/ ' BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENhALOGICAL HISTORY OF Appanoose and Monroe . Counties, Iowa. Compiled under the Editorial Supervision of S.THOMPSON LEWIS. ILLUSTRATED. New York Chicago The Lewis publishing Company 1903 S 3 M i ■ U ^')^35 INDEX. Abegglen. John. 621. .Adams, Hugh Q.. 57.?. .Ankrom. Eli.. 13S. Il.iiley. -A. J. G., I54- I lain, .Alexander, 239. I'.aird, .Asa, 149. I'.aird. Asa S.. 96. Baker, Henry H., 431. Hall, Joseph D.. 147. liarkley, James R., 203. Harrows, James C. 323. I'artram, Robert 'I'., 171. I'.ashavv, Joseph W., 413. Hell. Samuel N., 581. I'.ernard, William, 252. Hillings, Levi, 108. I '.land, Joseph, 43S. Hoardnian, John S., 362. I'loggs, Clendennen. 242. Hridal, John C. 315. Hrnckus. Thomas S.. 1S4. Hrolhers. William, 572, Hroucr. Chancellor J.. 434. Callioun. James A., 576. Calhoun. W. F., 378. Callen, W. A., 604. Carhartt, John E., 278. Carlton, Lavvson B., 122. Casady, Andrew J., 288. Caslnor. Bertrand P., 183. Castncr, James M.. 346. Cate, H. C. 77- Chamberlain. John, 344. Chidester, Emery. 566. Chidester, H. M.. 99- Chidesier. Samuel F., 103. Chisnian. Luther, 544. Clark, John R.. 57.S. Clark, O. S., 593- Claver, James W., 255. Clawson, Charles, 590. Cleveland, J. D., 600. Condra. Jacob, 591. Coulson. R. S.. ,367. Cox, Daniel M.. 28. Cramer, George P., 284. Crawshaw, Adam, 614. Creech, James AL, 50. Crist, John G., 444. Cummins, Rufus E., 547. Daniels, Warren T., 26. Daniels, William. 187. Darby, William P... 34. Davis, Ralph M.. 531. Davis, William P., 412. Dean, George W., 135. DeRoss, Conrad, 105. Dinning, David, 474. Dinning, Robert W., 498. Doggett, J. R., .370. Donegan. Wesley, 194. Doner, John, 328. Downing, William L.. 186. Drake, Francis 1\L, Ti. Drury, James, S3. INDEX. Edwards, Malison S., 3J; Kdwards, William, XM- Egbert, A. J., 22. Elder, Saniiicl, 246. Elledgc, Edward K., 214. Elliott, George C, 395. Ellis, William AI., 470. Eschbach, H. C.,- 167. Everett, Fred D., 172. Fee, Thomas M., 40. Forrest, C. M., 229. Forsytli, Robert C, 471. Foster, Thomas, 248. Fowler, Immer, 503. Gaiilt, Edward J., 398. (iaiilt, Henry, 407. (Gilbert, J. W., 162. (ilick, Daniel. 373. Guss, Joseph, 62. (Jray, William IL, 216. (jrecnlv. EmamicI II, 60. 1 lust. in, William, 151. Hyncs, P. H., 33^. Jackson, Calvin R., 454. James, C. S., 212. James. Stephen, 212. Jennings, Edward T., 445. Johnson. Robert K., 72. Jones, Jerry, 145. Kendall, N. E., 521. Kenworthy, David W.. 66. Kenworthy, D. C, 541. Killion. Thomas W., 568. King, S. M., 517. Kingsberry, Robert, 448. Kingsbury, .\rmilda J., 446. Kinser, W. D., 75. Kirchman, Hcririan L., 387. Kirchnian, William, 387. Knapp, Melvin. 512. Knapp, W. A.. i6.(. Knowels. Jnlm. 354. 1 lagan, James, 453. Hakes. Carrie A.. 478. Halden, J. W., 166. Hammond, Henry J.. 510. Harbold, Lincoln. 244. Hardenbrook. William K., 313. Haynes. E. C, 409. Hazlewood, George C, 55S. Hibbs, James, 360. i lickenlooper. Harrison, 158. Hickenlooper, Thomas, 181. HicKnian, Solomon G., 32. Hilton, Albert, 290. Hinotc. John A., 208. Hi.xson, Samuel, 462. Hoaglaud. James S.. 509. Hoffman, San ford, 130. Holbrook, Solomon, 429. llnlstcine, James A., 92. Hoover. Charles G., 169. 1 lough. 'Thomas W., 30. I.atlian. W. J.. 119. Law, tJ. II., 392. Lawlon. Obadiah, 436. Leseney. James V., 506. Lewis, Clarence W., 456. Long. Jacob G., 125. Lusc, Jackson. 132. Marine. Joseph, 598. Marshall. Charles M.. 534. Martin. David J., 176. Mason, Allen A., 516. .Mason. C. V., 156. May, John H., 67. McCloud, George W., 464. McCloud, Nathaniel, 349. .McCormick, George C, 594. McDonald. John C, 418. McDonald, 'Thomas H., 342. McDonald. Wilber S.. 425. ixdp:x. McDonald, William P... 41)4. McElhaney. Joseph C, 35S. .McFall. John N.. .?Ji. McFarland, John, .^go. .McKeehan, George \V., 502. .\IcKim, John D., 5S. .Mercer. William, 267. .Miller, Amos F., 25J. Miller, B. G., 47. Miller, Henry, 24. Mitchell, Albert, 500. Mitchell, Hance, 499. Moss, John .A., 142. .Moss. John W., 227. Xewell. Samuel A., 282 Noble, Edg.ir M., 522. Noble, Ira, 257. Oehler, Paul C, 90. Parker Livingston G.. 5S2 Parks. James F.. .^97. Palton, Thomas S.. j.'^o. Payne. Frank S.. .?S<). Peatman, William .\1.. 144. Pence. Francis S., 204. Peppers, Lemonl .\,. 5(11. Phillips, H. H., 224.' Phillips, John C, 540. Porter, Claude R., 366. Porter, George D., 365. Potts, .-Vsbury W.. 44. Powers, Henry P., 201. Price, John R., 519, Printz. Edward T., 274. Probasco, Emery M., 411. Pugh, David. 459. Pulliam, George T.. 538. ■ Pnlliam, Thomas, 619. Ralston, John, 615. Reich, The Fainily, 199. Richardson. .\. J., 483. Richardson, Fares, 112. Richmond. Leviticus T., 523. Richmond, bamnel. 5.36. Roberts, Nathan. 69. Robertson, Joseph H., 524, Robeson, J. C, 520. Robinson, George W., 86. Sawyers, C. E., 605. Sawyers, John L., 415. Sayres, .Arlington M., 493. Sayres, (/scar H., 492. Sayres. William, 489. Scott, Albert R., 484. Scott, David H.. 310. Seddon, James A., 466. Sellers, Moses Y., 336. Shahan, John W., 562, Sholly, Jacob, 2.37. Sinclair, Archibald, 127. Smith, William, 94. Snodgrass, Jesse, 270. Snow, Herman, 550. Spencer, R. A., 602. Spencer. Wellington. 511. Slark. David T.. 298." Slauber, Charles, 307. Steel, David. 588. Stephens, William, 53. Stevens, James H., 479. Stevenson, Blair, 383. Stevenson, Charles H., 606. Stevenson, William 11., 42O. Stickney, William C, [74. Stone, James L., 451. Stone, John J., 487. Streepy, George W.. 526. Sturdivant, John M.. 424. Slnrdi\'anl. John .M., 440. Sulcliffe, John S., 612. Sutton, Jonas, 384. Swan. Jesse A., 461. Swarts, C. v., 193. Swans, William P., 191. INDEX. Taylo.-, Lew is L... 230. Taylor. William J.. lOo. i'aylor. W. Parker. 320. 'IVimlile. Isaac N., 556. 'ruckiT, A. R., &). rmtlc. Knlvri \V.. .'();. I yrrri, Sidiuy I'".. 1 17. \'aniH'h. J. N'.. 5.50. Vermilinn. C. W.. 57. \'cniiiii(.i!, William I-".. 56. Waik-s. Janus W.. .?7. W'ailes. Josiali .S.. 486. Wakefield. Elizabeth. 449. Wallace, Thomas, ,140. Watson, .-Mexander C, 261. Watson, Jaities K., 273. Wells. Francis M., 437. White, James .\., 18. Wilcox, William, 617. Wilkinson, Hngh E., 376. Wilson, James. 403. Wilson, James M.. 405. Wilson, John G.. .'joa. Wolfinger. James, 468. Wright. Henry H., 303. ■•■> FRANCIS H. DRAKE. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY OF APPANOOSE AND MONROE COUNTIES, IOWA. FRANCIS MARION DRAKE. It is a great truth that some must follow and some command. But the pages of history must ever be filled with the achievements and char- acter of those who command, who are able to direct the power of the hosts and bring victory to the cause of progress. And it is here fitting, in a work purporting to give an account of the lives of those who have aided in making the state of Iowa one of the banner states of the Union, to give a prominent place to the life and career of ex-Governor Drake. No fulsome tributes of praise will be here attempted, and none are needed; his deeds speak for themselves. As a business man, as a soldier, as a statesman, as the highest executive officer of his state, as the founder of a great university, and, above all, as the exponent of true, noble Christian manhood, he deserves to take rank among the leaders of men and makers of history. Going back to the early forefathers of the subject of this biog- raphy, we find that the great-grandfather was James Drake, a native of the colony of Virginia, who afterwards settled in Swift Creek, Nash 12 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. county, North Carolina, where he accumulated a large amount of prop- erty, and died in the year 1790. He was the father of Benjamin, who married Celia Thayer and became the parent of John Adams Drake. John Adams Drake was born on the homestead which his grandfather had established in Xorth Carolina, on October 21, 1802. He was one of eight children, of English ancestry, and early manifested his heri- tage of noble ancestral qualities. After receiving a fair education in the primitive school of the time and growing up to manhood under the care of his excellent parents, he married, on June 12, 1826, Harriet Jane O'Neal, a native of Franklin county, that state, and the daughter of sturdy Irish parents ; fourteen children were born of this union. In 1829 they left the Old North state and moved to Wilson county, Tennessee, and in October, 1830. became pioneer settlers of Rushville, Illinois. In this latter place he engaged in mercantile pursuits and prospered. In 1837 the family moved to Fort Madison, which was then in the territory of Wisconsin, as the territory of Iowa had not yet been organized. Here he resided nine years, and during nearly all the time held the office of justice of the peace and county probate judge. In March, 1846, he took up his residence in Davis county, Iowa, where he founded the town of Drakeville, and later engaged in agricultural pursuits; he also established a bank in Drakeville, which he conducted for several years. He was then induced by his son, the subject of this sketch, to move to Centerville and become the president of the Appa- noose County State Bank, which the latter had organized there, and for the last few years of his life he held this position. His long and useful life came to an end in 1880, and five years later his wife passed away. Their wedded life covered a period of nearly fifty-four years and was one of happiness and fruitfulness. They were earnest and consistent BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORV. \-'> members of tlie Christian church. He was a piuucer in tlie history of that cluirch body and was a persona! friend of Alexander Camiiliell. With such a parental heritage and in such surroundings was the son Francis Marion reared. He was early taught the lessons of moral worth and integrity and industry and Christian duty which lia\e char- acterized his whole life. Born in the village of Rushville, Schuyler county, Illinois, December 30, 1830, he received such education as could be obtained in the public schools of Fort Madison and Drakeville, oli- taining the greater portion at the former place. Caught by the "gold fever" of the early fifties, he organized a train to cross the plains to the new Eldorado. In the company were six wagons, each drawn by six oxen, and sixteen men and one boy. They crossed the Missouri river at Council Bluffs on May i. 1852, and at Horseshoe I'.eud. near the Platte river, they were attacked by about three hundred Pawnee Indians. In the conflict young Drake singled out the chief of the 1)aud and killed him with a blow of his musket, which so demoralized the rest that they retreated, leaving nine of their number dead on the field. On reaching Sacramento, Mr. Drake engaged in the stock business, but the next year returned to the States by sea. In 1S54 he set out across the plains with a drove of one hundred milch cows and arrixed at his desti- nation with ninety-seven of them. On the return trip he took passage on the Yankee Blade, and the vessel was wrecked off Point .\quilla. Mexico, resulting in the loss of eight hundred lives. Securing a small boat, Mr. Drake made two trips to the shore with fellow passengers. On the last trip he was in some way thrown into the sea and was at first refused passage in the crowded boat, but, on l)eing recognized as the one who had furnished the boat, he was taken on board, half dead from exhaustion and struggling with the waves. For several days U BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. the survivors crouched on the barren shore, living on raw meat, but were finally rescued by the steamer Goliah and carried to San Francisco. From here he took passage on the Golden Gate, and another chapter of adventure was added to his eventful history. A fire broke out in the kitchen of the vessel, but by the prompt action of Mr. Drake was extinguished without permitting the alarm to be spread to the rest of the ship, thus averting what might have been a disastrous panic. Upon his return to Iowa he engaged in business with his father and brothers at Drake\ille, and in 1859 removed to Unionville, Appanoose county, where he went into the mercantile business. When the Civil war cloud broke and threatened all interests, Mr. Drake raised a company for the Second Iowa Infantry, but was tod late. As the company had been furnished with arms, however, he con- tinued to drill it during the summer, and in the fall of 1861, when the Confederate General Patton drove a regiment of loyal Union troops out of Missouri and threatened lower Iowa. Captain Drake's company was made part of an independent regiment, of which John Edwards, then speaker of the House of Representatives of Iowa, was made colonel. After being made major. Mr. Drake started for Albany and drove General Patton across the Platte river near St. Joseph, Missouri, but was hindered from further pursuit by the burning of the bridge. Major Drake then reported to General Prentiss, who placed him in command of the garrison at St. Joseph, which consisted of half of his own regiment, some Kansas cavalry and a battalion of Ohio infantry. After the fall of Lexington Price's army advanced westward, but was met with such vigorous resistance from Major Drake, who had antici- pated an attack on St. Joseph and had gone forth to meet him, that he believed there was a large Union force in the neighborhood and BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 15 withdrew. Returning home, tlie Major was not in active service until August of 1S62, when he was commissioned by Go\ernor Kirkwood lieutenant colonel of the Thirty-sixth Iowa Infantry, four companies of which regiment were raised in Appanoose county. He served in the Army of the Tennessee and later with the troops in Arkansas. At the battle of Elkin's Ford in April, 1864, he commanded a detachment of three companies of his own regiment, three of an Indiana regiment, four of the First Iowa Cavalry and two pieces of light artillery, and repulsed and inflicted fearful slaughter upon Marmaduke's division, three thousand strong. A few weeks later, with a brigade consisting of three regiments of twelve hundred men and two sections of a battery, he fought at Mark's Mills a force of six times that number, commanded by Fagan. From early morn till noon the conflict went on, and at last the Union forces were compelled to surrender. Lieutenant Colonel Drake was severely and, it was supposed, mortally wounded, and was left on the field by the enemy. As the enemy believed he would not recover, he was paroled, and six months later rejoined his regiment, although he was compelled to use crutches. Before leaving the service he was honored with the brevet commission of brigadier general. A short time after the close of the war Mr. Drake entered upon the practice of law at Centerville, Iowa, and continued it with very gratifying success for several years. With his progressive business insight, he realized the necessity for railroads to develop the resources of the country, and, organizing a company, he built what is now the Keokuk and Western from Keokuk, Iowa, via Alexandria, Missouri, to Centerville, in 1872, and in 1880 extended the line to Van Wert. He also built the Albia and Centerville road, several branches of the Iowa Central, and the Indiana, Illinois and Iowa, familiarly known as the 16 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GEXEALOGICAL HISTORY. "Three I" road. Of tlie latter he remained president until i8y8. when he sold his interest and retired. Not only in his railroad enterprises but in everything he has undertaken Mr. Drake has met with unqualified success. He is president of the Centerville National Bank, the First National Bank and the Farmers' and Miners' Savings Bank of Albia. Iowa. He still retains the presidency of the Centerville and .\lbia Railroad, which, however, does not operate its road, but leases it to another company. In public life Mr. Drake has a brilliant record, and he has con- ducted the affairs of state with the same fearlessness and integrity that have characterized his other actions. In 1893 ^^ was persuaded to go before the Republican state convention as a candidate for nomination to the office of governor. He was not nominated, but two years later the convention tendered him the nomination, and in the fall of 1895 he was elected by a large majority. He entered upon the duties of that office in January, 1896, and discharged them in a manner consistent with his high character and independence. Soon after his entrance to the office a report was presented to the general assembly from a com- mission which had been appointed to revise the state laws. Upon due consideration, it appeared that the regular session of the legislature did not afford a favorable opportunity for the revision, and, upon his sug- gestion, which was approved by a majority of both houses. Governor Drake called a special session of the assembly to revise the state statutes. This he did in the face of considerable opposition, but he remained firm in his convictions. The superior code of laws adopted and put in operation gave general satisfaction to the people and fully justified his decisive action. Governor Drake also tried, unsuccessfully, to intro- duce the wise and businesslike practice of insuring the public property BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 17 of the state. Since then the heavy losses caused by fire in the pubhc buildings have amply justified his policy. His was throughout a busi- ness administration, and it is now so appreciated by the people. In the summer of 1897 Mr. Drake sustained a severe injury from a fall, which threatened to open anew his old battle wounds, and this, together with a chronic ailment which had impaired his health for years, deter- mined him to lay down the duties of his high office and care for his failing strength. He accordingly declined to be his party's candidate for a second term, and retired from office in January, 1898. He first presented to the assembly, as was his duty, an able and exhaustive mes- sage, which was marked for its many statesmanlike recommendations as to the affairs of the state. After retiring from the office of governor, Mr. Drake returned to his home in Centerville, and has since lived in the quiet and restful- ness of private life, surrounded by his loving family and by his hosts of devoted friends. His marriage had occurred in 1855 to Mary Jane Lord, and six children have been reared by them to manhood and womanhood: Frank Ellsworth, of Chicago; John Adams, of Chicago; Amelia, now Mrs. Theodore P. Shouts, of Chicago; Eva, who is Mrs. Henry Goss, of Centerville: Jennie, the wife of John L. Sawyers, ()f Centei-yille : and Mary, Mrs. GecM-ge \\'. Sturdivant, of Centerville. Of late years Mr. Drake has devoted much of his time and means to the promotion of the cause of educatii:)i; and the upbuilding of insti- tutions of learning. He is especially interested in the university at Des Moines which bears his name, of which he was the founder and its most liberal supporter. He has also been very generous in his con- tributions to other schocils and churclies. lie has done much to build up the Christian denomination, although he is liberal in his donations 18 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. to otlier faiths. Only recently he was most generous in his gifts for the erection of a beautiful edifice of his denomination in Centerville, and it was through his munificence that the Drake Free Public Library was built in Centerville, an imposing and modern structure, which is an ornament to the city. Such is a very brief outline of the life of a soldier, statesman and public-spirited citizen, who does not need the annals of history to record his good works, for his deeds have found a permanent abiding place in the memories of those whom he has helped by his example, influence and efforts to higher and nobler living. JAMES A. WHITE. Among the well and favorably known men of Iowa is J. A. White, tourist, lecturer and successful financier, of Centerville. Mr. White comes of an honorable and respected ancestry. His paternal grand- father was a soldier of the Revolutionary war, in which he distinguished himself as a brave and gallant fighter for the cause of independence. He was residing in Indiana when he was called away by the summons of death, being ninety-two years of age. The parents of our subject were John and Jane (Pearman) White, who were born in Kentucky, but were taken at an early age by their parents to Indiana, who settled in Vermilion county, in the valley ui the Wabash. I'or twelve years after their marriage they resided in that state, but in 1849 removed to Iowa and settled near Centerville. Here the father continued in agri- cultural pursuits until his death, which occurred when he had passed the sixtieth milestone of life's journey. The mother still lives, being in her eighty-third year, and resides in Moulton. Early in life they JAMES A. WHITE. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 21 both joined the Metliodist Episcopal Churcli. and in tliat faith tiiey lived and reared their eleven children, six of whom are now deceased. James A. White was horn in a priniitix'c h>g house on a farm in the vicinity of Centerville, on December 30, 1849. The fact that it was the year of the discovery of gold in California is the little superstition Mr. White allows himself to believe to account for his success in finance. He was reared on the farm and there learned the lessons of industry, perseverance and integrity that have marked his career. His education was obtained in the common schools, but he later in life attended the Oskaloosa (Iowa) Coimnercial College, graduating in 1879. In 1870 he married Miss Elzina Wood, a native of Iowa and a lady of accomplishment and culture. Immediately after his marriage he settled on a farm and for nine years was engaged in this pursuit with gratifying success. But his business qualifications prompted him to turn from the farm to the more active career of business. Disposing of his personal property, he first removed to Corydon, Iowa, where he engaged in banking and real estate for eight years, and in 1887 came to Centerville in order to get into a large trade center. Here he has met with unqualified success. He is the owner of consideraljle and valuable real estate in the city and in Appanoose and W^ayne counties and in the state of Kansas. He has constructed several excellent busi- ness blocks in the city, which stand as a monument to his thrift and ability. As a financier he stands second to none, and his reputation has extended far beyond the borders of his county, and he is rated as one of the ablest business men in the community. In the study of his busi- ness career it is evident that his success has been the result of doing one thing at a time and persevering in this until it was accomplished. He is fair and just in his dealings, and, though exacting, he is reasonable 2>2 BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. in his practices, being liberal in liis compensation of labor. Mr. White is possessed of a studions and analytical mind; he has traveled exten- sively in the United States, Canada. British Columbia, Cuba and Old Mexico, and he has delivered several interesting and well received lectures relative to his travels. He now has in contemplation a trip through Europe. In the faith of the Methodist Episcopal church Mr. White was reared, and his religious practices indicate that with the lapse of time he grows stronger in the faith, and, while he has accomplished much in life, he is not unmindful that to a Higher Being l>elongs the credit for his achievements. In matters political he has always been a stanch Rei)ublican. In 1896 he was a prominent candidate for the nomination to the high office of governor of the state, and has since been frequently mentioned as an available candidate for that place. It is generally recognized that, were he elected to the executive chair, he would admin- ister the affairs of state along progressive business lines and with the same skill that he has manifested in his own affairs. I'raternally Mr. White is prominent in the Modern Woodmen and the Knights of Pythias orders ; in the latter he has held various offices in both the local and grand lodges. He is respected and esteemed as a citizen of pro- gressiveness and enterprise in matters of city, county and state, and he numbers manv in his list of friends. A. J. EGBERT. Monroe county, Iowa, has many estimable citizens within her borders, and among those who deserve some particular mention in the history of that countv is .\. T- Egbert, an old settler and prominent BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 23 farmer of Jackson township. His fatlier, Uriah Egbert, was born in the State of New Jersey, and his mother, Susan (WilHams) Egbert, was a native of Pennsxlvania. Tlie parents of Uriah brougiit him to Pennsylvania when he was a child, and in that state he grew up and was married. He and his wife moxed to Ohio and remained there the rest of their lives. They became the parents of thirteen children : Mary, Jeremiah, John, Sarah, Thomas, Eliza, Nancy, Jacob, Jesse, A. J., Susan, Percilla and Uriah. This large family and its descend- ants are now living in different parts of the Union, filling many posi- tions in the various walks of life. A. J. Egbert, the tenth child, was born in Seneca county, Ohio, December 13, 1834. He remained in the county of his birth, attended the common scho<:ils and was trained to know the value of hard work. In the fall of 1856 he came to Iowa and spent one winter in Iowa City, but the following spring he came to Monroe county and bought one hundred and twenty acres of government land. He set himself to the improvement of this and has since added to his property, until he now owns one hundred and sixty acres of fine land. Almost at the first call for volunteers in the Civil war he enlisted, July 17, 1861, in Company B, Sixth Iowa Volunteer Infantry. He was mustered in at Burlington and was soon ordered to the scene of action. He endured much of the rigor of war, both in the field and in the camp, and among the battles in which he took part were Pittsburg Landing, Shiloh, Kenesaw Moun- tain; in the last named place he was wounded by a musket ball and disabled for two months. He was mustered out at Louisville, Ken- tucky, and discharged at Davenport, Iowa, August 21, 1865, having served four years and four days. His army record was one of which 24 BIOGRAPHICAL A.