest force to his
little family and though more than forty years have come and gone since
he was laid to rest, his widow yet remains true to his memory.
JOSEPH V. CLARK.
Joseph V. Clark, a prominent and influential resident of Van Buren
county, where he is successfully engaged in general agricultural pursuits, is
perhaps equally well known in financial and business circles in this locality
with which he was identified for many years. He is one of the county's na-
tive sons, his birth having occurred in Village township on the 29th of Octo-
ber, 1849. His parents, Julius L. and Emeline M. (Carson) Clark, were
both born in Belmont county, Ohio, the former on the 7th of April, 1824,
and the latter on the 31st of October, 1827. In 1846 they came to Van
Buren county, Iowa, in company with the parents of Mrs. Clark, and here
they were married. Mr. Clark at once purchased a farm of eighty acres
which had just been entered by another northeast of Doud Station, and in
1850 he went to California by the overland route, returning to Iowa after a
year and a half spent on the coast, the return trip being made via the isth-
mus. He was a wagon maker by trade, having followed that occupation for
about twenty years, and he also gave much of his attention to general farm-
ing. He was one of a family of nine children, all now deceased, of whom
all but the eldest. Madison, and the two daughters, Elizabeth and Caroline
Smith, who were the youngest in the family, enlisted for service in the Civil
. war. Julius L. Clark, however, after enlisting in the Tenth Iowa Infantry
was rejected but his five brothers all went to the front and gave up their
lives on the altar of their country. Joseph enlisted from Mansfield, Ohio;
John became a member of the Thirtieth Iowa Regiment ; George enlisted in
an Illinois Regiment and later reenlisted in the marine service, being killed
at the battle of Mobile, while Waterman and Samuel both belonged to an
Ohio Regiment. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Julius L. Clark were born nine children,
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 67
as follows : Joseph V., of this review ; William, deceased ; Samuel, a resident
of Edwards county, Kansas ; Mary Smith, a widow living at Mount Pleasant ;
Annie, who married Oscar Cornell, of Pawnee county, Kansas ; Nora Jane,
who married W. S. Shoemaker of Ottumwa, Iowa; John M., who has also
passed away ; Thomas M., of Hutchinson, Kansas ; and Amanda, the wife
of Elmer Richardson, of Wilmore, Kansas.
Joseph V. Clark spent the first seventeen years of his life in Van Buren
county and then, in 1866, came with his parents to Jefiferson county, making
his home in Liberty township until his marriage. He then took up his abode
in Wayne county where he resided for one year, after which he returned
to Liberty township, here engaging in agricultural pursuits until twenty
years ago. At that time he removed to Birmingham and at once began deal-
ing in horses and at the same time carried on a real-estate business. Later
he became identified with financial interests as a director of the Birmingham
Savings Bank, in which capacity he has served since its organization, and
since its inception has also served as a director of the Farmers Exchange
Building of Birmingham. For nineteen years he divided his attention be-
tween these various enterprises and by reason of well directed efiforts and
keen business sagacity came at length to be ranked among the most pros-
perous and representative residents of the town. He continued actively in
business there with increasing success until about a year ago, when he re-
turned to country life, taking up his home upon his home farm of one hun-
dred and fifty acres located on section 27, Liberty township. He also owns
another tract in Ford county, Kansas, and one in Haskell county, that state,
and in the conduct of his farming enterprise his labors are likewise proving
most profitable. He is well known and influential in agricultural circles in
this district, serving at present as secretary of the Van Buren County Farm-
ers Institute, which office he has filled for several years and in which capacity
he is doing all in his power to stimulate the interest of his fellowmen in all
that tends to promote progress in agricultural lines.
Mr. Clark was married February 18, 1873, to Miss Ella M. Tower, who
was born in Ripley county, Indiana, on the 24th of February, 1852, and
came to Jefiferson county, Iowa, November i, 1854, with her parents, J. H.
and Philena (Burton) Tower. Her father, born February 24, 1825, is still
living at the venerable age of eighty-six years. When he came to Iowa he
entered two hundred acres of land near Batavia. He now makes his home
in Pamona, California, but the mother passed away in 1869. In the family
of Mr. and Mrs. Clark there are three children, namely: Clara M., who is
the wife of Dr. A. E. Nelson, of Sidney, Iowa, and they have two children,
R. and A. C. ; Lester T., has four children, A. C, Mary LaRue, Ralph
Edmund and Robert Dale, residing at Palisade, Colorado ; and Inez J., at
home, who graduated from Birmingham high school, from the College of
68 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
Oratory of Drake University and from Fremont, Nebraska, College, and
who for a time was principal of the schools of Broken Bow, Nebraska.
The other children also graduated from the high school. Since age con-
ferred upon him the right of franchise Mr. Clark has voted for republican
candidates and principles and has served in various minor offices, including
that of school director, in which capacity he has acted for many years.
He is well known throughout the community for the interest which he
takes in all matters of public improvement, is a man worthy of the con-
fidence of the people and is one of the township's most substantial business
factors.
JOSEPH ALISON McKEMEY.
Indelibly interwoven with the annals of Jefiferson county is the name
of Joseph Alison McKemey, numbered among those who laid the foundation
for the present progress and prosperity of this section of the state. More
than seventy-two years have come and gone since he first took up his abode
in Iowa, which, however, was then a part of the territory of Wisconsin.
The date of his arrival here was June, 1839, and the condition which met
him was that which is usually found on the frontier. There was acre after
acre of untilled and unclaimed land and in the summer time the prairies
were starred with a million wild flowers, while in the winter seasons they
presented the appearance of one unbroken and dazzling sheet of snow. Only
here and there had a little settlement been made, showing that some courage-
ous pioneer was braving the hardships and dangers of life in a district on
the very borders of civilization.
Joseph A. McKemey was a native of Washington county, Pennsylvania,
born March 27, 1815, and his parents were James W. and Martha (Alison)
McKemey, who were likewise natives of the Keystone state. Both were
born in Franklin county, the former in 1785, and the latter March 19, 1793.
James W. McKemey died in 1816, at the early age of twenty-nine years,
and a few years later his widow became the wife of Jacob Slagle, who
proved a kind and devoted father to Joseph A. McKemey, who was the
only child of the mother's first marriage. Mrs. Slagle died in St. Louis,
Missouri, May 15, 1858, while on the way to visit her children in Iowa.
Joseph A. McKemey served a regular apprenticeship to the trade of
saddler and harness maker under his stepfather, working in the shop until
he attained his majority, after which he was employed as a journeyman in
various cities of Ohio and Indiana. In the spring of 1839 he accompanied
three older men on the long journey from Washington, Pennsylvania, to the
territory of Iowa. They traveled on horseback, crossing the three states
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 69
of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, and after a month spent upon the road
reached Burlington, Iowa, on the 24th of June. They had proceeded as far
as Decatur, Illinois, when they found it was impossible to continue their
journey because of swollen streams and remained from Friday until the
following Tuesday at a hotel where Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Doug-
las were guests. The time was enlivened by the conversation and sallies of
wit between the two young men who were later to become national charac-
ters. On reaching Springfield, Mr. McKemey and his companion found that
Mr. Lincoln was already there, having preceded them on foot. From Burling-
ton, Iowa, Mr. McKemey traveled to Bentonsport, and there established
a little general store and harness shop, conducting business at that place
until 1842, when he became a resident of Jefferson county. Here he pur-
chased a claim of four hundred and eighty acres, which was situated about
two miles south of Fairfield, entering the land at the government sales and
immediately afterward beginning the improvement of his property. He
possessed the courageous spirit and indomitable energy which characterized
so many of the pioneer settlers and had soon converted a considerable por-
tion of his wild prairie into productive fields.
For a companion and helpmate on life's journey Mr. McKemey chose
Miss Cynthia Hemphill, whom he wedded February 28, 1844. She was
born in Bedford county, Pennsylvania, a daughter of Adley Hemphill, and
in her girlhood removed with her parents to Wayne county, Ohio, whence
the family came to Jefferson county, Iowa, in 1842. Unto Mr. and Mrs.
McKemey were born seven children: Martha Jane, the wife of Daniel De
Vecmon, of Denver, Colorado, now deceased ; Margaret, who died at the
age of thirty years; one who died in infancy; Elizabeth, the wife of Cap-
tain S. J. Chester ; Jacob S., also of Fairfield ; Mary A., the wife of Rollin
J. Wilson, son of Senator Wilson, also of Fairfield; and Flora, the wife of
Dr. J. C. Sutton, now deceased.
In 1845 ^^^- McKemey left the farm and established a harness shop
in Fairfield, continuing in that business until elected county treasurer in
the fall of 1857. He then sold out and on the ist of October, that year, re-
sumed the duties of the office to which he was twice reelected, serving for
six years, at the end of which time he decHned a renomination. He then
purchased a harness shop in Fairfield and built up a gratifying trade, con-
tinuing in the business until December 18, 1885, when, at the age of
seventy years, he retired from active life. His capable management and
well directed industry had brought him substantial success and a com-
petency sufficient to meet all of his requirements through the evening of
his days.
Throughout the entire period of his residence in the county, Mr. Mc-
Kemey bore an active and helpful part in public affairs both along political
70 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
lines and otherwise. In early manhood he gave his support to the whig
party and stanchly maintained an attitude of opposition to slavery. In 1847
he met with seven others in Fairfield and organized an anti-slavery associa-
tion for the purpose of opposing the system that prevailed in the south and
also of aiding escaping fugitives. When the republican party was formed
to prevent the further extension of slavery he joined its ranks and was a
delegate to the first state convention in 1854. He continued an ardent ad-
vocate of that party until 1888, when, believing that the temperance ques-
tion was then the dominant issue before the people; he joined the ranks of
the prohibition party, supporting Fisk and Brooks, its nominees for president
and vice president respectively. Thereafter he maintained an unfaltering
allegiance to the party and was unceasing in his efforts to promulgate tem-
perance principles. He was reared in the faith of the Presbyterian church
and remained a member thereof until i860, when, not being in sympathy
with the attitude of that church toward the slavery question, he and his
wife withdrew and joined the Congregational church. Mr. McKemey
reached a ripe old age and passed away in 1898, ''full of years and honors."
His life was indeed one of visefulness. His quiet manner, his easy dignity,
his frankness and cordiality of address, with a total absence of anything
sinister or anything to conceal foretoken a man who was ready to meet
any obligation of life with the confidence and courage that come of con-
scious, personal ability, right conception of things and an habitual regard
for what is best in the exercise of human activities.
C. W. WHITHAM.
In the business circles of Center township, C. W. Whitham occupies
a prominent position as proprietor of the Fairfield Nursery. At the same
time, he is also successfully engaged in general farming and stock-raising,
being numbered among the prosperous and progressive residents of this
section of the county. He was born in Fairfield on the 29th of May, 1857,
a son of J. M. and Emily Elmira (Dravo, nee Munhall) Whitham, who
came to Fairfield about 1845. and were here married. The father, who
was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, had in early life learned
and followed the tailor's trade, but, after his arrival in Fairfield, he en-
tered the bakery and grocery business. Subsequently, he purchased a
small farm east of the city and there instituted the Fairfield Nursery,
in the conduct of which his son is now engaged and to which he gave
his attention from 1865 until 1880. In the latter year, he removed to
Nebraska and for a time operated a lumber yard at Imperial, that state.
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 71
After selling out his interests- there, he went to Colorado about the time
Holyoke was started, and purchased at auction a lot and there built a gen-
eral mercantile business which he conducted until called from this life.
He passed away in Holyoke, in 1898, at the age of seventy-four years ; and
his widow now makes her home in Seattle, Washington. By a former mar-
riage, he had four children but unto his second union there were born
twelve. Four children passed away in early life, while out of the entire
sixteen nine are still living.
C. W. Whitham, the eldest child of J. M. and Emily E. Whitham, was
a lad of four years when the family removed to the farm ; thus his father's
place was the training ground upon which he received his preparation for
subsequent activity in the business world. He has continued a resident of
Jefferson county since that time, with the exception of three years imme-
diately following his marriage which he spent in Nebraska, where he home-
steaded a claim. He now resides on a farm consisting of one hundred and
forty-five acres on section 28, Center township, and here is busily engaged
in the conduct of the Fairfield Nursery of which his father had been the
original proprietor. He also carries on general farming and stock-raising,
owning in connection with his son a tract of two hundred and sixty acres
in Cedar township. In the management of his various interests, he mani-
fests a thorough understanding of each resulting in the attainment of a
prosperity which is substantial and creditable.
The year 1880 witnessed the marriage of Mr. Whitham and Miss Iowa
Ellen McCormick, who was born in Buchanan township," Jeft"erson county.
January 22, 1863; a daughter of George and Sarah (Howard) McCormick.
Her parents were both natives of Indiana and came to Iowa in the same
fall, the father when thirteen years of age and the mother at the age of
twelve. The former followed the occupation of farming all his life. He
passed away on the 9th of July, 191 1, when seventy- four years of age.
His widow still survives and now makes her home at Beckwith. In their
family were eleven children of whom five died in infancy while the other
six are yet living. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Whitham were born ten children
but six passed away in early life, those remaining being: Raymond Arthur,
a resident of Fairfield, who married Mildred Dana and has one child ; Roy
R., residing on a farm near the old homestead, who married Bertha Mc-
Grew and now has two children ; and Bessie Ellen and Iowa Daisy, whose
births occurred just five years apart, their natal day being February i6th.
The parents and their family hold membership in the Methodist Episcopal
church, and are well known in the social circles of the community in which
they live. Mr. Whitham belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fel-
lows, and his political support is given to the Republican party. Although
not remiss in the duties of citizenship, he has never sought to figure in any
72 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
public light but has preferred rather to concentrate his energies upon the
conduct of his private affairs. Possessing a laudable ambition to succeed
in the avenue of business activity which he has chosen as his life work, Mr.
Whitham has earnestly and persistently pushed forward toward the goal of
prosperity, and the success which has attended his efforts is all the more
creditable because it has been won through honorable methods and fair
dealing.
ISAAC D. JONES.
Isaac D. Jones is today one of the veteran members of the Iowa bar,
having practiced continuously in Fairfield since i860. Moreover he has
been a resident of the state since its territorial days and has not only been
an interested witness in the transformation that has here been wrought
but has also actively participated in the work of development and progress
which has brought Iowa to its present high place in the sisterhood of
states. His birth occurred in Johnson county, Indiana, April 9, 1832.
One of his great-grandfathers was Christopher McCannon, who served on
the Virginia line during the Revolutionary war and was wounded at the
battle of Guilford Courthouse in North Carolina, after which his wife,
Hannah, the great-grandmother of Mr. Jones, took care of him while he
lay wounded on the battlefield. He did not recover from his injuries but
soon passed away and was buried at Richmond, Virginia. The parents of
our subject were William C. and Pamelia A. (Vaughan) Jones, the former
born in North Carolina, July 9, 1809, and the latter in Virginia, October
3, 181 1. They were reared, educated and married in the south and in
1 83 1 removed from Virginia to Johnson county, Indiana, where they ar-
rived on the 31st of December of that year. For about fourteen years they
remained in Indiana and on the 30th of March, 1845, came to Iowa,
settling in the eastern portion of Jefferson county. They first took up
their abode on government land and later the father purchased other prop-
erty, continuing to engage in farming until 1876. He then retired and
removed to Fairfield, where his death occurred September 10, 1898. His
wife had passed away in this city in 1889. They both had the warm
friendship of many who knew them and Mr. Jones was regarded as a
valuable citizen whose labors contributed to the work of general progress
and improvement. He held a number of local offices including those of
township assessor and county assessor in Indiana. He was likewise a
member of the board of commissioners, was collector and treasurer and
served as sheriff of Johnson county, Indiana. In 1840 he was also made
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 73
deputy United States marshal for the district which included Johnson
county. In i860 he made the enumeration in the east half of Jefiferson
county and for two terms he filled the position of school fund commis-
sioner. He also acted as justice of the peace and was clerk and member
of the school board, being continuously identified with the interests of
public education in Cedar township until his retirement from the farm in
1876. No public trust reposed in him was ever betrayed in the slightest
degree and his loyalty to the best interests of the community marked him
as one of the representative and worthy citizens of his part of the state.
In politics he was a lifelong democrat, voting with that party since casting
his first presidential ballot for Andrew Jackson in 1832. Both he and his
wife held membership in the Christian church and were always loyal and
true to their professions. Unto them were born six children of whom
Isaac D. is the eldest. William H., who was a druggist of Fairfield for
twenty-two years, is now deceased. Cornelius, who had conducted a drug
store in Fairfield for twenty-eight years, is also deceased. Martin V. B.,
who had followed carpentry during the greater part of his life and who
served for two years in the Twenty-sixth Missouri Volunteer Infantry
during the Civil war, was wounded at Champion's Hill, being shot through
the knee, after which he was honorably discharged. He then returned
to Fairfield where he continued his residence until called to his final rest.
Wiley A. is a physician now living in Cantril, Van Buren county, Iowa.
He served as hospital steward with the Tenth Iowa Infantry during the
Civil war. Elizabeth R., the youngest of the family, died in 1864.
In early life Isaac D. Jones was handicapped by lameness, suffering,
in 1845, fi'om an illness which left him a cripple so that he has since used
a crutch and cane. He has never allowed this, however, to retard his
energy and laudable ambition, his dominant qualities, but has wisely used
every opportunity that has come to him for the advancement of his interests.
He continued to reside in Jefferson county until 1855, when he went to
Missouri where he spent three years. He then returned to Fairfield in
1858 and, having determined to make the practice of law his life work,
became a student in one of the law offices in this city. His further pre-
liminary reading secured his admission to the bar in i860 and he has since
practiced here, being today the oldest representative of the legal profession
in Fairfield. He has displayed marked ability in handling his cases which
he always prepares with profound care, and his work in the courts has
altogether been of an important character. From time to time as oppor-
tunity has offered he has made judicious investment in real estate and has
bought, sold and traded considerable property. He still has good holdings
in Fairfield and from this derives a substantial annual income.
74 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
On the nth of December, 1856, Mr. Jones was united in marriage to
Miss Rachel E. Young, who was born in Johnson county, Indiana, January
7, 1830, and was brought to Jefferson county in 1853 by her parents,
Joseph and Mary (Moore) Young, natives of Pennsylvania and Ohio
respectively. The children of "Sir. and Mrs. Jones are: Anna M., who is
the widow of Fred Moore and resides in Colorado Springs, Colorado ;
Kate M., an abstractor of titles occupying offices with her father; Eliza-
beth R., who has been a national organizer with the Young Women's
Christian Association for a number of years and is now located at Bisbee,
Arizona; Effie M., the wife of Frank C. Brown, a farmer of Greeley,
Colorado; and Frank H., a traveling salesman residing at Waterloo, Iowa.
In politics Mr. Jones has always been an active supporter of demo-
cratic principles. He served as postmaster of Fairfield under President
Johnson and was also mayor of the city for one term. He filled the office
of deputy treasurer, collector and recorder for three years, being chosen
to the position upon the creation of that office in 1851. He has long been
a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and has been honored
with the presidency of the Historical Society of Jefferson county since its
organization. His has been a well spent life and in many respects his
service has been of signal usefulness and benefit to the county of his
adoption. His influence has ever been found on the side of improvement
and progress and in passing judgment upon vital questions he brings to
their consideration the analytical power of the lawyer and the logical de-
ductions of the judge.
JOHN H. BOOS.
John H. Boos, one of the worthy native sons of Jefferson county, is
actively and successfully identified with its business interests. He con-
ducts a mercantile establishment at Lockridge, in partnership with his
brother. His birth occurred in Lockridge township, in September, 1867,
his parents being John and Louisa (Shuppy) Boos; the former a native
of France, and the latter of Pennsylvania. John Boos crossed the Atlantic
to the United States, and, in 1855, located in Jeft'erson county, Iowa,
purchasing a farm in Lockridge township, which he cleared and improved.
The further development and cultivation of that property claimed his atten-
tion until 1897, when he sold the place and bought a small farm near Fair-
field, operating the same until called to his final rest on the 22d of March,
1905. His demise was the occasion of deep and widespread regret, for
he had gained an extensive circle of friends during the half century of his
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 77
residence in this county. His widow has attained the age of seventy-one
years, and still resides on the old home place, near Fairfield.
John H. Boos was reared and educated in his native township, pursuing
his studies in the district schools. He remained on the home farm until
thirty-two years of age ; he then devoted his attention to the cultivation
of rented land for two years. On the expiration of that period, he pur-
chased a tract of one hundred and forty acres in Round Prairie township,
being engaged in its operation for two years, after which he rented the
place and worked as a farm hand for five years. At the end of that time,
Mr. Boos came to Lockridge and embarked in mercantile business in asso-
ciation with his brother. Ever since, he has conducted an establishment
of this character with gratifying success. The brothers carry a large and
well selected line of goods at reasonable prices. Always aiming to please
their patrons, their trade has steadily grown.
In November, 1900, Mr. Boos was united in marriage to Miss Louisa
Graf, a daughter of John and Louisa (Snyder) Graf, both of whom were
natives of Germany. The father emigrated to America at an early day
and took up his abode in Jefferson county, Iowa, here following general
agricultural pursuits throughout the remainder of his life. He passed
away in May, 191 1, but is still survived by his widow, who still resides on
the old home place. In 1901, our subject was called upon to mourn the
loss of his wife, whose demise occurred in October of that year.
Mr. Boos gives his political allegiance to the republican party, and has
served as assessor of Lockridge township. His religious faith is indicated
by his membership in the German Lutheran church. He has remained
a resident of JefiFerson county from his birth to the present time ; and
enjoys an extensive and favorable acquaintance within its borders.
GUSTAVUS A. FLINSPACH.
A well improved and valuable farm of eighty acres in Buchanan town-
ship pays tribute to the care and attention bestowed upon it by Gustavus
A. Flinspach who throughout his entire lifetime has made his home in
this section of the county. He was born in this township on the 5th of
May, 1873, a son of Lawrence and Caroline (Schmetsnigler) Flinspach.
His parents, who were born and reared in Germany, came to the United
States at an early day and were married in Fairfield, Iowa, where they
continued to make their home throughout the remainder of their lives.
The father, who followed agriculture as an occupation, owned a good
farm in Buchanan township, and to its cultivation and improvement he
Vol. n— 5
78 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
gave his attention until his death, on the 5th of September, 1879, when his
son, G. A. FHnspach, was but six years of age. The mother came to
America on the ist of September, 1855, and after remaining in New York
until the spring of 1856, came to Iowa and on the 14th of April of that
year gave her hand in marriage to Lawrence Flinspach. "Grandma"
FHnspach, as she was familiarly called, was well known in this section of
the county, where she was held in the highest regard by all with whom she
came in contact. She continued to reside on the old homestead until
about two years prior to her demise, when she went to the home of her
son Martin, where her death occurred. She long survived her husband,
passing away on the loth of January, 1908, at the age of seventy-three
years, seven months and fourteen days. In the family of Mr. and Mrs.
Lawrence Flinspach there were fourteen children but the two eldest died
in infancy. The others are as follows : Mary, the wife of John Kann, of
Buchanan township ; Hannah, who married Thomas Thompson, of Bur-
lington, Iowa ; Anna, who wedded John Diers, of this township ; Martin
C. and Fred L., also residents of Buchanan township ; Lucy, the wife of
Alex Gordon, of Lincoln. Nebraska ; Albert, deceased ; Minnie, who mar-
ried P. L. Gordon, of Spokane, Washington ; G. A., of this review ; Edward
C., of Center township; Frank T., of Buchanan township; and Robert C,
of Center township.
' Reared amid the activities of rural life, Gustavus A. Flinspach spent
the period of his boyhood and youth in the usual manner of country lads,
attending the district schools irh the winter months and assisting in the
work of the home farm during the summer seasons, early becoming fami-
liar with the various phases of agriculture. Lessons concerning the value
of industry, economy and determination were instilled into his mind and
proved the foundation upon which his later prosperity was based. Upon
attaining his majority he wisely chose the occupation to which he had
been reared as a life work. He has since concentrated his time and energies
upon agricultural pursuits and is now the owner of eighty acres located on
section- 10, Buchanan township, Jefiferson county, and also forty acres of
pasture land on section 17. The home place is well improved and through
his close application and wise management he has been able to greatly
enhance its value so that today it is one of the desirable properties of the
locality.
Mr. Flinspach was married, on the 3d of October, 1906, to Miss Bertha
R. Coop, who was born in Penn township, Jefferson county, on the 13th
of March, 1877, a daughter of Lafayette and Cynthia (Spencer) Coop.
The parents are now residents of Penn township, making their home upon
the farm on which the father was born. Mrs. Flinspach holds membership
in the Christian church of Penn township, the teachings of which have
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 79
ever formed the guiding influences of her life. Mr. Flinspach gives his
political support to the democratic party but he has never sought nor de-
sired public office. He early learned the lesson that success must be pur-
chased at the price of earnest, well defined labor, and as the years have
gone by his record has been one of indefatigable effort, close application
and intelligent direction. He is well known in Buchanan township, within
whose borders his entire life has been spent, and the fact that he is held
in high regard by all who know him is indicative of his many excellent
qualities of heart and mind.
DANIEL V. CARLBORG.
Daniel V. Carlborg, who for twenty-seven years has been engaged in
farming in Lockbridge township, is one of the many thrifty, enterprising
citizens Sweden has furnished Iowa. His natal day was the 23d of Novem-
ber, 1845, his parents being Karl and Lena Elizabeth (Peterson) Carl-
borg, who passed away in their native country in 1884, the father having
devoted his energies to agricultural pursuits.
The first thirty-five years of Daniel V. Carlborg's life were spent in his
native land, where after completing his schooling he worked out by the
month. Realizing the futility of his efforts to attain his ambition, while
the best years of his life, the period of achievement, were passing, America
seemed to him the only solution of the problem, so he took passage for the
United States in the spring of 1880, first locating in Newton, Illinois, where
he spent the summer working on the railroad. On Christmas day of the
same year he came to Jefferson county and for two years thereafter he
worked as a farm hand. At the expiration of that time he again started
westward, Oregon being his destination on this occasion. He remained in
that state for eighteen months then returned to Jefferson county where he
was married and immediately thereafter began his independent career as
an agriculturist. During the succeeding ten years he farmed as a renter,
his energy and thrift, abetted by his wife's capable management of the house-
hold affairs, enabling him to acquire the necessary capital to become a
property owner. Fie invested his capital in forty acres of unimproved
land, erecting upon it a house and barn and the necessary outbuildings.
His unceasing industry and intelligence in the direction of his affairs
brought him the remuneration that later made it possible for him to increase
his holdings by the addition of another twenty acres. He has ever since
resided upon this place, which he is still operating in connection with an
additional twenty acres that he rents. Mr. Carlborg has always given his
80 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
personal supervision to the operation of his fields and the care of his crops,
his efforts being rewarded by abundant harvests.
On the 25th of June, 1884, Mr. Carlborg was married to Miss Carrie
Farman. a daughter of John P. and Margaret (Peterson) Farman, also
natives of Sweden. The father, who was a tailor by trade, emigrated from
his native land to Iowa during the pioneer days, first locating in Henry
county. In 1846 he came to Jefferson county, entering some government
land in Lockbridge township, in the operation of which he assiduously ap-
plied his energies until his demise on the loth of March, 191 1. The mother
passed away in 1883. To Mr. and Mrs. Carlborg there have been born
four children, two of whom died in infancy. Those living are. Bertha V.,
who is now twenty-three years old and at home with her parents and John
Clarence H., who is twenty-one years of age.
The family manifest their religious views through their affiliation with
the Methodist Episcopal church, and politically Mr. Carlborg is a republi-
can, but does not actively participate in township affairs, giving his un-
divided attention to his own interests. During the thirty-one years of his
residence in the United States, Mr. Carlborg has never had reason to re-
gret the transference of his allegiance to this republic. He has encoun-
tered hardships and disappointments, discouragements and misfortune, but
these have been overshadowed by his successes, and today he is an inde-
pendent landowner with an ample competence and enjoys the respect of the
entire community in which he resides.
THOMAS S. LAUGHLIN.
Few men in Locust Grove township, Jefferson county, are more highly
esteemed for the services which they have rendered their community in
the interests of both its economic and educational advancement than is
Thomas S. Laughlin, who resides on the farm where he was born, on sec-
tion 14, of Locust Grove township, on April 9, 1843. His father, Harvey
P. Laughlin, was born in Logan county, Tennessee, in the year 1809, his
parents being of Irish descent. He married Eliza Catharine Newman, who
was born in Knox county, Tennessee, September 9, 181 7, being a descend-
ant of German ancestry. Mr. and Mrs. Laughlin removed to Illinois and
settled in Coles county, where they lived for seven years. In 1842 they
came to Jefferson county, Iowa, establishing their home in Locust Grove
township on section 14, a tract of land of three hundred and seven acres
which they entered from the government. This farm the father continued
to cultivate until his death, December 20, 1887. His wife survived him
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 81
until 1901, when she passed away at the home of her daughter, Mrs. George
W. Ball, of Fairfield, Iowa. Eight children were born to Mr. and Mrs.
Harvey P. Laughlin, namely: A. W., residing in Odessa, Missouri ; William
M., of Oklahoma; Thomas S. ; Sarah J., the wife of W. W. Whittaker, of
Fairfield, Iowa; Margaret, the wife of George W. Ball, also of Fairfield;
Mary C., the wife of James Hayden, of Eldon, Iowa; Floyd K., a farmer
of Locust Grove township ; and Blanch, deceased, who was the wife of W. G.
Burkhardt, of Fairfield, Iowa.
Thomas S. Laughlin acquired his education in the rural schools near his
home and later attended Axline's Academy at Fairfield and followed the
profession of school-teaching, securing a position as assistant professor at
Brookville, Iowa, when nineteen years of age. Subsequently he taught
school at Abingdon, Batavia, and other places for a period of ten years,
devoting his summers to agricultural pursuits on his father's farm. At the
age of thirty-one years he bought from his father a part of the old home-
stead, buying the remainder of the estate at the death of his father. In
1892 he took possession of the old family residence on the place and has
lived there ever since. He is an industrious worker, progressive in his
methods, finding pleasure and inspiration in the invigorating life of the man
who works in the fields. His farm of four hundred and five acres is situated
on sections fourteen and fifteen and is one of the finest in the county. Here
Mr. Laughlin and his two sons devote their efforts to the improvement of
the land and also to raising a high grade of stock, making a specialty of
breeding full blooded Percheron mares.
The marriage of Mr. Laughlin and Miss Elizabeth C. Warwick, daugh-
ter of Samuel Scott and Nancy Gray (Brooks) Warwick, occurred on
October 21, 1874. Mrs. Laughlin's parents were born near Hamilton, in
Butler county, Ohio, the father being a farmer by occupation. Prior to
their marriage they came west in 1846, locating in Locust Grove township,
after Mr. Warwick had made a careful survey of Jefferson county, Iowa,
in order to decide upon a suitable place for settling. He cultivated the
soil for fourteen years, passing away in Missouri, July 25, i860, at the
age of about thirty years. His wife survived him forty years, departing
this life at the home of Thomas S. Laughlin in April, 1900. The brothers
and sisters of Mrs. Laughlin are : Mary J., the wife of F. E. Robb, of
Girard, Kansas; William A., of Fairfield, Iowa; and Joseph, a resident
of Los Angeles, California, In the family of Mr. and Mrs. Laughlin eight
children were born: Grace, who married Edward Abraham, a ranchman
in California, and died in March, 1899, leaving two small children, Vida
and Frances; Bessie, who became the second wife of Edward Abraham
and they have two children, Meta and Constance ; Russell, who married
Mattie Barr and operates a farm adjoining his father's, and has three
82 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
children, Pauline, Margaret and Baby Barr; Meta, the wife of Oren
Fordyce, a farmer of Des Moines township and also the twin sister of
Merwin, living at home with his parents; Mary, who died at the age of
one year ; Lawrence, who is attending Parson's College at Fairfield, Iowa,
where he is taking the scientific course, being a member of the class of
1912; and Maurice, who is attending a business college at Burlington,
Iowa.
In his political sympathies Mr. Laughlin is an ardent democrat and
has served as assessor for three years. He has also acted as school direc-
tor for a long continued term. He and his wife hold membership in the
Presbyterian church of Locust Grove township, being among the most
helpful and earnest workers of its congregation. All that Mr. Laughlin
now owns has been acquired by his own unremitting efforts and in the
enjoyment of a comfortable competence he finds the reward with which
faithful service is crowned.
JOHN G. W. SMITH.
John G. W. Smith, deceased, up to the time of his death one of the
important and substantial citizens of Jefferson county, -was for many years
successfully engaged in agricultural pursuits. He was born in Harrison
county, Ohio, February 22, 1825, a son of Jacob Smith. After a brief
education in the rural schools of his native locality, Mr. Smith learned the
stone mason's trade. He lived with his parents until he attained his
majority, when he left the parental roof in Ohio and came to Iowa where
he made his home with Enos Ellmaker, taking up anything in the line of
work that promised a fair return. At the time of his marriage he em-
barked in agriculture, buying forty acres of land where the present home-
stead now stands. Thereafter he made further purchases from time to
time until he had increased his holdings to two hundred acres. Of Dutch
descent on his father's side and Irish ancestry on his mother's, he combined
the best qualities of the two nationalities — industry and thrift on the one
hand and a native wit and alertness for seizing an opportunity on the
other — and through his perseverance and unceasing efforts was in time
well rewarded with a flourishing farm from which large profits accrued.
In the spring of 1850 he set out with an ox team for the gold fields of
California and after two years of unusual success in digging gold returned
in 1852 and resumed his labors in the fields, sowing and reaping and
developing his land. He passed away on June 4, 1900. at the age of
•eventy-five years, three months and a few days. Prosperous in his work
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 83
and a man of unfaltering integrity, Mr. Smith did not only leave his family
well provided for, but he also bequeathed them an honored name of which
the surviving members of the family may well be proud.
• Mr. Smith was twice married, his first union being contracted on May
3, 1849, with Miss Hannah Brown, whose birth occurred September 17,
1829, and who passed away on January 15, 1869, at the age of thirty-nine
years, three months and twenty-eight days. The children by this marriage
were: George William, born March 12, 1850, who died in Oregon; Diana
Elizabeth, born June 5, 1852, the wife of Daniel Albaugh of Polk county,
Iowa; Samuel Allison, born September 30, 1856, who died on the home
place ; Amos Guthry, born March 19, 1858, who lives in Kansas ; Emma
Cordelia, born April 2, 1866, who is the wife of William Vanausdeln, a
farmer in Des Moines township, Jefferson county.
The second marriage of Mr. Smith occurred on June 29, 1869, the
union being with Miss Nancy Ann Brown, a cousin of his first wife. She
was born in Jefiferson county, January 10, 1846, and was a daughter of
George W. and Catherine (Fishel) Brown. The father, who was of
German parentage and a native of Pennsylvania, was for many years a
prosperous farmer. During the latter years of his life he was engaged in
operating a sawmill, his wife having died November '20, 1877. He passed
away at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Smith, on March 24, 1891. The
children by the second marriage were : Mary Etta, deceased, born April
14, 1870; Marion, deceased, born May i, 1872; Ira, deceased, born October
II, 1873; Ora, deceased, born December 21, 1874; Charles Franklin, born
December 4, 1877, and now living with his mother on the home place,
married to Miss Mina Goughnour, a daughter of David and Lavina (Haney)
Goughnour, the father being engaged in agriculture. Mr. and Mrs. Charles
Franklin Smith are the parents of two small children : Mabel Fern, aged
five years, attending school district No. 2, Des Moines township ; and Lee
Russell, aged two years. " Mr. Smith is serving his first term as township
clerk. The remaining children born to Mr. and Mrs. John G. W. Smith
are: a daughter, born October 10, 1876, who died in infancy; Reuben
Hayes, born December 22, 1880, who died in North Dakota ; another
daughter, born February i, 1882, who died in infancy; and Leonard Ross,
born September 7, 1885, a farmer in Des Moines township, who is married
to Miss Nellie O. Wagner, a daughter of Joseph and Augusta Wagner,
and has three children: Evelyn Marie, aged six years, William Claude,
aged three, and Harold Glenn, aged two.
In political circles Mr. John G. W. Smith was an enthusiastic democrat
and held the office of township clerk, of trustee, of assessor and of school
director of District No. i, serving in the last named position for a great
many years. He was a model citizen and a devoted father, ever faithful
84 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
in the performance of his duty. Mrs. Smith is an active worker in the
Brethren church, to which her husband also belonged. She is a woman of
charming personality highly esteemed throughout the county where she
possesses a host of friends.
CAPTAIN BENJAMIN F. CRAIL.
Of the many volunteers that Jefiferson county sent to the south during
the Civil war, probably none made a more brilliant record or had more
thrilling experiences than Captain Benjamin F. Crail, who despite the fact
that he received a number of serious wounds, one of which the surgeons
pronounced as fatal, remamed at the front until the close of hostilities.
He is a native of Pennsylvania, his birth having occurred in Beaver county,
on March 19, 1828, and is a son of Benjamin and Nancy (Daugherty) Crail.
The father, who was a millwright by trade, w^as born in Pennsylvania, of
Scotch extraction, his natal day being in 1793. He participated in the war
of 1812, while his father John Crail fought in the Revolutionary w^ar. He
subsequently became the owner of a grist mill in Beaver county, in the ope-
ration of which he actively engaged until his death in 1846. The mother
was born in Ireland in 1798 and in her early childhood came to the United
States, where she was reared to womanhood, marrying Mr. Crail in Beaver
county. There she continued to make her home after the death of her hus-
band until 1855, when together with her children she removed to Iowa, set-
tling in Jefiferson county. She passed away in 1886 at the home of her daugh-
ter, j\Irs. Ella Snodgrass, at Winterset, Madison county, Iowa. To Mr.
and Mrs. Crail there were born ten sons and daughters: John, Irwin and
James D., who are deceased; Benjamin F., our subject; Milton and Mary,
both of whom are deceased; Cynthia, of Shenandoah, Iowa; and Ella, Eliza-
beth and Matilda, who are also deceased.
Reared at home, after the completion of his preliminary education which
was obtained in the common schools, Benjamin F. Crail pursued a course in
Debts Business College of Pittsburg. Having decided to take up civil en-
gineering for his life vocation he subsequently went to New Cumberland,
Virginia, now West Virginia, to study surveying and engineering under
John H. Adkinson. In 1852 he took a position as carpenter in the ship
yards of Pittsburg, going from there to Freedom, Pennsylvania. Later he
signed on as carpenter and mate on a boat on the Ohio, but relinquished his
berth in 1859 and came to Fairfield, where his mother was then residing.
Soon after his arrival here he purchased an ox team and drove to Colorado,
where he remained until the fall of i860, when he returned to cast his vote
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 85
for Abraham Lincoln for president. Mr. J. S. McKemey, then treas-
urer and recorder of Jefferson county, appointed Mr. Crail his deputy, the
duties of this office engaging his attention until the call came for troops
when he resigned his position to go to the front. He enlisted on the 20th
of August, 1861, in Company F, Third Iowa Volunteer Cavalry, at Fair-
field, entering the service in the capacity of a private. His regiment was
sent to Missouri, participating almost immediately in engagements and skir-
mishes at Fulton and Santa Fe, that state. In the latter encounter Cap-
tain Crail was thought to be mortally wounded, one bullet having passed
entirely through his body in the region of the heart, while another lodged
just above that organ. The surgeons pronounced his recovery as impossible,
believing that wounds such as his must necessarily prove fatal. He was
young, however, and possessed a fine constitution and wonderful recupera-
tive powers, and after spending five months in the hospital was discharged
and rejoined his command at Lebanon, Missouri. During the very early
days of his enlistment he displayed the courage, resourcefulness and execu-
tive ability qualifying him for a more responsible position than that of pri-
vate, so he was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant, and at Paris, Mis-
souri, on the ist of April, 1862, he was made captain. He took part in
many battles and skirmishes in southern Missouri, among them being that
of Pilot Knob, his company seeing active service every day until they
reached the Arkansas line. They were ordered to Little Rock, and driving
the confederates before them after some hard fighting took the city. He
next joined a raiding party through the southern part of the state, during
that time attacking and capturing the towns of Arkadelphia and Mount
Ida, and after driving the rebels out of Hot Springs skirmished all the way
back to Benton. While at camp in Little Rock, Captain Crail went on a
veteran's furlough, reenlisting for three years. During his thirty-day fur-
lough he returned to Fairfield and visited his family, then went to Keokuk
from there to St. Louis and on to Memphis, Tennessee. On the ist of
May, 1864, with his command he crossed the river into Arkansas, where
they had some pretty sharply contested battles. He was defeated at Gunn-
town, Mississippi, on the lOth of June, 1864, and on the 14th of July, that
year, he participated in two days' fighting at Tupelo, Mississippi. On the
19th of December, 1864, his company joined Grierson's raid to Vicksburg,
which city they reached on the 6th of Januaiy, 1865. They subsequently
went to Louisville, Kentucky, from which city they departed on the 19th of
March, 1865, via Paducah and up the Tennessee river, on Wilson's raid
that finally lead to Atlanta. On the way they participated in the battles of
Monta Vala, Oldtown Creek and Selma, as well as the siege of Mont-
gomery, the latter city finally capitulating after a hard struggle. They
next went to Columbus, where there was a big battle and on to Macon,
86 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
Georgia, on April 21, 1865. At the latter point they received word of Lee's
surrender, and remained in camp until April, 22, when they were advised
of the assassination of Lincoln. The regiment was then ordered to At-
lanta, and there they were mustered out on the 9th of August, 1865. Cap-
tain Crail maintains that Wilson's raid would have been one of the biggest
things of the war, had it not have happened so near the close of the strug-
gle. When mustered out Captain Crail was suffering from some fresh
wounds received at Oldtown Creek, Alabama, where a bullet had shat-
tered the bones of his right arm, while he had also been bayoneted during
the battle. He received his discharge at Davenport, Iowa, on the 23d of
August, 1865, and returned to Fairfield, suffering severely for more than
two years thereafter from his wounds. To conclude his war record we
quote from the report of the adjutant general, vol. of Iowa: "On the 24th
day of July, 1862, with one hundred men encountered the rebel Porter with
his force of about four hundred men strongly posted in the dense brush on
the 'Botts' farm in Monroe county. Killed one rebel and wounded many
others. Our casualties were, one man killed. Captain B. F. Crail of Com-
pany F and nine others wounded. Porter fled south into Callaway whither
we pursued. — Also vols. II 1863 and 1867:" On the 31st of March, 1865,
Captain Crail led a charge and was wounded with several of his men at
Montevallo, Alabama.
Upon his return to civil life he bought a farm in Cedar township, en-
deavoring to engage in agricultural pursuits. With one of his arms in a
sling he hauled the timber cut from forty acres of land into Fairfield, where
he sold it. In 1875, ^^ moved into town and erected a residence on the lot
where he now lives. As soon as he was able after returning from the
war he again took up surveying, continuing to engage in this occupation
until the ist of January, 191 1, when his last term as surveyor of Jefferson
county expired. He served for several terms as assistant county surveyor
and in 1883 was elected to the office of surveyor, which he held for eight
years, when he resigned to go to California. Returning to Fairfield in 1898
he was again elected to the same office, continuing to serve in this capacity
until his retirement from public life at the age of eighty-three years. At
the expiration of his last term he again went to southern California, where
he spent the winter of 191 1, and has since lived in retirement. Captain
Crail has always been one of the foremost figures in the public life of Jef-
ferson county, and has prominently participated in promoting its develop-
ment.
In 1852, while residing in Pennsylvania, Captain Crail was united in
marriage to Miss Charlotte McCaskey, a daughter of the Rev. George
McCaskey, of Washington county, Pennsylvania, and to them were born
six children : James, a prominent dry-goods merchant of Washington, Iowa ;
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 87
William H., a retired gold miner of Los Angeles, California; Susan, the
wife of E. W. Steele, a retired capitalist of Los Angeles; Robert M., a
traveling salesman of Marysville, Missouri ; David E., of the firm of D. E.
Crail & Co., meat dealers of Fairfield ; and Frank A., who is a merchant
of Burlington, Iowa. The wife and mother passed away in 1873 and in
1877 Captain Crail married Mrs. Nancy Steel, of this city, who died in
1891. By this marriage were born twin sons, Joseph S. and Charles S., who
are engaged in the practice of law in Fairfield under the firm name of Crail
& Crail. In 1895, Captain Crail was married to his present wife, whose
maiden name was Miss Helen Richardson, a daughter of George Richard-
son of Fairfield, and they have one daughter, Mary Helen, who will grad-
uate from the high school with the class of 191 3.
Both Captain and Mrs. Crail are members of the Christian church and
in politics he is a stanch republican. He is one of the highly esteemed citi-
zens of Fairfield, where he has made his home practically ever since the
war and is widely known throughout the county. He is a most capable
man as his long period of public service attests, having been elected to ofiice
and efficiently discharged his responsibilities long after reaching his three
score and ten. Success has attended his efforts, because in all of his un-
dertakings he has manifested the intrepidity, foresight and determination
of purpose that characterized him on the southern battle fields. Although
he always decided with but little deliberation what he desired to do, he never
acted impulsively, always following a well conceived plan with a definite
purpose in view. Doubtless from the plain where he now stands he sees
mistakes he has made, but his life can hold few regrets, as his efforts were
always intelligently directed, and he has had the satisfaction of seeing his
children grow up into capable men and women, successfully pursuing their
various careers.
ERNEST R. WAGONER.
Ernest R. Wagoner, who is successfully engaged in farming and stock-
raising on ninety-four acres of land on section 35, of Cedar township,
was born in Jackson county, Iowa, on the 27th of February, 1882. He is
a son of Daniel and Margaret (Alexander) Wagoner, the father a native
of Mercer county. Pennsylvania, of German extraction, and the mother
of Dubuque, Iowa, and of Scotch descent. Before the war Daniel Wagoner,
who was a carpenter by trade, removed to Iowa, locating in Jackson county,
where he resided for forty-five years. After his sons were old enough
to be of assistance he engaged in cabinet making at Otter Creek, Jackson
88 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
county, the most of his time being devoted to the manufacture of coffins
and wood work for buggies. He engaged in this occupation for eighteen
or twenty years, then turned his attention to farming. Together with his
wife and family he subsequently removed to Van Buren county, settling
on a farm near Stockport, where he continued to make his home until
death. In the spring of 191 1 he went to visit a daughter living on a farm
near Knoxville, Iowa, where he was taken ill and passed away on the
27th of May, 191 1, at the age of eighty- four years. Following the death
of her husband, the mother took up her residence with her son, our sub-
ject, with whom she is now living. Of the marriage of Mr. and Mrs.
Wagoner there were born ten children, of whom our subject is the youngest ;
the others are : Alexander, who is a ranchman in Idaho ; Susan, who mar-
ried John Rudolph, a farmer living at Collette, Iowa; Elizabeth, the wife
of Wilson Brown, a farmer near Knoxville, Iowa; Charley, a farmer
living a mile west of Stockport ; George, who is a resident of Valparaiso,
Nebraska, where he engages in contracting; Delia, the wife of Lee Ritchie,
a farmer near Stockport ; Maggie, who married John Taylor, a farmer of
Clay Center, Kansas; Emma, the wife of Cyrus Irwin, a cattle buyer and
stockman of Maquoketa ; and Fred, a manufacturer of cement blocks at
Valparaiso, Nebraska.
Reared at home, Ernest R. Wagoner obtained his education in the
common schools of Jackson and Van Buren counties, which he attended
until he was seventeen years of age. From the time he was old enough
to be of assistance he had helped in the work of the farm, and after
leaving school his entire attention was given to agricultural pursuits under
the supervision of his father. He remained at home until he was twenty-
two years of age, having during this period become thoroughly qualified
as an agriculturist. In 1904 he began for himself by renting the
August Keller farm, which contained a hundred acres, located in Cedar
township. The operation of this property proved to be very lucrative, and
at the end of a year he was in a position financially to purchase ninety-
four acres of land on sections 35 and 26 of the same township. Three
years later he erected upon this land a residence and barns and outbuild-
ings, and here he has ever since resided. The cultivation of his fields he
devotes almost entirely to such cereals as he can use in the raising and
feeding of his stock, to which occupation Mr. Wagoner devotes his careful
attention, to such excellent purpose that he is fast becoming to be numbered
among the substantial farmers of his community. His endeavors to keep
abreast with the most advanced ideas of modern farming are being at-
tended with gratifying results. As he is able he extends the improvements
upon his place, which is rapidly becoming supplied with all modern con-
veniences and accessories for both general farming and stock-raising.
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 89
On the 15th of November, 1904, Mr. Wagoner was united in marriage
to Miss Mary Keller, a daughter of Anthony and Mary (Droz) Keller,
both natives of France. The father, whose natal day was the 22d of
Februar}^ 1843, emigrated to America when he was eighteen months old.
Here he was reared to manhood and educated and was married in Fair-
field to Miss Droz. They are now living on a farm in Cedar township.
Mrs. Wagoner is the youngest daughter and the fifth in order of birth
of the six children born to the parents, the others being: Louis, who is
engaged in farming in Lexington, Nebraska; August, who is at home;
Edward, a farmer near Birmingham, Iowa, who married Iva Walker;
Millie, the wife of Samuel King, a farmer of Cedar township; and John,
who is the sixth in order of birth, a farmer of Cedar township. Mr. and
Mrs. Wagoner are the parents of four children : Margaret, who is six
years old and attending school in the home district ; Ernest, four years of
age; Ma*bel, who looks forward to her fourth birthday; and Freddie, the
baby of eighteen months.
Fraternally IVIr. Wagoner was formerly identified with the Knights of
Pythias of Stockport, and his wife with the Pythian Sisters, while his
political allegiance is given to the men and measures he deems best quali-
fied to serve the majority. He is one of the enterprising and progressive
young farmers of the county, whose success seems to be assured.
E. F. SIMMONS.
E. F. Simmons is actively connected with a profession which has im-
portant bearing upon the progress and stable prosperity of every com-
munity and one which has long been considered as conserving the ends of
justice and maintaining individual rights. He entered upon the practice of
law in Fairfield in 1885 and in the intervening period, covering more than
a quarter of a century, has built up a reputation such as is gained only by
individual merit and ability attested in the actual work of the courts.
Mr. Simmons is one of Jefferson county's native sons, his birth having
occurred near Brookville, March 10, 1855. His parents were W. L. S. and
Sarah (Weaver) Simmons, both natives of Clermont county, Ohio, the
former born January 10, 1822, and the latter January 31, 1825. On the
I St of May, 1842, Mr. Simmons arrived in Jefferson county, Iowa, long
prior to the admission of the state into the LTnion, entering land in Locust
Grove township, after which he returned to his native state and in Cler-
mont county married Sarah Weaver. The return journey to Ohio was
made on horseback and the winter was passed in Illinois. He had to work
90 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
untiringly and diligently in order to get enough capital with which to estab-
lish his home and make a start in life. The marriage of the parents was
celebrated in 1849, after which they journeyed westward to Iowa, Not a
furrow had been turned nor an improvement made on the place when it
came into possession of Mr. Simmons but with untiring energy he under-
took the task of breaking the sod and converting the wild lands into fields.
He resided upon the farm near Brookville until April, 1861, when he again
went to Clermont county, Ohio, where he remained until the spring of 1863.
Once more he came to Jefiferson county and was thereafter actively engaged
in farming until 1896, when, with a comfortable competence acquired
through years of earnest and persistent toil, he retired from business life
to take up his abode in Fairfield, where his death occurred July 5, 1901.
He had been more or less prominent in the public life of the community
and in 1875 had been elected to represent his district in the state legislature
as the candidate of the republican party. He held membership in the
Methodist church and his influence was ever on the side of right, progress,
reform and improvement. Not only did he witness a remarkable trans-
formation in the county from the period of his first arrival until his death
but was also an active participant in the labors and changes that brought
the county up to a leading position among the foremost counties of this
great commonwealth. Unto him and his wife were born seven children:
E. F. ; C. W., living in Plateau City, Colorado; Sarah B., a resident of
Utah; Nancy W., of Chicago, and three that died in infancy.
E. F. Simmons has spent his entire life in Jefiferson county with the
exception of the brief period from 1861 until 1863. when the family were
living in Ohio. His youthful days were spent upon the home farm and
here he became familiar with the task of cultivating the fields and caring
for the crops. After his public school education supplemented by study
in Iowa Wesleyan University at Mount Pleasant, he took up the study of
law in the office and under the direction of Leggett & McKemey, attor-
neys of Fairfield, who directed his reading until he was admitted to prac-
tice on the 9th of December, 1885, by the supreme court of the State of
Iowa. In December, 1896, he formed a partnership with his preceptor, J. S.
McKemey, which continued four years, after which he contracted a part-
nership with H. C. Raney that continued until Mr. Raney's death in 1910.
He is well versed in the principles of law and is seldom if ever at fault
in the application of a legal principle or in the citation of a precedent. He
prepares his cases with great thoroughness and skill and marshals the evi-
dence with the precision of a military commander, never losing sight of any
pomt that bears upon the case and at the same time always keeping to the
fore the important point upon which every question finally turns. He has
filled the office of county attorney for four years, having been first elected
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 91
in 1895. On the ist of January, 1896, he became city soHcitor and filled
that office four years, at the end of which time his record received public
indorsement in his reelection in the spring of 191 1.
On the I2th of August, 1891, Mr. Simmons was married to Miss
Geneva M. McCoid, of Logan, Iowa, a daughter of James McCoid, and
they now have five children, Beverly F., James M. and William W., twins,
Edgar L. and Margaret. Mr. Simmons is giving his children good educa-
tional privileges and is a warm friend of the public schools. He has served
for three terms, or nine years, as a member of the school board and has
done much to advance the standard of education in Fairfield. His religious
faith is that of the Methodist Episcopal church. His life has been well
spent and his record is as an open book which all may read. The com-
rades of his youth remain the friends of his manhood and the circle, of his
friendship continually broadens as the circle of his acquaintance is extended.
WILLIAM H. BATES.
Agricultural pursuits have characterized the efforts of William H. Bates
throughout his entire business career, and that his labors have been effect-
ive forces in the attainment of prosperity is indicated by the neat and well
improved condition of his farming property. He is one of Jefferson
county's native sons, his birth having occurred in Cedar township on the
nth of April, 1851. His parents were Ephraim and Mary Ann (George)
Bates ; the former born in Oxford, Ohio, and the latter on the state line
near Union, Indiana. They were married in Indiana, and, in 1846, came to
Jefferson county, Iowa, locating on a farm in Cedar township upon which
their remaining days were spent. The father carried on general farming,
to which occupation his entire life had been devoted. The subject of this
review was second in order of birth in a family of eight children, the others
being as follows: Jerry, deceased; Eliza A., the wife of J. J. Hutchinson,
of Center township ; Perry O., a resident of Buchanan township ; James
K., residing at Tekamah, Nebraska; Emma, who married C. J. Sperry, of
Brown county, South Dakota ; Ollie, who passed away at the age of four-
teen years ; and Ed, of Buchanan township.
No event of special importance came to vary the routine of life for
William H. Bates during the period of his boyhood and youth, which was
passed amid the scenes and environment of rural life. Through the as-
sistance he rendered his father in the work of the home farm, he gained
valuable experience concerning the various branches of agriculture, and
he continued to make his home with his parents until the time of his mar-
92 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
riage, when about twenty-seven years of age. For about six years previous
to that event, however, he had been employed by others in the locality of
his home, working out by the month, and then he began farming on his
own account, taking up his abode upon his present place. His first purchase
consisted of sixty acres of raw prairie land, to the improvement of which
he at once gave his undivided attention. After breaking the sod, he con-
verted the tract into cultivable fields, planted the cereals best adapted to
soil and climate, and, from early spring until late fall, labored unceasingly
in the further development of his property, which, under his careful man-
agement, was soon brought under a good state of cultivation. As a direct
result of unfaltering industry and unfailing perseverance, prosperity came
to him in his undertaking, and, as success attended his efforts, he added
to his original purchase, until today his farm consists of one hundred and
ninety acres of land, located on sections 12 and 13, Center township, com-
prising one of the well improved properties of the locality.
]\[r. Bates has been married twice. In 1878, he wedded Miss Eva
Carter, a native of Illinois, wdio passed away in 1884, leaving one son,
Ernest, now engaged in farming in Buchanan township. For his second
wife he chose Miss Ella Davis, a native of Pennsylvania, whom he married
in 1887, and unto this union have been born four children, namely: Jesse,
who passed away at the age of three years ; Ralph and Leslie, both at home ;
and Willard, whose death also occurred when he was three years of age.
The religious belief of Mr. Bates is indicated by his membership in the
Christian church at Fairfield ; in politics, he supports the principles of the
democratic party. He is now serving as township trustee. He has held
various road and school offices, and in all of his public work has proven
himself a champion of material, intellectual and moral progress, recognizing
that each has its place in the scheme of the world. His labors, therefore,
have served as an element of growth along all those lines, so that, today, he
is regarded as one of Jefferson county's valued and representative citizens.
WILLIAM WALTER STEWART.
William Walter Stewart has been a resident of Round Prairie town-
ship, Jefferson county, since his birth which occurred September 2, 1863.
When six months of age he was adopted by William W. and Rebecca
(Right) Stewart, the former being a native of Maryland and the latter of
Kentucky. William W. Stewart, Sr., came to Jefferson county in 1837.
WALTER W. STEWART
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 95
accompanying his parents who entered land from the government and
thereafter were associated with agricultural interests in this vicinity. At
his marriage he received from his father a gift of sixty acres of land which
he cleared and improved, adding to this tract by subsequent purchases until
he owned in all three hundred and seventy acres. With characteristic
energy and industry he improved the land, enhancing its value greatly, and
in 1886 retired. He resides with his son, the subject of this review, being
still in fair health and good spirits at the advanced age of ninety years.
His wife died in January, 1909, having also been granted the heritage of
sound health and the enjoyment of a long life.
Before his adoption W. W. Stewart possessed the name of Right, his
father being a brother of Mrs. Stewart, his foster mother. Mrs. Right,
whose maiden name was Maria Ball, was, like her husband, a native of
Kentucky. Coming to Jefferson county, Iowa, in 1836, during the prog-
ress of the Civil war, Mr. Right enlisted in the army, taking part in Sher-
man's famous march to the sea. At the close of the war he returned to
Jefferson county. He farmed here for a time and on marrying again made
his residence in Illinois, where he remained until the death of his wife,
in 1886. Thereupon he returned to Iowa and devoted himself to the culti-
vation of the soil on a farm near Des Moines, where he made his home
until 1899.
Tenderly nurtured under the devoted guidance of his foster parents,
W. W. Stewart was educated in the schools of Jefferson county and was
reared to manhood on the farm, becoming thoroughly familiar with the
problems involved in agricultural pursuits. He never left the home place
and in 1909 received by deed from William Washington Stewart, Sr., the
latter's farm of three hundred and seventy acres. .This he has operated
with much success and has made many improvements, erecting more com-
modious buildings and new fences. He is practical in his methods and
employs the best machinery, believing that the most modern equipment will
produce the best results. To his raising of live stock he devotes especial
attention and annually ships about one hundred head of hogs, feeds sixty
head of cattle and keeps twenty horses.
On January 5, 1882, Mr. Stewart was united in marriage to Miss Sadie
C. Barton, a daughter of Thomas C. and Elizabeth (Harshbarger) Barton,
natives of Kentucky, the family being of German lineage. Mrs. Stewart's
father came to Henry county, Iowa, in anti-bellum days and here purchased
a farm of one hundred and forty acres which he has cultivated uninter-
ruptedly since that time, meeting with much success in his work. His wife
passed away in December-, 1910. Ten children were born to Mr. and Mrs.
Stewart, of whom four died in infancy. The others are : Maude, the
wife of John F. Davis, residing in Memphis, Missouri; Bessie, the wife
Vol. n— 6
96 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
of Charles Sturgiss, a farmer of Round Prairie township; Minnie, the
wife of Walter Bower, likewise a farmer of Round Prairie township;
Elsie, who married John Sharp and resides with her father; Maysel, the
wife of Fred Briggs, a carpenter by trade, also residing on the home place ;
and W. Terence, living at home. Mr. Stewart and his family are mem-
bers of the Free Methodist church of Fairfield, Iowa, being earnest and
helpful workers in advancing the interests of their congregation. In his
political affiliations he votes with the republicans and has held various
offices. At present he is one of the county supervisors and has also served
as trustee and clerk of Round Prairie township. He is a man of genial
disposition, big hearted and generous toward all, and honorable in every
relation in life.
SYLVESTER BURK BISHOP.
Sylvester Burk Bishop, a resident of Liberty township, is the owner of a
valuable farm of two hundred and twenty acres on sections 22 and 23. It
was in this township that he was born on the 8th of April, 1847, his parents
being John and Mary E. (Huflfman) Bishop, who were pioneer residents
of this section of Iowa and witnesses of almost the entire growth and devel-
opment of the state. The father was a native of Virginia, coming here at a
very early age and spending the remainder of his life in this locality. His
wife was the first white child born in Van Buren county. In their family
were seven children : Talbott, of Libertyville ; Sylvester B. ; Ann, the wife
of Samuel Berry, of Culbertson, Montana ; Robert, who died at the age of
forty-seven years, leaving a widow and four daughters ; Dr. Carl Bishop, a
practicing physician of Glasgow, Iowa; Mary, the wife of Harl Hubledal,
of Rock Island, Illinois ; and Emma, who was the twin sister of Mary and
died in infancy.
Sylvester B. Bishop was reared upon the old home farm, acquiring his
education in the common schools and aiding in the work of the fields
through the summer months and after his school days were over. He con-
tinued with his father until twenty-four years of age and then went to Cus-
ter county, Idaho, where he spent four years, being employed as an amalga-
mator in the Custer Mills. On the expiration of that period he returned to
Iowa and three years later, on the loth of March, 1888, was united in mar-
riage to Miss Emma Healde, a native of Liberty township, and a daughter
of John and Malinda (Grammer) Healde, both of whom are now deceased.
The young couple began their domestic life upon a rented farm in Liberty
township and for six years Mr. Bishop continued to cultivate land that he
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 97
leased. He then purchased his present property comprising two hundred
acres, constituting a valuable tract on sections 22 and 23. He and his
brother, Dr. Carl Bishop, are administrators for their father's estate of
three hundred and twenty-six acres and they have sold forty acres which
was formerly a part of the father's property. Mr. Bishop is a progressive
agriculturist and the farm which he owns has been well improved by him.
He has added all the equipments and accessories of a model property of the
twentieth century, utilizing the latest improved machinery to facilitate the
work of the fields, while large barns and outbuildings furnish ample shelter
for men and stock. The fact that his place is known as the Long View
Stock Farm indicates that stock-raising is the principal feature of the farm.
He has extensively engaged in feeding both cattle and hogs and also breeds
horses, having two stallions, both a draft and roadster. Upon his place at
present he has thirty-two head of high grade horses. The water supply of
the place is furnished by two fine springs which are seemingly inexhaustible.
Mr. Bishop also has a silo thirty-two feet high and eighteen feet in diameter.
Everything about his place indicates his progressive spirit. He fed last year
three carloads of cattle and one of hogs and his annual sales of stock bring
him a good return. He is interested in the Farmers' Elevator Company at
Libertyville and also in the Eldon Fair, together with the fairgrounds at
Fairfield. He is regarded as a progressive business man, unfaltering in the
accomplishment of what he undertakes, and thoroughly reliable in all trade
transactions.
As the years have passed seven children have been added to the family
of Mr. and Mrs. Bishop, Healde Judson, Mabel Cleo, Florence, Sherman,
Clarence, Charles and Margaret. The daughter Mabel has for the past
seven years been successfully engaged in teaching school. The family are
members of the Methodist Episcopal church of Libertyville and Mr. Bishop
is a republican in his political views but has never sought or desired office,
preferring to concentrate his energies upon his business affairs which, care-
fully conducted, have brought him substantial and well merited success.
VICTOR SWANSON.
A highly improved and well cultivated farm of two hundred and forty
acres in Lockridge township pays tribute to the agricultural skill of Victor
Swanson, who has been engaged in general farming and stock-raising in
Jefferson county for the past thirty-one years. He was born in Sweden on
March 21, 1849, and is a son of Oliver and Catherine (Erickson) Swanson,
who were born, reared and married in the old country. Mr. Swanson en-
98 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
gaged in farming in his native land until 1852, when together with his wife
and family he emigrated to the United States, locating in Jefferson county.
Upon his arrival here he invested a portion of his limited capital in forty
acres of government land in Lockridge township, where he and his wife
spent the remainder of their days. He erected a few crude buildings to
suffice for the immediate needs of his family and as a protection for his
stock when he began clearing and cultivating his land. He was an indus-
trious man and applied himself with unremitting energy to the improve-
ment of his farm, his efforts being abetted by the thrift his wife practiced
in the management of the household affairs. As time passed he was able
to extend his holdings, increasing the value of his place by the erection of
better buildings and the development of his fields. Here he passed away in
February, 1887, while the mother survived until July, 1899.
Fifty-nine years have elapsed since, a child of two years, Victor Swan-
son emigrated to the United States with his parents. He was reared on the
farm where he is now residing, obtaining his education in the district
schools of Lockridge township. While engaged in the mastery of the ele-
mentary branches of English learning he was being trained in the tilling of
the fields and care of the crops, having begun to assist his father when
little more than a child. When he was a lad of twelve years the entire
responsibility of the cultivation of the farm and support of the family de-
volved upon him, his father being helpless with rheumatism and his elder
brother away at the war, where he served for four years with Bissell's en-
gineers. Nothing daunted he resolutely assumed the duties necessity forced
upon him, the determination that has ever characterized his actions enabling
him to meet the requirements of the situation. At the age of twenty-one
years Mr. Swanson left the parental roof westward bound and located in
Omaha where for ten years he worked for the Union Pacific Railroad Com-
pany. At the expiration of that period he returned home and bought the
old farm on which he has ever since resided. He has worked with the in-
defatigable energy and definite purpose that invariably bring success, so in-
telligently directing his efforts, that he has been able to increase his holdings
from time to time, until he now has two hundred and forty acres of as
highly cultivated and well improved land as is to be found in that section
of the county. His homestead bears little resemblance to the place where
he spent his boyhood, the old log buildings having given way to large, sub-
stantially constructed barns and outbuildings providing ample shelter for
both stock and farming implements, while his residence is both comfortable
and convenient in its arrangements.
On the 28th of August, 1875, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Swan-
son and Miss Ida Sophia Lakestrom, a daughter of Martin and Anna
(Johnson) Lakestrom, also natives of Sweden. The father, who was a car-
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 99
penter in the old country, emigrated to the United States with his wife and
family settling in Jefiferson county. After the marriage of Mr. and Mrs.
Swanson the old people made their home with them for a time but later
went to Burlington, where Mr. Lakestrom passed away in September, 1886.
Soon after Mr. Lakestrom's demise his widow came to live with Mrs. Swan-
son and continued to make her home with her daughter until her death on
the 20th of July, 1896. Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs.
Swanson : Eva, the deceased wife of the Rev. J. J. Jones, who passed away
in Colorado on the 21st of May, 1891 ; Stella, who married J. A. Anderson,
a farmer of Nebraska ; Charles, who is living at home ; Clara, who passed
away on December 30, 1895 ! ^^^^ William, who is at home.
Mr. and Mrs. Swanson hold membership in the Lutheran church, and
politically he is a republican. He has always taken an active interest in af-
fairs of the township, particularly those of an educational nature, having
served for many years as a school director, while for ten years he was presi-
dent of the board. In addition to his fine homestead Mr. Swanson is a stock-
holder and director of the Lockridge Savings Bank, and for ten years he
was president of the Four Corners Creamery Company. He is one of the
highly esteemed and respected men of Lockridge township, whose success
is recognized as the well merited reward of capably and intelligently directed,
effort.
MONTGOMERY LA TOURETTE.
Montgomery La Tourette, who operates a farm of one hundred and
fifty-four acres in Locust Grove township, is one of the more recent acquisi-
tions among the residents of Jefferson county having lived here little more
than half a dozen years. He is descended from an old Huguenot family
and traced his lineage back to the Count and Countess de La Tourette who
lived in splendor in an old chateau in La Vendee at the time of the revoca-
tion of the Edict of Nantes. The count learning that his name was on the
list of the proscribed ones and that it would fare sorely with, him if he at-
tempted to escape was forced to use much ingenuity to devise a plan where-
by he might secure his safety. Accordingly he invited all the neighboring
gentry to a levee at his chateau and when the gayety was at its height he
and the countess made their escape, under cover of the night, going on foot
to the sea where a vessel bound for Charleston lay at anchor. On this
they embarked, taking with them only the family jewels and a Huguenot
Bible, and in 1693 landed at Staten Island, New York. Montgomery La
Tourette was born in Tippecanoe county,. Indiana, November 15, 1846.
100 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
The grandfather, John La Tourette, a weaver by occupation, was a native
of New York state where he lived until middle life when he came west
and settled in Ohio and later in Indiana, His death occurred near Coving-
ton, Fountain county, Indiana. The father. Garrett La Tourette, was a
native of Germantown, Ohio, where he was reared, and when grown to
manhood became a steam engineer. He was united in marriage to Margaret
Ann Sherry, who was of Irish descent and was born in Indiana. They
were the parents of three children: Montgomery, the subject of this biog-
raphy ; Henry, a carpenter in Benton county, Iowa ; and Sarah, deceased,
who was the wife of John Heath. In 185 1 the father, Garrett La Tourette,
died near La Fayette, Indiana, and three years later, in 1854, his widow
and the children came with relatives to Iowa, making their home in Ben-
ton county. There Mrs. La Tourette entered upon a second marriage, the
union being with William Cline, a farmer, by whom she had one child.
Albert Cline who is engaged in agriculture at Guthrie. Oklahoma.
Montgomery La Tourette attended school in Benton county, Iowa, and
afterwards assisted with the work of tilling the fields on the home place.
He then bought a farm adjoining his mother's and developed this devoting
himself especially .to the raising of grain which he shipped in large quanti-
ties to the local market. In 1895 he sold out this farm and bought another
in Van Buren county, Iowa, which he operated until 1902, situated east
of Birmingham. He then removed his family to Jefiferson county, Iowa,
and established his home on the old Daniel Warner farm in Center town-
ship, remaining there until March i, 191 1, when he bought the tract of
land on which he lives at the present time, one hundred and fifty-four
acres in Locust Grove township. Here he is engaged in the various lines
of general farming and also raises a good grade of stock, feeding grain
and hay which he raises. The farm includes fifteen acres of timber land
of considerable value.
For his helpmate Mr. La Tourette chose Miss Sarah E. Carver to whom
he was married on June 12. 1879. On her mother's side she was descended
from an old colonial family, the great-grandmother having been a native
of Virginia where the Deans were of much importance in the early part
of the nineteenth century. They were planters and large property owners
employing many slaves on their land freeing them, however, long before
the Civil war broke out. The grandfather of Mrs. La Tourette, lames
Carver, was born in America of English parents and came from Pennsyl-
vania to Franklin county, Ohio where he was engaged in tilling the soil.
Her father, Thomas Carver, was a farmer born in Franklin county, Ohio,
who came to Iowa as one of the pioneer settlers of Linn county. He en-
listed in Company I, Twentieth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and served two
years when he was taken ill with typhoid fever and passed away in the
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 101
spring of 1864, at New Orleans. Mrs. La Tourette's mother was Elizabeth
A. Dean before her marriage. A native of Ohio, she was married in Linn
county, Iowa, and now lives with her granddaughter, Leta Carver, in Ben-
ton county, Iowa. There were four children in the Carver family : Sarah,
now Mrs. La Tourette ; John Franklin, who died in infancy ; Tabitha Jane,
the wife of E. H. Skinner of Birmingham, Iowa, whom she married when
a widow, a former marriage having taken place with George Reynolds of
Wapello county, who died in 1904; and Thomas A., an editor at Concep-
tion Junction, Missouri, whose present wife is a Mrs. Hodgen, his former
wife, who was Ella Dixon, having died twenty-four years ago.
Mr. and Mrs. La Tourette are the parents of four children : Schuyler, a
farmer at Canby, Oregon, who is married to Lena Erickson, a daughter of
Charles Erickson, and has one child, Dwight; ClilTord C, who lives at
home with his parents ; Fred, who is a farmer in North Dakota ; and Mary,
a pupil in the Fairfield high school. Mr. La Tourette and his family are
members of the Methodist Episcopal church of Fairfield, and he is con-
nected with the Masonic order having joined the Benton City Lodge, No.
181, A. F. & A. M., at Shellsburg, while his daughter Mary belongs to the
Rebecca Lodge of Batavia. In politics his sympathies are with the demo-
cratic party and the principles for which it stands, but at elections he is
not fettered by blind partisanship, preferring to exercise his own judg-
ment in regard to the candidate whom he chooses to support with his vote.
Large in his views and unopinionated, Mr. La Tourette stands for the type
of citizenship of which our body politics is in crying need — the open-
minded man who can think for himself and has the moral stamina to abide
by his convictions.
CARL S. BISHOP. M. D.
Dr. Carl S. Bishop, who for more than seventeen years has been suc-
cessfully engaged in the practice of medicine in Glasgow, was born in
Van Buren county, this state, on October, 21, 1864, a son of John and
Mary (Huffman) Bishop. His father was a native of Virginia, his birth
occurring there in 1826, while the mother, whose natal day was in 1835,
was the first white child born in Van Buren county. In 1850, when he
was twenty-four years of age, John Bishop removed from Ohio to Iowa,
locating in Van Buren county, where he followed the carpenter's trade and
also engaged in farming. He subsequently acquired the title to two hun-
dred acres of unimproved and uncultivated land in Jefiferson county, that
he energetically applied himself to clearing and operating. His efforts met
102 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
with such lucrative returns that he was later able to extend the boundaries
of his farm by the addition of another quarter section, thus making the
aggregate of his holdings three hundred and sixty acres. Being both enter-
prising and diligent Mr. Bishop so intelligently applied his energies that
he brought his land under a high state of cultivation, making it one of the
attractive and valuable farms of the county. Here he spent the remainder
of his life, his demise occurring in October, 1904, at the age of seventy-
eight years. The mother survived until January 12, 1910, and was seventy-
five years of age when she passed away. They were both most estimable
people and were highly regarded in the community where they had re-
sided for many years and had always exercised a goodly influence.
Reared on his father's farm, the boyhood and youth of Dr. Bishop were
not particularly unlike those of the average farmer lad of that period. In
the acquirement of his early education he attended the district schools in
the vicinity of his neighborhood until qualified to enter Parsons College.
He became a student of that institution in 1883, and in 1888, at the expira-
tion of a five-years period of study, was graduated. The succeeding three
years he devoted to teaching, being principal of the school at Abbington
for a year and that of Libertyville for two years. As he had previously
decided to adopt the medical profession for his life vocation, in the autumn
of 1891 he entered the Keokuk Medical College, being awarded the degree
of M. D. three years later. He first located in Fairfield, where he main-
tained an office until June 5, 1894, then came to Glasgow, where he has
ever since resided. Dr. Bishop is well qualified for the profession he is
following both because of his natural aptitude and by reason of his con-
stant study and thorough preparation. He is most conscientious in his de-
votion to his patients, thorough in his diagnosis and tireless in his adminis-
trations in the efifort to mitigate their suffering. He is the only physician
in the town and in Round Prairie township so naturally in consideration
of his excellent qualifications has succeeded in building up a very large
practice.
On the 14th of April, 1897, Dr. Bishop was united in marriage to Miss
Prudence K. Gregg, a daughter of James and Elizabeth (Billings) Gregg,
the father a native of Indiana and the mother of Ohio. James Gregg came
to Iowa with his parents, who located in Jefferson county during the pioneer
days. Having attained man's estate he bought some land that he cleared
and operated until 1899, when he withdrew from the active work of the
fields and retired to Fairfield, where he now resides, and where his wife
passed away in April, 1910. To Dr. and Mrs. Bishop five children were
born, as follows : J. Paul, Mildred Elizabeth, Carl Gregg, Robert Huffman,
who are respectively thirteen, eleven, seven and three years of age. and
James Frederick, who has passed the first anniversary of his birth. The
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 103
wife and mother after an illness covering one week, passed away with pneu-
monia, her death occurring on the 30th of March, 191 1.
Dr. Bishop and his family affiliate with the Methodist Episcopal church,
of which the mother was also a member, and fraternally he is a Modem
Woodman of America, belonging to the Fairfield Camp. His political sup-
port Dr. Bishop accords to the republican party whose policy receives his
unqualified indorsement, although he does not actively participate in town-
ship governmental affairs, preferring to give his undivided attention to his
profession. His connection with his fellow practitioners he maintains
through the medium of his membership in the Jefiferson County Medical
Society and the Iowa State and American Medical Associations. Good
financial success has attended his efforts professionally and he is the owner
of a finely improved farm of one hundred and thirty acres in Round Prai-
rie township, in addition to which he also has an interest in the old family
homestead. He has a very attractive residence and four lots in Glasgow
and he also owns his office building. Charitable in his judgments, just in
his criticisms and helpful in his attitude toward all. Dr. Bishop has won
and retained the friendship of many since locating here by reason of these
substantial qualities.
REV. AUGUST WALGREN.
No history of Jefferson county would be complete were there failure to
make mention of Rev. August Walgren, now one of the most venerable
citizens, having passed the eighty-fourth milestone on life's journey. The
greater part of this period has been spent in Iowa and Jefferson county
has long numbered him among its most worthy citizens. He attained a
high degree of success in life through earnest, persistent labor, and at the
same time developed a Christian character in keeping with his professions
as a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Rev. Walgren was born
in Sweden, September 11, 1827, a son of Peter and Christine (Walgren)
Peterson. The father died on his way to Iowa in 1849. He was a tailor
by trade and also owned and cultivated a farm. Following his demise his
widow came with her children to the new world, reaching Burlington, Iowa,
in 1850. There were four sons and a daughter in the family and all that
they had left when they arrived at Burlington was ten dollars in cash. Of
the children August was the eldest and the others were: John, who died
in California; Andrew, who served for ninety days in the First Iowa In-
fantry during the Civil war and is now living in Burlington ; Louis P., who
enlisted in the Seventh Iowa Cavalry and afterward served for about two
104 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
years in a Nebraska regiment, becoming subsequent to the war a resident
of Texas, where his death occurred ; and Mrs. Caroline Hillery, who died
in Jefferson county.
Rev. August Walgren was a young man of about twenty-three years
when he came with his mother and the younger members of the family
to the new world. His education had been acquired in his native land at
his mother's knee and his home training taught him the value of industry
and perseverance. There were so many Petersons living in the county
that after his arrival in the United States he changed his name to Walgren.
The first work that he did was to chop wood at fifty cents per cord and
thus he made enough money to pay his board. In 1851 he went to Lock-
ridge township, Jefferson county, where he bargained for sixty acres of
land. He had no money with which to make payment but agreed to pay
twenty per cent interest and thus at the outset of his career assumed an
indebtedness that under the circumstances would have utterly discouraged
and disheartened many a man of less resolute purpose. He at once sought
employment, working for from forty cents to a dollar per day and using
whatever time he could to develop his own farm. He walked to and from
Burlington, a distance of forty-two miles, in order to cultivate his land
which was covered with timber that he cleared away as he found opportun-
ity. In time the fields were ready for cultivation, crops were planted and
in due time substantial harvests were gathered. Taking up his abode upon
the property he continued to make his home there until the time of his en-
listment for service in the Civil war. In the opening year of the contest
between the north and the south he joined Company M of the Fourth Iowa
Cavalry and was at the front for three years and three months, serving in
the hospital corps toward the end of the time. His health became so im-
paired through the rigors and hardships of war that for about three years
after the cessation of hostilities he was unable to work. However he
labored earnestly in behalf of Christianity, serving for ten years as a minis-
ter of the Methodist Episcopal church. When his health had so improved
that he could once more undertake the task of cultivating the fields he bent
his energies toward the further development and improvement of his prop-
erty and as his financial resources increased he added to his holdings until
he had six hundred acres north of Lockridge, becoming one of the exten-
sive farmers of the community. Of this he has since sold one hundred and
twenty acres so that his holdings at the present writing are four hundred
and eighty acres. He engaged in farming until advanced age came upon him
when he retired to Fairfield about seven years ago. He had erected a fine
residence upon his land and left it well improved for he had brought his
fields under a high state of cultivation and had added all of the equipment
and accessories of a model farm. His home was a large three-story resi-
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 105
dence with French roof, the first story being built of dimension rock and
the remainder of brick. The house contains eleven rooms and was erected
in 1890. He put in an artificial pond by the house covering two acres which
was well stocked with fish and he set out a fine grove, making personal
selection of all the trees. The lawn, too, was kept in splendid condition
and his home was the finest in Lockridge township. Everything about the
place indicated his progressive spirit and practical methods. In 1888 he
built a large bank barn, fifty by sixty feet, there being a stone wall on an
average of nine feet under this for the superstructure was of heavy timbers.
He spared neither time nor expense in beautifying his home as well as mak-
ing it comfortable and convenient and the Walgren farm became one of the
finest in the county. In his business afifairs Mr. Walgren displayed keen
sagacity and discernment and to indefatigable industry he added careful
management so that the years brought him substantial, well merited and
gratifying success.
On the 28th of January, 1851, occurred the marriage of August Wal-
gren and Miss Anna Peterson, who was born in Sweden in 1829 and came
to Burlington in 1849 ^ith her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Peterson,
the journey being made in a lumber wagon from Chicago, for there were
no railroads at that day. The father died soon after his arrival here. Mr.
and Mrs. Walgren became the parents of a large family : Andrew, living in
Galesburg, Illinois; Albert, who occupies his father's farm in Lockridge
township ; Joseph Oscar, a resident of California ; Arthur, of Idaho ; Louis,
residing in Denver ; Wesley Grant, who occupies one of his father's farms ;
Franklin B., a resident farmer of Lockridge township; Anna Caroline, at
home; Emma, the wife of William Crunpoltz, of Lockridge; Etta, residing
in Wyoming ; and Boswick, at home. There was also a daughter who died
in infancy ; another, Emily, who died at the age of eight years ; while Frances
passed away at the age of five years, there being altogether fourteen chil-
dren in the family. Mr. and Mrs. Walgren also have reared four of their
grandchildren. For more than sixty years they have traveled life's
journey together, sharing with each other its joys and sorrows, its adversity
and prosperity. In politics Mr. Walgren is a stanch republican, never fal-
tering in his advocacy of the principles of the party which was the defense
of the Union in the dark days of the Civil war and has always been the
party of reform and progress. He maintains pleasant relations with his
old army comrades through his membership in George Strong Post No. 19,
G. A. R., of Fairfield. His has indeed been a well spent life. He came to
the new world a young man empty-handed, unfamiliar with the language
and the customs of the people, and in the early period of his residence in
Iowa he worked near Burlington for Hon. Charles Mason, the first supreme
court judge of the state. Carefully saving his earnings he was enabled at
106 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
length to make his payments upon his property and later to add to his hold-
ings until a notable measure of success was his. The record of his life
commands admiration for it indicates the strength of his character and the
extent of his resources and ability. He has today passed the eighty-fourth
milestone on life's journey and can look back over the past without regret
for he has neglected few opportunities, having on the contrary made wise
use of his time and talents, nor has he been self-centered in his work for
his labors have been an element in the agricultural development of the dis-
trict and in various other ways he has cooperated in the work of general
improvement and upbuilding.
GEORGE LIBLIN.
That the life history of George Liblin is a record of success is due to the
persistent effort and intelligently directed industry which he has displayed
through the many years of his connection with agricultural interests of Jef-
ferson county. He is one of France's contributions to the citizenship of
Iowa, his birth there occurring on the 13th of October 1841. His parents,
James and Julian Liblin, were also natives of France and came to the new
world in 1846, arriving in St. Louis, Missouri, in the spring of that year.
There they resided for about ten years, after which they came to Cedar
township, Jefferson county, where the father entered forty acres of govern-
ment land. He at once directed his energies toward agricultural pursuits
and as he could, he added other small tracts to his original purchase until
eventually he became the owner of one hundred and five acres, all of which
he brought under development. Both he and his wife passed away on this
farm, the former when he had reached the age of sixty-seven years, eleven
months and thirteen days, and the latter at the age of eighty-six years. In
their family were five children, as follows : James, a resident of Salina,
Iowa; George, of this review; Alexander, of Arizona; Christina Isel, a
widow, of Cedar township; and Martin, now deceased.
George Liblin was but five years of age when his parents made the long
journey across the Atlantic, and thus the greater part of his life has been
passed within the borders of Jefferson county, Iowa. As a boy he assisted
his father in the cultivation of the home farm and as his strength increased
he also performed other tasks such as coal digging, wood chopping and
grubbing. Upon entering the business world he took up agricultural pur-
suits on his own account and since that time the years have marked his grad-
ual advance toward the goal of prosperity until today he is ranked among
the substantial and representative farmers of his section of the county. At
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 107
one time he owned five hundred acres of land of which he later sold por-
tions to his sons, reserving for his use today a tract of one hundred and
eighty acres located on section 32, Buchanan township. This farm is pleas-
antly situated about a mile and a half southeast of Fairfield on the middle
road, and is thus within close reach of the conveniences and pleasures af-
forded by city life. Mr. Liblin carries on general agricultural pursuits, in
the management of which he has manifested good business ability and in-
dustry that never flags. His methods have ever been honorable and his
dealings fair and the prosperity which he now enjoys has come as the well
merited reward of a well spent life.
It was on the 31st of April 1862, that Mr. Liblin was united in marriage
to Miss Mary Long, who was born in Tennessee on the i8th of April, 1843,
a daughter of Jesse and Nancy Long. Her parents came to Jefferson
county, Iowa, at an early day, and here the father gave a large portion of
his time to farming pursuits. He taught school for a time, however, and
also acted as local Methodist preacher. In politics he was a democrat and
at the time of his death was serving as sheriff of Jefferson county. He
passed away in 1855. In his family were eleven children two sons and nine
daughters, of whom only four daughters are now living. The two sons,
Cleve and William, served in the Civil war and passed away shortly after
returning home from the front. To Mr. and Mrs. Liblin were born seven
children, as follows : George W., who is mentioned below ; Malissa, at
home ; Ed, residing in Center township ; William, who was killed at the age
of twenty-one years, having been accidentally shot while hunting; Frank,
who owns one hundred acres of the old homestead and is engaged in farm-
ing in connection with his father ; Vester, at home ; and Delia, who married
William Fickel, of Center township. Mr. Liblin has lived a quiet life, in
which political activity has had no part, but he has nevertheless been deeply
interested in all that pertains to the development of the district in which he
resides. Although he has now reached the Psalmist's allotted span of three
score years and ten he is still active in the world's work and displays a pub-
lic-spirited devotion to the country of his adoption.
GEORGE W. LIBLIN.
Among Jefferson county's native sons who are meeting with success in
the utilization of the excellent opportunities here offered along agricultural
lines is George W. Liblin, whose birth occurred in Cedar township on the
17th of March, 1863. He is the eldest child in the family of seven children
born to George and Mary Ann (Long) Liblin, natives of France and Ten-
108 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
nessee, of whom mention is made above. The family has long been estab-
lished in this section and the grandparents on both the paternal and mater-
nal side here passed away and are buried in Paterson cemetery of Cedar
township.
On the old homestead farm George W. Liblin spent the period of his
boyhood youth, and amid the busy activities of rural life he learned many
lessons concerning the value of industry and perseverance and formed
habits of clean and upright living, elements which later formed the salient
characteristics of his career. He remained with his parents until twenty-
three years of age, when he left home and took up agricultural pursuits on
his own account, his thorough training under the direction of his father
well equipping him for the conduct of an independent venture. Purchasing
eighty-five acres on section 12, Center township, he took up his abode there-
on and it has since remained his home, living alone on the place until his
marriage. He holds to modern methods, is energetic and persevering in the
conduct of his affairs and the well improved condition of his farm indicates
that he is in close touch with the spirit of progress which is so manifest in
agricultural circles today.
Mr. Liblin was married on November 29, 1888, to Miss Rosa Bean, who
was born in Washington county, Iowa, January 29, 1866, a daughter of
Joseph and Esther Bean, the former now deceased and the latter residing
with Mrs. Liblin. To Mr. and Mrs. Liblin, on November 3, 1899, one
child was born, George William, who, however, passed away, July 13, 1902,
at the age of two years and eight months. The parents are members of the
Christian church while in politics Mr. Liblin gives his support to the democ-
racy, in the principles of which party he sincerely believes. He has never
sought public office as the reward for party fealty, however, but has con-
scientiously endeavored to perform all those duties of private life which
should be regarded as privileges as well as obligations by all loyal citizens.
He is widely known in the county within whose borders his entire life has
been spent, and that many of his best friends now are those who were his
boyhood's companions is indicative of the fact that he possesses in large de-
gree those qualities which win and retain warm regard and high esteem.
ROBERT H. JOHNSTON.
Robert H. Johnston, whose life span covers eight decades, is numbered
among the citizens of Jefferson county most worthy of honor and venera-
tion, for his record has ever been one of ceaseless efifort, honorable princi-
ples and high purposes. His well directed labors, too, have brought him
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 109
substantial success in the business world, and he is now able to leave the
active work to younger shoulders, enjoying the comforts of life which his
prosperity affords him. He was born in Allegheny county, Pennsylvania,
on the 14th of December, 1831, a son of Samuel and Prudence (Hill) John-
ston, both natives of Ireland, having been born near Belfast. There they
were reared and married and in 1825 came to Pennsylvania. The father
operated the Pittsburg House on the Diamond, his time and attention being
thus engaged until his death in 1836. His widow later brought her family
to Iowa, arriving in Van Buren county in 1854, the home being established
in Cedar township, east of Birmingham, where she resided until December
16, 1866, when she passed away at the age of seventy-two years. The
family consisted of four children, of whom the three eldest, Margaret, Will-
iam and Henry, are now deceased.
Robert H. Johnston, the youngest child of Samuel and Prudence John-
ston, was a young man of twenty-three years when he came to Iowa with
his mother in the fall of 1854. His education had been acquired in the Key-
stone state and there he learned the shoemaker's trade, serving his appren-
ticeship near Pittsburg and following that occupation for about seven years
in Pennsylvania and also in Iowa. After his arrival in this state he spent
one year in Scott county and in the fall of 1855 removed to Van Buren
county, where he remained until 1877. In the latter year he came to his
present place of residence, which has remained his home for thirty-four
years. His home farm, which is located on section 36, Liberty township,
about two miles north of Birmingham, on the Van Buren county line, con-
sists of eighty acres and is a well improved property, containing all of the
accessories necessary to equip a model farm. Indeed it is one of the most
valuable and desirable places in Liberty township and in its excellent con-
dition is seen the result of a life characterized by earnest endeavor, by un-
faltering energy and well directed effort. It was but a natural sequence
that as the years passed Mr. Johnston should prosper in his agricultural
undertaking and never was success more worthily won nor more richly de-
served. He continued in the active management of his interests until about
five years ago, when he turned over the actual supervision of his farm to
his sons and is now living in honorable retirement.
The entire attention of Mr. Johnston, however, has not been concen-
trated in this one avenue, for during the past nineteen years he has served
as a director of the Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance Company. In like
manner business interests have not been permitted to exclude activity in
other directions and he has an interesting military record covering three
years' service in the Civil war as a soldier in the Union army. He enlisted
from Van Buren county on the 6th of August, 1862, being assigned to Com-
pany I, Nineteenth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and remained with that com-
110 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
mand until honorably discharged on the 6th of August, 1865, having in the
meantime been detailed as bass drummer of the regiment. He has since
maintained pleasant connection with his old army comrades through his
membership in Newell Post, G. A. R., at Birmingham. He is a demitted
Mason, while his religious faith is that of the Presbyterian church, holding
membership relations with that denomination at Birmingham. In politics
he has ever given stalwart support to the republican party and has been
called to public service by his fellow citizens, filling the office of township
trustee for a number of years. He has also served as school director, being
a warm advocate of the cause of education, and he is equally stanch in
his advocacy of material and moral progress, doing all in his power to fur-
ther the interests of the community in which he lives, in every possible way.
It was in 1852 that Mr. Johnston was united in marriage to Miss Han-
nah Shepler, who was born in Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, on the
2ist of February, 1828, a daughter of Peter and Mary (Paine) Shepler,
both natives of the Keystone state, where their last days were spent. The
Johnston household was blessed with six children, as follows: William, a
farmer of Van Buren county, residing near Birmingham ; Margaret, who
married Jackson Kirkhart, of Cantril. Van Buren county ; Mary, at home ;
Maria, who married Albert Parker, of Derby, Lucas county ; Reuben, a
resident of Liberty township ; and Carrie, who passed away at the age of
nine years. Mr. and Mrs. Johnston celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of
their wedding nine years ago and they confidently expect to celebrate their
sixtieth anniversary in 1912. Both have long since passed the Psalmist's
allotted span of three score years and ten and they can look back upon a
past which has been crowned with successful achievement and characterized
by a development of high ideals. Both have lived their lives to noble pur-
pose and now in the evening of life they have in full measure the unqualified
respect, esteem and reverence which should ever be accorded old age.
DAVID GOUGHNOUR.
The late David Goughnour, for many years successfully identified with
the agricultural interests of Jefferson county where he was numbered
among the highly esteemed citizens, was born in Gambia county, Pennsyl-
vania, on the 30th of July, 1836. His parents were David and Mary (Fox)
Goughnour, natives of Pennsylvania, the father of Dutch extraction and
the mother of Irish. They came to Iowa with their parents when children,
being reared to maturity near Libertyville, Jefferson county, where they
were later married. There the father followed the trade of millwright
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 113
until 1849 when he joined the goldseekers and went to California. After
spending three years in prospecting he started homeward, but contracted
cholera while enroute and passed away at Memphis, Tennessee. His wife
then removed to Polk county, this state, where she resided thereafter, her
death occurring at Elkhart in 1872.
The early years in the life of David Goughnour were not unlike those
of the majority of lads reared in the country at that period. In pursuit
of an education he attended the district schools until he had mastered the
common branches, during which time his energies were also devoted to
the work of the fields. After his marriage he went to Dallas county, Iowa,
where for two years he operated a mill for his brother Manuel. At the
expiration of that time he decided to return to farming and purchased
fifty-seven acres of land in Polk county. Cultivating his farm for six
years he disposed of it and acquired some prairie land upon which he
resided for a similar period. Selling this property he located near Altoona,
where he lived for nine years, when he returned to Jefiferson county,
settling on a farm southeast of Batavia in Des Moines township. He
successfully engaged in the operation of this place for fourteen years, but
owing to the state of his health in 1905 was forced to withdraw from
active farming and removed to Batavia. There he continued to reside until
his death on the 19th of December, 1908. He is survived by his widow
who still makes her home in Batavia. Ever loyal and public-spirited, when
the call came for troops, in 1864,- Mr. Goughnour responded, enlisting at
Davenport, and going to the front with Company F, Third Iowa Volunteer
Cavalry. He saw much active service, participating in many of the hard
campaigns during the closing months of the war, having been for three
months at one time in the saddle almost continuously, just snatching such
rest as he could at rare intervals. After he was mustered out he returned
to Jefferson county, where he resided until after his marriage.
Mr. Goughnour married on the 14th of March, 1867, Miss Lovina
Haney. Mrs. Goughnour was born on a farm near Dayton, Montgomery
county, Ohio, her parents being Daniel and Susan (Rodabaugh) Haney,
natives of Pennsylvania, of German extraction. Mr. and Mrs. Haney
removed with their parents during childhood to Ohio, where they were
later married, continuing to be residents of the Buckeye state until 1855.
In the latter year they came to Iowa, locating on a farm west of Birming-
ham, Jefferson county, where they resided for six years. At the expira-
tion of that period they removed to Whitfield and there he continued to
follow agricultural pursuits until his death. The mother survived for six
years thereafter, her demise occurring on the home farm. Eight children
were born to the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Goughnour. Daniel E., who
is the marshal of Byron, Illinois, and also manager of the City Electric
Vol. 11—7
114 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COl'XTY
Light & Water Company, married Mary Dillon of Byron, and they have
two children, Vinson and Dorothy. Sarah, the wife of William Stebleton,
a farmer of North Dakota, has seven children: Ethel, Cletis, Harvey,
Hazel, Floyd, George and Leslie. Henry, who was the third in order of
birth, died at the age of two years and six months. Mina, the wife of
Charles Smith, a farmer living three miles south of Batavia, has a son
and a daughter, Russell and Mabel. Annie died at the age of nine years
and ten months. Carrie, is the widow of William Boysel, a farmer who
lived south of Batavia. Mary, who was the youngest daughter, died at
the age of four years and four days. Wilson, who is the eighth member
of the family, remains at home.
An earnest Christian, Mr. Goughnour was always an active member of
the Brethren church of Batavia, with which organization Mrs. Goughnour
is also identified. Politically he was a republican, and served on the dis-
trict school boards in both Polk and Jefiferson counties. He was a man
of energetic and forceful character whose influence was ever exerted in
support of all that was best in forwarding the interests of the community
in which he resided and in whose development he ever took an earnest
and helpful part.
JOSEPH SCHILLERSTROA/1.
Joseph Schillerstrom, whose energies have been devoted to general mer-
cantile pursuits in Salina for the past twenty-seven years, is one of Jeffer-
son county's native sons. His birth occurred on a farm in Lockridge town-
ship, on November 28, 1855, his parents being Gustaf O. and Inga Schiller-
strom, both of whom were born and reared in Sweden. There the father
engaged in farming until 1846, when seeking opportunities affording more
rapid advancement he took passage for the United States. Upon his arrival
in this country he made his way westward to Iowa, locating in Jefferson
county, which at that time was but sparsely settled. He invested a portion
of his small capital in forty acres of government land in Lockridge town-
ship, for which he paid one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre. After
placing upon his tract such buildings as were essential for immediate use.
he began clearing and improving his land, diligently applying himself to
its cultivation for two years. At the expiration of that period he sold his
place and purchased a tract of one hundred and thirty acres of uncultivated
and unimproved land north of Salina, where he immediately removed.
He improved this tract until 1863, then disposing of it he rented a place
closer to Sahna, where he resided one year, locating in the spring of 1865
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 115
at Glendale, also in Lockridge township. Here he purchased one hundred
and twenty acres of land that he operated until 1896, when he sold his
holdings and retired from active work, making his home with his children
until his death in April, 191 1. The mother passed away in 1893.
Joseph Schillerstrom was reared in Lockridge township, gaining his
education in the district schools, at the same time tilling the soil and caring
for the crops under the capable supervision of his father. He remained
a member of the parental household until he had attained his majority
when he began for himself as a farm hand, following this occupation for
four years. In 1880 he went west, locating in Nevada where he farmed
for three years ; subsequently he returned to Jefferson county, where he
has ever since resided. Commercial activities had always appealed to Mr.
Schillerstrom who now decided to abandon farming, so he bought the
general mercantile business of Frank Thuesson at Salina, taking possession
of the store in January, 1884. He has met with an unusual degree of
success in this undertaking, carrying a large and well assorted stock of
goods and being the only merchant in the town. He is a man who has
the happy faculty of making and retaining the friendship of the majority
of those with whom he comes in contact, and this together with his gracious
and accommodating manner to customers has enabled him to build up a
large patronage. Mr. Schillerstrom is the owner of the building in which
his store is located and of a fine residence and four lots.
On the 24th of November, 1885, Mr. Schillerstrom completed his ar-
rangements for a home by his marriage to Miss Josie Edmunds, a daughter
of Charles and Sophia (Faust) Edmunds, natives of Sweden. Mrs. Ed-
munds passed away in the old country in 1871 and five years later her
husband with his family emigrated to the United States, locating in Jefferson
county. During the first four years of his residence here Mr. Edmunds
rented a farm near Packwood which he cultivated with such success that
he was able to buy one hundred and forty acres of land north of Salina.
He located upon this, devoting his energies to its cuhivation until his de-
mise on the 14th of March, 1898. Mr. and Mrs. Schillerstrom were the
parents of eight children: Edward C, who is twenty-five years of age.
now residing in Creston ; Glenn J., who is twenty-two ; Nettie F., whose
age is twenty ; Townsend, who is eighteen ; Curtis, a youth of fifteen ; Iva
Pearl, who has passed the twelfth anniversary of her birth; Mary, aged
eight; and Francis, who is just entering his fifth year.
The family affiliate with the Presbyterian church, and in matters politic
Mr. Schillerstrom gives his support to the prohibition party, thus indicating
his views on the liquor question. Although he takes an interest in all
matters pertaining to the public policy he has never desired office, and when
elected to the office of justice of the peace, some time ago, declined the
116 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
proffered honor. He is a man of determination and stalwart purpose, who
has labored persistently and unremittingly in his efforts to build up his busi-
ness and has had his endeavors well repaid not only by a large patronage
but the respect of the community at large, which is freely accorded him.
LOUIS DUTTWEILER.
Louis Duttweiler, who has spent his entire life within the borders of
Jefferson county, has been successfully engaged in the feed business at
Lockridge since 1902; and, for the past five years, has'been identified with
the Lockridge Telephone Company, having charge of the local exchange.
His birth occurred in Walnut township on the 27th of November, 1855, his
parents being Louis and Sarah (Hetzel) Duttweiler; the former a native
of Germany and the latter of Ohio. Louis Duttweiler, Sr., who was born
in Germany December 2, 1815, emigrated to the United States in a very
early day, locating in Ohio, where he remained for two years. On the ex-
piration of that period, he came to Jefferson county, Iowa, and entered
eighty acres of land from the government at a dollar and a quarter per
acre. He cleared and improved the property, and continued its operation
throughout the remainder of his life. As his financial resources increased,
owing to his untiring industry and capable management, he augmented
h;s holdings by additional purchase until, at the time of his death, which
occurred July 31, 1889, he owned two hundred and forty acres of rich and
productive land. The demise of his wife had occurred on July 4, 1877.
Louis Duttweiler obtained his education in the district schools of Wal-
nut township, this county, and remained under the parental roof until he
had attained his majority. Renting his father's farm at that time, he con-
tinued its operation until 1901. During eighteen years of this period, he re-
sided on a farm of ninety acres, in Lockridge township, and placed many
substantial improvements thereon. At the time of his father's demise, he
received one hundred and twenty acres of the old home place as his share
of the estate but, later, sold the same. He still owns his ninety-acre farm,
which he bought September 6, 1889, and moved on to it January 21, 1890,
This farm is situated a half mile east of Lockridge and is operated by his
son-in-law, Claude Teeter. In 1903, he came to Lockridge, purchased prop-
erty and erected a fine residence thereon. He was engaged in the livery
business for two years and, then, embarked in the feed business, which
has claimed his attention up to the present time. Since 1906, he has also
had charge of the local exchange of the Lockridge Telephone Company
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 117
and, in this connection, has proved himself a man of splendid executive
ability and unfaltering enterprise.
On the nth of December, 1879, Mr. Duttweiler was joined in wedlock
to Miss Mary Eggenbarger, a daughter of John and Johanna R. (Dubero)
Eggenbarger. The father was a native of Switzerland and the mother of
Prussia, Germany. The father crossed the Atlantic to the United States
in a very early day. He came direct to Jefferson county, Iowa, and was
employed as a farm hand in Lockridge township for several years. Even-
tually, he purchased land of his own in Lockridge township, clearing and
improving the same and devoting his attention to its cultivation, until 1907.
In that year, he put aside the active work of the fields and took up his
abode in Lockridge, where he lived retired until called to his final rest, De-
cember 29, 1909. His widow, who has now attained the age of seventy-
four years, still makes her home in Lockridge. Our subject and his wife
have one daughter. Sarah S., who is now the wife of Claude Teeter.
Since age conferred upon him the right of franchise, Mr. Duttweiler
has supported the men and measures of the democracy, believing firmly
in its principles. His religious faith is indicated by his membership in the
German Lutheran church, to which his wife also belongs. Alert and ener-
getic, ]Mr. Duttweiler is in close touch with all the interests which are fac-
tors in the life of a progressive citizen and of the community at large ; and
is recognized as a forceful factor for development and improvement in the
locality where he makes his home,
Mr. Duttweiler had one brother and one sister ; the former living in
Pleasant Plain, Iowa. The sister was born December 8, 1859, in Walnut
township, and died on the old home place, September 25, 1883.
JAMES D. CRAIL.
A well known pioneer of Jefferson county, who for many years was
successfully identified with the agricultural and dairying interests of the
county, was the late James D. Crail. He was born in Beaver county,
Pennsylvania, on the 24th of March, 1822, and was a son of Benjamin
and Nancy (Daugherty) Crail. The father, who was of Scotch descent
was born in the Keystone state in 1793, and there he was educated and
reared to manhood. When old enough to decide upon a life vocation he
took up the miller's trade and subsequently became the owner of a grist
mill in Beaver county, Pennsylvania, that he operated until his death in
1846. The mother was born in Scotland in 1798, but she was brought to
the United States in her early childhood and here she was reared and
118 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON" COUNTY
educated. She was married to Mr. Crail in Beaver county, and following
his death she continued to make her home there until 1855, when she came
to Iowa with her children. She made her home in Jefferson county for
many years, but she was living with her daughter, Mrs. Ella Snodgrass,
at Winterset, Madison county, Iowa, when she passed away in 1886. The
family of Mr. and Mrs. Crail numbered ten, as follows: John and Irwin,
both of whom are deceased; James D., our subject; Benjamin F., of Fair-
field ; Milton and Mary, who are also deceased ; Cynthia, who is living
in Shenandoah ; Ella, who is deceased ; Elizabeth, who died in infancy : and
Matilda, who is deceased.
The early years in the life of James D. Crail were typical to those of
other youths of the period who were reared in the more sparsely settled
communities. He attended the common schools in the acquirement of an
education, and when qualified to begin preparations for his life vocation
laid aside his text-books and applied himself to the ship-carpenter's trade.
After the completion of his period of apprenticeship he entered the ship-
yards at Pittsburg, where he was employed until he came west. In 1855
he gave up his position and came to Jefferson county, locating in Fairfield.
He subsequently purchased a farm in the vicinity of Brookville upon which
he settled with his family successfully devoting his energies to its operation
for many years. Mr. Crail was a capable agriculturist and prospered in
his undertakings, but owing to the state of his health was forced to retire
in 1876. He rented his farm and withdrawing from all active work made
two extensive trips through the west. Later he removed to a dairy farm
he purchased south of Fairfield, and there he continued to reside until his
death, which occurred on May 12, 1896.
On the 15th of December, 1861, Mr. Crail was joined in wedlock to
Miss Elizabeth J. Holton, a daughter of Alexander and Nancy (Sellers)
Holton, both natives of Bracken county, Kentucky, and of Scotch-Irish
descent. Mr. and Mrs. Holton began their domestic life on a farm in
the Blue Grass state, but they later removed to Missouri, settling on a
farm where they both passed away, after the war. Mrs. Crail's paternal
grandfather, Joshua Holton, served with distinction in the Revolutionary
war, thus entitling his descendants to membership in the various societies
organized by the sons and daughters of the heroes of the Revolution. Mrs.
Crail is the third in order of birth of the ten children born to her parents,
the others being: Frances, who is living in Missouri; Ruth, who is de-
ceased ; Calvin, who is also deceased ; Lydia, a resident of Missouri ; Polly
and Emily, both of whom are deceased ; and Amanda, John and a baby,
all of whom died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Crail were the parents of two
children: Benjamin Franklin, who is a stockbuyer in Fairfield, married
Mary E. Poulton, and they also have two children, James, who is attend-
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 119
ing the military school at Lexington, Missouri, and Helen, who is in the
Fairfield high school ; and Matilda, who married Bruce Ratcliff, a traveling
salesman of J. M. Gobble & Company, wholesale grocers at Muscatine,
Iowa. They reside with Mrs. Crail and Mrs. Ratcliff is a member of the
Log Cabin Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution of
Fairfield.
The family always attended the ]\Iethodist Episcopal church of Fair-
field, in which the parents held membership, Mrs. Crail still being identified
with this organization. In politics Mr. Crail was a republican, but he
never figured in public affairs as an aspirant to official honors. Owing
to the state of his health Mr. Crail was not able to go to the front during
the Civil war, but his brother. Captain Benjamin F. Crail, made a brilliant
record on the battlefields of the south. Mr. Crail led a somewhat unob-
trusive life, devoting his attention to the development of his personal in-
terests, but he possessed many most estimable qualities and had a large
circle of friends in the county, who held him in high regard.
JESSE A. CORNELL.
Jesse A. Cornell is the owner of a fine farm of seventy acres located
on section ii, Des Moines township, where he engages in general farming
and stock-raising. He is the eldest child born to George Tyler and Eliza-
beth (Gibbs) Cornell, and began his life record in Warren county, Ohio,
on the 8th of May, 1871. The parents were born, reared and married in
Warren county where the father engaged in farming until 1881, when the
family removed to Iowa. They located in Jefferson county, Mr. Cornell
purchasing a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Des Moines town-
ship upon which he resided for twenty-three years. In 1904 he and his
wife retired to Libertyville, where the mother still resides, but he passed
away on the 9th of September, 1907. Mr. and Mrs. Cornell had six chil-
dren: Jesse A., our subject; Wilbur, who is deceased; Viola May,- the
wife of Grant Cornell, a cousin, who is farming in Ohio; and Clarence,
Ralph and Ernest Ray, all of whom are deceased. In the paternal line
Jesse A. Cornell is of Welsh extraction, his grandfather, George Cornell,
having emigrated from Wales to the United States when a youth of six-
teen years. He settled in Ohio during the pioneer days and there three
years later, when he was nineteen years of age, he married a Miss Hanna,
a native of New Jersey, who was thirteen years of age. Immediately fol-
lowing this event they located on the farm where they spent the remainder
120 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
of their lives. He was very successful in his agricultural pursuits and
acquired seven hundred acres of excellent land, that he improved and
brought to a high state of cultivation. The family of Mr. and Mrs. George
Cornell numbered eighteen children of whom the son George Tyler was
the youngest.
The school days of Jesse A. Cornell began in his native state, the
education therein acquired being supplemented by further study in the
schools of district No. i, Des Moines township, after the family located
in Jefferson county. His boyhood was very similar to that of other lads
who are reared in the country, his vacations and such time as he was not
engaged with his lessons being devoted to the work about the farm, under
the direction and supervision of his father. His services were rendered
to his father until he had attained his majority, following which he worked
for him on shares until he was twenty-six years of age. About this time he
married and began to work for himself, renting a hundred and sixty acres
from his father that he cultivated for seven years. In 1907 he purchased
his homestead, and here he engages in general farming and also raises and
feeds stock for the market. Mr. Cornell is a man of progressive ideas and
clear judgment and so capably directs his enterprises that he is meeting
with more than a moderate degree of success, being numbered among the
prosperous farmers of Des Moines township.
On Christmas eve. 1896, Mr. Cornell was united in marriage to Miss
Emma Jacobson, a daughter of Gus F. and Hannah (Edmonds) Jacobson,
both of whom were natives of Sweden. The father emigrated to the
United States when a young man of twenty-one years, while the mother
was a child of five when she accompanied her parents to this country.
Mr. Jacobson first located in New York, going from there to Illinois and
subsequently settling on a farm east of Lockridge in this county. It was
there that Mrs. Cornell was born on the 7th of July, 1876. The father
and mother continued to live on their farm until five years ago when they
removed to Batavia, where they are now residing. Four children were
born to Mr. and Mrs. Jacobson, as follows : David, who is living in Des
Moines, Iowa ; Mrs. Cornell ; Wilbur, who died in childhood ; and Etta,
who passed away when she was eighteen years of age. Mrs. Jacobson had
been married twice before, her first union being with a Mr. Peterson, by
whom she had three children : William, who is deceased ; John, who is liv-
ing in Denver, Colorado ; and Christina, the wife of T. Lundgren, of Cen-
terville, Iowa. Her second husband was Mr. Olson and she bore him one
child, Anna Alice, who is deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Cornell are the parents
of four children : Ruth Hannah, who was born on the 9th of November,
1897; Grace Freeda, whose birth occurred on the 2d of December, 1899;
Ernest Leo, the natal day of whom is the 9th of January, 1900 ; and Goldie
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 121
Christina, whose advent occurred on the 17th of August, 1906. The three
eldest children are attending school in district No. i, Des Moines township.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Cornell hold membership in the Presbyterian church
of Libertyville, and he votes the republican ticket. He cares not to figure
prominently in political activities, but he is a loyal and patriotic citizen,
as were his forefathers, who offered their services to their country in time
of need. His maternal grandfather, Jesse Gibbs and one uncle, Joseph
Gibbs, were in the Civil war, and went with Sherman on his famous march.
SQUIRE C. RIDGWAY.
The late Squire C. Ridgway was one of Jefiferson county's pioneer agri-
culturists, having located in Round Prairie township in 1841. He was
born on the lOth of November, 1819, and was a son of John and Margaret
(Crume) Ridgway, natives of Kentucky. There Mr. Ridgway followed
the stone mason's trade until 1827, when together with his wife and chil-
dren he started for Indiana, but died en route. The mother survived for
forty-seven years thereafter, her demise occurring on the 5th of December,
1874.
Such schooling as was afiforded Squire C. Ridgway he obtained in his
native state, whence he accompanied his parents on their removal to Indiana.
The eldest son, after the death of his father the duties and responsibilities
of manhood devolved upon him, although he was only a lad of eight years.
Pioneering at the best is fraught with hardships and privations, but owing
to their limited circumstances and uncertain resources, the Ridgway family
found life very hard during those early days in Indiana. They continued
to make their home there, however, until 1841 when they removed to
Jefferson county. Here Squire C. Ridgway entered some land in Round
Prairie township that he operated until his death, which occurred on the
3d of January, 1883.
For a life companion Mr. Ridgway chose Miss Elizabeth J. Jamison, their
marriage being celebrated on October 19, 1858. Mrs. Ridgway was born in
Morgan county, Illinois, on the ist of August, 1832, and is a daughter of
Alexander and Mary (Moore) Jamison, the father a native of Virginia
and the mother of Kentucky. Alexander Jamison migrated from his native
state to Illinois in his early manhood and after following his trade there
for several years came to Jefferson county. Upon his arrival in this
county he entered some land in Round Prairie township, which proved
unsuitable for agricultural purposes, as he could not get the all necessary
water ; so leaving the land unimproved, he leased a farm for several years
122 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
and then disposing of his property, he removed to Webster county, making
his home with his children until he passed away. He was eighty years
of age when he died on the 17th of June, 1881, while the mother was
seventy-nine years at the time of her death on the 6th of March, 1886.
Having no children of their own Mr. and Mrs. Ridgway took a boy, Wil-
liam Gill, into their home, who was three years of age at the time. They
reared him to manhood and he is now a well known farmer of Round
Prairie township.
Mr. Ridgway was a member of the [Masonic order and he was also
affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, while he voted the
republican ticket. In religious faith he was a Baptist and his widow still
holds membership in that church. Mrs. Ridgway, who has now attained
the venerable age of seventy-nine years makes her home in Glasgow, where
her sister. Miss Margaret Jamison, is living with her ever since their
parents died. Both ladies are cultured -and refined and carrying their
years lightly, are still actively interested in their pursuits and surround-
ings, among many friends of long years standing.
NATHAN B. REGESTER.
One of the finest and best improved farms in Center township pays
tribute to the efforts of N. B. Regester, who, in the prosecution of general
agricultural and stock-raising pursuits, is meeting with substantial suc-
cess. He was born in Green county, Pennsylvania, on the 7th of Septem-
ber, 1850: a son of John and Mary (Sibit) Regester, also natives of the
Keystone state, the former born on the 4th of October, 1819, and the
latter in 1823. The father, who followed the occupations of a carpenter
and farmer, pass.ed away in March, 1895, having for more than two de-
cades survived his wife, her death occurring in May, 1874. Their family
of four children consists of the following: Rachel Ann, who was called
from this life in childhood; Sarah Jane Craig, also deceased; N. B., of
this review; and Mary Ann, who married John Murphy, of Packwood,
Jefiferson county.
N. B. Regester spent the first seventeen years of his life in his native
state; then, in 1867, he accompanied his parents on their removal to Iowa,
the family home being established on the farm upon which he yet resides.
He has continued to make this his home since that time, with the exception
of one year — 1885 — which was spent in Kansas. He had been reared to
rural life, and, amid the busy activities of the farm, he had learned many
lessons concerning the value of industry, perseverance and thrift. The
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 123
experiences which he gained in the work of the home fields under the
direction of his father well prepared him for the successful conduct of an
independent venture, when he took up farming on his own account. The
tract, which consisted of but eighty acres when it came into his father's
possession, now includes one hundred and sixty acres, located on section
2, Center township, and under thfe wis,e management of our subject it has
been highly developed. A beautiful maple grove, set out by his father, is
one of its attractive features, but the more up-to-date improvements upon
the farm were instituted by N. B. Regester himself. The place is equipped
with good barns and substantial outbuildings, all built by him, and, in
1901, he erected a ten-room, modern dwelling, which is one of the finest
homes in the township. No stronger evidence could be given of the spirit
of progress and energy which dominates its owner than the excellent ap-
pearance of the farm ; and, today, as the result of his well directed efforts
and close application to his farming and stock-raising interests, he is meet-
ing with highly merited success.
In March, 1875, Mr. Regester was united in marriage to Miss Susan
Emma Inghram, who was born in Quincy, Illinois October 21, 1858. Her
parents, Arthur and Mar}^ Jane (Coen) Inghram, were both natives of
Pennsylvania. By them she was brought to Iowa when but two years of
age, their last days being spent in this state. Having no children of their
own, Mr. and Mrs. Regester reared Howard Inghram, a nephew of Mrs.
Regester, who is now residing in Fairfield, and they also assisted in the
rearing of two others. Mr. Regester and wife belong to the Methodist
Episcopal church of Pleasant Grove, and their lives have ever been in
harmony with their professions. The democratic party has found in him
a stalwart supporter since age conferred upon him the right of franchise ;
but the honors and emoluments of office have never held attraction for
him. Mr. Regester is one of the most enterprising farmers in this section,
and the honesty of his business transactions and the high morals governing
his private life have won for him a place among the valued citizens of
Jefiferson county.
DAVID B. WILSON.
A resident of Jefiferson county for fifty-six years, David B. Wilson is
well known to citizens of Fairfield and the surrounding district. He is
always loyal to the interests and welfare of the community, and displayed
the same spirit of faithfulness when during the period of the Civil war he
valiantly defended the Union against the attack of the south. He was
124 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
but seventeen years of age when he came to Fairfield, his birth having
occurred in Newark, Ohio, March i6, 1838, his parents being David S.
and Kitty Ann (Bramble) Wilson; the former a native of Morgantown,
Virginia, and the latter of Chillicothe, Ohio. They were married in the
latter place, and, for a number of years, were residents of Newark. Ohio.
The father died in 1839, when his son David was but a year old. He was
a contractor and builder, always following that pursuit in order to provide
for himself and family. A year after the arrival of her son in Fairfield,
the mother came to this city and here spent her remaining days, her death
occurring in 1875. In the family were three children: Hon. James F.
Wilson, United States senator from Iowa ; mentioned elsewhere in this
volume ; Mary J., who is the widow of Dr. George H. Blair and resides
with her daughter, Mrs. Alice Booker, in Fairfield ; and David B.. of this
review.
The last named spent the days of his boyhood in his native town and
pursued his education in the public schools, but in May, 1855, left Newark
in order to try his fortune west of the Mississippi, coming to Fairfield
where he has since made his home. For a time, he engaged in clerking
and then took up the study of law, being admitted to the bar in 1861. He
did not enter at once upon practice, however, Imt put aside all business
and personal considerations in order to aid in the defense of his country.
It was in May of that year that he offered his services to the government,
and was assigned to duty with Company E, Second Iowa Infantry, with
which he continued until June, 1864, participating in all of the engage-
ments of the regiment during that time. From February until the ist of
June of the latter year, he was on detached duty as the quartermaster's
■department in Pulaski, Tennessee. He had joined the army as a private,
and, when mustered out, held the rank of lieutenant. Some time follow-
ing his return to Fairfield, he was appointed United States pension agent
for the southern district of Iowa and filled that position for twelve years.
He was also engaged in merchandising, conducting a hat, cap and men's
furnishing goods business for about three years. Selling out on the expira-
tion of that period, he took up the practice of law. Since 1896 he has
held the office of justice of the peace, and also conducted a general collec-
tion business.
In February, 1864, Mr. Wilson was united in marriage to Miss Jessie
C. Fetter, who was born in Collinsburg, Pennsylvania, in 1841, and died
in 1874, leaving a daughter, Jennie C, who is now the wife of Perry E.
Hiflin, agent for the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company at
Fairfield. Mr. Wilson votes with the republican party, but has never been
a politician in the usual sense of office seeking. He has ever kept well
informed on the questions and issues of the day, and. at all times, has
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 125
manifested a spirit of loyalty and patriotic citizenship, proving his faith-
fulness to his country in days of peace as he did in the time of war when
he followed the stars and stripes upon the battlefields of the south. Be-
cause of his long residence in Fairfield, Mr. Wilson needs no introduction
to the readers of this volume, being widely known throughout this part
of the state, and his many good traits of character, his reliability in busi-
ness and his faithfulness in every relation of life have commended him to
the confidence and high regard of all. His standing among his fellowmen
is indicated by the fact that he is familiarly and affectionately termed Uncle
David throughout the community.
CARK BROTHERS.
S. P. and C. M. Carr, whose business interests have always been iden-
tified and who are numbered among the leading farmers of Liberty town-
ship, have a well improved property of one hundred and fifty acres on
section 33, whereon they are conducting general agricultural pursuits and
stock-raising. Both were born upon this farm ; the former on the 20th of
March, 1854, and the latter on the 31st of December, 1855. Their parents
were Clabourn M. and Martha Ellen (Flasket) Carr, both natives of
Clark county, Indiana. The father was born April 17, 1828. He was a
son of Thomas J. Carr, who was born in Pennsylvania, and became one
,of the pioneer settlers of Indiana. With the history of Clark county his
name became inseparably associated, for he was long an active and dis-
tinguished figure in the public life of the community, holding the ofifice
of county sheriff for four terms, and representing his district in the state
legislature for two terms. He also won the title of colonel, by service in
the state militia. He was the brother of General John Carr, who was a
member of congress, representing the third district of Indiana. It was in
Indiana that his son, Clabourn M. Carr was reared and, having arrived at
years of maturity, wedded Martha E. Flasket, whose birth occurred March
9, 1831. She was but seven years of age when brought to Iowa, in 1838,
by her father, Samuel Flasket, who cast in his lot with the settlers of the
frontier and here spent his remaining days. The family bore all of the
hardships and privations of pioneer life, and contributed in substantial
measure to the early development and improvement of the region in which
they made their home. About 1850, Clabourn M. Carr came to Jefiferson
county, and married the following year. He always devoted his energies
to farming, but was called to his final rest when but a young man ; passing
away March 17, 1857, at the age of twenty-nine years. His political alle-
126 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
giance was given to the democratic party, and, always keeping well in-
formed on the questions and issues of the day, he took an active part in
debating political themes. He was mentioned as a candidate for the gen-
eral assembly, but death early terminated his career. His wife long sur-
vived him, passing away December 21, 1886. In their family were three
children, of whom Thomas J., the eldest, died, leaving a widow and one
child, Mont O., of Los Angeles, California.
The other sons, S. P. and C. M. Carr, have always resided upon the
farm which is now their home. They attended the public schools and the
Birmingham (Iowa) Academy; they were also early trained to the work
of the fields, so that liberal experience qualified them to manage the farm
when it came into their possession. This farm is an excellent tract of
one hundred and fifty acres of valuable land, situated on section 33, Liberty
township. It is devoted to the raising of diversified crops and, also, to
stock-raising. In the latter connection, the brothers make a specialty of
breeding Duroc Jersey hogs, and have become well known throughout the
entire country, having made exhibitions and received premiums at many
of the state fairs. Their hogs have been shipped from the Atlantic to
the Pacific and from Canada to, and including Mexico. They have been
sent to many states of the Union for breeding purposes. Upon the home
farm, the Carr brothers keep about twelve sows, and raise more than one
hundred head of hogs, annually. In every respect their farm is well kept
and highly improved. It includes a six-acre apple orchard which is the
largest in Liberty township.
The Carr brothers give their political support to the republican party ;
C. M. Carr having served for several terms as township trustee. Both
brothers take an active interest in politics and the success of their party.
Religiously, they are active and official members of the Methodist Episcopal
church at Bethel. As citizens and neighbors, they are regarded as most
reliable and enterprising farmers. Straightforward in all their dealings,
their activity in business and their honorable dealings in all the afifairs of
life have brought to them substantial success.
GEORGE E. STEPHENSON.
George E. Stephenson, one of the highly successful agriculturists of
Lockridge township, is engaged in the operation of the farm where he
was born on the 31st of January, 1872. His father, the late John Stephen-
son, was a native of England, his birth having occurred on the 21st of
August. 1833. When he was a little lad he emigrated to the United States
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 127
with his parents who first located in the state of New York. Later they
removed to Ohio, whence they went to Indiana, where they resided until
1842, in which year they came to Iowa, locating in Jefferson county. Soon
after their arrival the father entered some land in Lockridge township, now
known as Four Corners. He cleared and improved this property, applying
himself with unremitting energy to its operation during the remainder of
his life. John Stephenson, who was only a boy of nine years when his
parents became residents of Jefferson county, finished his education in
the district schools. When old enough to begin his independent career he
purchased sixty-five acres of land in Lockridge township, that he cleared
and placed under cultivation. Under his capable operation and manage-
ment his fields netted such lucrative returns that he was able to extend the
boundaries of his homestead until he had acquired one hundred and fifty-
seven acres of excellent land. Here he made his home during the balance
of his life, his demise occurring on the 17th of April, 1907. For a wife
and helpmate Mr. Stephenson chose Miss Matilda Danielson, who was
born in Sweden on the 7th of May, 1835. Mrs. Stephenson is still living
at the age of seventy-six years and is residing on the old homestead in
Lockridge township.
Reared on the farm where he was born, George E. Stephenson attended
the district schools of the vicinity. While applying himself to the mastery
of the elements of English learning he "was also assisting his father in such
capacities as his strength permitted in the work of the fields and care of
the cattle. By the time he was old enough to discard his text-books, he
was quite familiar with the practical methods of agriculture and fully
qualified to relieve his father of the more arduous duties connected with
the operation of the farm. He assumed greater responsibilities with the
passing years and shortly prior to his father's death purchased the home-
stead, in the cultivation of which he has ever since been engaged. The
tilling of the fields and care of the crops has always been given the per-
sonal supervision of Mr. Stephenson, whose efforts have been remunerated
in a most gratifying manner. In connection with his general farming he
is engaged in the raising of stock, and always keeps about twenty head of
cattle and seven horses, while he annually raises forty hogs. He has
wrought quite extensive improvements in the property during the period
of his ownership and has increased his holdings by the addition of another
ten acres.
On the 25th of October, 1899. was celebrated the marriage of Mr.
Stephenson and' Miss Clara S. Cassel, a daughter of Andrew F. and Louisa
(Peterson) Cassel. One child has been born to Mr. and Mrs. Stephenson,
Louise E., who is now eleven years of age.
128 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and his
political allegiance Mr. Stephenson gives to the republican party. He has
always taken a prominent part in the affairs of the township, having served
as trustee, clerk and assessor, and, at the present time, is treasurer of the
school board. In addition to his agricultural interests Mr. Stephenson is
a stockholder and director of the Lockridge Savings Bank, and a member
of the examining board, while he was formerly secretary and treasurer of
the Four Corners Creamery, having been officially identified with this
enterprise for five years. He is one of the progressive agriculturists of
the county who uses as great discernment in the system and methods he
employs in directing the affairs of his farm as he would employ in con-
ducting a commercial enterprise, and to this ability must be attributed much
of his success.
ADAM F. RAUSCHER.
Adam F. Rauscher, for many years engaged in general farming in
Jefferson county, but now living retired in Lockridge, was born in Koenigs-
bach, Amt Durlach, grand duchy of Baden, Germany, on July 4, 1842.
Mr. Rauscher is proud of the little Baden village in which he first saw the
light of this world and wants his children to always keep in kind regard
the place, wherefrom the family sprung, and which was the boyhood home
of their father. His parents were Adam F. and Salme (Frantz) Rauscher,
also natives of the fatherland. Adam F. Rauscher, who was a stone
mason, together with his wife and family emigrated to the United States
in 1854, arriving here in the month of April. He l6cated in Pennsylvania,
where he followed his trade until October of that year when he removed
to Ohio. The family continued to reside in the Buckeye state until 1857
when they again started westward, Iowa being their destination. They
settled in Story county, the father resuming his trade but as work was
scarce he leased a farm, which he operated one season. He had a fine
crop of corn, but the market was over supplied with this product and
times were very hard, so he not only found it impossible to sell his grain
but could not trade it. Necessity compelled him to again change his loca-
tion, so he and his family went to Des Moines, where he found plenty o^
work at his trade. They remained in the capital city until the spring of
i860, when they came to Jefferson county and rented a farm in Lockridge
township. The operation of this land he turned over to his children, while
he worked at his trade until 1865 when he had accumulated sufficient
capital to enable him to buy a farm on what is now known as "Four
ADAM F. RAUSCHER
MRS. ADAM F. RAUSCHER
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 133
Corners," Lockridge township. Withdrawing from his trade he devoted
his entire attention to the cultivation of his homestead, upon which he
resided until 1889, when he retired. For about seven years thereafter he
made his home with his son Adam F., from whose home he went to live
with a daughter in Fairfield, where he passed away on the 19th of Decem-
ber, 1898; the mother's death had occurred previously, in May, 1893.
The life record of Adam F. Rauscher had covered a period of twelve
years when he emigrated from Germany to the United States with his
parents. The greater part of his education was acquired in the fatherland,
although while living in Ohio he attended the public school for one winter.
He early began assisting his family, either by the contribution of his small
earnings or aiding in the work of the farm. He remained a member of
the parental household until he had attained his majority. At this stage
he began for himself by hiring out as a farm hand. After working for a
year in Jefferson county he went to Illinois where he continued to work
at the same occupation until 1869. By means of close application, tem-
perate habits and thrift he had accumulated the money necessary to enable
him to buy ninety acres of land in Lockridge township, adjacent to his
father's place. But eight acres of this tract was cleared, so he diligently
applied himself to clearing and placing the remainder under cultivation,
after which he split the rails for a fence about his land. He operated this
place in connection with his father's ninety acres for several years, when
he bought out the latter, making his holdings aggregate one hundred and
eighty acres. He disposed of his farm in 1895 and went to Missouri, where
he purchased one hundred and sixty acres that he cultivated for eight
years. At the expiration of that period he sold out and returned to Jefferson
county, settling down in Lockridge, where he has ever since lived retired.
In August, 1870, Mr. Rauscher was united in marriage to Miss Kather-
ine Kintz, a daughter of Christian and Barbara (Molis) Kintz, also natives
of Germany. The father emigrated to the United States in 1836, first
locating in Columbus, Ohio, where he remained for four years. In 1840
he came to Jefferson county and entered land in Walnut township. He
immediately set about clearing and improving his property, continuing to
add to his holdings from time to time, until he had acquired two hundred
and fifteen acres. He continued to operate this place until his death on
the 4th of May, 1892. The mother survived for five years thereafter, her
demise occurring in September, 1897. Mr. and Mrs. Rauscher were the
parents of eight children, as follows : Frederick William, who is residing
in Lockridge ; Ernest Theo, who is engaged in farming in Lockridge town-
ship ; Martha R., the wife of Henry Achenbach, a farmer of Iowa county ;
Henry M., who is an implement dealer in New London, Iowa ; Herman R.,
who is engaged in the same business in Mount Sterling, Iowa; Karl L.,
Vol. II— 8
134 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
who is a harness dealer in New London, Iowa ; Christian A., manager of
the Lumber Company of German Valley, Illinois; and Bertha C, who
was born and died in 1877.
In religious faith Mr. and Mrs. Rauscher are German Lutherans, and
politically he is a democrat. His untiring energy and capable management
enabled Mr. Rauscher to acquire a comfortable competence and he is now
one of the stockholders and a director of the Lockridge Savings Bank.
He is one of the many fine citizens Germany has given the United States,
whose energies have been devoted to the developing and upbuilding of the
great middle west.
WALTER S. CAMPBELL.
Walter S. Campbell, who has been postmaster of Batavia since 1907,
is a native of the town, his birth having there occurred on the 4th of
December, 1855, his parents being Joseph and Emma (Randolph) Camp-
bell. The Campbells belong to one of the old colonial families of America,
having been among the first settlers of Maryland. John and Mary Camp-
bell, the great-grandparents of our subject, were both natives of Maryland,
as was also their son Thomas. In his early manhood the latter removed
to Pennsylvania, where he passed the remainder of his life, his death oc-
curring in 1880. There he met and married Sidney Wads worth, a native
of the Keystone state and a daughter of Joseph and Susan (Hartman)
Wadsworth, who were also born and reared in Pennsylvania. Mr. Wads-
worth, who served in the war of 181 2, died while returning home from
the battle of Lundy's Lane.
Joseph Campbell was born in Greene county, Pennsylvania, where he
was reared and educated. After leaving school he engaged in teaching in
his native state, being successfully identified with this profession from
1848 until 1855, when, believing that the west afforded greater and better
opportunities for a young man he came to Jefiferson county, Iowa. The
following winter he taught in Batavia and in 1857 made his first purchase
of land. This consisted of one hundred and sixty acres in Wayne county,
which he subsequently sold and bought a tract in Wapello county. He
cultivated this for twelve years, but at the expiration of that period bought
one hundred acres of improved land in Locust Grove township, this county,
where he resided until his death. At East Liberty, Fayette county, Penn-
sylvania, occurred the marriage of Mr. Campbell to :\Iiss Emma Randolph,
in 1851. Mrs.. Campbell was born in New Jersey and is a daughter of
Samuel and Nancy (Girard) Randolph, natives of the same state where
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 135
for many years the father was engaged in the shoe business. He later
removed to Pennsylvania, where he died in 1863 ; his wife, however, sur-
vived until 1884. After the death of her husband Mrs. Campbell continued
to live on the homestead for two years, changing her residence to Albia,
Iowa, where she made her domicile for five years. In 1910, she came to
Batavia where she is now living with her daughter Miss Clara Campbell.
The family of Mr. and !Mrs. Campbell numbered ten, of whom our subject
is the second in order of birth, the others being as follows: Sarah J., the
wife of T. C. Hall, a farmer of Smith county, Kansas; Annie Laura, wife
of E. M. Parrett, a farmer of Locust Grove township, this county ; Florence,
rnarried E. A. Long, who is engaged in the insurance business in Albia.
Iowa ; Ella, the wife of John Fansher, a farmer of Wapello couritv ; Charles
R., who is engaged in the coal business in Chicago ; Alice, a teacher now
living in New Jersey; Frank T.. a furniture dealer and undertaker of
Ouincy, Washington ; Mary, the wife of John Parrett, a farmer of Florence,
Iowa ; and Clara, who is living with her mother in Batavia. His political
support Mr. Campbell gaVe to the whig party during his early years, his
first presidential vote having been cast for General Taylor. When the
whigs were absorbed by the republicans he was ever loyal to his early
principles, remaining a stanch supporter of the men and measures of the
younger party. He always took an active interest in educational matters
and while serving on the school board was a prominent factor in promoting
the efficiency of the various local educational institutions.
The early years in the life of Walter S. Campbell differ but in detail
from those of the average youth reared in the country. He remained at
home on the farm with his people until he was twenty-five years of age.
His education was acquired in the district schools, during which time he
was working on the fields and taking care of the stock. In 1880 he left
the parental roof to make a start for himself, farming as a renter for five
years thereafter. At the end of that time he moved westward to South
Dakota, where he remained for a time, before he returned to Jefiferson
county and rented the old homestead. Later he bought a farm in Wapello
county that he cultivated for two years, and disposing of the same he
preempted some government land in the San Luis \"alley.
After operating this tract for a year he came to Batavia and engaged
in the grocery business with his sister, Airs. Long. He was identified
with mercantile pursuits for twelve years, when he traded for sixty acres
of land in Locust Grove township. For two years he remained on his
land, when returning to Batavia. he engaged in the grain business with
Scott & Walker, as silent partner. December 19, 1907, he was appointed
postmaster of Batavia, which at that time was a fourth-class office. He
continued to be connected with the elevator for a year thereafter, when he
136 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
severed his connection with Scott & Walker, giving his entire attention to
his duties to the post office, which on the ist of October, 1910, was raised
into the third-class rank. Mr. Campbell was reappointed by President
Taft in 1910, and continues to be the incumbent of the office, the duties
of which he has discharged with an efficiency that meets with the approvaj
of the general community.
On December 18, 1879, occurred the marriage of Mr. Campbell and
Miss Ida Frisbe, a daughter of Miles S. and Hannah (Housel) Frisbe.
Her father was a native of Ohio, a descendant of Connecticut ancestry,
his father having come from that state to the Western Reserve in Ohio
during the pioneer days. The mother was also born in the Western Re-
serve, but of German extraction, as the name suggests. Mr. Frisbe, who
was a merchant, came to Iowa in the late '50s, locating in Batavia, where
for a number of years he was engaged in the restaurant business. He
passed away in 1901. Five children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Camp-
bell, the eldest of whom, Roy Ernest, and the fourth in order of birth,
a twin, died in infancy. In order of birth the others are as follows :
Jessie L., who married H. L. Whitmore, a farmer of Locust Grove town-
ship, and who has one son, Donald ; Myrtle L., who became the wife of
Guy McNeil, a farmer of Des Moines township; and Raymond W., the
last in order of birth and a twin, who is keeping books in Morrell's Pack-
ing House at Ottumwa and is married to Miss Bessie Brawley, of that place.
Mr. and Mrs. Campbell are members of the Methodist Episcopal church,
in the faith of which denomination they reared their family. Fraternally
he belongs to the Masonic order, being identified with Kilwinning Lodge,
No. 198, A. F. & A. M., while Mrs. Campbell is a member of the Order
of the Eastern Star. He is also an Odd Fellow, belonging to Ohio Lodge,
No. 120, I. O. O. F. His political support he gives to the Republican
party, and for several years served as township clerk in Locust Grove,
having the distinction of being the first republican elected to that office,
by a heavily democratic constituency. Both Mr. and Mrs. Campbell are
widely known in Batavia and vicinity where they have many friends.
ISAAC ARCHIBALD.
Isaac Archibald, a retired farmer now living in Glasgow, belongs to
the rapidly thinning ranks of those who donned the blue and so valiantly
defended the Union during the early '60s. He was born in Jeflferson
county, Ohio, on the 24th of October. 1836, and is a son of Benjamin and
Nancy (Hall) Archibald. The parents were also natives of Ohio, where
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 137
the father was employed on the river boats until 1847 when he removed to
Iowa, locating in Jefferson county. Upon his arrival here he settled on a
hundred and sixty acres of land at Coal Port, Lockridge township, that
he had subsequently purchased. But fifteen acres of this was cleared and
after erecting such buildings as were essential for the immediate comfort
of the family, he applied himself to clearing and operating his land. He
resided here for some time, then disposing of his property purchased an
eighty-acre tract in Round Prairie township that he operated for a time.
This he also subsequently sold and went to Birmingham, where he lived
for a year. At the expiration of that time he bought a farm in Davis county,
this state, that he improved and cultivated until his death in 1875. The
mother passed away in 1837, while the family were residents of Ohio.
His introduction to the rudiments of English learning Isaac Archibald
obtained in the common schools of his native state, where he spent the first
eleven years of his life. This was later supplemented by further study in
the district schools of Jefferson county, which he attended until it was
considered he had sufficient knowledge to enable him to assume the heavier
responsibilities of life. As he was a youth of eleven when he removed to
the farm with his father, he was sufficiently developed to assist in the work
of the fields and care of the stock, so by the time he had attained his ma-
turitv he was well qualified for the duties of an agriculturist. He left
home when he was twenty-one and went to work in a sawmill, re-
maining there one year. At the end of that time he returned to country
life in the capacity of a farm hand, following that occupation until 1862,
when he enlisted in Company D, Thirty-sixth Iowa Volunteer Infantry.
He remained at the front from the period of his enlistment until the close
of hostilities, then returned to Iowa and went to work on the railroad.
This work promised but a vague and unsatisfactory future, so he once
more returned to agricultural pursuits, this time as a renter. He con-
tinued to follow farming in this county until 1891, meeting with such
lucrative returns from the tilling of his fields and stock-raising that he
was able to retire. Removing to Glasgow he purchased a nice residence
and an acre of ground, and is now enjoying the well earned rest made pos-
sible by the thrift and industry of his earlier years.
On the I St of January, 1868, Mr. Archibald was united in marriage to
Miss Elizabeth Paxton, a daughter of John and Elizabeth (Farley) Pax-
ton, the father a native of Indiana and the mother of Pennsylvania. Mr.
Paxton came to Henry county, Iowa, in the early '50s and bought and im-
proved a farm that he operated for a good many years. The latter years
of his life were spent in retirement in Rome, where he passed away in
1872. The mother survived him until 1891. Mr. Paxton was another of
those who responded to his country's call during the Civil war, by enlist-
138 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
ing and going to the front where he remained until the restoration of peace.
Mr. and Mrs. Archibald were the parents of four children : Cora B., the
widow of Charles Anderson, who is livng in Fairfield ; Ross, who is now
forty-one years of age and a resident of Burlington ; Minnie L., twenty-
seven years of age, the wife of Henry Bartin, a farmer of Henry county ;
and Jesse M., who is thirty-two years of age, a resident of Oskaloosa,
where he is following the barber trade.
In matters of faith both Mr. and Mrs. Archibald are Methodist and
politically he is a republican. He has always maintained relations with
his comrades of the field through the medium of the Grand Army of the
Republic, and is affiliated with the Pierce Post of Glasgow. Mr. Archi-
bald's residence in Jefferson county covers a period of sixty-four years,
the time of its greatest progress and highest development. He has been the
interested observer of the many notable changes that have acompanied the
introduction of modern inventions and conveniences, revolutionizing both
commercial and industrial as well as agricultural methods. Despite his
seventy-five years he is still active, and takes a keen interest in all the af-
fairs of the day, while he is ever ready to relate one of his many reminis-
cences of the war or the pioneer days in Iowa.
HON. JAMES P. STARR.
Hon. James P. Starr, mayor of Fairfield and one of the leading attor-
neys of the city, has resided in Jefferson county for only a brief period
but already his merit and ability have gained for him high and well de-
served success. He was born in Fairmount, Clark county, Missouri, No-
vember 3, 1869, his parents being Robert H. and Mary C. (Smith) Starr,
who were natives of Berks county, Pennsylvania, the father born April
16, 1840, and the mother on the 4th of April, 1846. The Starr family
comes from a long line of Quaker ancestry, the progenitor of the family
being John Starr, who resided at Old Castle, County Meath, Ireland. His
sons and daughters came to the new world between 1674 and 1697, set-
tling in the colony of Pennsylvania. The representatives of the name re-
mained connected with the Society of Friends or Quakers until the grand-
parents of our subject left that church. Moses Starr, the son of John
Starr, the progenitor, was one of the first settlers of Berks county, Penn-
sylvania, and was the first representative from that county to the provin-
cial assembly.
The youthful days of Robert H. Starr were spent in the Keystone state
and later he continued his education in the high school at Alliance, Ohio.
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 139
He was on a visit to a sister in Illinois when he enlisted for active service
in the Civil war in August, 1861, as a member of Company K, Thirty-sixth
Illinois Infantry, continuing with that command until January 6, 1865,
when he was honorably discharged because of disability occasioned by a
gun-shot wound in the right leg, making amputation necessary. Prior to
the war both the Starr and Smith families had removed to northeastern
Missouri and it was after his service at the front that Robert H. Starr and
Mary C. Smith were married, their wedding being celebrated on Christmas
Day of 1865. They continued their residence in Clark county, Missouri,
until 1874, when they removed to Keosauqua, Van Buren county, Iowa,
where the father died in 1901. The mother continued a resident of that
place until 1906, when she returned to her old home in Clark county, Mis-
souri, and is now living in Kahoka. During the period of his residence in
Clark county, Missouri, Robert H. Starr filled the office of county treas-
urer. Taking up the study of law he was admitted to the bar of that state
in February, 1874, and in 1875 was licensed to practice before the bar of
Iowa, continuing as an active follower of the profession until a few
months prior to his death. He was prominent in the public affairs of the
community in which he made his home after coming to this state and for
two terms served as mayor of Keosauqua, manifesting the same loyalty
and fidelity in the discharge of the duties of citizenship as he displayed
when upon southern battlefields he followed the stars and stripes. He
held membership with the Grand Army of the Republic and gave his politi-
cal support to the republican party. Unto him and his wife were born ten
children who are yet living: Phoebe H., the wife of H. E. Meredith, of
Victor, Iowa; Julia E., the wife of C. W. Wiley, a resident of Keosauqua;
James P.; Belle L., the wife of C. L. Kerr, of Kahoka, Missouri; Ida L.,
the wife of H. L. McLeland, residing at Palisade, Nebraska ; Bethel, the
wife of J. F. Dweedy, of Lucerne, Wyoming; Anna L., the wife of A. G.
Lazenby, living at Keosauqua; Lottie V., the wife of Hugh F. Tweedy,
of Montrose, Iowa ; and Charles L. and William P., twins, living at Ka-
hoka, Missouri.
James P. Starr was a lad of five years when his parents removed from
Missouri to Keosauqua, Iowa, where he pursued his education in the pub-
lic schools. He afterward attended the law college of the State University
and was admitted to the bar in 1892. He then entered upon active prac-
tice with his father at Keosauqua, the professional relationship between
them continuing until the father's death save for a period of four years,
from 1893 until 1897, when James P. Starr was deputy clerk of Van
Buren county. Following his father's demise he formed a partnership
with J. C. Calhoun, of Keosauqua, under the firm name of Starr & Cal-
houn, this relationship being maintained until Mr. Starr removed to Fair-
140 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
field in December, 1906. Here he has continued in the general practice of
law alone and the reputation which he had already gained in the practice
of law in this state was sufficient to introduce him to the public here as
an able lawyer. From the beginning he has enjoyed a large practice and
now divides his time between this and his duties as mayor of the city. He
was appointed Fairfield's chief executive in October, 1910, following the
resignation of Dr. J. F. Clark, and in March, 191 1, was elected to the office
for a full term, so that he is the present mayor of the city to which he is
giving a businesslike administration. His recommendations to the council
have been of a practical character and have looked to the future as well
as the present interests of the city.
On the 3d of March, 1893, Mr. Starr was united in marriage to Miss
Chloe Fellows, who was born near Keosauqua, Iowa", April 25, 1874, a
daughter of S. D. and Ann (Bowen) Fellows, who were among the
pioneer settlers of Van Buren county and now reside at Fairfield. Mr.
and Mrs. Starr have become parents of four children, Helen M., Keo F,,
lo M. and James Carleton.
For sixteen years Mr. Starr has been a valued member of the Inde-
pendent Order of Odd Fellows, and for some years has also held member-
ship in the Christian church in which he is now serving as deacon. He
has been a life-long republican and is allied with the progressive move-
ment of that party which resents the unlimited domination of the few over
the many and seeks rather the expression of popular opinion in the attain-
ment of good government. He has been a close student of science and the
times and is well versed in the questions of the day not only political but
also sociological and economic. He is a man of action rather than of
theory and his work never has its root in hasty judgment, either in his
public service or in his practice before the bar.
THOMAS M. RIDER.
In a history of Jefferson county mention should be made of Thomas
M. Rider, not only because he is one of the few surviving veterans of the
Civil war but also because he is a representative of a family which has long
been identified with the growth and development of this section of the
state. He was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, November 11,
1838, a son of Daniel and Ann (McCall) Rider. The parents were also
natives of the Keystone state, the father's birth occurring in Fayette
county, in November, 1808, and the mother's in Washington county, Octo-
ber 10, 1810, and in the latter county they were united in marriage. The
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 141
father first came to Iowa alone in the spring of 1846 and, being greatly
impressed with the natural resources of the state and the opportunities
offered for advancement in the agricultural field, returned with his family
in the following year for permanent settlement. Here he entered a quar-
ter section of land in Jefferson county, being the southwest quarter
of section 3, township 72, range 10, and here he made his home
until death claimed him. In early life he had learned the tanner's trade
and throughout most of his business career he followed that trade in con-
nection with agricultural pursuits. He was also extensively interested in
real-estate operations, handling a large amount of property and spending
twelve years in locating lands. In this connection he located Sioux City,
Iowa, purchasing the site from a Frenchman. All such trips were made
ion horseback for the work of railroad construction west of the Mississippi
river was yet in its infancy and was limited to one or two main lines con-
necting only the principle cities of the commonwealth. Politically he was
a democrat and ere coming to Iowa had taken an active part in the public
life of his native state, serving under General Jackson as postmaster at
Claysville, Washington county, Pennsylvania, and representing his district
in the Pennsylvania legislature, serving for two terms as a member of the
lower house. He also manifested deep interest in the affairs of his adopted
state and was the democratic candidate for the office of treasurer of Jef-
ferson county but was defeated, owing to the minority of the party in this
section. He served as master of the Grange here and held membership in
the Lutheran church, in the faith of which he passed away on the 8th of
December, 1893, and in his death Jefferson county lost one of its early and
most influential citizens. He had survived his wife for more than two
decades, her demise occurring on the loth of October, 1872. They had
become the parents of seven children. Mary Jane, the eldest, married
Washington Miller and is now deceased. George L. is a resident of Cres-
ton, Iowa. Ann Maria became the wife of Andrew Simons and they are
both deceased. Thomas M., of this review, is the fourth in order of birth.
Emeline married Madison Black and she has also passed away. Henry,
who is married and has two children, is successfully carrying on agricul-
tural pursuits in Center township. William T., the youngest, now makes
his home in Los Angeles. California.
Thomas M. Rider, whose name introduces this review, was a lad of
nine years when he came with his parents to Iowa, and within its borders
he has continued to reside since that time with the exception of three years
spent at the front and two and a half years later on in Wyoming. As a boy
he had taken a trip through Illinois and Indiana with the view of seeing
the country, but he returned to Iowa convinced that this state offered
equal if not superior advantages in the field of agriculture, which line of
142 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
activity he had determined to make his life work. He assisted his father
for a time in the cultivation of the home farm and on the 2d of. August,
1862, enlisted for service in the Civil war, espousing the cause of the
Union. He joined Company I, Seventy-second Indiana Volunteer Mounted
Infantry and with that regiment served for three years except when sent
with special detailed parties. He took part in many important engage-
ments, the principal one being the battle of Chickamauga, and went on
several raiding expeditions as a member of the famous Wilder Brigade.
After the close of hostilities he was mustered out, receiving honorable dis-
charge, and returned home with a military record of which he has every
reason to be proud.
When j\lr. Rider again took up the pursuits of civil life he at once be-
gan farming on a portion of his father's property and is now the owner
of one hundred and forty-four acres of the old home place, located on
section 3, Center township. He also has twenty acres of timber land on
section 16 and has recently returned from a sojourn of two and a half
years in Wyoming, where he purchased a half section of land and now is
the owner of an entire section there. His home place is a well improved
property, equipped with all of the modern accessories for facilitating farm
labor, and in its operation Mr. Rider is meeting with substantial success
for he has ever manifested in the conduct of his affairs that close applica-
tion, enterprise and perseverance so necessary for success in any walk of
life.
Mr. Rider was married, on the 26th of March, 1873, to Aliss Belle M.
Regester, who was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, on the 2d
of May, 1853, a daughter of Aaron H. and Lavina (Greenfield) Regester.
Her parents, who were both natives of Washington county, Pennsylvania,
came to Iowa on the 26th of March, 1867, locating first in Henry county,
and in 1876 they arrived in Jefferson county. Here they both passed away
in March, 1891, their deaths occurring only four days apart, the father's
when he was sixty-five years and the mother's when sixty-three years of
age. In their family were two daughters, the sister of Mrs. Rider being
Mrs. Emma Crawford, a widow who resides at the Rider home. To our
subject and his wife were born three children, namely: Harry W., of
Jefferson county; Zella B., the wife of J. H. Copeland, of Center town-
ship, this county; and Warren A., operating his father's ranch in Wyom-
ing. Mr, Rider belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church and maintains
his friendship for old army comrades as a member of the Grand Army of
the Republic. He is a stalwart supporter of democratic principles and at
one time was the candidate on that party ticket for the office of sheriff of
Jefferson county but was defeated. He is a man well known throughout
the district in which he resides, not only as one of the early residents here
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 143
but also because of his straightforward business deahngs and his honorable,
upright character. He merits the confidence and regard of all who know
him and is numbered among the most substantial and respected citizens
of the county.
WILLIAM WATKINS LEWIS.
William Watkins Lewis, who for the past three years has been man-
ager of the Batavia Brick & Tile Company, was born in Harrison county,
Ohio, on the 22d of February, 1861. In the paternal line he is of Eng-
lish extraction, his father, Aaron C. Lewis, having been born and reared
in Nova Scotia, but his mother, who bore the maiden name of Phoebe
Rickey, was a native of the United States, while the maternal grand-
father was a soldier in the Revolutionary war. After the completion of
his education Aaron C. Lewis learned the harness maker's trade, but he
subsequently devoted his energies to agricultural pursuits. In the early
days of the Civil war he enlisted as a private in the Ninety-eighth Ohio
Volunteer Infantry, remaining in the service for three years and eight
months. During that period he participated in many prominent battles,
among the most notable of which was that of Lookout Mountain. In 1876
he brought his wife and family to Iowa, locating on a farm near Maren-
go, Iowa county. There he continued to reside until his death on the ist
of July, 1900. The mother survived for fifteen years thereafter, her de-
mise occurring at Williamsburg, Iowa county.
Reared on a farm in the acquirement of his early education William
Watkins Lewis attended the district schools, the course therein pursued
being supplemented by further study in the public schools of Uhrichs-
ville, Ohio. He was a youth of fifteen years when he removed to Iowa
with his parents, with whom he continued to reside for two years there-
after, when he began his career as a wage earner. For some years there-
after he followed various pursuits, but having always been very fond of
machinery and possessing considerable mechanical skill he subsequently
became identified with the Milwaukee Harvester Company. He continued
in their service for several years, during four of which he was their trav-
eling representative in eastern Iowa. In 1895 he became engaged in the
brick and tile business as manager and part owner of the Williamsburg
Brick & Tile Company of Williamsburg, Iowa. He was identified with
this enterprise for thirteen years, at the expiration of which time he re-
moved to Batavia to assume the management of the Batavia Brick & Tile?
Company. Under his capable supervision this concern has made steady
144 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
and permanent progress until it now gives employment to fifteen work-
men. They have three large kilns, their daily output averaging eight thou-
sand pieces, based on a four-inch drain tile size. Their plant is most con-
veniently located on the main line and the Fort Madison branch of the
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, thus affording them excellent
shipping facilities. Although they manufacture brick and building blocks,
their principal output is drain tile of which they have always made a
specialty.
Mr; Lewis was married on the 14th of November, 1891, to Miss Net-
tie E. Long, a daughter of Albert M. and Julia (McLeod) Long, resi-
dents of Williamsburg, Iowa. There the father passed aw^ay in 1899, ^"^
the mother still survives and now makes her home with her daughter Airs.
Lillian Hanaford of Williamsburg. To Air. and Mrs. Lewis there have
been born four daughters : Flossie and Alaude, twins, who graduated from
the high school of Williamsburg in June. 191 1, and the following autumn
entered Parsons College, Fairfield, Iowa ; and Alberta and Mazie, both of
whom are attending the public schools of Batavia.
The family affiliate with the Presbyterian church, of which both Mrs.
Lewis and the two eldest daughters are members. Fraternally he is iden-
tified with the Masonic order and the Knights of Pythias of Williamsburg.
In matters politic Mr. Lewis has always been an ardent supporter of the
men and measures of the republican party, and while he was living in
Williamsburg served for ten years as a member of the town council. Dur-
ing the period of his residence in Batavia Air. Lewis has become recognized
as a prominent factor in the business life of the town, while both he and
his family hold an excellent social position.
ANDREW E. QUICK.
Andrew E. Quick, a native son of Jefiferson county, Iowa, was born in
Lockridge township January 14, 1872. His parents came from Sweden
in 1865 and located in Jefiferson county, Iowa, where Air. Quick, a stone
mason by trade, followed his calling for man}- years until he bought land
in Lockridge township and engaged in farming, which he has pursued ever
since. He is now sixty-eight years old. His wife died July 3, 1880.
In the district schools of his native township Andrew E. Quick was
given the usual education. This he supplemented with a course at a busi-
ness college. He began his career as a business man assisting Air. Samuel-
son, who later became his brother-in-law. in the restaurant conducted bv
him at Fairfield, Iowa. In this occupation Andrew E. Ouick continue 1
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 145
for five years, when he was married and engaged in farming. He first
rented a farm operating it about ten years. He then bought a farm of
eighty acres in Lockridge township, which he has since developed and
greatly improved. He is now building a large, modernly equipped barn
upon it. When he commenced farming he had only two hundred and fifty
dollars in his possession and with this he had to meet the necessary ex-
penses of the equipment. Through self-denial and thrift he soon added
to his little store and found his returns steadily increasing until now he
owns a finely improved tract of land in addition to which he operates fif-
teen acres of rented land, yielding him an income sufficient to enable him
to provide a very comfortable living for his family. He raises thirty head
of hogs a year, keeps twelve head of cattle and four horses.
Andrew E. Quick was united in wedlock with Miss Anna L. Samuelson
of Four Corners, Lockridge township, a daughter of Gustave and Clara G.
(Swanson) Samuelson. She was born May 26, 1874, in Lockridge town-
ship. Her parents were natives of Sweden, her father having come to this
country in 1869. His occupation was farming and this he pursued buying
a farm in Lockridge township. He did not live long enough to establish
himself in his career in this country, for he passed away in 1873. Mrs.
Samuelson died January 29, 1907.
Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Quick, namely : Carl E.,
born August 12, 1901 ; Helen Marie Louise, aged eight, born December
20, 1903; Clara M. V.. aged six, born August 29, 1905; and Florence Dore-
tha, aged three, born March 2, 1908.
Mr. Quick and his wife worship in the Lutheran church in which he
holds several important offices. In his political sympathies he is a republi-
can, never failing to exercise his privileges of citizenship in the matter of
voting for men and measures in accordance with the best interests of the
commonwealth. He is a school director and the president of the board, de-
voting his energies to the advancement of improved educational facilities
that will give the coming generations of rural school children a better chance
than their fathers have had.
JOHN LOCKE.
Probably no citizen of Cedar township was held in higher esteem or
was a more important factor in promoting its development than John
Locke, who for more than fifty years was engaged in the cultivation of
his homestead on section 34. He was born in County Antrim, Ireland,
on August 13, 1829, and was of Scotch-Irish descent. His parents were
146 . HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
John and Elizabeth (McDowell) Locke, likewise natives of County An-
trim, where they spent their entire lives. The father, who was a farmer,
was employed on the Kilwaughter estate until his death at the age of sixty-
three years.
After the completion of his preliminary education, John Locke was
sent to the Agricultural School at Glasnevin, near Dublin, in order to
qualify himself for the vocation of farming. He was a most excellent
pupil and was awarded a very creditable recommendation from the fac-
ulty upon his graduation. Owing to the high standard of his record and
his trustworthiness, after leaving school he was placed in charge of the
model farm, maintained in his home district for the benefit of the farming
community. He filled this position in a most efficient manner and was
retained there until he resigned to come to America. An ambitious young
man, naturally he was not satisfied with the limited advantages afforded
for advancement in his native land, and decided to come to the United
States, where he felt confident he would find opportunities more commen-
surate with his abilities. In the fall of 1854 with his young wife he
sailed for the new world, coming by way of New Orleans. They came
up the Mississippi by boat to Fort Keokuk, thence to Jefferson county,
spending their first winter in America in Fairfield. In the spring of 1855
Mr. Locke bought two hundred and forty acres of land on section 34,
Cedar township, upon which they settled. He was very successful in his
undertakings, being thoroughly qualified as both a farmer and stockman
by reason of his splendid training and practical experience in Ireland.
Farming was to him both a profession and a business, and he used as
much system and method in the direction of his afi"airs as he would have
employed had he been conducting a commercial or industrial enterprise.
He applied himself energetically to the operation of his land, making such
improvements as he was able, until at the time of his death he was the
owner of one of the- most highly cultivated and valuable farms in the
township.
In County Antrim, Ireland, on the 28th of December. 1853, Mr. Locke
was united in marriage to Miss Mary McDowell, who was born and reared
ih that county and was a daughter of Samuel and Jane (Drummond) Mc-
Dowell, also natives of County Antrim, and of Scotch-Irish extraction. They
were the parents of four children. Samuel, who was the only son, is ope-
rating a farm at Dowds, Van Buren county. He married Maude D. Cole,
a daughter of John W. Cole of Birmingham, Iowa, and they have three
daughters : Mary Everella and Maude Eleanor, who are twins ; and Eliza-
beth Edith. The next two, Mary Ellen and Jane, have been operating the
old homestead, which now contains two hundred acres, ever since the death
of their father. They lease all of the land that is under cultivation, but
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUXTY 147
retain the pasture and raise cattle and hogs, in which they are meeting
with success, being very capable women. They give everything about the
place their personal supervision and their's is one of the best kept up and
most attractive farms in the community. Miss Jane is one of the well
known school teachers of Jefferson county, having been identified with
this profession from her very early girlhood until two years ago. She
received her first certificate after completing the district school and taught
one term before entering the academy at Birmingham. She then taught
for three years and at the expiration of that time pursued a teacher's
course in the Western Normal College at Shenandoah, Iowa. During
the succeeding three years she taught a country school in Mills county,
then went to Emerson, Iowa, where she taught for three years. From
there she came to the public schools of Fairfield, remaining a year; five
years in district No. i of Liberty township followed. She next took charge
of the school in her home district, which she taught until two years ago.
She was very successful in her chosen field of activity and is well known
among the profession in this county. The youngest daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Locke, Elizabeth, married S. N. Stonebreaker, a farmer of Van
Buren county, and they have had seven children : Samuel Leonard ; John
Locke ; Mary Harriet, who is deceased ; Opal Dewey ; Cecil Blanch ; New-
ton Brown ; and Margaret Eleanor. Mr. Locke's death, which occurred
on the i6th of July, 1906, was the occasion of deep and wide-spread
mourning in Cedar township, where he was regarded as a most estimable
citizen, having proven loyal to every trust both in public and private life.
He was survived for more than two years by his widow, who passed away
on the homestead where they had lived for so many years, on Novem-
ber 22, 1908.
In his political views Mr. Locke was a democrat, and for ten years
he served as assessor in Cedar township. He was first elected on the
democratic ticket, but refusing the nomination of that party for a longer
period his friends nominated him on the independent ticket and he was
elected. This was a great tribute to the man and his popularity in his
community, as he had proven so efficient that he carried a large part of
the democratic and republican support. He also served for several terms
as justice of the peace, and as a school director in Union township. No.
I, of Van Buren county, which was an attached district, while for many
years he was a member of the board of taxation of Cedar township.
He possessed high standards of the responsibilities of citizenship, and de-
spite the exactions of his personal interests, always found time to meet the
public duties he deemed it his function to discharge. As an official he
manifested the same sense of conscientious obligation as characterized him
in every relation of life both public and private. During a residence that
148 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
covered a period of more than half a century, Mr. Locke was faithful to
every trust reposed in him, meeting the duties of citizenship by indorsing
every progressive movement the adoption of which seemed to assure the
community welfare or the development of the public utilities. In matters
of faith both he and his wife were Unitarians, and were affiliated with
the church of that denomination in their native country. Both Mr. Locke
and his family have always been held in the highest respect in the com-
munity, where his children were born and reared and continue to number
among their friends the best people in the township.
ANDREW W. ANDERSON.
Andrew W. Anderson, who for many years was identified with agri-
cultural pursuits in Jefit'erson county, was one of the estimable citizens
Sweden has furnished lov/a. His birth occurred on the 14th of February,
1856, his parents being Karl and Mary C. (Anderson) Anderson, also
natives of Sweden. The father engaged in farming in his native land until
1877 when he and his wife emigrated to the United States. During the
early months of his residence here he worked at various occupations by
the day, subsequently obtaining a position in a section crew on the Chicago,
Burlington & Quincy Railroad. He was accidentally killed while at his
work by a passing train, about 1879. The mother later married Joseph
Peterson and continues to make her home in Lockridge.
The first sixteen years of his life Andrew W. Anderson spent amid the
scenes of his birth, obtaining his education in the common schools of his
native land. An ambitious, energetic lad, he was not content with condi-
tions in the old country and from his earliest youth directed his eflforts>
toward acquiring sufficient money to bring him to America, the land, as he
felt, not only of promise but of fulfillment. His dream was realized in
1872 and he crossed the Atlantic with the United States as his destination.
Upon his arrival here he made his way inland to Jefferson county, where
an uncle, John Anderson, owned and operated a farm located in Lock-
ridge township. He immediately obtained employment by the month as a
farm hand, and for many years was in the service of Mr. John Heron.
He never forgot his parents in the old country and sent them a portion
of his wages each month until they, too, were able to become citizens
of the new world. By means .of industry and thrift he eventually accumu-
lated sufficient capital to enable him to begin operations for himself and
he rented the farm of John Anderson, which he cultivated for two years.
Intense and attentive cultivation proved so remunerative under his capable
MR. AND MRS. ANDREW W. ANDERSON
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 151
supervision that he was in a position at the expiration of that period to
buy eighty acres of land in Round Prairie township. He continued to
operate this place until 1901, and in April of that year he sold his farm
and moving to Lockridge purchased one and a quarter acres of land, upon
which he erected a fine residence. There he lived, retired, enjoying the
ease and comfort provided by the fruits of his early toil, until he passed
away on Thursday, February 24, 1910.
For his wife Mr. Anderson chose Miss Carrie D. Reeder, to whom he
was united on March 2.J, 1884. Mrs. Anderson is a daughter of Lewis
and Sarah S. (Shanberger) Reeder, natives of Germany. The father
emigrated to this country in a very early day, first locating in Pennsylvania
whence he later removed to Jefferson county, where he bought and operated
a farm during the remainder of his active life. In 1885 he retired to
Lockridge and there he passed away four years later at the age of seventy-
seven years. Mrs. Reeder had passed the eighty-seventh milestone on
life's journey at the time of her demise on October 4, 1907. The father
was one of the prominent citizens of the county, always having taken an
active part in all political affairs, and for" some years represented his dis-
trict in the state assembly.
Mr. Anderson always gave his political support to the republican party,
but was too deeply engrossed in the development of his private interests
to figure as candidate for any public ofifice in his township. He was an
earnest member of the Lutheran church, as is also his widow, who num-
bers among the members of its congregation many friends of long years
standing.
ARTHUR G. JORDAN.
Arthur G. Jordan, who since 1895 has engaged in the practice of law
in Fairfield, his native city, was born January 24, 1873, a son of A, S.
and Ada M. (Jordan) Jordan, who are still residents of Fairfield where
they have long made their home. Their family numbered but two chil-
dren and the daughter, Nellie E., still resides with her parents.
The only son, Arthur G. Jordan, has spent his entire life in his na-
tive city and at the usual age entered the public schools, passing through
consecutive grades until he became a high school student. Later he con-
tinued his literary course in Parsons College, from which he was grad-
uated with the class of 1893. In preparation for a professional career
he spent one year in the law school of the University of Wisconsin and
afterward completed his law studies in the ofiice of a Fairfield attor-
Toi. n— »
152 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
ney. Following- his admission to the bar in the fall of 1895 he at once
entered upon practice here and in the field of his profession has made
continuous advancement because of devotion to his clients' interests, his
careful and systematic preparation of his cases and the clear and logical
manner in which he presents his points of evidence. For two terms he
has filled the ofifice of county attorney, entering upon the duties of that
position in 1899 for a two years' term. He received public indorsement
of his work in reelection which continued him in the position through
1902.
The pleasant home life of ]\Ir. Jordan had its foundation in his mar-
riage, in 1904, to Miss Mary Marcy, who was born in Fairfield in 1875
and is a daughter of John and Mary (Whittaker) Marcy, who are still
residents of this city. Mr. and Mrs. Jordan have many friends in Fair-
field where they have always resided and the hospitality of the best homes
is freely accorded them. In politics he has been a republican since age
conferred upon him the right of franchise and has been active in the
work of the county, serving for four years as chairman of the county
central committee. The cause of education also finds in him a stanch
champion and he is now acting as a member of the board of trustees of
Parsons College. He belongs to the Knights of Pythias fraternity and
to the Congregational church and his record has at all times been that
of a progressive citizen and honorable man, his influence being ever on
the side of right, justice, truth and improvement.
JOHN G. cochil\n:
A resident of Jefiferson county all his life, John G. Cochran has been
associated with agricultural interests in this locality since he was old
enough to follow a calling. He was born in Round Prairie township, Jef-
ferson county, in April, 1845. His father, John Cochran, was a native of
Ireland and came to this country in his youth, settling in Ohio where he
operated a farm for a number of years. He was married to Mary Gregg,
a native of Pennsylvania. In 1840. at the age of thirty-seven years, he
came to Jefiferson county, Iowa, and bought land from the government
in Round Prairie township. This he cleared and improved, continuing
his work in the fields until death claimed him. in 1876. His wife survived
him eleven years, dying in 1887.
Brought up amid the familiar scenes which he has known all his life,
John G. Cochran was educated in the district schools of his native locality.
He remained with his parents until their death, when he came into pos-
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 153
session of the home place of two hundred and five acres. This he im-
proved and operated with success until 1891, when he sold one hundred
and sixty-five acres of this tract, keeping about forty acres adjoining
the town of Glasgow. Engaged in the operation of this moderate sized
farm, he is sufficiently occupied to fill his days with profitable labor and
has accumulated a competence which enables him to live in bountiful
com fort.
In December, 1880, Mr. Cochran was united in marriage to Miss Liz-
zie Butler, a daughter of Stephen and Elsie (Smith) Butler, the former
a native of Kentucky and the latter of Illinois. Mr. Butler came to Jef-
ferson county, Iowa, in 1852 and he bought a tract of land comprising
eighty acres which he operated for a time, subsequently trading farms
with a friend. He then sold out his holdings and removed to Harrison
county, Iowa, where he resided until his death, November 16, 1881. His
wife passed away three years later. Mr. and Mrs. Cochran are the parents
of two children : Harry S., aged thirty years, who resides at home ; and
Elsie B., aged twenty-seven years, the wife of Arnold V. Murray, who
is connected with a wholesale drug concern and resides in Ottumwa, Iowa.
They have two children : Arnold V., Jr., aged six years and Mildred E.,
aged five. Mr. Cochran is affiliated with the republican party and has
always given his loyal support to the men and measures that serve the
best interests of his community and was called upon to fill the office of
trustee of this township. He and his wife subscribe to the tenets of the
Methodist Episcopal church, in which they are attendants. He is well
known throughout the county in which his long record of industry and'
thrift has won him the respect of all who know him.
CLARKSON ASHMEAD.
One by one the soldiers of the Civil war answer to the last roll call and
pass on to join the greater army of the boys in blue, who have gone be-
fore. Clarkson Ashmead was among those who were spared to enjoy for
many years the peace and prosperity which came to the country following
the cessation of hostilities between the north and the south. Patriotism'
ever remained one of his dominant qualities, for he was as loyal to his
country in times of peace as he was when he followed the nation's starry
banner on the battlefields of the south. His birth occurred in Washing-
ton county, Pennsylvania, June 8, 1829, his parents being Samuel and Abi-
gail (Milleson) Ashmead, who were natives of Maryland and Pennsyl-
vania, respectively. The father was a farmer by occupation and for many
154: HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
years cultivated a tract of land in the Keystone state but in 1855 he left
the east and came to Iowa, settling in Jefferson county. He purchased
and improved a farm in Cedar township, continuing its cultivation until
his death, and his wife also passed away upon the old homestead.
, Clarkson Ashmead came to Jefferson county with his parents when a
young man of twenty-six years. He had acquired his education in the
schools of Pennsylvania and had afterward learned the carpenter's trade,
at which he worked until he came to Iowa. He then took up farming in
connection with his father and following the latter's death, he rented a
farm, which he operated for a year. At the end of that time he went to
Missouri, where he purchased an improved tract of land, making his home
thereon for ten years. He returned to Iowa and purchased a farm near
Brookville. to the further development and cultivation of which he devoted
his energies until 1901, when his children having married and left home
and his own health being somewhat impaired he retired from the farm
and removed to Fairfield, where his remaining days were passed, his death
occurring in February, 1903. As an agriculturist he had labored diligently
and untiringly and had converted the once wild prairie into a productive
tract, gathering large harvests as a reward of his persistent and practical
methods. He kept everything about the place in a state of good repair
and neatness, and thrift pervaded every part of the farm.
On the 8th of January, 1852, Mr. Ashmead was married to Miss Jane
McCutcheon, a daughter of John and Margaret (McCutcheon) McCutch-
eon, who though of the same name were not relatives. The father was
born in Ireland and the mother in Pennsylvania. When he was but twelve
years of age the family came to the new world, settling in the Keystone
state, where he secured employment in the iron works of Pittsburg. Later
he engaged in farming for a number of years and was a resident of that
part of the country up to the time of his death, which occurred in the city
of Pittsburg. His wife passed away in Brownsville. Pennsylvania. To
Mr. and Mrs. Ashmead were born five children, two of whom died in Penn-
sylvania in infancy. Those still living are: Benson C, a resident farmer
of Davis county, Iowa; Addie May. the wife of Moses B. Shelby, a resi-
dent farmer of the state of Washington ; and Uel J., who is also engaged
in farming in Washington.
While Mr. Ashmead devoted the greater part of his life to general
agricultural pursuits he allowed nothing to interfere with what he con-
sidered his duty to his country in the dark days of the Civil war. Re-
sponding to the call for aid he enlisted as a member of Company E. Thir-
teenth Iowa Infantry and the hardships and rigors of war were such
that his health became undermined and his death was really the result of
his military experience. He held membership in the Grand Army of the
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 155
Republic in connection with the post at Batavia and he thus enjoyed meet-
ing with his old comrades. He always voted with the republican party
and his religious faith was that of the Methodist church, to which his wife
and family belonged. For many years he was a resident of Jefferson
county and his good qualities were recognized by all with whom he came
in contact. He worked earnestly and persistently in the cultivation and
improvement of his farm, was ever willing to give his support to progres-
sive measures for the benefit of the community and at all times cast his
influence on the side of right, justice and truth. Mrs. Ashmead still sur-
vives her husband and now resides in a pleasant home, at No. 406 West
Briggs street in Fairfield.
JOSEPH S. DROZ.
Joseph S. Droz, who makes his home on section 27, Cedar township,
is one of the representative citizens and successful agriculturists of Jef-
ferson county, owning two hundred and ninety acres of valuable land.
His birth occurred in that township on the i8th of December, 18.60, his
parents being John and Julia (Palm) Droz. The father, whose natal day
was June 23, 1836, was bom and reared in Alsace, France, and was a son
of John B. Droz, who served as commissioner of public highways in his
home district in France. In 1858 he crossed the Atlantic to the United
States, taking up his abode among the pioneer settlers of Jefferson county,
Iowa. He and his brother Joseph, who is now a resident of Fairfield,
first worked at grubbing, receiving fifty cents a day and paying their own
board. They also cut stove wood for a remuneration of thirty cents per
day and their dinners. Carefully saving his earnings, John Droz at length
accumulated five hundred dollars and in 1870 purchased a tract of land
comprising fifty-one acres in Cedar township. Subsequently he purchased
a farm of seventy-one acres on section 33, Cedar township, where the
family home was maintained from 1873 until 1891. In 1872 he erected
the old cabin now standing on the property, hewing out the logs which he
used in its construction. In 1891 John Droz took up his abode on the
place where his son Alex now resides, while at the present time he lives
on a homestead of eighty acres on section 26, Cedar township. That he
prospered in his undertakings as an agriculturist is indicated by the fact
that at the time of his retirement, fifteen years ago, he owned four hun-
dred and forty acres of rich and productive land. It was in Cedar town-
ship, in i860, that he wedded Miss Julia Palm, who on the i8th of May,
191 1, met with an accident which caused instant death. She fell in the
156 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
cellar, crushing her skull by striking a stone step and breaking her neck.
Her tragic end was deplored by all who knew her and who had learned
to esteem and love her during the many years of her residence in the com-
munity. John Droz, who has lived within the borders of Jefferson county
for more than a half century, is widely and favorably known here and is
honored as a pioneer whose labors were an element in the material de-
velopment and upbuilding of this part of the state. He is a Roman Cath-
olic in religious faith, belonging to the church of that denomination at
Fairfield. To him and his wife were born three children, as follows :
Joseph S., of this review ; Alex, who resides on a farm near that of our sub-
ject ; and Mary, who is the wife of C. L. Hosette, a farmer of Van Buren
county.
Joseph S. Droz attended the district schools in the acquirement of an
education, thus fitting himself for the practical and responsible duties of
life. In 1 89 1, following his marriage, he purchased the old Droz home-
stead on section ;^;^, Cedar township, and started out as an agriculturist on
his own account. Thereon he resided until 1903, since which time he
has occupied his present home on section 27. His holdings now embrace
two hundred and ninety acres of excellent farming land in Cedar township,
which he cultivates with the assistance of his son. He feeds all of his
grain to cattle and hogs and in his undertakings as a stockman has met
with a well merited measure of success.