\D CEXEALOGICAL HISTORY. he mav well lie proud, and few can boast of a more faithful term of service. On Mav 21. 1873. Mr. Egbert was united in marriage to Mary S. Hittle, who was born in Lovilia, Monroe county. Her father, Jacob Hittle, who was a native of Ohio, and her mother. Huldah (Amber) Hittle. came to Iowa at an earl\- day and located in Monroe county, where the mother died, but the father is still living. Twelve children were liorn to Mr. and Mrs. Egbert, and all are living : Jesse S., Electa S.. Andrew J., Edward, Grace. Clara, Elvin. Ira, Harrison, Estella, Mary and Ilulda. These children were all born in Monroe county. Mr. Egbert has ever l^een a stanch supporter of the principles of the Rejuiblican party. He was reared in the Methodist faith, and his wife is a member of the Methodist church of Melrose. Iowa. HEXRY MILLER. Henry Miller, who has departed this life but is yet remembered by the citizens of Albia as a man of genuine worth, was born in Union county. Indiana, September 22, 1828. His father, Daniel Miller, was one of the substantial and prominent men of that county. He was also a minister of the German Bapti.st church, and did much good work for the cause of Christianity during the years of his active pastoral labors. He resided in Indiana until the latter part of the fifties, when he came with his family to Iowa, settling in Monroe county. Henry Miller, however, did not remove to this state until several years later, at which time lie also became a resident of Monroe county. He had been reared in Indiana, obtaining a common school education there, and on October 31, 1850, he was united in luarriage to Miss BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. '25 Susannah Kingery, a nati\e of Union county, tliat state. Ixirn July i8, 1828. She was the yoimgest of fi\e children, and when lint sc\en years of age was left an orphan. B_\- her marriage she hccanic the mother of the following named : Kiley. ^hjnroe. Willie and Anna, all deceased; Maria, Emma and T^-ances. who are li\ing. Of the sur- viving memlicrs of the family Maria is the only one unmarried, and she makes her home with her mntlier. At the time of the Ci\il war ]lenr_\- Miller's sxnipathies were en- listed with the Union cause, and with interest he watched the prcjgrcss of hostilities. In 1864, at what was jirolialjly the darkest pcrind of our country's history, he felt that his first duty was to the government. and he ofYered his services to the country, remaining at the fnmt until the close of the war, when he was mustered out. Meritorious conduct upon the field of battle had won him promotion to the rank of lieuten- ant, and he returned home with a most creditable military record. .\fter the war he joined the Grand .\rmy of the Republic ami thus main- tained [ileasant relations with his old army comrades, with whom he deligiited to meet and rehearse the experiences and stories of camp life. He was also at one time a member of the Masonic fraternity and of the Odd h'ellows society, liut deniittcd from both organizations prior to his death. In early life Mr. Miller ga\X' his time and attention to farm work, which he carried on until he had acquired a goeautiful shade trees, and tlie whole place evidences thrift and prosi)erity. On Se])tenil)cr 5, 1869, ]\Ir. Hickman married Miss Mary C. Sea- man, a huly of much intelligence, who has proved an excellent com- panion to him : she was horn, reared and educated in this county. Her father. William R. Seanian, was one of the early settlers, coming to the state in 1845 from Xew York. His wife was Drusilla Ross, a native of Illinois, and they had five children : Alinerva, deceased: Sarah Ann, Mary C, Eliza E. and Nel- son J. The parents, who were farmers, members of the Metho- dist church and excellent people, are both deceased, the father at the age of sixt\-fi\e, the mother aged sixty. Mr. and Mrs. Hickman be- came the parents of seven children : Alice, the wife of G. G. Robinson, of Laurel, Iowa; Solomon, a medical student of the Keokuk Medical College; John, who is one of the prominent teachers of the count}', the principal of the public scIkxiIs of Avery ; Mack, also a medical student at Ke(:)kuk; Arthur, who is a mail carrier on route No. 5, rural free delivery, at Albia. ; Charles S. is a student in the junior class of the Albia high school, and Philip, who is fifteen years old. John, Mack and Solomon are all graduates of the Albia high school and were successful teachers. Mr. Hickman is a Prohibitionist in poli- tics and a member of the Friends church, while the balance of the family belong to the L'nited Brethren church. He has the reputation of being a reliable business man, is frank and genial and has many qualities which make him influential in the township. 34 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. WILLIAM B. DARBY. Rqjresentatives of the family of tliis name figured as early settlers of two states — Ohio, when it was still a frontier section of the country, and Iowa, when it was emerging from the territorial condition. Samuel Darby, the progenitor of these western pioneers, was a Phila- dclphian. who married Charity Rudyard in his native city, and moved to southern Ohio when it was still little better than a wilderness. He did his share toward clearing and develoi)ing that portion of the state, became well known in his cuninuniity and served with credit in the war of 1812. William Darby, son of these Philadelphia emigrants, was born in Vinton county, Ohio, May 30, 1808, received a good education for those days and afterward taught school with success for a number of years. He married Sarah, daughter of Elijah Cheneworth, a native of Virginia, descended from Irish ancestry, and continued to live in Ohio for many years after he became the head of a household. The stories then coming back of the fine opportunities offered to settlers by the young state of I.nva caused the Darbys to abandon the place of their nativity and join the tide of emigration across the Mississippi. Early in the fall of 1856 they departed with ox teams on their long journey, necessarily moving by short stages and camping out on the road as they advanced. It was during the famous campaign between Buchanan and Fremont for the presidency, and the excitement was at its height when the Darbys, with their slow moving o.xen. were passing through Indiana and Illinois. The boys of the family, being stalwart Democrats, did not hesitate at every suitable opportimity to do some- thing for their champion, and made the stopping places lively with cheers for Buchanan. It was the 4th of Xovember when the wayfarers reached their destination in .\ppanoose county, Iowa, where thev located BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 35 on land in Unicm township. A \og cabin was liastily erected, and they soon had a home wliicli. thougli rude in its surroundings, was anii)le for all the needs of hardy pioneers. Of the five children born to the parents, Jerusha M. died when four years old, and Thomas J. was killed bv an earthquake in California. The others are Smiley C who resides on the old homestead; Harper D., who is farming near the town of Foster, in this state, and William B., who is the immediate sub- ject of this l)iography. Both father and mother lived to advanced age, the former being eighty-two and the latter eighty years old when called to render their last earthly accounts. They were in every respect a model couple, pious church members and always practicing the principles of moralitv. while endeavoring to instil into their children a love for all that was upright and noble. William B. Darby, namesake and youngest surviving child of his father, was lM>rn in Vinton county, Ohio, May 25. 1852, and was still a lx)y when the removal to Iowa took place. He grew up on the farm, was trained to habits of sobriety and industry by his good parents, and when he left home in the twenty-second year of his age was prepared to face the world with hopefulness and confidence. He was fortunate in the selection of Margaret J. Lockmon as his wife, she being a supe- rior woman herself and a member of a family noted for intelligence, morality and integrity. Her father, the late William Lockmon, was born in Indiana, but became a settler of Iowa in 1850 and figured use- fully in the state's formative period. He assisted in the survey of the site for the present prosperous city of Bloomfield and in other ways did his jiart in the work of improvement and development. He was promi- nent in religious work, being a deacon and elder of the Christian church, and was in the enjf)yment of general esteem and popularity 36 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. when bis death occuired in Union townsliip. at the comparatively early age of fifty-four years. He married i'rovy. daugliter of John Helmick, of Appanoose county, by whom he had seven children : John J., Frank M., Margaret J. (Mrs. Darby). Gabriel S.. William P., Samuel J, and Ezra. After his marriage Mr. Darby located, in 1875, on forty acres of unimproved land in Monroe county, where he built a modest house and went to work clearing, fencing and otherwise preparing his place for cultivation. At the present time he owns one hundred and sixty acres of valuable land, underlaid witli coal, and supj)lied with all the necessary adjuncts in the shajjc of a good dwelling house, barn, granary, feed lots and suitable outbuildings of all kinds. Much of his land con- sists of meadows and fine bluegrass pastures, while the fencing and every appurtenance are in keeping with up-to-date farming in Iowa. His location is in Monroe township, one and one-half miles from Foster, where he carries on general farming and stock raising with the success that has made him one of the prosperous farmers of his neiglwrhood. May, the eldest of his seven children, died in infancy, but the other six were reared without mishap. Bertha, now the wife of George B. Spencer, of Monroe township, was a successful school teacher l)efore her marriage. Laura, who has also been a popular teacher, is now a student at the Toledo Normal College of Iowa. William, the eldest son, is a popular clerk in the Golden Eagle clothing store at Albia, and the other children, in order of birth, are Amos, Frank and Ray. Mr. Darby aftiliates with the Democratic party, has served as township trustee and was a member of the school board for several years. He is a stanch advocate of all tliat makes for righteousness, while his geni- ality, hospitality and frankness of disposition make him one of the popular men of the community. Mrs. Darby is a member of the Chris- BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 37 tiaii church and prominent in rcHgious work as a member of the aid society. JAMES W. WAILES. This honored veteran of tlie Civil war. who i.s now successfully engaged in farming in Chariton townsiiip. was l3orn on the 20th of January, 1834, in Bartholomew county, Indiana, and is a son of Jolin P. and Sophia (Wilson) W'ailes, both of whom were representatives of distinguislied old colonial families that lK>re an important part in the establishment of the republic. I lis paternal grandparents were Samuel and Nancy (Naylor) W'ailes, the former of whom was born in Vir- ginia and died in Maryland, while the latter was born in Maryland and died in Indiana. Our subject's ])arents were also natives of Maryland, and his mother was a daughter of David and Mar^- (Wilson) Wilson, who were born in the same state. David Wilson died there, but his wife passed away in Davis county, Iowa. He was a colonel in the Revo- lutionary war and was a son of Jaiues Wilson, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, in 1776. Our subject's paternal grandfather also aided in freeing the colonies and held a captain's com- mission in the continental army. At an early dav the father, John P. Wailes, came to Iowa and took five hundred and twenty-one acres of government land in Appanoose county, where he spent his remaining days, though he died while on a visit in Kansas at the advanced age of eighty-eight years. His wife had ])assed away many years previously, dying in Appanoose county at the age of farty-fi\-e. They had nine children, seven of whom are still living. Coming to Iowa with his ])arents in bo\h(Kxl, James \\. Wailes was reared on a farm in this county, and was educated in the local 38 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. schools. Xo event of special importance occurred during his early life until the Ci\i! war broke out. With the blood of Revolutionary heroes flowintj in his \eins. he could not remain quietly at home when the country was in danger, and in 1863 he enlisted in Company li, Eighth Iowa Cavalry, under the command of Captain M. M. Walden, and was in every battle in which his company and regiment took part, being never of¥ duty during his entire service. He was in the raid with. General AIcCfX)k against the rebels near Atlanta, Georgia, and was cap- tured near that city. Later he was sent Imme as a paroled prisoner of war. and when exchanged rejoined his command at Macon, Georgia. At the close of the war he was lumorably discharged in the fall of 1865 and returned to his home in Iowa. For fifty-one years Mr. W'ailes has resided uj)on his present farm in Chariton townshij). where he owns two hundred and fifty-three acres of the land his father obtained from the government on first coming to this state. It is one of the best farms in the county. In 1S52 a log house, sixteen by eighteen feet, was built u])on the ])lacc. which, in 1901. was rejilaced by his present modern and attractive hnnic, an>th born in Xorth Carolina, as were also her paternal grandparents. John and Xancy Xeedham. and her maternal grandparents, Benjamin and Ruth Bland. The grandparents all died in Indiana, but Mrs. Wailes' father died in this state, of which he was an early settler, being seventy-six years of age at the time of his death. Ilcr mother also died here, aged seventy-one vcars. Thev had a family BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 39 of six children. Among her ancestors were soldiers of both the Revo- lutionary war and the war of 1812. To Mr. and Mrs. Waiies were born eight cliiUhen, who are still living, and fonr of the number arc now married. They also have eight grandchildren. The children are John \\'., a graduate of the Keokuk Medical College, who is now engaged in the practice of his profession in Davis City, Iowa; Emma, Mrs. James Kineman ; Luther; Nannie, Mrs. B. Thackery; Myrtle, Mrs. Charles Mclntyre; Levin; James W., and Zerelda E. Most of the family attend the Methodist Episcopal church and are highly respected and esteemed wherever known. Politically Mr. Waiies is unwavering in his support of the Republican party, and cast his first presidential vote for John C. Fremont, riding five miles to the polls. He has creditably filled various township offices, serving as assessor, justice of the peace and as a member of the school board. Socially he is an honored member of Sumner Post, No. 150, G. A. R., of Moravia, Iowa, and also belongs to the Andersonville Prisoners' Association, having been confined in that loathsome prison pen during his army life. He re- counts the sufferings endured by the northern soldiers there, and at one time saw one hundred dead within its walls. He is a man of broad and liberal views, a good citizen and thoroughly i)atrintic, devoted to the welfare of his country in times of peace as well as in war. He is one of the most popular men of his township, and stands high in the esteem of all who know him. 40 BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. THOMAS :\lILTOX FEE. As a prominent and talented representative of the legal profession of Iowa, as a member of the bench whose concise, clear and accurate judgments have gained for liim marked distinction among the state judiciary. Judge T. M. Fee is worthy of a prominent place in the history of Appanoose county. He is the descendant of eminent ancestors. On the paternal side the Fee famih- came to .\merica in 1627: the first one to come was of English and Irish lineage, and he settled in Mary- land, a branch of the house also going to Pennsylvania. On the mater- nal side the great-grandfather Hastings was the progenitor of the American family. He w'as a Protestant preacher, and on account of persecution came across the waters and settled in Pennsylvania. The parents of Judge Fee were Thomas and Sarah (Hastings) Fee. The former was the son of James Fee and a Miss Lacon. who were natives of Pennsylvania, but later removed to Ohio. Thomas Fee was born in Clermont county. Ohio, in 1802, and. on coming to manhood, em- barked in merchandising in Brown county of that state. He w'as the founder of Feesburg. in that county. In 1848 he removed to Pike county, Illinois, and began the manufacture of furniture in Perry. He there spent the rest of his days and died in 1866 at the age of sixty- four; his wife survived him many years, passing away at the age of eighty-five in Illinois. Their family consisted of eleven children, of whom three sons and three daughters grew to maturity. Thomas Milton, the youngest child, was Iwrn in Feesburg, Brown county, Ohio, on the 18th of .\pril, 1839. From the age of nine to nineteen he lived in Illinois, but then passed out from the parental home and went to Missouri to teach school. In i860 he removed to Ottumwa, THOMAS M. FEE. BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GEXEALOGICAL HISTORY. 4:5 Iowa, where he evinced his industry l)y teaching school and studying law at the same time. Jrle had enjoyed only a common school educa- tion, supplemented hy a course in an academy, l)ut with such \ij;-or and earnestness did he apply himself that he was admitted to the har in iSOj. May 12, i8Cj. is the date of his arrival in Centerville, and he at once hung out his shingle as a practicing attorney. But in the same year he laid all other duties aside and enlisted, in June, in Company (i. Thirty- sixth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, the regiment of which ex-Clnvermir Drake was lieutenant colonel. On October 4, 1862, he was made cap- tain of the company, and with that rank was mustered out at the close of the war, in September, 1865. He was captured with his regiment at Mark's Mills, and for ten months endured the privations of ])rison life at Tvler, Texas. He now recalls his war experiences with his comrades in John L. Bashaw Post, G. A. R. At the close of the war Mr. Fee returned to Centerville and re- sumed his practice. For two years he served as superintendent of schools of Appanoi:)se county. For one term, from 1875 to 1879, he was prosecuting attorney of the secnnd judicial district of Iowa. In 1895 his Republican partisans elected him to the judgeship of the second judicial district court for a term nf four years, and he was re-elected and served till January, 1902. In 1899 he was a candidate for supreme judge of the state, and, although he did not receive the nomination, he had the heartv sujjport of his friends, and there is no doubt that he will receive the nomination in the near future if his friends can per- suade him to become a candidate. He has made a reputation as a campaign orator of great force and talent. Judge Fee is prominently identified with the social orders, a mem- ber of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, in the IMasonic fraternity 44 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. is a Knight Templar of St. John's Commandery, No. 21, and a Mystic Shriner of the Kaaba Temple at Davenport, and is a member of the military order of tlie Loyal Legion of the United States, Commandery of the State of Iowa. In religious belief he is a Methodist. He has been twice married and has five children. One son, John A., is a farmer in this county; Thomas G. is a graduate of the law department of the Iowa State University, was admitted to the bar in 1899 and is now practicing in connection with his father. The judge owns a nice resi- dence property on Van Buren street, besides other real estate in the city and in the county. ASBURY W. POTTS. One of the most prosperous and substantial farmers of Appanoose county, Iowa, is Asbury ^\'. Potts, who owns and operates a valuable farm in Chariton township, its neat and thrifty appearance plainly indi- cating his careful supervision and excellent management. He belongs to an old Virginia family, noted for industry, honesty and morality. His birthplace was Jackson county, now \\'est Virginia, where he first opened his eyes to the light of day on the 2d of October. 1846. the year Iowa was admitted In the Union. His father. William H. Potts, was born in Bath county, Virginia, October 29, 1824. and was one of the early settlers of Chariton township, Appanoose county, Iowa. The paternal grandfather, Jacob Potts, was born in the Shenandoah valley, Virginia, and was the son of a well known hotel man of Baltimore. Maryland, the family having previously resided in the latter state. William H. Potts grew to manhood in the Old Dominion and there married Rachel Welch, a native of the same state, and a daughter of BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. Vo John Welch, \\ho died in X'irginia. In 1849 Jacolj I'otts and his wife and children, of whom William H. was one, toj^etlier with their fam- ilies, came to Iowa, making the journey by water, down the Ohio and up the Mississippi, to Keokuk. They located in hranklin township, Monroe county, where the grandparents of our subject spent their remaining days, their deaths occurring on the old homestead where they first settled. I'pon his own place in Chariton, township William H. Potts built a log house and at once began to break the sod and culti- vate the fields. He died in 1857 at the comparati\ely earl\- age of thirty-three years, honored and respected by all who knew him. He was a good husband and father and a kind neighbor. His widow still survives him, being now in her eightieth year, as she was born on the i6th of Septeml)er, 1823. She is well preser\-ed both in mind and body, and is w'ell loved for her kindness of heart and many admirable characteristics. She is still living on the old home farm. In her family were five children, namely: Asbury ^^^, whose name introduces this sketch; Cornelia E., wife of H. A. Thompson; Bernhart H., a resident of Monroe county, Iowa; Mrs. Mary Miner, who died in (Iraham county, Kansas, and Eugenie, who lives with her mother. In his politi- cal views the father was a Democrat. Asbury \V. Potts was quite small when he accompanied his parents on their removal to Iowa and was only eleven \ears old when his father died. Being the oldest of the family, he became his mother's .assistant in the operation of the farm and in |>rovi(ling for the younger children. He early learned lessons of honesty and industr}-. which ha\e been the chief elements in his success. He attended school in a log cabui fur- nished with slab benches that were immovalile, and the writing desk was made by a slab placed uixni ])ins dri\cn into the wall. 46 BIOGRAPHICAL AND CEXEALOCICAL HISTORY. Mr. Potts remained with his mother until he was married, at the age of twenty-three, in Monroe comity. Iowa, the lady of his choice being Miss Cynthia O. GilHland. one of the most popular and successful teachers of this part of the state at that time. She was born, reared and educated in Crawford county. Pennsylvania, and engaged in teach- ing for a time in that state prior to coming west. Her parents, Simpson and Hannah (Lewis) Cjilliland. were also natives of Crawford county, w^here they spent their entire lives, the former dying at the age of fifty years, the latter at the age of forty-five. Both were earnest and con- sistent members of the MethcHlist l'"i)isc()pal church, and the father was a Republican in politics. By occupation he was a farmer. They had four children : William L. and Cynthia O.. who are still living, and Samuel A. and Mrs. Mary Thompson, now deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. Potts were born five children: Albert, the eldest, is now a widower and has one child ; he resides with his father, al- though he owns a farm of his own. Jessie is the wife of W. P. Davis, of Monroe county. Iowa. Horton is married and lives on a farm in Chariton township. Amy is the wife of O. Duvall, of Taylor town- ship. Elva, the youngest of the fainily. is at home. The children have all received good educations and the family is one of prominence in the community where they reside. The sons are capable business men and are meeting with success in their undertakings. Throughout his active business life Mr. Potts has followed farm- ing and has steadily prospered until he is now the owner of eight hun- dred and ninety acres of the best farming land in Appanoose county. His elegant home was erected at a cost of two thou.sand dollars, and everything about the i)lace is in perfect harmony therewith. There are large barns and other outbuikliucs and a windmill, while a fine orchard BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 47 and grove add greatly to the beauty of tlie place. The fields are well cultivated, and everything betokens a painstaking and progressive owner, who thoroughly luulerstands his chosen vocation. lie is an up-to-date farmer and stock raiser, making a specialty of high grade cattle. The success that he has acliieved in life is due entirely to his own well directed and energetic efforts, for he started out with no capital, and lie deser\es an honored place on the roll of the county's self-made men. He is a man of more than ordinary business ability, possesses keen discrimination and sound judgment, and these qualities have enabled him to leave the ranks of the many and stand among the successful few. In manner he is hospitable, frank and genial, and he makes many friends. His estimable wife is a member of the Metliodist Episcopal church, and with her husband shares in the