On the 8th of January, 1891, Mr. Droz was joined in wedlock to Miss
Mary Prince, a daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth (Hisel) Prince, who were
natives of Switzerland and Belgium respectively. In i860 the father emi-
grated to the United States, locating near Lockridge, Jefferson county,
Iowa. He enlisted for service in the Union army but remained at the
front for only a brief period and passed away soon after the cessation
of hostilities between the north and the south. To him and his wife were
born two children : Mrs. Droz ; and Eugene, a farmer living in Buchanan
township, four miles east of Fairfield. In 1871 Mrs. Elizabeth Prince gave
her hand in marriage to Xavier Hosette, who died and- was buried at sea
while importing Belgium horses to America. Their union was blessed with
two children, namely : Louis Hosette, an agriculturist of Van Buren county,
Iowa ; and Mrs. Josephine Bailey, the wife of Dr. C. W. Bailey, of Pleasant
Plain, Iowa. The mother of these children came to America with her
parents when a maiden sixteen years old, the family home being estab-
lished in Cedar township, Jefferson county, Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Droz
have one son, Gaston, whose natal day was October 13, 1891, and who at-
tended the district school and also studied at Fairfield for a year.
In his political views Mr, Droz is a stanch democrat, believing firmly
in the principles of that party. He is a faithful communicant of the Roman
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 157
Catholic church at Fairfield, to which his wife and son also belong. His
cooperation has never been sought in vain in support of progressive public
movements and his worth as a citizen is widely acknowledged.
CHARLES E. PEARSON.
Charles E. Pearson is one of the representative young farmers and stock-
men of Jefferson county, of which he is a native, his birth having occurred
in Des Moines township on the 9th of August, 1876. He is a son of Silas
and Parlee (Carter) Pearson, the father being a member of one of the
oldest and best known families of Jefferson county. The Pearsons have
been residents of America since the early Colonial days. The great-great-
great-grandfather of our subject, Enoch Pearson, a Quaker preacher of
New London, England, emigrated to this country with William Penn, set-
tling in Philadelphia. He had a son Samuel Pearson, who was born in
1724 and died January 8, 1790, and in turn was the father of Samuel
Pearson, the great-grandfather of our subject. The latter was born in
Frederick county, Virginia, on the 3d of November, 1767, and died in Miami
county, Ohio, November 3, 1847. He was married on the 2d of Septem-
ber, 1790, in South Carolina, to Miss Mary Coats, the daughter of a black-
smith, John Coats and his wife, whose maiden name was Rachael Wright.
Their son, Sampson Pearson, was born in Ohio, on the 29th of December,
1810. He removed to Indiana in 1836 and from there to Iowa in 1853, but
later went to Missouri, and there he died January 5, 1888. Before leaving
Ohio, in August, 1832, he was united in marriage to Miss Nancy McClure,
who was a daughter of the Buckeye state, her natal day having been the
29th of December, 181 1. Her parents were John and Abigail (Buffington)
McClure, the father having been born in 1788 and the mother on the 14th
of September, 1791. Their son, Silas Pearson, was born in Indiana, Feb-
ruary 10, 1840, and was thirteen years of age when he accompanied his
parents on their removal to Iowa in 1853, locating in Iowa City in the autumn
of that year. The following spring, however, the family removed to Jeffer-
son county and settled on a farm on section 36, Des Moines township, where
Rayburn Pearson now lives. On the 27th of September, 1861, the father
of our subject enlisted in Company F, Third Iowa Cavalry, and served
throughout the remainder of the war. He continued his farming opera-
tions until 1907, when he retired from active labor and removed to Liberty-
ville, where he is now residing. In February, 1866, he was united in mar-
riage to Miss Parlee Carter and they have since made their home in Jeffer-
son county.
158 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
Charles E. Pearson, of this review, remained with his parents until he
attained his majority. He obtained his education in the common schools
and his knowledge of agricultural pursuits and stock-raising from actual
experience, study and observation. From earliest boyhood he assisted about
the home farm, and when ready to begin for himself had a good knowledge
oi the practical methods of agriculture. Following his marriage in 1904
he began farming for himself, locating on an eighty-acre tract that he had
purchased in Van Buren county. He subsequently sold his holdings and
bought eighty acres in Des Moines township, that formed the nucleus of
his present homestead. Later his circumstances enabled him to extend the
boundaries of his farm by the addition of an adjoining eighty acres, to which
he acquired the title in March, 1907. His is one of the well cultivated and
improved properties of the district and here he engages in general farm^
ing and stock-raising. He keeps a good grade of cattle and hogs and makes
a specialty of the breeding and raising of Shropshire sheep. He does con-
siderable feeding and annually makes shipments to the markets, usually
those of Chicago.
On the 14th of October, 1904, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Pear-
son and Miss Pearl McClain, a daughter of Edwin and Alice (Raines) Mc-
Clain. The father, who was one of the pioneer settlers of the county, was
killed by lightning on his farm, on section 27, Des Moines township, August
27, 1884. The mother is still living and continues to make her home on
the farm. Four children have been born of the marriage of Mr. and Mrs.
Charles E. Pearson : Glenn, who is five years of age ; Rodney, now three ;
Grace, who is two years and Ernest Leslie, a babe of four months.
Mr. Pearson has always been a stanch republican, although he does not
actively participate in political campaigns. In religious faith Mr. and Mrs.
Pearson attend the Methodist Episcopal church of Des Moines township,
of which Mrs. Pearson is a member. Progressive in his views, Mr. Pear-
son intelligently adopts modern ideas in all branches of his work, but being
guided by practical results rather than by theoretical, hypothesis he is con-
servative in his methods, and as a result is meeting with a gratifying degree
of success.
JOHN BARTHOLOMEW.
No history of Fairfield and Jefferson county would be complete with-
out reference to John Bartholomew who is today one of the oldest of the
native sons residing within the county's borders. This was largely a wild
and undeveloped region when, on Christmas Day, 1842, his birth occurred
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 159
in Fairfield. In the intervening period covering sixty-nine years he has
witnessed notable changes, for the wild prairie land has been claimed and
cultivated and the few pioneer homes have been supplanted by large and
attractive modern residences that indicate the success and prosperity of the
farming community. The villages, too, have extended into flourishing
towns and cities and the work of progress has been carried steadily for-
ward through the unfaltering efforts of progressive citizens. As the years
have passed by John Bartholomew has prospered in his undertakings and
his attention is now given to the supervision of his property interests
which include some valuable real estate in Fairfield.
Mr. Bartholomew is a son of Thomas and Nancy (Speer) Bartholo-
mew, both of whom were natives of County Antrim, Ireland, born near Bel-
fast. The father's birth occurred July lo, 1811, and the mother was born
in 1813. They were reared and married there and after crossing the broad
Atlantic in one of the old-time sailing vessels they settled at Cassville,
Pennsylvania, where they resided for two years. In 1840 they arrived in
Fairfield and during their remaining days lived in Jefferson county. The
father was a carpenter and cabinet maker by trade and in connection with
the manufacture of furniture here he also did considerable building. As
he prospered in his undertakings he made judicious investments in land,
purchasing one hundred and sixty acres adjoining the city on the south-
west, his sons operating this farm after he retired to private life. He died
January 3, 1892, having for more than ten years survived his wife, who
passed away December 24, 1881. when in her sixty-eighth year. Their
eldest son, Robert, was born in Ireland and their eldest daughter, Agnes,
in Pennsylvania. The former is now deceased and the latter is the widow
of William A. Barton, a resident of Colorado. Five children came into
the family after the arrival in this state, namely: John; Thomas A., de-
ceased; Catherine, who is the widow of Charles Goddard and resides in
Leadville, Colorado ; and James and Mary, both of whom are now deceased. '
John Bartholomew spent his boyhood and youth in Fairfield and at-
tended the public schools, dividing his time between the duties of the
schoolroom, the pleasures of the playground and the tasks assigned to
him by parental authority. On attaining his majority he went to Colorado
where he resided for a quarter of a century. In connection with his brother
Robert he took up timber claims in that state, furnishing timber for the
mines and also drove ox teams in the transportation business. As the
years passed he prospered for he was diligent, determined and persevering,
and the result of hir, labors is manifest in the fact that following his return
to Fairfield in 1889 he made investment in property here. At that time he
took up his abode at his present place of residence, having a five-acre tract
adjoining the old home. He owns altogether twelve dwellings in this city
160 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
that he rents and his time is largely spent in looking after his property and
other investments. In addition to his real estate he holds considerable
stock in banks and factories of Fairfield and is now numbered among the
most substantial residents of this city.
On the 13th of October, 1892, Mr. Bartholomew was married to Miss
Louisa Thoma, a native of Atchison, Kansas, and a daughter of David and
Theresa Thoma, who are mentioned in connection with the sketch of her
two brothers, under the name of Thoma & Thoma, elsewhere in this
volume. Mr. Bartholomew and his wife have many warm friends in this
district where they have so long resided. Both are faithful attendants of
the First Presbyterian church, in which he is an elder. He is prominent
among the business men and is widely recognized as a man of keen dis-
crimination and sound judgment. Moreover he is public-spirited and has
been a potent factor in many movements which tend to promote the ma-
terial, intellectual and moral growth of the community.
LEWIS TRABERT.
Lewis Trabert, deceased, was for years a resident of Lockridge town-
ship, Jefferson county, Iowa, and gave to the development of the agricultural
interests in this state his best efforts throughout his life. Endowed by
birth with Teutonic traits of hardy endurance and indomitable persever-
etice, even in the face of disheartening obstacles, he won his way steadily
to the front, making a name for himself that will endure in the annals of
Iowa's noble pioneers. Lewis Trabert was born in Lockridge township,
Jefferson county, Iowa, November 13. 1852. His parents came to this
country from Germany. His father, Frederick Trabert, located in Penn-
sylvania, in 1842, and, trained in agricultural pursuits, he entered service
as a farm hand for five years. He then came west, settling in Jefferson
county, Iowa, where he bought forty acres of land in Lockridge township.
This tract he cleared and improved ; and, adding more to it by degrees,
he became the owner of a very valuable farm of three hundred acres which
he operated till the close of his life. His death occurred in February,
1875. His wife, the mother of the subject of this biography, passed away
December 27, 1900.
Lewis Trabert was reared and educated in Lockridge township, where
he attended the district school. Upon the death of his parents, with whom
he had remained after finishing school, he bought out from the other heirs
the title to the land bequeathed by his father's will, thus acquiring possession
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 161
•of one hundred and forty-seven acres. These he cultivated until his death,
which occurred September i6, 1905.
On April 27, 1876, Lewis Trabert was united in the bonds of matri-
mony to Miss Sophia A. Smithline. She was a daughter of George and
Mary B. (Dallner) Smithline, natives of Germany. Her parents came to
this country, locating in Jefferson county, Iowa, in pioneer days ; and here
Sophia Smithline grew to womanhood. Among her early recollections,
she recalls vividly many of the barbarities perpetrated by the Indians, then
still densely settled in this region and clinging tenaciously to their inalien-
able right to the land of their fathers. She remembers the hardships of
the pioneers and can recall, from her own experience, many incidents of
great historic interest. Mrs. Trabert's father did not settle in Iowa directly
upon coming to this country, but spent four years in Ohio working as a
farm hand. He then came to Jefferson county, Iowa, and bought eighty
acres of land in Lockridge township. This tract he cultivated, extending
its area by the purchase of eighty additional acres. After operating this
farm for about eight years, he retired, taking up his residence in Lock-
ridge. Iowa, where he lived until his death in December, 1894. His wife
died just thirty years before, in 1864.
To Mr. and Mrs. Trabert were born four children, namely: Franklin
A., a farmer in Lockridge township ; Mamie B., the wife of D. R. Linn, a
resident of Burlington, Iowa; Frederick L., at home; and Lawrence H.,
at home. Mr. Trabert was a loyal democrat ; and, with his wife and family,
held membership in the German Lutheran church. In his premature death,
Lockridge township lost a man of serious purpose and exemplary life ;
the kind of citizen whose memory does honor to his family and community.
CAPTAIN ARTHUR S. JORDAN.
Captain Arthur S. Jordan is now living retired in Fairfield where he
has made his home since 1854. He has been connected at different times
with the business interests of the city as a general merchant and a dealer
in lumber and coal, and during the period of the Civil war he was a stanch
defender of the Union cause. Now in the evening of life he is resting
from labor, the efforts of his former toil supplying him with all of the
necessities and some of the comforts of life. He has passed the seventy-
ninth milestone, his birth having occurred at Cape Elizabeth, Maine, on
the 22d of February, 1832. His parents, Clement and Elizabeth F. (Dyer)
Jordan, were also natives of that place. The father first came to the west
in 1 85 1 on a visit and about 1863 or 1864 returned to Fairfield to spend
162 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
the remainder of his days among his children. The Jordan family is one
of the oldest in the state of Maine, the first representative settling at Cape
Elizabeth when that region was an unbroken wilderness. He secured a
grant of land from King George and there established the ancestral home
of the family. All through his early life Clement Jordan was captain or
master of a ship. In early manhood he wedded Eliza F. Dyer who up to
the time of her marriage had resided upon a farm near Cape Elizabeth.
They became the parents of nine children. Emily D., the eldest, became
the wife of Captain William R. Wells and both died in Fairfield. Frances
C. married Captain Henry Eaton and died in Fairfield while her husband
passed away in California. Clement J. died on the old homestead at Cape
Elizabeth. Caroline E. became the wife of John H. Wells, a merchant of
Fairfield, and both passed away in this city. William Henry married
Maria W. Webster of Cape Elizabeth and his death occurred there while
his wife died in Clinton, Massachusetts. Arthur S. is the sixth in order
of birth. Charles Henry died in Cape Elizabeth when sixteen years of
age. Albert married Hattie Wells and died in Fairfield, Iowa, but his
widow resides in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Harry married Maggie
Brown and died in Fairfield while his widow is living in Los Angeles,
California.
Arthur S. Jordan remained at the place of his birth until sixteen years
of age and afterward spent two or three years as a sailor. He worked on
the old homestead farm of two hundred acres until he made his way to
the west in 1854, when twenty-two years of age, since which time he has
resided in Fairfield, the period of his residence here covering fifty-seven
years. For a time he was engaged in general merchandising with his
brothers, W. H., Albert and Harry, the four conducting their store under
the name of the Jordan Brothers. The business had been established by
Captain W. R. Wells and William Jordan in 1851 and in 1857 Captain
Jordan purchased the interest of Captain Wells and organized the firm of
Jordan Brothers, the other brothers being admitted at a later date. They
continued the business together with gratifying success until the '70s. In
the meantime A. S. Jordan had enlisted in Fairfield, Iowa, in July, 1862,
as a member of Company B, Nineteenth Iowa Infantry. He joined the
army as a private but was promoted to the rank of second lieutenant and
afterward became captain of his company. He served until the close of
the war and was mustered out in July, 1865, having in the meantime par-
ticipated in all of the engagements of his regiment, including the sieges 01
Vicksburg and of Spanish Fort. His brother Harry also served in the
same company, going out as captain. He was promoted to the rank of
major and was mustered out with that title. The other brothers, William
and Albert, remained at home and conducted the store, being joined in
HISTORY OF JEFFERSOX COUNTY 163
its management and operation by the two soldier brothers after the close
of hostilities. In 1871 William Jordan died, after which the three other
brothers continued the business for a few years and then closed it out.
Captain Jordan next entered the lumber and coal business from which he
retired in his seventy-fifth year, remaining throughout the whole period as
one of the representative, honorable and honored business men of the city.
In 1868 Captain Jordan was united in marriage to Miss Ada M. Jor-
dan, of Cape Elizabeth, Maine, who was not related unless the tie of kin-
ship came in many generations back. The Jordans, however, were very
numerous in Maine, almost half of the town of Cape Elizabeth bearing
that name. Mrs. Ada Jordan was born in 1848 and was a daughter of
John G. and Ann V. (Dyer) Jordan, also natives of Cape Elizabeth. Unto
the marriage of our subject and his wife have been born two children,
Nellie E. and Arthur G. The former, a graduate of Parsons College with
the class of 1892, has been engaged in teaching in the high school most
of the time since. Captain Jordan, his wife and his two children are now
the only members of the family still living in Fairfield, all the others
having passed away. He has never held any public office but served on the
city school board for twelve years and for twenty-four years was a member
of the board of trustees of Parsons College but resigned that position on
reaching the age of seventy-five years, at the same time putting aside all
other business and public connections in order to live retired. His is an
honorable old age and the respect and veneration of his fellow townsmen
are accorded him. No history of Fairfield would be complete without
mention of Captain Jordan, so well and worthily has he lived and so
actively has he participated in the business life of the city and in its
growth and improvement in other ways.
WILLIAM ODEAN.
Notable for the achievement of having been engaged in two wholly
dissimilar callings, railroading and farming, William ODean was so suc-
cessful in the pursuit of each and husbanded his resources so wisely that
he was enabled to retire some years ago and has since been living in the
enjoyment of well deserved ease. He is a native of Sweden having been
born in February, 1844. His father, Peter ODean, was a farmer in
Sweden where he died in 1874. His mother, whose maiden name was
Mary Swenson, died in 1880.
William ODean was reared and educated in the common schools of
his native locality. He lived with his parents until he was twenty-five years
164 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
old when he took leave of them and of the home of his childhood days.
In his mind's eye he saw a vision of that illusive dream — success — beckon-
ing him onward to America, the land of promise across the sea, where
Fortune holds forth hopes and opportunities to her faithful adherents,
and thither he made his way in 1869, following the westward trail. On
reaching Ottumwa, Iowa, he found the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy
Railroad laying their road-bed through this region. Here he secured
employment as bridge foreman of a construction crew. After two years
at this work he gathered the proceeds of his toil and came to Jefferson
county, Iowa, where he invested in one hundred and thirty acres of land
in Lockridge township. This tract he improved and subsequently rented,
returning to his work on the railroad, in which he continued twenty more
years and at the close of this period, in 1891, he withdrew to his farm,
assuming charge of its cultivation. Twelve years he devoted to the opera-
tion of his property and thereafter retired, moving to Four Corners, where
he now resides on twenty-seven acres of highly improved land. Financially
he is interested in the Lockridge Savings Bank in which he is a stockholder
and director.
Mr. ODean married Miss Charlotta Swanson in December, 1882.
Her parents, Andrew and Luisa Swanson, were natives of Sweden. Her
father came to this country and located in Jefferson county, Iowa, in
1852, buying a farm in Lockridge township which he set about to improve.
He operated it until his death in 1884. Mrs. Swanson's death occurred
in 1874.
Three children were born to Mr. and Mrs. ODean, namely: Minnie,
the wife of A. D. Edmund, now operating his father-in-law's farm in
Lockridge township; Fred, living in Henry county, Iowa; and Paul, who
died in 1889.
Mr. ODean generally votes with the republicans and with his family
holds membership in the Lutheran church. He is a man of upright char-
acter and high principles and has won the regard of all who know him.
THOMAS M. HAWK.
Thomas M. Hawk owns and cultivates a farm of one hundred and
fifty-five and one-half acres situated in Walnut township, and its neat and
thrifty appearance renders it one of the attractive features in the land-
scape. His birth occurred in Penn township, Jefferson county, October
14, 1856, his parents being William and Frances (McClure) Hawk, who
were natives of Tennessee. The father came to Jefferson county in 1839,
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 165
when the greater part of the state was still wild and unimproved, few
settlements having been made beyond the eastern border. He entered forty
acres of land in Penn township and began the arduous task of clearing
and improving this, turning the first furrows in the fields and planting the
seeds, which in due time brought forth good harvests. His persistent and
intelligently directed labors brought him success, that enabled him to add
to his possessions from time to time until he owned five hundred acres,
which he continued to cultivate and improve until about a year prior to
his death, when he retired from the farm and took up his abode in Fair-
field. His was a long, useful and active life, crowned with substantial
success and the high regard of all with whom he had business or social
relations. He died in 1903, at the age of eighty-six years, having for
several years survived his wife.
Thomas M. Hawk was reared and educated in his native county and
its district school system provided him with his educational privileges. In
the school of experience, however, he has added many valuable lessons.
He remianed with his parents on the home farm and assisted in its develop-
ment and improvement until he had attained his majority, when he started
out in life independently, giving his attention to the work, to which he had
previously been trained. After renting land for two years his father bought
a tract and later he purchased more land in Walnut township. He at once
began improvements and has since cultivated it, having now a valuable
farm of one hundred and fifty-five and one-half acres lacking in no modern
equipment or accessory. He uses the latest improved machinery to facili-
tate the work of the fields and has upon his place good barns and out-
buildings, furnishing ample shelter for grain and stock. His methods,
too, are practical and produce substantial results.
On February 5, 1881, Mr. Hawk was united in marriage to Miss Sarah
Jennison, a daughter of Stephen S. and Mary (Fenton) Jennison, who
were natives of Indiana. Her father became a resident of Wayne county,
Iowa, at an early day and there purchased and improved a farm which he
has since continued to cultivate. Her mother, however, has passed away.
Mr. and Mrs. Hawk have become the parents of three children: RoUie'
R., now living at home; Minnie, the wife of G. M. Lesher, a resident of
North Dakota ; and Ina E., the wife of H. B. Lesher, who is also living in
North Dakota. The wife and mother passed away after a year's illness,
on the i6th of August, 1905, her death being deeply regretted by many
friends as well as by her immediate family.
Mr. Hawk holds membership in the Church of God and his political
support is given to the democratic party. A life-long resident of Jefferson
county, he is well known within its borders and his history is a familiar
one to many of our readers. His life record shows what may be accom-
166 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
plishecl when energy and determination lead the way. He has had but
httle assistance and yet his persistent, earnest labor has enabled him to
steadily advance toward the goal of prosperity, his landed possessions
making him one of the substantial citizens of Walnut township.
WALTUS COLLINS.
Waltus Collins is one of the venerable citizens of Jefferson county.
He was born in Simpson county, Kentucky, November lo, 1824, so that
his life record has already spanned eighty-seven years. It covers a most
interesting period in the history of the country and he can well remember
many of the chief events which have left their impress upon the records
of this land. He has himself taken an active part in shaping the develop-
ment and promoting the welfare of Jefferson county and he can relate
many interesting points concerning pioneer history not only in this region
but also in Illinois and Kentucky. His parents were Thomas and Polly
(Elam) Collins. The father was born in North Carolina, in 1787, and the
mother's birth occurred in Virginia, on the bank of the James river, about
eight or ten years after the birth of her husband. He was a son of Jasper
Collins, who was born in North Carolina and served through the Revolu-
tionary war as a teamster. In the days of peace, however, he followed
the occupation of farming. The Flams were a prominent Virginia family
and one of the name served in congress. Although reared in North Caro-
lina Thomas Collins was married in Kentucky. In early life he learned
the cooper's trade which he always afterward followed, and he also owned
a farm which was operated by his sons and their negro assistants. About
1827 the family removed from the state line into Sumner county, Tennessee,
and after living there for a time took up their abode in Christian county,
Kentucky, where they remained for three years. In the spring of 1836
they arrived in Morgan county, Illinois, and while living there the mother
of Waltus Collins passed away, in 1852. The father died later at Pekin,
Illinois, when seventy-nine years of age. Their children were eleven in
number: Valina, the wife of William Edwards; Olivia, who married
Charles Wilson; Thomas Jefferson; James Madison; Mary, the wife of
Enoch Frazey; Waltus; Benjamin Franklin; Susan, the wife of William
Baldwin; Frances Ann. the wife of William McCasland ; Henry Clay, who
died at the age of eight years; and Orvil, who served through the Civil
war in an Illinois regiment. Waltus and Mrs. Baldwin are the only ones
now living. Benjamin Franklin enlisted from Illinois for service in the
Civil war and died at the front, near Memphis, Tennessee.
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 169
The first incident in his Hfe which WaUus Collins remembers occurred
when he was about two years of age, when the family were removing from
Kentucky to Tennessee. He can recall the large logs that were used in
the building of his father's house and in the other buildings on the premises.
While living there he frequently saw General Jackson riding in the stage
coach. Following the removal to Christian county, Kentucky, when he
was about nine years of age, he witnessed the development of his father's
farm into one of the finest tobacco plantations in the world. In the neigh-
borhood lived Peter Cartwright and for a number of years they were
neighbors to Jefferson Davis and Buckner. In the same part of the state
also lived Lincoln, Clay, and Harlan, together with others who have won
state and national prominence. In those early days he and his brother
were allowed to hunt rabbits while the older brothers hunted turkey and
larger game which was quite plentiful in that district. Corn and tobacco
were the chief products raised and Mr. Collins' father frequently sold
corn to the slave drivers at fifty cents per bushel. Both the white and
black people worked in the fields and Mr. Collins was many days employed
by a neighbor when but a young lad. Fox hunting was the favorite sport
of the young men of the district and some of the older ones and there were
a good many packs of hounds kept in Kentucky. Mr. ColHns says that
his life was fraught with much pleasure during that period. Corn huskings
were among the most interesting social functions of the day and on such
occasions a splendid supper was: served at which the principal dish was
pork pie. When a red ear of corn was found a drink of whiskey was given
to the finder, but the owner was usually careful about the disposition of
the intoxicant.
Following the removal of the family to Morgan county Mr. Collins
spent about eight years of his life in that district. There was no free
instruction, the schools being supported by the parents of the children and
partly by the state, but later a system of free public instruction was intro-
duced, owing to the rapid settlement of Illinois. When about sixteen
years of age Waltus Collins left the parental roof and started out in life
for himself, working for farmers for a number of years, including some
of the big cattle men and wealthiest stock dealers of the country. While
thus employed he first came to know something of the Mormon religion
and its followers. Resentment against the Mormons grew stronger as it
found that many of the people were desperate characters who committed
much theft. In September, 1843, Mr. Collins enlisted in the Illinois State
Constabulary, a light horse cavalry, for active duty during the trouble with
the Mormons at Nauvoo. There were one hundred mounted men in the
brigade, under Captain Thomas Turner and Brigadier General Hardin.
Mr. Collins remained in the state service for three years and was the
Vol. 11—10
170 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUX'i Y
tallest man in his company, standing six feet four inches and weighing-
about two hundred pounds at that time. He is thoroughly familiar with
the history of Mormonism and the movement that ended in transporting
the followers of Joseph Smith to the west. The people who had been
defrauded would follow their lost property to the edge of the Mormon city
but could not recover the stolen goods, and again and again officers with
warrants for the recovery of stolen goods would attempt to make an arrest
and were never heard of again. At length feeling became so intense against
the sect that the Smiths, who were imprisoned in the Carthage jail, were
killed by a mob of thousands from Missouri and Illinois. The movement
against the Mormons was probably delayed by the political situation, as
both parties wanted their votes, but Ford, the democratic candidate for
governor, won. In September of the same year he called out a brigade
of soldiers to quell a mob composed of desperate men from Missouri and
Illinois, men who had suffered great loss of property through the Mormons.
Governor Ford had as his advisers Stephen A. Douglas and Hardin who
counseled a diplomatic course. But at length it was seen that the move-
ment against the Mormons was so strong that they feared a massacre and
finally agreed to leave this part of the country. The governor detailed two
companies to remain at Carthage and maintain peace. One of these, com-
manded by Captain Turner, was the cavalry company to which Mr. Collins
belonged and the other company was composed of Quincy riflemen, under
Captain Morgan. Mr. Collins says that his experience in the constabulary
service among the Mormons convinced him that they were the worst body
of men he has ever had anything to do with.
At length, when he was discharged from service he came to Iowa,
reaching Jefferson county March 20, 1846, and here he has since lived.
He made the journey on horseback to join his sister, Mrs. Valina Edwards,
who resided in what is now Buchanan township. With her he had spent
the winter of 1843-4 and then returned to Illinois, but came here to reside
permanently in 1846. He entered eighty acres of land in Buchanan town-
ship and resided on it for nine years, after which he sold out and in Febru-
ary, 1857, purchased his present farm, containing one hundred and one
acres in Lockridge township, a mile northeast of Salina. It was mostly
covered by heavy timber although thirty acres had been cleared and culti-
vated. The fertility of the ground, however, had been so reduced that it
could yield only thirty bushels to the acre. But Mr. Collins planted it to
grass and kept his stock thereon, and after a few years its productiveness
had so increased that he could raise from seventy-five to one hundred bushels
per acre. On his first farm he built a log house with a shingle roof and
glass windows. The cabins of those days were mostly built with round
logs and clapboard roofs. Splitting a puncheon and hewing it until it was
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 171
thin, he made a settee upon which he put rockers and used this for the
baby's cradle. All the necessary farm buildings were built of logs and
covered with clapboards. Mr. Collins availed himself of the wide range
for cattle and as the years passed his efforts at farming and stock-raising
brought him substantial profit.
As a companion and helpmate for life's journey Mr. Collins chose Jane
Chilcott whom he wedded June ii, 1846. She was born in Huntington
county, Pennsylvania, June 14, 1830, and in April, 1844, came to Jefferson
county with her parents, Richard and Ruth (Gorsuch) Chilcott, who were
also natives of the Keystone state and spent their last days in Jefferson
county. Mrs. Collins was a sister of United States Senator George M.
Chilcott, of Colorado, who came to Jefferson county in 1844 with the
family and worked for our subject at fifty cents per day, furnishing his
own yoke of oxen and thus assisting in clearing the land. For forty-four
years Mr. and Mrs. Collins traveled life's journey together but were
separated in the death of the wife, December 13, 1890. They were the
parents of nine children : Ruth, the wife of Alonzo J. Green, of Fairfield ;
Emma, the wife of Finley Chester, of Kansas City, Missouri ; Sarah Jane,
who died at the age of nine years ; Jay, a farmer of this county ; Ira, a
resident of Los Angeles, California ; Melvin R., of Fairfield ; Miles Grant,
of Colorado Springs, Colorado; Ernest, of Emerson, Iowa; and Dennis
Colfax, of Los Angeles, California.
For the past four years Mr. Collins has resided at the Leggett House,
in Fairfield. In his early life he learned the cooper's trade with his father
but never enjoyed the work, nature having intended him for farming, for
he always found pleasure and success in that calling and is today the owner
of an excellent property in the midst of which stands a large and attractive
residence. For twenty years he has been a member of the Jefferson County
Farmers' Club and has taken an active part in its work. He has also been
a member of the Farmers' Institute since its organization and was a mem-
ber of the Jefferson County Agricultural Society. He was reared in the
faith of the whig party and joined the ranks of the new republican party
on its organization. He was associated with John Spielman and Senator
James F. Wilson as members of a committee to organize the republican
party in this county for the Fremont campaign. He was a stanch abolitionist,
later a protectionist and subsequently became equally stalwart in his cham-
pionship of prohibition. Of recent years he has voted an independent
democratic ticket. During the Civil war he was a member of the Union
League and he has always been a believer in the Christian religion although
he has never held membership with a church. Of the one hundred men
who enlisted at the time of the Mormon trouble at Nauvoo, Mr. Collins
and William Wyatt, of Franklin, Illinois, are now the only survivors and
172 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
the latter entertained the former in 1908. Mr. Wyatt also enlisted for
service in the Mexican war and again in the Civil war and became a
colonel. The two had been reared as boys together and attended the same
school, and the visit in 1908 was a most happy occasion to both as they
had not seen each other since the Mormon trouble. Mr. Collins has been
a member of the Iowa State Historical Society since its organization. He
is a remarkably well preserved man for eighty-seven years. He has not
used intoxicants for more than half a century and never was addicted to
the use of tobacco. Nature is kind to those who abuse none of her laws
and she has been good to Mr. Collins who, although he has advanced far
down the hillside of life, yet preserves a wonderful physical and mental
vigor, keeping in touch with the grogress of the times and the thought
that has moved the world. He relates, too, in a most interesting manner
the incidents of early days and is one of the most respected and honored
residents of Jefferson county.
FREDOLEN HEER.
One of Jefferson county's well known German citizens is Fredolen
Heer, who for many years was successfully engaged in general farming
and stock-raising, but is now living retired in Glasgow. He was born in
Baden, his natal day being the 6th of March, 1837, and his parents Andrew
and Catherine (Hartley) Heer, both of whom are now deceased, the
father having passed away in 1873 and the mother in 1880. Andrew
Heer was always engaged in the grain business in Germany, in connec-
tion with which for many years he also operated a farm.
Fredolen Heer remained at home with his parents until he was fifteen
years of age, pursuing his education in the common schools of his native
land. Together with an elder brother in 1854 he took passage for the
United States, arriving in New York city in the month of January. They
soon secured employment in a rubber factory in New Brunswick, New
Jersey, at fifty cents per day, while they paid seven dollars per month for
their board. He remained in the service of this company for eighteen
months, and at the end of that time went to Rome, New York, where
for a time he worked in a brickyard at twelve dollars per month. From
there he went to Utica, walking the greater part of the distance, and worked
on the Erie canal until 1856. His next removal was to Burlington, Iowa,
where he went to work for the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad,
which company was at that time extending their lines westward. He con-
tinued in their service for a year, then went to Des Moines, but failing
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 173
to find work in that city came to Jefferson county. On the 17th of Novem-
ber, 1857, he went to work for a farmer at eleven dollars per month, fol-
lowing this occupation for the succeeding four years. Although his wages
were small he was thrifty and during that period managed to save enough
to enable him to begin farming as a renter at the end of that time. He ap-
plied himself diligently and by practicing the most rigid economy at the
end of four years had sufficient capital to buy one hundred and twenty
acres of land. This land had never been cultivated and was entirely with-
out improvements, but he assiduously applied himself to clearing it and
in connection with the operation of his own fields he rented a tract of
one hundred and twenty acres that he cultivated. His efforts were re-
warded by such lucrative returns that he subsequently extended the boun-
daries of his homestead by the addition of another tract of one hundred
and eight acres, making his holdings aggregate two hundred and twenty-
eight acres. He improved his property as his resources increased by the
erection of a comfortable residence, substantial barns and outbuildings,
providing ample shelter for both his stock and grain. His fields were
always tilled under his personal supervision and given the careful atten-
tion that resulted in abundant harvests that brought the highest market
prices. A man of practical ideas he used intelligence and discretion in all
of his undertakings, his efforts always being directed toward a definite
purpose. In connection with the operation of his fields he devoted much
attention to stock-raising, and annually marketed fifty head of hogs while
he kept twenty head of cattle and six horses. Long years of patient in-
dustry and thrift united with clear judgment in all matters of business
enabled Mr. Heer to acquire a competence that warranted his retirement
in 1905, when he rented his farm and removed to Glasgow. Here he
bought a house and three acres of land, and during the period of his oc-
cupancy he has effected many and extensive improvements in his place
and now owns one of the most attractive residence properties in the town.
The income from his rentals and his other investments provides him with
all of the necessities and many of the luxuries of life, thus enabling him
to enjoy in his latter years the ease and comfort denied his youth.
On the 8th of April, 1862, Mr. Heer was united in marriage to Miss
Louisa Unkriech, a daughter of Henry and Fredericka Unkriech. The
parents were both natives of Germany, where the father held the position
of tax collector in connection with which he also farmed until 1859, when
he came to this country, locating in Jefferson county. Here he purchased
two hundred acres of land in Round Prairie township that he was improv-
ing, when his efforts in this direction were terminated by death in Janu-
ary, i860. The mother survived for sixteen years thereafter, her demise
occurring in 1876. Mr, and Mrs, Heer were the parents of ten children.
174 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
two of whom died in infancy. The others were as follows : Louis, who
died at the age of eighteen months; Mary, the wife of Frank Dill, a farmer
of Round Prairie township; Anna, who married Milton Whitney, and is
living in the vicinity of Broken Bow, Nebraska ; Eva, the wife of Charles
Stump, of Birmingham, Iowa; Frank, who is farming in North Dakota;
Charles, a merchant of Fairfield ; William, who is farming in North Da-
kota; and Kate, the wife of Charles McLaren, of Mount Pleasant, Iowa.
On the 28th of September, 1902, the family were called upon to mourn
the loss of the wife and mother, who for fourteen years previous had been
an invalid. On the 26th of August, 1909, Mr. Heer was married to Miss
Annie Sturgis, a daughter of William and Maria (Cole) Sturgis, the father
a native of South Carolina and the mother of Indiana. The parents were
among the early settlers of Jefferson county, the father having owned and
improved a farm in Round Prairie township until his death in 1880. The
mother survived him until 1887.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Heer affiliate with the Methodist Episcopal church,
and his political allegiance is given to the democratic party. He has always
taken an active interest in all township affairs, and while living in Round
Prairie township served as trustee and road supervisor, and he was also a
member of the board of school directors. Mr. Heer is one of the self-
made men of Jefferson county, having come to America when little more
than a boy and without either capital or influence has attained a position
that well entitles him to the esteem and regard he is accorded by his many
friends.
ROLLIN J. WILSON.
Rollin J. Wilson, a prominent representative of the bar, who since
1877 h^s engaged in practice in Jefferson county, was born in Fairfield,
October 18, 1853. He is a representative of one of the prominent families
of the state, and is fortunate in having back of him an ancestry honorable
and distinguished. His father was James F. Wilson, United States sena-
tor from Iowa, and his mother, Mrs. Mary A. K. (Jewett) Wilson. Both
were natives of Newark, Ohio, where they were reared and married, com-
ing to Fairfield in the winter of 1852-3. Their family numbered three
children, Rollin J., Mary B. and James F., all of this city.
Throughout his entire life Rollin J. Wilson has resided in Fairfield
and in the private and public schools began his education, passing through
consecutive grades up to the time when he entered the State University at
Iowa City. He there completed a course by graduation with the class of
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 175
1875 and later took up the study of law in Fairfield, being admitted to the
bar in 1877, since which time he has continuously practiced in this city.
He has had a distinctively representative clientele and has been connected
with much important work in the courts, where he has won favorable ver-
dicts by reason of his clear reasoning and logical deductions. By election
he filled the office of county attorney four years, proving a most capable
official in that connection. He was the first person chosen to the office by
election and continued therein for two terms. He had previously been
appointed by the board of supervisors. For twenty years he was local
attorney for the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific and also for the Chicago,
Burlington & Quincy railroad companies. Aside from the practice of law
he is well known in business circles in Fairfield as the president of the
First National Bank. Moreover he has been closely associated with many
of the public interests of the city whereby its welfare and interests have
been conserved. He is now president of the Fairfield free public library
and is secretary of the board of trustees of Parsons College. He was for
nine years a member of the school board, serving two terms as president
of Fairfield Independent District.
On the 13th of October, 1881, Mr. Wilson was married to Miss Mary
Atchison McKemey, a native of Fairfield, and a daughter of Joseph Ali-
son and Cynthia A. McKemey. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Wilson
was blessed with two daughters : Mary Louise, now the wife of J. P.
Morehead, of Fairfield ; and Helen C, the wife of Edward C. Peters, of
Fairfield. Mr. Wilson holds membership with the Modern Woodmen of
America and the Knights of Pythias and A. O. U. W. He votes with the
republican party, to which he has given his allegiance since age conferred
upon him the right of franchise. Those who know him, and his friends
are many, accord him the high regard which is uniformly given in recog-
nition of genuine personal worth and ability. For fifty-eight years he
has lived in Fairfield and every event which has had special significance in
relation to the history of the city is familiar to him and it is well known
that his influence and aid can be counted upon to further every movement
that tends to benefit the county.
JAMES J. BIRT.
With the passing of James J. Birt from the scene of earthly activity
the community in which he resided lost one of its most honored and valued
citizens, for in him were manifest those qualities which ever win respect
and confidence. He was yet in his prime when called to his final rest, his
176 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
birth having occurred on the 24th of December, 1854, in Pennsylvania.
His parents, John J. and Jemimah (Mansfield) Birt, were both natives of
England, where they were reared and married, and where the father learned
and followed the brick mason's trade. Later he took up agricultural pur-
suits and after coming to America in 1850, located in Pennsylvania where
he followed that occupation until about 1856. From there he came to
Iowa and took up his abode on a farm just west of Fairfield in Jefferson
county, upon which a son now resides. Throughout the rest of his days
this place remained his home, and here he passed away in 1875. His
wife also spent her last days on that farm, her death occurring when she
was eighty-three years of age. In their family were four children of
whom only two are now living: Lincoln, a farmer of Smithfield, Nebraska;
and Frank, operating the old homestead.
James J. Birt was a little lad of two years when brought to Iowa, and
almost his entire life was passed within the boundaries of Jefferson county.
His boyhood and youth were spent in the routine of farm work and after
the death of his father he continued to give his mother the benefit of his
assistance about the home place until he was thirty-six years of age, when
he was married and at once took up farming independently on a tract of
land which he purchased five miles northwest of Fairfield near Brook-
ville, and there he resided for one year. At the end of that period he
removed to the forty-acre tract situated just outside of the city limits of
Fairfield, upon which his family still reside. This land is located on sec-
tion 26, near the fairgrounds and to its further development he at once
directed his energies. Year after year he plowed and planted and carried
on the work of the farm, remaining there until his life's labors were ended
in death, when he left to his family a well improved and desirable property.
It was on the 2d of September, 1891. that Mr. Birt was united in
marriage to Miss Sarah C. Du Bois, a daughter of John W. and Elizabeth
(Dill) Du Bois, the former born in New York city of French parentage
and the latter born in Nashville, Tennessee, of American progeny. They
were married in Illinois and in the spring of 1842 came to Jefferson
county, Iowa, locating about two miles west of Fairfield on a farm. There
the father carried on general farming and stock-raising until about three
years prior to his death, when he retired from business life. He passed
away in 1888, having survived his wife for seven years, her death occurring
in 1881 on the farm where her daughter now resides and upon which she
has spent her entire life. In the Du Bois family were nine children, five
of whom are now living, namely: Reuben, of Fairfield, a retired farmer;
Theodore Polk, engaging in farming in Center township, Jefferson county ;
John, a farmer of South Dakota ; Mrs. Asa D. Roberts, of Fairfield, and
Mrs. Birt. To Mr. and Mrs. Birt were born two children, Nathaniel S.
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 177
and Ona May, both students of the F\airfield high school. Since the death
of the father the son has taken charge of the home farm under the direc-
tion of his mother, the work of which he carries on during the vacation
periods and when not engaged with his text-books. Mr. Birt was a faith-
ful member of the Christian church of Fairfield, to which his wife and
children also belong, and in the faith of that denomination he passed
away on the 4th of May, 1910. His political allegiance was given to the
republican party and for many years he filled political offices of various
kinds. He acted as road supervisor for several terms in districts No. i
and 8, and as school director in district No. 8 for a long period, and no
project which had for its object material, intellectual or moral develop-
ment sought his aid in vain. He was a man of fine personal character,
well known and highly respected throughout this section of the county,
and when he passed from this life, the community lost one of its most
valued and honored citizens. His demise came as a great blow to his
family, by whom he was cherished as a devoted husband and kind, loving
father. With him his home was his first and his last consideration and
no sacrifice was too great for him that would further the pleasure and
comfort of his loved ones. To his family he left not only a comfortable
competence but also the priceless heritage of an untarnished name and a
record that is well worthy of emulation.
DENNIS T. KILFOY.
Dennis T. Kilfoy, who for the past six years has filled the position of
right-of-way agent for the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Com-
pany, makes his home in Fairfield, whither he was brought by his parents
when but three weeks old. He was born in Burlington, Iowa, July i,
1858, a son of Timothy and Bridget (Murphy) Kilfoy. The father was
born in Scariff, County Clare, Ireland, in 1825, and the mother's birth
occurred in Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland, in 183 1. They spent their
childhood days on the Emerald isle and both became residents of Burlington
in the year 1856. They were married in that city and remained there
until their son Dennis was three weeks old, when they removed to Fair-
field, where the remainder of their lives were passed. The father was a
laborer, who was associated for a long period with the erection of public
buildings, including the courthouse, the college and public school buildings
of the city. He died here in 1899 and for six years was survived by his
wife, who passed away in 1905. They had seven children: Dennis T. ;
Kate, who married James Sullivan, both now deceased; Annie, living in
178 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
Fairfield; Julia, the wife of T. J. Hynes, of Burlington; Bridget, who died
February 12, 191 1; Edward, whose death occurred September 29, 1895;
and Mary, who died in 1899.
It was on the 22d of July, 1858, that the family came to Jefferson
county and Dennis T. Kilfoy has since made his home in Fairfield, cover-
ing a period of more than a half century. He acquired his education by
attending the common schools and began earning his own living by working
as a section hand for the Burlington & Missouri Railroad, now a part of
the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy system. Subsequently he was employed
in a lumberyard and also worked for a time fof the Fairfield Gas Com-
pany. He then secured a position as clerk in a grocery store and for
twenty years was connected with that line of merchandising. At the
present writing he is the right-of-way agent for the Chicago, Burlington
& Quincy Railroad, which position he has acceptably filled for six years,
while for six years he acted as assistant general agent for the same company.
On the 15th of June, 1887, Mr. Kilfoy was married to Miss Elizabeth
Fritz, of Brighton, Iowa, who was born near that place in August, 1866,
a daughter of Peter and Susan (Kurtz) Fritz, who are mentioned in this
volume in connection with the record of their son, John H. Fritz. Mr.
and Mrs. Kilfoy have three sons : John A., of Fairfield, who has charge
of the Jeft'erson County Rating League ; and Leo T., eighteen years of
age and Edward Joseph, both at home and high school students. Mr.
Kilfoy votes with the democratic party and is a communicant of the St.
Mary's Roman Catholic church. He has always worked hard and to his
diligence and industry must be attributed whatever success he has achieved.
MATTHEW B. SPARKS.
Matthew B. Sparks, who has the distinction of being one of the oldest
practicing attorneys in Jefferson county, was born in Scottville, Macoupin
county, Illinois, on April 17, 1838, being a son of John and Elizabeth
(Bradshaw) Sparks. His father, although born and reared in Virginia,
was of English extraction, the paternal great-grandfather, Matthew B.
Sparks, a farmer by occupation, being a native of the mother country.
His mother, who was born in White county, Tennessee, was a direct de-
scendant of John Bradshaw, a general in the army of Oliver Cromwell.
He was president of the court that condemned to death Charles the First
of England, signing the warrant of execution. Two of John Bradshaw's
sons escaped the wrath of Charles the Second after the restoration by
coming to America, and it was from one of these that Mrs. Sparks was
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 179
descended. In 1830 together with his wife and family John Sparks came
west to IlHnois, locating in Macoupin county where he followed the car-
penter's trade and farming during the remainder of his active life, passing
away near Carlinville, in 1882. The mother survived for several years
thereafter, her demise occurring at Jacksonville, Illinois. The family of
Mr. and Mrs. Sparks numbered nine children, as follows : William and
Fannie, both of whom are deceased; Matthew B., our subject; and Nancy,
John Byrum, Ryal, Amanda, Emma, also deceased ; and Louisa, the widow
of W. H. Hendrickson, ex-secretary of state and member of congress from
Illinois, who is now living at Alexander, Illinois.
The first nineteen years of his life Matthew B. Sparks spent under the
parental roof, attending the district and high schools in the vicinity of
his home in the acquirement of an education. Upon the completion of the
course therein pursued he came to Iowa, locating in Van Buren county,
where for several years he engaged in teaching. He subsequently went to
Scotland county, Missouri, where he continued to teach until the breaking
out of the Civil M^ar. On the T3th of July, 1861, he answered his country's
call for troops and went to Memphis, Missouri, where he enlisted in Com-
pany C, Twenty-first Missouri Volunteer Infantry. He remained at the
front until the 22d of September, 1862, at which time he was discharged
at Keokuk, Iowa, on account of disability. He participated in a number
of notable skirmishes and engagements in Missouri during the autumn of
1861 and in the following spring his regiment was ordered to join General
Grant's army at Pittsburg Landing. Their campaign Avas opened at
Shiloh, where his company met with heavy losses, but twenty-seven of
their eighty-three men surviving that terrible conflict. After he was mus-
tered out Mr. Sparks came to Batavia, where he again engaged in teaching,
devoting his unoccupied hours to the study of law. He was admitted to
the bar in 1865 and immediately thereafter opened an office here and
engaged in the practice of his profession, with which he has ever since
been identified, being the oldest practicing attorney in Jefferson county
with the exception of Isaac D. Jones of Fairfield.
On the 2d of September, 1858, was solemnized the marriage of Mr.
Sparks and ]\Iiss Sarah J. Killebrew, a daughter of Captain Finess and
Louisa (Evans) Killebrew, the family being of Scotch extraction in the
paternal line. Her father was a native of Tennessee, having been born
near the Kentucky line, while the mother's birthplace was Lexington, Ken-
tucky. The paternal grandfather, Lawrence Killebrew, was a pioneer
Methodist preacher of Pike county, Missouri, where he was born and
reared. He withdrew from the Missouri conference of the Methodist
Episcopal church, when the church divided on the slavery question and
went to Illinois, where he spent his latter years, his death occurring in
180 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
Winchester, Scott county, that state. In the maternal line Mrs. Sparks is
descended from Captain Maberry Evans, her grandfather, who was a
millwright of Kentucky, having been a son of the Revolutionary hero.
Captain Finess Killebrew was a sawmill owner and operator in his native
state, whence he removed to Iowa in the late '30s, locating near Hillsboro,
where he engaged in farming. He was commissioned captain in the Iowa
State Militia in 1840, which office he also held during the Black Hawk
war. During the Rebellion he lived in Missouri, but when peace was re-
stored returned to Iowa, purchasing a farm near Libertyville, this county,
where both he and his wife passed away in 1866. Six children were born
to Mr. and Mrs. Killebrew: Murina, who is deceased; Elizabeth, the
widow of Loren Rawson, now living near Parsons, Kansas; Sarah J., now
Mrs. Sparks ; Maberry, who is deceased ; Parthina, who never married
and is now a resident of Parsons, Kansas ; and John J., who is also de-
ceased. Mr. and Mrs. Sparks were the parents of six children.
The family affiliate with the Methodist Episcopal church of which Mrs.
Sparks is an earnest member. During his earlier years Mr. Sparks always
voted the straight republican ticket, but he now accords his support to
the men and measures he deems best adapted to subserve the interests of
the majority, irrespective of party affiliation. He has always taken an
active and helpful interest in all municipal affairs, and for many years has
been a member of the town council and for ten years he was mayor of
Batavia and was president of the school board for a long period. That
he proved to be efficient and loyal to the best interests of his community
is attested by the length of his periods of incumbency in his various ptiblic
positions. He is one of the highly honored members of the Jefferson
County Bar Association and he also belongs to the George Strong Post
of the Grand Army of the Republic of Fairfield. Mr. Sparks has been one
of the factors in the development and upbuilding of Batavia, his time and
energy ever having been liberally contributed toward the promotion and
advancement of every movement that promised the betterment of the
intellectual or moral welfare of the town, of which he has been a resident
for more than fort)'^-six years.
WILLIAM ACHENBACH.
In Lockridge township, Jefferson county, Iowa, the name Achenbach
has come to connote certain sterling qualities that reflect enviable distinc-
tion upon its bearer and assures him undeniable rank in the agricultural
world. Thus William Achenbach enjoys a standing in his community of
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 181
-which he can be as justly proud as can his brother Lewis Achenbach who
is three years his senior. They are both high-minded men, noble in their
■deaHngs with others, men who Hve simply but fully, who have discovered
the philosopher's stone in honest toil, in the use of the hand and the brain.
To their father, Ludwig Achenbach, who went before and blazed the trail
that made their rise possible, they must give thanks for the boon of such
:a heritage.
William Achenbach was born in Lockridge township, Jefferson county,
Towa, December 8, 1859. He was a son of Ludwig and Margaret (Thopal)
Achenbach. As noted in the sketch of Lewis Achenbach, his parents were
natives of Germany. His father, on coming to this country in 1849, located
in Ohio. He remained there only a short time, however, when he went to
Iowa and settled in Lockridge, where he worked on the construction crew
of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, then engaged in building their
road through this section of the country. After having remained at this
employment several years he took up farming, buying twenty acres in
Lockridge township. He improved and operated his property and kept
on purchasing additional land until he became the owner of a farm of one
hundred and seventy acres. Eight or ten years before his death, which
occurred in 1898, he retired and rented the land to his sons. His wife
died in December. 1882.
William Achenbach attended the district school in Lockridge town-
ship. When he attained his majority he left home and rented a farm in
Osceola, Iowa. He operated this tract for two years, when he returned
to Jefferson county, Iowa, and bought two hundred and forty acres in his
native locality. This land he improved and cultivated in part. Now he
rents out a large portion of it, retaining the remainder for his own use.
He raises forty head of hogs annually, owns eight head of Jersey cattle
and one team of horses. Some years ago he bought five hundred and
sixty acres of cut-over timber land in Wisconsin, later selling one hundred
and sixty acres of the same.
The marriage of William Achenbach and Miss Mary Langner was
solemnized March 5, 1891. She was a daughter of John and Eleanor
(Reeder) Langner, natives of Poland, who came to this country in 1854
and located in Lockridge township, Jefferson county, Iowa. Here Mr.
Langner bought a farm and engaged in agriculture until his death in
March, 1894. His widow survived him two years, passing away in April,
1896.
A daughter, Irma Cornelia, born to Mr. and Mrs. Achenbach, April
26, 1907, died January 8, 191 1, her death being due to infection from
eating impure candy.
182 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
William Achenbach has served as school director of his district. He-
is a loyal republican and with his wife subscribes to the tenets of the
Lutheran church. They have a very pleasant home in which hospitality
is dispensed with a generous hand and their many friends are given a
warm welcome.
THOMA & THOMA.
Roscoe P. and Leo D. Thoma constitute the well known firm of
Thoma & Thoma, practicing at the Fairfield bar. They are young men,
but a Harvard training and laudable ambition well equip them for pro-
fessional duties of an important character and they are now enjoying a
large and distinctively representative clientage. Roscoe P. Thoma was
born in Fairfield, October 8, 1885, and Leo D. on the i6th of May, 1887.
They are sons of Louis Thoma, whose birth occurred in Atchison, Kansas,
April 23, 1861. Their paternal grandparents were David and Theresa
(Irrer) Thoma, both of whom were born near Stuttgart, Germany, where
they were reared and married. In 1848 they crossed the Atlantic in one
of the old time sailing vessels landing at New York, whence they made
their way to Burlington, Iowa. A year later they removed to Kansas and
in 1866 came to Fairfield, Iowa, where they resided until called to their
final rest, David Thoma passing away in 1878, when fifty-six years of
age, while his wife died in February, 1908, at the age of seventy-nine.
He was a stone cutter, having come from a part of Germany where nearly
every one followed that trade and it remained his occupation throughout
his entire life. In response to the country's need in her supreme hour of
danger, he enlisted in 1861, in the Third Kansas Cavalry, at the first call
for troops and served for three years. Although wounded at the battle
of Shiloh he continued at the front and as soon as his health permitted was
again actively engaged in duty. Unto him and his wife were born six
children : Lena, the wife of George Wurtz, residing in Polk county,
Nebraska ; Lizzie, the wife of John Bartholomew, a resident of Fairfield ;
Louis, of Fairfield; Mary, the wife of E. O. White, of Grand Island, Ne-
braska. Two children, Herman and John, died in their youth.
The birth of Louis Thoma occurred while his father was at the front
during the Civil war. He came with his parents to Fairfield in 1866 and
has since resided in this city, acquiring his education in its public schools.
When sixteen years of age he started out in the business world and secured
employment in a drug store. Before attaining his majority he was en-
gaged in business on his own account, becoming a member of the firm of
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 183
Hufford, Bradshaw & Thoma. A later change in the personnel of the
firm led to the adoption of the firm style of Bradshaw & Thoma, and
some time afterward Mr. Bradshaw passed away. The firm is now Thoma
& Son, Louis Thoma having admitted his youngest son to a partnership.
His first store was located on the south side of the square and later he
removed to the west side. He is now conducting business at the south-
west corner, having been at his present location for six years. He erected
the building in 1893 — a double store, one department being used for the
sale of drugs, the other for paints and wall paper. The ,building is forty-
four by sixty-six feet, a brick structure two stories in height with base-
ment. Mr. Thoma also owns the Bradshaw & Thoma building occupied
by Jerico & Easton as a drug store. It was built by Dr. Bradshaw and
Mr. Thoma in 1882. In addition to this Louis Thoma had at one time
owned the opera house block but sold it. He is now the owner of the
oldest business block in town, occupied today as a harness shop. His
real-estate holdings contribute in no small measure to his income and for
man)^ years he has been accounted one of the leading and substantial busi-
ness men of the city.
In September, 1884, Louis Thoma was united in marriage to Miss
Antoinette Petzinger, who was born in Des Moines county, Iowa, in 1865,
a daughter of Jacob Petzinger, a native of Germany. Their three chil-
dren are Roscoe P., Leo D. and Clifford I. The last named was born in
Fairfield, in January, 1889, was graduated from the high school, attended
Parsons College and six years ago entered the drug business with his
father. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Thoma is a fine residence at
the corner of Washington and B streets. Throughout the period of his
residence in Fairfield he has been a public-spirited citizen, interested in
all pertaining to the welfare and progress of the city and giving active
and helpful support to many measures for the general good. In business,
too, he sustains an unassailable reputation for enterprise and reliability
and thus enjoys the good will and high regard of all who know him.
The two sons, Roscoe P. and Leo D. Thoma, were students in the
public schools and are graduates of the high school, Roscoe P. completing
the course in 1902 and Leo D. in 1903. The former then entered Parsons
College, from which he was graduated in 1906. The year 1906-7 he spent
at the State University. The latter completed a course in the State Uni-
versity at Iowa City in 1907. He had also spent three years in Parsons
College but completed his more specifically literary course in the State
University. The brothers then entered the Harvard Law School and were
graduated in the class of 1910, successfully passing the bar examination
in October of that year. They then opened an office in Fairfield and are
making substantial progress in their chosen profession. The elder brother
184 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
has an A. B. degree from Parsons College and an A. B. from the Staite
University, while the younger has an A. B. from the State University
and both received the LL. B. degree from Harvard.
Leo D. Thoma was united in marriage on the 24th of November,
1910, to Miss B. May Fisher, a native of this county, and a daughter of
P. H. Fisher. Both brothers are republicans in their political views and
have been active in local affairs, doing much to promote public progress
along various lines. The elder brother is now secretary of the Law
Library Association and the younger secretary of the Chautauqua Asso-
ciation. Having spent their entire lives here they are widely known and
many of the comrades of their youth remain the friends of their manhood.
CHARLES LOUIS REEDER.
From the rich farming district of Iowa there have come many men
who have won success in agricultural lines and are now enjoying the fruits
of their labor in well earned retirement. To this class belongs Charles
Louis Reeder who for many years was closely identified with farming
pursuits, his wise management of which resulted in substantial success.
One of Jefferson county's native sons, he was born in Walnut township
on the 27th of June, 1855, his parents being Louis and Sadie (Shan-
berger) Reeder. Farm work in all of its various phases early became
familiar to him, as his youthful days were passed on his father's farm
in Jefferson county, which was the training ground upon which he received
his preparation for life's practical duties. His intellectual growth had its
stimulus in the work of the district schools of Lockridge township, and
after laying aside his text-books he devoted his attention entirely to the
work of the home fields, assisting his father until the latter's retirement
from business and subsequent removal to town. He then operated the
homestead independently for some time, and just prior to his father's
death purchased the place, consisting of two hundred and eighteen and a
half acres. He greatly enhanced the value of the farm by introducing
many modern improvements and that his methods were practical and his
efforts well directed and effective is indicated by the excellent condition
of the place which today ranks among the most desirable properties of
the locality. He continued actively in its operation and with the passing
of each year the success which attended his labors became more and more
substantial until eventually the competence which he had acquired made
it possible for him to withdraw from business life. Accordingly on the
loth of April, 191 1, although still in the very prime of life, he left the farm
7i
>
>
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 187
to the supervision of his two sons and took up his abode in Lockridge,
where he purchased a good property and makes his home, which he is
greatly improving.
On the 28th of February, 1884, Mr. Reeder was united in marriage to
Miss Anna B. Craft, who is a daughter of Henry and Anna B. (Bogner)
Craft, natives of Germany. Her father, a farmer by occupation, came to
the United States at an early day, locating in Jefiferson county, Iowa, where
he entered land from the government. This he cleared and improved, and
continued in its operation throughout his remaining days. His death oc-
curred on the 29th of December, 1883, but his wife survived until the
14th of February, 1899. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Reeder were born five chil-
dren, as follows: John H., aged twenty-six years, now living on his
father's farm; George Louis, aged twenty-five years, assisting his brother
in the operation of the old homestead ; Barbara S., aged twenty-three years,
at home; and Henry F. and Mary F., aged twenty-one and fifteen years
respectively, also residing with their parents. The family hold membership
in the Lutheran church of Lockridge township, and are prominent in the
social circles here in which they move. Politically a democrat, Mr. Reeder
has ever given stanch support to that party, and although he has never
sought nor desired public office, has served for many years as a director
of the schools of Lockridge township. He has deep appreciation for the
responsibilities of citizenship and has ever cast his influence unreservedly
on the side of improvement and progress along material, intellectual and
moral lines. He is now identified with the financial interests of the com-
munity as a stockholder of the Lockridge Savings Bank.
JOHN C. KOONTZ.
John C. Koontz, who has the distinction of being the owner of the
finest improved farm in Center township, has won a high place for him-
self in business circles, ranking foremost among the farmers and stock-
men of this district. He was born in Somerset county, Pennsylvania.
September 30, 185 1 ; a son of Samuel and Mary (Hannah) Koontz, natives
of Germany and Somerset county, Pennsylvania, respectively. The father
was brought to America by his parents in early childhood, the family
home being established in Pennsylvania, and in that state the greater part
of his life was spent. He was a shoe merchant by occupation, and, later,
also engaged in agricultural pursuits. About six years previous to his
demise, he took up his abode on a farm in West Virginia, and there he
passed away at the age of seventy-six years. His wife's death also oc-
voi. n— 11
188 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COIXTY
curred at that place, when she was seventy-five years of age. Their fam-
ily of nine children included the following: John C, of this review;
William, a resident of Smithfield, Pennsylvania; Alexander, living in
Uniontown, Pennsylvania; Charles, of Olympia, Washington; Ross, re-
siding in Wayne county, Ohio; George, of Wayne county, Ohio; Robert,
of Davis county, Iowa; Jennie, the widow of Josiah Smith, making her
home in West Virginia ; and Anna, also living in that state.
John C. Koontz remained a resident of the Keystone state until he was
ten years old, when his parents removed to West Virginia and there, on
his father's farm, he spent the succeeding five years. In 1868, in com-
pany with an uncle, he came west to Iowa, and, for three years, was a
resident of West Liberty, Muscatine county. He then came to Jefferson
county, and for a time was employed upon the farm belonging to William
Douglas, son of William Douglas, Sr. This place has since remained the
scene of his business activity for as he was able, he purchased portions
of the farm until he became the owner of two hundred and eighty acres
of the Douglas estate, located on sections 4 and 9, Center township. He
has sold one hundred and twenty and now has one hundred and sixty
acres. This is, today, the best improved property in the township, con-
taining a fine modern residence and equipped with two substantial build-
ings and all the necessary conveniences for the successful conduct of an
extensive stock-raising enterprise. Its splendid condition is due entirely
to the efforts of Mr. Koontz, who as a raiser and breeder of high class
stock has won for himself prominence among the business men of Jeffer-
son county. He makes a specialty of Duroc Jersey hogs, Percheron horses
and Shropshire sheep. He also ships a large number of cattle to the
Chicago market. The high quality of his stock is widely recognized, and
because of this he is able to demand good prices. He has also become
interested in other business interests, and was one of the original directors
of the Fairfield Creamery Company.
In 1883, Mr. Koontz was united in marriage to Miss Jennie Douglas,
who was born in West Virginia on the 26th of November, 1857. In
1868, she was brought to Iowa by her parents, William and Sophia (King)
Douglas ; he was born in Scotland, she in West Virginia, the former on
the 3d of February, 1808, and the latter December 26, 181 2. William
Douglas was a young man when he took up his residence in West Virginia.
There he devoted his remaining days to agricultural pursuits, becoming
the owner of a fine tract of land of three hundred and forty acres. He
passed away on the 2d of October, 1877; his wife survived until the nth
of March, 1907. Of their family of fourteen children, consisting of ten
daughters and four sons, only seven are now living. Jennie was the
youngest member of the family, and, by her marriage to Mr. Koontz, she
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 189
became the mother of two children: Mary, who married Frank Booth,
of Center township, by whom she has one son, Carl; and Ross, married
September, 191 1, to Miss Pearl Glascow.
A careful study of political questions has led Mr. Koontz to give his
stalwart support to the republican party and for a time he served as
township trustee, while at present he is filling the office of treasurer of
Center township school board. His fraternal relations are with the Inde-
pendent Order of Odd Fellows. He has great appreciation for the social
amenities of life and enjoys the high regard of many with whom he has
been brought in contact, for his salient characteristics are such as win
warm friendships.
FRANK D. KERRICK.
Among the mercantile enterprises of Fairfield is the furniture and
undertaking business owned and conducted by Frank D. Kerrick, who
started out in this line on the 23d of August, 1895, and has since main-
tained a place among the leading and prosperous merchants of the city.
His business methods have ever been such as would bear close investiga-
tion and scrutiny and his course has therefore awakened admiration among
his colleag-ues and contemporaries.
Mr. Kerrick was born in Marshall county, Illinois, June 4, 1867, and
is a son of Walter and Sarah (Hollensbe) Kerrick. The father was born
in Loudoun county, Virginia, in 1812, and during the greater part of his
life devoted his attention to general agricultural pursuits. His mother
was born in Clarksburg, Indiana, June 14, 1831. They resided upon a
farm in Illinois where they reared their family of four boys, namely :
Oliver M., who is now living in Grand Junction, Colorado; John E., a
resident of Parma, Idaho ; Frank D. ; and Edwin S., a resident of Salt
Lake City, Utah. The father died in Marshall county, Illinois, in 1882,
and is survived by his wife who is now a resident of Los Angeles, California.
Frank D. Kerrick resided on the old home farm, which was the place
of his birth, until he came to Fairfield. He supplemented his early edu-
cational training by three years' study in the state normal at Valparaiso,
Indiana, and by a two years' course in Parsons College of Fairfield, com-
ing to this city in January, 1891, since which time he has continuously
resided here. He first purchased a quarter of a section of land northwest
of Fairfield as an investment and ■ owned and superintended this while
pursuing his college course. In 1893 he ^yas united in marriage to Miss
Lina C. King, who was born in Ohio, August 4, 1870, and is a daughter
190 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
of Perry King, mentioned elsewhere in this volume. Mr. and Mrs. Kerrick
now have a daughter, Mary Louise, who was born December 5, 1894.
Following his marriage Mr. Kerrick worked for one year as foreman
for Bryan, Risk & Salzman at Merrimac. Iowa, in the milling and stock
business, and on the 23d of August, 1895, established a furniture and
undertaking store in Fairfield of which he has since been proprietor, con-
ducting business at his present location for the past' five years. He was
at first in partnership with Z. H. Held under the firm style of Held &
Kerrick but after three years the senior partner retired, owing to ill
health. He was succeeded by Dr. Bradshaw who remained in the business
until his death, when his interests were taken over by his son, J. C. Brad-
shaw. They carry a large line of modern furniture secured from some of
the leading manufacturers of the country and their reasonable prices and
straightforward business dealings are the salient elements in their success.
Mr. Kerrick belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church and to the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows, associations which indicate much of
the nature of his interests and the principles that govern his conduct.
The republican party finds in him a stalwart advocate and for six years
he filled the offtce of city councilman, exercising his official prerogative
in support of various measures for the general good. He retired from
that office at the time he was elected city treasurer, which position he
has now filled for three years, proving a worthy custodian of the public
funds. He is a man who can be depended upon under any conditions and
in any emergency. Starting out in life without any vaulting ambition to
accomplish something especially great or famous, he has followed the
lead of his opportunities, doing as best he could anything that has come
to hand and seizing legitimate advantages as they have arisen. He has
never hesitated to take a forward step when the way was open and, fortu-
nate in possessing ability and character that inspire confidence in others,'
the simple weight of his character and ability have carried him into im-
portant relations with the mercantile interests of his adopted city.
CHARLES C. RADLEY.
Charles C. Radley resides in an attractive modern residence that stands
in the midst of a well improved farm of two hundred and forty acres on
section 18, Buchanan township. He has made his home here for nine
years, which period has been entirely sufficient to establish him among the
representative and worthy agriculturists of the community. He was born
in Peoria county, Illinois, December 30, 1861, his parents being George
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 191
and Miriam I. (Chessman) Radley. The father's birth occurred in
Devonshire, England, December 13, 1810, and the mother was born in
New York city, October 11, 1818. When eighteen years of age George
Radley began working on a farm for his grandfather, in whose employ
he remained for seven years, and then went to Peoria county, Illinois,
where he was married and began farming on his own account, continuing
to till the soil until he retired from active business life. At that time he
removed to Brimfield. In his family were six children : George, who is
living in Dunlap, Illinois ; Isabel, the deceased wife of Arthur Cone ;
Jane, who died in infancy; William H., who has also passed away; Miriam,
the deceased wife of J. B. Congram ; and Charles C.
The last named was reared upon the old homestead farm in his native
county and early became familiar with the duties and labors that fall to
the lot of the agriculturist, working in the fields from the time of early
spring planting until crops were harvested in the late autumn save for the
periods which he spent in school. When he started out in life on his own
account he determined to follow the occupation to which he had been
reared and was connected with farming interests in Illinois until 1902,
when he removed to Chillicothe, Missouri. After six months' residence
in that state, however, he came to Jefiferson county, Iowa, and purchased
his present farm, which is pleasantly and conveniently situated not far
from Fairfield, on section 18, Buchanan township. It comprises two hun-
dred and forty acres of rich and productive land, which is under a high
state of cultivation, returning to him golden harvests for the care and
labor he bestows upon the fields. He also carries on stock-raising. The
farm is a well improved property in every particular and his attractive
modern home is commodious and conveniently arranged, containing ten
rooms. There are also substantial sheds and barns upon the place, giving
ample shelter for grain and stock.
On the 17th of February, 1887, Mr. Radley was united in marriage
to Miss Ruth Ella Silloway, who was born in Warren county, Iowa, April
II, 1864, a daughter of Isgoldsby and Lydia (Huey) Silloway. The
father was a native of Berlin, Washington county, Vermont, born Novem-
ber 5, 1832, and the mother's birth occurred in Ohio county. West Virginia,
December 14, 1836. They were married in Peoria, Illinois, and spent the
greater part of their lives there, but for a few years were residents of
Jefiferson county. However they afterward returned to Peoria and their
last days were passed in that city. The father was a carpenter and for
a considerable period followed his trade, but afterward devoted his atten-
tion to farming. He died February 18, 1907, and his wife passed away
August 31, 1908. They had traveled life's journey together as man and
wife for almost fifty years, having been married in Peoria, April 22, 1857.
192 HISTORY OF JEFFERSOX COUNTY
They were parents of four children : Clara, the wife of Thad Chamber-
lain, of Peoria; Mrs. Radley; Arden H., a resident of Montana; and
Faye, the wife of O. R. Schleicher, of Peoria, Unto Mr. and Mrs. Radley
have been born five children: William; Laura F., the wife of Rollin R.
Hawk, of Pleasant Plain, this county ; Bertha ; Thurlow ; and Walter. The
youngest was born in Jefferson county and the four oldest in Peoria
county, Illinois. The family have become widely and favorably known
during their residence in Jefferson county and by reason of his earnest
and well directed effort, his unfaltering energy and sound business judg-
ment Mr. Radley has made for himself a place among the leading agri-
culturists here.
LEONARD F. CARLSON.
Of Swedish parentage on the paternal side, Leonard F. Carlson is
numbered among the sons of those pioneer settlers who came from Sweden
to America, pushing their way westward beyond the Mississippi in the
days when rolling prairies of wild land stretched in endless monotony to
the foothills of the Rockies. At the age of twenty his father, Adam Carl-
son, came to America from Sweden where he had worked at farm labor.
Arriving in this country in 1856 he located in Ottumwa. Iowa, and became
a day laborer in a brick yard in that town. He did not continue in this
employment very long, but on the advice and solicitation of friends came
to Jefferson county, Iowa, to. engage in agriculture. He bought a small
farm in Round Prairie township which he improved and operated. He
was married to Miss Susan Anderson and, during their residence here on
the Round Prairie farm in Jeft"erson county, their son, Leonard F. Carlson,
was born June 24, 1877. At the end of four years Mr. Carlson sold this
farm and removed his family to the town of Rome, Henry county, Iowa,
where he entered the employment of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy
Railroad. In this he continued for a period of twelve years and at the
expiration of this time once more barkened to the call of rural life. He
therefore bought a farm of one hundred and sixteen acres in Lockridge
township, later adding to this by a further purchase of forty acres. This
land he improved and operated for about fifteen years. Then, giving the
management of the farm over to his son Leonard, he retired, going back
to Rome. Iowa, to live. Here he still resides being seventy-five years old.
His wife is sixty years old.
Leonard F. Carlson was reared and educated in I^ome, Henry county,
Iowa, where he attended the public schools. For the past ten years he
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 193
has been engaged in operating his father's farm with much success. He
raises thirty head of hogs annually, and feeds thirty head of cattle and
five horses.
The marriage of Leonard F. Carlson to Miss Etta Duttweiler was
solemnized on New Year's day, 1902. She is a daughter of Jacob and
Sarah (Baldosier) Duttweiler. Mr. and Mrs. Carlson were blessed with
the birth of two children, twins born near the close of the year 1902.
They are named Francis A. and Florence R. Mr. Carlson is a republican
in his political views and with his family holds membership in the Baptist
church. He is a man of forceful character and genial personality, highly
esteemed by all who know him.
PHILIP CARY.
While, there are residents of Jefferson county who have taken a more
active part in the political activities of the county or have sought to exert
a wider influence in fraternal circles, there is perhaps iio resident of the
county that has a more extensive local acquaintance or in a larger measure
merits the high regard of those with whom he has had business dealings
than Philip Cary. He was born in Athens county, Ohio, July 19, 1842,
his parents being William and Mary (Wallace) Cary, both of whom were
natives of France and in their childhood days were brought by their re-
spective parents to America ; each family establishing its home in Ohio.
Mrs. Cary was the first woman to graduate in medicine in the United
States, completing a course in Athens College about 1850. She was a
second cousin of General Lew Wallace. Her whole life was spent in Ohio
after coming to the new world ; and, for a few years, she engaged actively
in the practice of medicine. William Cary was a man of scholarly attain-
ments. In his younger days he engaged in teaching, but, later, took up the
occupation of farming. He remained a resident of Ohio until his death,
which occurred when he was about sixty years of age. In the family were
eleven children, five of whom reached mature years : James, now de-
ceased ; Angeline, who has also passed away ; Elizabeth, who is the widow
of John Michmer, of Morgan county, Ohio; Philip; and Albert, who is
living in Wisconsin. He was married but lost his wife.
Philip Cary was a resident of his native county until he reached the
age of five years, after which the family removed to Pike county, that
state. Here the subject of this sketch was living at the time of his enlist-
ment for service in the Civil war, in July, 1861. He was assigned to duty
first to Company I and then with Company C, Fifty-sixth Ohio Volunteer
194 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
Infantry ; and served for three years, after which he veteranized, remain-
ing with his command until April 26, 1866, when he was honorably dis-
charged at New Orleans. He acted as orderly for General Sherman and
was detailed for service as his clerk. In this way, Mr. Gary became inti-
mately acquainted with that noted military commander, for whom he
carried hundreds of messages and took many midnight rides. He was
known as the "temperance boy" of his division for though, in the discharge
of his duties, he measured out whiskey to the boys he never tasted a drop.
He was on detached duty at New Orleans for six months, in 1865, acting
as turnkey of the police station in that city, during which time one hundred
and fifty desperate criminals were under his charge and never a one es-
caped. They were conveyed by him to various places ; and, at the end of
the half-year, our subject was transferred to the ladies' prison, of which
he had charge for some time. He twice served as judge of regimental
elections ; he also saw much active duty on the field of battle, participating
in ten regular engagements and four skirmishes. He declined promotion,
although he was told, frequently, by General Sherman and General Phil
Sheridan that he should have a commission.
When the war was over, Mr. Gary returned to Ohio and in 1872, came
to Iowa, settling first in Keokuk county, whence in 1892, he came
to Jefferson county. All through the years he has been engaged in market
gardening; and it is this line which has made him so well known through-
out Fairfield, where he is called the "Vegetable Man." For thirty-five
years he has engaged in selling fresh vegetables and fruit of his own rais-
ing to the housewives of this vicinity ; and, for thirty-five years, he has
used the same delivery wagon. His record book indicates that he has in
this way traveled over three hundred and fifty thousand miles. The prod-
uce which he sells is always fresh and of excellent quality ; and he has no
difficulty in securing patrons, because of the excellence of the goods which
he handles and his reasonable prices and honorable dealing.
While a soldier in the Civil war, Mr. Gary returned home on a fur-
lough. In 1864, he wa^ married to Miss Mary A. Cissna, who was born
in Pike county, Ohio, in 1841, a daughter of David Cissna of that county,
where her marriage took place. Unto this union have been born seven
children: xMonzo B., now living in Sigourney, Iowa; Luella, the wife of
E. S. Frye, of Burlington, Kansas; Fannie May, the wife of Truman
Ronley, of Fairfield ; Charles, of this city ; Rosa, who was a very precocious
child but died at the age of seven years; and twin daughters who died in
infancy.
Soon after the close of the war, Mr. Gary began to preach in the
Baptist church ; and, while living in Pike county, Ohio, he erected a house
of worship to be used jointly by the Baptists, the United Brethren and the
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 195
Methodist Episcopal people in that locality. His life has always con-
formed to his teachings, and there has been nothing narrow in his views.
He believes that each individual has a right to hold to his own religious
opinions. In politics, our subject was for many years a republican, but
his views on the temperance question led him to become identified with
the prohibition party and he is now its secretary in Jefferson county. Mr.
Gary has been elected for twenty-nine consecutive years as officer of the
day in the Grand Army of the Republic, acting for ten years in Sigourney,
Iowa, and for twenty years in Litchfield. He has written many poems and
pieces of music, which have been published. Nearly all of these produc-
tions are permeated by a strong patriotic strain, breathing a spirit of
loyalty to the country. Progress and patriotism constitute the keynote of
Mr. Gary's character ; his position is never an equivocal one, for it is
known that his influence is always to be found on the side of right and
improvement.
HENRY G. ROWNTREE.
Henry G. Rowntree was widely known in insurance circles in both
Iowa and Nebraska and won recognition as a progressive, enterprising
business man whose labors were fruitful of substantial results. Moreover
his personal qualities were such as won for him the kindly regard and
warm friendship of those with whom he came in contact and therefore
the news of his death brought a sense of personal bereavement to all who
had known him. He was born in Orange county. New York, April 22,
1846, his parents being Henry and Hannah (Wray) Rowntree, both of
whom were natives of England. They were born in Sheffield and were
of Quaker descent. The father became a minister of that church and
always adhered to that faith. Both he and his wife came to the United
States in youthful days and their marriage was celebrated in New York.
At one time Henry Rowntree Avas a salesman for the Sheffield Gutlery
Gompany and on the ist of March, 1856, he came to the middle west,
settling on a farm at Springdale in Gedar county, Iowa. There he resided
for twenty years, carefully developing and improving his land, and at the
end of that time he removed to Florida Keys, where he engaged in mer-
chandising. There his death occurred in 1873 and his wife, having sur-
vived him ten years, passed away in New York city. In their family were
seven children. Robert, the eldest, served with distinction in the United
States navy during the Givil war, holding a captain's commission at its
196 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
close. He has now passed away. Joseph and William are also deceased.
John, who has likewise departed this life, enlisted from Muscatine, Musca-
tine county, for service in the Union army but was discharged on account
of disability. Henry C. is the youngest of the brothers and the sisters are
Elizabeth and Mary, both residents of Chicago.
Henry C. Rowntree spent the first ten years of his life in the Empire
state and then accompanied his parents on their removal to Iowa. He
remained at home until eighteen years of age and during that period at-
tended the district schools while later he went to Iowa City where he
learned the tinner's trade. He was married in 1867 and in 1871 came to
Fairfield, here establishing his home. In this city he entered the insurance
business which he followed in Jefiferson county for eighteen years. On
the expiration of that period he went to Nebraska as state agent and
adjuster of the German Insurance Company of Freeport, Illinois. After
the San Francisco disaster he associated himself with the Royal Insurance
Company, having Nebraska as his territory with headquarters in Omaha.
While connected with the German Insurance Company Mr. Rowntree for
twenty years made his headquarters at Lincoln. While business interests
called him for some time from this state Mr. Rowntree ever maintained
close relations with many of his old friends here and his last days were
spent in Fairfield, where he passed away on the 7th of November, 1909.
His widow now resides in an attractive little home on West Washington
street.
It was on the 2d of July, 1867. that Mr. Rowntree was united in mar-
riage to Miss Sarah J. Rider, a daughter of William C. and Jane (Calla-
han) Rider. Her father was born in Rockbridge county, Virginia, and
made farming his life work. In his native county he married Jane Calla-
han who was also born there and in 1844 they removed westward to
Woodstock, McHenry county, Illinois, where Mr. Rider soon afterward
purchased a farm on which they took up their abode. At the same time
he opened and conducted a store in Woodstock. The wife and mother was
not long permitted to enjoy her new home, her death occurring in 1847.
Mr. Rider continued his residence in Woodstock until the '50s when he
removed to Iowa, making his home with his son Henry in Muscatine for
some time. His last days, however, were spent at the home of his daugh-
ter, Mrs. William Morford of Griswold, Iowa, where he passed away in
1878. In the Rider family were five children: Martha, Mary and Susan,
all now deceased; W. H., a retired farmer living in Muscatine; and Mrs.
Rowntree. To Mr. and Mrs. Rowntree was born an only child, Helen
Josephine, and it was the greatest blow to the parents when death took
this daughter, on the 26th of April, 1889, at a time when she was just
entering young womanhood, being twenty years of age.
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 197
In his political views Mr. Rowntree was a republican and always kept
informed on the questions and issues of the day so that he was able to
support his position by intelligent argument. He belonged to the Quaker
church of Pleasant Plain, Iowa, and Mrs. Rowntree is a member of the
Presbyterian church of Fairfield. He was widely and favorably known
in fraternal circles, holding membership in the Odd Fellows lodge at
Lincoln, Nebraska, the United Workmen lodge of Fairfield, the Legion
of Honor at Fairfield and the Royal Highlanders of Lincoln. His wife
is a prominent member of the Order of the Eastern Star, the Rebekahs
and the Royal Neighbors, all of Fairfield, and occupies a prominent posi-
tion in the social circles of the city where her influence is strongly felt as
a progressive element. Mr. Rowntree had attractive social qualities which
won him many friends and his business reliability and enterprise gained
for him an honored name in business circles. Wherever he was known he
was held in high regard and most of all where he was best known. He
was loyal in friendship, equally faithful in citizenship and at all times was
true to every trust that was reposed in him.
ALEXANDER HOPKIRI
X.
Alexander Hopkirk is a native of Lockridge township, born in October,
1853. His parents, William and Mary Hopkirk, were natives of Scot-
land. His father came to this country when a youth and settled in Ohio
where he was employed in woolen mills for four years. He then returned
to Scotland to the "borinie lassie" who had waited long for him. They
were married and Mr. and Mrs. Hopkirk made their bridal journey the
voyage to America. They did not go to Ohio to begin housekeeping, how-
ever, but came at once to Jefiferson county, Iowa, where Mr. Hopkirk
bought land. This he cleared and began to farm, continuing in this occu-
pation until his death in 1892.
Alexander Hopkirk was brought up on the home farm and sent to the
district school which course he completed and supplemented with one year at
Mt. Pleasant College. He then came home and assisted his father with
the farm work. Just prior to his father's death he bought the home place
of one hundred and sixty acres, improving and operating it until 1907
when he sold out and purchased forty acres near the town of Lockridge.
Here he farmed for three years when he sold this place to his son, Ray-
mond A., who is now cultivating it.
For a helpmate Alexander Hopkirk chose Addie L. Ripley whom he
married in the fall of 1881. Her parents lived and died in Maine, never
198 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
following the moving current of population westward. To Mr. and Mrs.
Hopkirk were born three children. Nellie M. is married to Reverend
Ernest Phipps, residing at Sigourney, Iowa. Raymond A., aged twenty,
is cultivating the home farm in Lockridge township purchased of his
father a year ago. He raises thirty head of hogs annually and owns four
horses for work on the farm. Bessie L., aged seventeen, keeps house for
her brother on the Lockridge farm. Mrs. Hopkirk passed away in April,
1902, after a week's illness with measles.
For the past year Mr. Hopkirk has been located on a fruit ranch in
Colorado but his intention is to return to JeiTerson county shortly. He is
republican in his political sympathies, has been justice of the peace of this
township and has acted as school director. In addition to his farming he
taught school during the fall and winter terms for sixteen years. He
belongs to the Baptist church which his children also have joined. Living
in comfort and, long since free from the cares of winning a livelihopd, he
is enjoying the fruits of his conscientious labor in earlier years.
THOMAS J. WATKINS.
Vitally interested in the many problems of scientific farming, Thomas
J. Watkins has met with well merited success in his chosen calling, which
he still pursues, now operating the homestead farm in Round Prairie
township, Jefferson county. He was born in Fulton county, Ohio, Decem-
ber 9, 1846, and was a son of Stephen F. and Mary (Watkins) Watkins,
both natives of Ohio, where the father followed agricultural pursuits until
1855. The family then removed to Jefferson county, Iowa, and settled on
a farm of one hundred and seventy acres. This land the father cleared
and improved working in the fields until his death in 1873. Mrs. Watkins
passed away in November, 1910.
Thomas J. Watkins passed his youth under the parental roof and ob-
tained his early education in the common schools of Ohio and continued
for a time in Jefferson county after his arrival here. He was a lad of
nine years when the journey was made from Ohio to Iowa, but he remem-
bers vividly the incidents of that momentous ride which the family made
in a covered wagon much like the prairie schooners that dotted the western
plains on their way beyond the great divide. When arrived at legal age
he rented a farm which he operated for two years when he gave it up in
order to engage in the mercantile business at Glasgow, following this
pursuit for four years. He then resumed agricultural labors again, renting
a tract of land which he cultivated for many years until, induced by a
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 199
good opportunity to invest in land, he bought a farm in Harrison county,
Iowa, remaining there until 1908, when he sold out his holdings and re-
turned to Jefferson county on accoimt of the failing health of his mother.
Her death occurred two years later but he still manages the home farm,
tilling the soil with patient industry, reaping bountiful crops and feeding
a good grade of cattle.
The marriage of Mr. Watkins and Miss Belle Stewart, a daughter of
Levi and Mary (McElfresh) Stewart, took place on November 20, 1872.
Mrs. Watkins' father was a native of Maryland and came to Jefferson
county, Iowa, in 1855, locating in Cedar township where he bought a tract
of land which he cultivated for many years, retiring at length to Glasgow
to a comfortable home which he purchased and in which he resided until
his death in January, 1878. Mrs. Stewart, who was a native of Ohio,
died on May 11, 1886. The five children born to Mr. and Mrs. Watkins
are: Stella M.. the wife of Joseph Howell, a farmer in Lockridge town-
ship ; Clemma, living at home ; Ethel, the wife of • Charles Rawlings, a
farmer in Cedar township ; Alberta, the wife of Harry Boekhoft', a farmer
in Van Buren county; and Mary E., living at home.
In their religious faith Mr. and Mrs. Watkins subscribe to the tenets
of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Watkins is a democrat and is
an ardent worker for the cause of his party, believing in the principles for
which it stands. While he has never filled a political position, being in-
different to the honors of office, he has very creditably served as school
director in his district. Retiring in his disposition, content with life as it
is, he has lived remote from the more sordid conflicts which harsh condi-
tions in our present business life force upon many a man, and as his
reward enjoys the peace of mind that passeth understanding.
SAMUEL K. WEST.
Samuel K. West, who since 1901 has been cashier of the Fairfield
National Bank and is also interested in valuable farming properties ad-
joining the city of Fairfield, was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania,
March 7, 1844', his parents being Otho and Elizabeth (Keys) West, both
of whom were natives of Greene county, Pennsylvania. After their mar-
riage, they resided for some years in Washington county, whence they
removed, in 1868, to Fairfield, Iowa, spending their remaining days in
this city. The father died in 1899, the mother in 1905, and their remains
were interred in the Fairfield cemetery. They were both in their eighty-
fourth year at the time of their demise. Throughout his business life,
200 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
Otho West had followed the occupation of farming and was the owner of
a valuable tract of land six miles north of Fairfield, in Black Hawk town-
ship. He lived upon that place for some years, but returned to the city
in 1880. Unto him and his wife were born five children, of whom Samuel
K. is the eldest, the others being: John, a retired farmer now living in
Fairfield ; J. A., also a retired farmer of this city ; A, P., living in Hays,
Kansas ; and Lizzie, the wife of C. W. Reeder, likewise of Hays.
Samuel K. West spent his youthful days in his native county. In
young manhood he came to Iowa with his parents, with whom he resided
for a year, after their arrival in Fairfield. For a number of years, he was
engaged in the live-stock business here, during which period he proved his
ability as an enterprising, energetic and sagacious business man. He then
turned his attention to banking and was made cashier of the Fairfield
National Bank, on the 3d of September, 1901, when the Jefiferson County
State Bank was reorganized under the present name. He has since figured
prominently in the financial circles of the city, and his work in the manage-
ment and conduct of this institution constitutes an important factor in its
growth and success. He is a popular, courteous and obliging official, and
his sound judgment is manifest in his careful control of the interests of
the bank. In addition to his stock in the bank, Mr. West owns a farm
of two hundred and twenty acres adjoining the corporation limits of Fair-
field on the north, and makes his home thereon. He is likewise the owner
of a half interest in two hundred acres in Wayne county, and his farm
property returns him a desirable income.
Mr. West is entitled to wear the grand army button, for at the time
of the Civil war he manifested his loyalty to the Union cause by active
service at the front, enlisting in July, 1862, in Washington county, Penn-
sylvania, as a member of Ring's Cavalry, an independent batallion, wfiich
a year and a half later was recruited and attached to a regiment known
as the Twenty-second Pennsylvania Cavalry. His command was attached
to the Army of the Potomac and was on active duty in the Shenandoah
valley under General Phil Sheridan, Mr. West receiving an honorable
discharge at the close of the war. He gives his political allegiance to the
democratic party ; and his fellow townsmen appreciative of his worth
and ability, have called him to office. He serverl for two terms, or four
years, as county treasurer and for six years was a member of the board
of education, acting as its president for three years. He belongs to the
Methodist Episcopal church and is prominent in Masonic circles, holding
membership in Clinton Lodge, A. F. & A. M., McCord Chapter. R. A. M.,
Council No. 5, R. & S. M. and Gethsemane Commandery, K. T. He is in
thorough sympathy with the beneficent and fraternal spirit of the craft, and
is equally loyal to bis professions as a member of the Methodist church. Tn
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 201
fact the principles of his life are those of honorable, upright manhood and
citizenship and have brought him the high regard and esteem of his fellow
townsmen.
THEODORE HOCHULY.
From early boyhood Theodore Hochuly has resided in Fairfield, and
since 1901 has been enaged in the practice of law in the Jefferson county
court, being now junior partner in the firm of Sloan & Hochuly, his asso-
ciate being Judge Robert Sloan. Fie was born at Foxlake, Wisconsin,
November 29, 1869, and in 1877 came to this city with his parents, the
Rev. John and Samantha (Leggett) Hochuly. The father was a native of
Switzerland but during his infancy was brought to America by his parents
who settled in Pennsylvania, his youthful days being passed in Allegheny,
that state. He supplemented his early education by a course in Kenyon
College, of Ohio, and having prepared for the ministry entered the priest-
hood of the Episcopal church. When a young man he came to Fairfield
and built the Episcopal church at this place, also organizing and conduct-
"ingthe first Sunday school in Fairfield. At different times he preached
at various places in Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin, but he was married in
Fairfield and spent his last days here, passing away in 1893, when about
sixty-seven years of age. His wife was born in Ohio but in early girlhood
came to Iowa with her parents and died in Fairfield in 1899, at the age
of sixty-six years. She belonged to the Leggett family, a most prominent
one in the county. In their family were four children : Mamie L. and
Martha, both living in Denver, Colorado; Theodore; and Elizabeth, the
wife of the Rev. W. A. Mast, pastor of the First Presbyterian church at
Napoleon, Ohio.
Theodore Hochuly has continuously made Fairfield his home since he
came to this city with his parents when a little lad of about eight years.
He pursued his education in the public schools until graduated from the
high school with the class of 1888, after which he continued his studies in
Parsons College, of this city, from which he was graduated in 1892. For
a few years in early manhood he was engaged in the real-estate business
and also became prominent in local military circles. In 1896 he assisted
in organizing Company G, of the Fiftieth Infantry Regiment of the Iowa
National Guard and went south during the Spanish-American war. On
the 1st of December, 1898, he was mustered out and soon afterward en-
tered the law office of Leggett & McKemey, with whom he remained for
eight years, or until June, 1907. The senior partner of the firm was his
202 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUXTY
uncle, Charles D. Leggett, long a distinguished representative of the legal
profession here. In 1901 Mr. Hochuly was admitted to the bar but con-
tinued in practice with his former preceptors for six years, when he with-
drew from that connection to join Judge Robert Sloan in organizing the
present firm of Sloan & Hochuly. The firm is accorded a liberal share of
the legal business of the county and has been actively connected with
many important cases in the last few years. Mr. Hochuly is an able trial
lawyer and keeps well informed on all the different departments of the
law, so that he is ready for any demand that is made upon his professional
service.
In 1906 occurred the marriage of Mr. Hochuly and Miss Mary A.
Bates, a daughter of Adin K. Bates, and a niece of Daniel P. Stubbs, now
deceased, who was at one time a prominent attorney of Fairfield. Mr.
Hochuly is a member of a number of fraternal orders and belongs also to
the Episcopal church. He is likewise a member of the Commercial Club,
of which he is serving as secretary and he gives his political allegiance to
the republican party but does not seek nor desire office, preferring to con-
centrate his energies upon his professional duties and his close application,
thorough study and comprehensive knowledge have constituted the basis
of the gratifying advancement which he has made.
ANDREW F. CASSEL.
Andrew F. Cassel is widely known throughout this section of the country
for the numerous political offices he has held and for his interest in edu-
cational and religious questions touching the intellectual and moral welfare
of his community. He has the further distinction of being the son of one
of the first Swedish settlers in the western states. His father, Peter Cas-
sel, came to this country in 1845, locating in Jefferson county, Iowa. In
Sweden he had been a farmer by occupation, but his love for machinery
and the mechanical arts had led him to spend most of his time in the manu-
facture of threshing machines. He had also been a proficient millwright
and worked in this capacity for some time after his arrival in this country.
Like the others of the little band of Swedish immigrants who had crossed
the ocean with him and accompanied him to his destination in Iowa, he
bought a plat of land in Lockridge township and entered upon a career of
farming. It was raw, unbroken land that he found out on the wind-swept
prairie, but Swedish industry and Swedish thrift worked a marvelous
transformation in the once barren landscape. Green fields of waving corn,
A. F. CASSEL
MRS. A. F. CASSEL
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 207
barley and wheat appeared in their due season to gladden the hearts of the
toilers and give them promise of riches to come. Mr. Cassel's farm com-
prised one hundred and forty acres of land which he. cultivated for the re-
mainder of his life. On March 4, 1857, death too soon claimed him, cut-
ting short his labors. His wife, whose maiden name was Katherine Ander-
son and became by her marriage the mother of Andrew F. Cassel, out-
lived her husband by twenty years, passing away in May, 1877.
When thirteen years of age Andrew F. Cassel, whose birth occurred
December 3, 1831, accompanied his parents to the United States. He had
already received a good fundamental education in Sweden which he con-
tinued in the district schools of his township in order to acquire a ready
use of English. He remained at home assisting with the chores and the
work in the fields so that, when his father died, he was prepared to take
full charge of the operation of the farm. At the death of his mother he
came into possession of the home farm by purchasing from the other
heirs their shares in the title. He then set about improving the place and
adding more land to it until now he owns one hundred and ninety acres, a
part of which he rents keeping the rest for his own use.
The marriage of Mr. Andrew F. Cassel to Miss Louise Peterson was
solemnized November 13, 1857. She was a daughter of Andrew and Chris-
tina Peterson, natives of Sweden. Her parents had severed their home
ties in order to seek better opportunities for themselves and their children
in the land of promise across the sea, but on the voyage over Mr. Peter-
son and two of the children died of cholera. It was a sad little band con-
sisting of the mother and seven children who came at length to join the
Swedish colony in Lockridge township, Jefl:'erson county, Iowa. Undaunted
in her determination, however, the mother bought forty acres of land and
began farming with the aid of her children until these were old enough to
take from her the heavy burdens which the responsibility of providing for
the needs of her family had thrust upon her. It is to women like Mrs.
Peterson that we owe an unpaid tribute, the widowed mother with a crown
of sorrow on her brow going forth cheerfully from home and friends to
endure hardships and toil, to suffer privation, to encounter sickness and
the bereavement of death, and yet through it all retaining a faith unshaken
in its sublime serenity. At the shrine of her memory let us pause for a
moment in silent adoration.
Mr. and Mrs. Andrew F. Cassel had ten children born to them, four
of whom died in infancy. Those living are: Mary Ella, living at home;
John Wesley, book-keeper in the Iowa State Savings Bank at Fairfield;
Simon P., employed as an engineer on the Union Pacific Railroad and re-
siding in Omaha, Nebraska ; Andrew E., a rural mail carrier living in Fair-
field, Iowa; Clara S., the wife of George Stephenson, a farmer of Lock-
Vol. 11—12
208 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
ridge township and Esther A., the wife of G. V. Scott, farmer and trustee of
Lockridge township.
Mr. Cassel is a repubHcan in his political sympathies. He cast his first
vote for Fremont as president. Always an eager worker for the good of
his community, he has often and repeatedly been called to office by the
many warm friends who appreciate his sincere and progressive spirit. He
served as state representative from his district in the twenty-ninth, the
thirtieth and the thirty-first general assemblies, was for nine years a mem-
ber of the board of supervisors, and for a long period of years acted in the
capacity of trustee of the township and director of the school in his dis-
trict. In the general conference of the Methodist Episcopal church held
at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1884, Mr. Cassel, on account of his ac-
tive interest in the work of this church, was sent as one of the delegates
from the state of Iowa. He is a stockholder in the Iowa State Savings
Bank of Fairfield, Iowa, and has served as the secretary of the Swedish
Mutual Fire Insurance Association ever since its organization January i,
1870. His wife died June 27. 1900, having been an invalid for six years
preceding.
Few men in Jefferson county have lived a fuller life than Mr. Cassel
nor have been more willing to give of their time and services for the good
of the family, the school, the church, the state and the nation. He has
never shirked a responsibility ; and whatever duties were laid upon him
he has discharged with utter willingness, asking for no other reward than
the joy that comes of service well performed.
JAMES V. WEBB.
James V. Webb is devoting his energies to the cultivation of a fine
farm of one hundred and fifty-nine acres that he owns on section 8, Locust
Grove township, where he is meeting with a gratifying measure of suc-
cess. He was born in Pleasant township, Wapello county, Iowa, on the
i6th of March, 1871, and is a son of Isham and Jane (Shrom) Webb.
The birth of the father occurred in Jefferson county, Iowa, on the 14th
of March, 1844, while the mother was born in Ohio, January i, 1852.
During the entire period of his active career Isham Webb engaged in agri-
cultural pursuits in different parts of his native county, but he passed
away on the farm of his son, James V., in Van Buren county, his demise
occurring on the ist of April, 1907. The mother was living in Bladens-
burg, Iowa, at the time of her death in December, 1879. There were four
children born to Mr. and Mrs. Webb: James V., our subject; Mary Ellen,
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 209
the wife of O. C. Davis, a farmer of Wapello county; Lydia, who married
Leroy Reynolds, a carpenter of Portland, Oregon ; and George, who is
farming in Emmett county, Iowa. The paternal grandfather, Jefferson
Webb, was a native of Ohio, whence he removed to Indiana, coming to
Iowa in 1843. He settled on a farm in Center township, in the vicinity
of Fairfield, being one of the pioneers of Jefferson county, as was also the
family of his first wife, Nancy Pleu, who was a native of Indiana.
James V. Webb remained at home, attending the district schools and
assisting his father with the work of the farm until he was fifteen years
of age. At the end of that time he began for himself as a farm hand,
continuing to* follow this occupation until he was twenty-five years of age,
during that period acquiring sufficient capital to enable him to begin farm-
ing on his own account. He began his career as an independent agricul-
turist in \"an Buren county, where he resided until the spring of 191 1,
when he came to Jefiferson county. Here he purchased what was known
as the Charles Conner farm, containing one hundred and fifty-nine acres
of land in Locust Grove township, where he is now residing. Practical
in his ideas by reason of his intelligent and capably directed efiforts Mr.
Webb is meeting with excellent success. His fields are operated under his
personal supervision and as a result annually yield abundant harvests that
command good prices.
On the 24th of January, 1897, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Webb
and Miss Daisy Sterner, a daughter of Wallace and Martha (Porter)
Sterner. The father, who is a native of Pennsylvania, came to Iowa in
the '70s, locating on a farm in Wapello county, in the cultivation of which
he has met with most gratifying success, being numbered among the pros-
perous agriculturists in his community. The mother is deceased, having
passed away on the family homestead in 1904. The family of Mr. and
Mrs. Sterner numbered seven children, as follows : Daisy, now Mrs.
Webb; Eva, the wife of Edgar Harris a farmer of Locust Grove township,
this coimty ; Lesie, the deceased wife of A. C. McCart, a farmer of Wapello
county ; John, a farmer living in the vicinity of Eddyville, Iowa ; Mary, who
is deceased ; and Marion and Belle, who are at home with their father. Mr.
and Mrs. Webb are the parents of six children : Dora M., who is thirteen
years of age ; Iva, now twelve ; Inez, of ten summers ; William Wallace,
aged eight years; Lester I., who is looking forward to his fifth birthday;
and Russell, a babe of six months. The four eldest are all pupils of Hickory
Ridge district school, No. 2.
The family attend the services of the Methodist Episcopal church of
Bladensburg, in which Mrs. Webb holds membership. The fraternal con-
nections of Mr. Webb are confined to his membership in the Masonic
order, his local affiliation being with Abingdon Lodge, No. 104, A. F. &
210 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
A. M. In his political views he is a democrat and served an unexpired
term as trustee in Des Moines township, while living in Van Buren county.
A man of decision, energy and definite purpose, by reason of the intelligent
direction of his undertakings, Mr. Webb is meeting with an encouraging
measure of prosperity, the just and highly deserved reward of his efforts.
HUGH CIAIG PATTISON.
One of Jefferson county's successful farmers, who has long been prom-
inently identified not only wath the political life of the township but that
of the county, is Hugh Ciaig Pattison, who owns and operates a fine farm
in Cedar township. He was born on the farm where he is now living on
the 7th of March, 1868, and is the son of Robert and Rosa (Gilbert)
Pattison, both natives of County Antrim, Ireland, the father's natal day
being the 31st of October, 1816, and that of the mother Christmas day,
1828. They were both of Scotch-Irish extraction, the paternal grand-
mother having gone to Ireland from Scotland with the Ross clan, while
the maternal grandfather was born in Scotland. Robert Pattison emigrated
to the United States in 1849, locating in Jefferson county, where he pre-
empted eighty acres of land. He later extended the boundaries of his farm
by the addition of another eighty acres, a portion of which he subsequently
sold. The maternal grandparents came to this country prior to 1847, set-
tling on a farm located east of Fairfield, now known as the old Gilbert
homestead. Here they were later joined by their daughter Rosa and some
of their other children. On the 31st of October, 1849, Mr. Pattison and
Miss Gilbert were married, beginning their domestic life on the farm he
had already purchased on section 20, Cedar township. There they resided
until the father passed away on May 7, 1896, since which the widow has
made her home with her daughter. Miss Ellen M. Pattison, who lives
across the road from the old homestead. The family of Mr. and Mrs.
Pattison numbered ten, our subject being the ninth in the family and the
youngest son. The others in order of birth are as follows : A. W., who is
a contractor and carpenter at Salem, Idaho ; John M., who is deceased ;
Annie, the deceased wife of J. M. Conley, of Fort Madison, Iowa : Emma
J., the wife of George P. Conley, a carpenter of Salem, Idaho: Robert
Ross, who is engaged in fruit growing and bee culture in Fowler, Colorado ;
Mattie B., the wife of John W. Elm, a farmer of Hill City, Kansas; Ro-
setta M.. the deceased wife of A. R. Speer, a farmer of Cedar township;
W. J., who is engaged in the real-estate and insurance business in Claude,
Texas ; and Ellen M., who is living with her mother.
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 211
At the usual age Hugh Ciaig Pattison began his education which was
pursued in the third district school in Cedar township, and during that
time he also assisted in the work about the farm. He remained at home,
where he was associated in agricultural pursuits with his father, until his
marriage. Subsequent to this event he rented the N. D. Ankrom place,
located a mile and a half east of Fairfield, that he operated for two and
a half years. Following the death of his father he purchased one hundred
and fifty-seven acres of the old homestead, together with the original build-
ings and here he has ever since resided. He is a good business man and
capable agriculturist and is meeting with a gratifying degree of success
from his undertakings. His personal attention is given to the tilling of his
fields and the harvesting of his crops as well as to the various minor ope-
rations about the place, which is kept in excellent condition. He keeps a
good grade of cattle, his fields are in a high state of cultivation and the
buildings on his farm are in good repair, all manifesting the spirit of
thrift and prosperity that invariably accompanies capable supervision.
On the 17th of March, 1896, Mr. Pattison was married to Miss Eliza
Stout, a daughter of Ephraim and Angeline (Miller) Stout, who are men-
tioned at greater length elsewhere in this work. Mrs. Pattison is the
fourth in order of birth of the six children, the others being as follows:
Ella, the wife of S. W. Fry, a farmer of Cedar township ; Albert, who is
a farmer of Van Buren county ; William, who is a farmer of Cedar town-
ship ; Effie, the wife of William McWhirter, also a farmer of this town-
ship; and Bertha, the wife of A. Frame, a farmer and ranchman of North
Dakota. Mr. and Mrs. Pattison have three children : Earl W., who was
bom on the 30th of April, 1897; Paul E., whose birth occurred on the i8th
of March, 1899; and Edna L., who was born on the 30th of June, 1904.
They are all attending the third district school.
Mr. Pattison is very public-spirited, as was also his father, who offered
his services to the Union during the Civil war, but they were refused
owing to his age. He is a stanch republican, and has always done his best
to keep the party together in his township. Ever since he attained his ma-
jority he has been prominently connected with the political life of the town-
ship, having been under bonds continuously, as he puts it, since long be-
fore his marriage. When he was twenty-two years of age he was elected
superintendent of roads, under the old law, and served for seven years,
while for fourteen years he was secretary of the Cedar township school
board. He was elected township trustee, but served in this capacity for
only one year, resigning in order to accept the office of county supervisor.
He was the youngest man ever elected to this office in Jefferson county,
and served from 1904 to January, 191 1, Mr. Pattison is very popular not
only among his constituency, but the entire community, where he is rec-
212 HISTORY OF jEFFERSOX COUNTY
ognized as a thoroughly capable and trustworthy official, his record being
particularly free from any petty political scandal. In matters of faith both
he and his wife and their two older children are Presbyterians, holding
membership in the church of Cedar township, of which Mr. Pattison has
been an elder and the clerk of sessions ever since its organization in 1898.
Fraternally he is an Odd Fellow and belongs to the lodge at Fairfield. Mr.
Pattison has met with a fair degree of prosperity in his undertakings and
in the county where his entire life has been spent is widely known and held
in favorable regard by reason of his genuine personal worth and his clean
public record.
AMOS TAYLOR.
The late Amos Taylor was one of the highly esteemed citizens of Des
Moines township, where he is still kindly remembered by some of the older
residents, although more than eighteen years have elapsed since he departed
this life. His birth occurred in Ross county, Ohio, on the 15th of Feb-
ruary, 1828, his parents being Joseph and Polly Ann (Bogard) Taylor.
The father, who was a farmer, was born and reared in Pennsylvania, of
Scotch-Irish descent, and the mother was a native of Ross county, Ohio.
Her father was killed on the banks of the Wabash river, where he was re-
siding at that time, during an Indian uprising. Having been notified of the
approaching enemy the family started for the fort, located at some dis-
tance from there. In their haste they left some articles of value in the
house for which Mr. Bogard returned. He was attacked by the Indians,
killed and scalped. His body was found later carefully guarded by his
faithful dog. His son, Cornelius Bogard, swore vengeance, and thereafter
never hesitated to kill an Indian when an opportunity presented itself, dur-
ing either peace or war. Joseph Taylor with his wife and family removed
from Ohio to Indiana, where they resided for nineteen years, proceeding
to Missouri. Six children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Taylor : William,
who is deceased ; Sarah, who has attained the venerable age of eighty-two
years, living in Missouri ; Annie, who is living in Kansas : and Lydia, Eliza-
beth and Amos, all of whom are deceased. The father died while the family
were living in Missouri, but the mother was residing in Marion county,
Iowa, at the time of her death, having removed to this state with her chil-
dren during the Civil war.
The first fourteen years in the life of Amos Taylor were passed amid
the scenes of his birth. In 1842 he removed with his parents to Indiana,
sharing with them the hardships and privations incident to frontier life.
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 213
Later he went to Missouri, subsequently locating in Marion county, Iowa.
In 1848 he became a resident of Jefferson county, settling in Des Moines
township, where fifteen years later he purchased the farm on which his
widow is now living. The land is located on section 21, and consists of
eighty acres under cultivation and thirty acres of timber. When he first
came to Jefferson county, it was but sparsely settled ; such improvements
as had been made were crude, while the majority of the roads through the
rural districts were little more than wagon tracks. Mr. Taylor was the
typical pioneersman, energetic, tireless, determined, and despite the many
discouragements he encountered, his faith in the ultimate future of the
country was never shaken. Versatile and resourceful he could turn his
energies in any direction and became one of the factors in promoting the
development of the township, whose interests he most efficiently served
for many years in an official capacity.
On the 30th of September, 1857, Mr. Taylor completed his arrange-
ments for a home by his marriage to Miss Mary E. Pearson, a daughter
of Sampson and Nancy (McClure) Pearson. The father was a native of
Miami county, Ohio, where for many years he worked as a farmer and
blacksmith. He was of English descent, but the mother, whose birth
occurred in Shelby county, Ohio, was of Irish and Scotch extraction.
They came to Iowa in 1853, settling in Des Moines township, Jefferson
county. After residing there for twenty-two years they went to Missouri,
where they both died, the mother on the 12th of March, 1885, at the home
of her daughter Edna, and the father in Nodaway county, at the home of
his son Young, on the 5th of January, 1898. Their family numbered nine:
Silas, who is living in Libertyville, Iowa ; and Young, Henry, John and
George, all of whom are deceased ; Rachel, who is living in Missouri ; and
Edna and Annie, both of whom are also deceased. Mrs. Taylor is the
eldest of the family. Mr. and Mrs. Taylor were the parents of eight chil-
dren and there are now twenty-six grandchildren and six great-grandchil-
dren descendants. Ida, the wife of John Wildman, a carpenter of Fair-
field, Iowa, has three children: Otto Taylor; Grace, the wife of John Lang-
ner and the mother of three children, William, Kenneth and Marie; and
Floyd. Millard, a farmer of Des Moines township, married Allie Fry and
has four children. Hazel, Florence, Russell and Fern. Sarah, the wife of
Ben Wildman of South Haven, Michigan, has five childen : Roy; Cora,
who married William Mapes and has two children, Ethel Louise and Dora
May ; Amos ; Clarence ; and Ethel. Laura, who is the fourth member of
the family, is at home with her mother. Margaret Edna, the wife of Sher-
man Draper of Port Angeles, Washington, has five children : Winnie, who
married Montie Hetrick and has one child, Thelma, Richard, Ruby, Ina
and Dorothy. Mary E., the wife of John McDonald, a farmer of Lane
214 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
county, Oregon, has one child, Carrie. Victoria, the wife of James Mc-
Elderry, a farmer of Davis county, Iowa, has three children, Ralph, Mer-
vin and Taylor. Charles L., a farmer of Des Moines township, this county,
married Delilah Manning and has five children : Cleo, Glenn, Irene, Marie
and Bernice. Mrs. Taylor continues to live on her farm, which for sev-
eral years after the death of Mr. Taylor was cultivated by her youngest
son. Charles, but since he left home she has been renting the land. During
the long period of her residence in the township she has been the inter-
ested observer of its wonderful development, and has lived to witness all
the expectations of her husband, regarding its agricultural future, fully
realized.
Mr. Taylor always took an active and helpful interest in all public
matters, giving his political support to the men and measures of the re-
publican party. He served for two terms as assessor of his township, while
for six years he acted as township trustee and was treasurer for twelve
years. He was well qualified for public office, and although vei^}^ young
while living in Missouri he held the office of justice of the peace. During
the Civil war he was a member of the Home Protective League, and for
many years he was a prominent member of the Iowa Grange. He had
been a resident of Des Moines township for thirty years at the time of his
death, on the 12th of July, 1893. during which period he became widely
known, winning the esteem and friendship not only of those in his imme-
diate community but throughout the county.
W. G. ROSS.
W. G. Ross, who is serving for the second term of four years as post-
master of Fairfield, having been appointed to the position in 1904, has
made a most creditable record in the office, administering the afifairs of his
position in a prompt and businesslike manner, which has won him the good
will and respect of his fellow townsmen. He was born in Fayette county,
Pennsylvania, February 19. 1859, his parents being John and Rebecca
Ross, the former born in Fayette county. February 10. 1825. and
the latter in Washington county, Pennsylvania, September 14, 1827. They
resided in the Keystone state until 1866 and then came to Jefiferson county,
Iowa, where they have since made their home, being now located in Fair-
field. In the east the father followed merchandising, conducting a store
at Masontown. Pennsylvania, for about fifteen years but after coming to
the middle west he took up the occupation of farming and for many years
owned and cultivated a tract of land in Center township, upon which he
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 215
lived until ten years ago, when he retired from active life and took up his
abode in the county seat. He has Hkewise been greatly interested in every
project and measure for the pubHc good, became one of the incorporators
of the County Fair Association and for twenty years served as its secre-
tary. He is the only one of the original members still living. He has also
been secretary of the school board of his township for twenty years or
more, and the cause of education finds in him a stalwart champion who
did much to raise the standard of the public school system in the country
districts. His political belief has always been that of the republican party
since its formation and his religious faith is manifest in his membership in
the Presbyterian church. His has been an active and well spent life and
his present rest from labor is the fitting crown of former toil. Unto him
and his wife were born seven children : Margaret, who died in i860, at the
age of eleven years; J. M., who passed away in 1873; Laura V., at home;.
George Y., who is managing a rice plantation in Arkansas ; Jessie, the wife
of Thomas Davies, of Fairfield; W. G., of this review; and Alma, who
died in 1896.
When a lad of seven summers W. G. Ross accompanied his parents
on their removal from Fayette county, Pennsylvania, to Jefferson county,
Iowa, and was here reared upon the old home farm, early becoming fami-
liar with the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist.
Ambitious to enjoy better educational advantages than the public schools
ofifered he entered Parsons College and completed the course in 1880 with
the first class that was graduated from that institution. He afterward
took up the study of law in the ofiice and under the direction of Senator
Wilson, and was admitted to practice in 1883. Fie later became a partner
of J. M. Galvin, under the firm style of Galvin & Ross and so continued in
active practice until 1889 when Mr. Galvin went west. Mr. Ross continued
the practice alone until 1904 when he was appointed postmaster and put
aside professional duties. He made such an excellent record during his
first term in the postofiice that he was reappointed in 1908 and is there-
fore serving for the seventh year in that position. He has also held other
public offices, having been county attorney from 1891 until 1895 and city
solicitor from 1895 until 1904.
Mr. Ross was married in 1893 to Miss Carrie Lampson and they have
an attractive home in this city, which is justly celebrated for its warm
hearted hospitality. Mr. Ross has ever been deeply interested in the wel-
fare and upbuilding of Fairfield and has never withheld his cooperation
when his aid was needed for the furtherance of public projects. For
twenty-two years he has been secretary of the executive committee of Par-
sons College and for over twenty years he has been a member of the board
of directors of the Fairfield free public library. His entire life has been
216 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
imbued with a spirit of progress, and energy and determination have enabled
him to reach out continually toward the goal which has ever been before
him. For forty-five years he has lived in the county and is widely known
among the older citizens as well as the more recent arrivals. Years have
proven his worth and won for him the warm friendship of the majority of
those with whom he has come in contact.
GEORGE W. RIZOR.
George W. Rizor enjoys the distinction of having been born in the
first house built by the early settlers in Jefferson county, Iowa. It may
still be seen, a crude but picturesque log cabin, stationed for its historic
interest in the Old Settlers' Park at Fairfield, Iowa. In this log cabin,
originally put up in Round Prairie township, Jefferson county, George
W. Rizor was born September 24. 1857. He was the son of John and
Cynthia (Peck) Rizor, both natives of Ohio. His father came to Iowa in
the early days of its settlement and began his agricultural career in Jef-
ferson county on land bequeathed to him by his father. This he cleared
and utilized for purposes of general farming until his death on March
29, 1909. In this same year his wife also died.
In the schools of Lockridge township George W. Rizor was given a
general education. On finishing school he remained at home and became
assistant to his father in the management of the farm and, after a time, was
given full charge thereof, a responsibility which he discharged with much
credit for ten years prior to his father's death. Of this land one hundred
acres fell to his share of the bequest and these, together with eighty more
which he purchased, he improved until he now owns one of the finest farms
in his township. Fie raises sixty head of hogs annually, keeps thirty
head of cattle and ten horses.
George W. Rizor married Miss Belle Murphy, March 27, 1882. Her
father, Levi Murphy, was a native of Ohio; her mother, Sarah (Bowers)
Murphy was a native of Pennsylvania. When Mr. Murphy was a boy his
family removed to Iowa settling in Wapello county. On coming of age
he followed farming, renting for this purpose a tract of land in Round
Prairie township, Jefferson county, which he operated for a short time,
accumulating sufficient capital to buy forty acres of land which he improved,
enhancing its value to such a degree that he was able to sell out at a good
profit. Thereupon he purchased a farm of two hundred acres of land, to
the operation and improvement of which he gave the remainder of his years.
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 217
He passed away July i, 1902, six years after the demise of his wife,
which occurred in February, 1896.
Seven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Rizor. They are : Bessie
M., the wife of Charles E. Double, residing at Dudley, Iowa ; Lilly E.,
twenty-six years of age, at home ; Roy E., twenty-three years of age, liv-
ing at Ft. Madison, Iowa ; and four younger children all living at home.
These are, Herbert L., aged twenty-one, Hazel L., aged fifteen, Carl E.,
aged ten and Bernard J., aged four years.
Mr. Rizor is an earnest prohibitionist and has served as school direc-
tor of his district. He and his wife are members of the First Methodist
church in which they have a large circle of friends. Mr. Rizor is a man
to whom much credit is due for being a provident father, a good worker
in his church and a loyal advocate of the principles of prohibition.
FRANK E. BRUEY.
Frank E. Bruey, one of the popular young farmers and stock-raisers of
Cedar township, was born on the place where he now resides, on section
2"], his natal day being August 21, 1885. His parents are Richard and
Mary Catharine (Oriez) Bruey. The father, whose birth occurred in Bel-
fort, France, on the 13th of March, 1843, devoted his attention to general
agricultural pursuits throughout his active business career. In 1856 he
crossed the Atlantic to the United States, coming direct to Jefferson county,
Iowa, and locating on section 2"], Cedar township. It was at Fairfield, Iowa,
that he wedded Miss Mary C. Oriez, a lady of French descent, who was
born in St. Louis. Missouri, on the 13th of September, 1853, and was a
daughter of Francis Oriez, whose widow now resides in Washington, Iowa.
Following his marriage Richard Bruey purchased the farm on which our
subject now makes his home, continuing its operation until the ist of Octo-
ber, 1906. when he put aside the active work of the fields and took up his
abode on South Third street in Fairfield, where he has since lived. The
period of his residence in Jefferson county now covers fifty-five years and
he enjoys an extensive and favorable acquaintance within its borders.
Frank E. Bruey has one sister, Annie M., who has charge of the cloak
department in a large store at Des Moines.
Frank E. Bruey attended school in district No. 3, Center township, and
remained under the parental roof until the time of his marriage. At the
time of his father's retirement he assumed charge of the home farm of one
hundred and twenty acres and has since been actively engaged in its ope-
ration. He feeds all of his grain to stock, of which he raises a good grade.
218 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
On the 19th of December, 1906, Mr. Bruey was united in marriage to
Miss Mag-gie Irene Crowner, who was born on a farm north of Fair-
field and began her education in a district school there and also attended
school at Birmingham, Iowa, and near Stockport. Her parents, William
and Cora (McMullen) Crowner, are both of Irish descent. The father is
a native of Jefiferson county, Iowa, while the mother's birth occurred in
Pennsylvania. At the present time they are residing on a farm of eighty
acres in section 17, Cedar township. Their children are five in number,
as follows : Olive, the wife of Fred L. Keller, a farmer of Cedar township ;
Mrs. Bruey; May, the wife of G. H. Atherton, a business man of Fair-
field ; John, an agriculturist of Cedar township ; and June, who resides with
her parents.
Mr. Bruey is a republican in politics and is now serving his second term
as township assessor in a township which is strongly democratic — a fact
indicative of his popularity and the confidence and trust reposed in him
by his fellow townsmen. He is the first republican assessor ever chosen
in Cedar township and was elected by a flattering majority. His aid and
cooperation can be counted upon to further every movement calculated to
benefit the community and he and his estimable wife are held in high re-
gard by their many friends.
J. A. HUGLIN.
Thorough preparation has well qualified J. A. Huglin for the onerous
professional duties which have devolved upon him since he took up his
residence in this city. Laudable ambition was numbered among his salient
characteristics at the outset of his career and prompted him to gain an edu-
cation that would qualify him for more than the simplest duties and labors
of life. His own earnest toil provided the means for an education and his
ability has been the source of his progress since he entered upon the prac-
tice of his profession.
Mr. Huglin is a native of Geneseo, Illinois, born September 14, 1872.
His father, C. J. Huglin, was born at Rexby, England, June 25, 1825, and
came to the United States when twenty-one years of age, settling first in
Ohio, whence he afterward removed to Andover, Illinois, there enlisting in
1861 as a member of the Eleventh Ohio Battery, with which he served for
three years and seven months. He was wounded five times and was in
Andersonville prison for six weeks. He took part in the battle of Island
No. 10. the sanguinary conflict at Gettysburg and the siege of Vicksburg.
was with Sherman on the Atlanta campaign and the march to the sea and
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 219
afterward participated in the grand review, the most celebrated military
pageant ever seen on the western hemisphere. He served as one of the
cannoneers in his battery and was a most brave and intrepid soldier.
When the war was over he returned to Illinois and in Andover, in 1867,
was united in marriage to Miss Christian Swanson who was born in Gales-
burg, Illinois, October 3, 1836. In 1875 they removed to Nebraska but
the scourge of grasshoppers which destroyed all the crops caused them to
leave that state and in 1878 they took up their abode in Boone county,
Iowa. Mr. Huglin devoted his entire life to agricultural pursuits and was
the owner of a good farm in Boone county, upon which his death occurred
in 1904. In February of the same year his wife passed away. They were
the parents of seven children: J. A., of this review; C. L., a farmer living
in North Dakota; Elizabeth, who is a nurse in the Kansas City (Missouri)
Hospital : O. E., who is engaged in the drug business in Odebolt, Iowa ;
G. G., a resident and implement dealer of Dayton, Iowa ; Tillie. who is
engaged in school teaching at Pollock, South Dakota ; and Ida, who is prin-
cipal of the public schools at Jefferson, Iowa.
J. A. Huglin was only three years of age when his parents left Illinois
and was a youth of six years when the family came to Iowa. He remained
under the parental roof until 1888 and in the meantime not only actively
assisted his father in the work of the fields but also acquired a good edu-
cation, supplementing his public school training by a year's study in West-
ern Normal College, at Shenandoah, Iowa, and by further work in Augus-
tana University, at Rock Island, Illinois, from which he was graduated with
the class of 1895. Afterward he went to Chicago, where he attended the
Chicago College of Law, pursuing the evening course for two years, while
during the day he was employed in a business way in order to meet the
expenses of living and tuition. He then went to Des Moines, where he
spent one year as a student in the law department of Drake University
and was graduated May 17, 1898. At the same time he was admitted to the
practice of law by the supreme court of Iowa, and also admitted to prac-
tice in the federal courts. He entered upon the active work of his profes-
sion in Fairfield September ist, 1908, and has since remained here, having
an office over the Fairfield National Bank. He is accorded a good clien-
tage and his ability is widely recognized by other members of the bar as
well as by the general public. While working his way through school he
earned his money mostly by traveling for a book publishing company and
making extensive trips over the United States and Canada. While in the
university he made a special study of modern languages. His mother was
of Swedish parentage and he gave particular attention to the Swedish
language, which he speaks as fluently as he does English. He also speaks
220 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
German, Danish and Norweg-ian and has studied extensively both Latin
and Greek.
In his poHtical views Mr. Huglin has always been a republican, active
in the work of the party throughout the period of his residence in Fair-
field. He served for four years, or two terms, in the office of county at-
torney, beginning January i, 1907, and there was only one other republican
elected on the county ticket when he was first chosen to that i)Osition.
His election therefore was indicative of his personal popularity and the
confidence and trust reposed in him.
On the 28th of June, 1905, Mr. Huglin was married to Aliss Clara
Lenora Porter, who was born in Boone county, Iowa, May 20, 1882. a
daughter of E. A. Porter, and they now have two children: Harold Q., born
September 22, 1906; and Harvey P., born May 9, 1910. The parents hold
membership in the English Lutheran church, in the work of which they
take an active and helpful part. For ten years Mr. Huglin has served as
superintendent of the Sunday school and is a member of the church board.
He has also been president of the Jefferson County Sunday School Associa-
tion and president of the Tenth District Association of the Christian En-
deavor for several years. He is deeply interested in all that pertains to
moral progress and does everything in his power to promote christianiz-
ing influences which uplift man. He was also secretary of the first Jef-
ferson County Commercial Association and is never unmindful of his duty
in regard to local progress and improvement. He has an interesting mili-
tary chapter in his life record, having in 1898 joined Company M of the
Fifty-fourth Regiment of the Iowa National Guard, with which he served
for six years. Fraternally he is connected with the Masons, the Knights
of Pythias and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He is a scholarly,
cultured gentleman, whose innate talent and acquired ability have brought
him prominence in professional circles, while his genuine personal worth
has established him in a high and enviable position in the regard of his
fellowmen.
WILLIAM H. NEIBERT, Jr.
The recent death of William H. Neibert, Jr., cut short the splendid
activities of a man who, in his occupation as blacksmith, belongs to that
host of men who toil and moil in their round of daily labors, in order that
the machinery of the world may be kept running smoothly and without in-
terruption. He was born in Hagerstown, Maryland, April 22, i860, his
parents being William H. and Eliza (Mace) Neibert, natives of Maryland.
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY . 221
His father was engaged in agricultural pursuits during his entire life.
farming for many years in Maryland and later in Pennsylvania where he
died in 1899. The mother passed away in 1873.
Remaining in Maryland until he was seventeen years of age William
H. Neibert, Jr., obtained his education in the common schools of his native
locality. He then went to Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, and learned the
blacksmith's trade working there five years when he was married and lo-
cated in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in which place he conducted a blacksmith
shop for a year. At the end of this time he determined to carry out his
desire to go west and accordingly established his home in Monmouth, Illi-
nois, but remained there only a brief period, resuming his onward march
westward and settling in Kansas City, Missouri, where he plied his trade
for a year. He proceeded from there to Fairfield, Iowa, in February, 1885,
and bought out the blacksmith shop owned by William Swain, and in time
built up a large and flourishing business, in which he continued to be active
until his death on July 11, 191 1. He was industrious in the pursuit of his
occupation and personally superintended all the work done in his shop so
that he was well known among the brothers of his craft and the patrons of
his trade for his reliability and the high grade of his workmanship. No
matter what business transactions he engaged in, he was always open and
honorable and never failed to win the confidence of those who dealt with
him.
The marriage of William H. Neibert, Jr., and Elizabeth E. Brecken-
maker occurred on March 16, 1882. Mrs. Neibert is a daughter of Fred-
erick and Leah (Ellinger) Breckenmaker, the former a native of Germany
and the latter of Pennsylvania. Her father crossed the Atlantic in 1835
when he was nine years of age and on their arrival in this country the
family located in Baltimore, Maryland, where he learned the tailor's trade
when old enough to work. He removed to Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania,
after some years sojourn and there worked at his trade until removing to
Hoguestown, Pennsylvania, where he opened a shop and soon became
known as one of the first-class tailors in the town. Later he came west
and opened a shop in Monmouth, Illinois, and after a time located in Emer-
son, Iowa, and worked at his trade. From here he came to Fairfield, Iowa,
and made his home with his daughter, Mrs. Neibert, and at the same time
conducted a tailor shop here until his wife passed away in 1902, at the age
of seventy-three years. Left alone he returned to the old home in Mech-
anicsburg, Pennsylvania, and there operated a tailor shop until 1909 when
he retired after his long continued labors and for the past two years has
made his home vvith a son at Hummelstown, Pennsylvania, living a placid
life and at the age of eighty-five years, still enjoying the vigor of his facul-
ties, and passing his days in desultory occupations or in peaceful medita-
222 HISTORY OF JKFFRRSON COUNTY
tion, grateful for the loyal interest which his six children tenderly manifest
towards him. There were seven children in the family, one being deceased.
Mr. and Mrs. Neibert had five children born to them, namely: Thomas
Glenn, aged twenty-eight, and William H., aged twenty-five, partners in
business, operating their father's blacksmith shop ; Byron A., aged twenty-
two years, employed in the automobile business ; Frederick H., aged nine-
teen years, attending school; and Nellie E., aged sixteen, attending business
college.
'Fraternally Mr. Neibert was connected with the Odd Fellows, and the
Masonic order, with the Knight Templars and the Modern Woodmen of
America. He was an enthusiastic democrat and was popular with the
local members of the party being elected to the office of sheriflF which he
held for four years, and also to the city council of Fairfield. In religious
belief Mrs. Neibert and several of the children hold membership in
the Methodist Episcopal church, which he also attended. Ever conscien-
tious in his work, Mr. Neibert met with well deserved success and enjoyed
a lucrative patronage in his trade so that he was enabled to leave his family
well provided for, living in a handsome home at No. 406, East Lowe street,
the house being built on a three-acre lot. and with its smooth well-cared
for lawn and neat walks forms one of the attractive places in the residence-
portion of Fairfield. ,
DAVID GILCHRIST.
David Gilchrist, in whom the various phases of life in Jefiferson county
find a worthy exemplar, is ranked among the prosperous and progressive
citizens of this county, within whose borders he has resided for the past
nine years. He is one of Pennsylvania's native sons, his birth occurring
in Westmoreland county on the i6th of May, 1832, his parents being
Joseph and Eliza (McCollister) Gilchrist. The father's birth occurred in
1796 on the site of the battle of Gettysburg, while the mother first opened
her eyes to the light of day ten years later in North Carolina. After their
marriage they continued to reside in the Keystone state until about three
years prior to their deaths, when they came to Iowa. Here both passed
away, the father in January, 1873. Both were laid to rest in the cemetery
at Birmingham, Iowa. The father had been a farmer throughout most of
his life and also devoted a few years to the occupation of a cooper. In
his family were six sons and four daughters, of whom the two eldest sons
were children of a former marriage, Joseph Gilchrist having previously
wedded the sister of his second wife. Only four members of the family
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 225
now survive, namely: Sarah Jane Bailey, a resident of Fairfield; Archi-
bald, also of that city ; John, making his home in Armstrong county, Penn-
sylvania; and David, who was the fourth in order of birth.
The subject of this review spent the period of his boyhood and youth
in his native county until eighteen years of age, when he went with his
parents to Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, where he was residing at the
time of the Civil war. In connection with his brothers Archibald and John
he enlisted for service in the Union army and was mustered in in August,
1862, from Armstrong county. His brothers became members of the
Sixty-third Pennsylvania Regiment, John serving about a year and Archi-
bald two years. David Gilchrist, however, became a soldier in the One
Hundred and Thirty-ninth Pennsylvania Volunteer Regiment, Company
B, and with that command served throughout the remainder of hostilities.
He took part in many important battles of the war, being present at the
battle of the Wilderness or Mine Run, under General Mead, and partici-
pating in the engagements of Gettysburg under Mead, Rappahannock Sta-
tion under General Grant, Antietam Fredericksburg and Spottsylvania
Courthouse. In the last named encounter he received a flesh wound in the
right foot and also had the shin bone in his left leg shattered, and there-
after was confined in the hospital until discharged at the close of the war.
He returned home and for a year moved about only with the assistance of a
crutch.
Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, remained the place of residence of
David Gilchrist until 1868, when he came to Iowa and located in Van
Buren county, where he remained for twenty-one years, after which he
spent three years in Missouri. Nine years ago he came to Jefferson county,
locating in 191 1 upon his present farm on section 29, Liberty township,
consisting of two hundred and twelve and a half acres, all highly cultivated
and well improved. His time and attention have mostly been given to
agricultural pursuits although he engages to some extent in the occupation
of carpentering, and in both branches of activity is meeting with substantial
sCiccess for he has ever realized that the secret of prosperity lies in hard,
unadulterated labor with a liberal infusion of common sense, and has thus
worked his way up until today he ranks among the well known and repre-
sentative business men of Liberty township.
Mr. Gilchrist was married, on the 19th of January, i860, in Armstrong
county, Pennsylvania, to Martha Jane Jack, who was born in that county
on the 2d of October, 1839, ^ daughter of James A. and Eliza (Allman)
Jack, both natives of the Keystone state where their entire lives were
spent. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Gilchrist were born fourteen children : James
Bailey, residing in the state of Washington, not far from the city of
Moscow, Idaho; J. M.,,of Jefferson county; D. C, living in Davis county;
Tol. n— 13
226 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
Jennie Beard, who passed away at the age of thirty years; H. O., who
makes his home in Florida; W. W., Hving with his father; Sarah V.,.who
married I. C. Evans, of Troy, Iowa; L. M., also at home; Anna Maude,
the wife of W. B. Shreve, of Bloomfield, Iowa; Florence, at home; J. J.,
of Washington ; C. P., also of Washington ; E. M., a resident of Jefferson
county, Iowa; and Harry, of Florida. The parents are members of the
Methodist Episcopal church, in the work of which they are deeply inter-
ested, and fraternally ]\Ir. Gilchrist belongs to the Masonic order at Birming-
ham and the Grand Army of the Republic. In politics he is a republican
and although he gives stanch support to the men and measures of that
party his activity is merely that of a private citizen who recognizes and
appreciates the privileges and obligations of citizenship but to whom the
honors and emoluments of ofifice have no attraction. Although his resi-
dence in this section of the county is of comparatively short duration, he
has nevertheless during that period so comportated himself in the various
relations of life as to win the confidence, regard and good will of all with
whom he has been brought in contact.
AXEL U. JOHNSON.
The Scandinavians have always been among the foremost of the nation-
alities best suited for purposes of colonization since, through their industry
and thrift and their adaptability in coping with the many hardships that
must be encountered in a newly-settled country, they have proved that
their virtues are of the stuff that endures. Axel U. Johnson belongs to
the Swedish colony of settlers in Lockridge township, Jefferson county,
Iowa, who have contributed no small share to the general upbuilding and
growth of the agricultural interests of the state. His father, John John-
son, never came to America but remained in Sweden, his native country,
where he was engaged in farming until his death June 3. 1907. His mother
Emma (Bergman) Johnson, now in her seventy-seventh year, still lives
on the old homestead in Sweden.
Axel U. Johnson was educated in Sweden and remained with his par-
ents until he was twenty-five years of age. Then, bidding farewell to
his family and kindred, he set sail for the new world. From New York
he made his way westward to Princeton, Illinois. In that town he found
various employments at which he worked for a year and a half. He then
worked at hire as a farm hand, after which he rented a farm and operated
it for a period of fourteen years. At the end of this time he gave up
his residence in Illinois and came to Jefferson ^county. Iowa, where he
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 227
bought two hundred and thirty-five acres in Lockridge township. This
land he has been operating ever since making extensive improvements on
it. It is a valuable farm and a worthy monument to the indefatigable
labor which Mr. Johnson has expended upon it. He raises about one
hundred to one hundred and fifty hogs a year, feeds seventy-five head of
cattle and keeps ten horses.
The marriage of Mr. Johnson and Augusta W. Larson occurred in
November, 1882. She was the daughter of Swan and Stina (Caxo) Lar-
son, natives of Sweden. She came to this country alone leaving her
parents in the land of their birth where her father was a farmer until his
death about 1896. Her mother died in 1901.
Mr. and Mrs. Johnson are the parents of nine children. The order of
their birth and their ages are as follows : Arthur, twenty-eight ; Emma
D., twenty-six ; Elmer S., twenty-four ; Mabel, twenty-threej Walter,
twenty-one ; Seth, nineteen ; Ruth, seventeen ; Myrtle, fourteen ; and Irene,
eight years.
Politically Mr. Johnson is a republican and in his religious faith he and
his wife subscribe to the tenets of the Lutheran church which they attend.
Fraternal associations he maintains with the brotherhood of the Modern
Woodmen of America. Unwearied in his toil, patient, giving to every
effort the best of the powers with which nature has endowed him, Mr.
Johnson has moved towards his goal with the steady eye of the man who
knows he has conquered.
M. S. RANDALL.
M. S. Randall has the distinction of being what the public calls a self-
made man, for at the age of twelve years he was left an orphan and from
that time forward has had to make his own way in the world. He had lost
his mother when but two years of age and thus was deprived not only of
many advantages but also of much of the home care which most children
enjoy. The simple weight of his character and ability, however, have
brought him into important relations with the public interests of Jefferson
county, where he is now filling the position of county recorder. His birth
occurred in Vermillion county, Indiana, in i860, his parents being Jonathan
and Evelyn (Smith) Randall, both of whom were natives of Indiana,
where they spent their entire lives. The Smith family were very early
settlers there and the parents of Mrs. Randall died on the farm which
they had entered as a claim from the government. Like the Randall fam-
ily they removed from Virginia to the Hoosier state and all followed the
228 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
occupation of farming. Jonathan Randall had four children by a former
marriage and two by his second union.
M. S; Randall spent the days of his boyhood and youth in Indiana and
after being thrown upon his own resources, worked for his board and
clothing, with the opportunity of attending school. He had no advantages
beyond those offered by the common schools and had to work hard to get
that. He continued a resident of his native state until 1887, when he re-
moved to Keokuk, Iowa, where he spent eighteen months. On the ex-
piration of that period he came to Fairfield and for twenty years engaged
in farming east of the county seat, devoting his time and labors to the work
of the fields until 1909, when he removed to the city. His energy and dili-
gence were the factors that ever kept his farm in good condition. The
soil was naturally rich and the labor which he bestowed upon the fields
brought forth good harvests. Moreover, his ambition prompted him to
keep everything about the farm in good condition and the buildings in good
repair. Thus year by year his efforts brought him substantial returns and
with a comfortable competence he retired from farm life. In November,
1 9 10, he was elected to the ofifice of county recorder on the republican
ticket and is now the incumbent in that position, the duties of which he
has discharged with the same promptness and fidelity that have character-
ized him in every relation of life.
Mr. Randall really had a home of his own for the first time since his
early boyhood, when in 1881 he was united in marriage to Miss Tabitha
Morgan, a native of Keokuk county, Iowa, and a daughter of William
Morgan. As the years have passed four children have been added to the
household, Loren C, Elsie G.. Neil M. and Harold M. Mr. Randall holds
membership with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the motive
power of his life and principles is found in his membership in the Meth-
odist Episcopal church. Those who know him recognize in him an upright
man and public-spirited citizen whose influence is always found on the
side of right, truth and progress.
HARLEY D. KREIGH.
Harley D. Kreigh, assistant cashier of the Batavia Savings Bank and
one of the highly esteemed citizens of the town, was born in Knoxville, Illi-
nois, on the 24th of May, 1881, and is a son of John S. and Eva (Allen)
Kreigh. His father, a well known farmer of Jefferson county, was born
in the vicinity of Hagerstown, Maryland, while the grandfather, John
Kreigh, was a native of Pennsylvania of German extraction. The mother,
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 229
who was of Scotch descent, was born and reared near Galesburg, Knox
county, Illinois. In 1887, together with his wife and family, John S. Kreigh
came to Jefferson county, locating on a farm in Locust Grove township,
north of Batavia. After five years residence there he removed to a farm
five miles northeast of Batavia, in Wapello county, where he continues to
live. The mother, however, passed away in 1895. The family of Mr.
and Mrs. Kreigh numbers seven children : Frank, who is deputy sheriff
of Wapello county, now living near Ottumwa; Harley D., our subject;
Fred, who is operating his father's farm in Wapello county ; and Mary
and Alice, both of whom are still at home; James, an employe of the J. H.
Marrell Company, of Ottumwa, Iowa ; and John, who is attending Knox
College, Galesburg, Illinois.
The first eighteen years of his life Harley D. Kreigh spent on his
father's farm, his early education being acquired in the district schools of
the neighborhood. After completing the course therein he attended the
Knoxville high school for three years, then entered Brown's Business Col-
lege at Galesburg, Illinois, from which institution he was graduated in
1898. He began his business career in the St. Louis store at Ottumwa,
Iowa, being identified with that enterprise for eighteen months. In the
fall of 1901 he came to Batavia to become assistant cashier of the Sav-
ings Bank. During the ten years in which he has been identified with this
position he has pi oven himself to be a business man of more than average
capability and efficiency, whose trustworthiness and reliability has won him
hosts of friends. The Batavia Savings Bank, which is now entering upon
the twentieth year of its existence, was organized in 1892 with a capital
stock of ten thousand dollars. It is recognized as one of the conserva-
tive and substantial financial institutions of the county, whose directors and
officials are highly regarded among the business men of the state. The di-
rectors are : J. B. Mowry, George P. Israel, W. A. Lewis, Peter Nelson and
E. M. Sterner, while J. B. Mowry, of Ottumwa, is president, George P.
Israel, vice president and W. A. Lewis, cashier.
On the 30th of November, 1905, Mr. Kreigh was united in marriage to
Miss Alta Israel, a daughter of Robert and Louisa (Gonterman) Israel,
both of whom are still living. Mr. Israel was formerly an agriculturist of
Chaffee county, Colorado, but at the present time is engaged in mercantile
business in Ottumwa, Iowa. One child has been born to Mr. and Mrs.
Kreigh, Evelyn Lucille, whose birth occurred on the 21st of June, 1907.
Mr. Kreigh is identified with various fraternal orders being a member
of the Modern Woodmen and Masonic lodges of Batavia, as well as the
Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, belonging to Lodge No. 347, Ottumwa,
Iowa. His political support he accords to the democratic party and has
always taken an active and helpful interest in all municipal affairs. In
230 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
1902 he was elected to the office of town clerk, which he held for one year,
while he served as mayor of the town from 1904 to 1906. He is one of the
popular young business men of the town whose future career gives every
assurance of being most promising.
CAPTAIN JOHN A. SPIELMAN.
One of the best known men of Fairfield is Captain John A. Spielman.
He is perhaps most widely known among those who wear the blue uniform
with the brass buttons — the soldiers of the Civil war who today form the
Grand Army of the Republic — for he has been most active in the work of
the order and has personal acquaintance not only with its leading members
in Iowa but also many of its most prominent representatives throughout
the nation. He is also widely known in the English Lutheran church,
where his labors have been an effective force for good in Fairfield, and
has figured as a leading merchant for many years although he is now en-
joying well earned rest. A native of Ohio, Captain Spielman was born in
Columbus, July 10, 1834, a son of John and Saloma (Berg) Spielman, the
former a native of Schertzheim, Germany, born in 1808, and the latter of
Lichtenau, Germany, born in 1809. They spent their youthful days in
the fatherland and came to the United States with their respective parents,
both families establishing their homes in Baltimore, Maryland. The young
couple, diowever, were married in Fredericktown and in the year 1830 be-
came residents of Columbus, Ohio, where they resided until 1840, which
year witnessed their arrival in Jefferson county, Iowa. They journeyed
with three other families to Iowa City, then the capital of Iowa territory,
but, not liking that district, John Spielman brought his family to Jeffer-
son county. This region was then largely wild and unimproved and he
entered land from the government in Walnut township. Not a furrow had
been turned nor an improvement made upon the place, but he was indus-
trious and diligent and at once began to break the sod and cultivate the
fields, which in due time brought forth abundant harvests. He continued
to reside upon that farm for many years, converting it into a valuable
property, and it is still in the possession of one of his daughters, Mrs. Caro-
line Craf. After devoting many years to general agricultural pursuits the
father put aside the w^ork of the fields and retired to Fairfield, where he
passed away in 1889. He was associated with business interests here for
ten years as a partner in a hardware store conducted under the firm name
of J. A. Spielman & Company. A citizen of worth, he did much to pro-
mote upbuilding and progress in Jefferson county and assisted many emi-
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 231
grants and friends who came from Ohio to locate claims in Iowa. He
was ever a man of kindly spirit, possessing many admirable traits of char-
acter. He had no enemies and in large measure enjoyed the friendship
and love of all with whom he came in contact. His wife died at the ad-
vanced age of eighty-eight years and in their passing Jefferson county lost
two of its most worthy and esteemed pioneer residents. In their family
were six daughters and three sons but several of the children died in early
life. Those still living are : Captain Spielman ; Mrs. Craf ; and Mrs. Re-
pass, who is now a resident of Winona, Minnesota. Another sister, Mrs,
Emma Heaton, died in Burlington, Iowa, in February, 191 1. One son,
Fred Spielman, enlisted for service in Company D, of the Seventeenth
Iowa Infantry, and died at Corinth, Mississippi, on the 3d of September,
1862. Another brother, Lewis Spielman, died on a farm in Walnut town-
ship fifteen years ago, leaving a family.
Captain Spielman came to Iowa with his parents in 1840, when but six
years of age, and was here reared amid the conditions and environments
of pioneer life, sharing with the family in the hardships and trials incident
to establishing a home upon the frontier. As his age and strength per-
mitted he aided more and more largely in the arduous task of developing
a new farm until 1851, when, at the age of seventeen years, he returned to
Columbus, Ohio, to attend school at Capital University, thus supplementing
the knowledge that he had gained as a student in the public schools of this
district. In early manhood he also learned the tinner's trade, which he
followed for a year in Burlington. He then went to Mount Pleasant,
where he secured a clerkship in a dry-goods store, there remaining until he
located in Germanville, Jefferson county, where he began business on his
own account, establishing a store which he conducted until after the out-
break of the Civil war. Prior to his enlistment in the volunteer service he
had joined the Home Guard and was captain of one of its companies. He
went to the front in the Civil war with twenty of the boys who had
served under him in the state militia, Captain Spielman enlisting as a pri-
vate of Company K, Seventeenth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, in March, 1862.
In May of that year he was made orderly sergeant. When doing picket
duty the captain of the company was arrested for gambling, was court-mar-
tialed and dismissed from the service and the officer of the day turned
over the command of the company to Mr. Spielman, who on the 29th of
September, 1862, was elected to the position of captain and thus com-
manded the company until after the surrender of Vicksburg. He received
a commission as second lieutenant but served as captain, for the man who
had been discharged kept him out of a captain's commission although his
service was virtually that of commander of the company. General McPher-
son told Mr. Spielman to go home in September, 1863, and there wait for
232 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
his commission as captain, but as the general was killed almost imme-
diately afterward he did not have opportunity to exercise his influence and
secure the commission for Mr. Spielman. Following his return from the
army Mr. Spielman, in October, 1863, entered business circles in Fairfield
as a dealer in hardware and stoves and continued in the business with suc-
cess for thirty-two years, after which he sold out. He closely applied him-
self to his work and his intense and well directed energy and activity
brought him a substantial measure of success. Following his retirement
from the hardware trade he became connected with the First National
Bank as vice president and for a period was active in the management of
the bank but, though he still retains the vice presidency, ill health has pre-
vented him from taking part in its management in recent years. Before
the condition of his health was such as to practically force his retirement
from business he was prominently associated with many interests, including
the gas company, of which he was treasurer. His hardware store was
the largest in the city and the business was built up from a small beginning
owing to the honorable methods and the earnest effort of the owner to
please his patrons. His property interests include the Spielman Block, on
the west side of the square, where in 1869 he erected a building which he
rebuilt in 1885.
In the field of politics Captain Spielman had also exerted a beneficial
and widely felt influence. He has been an earnest republican since the for-
mation of the party and in association with United States Senator James
F. Wilson and Waltus Collins organized the republican party in this county
for the Fremont campaign. He has served as a member of the city coun-
cil for a number of years, has filled township offices and has also occupied
the position of county clerk. No trust reposed in him, political or other-
wise, has ever been betrayed in the slightest degree and his labors in office
have at all times been of a practical as well as progressive character.
On the 24th of April, i860, Captain Spielman was united in marriage
to Miss Christina Hershberger, who was born in Lancaster, Ohio, June
2, 1840, and in 1850 was brought to Jefferson county by her parents, God-
frey and Caroline Hershberger, who were natives of Germany and are now
deceased, the father passing away in this covmty while the mother's death
occurred in Kansas. Unto Captain and Mrs. Spielman have been born six
children. Henry A., who was born March 4, 1861, is now a merchant of
Topeka, Kansas. John G., born January 2, 1863, is a draughtsman, hav-
ing charge of the draughting department of the north plant of the Illinois
Steel Company at Chicago. Carrie now resides with her father, having two
years ago lost her husband, who was the Rev. C. S. McElhinny, a Presby-
terian minister. Fred A. is a traveling salesman, residing in Fairfield. May
is the wife of F. W. Harrison, a commercial traveler living in Los Angeles,
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 233
California. Bella is the wife of Dillon Turney, mentioned elsewhere in this
volume. Captain Spielman provided his children with excellent educational
advantages, Carrie and John having been graduated from the State Uni-
versity at Iowa City, while May is a graduate of Midland College at Atchi-
son, Kansas ; Fred and Bella of the high school at Fairfield and Henry of
Carthage College, Carthage, Illinois.
Business activity by no means comprises the extent of Captain Spiel-
man's helpful service in Jefferson county. His influence has always been
found on the side of right, progress, reform and improvement. He has
long held membership in the English Lutheran church and for fifteen years
was treasurer of the Lutheran synod of Iowa and on six or eight different
occasions was a delegate to the general synod of the United States. He
likewise served as a member of the board of church extension of the gen-
eral synod of the Lutheran church and was a member of the board of direc-
tors of Carthage College, conducted under Lutheran auspices, serving as
president of that board when ill health forced him to resign in 1888. For a
number of years he filled the office of Sunday school superintendent of the
Lutheran church in this city and during that period assisted in organizing
the Jefferson County Sabbath School Association, becoming one of its char-
ter members. He was also identified with the State Sunday School As-
sociation and his efforts have always been untiring in support of any pro-
ject which he has believed would prove of practical value in extending
and promoting the church work in any of its different branches.
Captain Spielman is also widely known in the Iowa department of the
Grand Army of the Republic and is very popular with his old army com-
rades. He assisted in organizing George Strong Post, No. 19, G. A. R., at
Fairfield, becoming one of its charter members and serving in its various
offices, including that of commander.
A number of times he was sent as its delegate to the national encamp-
ment and has always attended the state encampments. He was chief of
staff of the Iowa department when the national encampment met at Wash-
ington, D. C, on which occasion Iowa won the banner for having the best
department in the parade that numbered one hundred thousand men. That
year the Iowa badge was established as the result of the exhibit of the Iowa
soldiers carrying an ear of com for a canteen and a stalk of corn for a
cane, the ear of corn becoming the Iowa badge. On the second day of the
encampment the "boys" marched up to the home of Captain Spielman and
he took the seat formerly occupied by Senator Wilson, his comrades unani-
mously choosing him speaker of the house. He was called upon and
made an intersting speech and the camp fire extended for two and one-
half hours. On that occasion ex-Speaker Henderson dubbed Captain Spiel-
man the first speaker of the house of representatives from Iowa. He
234 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
was promoted to the rank of Colonel of the Grand Army by Commander in
Chief Adams at Pittsburg and he has received many badges of honor in
connection with his service in the Grand Army of the Republic, ex-Presi-
dent Harrison presenting him with a badge at Indianapolis when he was
at the head of the Iowa delegation at the national encampment there. He
spent six months in gathering data and compiling the soldiers' and sailors'
record of Jefferson county and there are few if any as familiar with the
history of the Iowa department of the Grand Army of the Republic as is
Captain Spielman. Throughout his entire life patriotism and progress
might well be termed the keynote of his character. He is today as true
and loyal to his country as when he followed the stars and stripes upon
the battlefields of the south and he recalls many interesting incidents of
the days when the boys sat around the camp fire at night, never knowing
what hour the bugle might sound that would call them to arms to face
danger and perhaps death. His loyalty, too, has been manifest in every
other relation and thus he has been found a devoted husband and father,
an enterprising and reliable business man and a faithful follower of the
church.
ISAAC W. NEWLAND.
Among the highly successful agriculturists of Jefiferson county who
are now living retired must be numbered Isaac W. Newland, who is a
descendant of one of the pioneer settlers. He was born on his father's
homestead in Des Moines township, this county, on the 21st of January,
1853, and is a son of Jacob and Angeline (Combs) Newland. His father
was a native of Adams county, Ohio, and of American extraction, the
great-grandfather, John Newland, having been born in New York, the
mother, however, although a native of Pennsylvania, was of Irish descent.
Jacob Newland in his early manhood moved from his native state to
Iowa, locating here during the early pioneer period. He settled in Des
Moines township, where for a time he made his home with Tobias Moore,
until in a position to begin farming for himself. Later he purchased a
forty acre tract of prairie land in this township, and after placing upon
it some crude buildings that sufficed for his immediate needs began its
cultivation. Not being fully satisfied with conditions as he found them,
he subsequently went to Missouri, but after a year's residence in the latter
state decided he could not improve upon his Jefiferson county holding, so
returned. He diligently applied himself to the cultivation and improve-
ment of his farm with the unremitting energy that ever characterizes the
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 235
ambitious young man, whose principal asset in life is his determination.
Farming in those days was little more than drudgery, this being prior to
the advent of the modern agricultural implements, by means of which it
is possible to perform in a few hours tasks that formerly required many
days of laborious toil. Despite the discouragements and misfortunes that
ever assail the pioneer in any country, Mr. Newland by reason of his
persistence gradually achieved success. As he was able from time to time
he extended the boundary of his farm until he had acquired the title to
two hundred and forty acres of fertile land, all of which he had under
cultivation, and thirty acres of timber. He always made his home on
this farm, that stood as a monument to his many years of toil and endeavor,
and there he passed away in 1884, the mother surviving until the 3d of
October, 1889, when she was laid to rest beside her husband. By the
union of Mr. and Mrs. Newland there were born eight children, of whom
our subject is the eldest ; in order of birth the others are as follows :
Henry, who is a farmer of Wapello county, Iowa; Frances, the deceased
wife of Ezra Winsell, a farmer of Goodland, Kansas ; Dorcas, the wife of
George McBride, a farmer of Van Buren county, Iowa; Miriam, who
married Charles McBride, a farmer of Des Moines township ; Nancy, who
makes her home with her sister, Mrs. Charles McBride ; Noah, who died
when a child ; and George, a retired farmer of Libertyville, Iowa.
Practically the entire life of Isaac W. Newland has been spent in Des
Moines township, whose scenes are endeared to him by the associations
of his boyhood and youth as well as those of his later manhood. Reared
on his father's farm he first attended district No. 2 school in the acquire-
ment of his education, but later went to the Beach school, both in Des
Moines township. In common with other lads of that period he was early
assigned duties about the home, while as he grew older his summer vaca-
tions were largely devoted to assisting his father in the work of the fields.
After attaining his majority he began farming for himself, but remained
a member of the parental household until he was twenty-four years of
age. After his marriage he bought forty acres of land, that he subse-
quently sold, continuing to buy and sell, always benefiting thereby, until
he is now the owner of two hundred and forty acres of excellent land,
all under cultivation, located on sections 9, 10 and 15, and forty acres of
timber on section 19. He has retired from the active work of the fields
and is renting his farm, but he and his wife are still living in their old
homestead.
On the 23d of September, 1877, Mr. Newland completed his arrange-
ments for a home of his own by his marriage to Miss Frances Keim, a
daughter of Louis and Jane (Feebler) Keim, the father a native of
Pennsylvania of German extraction, while the mother was born in Missouri
236 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
of American descent. Mr. Keim, who was a carpenter by trade, devoted
the greater part of his active life to agricultural pursuits. Upon their arrival
in Iowa he and his wife first located in Jefiferson county, where they
resided for many years, then went to Union county, this state. Disposing
of their interests there a few years ago they removed to Missouri, and
have ever since made that their home. To Mr. and Mrs. Keim were born
three sons, all of whom are successful agriculturists, and four daughters :
Charles, who is a resident of Decatur county, Iowa; Frank, who is living
in Shannon City, this state ; Ellis, who is a resident of Wray county,
Missouri; Mrs. Newland; Emma, the wife of Lyman Folzer, a farmer
in the vicinity of Osceola, Iowa ; Kitty, the wife of John Bowman, a
farmer of Missouri ; and Jennie, who married Ed Woods, a farmer living
near Powersville, Missouri. Mr. and Mrs. Newland have one son, Elmer
R., who graduated from the Medical College at Keokuk, Iowa, and is
now engaged in the practice of his profession at Drakesville, this state.
He married Miss Grace Knight, a daughter of Zack Knight, a farmer of
Wapello county, Iowa.
Mr. Newland is not a member of any religious denomination, but his
wife belongs to the Dunkard church of Des Moines township. In his
political views he is a democrat, but is not strictly partisan, having of
recent years more and more frequently cast his ballot in support of the
man he deemed best qualified to serve the people and their highest interests.
Mr. Newland is widely acquainted not only in Des Moines township but
throughout Jefiferson county, where he has many friends who have known
him from childhood, their loyalty paying tribute to the character of this
man, who is held in the highest esteem by all who ever came in contact
with him.
GEORGE W. WATKINS.
George W. Watkins, a well known and enterprising farmer and stock-
man of Round Prairie township, is the owner of a tract of land compris-
ing one hundred and twenty-five acres. His birth occurred in that town-
ship, on the 28th of February, 1862, his parents being Stephen and Mary
(Watkins) Watkins, who are mentioned at greater length on another page
of this work in connection with the sketch of Thomas J. Watkins, a brother
of our subject. George W. Watkins was reared and educated in his
native township and remained under the parental roof until he had at-
tained his majority. Subsequently he spent ten years as a farm hand
and then started out as an agriculturist on his own account, cultivating a
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 237
rented tract of land until 1895. In that year he bought a farm of fifty-
five acres but operated the same for only a brief period, disposing of the
property and purchasing one hundred and twenty-five acres of the old
home place. He cleared eighty acres of the tract and has been busily
engaged in its further cultivation and improvement to the present time.
He also erected buildings for the shelter of grain and stock and now has
a model farming property. In connection with the production of cereals
he raises about thirty head of hogs annually and keeps twenty head of
cattle and ten head of horses.
On the 24th of ]\Iarch, 1898, Mr. Watkins was united in marriage to
Miss Teresa Bartin, a daughter of Eli and Naomi (White) Bartin, who
were natives of Ohio and Missouri respectively. The father came to
Henry county, Iowa, in an early day, purchased and improved a farm and
devoted his attention to its operation until called to his final rest in 1881.
His widow, who is now sixty-four years of age, still resides on the old
homestead. Mr. and Airs. Watkins are the parents of seven children, as
follows : Velma V., a maiden of thirteen ; Clifford C, who is eleven years
old ; Floyd J., a lad of ten ; Willis, George R. and Agnes P., who are eight,
five and two years of age respectively; and Fenton C, one year old.
Mr. Watkins gives his political allegiance to the democracy and has
served as assessor of Round Prairie township. He is a worthy exemplar
of the Masonic fraternity and a devoted member of the Methodist church,
to which his wife also belongs. In the county where his entire life has
been spent he enjoys an enviable reputation as a substantial agriculturist
and representative citizen.
J. C. THORNE.
In business circles in Fairfield, J. C. Thorne occupies a prominent and
creditable position as a member of the dry-goods firm of J. C. Thorne &
Son. This by no means, however, indicates the extent of his activities,
for he is a man of resourceful ability whose efforts have reached out to
various fields, his labors at all times proving a valuable factor in the
successful conduct of any enterprise with which he became connected.
His life record began in Butler county, Pennsylvania, in August, 1850.
His parents were Robert and Elizabeth (Calhoun) Thorne, also natives
of the Keystone state, the former born in Butler county and the latter
in Westmoreland county. The father was well known as an educator of
Pennsylvania, was a college graduate and remained throughout his life
a man of studious habits and scholarly attainments. At the time of his
238 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
death, which occurred in 1856, he was serving as principal of the schools
at Kittanning, Pennsylvania. His widow still survives and yet makes her
home in her native state.
J. C. Thorne was the younger of two children, his sister being Anna
Mary, the wife of L. H. Walters, of Carnegie, Pennsylvania. He resided
at the place of his birth until 1858 and then came to Iowa, making his
home with his maternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. William Calhoun,
who lived upon a farm near Winchester, He continued there upon the
old homestead until after the war and was afforded good educational
privileges, supplementing his common-school course by study in the Birm-
ingham Academy. He afterward took up the profession of teaching, which
he followed for four terms, but thinking to find other pursuits more con-
genial and profitable, he accepted a position as clerk in a general store
in Tennessee. Since 1875 he has been a resident of Fairfield, in which
year he began clerking for J. E. Roth, with whom he remained for five
years. During that period he carefully saved his earnings until his capital
was sufficient to enable him to embark in business on his own account.
In 1880 he opened the dry-goods store of which he has since been pro-
prietor, continuing at the same location on the north side of the square
at the corner of Court street, throughout the entire period of more than
thirty-one years. He now owns what is known as the Front building and
occupies parts of three different buildings. His store has a depth of one
hundred and twelve feet, with a frontage of twenty-two feet on the square,
while the depth in the rear is forty-four feet. There is also an annex
twenty by thirty feet which constitutes his cloak and suit department.
Something of the growth of his business is indicated in the fact that when
he entered mercantile circles here his store was but twenty by fifty feet
in dimensions. Year by year his business has increased and he has long
maintained a position among the most enterprising and progressve mer-
chants of the city, keeping his store at all times supplied with an attractive,
modern stock, showing all that is latest in style and manufacture. His
value as a factor in business life is indicated by the fact that his coopera-
tion has been sought in various other connections. Fourteen years ago
he became one of the organizers of the Jefferson County Telephone Com-
pany, was chosen one of its first directors and is now its president. He
is also a director of the First National Bank and has recently been elected
president of the Iowa Independent Telephone Company, of which he has
served on the executive committee for a number of years. He is also
interested in several enterprises of a semi-public nature, being a trustee
of Parsons College and president of the Cemetery Association. He was
likewise treasurer of the public library for many years and is a trustee of
the Presbyterian church, of which he served as secretary for twenty years.
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 239
For a period of six years he served on the school board and the cause of
education has ever found in him a stalwart champion. His political alle-
giance is given to the republican party and at all times in matters of
citizenship and in other relations he has manifested a public-spirited devo-
tion to the general good.
In 1878 Mr. Thorne was married to Miss Rose Pitkin, who was born
in Birmingham, Iowa, in 185 1, a daughter of Erastus Pitkin, a merchant
and banker, now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Thorne have one son, Harry
P., who is now his father's partner in business, the present firm of J. C.
Thorne & Son having been organized in 1910. The junior partner was
born in Fairfield in 1880, is a graduate of the public schools and also of
Parsons College of the class of 1901. He married Grace Atkinson, and
the young couple are prominent socially in the city. He served as clerk
in his father's store until taken into partnership and is now active manager
of the business. The firm constitutes a strong combination, for to the
long experience and sound judgment of the senior partner is added the
enterprise and progressiveness of the young man, so that the labors of
one ably supplement the labors of the other. They well merit the high
position which they occupy in commercial circles and in public regard,
for the name of Thorne has been long and honorably associated with
mercantile interests in Fairfield.
JAMES W. BROWN.
James W. Brown, a man of remarkable single mindedness in his un-
ceasing devotion to the unremitting toil which falls to the lot of every
farmer, owns and operates his old home farm which he has never left
from the time of his birth, March 15, 1870, until the present. The farm
is situated in Lockridge township, Jefiferson county, Iowa, to which place
his father came, on leaving Scotland, drawn thither by the coal fields of
this region. His father, Mathew Brown, was a miner by occupation and
settled at Coalport in Lockridge township, where, in partnership with his
brother-in-law, Mr. Bankhead, he engaged in the business of coal mining.
He followed this pursuit for thirty-five years, during which time he pur-
chased, in company with his brother, four hundred and five acres of land,
which he farmed in addition to taking care of his mining interests. After
a long period, however, he discontinued mining and devoted himself wholly
to farming. His death occurred in December, 1905, while his widow, now
seventy-seven years of age, is still in good health despite her advanced
years.
240 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
James W. Brown was reared at home and educated in the district
schools. When a boy he made himself useful in many ways about the
farm and later shared with his father the heavy responsibilities of culti-
vating so large a tract of land. After his father's death he bought out
the other heirs who had inherited shares in the farm and now operates
this land, of which ninety acres of rich soil is under cultivation, yielding
abundant harvests.
On May 24, 1893, Mr. Brown was married to Miss Carrie Rizor. She
was a daughter of Eli and Frances (Hickenbottom) Rizor, the former of
whom was a native of Ohio, while the mother was born in Jefiferson
county, Iowa. Her father came to Jefferson county with his parents
in the early days when Iowa was being rapidly populated by a steady
flow of emigrants pouring in from states farther east. When he
was old enough he engaged in farming for himself and operated his
original land holdings until his death in 1888. His widow who still
survives him lives at Fairfield, Iowa, and is fifty- four years of age.
Mr. and Mrs. Brown are the parents of four children: Marion B.,
seventeen years old; Sybil F., fifteen years old; Lazell M., eleven years
of age; and Blanche A., aged eight. Mr. Brown is a member of the
Baptist church in which he is an interested worker. In his political senti-
ments he has usually given his support to the republicans. Although never
eager to hold offi.ce he was elected to one term as a director of the local
school district and he has also served as constable. As a man of earnest
purposes and high moral ideals Mr. Brown has won the respect of all
who know him.
JOHN HERON.
John Heron, who has been a resident of JefTerson county for fifty-five
years, is numbered among the prosperous agriculturists of Lockridge town-
ship, where he owns a valuable farm of two hundred and fifty-seven acres.
He was born in Clinton county, Pennsylvania, on October 24, 1840, and
is a son of David and Jeannette (McGee) Heron, natives of Scotland.
The father, who engaged in mining in his native country, emigrated to
America in 1828, first locating in Nova Scotia. After residing there about
a year he removed to Pennsylvania, working in several mining districts
and finally locating at a place called Queen's Run. There he became asso-
ciated with two other men in mining operations, the general mercantile
business and the manufacture of brick. This connection continued for
nine years at the end of which time they disposed of their interests and each
JOHN HEROX
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 243
bought a farm and engaged in agricultural pursuits. Mr. Heron invested
in two hundred acres of land that he cleared and improved devoting his
energies to its cultivation for nine years. Disposing of his property in
1857 he again started westward, Iowa being his destination this time.
Upon his arrival here he located in Jefferson county, buying two hundred
acres of land in Lockridge township, but six acres of which was cleared,
much time and labor being required to place the tract under cultivation.
He later erected a grist mill upon the creek running through his land, its
operation as well as that of his farm engaging his attention until his death,
which occurred September 9, 1872, at the age of sixty-eight years. The
mother survived fifteen years thereafter, her demise occurring on the 25th
of June, after she had passed the eighty-first anniversary of her birth.
Seven children were born of the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Heron, four
of whom are living: Elizabeth, who is seventy-six years of age, residing
upon the old homestead with her brother and sister; Mary J., aged seventy-
three, the widow of J. N. Bovee, of Seattle, Washington ; Theresa I., who
is fifty-eight years old, also living on the old homestead ; and John, our
subject.
John Heron was reared to the age of— &i?rteen years in his native state,
to whose public schools he is indebted for the 'greater part of his educa-
tion, having attended school but one term after coming to Iowa. Being a
son of pioneer settlers upon him early devolved the hardships and priva-
tions incident to life in any new country. He remained at home with his
parents until the breaking out of the war, when he enlisted and went to the
front as a member of Company E, Second Iowa Infantry. He remained
in the service for three years, receiving a wound at Atlanta that incapaci-
tated him for a time. Upon receiving his discharge he returned to his
father's farm and again resumed the duties of civil life. The property
came into his possession upon the death of his father, and there he has
ever since resided with his two unmarried sisters, engaging in general
farming and stock-raising. He has intelligently and diligently applied
himself to both branches of the business and as a result has met with a
gratifying degree of success. In addition to his extensive realty holdings,
Mr. Heron is president of the Lockridge Savings Bank, of which institu-
tion he was one of the organizers. He has long been considered not only
an able agriculturist and stock-raiser but a capable business man, whose
efforts in the development of his personal interests have been so intelligently
directed as to redound to the benefit of the community at large.
Mr. Heron has never married and with his two sisters makes his home
upon his father's old farm. They affiliate with the Baptist church, and
politically he is a republican, and has always taken an active part in local
governmental matters. He is held in high esteem by his party and repre-
voi. n— 14
244 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
sented his district in the Seventeenth general state assembly. Alany changes
have taken place in Lockridge township during the half century and more
he has been a resident here, following the advent of a newer and more
progressive period of development in which he has been one of the factors.
FINIS E. METZ.
Finis E. Metz, a native of Round Prairie township, Jefferson county,
where he now resides, was born September 23, 1857. He is a son of Jacob
and Elizabeth (McCormick) Metz, the former a native of Hagerstown,
Maryland, and the latter of Ohio. The father was a carpenter, having
learned his trade in Ohio, where he followed this calling for some time,
subsequently removing to Indiana and later to Illinois, where he continued
to work at his trade until 1855. In this year he crossed the Mississippi
and established his new home in Jefferson county, Iowa. He came with
the intention of following agricultural pursuits and for this purpose bought
one hundred and sixty acres in Round Prairie township. This he cleared
and improved, devoting himself to the cultivation of the fields until 1891,
when he sold out his holdings and retired to Glasgow. There he resided
until his wife's death, in June, 1894, and after that time made his home
with his son, the subject of this review. His death occurred in July, 1900.
The home farm was the playground for F. E. ]Metz in his boyhood
days and in a near-by school he acquired the usual education. He took
up farming as his life work and assisted his father in tilling the fields until
the age of twenty-one years, when he rented the homestead and operated
it during the ensuing twelve years. His father then sold the place and he
removed to a farm of eighty acres in Round Prairie township, which he
had purchased a few years previously. This he improved and has cul-
tivated since that time, erecting upon the place some very handsome
buildings. By additional purchases he increased the area of his holdings
until now he has about three hundred and forty-five acres of land. He is
thoroughgoing in his methods and understands every phase of the adminis-
tration of a well conducted farm. To stock-raising he also devotes his
attention and raises on an average seventy-five head of hogs a year and
feeds fifty head of cattle and twelve horses.
Mr. Metz was united in wedlock to Miss Mary E. Emerson, the cere-
mony being performed March 4, 1880. She is a daughter of John W. and
Catherine (Wilson) Emerson, natives of Ohio. The father was an agri-
culturist, coming to Jefferson county in the early days of its settlement.
Here he rented a farm for some years and subsequently bought a tract of
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 245
one hundred and forty acres in Round Prairie township and thirty acres
in Van Buren county. To the cultivation of this place he devoted his ener-
gies for the rest of his life, passing away in September, 1889. His wife,
who is now in her seventy-fifth year, still lives on the old homestead. In
the family of Mr. and Mrs. Metz there were four children: Mabel A., the
wife of George M. Phillips, a farmer of Round Prairie township ; Chester
E., who married Rose Watson and operates a farm in Round Prairie
township; Elmer L., who is married to May Scovel and also operates a
farm in Round Prairie township; and Harry W., who lives at home and
is twenty-four years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Metz are members of the
Methodist Episcopal church of Glasgow. In his poHtical persuasion Mr.
Metz subscribes to the republican policies. He is at present clerk of the
township and has served as school director for fifteen years, and for thir-
teen years of this time was secretary of the school board. Devoted to the
interests of his family, he has at all times performed his duty as he saw
it and is held in high esteem by the whole community.
LOUIE BRUEY.
Louie Bruey, who engages in general farming and stock-raising in
Cedar township, was born in Boise City, Idaho, on the 22d of January,
1876, and is a son of Peter and Philomene (Maries) Bruey. The father
was born in Belfort, France, on the 27th of March, 1835, and there he
spent the first twenty-three years of his life. In 1858 he emigrated to
the United States locating in Jefferson county on the farm where our
subject is now living. He subsequently purchased eighty acres from his
father. Pacific Bruey, who in turn had bought it from Christopher Graber.
Meeting with success in his agricultural pursuits, Peter Bruey was able
to extend his holdings by the addition of another eighty acres, some of
which he later sold, owning at the time of his death one hundred and
forty acres of land. This land now belongs to his estate from whom it
is rented by his son Louie. In the early '60s, Peter Bruey and his wife
went west, locating in Utah, where he engaged in prospecting and gold
mining until 1878, when he returned to his farm in this county, continu-
ing to reside thereon until his death on October 5, 1905. The mother was
born in St. Louis, Missouri, on the 28th of September, 1848, and passed
away on their farm in Cedar township on the 21st of September, 1906.
To Mr. and Mrs. Bruey were born five children : Anna, the widow of
George E. Droz, of Fairfield, by whom she had three children : Ethel,
Victor and Glen; Sylvia, the wife of Fred Raible, a cigar manufacturer
246 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
of Fairfield; Louie, our subject; Peter, who is living with his sister in
Fairfield ; and Maggie, the wife of John Crawford, Jr., a farmer of
Cedar township and the mother of one child, Lola Carmen.
As he was only a child of eighteen months when his parents brought
him to Fairfield, Louie Bruey has spent practically his entire lite in
Jeflferson county. His education was obtained in the school of district
No. 3, Cedar township, which he attended until he had mastered the
common branches. While pursuing his studies he was qualifying himself
for an agricultural career under the supervision of his father, whom he
assisted with the operation of the farm. When he attained the age of
twenty years, his father retired from the active work of the fields and
the cultivation of the home place thereafter devolved upon the son. He
has always been an industrious and enterprising man, who has applied
himself intelligently to anything he undertook. In connection with the
tilling of his fields he raises and feeds stock for the market, which he
disposes of at a considerable profit. The farm is w-ell kept up, the build-
ings being thoroughly repaired and the fields in a high state of cultivation,
everything about the place suggesting the thrift and capable management
that accompanies prosperity.
On the 17th of April, 1907, Mr. Bruey established a home for himself
by his marriage to Miss Marie Walmer, a daughter of Joseph and Eliza-
beth (Pattison) Walmer. The father, who was of Pennsylvania-Dutch
extraction, was born in Wayne county, Ohio, whence he removed in
1848 to Jefiferson county, Iowa. Here he was married in 1869 to Miss
Pattison, who was born and reared in Cedar township, where her father,
who was a native of Ireland, engaged in farming for many years. Mr.
and Mrs. Walmer began their domestic life on a farm he had subsequently
acquired two and a half miles south of Fairfield, and there she passed
away during the childhood of Airs. Bruey. Farming always engaged the
attention of the father, who at the time of his death owned one hundred
and eighty-five acres of well improved land in Cedar township. He was
a veteran of the Civil w^ar, having enlisted in Fairfield in 1863 in Company
I, Forty-fifth Iowa Volunteer Infantry and gone to the front, where he
remained for three months. Upon receiving his discharge he returned
to his farm and there he passed away on the 15th of May, 191 1. The
family of Mr. and Mrs. Walmer numbered five, as follows : Etta, the
wife of Joseph Farrell, a clerk in a hardware store in Birmingham, by
whom she has had two children, Paul Dennis and Robert ; Kate, who
married David Collais. a farmer of Van Buren county by whom she has
had one child, Mildred Louise; Mrs. Bruey; Anna, the wife of Clarence
McElwain a ranchman of Montana, and the mother of two children,
Alice Louise and Harry ; and Lee, who is living on the old homestead near
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 247
Fairfield. To Mr. and Mrs. Bruey there have been born two daughters :
Beulah Bernice, who was born on the 25th of May, 1908; and Edna Marie,
whose birth occurred on the 6th of August, 191 1.
The political views of Mr. Bruey accord with the principles of the
democratic party, but he does not conspicuously participate in govern-
mental matters. He concentrates his entire attention upon the develop-
ment of his personal interests in which he is meeting with a goodly meas-
ure of success, being known as one of the capable and prosperous citizens
of Cedar township.