friendship of all who know her. B. G. MILLER. B. G. Miller, of Union township, Appanoose county, was born in Tennessee, April 4, 1848, and the same year was brought to Iowa by his father, Hon. C. B. Miller, now of L^nionville. He was born in Hick- man county. Tennessee, Decem1)er i, 1824, and is a son of Nathaniel Johnson Miller, whose birth occurred in Xorth Carolina, and who was of Irish descent. The grandfather married Sarah Martin, whose mother bore the maiden name of Miss Barber, and the latter had sev- eral brothers who were soldiers of the Ivevolutionary war. At his death Nathaniel John.son Miller left two children. Claudius P.. and Har- riet J. Cladius B. Miller was reared upon the old home farm in Tennessee and there acquired his education. He was married in 1846 to Martha 48 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. Baldridge, an estimable lady who traveled life's journey with him for twenty-seven years, passing away in Appanoose county in 1873. Their children were Benjamin G. : Joseph D., a resident of Missouri; Mrs. Laura J. Hicks; Mrs. Amanda Miller; Sarah, deceased; William C, and Mrs. Rosa B. Large, of Indian Territory. After the death of his first wife the father was again married, in 1876 to Miss Dorcas E. Jennings, of Appanoose county, a daughter of Perry Jennings. There are two children by this union— Mabel, who is a school teacher, and Agnes. For many years the father has carried on farming and mer- chandising, and is recognized as a leader in business, political and social circles. In 1871 and 1873 ^^^ was elected to represent his district in the state assembly and left the impress of his individuality upon the legisla- tion enacted during those sessions. At the time of the Civil war he was equally lo\al to his country, joining the Thirty-sixth Iowa Infantry under the commnad of Colonel Kittridge. He did faithful service in defense of the government and is now a valued member of the Grand Army of the Republic, thus maintaining pleasant relations with his old comrades. He also belongs to the Masonic fraternity and to the Metho- dist Episcopal church, and there is no man in the community more honored and respected than Claudius B. Miller. Benjamin G. Miller has spent his entire life in Appanoose county. He remained under the parental roof and at an early age assisted in the work of the farm. His education was obtained in a log school- house, seated with slab benches, and his feet rested u])on a puncheon floor. In one end of the room was an immense fireplace, and the methods of instruction were also somewhat primitive. At the time of the Civil war. although a boy of fifteen years, he enlisted for service in the Thirty-si.xth Iowa Infantry, as a member of Company C. This BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 49 was the same company to whicli liis father belonged. He was under the command of Captain Ahen W. Miller and Colonel Kittridge, and later the conipan_\- was coniniandcd h)- Captain William V'erniillya. With his regiment he took part in a number of hotly contested battles, and on the expiration of his term of service he was honorably dis- charged and returned to his home. He then resumed farm work, and at the age of nineteen years was united in marriage to Miss Mary Clancy, who has been a faithful companion and helpmeet to him as the years have passed by. She is a native daughter of Appanoose county, and her parents were \\'esley and Malinda (Martin) Clancy, who became pioneer settlers here; in fact, Mr. Clancy was the first man to establish a home in the county, the date of his arrival being in May, 1S43, ^^ which time he secured a claim from the government. Throughout his entire life Mr. Miller has carried on agricultural pursuits, and is now the owner of a valuable farm of three hundred and four acres in Union township. l'i)on it is a good modern resi- dence, standing on a natural liuilding site, and around it are fine shade trees, beautiful flowers and shrubs, making the home one of the most attractive features of the landscape. There is an orchard, containing many kinds of fruit trees, and meadows and pasture lauds furnish feed for the stock in both summer and winter. There is a large barn, feed lots and granaries and other necessary outbuildings, and the farm has some of the best corn producing land in the county. Mr. Miller is also engaged in the stock l)usiness, raising and feeding good grades of stock, and through this avenue he is likewise meeting with excellent success. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Miller has been blessed with the follow- ing children: Mrs. Cora E. Thompson; \\'illiam N., who married Bertha Hudgens and lives in Udell township; Turpa J., Cleffie B., Iva 50 BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. E. ; and John B., Flora and Alice, who are now deceased. The last named was twenty-two years of age at the time of her death, and slie had many friends who mourned her loss because of her pleasing characteristics and many excellent qualities. Mr. Miller is recognized as one of the leading Democrats of his township and was nominated by his party in 1902 for the position of county super\'isor. No trust of a public or private nature rqjosed in him has ever been betrayed, and at all times he gives his influence and aid on the side of right, improvement and progress. His entire life having been passed in this county, his history is well known to his many friends and neighbors and the fact that those who have known him the longest entertain for him the warmest regard is an indication of an upright career. JAMES MADISON CREECH. James Madison Creech, who owns and cultivates a fine farm of three hundred and eighty-five acres on section 24. Taylor township, came to Appan(K)se county on the 24th of April. 1857. and has made his home here since then. He was born in Hawkins county. Tennessee, October 22, 1834. a son of Stephen Creech, who was born in Virginia, and a grandson of Elijah Creech, also of the Old Dominion. * The fam- ily, however, is of Irish descent, the great-grandfather having been born on the Emerald Isle, whence he emigrated to the new world Stephen Creech was reared in Virginia and in early life learned the ccwper's trade. He married Elizal>eth Hicks, who was born in the same state as was her father. James Hicks, who was of English descent, and served his coun- trv as a soldier in the war of 1812. Removing westward tt) Tennessee BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 51 Stephen and Eliza Creecli spent their remaining days upon the old home- stead farm, wliich the father continued to cultivate throughout his active business career. In politics he was first a Whig and afterward a Demo- crat and both he and his wife were members of the Missionary Baptist church. His death occurred when he had attained the ripe old age of eighty-two years and his wife passed away at the age of seventy years. Their children were Sarah, James M., Lydia, Elijah, John, deceased; Amanda, S. Xelson. Andrew, who has passed away; William Jesse and Solomon B. Only four of the number, however, are now living. James M. Creech was reared in Hawkins county upon the home farm and at an early age began following the plow. He obtained his education in a log schoolhouse and when twenty-one years of age left the state of his nativit)-, going to Texas, where he remained for some months. He then came northward to Appanoose county, Iowa, and has since been identified with agricultural interests in this part of the state. He was married on October 2, 1858, in Appanoose coa.mty, to Miss Eliza Clancy, who for forty-four jears has been a faithful companion and helpmeet to him on life's journey. She was born in Jackson county, Illinois, a daughter of John \\'esley Clancy, who was one of the first settlers of this countw arriving here in ]\Iay, 1843, when Iowa was still a territory. He was born in Tennessee and was there united in marriage to Malinda Martin, a native of Kentucky. In Iowa Mr. Clancy developed a good farm in the midst of pioneer surroundings and here he died at the age of seventy-six years, while his wife passed away at the age of forty-eight years. He voted with the Democracy and was a loyal adherent of the Missionary Baptist church, in which he served as a deacon. To him and his wife were Ixirn ten children, seven of whom reached vears of maturitv, namelv : Clarissa, de- 52 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORV. ceased; William, deceased; Mrs. Eliza Creech. Mrs. Elizabeth Bishop, John, deceased; Mrs. Mary Miller, George. Mrs. Jane Coulson, Mrs. Freelove Chambers, and .Andrew, deceased. For his second wife the father chose Mary l'>ost and they had three children, but Walter is the only one now living", Edward and an infant being the deceased. For a while after his marriage Mr. Creech located upon the farm belonging to his father-in-law. and then with the money he had gained through his own labors he purchased forty acres of land and took up his abode in a little log cabin upon his present farm. Here he worked hard. ch(i])ping away the timber and clearing the bushes from many acres of land. As time has passed and his financial resources have in- creased he has added to his property until he now has three hundred and eighty-lhe acres, constituting one of the best farms in his town- ship. This is rich bottom land and upland and the fields are watered by Soap creek. All is fenced and the farm is divided into pasture and meadow lands and tilled fields. An orchard yields its fruits in season and a large barn and other outbuildings furnish shelter for grain and stcxk, while the home of the family is accounted one of the best country residences in Appanoose county. Mr. Creech has been a very success- ful farmer and stock-raiser, and assisted by his estimable wife has ac- quired a handsome competency. The home of this worthy couple has been blessed with ten chil- dren: John, Rosa, William. George F., Charles S., a merchant of Udell, li)wa: Mrs. Josephine Swaim. of Union township; Ellis, who died at the age of twenty-one years; Jane, who passed away at the age of eleven years; Roy N.. of the same township; Edgar, who is a young man of nineteen years assisting in the work of the home farm. Mr. and iMrs. Creech have a granddaughter, Edna, who is now eleven vears BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 53 of age anO wlio lias lived with them since her babyhood because of her mother's death. Her father is William Creech, their third son. Mr. Creech votes with the Democracy and has served for six years as town- ship supervisor. He belongs to the Masonic fraternity and is a member of the Missionary Baptist churcii. He is a man of splendid physique, being six feet and one and a half inches in height and weighing over two hundretl poimds. In manner he is genial and cordial, in disposition friendly, and he possesses the sterling traits of character which in every land and every clime command respect and regard. His life, too, proves how effective are industry, perseverance and good management in winning prosperity, for though he started out in life empty-handed, he is now the possessor of a very valuable property. WILLIAM STEPHENS. As the above named came to Iowa shortly after its admission into the L'nion as a state he has a clear title to the claim of being one of the early settlers, and his long residence in Monroe county gives him stand- ing as one of its best known citizens. He also enjoys the much prized honor of having served his country well in its hour of need and of coming out of the army with a good military record. As his civil life has been passed in agricultural pursuits it has necessarily been of a quiet and unostentatious character, but it is something of a distinction to be a successful farmer in Iowa, the state so noted for its progress in agriculture, and those who know Mr. Stephens will not deny him the right to be counted one of this honorable host. His forefathers were Virginians and settled in that section of the state which, on account of disagreements growing out of the Civil war, seceded and began busi- 54 BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. ness as a new commonwealtli. Long before this event, however, Wil- liam Stephens had removed from his native country of Wales and taken up his alx)de in the \alley of tiic Greenbrier ri\er. He chose as his wife Sarah C. Mc\'ey. who, like himself, was of Irish extraction, being the daughter of Samuel McVey. William Stephens remained some time in \\'est Virginia after his marriage, but eventually removed to Louisa county, Iowa, where he carried on farming in connection with carpentering un- til his death, at the age of forty-seven. His wife long survived him and died after her removal to Monroe county, when in the sixty-eighth year of her age. James S., the eldest of their six children, sened as a soldier in the Mexican war and afterward was killed by robbers at St. Joe, Missouri, for which crime four men were lianged on the banks of the Missouri river. William, the second son, will be fullv noticed further along. Martin and .\lexander. third and fourth of the familv, are nmv residents of Nebraska. Mary Jane is the wife of Thomas Brandon and lives at Melrose, Iowa, and Elizabeth C. Stephens is the wife of J. X. Repp, of Monroe county, Iowa. William Stephens, second son and namesake of his father, was born in Greenbrier county. West \'irginia. and eleven years later went with his parents to Stark county, Illinois, whence they came in 1848 to the state of Iowa. His rearing and education did not differ from that of the average farm lx)y of the period, and was without incident of im- portance until the outbreak of the Civil war. In \^()2 Mr. Ste])hens enlisted in a company commanded by Captain George Xobie. which was part of the Thirty-sixth Regiment, Iowa \'olunteer Infantry, under Colonel Kittrcdge and Lieutenant Colonel Drake. This regiment oper- ated extensively in .\rkan.sas. and Mr. Stcpliens tiwik part with it in BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 55 engagements at Helena, Little Rock, Elkin's Ford, Camden and Mark's Mills. At the last mentioned place he was captured by the "Johnny Rebs" and taken as a prisoner to Tyler, Texas. After being cooped up for ten months he was lucky enough to obtain an exchange and came home on a thirty days' furlough. Not being able to rejoin his regi- ment at the expiration of his month's leave he was examined by the medical board and given an extension of time for thirty days, after which he reported at headquarters at Keokuk, and was ordered to be dis- charged from the service shortly afterward at Davenport. Mr. Stephens married Mrs. Minerva J- Turner, whose husband died in the Civil war in 1862, and whose maiden name was Johnson, she being the daughter of Isaac and Louzana Johnson, who came from Kentucky and ended their days in L^wa. Mrs. Stephens" great-grandfather was James McBrier, a veteran of the war of 1812. It is told of the latter that when he returned from the army he stopped before his wife's house and asked for lodging, but not being recognized, met with a refusal. Being somewhat abashed at his reception he made himself known by exclaiming: "I am James McBrier, your husband." This, of course, led to his being taken in and warmly welcomed, and, as the story writers say, "they lived hap- pily ever after." The children of this union are thus recorded in order of birth: Mrs. Cynthia Hammons, who resides at Hilton; Wil- liam H., Mrs. Alice Bowman, Mrs. Mattie Hankins, who died in 1900, leaving a child, Lile Hankins ; Ernest, Edward, Arthur, Lizzie Eathen, and Manola. Mr. Stephens resides on the homestead place in Franklin township and is comfortably fixed in all respects. He is a member of the Seventh Dav Advent church, of the Grand Armv of the 5G BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GEXEALOGICAL HISTORY. Republic, and in all tlic relations of life is found to be genial, sociable and readv to oblige. WILLIAM V. \'ERMILIOX. Among the men of A])i)anoose county who have gone, leaving the impress of their lives on the institutions and welfare of their community, is William F. Vermilion. The parents of this gentleman were Joel and Nancy (Shaw) Vermilion, natives of old Kentucky; the father was a minister in the Baptist church and about 1840 removed from Kentucky and settled in Putnam county. Indiana, where he continued in his min- istration until his death. William was also a native of Kentucky, born there on October 18, 1830; coming with his parents to Indiana he obtained his mental train- ing in the primitive schools of that state and grew up to healthy and vigorous manhood. He then went to Illinois, and having made medi- cine his choice of the professions began the study of that science and later attended the Rush Medical College in Chicago. The date of his arrival in Ai)panoose county, Iowa, was about 1857. He had accom- panied an invalid brother to Texas and drove from there to this county, where he remained ; he was united in marriage to Mary Kemper, whose father, Valentine Kemper, had settled in Monroe county from Putnam county, Indiana. At Iconium, Appanoose county, Mr. Vermilion began the practice of medicine and continued until the Civil war threw all peaceful pursuits into confusion. In 1861 he organized a company which was known as Company F, Thirty-sixth Iowa Infantry; of this he was commissioned captain and serving loyally through the struggle was nuistered out in September, /865. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 57 On his return from the war he devoted liimself to tlic study of law, was admitted to the bar, and thereafter continued tlie practice of this profession in Centerville. On the Rejjublican ticket lie was elected and served one session in the state senate, but outside of this held no public office. His wife, Mary Kemper Vermilion, having died, he was in 1894 united in marriage with Mrs. Kate B. Day. of Centerville, who survived him. When in his sixty-fifth year he passed away in his home at Centerville, on December 28, 1894. C. W. VERMILION. C. W. \'ermilion, the son of William F. and Mary (Keniper) Ver- milion, and a sketch of whose father appears above, has followed in the profession of his father. He was born in Centerville, Iowa, on the 6th day of November, 1866, and was reared and educated in his native town ; his higher education was received in DePauw University in In- diana, and in 1889 he graduated in the law department of the Univer- sity of Michigan. In October of the same year he was admitted to the Iowa bar and began practice in Centerville. Mr. Vermilion has also given some attention to politics, being a member of the Republican party. In 1892 he was made county attorney and was re-elected two years later. In 1901 Governor Shaw appointed him judge of the second judicial district court to fill the luiexpired term caused by the resignation of Judge T. M. Fee, and at tiie election of the following year he was elected for the ensuing full term. in. 1897 A'Ir. Vcnnilion was married to Clare Eloise Biddle, who is the youngest daughter of William M. Biddle, a pioneer of Appanoose county. 58 BIOC.KAPUICAL AXP GEXEALOGICAL HISTORY. JOHX D. McKIM. John D. McKiiii. whose farm is located on section 5 in Union townsliip, is one of tlie early settlers of Appanoose county and was the first school teacher of his township. From that time to the present he has been active in su]iport of material, social, intellectual and moral interests calculated to l)enefit the comnuuiity. and his locality classes him with its best citizens. He was born in Spencer county, Indiana, March 11. 1827, and on one side comes of Scotch ancestry and on the other of Scotcii-Irish. His father. Robert McKim, was Ixirn in Ken- tucky in July. 1798, and was reared in that state and in Indiana. He became a hunter and largely devoted his time to the hunting of wild ani- mals with the Indians. When a young man he had ser\ed in some of the Indian wars and in the war uf 1R12. He was married in Ken- tiirWy to Elizabeth Tate, a native of Pennsylvania, and a daughter of Samuel Tate, who also rendered his country faithful service as a soldier in the war of 1812 and by aiding in protecting the frontier settlements against Indian attacks. To Mr. and Mrs. Robert McKim were born twelve children, of whom five reached years of maturity, while three are still living, those being: Alfred, of Missouri; Sarah, who is liv- ing in the same state; and John D., of this re\icw. The mother died in Spencer county, Indiana, and the father afterward married Nancy Lamar, by whom he had three children, but all are now deceased. His death occurred in Spencer county, Fe1>ruary 23. 1862. Both he and his wife were members of the Baptist church, and he was a Republican in his political views. John D. McKim was reared upon the home farm in Spencer county and is indebted to the public schools of that locality for the educational BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. o'J privileges lie enjoyed. W'lien he ceased to be a student he Ijecame a teacher and followed that profession for several terms. In his native county he married Rebecca Lamar, who was a native of Spencer county, Indiana, b(irn April 2. 1831. her parents being Elisha and Nancy (W'ollen) Lamar, natix'es of Kentucky; the former died in In- diana in middle life, and his children were Mrs. McKim, Elijah, now deceased; Alathias, who was a soldier of the Thirty-sixth Iowa Infan- try in the war of the Rebellion and is now deceased ; Hannah, who has also passed away ; and Trusten, who was a soldier of the Twenty-first Missouri Infantry and is now lixing in Oklahoma. In the year 185 1 Mr. McKim left his old home in Indiana and came to Appanoose county, Iowa, settling in Union township, where he has since resided. He has lived upon his present farm for eighteen vears and has here a tract of sixty-one acres of good land, on which is a com- fortable home, a substantial barn and a fine bearing orchard. His fields, too, are well cultivated and his labors annually bring ttj him a comfortable li\ing. The home of Mr. and Mrs. McKim has been blessed with ten children; Alfred, of Ringgold county, Iowa; J. R., of Nebraska; James R., deceased; Elijah Marion, who has also passed awa^'; Mathias W'ollen, of Moravia; Lewis Cass, of this county; Mrs. Alartha Josephine Sapp, deceased; Mrs. Sarah E. Stocker, of Union township; Frank Leslie, of Des Moines. Iowa; and one that died in in- fancy. Mr. McKim's military ser\ice began on the 7th of Xo\ember, 1862, at which time he joined the boys in blue of Comi)anv I>, Se\-cnth Iowa Cavalry, serving until the close of the war. He was under the com- mand of Captain John Wilcox and Colonel Sunnier and the regiment did dutv in Nebraska and the west against the hostile Indians, being 60 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. stationed at different times at Fort Riley, at Fort Kearney, at O'Fal- lon's, and Julesburg, Colorado, and at other points upon the frontier. The}' did much effective ser\ice for the government in suppressing the uprising of the Indians. Mr. McKim had his toes and lower limbs frozen and has suffered much since that time on account of this. He has always voted with the Republican party and has served as town- ship assessor, as constable and as justice of the peace, discharging his duties in a most ]ironipt and capalile manner. He has also served on the school board .ind he was the first teacher of Union township and was followed by Thomas Underwood, our subject examining him and granting him his certificate. The cause of education has ever found in Mr. McKim a warm friend, and on the school board he did everything in his power to advance educational interests here. He belongs to the Christian church, his wife to the United Brethren church, and both are people of genuine worth. His word is as good as his bond, his in- tegrity standing as an unquestioned fact in his career. EMANUEL B. GREENLY. Emanuel B. Creenly, an honored veteran of the Ci\il war, who offered his services to the government when eighteen years of age and faithfully defended the old flag through the hour of the country's peril, is now successfully carrying on farming in Union township, .\ppanoose county. He was born in Lancaster county, Pcnnsyhaia, in 1843, a son of John and Sarah (Buchter) Greenly, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania and spent their entire lives in that state. They held mem- bership in the Duiikard clunch and were people of genuine worth. BIOGRAPHICAL AM) GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. rtunities afforded by the then far west, he came to Iowa in 1839, first settling in Van Buren county. This was many years before the admission of the state into the Union, in fact, with the exception of a few settlers who had locatetl along the river, the entire country was wild and unimproved, the great prairies stretching for miles, covered with the native grasses and unoccupied save by the red men. After he had completed his education in the schools of Pennsylvania he had worked at farming, and after reaching this state he again resumed ag- ricultural pursuits, which he carried on up to the time of his death. Mr. Roberts brought his bride to his pioneer home. He was mar- ried in 1838, near Columbus. Ohio, to Miss Sally Ann Runnels, a daugh- ter of Snow and Mary Runnels. Her father, who was born August 8. 