HARRISON COLLINS.
When Harrison Collins passed away a year ago, Locust Grove town-
ship lost one of its best known, wealthiest and most highly respected citi-
zens. He was for many years actively interested in farming, conducting
operations on an extensive scale ; but no matter how many responsibilities
his own afiFairs entailed, he was never too much occupied to give generously
of his time and energy whenever the public welfare demanded his aid or
cooperation. He was born in Gallia county, Ohio, August 29, 1839, being
a son of J. E. and Emaline (McGee) Collins; the former of English de-
scent and a native of Kentucky, the latter of Irish parentage and a native
of Ohio. When seventeen years of age, he came west accompanying his
parents to Locust Grove township where they settled just north of Ba-
tavia. They were among the pioneer residents of this county, and in the
operation of their farm, of one hundred and sixty acres, met with very
substantial results.
His early education, Harrison Collins obtained in the school of his na-
tive locality ; supplementing this by further study in the Batavia schools.
He then worked in the fields until he came of age and, in 1862, traveled
overland to California, drawn thither not by the hope of gaining riches but
of regaining his health, which was never robust even when at the prime
of his power. In a year, he returned home and for fifteen years after his
father's death managed the farm for his mother. He never left the home-
stead, but continued to devote himself to the managemnt of the farm,
supervising the cultivation of its soil and the breeding of a high grade of
stock.
On January 29, 1889, Mr. Collins was united in marriage to Miss Anna
Dunn, a daughter of Henry and Harriet (Fleener) Dunn. Mrs. Collin's
father was born near Chillicothe, Ohio, of Scotch-Irish lineage, and dur-
ing his lifetime followed agricultural pursuits. He came to Jefferson
248 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
county when a young man, and here was married to Mrs. Harriet (Flee-
ner) Fancher, who was born in IlHnois of English parentage. Mrs, Dunn
died when her daughter Anna was three years old. Mr. Dunn was en-
gaged in farming in various parts of Jefferson county until 1873, when he
removed to Kansas, where he lived until his death in 1886, near Stockton.
In the Dunn family there were only two children : Anna and a sister, Effie,
who died at the age of six months.
Mr. Collins took much interest in public affairs. He was regarded as
one of the most influential men of his community in matters relating to the
genral welfare, and in shaping the policy and public attitude towards ques-
tions of local interest. He was a democrat in his political views, and an
ardent worker for the advancement of higher educational standards. He
served for years as a member of the board of directors of school district, No.
7, of Locust Grove township. He maintained fraternal relations with the
Odd Fellows of Batavia. On July 18, 1910, ]\Ir. Collins passed away,
deeply mourned by his widow, their only child, Bertha Alay, and one sister
and a brother : John H. Collins, formerly a farmer and hop dealer, now
living retired in Independence in Lammet \'alley, Oregon ; Mrs. H. Lat-
ta, the wife of Hugh Latta, a farmer near Batavia in Wapello county,
Iowa. A sister, Margaret, was the wife of Ira Bennett, deceased, who were
residents of Jefferson county, their home being near Libertyville but she
is also deceased. After the death of her husband, Mrs. Collins rented the
home farm and valuable land holdings, amounting to more than five hun-
dred acres in the aggregate ; and in October, 1910, she removed to Fairfield
in order to give her daughter the advantages of higher education. Miss
Collins is a student in the Fairfield high school, and is a prominent member
of the younger social set in the town. She is a charming young girl and
a favorite with everyone who knows her excellent qualities. She is a musi-
cal student of Parsons College. Her mother purchased a very fine home
in West Broadway street, where their friends are lavishly entertained.
Mrs. Collins is a woman of generous impulses and kind to all, doing good
wherever she sees an opportunity. She is a member of the Methodist
Episcopal church of Fairfield, having formerly belonged to the church of
the same denomination in Batavia ; to which her husband also belonged.
ELMER A. HOWARD.
While Elmer A. Howard's chief business interests call him to Chicago
he is yet identified with banking and manufacturing enterprises in Fair-
field and his family maintain their residence here. He is one of Fair-
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 249
field's native sons, born July i8, 1858, his parents being Levi and Eliza-
beth (Cook) Howard, natives of Kentucky and New York respectively.
The year 1848 witnessed the arrival of both in this city, Mr. Howard
coming with his parents while Mrs. Howard made the trip with her
brother. They were married here and spent their remaining days in
Jefferson county, Mr. Howard following the occupation of farming for a
time while later he took up the business of contracting and building, in
which he met with a fair measure of success. To him and his wife were
born three children, of whom John died at the age of twenty-five years
and Minnie when twenty-eight years of age, leaving Elmer A. Howard
as the sole surviving representative of the family.
Throughout his entire life the subject of this review has regarded
Fairfield as his home and in its public schools he acquired his early edu-
cation while later he spent two years as a student in the Exline University
of this city. He entered the railway service in the capacity of telegraph
operator and later became station agent for the Chicago, Burlington &
Quincy Railroad at this place. Subsequently he became interested in the
shoe business as a partner of Ed Hunt under the firm style of Hunt &
Howard, continuing his connection with merchandising until appointed
during the first administration of President Cleveland to the position of
Indian agent for the Pima, Moncopa and Papago Indians. He occupied
that position for three years, on the expiration of which period he re-
turned to Fairfield and reentered business circles here as one of the
organizers of the Iowa State Savings Bank, of which he became vice
president and manager. He was thus for several years closely associated
with the financial interests of the city but was again called to public office
during the second administration of President Cleveland when appointed
national bank examiner for Iowa. He resigned after three years and
again took charge of the Iowa State Savings Bank. His fitness for and
fidelity in office were manifest in the fact that he has again and again been
called to serve in some public capacity. His fellow townsmen elected him
a member of the board of county supervisors, the first democrat ever
chosen to serve in that capacity, and while he was on the board the present
beautiful courthouse was erected. Later he was elected mayor of the city
of Fairfield and inaugurated the first paving here. His entire administra-
tion was characterized by progress, reform and improvement and while
there was no needless expenditure of funds he did not believe in that
narrow, short-sighted economy which is followed by a sacrifice of the best
interests of the city. In 1900 he resumed connection with the Chicago,
Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company and is now its real-estate and
industrial commissioner, having charge of all its lines with headquarters
250 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
in Chicago. He still retains connection with banking and manufacturing
interests in Fairfield and the city claims him as one of its valued citizens.
In 1883 Mr. Howard was united in marriage to Miss Mary Lampson,
who was born in Fairfield, in i860, a daughter of Ward Lampson. They
have three children : Nathaniel, a graduate of the West Point Military
Academy of the class of 1907; Hubert, who was graduated from Parsons
College with the class of 1909 and is now a student of the Harvard Law
School; and Eugene, who completed a course in Parsons College in 191 1.
The social prominence of the family is indicated by the cordial hospitality
which is extended to them by the best homes of the city. Mr. Howard has
long been a director of public thought and action and has wielded a wide
influence here. His record as an official and as a business man has been
so honorable that he has gained the confidence and good-will of all with
whom he has been brought in contact. He belongs to that class of men
whose enterprising spirit is not used alone for their own benefit. He
has advanced the general good and promoted public prosperity by his ably
managed individual interests and over his record as an official there falls
no shadow of wrong or suspicion of evil.
HARRISON SMITH.
One of the exceptional men of Jefferson county is Harrison Smith
who at the age of ninety years is still in vigorous health and does a large
share of the work connected with the cultivation of his fields, having
himself only this past summer planted and cared for twenty-six acres of
corn and sixteen acres of millet. He is the head of a large family repre-
senting five generations, being the father' of seven living children, seven-
teen grandchildren, sixteen great-grandchildren and one great-great-grand-
child. A recent photograph made of this interesting group is one of Mr.
Smith's proudest possessions. Born in Henry county, Indiana, July 15.
1821, he was a son of Sampson and Elizabeth (Bonner) Smith. The
original colonial ancestors belonged to the tory party, the great-grand-
father, John Smith, holding the position of high sherifif under the crown
during the Revolutionary war. The grandfather, William Smith, a farmer
and hunter in \'irginia, ran away from home to join the continental army.
The father, who was a native of Virginia and followed agricultural pur-
suits, came west before Harrison Smith was born and took part in the
War of 1812. In 1836 he crossed the Mississippi with his family and
pushed westward through the wilderness, settling in what is now known
as Henry county, Iowa, but which was then wild land covered with timber
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 251
and brush, under the sway of the Indians who roved unmolested over the
wooded plains. Mr. Smith entered land from the government and in
1840 removed to the area now included in Jefferson county, locating one
and one-half miles northwest of Brookville where he took up a claim, the
land being purchased from the Indians by our government. In 1843 he
removed to the farm on which his son Harrison Smith now lives and
remained here until his death.
A resident of Indiana until the age of fifteen years Harrison Smith
obtained his education in that state. At twenty-one years he left his
father's home and was married, taking up a claim in Wapello county,
Iowa, where he lived until nineteen years ago, when he sold the land and
returned to the old homestead where he now lives. When the Civil war
was in progress he enlisted in Company D, Nineteenth Iowa Volunteer
Infantry, organized in Locust Grove township, and was elected first lieu-
tenant, being honored at the close of the war with the commission of
captain of the militia. He saw active service, taking part in the battle
of Prairie Grove, Arkansas, a number of hot skirmishes and the siege of
V^icksburg from June 13th to July 4th, when the city surrendered. At
the end of a year's honorable service he was discharged on account of
disability.
On October 2^, 1842, Mr. Smith was united in the bonds of wedlock
to Miss Susanna Bowman, a daughter of Samuel Bowman, a pioneer
settler of Jefferson county. Mrs. Smith died in 1868 and by this union
the following children were born : Elizabeth, the wife of George Harri-
son, a farmer of Kansas ; Alexander, a carpenter of Wapello county ;
Mary Ellen, the wife of Leander Paulson, a farmer of Wapello county;
Sarah Jane, deceased ; Clara ]\Iatilda, the wife of Norman Reno, a fruit
grower of Texas ; Winfield, deceased ; Thomas Franklin, deceased ; and
Harrison E., who is married to Nettie De Good and is a farmer living on
a place adjoining the homestead.
On December 14, 1871, Mr. Smith contracted a second union with
Miss Elizabeth Hudson, a daughter of Joseph Hudson. Her death oc-
curred at the present home November 26, 1909. Five children were born
by this marriage of whom two are living: Charles J., a farmer operating
the home place with his father ; and Miss Chinelcy, who is also living at
home.
The names of Mr. Smith's seventeen grandchildren are as follows :
Nora, Letta, Lillian, and Lee. the children of George Harrison ; Claude,
the daughter of Alexander Smith ; John, Mary, Frank, and Effie. the
children of Norman Reno; Carl, Arminta, Margaret, John, Raphael,
Oren, Grace and Maude, the children of Harrison Smith. Mr. Smith also
252 " HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
has sixteen great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild, the son
of Harry Shunterman and the grandson of Nora Harrison.
In his political views Mr. Smith votes •with the republicans. Devoted
to the interests of his family he has given his whole energies to promote
their welfare, and now^ at the close of his ninetieth year can look back
through the long vista of the past and take joy in his work well done.
He is active and in good health and still capable of enthusiasm, taking
a keen interest in the affairs about him which is the surest way of defying
time and keeping the heart always young.
W. C. SPALDING.
W. C. Spalding, secretary, treasurer and general manager for the Iowa
Malleable Iron Company, owning and operating a large plant at Fairfield,
is by reason of this connection one of the most prominent representatives
of industrial interests in Jefferson county. He has filled this position
since 1906. His birth occurred in Windsor county, Vermont, December
25, 1853, his parents being Daniel and Eleanor (Evans) Spalding, the
former a native of New Hampshire while the latter was born in the
Green Mountain state. They were reared and married in Vermont and
spent almost their entire lives there, the father following the occupation
of farming. The family numbered seven children of whom four are yet
living.
W. C. Spalding resided at the place of his birth until sixteen years of
age, when he went to Poughkeepsie, New York, where he remained for.
five years, during which period he learned the stone cutter's trade. Think-
ing that better business opportunities were to be obtained in the middle
west he came to Iowa in the fall of 1878 and for one year worked at his
trade in Burlington. In 1879 he came to .Fairfield and has since made
this city his home and headquarters. He has, however, spent considerable
time on the road, having been traveling representative for a Rutland,
Vermont, house for two years while for eight years he represented a
Chicago firm. He then entered the marble and granite busmess on his
own account and successfully operated in that field for ten years. He
next became a contractor in cement work to which undertaking he devoted
his energies for two or three years and is still interested in the business. In
1906 he entered into his present relations with the Iowa Malleable Iron
Company of which he is the secretary, treasurer and general manager as
well as one of its directors. The cement contracting business is carried
on under the firm style of Spalding & Kearns.
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 253
On the 1st of January, 1888, occurred the marriage of Mr. Spalding
and Miss Nettie Ingalls, who was born in Jefferson county, and is a
daughter of Alphonso and Nancy Ingalls, also residents of this part of
the state. The father was born near Albany, New York, May i, 1823,
and with his parents removed westward to Jacksonville, Illinois, where
he was practically reared. While living there he enlisted for service in
the Mexican war, continuing with the army throughout the period of
hostilities and at the close of the war receiving an honorable discharge.
He was given a land warrant in recognition of his services and after com-
ing to Iowa secured through that grant a tract of land in Polk township,
Jefferson county. In March, 1864, he and his family took up their abode
upon that property and to the development and cultivation of the fields
he devoted his energies until he retired from active business life and
removed to Fairfield where he died in April, 1880. While living upon
the farm he engaged in the breeding of fine stock for a number of years,
making a specialty of shorthorns which he exhibited at many fairs,
winning* a number of blue ribbons. His political views were in accord
with the principles of the republican party of which he was a stanch and
unfaltering advocate. On the lOth of February, 1848, Mr. Ingalls wedded
Miss Nancy Sample, who was born near Jacksonville, Illinois, October
26, 1826, and died in Fairfield on the 31st of May, 1906. They were the
parents of eight children of whom five reached years of maturity and are
still living, namely : James, a resident of Portland, Oregon ; Malissa, the
wife of Henry Webb, of Wichita, Kansas ; Charles, a resident of Darling-
ton, Missouri: William, of Los Angeles, California; and Mrs. Spalding.
In his fraternal relations Mr. Spalding is a Mason and is locally
prominent in the order, having become a member of the Knights Templar
commandery and also of the Mystic Shrine. This and other activities,
however, are but side issues in his life for his attention is chiefly con-
centrated upon his business interests and it has been through the individual
improvement of his opportunities that he has worked his way steadily
upward to the prominent position which he now fills in the industrial
circle of Jefferson county.
LEWIS B. ZILLMAN.
Lewis B. Zillman is the owner of a well improved farm in Lockridge
township, comprising one hundred and forty acres of land which he
operates with much enterprise and success. He was not always a farmer,
however. On arriving at years of maturity when he was faced with the
254 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
necessity of choosing his Hfe work, the illusive opportunities of city busi-
ness life held out their charms for him and, turning aside from the agri-
cultural pursuits in which his father had reared him and in which he had
served an apprenticeship for two years as hired farm help in Kansas, he
went to Chicago and there secured employment with the Bell Telephone
Company. After two years the company transferred him to their St.
Louis branch where he worked an additional two years. By this time he
had come to the wise conclusion that advancement was surer and quicker
to come to the man on the farm and that the city could offer nothing equal
to the joys and peace of country life. Having saved of his earnings a
sum sufficient for investment, he entered into partnership with his brother
and together they bought a farm which they set out to improve. This
marked the beginning of his career as a farmer. Later he continued
alone and today his success is evinced not only by his well cultivated
land but by the handsome home in which he lives and the comforts with
which he is able to surround himself.
Lewis B. Zillman was born in Lockridge township, Jefferson* county,
Iowa, January 24, 1872. He is the son of Anthony and Elizabeth (Omer)
Zillman, the former a native of Switzerland and the latter of Pennsylvania.
His father was brought up in the country of his birth and on reaching
manhood became a hostler in France. In 1867, however, he became im-
bued with the idea to tempt fortune on this side of the Atlantic and
crossed the ocean to take advantage of the opportunities offered in a
new country. He settled in Jefferson county buying forty acres of land
in Lockridge township, and after improving the same he added various
tracts adjoining, until at length he was the owner of two hundred acres.
These he farmed until 1899 when he sold out and came to Lockridge to
live, remaining here until his death January 14, 191 1. The death of his
wife occurred July 19, 1899.
Reared at home Lewis B. Zillman was sent to the district school near-
by and when on the farm was expected to give whatever assistance his
father demanded of him. Thus he acquired the rudiments of knowledge
pertaining to improved methods of farming which bore their fruits in
later years. As mentioned above he went to the city upon coming of
age where he worked for four years first in Chicago then in St. Louis.
He then engaged in farming in conjunction with his brother and together
they bought a farm of one hundred and seventy acres which they im-
proved and operated for two years. Thereupon they sold this farm,
buying another of one hundred and eighty acres which they operated for
five years, dissolving partnership at the end of that period. Lewis B.
Zillman subsequently purchased one hundred and forty acres of land in
Lockridge township which he has farmed ever since with excellent results.
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 255
In 1896, on New Year's day, Lewis B. Zillman was united in marriage
to Miss Nellie Gholson, a daughter of George and Eliza Ann (Haines)
Gholson, natives of Henry county, Iowa. Her father, as soon as he was
old enough, engaged in farming for himself in Henry county and here
still follows his calling, enjoying with his wife the results of their toil
through many years of faithful devotion to duty.
Air. and Mrs. Zillman became the parents of three children: George
A., aged thirteen years ; Lester, aged twelve ; and Omer L., aged five
years. In politics Mr. Zillman has always been a faithful supporter of
the democratic party and has served as school director of his district.
He belongs to the Odd Fellows and Yeomen lodges and, together with
Mrs. Zillman, holds membership in the Baptist church. He has the warm
regard of a large circle of friends, many of whom have known him from
his boyhood days to the present time.
LOUIS BARROW.
Through the improvement of opportunities which Iowa offers in agri-
cultural lines, Louis Barrow has made substantial progress in the business
world, being the owner of a well improved farm from which he derives
a good annual profit. He was born in Maidstone, Kent county, England,
January 27, 1863; a son of Horace and Ellen (Holland) Barrow, also
natives of that country. The parents continue to make their home upon
the place where the birth of their son occurred, and there the father
engages in general agricultural pursuits. Of their family of nine chil-
dren, three sons and four daughters are yet living, a son and daughter
having passed away. A brother of our subject, Bert Barrow, is now
residing in Fairfield, having come to this country about twelve years ago.
Louis Barrow, the eldest child in his father's family, spent the period
of his boyhood and youth in the land of his nativity. L^pon the old home-
stead there, he early became acquainted with the best methods of tilling
the soil and carrying on the work of the fields. He remained at home
until about twenty-three years of age, when, in 1885, he crossed the
Atlantic in order to join his father's brother, Henry Barrow, a resident
of Fairfield, Iowa. He remained with his uncle for one year, after which
he began working at the county poor farm, where he was employed for
five years. At the expiration of that period, he was married and -began
farming on his own account, renting his present place in Center township,
but this did not satisfy his ambition to become independent, so he applied
himself diligently and persistently to the cultivation of the place with the
256 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
view of one day owning a farm. Working early and late in the fields and
giving close attention to all of the tasks necessary in the development of
a farm, he at length accomplished his purpose and by purchase became
the owner of the tract which for nine years he had operated in the capacity
of a renter. The place consists of one hundred and sixty acres, located
on section 15, and has been brought under a high state of cultivation,
most of the improvements found thereon having been instituted by Mr.
Barrow. He carries on general agricultural pursuits, cultivating the
crops best adapted to soil and climate ; and each year his labors find their
.just reward, in gratifying results which are constantly advancing him
toward the goal of prosperity.
In the year 1891, Mr. Barrow was united in marriage to Miss Laura
Booth, who was born in Illinois in October, 1863. As a little maiden of
two summers, she came to Iowa with her parents, Isaac and Susannah
(Booth) Booth, who were both natives of Ohio. The father has now
passed away, and the mother makes her home in Fairfield. In the family
of Mr. and Mrs. Barrow there were three children, but only one, Charles
H., is now living. John Henry passed away in early childhood, and
a twin sister of Charles died in infancy. Mr. Barrow gives his political
support to the republican party but has never been active in the public
life of the community, preferring rather to concentrate his undivided at-
tention upon his business interests. He has made good use of his oppor-
tunities, and, as the years have gone by, has prospered in his undertaking
as the result of his unfaltering industry and so he has never found occa-
sion to regret that he left his native home to seek his fortune in this
country, where opportunity is always open to ambition and enterprise.
J. L. RANEY.
An important industrial enterprise of Fairfield is the brick and tile
factory of which J. L. Raney is now the proprietor. He has been con-
tinuously connected with the business since 1891 and in its control has
displayed an aptitude for successful management that has resulted in the
enlargement and financial growth of the undertaking. He has ever recog-
nized the fact that the present and not the future holds his opportunity
and thus he has made good use of the passing days, never crowding the
labors of tomorrow with the work of today. His entire life has been
passed within the borders of Jefferson county and therefore his history
is largely familiar to his fellow townsmen who recognize that his salient
qualities are those of honorable manhood and citizenship. He was bom
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 257
in Cedar township, January 17, 1858, his parents being William and
Hannah Mary (Loomis) Raney, the former born in Virginia and the
latter in Ohio. The father was married first in the Buckeye state and
came to Iowa in 1844, after having previously visited Jeflferson county
in company with a companion. They had journeyed hither on horseback
and returned in the same way. Mr. Raney carrying back with him a
favorable impression of the country and its opportunities. When he again
reached Iowa, which at that time was under territorial rule, he settled in
Van Buren county, entering a tract of land in Lick Creek township. With
characteristic energy he began the development and cultivation of the
farm upon which he resided until the death of his first wife. Later he
purchased a farm in Cedar township, Jefferson county, comprising two
hundred and forty acres of land which is now in possession of his son,
J. L. Raney. Before he left Van Buren county he was married a second
time. Miss Mary Loomis becoming his wife. She had come to Iowa in
1839 with her parents, Nathaniel and Eliza (Peckham) Loomis, who
settled in Van Buren county. Her father was a native of Connecticut and
her mother of Rhode Island, and the former followed farming after the
pioneer style of the times. In the Loomis family were four sons and
four daughters of whom three are yet living. One son, Philander, went
to California in 1849 and has since resided there. Soon after their mar-
riage Mr. and Mrs. William Raney took up their abode upon the Cedar
township farm which remained their home until the fall of 1891, when
Mr. Raney retired from active business life and removed to Fairfield.
By his first marriage he had one daughter, Mrs. Margaret Dave, now
living in Ringgold county, Iowa. The children of the second marriage
were : H. C, a graduate of the first class of Parsons College, who after-
ward studied law and was admitted to the bar, practicing in Fairfield until
his death, which occurred in 1903, his widow and children still living in
this city; J. L., our subject; Samuel, living in Salt Lake City, Utah;
and Ida, the wife of David Hopkirk, of Grand Junction, Colorado. There
were also four children who died in infancy.
J. L. Raney has spent his entire life in Jefiferson county, living on the
old homestead farm until the fall of 1891, when he came to Fairfield,
since which time he has been identified with the brick .and tile industry,
conducting the business under the firm name of Raney Brothers. He
was a partner of H. C. Raney in this undertaking until the death of his
brother who was an attorney and followed his profession while J. L.
Raney looked after the management of the factory. He has been in full
control since 1896 and the growth of the business has been both con«
tinuous and satisfactory. The factory was built by Messenger & Elliott
about 1875 and in 1886 Mr. Raney and his brother purchased Mr. Elliott's
258 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
interest and in 1896 bought out Mr. Messenger. Since that time J. L.
Raney has enlarged the plant, doubling its capacity, and it is now operated
throughout the entire year with a capacity of one hundred thousand four-
inch tile per month. The plant is equipped with seven kilns and employ-
ment is furnished to twenty-three men. The business ranks with the
leading industrial enterprises of the county and its output finds a ready
sale on the market. In addition to the conduct of its business Mr. Raney
supervises his farm which is a valuable property in Cedar township.
In January, 1894, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Raney and Miss
Mary E. McAllister, who was born in Fairfield in 1861 and is a daughter
of Alexander and Elizabeth (Fox) McAllister. Mr. and Mrs. Raney
now have one son, Frederick. They attend the Presbyterian church in
which they hold membership and Mr. Raney gives his political support to
the republican party but manifests only a citizen's interest in politics,
never seeking nor desiring office. He has always preferred to give his
attention to his business interests and is recognized as a man of keen
discrimination and sound judgment, his executive ability and excellent
management having brought to the concern with which he is connected
a large degree of success. He has always studied the best methods of
manufacture since entering the brick and tile business, has a plant well
equipped with the latest improved machinery and places upon the market
a product the quality of which insures a ready sale.
ROBERT STEPHENSON.
As each year is added to the cycle of the centuries the ranks of the
Civil war veterans are fast becoming decimated, as one by one they re-
spond to the final roll call. Among those who have recently passed away
is numbered one, who, whether in times of peace or times of war, was ever
found faithful to whatever duty lay before him and to' whom the term
citizenship held as much of responsibility as of privilege. Few are more
deserving of the honor and esteem of their fellowmen than was Robert
Stephenson, who ■ for almost seven decades remained a resident of Jefifer-
son county. He was born in England, September 3, 1831 ; a son of Robert
and Mary Ann (Wilkins) Stephenson, also natives of England. The
parents brought their family to the new world in 1834, landing at New
York, whence they made their way to Cincinnati, Ohio, and on the 2d of
May, 1841, arrived in Jefferson county, Iowa, the family hom£ being located
at Four Corners, Lockridge township. There they passed their remaining
days on the farm upon which they first located, the father giving his entire
ROBERT STEPHEXSOX
THE NE'N YORK (
^'^R^K^ LIBRARY
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 261
time and attention to agricultural pursuits. He was a republican in politics
and very prominent in the party ranks of Iowa, representing his county in
the lower house of the state legislature. In his family were four sons :
George, Robert, John and Thomas. The last named passed away while
serving in the Civil war, as a member of Company M, Fourth Iowa Cavalry.
Robert Stephenson was a lad of three years when he left the land of his
nativity and came with his parents to the United States. His education,
which had been begun across the water, was completed in the schools of
Jefferson county, and here he continued to reside, engaging in agricultural
pursuits, until the outbreak of the Civil war, when he enlisted, on the 13th
of November, 1861, in Company M, Fourth Iowa Cavalry. He remained
in active service at the front until the 25th of February, 1863, when he
was discharged on account of disability, due to an injury of the knee which
resulted in the amputation of his left leg.
Returning home, Mr. Stephenson located on a small fruit farm at
Coalport, Lockridge township, which he operated for about fourteen years,
or until 1876, when he removed to Fairfield to assume the duties of county
recorder of Jefferson county, to which office he had been elected in that
year. Reelection proved the capability and efficiency with which he per-
formed the duties that devolved upon him in, that capacity, and for two
terms he occupied the office. He also fil'ledi' the position of justice of the
peace at Lockridge for a number of years, and served as postmaster for a
time. He was a stanch republican in politics, loyally supporting the prin-
ciples for which the name stands, but, though a radical, he treated those
of different political belief with courtesy and fairness and had warm
friends in all parties. He became a naturalized citizen of the United States
in 1854, and, from that time until his death, he manifested the utmost
fealty to the country of his adoption and to her laws and institutions.
Mr. Stephenson was married, at Lockridge, Iowa, on the 15th of May,
1856, to Miss Elizabeth Hopkirk, who was born in Rochester, New York,
January 10, 1835 ; a daughter of William and Jane (Redpath) Hopkirk.
Her parents were born, reared and married in Scotland and came to the
United States on their wedding trip, landing at New York. They first
made their home in Rochester, New York, later removed to Ohio, and in
1842 came to Jefferson county, Iowa, where their remaining days were
spent. In their family were eleven children, six daughters and five sons,
of whom the two eldest sons, William and Robert, enlisted from Jefferson
county in the Fourth Iowa Cavalry, and both died while serving in the
Civil war. Five daughters and two sons are now living. Unto Mr. and
Mrs. Stephenson were born eight children, as follows : Dr. Robert Bruce
Stephenson, of Libertyville, who is mentioned elsewhere in this volume ;
William Wallace, who passed away when four years of age ; Mary Ann,
Vol. n— 15
262 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
whose death occurred at three years; Anna Laura, who died at the age of
five months: James Ralph, a resident of Des Moines; John Walter, of
Fairfield ; Flora Belle, who married Oscar Boltz, of Fairfield ; and another
who passed away in infancy. Mr. Stephenson held membership in George
Strong Post, No. 19, G. A. R., and both he and his wife belonged to the
Presbyterian church, in the faith of which he passed away on the 14th of
February, 1909. For over a year he had been in frail health and for three
months prior to his death it was known that he colild not long survive, yet
the news of his death brought a sense of personal loss to the citizens of
Fairfield among whom he had lived and labored for so many years. He
was one of the widely known men of Jefferson county and during his resi-
dence in this city had gained many warm friends, for the salient elements
of his character were such as command confidence and regard and win
and hold friendship. His widow still makes her home on South Fourth
street, in Fairfield, and occupies a high place in the affections of all who
know her, by reason of her many excellent qualities of heart and mind.
JACOB MARING.
Jacob Maring, who has for many years been identified with the agri-
cultural pursuits of Des Moines township, is now living retired upon the
farm which his father acquired from the government more than a half
century ago. He was born in Belmont county, Ohio, on the i6th of
April, 1839, and is a son of Robert and Narcasa (Powell) Maring, natives
of Ohio but of German extraction. During the early boyhood of our
subject they moved to Keokuk county, later to Van Buren county and
finally came to Jefferson. Des Moines township was but sparsely settled
at that period and Mr. Maring entered one hundred and sixty acres of
government land upon which he settled with his family. By means of
diligence and thrift Mr. Maring brought his place into a high state of
development, and here he and his wife passed the remainder of their
lives. Mrs. Maring died in the spring of 1855, while her husband sur-
vived until June, 1863.
The boyhood and youth of Jacob Maring were not unlike those of
other lads of the pioneer period. He attended the district schools in the
acquirement of his education at such times as his assistance was not re-
quired in the work of the farm. At the breaking out of the Civil war he
and his wife were living at Chillicothe. Iowa, where on the 22d of July,
1862, he enlisted as a private and went to the front in Company K,
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 263
Eighteenth Iowa Volunteer Infantry. He saw considerable active serv-
ice, participating in a number of battles and skirmishes, among them those
of Springfield, Missouri, Moscow and Poison Springs. He was mustered
out at the end of three years at Little Rock, Arkansas, receiving his dis-
•-harge at Davenport. Upon his return home he farmed as a renter at
Chillicothe for some time, afterward purchasing the interest of the other
heirs in his father's farm, upon which he has now resided over thirty
years. Air. Maring retired from the active work of the fields about four
years ago, and is now renting all of his land with the exception of a small
tract, that he retains for a garden.
On the 8th of April, 1857, ^^- Maring was united in marriage to
Miss Angeline Pinegar, a daughter of Peter and Annie (Anderson)
Pinegar. The father was born and reared in North Carolina and the
mother a native of Kentucky, having been born in the vicinity of Lexing-
ton, of German extraction. Mr. Pinegar came to Iowa with his family
in 1854, settling on some land in Des Moines township, this county. There
they lived for some time but he was a resident of Wapello county, at the
time of his demise, while his wife died in Clarke county, Iowa. Mrs.
Maring is one of those women who had to do both a man's and woman's
work while her husband was at the front during the war. She chopped
wood and husked the corn planted by her husband before enlisting, and
at times found it most difficult to provide herself and babies with food
and clothing. She maintains that the men in the service exhibited no
more courage nor suffered greater hardships than were endured often-
times by their families at home. She had two brothers in the war, John
A. Pinegar, a member of the Seventh Iowa Volunteer Cavalry, who is
now residing near Chillicothe, this state, and her youngest brother, Peter
J., who was a member of Mr. Maring's company, at the present time a
resident of Osceola, Clarke county. She also had two younger sisters,
Martha and Lydia, both deceased. The family of Mr. and Mrs. Maring
numbers six. Annie Jane, the eldest, married Dave Alsbaugh of Fairfield,
Iowa. John M., a cement worker of Ottumwa, married Emma Holten
of Mapleton, Illinois, and they have five children : Joseph, Jacob, Luke,
May and John. George Francis, a farmer of Des Moines township, this
county, married Leona Parker and they have five children : Carl, Joseph,
Wesley, Howard and Bertha. William, a huckster and poultryman of
Kansas City, Kansas, married, and has three children : Margaret, Roy
and Clarence. Theodore, a farmer near Ottumwa, Iowa, married Maggie
Perry and they have four children : Paul, Helen, Margaret and Evans.
Cordelia, wife of Charles Peterson, a farmer in the vicinity of Birming-
ham, Iowa, has one son, Paul. Mr. and Mrs. Maring have lost three
children: Bertha, Marcus De Lafayette and a son, who died in infancy.
264 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
Mr. Maring is a stanch republican in his poHtical views, but has never
been an office seeker. He attends the Free Methodist church of Eldon,
of which his wife is an earnest and devoted member. He is one of the
enterprising men of the community, whose agricuhural pursuits awarded
him a fair measure of success, his farm being one of the vahiable prop-
erties of the township.
CALVIN SNOOK, M. D.
What every man seeks is opportunity to attain success in his chosen
field of labor. The purpose of life is to afford opportunities for physical,
mental and spiritual development. In these countries, such opportunities
lie before every one who is willing to make use of them ; they may slip
away from the sluggard, and tauntingly play before the dreamer, but
they surrender to the individual with high purpose, undaunted courage
and indefatigable determination. Such were the qualities which Dr. Cal-
vin Snook possessed, and, as a result, he gradually advanced as a practi-
tioner of medicine ; winning for himself a creditable position in the ranks
of the medical profession, in Iowa. He was born March 15, 1848, in
Jefiferson county, Iowa, upon a farm north of Fairfield, his parents being
John and Mary (Fowler) Snook. The father was born and reared in
Pennsylvania, and was of English-Dutch descent. His ancestors were
natives of England but afterward removed to Holland and came to
America prior to the Revolutionary war. The family home was estab-
lished in New Jersey, and several representatives of the family became
soldiers of the American army in the Revolutionary war. It was in the
year 1842 that John Snook came to Iowa, settling north of Fairfield
among the first residents of Jefl^erson county. In its development in
pioneer days, as well as through the period of later progress, he took active
and helpful part. With this work of upbuilding, he was closely associated
throughout the entire period of his residence here. His farm was a tract
of undeveloped land when it came into his possession, but he labored
untiringly and persistently to convert it into productive fields. Upon the
lands he had won for civilization, Mr. Snook made his home until hi.s
death. He and his wife were members of the First Presbyterian church
of Fairfield, and were among the first four to be taken into the church
and he was an elder.
Through the period of his early manhood. Dr. Snook remained upon
the old home farm, working in the fields through the summer months,
and attending the public schools in the winter seasons. Later, higher
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 265
educational privileges were accorded him and he attended the seminary
of Fairfield, which was a private school conducted by a Miss Pettigrew,
of Pennsylvania. Afterward, he entered the medical college at Keokuk,
Iowa, having determined to make the practice of medicine his life work,
and was there graduated in the class of 1869, at which time the M. D,
degree was conferred upon him. He was also a graduate of the Iowa
State Medical College at Iowa City, but, as he was not in good health,
on the completion of his medical course, he went to Kansas for a time,
living with his uncle, William Snook. Afterward, he returned to this
state and entered upon the practice of medicine in connection with a
partner at Moulton, Iowa. Subsequently, he removed to Perlee, Iowa, a
mining town, in which he followed his profession for seven years. In
1879, he was married and removed to Fairfield, where he continued in
active practice until his death, which occurred on the 4th of January,
1906. He was regarded as one of the most capable physicians of the city.
Having comprehensive knowledge of the principles of medicine, he had
the ability to accurately apply his knowledge to the needs of each specific
case which came under his care.
On the 1 6th of January, 1879, Dr. Snook was united in marriage to
Miss Ella A. Anderson, a daughter of Dr. Isaac N. and Hannah (Batty)
Anderson. Her father was a physician who was born in Sterling, Ken-
tucky, and came of English and French stock. He represented one of
the old and prominent families of Virginia and Mrs. Snook was a cousin
of Congressman Flood. Her mother was born in Jacksonville, Illinois,
of English parentage, but was reared in Keokuk, Iowa. Her hus-
band. Dr. Anderson, practiced in Keensburg, Illinois, for a long
period and there departed this life, in 1863. His widow long survived
him and when taken ill was living in Keokuk, Iowa, but was brought to
the home of her daughter, Mrs. Snook, in Fairfield, here passing away
on the 23d of November, 1905. Unto Dr. and Mrs. Snook were born
four children but the eldest, Hannah D., died when but three months old.
Mary Batty, who is a graduate of Parsons College of the class of 1901,
is now a teacher in the high school of Keosauqua, Iowa. John Newton,
the third child, died June 21. 1910. Esther Shipman, who was graduated
from Parsons College with the class of 191 1, is now at home with her
mother. Mrs. Snook still owns and operates a stock farm of three hun-
dred and ten acres, constituting a valuable property in Cedar township.
On this farm is a fine mineral well and mineral springs; also an Indian
mound which is of historic interest. In addition to this property, Mrs.
Snook owns a pleasant home in the city of Fairfield. Dr. Snook was
widely and favorably known not only in his professional relations but in
other public connections as well, whereby he contributed to the growth
266 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
and development of the city. In politics, he was a democrat and for sev-
eral terms served as a member of the city council of Fairfield, exercising
his prerogatives in support of many practical and progressive public meas-
ures. For years, he served as a member of the school board and the
cause of education ever found in him a warm friend. At one time, he
was a member of the Knights of Pythias and the Odd Fellows lodges at
Perlee, Iowa. He attended the Presbyterian church at Fairfield, and was
a trustee of the church of that denomination at Perlee; and his wife and
daughters are members of the Fairfield Presbyterian church. Dr. Snook
was particularly active in his profession, and spared neither time nor pains
to acquaint himself with such knowledge as would prove of actual value
and worth in his practice. He was a member of the Tri-State Medical
Society, the Iowa State Medical Society and the Jefferson County Medical
Society. He was also local physician for the Chicago, Burlington &
Quincy Railroad Medical Association, and served from 1892 until the
time of his death. He was likewise a member of the Jefferson county
board of pension examiners for years. Dr. Snook early grasped the
eternal truth that industry wins, and industry became the beacon light of
his life. It was this that continually promoted his knowledge of his chosen
profession, and advanced his ability in practice. Those who met him, pro-
fessionally and socially, recognized in him most attractive personal quali-
ties and he had a circle of friends almost coextensive with the circle of
his acquaintance.
ALBERT E. LARSON.
Albert E. Larson, who engages in general farming and stock-raising
in Lockridge township, and who is numbered among the substantial agri-
culturists of this locality, was born in this township on the 28th of Febru-
ary, 1874, a son of Andrew J. and Matilda (Nelson) Larson. As their
names would imply, his parents are natives of Sweden, where the father
was engaged as coachman for many years. He came to the United States
in 1868, locating in JefTerson county where he cleared a tract of eighty
acres, receiving as a reward for his work the use of the tract for seven
years. During that period, he obtained seven good crops from the place,
the sale of which enabled him to accumulate sufficient money with which
to purchase a sixty-acre tract in Lockridge township. This he at once
began to cultivate and improve, and another seven years was spent in its
operation. At the end of this time, he sold out and bought one hundred
acres, also in this township, to which he later added forty acres. Under
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 267
his management, this also was brought under a high state of cultivation,
and he maintained his home upon it until 1895 when he partially
retired from business life, renting one hundred acres of the land to his
son, while he continued to operate the other forty acres. In 1903, however,
he retired altogether and removed to Salina, where he purchased and im-
proved a twenty-acre tract upon which he now makes his home. His wife
also survives.
During his boyhood days, Albert E. Larson worked on his father's
farm and passed through the usual experiences which make up the life of
the country boy, engaging in the general routine of the farm during the
summer season, and attending the district school during the winter. Upon
completing his education, he went to Moline, Illinois, where he was em-
ployed in a lumberyard for one year. He then accepted a position at the
hospital in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, where he remained for two years. At
the expiration of that period, he returned home and rented his father's
farm, which he continued to operate for seven years. Later, he rented
another tract which remained the scene of his activity for three years.
Subsequently, he purchased eighty acres of land in Lockridge township,
upon which he established and still maintains his home. To the cultiva-
tion of this property he is now devoting all his energies. Under his super-
vision it has become a finely improved tract and the fields, naturally rich
and fertile, have yielded substantial harvests which annually bring Mr.
Larson good financial return, and this is further supplemented by the
profit that he gets from his stock-raising. He raises on an average of
seventy head of hogs per year, and keeps about seven head of horses and
forty head of cattle on the place.
In October, 1895, ^^- Larson was united in marriage to Miss Amanda
J. Larson, a daughter of Martin and Matilda (Olson) Larson, both natives
of Sweden who came to the United States in 1872, taking up their abode
in Michigan. In that state, and also in Colorado, the father engaged in
mining for some time and, later, removed to Jefferson county, Iowa, taking
up his residence on a tract of thirty-five acres in Lockridge township,
which he had purchased some years previous. Later, he added more land
as his means permitted, and he continued to engage successfully in agri-
cultural pursuits until his death, which occurred in May, 1908. His widow
still survives at the age of sixty-six years. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Albert E.
Larson were born four children, but the eldest, Clarence, passed away in
1900 at the age of four years. The surviving children are : Clifton, Fern
and Virgil, aged ten, seven and one, respectively. Mr. Larson is a man
of high moral character ; the rules guiding his life having their root in his
membership in the Lutheran church, to which his wife also belongs. He
gives loyal support to the republican party, but the honors and emoluments
268 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
of office have never held attraction for him. He has preferred rather to
devote his entire time and attention to his personal afifairs, and in the
wise management of his farming interests is found the secret of his pros-
perity. Since the above w'^s written Andrew J. Larson has sold his place at
Salina, and is building a home in Fairfield, Iowa.
PEARL L. FULTON.
Pearl L. Fulton is now living in Fairfield but for many years was
closely associated with the farming interests of the county and is still the
owner of a valuable farm, which is divided by the border line between
Des Moines township and Van Buren county. He represents one of the
old familie'; of this section of the state, his birth having occurred in Des
Moines township, October i, 1864. His parents were J. W. and Sarah
Elizabeth (Minear) Fulton, whose family numbered six children, of whom
Pearl L. was the third in order of birth. The boy was reared by his
grandparents, Alexander and Eliza Fulton, who resided one mile west of
Fairfield. He spent the greater part of his time with them until his mar-
riage and then took up his abode upon a farm in Des ]\loines township,
where he lived for thirteen years. He has made his home in Fairfield
for two years but is still the owner of a good farm property, comprising
two hundred and twenty-four acres, of which eighty acres lie in Des
Moines township, while the remainder is across the line in Van Buren
county. The soil is rich and productive and responds readily to the care
and labor bestowed upon it. In all of his work Mr. Fulton utilized pro-
gressive methods and the latest improved machinery. He brought his
fields, therefore, under a high state of cultivation and kept everything
about his place in excellent condition. No buildings or fences were al-
lowed to sink into a state of disrepair and an air of neatness and thrift
pervaded the entire place, showing that all work was done under ^he
careful supervision of Mr. Fulton, who ever ranked with the enterprising
agriculturists of the community.
On the 29th of February, 1888, occurred the marriage of Mr. Fulton
and Miss Edith V. Snook, who was born in Jefiferson county, Iowa, July
8, 1866, a daughter of Abe A. and Nattie (Tuller) Snook, both of whom
were natives of Ohio and are now residents of Davenport. The family
of Mr. and Mrs. Fulton numbers ten children. The eldest, Robert L., is
a pattern maker for the Louden Company. He is also noble grand of
Fairfield Lodge, No. 4, I. O. O. F., and is a representative of the fourth
generation of the Fulton family to belong to that lodge, his father, grand-
father and great-grandfather having all been members. He married Maude
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 269
Lewis and they have two children, Margaret Maude and Robert Harold.
Grace H., the eldest daughter of the family, is a telephone operator living
at home. The others are Elizabeth, Harry, Wayne, Marian, Arthur, Mil-
dred, Frederick and Florence. The eldest son, although born and reared
in Jefferson county, never had a day's free schooling, the father always
having had to send him out of the township and pay tuition, for the near-
est free school was three and a half miles from his home so that he was
sent to a nearer school in Van Buren county.
Mr. Fulton is a progressive republican, believing in the movement of
the present day whereby the people are demanding a leadership that shall
work for the interest of the many rather than of the few. He has long
been a valued representative of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows
and has held all of the offices in the subordinate lodge and in the encamp-
ment. He has a wide acquaintance in this county, where his entire life
has been passed and where his honorable business activity and progres-
sive citizenship have gained him the respect and good will of all who know
him. A life of unfaltering diligence and determination in the conduct of
his farm at length brought him a substantial financial return, enabling
him now to rest from further labors so that he is today comfortably sit-
uated in a pleasant home in Fairfield.
WILLIAM J. ANKROM.
William J. Ankrom, who is engaged in operating a farm in Cedar town-
ship that has been in the family for over seventy-five years, was born in
Utah, April 25, 1875, and is a son of William and Nancy D. (Gilbert)
Ankrom. The father was born in Tyler county, Virginia, and was of
Welsh and English extraction, while the mother was born near Lome.
County Antrim, Ireland, and is of Scotch-Irish descent. William An-
krom came to Iowa with his parents in 1836, first locating in Burlington,
where they remained for a year. His father, John Ankrom moved on to
Jefferson county and preempted a quarter section of land in Cedar town-
ship that he entered when the government threw it open to settlement
in 1837 or 1838. The family remained in Burlington while he erected
such buildings upon the place as were necessary for their comfort and
the protection of his stock, among them being the old log house, that is
still standing on the homestead. Here John Ankrom passed away in 1881.
He was only a boy when he located in Iowa with his parents passing
practically his entire life on his father's farm. He helped to hew and
prepare the logs for the first school house erected on the present site of
270 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
what is now known as the Ankrom school, and there he completed his educa-
tion. In common with other lads of the pioneer period he early assumed
much of the responsibility connected with the operation of the farm, which
he ultimately acquired. He added to his holdings from time to time, some
of which he later sold, until the place now contains two hundred acres,
all of it being under a high state of cultivation. Mr. and Mrs. Ankrom
were married in 1874, and to them were born three children: William J.,
our subject ; M. Grace ; and Eva L. The two daughters are living in
Seattle, where they own a confectionary store, and the mother is now
making her home with them, the father having passed away in 1910, his
death occurring on the old farmstead. There are only two members of
the family of John Ankrom now living in Jefferson county : Mrs. William
Coop, of Cedar township; and Mrs. H. B. Keltner, who is a twin sister of
Mrs. Coop, of Fairfield, Iowa. There has always been more or less con-
troversy about who was the first white child born in Jefferson county, and
William Ankrom always maintained that it was Cyrus Walker, now of
Van Buren county, his birth occurring in March, 1837. There were three
white children born that year, William Coop, whose birth occurred in June
and Daniel Moore, who was born in September, being the other two.
William J. Ankrom was reared on his grandfather's farm and obtained
his education in the Ankrom school, remaining at home until he had at-
tained his majority. When old enough for life's work, he went to Fair-
field, where he learned the molder's trade, and was for some years there-
after employed in the plant of the Malleable Iron Company there. He
subsequently withdrew from this occupation and returned to the farm,
which he is now renting from his mother. Mr. Ankrom is meeting with
good success in his agricultural pursuits, and is one of the capable farmers
of the county.
Fairfield was the scene of the marriage of Mr. Ankrom and Miss
Lydia L. Mullenix, on the 22d of August, 1901, and there they spent the
early years of their domestic life. Mrs. Ankrom is a daughter of J. P. and
Margaret (Long) Mullenix, of Fairfield, where they located in 1881.
They were natives of Ohio, whence they removed to Illinois, and from
there to Jefferson county, Mr. Mullenix having for many years been en-
gaged in the insurance business in Fairfield. He still continues to reside
there, while the mother had passed away in 1909. Mr. Mullenix is a vet-
eran of the Civil war.
In his political views Mr. Ankrom is a democrat, as was also his father
and grandfather. He served for two terms as justice of the peace and
was elected for a third but would not qualify, preferring to give his en-
tire attention to the development of his personal interests. He is a mem-
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 271
ber of Clinton Lodge, No. 15, A. F. & A. M. ; and Jefferson Lodge, No.
4, L O. O. F., both of Fairfield, while both he and Mrs. Ankrom hold mem-
bership in the Presbyterian church of Fairfield. For thirteen years Mr.
Ankrom served as a member of the Iowa National Guard, and he was
also a volunteer in the Spanish-American war, having enlisted in Company
M, Fiftieth Iowa United States Volunteers at Fairfield, remaining in the
service for seven months, mostly spent in camp at Jacksonville, Florida.
He is a worthy representative of one of Jefferson county's highly esteemed
pioneer families, and is held in favorable regard by his many friends in
Cedar township.
LIEUTENANT S. J. CHESTER.
Lieutenant S. J. Chester, a veteran of the Civil war and at different
times closely associated with the business interests of Jefferson county, is
now living retired in Fairfield, enjoying a well earned rest. He was born
near Warsaw, Indiana, March 16, 1840, a son of Joseph and Jane (Rob-
inson) Chester. The father was born in Ohio, March 16, 1806; the mother's
birth occurred in Pennsylvania, June 2, 1807, and they were married in
Delaware county. Ohio, January 22, 1829. Removing westward to Iowa
in 1850 they first settled in Lynn county and six years later came to Jef-
ferson county, taking up their abode in Rich Woods. They remained
residents of this county until several years after the Civil war and about
1870 removed to Wayne county where they lived until going to Jasper
county, Missouri. The father was a farmer by occupation and also for
many years a local preacher of the Methodist church. In his honorable,
upright life he left a worthy example for his family and the priceless heri-
tage of an untarnished name. He died in Carthage, Missouri, March 4,
1891, having for less than a year survived his wife, who passed away on
the 4th of April. 1890. They were the parents of nine children of whom
four died in early life, the others being: Mrs. Emeline Nevin, now de-
ceased : S. J., of this review ; Thomas W.. and V. L., both of whom have
passed away; and Oliver F.. of Arkansas. The last two were soldiers of
the Civil war, enlisting from Jefferson county in the Fourth Iowa Cav-
alry. V. L. Chester served for three years while Oliver F. Chester went
out as a recruit and continued with the army to the end of the war.
The family was also represented in the Civil war by Lieutenant S. J.
Chester who had come to Jefferson county with his parents and remained
under the parental roof until he entered the army on the 12th of August,
1862, as a member of Company G, Thirtieth Iowa Volunteer Infantry.
272 ■ HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
He enlisted as a private but after the organization of his company was
elected second lieutenant and following the charge at Vicksburg was pro-
moted to the rank of first lieutenant. He sustained a gun-shot wound
through the left leg at Vicksburg during the charge on the city on the 22d
of May, 1863. Because of his injuries he was granted a two months' fur-
lough which he spent at home and then rejoined his regiment which was
still before Vicksburg, continuing with that command until April, 1864,
when he resigned, owing to disability. He had participated in a number
of important engagements including the battles of Arkansas Post, Ray-
mond, Jackson, Cherokee Station, Lookout Mountain, Mission Ridge and
Ringgold. He possessed a soldierly bearing, being six feet two inches in
height, straight and well formed, and his comrades admiringly spoke of
his fearlessness and bravery.
Soon after being mustered out Lieutenant Chester was married, on
the 22d of September, 1864, to Miss Olive E. Hendricks, a daughter of
James H. Hendricks, and they took up their abode upon a farm, to the
cultivation and development of which Mr. Chester devoted his energies
until 1873. He then removed to Fairfield where he has since resided, here
becoming identified with business interests as a grocer, conducting a store
until 1879. He was then elected sheriff of Jefferson county and on the
I St of January, 1880, entered upon the duties of this position to which
he was afterward reelected, serving until the ist of January, 1884, when
he declined another nomination. He later spent several months in trav-
eling, visiting Salt Lake and other points in the west for the benefit of
his health. In 1890 he was appointed postmaster of Fairfield and served
for four years under President Harrison. Subsequently he spent several
months in California with his wife and upon his return to Fairfield en-
gaged in the hotel business, conducting the Leggett house for five years.
He again spent several months in California and also took a trip to Cuba
and since that time he has lived retired, devoting his time to those things
which are a matter of interest and entertainment to him. He has some
property interests, owning land in Texas.
By the marriage of Lieutenant Chester and Olive E. Hendricks there
were born four children: Flora E., the wife of Charles Herring of Fair-
field ; Mildred J., deceased ; Daisy E., the wife of C. W. Trowbridge, of
Fairfield; and Frank M.. of Los Angeles. California. The wife and
mother died July 13, 1878, and on the 4th of December. 1879, Lieutenant
Chester wedded Elizabeth McKenney, a native of Fairfield and a daugh-
ter of J. A. McKenney.
In politics Mr. Chester is a republican, having supported the party
since age conferred upon him the right of franchise. He has always been
more or less active in public affairs here and has served as marshal on the
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 273
occasion of all public celebrations in this city for the past thirty years. In
Masonry he has taken the degrees of the lodge, chapter, commandery and
Mystic Shrine and is an exemplary representative of the craft. Loy-
alty has always been one of his strong characteristics. It was manifest
in his army record, in his public service and in his friendships. He is one
of the widely known residents of the city and enjoys in unusual measure
the warm regard and high respect of those who know him.
JAMES P. BENNETT.
Industry and thrift, combined with good judgment and the faculty of
sacrificing immediate enjoyment for future returns, are the qualities which
insure success. One who exemplifies this maxim is James P. Bennett,
who was for many years successfully engaged in the pursuit of agri^-ul-
tural interests and now lives retired on his farm in Cedar township.
Since becoming a resident of Jefferson county, in 1874, he has been inti-
mately connected with the growth and development of this section of the
country, being a man whose personality has always carried much weight
in his community. He was born in Crawford county, Pennsylvania, in
1829, being a son of Anthony and Nancy (Espy) Bennett. The father
was born in Pennsylvania, on the Susquehanna river, in 1777. Of Scotch-
Irish parentage, he inherited the sterling qualities of his ancestors and in
the pursuit of his calling, which combined farming, carpentering and plow
making, he met with most substantial returns. The mother was born in
Susquehanna, Pennsylvania, and came from an old Colonial family. Mr.
and Mrs. Anthony Bennett resided in the Keystone state until their death.
Reared with care under the parental roof, James P. Bennett obtained
his education in the schools of his native locality and was early trained in
the arts of husbandry, remaining with his parents until he became of age.
He then engaged in farming on his own account but soon returned to the
home place which he operated until 1874. In this year he removed with
his family to Iowa, choosing as a suitable location for a home the farm on
which he now lives, on sections 29 and 30 of Cedar township, trading his
farm in Pennsylvania for this land. In addition he bought eighty acres,
making a total of two hundred and forty acres in all. Ten years ago Mr.
Bennett withdrew from active work in connection with the management
of his place which has since that time been conducted by his son Aimer,
who continues his father's practical methods and wise administration,
being successful in the various departments of general farming and also
in stock-raising.
274 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
The marriage of Mr. Bennett and Miss Lucinda Cordelia White was
solemnized on the ist of January, 1857, in Crawford county, Pennsyl-
vania. Mrs. Bennett was born November 17, 1833, in Pennsylvania, and
resided near Conneaut Lake, Pennsylvania, until her marriage. After a
long and useful life devoted to the service of her family and friends she
passed away on October 19, 1909, at the age of seventy-six years. The
children born to Mr. and Mrs. Bennett were : Fred, who died when a small
boy; Alta, the wife of Marion Crum, of Daunt, California, who departed
this life January 17, 1896, on a farm near Fairfield, Iowa, leaving two
children, Pearl and Ray ; Aimer, who lives on his father's farm ; Manson,
who died October 5, 1895 and was married to Miss Fannie Shaw, who
now resides in Hartsville, Missouri, with her son Ralph, her daughter
Ellen being deceased ; and Otto, who is a fruit dealer of Clatskanie, Oregon,
and who married Minnie Waldo, by whom he has two children, La Rue
and Harvey. Aimer, the eldest boy now living, operates the home farm,
having relieved his father of this responsibility ever since the latter's re-
tirement ten years ago. He was united in marriage to Ella Flecht, a
daughter of John and Mary Hecht, residents of Ida county, Iowa. Mr.
and Mrs. Aimer Bennett are the parents of five children, namely: Meta
at home ; Hazel, the wife of Lawrence J. Droz, a farmer of Cedar town-
ship ; and Willian Serle and J., who are living at home.
Mr. Bennett and his wife hold membership in the Methodist Episcopal
church of Birmingham. In his political views he is a loyal supporter of
republican policies and has been called to office on several occasions, hav-
ing served as supervisor of roads in Cedar township and as school director
in his home district. He has never shirked the duties of citizenship no
matter how largely his. own interests have claimed his attention. During
the Civil war he served as enlisting and recruiting officer for the United
States army. He is a man of force of character and attractive personality,
a favorite among those who have known him for many years.
CLARK VAN NOSTRAND.
Clark Van Nostrand is a retired farmer living in Fairfield. A life of
well directed energy and activity has brought him to the venerable age of
eighty years, with the respect, good will and confidence of his fellowmen :
so that today, all who know him — old and young, rich and poor, —
entertain for him warm regard and strong friendship. His birth occurred
in Ashland, Ohio, January 12, 1831, his parents being John and Elizabeth
(Gribben) Van Nostrand, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania;
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 275
the father's birth occurring in Westmoreland county September i, 1800,
while the mother was born in 1802. They were married in Ohio, and, in
the fall of 1850, came to Iowa; settling on a farm three miles north of
Fairfield, which remained their place of residence until their life labors
were over. The mother passed away about 1856, and Mr. Van Nostrand
died on the 6th of April, 1859. In their family were four sons and two
daughters: William, living in Leon, Iowa; Clark; Mrs. Amanda Burk-
hammer, of Shenandoah, Iowa ; Lewis, Perry and Jane, all deceased.
Clark Van Nostrand came to Iowa with his parents, and has since re-
sided in Jefferson county. He was at that time a young man of about nine-
teen years. His education had been acquired in the schools of Ohio; and
he had received practical training in farm work by assisting his father in
the fields. Here he continued to aid in the cultivation of the old home-
stead property, until his father's death. He was then married and
began farming on his own account, continuing to engage in agricultural
pursuits until about five years ago, when he retired and took up his abode
in Fairfield. His first farm was about two and a half miles northeast of
the city, in Buchanan township. There, in connection with his brother
Lewis, he purchased a quarter section of land; and there they resided in
the same house for five years and together carried on their business in-
terests. At the end of that time, Clark Van Nostrand purchased the in-
terest of his brother and afterward added to his property, from time to
time, as opportunity offered and financial resources permitted. In this
way, he increased his holdings until he had four hundred and eighty acres,
which he brought under .a high state of cultivation ; the fields annually
returning him golden harvests. For a number of years, he also carried
on farming in partnership with his son Lewis, and when, at the age of
seventy-five years, he decided to put aside all business cares he divided
his farm among his children. He is much pleased with the result of this
division of his property, for they have made good use of what has been
given them, and are now comfortably situated in life.
In 1859 Mr. Van Nostrand wedded Miss Sarah Whiting, who was
born in Ohio, April 9, 1832, and in her childhood came with her parents,
Mr. and Mrs. Samuel B. Whiting, to Iowa. She was, thus, long closely
associated with the pioneer development of this section of the state. For
more than a half century, Mr. and Mrs. Van Nostrand had traveled life's
journey happily together, when, on the 6th of January, 191 1, they were
separated by the death of the wife. Mr. Van Nostrand always felt that
he owed much of his success to her assistance, capable management and
encouragement. Their's was largely an ideal married relation, for their
mutual love and confidence increased as the years passed by, and the great-
est blow that has ever come to Mr. Van Nostrand was in the death of her
276 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
who had so long been to him a faithful and loved companion and help-
mate on life's journey. This well mated pair were the parents of six sons
and a daughter. Three of the number died in infancy and one died at the
age of five years, the others being: Anna, now the deceased wife of B. L.
Gossich; Andrew B., of Colorado; and Lewis W., of Fairfield.
Mr. Van Nostrand has long voted with the republican party, and, while
not a politician in the usually accepted sense of office seeking, he has served
as a member of the board of supervisors for a term of three years ; he has,
also, capably filled a number of township offices. He is a devoted and
faithful member of the Christian church, and, in 1907, he built and do-
nated to the church as a parsonage, an attractive, modern home. He has
served as one of the elders in the church since its organization, and in
every department of his work he has taken a deep and helpful interest,
doing all in his power to promote the growth and extend the influence of
Christianity as a moving force in the lives of the people of this district.
Now, when old age has come upon him, he can look back over' the past
without regret ; and forward to the future, without fear. Although he has
reached the age of eighty years, Mr. Van Nostrand is a remarkably well
preserved man. His mind is yet clear and keen, displaying the vigor of
many a man of much younger years ; and he keeps in touch, through his
reading, with the world's advanced thought and progress.
SOLOMON WILHERMSDORFER.
Solomon Wilhermsdorfer, who passed away February 2, 191 1, was
formerly a prominent merchant but since 1878 he was actively and suc-
cessfully identified with general agricultural pursuits in Jefferson county.
He was born in Ansbach, Bavaria, Germany, September 18, 1832, the son
of Samuel and Babetta (Katz) Wilhermsdorfer. He was reared in his
native country but started for America when not quite twenty years of
age, reaching New York, November 6, 1852, after a voyage of sixty-two
days on the sailing vessel Rhine, which was nearly wrecked on the passage.
In New York he found employment as a florist and gardner, a profession
which he had acquired in the royal gardens in the old country, and re-
mained there until the spring of 1853, when he came to Ohio and engaged
in the mercantile business. In the spring of 1854 he went to Iowa City,
Iowa, and in the autumn of the same year removed to Fairfield, Jefferson
county, where he opened on the north side of the public square the first
clothing store in Fairfield, the business being under the firm name of
Simon Krause & Company. In the spring of 1855 he, together with an
I THE iNEV«' YORK
SOLOMOX WILHERMSDORFER
MRS. SOLOMON WILHER:\ISD0RFER
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 281
elder brother, Julius Wilhermsdorfer, bought out Krause & Company
and started a store under the firm name of J. & S. Wilhermsdorfer,
establishing what was known as the Railroad Clothing Store. They re-
mained there until the fall of 1857, when they removed their stock of
goods to Brunswick county, Missouri, and one year later sold cut the
business and returned to Fairfield, where Solomon Wilhermsdorfer en-
tered into the nursery business just south of Fairfield, in partnership with
Attorney Slagle, but one year later sold his interests and repaired to
Monmouth, Illinois. There he was engaged in the dry-goods and clothing
business for six years, after which he moved to Young America, Illinois,
now known under the name of Kirkwood, and continued in the same line
of work. Subsequently he went to Cincinnati, Ohio, and traveled for a
time for a nursery house. In 1878 he returned to Jefferson county, Iowa,
and purchased his present farm, on section 35, Polk township, on which
he lived until his death, February 2, 1910. He died suddenly on account
of heart trouble. His widow continues to live on the farm, renting out a
part of the land and with hired help oversees the remainder.
On the 20th of July, 1858, Mr. Wilhermsdorfer wedded Miss Mary
Martha Kness, a daughter of George and Lydia (Strawser) Kness, the
father a native of Pennsylvania and the mother of Ohio, but both of
German descent. They moved to Sangamon county, Illinois, at an early
date and in February, 1844, came to Jefferson county, Iowa, and settled
on a claim in Polk township, where they lived until the death of the
father, May 20. 1871. In their family were thirteen children, tweWe of
whom reached maturity, but now only Mrs. Mary M. Wilhermsdorfer
and one brother, Daniel Kness, of Cozad, Dawson county, Nebraska, sur-
vive. The latter was a watchmaker by trade in Illinois but came to
Nebraska in 1882 and began farming. He was married in Illinois to a
Miss Savage and they have two children living, Dolly and Edna May.
Another brother, Noah V. Kness, served in the Civil war and was killed
in the battle of Tallahassee, Tennessee. Another brother, who was a
soldier and enlisted in service for five years, was mustered out in the
Mexican war but was never heard from afterwards. To Mr. and Mrs.
Wilhermsdorfer were born the following children: Ralph H., who is a
jeweler in Seattle, Washington, married Maggie Brown, of Ottumwa, Iowa.
Fannie May, who died in 1896, was the wife of Judge Oliver, of Onawa,
Iowa, who is now judge of Monona county, and they had four children:
Marcus, who will graduate from Rush Medical College in the spring of 1912 ;
Ralph, who is a lawyer in Sioux City, Iowa; Marjorie, an instructor in
languages, of the same place; and Frank, who is still attending high
school. Justin H., who is now postmsater at Harrison, Nebraska, is
married to Miss Zua Bowman, of loka, Iowa, and they have one child,
Vol. n— 1 6
282 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
Maritz. Dollie Zeta wedded G. B. Baker, a well known music dealer of
Ottumwa and Fairfield, and they have four children, Demonta, Mary,
Marthanna and Ruth Esther.
Mr. Wilhermsdorfer was a democrat in politics and always took an
active interest in the welfare of the community, and for several years he
served as supervisor of Jefferson county. He gave much time to the cause
of education and for over thirty years he was a director in the home
school district, and for the greater part of that time he was also secretary
and treasurer of the school board. Fraternally he was identified with the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Monmouth, Illinois, and his widow
is a member of the Rebekah Lodge. She is also a member of the Metho-
dist Episcopal church. Wherever Mr. Wilhermsdorfer was known he
was greatly admired and his life stands as a splendid example for those
who wish to make themselves strong and useful citizens of the community.
JOHN E. AND AMANDA A. ERICKSON.
John E. and Amanda A. Erickson. who own one of the attractive
homes of Lockridge township, were both born in Sw^eden. the former on
the 4th of January, 1854, and the latter on February 24, i860. They are
the children of Charles M. and Christina (Eckland) Erickson, natives of
Sweden, where the father was engaged in farming. In 1869 the family
emigrated to the United States, locating in Burlington, Des Moines county,
Iowa, where Mr. Erickson engaged in carpentry work for about five years.
In 1874 they came to Jefferson county, settling in Lockridge township
where the father purchased sixty acres of unimproved land. In the cul-
tivation of this property he met with such excellent success that he was
later able to purchase an adjoining tract of seventy-two acres, making
the aggregate of his holdings one hundred and thirty-two acres. Here the
parents continued to reside until their death, the mother passing away on
November 19th, 1892, and the father on the 29th of June. 1898.
The childhood and early youth of John E. and Amanda A. Erickson
were spent in their native land, where they also obtained the major por-
tion of their education, the course therein pursued being supplemented by
further study in the public schools of Des Moines and Jefferson counties.
They remained at home with their parents until their death, after which
the farm came into their possession. Their habits of thrift and capable
management enabled them to acquire the means to warrant their retire-
ment from active life in 1909, so they sold one hundred and twenty-five
acres of their land, and upon the remaining seven erected a fine, modern
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 283
residence, barn and other outbuildings. Neither of them having married
they have made their home together since the death of the parents.
They both affiliate with the Lutheran church and in matters politic Mr.
Erickson votes with the republican party. Both are widely and favorably
known in the community where they have resided for the past thirty-seven
years, and number among its citizens many loyal friends.
THORNTON FORDYCE.
Thornton Fordyce, the owner and operator of a farm of one hundred
and thirty acres in Des Moines township, Jefferson county, is a member
of a family distinguished during four generations for their noble public
service in the nation, the state, and the local communities in which they
have lived. His grandfather, Jairus Fordyce, was the son of a Revolution-
ary war hero, and was born in Pennsylvania, moving westward in his
youth. He enlisted in the army and served under Harrison when that gen-
eral defeated the Indians led by Tecumseh at the battle of Tippecanoe in
1811. He chose for a helpmate Susan Girard, a native of Ohio, and in 1815
settled in the territory of Illinois farming there for several years. In
1837 he moved farther west making his home in Lee county, Iowa, and
two years later went to Van Buren county, in this state, where he lived
until his death in 1840, His wife survived him fifteen years passing away
in 1855.
Proudest of all in the family annals is the name of the father of Thorn-
ton Fordyce, Lewis Fordyce, whose long life has been spent in the faithful
performance of his duties as a citizen of the commonwealth and as a
preacher of the divine word, bringing the gospel to the hearts of hundreds
of people in many widely scattered communities, to people forced by cir-
cumstances to be as isolated in their spiritual lives as in their physical
environment. He was born in Wabash county, Illinois, in 1820. In 1839
he came to Iowa making his home with his parents in Van Buren county.
Six years later he removed to Lee county, Iowa, and the following year,
in 1846, was married to Miss Mary A. Newby, a native of Indiana and a
daughter of Gabriel and Rebecca (Harvey) Newby, both of whom were
born in North Carolina and who became residents of Lee county, Iowa,
where they lived until their death.
After his marriage Lewis Fordyce settled on a farm in Lee county,
Iowa, and three years later removed to Van Buren county residing there
until 1873. He then came to Des Moines township and has lived here
ever since, now making his home with his son Lew, who is operating the
284 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
old homestead farm. Throughout his long life Lewis Fordyce, Sr., has
imselfishly given of his services wherever he felt that he could aid in the
moral and social advancement of the people. For thirty-five years he
preached in the Christian church, extending his work through southeastern
Iowa and into Missouri. He was president of the Iowa State Association
of the Christian Church for thirty-three years until age made it impos-
sible for him to continue in the discharge of the many duties and respons-
ibilities appertaining to the office. In his public service he likewise made a
notable record for himself. He was elected to the fourth general assembly
representing Van Buren county and as a member of the twentieth general
assembly aided in passing the original prohibition law. While a member
of the Iowa law-making body he was faithful in looking after the interests
of his constituents as well as in his service for the welfare of the state as
a whole. He was an influential republican and one of the organizers of that
party in Van Buren county. While residing in the last-named county he
also served as township clerk in Union township. When living in Lee
county he was an important factor in the organization of the school sys-
tem. Mr. Fordyce is now ninety-one years old and his wife is eighty-
seven. He has always been a public-spirited man keeping his enthusiasm
on the side of justice and truth.
Thornton Fordyce was born February 23. 1856, near \\'inchester. X'an
Buren county, Iowa. He attended school in his native locality and when
twenty-one years of age began farming for himself. In 1881 he bought
his present farm of eighty acres on section 11, Des Moines township, in
this county, adding to it by later purchases until now he owns one hundred
and thirty acres of valuable farmland. He devotes himself to general
farming and raising cattle meeting with much success in his work.
In 1881 Thornton Fordyce was married to jNIiss Rebecca J. Stewart,
the ceremony being performed on the 8th of A larch. She was a daughter
of Eleazar and Rebecca (Armstrong) Stewart. Her father was a farmer
born in Miami county, Ohio, and her mother, who was of Scotch-Irish
descent, was born in Steubenville, Ohio. In this town they were married
January 10, 1855. They settled in Illinois and in 1861 came to Iowa es-
tablishing their home four and a half miles northwest of Libertyville in
Jefferson county. They lived there forty years on a farm then retired and
removed to Libertyville where Mr. Stewart died May 12, 1903. Mrs.
Stewart died in 1Q05 at the home of her daughter, Mrs. J. L. Gonterman,
living in Des Moines township. They were the parents of five children.
Mary H. is the widow of J. L. Gonterman and lives in Des Moines town-
ship. Anna M. is the wife of J. E. Hockman, a farmer near Grinnel,
Iowa. Sarah E. is dead. Rebecca J., the wife of Thornton Fordyce, lives
in Des Moines township. And the youngest, Ella, is dead.
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 285
Thornton Fordyce was one of eight children: Dr. Winfield Fordyce
of Fairfield, Iowa ; Eugene, the marshal of the town of Ventura, Califor-
nia ; Harry, a fruit-raiser in the Ojai valley in California ; Harvey, de-
ceased ; Carl and Oscar, formerly a physician of Guthrie Center, Iowa,
deceased, and Lew, living on the old home place in Des Moines township.
Two children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Thornton Fordyce. Oren
S., married August 31, 1910 to Miss Meta B. Laughlin, a daughter of
Thomas and Elizabeth Laughlin, is living on a farm adjoining his father's,
and they are the parents of one child, Merwin C, aged three months. Ber-
tha B. was married November 7, 1906, to L. D. May, a druggist in Kan-
sas City, Kansas.
In his political views Mr. Thornton Fordyce is a "stand pat" republi-
can. For a period of ten years he was school director at various times in
district No. 6 of Des Moines township. He and the other members of
his family belong to the Presbyterian church of Libertyville, Iowa. He
is a member of the Knights of Pythias of Libertyville and of the Liberty-
ville Camp of Modern Woodmen of America. Thornton Fordyce is a
man of equable temperament, content with the path of life in which the
choice of his career directed his steps. He is a true son of his father,
possessing the same generous spirit and the same large-souled outlook on
life.
C. E. WARD.
That C. E. Ward deserves to be numbered among the prominent and
representative citizens of Fairfield is due to the fact that he contributes
to material progress through the successful conduct of a lumber business,
to general improvement as a public-spirited citizen and a member of the
city council, and to the moral development through his untiring zeal in
behalf of the Methodist church, of which he is a local minister. Conscien-
tious in all that he does and holding to high principles, his work in the
world is of genuine worth. He was born in Waverly, Illinois, May 20,
1 861, a son of J. D. and Mary E. (Barnes) Ward. The father served for
three years as a soldier of the One Hundred and First Illinois Volunteer
Infantry during the Civil war and after the cessation of hostilities removed
to Missouri and subsequently to Lineville, Iowa, where he died when his
.son C. E. Ward was but twelve years of age. Mrs. Ward also spent her
last days in Lineville but death came to her when she was in Chicago.
C. E. Ward was at that time nineteen years of age. He was reared in
Lineville and Allerton, Iowa, careful home training developing in him an
286 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
admiration for high principles which he has inculcated in his life, while
the public-school system promoted his intellectual training. While a resi-
dent of Allerton he was married and since that time has resided for various
periods in Des Moines, Omaha and Fairfield, coming to the last named city
in 1893. His first employment after entering business circles was at the
printer's trade, which he followed in Princeton, Missouri, and at Aller-
ton, Iowa, spending six months in newspaper offices. He had to abandon
that business, however, on account of his health and in order to enjoy the
benefits of outdoor life he took up the building business and in time be-
came a contractor and builder, entering the business circles of Fairfield
in that way. In the different cities in which he has lived he has done con-
siderable important work in connection with building operations but about
thirteen years ago withdrew from that field of activity and established the
lumberyard, of which he is now proprietor. In its conduct he has met
with success, owing to his reasonable prices and his fair and honest dealing.
Business interests, however, by no means comprise the extent of his
activities, for he has ever been alive to personal obligations and duties and
has been a helpful factor in the work of public progress. He is now serv-
ing for the second term as a member of the city council of Fairfield, to
which he was elected on the republican ticket, and for one year he served
as chairman of the Mayors' and Councilmen's Association of the state of
Iowa, having been elected at the annual meeting of the League of Iowa
Municipalities at Fort Dodge in 1909. He likewise served for one year
on the sewerage and sanitation committee of the state, representing Fair-
field in the sessions of that body held at Fort Dodge and Waterloo, and
* acting as chairman of the water and light committee. He has long been
closely associated with the membership and with the active work of the
Methodist Episcopal church, of which he is a local preacher and now as a
regular pastor at Hillsboro.
In 1881 Mr. Ward was married to Miss Razilla J. Bates, who was born
in Salina, this county, in 1864, a daughter of Jackson Bates. Their chil-
dren are seven in number: Coy, the wnfe of N. M. Warnick, of Wapello,
Iowa; Raye, wife of the Rev. J. H. Koch, of Lovilla, Iowa; C. E. J., dis-
trict agent for the Central Life Insurance Company of Des Moines, lives
in a home of his own at Fairfield; Harry L., was in the navy and went
around the world with the Atlantic fleet; Frank D., Frederick I. and John
W., all yet at home. Frank D. and Frederick I. are attending Parsons
College and John W. is in high school. Mr. Ward has fraternal relations
with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and with the Masons. He
has at all times manifested a progressive spirit. He has never, as some
ministers do, regarded life as most men know it, as a thing apart from
him ; on the contrary he has felt it his duty to be a factor in the life of
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 287
the community, working for the best interests of the many, and his labors
have been attended with excellent results and have won for him the ap-
preciation and regard of his fellowmen.
HENRY E. DANIELSON.
Henry E. Danielson devotes his energies to the cultivation of a highly
improved farm of sixty acres that he owns adjoining Lockridge. He is
a native of Jefferson county, having been born in the township where he
now resides on November i8, 1878, a son of Albert and Lottie (Falk)
Danielson, natives of Sweden. The father emigrated to the United States
in 1869, locating in this county where he worked as a farm hand and
laborer on the railroad for several years. An energetic man of thrifty
habits, he carefully saved a portion of each month's wages until he had
acquired the means to buy a farm, then invested his capital in eighty acres
of land in Lockridge township. He diligently applied himself to clearing
and improving his property in the cultivation of which he met with such
success that he was later able to extend his holdings by the addition of
another eighty acres. The operation of his homestead thereafter engaged
his attention until his demise, October 18, 1901, at the age of sixty-five
years. The mother, who is now sixty-five, continues to make her home
in this township.
The boyhood and youth of Henry E. Danielson were passed on his
father's place in Lockridge township, his education being obtained in the
district schools of the vicinity. He remained with his parents until he
had attained his majority, devoting his energies to assisting his father with
the farm work. For two years after leaving home he worked as a farm
hand, when he engaged with his brother in cooperative farming until 1901.
This undertaking proved to be so lucrative that they bought the old home-
stead, of which each took eighty acres. Mr. Danielson operated his share
until 1906, when he sold and removed to Lockridge, where he became as-
sociated with Louis J. Graf in purchasing the general mercantile business
of C. J. Overstrom. After spending three years in commercial activities
Mr. Danielson decided to return to farming, so disposing of his share in
the business he purchased sixty acres of improved land, that he has ever
since been operating. He takes much pride in his place, which is well kept
up and given the careful supervision that insures abundant crops of a
superior quality, and as a result his efforts are being most substantially
rewarded.
288 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
On the 2d of September, 1903, Mr. Danielson was united in marriage
to Miss Rose Rivey, a daughter of Peter and Amelia (Droz) Rivey. The
parents emigrated to this country from France, locating in Jefferson county
during the early days. They bought forty acres of land in Round Prairie
township, that they cleared and cultivated, and there they reared their
twelve children. They were industrious and thrifty and added to their
holdings at divers times as their resources permitted until they had ac-
quired one hundred acres, upon which they still reside. Three children
have been born to the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Danielson : Lucille V.,
who is seven years of age ; Gladys A., who is five ; and Earl K., a lad of
three years.
Mr. and Mrs. Danielson affiliate with the Baptist church, and frater-
nally he is a member of the Woodmen of the World. He is a republican
in politics and at the present time is serving in the capacity of town-
ship clerk and secretary of the school board. Mr, Danielson belongs to
that type of citizens whose efforts are directed not only toward the develop-
ment of his personal interests but those of the community at large, and to
this end he uses his influence in promoting every progressive movement.
WILLIAM C. BALL.
Iowa offers excellent opportunities to the agriculturist and the man
who owns a tract of Jefferson county's rich land has an excellent oppor-
tunity to win success if he will but closely apply himself to the task of
cultivating the fields and caring for the harvests. This William C. Ball
has done and now is living retired in Fairfield, in the enjoyment of the
fruits of his former labor, his rest being well earned and well merited.
He was born in Brooke county, Virginia, his natal day being March 2y,
1846. His parents were Joseph and Margaret (Lengfitt) Ball, who were
married in the Old Dominion, which was the native state of the father,
whose birth occurred in Loudoun county, in 1803. His wife was born in
Beaver county, Pennsylvania, in 1808, and in March, 1854, they came to
Iowa, making their way direct to Jefferson county, where they continued
their residence until their death, both passing away in 1875. In his
younger days Joseph Ball followed carpentering and afterward engaged
in trading on the river, shipping products from \'irginia to New Orleans.
Subsequently he was identified with farming, which claimed his attention
during the period of his residence in Jefferson county. He owned four
hundred acres of land five miles west of Fairfield and the care and labor
bestowed upon his fields made this a valuable property. Opposed to the
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 289
system of slavery, he became a stanch abolitionist and when the republi-
can party was formed to prevent the further extension of the slave system
into the north, he joined its ranks. His fellow townsmen, appreciating
his worth as a citizen, elected him their representative to the state legis-
lature for one term. Both he and his wife were faithful members of the
Christian church and he also belonged to the Masonic fraternity. Their
family numbered nine children. Sarah became the wife of J. B. Free-
man but both are now deceased. Martha is the widow of A. D. Burns and
resides in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. Hannah is the deceased wife of Solo-
mon F. Stever. Cynthia is the wife of A. R. Burns, a resident of Wap-
ello county. Anna H., who married Dr. C. D. Lewis, of Ottumwa, has
passed away. John F., who joined Company D of the Nineteenth Iowa In-
fantry during the Civil war, was killed in the battle of Prairie Grove. Wil-
liam C. is the seventh of the family. Hon. George W. Ball is a resident of
Fairfield, and Mary, the youngest of the family, became the wife of Dr.
G. A. Spielman, of Ottumwa, but is now deceased.
William C. Ball spent the first eight years of his life in the state of his
nativity and then came with his parents to Jefiferson county, residing upon
the old home farm until 1864, when, at the age of eighteen years, he en-
listed for active service in Company I, Forty-fifth Iowa Volunteer In-
fantry. He served for one hundred days, or until the close of the war
and gave ample proof in his service of his valor and loyalty. He after-
ward attended the law school of the Iowa State University, from which
he was graduated in 1869, and the same year was admitted to the bar.
He then practiced his profession for two years in Des Moines, but on the
expiration of that period returned to the home farm and in addition to the
cultivation of the crops best adapted to the soil and climate, he engaged in
dealing in live stock, both branches of his business proving profitable.
He closely studied the best methods of tilling his fields and kept on hand
good grades of horses, cattle and hogs. That his methods were at once
practical and progressive is indicated in the excellent results which followed
his work. At length he regarded his capital as sufficient to enable him
to put aside further business cares and leave the farm, when he took up
his abode in Fairfield.
Mr. Ball was married in 1872 to Miss Mary C. Campbell, who was born
in Highland county, Ohio, July 10, 1850, but has been a resident of this
county since 1856, in which year her parents, John J. and Elizabeth (Tem-
pleton) Campbell, brought their family to Iowa. The father, who was a
native of Baltimore, Maryland, died in this county in 1870, at the age of
fifty-six years. The mother, a native of Highland county, Ohio, who is
now living in California, at the advanced age of eighty-nine years, retains
all her faculties unimpaired. Mr. and Mrs. Ball became the parents of
290 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
two children but the son, who was the younger and to whom they gave
the name of Frank, died in 1889, at the age of twelve years. The daugh-
ter, Cora A., is a vocal teacher, now connected with the public schools of
Fairfield.
Mr. Ball votes with the fepublican party, his study of the questions and
issues of the day leading him to the belief that its purposes are best calcu-
lated to promote good government. He holds membership with the Chris-
tian church and his wife is a member of the Presbyterian church. They
have a circle of friends in Jefferson county almost coextensive with the
circle of their acquaintance. They have both spent the greater part of
their lives here and Mr. Ball has been a witness of almost the entire growth
and development of the county, having seen its wild prairie lands con-
verted into good farms, its primitive dwellings replaced by substantial
modern residences and its primitive business interests supplanted by large
and important commercial and industrial enterprises. He relates many
interesting incidents of the early days and is authority upon many points
of the history of Jefiferson county.
GEORGE PERRY CONLEE.
George Perry Conlee, who passed away on his farm on section 33,
Cedar township, on the 17th of August, 191 1, came to Jefferson county in
1882 and devoted about two decades to general agricultural pursuits here.
He was the second white child born in Burlington, Iowa, his birth occur-
ring on the 3d of June, 1840, when that city boasted only two houses. His
parents were Reuben and Nancy (Doyle) Conlee, both of Scotch-Irish
descent. They owned and lived near the famous Mammoth Cave in Ken-
tucky. In 1839 they came to Iowa, locating in Burlington, while subse-
quently they purchased a section of land near Sand Prairie, west of Fort
Madison, where Reuben Conlee followed farming. He was one of the
first representatives in the state legislature from Lee county, Iowa — Mr.
Bullard being the other — and died suddenly while attending a session of
the general assembly at Iowa City. This was in 1847. The demise of his
wife occurred nine years later, on the farm near Fort Madison, Iowa.
The only surviving member of the family, which numbered thirteen chil-
dren, is James Conlee, a resident of Oregon.
George P. Conlee attended the district school in Jefferson township,
Lee county, Iowa, and after the death of his parents remained at home
until the outbreak of the Civil war. In 1861, at Keokuk, Iowa, he joined
Company A, Thirteenth Iowa United States Regular Infantry, remaining
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 291
with that command for three years. He went with Sherman on his march
to the sea and participated in the following battles : Birds Point, Mem-
phis, Jackson, Vicksburg, Clayton, Missionary Ridge, Lookout Mountain,
Chattanooga, Nashville, Cairo, Shiloh, Natchez, Bowling Green and Col-
lierville. He also took part in numerous skirmishes and made a most cred-
itable military record, never faltering in the performance of any task as-
signed him. When hostilities had ceased he returned home and the same
year w^as married. In 1882 he came to Jefiferson county, locating on the
farm where his widow and son, Charles C, now reside. In 1901 he re-
tired from the active work of the fields, spending the remainder of his life
in well earned rest. He became ill in August, 1910, and on the 17th of
August, 191 1, passed away.
Mr. Conlee was twice married. In 1865 he wedded Miss Jane Mas-
terson, of Van Buren county, Iowa, who died in 1866 and by whom he
had one child, who passed away in infancy. On the 25th of November,
1873, Mr. Conlee was again married, his second union being with Miss
Mary A. Graves, who was born in Ohio, on the 20th of May, 1849. Her
parents were Aaron and Sarah (Harvey) Graves, the former a native of
Jackson county, Ohio, and the latter of Frederick county, Virginia. They
were married in Ohio in 1844, and came west in 1856, locating at Hills-
boro, Henry county, Iowa, where Mr. Graves maintained his residence
while he farmed in the vicinity. In March, 1871, he passed away on his
farm about two miles north of Hillsboro. His widow afterward sold the
place and took up her abode in Hillsboro, where she purchased property
and is now living at the ripe old age of ninety years. To them were born
nine children, six of whom still survive, as follows: Jacob, a blacksmith
living in Oregon; Mrs. Conlee; Frances, who is the wife of Charles A.
Stevens, the postmaster at Salem, Iowa; Robert, a banker of Hillsboro,
Iowa; Carlton, who follows blacksmithing in the city of Oklahoma, Okla-
homa ; and Naomi, the wife of Jerry Moxley, a farmer of Hillsboro, Iowa.
Mr. and Mrs. George P. Conlee were the parents of six children. Fred
T., a bridge carpenter on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad,
lives at Mount Pleasant, Iowa and wedded Miss Maude Snyder, of Bir-
mingham, Iowa, having one child, Otelia. Jessie M. is the wife of A. W.
Davis, a bridge carpenter on the Rock Island Railroad at Fairfield and
they have five children: George, w^ho died at the age of two years and
Charles, Daisy. Ada and Clair. George P. is master mechanic of the Pekin
branch of the Santa Fe Railroad and resides at Pekin, Illinois. He mar-
ried Miss Florella Palmer, of Fort Madison, Iowa, by whom he has three
children: Ruth, Ethel and Beulah. Lillian, the next in order of birth,
died when but eight weeks old. Mary is the wife of Sylvester Keller, a
farmer of Cedar township, this county, by whom she has two children,
292 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
George and Clarence. Charles C, who lives with his mother, operates the
home farm of one hundred and five acres.
In politics Mr. Conlee was a stanch democrat and held the office of
school director for ten years. He also served as justice of the peace for
two terms and for several terms acted as constable. Fraternally he was
identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, belonging to the
lodge at Montrose, Iowa. Prior to the Civil war he was a member of the
Missionary Baptist church. His widow is a devoted and consistent mem-
ber of the Methodist Episcopal church. She is well known and highly
esteemed throughout the community, her many commendable traits of
character having endeared her to all with whom she has come in contact.
LEWIS H. KIGER.
Lewis H. Kiger, a progressive and enterprising agriculturist of Round
Prairie township, operates his father's farm of one hundred and seventy
acres near Glasgow. His birth occurred in Ohio on the 30th of Septem-
ber, 1867, his parents being Moses and Eliza (Hunter) Kiger, who are
likewise natives of the Buckeye state. The father, an agriculturist by oc-
cupation, operated a farm near Springfield, Ohio, until 1882, when he
came to Jefferson county, Iowa, and for nine years cultivated a rented
tract of land in Round Prairie township. On the expiration of that period
he abandoned farming and took up his abode in Glasgow, where he made
his home for one year. Subsequently he spent two years in Fairfield and
then accepted the position of manager or overseer of the County Home,
in which capacity he has ably served for the past fifteen years. In 1908
he purchased the farm of one hundred and seventy acres near Glasgow
which our subject is now operating. The period of his residence in this
county covers almost three decades and he is well known and highly es-
teemed within its borders.
Lewis H. Kiger obtained his education in the schools of his native
state and was a youth of sixteen years when he came to Iowa with his
parents, remaining at home until twenty-one years of age, when he was
married and started out as an agriculturist on his own account. He de-
voted his time and energies to the operation of a rented farm in Round
Prairie township until 1908 and then took up his abode on his father's
farm in the same township, having since been engaged in its cultivation.
In the conduct of his agricultural interests he has met with excellent re-
sults, the fields annually yielding golden harvests as a reward for the
care and labor which he bestows upon them.
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 293
In March, 1889, Mr. Kiger was united in marriage to Miss Bertha
McElwee, a daughter of William and Mary (Cochran) McElwee, who
were natives of Pennsylvania and Iowa respectively. The father came to
Iowa in an early day, locating in Henry county, where he followed
photography for some time. Subsequently he farmed for several years
in Round Prairie township, Jefiferson county, and next removed to Clarke
county, where he remained for some time. After returning to this county
he purchased a farm and was successfully engaged in its operation until
called to his final rest on the 12th of March, 1891. His wife passed away
on the loth of March, 1892. William McElwee served throughout the
entire period of the Civil war as a member of Company F, Ninety-first
Pennsylvania Infantry. Mr. and Mrs. Kiger have three sons, namely :
Harry W., a young mari of twenty-one; Guy C, who is twenty years old;
anrl William Glenn, a youth aged sixteen.
At the polls Mr. Kiger casts his ballot for the men and measures of
the republican party, believing that its principles are most conducive to
good government. He has served as school director of Round Prairie
township and the cause of education has ever found in him a stanch friend.
His religious faith is that of the Methodist church, which his wife and
children also attend. Mr. and Mrs. Kiger are highly esteemed through-
out this locality as people of genuine personal worth and sterling traits
of character, having gained the confidence and regard of all with whom
thev have come in contact.
JOHN WILLS McLEAN.
John Wills McLean was for many years closely associated with farm-
ing interests in this county but since 1883 has lived retired, save for his
service in connection with public ofiice. He has now passed the age of
seventy-seven years and his record is that of a useful life well spent.
He was born in Chillicothe, Ross county, Ohio, February 6, 1834, his
parents being Daniel and Elizabeth (Long) McLean, both of whom were
natives of Nova Scotia. The mother came to Ohio with her parents in
her girlhood days and Mr. McLean became a resident of that state in
young manhood, or about 181 2. They were married there and continued
residents of Ohio until 1837, when they made their way westward and
settled on the Black Hawk purchase before the territory of Iowa was or-
ganized. It was on the ist of March, 1838, that they crossed the Missis-
sippi and for five years remained residents of Lee county, coming thence
to Jefiferson county in 1843. Here they located on a farm three-quar-
294 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
ters of a mile west of the Rock Island depot and lived there until death
called them. The father entered three hundred and twenty acres of land
from the government. There was a small frame house upon the land and
about sixty acres broke and fenced when it came into his possession but
with unfaltering energy and firm purpose he began to break the sod and
till the fields which in course of time brought forth abundant harvests.
He died November 4, 1864, at the age of seventy-five years, one month
and eleven days, and his wife's death occurred April 21. 1871, when she
had reached the age of seventy-seven years, one month and fourteen days.
They were parents of three sons: William L., now deceased; John Wills;
and Daniel Frazier, who was born in Lee county in June. 1838. and now
resides on the old homestead farm in this county.
John W. McLean was only four years old when the family came to
Iowa and from the age of nine years has lived in Jefferson county. With
the family he shared in all of the experiences and hardships of pioneer life,
aiding in the arduous task of developing new land and converting the un-
broken prairie into cultivable fields. His youth was indeed a period of
earnest and unremitting toil. He continued with his parents until they
were called to their final rest, after which he and his brother divided the
place, John W. McLean remaining upon his half of the farm until 1883,
when with a comfortable competence gained through his labors he removed
to Fairfield where he now lives retired. He has since sold his farm.
The only interruption that came to Mr. McLean's labor as an agricul-
turist was in May, 1864, when he enlisted for service as a member of
Company I, Forty-fifth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, for one hundred days,
being mustered out in the following October. It was after his return from
war — in 1867 — that he wedded Miss Mary Adelaide Worthington, who
was born in Iowa City in June, 1845, and died November 7, 1880. She
was a daughter of the Rev. David Worthington, a Methodist Episcopal
clergyman and a pioneer of the state of Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. ]\IcLean
became parents of two children : Elizabeth, who was born September 24,
1868, and resides with her father ; and Thomas E., who w^as born July 28,
1873, and is a jeweler in Fairfield.
Mr. McLean gives his political allegiance to the republican party which
he has supported since age conferred upon him the right of franchise.
He cast his first presidential vote for John C. Fremont and several times
filled local office, serving as assessor of Center township for thirteen years
and for a number of years as overseer of the poor, which position he is
filling at this time. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows and the Methodist Episcopal church and belongs to the Old Set-
tlers Association of Jefferson county of which he served as secretary for
twenty years. His long continuance in that position is indisputable proof
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 295
of the high regard entertained for him by his fellow townsmen who, ap-
preciative of his worth, honored him with election. He has always been
a man of genial disposition, kindly, courteous and approachable, and his
social qualities have won for him the friendship of all who know him.
CHARLES A. ANDERSON.
Charles A. Anderson, who was the popular host of the Q Hotel at Fair-
field, was born in Sweden, January 7, 1862, his parents being A. Peter and
Elizabeth (Anderson) Anderson, who were likewise natives of Sweden,
in which country the father carried on farming until 1868. He then sailed
with his family for the new world, making his way into the interior of the
country. He settled in Round Prairie township, this county, where he in-
vested his savings in a tract of land. It was totally unimproved at that
time but he cleared and developed it and converted it into a valuable farm
which he cultivated throughout his remaining days. He died in June, 1893,
while his wife survived him for about fifteen years, passing away July 6,
1908.
Charles A. Anderson was reared and educated in Round Prairie town-
ship, being but six years of age when the family came to this county. He
attended the district schools and also worked in the fields as his age and
strength permitted. When a youth of sixteen years he started out in life
on has own account and worked as a farm hand, being thus employed until
1899, when, desiring that his labors should more directly benefit himself,
he rented a farm which he cultivated until 1901. In that year he removed
to Fairfield and for some time was in the employ of the Louden Manufac-
turing Company. At length he sold his home and went to Burlington,
Iowa, but remained there for only a brief period, returning to Fairfield.
Here Mr. Anderson purchased the Q Hotel, near the Chicago, Burlington
& Quincy Railroad depot, and continued in the hotel business until his
his guests. He was thus engaged in business when, on the 19th of May,
death, proving a popular host who carefully looked after the comfort of
1908, his life's labors were ended in death.
On the 27th of October, 1887, Mr. Anderson was united in marriage
to Miss Cora B. Archibald, a daughter of Isaac and Elizabeth (Paxton)
Archibald. They had two children: Elizabeth Pearl, twenty-three years
of age, who is the wife of Ray Augstead, of Fairfield; and Otto, aged
seventeen, now living at home. Mr. and Mrs. Anderson also reared an
adopted daughter, Goldie J\Iay, now ten years of age.
296 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
Mr. Anderson belonged to Fairfield Lodge No. 4, I. O. O. F., and
also to the Rebekah degree. His political support was given to the demo-
cratic party and his religious faith was that of the Methodist church. He
was always loyal to the principles which he professed and his name came
to be a synonym for reliability as w^ell as activity in business. His manner
was genial, his cordiality unfeigned, and he won many friends. His widow
since his death has purchased ground and erected an attractive residence
at No. 202 South H street where she resides.
LEWIS H. LONG.
Lewis H. Long is engaged in general farming in Walnut township
where he owns one hundred and fifty-six acres of arable land. He was
born in Buchanan township, Jefferson county, in December, 1848, and in
the intervening period of sixty-three years has been an interested witness
to the growth and changes which have taken this county out of the ranks
of pioneer settlements and placed it with the leading counties of this great
commonwealth. His parents were John and Barbara E. (Courtney) Long,
the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of Virginia. It was
in the year 1844 that the father came to Jefferson county, Iowa, living
with his parents in Buchanan township until he had attained his majority,
when he began farming on his own account. Finally he purchased a
tract of land in Walnut township and undertook the task of clearing and
improving this, converting one hundred and twenty acres into a richly
cultivated tract. For a long time he operated that farm, after which he
sold the property and removed to Wayne county, Iowa, there residing
until his death, which occurred in 1899. His wife passed away about
five years before, dying in 1894.
Under the parental roof Lewis H. Long spent his boyhood days and
in the district schools acquired his education, while the summer months
were devoted to the work of the fields. He was trained to habits of dili-
gence and determination and continued with his parents until he reached
adult age, when he started out in life on his own account, feeling that his
experience was sufficient to enable him to obtain success. He rented a
farm and continued its cultivation for nine years, after which he used his
savings in the purchase of eighty acres in Walnut township. He then
resolutely set himself to the task of improving the place to which he has
since added by purchase until he now has one hundred and fifty-six acres
of finely improved land, constituting one of the valuable farms of this
part of the state. He raises the cereals best adapted to soil and climate
o
f
Kj
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 299
and the plowing and planting at springtime give promise of abundant
harvests in the late autumn. His success is attributable entirely to his
own labors and not only has he established himself in a creditable posi-
tion in agricultural circles but is also well known as a stockholder in the
East Pleasant Plain Bank and in the North Lockridge Telephone Company.
In January, 1872, Mr. Long was united in marriage to Miss Mary A.
Hawk, a daughter of William and Frances (McClure) Hawk, of whom
mention is made in connection with the sketch of her brother, Thomas
M. Hawk, on another page of this volume. Mr. and Mrs. Long have be-
come the parents of two sons and one daughter, Lora A., William Ross
and Thirza S. The son is now following farming in Lucas county, Iowa.
Mr. Long has served as school director but has never been active as an
office seeker, other interests fully claiming his time and energies. His
political allegiance is given to the republican party, his religious faith is
that of the Church of God and his fraternal relations are with the Inde-
pendent Order of Odd Fellows of Salina. His has been a busy and useful
life and yet he has never sought to figure prominently in public affairs.
Year after yeanhe has carefully done his work and performed his duties
and because of his trustworthiness and fidelity he is accorded the friend-
ship and esteem of those with whom he has come in contact. Moreover
he deserves representation in this volume as one of the pioneer settlers.
Few of the native sons of Jefferson county have lived for sixty-three years
within its borders and in that period he has witnessed many notable changes,
including the building of the railroads, the introduction of telegraph and
telephone and the establishment of many important business enterprises
which have done much to place the county on a plane of prosperity. He
ever rejoices in the onward movement and feels that the county has every
right to rank with the leading districts of the state.
GEORGE K. DAVIS.
George K. Davis, a retired farmer of Lockridge, Jefferson county, was
born in Des Moines county, Iowa, on October 6, 1847, ^"^1 is a son of
George K. and Barbara (Kreglow) Davis. The parents were natives of
Martinsburg, Berkley county, Virginia, where the father engaged in tailor-
ing. During the pioneer days they came to Des Moines county, locating in
Burlington, where for some years he was in the retail meat business.
Later he changed to farming, a venture which did not turn out over-suc-
cessfully and soon thereafter joined a party of gold seekers bound for Cali-
fornia. They drove across the prairie with an ox team, lured on, despite
Vol. n— 17
300 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
dangers and hardships, by the wonderful tales they heard of the country
and its opportunities. He remained in California for ten years, at the end
of which time he returned to Des Moines county, where he made a short
stop, before he went to Davis county, Iowa. He continued to reside there
the remainder of his life, passing away in 1896. The mother early came
to Jefiferson county and purchased a farm in Round Prairie township.
During her latter years, however, she resided with her son James R., in
whose home she passed away in 1903, at the age of seventy-six years.
Eight children were born to Mr. and Mrs, Davis, six sons and two
daughters.
George K. Davis was reared in the county of his birth, whose district
schools he attended until he had mastered the common branches. He re-
mained at home with his mother on the farm until he was twenty-four
years of age when he was married and began for himself. For three
years thereafter he farmed as a renter, with such lucrative results that
at the expiration of that time he had sufficient means to enable him to be-
come a property owner and he came to Jefiferson county and purchased one
hundred and twenty acres of land in Round Prairie township. Eighty
acres of this tract was still in timber and at the end of the first year of his
residence he had cleared it and placed it under cultivation. Upon locating
there he erected a log cabin twelve by fifteen feet to which he later made
an addition and this building continued to be the residence of himself and
his family for twelve years. At that time he built a comfortable eight-room
frame house, and later added to his holdings another twenty acres of land,
making the aggregate of his acreage one hundred and forty. The operation
of this place continued to engage his attention until 1907 when he sold out
and moved to Missouri. There he bought a small tract near Memphis
upon which he lived not quite a year, when he returned to Jefiferson county,
purchasing his residence in Lockridge, where he has ever since lived in
retirement. He has three lots here upon which he has erected a fine house,
and now owns one of the attractive properties of the town.
In 1871 Mr. Davis was married to Miss Ellen Veach, who passed away
in 1880. She was a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Parnell (Murphy) Veach,
natives of Delaware. They came to Iowa in the early days, settling in
Des Moines county, where for many years the father was engaged in
farming. There the mother died in 1850. but Mr. Veach was living with
a daughter in Iowa county at the time of his death in 1883. Four chil-
dren were born to Mr. and Mrs. Davis : William, John F., and George, all
of whom are agriculturists of Missouri ; and Lewis E., who is a butcher
of Memphis, Missouri. In 1881 Mr. Davis was again married, his choice
on this occasion being Miss Rachel Murphy, a daughter of Levi and Sarah
(Bowers) Murphy, the father a native of Ohio and the mother of In-
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 301
diana. They moved to Illinois, during the early years of their life, lo-
cating in Fulton county. There the father when old enough began his
career as a farmer, later going to Jefferson county, Iowa, where he pur-
chased an improved farm in Round Prairie township. He operated this
until his death in July, 1903. The mother had passed away ten years
previously, her demise occurring on the 29th of February, 1893. Of Mr.
Davis's second union five children have been born: Mary B., the wife of
Will Stiver, a farmer of Missouri; Ella May, who died on April 7, 1901,
at the age of eighteen years ; Delia E., the wife of Lee Coger, a farmer
of Lockridge township ; Bertha, who married Elmer Sharpe, of Fairfield ;
and Arthur M., who is living in Lockridge.
Mr. and Mrs. Davis both affiliate with the Baptist church, while he
gives his political support to the republican party. He has always taken
an active interest in all municipal affairs, and has served as school director
and while living in Round Prairie township acted as road supervisor for
eighteen years. His residence in this county has covered a period of forty-
seven years during which time he has noted the many changes and rapid
advancement that has been made during the progress and development of
a higher order of civilization. Mr. Davis is well and favorably known in
the county, among whose citizens he nvniibers many friends.
LUTHER P. EMMONS.
• Luther P. Emmons, who is living retired upon his farm, has been a
resident of Des Moines township for thirty-two years. His birth occurred
in Waldo county, Maine, on October 30, 1846, his parents being George
and Hannah (Laiten) Emmons. The father, a native of Massachusetts,
was of Scotch and French extraction, while the mother, whose birth oc-
curred in Maine, was of English and Irish descent. Agricultural pursuits
engaged the attention of the father, who with his family removed to
Wisconsin in 1853. He located on a farm in Rock county, and there the
mother passed away in 1873, while his death occurred at Magnolia, that
county, in 1887. Nine children were born of their marriage: James, a
farmer of Guthrie county, Iowa; Nancy E., who married Wesley Smith,
a farmer of Canada; Albert Weston, who died in infancy; Recta A., the
widow of Martin A. Becker, an engineer who was killed in a gold mine
in Utah in 1879; Helen Augusta, who died in infancy, and Henry Augus-
tus, a manufacturer of brooms in Sullivan, Illinois, who were twins;
Luther P., our subject; Eliza Josephine, who is deceased; and George,
marshal of Ontario, California. '•
302 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
Luther P. Emmons was only a lad of seven years when his people
removed to Wisconsin, where he grew to manhood, obtaining his educa-
tion in the district schools in the vicinity of his home. From his earliest
boyhood he was trained in the work of the fields, so when ready to begin
his independent career, naturally he turned to the occupation for which
he was best adapted. He left the paternal roof at the age of twenty-one
years and began working for himself. Three years later he was married
and located on a farm in Rock county, where he lived until 1879. In the
fall of that year he and his wife removed to Iowa to reside on a tract of
one hundred and fifty acres in Jefferson county, that his wife's grand-
father, Ira R. Peck of New York, said he would present to her if she
would consent to live upon it. During the first two years they rented a
place adjacent, during which time they placed their land under cultivation
and erected upon it the necessary buildings. The soil proved to be most
fertile and productive, so richly rewarding their efforts that they were
subsequently able to extend their holdings by the addition of another
ninety acres. Here Mr. Emmons engaged in general farming until the
condition of his health necessitated his retirement in 1909, since which
time he has been renting his land, but he and Mrs. Emmons continue to
reside there. Although the pioneer period had passed when they came to
Iowa, they endured many hardships and privations, as well as misfortunes
and discouragements, through all of which they exhibited the fortitude
that characterizes those who make a success of any undertaking.
It was on the 20th of November, 1870. that Mr. Emmons was united
in marriage to Miss Augusta C. Peck, a daughter of Heman T. and Helen
E. (Root) Peck. The father, who was a farmer and carpenter, was born
and reared in Ontario county, New York, but was of English extraction.
He removed from the Empire state to Rock county, Wisconsin, in 1867,
settling upon a farm. Three years later he went to Chicago to follow
the carpenter's trade, but was never again heard from and it is supposed
that he was killed in the great fire which occurred in that city in 187 1.
His wife lived until 1880, her demise occurring at the home of her sister,
Mrs. John Scripture, in Jewell county, Kansas. The Pecks were among
the early colonial settlers of America. They trace their origin to the
English nobility and have a coat-of-arms, a lyre with three Maltese crosses
within its borders. The American branch is traced back in an unbroken
line to the sixteenth century, their common ancestor being one Joseph
Peck, who was christened at Beccles, Suft'olk county, England, on the
30th of April, 1587. In 1638, together with his brother, Robert Peck, a
noted divine of that period, he took passage on the ship Diligent from
Ipswich for America, in order that they might escape religious persecu-
tion. The last place of residence of Joseph Peck in England was Norfolk.
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 303
but originally they came from Yorkshire and he was a descendant in the
twenty-first generation of John Peck, of Belton, that country. A com-
plete genealogy of the family was written by a seventh cousin of Mrs.
Emmons, Ira B. Peck of Rhode Island, and published in 1868. One of
the members of the family was William B. Peck, whose daughter, Phoebe
F., married George W. Washington of Mount Vernon, a grand-nephew
of the first president of the United States. She died in 1849. Mrs.
Emmons' grandmother in the paternal line was Clarissa Hamlin, a daughter
of William Hamlin, who was a near relative of Hanibal Hamlin, first vice
president under Abraham Lincoln. Mrs. Emmons has one sister, Ida M.,
the wife of Eli W. Comingore, a fireman in a large rolling mill, of Shenan-
doah, Iowa. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Emmons.
Arthur Hamlin, superintendent of a sanitarium of Battle Creek, Michigan,
married Minnie Morrison, a teacher in the Battle Creek College, and a
daughter of John Morrison, a farmer of Des Moines township, and they
have one daughter, Violet Oneita, aged thirteen years. Grace Lillian, the
eldest daughter and second in order of birth, is at home with her parents.
Eli Perry, who is a farmer of Princeton, California, married Clara Cope-
land, a daughter of William Copeland, a farmer of Des Moines township,
this county, and they have two children, Virgil and Fern. Ray Adelbert,
the youngest member of the family, is still at home.
Mr. Emmons' political views accord with those of the democratic
party, but in local elections he oftentimes votes for other candidates, giv-
ing his support to the man rather than the party. He has served as
justice of the peace two years, while he held the office of township trustee
and director of school district No. 4 for the same period. In matters of
faith he is somewhat independent, never having identified himself with any
denomination. Mrs. Emmons is a member of the Seventh Day Adventist
church of Libertyville, while their daughter, Miss Grace, belongs to Mount
Zion Methodist Episcopal church of Des Moines township. Mr. Emmons
is one of the highly esteemed citizens of his township, having exhibited
in both his public and private life those high standards and upright prin-
ciples, which invariably win respect.
HENRY C. ALSTON.
The attractiveness of Jefiferson county as a place of residence is indi-i
cated in the fact that many of her native sons elect to remain within her
borders and enjoy the opportunities here offered, feeling that no better
advantages in a business way can be obtained elsewhere. Of this class
304 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
Henry C. Alston is a representative and that he has made good use of
time and opportunity is indicated in the creditable position to which he
has attained in the business world. He is now engaged in real-estate
operations, is also president of the Fairfield Gas & Electric Light Company
and is identified financially with other important industrial and financial
interests. He was born near Fairfield, October 31, 1862, a son of William
and Martha (Vaughn) Alston. Little is known concerning his maternal
ancestry, for his mother died during the infancy of the son Henry. The
father, who was born in England, in 181 1, came alone to America and
settled in Illinois in 1849. For a time he worked in that state and then
went to Alexander, Iowa, after which he came to Fairfield about 1843.
This district was then largely wild and unimproved and from the govern-
ment he entered a tract of land about three miles west of the city. The
greater part of his life was spent in Fairfield, his time and attention being
largely given to the development of a farm a mile and a half from the
city and in addition he also conducted a general store for a number of
years, continuing actively in that business until about 1875, when he
retired from the mercantile field. Later he concentrated his energies upon
the real-estate business, dealing extensively in land and negotiating many
important property transfers. For a number of years he served as a
member of the city council, to which position he was elected on the demo-
cratic ticket, having always been a stanch supporter of the party. His
death occurred March 9, 1896. Of his family of ten children the following
reached years of maturity: William E., living in Fairfield; Mary, the
wife of P. C. Barnes, of Los Angeles, California; and Henry C.
The last named has spent his entire life in Jefferson county and after
attending the public schools he continued his education in Burlington
Business College. He made his initial step in the business world as an
employe in the Fairfield Furniture Factory, where he remained four
years. Subsequently he was engaged in the dairy business two years and
afterward devoted fourteen years to the laundry business, establishing the
first steam laundry of the city. That undertaking brought him a sub-
stantial measure of prosperity and since his retirement from that field of
activity he has been dealing in real estate with good success. He is like-
wise well known as an orchardist, as the president of the Fairfield Gas &
Electric Light Company and as a stockholder in the Iowa Malleable Iron
Company and the First National Bank of Fairfield. His interests are
thus varied and important but his resourcefulness and energy enable him
to meet every condition that arises and to readily and correctly solve the
business problems which are always to be met in the conduct of any com-
mercial or industrial undertaking.
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 305
In 1884, Mr. Alston was united in marriage to Miss Anna B. Richard-
son, who was born in Jefferson county, Iowa, in 1865. Both Mr. and Mrs.
Alston hold membership in the Presbyterian church and in Fairfield and
throughout the county have many warm friends. His political allegiance
has been given to the democratic party and his fraternal relations are
with the Knights of Pythias. He is also a member of the Commercial
Club and cooperates in its various projects for the business unbuilding
and improvement of Fairfield in many ways. He has always lived in
Jefferson county and the comrades of his youth have become the friends
of his manhood — a fact which is indicative of a well spent, quiet and
useful life.
NELS PEARSON.
Nels Pearson was for many years actively and successfully identified
with agricultural interests in Jefferson county but lived retired at the
time of his demise, which occurred in Lockridge on the 12th of June,
1907. His birth occurred in Sweden on the ist of January, 1834, his
father being Nels Pearson, Sr., who was a farmer by occupation and spent
his entire life in that country. He passed away in 187 1, while his wife
was called to her final rest in 1854.
Nels Pearson was reared and educated in his native land and remained
under the parental roof until twenty-three years of age. In 1857, having
heard many favorable reports concerning the opportunities and advantages
of the new world, he crossed the Atlantic to the United States and came
direct to Jefferson county, Iowa. Here he first secured employment as a
farm hand and later entered the service of the Chicago, Burlington &'
Quincy Railway, assisting in building the same through Lockridge. Sub-
sequently he removed to Illinois and there worked as a farm hand until
the time of his enlistment for service in the Union army in 1862, becom-
ing a member of Company K, Eighty-fourth Illinois Volunteer Infantry,
with which he remained until the close of hostilities. His military record
was a most creditable one, for he had never faltered in the performance
of any task assigned him. When the country no longer needed his aid
he returned to Jefferson county, Iowa, and in 1867 was married and rented
a farm of forty acres in Lockridge township, operating the same for five
years. On the expiration of that period he purchased one hundred and
sixty acres of timber land in Round Prairie township, cleared and im-
proved the property and cultivated the same for thirty-three years. In
the conduct of his agricultural interests he won a gratifying measure of
306 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
prosperity, gathering rich crops that found a ready sale on the market.
In 1905 he sold his farm and took up his abode in Lockridge, where he
spent the remainder of his life in honorable retirement, passing away on
the I2th of June, 1907. In him the community lost one of its most
esteemed and substantial citizens.
On the 6th of January, 1867, Mr. Pearson was united in marriage to
Miss Emma C. Larson, who was born in Sweden on the ist of May, 1848,
her parents being Swan and Anna Sophia (Anderson) Larson. They are
mentioned at greater length on another page of this work in connection
with the sketch of Albert Larson, a brother of Mrs. Pearson. Unto Mr,
and Mrs. Pearson were born seven children, as follows : Charles Elmer,
now forty- four years of age, who resides in California; Esther Ellen, the
wife of William Grove, an agriculturist of Van Buren county, Iowa ;
Nellie Sophia, the wife of Frank Frieburg, who follows farming in How-
ard county, Iowa; John E., an agriculturist residing at Stockport, Van
Buren county, Iowa ; Albert B., a fireman living at Galesburg, Illinois :
Anna R., who is at home with her mother ; and Edna E., who resides at
Fairfield, Iowa.
Mr. Pearson gave unfaltering allegiance to the republican party, while
his religious faith was that of the Lutheran church. He belonged to the
Grand Army of the Republic and thus maintained pleasant relations with
his old war comrades. His widow, a consistent and devoted member of
the Lutheran church, still resides in Lockridge and has a wide and favor-
able acquaintance here.
REUBEN D. DUBOIS.
Reuben D. Du Bois is numbered among the pioneer residents of Jefifer-
son county, where he has spent almost his entire life, having been brought
to the county by his parents when but three weeks old. He was born near
the little village of Blandinsville, Illinois, on Christmas day of 1842. His
father, John W. Du Bois, brought the family to Jefiferson county in Janu-
ary, 1843, and cast in his lot with the pioneer settlers who were active in
reclaiming the wild land for the uses and purposes of civilization. The
father was born in New York city but before his marriage removed to
the middle west. In his youthful days he learned and followed the cabinet-
maker's trade in New York and on attaining his majority he left that
state for Illinois. He married Elizabeth Dill, a native of White county,
Tennessee, who had gone to Illinois with her parents when twelve years
of age. Both the Du Bois and Dill families were excellent people who
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 307
took active part in the development of their respective communities, espe-
cially along agricultural lines, and ever commanded the esteem and regard
O'f those who knew them by reason of their upright lives.
In the country schools of Jefferson county, R. D. Du Bois pursued his
education, having the privilege of attending only in the winter months,
for his services were needed upon the home farm during the summer
seasons. He early became familiar with the arduous task of developing
new land and was busy in cultivating the fields from the time of early
spring planting until crops were harvested in the late autumn. He con-
tinued upon the old homestead until the time of his marriage and then
began farming on his own account, devoting three years to tilling the soil.
On the expiration of that period he removed to Fairfield, where he en-
gaged in contracting in building material for seven years, meeting with
success in that undertaking. He next turned his attention to the live-stock
and butchering business, in which he engaged for twenty years, his in-
telligently directed labor and unfaltering industry bringing him substantial
prosperity. He has ever regarded as one of the best investments that he
ever made the purchase of a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in
Buchanan township, two and a half miles northeast of Fairfield. This
he still owns and in it takes considerable pride, his supervision being
manifest in the excellent appearance of the place and in the improvements
found thereon.
On the 2 1 St of December, 1865, Mr. Du Bois was united in marriage
to Miss Sarah Welch, a daughter of John and Clarissa Welch, of Tus-
carawas county, Ohio. Her father followed the occupation of farming
in the Buckeye state and in 1854 removed westward to this county, settling
on a farm in Buchanan township. Both he and his wife died in the home
of their daughter, Mrs. Du Bois, the father passing away in 1905 and the
mother in 191 1. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Du Bois was born a daughter,
Charlotte A., whose birth occurred October 16, 1866, and who became
the wife of the Rev. John W. Day. Both were students in Parsons Col-
lege of Fairfield, completing a course there. Mrs. Day passed away June
7, 1901, leaving two children, Herald Du Bois and Wilbur Minton. Since
the death of his mother Herald has made his home with his maternal
grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Du Bois, while Minton is living with his
father, the Reverend Day.
In his political views Mr. Du Bois has always been a republican where
national issues are involved but at local elections casts an independent
ballot, supporting the candidates best qualified for office. His first presi-
dential vote was cast for Abraham Lincoln in 1864. He has served as a
member of the board of county supervisors for two terms and as a mem-
ber of the city council for three terms and has ever exercised his official
308 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
prerogatives in support of measures and movements w^hich he deems of
value and benefit to the community. For thirty-eight years he has been
a loyal member of the Odd Fellows society and for fourteen years of the
Knights of Pythias lodge, while for more than forty years both he and
his wife have led consistent Christian lives as members of the Methodist
church.
CLARENCE MURPHEY.
Clarence Murphey, who has remained a resident of Jefferson county
from his birth to the present time, has followed farming as a life work
and is the owner of one hundred and fifty acres of valuable land in Round
Prairie township. His birth occurred in that township on the 9th of May,
1 86 1, his parents being Levi and Sarah (Bower) Murphey, who were
natives of Ohio and Pennsylvania, respectively. Coming to Iowa, the
father located at Ottumwa, Iowa, where he spent one year and ten months.
On the expiration of that period he came to Jefferson county and entered
a tract of forty acres in Round Prairie township, clearing and improving
the land and cultivating the same until 1854. In that year he disposed
of the property and purchased eighty acres of the farm which is now in
possession of our subject, devoting his attention to its improvement and
development. Subsequently he extended the boundaries of his place by
an additional purchase of one hundred and twenty acres adjoining and
during the remainder of his life was busily engaged in the operation of
his farm. In the conduct of his agricultural interests he won a gratifying
measure of prosperity and was widely recognized as one of the substantial
and esteemed citizens of the community. During the early period of his
residence here he made a trip to the Nevada gold fields, but the venture
proved unprofitable and at the end of two years he returned to. Iowa.
His demise occurred on the 3d of July, 1902, while his wife was called
to her final rest on the 29th of February, 1896.
Clarence Murphey acquired his education in the district schools, study-
ing under the preceptorship of Hiram Heaton. He has always remained
on the old home place and when a young man of twenty-three years
started out as an agriculturist on his own account, farming on shares with
his father. Subsequently he operated the entire homestead place as a
renter until his father's demise, when he purchased the interest of other
heirs and came into possession of property, embracing one hundred and
fifty acres in Round Prairie township and in its further cultivation and
improvement Mr. Murphey has been busily engaged to the present time.
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 309
He makes a close study of agriculture and through the careful cultivation
■of the soil and the rotation of crops gathers abundant harvests each year.
On October 20, 1888, Mr. Murphey was joined in wedlock to Miss Mary
J. Duttweiler, a daughter of Jacob and Sarah (Baldozier) Duttweiler, who
are mentioned at greater length on another page of this work in connec-
tion with the sketch of Albert Larson, a brother-in-law of our subject.
To Mr. and Mrs. Murphey have been born nine children, as follows:
Clarence E., who operates a mill and is also engaged in the manufacture
of cement blocks at Lockridge, Iowa; Frank, likewise living in Lockridge;
and Chester, Hazel, Raymond, Bertha, Eddie, Ellen and Jessie, all at home.
At the polls Mr. Murphey casts his ballot in support of the men and
measures of the republican party, believing that its principles are most
conducive to good government. He is a worthy representative of our
best type of American manhood, endowed by nature with admirable quali-
ties, and commands uniform respect and good-will wherever he is known.
ALEXANDER EASTON.
In few men has the spirit of patriotism been more dominant than in
Alexander Easton, who not only rendered his country valuable aid during
the dark days of the Civil war but in times of peace has proven himself
equally loyal and public-spirited, his efforts in behalf of Fairfield along
material lines being unequalled, perhaps by any other citizen of the com-
munity. He was born in Lonaconing, Maryland, on the 2d of September,
1842, a son of Robert and Mary (Spence) Easton, both natives of Scot-
land, where the former was born in 1800 and the latter in 1812. They
were married in the land of hills and heather, when the mother was but
eighteen years of age, and about 1832 crossed the Atlantic to America,
locating first at Picton, Canada, where their first child was born. Later
they crossed the border into the United States, first taking up their abode
in Pennsylvania, whence they removed to Maryland. Subsequently they
returned to Pennsylvania and there Robert Easton followed his calling —
that of civil engineer — and also engaged considerably in prospecting for
mines, etc. He passed away in the Keystone state and his wife later
brought her family to Illinois, where her death occurred. Unto them were
born ten children, of whom only four are now living, as follows : Robert,
residing in Cripple Creek, California; Alexander, of this review; Ellen,
the widow of Joseph Martin, of Peoria, Illinois ; and Agnes, living in
Spring Valley, Illinois. Those who have passed away are : two by the
310 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
name of Sarah ; two bearing the name of Mary ; Archibald ; and Margaret,
deceased. The youngest, Sarah, married Robert Martin.
It was during the early childhood of Alexander Easton that the family
home was established in Pennsylvania, and in McKeesport, that state, he
spent the years of his boyhood and youth. There he acquired a good
education in the common schools, and continued at home vmtil twenty
years of age, when, prompted by a spirit of patriotism, he enlisted for
service in the Civil war, in September, 1862, becoming a private in Com-
pany D, Fourteenth Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry. His term of service
continued until the close of hostilities, or for a period of three and a half
years, and in the meantime his record was one of utmost valor and cour-
age, winning for him promotion to the rank of sergeant. He served
under Generals Siegel, Averell and Sheridan and participated in forty-
two battles and more than eighty skirmishes, including the battles between
Gettysburg and Richmond. At one time he was under fire for ninety
consecutive days. One of the interesting incidents of the war which he
relates was that of the capture, by him, of a spy south of Morefield,
Virginia. Subsequently it was discovered that the spy was a woman in
man's dress. While she was on her way to prison she passed her captor
and indicated her feeling of hostility toward him in the prediction that
if Jefferson Davis did not kill all of the Union troops within a year Mr.
Easton would within that time find himself in hell. Ere a year had passed
Mr. Easton was wounded and captured at Cedar Creek, sustaining a
wound in the leg and having his horse shot from under him. He was then
sent to Libby prison and such were the horrors of that loathsome prison
pen that he thought that the prediction of the woman had come true.
After his wound had partially healed he was sent to Salisbury, North
Carolina, and there held as a prisoner until the close of the war. He
witnessed the slaughter of several hundred Union prisoners upon their
united attempt to escape in December, 1864. While under General Siegel
at Martinsburg, Virginia, he had been detailed with eighty men to guard
the crossing on North mountain and later rode back to Martinsburg
where he believed he would rejoin his command. He found, however,
that he was within a block of Farley's army of fifty thousand Confederate
troops. Mr. Easton lost fourteen out of his eighty men in a running
fight back to Hagarstown, Maryland, but after crossing the Potomac found
that he was cut off there and lost ten more men in a running fight back
to Greensburg, Pennsylvania. His military record was one of which he
may well be proud and to men like him the nation owes a debt of gratitude
which it can never pay. A strong, sturdy man. weighing one hundred and
ninety-six pounds when he enlisted for service, through the terrible hard-
ships and privations of war and the horrors of incarceration in southern
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 311
prisons he was reduced to but one hundred pounds and for two years
thereafter was unfit for any manual labor.
The father of Mr. Easton had passed away during his absence at the
front and his mother had gone to make her home with a daughter in
Ohio. There he joined her and spent two years in recuperation, after
which he returned to Pennsylvania. Later, however, he went to Illinois,
locating in Fairbury, Livingston county, and there resided until 1889,
which year witnessed his arrival in Fairfield, Iowa, where he has since
made his home. In early life he had pursued a course of study in chemis-
try and for a time engaged in the bottling business at McKeesport, Penn-
sylvania, but on removing to Illinois he worked in the mines, quarries and
sewers, and later purchased a farm, upon which he carried on general
agricultural pursuits. After his arrival in Fairfield he returned to his
former occupation and, purchasing a bottling enterprise, gave close atten-
tion to its management and conduct for more than two decades. He manu-
factured pop and extracts and also manufactured his own gas, and the
excellence of his output was such that he found a ready sale on the market
and his business constantly grew in volume and importance with the pass-
ing years. It was not long ere close application, untiring diligence and
honorable dealing found well merited reward and prosperity came to him
in substantial measure, permitting him, about three years ago, to with-
draw from business activity. He is now living retired in Fairfield, enjoy-
ing the position which he has so richly earned among the representative
and successful business men of this community. He has valuable realty
holdings, being the owner of a tract of farm land of eighty acres located
three miles east of Fairfield, and two good dwellings in the town, in addi-
tion to the pop factory.
Mr. Easton was married, on the 5th of June, 1879, in Fairbury, Illinois,
to Miss Jennie T. Johnson, who was born in Vermont. Fulton county,
this state, a daughter of Dr. Amos and Malissa (Kimey) Johnson. Unto
this union have been born three sons, to all of whom Mr. Easton has given
a substantial start in business life. The first two, Oscar A. and Harvey
L., are associated with Ed DeVall in the operation of the Fairfield Steam
Laundry. The youngest son, Percy J., is a druggist of Fairfield, engaging
in business in connection with Fred Jericho under the firm style of Jericho
& Easton. All are successful young business men, well known and highly
respected in this city.
The religious belief of Mr. Easton is that of the Methodist church,
while he maintains pleasant relations with his old army comrades through
membership in the Grand Army of the Republic. A close study of political
conditions has led him to give his support to republican principles and for
manv vears he has been active and prominent in party ranks here. He
312 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
served for two years as street commissioner and twelve years as city
councilman, and throughout this period probably no other resident of
Fairfield did more valuable service toward the permanent development
and improvement of the town than did Mr. Easton. In his official capacity
he was instrumental in having the surface drainage changed so that each
home now has a park, and all of the street paving was superintended by
him. He was joined by others and caused the hitching racks to be
abolished around the square, an action which caused much ill feeling at the
time, and did all in his power to enhance the attractiveness of the village.
In the matter of sewers he saved the city twenty-six hundred dollars on
contracts and was instrumental in effecting a saving of money to the citv
in various other ways as well. He has ever been a champion of progress,
not only exemplifying the term in his own business career but laboring
for general advancement and improvement in the civic life of the com-
munity in which he resides, and high on the roll of Fairfield's most valued
and influential citizens is found the name of Alexander Easton.
FRANK FOURT, D. D. S.
Dentistry is unique among the professions in that success depends upon
three distinct qualities : a thorough understanding of specific principles,
marked mechanical skill and ingenuity and the capability to control the
financial side of the business. In all of these requirements Dr. Frank
Fourt is well equipped and Fairfield now acknowledges him as one of its
leading dentists, his skill having gained him an extensive practice. He
was born on a farm at Retreat, Wisconsin, July 25, 1866, his parents being
Charles S. and Hannah Fourt. The Fourt family was of French origin
and its representatives have occupied prominent places in the colonization
and settlement of this country. Members of the family have been judges
and congressmen and there is at least one state governor of that name.
The name was originally spelled Fourte but various branches of the family
have made changes in the orthography until the usual spelling is now
Fort. Charles S. Fourt was a farmer by occupation but interrupted his
agricultural labors to aid his country in the Civil war, serving four years
with the Union army. He wedded Hannah Valentine, who was a repre-
sentative of a family of pure English stock.
After mastering the common branches of learning Dr. Fourt of this
review spent three years as a student in the high school at Viroqua, Wis-
consin. He took up the study of dentistry in a dental office, where he
received practical training, and at the same time acquainted himself with
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 313
the scientific principles that found their exposition in reading books on
dentistry. This quaUfied him for the examination that admitted him to
practice in the Dakotas in 1888. He afterward successfully passed the
required examination in Iowa, a state that demands as high qualifications
as any in the Union. This was in 1894. He first located for practice at
Britton, North Dakota, in the fall of 1888 and there remained for a year,
after which he removed to Brookings, South Dakota, where he spent four
years, but not being content to remain in so small a town he removed to
Fairfield in 1894. Here he had the strongest kind of professional opposi-
tion but gradually his superior skill and ability became recognized, his
practice grew and he is today recognized as one of the leaders of the
dental profession not only in Jefferson county but in the state of Iowa.
He keeps in touch with the most advanced methods and improvements
and has an office splendidly equipped with the latest appliances.
In 1890 Dr. Fourt formed the acquaintance of Miss Fanny L. Shan-
non, who was then a pupil in the South Dakota Agricultural College,
located at Brookings, and after she had completed the college course and
a special course in domestic science, she was persuaded to give up the
position of librarian, which she then held, and on the 23d of November,
1892, Thanksgiving eve, she became the wife of Dr. Frank Fourt. Unto
this union have been born three children : Donald, whose birth occurred
in February, 1894; Arthur, born in June, 1895; and Walter, in August,
1899. The first born, however, died in infancy.
Dr. Fourt has always recognized the duties and obligations as well as
the privileges of citizenship and has cooperated in various plans and pro-
jects for the public good, although he has never been a politician in the
truly accepted sense of office seeking. He has, however, served as council-
man of Fairfield from the second ward, having been elected on the "paving
issue." He served on the street and alley committee when the first paving
in Fairfield was done and when he had accomplished the purpose for
which he desired election, he refused renomination and has also declined
to accept the nomination for other offices, preferring to give his undivided
attention to his professional duties. He votes with the democratic party
and is a member of the Masonic fraternity. He has served in all the
chairs of the blue lodge and is found an exemplary representative of the
craft. He attends the Congregational church and advocates the move-
ments for the moral and intellectual development of the community. He
served on the board of directors of the Chautauqua Association and after
filling the position of treasurer of the association for three years, refused
renomination. He took a prominent part in securing Slagle grove for
Chautauqua purposes, and his opinions concerning the work of Chautau-
quas have had weight in deciding the questions coming before that asso-
314 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
elation. It is noteworthy that Dr. Fourt is usually chosen treasurer of
any association with which he becomes connected. He served in that
position in the South Dakota Dental Society and is now serving his third
term as treasurer of the Iowa State Dental Society. Progress and patriot-
ism may well be termed the keynote of his character. His natural attain-
ments and his acquired ability have placed him in a prominent professional
position and at the same time he maintains an even balance in his character
and in his life by his activity in public affairs and in social interests.
JOHN H. MERCKENS.
John H. Merckens has spent the greater part of his life in public office
and his career has illustrated his fidelity to duty and to principle, his
capability, his energy and his resourcefulness. He is- now serving as
grand keeper of the records and seal for the Knights of Pythias of Iowa,
his labors in this connection occupying his entire time. His birth occurred
in New York city, October 12, 1855, his parents being Cord and Helene
D. (Niemann) Merckens, both of whom were natives of Germany. They
were born, reared and married near Hamburg and in 1839 came to New
York where their remaining days were passed, the mother's death occurring
in the same year in which John H. Merckens was born. The father was
connected with sugar refining throughout the entire period of his residence
in the United States. He passed away in 1870, survived by two sons, but
the elder, Richard, died in San Francisco, California, in March, 1888.
John H. Merckens is therefore the only surviving member of the fam-
ily. Left motherless in his infancy, he remained a resident of New York
city until brought to Fairfield by the Children's Aid Society on the 15th
of January, 1869. He afterward made his home with Henry Unkrich, a
German farmer living near Glasgow, working in the fields until May, 1881.
He then secured a clerkship in a general store at Lockridge where he
remained until 1890, when he accepted a position in the census department
at Washington, D. C. Later he was transferred to the labor department
where he continued until 1892. His public service in Jefferson county
covers two years in the position of deputy county clerk. He was also
state superintendent of census at Des Moines in 1895 ^^^ 1896 and in
1898 was elected clerk of the district court for a term of four years. After
his retirement from that position he became bookkeeper and clerk for the
Lowden Machinery Company with which he remained until 1908, when
he was elected to his present position as grand keeper of the records and
seal of the Knights of Pythias, to which work he now gives his undivided
JOHN H. :SIERCKENS
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 317
attention, his ability well qualifying him for the onerous duties that devolve
upon him. Under his guidance the work has been carefully systematized
and the management of the office is thoroughly satisfactory to the officers
of the organization.
On the 1st of January, 1882, Mr. Merckens was united in marriage
in Glasgow, Iowa, to Miss Ida M, Emerson, who was born in Jefferson
county, March 31, 1862, and is a daughter of John W. and Catherine A.
Emerson. Their children are: William C, of Fairfield; Clara E., who
died March 13, 1906, at the age of twenty-three years; and Mary C, who
is acting as her father's stenographer. Mr. Merckens belongs to the
Ancient Order of United Workmen and to the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows, and is a "standpat" republican. He believes firmly in the prin-
ciples of the party and the policy followed by its leaders, thinking that
both are forces in conserving the best interests of good government. Mr.
Merckens has the distinction of being what the world calls a self-made
man and certainly he deserves much credit for what he has accomplished.
Deprived in youth of the advantages that most boys enjoy, including home
training and educational privileges beyond that offered by the common
schools, he has so shaped his life that each step in his career has been a
forward one, bringing him a broader outlook and wider opportunities.
His connection with public office has gained him an extensive acquaintance
and wherever he is known he has won warm friends.
JERRY M. CALHOUN.
Jerry M. Calhoun, who manifests a spirit of unfaltering determination
and unwearied industry in carrying on his farming interests in Center
township, is the owner of good farming property which returns to him
substantial profits. He is one of Iowa's native sons, his birth occurring
in Cedar township, Van Buren county, on the 19th of September, 1857.
His parents, Nobe and Malura (Jimeson) Calhoun, were born, reared and
married in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and in 1853 they came to Iowa, locat-
ing in Van Buren county. Their remaining days were passed there and
in Jefferson county, the father giving his lifetime to the occupation of
farming. He passed away in this county in 1873, at the age of forty-two
years. His wife later married Lewis Sense, who is also deceased, and
she now makes her home in Knox county, Missouri. In their family were
five children, as follows: Anna, who married Frank P. Ball, of Cedar
township; Jerry M., of this review; Scott, residing in Los Angeles, Cali-
Vol. 11—18
318 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
fornia; Mary Adaline Rymer, deceased; and Nobe, the wife of Fred
Jimeson, of Knox county, Missouri.
Jerry M. Calhoun was but five or six years old when he came with his
parents to Jefiferson county and within its borders he has since maintained
his residence. He was reared to rural life and when not busy with his
lessons he assisted his father in the work of the home fields, early becom-
ing familiar with the tasks that usually fall to the lot of the country lad.
Upon attaining his majority he wisely selected as his life work the occu-
pation to which he had been reared, and since entering the business world
on his own account he has engaged in agricultural pursuits, the success
of his undertaking indicating how thorough was his preparation and how
well he had mastered the lessons which he had received concerning the
value of industry, energy and perseverance. He now owns a good farm
of eighty acres located on section i, Center township, upon which he has
resided since 1887, and he also has an additional tract of sixty-five acres
on section 3, this township. He has brought his home place under a high
state of cultivation, introducing various improvements which have greatly
enhanced the value of the property and equipping it with all of the neces-
sary conveniences for the successful conduct of a farming enterprise.
Mr. Calhoun was married, in 1881, to Miss Emma E. McWhiter, who
was born on the nth of February, 1857, on the farm which is yet her
home and which was entered by her father from the government at an
early day. Her parents were John and Catharine (Gift) McWhiter, the
former born in County Antrim, Ireland, in October, 1818, and the latter
in Pennsylvania in 1827. The father on coming to the new world first
located in Maryland and later took up a claim in Iowa. In 1849 he went
to California and later made another trip to the Golden state, the journey
on both occasions being made with ox teams although his second return
to this state was made by the water route. He engaged in farming here
up to the time of his retirement from the business world, and spent the
last ten years of his life in Fairfield. He passed away on the 4th of
January, 1901, his wife surviving him for about five years, her death
occurring in March, 1906. In their family were seven children of whom
Mrs. Calhoun was the second in order of birth, the others being: Mary
C. Allen, of Jefiferson county; Maggie, deceased; Nina, a resident of
Fairfield; Glenn, who has also passed away; Martha Allen, residing in
St. Louis ; and Etta, deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. Calhoun were born three
children, namely: Catharine Malura. who married Harvey Erickson, of
Fairfield; Mabel and Nobe John, both at home.
The religious faith of Mr. Calhoun is indicated by his membership in
the Christian church, to which his wife and children also belong. Early
in life he became interested in the politics of the country and, forming his
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 319
own opinions and rules of conduct has given his support t6 the democratic
party and has ever been a worker for the best interests of the community
in which he resides. He is now serving as township trustee and in this
capacity he is using his influence in behalf of all those projects which have
for their object the permanent development and improvement of the
district.
JOHN H. FRITZ.
John H. Fritz has resided in Jefferson county throughout his entire
life, his birth having occurred February lo, 1865, in Walnut township, upon
the farm which was the old homestead of the family. While reared to
agricultural life, he chose to turn his attention to commercial pursuits and,
since 1887, has been closely identified with the mercantile, manufacturing
and financial interests of Fairfield. His parents were Peter and Susan
(Kurtz) Fritz; the former born in Bavaria, Germany, August 21, 1836.
When sixteen years of age, he crossed the Atlantic to the United States
on one of the old-time sailing vessels in company with his parents, who
established the family home at Burlington, Iowa, but, after a year or two,
removed to Jefiferson county. Peter Fritz has since lived in Walnut town-
ship, and for forty-eight years has remained upon the farm which is now
his home. It was in this county that he wedded Susan Kurtz, who was
born in Michigan and in her girlhood came with her parents to Iowa, re-
maining a resident of Jefferson county until her death, which occurred
about thirty-three years ago. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Fritz have been born
four children: John H. ; Ehzabeth, the wife of D. T. Kilfpy, of Fair-
field ; Joseph, living in Santiago, California ; and Martin, whose home is in
Walnut township.
In the usual manner of farm lads, John H. Fritz spent his boyhood
days, residing in Walnut township until 1887, when at the age of twenty-
two years he came to Fairfield. Here he became connected with the lum-
ber trade in the employ of A. S. Jordan, with whom he remained until his
industry and careful expenditure had brought him sufficient capital to
enable him to embark in the lumber business on his own account, about
ten years ago as a member of the firm of Jordan & Company. This asso-
ciation was maintained for four years, since which time the business has
been conducted by the present firm of Fritz & Parker. He also owned and
conducted a hardware business and coal yard as a member of the firm
of Fritz & Droz. In addition to his other commercial interests he is presi-
dent of the Hawkeye Pump Company and a stockholder of the Iowa State
320 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
Savings Bank and of the Iowa Malleable Iron Company. His business
judgment is sound and his industry an effective force for success, so that
his cooperation has been sought by various corporations.
In January, 1893, Mr. Fritz was married to Miss Margaret Fogarty,
who was born in Fairfield, in 1866, and is a daughter of Thomas Fogarty.
They hold membership in St. Mary's Catholic church ; Mr. Fritz also be-
longs to the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. His political allegiance
is given to the democratic party. He served for seven years as a member
of the city council, supporting many projects and measures the value of
which has been proven as the years have gone by. He is also identified
with several interests of a more public character, being now a trustee of
the Jefferson County Hospital and stockholder of the Chautauqua Asso-
ciation and of the Armory Company which built the Armory for Company
M. His business interests, however, claim the greater part of his time and
attention, and his excellent management has brought to the concerns with
which he is connected a large degree of success. The safe conservative
policy which he inaugurated commends itself to the judgment of all, and,
at the same time, has not interfered with the spirit of progress which is a
basic element in all advancement and prosperity.
JAMES SPEER.
James Speer, a leading citizen and successful agriculturist of Cedar
township, is the owner of a well improved farm of one hundred and
seventy-three acres on sections 20 and 21. This has remained his place of
abode from his birth to the present time, his natal day being January i,
1859. His parents, James and Sarah (Robinson) Speer, were born and
reared in County Antrim, Ireland, and came of Scotch-Irish descent. The
father crossed the Atlantic to the United States in 1840, locating in Penn-
sylvania, where he turned his attention to general agricultural pursuits.
Hearing of the great possibilities of the west, he made a trip to Iowa in
the spring of 1841 and in Cedar township, Jefferson county, found some
land that he believed would prove a good investment. Accordingly he
purchased the tract of three hundred and twenty acres where our subject
and his brother, Andrew R., now reside and also bought an adjacent tract
consisting of eighty acres for a brother in the Keystone state. After the
demise of this brother he sold the property to Andrew Louden. James
Speer, Sr., returned to Pennsylvania in the winter of 1841-42 and imme-
diately made preparations to come to Iowa as a permanent resident. In
the spring of 1842 he took up his abode on his new Iowa farm, remaining
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 321
thereon until called to his final rest aged seventy-two years. He was
numbered among the honored pioneer settlers of this county and was
actively engaged in farming until within four years of his death, when
blindness necessitated his retirement. His wife passed away on the old
home place. Their children were four in number, namely : Rose Mary,
who is deceased ; John M., a foreman of the Louden Machinery Company
of Fairfield ; James, of this review ; and Andrew R., a well known farmer
of Cedar township, Jefferson county, residing on section 20.
In his youthful days James Speer attended what was known as the
Center schoolhouse in Cedar township and in the summer seasons, when
not busy with his text-books, assisted in the operation of the home farm.
He has never married and remained with his parents until they passed
away, taking complete charge of the homestead property when his father
retired. After the demise of his parents, he lived on the farm with his
sister. Rose Mary, until her death, which occurred on the 12th of Decem-
ber, 1905. Since that time Mr. Speer has had assistance in the operation
of the place, living thereon with his tenants. At the time of his father's
demise the estate of five hundred acres was divided among the children,
his share embracing one hundred and seventy-three acres and constituting
an excellent tract of farming land on sections 20 and 21, Cedar township.
He carries on general farming and stock-raising and is one of the well
known and highly respected agriculturists of Jefiferson county. His place
is well improved in every particular and in its neat and thrifty appearance
indicates the supervision of a practical and progressive owner.
Mr. Speer is a republican in politics and is now serving his first term
as township trustee, being elected by the largest vote on the ticket in a
township which is strongly democratic. For several years he has served
as a school director in district No. 3. He is a Presbyterian in religious
faith and belongs to Cedar Chapel, while fraternally he is identified with
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, being a member of Jefifersou
Lodge, No. 4, at Fairfield, Iowa. The circle of his friends is coextensive
with the circle of his acquaintances and it is with genuine pleasure that
we present the record of his life to the readers of this volume.
S. A. POWER.
Scott A. Power, engaged in the coal and wood business, was born in
Davis county, Iowa, December 9, 1869; a son of Albert and Angeline
(Wilson) Power, natives of Ohio and Indiana, respectively. The mother
removed to Davis county, Iowa, during her childhood days, and it was
322 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
about 1840 that Albert Power took up his abode there. They were mar-
ried in that county and still make their home within its borders, Mr. Power
having for many years been identified with its agricultural interests, but,
at the present time, he is living retired in the town of Bloomfield. Unto
him and his wife were born four children: Scott A.; Mrs. Fannie M.
Gilmore, the widow of Rev. W. F. Gilmore, residing in Bloomfield ; How-
ard W., residing in Davenport, Iowa; and Mary, the wife of Hollis H.
Hollaway, of Sheridan, Montana.
The youthful days of Scott A. Power were spent in the usual manner
of farm lads, at the old homestead in Davis county. He attended the
rural school and afterward was graduated from the Southern Normal
School at Bloomfield. Iowa, with the class of 1888. He then engaged in
teaching for a brief time, and, later, entered the Iowa Wesleyan University
at Mount Pleasant from which he was graduated in 1893. Again he took
up the profession of teaching which he followed continuously until 1909.
In the fall of 1895, he came to Fairfield and secured a position in the
public schools. He had previously been superintendent of the schools of
Colfax for a year, and of Coon Rapids for four years. He occupied the
position of high school principal from 1894 until 1899; ^"^ fo'" ^i^ years,
from 1903 until 1909, was superintendent of the schools of Fairfield,
which, under his guidance, made substantial and satisfactory progress.
He had the ability to inspire teachers and pupils with much of his own
zeal, enthusiasm and interest in the work ; moreover, his methods were
at once practical and progressive. In 1909, however, he withdrew from
professional connections to enter commercial circles, establishing a coal
and wood business in Fairfield. Gradually, his patronage has increased
until he is now at the head of a profitable enterprise. He has become
quite well known as a poultry fancier, taking considerable interest in the
breeding and raising of high grade poultry, in which undertaking his son,
Earl D., has been associated with him.
In 1895, Mr. Power was married to ^liss Fannie B. Davison, who was
born in Des Moines county, Iowa: a daughter of John G. Davison. Their
children are: Earl D., Emma K., Helen B., Ruth A. and George W., all
still at home. Mr. Power is a member of the Masonic fraternity and of
the Methodist Episcopal church; associations which indicate much of the
nature of his interests and the principles which he has made the guiding
rule of his life. His political allegiance is given to the republican ])arty,
but the honors and emoluments of ofiice have had no attraction for him.
However, he is never remiss in the duties of citizenship and has, at all
times, given his aid to projects for the general welfare. He is president
of the Fairfield Commercial Club, in which connection he has done much
to stimulate trade interests ; and, until a year ago, he was secretary and
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 323
director of the Chautauqua Association which each year has held an
assembly, bringing to the city many attractive and uplifting entertainments,
while upon its lecture course have appeared men and women of national
reputation. Mr. Power gives his influence on the side of advancement
and he has done much to further social, intellectual and moral progress in
the community.
ALBERT LARSON.
Albert Larson, a prosperous, well known and respected citizen of
Lockridge, has long been actively engaged in business as a carpenter and
contractor. He is numbered among the worthy native sons of Jefiferson
county, his birth having occurred in Lockridge township in December,
1858. His parents. Swan and Anna Sophia (Anderson) Larson, were
both natives of Sweden. It was in the year 1853 that the father crossed
the Atlantic to the United States, locating in Jefferson county, Iowa. He
was a basket maker by trade and followed that occupation to some extent.
During much of his life he was an invalid, however, and unable to do any
heavy work. He operated a truck farm of about twelve acres which he
owned in Lockridge township and there passed away in April, 1868. His
wife was called to her final rest on the 25th of February, 1901.
Albert Larson was reared and educated in his native township, pursu-
ing his studies in the district schools. After putting aside his text-books
he worked as a farm hand by the month for two years and then became
ill with typhoid fever. When his condition permitted he went to Madi-
son county, Nebraska, in the hope that a change of climate might benefit
his health and there remained with a married sister for one year. On the
expiration of that period he returned to Jefferson county and again secured
employment as a farm hand, thus working for three more years. At the
end of that time he came to Lockridge and learned the carpenter's trade,
serving a three years' apprenticeship. He has since devoted his attention
to carpentering and contracting and has won an enviable reputation in
this connection. Mr. Larson owns a fine residence and three lots near the
business district and also owns and operates fourteen acres of farm land
inside the city limits. He has won a well merited measure of prosperity
in the conduct of his business interests and deserves a place among the
substantial and representative citizens of his community.
On the 19th of September, 1886, Mr. Larson was joined in wedlock
to Miss Margaret Duttweiler, a daughter of Jacob and Sarah (Balldozier)
Duttweiler, who were natives of New York and Ohio respectively. Jacob
324 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
Duttweiler accompanied his parents on their westward removal in an early
day, the family home being established in Walnut township, Jefferson
county, Iowa. As soon as he was old enough he made his way to Nebraska
and there followed general agricultural pursuits for one year. Subse-
quently he was engaged in farming four miles south of Albia, Iowa, for
four years and on the expiration of that period returned to Jefferson
county, here tilling the soil for one year. In 1878 he became the proprietor
of a saloon at Lockridge and thus remained in business until his demise,
which occurred on the 4th of June, 1881. His widow, who has now at-
tained the age of sixty-seven years, conducts a hotel in Lockridge. Mr.
and Mrs. Larson have four children, as follows: John N., a young man
of twenty-three, who is still under the parental roof ; Emma A., the wife
of Ralph A. Dunlap, a general merchant of Rome, Iowa ; Karl A., a youth
of nineteen, who assists his father; and William L., sixteen years of age,
at home.
Mr. Larson is a republican in his political views and has held the
position of constable, while for eight years he served as assessor of Lock-
ridge township. He is a worthy exemplar of the Masonic fraternity, be-
longing to the lodge at Fairfield, Iowa. In religious faith he is a Lutheran,
his wife and children also belonging to the church of that denomination.
Jefferson county has remained his home during practically his entire life.
He has not only been industrious but has evidenced in his transactions
those qualities which make friends and, being upright in his dealings and
interested in the moral as well as the financial welfare of the community,
he enjoys the confidence and respect of all who know him.
J. E. BOWERMASTER.
J. E. Bowermaster, whose record in public office as in private life has
at all times been progressive and commendable, is now conducting a sub-
stantial business as a contractor and builder of Fairfield. He was born
in Clinton county, Ohio, February 21, 1854, a son of Frederick A. and
Amanda (Pyle) Bowermaster, both of whom were natives of Clinton
county, Ohio. The mother died when the subject of this review was but
three years old. The father, who was born February 15, 1825, came to
Iowa in 1858. living in Henry county until 1867. when he removed to
Jefferson county where his death occurred June 6, 1909. He had followed
blacksmithing in Ohio and engaged in merchandising in Henry county and
devoted his life to farming in Jefferson county. By his first marriage he
had two children: ]\Tary E.. who in 1874 became the wife of J. C. Gow
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 325
and is now deceased ; and J. E., of this review. Having lost his first
wife, Frederick Bowermaster was married to Miss Mary C. Roberts and
they became the parents of four sons and three daughters : O. R., a resi-
dent of Wyoming; J. W., hving in Fairfield; Henry L., who also makes his
home in Wyoming; Homer L., of Fairfield; Dora, the wife of F, S. Cooper,
of Fairfield; Annie, who became the wife of James Allum, but both died
in Jasper county; and Nellie, the wife of Milton Douglas, a farmer of
Jefferson county.
J. E. Bowermaster was a youth of thirteen years when he came with
his father to this county within the borders of which he has since made
his home. He was reared to farm life and followed that occupation until
thirty years ago, when he turned his attention to the carpenter's trade and
has since been engaged in carpentering and contracting in Fairfield. Be-
cause of his thorough workmanship and reliable business methods he has
been accorded an extensive patronage and now has his two sons, James
H. and Peter E., associated with him in a partnership under the firm name
of J. E. Bowermaster & Sons, this business relation having been main-
tained five or six years. They have erected a number of the best build-
ings of Fairfield and the surrounding district, representing modern styles
of architecture, and their work has at all times been satisfactory.
Mr. Bowermaster has been married twice. On the 3d of February,
1876, he wedded Maggie Gow, who was born in this county May 18, 1854,
and is a daughter of Peter and Jeanette Gow, who were born, reared and
married in Scotland. Their last days, however, were spent in Fairfield.
Unto J. E. and Maggie Bowermaster there were born six children: James
H., who is now in partnership with his father ; Harvey C, a barber of
Fairfield ; Annie M., who was a twin sister of Harvey and is now the
deceased wife of William Schlief ; Peter E., who is in partnership with
his father ; John F., a clerk in the Fairfield postoffice ; and Charles F., at
home. Following the loss of his first wife Mr. Bowermaster was married
on the 13th of October, 1892, to Mrs. Mary (Hiatt) Jones, who was born
in this county March 30, 1855, and is a daughter of Enoch and Edith
(Cox) Hiatt. By her first marriage with Andrew Jones she had one
child, Bessie May, now the wife of T. R. Stewart, of Fairfield. Mr. and
Mrs. Bowermaster now have an adopted daughter, Pauline. In this city
where they have long resided their circle of friends is extensive and the
hospitality of the best homes is freely accorded them. They hold mem-
bership with the Methodist Episcopal church and Mr. Bbwermaster also
belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. His political allegiance
has been given to the republican party since age conferred upon him the
right of franchise and he has been called to several offices, serving as
assessor of Center township, while for two terms he was county recorder,
326 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
filling the position from the ist of January, 1907, until the ist of January,
191 1. Over his official record there falls no shadow of wrong nor sus-
picion of evil, and he has made an equally creditable name in business
circles by his fidelity to duty and his reliability. Having thoroughly
mastered the trade he is able to direct the labors of those in his employ
and his work has not only been satisfactory to his patrons but is also a
source of improvement in the town and county.
CHARLES J. OVERSTROM.
Charles J, Overstrom, who for the past twenty-three years has been
successfully identified with the business interests of Jefferson county as
a merchant of Lockridge, is at present conducting a grocery and furniture
store in association with his son. His birth occurred in Sweden on the
I2th of July, 1847, his parents being Isaac and Caroline (Peterson) Over-
strom, who were likewise natives of that country. In 1857 the family
crossed the Atlantic to the United States and made their way direct to
Jefferson county, Iowa. He was a stone mason by trade and had followed
that occupation to some extent in Sweden, where he served in the regular
army for twenty years. After emigrating to America he worked at his
trade until the outbreak of the Civil war, when he enlisted in an Illinois
regiment, remaining at the front for three years. He was crippled at
Pittsburg Landing and throughout the remainder of his life was unable
to do much work. After the cessation of hostilities between the north
and the south he returned to Jefferson county, Iowa, residing near Lock-
ridge until called to his final rest in 1899. His wife, surviving him for
four years, passed away in 1903.
Charles J. Overstrom began his education in his native land and after
coming to the United States continued his studies in the district schools
of Lockridge township, this county. After putting aside his text-books
he secured employment as a farm hand and thus worked for ten years.
On the expiration of that period he started out as an agriculturist on his
own account, operating a rented farm in Henry county for one year. He
then returned to Jefferson county and for some time operated his father's
farm in Round Prairie township. Subsequently he purchased a tract of
one hundred acres adjoining his father's property, cleared and improved
the same and cultivated both farms until 1888. In that year he abandoned
agricultural pursuits and took up his abode in Lockridge, where he opened
the general mercantile establishment which he has conducted continuously
since. During this period he has held the office of postmaster for twelve
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 327
years. At the present time he is conducting a grocery and furniture store
in association with his son. His reasonable prices and earnest efforts to
please his customers have brought him a large and gratifying patronage.
He owns a fine home in Lockridge and is well known and highly esteemed
as one of the representative and prosperous citizens of the community.
In January, 1878, Mr. Overstrom was united in marirage to Miss
Hannah A. Olson, a daughter of John and Hannah (Anderson) Olson,
both of whom were natives of Sweden. Emigrating to the United States,
they took up their abode in Monmouth, Illinois, in 1867 but after a short
time removed to Henry county, Iowa, where Mr. Olson purchased and
improved a farm, operating the same until he passed away in 1905. His
wife was called to her final rest two years later. Mr. and Mrs. Overstrom
have three children, as follows : Nora E., residing in Burlington, Iowa,
who is the wife of H. B. Tenant, a traveling salesman; Nettie H., the wife
of Henry Rawsher, an implement dealer of New London, Iowa ; and
John M., a young man of twenty-four years, who is engaged in business
with his father. All were born in this county.
Mr. Overstrom gives his political allegiance to the republican party
and has served as road supervisor and school director of his district. His
religious faith is that of the Lutheran church, to which his wife and
children also belong. He has now been a resident of this part of the
state for more than a half century and the circle of his friends is almost
coextensive with the circle of his acquaintances.
RAY A. LINDERSON.
Ray A. Linderson, who assisted in the organization of the Lockridge
Savings Bank in 1904, has since served as cashier of the institution and
is also one of its stockholders. His birth occurred in Round Prairie town-
ship, Jefferson county, Iowa, on the 20th of May, 1882, his parents being
Otto R. and Ida (Johnson) Linderson, both of whom were natives of
Sweden. Emigrating to the United States, the father located in Burling-
ton, Iowa, in 1866, and secured employment as a teamster, being principally
engaged in hauling lumber. About the year 1874 he came to Jefferson
county and turned his attention to general agricultural pursuits, purchas-
ing, clearing and improving a farm in Round Prairie township and devoting
his attention to its operation until 1905. In that year he put aside the
active work of the fields and took up his abode in Lockridge, where he
is now residing at the age of sixty-eight years. His wife was called to
her final rest on the i6th of June, 191 o. To them were born eight
328 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
children, two of whom died in infancy. The others are as follows: Nancy;
Frank, who resides in the state of Washington; Anema; Edward, who
was formerly connected with the First National Bank of Fairfield, Iowa,
and is now a banker of Barnesville, Minnesota; Esther, who gave her
hand in marriage to C. A. Johnson, a professor in the University of
Kansas at Lawrence; and Ray A., of this review.
The last named was reared in Round Prairie township and obtained
his early education in its district schools, subsequently attending the Mount
Pleasant Academy for four years. Having completed his studies he came
to Lockridge in 1904 and assisted in the organization of the Lockridge
Savings Bank, his associates being: John Heron, W. C. Rauscher, O. S,
Hitchner, H. J. Twiting, W. E. Keeler, Samuel Billingly, J. T. Cline, Mat
Trabert, William ODean and Henry Achenbach. From that time to the
present Mr. Linderson has ably discharged the duties devolving upon him
as cashier and is also a stockholder in the institution. A man of excellent
executive ability and sound judgment, he has been chosen to serve as
secretary and treasurer of various organizations and is now president of
the Lockridge Commercial Club. He is likewise a stockholder and director
in the Jefferson County Abstract & Loan Company.
Mr. Linderson is unmarried and makes his home with his father and
sister. He gives his political allegiance to the republican party, while his
religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Swedish Lutheran
church. Though still a young man, he has won an enviable reputation as
one of the prosperous, enterprising and progressive citizens of his native
county.
JOHN CARL BRADSHAW.
One of the well conducted mercantile enterprises of Fairfield is the
furniture and undertaking business owned by John Carl Bradshaw. He
has applied himself closely to the management of his business and carry-
ing a well selected stock, has gained a liberal and merited patronage.
Moreover, Jefferson county numbers him among her native sons, his birth
having occurred in Salina, June 27, 1874. His parents were Dr. A. C. D.
and Mary A. (McCulley) Bradshaw, and the family is one of the oldest
of the county, his grandparents, John Carroll and Anna (Whitney) Brad-
shaw, having settled here in early pioneer times. They removed from
Kentucky to Iowa in 1839, long before the admission of the state into the
Union and entered land from the government, four and a half miles south-
east of Fairfield. John C. Bradshaw afterward transformed his tract of
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 329
wild prairie land into richly cultivated fields and continued to engage in
farming until his life's labors were ended in death. Both he and his wife
spent their last days in this county and in their passing Fairfield lost two
of its most honored, worthy and respected pioneer citizens. Their family
numbered three sons and a daughter. Dr. Bradshaw was born in this
county in 1848 and spent his youthful days upon the home farm, early
becoming familiar with all the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the
agriculturist. Determining to engage in the practice of medicine he entered
Rush Medical College, from which in due time he was graduated. He
then practiced in Salina until 1876, when he came to Fairfield and opened
an ofiice, continuing in practice here until he sustained injuries which
made it impossible for him any longer to take the rides necessary for visit-
ing his patients. He then turned his attention to the drug business, be-
coming a member of the firm of Huford & Bradshaw, and following the
withdrawal of the senior partner he was joined by Louis Thoma under the
firm name of Bradshaw & Thoma. Together they built the Bradshaw &
Thoma block, one of the attractive modern structures of the city and for
a number of years successfully conducted a drug store. At the same time
Dr. Bradshaw extended the scope of his labors to include furniture man-
ufacture, becoming manager of the Fairfield Furniture Factory. Indo-
lence and idleness are utterly foreign to his nature and his energy and
perseverance enabled him to surmount all difficulties and carry his differ-
ent projects forward to successful completion.
In early manhood he married Mary A. McCulley, who was born in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1847, and came to Jefferson county with
her brother Robert. Six children blessed the marriage of Dr. and Mrs.
Bradshaw: Claudius, who died in 1896, at the age of twenty-one years;
Miss A. R. Bradshaw, who is living with her mother; L. S., a druggist
of Fairfield ; John Carl, of this review ; Una, the wife of Dr. Tullman, of
Fairfield; and Ethel, the wife of Ernest Jericho, of Moline, Illinois.
lohn C. Bradshaw. whose name introduces this record, has spent his
entire life in Jefferson county and has lived in Fairfield from the age of
two years. When a lad of six summers he entered the public schools and
after mastering the branches of learning therein taught, continued his
education in Parsons College. For five or six years he was engaged in the
grocery business and then turned his attention to furniture and undertak-
ing, conducting throughout the intervening years one of the well ap-
pointed mercantile establishments of the city. In June, 1899, he entered
into partnership with F. D. Kerrick, under the firm style of F. D. Ker-
rick & Company. They carry an attractive line of goods so as to meet the
varied tastes of all classes and their straightforward dealing and reason-
able prices have constituted the strongest elements in their growing success.
330 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
On the 14th of June, 1899, Mr. Bradshaw was married to Aliss Grace
Wilson, who was born in Fairfield and is a daughter of J. E. Wilson of
this city. They now have two interesting children, Carl Wilson and Ruth,
Mr. Bradshaw belongs to the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows and is loyal to the teachings of these
organizations. He is also an interested member of the Commercial Club
and is in entire sympathy with its purposes, promoting the business de-
velopment of the city. In a new environment and under different con-
ditions he has carried forward the work that was instituted by his grand-
father and continued by his father for the upbuilding and development of
Jefferson county, so that the name of Bradshaw has been inseparably
associated with its history for seventy-two years.
CHARLES F. GEORGE.
No history of Fairfield would be complete without extended reference
to Charles F. George who for fifty years was one of the prominent and
honored merchants of the city connected with the jewelry trade throughout
that entire period. He then retired to private life and is now enjoying
well earned rest. He was bom in Oswego, New York, May 15, 1832, a
son of Joel and Elizabeth (Stebbins) George, who were natives of New
York and Massachusetts respectively. The mother died in Bloomington,
Illinois, in 1885, and the father spent his last days in the home of his son
Charles, passing away in 1887. He was a machinist and throughout liis
life had followed that trade. In the family were four children, Sidney,
Charles F., Hattie and Lyman F. The last named died at the age of five
years and the others have passed away with the exception of Charles F.
George, who is now the only surviving member of the family.
When he was three years of age his parents removed to Joliet, Illi-
nois, so that the greater part of his life has been passed in the middle
west. He there resided until twenty-three years of age, and pursued his
education as a public school student until he reached the age of seventeen
years, when he began learning the trade of a jeweler and watch maker.
He closely applied himself to the business and gained expert knowledge
of and skill in the trade. At twenty-three years of age he removed to
Beardstown, Illinois, and in 1859 came to Fairfield, where he has since re-
sided. Here he opened a jewelry store which he conducted successfully
until seven years ago, when he sold out to T. E. McLain, who had learned
the trade under Mr. George and who still continues the business at the old
location on the north side of the square. After continuing in the jewelry
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 331
trade for fifty years Mr. George felt that he was entitled to the rest that
he is now enjoying and retired. He was ever progressive in business, ener-
getic and enterprising, and while he endeavored to extend his trade rela-
tions and build up a profitable enterprise he never sought success at the
sacrifice of another's interests. He now resides at No. 1008 West Bur-
lington street and his home, which is a fine old brick residence built by his
father-in-law, stands in the midst of nineteen acres of ground, well kept
and tastefully improved.
On the 1 2th of February, 1861, in his present home Mr. George was
united in marriage to Miss Esther A. Mendenhall, who was born Novem-
ber 22, 1842, in a log house in Fairfield where the Presbyterian church
now stands. Her parents were Daniel and Susannah (Pierce) Menden-
hall, who were natives of North Carolina and Virginia respectively but
were reared and married in Indiana. They came to Fairfield in 1842 when
Iowa was still under territorial rule and their remaining days were passed
here. The father died November 9, 1873, at the age of fifty-three years,
nine months and ten days, while his wife passed away March 23, 1904, at
the age of eighty years and six months. He was a gunsmith by trade and
after coming to Iowa was engaged in the grain and live-stock business
in this city for many years and during the period of the war when prices
became high he sold his products at a good profit and laid the foundation
for his fortune, becoming very prosperous. About fifty years ago he built
the residence now occupied by Mr. and Mrs. George. He was identified
with everything for the good and welfare of the city, cooperating in the
various movements and measures for public progress and improvement.
He also gave liberally to church work and was an active and helpful mem-
ber of the Methodist Episcopal church. His political views stanchly sup-
ported the democratic party but he was never a politician in the sense of
the office-seeking kind. In the family of Mr. and Mrs. Mendenhall were
six children: Esther, now Mrs. George; Sarah Jane, the widow of C. C.
Morris, of Mount Pleasant, Iowa; Louis, living in Fairfield; Mrs. Ella
Mount, deceased ; Anna, the wife of John Gard,. of St. Louis, Missouri ;
and Laura, who died at the age of eighteen years. Mr. and Mrs. George
have but one child, Dr. Edward J. George, of Chicago, who is a profes-
sor in Hahnemann College and is a specialist in the treatment of diseases
of the eye, ear, nose and throat. He has a large private practice with
offices in the Marshall Field building. He was born in the house which
his parents still occupy in 1863, acquired his early education in the public
schools of Fairfield and prepared for the practice of his profession as a
student in the Chicago Homeopathic Medical College. His record is one
of which his parents have every reason to be proud as he has attained con-
siderable distinction in the field of his specialty.
332 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
Mr. George was made a Mason in Joliet, Illinois, in 1854, afterward
took the Royal Arch degree and for ten years was honored with election
to the office of high priest of the chapter in Fairfield. His fellow citizens
have always entertained for him the warmest regard and give him the
highest confidence and he has ever shown himself fully worthy of such
honors. His life has been one of usefulness and activity, crowned by
well earned rest. There is an old age which grows better and stronger
mentally and physically as the years go by and gives out of its rich stores
of wisdom of experience for the benefit of others and this Mr. George has
done.
GUSTAF A. BRIGHT.
Gustaf A. Bright, a native of Sweden, is one of the enterprising and
successful agriculturists of Lockridge township, Jefiferson county, Iowa.
Born February 16, 1844, he was the son of Peter and Anna (Anderson)
Bright, both natives of Sweden. His father was a carpenter by trade and
remained in his own country all his life. He died in 1879. His mother
died December 20, 1901, having attained the remarkable age of ninety-
nine years.
Gustaf A. Bright enjoyed the advantages of the education aflforded by
the common schools of his native locality in Sweden. On finishing he did
not follow his father's occupation but entered service as hired farm help
and during the last three years of his residence in Sweden he farmed for
himself. In 1876 he bade farewell to his parents and kin. departing with
stout heart for fields of new endeavor in America. His destination was
Jefiferson county, Iowa, where he worked as a farm hand for two years.
He then rented a farm and operated this for a period of twelve years. In
1890 he bought a tract of sixty-three and a half acres in Lockridge town-
ship, which he set about improving, and this he has operated with excellent
results continuously since that time.
In 1872, while still a hired man in Sweden, Mr. Bright was united in
marriage to Miss Charlotta Johnson, a daughter of John and Eliza John-
son of Sweden. Her father was a farmer and farmed for himself until
his death in 1857. Her mother died in 1874.
Mrs. Bright's life came to a sudden close April 18, 1899. She was the
mother of six children, namely: Anna C, the wife of John Samuelson, a
farmer in Wisconsin; Hulda C., living at home; Emma E., the wife of
A. G. Edmund, a farmer in Wisconsin ; Amanda, the wife of Edward Lin-
derson, a banker in Barnesville, Minnesota; Carl A., who died May i, 1899;
and Esther, who died in December, 1880.
GUSTAF A. BRIGHT AND FAMILY
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 335
Politically Mr. Bright votes with the republican party and gives his
active support to every movement of progress and reform. He worships
in the Lutheran church accompanied by his daughter Hulda who is de-
voted to her father and whose kind ministrations help to soften for him
the edge of the loneliness that comes with waning years.
WARREN H. CONNER, M. D.
Dr. Warren H. Conner, engaged in the practice of medicine in Fair-
field, for which thorough preliminary training well qualified him, and
constant study and research have kept him in touch with the advanced
thought and progress of the profession, was born in Chautauqua county,
New York, July 30, 1855, his parents being David and Caroline (More-
house) Conner, both of whom were natives of New York, the father born
in Ulster county, and the mother in Chautauqua county. In the winter
of 1864-5 they removed westward to Rock Island county, Illinois, and
Mrs. Conner passed away in that state when about forty-eight years of
age. The death of David Conner occurred in St. Joseph, Missouri, when
he was seventy-nine years of age. He was born in 1814 and in early man-
hood engaged in farming but after his removal westward followed the
lumber business in Illinois. Subsequently he made his home with his son,
Dr. Conner, until 1890, and then went to live with another son at St.
Joseph, Missouri, where he died in 1893. The Conner family numbered
nine children, of whom the eldest, Alexander, died in infancy. Volney,
the second son, was an engineer on the New York & Erie Railroad, now
a part of the Lake Shore system, and had the notable record of being made
an engineer when but sixteen years of age — the youngest in the service
of the company. Fie was killed, however, in a railroad accident in 1855.
Rodney, of St. Joseph, Missouri, enlisted when twenty-one years of age
for service in the Civil war and was wounded and taken prisoner on the
first day of the battle of Gettysburg, but was recaptured by the Union
troops on the 2d. His injuries were so serious that for one year he re-
mained in the hospital at Washington, D. C. He afterward went to the-
front, participating in the Virginia campaign but in the battle of the Wilder-
ness he was again wounded and taken prisoner, being incarcerated at
Andersonville, where he was paroled, this freedom being granted to all
soldiers who were likely to live through the winter, thus saving to the
Confederate army the cost of their maintenance. In 1877 he went to
Nebraska, where he entered land, was married, and there resided until
about 1889, when he went to St. Joseph, Missouri. Adaline, the fourth
Vol. 11—19
336 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
member of the family, died when twenty-five years of age. Gilbert en-
listed at the age of sixteen, serving throughout the entire period of the
Civil war. He was wounded on the first day of the battle of Gettysburg
but did not retire from duty, although the wound continued to trouble
him throughout his after life. He became a contractor and builder at
Springfield, Ohio, and met death by falling from a scafifold when engaged
in the construction of a building. Florence Ayres, the next of the family,
is also deceased. Alison, who had charge of all carpenter work for the
St. Louis division of the Chicago, Burlington & Ouincy Railroad, was
killed by falling from a scafifold two months after his brother met death
in a similar manner. Dr. Conner was the eighth of the family. Herman,
the youngest, died of diptheria when five years of age.
When a lad of five years Dr. W. H. Conner was taken by his parents
from New York to Crawford county, Pennsylvania, where the family
lived for five years and thence removed westward to Rock Island county,
Illinois, where they remained until 1878. In that year they became resi-
dents of Polk county, Nebraska, where they continued until 1890. In the
meantime Dr. Conner went upon the Mississippi river as an engineer,
having been granted a license when but twenty-one years of age. He had
previously been employed on the river in different capacities from the age
of thirteen years. Subsequent to the removal to Nebraska, he engaged
in farming and also followed engineering and the painting trade, but think-
ing to find a professional career more congenial and also hoping to find
it more profitable, he took up the study of medicine in 1890 in the Iowa
State University at Iowa City, from which he was graduated on the 6th
of March, 1893, receiving his M. D. degree. He then located for practice
at Blue Grass, Scott county, Iowa, where he remained until 1894, since
which time he has been a resident and practitioner of Fairfield. While
he continues in the practice of medicine with good success he also makes
a study of the treatment of diseases of the eye, ear, nose and throat and
displays marked skill in that department of professional service. His
ability as a general practitioner is also marked and he has long been num-
bered among the leading and successful representatives of the medical
profession in Fairfield. He has always been a student of advanced medi-
cal literature and he further keeps in touch with the advanced work of
the profession through his membership in the Jefiferson County Medical
Society, the Hahnemann Medical Association, the Illinois and the American
Institute of Homeopathy.
On the 4th of June, 1877, Dr. Conner was united in marriage to Miss
Mary Vanderveen, who was born in Darke county, Ohio, in 1853, and in
1861 was taken to Rock Island county. Illinois, by her parents, Mr. and
Mrs. John Vanderveen. Dr. and Mrs. Conner now have an interesting
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 337
family of eight children : Harry W., a veterinary surgeon of Bloomfield,
Iowa; Chauncey, a musician, of Kahoka, Missouri; Jessie, the wife of
J. F. McEldery, a farmer of this county; John V., a dealer in pianoS in
Kahoka, Missouri; Gertrude, a teacher of vocal music; Gladys, at home;
Clyde C, a piano salesman, of Alexandria, Minnesota; and Helen. Nearly
all of the children are musicians and their musical talent adds to the en-
joyment of a happy home. Dr. Conner holds membership with the Masonic
fraternity, having taken the degrees of the York Rite and also crossed
the sands of the desert with the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. He like-
wise belongs to the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and to the Com-
mercial Club. He served as pension examiner under President Cleveland's
second administration and has always been a democrat in politics. While
in Nebraska he filled the office of county commissioner for two terms.
He belongs to the Congregational church, in which he is a trustee and is
always loyal to his professions. In every relation of life he measures up
to a high standard of manhood and citizenship and in his chosen life work
displays an unfaltering fidelity to the most advanced professional ethics.
ESTRUS W. NORTON.
Estrus W. Norton, enjoying an extensive and gratifying patronage as
the proprietor of a livery stable at Lockridge, was born in Henry county,
Iowa, on the 30th of May, 1876. His parents, Ambrose and Emma (Sam-
mons) Norton, were likewise natives of this state. At an early day Am-
brose Norton was taken by his parents to Henry county, where he acquired
his education. He was reared to the work of the farm and as soon as
old enough started out as an agriculturist on his own account, purchasing,
clearing and improving a tract of land in Henry county. After having
devoted his attention to the operation of that place for a few years he sold
the property and purchased another farm in the same county, in the culti-
vation of which he was engaged for several years. Disposing of the prop-
erty, he purchased a farm in Jefferson county and was busily engaged in
its operation until called to his final rest on the 4th of July, 1908. His
wife had passed away on the 27th of February, 1889.
Estrus W. Norton was reared and educated in his native county, pur-
suing his studies in the district schools. After putting aside his text-
books he spent four years working for his grandfather and subsequently
found employment as a farm hand for two years. On the expiration of
that period he rented his father's farm, devoting his attention to its opera-
tion for three years or until he came to Jefferson county. Here, in as-
338 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
sociation with his father, he purchased a farm of one hundred and eleven
acres in Lockridge township, the further cultivation and improvement of
which claimed his time and energies for eight years. He returned to
Henry county and there operated a farm of two hundred acres for one
year. At the end of that time he came back to his farm in Jefferson
county, being busily engaged in tilling the soil for three more years. He
then abandoned agricultural pursuits, leased his farm and took up his
abode in Lockridge. where he purchased the livery stable and has since
conducted the same. It is the only livery in town and as its proprietor
Mr. Norton has built up an extensive and remunerative patronage. He
still owns his farm in Lockridge township and is widely recognized as
one of the substantial and representative citizens of the community.
On the 23d of March, 1897, Mr. Norton was united in marriage to
Miss Lula Shuppy, a daughter of Henry and Anna (Smithline) Shuppy,
both of whom were born in Jefiferson county, Iowa, the former in Wal-
nut township and the latter in Lockridge township. After attaining his
majority Henry Shuppy began farming on his own account, purchasing
a tract of land in Walnut township which he cleared and improved. He
operated the place until March. 1910, when he leased the same and has
since lived retired, though he still resides on one of his farms. His prop-
erty holdings embrace two hundred and forty acres of land in Walnut
township, this county, and one hundred and seventy-five acres in Texas.