1796. passed away in 1840. at the comparatively early age of forty-four years, but the mother reached an advanced age, her birth occurring on the 15th of December, 1799. and her death on the 27th of May, 1872. The children in the Runnels family were as follows : Huram and Nancy, both deceased ; Mrs. Roberts, of this sketch ; Stephen Perry, who has also passed away: Lemuel, deceased; Roderick, who is living in Marysville, Iowa; and Solan, deceased. One brother, Charles Run- nels, resides upon a farm adjoining that upon which Mrs. Roberts makes her home. He settled in Monroe county in 1843 and was married five years later in 1848, in this state, to Miss Diana llarter, but his wife is BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 71 now deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. Roberts were born ten cbildren, five sons and five daug'hters, namely : Tryon, Allen, Charles, deceased ; Helen. Mary J., Lemuel, William, deceased; Lfjvilia C, Sarah A., and Harriet L. It is with her daughter, Mrs. James Hinds, that Mrs. Roberts now makes her home. Mrs. Hinds had the following children: Allen Theodore, Richard Nathan, tleceased ; James E., who has also passed away, and Lulah May. Tlnnugh torty-sexen years Nathan Roberts carried on agricult- ural pursuits in Iowa. He came to Monroe county in 1846 and from that time until his death was numbered among the leading citizens ui this portion of the state, taking an active and helpful part in every- thing pertaining to general progress and improvement. He was deeply interested in what was accomplished in the county as it emerged from its primitive conditions to take its place among the leading counties of the commonwealth. He sat upon the first jury ever convened in Albia and for a numl>er of years served as constable of his township and also as township trustee, discharging his duties in a straightforward, capable manner. He gave his political support to the Democracy. It was in March, 1876, that Mr. Roberts was called to his final rest and through- out this portion of the state his death was deeply regretted. The county certainly owes a debt of gratitude to him and to other pioneers who came here and bore the hardships of frontier life in order to open up this region to ci\'ilization. Mrs. Roberts, a most estimable lady, still survives her husband and is living with her daughter, Mrs. Hinds. She can relate many interesting incidents concerning the ])ioneer days, and her memory f(}rms a connecting link Ijetween the primitive past and the pre gressi\e present. T'2 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GEXEALOGICAL IllSlOUY. ROBERT K. JOHNSOX. Robert K. Johnson is well known as a re])resentative of the farm- ing interests of Appanoose county. Iowa, and is numbered among the early settlers, for thnnigh a half a century lie has lived in this portion of this .state. He was born in Mason county, Virginia, January 20, 1834. a son of James and Margaret (Van Meter) Johnson. The father was born in the Keystone state and was a son of John Johnson, a na- tive of Ireland. Upon the old home farm in the state of his nativity James Johnson was reared, and later married Margaret Van Meter, whose birth occurred in Pennsylvania, as did that of her father, John Van Meter, who lielonged to an old Pennsylvania Dutch family. In 1852 the parents of our subject bade adieu to their old home in the east and started westward with the hope that the}' might benefit their finan- cial condition in one of llie newer states beyond the Mississippi. They journeyed until they reached Monroe county, Iowa, where they estab- lished their home, becoming pioneer settlers and aiding in laying the foundation for the present prosperity and development of the county. In religious faith they were connected with the United Brethren church. The mother died at the age of sixty-three years, while the father reached the age of seventy-two years. To them were born eight children, of whom si.x still survive, one having died in infancy. These are Rachel, John. Robert K.. Jane, Seth, Eli. William and James E. Eli served throughout the Ci\il war as a soldier in the Union army and was held a prisoner for a time. He died in Independence. Oregon, September 2, 1902. Robert K. Johnson obtained a common school education and spent his early life at farm work when not engaged with the duties of the BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 73 schoolroom. At the age of eighteen he came to Monroe county, Iowa, where he began farming, and here in 1866 he won a companion and helpmeet for life's journey, being united in marriage to Miss Lemira Tarr. an estimable lady, who was born in Vinton county, Ohio, where she pursued her education and spent her girlhood days. Her father, Samuel Tarr, was born in Virginia, and died in Augusta, Hancock county, Illinois, at the age of seventy years, while her mother, who bore the maiden name of Nancy Hollingshead, was born in \'inton county, Ohio, where her father located among the first settlers. She, too, died in Augtista, Illinois, when seventy-six years of age. Her sterling worth was widely acknowledged and she was a devoted member of the Christian church. By her marriage she had become the mother of six children, five of whom are living, namely : Pinckney, deceased ; Mandana, John, Mrs. Johnson, George and Mary. Throughout his business career Mr. Johnson has carried on agri- cultural pursuits and is today the owner of two excellent farms, compris- ing six hundred and twenty acres of the rich soil of Iowa. His home place is substantially improved with a good residence, a large barn and fine orchard. The plowed fields give promise of golden harvests, and pasture and meadow lands furnish feed for the stock both in the winter and summer months. The home has been blessed with the presence of three children, but he and his wife were called upon to mourn the loss of their daughter Gussie, who died December 24, 1901, at the age of twenty-nine years. She was greatly beloved for her good (jualities of heart and mind, and her loss is deeply felt by her many friends as well as by her family. They have two sons, George and Samuel, both of whom are living upon the old homesteads in Chariton township, Ap- 74 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. panoose county, and Monroe township, IMonroe county, devoting their energies to farming and stock-raising. Mr. Johnson has been very successful in liis Inisiness and as the years have passed has added annually to his income until he is now the possessor of a handsome competence. At the present time he is living retired at the fine home in Moravia, and his rest is well merited and fully enjoyed. In politics he is an earnest Republican, and belongs to Sumner Post No. 398, G. A. R.. of Moravia, to which he is entitled to membership because of the active aid which he rendered to the govern- ment in the hour of peril. During the progress of the war of the Re- bellion he joined the Eighth Iowa Cavalry, becoming one of the boys in blue of Company F. under Captain E. Cummins and Colonel J. Dorr. He enlisted June 24, 1863, serving until the close of the war. The regiment did much gallant service in the field with the western army, forming a part of the rough-rider command. A division of the western army was attached to General Sherman's command, and Mr. Johnson participated in a numl)er of skirmishes and battles. He was taken jirisoner on the 30th of June. 1864. when the army was in the vi- cinitv of Atlanta, Georgia, and for three months was incarcerated in Andersonville, for one month at Charleston and for some time at Flor- ence, South Carolina. During this time he had charge of several teams and forty men engaged in drawing water to the prison. He was pa- roled at Goldsboro, North Carolina, and returned home on a furlough. He received an honorable discharge on the 5th of June, 1865, and re- turned to Iowa. Today he is as true and loyal to his duties of citizen- ship as he was when he followed the old flag upon southern battle fields. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 75 W. D. KINSER. W. D. Kinser, a farmer on section 2, Taylor townsliip, Appanoose county, has resided in this section of the state for fifty-five years, and therefore the history of its development, progress and improvement is well known to him. He was born in Martin county, Indiana, No- vember II. 1838. and his ancestry was one noted for industry and hon- esty. His father, William Kinser, was born in Virginia, and the grandfather, Michael Kinser, was a native of Virginia, and of German descent. Emigrating westward, however, he took up his abode in Lawrence county, Indiana. William Kinser was reared and married in the Old Dominion and with his wife, Catherine, who was born in Kentucky and belonged to an old Virginian family, he went to Illinois in 1846, making the journey by team and wagon. That was the year in which Iowa was admitted to the Union. Mr. Kinser settled in Knox county, Illinois, where he remained for one season, and in 1847 came to Monroe county, Iowa, taking up his abode near the present town of Moravia. Here he secured government land and made his home by developing a wild tract into riclily cultixated fields. He voted witli the Democracy, being an adv(x:ate of the principles set forth by Jackson. His death occurred in Union county, Iowa, when he was eighty-four years of age, and his wife passed away at the age of sixty. She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and wJis loved by all for her kindness of heart. This worthy couple had nine children : Nancy, Tyler and Martha, all deceased; John, George, Malinda, William D., Michael, and Elisha. William D. Kinser was but nine years of age when the family re- moved to Monroe county and upon the home farm he spent his youth, TG BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. no event of special importance occurring to vary the routine of farm life for him during' that period. In one of the primitixe schix)ls of the lo- cality he obtained his education. The little "temple of learning" was built of log.s and had a puncheon floor, while an immense fireplace occu- pied one entire end of the room. In June, 1863, Mr. Kinser offered his services as a defender of the Union, enlisting in Company F, Eighth Iowa Ca\alrv, under Captain E. Cummins and Colonel J. B. Dorr. The regiment made a most gallant war record and was with the rough riders of the western army. For a time they were under (General Mc- Cook's command and did much active service in the field. Mr. Kinser was captured at Xewnan, Georgia, on the 30th of July, 1864, and was confined in the rebel prisons at Andersonville and Florence, South Carolina, and at Wilmington. From the last named place he succeeded in making his escape and after walking for three days reached the Union lines. He was then sent to Annapolis, Maryland, by way of St. Louis, Missouri, and was granted a furlough, and before his leave of absence expired the war was ended and he was honorably discharged at Davenport, May 31, 1865. Returning to his home he resumed gen- eral farming. Mr. Kinser was married at the age of nineteen to Nancy J. Sumner, a native of Indiana, and a daughter of James and Orplia Sumner. Samuel Sumner, a brother of Mrs. Kinser, was killed in the Union army during the Civil war, and the Grand Army Post at Moravia was named in his honor. Mrs. Nancy J. Kinser passed away in 1862, and in 1876 Mr. Kinser was again married, his second union being with Mrs. J. M. Williams, who was then ihc widow of Larkin Williams. She had two children by her first marriage : Mrs. Idie Williams, of Taylor town- ship, Appanoose county ; and Rolla, deceased. Mrs. Kinser was born BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORV. 77 in Ohio, but was educated in Iowa. Her fatlier. Joel Skinner, now de- ceased, became one of tlie earl)- settlers of the state, locating here in 1854. His wife, who Iwre the maiden name of Rachel CiietAvorth, has also passed away. In their family were seveii children, six of whom are yet li\ing: Harper, who was a soldier of the Union army and is now lixing in Oregon: John; Thomas, of Appanoose county; Joseph, who resides in Utah; Mrs. Matilda Cook, and Mrs. Samantha Carleton, of Texas. The father was a farmer and a minister of the Baptist church and his life was one of irreproachable honesty and uprightness. Mr. Kinser gives his political support to the Republican party and labors earnestly for its growth and success. When twenty-one years of age he was elected a justice of the peace and served as county super- visor in Monroe county. He was also postmaster of Moravia under President Harrison for four years and in the dischai\ge of his official duties has ever been found prompt and faithful. He belongs to Sum- ner Post No. 398, G. A. R., and also to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and his religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Presbyterian church. Ills business acti\ity has always been in the line of agriculture, and he owns one hundred and twenty acres of valuable land, two miles from the town of Mora\ia. Upon this he has a good house and all necessary outbuildings for the shelter of grain and stock, and a glance at his place will indicate to the visitor that the owner is careful, systematic and progressive in his work. H. C. GATE. On a farm on section 22. Taylor township, Ap])anoose county, resides H. C. Gate, whose landed possessions comprise two hundred and 78 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. twenty acres. For thirty-six years he has lived in the county and is a representative of one of its pioneer famihes. His birth occurred in Mercer county. Missouri. October 22, 1858, and liis fatlier, Samuel Cate, was born in Sevier county, Tennessee, while the grandfather, William Cate, became one of the early settlers of Iowa. He took up his abode in Appanoose county and later resided with a daughter in Mer- cer county, Missouri, where his last days were passed. Samuel Cate became a farmer and when he had reached years of maturity he chose Miss Lucinda ^^'icker for a companion and helpmate on life's journey. She was born in North Carolina, and tliey began their domestic life in Mercer county. Missouri, where they lived for some time. Mr. Cate devoted his energies to agricultural pursuits, thus providing for his family. His wife died in Mercer county, Missouri, at the age of twenty- five years, leaving two children: James M., a resident of Centerville, Iowa; and H. C. Cate. The father was a second time married and re- sided upon a farm in Taylor, in York county, Nebraska. He died while on a trip to attend a funeral, aged sixty-four years. He deposited his ballot for the Democratic nominees and he was a worthy meinber of the Primitive Baptist church. H. C. Cate spent the days of his childhood in Mercer county, Mis- souri, until eight years of age, when the family moved to Appanoose county, Iowa, and as his age and strength increased he gave more and more time and attention to farm work. In his youth he pursued his studies in a log schoolhouse, sitting upon a slab bench, but later in a more modern school house. When twenty-two years of age Mr. Cate took up his abode upon his present farm. He sought as a companion and helpmate for life's journey Miss Laura Hiatt, of Taylor township, who was born and reared here, her parents having been among the early BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GEXEALOGICAL HISTORY. "9 settlers of the township. Tlicy took up tlieir aluule Iiere in 1845 hcfore the admission of Iowa into tlie Union. Her fatlier, Lewis Hiatt, was born in Stokes county, Xortli Carolina, and he married Rachel Swaim, whose birth occurred in the same locality. The}- journeyed westward to Iowa with a one-horse wagon, bringing with them their household goods and one child. O. A. Hiatt. After spending the winter in Ilcnry county, they came the following spring to Appanoose county and settled upon what is now the old Hiatt homestead. Here the mother is still living at the ripe old age of eighty-one years, but the father passed away September 5, 1887. at the age of sixty-seven years. He had always carried on agricultural pursuits, and his life was so honorable and upright that he enjoyed the unqualified confidence of those with whom lie came in contact. He voted with the Republican party. His widow, who has lived upon the old homestead farm for fifty eight years, became the mother of eight children, namely: O. A.; Lydia A.; Mrs. Sarah Andrews; Mrs. Emeline Williams, of Rocky Ford, Colorado: Preston S. : Laura, now the wife of our subject; Mary J., who died at the age of sixteen years, and Martha, who passed away at the age of seven years. Mr. Cate now has a farm of two hundred and twenty acres; he has made a specialt}- of the raising of sheep for a number of years. He has known no other occupation than that of farming, nor has he de- sired to engage in other pursuits, because he has found this profitable, and tlirough his untiring energy and well directed labor he has gained a comfortable competence. To him and his wife has been born a daughter, Lucinda Rachel, who is yet living. They lost one son, Sam- uel Zelvin, who died at the age of eight years, and three children who died in infancy. Mr. Cate belongs to the l'rimiti\e Baptist church and 80 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. in politics is independent, taking little active part in political affairs and never seeking or desiring office. He is yet in the prime of life and alreadv has achie\ed creditable success, which augiirs well for his future. A. E. TUCKER. A. E. Tucker is living on section 21, Taylor township, and is one of the representative agriculturists and leading citizens of Appanoose county, serving at the present time as a member of the board of super- visors. He was born in Henry county, Iowa, July 24, 1848, and is a son of John Tucker, who came to this county when Iowa was a territor}-. His birth occurred in Forsyth county. North Carolina, on the 31st of .Aug- ust, 18 1 5. His father, Francis Tucker, was born in Maryland and was of English descent. He married Millie Cruse, a native of North Carolina, in which state her entire life was passed. After her de- mise Francis Tucker came west to Iowa and died in .\ppanoose county, at the advanced age of eighty-four years. John Tucker was reared in the state of his nativity and after arriving at years of maturity wedded Sarah Swaim. In 1844 they started westward with one horse and a wagon, thus traveling across the countn' to Iowa, where the}- ar- rived in 1844, settling in Henry county. The state had not then been admitted to the Union and much of the territorj' was still in its primi- tive condition, the work of civilization and progress having scarcely been begun. In 1849 the Tucker family came to Douglas township, Appanoose county, and the father built a log house and made a home for his family, carrying on agricultural pursuits until his life's labors were ended in death. He voted with the Republican party and both he and BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. SI his wife were IMetiiodists in religious faith. Mrs. Tucker passed away at the age of sixty-five years. They were the parents of nine cliildren, namely: Andrew ].. a resident of Douglas township, Appanoose county; Alson E.. whose name introduces this record; Mrs. Nancy J. Hiatt; Eli F. ; Mrs. Rachel C. Hicks, deceased : Mary E., deceased; Lem- entine H., and Mrs. Cynthia E. Rose, deceased. One child, Susanna, died in Henry count}-, Iowa, at the age of eighteen months. A. E. Tucker was reared in the usual manner of farmer lads of the period. He pursued his education in a log school house, which was seated with slab benches, while the other furniture was equally primitive. However, his knowledge has been supplemented by reading and ob- servation since leaving the schoolroom. His training at farm work was not meager, and in field and meadow he received practical experi- ence to prepare him for life's responsible duties. He remained upon the home farm with his father until twenty-seven years of age, when he was united in marriage to Miss Izora T. Andrews, who was born upon the farm where she is now living. Her father, Silas Milton Andrews, was one of the pnmiinent early settlers of .\ppanoose co^mt^■, but has now passed away. He was born in Giles county, Tennessee, in 1808, and was a son of James Andrews, whose birth occurred in North Caro- lina and who wedded Nancy McCorkle. Bf)th James Andrews and his wife died in Tennessee, and it was in that state that Silas M. Andrews was reared and married, the lady of his choice being Miss Nancy Woods, who was born in Giles county in 1812. She is now living with our subject at the advanced age of ninety years and is the oldest settler of the county. Mr. and Mrs. Andrews came to the county in 1 85 1, taking up their alx)de upon the farm which is now the home of Mr. and Mrs. Tucker. With characteristic energy the father began 82 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. the development of the fields and continued his farm work up to the time of his death, wiiich occurred when he was seventy-seven vears of age. By trade he was a saddler and followed that pursuit in connection with farming in Tennessee. His political allegiance was given the Democracy and in religious faith he was a Protestant. In the family were seven children, of whom three are now living, namelv: (ieorge, a resident of Juniata, Nebraska; Harvey M.. of Livingston, Iowa; and Mrs. Izora T. Tucker. Four of the number ha\e passed away, namely : James, Marilla, John M. and C. P. The last named was a soldier of the Civil war and enlisted in the Eighteenth Iowa Infantry and died in a rebel prison at Tyler, Texas. To our subject and his wife have been born four children: Louisa S., the wife f)f Thomas Long, of Appanoose count v ; John M., who wedded Chlers of the Catholic church at Albia. In political matters Mr. Drury is a life-long Republi- can, and his first presidential vote was cast for Lincoln in his second 86 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. race for the presidency. In his fraternal relations he is a member of the Masonic order, being connected with Lovilia Lodge. He is also color bearer of the Bluff Creek Veterans" Association, and is a member of Orman Post No. 123, G. A. R., of Albia. At the meeting in which Mr. Drury was elected to the position of standard bearer, Comrade E. C. Canning delivered the following well chosen words: '"Your, election by the spontaneous and unaiiinmus voice of your comrades as standard bearer, into whose hands we now entrust this beautiful ban- ner, a gift from friends we deeply love and highly honor, surely calls forth some expression why so hnnored. You, an adopted citizen of our country, manfully stood for its defense in many well fought battles, saving the flag of your regiment at the Weldon Railroad, carrj'ing it over the broken lines of the enemy at the charge of Cedar Creek, and again bringing off the colors in the battle of the Wilderness, and bear- ing yourself so gallantly that a grateful country has conferred on you its highest badge of military honor. We give to your keeping this flag that our sons may emulate your noble deeds, and if war shall ever darken the horizon of our beloved land that they may with brave and manly hearts rally to her defense and man her ships, and that our flag shall speak defiance to her enemies and ever wave the banner of the free over the home of the brave." GEORGE W. ROBINSON. By general consensus of opinion of all his acquaintances, the late George W. Robinson was a good farmer, a good friend and a good neighbor. As he treated all men well in life, so all men mourn him, now that he is no more, and this brief biography is intended as a memo- GEORGE W. ROBINSOK. BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GEXEALOGICAL HISTORY. «9 rial whicli may be tiled away by his family and friends, who regret his loss and respect his memory. George \\". was the son of Richard G. and Sarah Jane Robinson, natives of \\'est Virginia. The father was a farmer and stock raiser and pursued that occupation in West Virginia with a fair measure of success. His son. George \V. Robinson, was horn in Harrison county, West Virginia, September i6, 1831, and was in early manhood when he came to Iowa in 1855. He first located in Howard county, but soon afterward went to Davis and finally found permanent residence in Ap- panoose count}". In 1862 he purchased and took possession of the farm near Dean, which he cultivated with success imtil the time of his death, on the 6th of May, 1891. On ISIay 30. 