Mr. and Mrs. Norton have one child, Mina Pearl, who is now twelve
years of age.
In politics Mr. Norton is a republican, while his religious faith is in-
dicated by his membership in the United Brethren church, to which his
wife also belongs. Fraternally he is identified with the Woodmen of the
World and the Woodmen Circle. Wherever known he is respected for his
unfaltering allegiance to the principles of honorable manhood as manifest
in business and social relations and in public-spirited citizenship.
PERRY KING.
Perry King, filling the position of department oil inspector of Iowa,
by appointment of the governor, and making his home in Fairfield, was
born in Highland county, Ohio, May 26, 1844, his parents being Morris
and Susannah (Landes) King. The father was born in New Jersey,
December 5, 1796. He was an only son but had a number of sisters, and
with the family he removed to Ohio in his childhood days, spending the
remainder of his life there on a farm. He died in Highland county. May
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 339
4, 1851, at the age of fifty-five years. In the meantime he had cleared
and improved two farms but his miflagging industry and hard work so
undermined his health that death came to him when he should have been
but in the prime of life. In early manhood he had wedded Susannah
Landes, who was born in North Carolina, April 19, 1802. She long sur-
vived her husband and passed away in Highland county, April 27, 1893,
when in her ninety-second year. Her mother was a Runnells, a native of
North Carolina, and when thirteen years of age she accompanied her
parents on their emigration to Kentucky and later removed to Ohio, where
her death occurred. She survived an Indian massacre in her native state,
being the only white child who escaped death at that time, managing to
save herself by hiding in an old fashioned bake oven. Her daughter,
Mrs. King, was one of the oldest residents of Highland county, not only
in years but also in the length of her stay in that county. She became
the mother of fourteen children, of whom six sons and seven daughters
lived to marry and have families of their own, and the six boys never
used tobacco in any form — a most creditable record. Jane, the first child
of the family, died in infancy. The others were: Mary, the deceased wife
of Solomon Holden ; Mrs. Rebecca Miller, a widow, living in Des Moines ;
William, of O'Brien county, Iowa ; Henry, who was shot down while
working in a field on his farm in Missouri at the outbreak of the Civil
war ; Huldah Reams, deceased ; John, who was a teacher and surveyor
in Highland county for thirty years and died in Fairfield, while on a visit ;
Mrs. Margaret Stevens, a widow, of Highland county, Ohio, whose hus-
band was in the Civil war; Allen, who served in Company G, Thirtieth
Iowa Volunteer Infantry during the Civil war and is now deceased; Mrs.
Eliza Ferris, a widow, of Highland county, Ohio, whose husband also
was in the struggle between the north and the south ; Mrs. Sarah Perry,
of Marion, Indiana ; Robert, who served in the One Hundred and Sixty-
eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry and died in Columbus, Ohio ; Perry, of
this review ; and Mrs. Gelina Custar, of Marion, Indiana.
Perry King, who was next to the youngest in this large family of
fourteen children, resided in his native county until he came to loAva in
1880. In the meantime he 'had acquired his education in common and
select schools and had early become familiar with the work of the farm.
When fourteen years of age he began teaching and at the age of sixteen
was employed as a teacher in the public schools. He followed that pro-
fession for twenty years and was principal of the schools at Lynchburg,
just prior to coming to Iowa. Following his arrival in Fairfield in 1880.
he embarked in the grocery business in partnership with his brother Allen,
under the firm style of Allen King & Brother, this connection being main-
tained for eight years. Perry King was afterward in business alone until
340 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
1898, when he sold out. He then enjoyed a rest of two years, after which
he went upon the road as a travehng representative for a year for the Iowa
Independent Order of Odd Fellows, making collections and securing sub-
scribers for their paper. Subsequently he was with the firm of Springer
& Stubbs, of California, for whom he sold imported horses and afterward
he sold stock food for a local company. For three years he was agent
for the Grand Union Tea Company, of New York, continuing in that
position until the nth of February, 1901, since which time he has been
deputy oil inspector of Iowa under appointment of the governor.
Mr. King is well known in fraternal circles. On the 22d of June, 1872,
he joined Lafayette Lodge, No. 25, I. O. O. F. at Hillsboro, Ohio, and
after coming to this state was transferred to Jefferson Lodge, No. 4, at
Fairfield, and when Fairfield Lodge, No. 625, I. O. O. F. was organized,
he became one of its charter members. He is also connected with Rebekah
Lodge, No. 386, and he belongs to George Strong Post, No. 19, G. A. R.
His political support has ever been given to the republican party, which
was the defender of the Union during the dark days of the Civil war
and has ever been the party of reform and progress. His religious faith
is evidenced in his attendance in the Congregational church.
Mr. King has been married twice. On the 15th of May, 1865, he
wedded Phoebe Ann Berry, who was born in Highland county, Ohio,
December 25, 1841, and died in Fairfield, Iowa, October 4, 1889. She
was a daughter of John Berry, and by her marriage became the mother
of five children: Emma E., the eldest, married Elmer E. Mattox and
they have been missionaries in Hang-chau, China, for the past seventeen
years, under the auspices of the Presbyterian church. She is a graduate
of Parsons College of Fairfield and also of a Chicago college. Mary E.,
the second daughter, is the wife of C. H. Bundy, of Fathigarh, India.
They, too, have been missionaries for the past sixteen years, being sent
to a foreign field by the Presbyterian board. Mrs. Bundy is likewise a
graduate of Parsons College and of a Council Bluffs college. Gelina C.
is the wife of F. D. Kerrick, of Fairfield, and is a graduate of the high
school of this city ; Wirt B., has for a number of years been a traveling
salesman for the Carr Manufacturing Compa'ny, of Kansas City and lives
in Fairfield. Lee A., a graduate of the Gem City Commercial College, of
Quincy, Illinois, is now chief clerk and auditor of the National City Bank,
of Chicago. On the 24th of December, 1890, Mr. King was again mar-
ried, his second union being with Miss Hadassah M. Black, who was born
in Jefferson county, Iowa. June 22, 1845, ^^^ h^s always resided in this
county. Her parents are Moses and Nancy (Glasgow) Black, natives of
Pennsylvania and West Virginia, respectively. They came to Jefferson
county in 1844, entered land in Des Moines township, and were thereafter
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 341
honored pioneer residents of this section until death. Mr. King has be-
come widely known during the thirty-one years of his residence in Fair-
field and has the social qualities and sterling worth which have won for
him the high regard and warm friendship of many with whom he has
been brought in contact.
BENJAMIN BARNES.
Benjamin Barnes is now living retired in Fairfield, a life of well di-
rected activity in following the plasterer's trade having brought him the
comfortable competence that now enables him to spent the evening of his
days in rest from further labor. Moreover, he deserves mention in this
volume from the fact that for more than a half century he has lived in
Fairfield, having come to this city in 1855. Its history is well known to
him, for he has witnessed its growth and development through many
decades. His birth occurred in Richland county, Ohio, about four and a
half miles east of Mansfield, on the 12th of March, 1834, his parents being
Thomas and Sarah J. (Case) Barnes, natives of Maryland and New Jer-
sey, respectively. They were married, however, in Ohio, and in 1855
came with their son Benjamin to Fairfield, where they afterward resided.
The father, who followed farming throughout his entire life, died in 1884
at the venerable age of eighty-six years, while his wife passed away when
fifty-four years of age. In their family were seven children : Elizabeth
and Samuel, both of whom are deceased ; Benjamin ; Julia and Susan, who
died in this county ; Sadie, the widow of Guy Beatty, of Fairfield, and
one who died in infancy.
Benjamin Barnes was twenty-one years of age when he came to Iowa.
His youth had been passed on his father's farm in Ohio, and his educa-
tional opportunities were those afiforded by the public schools. He early
learned the plasterer's trade and has made it his life work, continuously
following that business until the last three years, during which time he
has lived retired. He thoroughly mastered the trade in early manhood
and because of the excellence of his labor and his reliable business
methods, he was accorded a liberal patronage.
In 1859 Mr. Barnes was married in Fairfield to Miss Mary E. Wil-
son, who was born in Covington, Indiana, April 22, 1835, and came to
Iowa with her parents in 1837. She is a daughter of Grinder and
Eleanor B. (Walker) Wilson, the father born in North Carolina and the
mother in Kentucky. They were farming people and spent their last days
in Fairfield but on coming to Iowa, took up their abode near Mount Pleas-
342 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
ant. Their family numbered four sons and four daughters, who Hved to
mature years, while one child died in infancy, these being: John Milton,
Catherine, Isaac, James, Joshua, Prudence and Ellen, all now deceased ;
Mary, who is the only one now living ; and Francis, who died in infancy.
Mrs. Barnes is today the oldest resident of Jefferson county in years of
connection with this part of the state, for there is no one living here that
came prior to 1837. This was two years before the county was organ-
ized by the territorial legislature and she remembers well when the state
was admitted to the Union. She relates many interesting incidents of the
early days when the broad prairies were covered with their native grasses,
when the timber was uncut and when deer and other wild game were to
be had in abundance. Indians, too, were more numerous than the white
settlers in this part of the state and the work of improvement and progress
had scarcely been begun. Mr. Barnes, too, is one of the oldest settlers
here, having for fifty-six years lived in Fairfield. In politics he is a re-
publican, supporting the party since its organization, and his religious
faith is that of the ^Methodist Episcopal church. He has always lived up
to his profession and his life has been an honorable, upright one.
WILLIAM L. BANKHEAD.
William L. Bankhead, who for the past three years has capably dis-
charged the duties devolving upon him in the capacity of postmaster at
Lockridge, ha$ long devoted his attention to general agricultural pursuits
and still resides on his farm near Coal Port. His birth occurred in Penn-
sylvania on the 27th of September, 1852, his parents being James and
Mary (Dalton) Bankhead, the fonner a native of Scotland and the latter
of the Keystone state. Emigrating to America, James Bankhead first lo-
cated in British Columbia and subsequently removed to Pennsylvania,
where he was engaged in coal mining. In 1853 he came to Jeft'erson county,
Iowa, locating near Fairfield. He opened the first coal mine in this county
in association with John Heron, with whom he remained in partnership
about four years. On the expiration of that period he removed to Lock-
ridge township and opened a mine at what is now called Coal Port, con-
tinuing its operation until about sixty years of age. The remainder of his
life was spent in honorable retirement in the home of our subject, his de-
mise occurring on the 4th of May, 1898. He had been a resident of this
county forty-five years and had won many warm friends within its borders.
His wife was called to her final rest on the i6th of June, 1896.
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 343
William L. Bankhead was reared to manhood in Jefferson county and
largely acquired his education in the district schools of Lockridge town-
ship. After putting aside his text-books he remained on the home farm
and assisted in its operation until thirty years of age, when he purchased
the tract of land in Lockridge township which has remained in his pos-
session continuously since and in the cultivation and improvement of which
he has been busily engaged. In 1908 he was appointed postmaster at
Lockridge and has since filled the office in a most satisfactory and com-
mendable manner. In the conduct of his agricultural interests he has also
met with success and is widely recognized as one of the substantial and
representative citizens of the community.
In September, 1882, Mr. Bankhead was united in marriage to Miss
Lydia Graber, a daughter of Christian and Fanny (Weise) Graber, both
of whom were natives of France. The father, who became one of the
earliest settlers of Jefferson county, Iowa, purchased land from the govern-
ment and began its miprovement. To the cultivation of that property he
devoted his time and energies throughout the remainder of his life, pass-
ing away in 1887. The demise of his wife occurred in 1879. Mr. and
Mrs. Bankhead have two children, namely: Bertha M., the wife of Lewis
Boos, a merchant of Lockridge, Iowa; and Gladys F., editor of the Lock-
ridge Herald.
Mr. Bankhead is a stanch republican in politics and his fellow towns-
men, recognizing his worth and ability, have called him to several positions
of public trust. He has served as trustee of Lockridge township for eight
years, has acted as constable for a similar period and for a number of
years served as school director. He is a stockholder in the Fairfield Chau-
tauqua Association and is a worthy exemplar of the Masonic fraternity.
In religious faith he is a Baptist. Brought to this county by his parents
when but a year old, he has since remained within its borders. In all the
relations of life he has been true to high and honorable principles and
has never faltered in a choice between right and wrong but has always
endeavored to follow a course that his judgment and his conscience have
sanctioned.
WILLIAM LOUDEN.
There is perhaps in all this history no better example of what deter-
mination, ability and industry can accomplish than is to be found in the life
history of William Louden, now vice president and superintendent of the
Louden Machinery Company, of Fairfield. Today he is one of the owners
344 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
of a splendidly developed plant for the manufacture of barn equipments
and has become a recognized authority upon this subject, his counsel being
sought in national consideration of this question. Jefferson county has
every reason to be proud of his record, for it is here that he has overcome
the almost insurmountable difficulties and obstacles that have confronted
him and worked his way upward until he stands among the most enter-
prising and prosperous men of this section of the state. Moreover, he
has been a resident of the county for sixty-nine years and at all times has
been interested in its progress and has cooperated in its public projects to
the extent of his ability.
Mr. Louden was born October i6. 1841. in Cassville, Huntingdon
county, Pennsylvania, a son of Andrew and Jane (Speer) Louden, both
of whom were natives of County Antrim, Ireland, having been born about
seven miles north of Belfast. The father's birth occurred May 4, 181 1,
and the mother's on the i8th of April, 1813. The Louden family origi-
nated in Scotland, where the clan became well known and representatives
of the name emigrated to Ireland during the time of the religious persecu-
tion of the Presbyterians. Members of the Speer family intermarried
with the English, so that that strain was also introduced. Andrew Louden
and Jane Speer were married on the Emerald isle, January 6, 1840, and in
the spring of the following year as passengers on a sailing vessel reached
the new world. They made their way to Pennsylvania to join Mrs. Lou-
den's brother, Robert Speer, and in the spring of 1842 came to Jefferson
county, Iowa, arriving on the ist of May. The family made the journey
by river from Pennsylvania to Burlington and the men walked the entire
distance from that city to Fairfield. The father worked the first winter
in a mill and the next spring purchased land in Cedar township, seven
miles southeast of Fairfield. He became the owner of about five hun-
dred acres and later secured an additional tract of school land. He re-
sided thereon throughout the remainder of his days and converted the tract
of wild prairie into richly cultivated fields. He was a hard working pioneer
farmer and his labor constituted an important element in the early de-
velopment of this section of the county. His death occurred February 28,
1884, and his wife passed away February 24, 1878. Their children were
nine in number: John, who died in infancy in Ireland; William; Agnes,
the deceased wife of John Dill ; Mary, who passed away at the age of
three years ; John Speer, who died on a farm in this county, March 7,
191 1 ; Andrew, living at Vallejo, California; James and Thomas, residents
of Fairfield ; and Robert B., who is a partner of his brother William in the
Louden Machinery Company.
William Louden has been a resident of Jefferson county from the age
of six months, or for sixty-nine years. He resided upon the home farm
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 345
until 1870 and since that time has hved in Fairfield. His youthful days
were divided between the work of the fields and the attainment of an
education in the country schools. He also became a student in AxHne's
University, at Fairfield, and prior to his marriage engaged in teaching
school for three terms. He afterward concentrated his energies upon
farm work and as he busied himself with the duties incident to that oc-
cupation he began to feel that methods might be improved and brought
his mechanical skill and inventive ingenuity to bear upon the questions
that continually arose before him. At length he worked out some of his
plans for the improvement of barn fixtures and in 1870 and 1871 built
his first factory for the manufacture of barn equipment and farm ma-
chinery. He has since figured in the business circles of Jefferson county
as an inventor and manufacturer and of him it has been written : "His
first patent for a hay carrier was dated September 24, 1867, and his last
patent for a cattle stanchion was dated April 25, 191 1. What a tale of
trials and tribulations and final triumph is contained in these eventful
forty-four years ! When he began his work he was a farmer boy with a
rather frail constitution, and the hard work on a pioneer farm caused
him to study how it might be made easier as well as more effective. It
was a serious undertaking for a green country boy in a pioneer community
where there were no manufacturing facilities, and where the thought of
the people ran in an entirely different direction. In these old pioneer days
brawn and muscle were relied upon to win, and one who tried to find an
easier way to do things was not generally considered with favor. He was
most frequently looked upon as lazy or trifling, and as trying to shirk his
part of the work. Consequently, not one in a hundred who made attemps
along this line ever succeeded ; nor was it any better in manufacturing.
Many manufacturing attempts were made in Fairfield before any proved
successful. A number of efforts were made in the early days to make
standard goods, such as the Manny reaper, the Weir cultivator, the sep-
arating threshing machine, and also wagons, plows, furniture, woolen
goods, etc., all of which had to be discontinued. Manufacturing facilities,
as well as the manufacturing spirit, were then undeveloped, and available
capital could be more profitably employed in farming and selling the nat-
ural fertility of the soil without any regard to questions of conservation.
These were the conditions under which W^illiam Louden undertook to es-
tablish his business, and he was destined to have no easy time. In those
days no one would think of buying anything for the protection or comfort
of a cow. The sheltered side of a strawstack was good enough for her,
and she was fortunate, indeed, if she could secure this shelter. No money
could be made in selling milk or butter because everybody 'kept a cow.'
The 'town cows' got much of their living by 'hopping farmers' wagons'
346 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
and filching the feed for the horses, and sometimes the cow paid dearly for
her dinner in the beating given her by the enraged farmer. The hay fork
and carrier were at first the chief reliance of the business, and even that
was exceedingly slim compared with what it became in later years. Barns
were few, and were generally built low and full of timbers, so that a hay
fork and carrier could not be used to much advantage. Occasionally, a
sturdy farmhand would ofifer to bet that he could pitch more hay than any
'patent hay fork' and sometimes he could, for in many cases all he had
to do was to roll the hay down ofif the load into the mow on the floor
below. In time, farmers saw the advantage of the hay carrier, and began
to build barns accordingly — thus more than doubling the storage capacity.
This, however, had to be waited for, and the prospects ahead did not
supply present needs. Notwithstanding all these obstacles and discourage-
ments, the business grew and increased until it has finally become world
wide."
Between the years 1871 and 1876, "Sir. Louden engaged in the general
manufacture of farm machinery but the hard times came on and the hour
did not seem ripe for an industry of that character, so that he at length
failed, finding himself not only penniless but in debt and with a family to
support. He procured on credit a span of horses and an old wagon, all
worth not exceeding seventy-five dollars, and proceeded to canvass the
country and put up hay carriers and other equipments in the barns of his
farmer friends. Seven years passed in this way. during which time he
made enough to support his family and keep his business going. ^lore
than that, he gained knowledge from this experience that has been of in-
estimable value to him in his later work. After the seven years' test period
had passed he concentrated his energies upon the development of his
manufactory and prior to 1889 conducted the business alone with such
assistance as was given him by his faithful wife. In that year his brother
R. B. Louden was induced to become a member of the company and three
years later J. C. Fulton acquired an interest in the business which has
been organized and incorporated under the name of the Louden Machin-
ery Company, with R. B. Louden president, William Louden, vice presi-
dent and superintendent, and Mr. Fulton, as secretary-treasurer. William
Louden looks after the development of the goods and all three of the part-
ners participate in the general management of the business. The quality
of the products has received recognition throughout the country, as is
manifest in the fact that the facilities of manufacture have been con-
stantly extended and increased until the plant in Fairfield is now a very
large one, covering a great amount of ground. It is splendidly equipped
with machinery necessary for manufacture in every line and everything
in barn equipment is here made, every modern appliance being approved
(
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY . 347
by the best authorities for scientific and practical dairy farming. More-
over, they have a second factory of ahnost equal size to supply the trade
of Canada and the British empire. The trade through other foreign coun-
tries is also rapidly increasing with every promise of continued growth
and expansion in the future.
William Louden has come to be a recognized authority throughout the
country on the subject of barn equipment and the care of cattle and other
stock, and his methods have shown that the value of a milk-producing ani-
mal may be greatly enhanced by proper care. In 1908 he was appointed by
Governor Cummins to the White House conference for the conservation of
natural resources, one of three appointed in Iowa. In 1907 at a meeting
of the Manufacturers Association in Iowa at Council Bluffs, he read a
paper on the agricultural schools of Iowa. This so extended his reputa-
tion that the appointment to the White House conference was made.
The factories of the Louden Machinery Company have been for the past
two years profitable enterprises and in Fairfield alone employment is fur-
nished to one hundred workmen. Mr. Louden has also been largely re-
sponsible for the organization and development of the lOwa Malleable
Iron Company, which now employs one hundred and twenty-five workmen,
and of which he is also president. He is likewise a stockholder in the
Hawkeye Pump Company, a director in the Manufacturers Insurance
Company, at Waterloo, Iowa, and a director of the Chautauqua Associa-
tion at Fairfield.
On the 2d of January, 1868, Mr. Louden was married to Miss Mary
Jane Pattison, who was born in Cedar township, January 2, 1849, and has
always resided within the borders of this county. Her parents, Alexander
and Elizabeth (Craig) Pattison, were natives of Ireland, where they were
reared. They were married, however, in New York, and in 1840 came to
Jefferson county, Iowa, Mr. Pattison having previously visited the county
and entered land from the government in Cedar township. Subsequently
their entire lives were passed in this district, the death of Mrs. Pattison
occurring on the old home farm, while Mr. Pattison passed away in Fair-
field, where he had lived retired for about a year. Mrs. Louden is the
only one of their five children who reached adult age, and by her mar-
riage she has become the mother of four children : Helen Craig, who died
November 7, 1901, at the age of thirty years; Agnes Mary, the wife of
A. A. Fry, manager of the St. Paul branch of the Louden Machinery
Company, who have a son William Louden Fry; Arthur Clare, who re-
sides at home, and is married ; and Robert Bruce, of Fairfield, who is mar-
ried and has a son, Robert William. The family residence is one of the
beautiful homes of Fairfield, at No. 501 West Washington street, and
was built bv Mr. Louden in 1896-7.
348 . HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
The record of Mr. Louden as made in the business world is indeed an
enviable one and yet it does not comprise the extent of his activity, for in
many public connections his work and worth have been felt. He votes
with the democracy and has been an earnest advocate of Bryan but is
not a politician in the sense of office seeking. He holds membership with
the Knights of Pythias and with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks.
He is a director of the Jefferson County Old Settlers Park Association
and a member of the Old Settlers Association. He was appointed in con-
nection with A. W. McElroy, editor of the Tribune, and of J. S. McKin-
ney a member of the committee, to lay the proposition of building the new
court house before the people. They succeeded in the task which they
undertook, presenting the matter in such an advantageous way that the
campaign in support of the project was successful, although the question
had previously been voted down several times. ]\Ir. Louden was largely
instrumental in having extended the former short courses in agriculture
and has done much to further the interests of agricultural education in the
state, knowing how valuable is scientific training for the farmer that he
may extend the possibilities that lay before him in the cultivation of the
soil and the raising of stock. While his own labors have been crowned
with substantial success, his life has also been one of intense usefulness
to the community and to the country at large. He has contributed much
to the world's work and may well be termed a benefactor by the agricul-
tural community, yet he remains today the same genial gentleman, whose
simplicity of manner and unfeigned cordiality gained him friendship and
high regard wherever he is known.
JOHN O. SAAIUELSON.
An excellent farm of two hundred and forty acres with splendid im-
provements upon it is the property of John O. Samuelson, whose home is
on section 20, Black Hawk township. He deserves much credit for what
he has accomplished because his advancement is due to his untiring indus-
try, sound business judgment and capable management. He was born in
Sweden, July 9, 1854, a son of Samuel and Gertrude Sophia (Anderson)
Samuelson, who were also natives of Sweden, in which country the mother
died when her son John was about fourteen years of age. The father was
a farmer by occupation and in 1870 he sailed for America, settling first in
New Jersey. He afterward made his way westward to Chicago where
for thirteen months he worked at any employment that would yield him
an honest living and enable him to provide for his family. On the expira-
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 349
tion of that period he came to Jefferson county, Iowa, settling near Salina
where he lived for one year, after which he removed to a farm in Black
Hawk township. Upon that place he spent the remainder of his life, work-
ing diligently and with determination to improve the property until his
labor resulted in the development of well cultivated fields which annually
returned to him good harvests as the reward for his industry. In 1870
he had been married a second time, having in New York city wedded Miss
Chariotta Blomgren, a native of Sweden, who is now living in Packwood,
this county. The father of our subject, however, passed away April 28,
1908.
John O. Samuelson crossed the Atlantic a short time before his father
made the voyage, remaining at Hagerstown, New Jersey, until the father
arrived. With him he came to the middle west and has been a resident
of Jefferson county since 1872., His education was all acquired in his na-
tive land and after arriving in America his time and energies were all de-
voted to the work of assisting his father in the development and improve-
ment of the farm. At length he determined to start out in life on his own
account and rented land in Jefferson county from C. C. Holton. For
twenty years he and his father leased this property and cultivated it to-
gether, at the end of which time John O. Samuelson invested his earnings
in one hundred and sixty acres of land on section 20, Black Hawk town-
ship, on which he now resides. Since that time he has extended the boun-
daries of his farm by an additional purchase of eighty acres and today
has one of the best improved properties in this section of the county. It
is equipped with all modern accessories and in the midst of the farm
stands an elegant residence. Near it are substantial and commodious
barns and outbuildings for the shelter of grain and stock and these in
turn are surrounded by highly cultivated fields. Six years ago on account
of his health Mr. Samuelson had to give up the active work of the farm
and now rents his land yet gives personal supervision to the work. He
has made his home upon this place for sixteen years.
On the 25th of March, 1885, occurred the marriage of Mr. Samuelson
and Miss Hilda Louise Blomgren, a daughter of Carl and Mary (Ander-
son) Blomgren, both of whom were natives of Sweden, in which country
the father was superintendent of a writing paper manufacturing plant. In
the fall of 1885 he and his family came to the United States, settling in
Packwood, Jefferson county, Iowa. He was born in 181 5 and died at the
home of Mr. and Mrs. Samuelson July 18, 1899. His wife was born
April 2, 1824, and passed away in Packwood in June, 191 1. Unto Mr.
and Mrs. Samuelson have been born a son and daughter. The former,
Verne S., born February 24, 1886, is a graduate of the Iowa Wesleyan
University and College at Alount Pleasant, and is now in the employ of
350 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
the Copeland drug store in Fairfield, Iowa. Edna, residing at home with
her parents, is a graduate of the Iowa Wesleyan Academy at Mount
Pleasant, and was a student in the Wesleyan University, while at the pres-
ent time she is taking a course of music in Parsons College, at Fairfield.
The parents are faithful and devoted members of the Swedish Luth-
eran church of Pack wood and the daughter holds membership in the Meth-
odist Episcopal church there. In politics Mr. Samuelson is a stanch re-
publican who believes in holding firmly to the principles and the policy
of the party. He is now serving as a trustee of Black Hawk township
and is a public-spirited citizen whose interest in the welfare and progress
of the community has been manifest in many tangible ways. He has never
had occasion to regret that the family came to America in his youthful
days. He found a welcome on the free soil of this country and oppor-
tunities which the old country might not have afforded him. Here where
labor is unhampered by caste or class he has steadily worked his way
upward and is today one of the valued and representative citizens of Black
Hawk township.
CHARLES M. THOMPSON.
Charles M. Thompson, who remained a resident of Jefiferson county
from 1850 until his death on the 28th of August, 1897, devoted his atten-
tion to farming interests throughout his active business career and won a
gratifying measure of prosperity in his undertakings in this connection.
His birth occurred in Highland county, Ohio, on the 19th of September,
1833, his parents being Jeremiah and Abigail (Hart) Thompson. Jere-
miah Thompson, who was born in Chatham county. North Carolina, in
1800, removed to Ohio with his parents when a youth of thirteen years
and there later followed farming. He also took an active interest in
political affairs as an advocate of the democracy and was several times
elected to positions of public trust and responsibility. In March, 1850,
he came to Jefferson county, Iowa, and purchased what was known as the
Cameron farm, comprising one hundred and sixty acres of cleared land
and eighty acres of timber. He immediately began the task of improv-
ing the place and was busily engaged in its operation throughout the re-
mainder of his life. He became widely recognized as a substantial and
progressive citizen of the community and it was largely because of his
efforts that the Birmingham Lodge of the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows was organized. His demise occurred on the 5th of July, 1875,
CHARLES M. TH0:MPS0N
MRS. CHAKLES M. THOjVIPSON
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 355
while his wife was called to her final rest on the 7th of February, 1891,
when eighty years of age. - -
Charles M. Thompson, who was a J^outh- of- seventeen when he came
with his parents to Iowa, spent the remainder of his life within the borders
of Jefferson county. •During the yeal's 1855 and 1856 he leased and
operated the Rutledge homestead, the "widowed owner of which was the
mother of Anne Rutledge, the first love of Abraham Lincoln. Eventually
he bought a- tract of land 'ih Eibert5« township, 'cleared and improved the
property and subsequently aiigrriented -hls' holdings by additional purchase
until at one time he owned four "hundred and eighty-six acres of rich and
productive land. General agricultural pttrsuits claimed his attention
throughout his- active business career and yielded him a gratifying annual
income. He was largely instrdifTiental''inthS organization of the county
fair and for twdve years served as a- merhber"®! its board of directors]
Mr. Thompson was married twice.-' On the 19th of March, 1854, he
wedded Miss Sarah Jane McGuire; by whom he had eleven children, as
follows : James Benton ; Silas Madisoii:; Erasmus Emery, who passed away
in 1869; Ellen; Minnie; Avery R. ; Omar ; Cora, whose demise occurred
in 1869; Walter; Simon; and Clark. The wife and mother was called
to her final rest in 1880 and on the 15th of D'ecember; 1886, Mr. Thomp-
son was again married, his second union being with- Miss Clara Mealey,
a daughter of James and Anna Mealey, who "vvere early settlers of Keokuk
county but are now deceased. Mrs. Thompson is a niece of the late well
known physician. Dr. Mealey, of Pleasant Plain. After her husband's
demise Mrs. Thompson adopted a little girl, Violet M.-Kutz, who 'is nOw
attending the Liberty Ladies' College at Liberty, Missouri. ucji iin-s.
At the polls Mr. Thompson supported the prohibition part^, 'firmly
believing that the liquor traffic should be suppressed in the best interests
of the nation. He belonged to the Christian church at Fairfield, of which
his widow is also a devoted and consistent member. The latter makes her
home in Penn township and has an extensive circle of friends, her many
good traits of heart and mind having endeared her to all with whom she
has come in contact. ■ ^'
lOHN S. KURTZ.
John S. Kurtz is one of the highly successful farmers and stockmen
of Black Hawk township, where he is engaged in the operation of the
farm upon which he was born. His birth occurred in April, 1872, his
parents being John and Caroline (Weyer) Kurtz, the father a native of
Vol. 11—20
356
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
Germany and the mother of Mississippi. In his early childhood John
Kurtz emigrated to the United States with his parents, who located in
Jefferson county. Here he finished his schooling and assisted his father
on the farm until he attained his majority when he went to Burlington
and took a position on the railroad. He continued to follow this occu-
pation in various capacities during the succeeding nine years. Having
always been trained to appreciate the value of economy, he was prudent
in his habits of living and his expenditures and during that time saved
enough to buy a quarter section of land at Keota. When he gave up rail-
roading he sold this and invested the returns in a tract of raw land in Jef-
ferson county. He most energetically applied himself to clearing and plac-
ing under cultivation his newly acquired land with gratifying results. As
his means permitted he extended the boundaries of his farm until at one
time he owned four hundred acres of land, and continued to devote his
activities to the further improvement of his holdings until his death in
1890. The mother passed away in 1887.
Until he was fifteen years of age John S. Kurtz was reared under the
parental roof and attended the district schools in the vicinity. Following
the death of his mother he made his home with an elder brother, until
such time as he was able to make his own way in the world, when he
applied himself to the cultivation of a tract of sixty acres of land north
of the old home, that had been left to him by his father. Owing to the
intelligent and practical direction of his energies his undertaking proved
so successful that he was later able to add another forty acres to his hold-
ings. When he had operated his farm for about seven years he sold it
and bought the old homestead, and here he has ever since resided. This
place consists of one hundred and twenty acres of fertile land, all under
high cultivation. During the period of his ownership, Mr. Kurtz has ef-
fected such improvements as he has been able to afford from his earn-
ings, striving to keep abreast with the progressive spirit of modern meth-
ods in his vocation. In connection with the tilling of his fields, that are
almost entirely devoted to cereals, he makes a specialty of stock-raising.
He annually prepares for the market from fifty to sixty hogs and keeps
twenty head of cattle and about thirteen horses.
In January, 1897, Mr. Kurtz was united in marriage to Miss Bertha
Kaufman, a daughter of Jacob Kaufman. She was a native of Germany,
where her parents spent their entire lives, the mother passing away dur-
ing her childhood. To Mr. and Mrs. Kurtz were born three children:
Angeline, who is thirteen ; Gerald, a lad of twelve ; and Myron, who
is nine years of age. After an illness of three days the wife and mother
was called to her final rest, January 18, 1903. On January 27, 1904,
Mr. Kurtz married Mrs. Clara Gelski Peck, a daughter of Stanislaus and
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 357
Martha (Kurka) Gelski. The father was born on the Atlantic ocean, a
son of Polish emigrants, while the mother, whose birth occurred in the
United States, is also of Polish extraction. In the early '60s Mr. Gelski
came with his parents to Jefiferson county, where they engaged in farming.
After finishing his schooling he worked out until he had sufficient means
to buy some land in Walnut township that he improved and operated until
1909. He then disposed of his farm and removed to Missouri, where he
continues to follow agricultural pursuits. Of Mr. Kurtz's second mar-
riage there have been born three children : Veronica, seven years of age ;
Johnnie, who is six, and Martha, who has passed the first anniversary
of her birth. Mrs. Kurtz has a son by a former marriage, Thomas Peck,
who was born August 4, 1900, and now makes his home with his mother.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Kurtz are communicants of the Roman Catholic
church and he votes the democratic ticket. He takes an interest in the
township political activities and is now serving as a township trustee. In
the promotion of the agricultural development of this section, Mr. Kurtz
is contributing his full quota as is attested by the well kept and attractive
appearance of his property.
LEVI G. MYERS.
Levi G. Myers, a veteran of the Civil war, is living retired in the vil-
lage of Packvvood but is still the owner of a good farm property which
he personally cultivated for many years, making it one of the most attrac-
tive features of the landscape in Polk township. He was born in Wash-
ington county, Pennsylvania, September 13, 1846, his parents being Stephen
and Sarah (Huffman) Myers, both of whom were natives of the Key-
stone state, where they were reared and married, residing there until 1855,
when they came to Jefferson county, Iowa. The father secured a farm
on section 34, Polk township, and there they took up their abode, making
it their home until August, 1872, when both died within a week. They
were respected and worthy residents of the community and their loss was
the occasion of deep regret to all who knew them.
Levi G. Myers was a pupil in the public schools of Pennsylvania until
the family came to Iowa, when he continued his education in the district
schools of Polk township. He also attended the Axline school in Fair-
field for two terms. On the home farm he received thorough training
that cultivated in him habits of industry and enterprise. He continued
with his father until he had attained his majority and then started out
in life for himself by renting a farm in Polk township. He carefully
358 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
saved his earnings and after a short time purchased a part of the old
homestead, upon which he resided for forty years. During that period
he converted the place into one of the fine farms of the county, adding
to it many modern improvements and bringing the fields under a high state
of cultivation. In 1910, however, he came to Packwood, purchasing town
property here and renting his farm.
In early manhood — when about seventeen and a half years of age —
Levi G. Alyers gave practical evidence of his loyalty to his country by
enlisting at Abingdon, Iowa, on the 22d of February, 1864, as a member
of Company K, Seventh Iowa Volunteer Infantry, with which he served
until the close of the war. He was mustered in at Davenport and was
at once sent to the front, taking part in several engagements, including
the battle of Lay's Ferry, Georgia. He also marched with Sherman to the
sea whereby the Confederacy was proven to be but an empty shell, the
troops having been drawn from the interior- to protect the border. He
also took part in the campaign through the Garolinas and marched in the
grand review at Washington, on the 23d of May, 1865, when thousands
of victorious troops passed through the streets of the capital and by the
reviewing stand, where the president greeted the returning army. At
length he was honorably discharged at Louisville, Kentucky, July 12,
1865. He was then but eighteen years of age and yet he has met with
most of the hard experiences of military life.
When the war was over Mr. Myers returned to Iowa and resumed
farming, adding to his original purchase a tract of one hundred and forty-
eight acres, making his farm one of two hundred and forty acres. As a
companion and helpmate for life's journey he chose Miss Mary A. Longer^
bone, whom he wedded in Jefferson county October 3, 1867. She was
born in Ohio, a daughter of Parker and Lucinda (Grist) Longerbone, who
were natives of Ohio and Pennsylvania respectively. The year 1865 wit-
nessed their arrival in Jefiferson county, at which time they located in
Polk township, where the father's death occurred upon his farm in 1889.
His wife survived him until 1897, and also passed away on the old home-
stead. Mr. Myers was called upon to mourn the loss of his first wife on
the 8th of February, 1883. The children of that marriage were five in
number. Otho B., the eldest, is a member of the firm of Caviness & Myers,
dealers in hardware, farm implements and automobiles in Packwood. He
married Miss Bertha Moorman, of that place. Clara, the second of the
family, is the wife of J. S. Snyder, a resident farmer of Polk township,
and they have one child. Perry. Merta is the wife of James A. Caldwell,
a cement manufacturer of Hedrick, Iowa, and they have seven children,
Ray, Fay, Mary Leola, Edna, Hazel, Mark and Lucile. Raymond, the
fourth of the family, is a farmer of the state of Washington, who is mar-
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON (^OUNTY 359
ried and has one child, Grace. Leroy is engaged in farming in Arkansas.
On the 30th of May, 1884, Mr. Myers was again married, at which time
Miss Martha B. Hinton became his wife. She was born in Jefferson
county, a daughter of Ezekiel and Arena (Ramey) Hinton, the former a
native of Indiana and the latter of Ohio. They came to Iowa at an early
day, locating in Jefferson county in the '50s, and here the father engaged
in teaching school and in farming. He died in Wapello county in 1859
and was long survived by his wife, whose death occurred in Polk town-
ship, this county, in 1895. The children of Mr. Myers' second marriage
are Floyd G. and Lester G. The latter, ten years of age, is attending
school in Packwood. The former took charge of the old homestead farm
when his father removed to Packwood. He married Susan Baker, of
Abingdon, Iowa, and they have three children, Irene, Claude and Erma.
Mr. Myers votes with the republican party and has been somewhat
prominent in local political ranks. He served as assessor of Polk town-
ship for six years, in 1889 was a member of the county board of super-
visors, serving on the board when the county court house was built, and
in 1890 was enumerator for Polk township. He also served as secretary
of the township school board for thirty years and as school director for
several years, the cause of education finding in him a stalwart champion
whose labors have been an effective force in raising the standards of
public instruction in his locality. Both he and his wife are devoted mem-
bers of the Baptist church and for a number of years he held member-
ship with the Grand Army of the Republic. He is still afifiliated with
Abingdon Lodge, No. 468, I. O. O. F., of Abingdon. He is one of the
well known and highly respected residents of Polk township and is as
true and loyal to the best interests of citizenship today as when he fol-
lowed the old flag upon southern battlefields. In business, too, he has
been found thoroughly reliable, his success coming to him as the legitimate
outcome of earnest, persistent and honorable effort.
WILLIAM BRUCE FRAME.
A resident of Jefferson county, Iowa, for fifty-two years, William
Bruce Frame has been a witness of the countless changes which time has
wrought in the country round about him. He came to this section of the
country when Iowa was a part of that great wild prairie almost untouched
by civilization, which was only beginning to push its way over the hither-
to formidable barrier, the Mississippi river, and has lived to see the land
plotted out in rich farms yielding abundant crops and affording wealth to
360 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
thousands of families who unlocked the gates of fortune by tilling the
soil. He was born in Wayne county, Indiana, June i6, 1836, and was a
son of Joseph M. and Susan (Cobourn) Frame, the former a native of
Maryland and the latter of Delaware. On September 25. in the year 1841,
Joseph M. Frame brought his family from Indiana to Iowa, establishing
his new home near Salem, Henry county, where he opened a blacksmith
shop, which he operated for five years. He then purchased eighty acres
of land in Henry county and set about to clear and improve this farm,
cultivating it until 1883, when he sold and removed to Nebraska. Still
active and in good health, he continued his agricultural pursuits and bought
a farm which he operated until his death, February 18, 1888. His wife
survived him thirteen years, departing this life in March, 1901.
W. B. Frame pursued his education in the schools of Salem, in Henry
county, Iowa, and was reared to the duties of farming, mastering the many
phases of this occupation thoroughly before reaching maturity. At the
age of twenty-three years he left the parental roof in order to engage in
farming for himself and after his marriage came to Jefferson county to
establish his new home. Here he rented a farm and worked in the fields
for two years, when the results of his industry enabled him to buy a
farm, choosing for this purpose a site of one hundred and one acres in
Round Prairie township. With characteristic energ}' and application he
devoted his efforts to clearing the land and has improved this farm ever
since that time, having occupied it now for fifty years. Scarcely a farmer
in Jefferson county is better known than Mr. Frame for his long connec-
tion with agricultural interests and his intimate acquaintance with ever\'
chapter in the history of this county.
On November 3. 1859, Mr. Frame was united in marriage to Miss
Harriet N. Tilford, a daughter of James and Mary (Workman) Tilford,
natives of Virginia. Airs. Frame's parents were reared in Kentucky,
whence they removed to Illinois, and in 1835 to Jefferson county, Iowa,
being interested in the agricultural development of the newly opened
country. They entered from the government six hundred and forty acres
of land in Round Prairie township and this they cleared and improved,
dividing it into three farms. Mr. Tilford cultivated the land on this place
until his death, December 28, i860, his wife having passed away the pre-
vious spring, on April 28th. Mr. and Mrs. Frame were the parents of
five children : Mary and Susan, who are living at home ; Joseph C, who is
married and assumes the chief responsibility in operating his father's farm :
John T., who died in 1877; and Julia A., who died in 1872. A heavy
shadow was cast over the Frame home by the long continued ill health
of Mrs. Frame, her death occurring in November, 1905, after having
been an invalid for forty years.
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 361
In his political afifiliations Mr. Frame is in sympathy with the repub-
lican party and in his religious faith he subscribes to the tenets of the Bap-
tist church. He is a member of the Masonic order, belonging to Fairfield
lodge. In connection with his agricultural interests Mr. Frame acted as
secretary of the Farmers' Mutual Insurance Company for twenty-three
years, having just recently resigned from this position. He is a man of
strong personality and much stability of character, and possesses many
friends who regard him with high esteem.
REECE WOLFE.
Many of the early settlers of Jefferson county have passed away and
it is a public duty and honor to perpetuate the memory of these men who
endured the hardships of the pioneer and fulfilled their obligations to
posterity by opening up new territories. The greater number of these
pioneers were men of sterling worth, who lived and worked for the wel-
fare of their families and community without seeking the applause of the
outer world. Such a man was Reece Wolfe, whose birth occurred in
Greene county, Ohio, on March 17, 1841, his parents being William and
Margaret (Elliott) Wolfe. The father was a native of New York state
and in early life was engaged in school-teaching in Greene county, Ohio,
but after coming to Iowa in the late '50s took up farming. He settled in
Keokuk county, two miles northwest of Packwood, just across the line
from Jefferson county, and here the son spent his early life, attending the
district school and assisting his father on the home place. The latter
passed away in 1863 and the mother's death occurred in 1872.
When Reece Wolfe was twenty-one years of age he enlisted in Com-
pany F, Seventeenth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, at Mount Pleasant, Iowa,
and served for three years, after which he again enlisted and was in
service until the close of the war. He took part in many important en-
gagements and skirmishes, among them being the battle of Jacksonville
and the siege of Vicksburg. At one time he was taken prisoner and sent
to Andersonville but was later transferred to Libby Prison, from which
place he was exchanged just as the war drew to a close. During his
service he was wounded only once but had many narrow escapes, in one
engagement his hat being pierced by bullets five times although he received
no injury. After the close of hostilities, in 1865, he returned to his
father's farm in Keokuk county but the same year removed to Polk town-
ship, Jefferson county, where he purchased eighty acres, upon which he
resided until his death on the loth of June, 1871.
362
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
On the 20th of November, 1865, Mr. Wolfe was married to Jane Lock,
a daughter of WiUiam and Mary (Boage) Lock, both of whom were born
in England, the former being of Scotch and the latter of English descent.
They came to the United States in 185 1 and located in Pennsylvania, near
Pittsburg, where they lived for a short time before coming to Black
Hawk township, Jefferson county, Iowa, and taking up their residence on
a farm which he secured from the United States government by patent.
Mr. Lock was one of the pioneers of the township and resided upon his
original farm until his death, which occurred in 1901. His widow still
makes her home upon this place. Their eldest son, John B. Lock, enlisted
at the age of eighteen years and served in the Civil war three years in the
Nineteenth Regiment of the Iowa Volunteer Infantry. To Mr. and Mrs.
Wolfe three children were born. Alargaret, the eldest, was married in
1885 to John Bennett, and they are the parents of five children: Ray, who
married Inez Estes and is an agriculturist of Keokuk county; and Treba,
Genevieve, Lela and Ava, all attending school in district No. 7 of Polk
township. Mary Jane, the second member of the family, was married in
1890 to Ed Bellinger, a farmer of Davis county, and to them six children
have been born, William, Ralph, Vera, Ada, Bernie and Pearl. Addie,
the youngest, was married in 1889 to Alvin Street, an agriculturist of
Keokuk county, and they are the parents of one child, Leotta.
In politics, Mr. Wolfe cast his vote for the republican party and, al-
though he never sought office, he took a keen interest in the issues of the
day and did what he could to further all local measures relating to the
improvement of the county. Both Mr. and Mrs. Wolfe held membership
in the Pleasant Hill Methodist Episcopal church of Polk township.
Throughout his life he was quiet and unassuming and devoted his leisure
hours to the family circle rather than to lodges and social gatherings, but
he held the respect and admiration which a community gives to its citizens
who are strongest morally and most loyal and active industrially.
C. W. BAILEY, M. D.
Dr. C. W. Bailey has practiced medicine at Pleasant Plain continuously
since September, 1899, and is now enjoying an extensive and lucrative
patronage as the only physician of the town. His birth occurred in Cedar
township, Jefferson county, Iowa, on the 22d of November. 1871, his
parents being Cyrus D. and Iowa (Conley) Bailey, the former a native
of Pennsylvania and the latter of Lee county, Iowa. Cyrus D. Bailey
DR. C. W. BAILEY
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 365
came to this county in 1864, purchased, cleared and improved a farm in
Cedar township and operated the same until 1897. ^^ that year he dis-
posed of the property and purchased a farm in Van Buren county, to the
further cultivation and improvement of which he has devoted his attention
to the present time.
C. W. Bailey obtained his early education in the district schools of
this county and later entered Birmingham Academy. Having determined
upon the practice of medicine as a life work, he read under the direction
of Norris Brothers, of Birmingham, Iowa, for eighteen months and then
entered the Keokuk Medical College, from which institution he was gradu-
ated with the class of 1897. During the Spanish-American war he served
as first assistant surgeon to Dr. Roberts, who was the regimental surgeon.
He was mustered out, on the 8th of July, 1899, and in September follow-
ing came to Pleasant' Plain for the practice of his profession. There were
five physicians in the town at that time, but Dr. Bailey is now the only
representative of the fraternity here — a fact which speaks most eloquently
for itself. An extensive practice has been accorded him in recognition
of his skill and ability in the line of his chosen profession, with the ad-
vancement of which he keeps in close touch through his membership in
the Jefiferson County Medical Society and the Southeastern Medical So-
ciety. He acts as health officer of the board of health of Walnut township,
Penn township and the town of Pleasant Plain. In addition to his office
building he owns four residence properties, a store building and the livery
stable property in the new town of East Pleasant Plain.
On the 18th of May, 1900, Dr. Bailey was united in marriage to Miss
Josephine Hosette, a daughter of Francis Xavier and Mary Elizabeth
(Hisel) Hosette, who were natives of France and Belgium, respectively.
The father, who came to Jefferson county, Iowa, in an early day, pur-
chased and improved a farm in Cedar township. Subsequently he became
a dealer in horses, going to France to make his purchases in person. He
died at sea, in 1895, while on his way home on one of these trips. His
wife was called to her final rest on August 8, 1910. Unto Dr. and Mrs.
Bailey has been born a son, Earl E., whose natal day was February 22,
1906.
Dr. Bailey gives his political allegiance to the republican party and has
served as republican central committeeman from Penn township for three
terms or six years. He has long served as a councilman and has also been
mayor of the town of Pleasant Plain, exercising his official prerogatives
in support of many progressive measures. Fraternally he is identified
with the Knights of Pythias, the Modern Woodmen of America, the Benev-
olent Protective Order of Elks at Fairfield and the Independent Order
of Odd Fellows at Glasgow, Iowa. His religious faith is that of the
366 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
Presbyterian church, while his wife is a communicant of the Catholic
church. Of a sociable nature, he has found life enjoyable in the acquire-
ment of a circle of friends that grows as grows the scope of his acquaint-
ance, while his advancement in his profession has been equally agreeable.
PERRY THOMAS MITCHELL.
Among the county's citizens who have always resided within her bor-
ders Perry Thomas Mitchell is numbered and the success he has achieved
places him among the representative men of this district. He has always
followed farming and stock-raising and today ranks with the foremost
representatives of those lines of business in eastern Iowa. He was born
in Guernsey county, Ohio, January 9, 1855, his parents being Abraham
and Elizabeth (Frush) Mitchell, who were natives of Maryland and of
Ohio respectively. The father was a farmer by occupation and in 1853
came to Iowa, settling on the Barr farm, near Fairfield, in Jefferson county.
There he resided for two years and then removed to a farm, a mile north
of Packwood, in Polk township, where he resided until his death, which
occurred April 22, 1908. He was truly a self-made man, for he was in
very limited financial circumstances when he came to Iowa and at the
time of his death was the owner of a valuable farm of two hundred and
twenty acres of rich and arable land in Polk township, together with a
fine city property and a lot of five acres in Richland, Iowa. His first
wife died when a comparatively young woman and in 1880 Mr, Mitchell
was again married, his second union being with Mrs. Mary Townsend,
who is now living with her daughter, Mrs. Nellie Johnson, on a farm
north of Richland. By the first marriage there were nine children : Mrs.
Amelia Jane Ingalls, a resident of Gentry county, Missouri ; Mrs. Amanda
Frances Smith, of Norwalk, Iowa ; Perry Thomas ; Henry S., a ranchman
residing in Custer county, Montana ; Mrs. Lilly De Armund, of Mary-
ville, Missouri ; Mrs. Lizzie Wilcox, living in Grand Forks, North Dakota ;
Mrs. Anna Benn, the wife of Robert Benn, of Wapello county, Iowa;
Harry, a resident farmer of Polk township ; and George, who became a
ranchman of Custer county, Montana, where he was shot and killed by
sheep herders, on the 5th of September, 1908. By the father's second
marriage there was one child, Mrs. Nellie Johnson, now of Keokuk
county, Iowa.
Perry Thomas Mitchell has been a lifelong resident of Jefiferson county
and has always followed farming within its borders. He attended the
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 367
Pleasant Hill school when the old-time pioneer benches and desks were
used and when not busy with his text-books he assisted in the work of
the home farm. He continued to aid his father up to the time of his
marriage in 1879 and then began farming on his own account. He had
no ready capital at his command and so rented land, leasing the Gray
farm in Polk township for two years. During that period he carefully
saved his earnings until his industry and his economical expenditure had
brought him a sum sufficient to enable him to purchase the farm in Polk
township on which he resided for thirty-one years. In February, 1901,
he removed to Packwood, where he has since made his home. However,
he still ow^ns the farm of three hundred and twenty acres of fine land in
Polk township upon which his eldest son now resides. He and his two
sons carry on the farm and buy, feed and ship cattle, hogs and horses ex-
tensively. After his removal to Packwood Mr. Mitchell rented his farm
for five years but found this unsatisfactory and so again assumed personal
management with the aid of his sons. They are now among the largest
stockmen of this part of the county, shipping on an average of a carload
of stock each week throughout the entire year. They ship cattle and hogs
mostly to Chicago, although they sometimes ship hogs to Ottumwa, Iowa.
Mr. Mitchell owns a small farm adjoining his city property, where with
commodious barns he does some of his feeding in the winter. His Polk
township property, covering a half section, is a well improved stock farm.
He also carries on general agricultural pursuits and the property is splen-
didly improved, being equipped with all modern accessories and conven-
iences and with the latest machinery. There is a fine young orchard on
the place, good water and no waste land and its splendid appearance indi-
cates the practical and progressive methods of the owner. In addition
to his other business interests Mr. Mitchell is a stockholder in the Farmers
Savings Bank of Packwood.
In 1879 Mr. Mitchell was united in marriage to Miss Clara Coykendall,
a daughter of Joseph and Judith (Moss) Coykendall, both of whom were
natives of Illinois. In 1873 they came to Iowa, settling on a farm in
Polk towmship, Jefferson county, and it was upon that place that Mr. and
Mrs. Mitchell were married. In 1880 Mr. Coykendall removed from this
county to Colorado and is now located at Platteville, where he is living
retired. At the present writing he is filling the office of justice of the
peace. In the fall of 191 1, although now eighty-four years of age, he
took part in a celebration there. With his nineteen-year-old driving horse
he entered a free-for-all race and drove the animal himself and made the
mile in 2:19. This broke all Colorado records for an eighty- four year
old driver. His horse had been a former grand circuit winner. In the
public life of Platteville Mr. Coykendall has been quite prominent, serving
368 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
as mayor of the city for several years and otherwise taking an active part
in municipal affairs. His wife had died at the old homestead farm in
Polk township ere his removal from Jefferson county.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell have been born two children. Floyd
Wilson, the elder, married Mada Pringle, of Fairfield, Iowa, and is now
a well known farmer and stockman, living upon his father's farm of three
hundred and twenty acres in Polk township. Merle is at home with his
parents and is a partner with his father in the stock business. He is
widely and favorably known and is a member of Ottumwa Lodge of Elks.
Mr. Mitchell exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and
measures of the republican party and is somewhat prominent as a worker
in its local ranks. At the present writing he is serving as a member of
the city council of Packwood, which position he has filled since his removal
to the town, ever exercising his official prerogatives in support of the men
and measures which tend to advance general welfare. He and his wife
are members of the Methodist Episcopal church of Packwood and their
lives have ever been in harmony with their professions. In all of his
business dealings Mr. Mitchell has been found trustworthy and reliable,
never taking advantage of the necessities of another in any business trans-
action. He early realized the fact that industry is the basis of success
and when guided by sound judgment and supplemented by perseverance
it always wins the desired results. He has proven himself to be an ex-
cellent judge of stock as well as a practical and progressive tiller of the
soil and in the conduct of his interests has made for himself an honorable
position among the prosperous residents of the county.
ROBERT H. WELLER.
Robert H. Weller, who has been a resident of Packwood since he re-
tired from his farm in Black Hawk township four years ago, has been
identified with agricultural pursuits in the middle west for more than
fifty years. He was born in Hastings, Sussex county, England, December
25. 1838, the son of John and Cordelia Elizabeth ( Selms) Weller. John
Weller, who was a farmer by profession was born and reared in England,
where the Wellers had lived for many years. Coming to America in 1841,
he went to Michigan and purchased land upon which he erected a saw-
mill and where he hoped to have his home when his wife and children
could follow him to the United States, but his death occurred before they
arrived. However, Mrs. Weller set out for America when her son Robert
was seven years of age and the long trip of seven weeks, three days and
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 369
six hours on the "Switzerland" was one full of misfortunes. During the
voyage Elizabeth, the youngest sister, died and was buried at sea and the
mother, who was taken ill on the steamer, died at the home of her brother,
Joshua Selms, a hotel-keeper, shortly after she arrived in New York.
Her death left her four children, of whom Robert was the youngest,
orphans in New York. But they soon went on to Syracuse, where the
older brother, John, learned the shoemaker's trade and afterwards became
chief cutter in a large factory.
Robert H. Weller attended school until he began working on a farm,
continuing in this pursuit for a short time Until he apprenticed himself
to a carpenter, up to 1858. In that year he started out to seek his fortune
and with ten dollars in his pocket he set out. From Buffalo to Chicago
he worked his way by boat and then walked across the prairie to Chenoa,
Illinois, where he was hired as harvesting hand for two dollars and a half
per day, an amount which seemed almost incredible to him, since in New
York state he had been receiving a stipend of fifty cents for his daily toil.
At the multiplied wage scale he was willing to give his whole time to har-
vesting and he worked at it as long as the season lasted. Then he took
up his trade as carpenter in Chenoa and continued to follow it, excepting
during his Civil war service, until 1892, when he removed to Black Hawk
township, Jefiferson county, Iowa, and purchased the one hundred and
sixty-five acres of fine farm land, upon which he made his home until his
retirement and removed to Packwood in 1907. He owns his comfortable
home in Packwood and rents his farm to his son, Robert W.
Mr. Weller enlisted in the Civil war February 6, 1865, joining Com-
pany B, One hundred and fifty-second Illinois Volunteer Infantry, at
Chenoa and during his short service was in a number of skirmishes. On
the 25th of August, 1865, he was mustered out at Memphis, Tennessee,
being discharged while in the hospital in that city.
The marriage of Mr. Weller to Harriet Lucy McFarland occurred
April 10, 1862. She is the daughter of Sandusky and Mary A. (Smith)
McFarland, both natives of Jessamine county, Kentucky, the father, a
farmer, being of Scotch-Irish descent and the mother of Dutch pedigree.
They were married in Kentucky and removed to Illinois in 1854, when
Mrs. Weller was but nine years of age. Later the family went to Chenoa,
where Mr. and Mrs. Weller were married. Mr. AIcFarland enlisted in
Company G, Fifty-third Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and served until he
was taken ill two years later, when he returned to Chenoa and resided
until he fell on ice, injuring himself seriously. After this accident he
was taken to the National Military Home, at Leavenworth, Kansas, and
later, in 1903, he was removed from there to the United States Military
370 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
Hospital at Washington, D. C, where he died. His wife's death had oc-
curred fifteen years previous, in Chenoa.
Mr. and Mrs. Waller are the parents of six children. George E., the
eldest, who is an agriculturist residing in Buckley, Illinois, married Jennie
Wallace, of Livingston county, Illinois, and they are the parents of four
children, namely; Delia, May, Harvey and Mattie. Mary Elizabeth mar-
ried George M. Stafford, who owns a feed store at Ottawa, Kansas, and
to them two children have been born, Maude and Sadie. Emma Alyda,
who married O. Gillette, a ranchman and carpenter, is residing at King
Hill, Idaho, and is the mother of three children, Harlan, Gail and Lois.
Sadie, who married James M. Baldwin, a farmer and carpenter, resides in
Black Hawk township. Robert Walter is living on his father's homestead
in Black Hawk township. He married Lulu Dawson, of Columbus Junc-
tion, Iowa, and to them two children have been born, Faye and Dale. Asa
S. resides on the homestead with his brother, Robert W.
In politics Mr. Weller has ever been a stanch republican and is a firm
believer in the more conservative policies of that party, but until he retired
he held no offices excepting that of school director in Black Hawk town-
ship for several terms. Since he has been residing in Packwood he has
taken an active interest in the government of the town and has served for
three years as a member of the village council and for a similar length
of time as street commissioner. In both of these offices he has discharged
his duties conscientiously and to the best interests of the community. Mr.
Weller is the only member of his family who left New York and is the
last surviving member, his sister and brothers having died in Syracuse,
Mary at the age of seventy-five years and John and James at the ages of
eighty-eight and eighty respectively. Few lives show better what can be
accomplished even in spite of the greatest obstacles and most discouraging
beginnings than does the life of Mr. Weller, a man who has both made a
success of undertakings calling for indefatigable labor and who has also
won for himself the esteem and confidence of his fellow townsmen.
ROBERT H. CURTIS.
Robert H. Curtis owns a farm of one hundred and sixty acres on sec-
tion 27, Black Hawk township, where for twenty years he has engaged in
general farming and stock-raising. He was born in Guilford county,
North Carolina, on the i6th of June, 1856, and is the only son of Abraham
and Margaret (Brown) Curtis. The parents, who were of German ex-
traction, Avere likewise natives of Guilford county, the father's birth having
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 371
there occurred in 1802. When he had reached man's estate Abraham
Curtis chose the carpenter's trade for his vocation, but after his marriage
he bought and operated a farm, with the assistance of hired help, in con-
nection with his carpentry work. He passed away in 1873, but the mother
lived until 1896, both having passed their entire lives in the country where*
they were born. Mr. and Mrs. Curtis had seven daughters, three of whom
are still living, as follows : Fannie, of Randolph county, North Carolina ;
and Cornelia and Margaret, who are residing in Guilford county.
Reared on his father's farm Robert H. Curtis obtained his education
in the district schools, and while engaged in the mastery of the common
branches he was also becoming familiar with the practical methods of
agriculture. From the time he attained his majority until he left home
four years later he gave his entire attention to the operation of his father's •
farm. In 1881, he left North Carolina and came to Iowa, locating on a
farm in Richland township where he worked by the month for two years.
During that time he accumulated sufificient capital to enable him to farm
as a renter, which he continued to do until 1891, when he bought his
present farm. During the period of his ownership he has wrought exten-
sive improvements in his place, which is well stocked, contains good build-
ings and is one of the attractive properties of the township. Mr. Curtis
has most intelligently directed his activities and has met with success in
his various undertakings. For the past nine years he has been an invalid
and has been unable to do any work, but he gives his personal attention
to the supervision and direction of the various operations connected with
the tilling of the fields and harvesting of the crops. He at one time rented
his farm for about six years, four of which he spent in Fairfield, while
for eighteen months he lived in Arkansas.
On the 5th of December, 1878, in Guilford county. North Carolina,
was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Curtis and Miss Sarah Coble, who
was born and reared in Guilford county. Mrs. Curtis is a daughter of
David and Laura (Euliss) Coble, the former of whom is a native of
Guilford county, of English extraction, while Mrs. Coble was born in an
adjoining county and is of German descent. Mr. Coble, who was an
attorney, owned a large estate and many slaves in North Carolina. He
was a prominent officer in the Confederate army, enlisting in Guilford
county, and was well known throughout the state. He passed away on
the 7th of July, 1891, but the mother is still living at the venerable age of
eighty-three years and makes her home in Burlington, North Carolina.
Mrs. Coble is very active and still in possession of all of her faculties
despite her age, and in the fall of 191 1 was favored by a visit from her
daughter, Mrs. Curtis,- whom she had not seen for twenty years. To Mr.
and Mrs. Coble there were born six children, Mrs. Curtis, who was third
372 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
in order of birth, being the eldest of the three now surviving. WiUiam
R., the oldest and only surviving son, is a resident of Burlington, as is also
the other daughter, Laura Ann, who lives with her mother. The marriage of
Mr. and Mrs. Curtis has been blessed with five children : Mrs. Amy
Viola Curtis, of Waterloo, who has two sons, Harry Winfield Howard
and Curtis Howard ; Henry Vance, who is attending the high school at
Fairfield and assists his father with the work of the farm ; Robert Vern,
who is also attending school in Fairfield ; William Grover, who died when
he was two years of age; and Rosabelle, who was two and a half months
at the time of her death.
In matters of faith Mr. Curtis holds membership in- the Christian
church of Richland, while Mrs. Curtis belongs to the jNIethodist E|)iscopal
church of Fairfield. She is also a prominent member of the -Black Hawk
Township Neighborhood Club. The political views of Mr. 'Ctirtis con-
form to the principles of the democratic party, but of recent years he
casts his vote for the candidate he considers best qualified for the office,
irrespective of party affiliation. His salient traits of charactey.-'ane such
as commend him to the confidence and good-will of those with' 'whom he
comes in contact, and as a result he is held in high regard in the com-
munity where he has long resided.
CHARLES T. MOORMAN, M. D. r
Dr. Charles T. Moorman, a successful physician of Jefiferson county,
practicing in Packwood and throughout the surrounding district, has now
passed the seventy-fifth milestone on life's journey and yet is still an
active factor in his profession and has at all times kept abreast with the
progress that has introduced many new methods and remedial agencies
in medical and surgical practice. He was born in Greene county, Ohio,
March 30. 1836, a son of Charles T. and Matilda (Watson) Moorman,
both of whom were natives of Virginia. The father devoted his life to
farming and when nine years of age accompanied his parents on their
removal from the Old Dominion to Ohio, where he was reared to man-
hood and afterward engaged in farming. Both he and his wife were for
many years respected and worthy residents of Greene county, Ohio, where
the father died in 1878. He came of Quaker ancestry and was a very
devout member of the Friends church.
In his native county Dr. Moorman began his education, attending the
district schools, and when not busy with his text-bc^oks assisted his father
upon the farm. In 1873 he entered the Eclectic Medical College at Cin-
DR. C. T. MOORMAX
TiLDc I-
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 375
cinnati, for he had determined to engage in the practice of medicine. He
was graduated from that institution with the class of 1876 as honor man
and received the degree of M. D. He at once located for practice in
Jamestown, Greene county, Ohio, where he remained until 1881, when he
removed to Washington county, Iowa, settling in West Chester, where he
practiced for three years. He then returned to Ohio with his wife, who
was in failing health, but this did not bring her the improvement that had
been hoped for and she passed away. In 1885 Dr. Moorman again came
to Iowa, this time settling in Abingdon, Jefferson county, where he fol-
lowed his chosen profession for six years. In 1891 he came to Packwood,
where he has resided to the present time, and in the twenty years of his
connection with professional interests at this place he has built up a very
extensive practice and has become one of the best known physicians of
Jefferson county.
It was in 1857 that Dr. Moorman was united in marriage to Miss
Sarah Jane Allen, of Greene county, Ohio, a daughter of Joseph and Mary
Allen, who were well known residents of that district and there resided
until death, the father devoting his time and energies to general agri-
cultural pursuits. In the family of Dr. and Mrs. Moorman were five
children : Fenton T., who died at the age of thirty years ; Marcella, who
is the wife of John Young, a farmer and ranchman of Oregon, by whom
she has five children — Harry, Mabel, Rosa, Doris and Stella; John A.,
who is a harness maker of Packwood and has one child, Grace ; Charles
Albert, a teacher in the Packwood high school ; and Bertha, who is the
wife of Otho Myers, a member of the firm of Caviness & Myers, dealers
in hardware, autos and farming implements at Packwood.
Having lost his first wife, Dr. Moorman was married again, on the
20th of May, 1875, when Miss Maria Jones became his wife. She was a
daughter of Ambrose and Eliza (Jones) Jones, who, though of the same
name, were not related. The former was of Welsh and the latter of Eng-
lish descent, and Mr. Jones devoted his life to farming, becoming a well
known agriculturist of Greene county, Ohio.
Dr. Moorman owns a nice town property in Packwood and has his
office on the same lot. He is a prominent man of this locality, occupying
an enviable position in business and professional circles. He is an honored
member of the Iowa State Medical Society and of the United States
Medical Association. He has for years been the health officer of Pack-
wood and Polk township and he has served as medical examiner for a
number of insurance companies and fraternal organizations having subor-
dinate lodges in Packwood and Abingdon. In addition to all this he has
an extensive private practice and has long been recognized as the loved
family physician in many a household. Added to his scientific knowledge
Vol. n— 21
376 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
and professional skill is a ready sympathy which enables him to quickly
understand his patients, and in the diagnosis of cases he is always most
careful and conscientious. His fraternal relations are with the Masonic
lodge at Ollie, Iowa, and with the Royal Arch chapter at Fairfield and in
his Hfe he exemplifies the beneficent spirit of the craft, finding many
opportunities to manifest mutual helpfulness and brotherly kindness in
the course of his practice.
WILLIAM H. McCRACKEN.
A highly esteemed representative of one of Jefferson county's pioneet
settlers is William H. McCracken, who is one of the extensive landowners
of Black Hawk township, where for thirty-one years he has discharged
the duties of justice of the peace. He was born one mile east of Pleasant
Plain in Penn township, on July 26, 1846, and is a son of Hiram and
Dinah (Hadley) jMcCracken. His father was born in Mooresville, Mor-
gan county, Indiana, a son of Henry McCracken, a pioneer farmer of that
county. The grandfather was born and reared in North Carolina and
was of Scotch-Irish descent, but in his early manhood he removed to
Indiana, whence in 1844, together with his son Hiram, he came to Iowa.
Upon their arrival in Jefferson county the father preempted eighty acres
of land, two miles west of Brighton, where he spent the remainder of his
life. The son, however, preempted eighty acres in Penn township upon
which he resided until the spring of 1865, when he disposed of his holding
and removed to Black Hawk township, where he resided until his death
on the 15th of October, 1889.
At the usual age William H. AlcCracken entered the district school in
the vicinity of his home in the acquirement of an education. After the
completion of the course he went to Richland high school, and later he
studied in one of the Fairfield schools, completing his education at Whit-
tier's College at Salem, Iowa. Before entering college, however, he en-
gaged in teaching in the district schools one winter, in the vicinity of Des
Moines and for several years near Macon, Mississippi. He was an able
educator, having the faculty of imparting knowledge to others in a lucid
manner, instilling in his pupils an appreciation of the value of learning
and stimulating them to greater efforts in the development of their mental
powers. His ability became recognized and in the years 1872 and 1873
he was called to the office of county superintendent. He had no desire to
permanently follow the profession of teaching, however, so in the late
'70s he purchased eighty acres of land on section 11. Black Hawk town-
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 377
ship, upon which he located immediately after his marriage. Agricultural
pursuits thereafter engaged his attention, and here he displayed the same
intelligence and capability that he. had manifested both in the schoolroom
and in public office. Mr. McCracken is a man of much foresight and dis-
cretion, who has always directed his undertakings with a definite purpose
in view, with a full appreciation of both method and system in the attain-
ment of his ambition. From his earliest boyhood he was taught the value
of industry and thrift, and these lessons he never forgot, but exercised
them during the entire period of his active career with the result that he
was able to increase his holdings from time to time until he now owns four
hundred and forty acres of most fertile land. He is a practical farmer,
who in the cultivation of his fields has adopted the more progressive
methods of modern, scientific agriculture and has met with a gratifying
measure of prosperity in his vocation. Owing to his physical condition
he has not been able to do much of the hard work about his place, but
every detail has been concisely laid out by him and carefully planne'd and
all goes on under his personal supervision. His is one of the attractive
farms of the community, great care ever having been given to keep both
the buildings and grounds in good condition.
It was on the 12th of August, 1880, that Mr. McCracken was united
in marriage to Miss Rebecca Jones, a daughter of Thomas and Mary
(Crumley) Jones, the mother a sister of Isaac Crumley, who for many
years was a county surveyor of Jefferson county. Mr. Jones, who was
of English extraction, was a native of Tennessee, as was also his wife.
He came to Keokuk county in 1855, locating in that county, where he
lived until his death in January, 1883. After his demise the mother made
her home with her children, and passed away at the home of Mr. Mc-
Cracken in 1895. Mrs. McCracken was born in Keokuk county, on the
2d of January, 1856, and died on the farm, where she had spent the en-
tire period of her domestic life, on the 24th of March, 1902. Of their
marriage there were born nine children, all of whom are living. Luther,
who is operating a farm, three-quarters of a mile northwest of his father's
place, married Grace Allen, and they have two children, Vance Jerome
and a baby, Vesta M. Stacy J., who for three years was president of
Central College at Central City, Nebraska, but was compelled to give up
teaching on account of his health, and is now engaged in farming and the
real-estate business in Scott City, Kansas, married Carrie Pringle of Rich-
land, Iowa, and they have two children, Landon and a baby, Ruth R.
Pliny, who is the principal of New Providence Academy at New Provi-
dence. Iowa, married Lena Hanson of Linnville, Iowa. Dymond, a far-
mer three-quarters of a mile southeast of his father, married Arthul Had-
ley and they have two children, Jessie Thelma and Clififord. C. Sumner,
378 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
a farmer three-fourths of a mile west of his father, married Mary Coffin
of Pleasant Plain and they have had one child, who died in infancy.
Linneus, who is a teacher, is attending Penn College at Oskaloosa. Tirza
married Leonard Mealey, a painter and paperhanger at Pleasant Plain.
Duane, who is seventeen, is going to school at Richland, as is also Rufus,
who is the youngest member of the family. The six oldest sons either
are or have at some time been engaged in teaching, all having been given
the advantages of a good education.
In religious faith Mr. McCracken is a Quaker and holds membership
in the Friends church at Woolson, to which his wife and family also be-
longed, the children having always attended the Sunday school, and Mrs.
McCracken was a member of the Missionary Society. In his political
views he has always been an ardent republican, of the conservative wing'
of that party. He has taken an active interest in all matters pertaining to
the township, and soon after his marriage was elected justice of the peace,
in which capacity he has ever since served. For twenty-five years he was
president of the township school board and for one year he discharged the
duties of assessor. Mr. McCracken has always been one of the more
progressive citizens of Black Hawk township and has taken a deep interest
in promoting the development of the community, his influence and co-
operation at all times having been given to advance every movement, the
adoption of which would tend to establish a higher standard of life.
JOHN KASOWSKI.
John Kasowski, a successful farmer of Walnut township, is engaged
in the operation of two hundred and seventy-five acres of land, two hun-
dred of which he owns. He was born on the farm where he now resides,
on the 19th of December, 1859, his parents being Albert and Josephine
(Pulaski) Kasowski, natives of Poland. His father emigrated to the
United States in 185 1, first locating in Pennsylvania, where he remained
for a brief period then went to Texas. During the succeeding year he
hauled merchandise with an ox team from St. Louis to Texas. He next
took a position on a boat on the Mississippi river where he handled freight
for a year, at the expiration of that time returning to Pennsylvania. There,
in 1854, he was married and immediately following took a position in the
coal mines. In 1856 he came to Iowa, locating in Jeflferson county. Here,
he and his brother bought a forty-acre tract of land in Walnut township,
erecting thereon a log cabin, which for some years thereafter served as
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 379
their residence. They placed their land under cultivation and when he
was not engaged in the operation of his fields, Mr. Kasowski worked out.
At the expiration of three years he had sufficient capital to buy the interest
of his brother in their little farm. By reason of unremitting energy, self-
denial and frugal habits he and his wife acquired the means to enable him
to buy other land from time to time, until he owned one hundred and sixty
acres, which he continued to cultivate until his death on September 4,
IQ06. The mother passed away May 4, 1902.
Reared at home and educated in the district schools, John Kasowski
remained under the parental roof until he was nineteen years of age.
He left the farm in 1878 and went to Washington, Iowa, where for six
months he worked on the Rock Island Railroad, from where he went to
Chicago, taking a position on the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad as
freight handler. A reliable and willing worker, at the end of a year he
was promoted to the position of checker in the freight department, serving
in this capacity for two years. He was next put on the road as sealer for
a year, and then marked cars for three years, while for one year he was
night switchman. At the expiration of that time he was sent back to the
freighthouse as assistant foreman. He had held this position for about
a year at the time of the Haymarket riot, when he went on one of the
river boats. During the next year he checked freight on the Anchor Line,
and then became foreman over the loading and unloading of the boats.
When he had held the latter position for three years, he was given charge
of the shipping department. At the end of six years he resigned this
position and returned to Jefferson county, where, on the 5th of February,
1896, he purchased the old farm. Although his interests had been along
entirely different lines for many years, Mr. Kasowski had not forgotten
the efficient training he had received from his father in practical methods
of agriculture in his youth, as is manifested in his remarkable success.
His business experience proved most helpful to him, teaching him the
value of method and system in any undertaking, and much of his pros-
perity can unquestionably be attributed to his recognition of the value of
following a definite plan of action. Energetic, alert and progressive, as
well as practical, he has met with more than an average degree of success
in his endeavors, and now owns two hundred acres of fine land. He has
improved his place during the period of his ownership by the erection of
a n::odern residence, large, commodious barns and substantial outbuildings,
dius providing ample shelter for both his stock and grains as well as his
farming implements. Mr. Kasowski besides his large property interests
is a stockholder and trustee of the Jefferson County Insurance Union,
having been officially connected with this organization for the past six
years. He also owns stock in the Brighton Mutual Telephone Company.
380 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
The 13th of November, 1888, was the wedding day of Mr. Kasowski
and Miss Mary Khnger, a daughter of August and Eva (Matusik)
Klinger, natives of Poland. Her father, who was a farmer in the old
country, emigrated to the United States in 1855 and settled in Chicago.
He worked for the McCormick Harvester Company in that city until
1873, when he engaged in the retail grocery business until his death in
1899. He was long stirvived by his widow, who passed away in 1907.
To Mr. and Mrs. Kasowski there have been born seven children: Albert
and Robert; Margaret, who died in infancy; and Leo, Raymond, Bernard
and Joseph.
The family are all communicants of the Roman Catholic church of
East Pleasant Plain, of which Mr. Kasowski is one of the trustees. He
is a democrat in his political views and for the past four years has served
as a member of the board of school directors. In 1896, Mr. Kasowski had
the misfortune to lose a large barn which was struck by lightning and
very soon thereafter he secured the agency for the lightning rods put
out by both the Rayborn & Hunter Company of Chicago and Thomas
Thompson Company of Burlington. Although he is too busily engaged
with his farm to devote much attention to his agency, he has done suffi-
cient business to make it worthy of consideration. Mr. Kasowski's busi-
ness career reveals a steady and permanent progress from the first, every
change marking a definite point in the development of his prosperity, which
has been achieved through unremitting energy and persistence.
JOHN J. GINTHER.
John J. Ginther, the well known and efficient postmaster of Pleasant
Plain, was long and actively identified with general agricultural pursuits
but is now living practically retired. His birth occurred in Tuscarawas
county, Ohio, on the 5th of July, 1845, his parents being John M. and
Rosina (Stocker) Ginther, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania.
In 1845 the father drove from Ohio to Buchanan county, Iowa, and in
making the journey crossed only one railroad and this being then in course
of construction. He entered a tract of one hundred and sixty acres in
Buchanan county and began the improvement of the property, while sub-
sequently he entered more land. In this county he followed general agri-
cultural pursuits for eighteen years and on the expiration of that period
disposed of his farm and removed to Dallas county, where he also pur-
chased and improved a place, operating the same until 1872, in which year
he sold the farm and made his way to Dixon county, Nebraska, where he
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 381
bought a homestead and spent his remaining days, passing away in 1874.
His wife was called to her final rest in 1876.
John J. Ginther was reared and educated in Buchanan county, this
state, but did not begin his studies until thirteen years of age, for there
were no schools in the locality prior to that time. He remained under the
parental roof until twenty years of age, when he was married and estab-
lished a home of his own. In 1872 he accompanied his father on his re-
moval to Nebraska and after the latter's death, operated the homestead
place in that state until 1883, making many substantial improvements
thereon. After disposing of the farm he came to Jefferson county, Iowa,
and here cultivated rented land for three years. At the end of that time
he removed to Keokuk county, this state, there purchasing and improving
a farm and operating the same until 1893. In that year he sold the place
and returned to Jefferson county, purchasing and improving a tract of
twenty-eight acres in Penn township. Subsequently he put aside the
active work of the fields, sold his farm and bought property in Pleasant
Plain, where he has resided to the present time.
Mr. Ginther has been married twice. In July, 1865. he wedded Miss
Mary Stewart, a daughter of Andrew and Nancy (Wayman) Stewart,
both of whom were natives of Kentucky. The father, an agriculturist by
occupation, made his way to Dallas county, Iowa, in an early day, there
purchased and improved a farm and operated the same until his demise,
which occurred in 1867. Mrs. Stewart passed away in 1873. To John
J. and Mary (Stewart) Ginther were born five children, as follows:
Helen, the wife of A. D. Chappie, a farmer of Nebraska ; Ida, who is the
wife of B. C. Johnson and resides in Penn township: Rosina, the wife
of J. N. Mick, an agriculturist of Minnesota ; Loretta, whose demise oc-
curred in 1885; and Leando, who died in 1881. The wife and mother
passed away in 1879 after an illness of four months' duration. On the
31st of December, 1882, Mr. Ginther was again married, his second union
being with Miss Betsy Ellis, a daughter of Isaac and Betsy (Heston)
Ellis, both of whom were natives of Tennessee. Coming to this county,
the father entered, cleared and improved a tract of land and cultivated
the same throughout the remainder of his life. His demise occurred in
1887, while his wife was called to her final rest in 1893.
At the polls Mr. Ginther supports the prohibition party, believing that
the liquor traffic is one of the greatest evils with which this country has
to contend. He has served as assessor and town treasurer of Pleasant
Plain and is again holding the latter office at the present time. In 1896
he was appointed postmaster, serving in that capacity for a period of seven
years or until he resigned. In May, 191 1, he took charge of the office
again and has since ably discharged the duties devolving upon him in
382 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
this connection. Both he and his wife are devoted and consistent members
of the Friends church. Being a man of sterhng character, he has always
merited and received the confidence and respect of all with whom business,
official or social relations have brought him in contact.
H. EDWARD WOOLUMS.
H. Edward Woolums is the owner of four hundred and twenty acres
of fine land in Black Hawk township, his home farm comprising two
hundred and forty acres which is highly cultivated and improved with
many modern equipments that indicate his progressive spirit and practical
methods. He was born in Highland county, Ohio, November 25, 1863,
a son of Fieldon C. and Matilda J. (Walker) Woolums. The father's
birth occurred in Highland county, February 12, 1841. He was Of Scotch-
Irish descent and was a cooper by trade, learning the business under the
direction of his father in his boyhood days. Later he turned his attention
to farming and in 1867 removed westward to Illinois, spending four or
five years in Henry county, where he carried on general agricultural pur-
suits. On the expiration of that period he came to Jefiferson county, Iowa,
settling in Black Hawk township where for one year he cultivated a rented
farm. He then purchased eighty acres on section 19, Black Hawk town-
ship, known as the old Woolums homestead. As the years passed by he
prospered and invested more and more largely in farm property until he
was the owner of six hundred and twenty acres of fine land all in the
same township. That his life was well spent and that his business judg-
ment was sound was indicated by the fact that when he came to Iowa his
possessions consisted of little more than two horses and a wagon. As
the architect of his fortunes he builded wisely and well and his record
shows what may be accomplished when energy and determination point
the way. He had resided upon his farm until 1901, when, with a hand-
some competence acquired through his own labors, he retired to private
life and removed to Packwood, where he passed away on the 25th of
August, 191 1. Fie died very suddenly of heart failure, being taken ill
while milking, and in fifteen minutes the end had come. His widow is
still a resident of that town and is widely and favorably known in the
county where she has made her home for almost forty years. In their
family were four children of whom H. Edward is the eldest, the others
being: Elijah W., of Barnes City, Iowa, who is proprietor of a general
store there; Jennie May, the wife of Dr. S. D. Packwood, a practicing
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 383
physician and surgeon of St. Joseph, Missouri ; and Curtis A., a farmer
living- on the old homestead on section 19, Black Hawk township.
H. Edward Woolums accompanied his parents to Iowa in his boyhood
days and remained upon the home farm until twenty-two years of age,
when he began farming on his own account although he continued to
reside with his parents until his marriage. He then rented land for three
years and in 1892 purchased eighty acres of his present homestead farm,
to which he has added from time to time until he has two hundred and
forty acres in this tract. He also has one hundred and eighty acres else-
where in the township and with the aid of his sons operates his entire
holdings, comprising four hundred and twenty acres. The soil is naturally
rich and productive and responds readily to the care and labor which he
bestows upon it. His methods are both practical and progressive and his
home place is equipped with all of the modern accessories of a model farm
of the twentieth century.
On the 2ist of March. 1889, Mr. Woolums was united in marriage to
Miss Anna B. Duke, a daughter of Luther and Mary Jane (McCreery)
Duke. Her father was born in Virginia, came of English descent and
was a farmer by occupation. The mother, who was of Scotch-Irish
lineage, was born in this county near Abingdon. Mr. Duke came to Iowa
prior to the Civil war and settled near Abingdon, where he made his home
until 1896, when he went to Trenton, Grundy county, Missouri, where he
and his wife now reside. He has retired from active business cares and
is enjoying the rest to which his former labor well entitles him. In the
Duke family were nine children : Mrs. Woolums ; George T., a real-estate
man living in Hedrick, Iowa; May, the wife of George B. Carpenter, a
farmer of Grundy county, Missouri ; Frank, who is also a resident farmer
of Grundy county, Missouri ; Orville, who died when but five weeks old ;
William W., a ranchman living near Centerville, New Mexico ; Jesse, a
farmer of Grundy county, Missouri ; Mabel, the wife of David Lenz, who
follows farming in Grundy county; and Lena V., who is at home with her
parents in Trenton, Missouri.
The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Woolums has been blessed with two
children. Irl R., who was born February 20, 1890, and spent one year in
the high school at Trenton, Missouri, after attending the district schools,
now assists his father in the operation of his farms. Don C, born May
15, 1895, is a pupil in the Packwood high school and his attention is
given to the farm work when not busy with his studies. The parents are
both members of the Christian church of Packwood and are interested in
all that pertains to the material, intellectual and moral development of
the community. Mr. Woolums votes with the democratic party and has
served as school director in district No. 4 of Black Hawk township for
384 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
a year. He was also supervisor of roads in the township for seven years
but otherwise has never sought nor desired pubHc office, feeling that his
farming interests make ample demands upon his time and energies. He
is, however, public-spirited and in business affairs is diligent and deter-
mined, recognizing the fact that industry is the basis of all honorable
success and therefore working persistently and energetically to attain the
prosperity which now crowns his efforts.
JOHN C. RUGGLES.
Seventy years have passed since John C. Ruggles, a well known and
retired agriculturist of section 4, Polk township, first came to Jefferson
county and, therefore, he may be said to have been a witness and an
assistant to its entire growth. At that time the Indians were far more
numerous than the white settlers and Mr. Ruggles remembers the time
when he played with the children of the Black Hawk tribe, who were liv-
ing in near-by villages. He was born in Miami county, Ohio, on the 21st
of March, 1832, and is a son of Jesse and Lavina (Whetstone) Ruggles.
The father was born in Kentucky in 1806, of English descent on the
paternal side and of German lineage on his mother's side, and went to
Ohio about 1830, where he located in Miami county. In 1834, when John
C. Ruggles was two years of age, his parents left Ohio for the middle west,
stopping in Illinois for one year and then locating in Lee county, Iowa,
where they rented a farm for three years, before settling permanently in
1839 at Blue Point, in Black Hawk township, Jefferson county. Here he
entered considerable land, which he cultivated until the time of his death
in 1848. and his widow made this her home until she passed away in 1851.
John C. Ruggles remained at home until the time of his father's death.
He acquired his early education in the schools near his home and later
was engaged in teaching in Black Hawk township for nine months. In
1854 he joined a party of six and went to California, making the
trip with ox teams in six months and twenty-six days, but, not meeting
with the success in mining that he had anticipated, he returned home after
nine months. He made the trip via Cape Horn to New York, from which
city he came overland to Iowa. The following year he went to Kansas
to investigate the possibilities in agriculture in that state, but after careful
consideration decided that Iowa offered better opportunities and so he
returned to this state. He engaged in agriculture in 1859 after purchasing
a farm, on section 4, Polk township, just north of his present homestead.
This property was his home until 1865, the year in which he purchased
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 385
eighty acres of the farm upon which he now resides. At a subsequent
date he acquired eighty acres additional, which was situated east of the
original property, and he is now the owner of one hundred and twenty
acres of this land, having sold forty to his son. His property is under a
high state of cultivation and shows the result of many years of active
work and scientific management on the part of the owner. In 1892 Mr.
Ruggles discontinued active farming and since that time his son, Charles
B., has undertaken the management and development of the home property.
By persistent energy and unceasing toil, carried on under the difficulties
which only the early settlers can fully appreciate, Mr. Ruggles has earned
a success as substantial as it is deserving. He has turned land upon which
labor had never been expended into such a state of productivity that it
annually yields in increasing returns and presents an appearance which
attests to the skill and ability of its manager.
Mr. Ruggles was married, on the 31st of December, 1857, to Mrs.
Martha Ann Bowman, the widow of Solomon Bowman and a daughter
of James and Nancy (Ruggles) Orsborn. Mr. Orsborn was a native of
Ireland but came to America when very young, his father having drowned
on the way across the water. James Orsborn was apprenticed to a Ken-
tucky hat maker and learned the hatter's trade, but in 1841 came to Jeffer-
son county, Iowa, and located in Black Hawk township, where he took
up agriculture and resided until his death on February 17, 1879. Mrs.