1861. George W. Robin.son was united in marriage with Miss Sarah Louisa, daughter of John and Ann Bond, natives of Ireland, who came to the United States shortly after their marriage. Their daughter, Sarah Louisa, was born in Appanoose county, Iowa, October 28, 1846. and has spent her whole life in the confines of her native county. Her father, who came to Iowa at a period sufficiently early to entitle him to the name of "first settler," ended his days in 1883, and his wife passed from the scenes of earth two years later. In this connection it is interesting to remark that one of their tlaughters and a sister of Mrs. Robinson was the first woman in Iowa to whom a marriage license was issued. Since the death of her husband Mrs. Robinson has owned the farm of one hundred and seventy-two acres of excellent land near Dean, but she rents most of the estate and does not worry herself with the practical details of agriculture. Mr. and Mrs. Robinson had five children, whose names are thus recorded: Albert W., married Mary A. Phares, of Centerville; Clara 90 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. L., wife of T. M. Dickinsun, of Xew Virginia, Iowa; Minnie A., wife of Frank Hatton, of this township; Lula May, wife of James O. Pat- terson, of Dean: and Sarah F., deceased. I\Irs. Robinson is a member of the Christian church and participates actively in tlie reHgious and philanthropic work devolving upon the congregation. As she is in easy circumstances, of a social and hospitable disposition, her household is headquarters for her many friends, and a pleasant place for visitors to sojourn. PAUL C. OEHLFR. Paul C. Oeliler is a farmer of Taylor township, living on section i. He was born in \\'urteniberg, Germany, on the 23(1 of September, 1823, and among his ancestry were many men prominent in the military circles of the fatherland. The history of Wurtemberg back through five hundred years makes mention of the Oehlers. The parents of our subject were Christopher and Christina (W'alderich) Oehler, who in 1831 crossed the Atlantic to America, bringing with them their five children, but one of the number died while they were upon the sea. Both Mr. and Mrs. Oehler passed away in Tuscarawas county. Ohio, where Mr. Oehler was carrying on agricultural pursuits. After be- coming an American citizen he had endorsed the Democratic party, and in religious faith was a Moravian. His death occurred when he was seventy-two years of age and his wife passed away at the age of sixty-eight years. The members of their family were: Gotlieb F., Paul C, Joanna, Louisa, Elizabeth, Pauline, Emanuel and Ernest Frederick. Paul C. Oehler was onlv seven vears of age at the time of the emi- BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 91 gration of the family to the new world. He was reared upon a farm in Ohio and acquired his education in the schools of that state. When twenty-three years of age he went to Wyandotte, Kansas, with a Mor- avian colony, or mission, and there engaged in farming for tlie colony, for eight years, after which he went to Arkansas. On the 5th of Feb- ruary, 1863, he joined the Union army, enlisting in Fayetteville, Wash- ington county, Arkansas, as a member of Company I. First Arkansas Regiment, under Captain William Hevington. The captain was killed by bushwhackers, so that First Lieutenant Morrison was in command most of the time. Mr. Oehler lived in a Confederate neighborhood for eighteen months before he enlisted and served as a member of the home guard for some time. He saw much of the rebel element in the south and because of his Union sentiments he had many narrow escapes. For fourteen months he remained with the army and participated in the battle of Fayetteville, where he was injured by the bursting of a shell at his side. He was then honorably discharged at Fort Smith, Arkan- sas, April 25, 1864, on account of his disability, after which he re- turned to his home. It was in that year that Mr. Oehler came to x\ppanoose county, Iowa. Here he has two hundred and eighty-eight acres of rich and productive land and his farm is supplied with all modern equipments. There is a good residence, substantial barns and a bearing orchard, and his fields annually return to him excellent harvests. He has fine horses and cattle upon his place, and owns in addition to his plowed land sixty acres of timber land. In 1852 Mr. Oehler was united in marriage to Miss Marie Benade, who was reared and educated in Saxony, Ger- many. In that country her parents died and at the age of twenty-four years she came to the United States. By her marriage she has be- 92 BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. come the mother of six children: Augustus Morse, Ellen J., Henrj' /., Charles E. and Ed. F. They also lost one child, Lucius, their first born. The parents hold membership in the Moravian church. Mr. Oehler is a member of the Grand Army post in Moravia. His politi- cal support is given to the Republican party and while he has never sought or desired office he is interested in the success of the political principles in which he believes. He is frank, genial and jovial in man- ner, and the sterling traits of his character have gained for him many friends. JAMES A. HOLSTEINE. Almost a hundred years ago, or to speak more definitely, during the second decade nf the nineteenth century, there lived in old Virginia a worthy couple whose names were George and Annie (Beeler) Holsteine. The husband was a hatter by trade, and this was the means he used to "keep the wolf from the door" and pro\ide for the wants of a rapidly increasing family, a task which he sometimes found a difficult one, owing to lack of business and scarcity of customers. Eventually he became discouraged and concluded to try for a betterment of fortune in the new state which had then but recently been admitted into the Union. So gathering about him his wife and little ones, together with the scanty household goods, he started on the weary journey across mountains, down rivers and over roadless forests to the wilderness northwest of the Ohio, known as southern Indiana. It was in 1827 that this trif) was made, and when Cleorge Holsteine arrived at his destination he bought some of the government land which was then being sold ver)' cheap and established his f.imily in a log cabin thereon. From BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 03 that time he supported them by working this Indiana farm. The mother died in Iowa, and later he died in Bloomington, Indiana. James A. Holsteine. the third in a family of seven children, was born in Virginia, December i8, 1822, and was only five years old when the memorable journey was undertaken to the wilds of Indiana. He grew up in the neighborhood where his father settled and remained there until he had completed the twenty-seventh year of his age. About that time he began to think of moving farther west, and in 1849 set out for a long and uncertain trip for the country beyond the great Father of Waters. He traveled through Iowa until he reached Davis county, and after looking around awhile concluded that was a good place for a poor man to locate. Consequently a place was picked out near what is now the town of Moulton, and here Mr. Holsteine set to work in earnest on a place he had secured. The working of this farm in Davis county occupied his attention until 1894, when he purchased his present home. Not being able to buy land at first, he secured em- ployment by the month on the farms of other people, and by these jobs, supplemented by splitting rails for so much a hundred, he supix)rted himself and saved a little money until in time he was able to buy land of his own. He continued to be a resident of Davis county until 1894, when he purchased his present home in Appanoose county, just seven miles from his former place and a short distance west of Moulton. The property of different kinds now owned by Mr. Holsteine shows that he did not waste his time in idleness or neglect any opportunity to better his condition. In fact he has an abundance of this world's goods and is able to spend his declining years in comfort, cheered by the attentions of an affectionate family and the kind words of the friends he has gained during a long and blameless life. On October 25, 1870, he 9-i BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. married Xancv Caroline Toombs, who uncomplainingly shared the hard- ships of earlier years, and is now the joyous participant in the good things which have come to them as the result of ceaseless toil and en- deavor. Misses Grace and Ruth Ann. their only children, are at home, and they assist in dispensing the hospitality and kindly greetings which await all friends who visit at the Holsteine homestead. WILLIAM SMITH. Perhaps every country on the face of the globe has sent its rep- resentatives to the new world, but there is no element in our American citizenship more justly valued than that which has come from the mother country — England. Mr. Smith was born in the northern part of the "merrie isle." in July, 1826, and is a son of William and Jane Smith, who were also natives of that country. By trade the father was a shoemaker and followed that pursuit in order to obtain a living for his wife and cliildren. He died about forty-five years ago and his wife forty years ago. Both were members of the established church of England. In the family were seven children, of whom Thomas and James became residents of Lovilia and there died. William Smith was reared in his native country and when a young man heard what proved to him interesting tales of America and its possibilities. Attracted by the opportunities of the new world he bade adieu to home and friends in 1850 and sailed for New York, whence he made his way into the interior of the countr\-, settling first in Ohio, north of Marietta. There he remained for eight years, after which he removed to Illinois, taking up his abode in Macoupin county. He was a cabinet maker bv trade and for three months he worked at Mar- BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 95 tin's Ferry, West Virginia, for Mr. Hussey, who was the real inventor of the McCormick binder and became a partner of Mr. McCormick, but the latter not only got credit for the invention but through the sale of the product became a very wealthy man, while Mr. Hussey died a poor man. After leaving Mr. Hussey's employ Mr. Smith was a resi- dent of Morgan county, Ohio, until his removal to Illinois and there he resided until 1862, when he came to Monroe county, Iowa, since which time he has lived in Monroe county. He first located in Bluff Creek township, where he carried on farming until 1875, when he re- moved to a farm in Union township just east of Lovilia. For a num- ber of years he carried on agricultural pursuits with success, but now a part of his land is rented to tenants, while the remainder is man- aged by his sons, and Mr. Smith is living retired in the enjoyment of the fruits of his former toil. In 1864 occurred the marriage of Mr. Smith and Amanda Myers, a daughter of .\lexander and Nancy Myers, the former a native of North Carolina and the latter of Kentucky. Mr. and Mrs. Myers had nine children; .Mice, William, flcceased ; Jessie, Mary, John, Gertie, also deceased ; Thomas, Daniel, and one that died in infancy. The children of Mr. and ]\Irs. Smith are: John, Jesse and Gertie. Mrs. Smith had two brothers, Clark and Henry, who were soldiers of the Civil war, fighting in defense of the stars and stripes. In his S(Kial re- lations Mr. Smith was formerly an Odd Fellow, but does not maintain active connection with the order at this time. He and his wife have attended various churches and are well known people of the commu- nity, having a large circle of warm friends. 96 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. ASA S. BAIRD. Among the representative citizens and prominent farmers of Mon- roe county none is more deserving of mention in this volume than Asa S. Baird, who owns and operates a fine farm of two hundred and forty acres on section 34, Mantua township, and on section 3, Urbana town- ship. He is one of the honored veterans of the Civil war and an early settler of this county, having located here in 1854, when most of the land was still in its primitive condition and the work of improvement and cultivation had scarcely begun. Mr. Baird was born in Harrison county. West Virginia, on the 6th of April. 1824, and is a son of Adam Baird, a native of Maryland and a representative of a good old Scotch family from the highlands. By trade the father was a cabinet maker and carpenter, and being a good mechanic he always found plenty to do in his line. He was married near Little York, Pennsylvania, to Miss Barbara Wilhelm, who was born and reared in that state, belonging to a Pennsylvania Dutch family. Her father, Frederick \^^ilhelm, was a soldier of the war of 1812. Leaving the east in 1856, Adam Baird and his wife came to Iowa and spent their last days in Monroe county, where he died at the age of seventy-five years, and his wife passed away at the age of eighty-three. Both were devout members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and he was a Whig in his political views. Three daughters and one son of their family died in Lewis county, West Virginia, and the others were as follows: John. Susan, Elijah, Mary, Adam, who died in Iowa; Wil- liam, and Asa S. Asa S. Baird spent his boyhood and youth in Lewis county. West Virginia, and is indebted to its schools for his educational advantages. BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GEXEALOGICAL HISTORY. 97 With his fatlier he learned the cabinet maker's and carpenter's trade, which he followed for some time while in the east. At the age of twenty-four years he was married in Lewis county, the lady of his choice being Miss Sarah Tharp, who has now been to him a faithful companion and helpmeet for over half a century. She was born, reared and educated in that county, and is a daughter of Hezekiah and Huldah (Cox) Tharp, natives of Harrison county. West Virginia, who spent their last days in Van Buren county, Iowa. The father, who was a farmer by occupation, died at the age of seventy years. His political support was given the Democratic party. Tn religious faith he was first a Baptist, but later joined the Methodist Episcopal church, in which he held the offices of class leader and steward, always taking an active and prominent jiart in church work. Of his ten children only two are now living: Sarali, the wife of our subject, and William, a resi- dent of \'an Buren county, Iowa. Those deceased are Emily. Chris- tiann, Nancy. Huldah, Almira. Smith, a son who died in infancy, and Mrs. Zadok Chidester. who died February 13, 1903. It was in 1854 that Mr. Baird, accompanied by his wife and three children, removed from West Virginia to Iowa, the journey consuming six weeks, as it was made by horse and wagon, the family spending the nights in the public houses along the road. Reaching Monroe county. Mr. Baird located in Urbana township about a mile and a half from his present home, where he erected a log house and where he continued to reside until his remn\al to his present farm in Mantua township fourteen years ago. He has erected a fine house upon a natural building site, surrounded with shade and ornamental trees: has planted an orchard ; l)uilt barns and other outbuildings, and today has one of the best improved and most valuable farms in the township. In his 98 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. farming operations lie has lieen very successful and well merits the prosperity that has come to him. To Mr. and j\lrs. Baird were born the following children : Thomas, who is now engaged in the lumber business in Albia; Mrs. Victoria Jenkins, a resident of Van Buren county ; Adam, at home with his father; Mrs. Barbara Berr\-. who was formerly a teacher and is now living in Wapello cmmty. Iowa; Hezekiah, who died at the age of twenty-six years, leaving a widow; "Mrs. Mary Heald, a resident of Schuyler county, Missouri; Jennie, at home; and Schuyler C, who as- sists his father in the operation of the home farm and is now serving as township assessor. The children were all provided with good edu- cational privileges and the family is one of which any parents might well be proud. During the Rebellion Mr. Baird manifested his patriotism and loyalty by enlisting, in 1862, in the Thirty-sixth Iowa Volunteer Infan- try, under Colonel Kittridge. His company was first commanded by Captain Varner and later by Captain Porter. He participated in the engagements at Camden and Prairie De Han, besides other battles and skirmishes, and was taken prisoner at Marks Mills, being incarcerated in the rebel prison at Tyler, Texas, for ten months. After his ex- change he returned home on a furlough and later rejoined his regiment at White river, Arkansas. At the close of the war he was honorably discharged at Da\-enport, Iowa, and returned to Monroe county to re- sume the more quiet pursuits of farm life. During his absence his wife had bravely carried on the work of the farm and provided for their se\'en children, being a noble woman, of patriotic spirit and kindly im- pulses. Mr. Baird affiliates with the Rejuiblican party and has filled offices BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 99 in Urbana township, being trustee for several years. For years he was a member of the schtxil board. His rehgious faith is manifest by his membership in tlie Methodist Episcopal church, and he has ever taken a very active part in its work, serving as class leader, steward and su- perintendent of the Simday school. His life has been in harmony with his professions and he is justly entitled to the respect and confidence so freely accorded him. H. M. CHIDESTER. No history of Monroe county would be complete without mention of the Chidester family. Fift}-seven years have passed since they first came to the county, having established their home within its borders in 1846, just as tlie Indians were leaving for the reservations assigned them. Great indeed was the difference in the conditions of the county at that time from what it is today, most of the land being still in its primitive condition and few improvements having been made. Mr. Chidester was born in Lewis county. West Virginia, October 28, 1837, a son of Zadok and Susannah (Tharp) Chidester, who were also natives of that county. His paternal grandfather, Holdridge Chidester, was born in Virginia of Scotch, English and Welsh ancestry, the family being early established in the Old Dominion. He was a soldier of the war of 181 J. Zadok Chidester was reared, educated and married in the coimty of his natix'ity, his wife being the daughter of Hezekiah and Huldah (Cox) Tliarj), who spent tlieir last days in Van Buren county, Iowa. Her father was also a native of Virignia and of English descent. It was in June, 1846, that Zadok Chide.ster brought his family to L. of C. 100 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GEXEALOGICAL HISTORY. Iowa, making the journey by boat down the Ohio and up the Mississippi rivers to Keokuk. Iowa, whence they proceeded b} ox team to Monroe county, locatinj;^ on the farm in Mantua township wliere his widow re- sided until her death on tlie 15th of February, 1903. There tlie father secured seven hundred acres of fertile and productive land, and after building a log house for the accommodation of his family, he at once set to work to clear, break and improve his place. Throughout his active business life he successfully engaged in general farming and stock-raising, but was at length compelled to relinquish active labor on account of rheumatism, from which he suffered for many years, but being a man of good business and executixe ability he still managed his business with remarkable skill. After a useful and well spent Ufe he passed away at the age of eighty-six years, honored and respected by all who knew him. He was a most hospitable man, the latch-string on his door being always out. and no one was ever refused entertain- ment at his home. His word was ever considered as good as his bond and his advice was often sought by his friends and neighbors. In poli- tics he was a Democrat. His estimable wife, who survived him, re- sided till her death in the pleasant home he erected upon his farm in later years, and was beloved by all who knew her. To this worthy couple were born fourteen children, of whom eleven are still living, namely: H. M.. of this review: Mrs. Sarah Deyo, of Mountain Grove. Missouri: Mrs. Virginia Pittinger. of the same place; Leander and Floyd, both residents of Mantua township, this county; Mrs. Marietta Perrin. also of Mantua township; Mrs. Huldah Rogers, of Nuckolls county. Nebraska ; Elliott, of Tacoma, Washington ; Zadok, of Mantua township ; Emery, a well known citizen and prominent stock- BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 101 man of Urbana township, Monroe county ; and Frank, who lives on the old homestead farm. The subject of this sketch was a lad of nine years when he ac- companied his parents on their removal to lowfa. and being the oldest son he soon proved of great assistance to his father in the development and improvement of the farm. His education was acquired in an old log schoolhouse with slab seats and puncheon floor. He remained under the parental roof until twenty-six years of age. when he offered his services to the country to assist in crushing out the rebellion, en- fisting in February, 1863, in Company A, Thirty-sixth Iowa Volunteer Infantrj-, under the command of Colonel Kittridge, Lieutenant Colonel Drake and Captain Porter. He was in the battles of Elkins Ford, Cam- den, and at Marks Mills was taken prisoner. During the ten months he was in the hands of the enemy his rations consisted of but one pint of meal per day. After being exchanged he returned home on a furlough and later rejoined his regiment at White river, Arkansas. At the close of the war he received an honorable discharge from the service and returned home to resume farming and stock-raising. At the age of twenty-five years Mr. Chidester married Miss Sarah Parry, who was born in England but was reared and educated at Cedar Creek in Guilford township, Monroe county, Iowa, her parents being David and Mar}- (Newman) Parry, also natives of England. By oc- cupation her father was a stonemason and farmer. On coming to the new world in 1854, he located in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and in 1856 came to Iowa, making the journey by water, down the Ohio and up the Mississippi river to Keokuk. He settled in Guilford township, Monroe county, but his last days were spent in Union township, Iowa, where he died at the age of seventy-six years. He was an earnest member of 102 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. the Christian church and a Republican in politics. His wife, who was a member of the same church, departed this life at the age of eighty- five years. They had eight children, namely : David, who enlisted in the Sixty-third Pennsylvania Infantry during the Civil war and died in the service; Sarah, the wife of our subject; James M.. Mrs. Mary McCauley, Emily, Jennie, Mrs. Martha Peck. Mrs, Maggie Turner. In his farming operations Mr. Chidester has steadily prospered and is today the owner of a fine farm of four hundred acres, it being one of the most desirable tracts in the county. The buildings upon the place are of good and substantial character, and its neat and thrifty appear- ance indicates the super\ision of a painstaking farmer and man of more than ordinary business ability. He follows stock-raising in con- nection with general farming. Seven children Iiave been born to Mr. and Mrs. Chidester : Lean- der, in business in Ottumwa, Iowa: Mrs. Clara Grooms, of Monroe county; William and James, both residents of Mantua township; Mrs. Anna Wilson, who is also living in that township ; and Ussie, who is now a student in Drake College of Des Moines, where she is taking up the arts and sciences : she has been a popular and successful teacher and spent four years in the Ottumwa high school. Hezekiah died aged two years, six months. Mr. Chidester maintains relations with his old army comrades by his membership in Castle Post No. 313, G. A. R., of .Xvery, and has held office in the same. Politically he is a strong Republican, never wavering in his allegiance to that party. As an honored pioneer and one of the representative men of his community, as well as a loyal de- fender of the country during the dark days of the Civil war, he is worthy of the high regard in which he is uniformly held. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. Iu3 SAMUEL FLOYD CHIDESTER. Samuel Floyd Chidester. who owns and controls a farm of ninetv- five acres on section 27. Mantua township, Monroe county, was born in Lewis county, Virginia, July 19, 1846, a representative of one of the old families of that state. His paternal grandfather was also born in Virginia. The father, Zadok Chidester, likewise a native of that state, came to the west at an early period in the development of Monroe county, locating here in 1S51. He became an active factor in the agricultural development of this portion of the state, and through his labors a rich tract of land was improved and transformed into a valuable farm. He was united in marriage to Miss Susannah Tharp, who was born, reared and educated in Virginia, a daughter of Hezekiah Tharp, of that state. Their home farm comprised seven hundred acres of valuable land in Monroe county and Mr. Chidester was veni- successful, practical and progressive in carrying on the work of the fields and in the raising of stock. He possessed excellent business qualifications, and his property was the visible evidence of his life of well directed lal>or and enterprise. He gave his ix)litical support to the Democracy until his death, which oc- curred when he was eighty-three years of age. In the family were fourteen children: H. Morgan, who is a prominent citizen of Man- tua township and a veteran of the Civil war: Mrs. Sarah N. Deyo, of Mountain Grove, Missouri; Mrs. Virginia Pittinger, of that place; S. Floyd; Mrs. Hulda Rogers, of Nebraska; Mrs. Marv Perrin, of Man- tua township ; America, deceased ; Zadok and Leander, who are resident farmers of Mantua township; Elliott, of Tacoma, Washington; Emery, a prominent citizen of Urbana township, Monroe county; Frank, who is living on the old homestead farm, where his mother died at the ad- 104 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. vanced age of eighty-one years; Grant, who died at the age of sixteen years; and one that died in infancy. No event of special importance occurred to vary the routine of farm hfe for Samuel Floyd Chidester in his youth. He worked upon the farm and gained a practical experience of the best methods of caring for the stock and of cultivating the fields. He pursued his .studies in a log schoolhouse with slab seats and puncheon floor, and at the age of nine- teen years was married to Celestia Stevenson, who was then sixteen years of age. They have since traveled life's journey together, shar- ing with each other its joys and sorrows, its adversity and prosperity. Mrs. Chidester was born in this township and pursued her education here. Her father, John Stevenson, one of the early settlers of Mantua township, passed away in 1896, while her mother, who bore the maiden name of Durliska Bates, passed away in 1879. Their children were as follows: Grandison, of Des Moines, Iowa ; George, of Oregon; Charles, of Mantua township ; Mrs. Chidester ; Fred, who died on the home farm at the age of sixteen years ; Eben, who was accidentally shot at the age of twenty-seven years and died as the result of his injury ; an infant son died unnamed; Laura Jane, who resides with our subject; and Robert, who was killed for his money in California. Mr. Stevenson was seventy-nine years of age when called to his final rest, his birth having occurred in Ireland in 181 7, while his wife, who was born in Ohio, died at the age of sixty-two years. They both held membership in the Baptist church and were people of sterling worth. Mr. and Mrs. Chidester have had two sons and three daughters. Isan, who is a barber of Blakesburg, Iowa, wedded Millie Hampshire, of Ottumwa, this state, and they have two sons, Harold and Edmond. Susan is the wife of Rile\' Kendall, of Ottumwa, Iowa, and thev have BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 105 three children, Audrey. (!oldie and Floyd. George, who lives in New Mexico, wedded Myrtle Miller and has two sons, Paul and Boyd. Mrs. Laura Denning is a resident of Poweshiek county, Iowa, and her chil- dren are Loyd and Ona. One daughter, Lavina, was accidentally burned to death when three years of age. The home farm is pleasant!}- located not far from Albia, on sec- tion 27, Mantua township, and comprises ninety-five acres of land, on which are found substantial buildings and all modern accessories. Mr. Chidester votes with the Democracy and has served as a member of the school board. His wife belongs to the Christian Union Club, and his moral standard is that of the golden rule, which he practices in his daily life, and as a result his career has ever been an honorable and upright one, worthy of the confidence and esteem of those with whom he has been associated. CONRAD DeROSS. Conrad DeRoss, who is living on section 15, Mantua township, Monroe county, has resided here since 1867. Pennsylvania is the state of his nativity, his birth having occurred in Meadville, Crawford county, July 20, 1836. His father, Alexander DeRoss, was born in German- town, near Philadelphia, and comes of French ancestry, his father hav- ing crossed the Atlantic to .\merica with General LaFayette, and aided the colonies in their struggle to secure independence at the time of the Revolutionary war. He was pleased with the new world and after the cessation of hostilities returned to his native country and brought his family to Philadelphia. Alexander DeRoss served a seven years' apprenticeship at the shoe- 106 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. maker's trade, and in Meadxille, Pennsylvania, was married to Susan Cole, a native of that state and a daughter of Conrad Cole, who was also born in Pennsyhania antl represented an old Pennsylvania Dutch family. Conrad Cole served as a soldier in the war of i8i2 and was present when Commodore Perry achieved his famous victory on the lakes. His wife bore the maiden name of Mary Magdalena Deeter, and among their children was Mrs. Alexander DeRoss, who by her marriage became the mother of seven sons and a daughter : Helen, a resident of Meadville, Pennsylvania; Henry, also of that state; and six sons who were in the Ci\il war as defenders of the Union cause. Wil- liam was a member of the Forty-fifth Missouri and is now living in Louisiana. Alexander H. belonged to the One Huiuired and Eleventh Pennsylvania Infantry and went with Sherman on the celebrated march to the sea, and died in igoo. Conrad was a member of tlie One Hun- dred and Fiftieth Pennsylvania Regiment, known as the Bucktails. Jonathan G. belonged to the same company and regiment and after being four times wounded in liattle was killed at Hatches Run, south of Peters- burg. Hiram C. was a member of the One Hundred and Eleventh Pennsylvania Infantry and afterward a lieutenant of the Third Pennsyl- vania Heiuy Artillery, and at Fortress Monroe he had charge of the guards over Jefferson Davis, who was confined there after the close of hostilities. Eli was a member of the Third Missouri Light Artillery, Battery L, and was afterward an Indian agent who became well known in the west and is now a physician in Wichita, Kansas. The father of this family passed away at the age of sixty-four years. In politics he was a Republican and he belonged to the English Lutheran church. His wife, who also held membership with that denomination, died at the age of eighty-four years. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 107 Conrad DeRoss is indebted to the public school system of Craw- ford county, Pennsylvania, for the educational privileges he enjoyed. He learned the mason's trade in early life and followed that pursuit until after the beginning of the Civil war, when, in August, 1862, he responded to the country's call for three hundred thousand and joined Company H, of the One Hundred and Fiftieth Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, known as the Bucktails, under the command of Captain James W. H. Reisinger and Colonel Langhorn \A'ister. The first lieutenant was C. T. Shaw, a veteran of the ]\Iexican war and the second lieutenant was George D. V. Sheldon. The subject of this review was in the service for three years and was then discharged on account of disability. In the fall of 1867 Mr. DeRoss came to Iowa and afterward went to the territory of Nebraska, where Indians were numerous, both of the Sioux and Cheyenne tribes. These went upon the warpath against each other, and there were exciting times in that section of the country. On account of poor health Mr. DeRoss removed to White Sulphur Springs, Missouri, and later came to Monroe county, Iowa. Here he has an excellent farm of fift)--fi\e acres, supplied with all modern equipments and underlaid with a rich vein of voal. There is a good orchard upon his place, and substantial buildings, and the whole is en- closed with well kept fences. On April 17, 1861, five days after Fort Sumter was fired upon, Mr. DeRoss was married at Meadville, Pennsylvania, to Sarah E. Prall, who has been to him a good wife. She was born in Meadville and is a daughter of John and Phebe (Smith) Prall; the latter was a daughter of one of the soldiers of the war of 1812 and she died in Pennsylvania; Mr. Frail, however, is now living in Nemaha, Nebraska. His chil- dren are: Mrs. Rosetta Seid, of Nebraska, Mrs. DeRoss and John 108 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. H., who is living in Oregon. To our subject and his wife have been born eleven children: Mrs. Laura E. Green, Belle Prall, Frank, of Louisiana; George, who is one of the successful carpenters and photog- raphers of Oklahoma: Henry, a carpenter and photographer; Mrs. Phebe Rhodes, Mrs. Orpha Lukey, Mrs. Myrtle Kirkendall, Frederick, Magretta E., who died at the age of eleven years; and John Alexander, who died at the age of eighteen months. Mr. DeRoss has provided his children with good educational privileges, realizing how important this is as a preparation for life's work. An earnest Republican in his political views, Mr. DeRoss has never wavered in his support of the principles of the party and has been hon- ored with a number of township of^ces. in which he has served with capabilitv and fulelity. He belongs to the Grand Army Post at Avery, and tlu-ee times has served as its commander, a fact which indicates his popularity with his old army comrades. For twenty-eiglit years he has been a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and his wife has taken the Rebekah degree. He is a man of intelligence, a progressive farmer and an honored old soldier, and as one of tlie worthy citizens of Monroe county we gladly present the record of his life to our readers. LEVI BILLINGS. Levi Billings is proprietor of the Springhill dairy farm of Mantua township. Monroe county, and is one of the popular, intelligent and prosperous citizens of this locality, where he has made his home since 185 1. He is also entitled to represaitation in this volume because he was a loyal soldier of the Union army during the Civil war. His birth BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 109 occurred in Cleveland. Ciiyalioga county, Ohio, August 30, 1845, and the family moved to Williams county in the northwestern part of the state when he was an infant. His father, Ed Billings, was born in Vermont and was a son of Elias Billings, whose birth occurred in Connecticut, and who represented one of the old families of that state. His death occurred in the Green Mountain state. It was in Vermont that Ed Billings was reared, and when a young man he emigrated westward, settling in Cleveland. Ohio. He was married in Cuyahoga county to Amelia Gildersleeve, a native of that county and a daugh- ter of Joseph Gildersleeve, who was of Pennsylvania Dutch an- cestry, and whose wife died during the infancy of Mrs. Billings, who was then reared by her uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Beebe. In 1851 the parents of our subject arrived in Iowa, having made the journey westward by team and wagon. They settled on Miller's Ridge, but the father was not long permitted to enjoy his new home, for his death occurred in 1855, when he was but thirty-five years of age. He left a widow and six children, of whom four are now living, namely : Mrs. Dorcas Soles, of Illinois: Levi; William, of Kansas; and Or- lando, of Missouri. Those who have passed away were Mrs. Ellen Dodge, of Appanoose county; and Anson, who died at the age of forty-nine years. The mother long survived her husband and passed away at the age of seventy-three years. Levi Billings was a little lad of six summers when the family came to Monroe county, and he can remember in those days when two to five yoke of oxen were driven to the breaking plow. He was earlv taught to work, and the habit of industry thus inculcated has been one of his salient characteristics in later life. He obtained his education in a subscription school, and in 1862 he offered his services to the 110 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. government, enlisting as a member of Company B. Seventh Iowa Cav- alry, under Captain Wilcox and Colonel Summers. He served for three years, one month and twelve days as a loyal defender of the Union, and in addition to his long experience in the war, he also cast his first vote and was married before he was twenty-one years of age. He joined the army on the 17th of August, and his regiment formed a part of the rough rider command of the western army. He marched 4,888 miles over the plains of the west in 1864, and was at Fort Kearney, at Julesburg, Colorado, in Utah and at Yankton, South Dakota, participating in a number of engagements with the hostile Siouxs and Cherokees and other warlike tribes. He had also crossed the plains to Pike"s Peak, Colorado, in 1862, driving an o.x team. At Omaha, Nebraska, he was honorably discharged and at once returned to his home. It was on the uth of August, 1866, that Mr. Billings was united in marriage to Miss Mary Tyrrell, a daughter of Oliver Tyrrell, who came to the west in 1845 from Lorain county, Ohio, with a team and wagon. Her mother bore the maiden name of Melvina Johnson and was born in \'irginia. The father carried on agricultural pursuits in Iowa until his life's labors were ended in death at seventy-five years of age. His political support was given the Republican party and he was a member of the Qiristian church. His wife, who was an earnest Christian woman, passed away at the age of seventy-four years. In their family were ten children: Mrs. Ellen Hoskins, Mrs. Billings. Mrs. Hulda Wilson, who is deceased; Mrs. Lora Elder, who died at the age of thirty-five years; Eliphalet. who resides in Mantua township; William, who is living upon the old homestead in Mantua township, Monroe county, where the little log cabin still stands; Mrs. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GEXEALOGICAL HISTORY. HI Eliza Gabb, of the same townsliip; Mrs. Ann Miller and Mrs. Calh- arine Wignall, both of Mantua township ; and Mrs. Lcona Cook, of Wapello county. Since his marriage Mr. Billings has devoted his energies untir- ingly to agricultural pursuits, and his farm property now comprises two hundred and tiiirty-three acres of rich land, on which are found unfailing springs of pure water. His place is appropriately named the Springhill dairy farm, for he is extensively engaged in the dairy busi- ness, keeping twenty-three cows for this purpose. Every equipment known for a model farm is found upon his place, and neatness and thrift characterize every department of the farm work. The sale of his dairy products brings to him an excellent financial return and he also realizes a comfortable conii>etence from his harvests. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Billings has been blessed with nine children : Mrs. Ida Beebe, of Nebraska ; Clinton, who is living upon a farm adjoining the home place; Willard, of Monroe county; Mrs. Minnie Lesenger, of .Vvery, Towa; Mrs. Ella Porter, of Albia; George, Albert, Harrison and Daisy. Mr. Billings is a stalwart Republican, unfaltering in his advocacy of the party principles, and on questions of the day he keeps well informed. He has held a number of township offices and is a member of James R. Castle Post No. 313, G. A. R., of Avery, in which he has twice served as commander. He has also been an officer in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. His wife is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and both arc people of genial manner and social disposition, and are popular with a large cir- cle of friends. 112 BIOGRAPHICAL A\W GEXEALOGICAL HISTORY. FARES RICHARDSON. The gentleman above named, who is now spending the evening of his days raising fine poultry and stock on his farm near Moulton, has had an adventurous career and is able to tell some thrilling stories of his early experiences. Before he had reached his majority he took the then perilous trip across the plains to California, and encountered all the dangers and hardships incident to pioneer life in that western wilderness. It was the period of the first gold excitement in that region, and Mr. Richardson's tales of his mining life, with its fits of alternate hope and disappointment, success and failure, "flush times" and starva- tion, have diverted many a party of friends as they assembled around his hospitable stove in the long winter evenings. The family was of eastern origin, but by early migration were long identified with different states of the west. Samuel Richardson, who was a native of Maine, was married in Xew ^'ork to Susan Granger, a lady of Canadian parentage. They farmed for a while in the state of their nuptials, and they removed to Michigan, where the same occupation was taken up and followed for many years. In the spring of 1844 the family again turned their faces toward the setting sun and entered upon a tedious journey, which did not end until they drew up in Jackson county, Iowa. A home was secured in that locality, which continued their place of abode until 1869, when thev came to Appanoose county and settled in Washington township, where both parents found their last resting place. Fares Richardson, one of the children of this estimable couple, was born in McComb county, Michigan, thirty miles north of Detroit, April 22, 1839. and was consequenth- five years old when his parents came to Iowa. He grew up with the restless and roving disposition characteristic of the game western spirits of those days, and it was FARES RICHARDSON. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 115 his fortune to have his love of adventure fully gratified. In 1859, in company with his brother Josiah. Mr. Richardson started on foot for the distant shores of California, and, after a wearisome tramp over plains and mountains, amid hardships and dangers, and undergoing many privations, arrived without serious mishaps at Sacramento. After spending three }ears in California without notable result, these cour- ageous young men made their way to the wilds of Oregon and found a lodgment on John Day's river, where they discovered the gold mine afterward known as Canyon City. In the spring of 1862 they pur- chased horses and mules and engaged in packing supplies to various points in the surrounding country where mining was in progress, and were themselves engaged in mining a year or two with fair success. When they first landed in Oregon the Richardson boys had only twenty dollars, which they soon exhausted for food, and then "staked a claim." The early returns from this, however, were rather disappointing, as the first pan from their new mine netted onl\- a half dollar's worth of gold dust. Nothing daunted, however, they secured additional claims, and their hard work was rewarded for a while by taking out gold dust at the rate of ten to fifteen dollars a day. At this juncture the two brothers formed a partnershij) with Bid Coons, Jerry Growdivant, Lewis Martin, Arthur Sacket, George Chamberlin and Thomas Sitton, all of whom were adventurous spirits in search of fortunes in the mines of Oregon. Shortly after this party began operating together pro- visions ran out, and four of the squad were detailed to go in search of food. Taking eight mules and all the available cash, amounting to about four hundred dollars, the four men started on the perilous trip to the distant Dalles of Oregon, not le.ss than three hundred miles away, on the lower Columbia river. Their journe}- led them through 116 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. the country of the Indians, who at that time were very hostile to the whites, and the traveling over the roadless mountains and across in- numerable streams of torrential rapidity made the trip one long to be remembered. During their absence there were hungry times in camp, the boys finding it difficult to get anything to eat, and being forced to subsist on two ounces of bread and three of meat as a daily ration. When the exploring party returned after twenty-one days, they re- ported having met many prospectors leaving the country in disgust, and declaring that no gold was to be found in that section. In reply to this Bid Coons, who had remained with the party in camp, drew out one thousand dollars in gold dust, which he exhibited to the return- ing pilgrims. This, with the newly brought food, made all hands very happy, and the next few days were spent in feasting and resting. Shortly afterward the party located what was subsequently called the Richardson claim, from which they took forty thousand dollars' worth of crude gold. It took fourteen months to do this, however, and as expenses were heavy, flour, meat, tea. coffee and tobacco selling each at the rate of one dollar per pound, not much was saved by the miners as the result of their arduous labors. Having had enough of mining and its inevitable privations to la.st him a while, Mr. Richardson turned his face homeward and arrived at the house of his parents in Iowa some time during 1864. Shortly afterward he was married to Margaret Wirt, who died in 1876, leaving three children: E. J. Richardson. Mrs. Martha E. McCoy and Mrs. Jessie Haynes. The four years subsequent to his marriage Mr. Rich- ardson continued to reside in Jackson county in the vicinity of his father, and accompanied the latter on his removal to Appanoose county in 1869. In 1876 he contracted a second marriage with Miss Sarah BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 117 Leach, by whom he has one cliild, now Mrs. Belle Briniger. Mr. Richardson has devoted his time of late years to the breeding of fancy poultry and Aberdeen polled cattle on his fine farm one and one-half miles north of Moulton. SIDNEY F. TYRREL. For sixty years Sidney F. Tyrrel has been numbered among Mon- roe county's most patriotic and honored citizens and he is still actively engaged in agricultural pursuits in Mantua township. He was born in Portage county, Ohio, on the 25th of August, 1835, and was a boy of seven years when he came to the territory of Iowa with his parents. Philander Lorenzo and Sarah (Bates) Tyrrel, who were promi- nent early settlers of Monroe county. The family is of English origin and was founded in America by two brothers who came from England two hundred years ago, one settling in Xew York state and the other farther south. Grandfather Philander Tyrrel was born in the Empire state and became a soldier of the war of 1812, his widow afterward re- ceiving a pension until her death. Philander Lorenzo Tyrrel grew to manhood in Portage county. Ohio, and there married Sarah Bates, a native of New York and a daughter of Charles Bates, of that state. In 1841 they mo\ed io Caldwell county, Missouri, driving the entire distance, and two years later come to Monroe county, Iowa, being among the first to locate in Mantua township, the old homestead being southwest of the present residence of our subject. Here the father died at the age of eighty years. He was born in 1812 and throughout his active business life followed farming. In politics he was a Republican. His estimable wife passed away in 1900 and her death was deeply 118 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL IIISrORY. mourned by many friends as well as by her immediate family. Their children were Sidney F., of this review; Mrs. Olive Morgan; 1. X., a resident of Mantua township; Mrs. Mary Chidester; Benjamin; Jolm. a resident of Ringgold county, Iowa; Perry, of Urbana township, Mon- roe county ; Osman ; James ; and Mrs. Dorliska Miller. They are all numbered among the most worthy citizens of their respective communi- ties. From the time he was eight years old Sidney F. Tyrrel has made his home in Monroe county, and amid pioneer scenes he grew to man- hood, his education being obtained in a primitive country schoolhouse with puncheon floor. In iSA^, during the dark days of the Rel>ellion, he put aside all personal interests, and in response to the country's call for aid he enlisted in the Thirty-sixth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, being under the command of Colonel Kittridge, Lieutenant Colonel F. M. Drake and Captain Porter. He was in the engagements at Little Mis- souri river, Crand Prairie. Camden, Arkansas, and suffered much from swollen feet while on forced marches when the amiy was retreat- ing to Camden. Mr. Tyrrel was honorably discharged at' the close of the war. In 1857 he was married to Miss Catherine Xulan, who was born near Hillslxiro, in Highland county, Ohio, a daughter of Doster and Maiy (.\ndcrson) Xolan. also natives of the Buckeye state and early settlers of Van Buren county, Iowa, where the mother died, but the father's death occurred in Putnam county, Missouri. In their family were two sfins who were soldiers of the Ci\'il war: .Mhcrt C. now a resident of Nemaha county. Kansas, was first a member of the Second Iowa Volunteer Tnfanlry rind later of an Illinois regiment; and James B. served in the Third Iowa Cavalry and is now living in Indian Terri- BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 119 tor>-. To Mr. and Mrs. TNTrel were born three children who are still living, namely: Kester L.. a resident of Monroe township, this county; Sarah, wife of James Spears, of Mantua township; and Alice, wife of Ed Larue, of Russell, Iowa. Mary A., a most estimable young lady, died at the age of eighteen years, and one child died in infancy. In 1 86 1 Mr. Tyrrel located upon his present farm, which consists of one hundred and nineteen acres of well improved land, on which is a good orchard and substantial buildings, that stand as monuments to the thrift and enterprise of the owner. He has ever been regarded as one of the most skillful farmers of his locality. As a Democrat, he has taken quite an active interest in public affairs, and efficiently served as township trustee for three terms. He is an honored member of J. R. Castle Post No. 113, G. A. R., of Avery, Iowa, and is also connected with the Presbyterian church, of which he is a trustee. He has always been found true to every trust reposed in him and has minifested a patriotic spirit in times of peace as well as in times of war. W. J. LATHAN. W. J. Lathan, one of the most enterprising and public-spirited citi- zens of Mantua township, has made his home in Monroe county for fifty-two years and has therefore witnessed almost its entire develop- ment and growth. He claims Indiana as his native state, his birth hav- ing occurred in Bloomington, June 26, 1849. His father, John Lathan, who is still living at the age of seventy-seven years, was born in South Carolina, and is a son of William Lathan, who was of Irish parentage. His ancestors belonged to an old and honored Protestant family, and their descendants have been people of prominence in the various locali- ties where thev have made their homes. 