Orsborn was a native of Kentucky and died at the home of her son-in-law,
Isaac Webb, in Polk township. By her first marriage Mrs. Ruggles had
a son, J. S. Bowman, who is an agriculturist in Adams county, Iowa,
and is married to Allie White, of Keokuk county, Iowa. They are the
parents of the following children : Hulbert K., Howard J., Alta, Willard,
deceased, Lottie, Columbus, Fay, Lonnie and Doris. To Mr. and Mrs.
Ruggles the following children have been born, all of whom, with the
exception of Owen Perry and one who died in infancy, survive. The
eldest, Jesse O., is engaged in agricultural pursuits in Keokuk county and
is married to Clementine Lewis, of Polk township. To them four chil-
dren have been born : Gilbert Wayne, Mabel, Tony and Lilly. Amos
Henry is an agriculturist of Polk township and married Evelena McVey.
Their children are Ora, Iris, John C, Bernice, Martha, William, James
and Leonora. Charles B. is residing with his father and is managing the
home place. He has been twice married. His first union was with Louisa
Marshall, of Keokuk county, and to them one child was born, Nona Joyce,
who is residing with her father, her mother having died on the 26th of
April, 1900. Charles B. Ruggles was married February 5, 1903, to Miss
Hattie Hale, of Davis county, Iowa. He is a director and was one of the
organizers and incorporators of the Linby Savings Bank of Linby and
386 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
has served as director of school district No. 7 and as road supervisor in
district No. 3 of Polk township. He also holds membership in Lodge No.
173, I. O. O. F., of loka, Iowa, and in the Modern Woodmen of America
of Packwood, Mrs. Ruggles is a member of the Rebekah Lodge of loka.
Cyrus R. is engaged in agricultural pursuits in Polk township and mar-
ried Miss Lillie Cline, of Polk township. They are the parents of one
child, Orville. Nancy Jeannette became the wife of Frank Johnston, who
is employed by Miller & Son in Packwood. To them two children have
been born, Edwin Clayton and Opal Ruth. Omar S. is a farmer of
Wapello county and wedded Lydia Downing, of Polk township, by whom
he has two children, John C. and Thomas Cleo. Lilly Jane became the
wife of E. A. Romac, an agriculturist of Polk township, and is the mother
of one child, Jessie Marie.
In politics Mr. Ruggles has always been a loyal and enthusiastic demo-
crat. He has served as trustee of Polk township for two terms, as town-
ship road supervisor for a number of terms and as a member and secre-
tary of the district school board for thirty years. In 1896 he was defeated
as a candidate for state representative although he ran far ahead of his
ticket in a county strongly republican. In religious faith he affiliates with
the Methodist Episcopal church, in which his wife holds membership. He
is also a member of the Masonic lodge of Ollie, Iowa, and Lodge No.
173, I. O. O. F., of loka, and his wife holds membership in the Order of
the Eastern Star. Throughout his community Mr. Ruggles is regarded
as one of the earnest and honorable citizens and as one whose life has
been devoted to the moral, social, industrial and intellectual development
of the county.
GEORGE W. RUSSELL.
George W. Russell, who is now living retired on section 4. Polk town-
ship, was born in Johnson county, Indiana, on the 12th of ]\Iay. 1839, his
parents being Thomas and Sarah (Mafifett) Russell, who were married
in Morgan county, Indiana. The mother was born in Indiana and was of
American descent and the father, whose birth occurred in Kentucky, was
of Irish lineage and was engaged in agriculture. He went from Indiana
to Montgomery county, Illinois, in 1859, where he took up farming and
resided until his death, on the 25th of November, 1865. His wife had
been in ill health for some months previous to his death and her condition
Avas so alarming that a short time before passing away Mr. Russell fore-
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 387
told that she could not long survive him, the prediction coming true as
her death occurred December 5, 1865.
George W. Russell received his education in the district schools of
Indiana and up until his father's death assisted on the home farm. In
1866, however, he came to Iowa but after a three-week stay removed to
Illinois until he returned permanently in 1868 to this state. After resid-
ing for a year in Keokuk county he came to Jefferson county and located
upon the farm where he now resides. The sixty acres which formed the
nucleus of this property was purchased January 23, 1869, and today the
farm contains one hundred and twenty acres, all of which has been much
improved and is in a high state of cultivation. In 1900 Mr. Russell re-
tired from active farming and in the following year he suffered the severe
misfortune of losing his eyesight. Since his father's retirement George
T. Russell has assumed complete charge of the management of the home-
stead and today is carrying on general farming and stock-raising success-
fully.
Mr. Russell w^as married November 4, 1869, to Mrs. Adaline (Sheets)
Holler, the widow of Hiram Holler, an agriculturist of Keokuk county,
and a daughter of Samuel and Phoebe (Winslow) Sheets. Her father was
born in Pennsylvania and her mother near Fall River, Massachusetts, their
marriage occurring in Holmes county, Ohio. In 1852 they removed to Iowa,
locating in Keokuk county on the farm which was their home until their
deaths on November 26, 1869, and February 10, 1896, respectively. Their
two sons, Seymour and Leander, both served in the Civil war, enlisting
from Keokuk county, and the former gave up his life for the Union cause
in the battle near Little Rock, Arkansas. When Mrs. Russell first came
to Iowa she went to Ottumwa on business when there was but one house
in that place and also but one between Fremont and Fairfield. Because
of the unsettled condition of the near-by country it was necessary for the
family to bring their provisions mostly from Keokuk. Mrs. Russell had
one child by her first marriage, Eliza Irene Holler, who became the wife
of S. H. Bradfield. deceased, a farmer of Polk township, and to them
three children were born, Hiram W., Vern T. and Levi G. To Mr. and
Mrs. Russell five children have been born. Minnie Belle, the eldest, is
the wife of Eugene B. Bowman, a blacksmith of Packwood, Iowa, and they
have been the parents of six children, Ray, Lucy, Mary. Ruth, Samuel
and Hazel, deceased. Samuel Oscar, who is engaged in farming near
Birmingham. A'an Buren county, Iowa, married Miss Rose Caldwell, of
Abingdon, and to them four children have been born, William, Olive,
Gaylord and Gilbert. Mary Frances died at the age of ten years and six
months. Lucy May, who wedded William Barngrover, a carpenter of
Polk township, has been the mother of three children, Lowell, deceased.
388 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
and David Earl and Dennis Vearl, twins. George Thomas resides at
home on the farm with his parents and married Grace Ethel Smith, a
daughter of David Smith, of Linby, Iowa. To them two children, Nellie
Leona and Milton Clark, have been born. George T. Russell is a republi-
can and holds membership in Justice Lodge, No. 230, A. F. & A. M., of
Ollie, and Lodge No. 173, I. O. O. F., of loka. His wife belongs to the
Rebekahs. Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Russell also have two great-grandchildren,
Aura and Clarice V. Bradfield, the children of their granddaughter, Mrs.
Vern T. Bradfield, who resides in Abingdon.
In politics Mr. Russell is a stanch republican and in religious faith
he and Mrs. Russell hold membership in the Baptist church. He is also
a member of Justice Lodge, No. 230, A. F. & A. M., loka Lodge, No.
173, I. O. O. F., and has served as a school director in his home district
for several years. For two terms he devoted his entire time and efforts
to the cultivation of his property and during that time won a goodly measure
of success, which was due to his perseverance, industry and good judgment.
ANDREW ANDERSON.
Throughout his life Andrew Anderson was one of the most prosperous
farmers of Polk township, where he was residing at the time of his death
on the 19th of February, 1903, and he was one of the early Swedish
settlers of this section. His birth occurred in Rossberry, Sweden. June
23, 1849, hJs parents being John and Anna Mary Anderson. The father,
who was an agriculturist in his native land, came to America when a
young man for a year's visit, after which he returned to Sweden, where
he lived up to the time of his death.
Andrew Anderson began earning his own livelihood very early, his
first employment being as driver for a livery stable in his native town,
this being an important business as, in those early days before the installa-
tion of railroads, everything was necessarily transported by wagon. After
he was fourteen years of age he took up farming, which he carried on for
the next five years, at the same time attending school whenever his labors
permitted it. Being very ambitious and having heard much of the oppor-
tunities in the new world, he set out for America with his sister Mary in
1868 and immediately after their arrival in New York came to Polk town-
ship, Jefferson county, Iowa, where they located on section 24. For the
following two years Mr. Anderson accepted employment on the various
farms of the neighborhood, although he still made his home with his
sister. In 1870 he began his independent career by purchasing one hun-
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 389
dred acres on section 22 and later added one hundred and sixty acres,
where his widow and son, Grant Clarence, now reside. Meeting with
great success in the development and cultivation of this property, he was
induced to purchase eighty acres on section 22 and subsequently the one
hundred and sixty acres on sections 22 and 23 where his daughter, Mrs.
Lilly Fray, is now living. About thirty years ago Mr. Anderson moved
to the present homestead and resided there continuously until his death
in 1903, at which time he was the owner of about five hundred acres of
very valuable and highly developed land. This property is still owned
by Mrs. Anderson, although, until her son was old enough to assume
charge of the place, she rented out the land or was required to hire help
to carry on the general farming. The appearance of the farm was greatly
improved in 191 1, when Mrs. Anderson erected a very modern and com-
modious residence, which is wholly in keeping with the generally improved
and well equipped condition of her property. Mr. Anderson had been
among the early settlers in the county which has proved to be so rich
agriculturally and, witnessing its development, he also participated in its
improvement and his name appears among those of the men who have
rendered their fellowmen substantial and invaluable service.
On the 3d of May, 1883, occurred the marriage of Mr. Anderson to
Miss Sophia Swanson, who is a daughter of Isaac and Annie Christina
(Hammangson) Swanson, who were natives of Kisa, Sweden. In his
native country Mr. Swanson carried on agricultural pursuits but subse-
quent to his marriage, twenty-nine years ago, he removed to America.
He came to Polk township, Jefiferson county, where he located upon a
farm, and the following year Mrs. Swanson joined her husband. After
it was decided to start a settlement where Packwood now stands, Mr.
and Mrs. Swanson removed there, their house being the first built in the
town. Although residing in Packwood, Mr. Swanson carried on farming
until the ill health of Mrs. Swanson necessitated their removal to the
home of their daughter, Mrs. Anderson, where the mother's death oc-
curred October 27, 191 1. To Mr. and Mrs. Anderson two children were
born : Lilly Josephine Emily, who married Ivan C. Fray, a well known
farmer residing on a part of the home place, and who is the mother of
two children, Violet Arlene and Alice Tola; and Grant Clarence Gifford,
residing with his mother, who is ably managing the home place and also
the one hundred and eighty acres given to him by his father. Clarence
Anderson is married to Miss Neva E. Hadley, a daughter of A. D. and
Kate L. Hadley of Richland, Iowa.
In politics Mr. Anderson was a republican and had served as school
director in his home district for several terms. In religious faith the
family have always been members of the Swedish Lutheran church of
390 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
Packwood, in which they are both active and helpful. He was very highly
esteemed by those who came in contact with him in public and private life,
for honesty and integrity ever marked his acts.
JOHN GRABER.
The agricultural interests of Jefferson county, Iowa, number among
the important contributors to their prosperity John Graber, a native of
this county, born in Lockridge township, January 13, 1851. His parents,
Christian and Fanny (Wyse) Graber were natives of France. His father
accompanied his parents to this country before the end of the first quarter
of the nineteenth century. They came to Iowa and obtained land from the
government in Lockridge township. His father and mother were married
in Ohio and came to Jefferson county where they commenced farming on
land given to Christian Graber by his father. This he developed during
the remainder of his years. His death occurred in April, 1888, at the age
of seventy-six and his wife died January 28, 1876, at the age of fifty-four
years.
John Graber was reared at home and educated in the near-by district
schools. When he came of age his father gave him one hundred and
twenty acres of land. Prior to this time he and his brother had operated
the home farm of seven hundred acres, their chief product having been
corn which sometimes averaged a yield of ten thousand bushels a year.
After taking charge of his own farm he bought more land some of which
is in Round Prairie township. He is a successful farmer, practical in his
methods and tireless in his industry. He raises one hundred and twenty-
five head of hogs a year, keeps twenty-six head of cattle and eleven horses.
He is now the owner of two hundred and thirty acres of land, all in a high
state of cultivation.
On September 2, 1882, Miss Lucy Elizabeth Stewart gave her hand in
marriage to John Graber. Her father, Levi C. Stewart, was a son of
Richard and Elizabeth (Cheney) Stewart, born January 29, 1836, in San-
gamon county six miles south of Springfield. Illinois. He was married on
Thursday, October 26, 1855, to Miss Callista Potter Arrowsmith. near
Glasgow, Jefferson county, Iowa, the ceremony being performed by Rev-
erend E. H. Winans. Callista P. Arrowsmith, a daughter of John and
Lucy Rose Arrowsmith, was born March i, 1833, in Westville, Champaign
county, Ohio. In the fall of 1842 her parents came to Pittsburg, Van
Buren county, Iowa, and settled in Round Prairie township near Glasgow,
in Jefferson county. Here at her home her marriage to Levi C. Stewart
MR. AND MRS. JOHN GRABER
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 393
occurred. Five children were born by this union. She underwent an
attack of typhoid fever, which proved so virulent as to cause her demise and
on March 23, 1867, she died and in July was buried at Forest Home ceme-
tery at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. The following year, September 22, 1868, Mr.
Stewart was married to Caroline L. (Phillips) Shelly, a daughter of Henry
Phillips, born January 5, 1832, in Green county, Iowa. There were no
children. Mr. Stewart was a farmer, his father having given him a start
in his career by presenting him with a farm. He died in 1871 ; his widow
survived him just twenty years, passing away in 1891.
In the spring of 1862 Mr. Stewart discontinued farming, and leaving
his wife and children with her parents at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, he departed,
on May i, in company with a party consisting of his brother, his brother-
in-law and others, for the gold fields in the far west, making the overland
trip with ox teams. They went to Baker City, Oregon, Powder Creek
Mine, thence to Centervillc, Idaho, four hundred miles from Umatilla
Landing in Oregon. Their return journey they made by way of San
Francisco where they took passage for New York by the water route.
They arrived home in August, 1863, after an absence of fifteen months. His
family in Mt. Pleasant, rejoiced at his return, eagerly accompanied him
back to the farm in Lockridge township, where Mr. Stewart has been en-
gaged in farming ever since. *
In the family of Mr. and Mrs. Graber were eight children. Mary Edith,
the wife of Arthur Hilman, died February 25, 1910. Roland T., aged
twenty-three, lives at home. Levi C. S., aged twenty-one, lives at home.
Lollie E., aged eighteen years, is attending school at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa.
Esther Rose, aged sixteen, and John, aged fourteen, are living at home.
Two children died in infancy.
Politically Mr. Graber is a republican, but has never been an office
seeker. With his wife he is a member of the Baptist church. He possesses
force of character and determination and in the esteem of his friends holds
a high place.
SANFORD BRAY.
Sanford Bray is one of the representative citizens of Black Hawk
township, where he owns and successfully operates a farm of eighty acres,
located on section 12. He was born on the township line between Penn
and Black Hawk townships, one mile south of, where Keokuk, Washing-
ton and Jefferson counties join, on the 24th of January, 1851. His parents
were Jerry and Emma (Hadley) Bray, the former a native of North
Vol. n— 2J
394 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
Carolina and of Scotch-Irish extraction. The first eleven years of his
Hfe Jerry Bray spent in his native state, going from there to Indiana,
where he lived until 1848, when with his wife and family he removed to
Iowa. Upon his arrival in Jefiferson county he bought a farm in Black
Hawk township, living in Penn township until he could obtain possession
of his homestead. There he lived for forty-six years, passing away on
the 24th of January, 1894, the forty-third anniversary of the birth of his
son Sanford. The mother died during the infancy of our subject, and
the father later married Miss Tempy Greeson, a daughter of George
Greeson, a pioneer farmer of Keokuk county. Mr. Bray was called upon
to mourn the loss of his second wife in 1891, her death occurring on their,,
homestead.
Black Hawk township has always been the home of Sanford Bray, who
began his education in the district schools of Penn township, which he
attended until the first district school in Black Hawk township was com-
pleted. He later supplemented the course received there by four terms
of study in Central College at Wapello, in which institution he taught
between terms. Returning home at the end of that period he turned his
attention to agricultural pursuits, remaining on the farm with his father
until his marriage. Subsequent to this event he located on a farm in
Penn township that he operated as a renter for five years. This proved
to be a very profitable undertaking and in 1881 he bought the place where
he now lives, but did not remove there until February, 1882. Here he
has ever since resided, and during the twenty-nine years of his occupancy
has wrought many changes in the property. He is a capable agriculturist
and gives the closest supervision to everything about his place, the gen-
eral appearance of which is highly suggestive of thrift and prosperity.
Good barns and outbuildings, a comfortable residence, well graded stock
and fertile fields, that annually yield abundant harvests, are all to be
found here, bespeaking capable management and intelligently directed
efifort. Mr. Bray is most enterprising and his farm is operated in accord-
ance with modern agricultural methods and is yielding good returns.
On the 25th of March, 1875, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Bray
and Miss Ruth Pickard of Pleasant Plains and a daughter of William
and Mary (Bell) Pickard. The father was one of the successful farmers
of Penn township, where he passed away more than twenty years ago.
His death was the result of injuries sustained when he w'as thrown from
a horse a few months previously. He fell on his head and spine and
broke one leg, and although he suffered intensely he lingered for a hun-
dred days before death relieved him of his pain. The mother survived
him and during the last five years of her life she made her home with her
daughter, Airs. Bray. The family of Mr. and Mrs. Bray numbered five chil-
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 395:
dren : Elbert, who for twelve years was employed in the Woolson store, but
is now located at Boulder, Colorado, married Eva Morgan of Black Hawk
township and they have one daughter, Freda. Nellie, who is the second
in order of birth, died when she was twelve years of age. Hattie married
T. L. Stewart, a farmer of Keokuk county. William Ralph, who is en-
gaged in farming in this township, married Hattie Orr. Mary Ethel is
a sophomore at Central College, Wapello. She graduated from the dis-
trict school at the age of thirteen years, then entered the academy at
Pleasant Plain and for six years after her graduation from this institution
engaged in teaching.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Bray are members of the Baptist church of Penn
township, and fraternally he is a member of the Modern Woodmen of
America, having belonged to the Richland camp since its organization,
eighteen years ago. In politics Mr. Bray is a republican, but he is bitterly
opposed to the liquor traffic, so does not indorse this party's attitude on
that question. He has several times been called to public office, having
served for a year as trustee, two as assessor and three as clerk. For
fourteen years he was secretary of the township school board, and was
a member of the local board of school directors for several terms and presi-
dent for one year. Mr. Bray is widely and favorably known in Jefferson
county, where he has met with a fair degree of prosperity and has a large
circle of friends, who appreciate his many substantial qualities and high
principles.
FRED W. MESSER.
Fred W. Messer is engaged in the operation of the farm in Walnut
township where he was born, on the loth of February, 1879. ^^^ is a
son of John Adam and Rebecca (Roth) Messer, the father a native of
Germany and the mother of Iowa. In his early manhood John A. Messer
emigrated to the United States, locating in Jefferson county. He subse-
quently bought some raw land in Walnut township that he set about
clearing and improving. An energetic man of business ability, he made
a success of his undertakings and as time passed, acquired the means to
extend his holdings. He now owns two hundred and seventy-five acres
in Walnut township and two hundred in Penn township, under high culti-
vation and well improved. In 1896, Mr. Messer withdrew from the active
work o'f the fields, his property netting him an income sufficiently large
to provide all of life's comforts. They continue to live on the old home-
396 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
stead on. the farm, that has been their home for many years, he having
attained the age of seventy-two years and she being sixty-eight years of age.
Practically the entire life of Fred W. Messer has been spent amid the
scenes made familiar to him in his childhood, his preliminary education
having been obtained in the district schools and later supplemented by
two terms in the academy at Pleasant Plain. Ever since leaving school
he has been operating his father's farm, and is meeting with a goodly
measure of success. He is a capable young man of clear judgment and
practical ideas, who intelligently concentrates his efforts on whatsoever
he undertakes. In the pursuit of his vocation he directs his efforts in
strict accordance with the commonly accepted methods of modern agri-
culture, thus keeping in touch with the progressive spirit of the times.
On the 8th of June, 1904, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Messer
and Miss Celestine Engel, a daughter of Joseph and Hannah (Miksch)
Engel, natives of Ohio. Together with his parents Joseph Engel came to
Iowa, in 1861, locating on a farm in Washington county. He made his
home with his people until his marriage, following which he and his
bride took up their residence in another house on the same farm. After
his father's death he purchased the old homestead, that he operated with
increasing success for many years. In 1904 he retired from active life
and he and the mother retired to Brighton, where they have ever since
lived. He is now sixty-eight and she sixty-one years of age. To Mr. and
Mrs. Messer there have been born two sons, Clifford, who is five and
Walter F., who is two years of age.
In matters of faith Mr. and Mrs. Messer are Lutherans, and hold
membership in the English church of that denomination in Fairfield. He
is a democrat in his political views and at the present time is acting as a
trustee of Walnut township, having entered upon the duties of this office
in January, 191 1, and he is also a school director in the local district.
Mr. Messer is a worthy representative of one of the pioneer settlers and
is held in high regard in the community where he has always lived, be-
cause of his many fine personal traits and commendable standards of life.
JOSEPH J. KURTZ.
That Jefferson county is an attractive place of residence, that it offers
many opportunities and advantages to its citizens, and that its social and
intellectual conditions are pleasing and helpful is indicated by the fact
that many of its native sons ever remained within its borders. Among
this number is Joseph J. Kurtz. He was born July 5, i860, in Walnut
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 397
township, where he still makes his home, being now one of its progressive
agriculturists. His parents were John and Caroline (Weyer) Kurtz,
natives of Germany and Mississippi, respectively. The father came to
this country with his parents when only six months old, the family settling
in Michigan whence a removal was afterward made to Illinois. There
the grandfather engaged in farming for some time and in 1855 the family
home was. established in Jefferson county, Iowa, where land was pur-
chased and the work of improving and developing a farm in Walnut town-
ship was begun. During this time John Kurtz was engaged in railroading
and followed that occupation for about nine years, but at the time of his
parent's death he came to Jefferson county, purchasing the interest of the
other heirs in the old homestead property, and set about clearing and im-
proving the place. He continued to develop and cultivate it until his
death, which occurred in May, 1890. For two years he had survived his
wife who died in June, 1887. During the long period of his connection
with the agricultural interests of this section he was known as a worthy
and respected citizen and one who at all times commanded the high regard
of those with whom he was brought in contact.
Joseph J. Kurtz was reared on the old homestead and acquired his
education in the district schools, remaining with his parents until he had
attained his majority. During that time he became familiar with all of
the duties and labors incident to farm work and when he started out in
life on his own account rented a farm which he continued to cultivate for
eight years. On the expiration of that period he invested his earnings in
eighty acres of land in Walnut township and at once began the task of
further improving this and adding to it all of the equipment and accessories
of a model farm. As he has prospered in his undertakings he has in-
creased his holdings until his possessions now aggregate three hundred
and sixty acres of finely improved land which he continues to cultivate,
the well tilled fields yielding to him golden harvests. In all of his work
he has been very successful and in addition to the raising of cereals best
adapted to soil and climate he also makes a specialty of stock-raising,
keeping about one hundred and fifty head of hogs per year, also sixty
head of cattle, twenty head of horses and seventy-five head of sheep. His
live-stock interests constitute an important feature of his business and
add materially to his income. In addition to other interests he is also a
stockholder in the East Pleasant Plain Mutual Telephone Company.
In August, 1885, Mr. Kurtz was united in marriage to Miss Mary
Arndt, a daughter of Ferdinand and Mary (Kipp) Arndt, who were natives
of Germany, in which country Mrs. Kurtz was born in October, 1863.
Her parents died in their native land, after which she came to the United
States when eighteen years of age. Her girlhood days had been spent
398 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
upon her father's farm and like most German housewives her mother
carefully trained her in the work of the household. The death of Mrs.
Arndt occurred in 1872 and Mr. Arndt passed away in 1896, having never
left their native country.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Kurtz have been born eight children: Hubert P.;
Clara L., who died in March, 1890; Carolina C, William J., Bertha F.,
Theodore P., Dora G. and Bernard G., all of whom are yet at home.
The family are communicants of the Catholic church and Mr. Kurtz is a
democrat in his political views. He has served as school director of his
district but has never aspired to public office. The work of his farm makes
heavy demands upon his time and, recognizing the fact that industry is
the basis of all honorable success, he works persistently and energetically
to gain that prosperity which is the merited reward of labor. He is well
known in this county and many of the comrades of his boyhood remain
the friends of his manhood — a fact which is indicative of a well spent life.
CHARLES W. MOORMAN.
Charles W. Moorman, a retired farmer now living in Packwood, is
one of the best known citizens of Jefferson county, where he has resided
since he was seven years old. The son of Thomas and Margaret (Canady)
Moorman, he was born in Highland county, Ohio, November 2, 1838.
His parents were both of American descent, the father being born Sep-
tember 7, 1809, and the mother, February 14, 181 4. Thomas Moorman
was a farmer by occupation and came west when his son Charles was only
six years of age, stopping in Henry county, Iowa, for one year and then
going to Jefferson county, Iowa, where he located on a farm five miles
west of Fairfield. He lived on this farm during the remainder of his life
and died March 26, 1889, after surviving his wife for several years.
Charles W. Moorman remained at home with his parents until he
reached his majority, attending the district school in winter and helping
his father on the farm in summer. He then began farming on his own
account, purchasing a tract of land in Black Hawk township, where he
located and lived for nearly thirty years. In 1893, renting his farm, he
moved, to Packwood, where he still resides, having sold his land in 1902.
He was one of the organizers of the Farmers Savings Bank of Packwood,
in 1893, and served as vice president and director of that bank for years.
In 1861 he enlisted at Fairfield, Iowa, in Company F, Third Iowa Cavalry,
under Captain B. F. Crail, in Colonel Bussey's regiment. Soon after he
was taken ill with a fever, lost the use of his right arm and was forced to
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 399
spend the winter in a hospital at St. Louis, in consequence of which he
was discharged May i8, 1862.
On October 3, 1867, Mr. Moorman was married to Miss Esther Smith,
daughter of John and A. L. (Bras) Smith. The father was a native of
Massachusetts, born August 18, 1805, of EngHsh descent, and the mother
was a native of New York, born August 17, 1827. They moved to Iowa
in 1852, locating on a farm near Liberty ville, in Jefferson county, where
they lived for several years and then went to Brookville, Locust Grove
township, where he passed away August 11, 1882. His wife survived him
nineteen years, dying August 17, 1901, on her birthday, in Packwood, at
the home of her daughter, Mrs. Moorman. Mr. and Mrs. Moorman be-
came the parents of five daughters, two of whom are deceased, Louie
Pearl and Zeta May, the former of whom passed away at the age of three
years and the latter, at the age of four. The eldest child, Maggie Gertrude,
and the youngest, Hazel Alice, are at home. The other daughter, Edith
Angie, is the wife of G. T. Everett, manager of a department in the
Younkers department store in Des Moines, Iowa. They have four chil-
dren: Charles John, born August 23, 1903; Marjorie Aileen, born July
16, 1905; Theodore Sheldon, born January 10, 1907; and Max, born
March 27, 1909.
Charles Moorman has been very active all his life in helping to further
the interests of his community. He and all his family are faithful mem-
bers and zealous workers in the Methodist Episcopal church of Packwood.
In every relation of life Mr. Moorman has been honest and conscientious
and, therefore, he is held in the highest esteem by all in the township where
he is so well known.
JOHN THOMAS.
John Thomas, who for more than a third of a century has been con-
tinuously and successfully identified with general agricultural pursuits in
Black Hawk township, is the owner of a valuable farm of two hundred
and fifty acres. His birth occurred in Stark county, Ohio, on the 29th of
June, 1852, his parents being Nathaniel and Christina Thomas. The father
removed from Pennsylvania to Ohio at a period when the latter state was
still largely wild and unimproved, settling on a tract of land which the
grandfather had entered from the government some years before. He
undertook the task of clearing the property and gradually developed it into
a productive farm. His demise occurred in 1864, while his wife passed
away four years later.
400 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
Being thus left homeless at the age of sixteen, John Thomas secured
employment as a farm hand, early becoming familiar with the best methods
of tilling the soil and caring for the crops. In the spring of 1874 he left
his native state and made a trip to California but, being not altogether
pleased with the west, he soon returned to this part of the country, stop-
ping in Des Moines, Iowa, about the middle of July, 1874. Obtaining
work in the harvest field, he remained in this state until November and
then returned to Ohio, where he spent two years in the service of his pre-
vious employer. In the spring of 1877 he again made his way to Iowa and
has here remained continuously since, following the pursuits of farming
and stock-raising with excellent success. He now owns two hundred and
fifty acres of land, all of which is tiled and under a high state of cultivation
and improvement, the fields annually yielding golden harvests in return for
the care and labor which is bestowed upon them.
On the 23d of ]\Iarch, 1890, at Agency, Wapello county, Iowa, Mr.
Thomas was united in marriage to Miss Laura B. Timonds, a daughter
of James and Eliza J. (Grobes) Timonds. The father was a harness maker
by trade, but as his health would not permit of indoor work, he took up
farming in Wapello county where he now owns a farm of three hundred
and twenty acres and he and his wife are counted among the highly re-
spected residents of that county. There were seven children in the family
of Mr. and Mrs. Timonds of whom one died when but two years of age,
while all the rest are settled in Wapello county. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas
have no children. His religious faith is that of the Methodist Episcopal
church. He enjoys an enviable reputation as a prominent citizen
and substantial agriculturist of Black Hawk township and has ever mani-
fested a deep and public-spirited interest in the welfare of his county,
state and nation.
JOHN W. KIENTZ.
The farm which he is now operating in Walnut township was the
birthplace of John W. Kientz, whose natal day was August 15, 1861, his
parents being Christian and Caroline (Schafifer) Kientz, who were natives
of Germany and Ohio respectively. The father came to this country with
his parents when but a year old, the family home being established in
Ohio, where the grandparents remained for seven or eight years. A re-
moval was then made to Jeflferson county, Iowa, where the Kientz family
cast in their lot with the pioneer settlers, the father of Christian Kientz
entering land in Walnut township. Not a furrow had been turned nor an
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 401
improvement made on the place. He cleared it and undertook the arduous
task of developing the property, upon which he spent his remaining days,
converting the wild tract into _ richly cultivated fields and deriving there-
from as the years passed by a substantial and gratifying income. For years
he remained a worthy and valued citizen of this community and in his
death Jefiferson county mourned the loss of one of its worthy pioneer set-
tlers. , He passed away in 1893 ^"^ ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ ^" 1896.
Christian Kientz remained with his parents during the period of his
minority and his youthful experiences were those which usually fall to
the lot of farm boys who are reared on the frontier. He shared with the
family in the hardships and trials incident to pioneer life and early became
familiar with the best methods of tilling the soil and caring for the crops.
On attaining his majority he started out in life on his own account, pur-
chasing the farm which is now the home of his son John. It was an un-
developed tract but he resolutely undertook the work of making it produc-
tive and the evidence of his labors was seen soon in well tilled fields and
substantial improvements. He cultivated the crops best adapted to soil
and climate and the years brought him a gratifying reward for his labor.
He continued his farming operations until 1899, when he sold the old
homestead to his son John and retired from active business life, removing
to Germanville, Iowa, where he now makes his home with his daughter,
his wife having passed away on the 4th of October, 1907. His memory
runs back to the days when this section of the country was but sparsely
settled, when the prairies in June were starred with a million wild flowers
and in December were covered with one unbroken, dazzling sheet of snow.
Only here and there had a little settlement been made to indicate that the
seeds of civilization had been planted on the western prairies and with
the work of improvement, especially along agricultural lines, he was closely
associated for many years.
His son John W. Kientz was reared and educated in this county, at-
tending the public schools and in the periods of vacation working in the
fields, so that practical experience well qualified him for the tasks which
he undertook on starting in the business world on his own account, at which
time he rented a farm. After cultivating this for two years he removed
to Kansas and engaged in farming there for two years. That period was
sufficient to convince him that he preferred Jefiferson county as a place
of residence and, returning to Iowa, he afterward cultivated his father-in-
law's farm for thirteen years. He then purchased the old home place of
two hundred and thirty-five acres and has since made a number of sub-
stantial improvements thereon, converting it into a valuable property. In
the midst of the fields stand a pleasant residence and good barns and out-
buildings, which furnish ample shelter for grain and stock. Everything
402 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
about the place is neat and thrifty in appearance and his intelhgently
directed labor is bringing to him substantial success year by year. He is
also a stockholder in the Brighton Mutual Telephone Company and is in-
terested in all those progressive movements and business enterprises which
are indicative of the trend of the times.
On the 2nd of March, 1887, Mr. Kientz was united in marriage to Miss
Maggie Hillenbrand, a daughter of Casper and Elizabeth (Marks) Hillen-
brand, who were natives of Germany. Coming to this country, the father
located in Pennsylvania at an early day, remaining a number of years
in the state, after which he came to Jefferson county, Iowa. Here he
married a lady who was the ow^ner of a farm in Walnut township that
had been entered from the government. He cleared and improved the
property and continued its cultivation until his death, which occurred
November 29, 1907, having for less than four weeks survived his wife,
who died on the fourth of that month. Mr. and Mrs. Kientz have be-
come the parents of four children but one of the number died in infancy.
The others are Hattie, Elizabeth and Lester, aged respectively twenty-
three, twenty and seventeen years.
Mr. Kientz has served as a trustee of Walnut township and as school
director for many years. 'He belongs to Green Mountain Lodge, No. 205,
I. O. O. F., of Brighton, and in his political views is a democrat. He
and his family attend the Lutheran church and in every part of the county
are widely and favorably known, the hospitality of the best homes being
freely accorded them. Mr. Kientz has been a lifelong resident of the
county, spending much of his time upon the farm which is now his home,
and, while he has carefully managed his business interests, he has at the
same time found opportunity to cooperate in public work which has as its
object the material, intellectual, political and moral progress of the
community.
IVAN C. FRAY.
Sweden has sent many thrifty and progressive citizens to Jefferson
county. Prominent among the younger class of these is Ivan C. Fray,
whose birth occurred in Sweden about forty miles east of Copenhagen,
Denmark, on March 19, 1881. his parents being John William and Louisa
(Ram) Fray, both natives of Sweden. For sixteen years, before coming
to America in 1884 with his family, the father served in the king's army.
When he left his native land he came direct to Jefferson county, Iowa,
locating in Black Hawk township, where he farmed until 1906. In that
year he removed to Keokuk county and purchased a farm which he still
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 403
owns, and in addition to cultivating this land he is operating a gristmill at
old Manhattan.
Ivan C. Fray was but three years of age when he came to America
and his early years were spent attending the district school in Black Hawk
township and assisting his father on the farm. Subsequently he worked
out by the month but lived at home until twenty-three years of age, when
he removed to a near-by farm, where he was employed for two years. After
his marriage in 1905 he removed to Keokuk county, Iowa, where he re-
mained for one year, and then removed to Polk township, Jefiferson county,
to locate upon the one hundred and sixty acre farm owned by Mrs. Fray
on sections 22 and 23, where they are still residing. Mr. Fray is one of
the well known stockmen of Polk township and deals extensively in cattle
for the eastern markets. By his recognition and utilization of the oppor-
tunities for success which he saw in the business of buying cattle for the
Illinois feeders, he has worked up a stock business which is not only very
profitable at present but will ofifer even greater advantages in the future.
On the 27th of February, 1905, Mr. Fray was married to Miss Lilly
Anderson, the only daughter of Andrew and Sophia (Swanson) Ander-
son, and to this union two children have been born, namely : Violet Arlene,
born October 8, 1907; and Alice lola, whose birth occurred May 28, 191 1.
In politics Mr. Fray is a stanch republican and has served as school direc-
tor in district No. 3 of Polk township. He was at one time a member of
the Packwood Lodge of the Modern Woodmen of America and both he
and his wife hold membership in the Swedish Lutheran church of Pack-
wood. Although still a young man, Mr. Fray has shown conclusively that
many of his salient characteristics are among the requisites for success —
alertness, energy, industry and integrity in all business dealings and social
relations.
OLIVER I. WESTENHAVER.
Oliver I. Westenhaver. who was long and successfully identified with
agricultural pursuits in this county, now operates a feed mill at Pleasant
Plain. He also holds the office of justice of the peace and has ably dis-
charged the duties devolving upon him in that capacity for thirteen years.
His birth occurred in Ohio, on the loth of September, 1838, his parents
being Jacob and Elizabeth (Simpson) Westenhaver, who were natives of
Virginia and Ohio respectively. The father drove from Ohio to Jefi^er-
son county, Iowa, in 1847 ^.nd subsequently made his way to Illinois, where
he remained three years, subsequently purchasing a farm near Walnut
404 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
Creek and operating the same for three years. On the expiration of that
period he returned to this county and in Penn township purchased a tract
of eighty acres which was nearly all covered with brush and timber that
had to be cleared away before the land could be utilized for farming pur-
poses. The cultivation and improvement of that property claimed his at-
tention throughout the remainder of his life, his demise occurring in 1894
when he had attained the age of eighty-three years. His wife passed
away in 1895 at the age of eighty-four.
Oliver I. Westenhaver was a lad of nine years when he came to Jefifer-
son county with his parents. He began attending school at the early
age of four years and pursued his studies in Ohio, Illinois, and also in this
county. When he had attained his majority he left the parental roof
and for two years was busily engaged in the operation of a rented farm.
Subsequently he bought a tract of twenty acres in Penn township and
began its improvement and by additional purchase later extended the boun-
daries of his farm, operating the same for many years or until the death of
his wife. He next lived with his daughter at Brighton for six years, but
at the end of that time returned to his farm in Penn township, there con-
tinuing his agricultural pursuits for two years. On the expiration of that
period he disposed of the property and took up his abode in Pleasant Plain,
purchasing a residence and nine town lots. A year ago he bought a feed
mill and has since operated the same with excellent success.
Mr. Westenhaver has been married twice. On the 4th of June. 1862,
he wedded Miss Samantha Blissfield, a daughter of William and Eliza-
beth (Henderson) Blissfield, who were natives of Virginia. Coming to
Iowa, they settled near Brighton and there continued to reside throughout
the remainder of their lives. They were the parents of four children, as
follows : Oscar Willis, who is a resident of Pleasant Plain ; Cora B., who
is the wife of E. A. Mortimore and resides at Brighton. Iowa ; Ida L.,
the wife of Samuel Cassady, of Brighton ; and Hubert B., a railroad en-
gineer living in Missouri. The wife and mother was called to her final
rest in June, 1895, and on the 30th of August, 1907, Mr. Westenhaver was
again married, his second union being with Carrie H. Funston, a daughter
of John P. and Maria (Barcalow) Staats. both of whom were natives of
New Jersey. The father, whose birth occurred in November, 1813, chose
the occupation of farming as his life work and in 1839 removed to Illi-
nois, where he entered and improved prairie land and carried on agricul-
tural pursuits until 1853. In that year he came to Jeflferson county, Iowa,
and entered a tract of land, devoting his attention to its cultivation and
improvement until he passed away on the 12th of September, 1903, at the
age of eighty-nine years.
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 405
In politics Mr. Westenhaver is a stanch republican and his services
have been in demand in positions of public trust. He has been constable,
school director and road supervisor and is now acting as justice of the
peace, in which capacity he has ably served for thirteen years. His religi-
ous faith is that of the United Brethren church, to which his wife also
belongs. He has now passed the seventy-third milestone on life's journey
and has long enjoyed an enviable reputation in both business and social
circles.
DAVID H. MEALEY.
David H. Mealey, the present efficient mayor of Pleasant Plain, has
for the past thirty-five years been continuously and successfully engaged
in business as the proprietor of a well equipped drug establishment in,
that town. His birth occurred in Keokuk county, Iowa, on the 6th of
February, 185 1, but he lost his parents when still but a baby and conse-
quently has no recollection of them. He was reared by his grandparents,
Dr. Samuel and Margaret (Blaine) Mealey, who were natives of Virginia
and Pennsylvania, respectively. The former, a physician and surgeon by
profession, practiced medicine in the Keystone state for forty years and
then came to Iowa in 1844, locating in Keokuk county, where he entered
a tract of land and undertook the task of clearing and improving the
property. Abandoning his profession, he gave his entire attention to gen-
eral agricultural pursuits and operated that farm until 1853, when he dis-
posed of the place and took up his abode in Brighton, Iowa. There he
lived in honorable retirement until called to his final rest in 1871. His
wife had passed away in 1869.
David H. Mealey was reared and educated at Brighton, Iowa, attend-
ing the high school of that place. When sixteen years of age he left the
home of his grandparents and afterward worked at different occupations,
including farming and railroading. Subsequently he began reading medi-
cine under the direction of his uncle. Dr. T. S. Mealey of Pleasant Plain,
whom he also assisted in the conduct of a drug store at that place. In
1876 he purchased the establishment from his uncle and has conducted the
same to the present time with constantly growing success. The law re-
quiring registration was not passed until 1880, since which time Mr.
Mealey's registration number has been 1050. He carries a comprehensive
line of drugs and druggist's sundries and enjoys an extensive and lucrative
patronage. In addition to his place of business he owns an attractive and
modern residence at Pleasant Plain. He is a stockholder and director of
406 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
the East Pleasant Plain Savings Bank and a stockholder in the East
Pleasant Plain Telephone Company.
On the i6th of October, 1872, Mr. Mealey was joined in wedlock to
Miss Margaret M. Fuqua, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Fuqua, both of
whom were natives of Tennessee. The father, a shoemaker by trade,
worked at that occupation in Missouri until he passed away in i860. His
widow, who still survives at the age of ninety-five years, makes her home
in Walla Walla, Washington. To Mr, and Mrs. Mealey were born seven
children, as follows: Murrel B., an electrician residing at Portland, Ore-
gon ; Lulu, the wife of O. V. Klingeman, a farmer of Black Hawk town-
ship ; Lilly E., whose demise occurred in June, 1909; Alfred H., a jeweler
of Walla Walla, Washington ; Bessie, who gave her hand in marriage to
H. A. Shannon, an agriculturist of Texas ; Samuel L., who also follows
farming in Texas ; and one who died in infancy.
In politics Mr. Mealey is a stanch republican and his services have been
in demand in various positions of public trust and responsibility. He has
held the office of township clerk of Penn township for fifteen years, has
served as secretary of the school board for a similar period and acted as
councilman during six consecutive years. He is the present mayor of
Pleasant Plain and his administration has been characterized by many
measures of reform and improvement. Fraternally he is identified with
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, becoming one of the first members
of the lodge here at the time of its organization in 1880. He enjoys the
pleasures of an ideal home and is a man in whom public as well as private
enterprise and the true civic spirit are highly developed.
GEORGE A. SPIELMAN.
George A. Spielman, manager and partner of the general store of the
M. M. Spielman Company at Packwood and postmaster of the town, is
one of the good substantial business men of his county. His birth oc-
curred in the village of Merrimac, Iowa, July 21, 1869. The grandparents,
Mr. and Mrs. John Spielman, were born and reared in Germany. In the
prime of life they came to America and settled in Franklin county, Ohio,
near Columbus, where the son, Lewis Spielman. father of George A.
Spielman, was born. Lewis Spielman married Matilda Otterbine, a native
of Stark county, Ohio, and she also was of German descent. In 1844
they went to Iowa, locating in Walnut township, where he bought eighty
acres of land, to which he later added until at the time of his death he
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 407
owned one hundred and sixty-eight acres of very fine land. Here he re-
sided — one of the most highly respected men of Walnut township — until
the time of his death, on March 19, 1879. His wife remained on this
farm until 1891, when she moved to Pleasant Plain, Iowa, where she now
lives, greatly loved by all her acquaintances. They were the parents of
nine children, of whom George A. Spielman was seventh in order of birth.
The others are: John W., a retired farmer of Worthington, Minnesota;
Mary, the wife of Henry Williams, also a retired farmer of Worthington,
Minnesota ; Henry E., a farmer of Brighton, Iowa ; Franklin, who died at
the age of twenty-three ; Lewis, who died at the age of one month ; Jacob,
who died at the age of two years; Tillie, the wife of William Gardner, a
government inspector of forestry at Cass Lake, Minnesota ; and William,
who died at the age of two years.
George A. Spielman was reared under the parental roof, attended the
district schools and later, Pleasant Plain Academy. He helped with the
work on the farm until he attained his majority and then entered the gen-
eral store of F. L. Eck at Pleasant Plain, where he worked for two years.
He was then employed in the store of Andrews & Powers in Pleasant Plain
until 1895, when he moved to Packwood and established his present busi-
ness. In 1903, under Roosevelt, he was made postmaster of Packwood,
a position which he still holds. He has been for two years a member of
the board of directors of the Farmers Savings Bank at Packwood.
On the 24th of October, 1894, Mr. Spielman was married to ]\Iiss
Minnie Humphrey, a daughter of Sanford and Margaret Frances (Ken-
dall) Humphrey. The father, a native of Penn township, Jefferson county,
is of Irish-American descent and comes from an old Virginia family, the
members of which were large land and slave owners. The mother was
born in Miami county, Ohio, of German-Irish descent. Mr. and Mrs.
Kendall moved to Iowa when their daughter Margaret was only nine years
old and located on a farm in Penn township, Jefferson county, where they
lived a great many years. The last few years of their active lives they spent
in retirement and both are now dead. Mr. and Mrs. Humphrey became the
parents of ten children, of whom Mrs. Spielman is the eldest. The others
are : Alonzo, who is a liveryman at East Pleasant Plain, Jefferson county ;
Leward, who is superintendent of the Western L^nion Telegraph Company
at Jacksonville, Illinois ; Emmett, who is engaged in farming at Superior,
Nebraska ; Charles, who is a harness maker of Pleasant Plain, Iowa ; Frank
R., an employe of the Hall Railroad Signal Company of Syracuse, New
York ; Ina, who is attending college at Cedar Falls, Iowa ; Zona, who is at
home with her parents ; and two sons, Clyde and Wilford, who died at
the ages of nine months and twenty-two years respectively. Mr. and Mrs.
Spielman are the parents of two children, Guy H. and Mildred Irene, both
408 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
of whom are attending the Packwood high school and are also employed
as clerks in the postoffice.
George A. Spielman has been very active in his life work and is recog-
nized as one of the substantial business men of his township. His political
allegiance is given to the republican party and he takes an active interest
in all local politics, being for six years clerk of Polk township, and also has
served as a member of the Packwood city council and as city clerk. Fra-
ternally he is identified with the Modern Woodmen of America at Pack-
wood, where he has been clerk of the lodge for fourteen years, and he is
also connected with the Masonic lodge of Abingdon, Iowa. He and all
his family are zealous members of the Methodist Episcopal church. From
a financial, social and political standpoint he may well be called one of the
most prominent citizens of his township.
REV. HENRY J. HOGAN.
Rev. Henry J. Hogan. the pastor of St. Mary's church, Fairfield, Iowa,
was born June 9, 1874, in Davenport, Iowa. His parents, John Hogan
and Cathrine Cooper Hogan, were born at Long Grove, Iowa, the father,
July I, 1840, and the mother, November 25, 1844. His mother was the
daughter of Leonard Cooper, born October 19, 1799, and Julia Ann Elder,
born March 21, 1805, at Loretta, Pennsylvania. Both grandparents were
baptized by the Rev. Demetrius Gallitzin and united in marriage by him,
on October 19, 1824, in the old St. Michael's church, Loretto, the most
historical church in central western Pennsylvania.
His mother's parental and maternal ancestors emigrated from Lanca-
shire, England, November 22, 1633, and reached America at Point Com-
fort, Maryland, February 27, 1834, with Leonard Calvert, the brother of
Cecilius Calvert, the second Lord Baltimore, who had secured a special
charter from King Charles I, and who, with his brother above mentioned,
located their colony at St. Mary's, Maryland, March 27, 1634. As time
went on the colony prospered and numerically increased, and eventually
the descendants scattered throughout the country, some going to Kentucky,,
others to Pennsylvania, and others still to Ohio and Iowa, ever carrying with
them the industry and probity for which they were noted, and the fidelity
and loyalty to the religious faith of their fathers.
Father Gallitzin, the first priest in this country to have conferred upon
him all the orders up to the sacred priesthood, was ordained by Bishop
Carroll at St. Mary's Seminary, Baltimore, Maryland, March 18, 1795.
His first appointment by Bishop Carroll was the care of the Catholics from
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 411
Cumberland, Maryland, to Huntingdon and the heart of the Alleghanies
in Pennsylvania. In July, 1799, Father Gallitzin was appointed pastor
of Loretto, Pennsylvania, and in this appointment he was followed by the
families of the great-grandparents of Rev. Henry J. Hogan, the immediate
subject of this sketch. Their names were Henry Cooper and Mary Green
on his grandfather's side ; and Walter Elder and Priscilla Elder on his grand-
mother's side. His great-grandfather Henry Cooper was born, June 10,
1759. When the colonies declared their independence from the mother
country he volunteered his services in the cause of his country, but owing
to his youth was rejected. He persisted in his offers however, and even-
tually was accepted and served in the army until the conclusion of the
American Revolution. In later years he took great delight in telling his
family of his experience in the Continental army, the hardships and the
privations endured, the courage and bravery of the soldiers and their grati-
tude to God in the surrender of Lord Cornwallis to the American patriots
on October 19, 1781, at Yorktown, Virginia. The paternal grandparents
of H. J. Hogan, were Patrick Hogan and Mary Pettigrew, the former
born in County Tipperary, Ireland, and the latter in Scotland. They were
married in 1839. John Hogan, their eldest son, when o.nly twenty-one years
of age, volunteered his services in the cause of his country and he was
accepted and served during the entire Rebellion.
On January 8, 1866, John Hogan and Cathrine Cooper were married
at St. Ann's, Long Grove, Iowa, and to them Henry J. and Charlotte B. were
born. Henry J. was baptized by Monsignore M. Flavin, in the old St.
Anthony's church, the first church built in Davenport and one of the first
built in Iowa. His early boyhood days were spent in Scott county and
Davenport, where he attended the public schools and later St. Ambrose Col-
lege from which institution he graduated with the class of 1899. In Sep-
tember, the same year, he attended St. Mary's University at Baltimore,
where he prepared for the priesthood, concluding his course there, after
which he was ordained by His Eminence, Cardinal Gibbons, in the cathedral,
Baltimore, on the 21st of June, 1902. On the 28th of June he was appointed
assistant to Bishop Davis of the Sacred Heart cathedral and here he labored
earnestly for three and one half years. He was then appointed pastor of
St. Mary's church at Fairfield, January i, 1906. His zeal for his church
is untiring and his labors find their tangible expression not only in the
spiritual growth of the parish but in the splendid new church which has
recently been erected under his supervision and through his efforts. On the
17th of May, 1908, this church was dedicated and it was made a most in-
teresting occasion to the diocese.
It was a happy day for Father Hogan, who had entered upon his mis-
sion in Fairfield, with "zeal, tact and eloquence" and set up a new ideal for
Vol. n— 23
412 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
the people of St. Mary's in the buildmg of the church that was up to the
standard of its people. To make this ideal real, however, required more
than zeal, tact and eloquence. It required genius too, that genius which the
philosopher well described as "capacity for hard work." Father Hogan has
demonstrated the possession of that capacity which is the crowning qualifi-
cation of success in every vocation of life. His remarkable executive ability
joined with his other qualifications, make him a credit to the clergy of the
Davenport diocese. He undertook the arduous task of building a church
under very peculiar circumstances and never ceased in his labors until this
splendid equipped church was completed and on the day designated, it was
dedicated almost free from debt. On this occasion Bishop Davis, The
Very Reverend D. M. Gorman, president of St. Joseph's College, Dubuque,
Iowa, and Very Reverend M. Bonfield, Chicago, Illinois, delivered eloquent
and forceful sermons.
The church stands at the corner of Grimes and Third streets and it is
a notable addition to the church architecture of Fairfield. It presents a
beautiful and striking combination of the Romanesque and the old mission
style of southern California. It is built of pressed brick, trimmed in Bedford
stone and has a red-tile roof. It is ninety-five feet long and the width
varies from forty-seven to sixty-three feet. The interior arrangement pre-
sents many novel and beautiful features not usually found in small parish
churches. Three altars occupy the sanctuary and these with the statues
and the stations of the cross and other ornaments were the gifts of individ-
ual members and friends.
The members of the parish and citizens of Fairfield cooperated heartily
with Father Hogan in his efforts to build up this church under whose
leadership the work was pushed vigorously until the house of worship was
ready for dedication, which was made one of the most important religious
occasions in the history of the church in Jefferson county.
CHARLES H. LINDER.
In the middle west there is prevalent a spirit of progress which prompts
the individual to put forth his best effort and utilize his opportunities to
the greatest advantage. And it frequently happens that the men who
came from the east, after educational possibilities increased, have been
appointed to fill business positions which not only call for energy, alert-
ness and some training but also regulate and stimulate business. Among
this class is Charles H. Linder, a charter director and the cashier of the
Linby Savings Bank. He was born in Washington county, Virginia, Jan-
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 413
uary 17, 1859, his parents being Abram and Elizabeth (Vance) Linder,
both of whom were native^ of Virginia. Mr. Linder was an agriculturist
of Scotch-Irish descent and resided in Virginia until his death in 1881.
At that time he had sold the old homestead on account of ill health and
was making arrangements to remove to Texas, where he hoped to find a
more salubrious climate. In 1882 Mrs. Linder brought her family to Polk
township, Jefferson county, where she rented a farm near Abingdon, which
the sons cultivated until 1890. In that year Thomas M. Linder purchased
his present farm just west of Linby and the mother resided there until
her death in December, 1910.
LTpon starting out to earn his own livelihood in 1885 Charles H. Linder
accepted a clerical position in the store of T. W. Gobble & Company at
Abingdon, where he remained for five years. On the expiration of that
period he went to Oklahoma and entered one hundred and sixty acres of
land in Logan county, which he still owns, although he returned to Abing-
don and resumed his place as clerk in the Gobble store. He held this posi-
tion until going to Libertyville and opening a mercantile business in part-
nership with Lee Gobble under the firm name of Gobble & Linder. After
six years he removed to Fairfield, where he served as deputy county treas-
urer under Harry Brown for six months and in March, 1908, he began
negotiations for opening a private bank in Linby in the store of Dudgeon
& Gambill. This bank was recognized as being ready for business on the
7th of August, 1908, when Mr. Linder, together with L. Dudgeon, now
deceased, A. H. Eller, also deceased, L. A. Andrew, C. B. Ruggles, F. R.
Gambill and T. Kenyon organized and incorporated the Linby Savings
Bank of Linby, Iowa, with a capital stock of ten thousand dollars. The
first officers elected were : L. A. Andrews, president ; L. Dudgeon, vice
president; and Charles H. Linder, cashier. At the present time the officers
are : Floyd R. Gambill, president ; R. E. Mowery, vice president ; and
Charles H. Linder, cashier. These officers, together with W. E. Black,
G. T. Russell, C. B. Ruggles and T. Kenyon form the present directorate.
This banking institution has firmly established itself in the confidence of
the community, a fact which is due to the integrity of the members of the
directorate and the courtesy of the employes.
Mr. Linder was married in 1890 to Miss Delia Foreman, who is a
daughter of Richard Foreman, a well known agriculturist residing near
Batavia. Mrs. Linder's death occurred while residing at Libertyville in
1907. To them two children were born. Edgar, the eldest, is now "twenty
years of age and has graduated from the Fairfield high school and the
Cedar Rapids Business College. In August, 191 1, he accepted the posi-
tion of assistant cashier in the First State Bank of Holstein, Iowa. Horace,
414 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
the younger, attended the Fairfield high school for three years and is now a
student of the Cedar Rapids Business College.
In politics Mr. Linder is a democrat and is interested in the success
of his party and its measures and is thoroughly alive to the issues of the
day. He is an honorable and progressive citizen and is recognized by the
community at large as a forceful factor for development and improvement
in the town in which he makes his home.
CASSIUS M. McCHESNEY.
Cassius M. McChesney is one of the most prominent and best known
farmers of Polk township, his landed possessions being extensive. His
time and energies are devoted to the cultivation of six hundred and seventy
acres and his practical judgment and progressive methods are manifest in
the excellent appearance of his place and in the splendid results which
crown his labors. He was born upon a farm in Clayton township, Wood-
ford county, Illinois, October 26, 1858, a son of Jacob and Elsie (Davison)
McChesney. The father was born in Rensselaer county, New York, in
1835 ^^^ was of Scotch and German descent, while his wife, also a native
of Rensselaer county, was of Scotch-Irish lineage. Jacob McChesney
was a college graduate, having pursued his course of study with the inten-
tion of becoming a representative of one of the learned professions. How-
ever, he changed his plans, was married and turned his attention to the
carpenter's trade. His college training, however, was not lost, for it was
the basis of his proficiency as a mechanic and of the artistic element which
entered into the fine woodwork that he did in connection with his trade.
Previous to his marriage he had engaged in clerking in a store for a time
but later became connected with building operations. When twenty-two
years of age he removed from the state of New York to Illinois, settling
in Clayton township, Woodford county, where his son Cassius was born.
•For a few years the father resided upon a farm and in connection with
the cultivation of his fields continued to engage in carpentering. At length
he established his home in Minonk, Illinois, where he began work as a
contractor and builder. There he lived for twenty years, following his
trade throughout that period, but at the end of two decades retired from
active life, his former indefatigable labor having brought to him a sub-
stantial return. Indolence and idleness, however, are utterly foreign to
his nature and, being unable to content himself without some employment,
he works just enough to keep himself active and well. His wife is still
living and this worthy couple, who were married in Rensselaer county.
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 415
New York, are still traveling life's journey happily together, their mutual
love and confidence increasing as the years have passed by.
In the public schools of Minonk, Illinois, Cassius McChesney pursued
his education until he reached the age of sixteen years, when his parents
returned to the farm, and there he assisted his father in the further de-
velopment and improvement of the fields until twenty-three years of age,
when he started out in life on his own account. He began farming on
rented land, thus spending his time for three years on a tract near the
old homestead. During that period he carefully saved his earnings until
he possessed a sum sufficient to enable him to purchase eighty acres in
the same neighborhood. For six years he resided upon that property and
in 1890 he came to Jefferson county, Iowa, establishing his home about
three miles east of Packwood in Black Hawk township, having previously
disposed of his Illinois property. His first Iowa farm he purchased of
Curtis Houghton — a tract of two hundred acres for which he paid thirty
dollars per acre. For nine years he lived upon that place and during that
period extended its boundaries by an additional purchase of forty acres.
Subsequently he sold the two hundred and forty acre tract and removed
to a farm of one hundred and sixty acres, two and a half miles south,
which he purchased. There he made his home until 1904, when he took
up his abode at his present place of residence, buying one hundred and
seventy-six acres on section 25, Polk township. He still retains the Black
Hawk township property, however, and both tracts of land are rich and
valuable. At dift'erent times he has added to his holdings until today in
the various fine farms which he owns are found six hundred and seventy
acres of as arable and productive land as can be seen in Jefferson county.
His entire acreage is well devoted to cultivation or to pasturage and Mr.
McChesney and his son are now^ cultivating three hundred and twenty
acres of his land, while the remainder he rents.
On the 29th of August, 1880, occurred the marriage of Mr. McChesney
and Miss Flora E. Bennington, a native of Marshall county, Illinois, and
a daughter of James N. and Amanda (Hollenback) Bennington. Her
father was born in Tazewell county, Illinois, in 1831, and was of Scotch
descent, while his wife, a native of Ohio, was of Scotch-Irish lineage.
When only a year old Mr. Bennington was taken by his parents to Mar-
shall county, Illinois, where he spent his entire life, always following the
occupation of farming and making his home for a quarter of a century
upon the farm where his death occurred November 10, 191 1. His widow
still resides on the old homestead. He was one of the worthy and hon-
ored pioneer residents of that district and all who knew him entertained
for him high regard.
416 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
Unto ]\Ir. and Mrs. McChesney have been born seven children, of
whom five are yet living. LeRoy Virgil, who occupies his father's farm
just north of the homestead property, married Lela Peters, a daughter
of John and Mollie Peters, and they now have one child, Viola Irene.
Lena Ellen is the wife of Melvin Barron, a farmer of Black Hawk town-
ship, and they have one son, Alerle McChesney Barron. Cassius Cullom
assists his father in his farming operations. Carrie Lois is a pupil in the
Packwood high school and Blanche Marie is also attending school in Pack-
wood. The two children who have passed away are : Ethel Irene, who
died at the age of three years ; and Viola, who died at the age of one
year. The parents and the two oldest children are members of the Chris-
tian church of Packwood and in politics Mr. McChesney is a stalwart
republican. He has served as clerk of Polk township for two terms and
for several terms has been a member of the district school board in Black
Hawk township. He has also been secretary of the school board of dis-
trict No. I since coming to Polk township and is a champion of the cause
of education, doing much to advance the interests of the schools in this
part of the county. In fact Mr. McChesney is known as a citizen who
has deep interest in the welfare and progress of his community and wdiose
cooperation can always be counted upon to further any movement for the
general good. As a business man he stands prominent among those whose
labors have constituted the basis of substantial success. Wherever known
he is held in high regard not only because his business interests have
brought him prosperity, but also because of the straightforward, honorable
policy which he has ever followed in the conduct of business transactions.
He has based his principles upon the rules which govern strict and unswerv-
ing integrity and owes his success to his judicious investment, his sound
judgment and his unfaltering energy.
ROBERT B. KENYON.
One of the men who have watched the advance of the installation of
modern inventions and economic progress of Iowa is Robert B. Kenyon,
whose birth occurred in Fairfield, on the 4th of September, 1847. His
parents, whose marriage took place in Ohio, were Mr. and Mrs. James
Kenyon, the former being born on the Isle of Man, February 18, 1818.
of Manxman descent, and the latter born February 5, 1814. The father
came to America with his parents when five years of age and located in
Ohio, where he remained until after his marriage to IMiss Jane Tier, a
native of London. England. In 1846 they removed to Fairfield, Iowa,
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 417
where Mr. Kenyon followed his trade as a mason until 1859, when he
took up farming for a short time near Fairfield. Subsequently he came
to Polk township, where he purchased land and settled on the farm which
is now owned by George E. Estes. Mr. Kenyon transported from Bur-
lington to Omaha the surveying crew which made the first survey for the
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad through Jefferson county, Iowa.
The greater part of the inhabitants along the route which this railroad
followed had never before seen a train and Robert Kenyon remembers
that as the first train entered Fairfield the children of the town put their
hands to their ears endeavoring to shut out the noise which they had been
told the train would make. They were greatly disappointed, however,
that the noise was so slight. Until his death on the 20th of August, 1880,
the father gave his whole time and attention to the cultivation and im-
provement of his property, upon which he had built a comfortable home
for himself. The death of his wife occurred May 7, 1876.
Robert B. Kenyon received his education in the schools of Fairfield
and Polk township and lived with his parents until sixteen years of age,
when he enlisted at Abingdon for service in the Civil war, serving with
Company D, Nineteenth Iowa Volunteer Infantry. This regiment became
a part of the Department of the Gulf. Mr. Kenyon saw some rather in-
teresting fighting. He took part in the siege and capture of Spanish Fort
and the battles of Mobile, Goode's Plantation and Fort Gaines, in addi-
tion to a number of skirmishes. He remained in service until the close
of the war and after his discharge at New Orleans, August 20, 1865, he
returned to his home in Polk township and engaged in farming with his
father until his marriage. After that he farmed independently on the old
homestead for four years, at the end of which time he removed to his
present homestead, which then consisted of eighty acres but has since been
enlarged to two hundred and forty acres. This property is all under a
high state of cultivation and is some of the most improved farm land in
the district, yielding profitably and attesting the ability of its manager.
Mr. Kenyon was married on the 12th of October, 1876, to Miss Mary
Cline, a native of Ohio and a daughter of William and Rebecca Cline.
They were both born in Ohio, the former June 6, 1824, and the latter
July 12, 183 1. They came to Jefferson county at an early day and located
in Polk township on the farm upon which they lived until their deaths,
February 10, 1868, and June 14, 1864, respectively. To Mr. and Mrs.
Kenyon five children have been born. William E., the eldest, married
Mertha Black, of Polk township, and is engaged in a clerical position in
a store at Packwood. They are the parents of one child, Earl. Anna J.
became the wife of William Mills, who is an agriculturist of Polk town-
ship and was formerly engaged for several years in the harness making
418 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
business in Packwood. They are the parents of three children, Marie,
Fern and Mary. Nora Dollie is the wife of John Carr, an agriculturist
of Polk township. Lewis Earl resides at home with his parents and is
married to Effie Shy, of Keokuk county. He farms for himself, renting
land from his father. Roy, who is assisting his father in the management
of his property, resides at home.
Mr. Kenyon, although a republican in political principles, casts his
vote for the man whom he thinks is best fitted for the office to be filled
no matter what his party affiliation. He has served one term as township
clerk and is at present serving his second year as township trustee. He
has also been a school director for several years and has filled for eleven
years the office of road supervisor. Until its discontinuation Mr. Kenyon
was a member of the Grand Army post at Abingdon and Mrs. Kenyon
holds membership in the Methodist Episcopal church of Packwood. In
1908 he retired from active farming and gave the management of his
place over to his sons, who are now engaged in carrying on general farm-
ing and feeding cattle. Throughout his life he has been a hard and per-
sistent worker and has well earned the comforts and leisure which he is
now enjoying.
lOHN H. KYLE.
John H. Kyle, who passed away in Penn township, on the 5th of Jan-
uary, 1888, was for a number of years identified with general agricultural
pursuits in Jefiferson county. His birth occurred in Louisville, 'Kentucky,
on the 7th of November, 1844, his parents being John and Mary (Steel)
Kyle, who were natives of Scotland and Ireland respectively. The father
emigrated to the United States at an early day, locating in Louisville, Ken-
tucky, where he was married and was employed in a cemetery for a num-
ber of years. In 1856 he came to Jefferson county, Iowa, and purchased
a tract of land in Penn township, clearing and improving the property and
being busily engaged in its operation until called to his final rest in 1894.
His wife passed away in August, 1876.
John H. Kyle obtained his early education in his native city and sub-
sequently made his way to St. Louis, Missouri, where he entered college
and took up the study of pharmacy. After completing the course he
worked in a drug store as a registered pharmacist for four years. On the
expiration of that period he came to Jefferson county and began assisting
his father in the operation of the home farm, residing thereon throughout
the remainder of his life. At the time of his father's death his widow came
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 419
into possession of the home place of one hundred and ninety-three acres.
For the past seventeen years Mrs. John H. Kyle has leased the property
and has lived in a residence of her own at Pleasant Plain.
It was on the 4th of July, 1866, that Mr. Kyle was united in marriage
to Miss Nettie Parshall, who was born at Brighton, Iowa, on the loth of
September, 1848, her parents being Simon and Elizabeth (Auld) Par-
shall, natives of Ohio and Pennsylvania respectively. The father, a black-
smith by trade, came to Jefiferson county, Iowa, in an early day, making the
journey overland with an ox team through a country infested by Indians.
After conducting a blacksmith shop in this county for some time, he
removed to Brighton, Iowa, locating there when the little village boasted
only three houses. Opening a blacksmith shop, he conducted the same
until the outbreak of the gold fever, when he joined several other men
in an overland journey to California, working as a miner in that state for
three years. At the end of that time he returned to Brighton and again
opened a blacksmith shop, conducting the same until he died of cholera
in 1854. His wife long surviving him, passed away in 1896. Unto Mr.
and Mrs. Kyle were born eight children, three of whom died in infancy.
The others were as follows : Mary, who is the wife of Edward Jones and
resides at East Pleasant Plain ; Clara, the wife of B. S. Cash, of Albia,
Iowa; John, a grocer of Pleasant Plain; Jessie, the wife of Bert Weitzel,
a salesman for Borden's Condensed Milk Company ; and Fanny, who passed
away on the 20th of October, 1887.
Mr. Kyle gave his political allegiance to the republican party and held
several positions of public trust. He served as township clerk for several
years and also' acted as assessor and as secretary of the school board. Fra-
ternally he was identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at
Fairfield, Iowa, while his religious faith was that of the Presbyterian
church. His widow and children belong to the Methodist church. Mrs.
Kyle has many friends in the community where she resides and the hos-
pitality of the best homes is cordially extended her.
JULIUS CRILE.
Julius Crile, well known in agricultural and financial circles of Jef-
ferson county, is today one of the most extensive landowners in this part
of the state, his possessions aggregating ten hundred and sixty acres,
most of which lies in Walnut and Lockridge townships, Jefferson county.
It was in the former township that his birth occurred in July, 1846, his
parents being John P. and Gottlieben (Kull) Crile, both of whom were
420 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
natives of Germany. On coming to America the father located in Marion
county, Ohio, where he lived for eight or nine years, and in 1836 he arrived
in Jefferson county, Iowa, settling in Walnut township, where he entered
one hundred and sixty acres of government land. Later he secured an-
other claim of forty acres and with determined purpose began clearing
the land and turning the first furrows in the field. The work of further
development and improvement was continued by him throughout the re-
mainder of his days but death claimed him when this was still a frontier
district. He passed away in 1848 and his wife survived him many years,
her death occurring in 1906.
Julius Crile was reared and educated in Walnut township and always
remained with his mother. He was but two years of age when his father
died and when twenty-two years of age he began farming on his own
account, joining his brother in the purchase of the old homestead property
of two hundred acres. They farmed this in partnership for six years,
at the end of which time Julius Crile sold his interest to his brother and
invested in one hundred and ninety-four acres, since which time he has
carried on farming independently. \\'ith resolute purpose he began the
task of developing his property and that he has prospered is indicated in
the fact that from time to time he has added to his holdings until he now
has in his possession ten hundred and sixty acres of valuable land, of
which one hundred and forty acres lies in Henry county, while the re-
mainder is situated in Walnut and Lockridge township, Jefferson county.
Whatever he has undertaken he has carried forward to successful com-
pletion and that his methods are practical and progressive is manifest in
the excellent appearance of his place, wath its w^ell tilled fields, its sub-
stantial buildings for the shelter of grain and stock and a pleasant and
commodious residence. He raises about sixty head, of hogs each year
and keeps eleven head of cows and twenty-two head of horses. He also
deals largely in horses and is well known as a breeder, having four Perch-
eron stallions and one Shire. He is likewise a stockholder in the Pleasant
Plain Savings Bank and in the State Bank of Brighton and has become
widely known in financial circles.
In August, 1871, Mr. Crile was united in marriage to Miss Minnie
Hankammer, a daughter of John and Mary (Holbiser) Hankammer, both
of whom were natives of Germany. The father came to the United States
in 1883, settling in Keokuk county, Iowa, where he purchased and im-
proved a farm, continuing in its operation until about a year prior to his
death. His last year was spent in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Crile and
here he passed away in 1893. His wife died in 1889. Mr. and Mrs
Crile have become the parents of eight children: Emma, now the wife
of George Diers ; George, who died in 1905; Lizzie, the wife of Frank
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 421
Diers; Ida, the wife of Dave Powell; John; Ben; Clara, the wife of Earl
Smith, who is operating a farm in partnership with her father ; and Minnie,
at home. After an illness covering two years the wife and mother passed
away in 1898 and her death was the occasion of deep regret to many
friends as well as her immediate family.
Mr. Crile exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and
measures of the democratic party and his religious faith is that of the
Lutheran church. His record is notable by reason of the success he has
achieved and the honorable, straightforward business policy which he has
ever followed. He has never sought to take advantage of the necessities
of his fellowmen in any trade transaction but through industry and wise
investment has won the prosperity that places him now among the most
extensive landowners of Jefiferson county.
WILLIAM H. DUTTWEILER.
William H. Duttweiler, owning and cultivating a fine farm of seven-
teen acres within the corporation limits of Pleasant Plain, has remained a
resident of Jefferson county from his birth to the present time and has
devoted his time and energies to agricultural pursuits throughout his active
business career. He was born in Walnut township, on the 30th of Novem-
ber, 1850, his parents being Lewis and Sarah (Hetzel) Duttweiler, the
former a native of Germany and the latter of Greene county, Ohio. Lewis
Duttweiler crossed the Atlantic to the United States when a youth of
eighteen years, locating in Ohio, where he worked as a farm hand for
several years and was likewise employed in a sawmill. In 1840 he came
to Jeft'erson county, Iowa, entered eighty acres of land in Walnut town-
ship and undertook the task of clearing and improving the property. As
his financial resources increased, owing to his untiring industry and
capable management, he purchased an additional tract of forty acres in
Walnut township and later bought a farm of seventy acres in Lockridge
township, whereon he made his home until called to his final rest in 1891.
The period of his residence in this county covered more than a half
century and in his passing the community lost one of its respected pioneer
agriculturists. The demise of his wife occurred in 1878.
William H. Duttweiler obtained his education in the district schools
of Jefferson county and remained under the parental roof until twenty-
four years of age. He then devoted his attention to the cultivation of
rented land for fifteen years and at the time of his father's death came
422 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
into possession of the latter's farm of seventy acres in Lockridge town-
ship. After he had improved the property to quite an extent he was
attacked by rheumatism and sufifered therefrom for ten years. At the end
of that time he again resumed the active work of the fields, operating his
farm in Lockridge township until 1905. In that year he sold the place and
purchased seventeen acres of land within the corporation limits of Pleasant
Plain, paying five thousand dollars for the property. The farm is well im-
proved in every particular and the well tilled fields readily respond to the care
and labor which is bestowed upon them. ]\Ir. Duttweiler has won a gratify-
ing measure of prosperity in his undertakings as an agriculturist and has
long been numbered among the substantial and esteemed citizens of his
native county.
In July, 1878, Mr. Duttweiler was united in marriage to Miss Sarah
Allred, a daughter of James and Mary (Cummins) Allred. The father
took up his abode in Henry county. Iowa, at an early day and followed
farming as a life work. He also ran a ferry boat on the Skunk river.
His demise occurred in 1864, while his wife, long surviving him, passed
away in Missouri, on the 29th of November. 1901. Mr. and Mrs. Dutt-
weiler have four children, as follows: Emma, the wife of John Williams,
a carpenter of Mount Pleasant, Iowa ; Mary, residing in Walnut township,
who is the wife of Rapier Duttweiler. a second cousin ; and Lydia and
Henry F., both at home.
Mr. Duttweiler gives his political allegiance to the democratic party,
and has served as road supervisor of Lockridge township for two years.
His fraternal relations are with the Yeomen, while his religious faith is
indicated by his membership in the Lutheran church, to which his wife
also belongs. In social relations he is held in the highest regard and has
a circle of friends almost coextensive with the circle of his acquaintances.
LEVERETTE K. WALLACE.
Leverette K. Wallace, a retired farmer who now resides in Packwood,
was born in Athens, Athens county, Ohio, August 7, 1856, his parents
being John and Mary (Peabody) Wallace, who were residents of Illinois
for many years. John Wallace was born in Arbroath, Scotland, April
15, 1832, and came to America with his parents when but eleven years of
age, settling in Washington, Tazewell county, Illinois, and engaging in
farming. Here, on the 17th of November, 1853, he married Miss Mary
Peabody, who was born in Pennsylvania of Yankee descent, August 20,
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 423
1833, and here, where later on Leverette K. Wallace became a successful
and prominent agriculturist, they remained until 1856, when they came to
their present place in Washburn. They were the parents of twelve chil-
dren, namely: Laura M., Leverette K., Clara F., Fidelia, Thomas, Jean-
ette, ]\Iinnie, John F., Myra A., May, Charles and Bennie. In 1861 John
Wallace commenced dealing in live-stock and his business increased so
rapidly that he soon was conceded to be the largest dealer in this line in
the vicinity. He always took great interest in political affairs and filled
the office of assessor, collector, school director and supervisor, which lat-
ter position he held for seventeen years. He also was a candidate on the
republican ticket for county judge. His demise occurred January 12,
1907, while his wife had preceded him in death, on February 2, 1898.
While John Wallace prepared a home for himself and was building the
house, Mrs. Wallace went to Ohio, and it was on this trip, when she was
the guest of her sister, Mrs. Jeanette Burnham, that her son Leverette
was born. The following autumn she rejoined her husband.
Leverette Wallace spent his early life at home, attending the district
school and assisting his father on the farm. At the age of twenty-two
years he began his independent career by leaving the home place and
renting an adjoining farm from his uncle, which he worked for one year.
At the end of that time he rented for five years a two hundred and sixty-
acre farm about five miles from his father's property, but before the ex-
piration of this lease he purchased one hundred acres of it and later on,
the remaining one hundred and sixty acres, and this was his home from
the spring of 1881 until 1894, when he sold it and came to Iowa, locating
on the farm of two hundred and forty acres, one and three-quarters miles
northwest of Packwood, Polk township, Jefiferson county, which he had
purchased, and later added to it two hundred and forty acres, so he now
owns four hundred and eighty acres in all. For sixteen years he success-
fully cultivated this property but in 1910 he rented it and moved to Pack-
wood, where he is now living in the comfortable home he remodeled and
improved. Outside of his land interests Mr. Wallace is a stockholder in
the Farmers Savings Bank of Packwood, of which institution he serves
as a director.
Mr. Wallace was married December 10, 1879, to Josephine Stephens,
the daughter of Edward and Susan (Kniffen) Stephens, who were both
born near Albany, New York, and were of Yankee descent. In the early
'50s Mr. and Mrs. Stephens came to Illinois but after a short sojourn
returned to New York from where they again removed to Illinois, settling
in Peoria county. Here Mr. Stephens engaged in farming, the occupation
for which he had been trained in his youth, and he continued it until he
retired from active life and removed to Washburn, Illinois, where he is
424 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
now residing with his daughter, Mrs. L. B. Owens. Mrs. Stephens' death
occurred in 1895, in Washburn, IlHnois.
To Mr. and Mrs. Leverette K. Wallace four children have been born.
Dora, the eldest, is the wife of Curtis Woolums, a prominent farmer of
Black Hawk township, and they are the parents of three children, Velna,
Lilah and Edward. Mary died at the age of eighteen years. Nora is the
wife of Loren White, a tea and coffee merchant of Fairfield, and to them
one child has been born, Wallace Hazen White. John Edward, a resident
of Burnside, Illinois, is a graduate of the Franklin high school, of Fair-
field and was a student at Parsons College and at Elliott's Business Col-
lege at Burlington, Iowa. After having received this training he became
assistant cashier in the Burnside Bank.
Mr. Wallace is a republican, firmly believing that the principles of
that party are most conducive to good government. He has always been
interested in all projects which will serve the general welfare of his com-
munity and for ten years he acted as school director in Polk township, an
office which he filled conscientiously and ably. Both he and Mrs. Wallace
are members of the Christian church, the latter being active and prominent
in the Willing Workers' Society of the church. Packwood has in Mr.
Wallace a citizen who is well known and esteemed for his integrity, pro-
gressiveness and advocacy of what is best in moral and social development.
JOHN CARR.
John Carr, who is carrying on general farming on section 22, Polk
township, was born on the farm, upon which he is now residing, on the
2d of April, 1875, his parents being Samuel and Martha (Smales) Carr,
whose marriage occurred in 1850. The former, who was born in Fayette
county, Ohio, was the fourth in a family of nine children, his birth oc-
curring May 25, 1825, and the latter was a daughter of John Smales, a
native of Virginia. The paternal grandparents of John Carr, Jehu and
Sarah (Foltz) Carr, were both natives of Virginia. Jehu Carr removed
to Jefferson county, Iowa, in 1840, locating in Fairfield township, and
four years later removed to Polk township, where he remained for many
years before coming to Oregon, where his death occurred in 1870. Mrs.
Jehu Carr passed away while they were residing in Ohio. Samuel Can
came to Iowa with his parents when fifteen years of age and assisted in
the opening and clearing of the farm which his father undertook to
cultivate. Until he was twenty-five years of age he was employed as a
farm laborer by the month but, having saved sufficient money to start in
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY . 425
a more independent career, he rented a farm in Locust Grove township
for five years and subsequently in 1861 purchased his first land, a sixty-
one-acre piece, which he cultivated until 1875, when he disposed of it
and purchased the farm where John Carr is now residing. Among the
improvements which he made upon his farm was the building of a home
costing fourteen hundred dollars, which at that time was a costly farm
residence for Jefiferson county. His death occurred here, on the 6th of
September, 1904, his wife having passed away on the 2d of March of the
same year.
John Carr remained at home until twenty-one years of age. He at-
tended school in Polk township in district No. 6 and assisted his father
in his agricultural pursuits but on attaining his majority his father gave
him forty acres of land, which he began cultivating independently and at
the same time doing some farming for his father. After the latter's death
he purchased one hundred and forty acres from the estate and is still
engaged in farming this in addition to his original tract. In his manage-
ment he has shown skill and ability in both general farming and feeding
stock and is recognized as one of the progressive and successful younger
farmers of his township.
On the loth of January, 1906, Mr. Carr was married to Miss Nora
Dollie Kenyon, a daughter of Robert Burns and Mary (Cline) Kenyon.
In politics Mr. Carr has always given his support to the republican party
and, although he is actively interested in the success of its measures and
its men, he has never sought office for himself. The demands made upon
his time by his agricultural pursuits and the pleasures which he finds in
his own home are so great that he has never desired lodge connections or
fraternal afiiliations. Mrs. Carr is a member of the Methodist Episcopal
church of Packwood. By indefatigable energy and constant application
to the scientific development of his farm Mr. Carr has won a good measure
of success and is today accorded a high place among the ranks of agri-
culturists of his district.
THOMAS M. LINDER.
Thomas M. Linder owns and cultivates a thirty-five acre farm at
Linby, Polk township, and by constant application has achieved a good
degree of success. His birth occurred in Washington county, Virginia,
on the i6th of May, 1854, his parents being Abram and Elizabeth (Vance)
Linder, both of whom were natives of Virginia, where the father was
engaged in agricultural pursuits until his death in 1881. The following
426 ■ HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
spring the mother removed to Jefferson county with her family and
located upon a farm near Abingdon, which her sons cultivated until 1890,
when they removed to the newly acquired property of T. M, Linder,
situated west of Linby.
Thomas M. Linder attended the district school in Virginia until he
came to Jefferson county with his mother. After she had leased a farm
for nine years he purchased his present property in 1891 and has made
this his home up to the present time, his mother and brothers C. H. and
James A. also residing with him. This property is attractively situated
adjacent to the town of Linby and is a comfortable place of residence,
where Mr. Linder may spend his later life with more leisure than he was
accorded in youth, for. being the eldest son, there was much responsibility
for him to assume after the death of his father and he has spent many
years laboring for those dependent upon him.
James A. Linder, one of the brothers of our subject, is married to
Miss Clarinda Steele, a daughter of W. H. Steele, who was a pioneer of
Polk township. Nine children have been born to this union: Margaret,
who is the wife of L. V. Brown, a farmer near Linby; Jessie, who resides
at heme; Dora, who died at the age of fourteen years; and Sallie, Mary
H., Alice D., Nellie, Ruth and Clara Belle, all living at home.
In politics Thomas M. Linder is a democrat and for the past fourteen
years has been serving as treasurer of school funds in his home district.
While his life has been passed quietly, his record contains lessons of value
and is worthy of emulation, for it shows how much can be accomplished
by persistent effort and diligent labor.
J. ADAM MESSER.
J. Adam Messer is the owner of much valuable farm property in
Jefferson county, his holdings including two hundred and seventy-five
acres in Walnut township whereon he resides, and two hundred acres in
Penn township. All this is the visible evidence of a life of well directed
energy and thrift for he started out empty-handed and through his own
labor has become the possessor of valuable holdings. He was born in
Germany, June 2, 1839, so that he has passed the seventy-second mile-
stone on life's journey. His parents, George and Magdalene (Snyder)
Messer, were also natives of Germany, in which country the father fol-
lowed farming until he determined to try his fortune in the new world,
settling in Jefferson county, Iowa, in 1855. His first purchase of land
made him owner of one hundred and sixty acres in Penn township. It
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 429
was wild and uncultivated and he at once began the arduous task of clear-
ing it and making it a productive tract. He afterward added eighty acres
more to this place and continued the further cultivation of his farm
throughout his remaining days. His death occurred in Feburary, 1885,
and his wife passed away in 1880.
J. Adam Alesser was a youth of sixteen years when the voyage was
made across the Atlantic and he came with his parents to Iowa. He early
assisted his father in the work of the fields and continued at home until
twenty-five years of age when, desirous of making a start in the world on
his own account, he began farming for himself. He first purchased eighty
acres of land from his father of which ten acres was cleared. He cleared
the timber on this land and improved it, making a wonderful change in
the appearance of the place. His labors have further continued its de-
v^elopment and later purchases have extended the boundaries of that prop-
erty until he now has in the old homestead two hundred and seventy-five
acres. He also has purchased two hundred acres in Penn township and
thus has become one of the extensive farmers of his part of the county.
In addition to his agricultural interests Mr. Messer has become well known
in other business connections, being now a stockholder in the Iowa State
Savings Bank of Fairfield and one of its directors, and a stockholder in
the East Pleasant Plain Telephone Company. He has made a monthly
crop report to the government since 1882 and is much interested in what
statistics are shown concerning the development of the state and its pro-
ductiveness.
In March, 1865, occurred the marriage of Mr. Messer and Miss Rebecca
Roth, a daughter of Joseph and Mary (Klopfenstein) Roth, who were
natives of France and of German descent. The father came to Jefiferson
county, Iowa, in 1838, and entered one hundred and sixty acres of land
from the government. He afterward returned to Ohio where he was
married, and then came to his farm in Iowa, taking up the arduous task
of transforming wild prairie into richly cultivated fields. He devoted his
energies to the further development and improvement of the property
throughout the remainder of his active business life. He passed away in
1897, having for about eleven years survived his wife, who died in March,
1886. In the family of Mr. and Mrs. Messer are five children : Mary M.,
now the wife of Alvin Knorr, a resident farmer of Walnut township;
Anna Lizzie, the wife of Bernard Diers, who follows farming in Buchanan
township; Cora M., living at home; John E., who is cultivating his father's
farm in Penn township ; and Fred W., who is operating his father's farm
in Walnut township and is serving as township trustee.
For ten years J. Adam Messer has filled the office of township trustee
and for fifteen years has been a school director. The cause of education
Vol. 11—2 4
430 HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
has ever found in him a stalwart champion whose efforts to promote the
standard of the schools has been practical and effective. His political
indorsement is given to the democratic party and he and his wife hold
membership in the First Lutheran church at Fairfield. He is also president
and treasurer of the Mutual Insurance Company and has held this office
for twenty years. He has now passed the seventy-second milestone on
life's journey and for fifty-six years of this period has been a resident
of Jeflferson county, so that he well deserves to be numbered among its
early settlers and merits the credit that is due to those who have been
active factors in the work of general progress and improvement. In his
business life he has never taken advantage of the necessities of others but
has depended upon his own labor and enterprise for his success and as a
result of these qualities has gained a place among the prosperous farmers
of Walnut township.
JAMES FREDERIC CLARKE, M. D.
Dr. James Frederic Clarke is one of Fairfield's native sons, born Febru-
ary 23, 1864. His parents were Dr. Charles Shipman and Sarah Louisa
(Wadsworth) Clarke. The father was born in Marietta, Ohio, December
15, 1814, and the mother's birth occurred in Pittsfield, Vermont, November
28, 181 5. They were married in Frederickstown, Ohio, October 7, 1834,
and subsequently became residents of Maysville, Kentucky, where they
remained four years. They then came to Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, in 1843.
Dr. Charles Clarke was a graduate of the medical school of Cincinnati,
Ohio. He was a careful student, a diagnostician of unusual abilitv, gener-
ous to a fault, and he had the respect and esteem of all who knew him.
While in Mt. Pleasant he was appointed by Governor Grimes as a member
of a commission to study the insane hospitals of the country and to estab-
lish Iowa's first institution of that character.
The horseback-riding and hard night-and-day professional work of a
large practice in a sparsely settled country, undermined the Doctor's health.
He was compelled to give up active practice and this was only possible by
leaving the community. For this reason he moved to Fairfield, in 1852,
where both he and his wife spent their remaining days. Dr. Charles
Clarke's life's labors were ended in death, March 4, 1882. Mrs. Clarke
survived him until November 29. 1905, when she also passed away in
Fairfield.
They were both actively interested in the welfare and progress of the
community. Although Dr. Clarke was too old to enter the armv at the
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY 431
time of the Civil war, he gave freely of his means and Mrs. Clarke gave
all her time and labors, to aid in the equipment of the soldiers. Both were
active workers in the public library — the first of such institutions in Iowa —
and for all other public institutions. Both were members of the Univer-
salist church, thoroughly believing in universal salvation. Dr. Clarke left
the republican party at the time of the Greeley independent movement and
thereafter usually voted with the democracy. The democratic party made
him, on one occasion, its candidate for the state legislature.
Unto Dr. Clarke and his wife were born five