120 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. John Lathan was reared upon a farm and attended the schools of the neighborhood. When a young man he left his native state and went to Indiana, which was then a new country, and there met and mar- ried Miss Rebecca Jane Harbison, a woman of many admirable traits of character, who proved to him a most capable helpmeet as well as a loving wife. She was a daughter of William Harbison, who was also of Irish descent. In 1850 John Lathan and family left the Hoosier state and came to Iowa, crossing the Mississippi river on a ferryboat. He purchased a farm of one hundred and thirty acres in Monroe county, and subsequently bought one hundred and fifty acres more, being ex- tensively engaged in farming and stock-raising throughout his active business life. He is a worthy and zealous member of the Associated Presbyterian church, in which he has held the office of elder, and his life has ever been in harmony with his professions. His wife, who was an earnest member of the same church, died at the age of sixty- nine years, and her death was widely and deeply mourned, for she made friends of all with whom she was brought in contact. In their family were the following children : W. J. : Tillman H., a resident of Red Oak, Montgomery' county, Iowa; Samuel H., whose home is in Troy township, Monroe county ; Miss Sarah C. Lathan, who lives at her father's homestead ; Alexander B.. who died unmarried at the age of thirty-three years: Margaret E., deceased wife of Ed G. Forsythe, of Mantua township; Stewart, who died at the age of fourteen years; and Anna, who died at the age of two years. By his ballot the father sup- ports the men and measures of the Republican party, and he has efficiently filled several township offices, being one of the most popular men of his community. W. J. Lathan passed the days of his boyhood and youth upon BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 121 his father's farm, and in the schools of tiiat locality he acquired a good practical education, which enabled him to successfully engage in teach- ing for some years, entering upon that profession at the age of twenty- one years. His brother Tillman was also one of the successful and popular teachers of the county for a time. For the past twenty-three years W. J. Lathan has resided upon his present farm in Mantua town- ship, and as an agriculturist he has prospered, owning one of the best places in the community. He has a nice residence, surrounded by a beautiful lawn and orchard, and the barns, cribs and other outbuildings present a neat and thrift}- appearance, showing the owner to be a man of progressive ideas and careful habits. His place is conveniently lo- cated five miles from Albia and commands a fine view of the surround- ing country. In connection with general farming, stock-raising is car- ried on quite extensively. At the age of twenty-eight years, Mr. Lathan was united in mar- riage to Miss Melissa Forsyth, a lady of education and refinement, who attended school here and was one of the popular teachers of the county prior to her marriage. Her father, David Forsyth, was a native of Ohio, and a son of Elijah Forsyth, who was also born in that state. David Forsyth married M. Elizabeth Haugh, who was born in Virginia and belonged to an old Virginia family of German descent. On com- ing to Iowa they spent a short time in Davis and Van Buren counties, but finally, in 1850, located in Monroe count}', where the father followed farming until called to his final rest at the age of seventy-nine years. He was an elder in the United Presbyterian church for many years and was a most exemplary man. His political support was given the Re- publican party. His widow still survives him, Ijeing now seventy- eight years of age, and continues to reside on the old homestead. Their 122 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. children were Mrs. Mary S. Burlingame, of Troy township; Mrs. Fidelia Chisman, who was formerly a teacher and is now living in Wapello county, Iowa; Erastus, a resident of Mantua township; Melissa, wife of our subject ; Mrs. Emma Chisman, of Ottumwa, Iowa ; Lodema, who married James Lathan and died at the age of thirty-two years; and Harvey and Elmer, who died in childhood. Five children bless the union of our subject and his wife: Anna May, Mary E., wife of Elmer Gray, of Troy township; Arthur B., Iva J., and Ralph E. Mr. Lathan uses his right of franchise in support of men and meas- ures irrespective of party, but usually supports the Democratic party in national politics, and besides holding township offices he served as county supervisor, being a valued and influential member of the board. He is firm in his convictions of right and wrong and has displayed good judg- ment in his management of public afifairs as well as private interests. For some years he filled the office of justice of the peace and was a member of the school board. Religiously both he and his wife are mem- bers and he has been an elder of the Associated Presbyterian church, and are among the most highly esteemed citizens of the county. Physi- cally he is a man six feet in height, and socially is very popular. LAWSON B. CARLTON. Among the brave men who devoted the opening years of their man- hood to the defense of our country from the internal foes who sought her dismemberment was Lawson B. Carlton, who for half a century has been among the honored residents of Monroe county, Iowa, his home being in Mantua township. A native of Ohio, he was born in Geauga county on the 15th of September, 1841, and is a son of Marion Carlton, BIOGRAPHICAL AND GEXEALOGICAL HISTORY. 123 who was born in Connecticut and belonged to an old family of that state, which was of English descent. Going to Ohio, the father there married Philosha Bradley, a native of that state and a daughter of Selah Brad- ley, who was also born in Connecticut. In 1850 Marion Carlton brought his family to Iowa, making the journey by the lakes to Chicago, by rail- road to Burlington, and on by stage to his destination in Wapello county. By occupation he was a farmer, but when the country became involved in civil war he laid aside the plow and entered the service as a member of the Thirty-third Iowa Infantry. He never lived to return home, but died at Milliken"s Bend, Mississippi, at the age of forty-six years. In politics he was a Republican. His wife died at the age of fifty-eight years. They were the parents of five children, namely: Lawson B., of this review; Angle M.; Adolph, who was a soldier of the Third Iowa Cavalry during the Civil war, and is now a resident of Oregon ; Mrs. Cora Stanley, who also makes her home in that state; and Harley H., of Sheridan county, Kansas. In connection with farming the father also worked at the carpenter's and wheelwright's trades and was a good me- chanic. Lawson B. Carlton was a lad of nine years when he accompanied his parents on their removal to the Hawkeye state, where he grew to manhood. During his youth he learned the blacksmith's trade and be- came a good workman, continuing to follow that occupation until after the inauguration of the Civil war, when, feeling that his country needed his aid, he enlisted in 1862 in Company H, First Iowa Cavalry, under Captain W'estcott and Colonel Anderson. He remained in the service until hostilities ceased and at different times was under the command of Generals Custer, Steele and Davison. His services being no longer 124 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GEXEALOGICAL HISTORY. needed, he was honorably discharged at Austin, Texas, and returned home with a war record of which he may be justly proud. Before entering the army Mr. Carhon was married, in February, 1861, to Miss EHza A. Miller, whose brother. James M. Miller, was also in the service, being a member of Company K, Third Iowa Cavalry. He was killed in battle on the i6th of April, 1865. at the age of twenty- four years, thus laying down his life on the altar of his country. Mrs. Carlton was born in Portage county, Ohio, and is a daughter of A. F. Miller, also a native of that state, who came to Iowa in 1846, being the first to settle on Miller's Ridge, in Mantua township, Monroe county. Here he died at the ripe old age of eighty-six years, and his wife, who bore the maiden name of Clarissa Morgan and was a native of Ohio, died at the age of seventy-two. Both were faithful members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and he was a Republican in politics and liy occupation a farmer. Their children were Eliza A., wife of our subject; Mrs. Harriet Riddle; Albert; D. R. ; Mrs. Florence Ames, of Mantua township, and Washburn, a resident of Decatur county, Kansas. The following named children have been born to our subject and his wife : D. C, who is married and is now engaged in the operation of his fine farm of one hundred and twenty acres; Mrs. Ada Hinton, a resident of Cass County, Iowa; and A. F., who married Elsie Macy and lives with his father on the home farm, has three children — Leslie, Forest and Verne. Mr. Carlton and his son own a well improved and highly cultivated farm of one hundred and fifty-three acres, on which is a good house and substantial outbuildings. Besides the cultivated fields there are pasture, meadow and woodlands, and the farm is a very productive and valuable one. The family hold membership in the Methodist Epis- copal church, and ^Ir. Carlton is identificxl with J. R. Castle Post No. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 125 313, G. A. R., of Avery, Iowa. Both he and his sons vote the Repub- lican ticket and take quite an active and commendable interest in public affairs. JACOB G. LONG. Jacob Grimes Long is numl)ered among the nati\-e sons of Iowa, his birth having occurred November 5, i860, in Albia, whence the family soon moved to the old family homestead near his present farm in Mantua township. Throughout his entire life he has resided in this locality, in- terested in the work of progress and doing all he could for the promotion of the best interests of his county. His father, William Long, now de- ceased, came to the territory of Iowa in the year 1844. He was born in county Antrim, Ireland, in 1808, of Scotch-Irish parentage. The family was of Protestant faith and noted for industry and honesty. In his youth William Long was trained to farm work, and he obtained his education in his native country, but when a young man left the Emerald Isle and crossed the Atlantic to the new world. He first wedded Mary Hebrew, who died leaving one child, Alexander Long, who is engaged in the bus and transfer business in Albia, Iowa. For his second wife the father chose Mary J. Elder, who was born in Ireland, and she, too, was of Scotch-Irish ancestry and of the Protestant religion. During her girlhood she came to the United States with her father, Thomas Elder, who died in this country. Mrs. Long was a devoted wife and mother, a kind neighl)or and a faithful friend and was Iieloved by all who knew her. She was a Presbyterian in religious belief and died in February, 1897, at the age of sixty-five years. William Long was also a member of the Presbyterian church, and his life was in harmony with 12G BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. its teachings and principles. His political support was given to the Re- publican party and in matters of business he was known to he. reliable and trustworthy, never taking advantage of the necessities of his fellow- men in the slightest degree. To this worthy coujile were horn seven children : John W.. who resides on the old home farm in Mantua township: Jacob G., of this review; Mrs. Jennie Warner, of Monroe county ; Thomas, who is in the far west ; Mrs. Mary Turner, who is deceased; Mrs. Belle Hawthorn, of Monroe county; and Oiarles, who is living in Albia. Jacob G. Long was early trained to the work of the farm and be- came a hand in tiie fields, where he was employed from the time of early spring planting until crops were harvested in the autumn. A few months each year he pursued his education in a little schoolhouse built of oak boards. During a portion of his youth he worked out by the month as a farmhand, and thus gained a start in the business world. When twenty-eight years of age he was united in marriage to Miss Barbara Sinclair, with whom he has since traveled life's journey. She is a daughter of John Sinclair, who was a leading farmer and prominent early settler of this ix)rtion of the state, and upon his fami in Mantua township she was born and spent her girlhood days. Mr. and Mrs. Long have two children : John, who is now twelve years of age, and Rettie Pearl, nine years of age. They also lost a little daughter in infancy. The home farm of Mr. Long comprises a quarter section of Iowa's rich and productive land. It is equipped with all of the improveiuents. usually found upon a good farm, and annually his fields rclr.rn t<> him rich harvests. He also has good returns from his orchard, and in his pastures and feed lots are seen high grades of cattle, horses and hogs. To the Republican party he gives his earnest support, BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 127 and he has served as a member of the school board, the cause of educa- tion finding in him a warm friend. He belongs to the Methodist Epis- copal church and his life exemplifies the spirit of religion which causes one to look upon the bright side, to make the most of opportunities and to advance steadily in those walks of life leading to the development of an upright character. ARCHIBALD SINCLAIR. Ireland has furnished to Monroe county a number of its citizens of worth, intelligence and business ability, and among this number is Archibald Sinclair, who rendered to his adopted country faithful service in the Civil war. He came to Monroe count}' in 1856, his birth having occurred in county Tyrone, Ireland, on the 2d of February. 1847. His father, John Sinclair, was born in the same country and there obtained a good education. He belonged to a Protestant family whose worth was widely acknowledged, and after arriving at years of maturity he was married in his native country to Miss Mary Moore, who was also born and reared on the Emerald Isle. Crossing the Atlantic to the United States with their family, they took up their abode in Philadelphia, Penn- sylvania, in 1853. The father, however, had made the trip to America two years prior to this time, and in 1856 he brought his wife and chil- dren to Monroe county, Iowa, settling in Mantua township. He was a dyer by trade and while living in Philadelphia worked in a carpet factory. Coming to the west, he devoted his energies to agricultural pursuits and was recognized in time as one of the leading farmers of his locality. In politics an earnest Republican, he never wavered in his allegiance to that party, and for it cast his first presidential vote after becoming a natural- 12S BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. ized American citizen. He was reared in the Covenanter faith, and both lie and his wife were Presbyterians. A man of broad general informa- tion, he was especially well informed concerning history, and after com- ing to the United States he kept in touch with topics of general interest in America. He and his wife were laid to rest in the cemetery of Pleas- ant township. Their children were as follows : Mrs. Belle Henderson, of Mantua township; Archibald; Mrs. J. G. Long, who is also living in Mantua township; and Anna and Margaret, both of whom are de- ceased. Archibald Sinclair was a little lad of about seven or eight years when brought by his mother to the United States, and with his parents he came on to Iowa, being reared upon the home farm here. His father and mother endeavored to impress upon his mind the value of industry and integrity in the active aflfairs of life, and the lessons which he thus learned have never been forgotten, but have been continually practiced in his contact with his fellow men. He obtained his education in the public school, and when but sixteen years of age offered his services to the government, enlisting in the First Iowa Cavalry, under command of Captain W". Whisnen and Colonel Daniel Anderson, while A. U. Mc- Cormick was the first lieutenant of the company. Mr. Sinclair joined the army in March, 1864, and although very young proved a valiant de- fender of the Union, serving in the southwest under General Davison and General Rosecrans. and was also under General Custer in Texas, during which time the regiment made several long and severe marches through a wild country, living on half rations. The march was con- tinued through all kinds of weather, and at length they reached San Antonio, Texas. Mr. Sinclair was honorably discharged in March, 1866, at Davenport, Iowa, having been mustered out at Austin, Texas, BIOGRAPHICAL AND GEXEALOGICAL HISTORY. 129 where he had done guard duty for a time. A brave soldier boy, he de- served all of the praise which his country could give him for his loyal defense of the starry banner. After his return home Mr. Sinclair worked upon his father's farm until he established a home of his own. He was married in 1872 to Miss Hannah Spears, who was born in Columbus, Ohio, a daughter of William and Mary (Simpson) Spears, both of whom were natives of the Buckeye state, and the former died in Ottumwa, Iowa. .Vt the father's death the mother was left with tlie care of eight children, and she died at the age of seventy-two years. They were earnest Christian people, holding membership in the Methodist Episcopal church. Five of the children are still living, namely : Mrs. Hannah Sinclair, John, James, Anna and Washington, the others having passed away. Mr. Sinclair is the owner of two hundred and fifty-three acres of rich land and his farm is a valuable property because of the excellent improvements he has made upon it. The place is well watered by a creek and two fine springs, and the fields are rich and productive, while the yield of the orchard adds not a little to the income of the owner, as well as supplying the table with fruit. The pleasant home of the family stands upon a natural building site, and in the rear are good barns with feed lots and pasture lands. Mr. Sinclair keeps fine shorthorn cattle and keeps from forty-five to sixty head of horses upon his place. He also has a large number of sheep, and is well known as a successful stock raiser. To Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair have been born ten children : John ; Mrs. Jennie LcAvis, of Mantua township, who was a popular teacher of the county; Mrs. Mary Chidester, of the same township; William; Susan, who is engaged in teaching school ; James, Robert, Charles, Grant and 130 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. Earl. Mr. Sinclair is an earnest Republican, has frequently attended the county conventions as a delegate, and has labored untiringly and effec- tively for the interests of his party and friends. He has served on the school board, but has never been a politician in the sense of seeking office. He maintains pleasant relations with his old army comrades through his membership in Albia Post, G. A. R., and his wife belongs to the Methodist church, as do some of their children. SANFORD HOFFMAN. Sanford Hoffman, who carries on general farming on section i, Taylor township, where he has ninety-seven acres of good land, has been a resident of Appanoose county since 1875, and his residence in the state dates from 1870, for in that year he settled in Monroe county. He was born in Greene county, Pennsylvania, November 24, 1834, and is a son of Henry Hoffman, whose birth occurred in Pennsylvania, and who represented one of the old Pennsylvania German families noted for in- dustry and integrity. The mother of our subject bore the maiden name of Elizabeth Higgins, and she, too, was born in the Keystone state, of Pennsylvania German parentage. Both Mr. and Mrs. Hoffman died in Greene county, where the father had followed the occupation of farming as a life work. In politics he was a Republican and was a member of the Church of God. In the family were thirteen children, eleven of whom reached years of maturity, while three were soldiers of the Civil war, Bryce being a member of a Pennsylvania regiment, while Layton joined a West Virginia regiment. Sanford Hoffman spent his boyhood days in the county of his na- tivity, and his parents impressed upon his mind lessons of industry and BIOGRAPHICAL AND GEXEALOGICAL HISTORY. 131 perseverance. His literary training was received in the public schools, and at the age of twenty-three years he was married, Miss Rachel Plantz becoming his wife. She was born and reared in Greene county, Penn- sylvania, a daughter of George and Catherine (Stollen) Plantz, both of whom died in Iowa. It was in 1864 that Mr. Hoffman ofifered his services to the gov- ernment, enlisting in the Sixth West Virginia Infantry, with which he served until the close of the war. when he was honorably discharged. He then returned to farm life in Pennsylvania and in 1870 moved west- ward to Iowa, settling in Monroe county, where he carried on farming until 1875. In that year he came to Appanoose county, and has since lived upon his present farm on section i, Taylor township, where he has ninety-seven acres of rich and productive land. It is well watered by a creek, and there are good pastures and meadows together with plowed land. He keeps a high grade of Polled Angus cattle and draft horses of English breed, and both in his stock-raising and in his gen- eral agricultural pursuits he is meeting with success for as the years pass his income gradually increases. To Mr. and Mrs. Hoffman were born seven children : Frank- lin M. resides in this county. Jervis Leroy, who carries on farming here and is now serving as justice of the peace, was born in Greene county, Pennsylvania, in 1S62, and was therefore eight years of age when the famil}- came to Iowa. He was here reared, obtaining a good education, and for a number of years was successfully engaged in teaching. On the 27th of May, 1897, he wedded Miss Lizzie Stoops, who was born in Monroe county, Iowa, a daughter of William and Judith (\\'right) Stoops. Her father was a soldier of the Thirteenth Iowa Infantry during the Civil war. J. L. Hoffman and his wife have 132 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. two sons, Charles and Harold. The other children of our subject and his wife are: Mrs. Ollie Hampton, of York, Nebraska; and Mrs. Mary Faber, of Monroe county, Iowa. The)- also lost three children, Libbie and Harvey, who were successful teachers, and an infant named Jane. Mr. Hoffman exerts his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the Republican party. He belongs to Moravia Post, G. A. R., and is also a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. In matters of business he is straightforward and reliable and when called upon to aid in any measure or improvement of benefit to the community his co-operation is not withheld. JACKSON LUSE. Jackson Luse, who resides on section 17, Taylor township, Ap- panoose county, where he owns and operates two hundred and for^y acres of good land, besides forty acres in section 25, Chariton township, was born on the old homestead farm in this county, April 8, 1855. His father, Aaron Luse, was one of the pioneer settlers here and was a native of Trumbull county, Ohio, born March 12, 1819. The grand- father was William Luse, a native of Pennsylvania, who removed from the Keystone state to Ohio and there spent his remaining days. Aaron Luse was reared in Ohio, where he remained until nineteen years of age, and then went to Missouri, while later he became a resident of Illinois. At the age of twenty-two he was united in marriage in \'an Buren county, Iowa, to Miss Martha Smith, who was Ixirn October 26, 1821, near Cleveland, Ohio, and with her parents went to Van Buren county, Iowa, when this state was still a territory. The marriage of BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 133 Mr. and Mrs. Luse was celel)rated on tlie J4tli of January, 1841. and ten years later tliey became residents of Appanoose county, Iowa. The father secured a tract of government land which he transformed into one of the best farms of the township. He also successfully engaged in the raising of stock, and he improved his fields with modern equip- ments, planting an orchard, building a large barn, also a comfortable home and other buildings upon his place. He set out one of the first orchards in the county and took an active interest in the agricultural development of this section of the state. Honorable in all things, his word was as good as his bond, and he left to his family an untarnished name. His death occurred August 25, 1881, when he was sixty-two years of age, and his wife passed away August 3, 1898, at the advanced age of nearly seventy-seven years. Both were devoted members of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which Mr. Luse served as steward and also as Sunday school superintendent for a number of years. His wife was an invalid for a quarter of a century. In their family were eight children : Mrs. Rosetta Cline, whose husband die.d of the measles contracted in the Civil war, and w'ho is living in Moravia; Mrs. Sarah J. Skinner, of Moravia; Mrs. Martha Foster, who is a widow living in Taylor township; Laura E., the wife of Rev. George M. Andrews, of Adams county, Nebraska; \\'illiani J., of Gordon Grove, Iowa; Jack- son, of this review; Mary, the wife of T. J. Turner, of Moravia; and Douglas, who died at the age of eleven months. Jackson Luse was reared ujKin the old family homestead, where he was early trained to habits of industry, economy and integrity. He attended the public schools to a limited extent, and by reading, study and investigation in later years has become a well informed man. At the age of twenty-one he was united in marriage to Miss Mina Raster, 134 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. who was born in Chariton township, Appanoose county, and was reared and educated here. Her father, Robert Kaster. was one of the early and prominent settlers of the county, a native of Pennsylvania, whence he removed to Indiana, and from that state came to Iowa. His wife bore the maiden name of Mary McDaniel, and she, too, was born in Pennsylvania. She is now living in Chariton township, at the age of seventy-eiglit years, but Mr. Kaster passed away at the age of seventy- four years. He was a farmer by occupation and gave his political sup- port to the Democratic party, while his religious faith was indicated by his membership in the Methodist Episcopal church, to which Mrs. Kas ter also belongs. For a number of years he was a class leader in the Fairview churcli and was one of the active workers and liberal sup- porters of the church. In this family were ten children : Mrs. Huldab J. Worthington, of Hamilton county, Nebraska; Mrs. Mary E. Boyer. of Chariton township; Robert H., of this county; Mrs. Luse; James M., of Monroe county, Iowa ; Mrs. Hannah E. Gladfelder, of Chariton township; William and Benjamin, who have passed away; and Nancy, who was the firstborn and died at the age of nine years, .\nother daughter, Mrs. .\ustralia Worthington, died at York. Nebraska. Reared upon the home farm Jackson Luse has devoted his entire life to agricultural pursuits and the nursury business, except two years which were spent in the village of Maine, and ranks among the lead- ing farmers of his portion of the state. In 1892 Mr. Luse established a fruit nursery on his home place, which he conducted successfully for almost ten years, closing it out to engage more exclusively in ag- riculture. For two years he conducted a mercantile business in Maine and served as postmaster during that time. He has upon his prop- erty a good house, good barn and a fine orchard of ten acres, around BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 135 which is a Inalf mile of evergreen trees to serve as a wind-break. The buildings for the shelter of grain and stock are substantial and com- modious, and everything about the place is neat and thrifty in appear- ance. The greater part of the farm of two hundred and forty acres is under a high state of cultivation, and the owner is regarded as one of the successful men of his locality. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Luse has been blessed with seven chil- dren : Effie v.. the wife of J. W. McDaniel, of Chariton township; Elbert A., who is living in the same township; Robert E., Lloyd E., Guss E., Cody Jackson and Coy E., all under the parental roof. Mr. Luse gives his political support to the Republican party and is a rec- ognized leader in this locality. For four years he served as assessor of his township and was re-elected in the fall of 1902; was also justice of the peace and township trustee, and in the discharge of his official duties he has been most prompt and faithful. He belongs to the Meth- odist Episcopal church, of which he is a trustee, and every movement for the benefit of his community and tending to promote advancement in all material, social, educational and moral lines receives his sup- port and endorsement. GEORGE W. DEAN. George W. Dean is proprietor of the Peerless Hereford Farm, making a specialty of the raising of fine Hereford cattle. He is a leading citizen of this locality and a veteran of the Civil war. He was born in Schuyler county, Missouri, May 24, 1839, and is a son of Levin Dean, who was one of the early settlers of Appanoose county. His birth occurred in Kentucky, and he was reared there, removing 136 BIOGRAPHICAL A\H) GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. afterward to Missouri. In Howard county, of the latter state, he was united in marriag^e to Miss Missouri Ann Evans, also a native of the Blue Grass state. In 1846 they removed from Missouri to Appanoose county. Iowa, casting in their lot with the early settlers who were re- claiming the wild lands for farming purposes. Here Mr. Dean carried on agricultural pursuits until his death, which occurred when he was sixty-five years of age. His widow still survives him and is now living at Moravia, at the age of eighty-six years. In their family were sevai children: Elizabeth is deceased; George W. is the second of the fam- ily; Jesse, who was a soldier of the Civil war, died in a southern prison at Tyler, Texas, having been captured by the enemy ; Sarah has passed away; Mrs. Mary Harn resides in Moravia; Mrs. Martha McCauley is the next younger ; and Erastus is also living in Appanoose county. The father, in order to i)rovidc for his family, always carried on farm work. He gave his political support tirst to the Whig party and afterward to the Republican party, and in religious faith both he and his wife were Methodists. George W. Dean was a lad of seven summers when brought by his parents to Appanoose county, and upon the home farm his early boy- hood days were spent. He obtained his education in a log schoolhouse which was seated with slab seats, and he has also added to his knt)wl- edge by experience and observation. In .\ugust, 1862, he responded to the country's call for aid in preserving the Union, enlisting as a member of Company C. Thirty-sixth Iowa Infantry, under Captain Phillips and Colonel C. \\'. Kittridge. Later the company was com- manded by Captain W. Vermilya. Mr. Dean was wounded at the en- gagements at Marks Mills and for a time was held in a prison. In September, 1865. he received an honorable di.scharge. at which time BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 137 he was serving with tlie rank of sergeant. \Miether on the lonely picket line or upon the firing line he was found loyal to his duty and returned to his home with a creditable military record. Mr. Dean had been married in i860 in Appanoose county to Margaret C. Baldridge, a native of Tennessee and a daughter of W. C. Baldridge, who came to Iowa in 1849. He was a farmer by oc- cupation and gave his ])olitical support to the Democracy, while his religious work was in behalf of the Methotlist Episcopal clnu'ch, of which he was a mernber. He died at the age of forty-seven years and is survived by his widow', who bore the maiden name of Miss Harriet Jane Miller and is now seventy-six years of age. In their family were seven children, namely: Margaret C, Drucilla. Sarah, James, Cyntha, Mary and Nora. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Dean has been blessed with eight children: \Y. F., who is a practicing physician of Warren county, Iowa, and is a graduate of the Van- derbilt College of Tennessee ; Mrs. ]\Iaggie J. Campbell, of Hastings, Nebraska; Mrs. Ella D. Smith, of Appanoose county; Ralph, who died at the age of eight years ; Mrs. Arietta Morrison, of Colby county, Kansas; Earl I\I.. who is a student in the Iowa Wesleyan Col- lege at Mount Pleasant. Iowa; Emil E. ; and Lucile Dean, who is at home. In 1866 Mr. Dean located upon the farm which has since been his place of residence, becoming the owner of two hundred and twenty acres of land. This was mostly wild land, and his labors S(Xin wrought a transformation in the appearance of the place, tlie fields becoming highly cultivated and good buildings erected. He now has a fine resi- dence, l)ig barns, pasture lands and feed lots and an extensive orchard. He is making a specialty of the raising of Hereford cattle and has a 138 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. fine herd of thoroughbred stock upon his place. So splendidly im- proved is his farm that it is well named "Peerless," and the owner is a representative agriculturist, standing for all that is progressive and practical in farm work. He votes with tlie Republican party, which he has supported since casting his lirst presidential ballot for Abraham Lincoln. He belongs to the Grand Army of the Republic and the Masonic fraternity, being connected with the lodge, the chapter and the Eastern Star. He also holds membership with the Methodist Episcopal church and is well known as a man of genuine worth, loyal in citizen- ship and progressive in his liusiness affairs. ELI ANKROAL On a modest homestead of eighty acres, two miles from Moulton, may be found that always pleasing spectacle of a man and woman who have lived together in conjugal union for a long period of time. Mr. and Mrs. Ankrom, the couple alluded to, were married forty-seven years ago, and during all that time have had nothing approaching a disagreement. All except seven of these years of connubial bliss have been passed on the farm near Moulton, and there this worthy but un- assuming couple expect to remain until the lengthening shadows are followed by that final accounting from which no man can escape. Their story is soon told, as it is of the uneventful kind that usually enters into the lives of farmers and docs not admit of gaudy coloring or dramatic touch in narration. John Ankrom, a young Marylander, left his native state about the third decade of the last century and crossed the Potomac for the pur- pose of seeking a better fortune in old Virginia. Whether or not he j^Hi ^^ HM^^LI MR. AND MRS. ELI ANKROM. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. Ul found tlie fortune is not recorded, Ijut it seems that lie found something better in the shape of a good woman, whom he wisely made liis wife, and who, in subsequent years of trial, proved entirely worthy of his choice. A few years after their marriage, John and Hannah Frances Ankrom decided that wliile old Virginia was a great state to be born in, it was not so desirable as a place of residence for those not pos- sessed of much of this world's goods. Accordingly, in 1834, they joined the tide of emigration then settting strongly toward the rich ter- ritory in the west, and did not stop until they arrived in the heart of the richest of it. They traveled by boat as far west as Burlington and rode in wagons from there to their destination, which lay near Fair- field, forty miles west of Burlington, Iowa. There the father pur- chased land, which he worked hard and continuously until his death in 1867, his wife surviving him eleven years and passing away in 1878. Their son, Eli Ankrom, was Ixirn in Virginia, February 27, 1832, and was consecjuently two years old when the long journey to Iowa was undertaken by his parents. He assisted his father on the farm until 1855. when he decided to marrj' and set up a household of his own. The lady whom he selected asMiis wife was Elizabeth Walmer, whose birth occurred in Montgomery county, Ohio, April 21, 1837, and who was brought to Van Buren county, Iowa, in 185 1 by her parents. Shortly after his marriage Mr. Ankrom took his bride to a jilace nine miles northeast of Fairfield, where lie was engaged in farming during the following six years. Subsequently one year was spent in Davis county, and then Mr. and Mrs. Ankrom located on the farm in Appa- noose county, near Moulton, which was destined to prove their perma- nent abiding place. This estimable coujile are without children of their own. I)ut have an adopted son in the person of John H. Ankrom, upon U2 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GEXEALOGICAL HISTORY. whom they have centered all their affections and hopes, and who gives promise of realizing their brightest expectations. Mr. and Mrs. Ank- rom are devoted members of the Christian church, and by practice as well as precept show the sincerity of their religious convictions. In fact, they are one of those couples who "grow old gracefully." whom young people like to surround on account of their fatherly and moth- erlv kindnesses and who secure general esteem by gentleness of man- ners and goodness of heart. JOHN A. MOSS. The above named gentleman is a native of Iowa and has been closely identified with tlie state's development from the time of his entrance into active business life. His earlier adult years were < voted to teaching, in which occupation he achieved decided success and gained rank as one of the best instructors of his grade in the state. Abandoning the schoolroom for the farm, Mr. Moss displayed etjual abilitv in that line and is now known far and wide as a breeder of short-horn cattle and one of the progressive agriculturists of his coun- ty. His father. G. R. Moss, was a North Carolinian, who emigrated to Indiana and was there married in 1852 to Martha Bishop, a native of Ohio. One year after marriage this couple removed to .Appanoose county, Iowa, and located on a farm in Bellair township, which proved to be their permanent home. The father devoted himself energetically to general farming and stock-raising, in which business he achieved a gratifying success, and was in good circumstances at the time of his death in .\pril. 1900. The surviving widow still occupies the old home- stead and receives from her loving children the devotion due to a good BIOGRAPHICAL AND GEXEALOGICAL HISTORY. U3 mother. Of the nine children born to these early settlers of Bellair township only four now survive, and among them is the subject of this sketch. John A. Moss was born in Appanoose county, October 2, 1857, and grew up on the farm without incident or accident worthy of mention. His routine consisted of that combination of work and study which forms such a useful training in youth and has laid the foundation for so many successful men of the world. Besides attendance in the country schools Mr. Moss had the benefit of academic courses at Centerville and Moul- ton. which were supplemented by a term in Commercial College at Iowa City. Thus, unusually well equipped in an educational way, Mr. Moss joined the great army of instructors engaged in teaching "the young Iowa idea how to shoot," and devoted the next ten years to assiduous attention to this useful calling. Having a natural apti- tude for preserving discipline and imparting knowledge, Mr. Moss was quite successful as a teacher in the ordinary country schools, and equally so during his one }ear in charge at West Grove. Davis county, and five years in the county of Wayne. In 1891 he abandoned the school room indefinitely, returned to Appanoose county and settled down to general farming and stock-raising. At the present time he is a mem- ber of the firm of Moss & Bowen, breeders and dealers in short-horn cattle, which industry is conducted in connection with miscellaneous agriculture. In 1885 Mr. Moss was united in marriage at Mystic. Iowa, with Miss Lizzie, daughter of Obadiah and Agnes Lawton. and the children of this union are Everett. Orison, Wilber Earnest, Osa Ilo, Carl Law- ton, Mary Agnes, Margaret and John B. For twenty-four years Mr. Moss has been a member of the Christian church, in which he holds 144 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. the position of elder, and lias always taken an active interest in religious work. His fraternal connections are with the Knights of Pythias, Modern Woodmen of America, Court of Honor, Royal Neighbors and Rathbone Sisters. \\'iLLIAj\I M. PEATMAN. Starting in life without capital and working his way to the top, having engaged successfully in many enterprises, a public-spirited citi- zen and the holder of offices of trust — such is the epitome of the career of William M. Peatman, and such a man deserves a place in a volume containing the lives of .Appanoose county's prominent citizens. His father, John J. Peatman, was born in England, in Lincolnshire, and came to America when a young man of eigliteen years. Pie was mar- ried in Ohio to Mary Peach, a native of Muskingmn county, and soon after he moved to Peoria, Illinois, but four or five years later went to Iowa and settled in the lower edge of Monroe county in 1854; he remained there and engaged in farming until 1890, when he took up his residence in Centerville. William M. Peatman claims Illinois as his native state, where he was born May 8, 1853, in Peoria; his boyhood was passed in the invig- orating life of the farm, and his education was received in the country schools. He was a good student and at the age of sixteen years began teaching, which he continued for seven years. He learned the trade of blacksmithing and wagon and carriage-making, which he followed for aliout three years. Having taken up his residence in Moravia, Iowa, he turned his attention to the lumber and grain business for two years. At that time he was elected county recorder and in 1883 moved to BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 145 Centerville to carry on the duties of that position for one term. When his official services were ended Mr. Peatman opened up a real estate and abstract ofnce and two years later formed a partnership with W. G. Clark, the firm being since known as Clark & Peatman, real estate, abstracts, insurance and loans. With Mr. Clark he started the Centerville Brick and Tile Company, which has grown to be one of the leading industries of the city. Besides real estate he does quite an extensive contracting business, and is now erecting the new Appanoose county court house. He is a careful, energetic and capable business man, and his success has been well deserved because of these qualities. The Republican party expresses his political convictions, and as its candidate he was elected to the office of recorder; he also served for four years as mayor of Moravia during his residence there. He is a Knight Templar Mason and a Mystic Shriner. In 1879 he became the husband of Miss Ellen Knox, and two children have blessed the union, a son and a daughter. Besides being successful in his own af- fairs Mr. Peatman has been very zealous toward advancing the inter- ests of his city. Among other things he was a promoter of the city electric light plant, the street railroad and the water works. JERRY TONES. Jerry Jones is an intelligent, practical and progressive farmer residing in Union township, Monroe county, not far from Lovilia, where he owns and operates one hundred and forty-two acres of land. He is one of the native sons of the county, his birth having occurred within its borders May 17, 1847. His parents were Lewis and Sarah Ann (Hughes) Jones, the former a native of Tennessee and the latter UG BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. of Ohio. Ill early life, however, they became residents of Lee county, Iowa, and were there married. In 1844 they came to Monroe county, when it was opened up for settlement by the white race, and took up their abode upon a farm near that upon which our subject now resides. All around them for miles stretched the unbroken prairie, and wild animals were freqently killed in the district. Hardships and trials in- cident to frontier life were to be borne, but the father persevered in the work of developing a farm, and eventually his land became quite valu- able, owing to the care and cultivation he had bestowed upon it. He voted with the Democracy and both he and his wife were members of the Christian church. In their family were seven children: John and Henry, both deceased ; Jerry ; Martha, who has also passed away ; Martin, deceased ; and Levi and Mary, who complete the family. The father died in 1894. at the age of seventy-two years; and the mother died in 1900, at the age of seventy-four. Both were interred in the Osborn cemetery. Jerry Jones, the eldest of the living children, was reared in his native county and at the usual age entered the public schools, thereby acquiring the education which fitted him for the duties of a business career. He early worked upon the home farm, and when a young man he began farming on his own account and has since followed this pursuit. He won Miss Nancy J. Chance as a companion and helpmeet for life's journey, the marriage taking place in 1867. Her parents were John and Lettie Chance, natives of Illinois and Tennessee re- spectively. They became early settlers of Alonroe county, where they remained for many years, and in 1883 renrnved to Oregon, where they are still living. In the same year our subject took his family to the Sunset state with the intention of locating there, but at the end of BIOGRAPHICAL AXP GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 147 fourteen months the\- decided that tlie\- prefenetl Iowa as a place of residence and came to their i)resent farm, wiiich lias now been their home for twenty years, and the neat and thrifty appearance of the farm indi- cates the careful supervision of Mr. Jones, who keeps in touch with the progress continually being made along agricultural lines and uses the knowledge which he gains concerning agricultural methods for the betterment of his place. In 1901 Mr. and Mrs. Jones made a visit to Oregon, spending two months with relatives there. To this worthy couple have been born five children : James E., John L., Charles E., William Burton, \\'illis Vernon. They have also reared Anna L. Jones, a daughter of Mr. Jones's brother Levi ; her mother died when she w'as an infant. Mr. Jones keeps well informed on the political issues of the day and gi\es his political support to the Democracy, but has never been an office seeker, preferring to give his time and energies to his business affairs. He served, however, as school director in his township for tweh'C vears, and the cause of education found in him a warm friend, who labored effectix-ely for the best in- terests of the schools of his locality. He possesses the progressive spirit of the w-est, the spirit that has led to the rapid development of this section of the country, and whatever concerns the welfare of Monroe count)- elicits his interests and gains his co-operation. JOSEPH D. BALL. When one reflects that the remarkable strides of modern civiliza- tion began with the birth of the printing jiress iti the middle of the fifteenth century, and that in the present century the press is the greatest disseminator of knowledge, and, above all other influences, wields the greatest ]K)wcr in politics, business, ])ublic opinion, and, in )48 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. fact, in all departments of life, then it is that we may rightly appreciate the modern newspaper and the place it occupies in every city and village and country place in the wide domain of the United States. And not only as the head of one of these important enterprises, but as a man of character and worth in himself, is it fitting that mention should be made in this volume of Joseph D. Ball, the editor of the Mystic Letter and the postmaster of the town of Mystic, Iowa. Our sul)ject is the son of Samuel K. and Sarah G. (Needham) Ball, the former born near Louisville, Kentucky, in 1830, and the latter born in Jennings county, Indiana, in 1834. The latter married John Buckles in Indiana and with her husband started with a mule team to drive to Iowa; while traveling through eastern Iowa her hus- band died, and with that indomitable will so characteristic of the early settlers she drove to this country with the corpse of her hus- band in the wagon and with her small child in her arms ; she made her home with a brother in Johns township until her marriage to Mr. Ball. Samuel K. Ball left his native state of Kentucky when young and went to Bartiiolomew county, Indiana, and at the age of sixteen went to Mississippi, where, under the eye of his uncle, who owned a newspaper, he learned the printer's trade. He later returned to In- diana and learned the caipenter's trade. He came to Centerville, Iowa, in 1856, and worked in a printing establishment two years. He then moved to Johns township, following farming, blacksmithing and car- pentering until 1879, when he bought a half interest in a printing estab- li.shment in Centerville and edited a pajjer in the interests of the Green- back party, known as the Centerville Blade. In April, 1881, he lo- cated at Seymour, Iowa, and established the Seymour Enterprise and was its editor until his death in August, 1881. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. U:) Josepli D. Ball was horn in Johns township, Appanoose county, Iowa, October 20, 1865, and spent the earlier }ears of his life on the farm. In 1879 he first became acquainted with the printer's trade. After the death of his father he returned with his mother to Johns township, farming and working in the mines until 1892, when he moved to Mystic and for six months was employed as foreman of the Mystic Letter. In September, 1892, he purchased the Mystic Letter of Dr. W. C. Griffith and in February, 1893, disposed of it to W. S. Scott. In July, 1893, he again bought the plant, and has been conducting it very successfully ever since. He has always endeavored to make the paper an organ for the advancement of the public interests and he has shown much tact in the handling of the varied matters with which the editor has to deal. Mr. Ball is a staunch Republican, and on September 16, 1901, he was appointed postmaster of Mystic, which office he now fills ; since he has been its incumbent, the office has changed from one of the fourth class to a third class office, and its business is conducted in a manner pleasing to all patrons. In connection with A. J. Richardson he is manager of the Mystic Opera House. Fraternally he is a Knight of Pythias. In 1893 Mr. Ball was married to Miss Tillie Skillen, a na- tive of Pennsylvania. Her father died in Pennsylvania, while her mother lives on a farm northwest of Mvstic. One child was born of this njarriage. May i. T897, whose name is Carlos Stanton Ball. ASA BAIRD. Asa Baird, the owner of the Flm Park Farm, on section 3, Ur- bana township, Monroe county, was born on the old homestead. Sep- tember 5, 1859. His father, Asa S. Baird, was a prominent and in- 150 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. fluential early settler of the county, who located in Urbana, later mov- ing to Mantua town.ship. He married Sarah Tharp and they became the parents of nine children, of whom the suljject of this review is the fifth. Upon his father's farm Asa Baird spent the days of his child- hood and vouth, and as his age and strength increased he became more and more actively engaged in the work of the fields. His education was obtained in the district schools, and throughout his entire life he has followed farming, finding it a profitable source of income because of the methods he has followed and the thrift and enterprise which char- acterize his work. In 1892, in Troy township, Monroe county, Mr. Baird was united in marriage to Miss Eva Barnhill, a lady of intelligence and good fam- ih-, who has been a faithful companion and helpmeet to her husband during the ten years of their married life. She was born, reared and educated in this county, a daughter of William Harvey Barnhill, who died June 26, 1S99. his wife having preceded him on the 4th of April. 1889. About fifteen years ago they became residents of Iowa. Both were natives of Kentucky and the father was a gallant soldier of the Civil war, serving in Company C, Thirtieth Regiment, Iowa Volunteer Infantry. During an engagement he was wounded in the left hand. In politics he was an earnest Republican and both he and his wife en- joyed the warm regard of many friends. In their family were nine children: Mary Alice, Josephine, Virginia. Anna, William, Rosa, Charles W., Ralph and Mrs. Baird. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Baird has been blessed with four children : Charles Edgar, Harvey S., Clara Grace and Frank Orville. The Elm Park Farm comprises two hundred and thirty-three acres of valu.nblc land, rich and productive. In additiorl to waving fields BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 151 of grain tliere are ricli meadow lands of bluegrass, large barns and feed lots, and an orchard of fine fruits. The house is a pleasant one, and neatness and thrift characterize the place and indicate to the passer-by the enterprising and progressive spirit of the owner. Mr. Baird gives his political allegiance to the Republican party, believing firmly in its principles and doing all in his power to secure its success and the election of his friends who become candidates for office. He has frequently served as a delegate to county conventions. His wife is a member of the Christian church, and he contributes to its sup- port, for he is found as a friend of temperance, morality and education, and he believes in progress along all lines that will add to the wel- fare of the county. WILLIAM HUSTON. William Huston is now living a retired life in Avery, and for many years has been a respected and worthy citizen of the county, using his influence and giving his aid for the promotion of measures and movements for the general good and the county's upbuilding. He came to the county in 1865. His birth occurred in Monongahela, Washington county, Pennsylvania, September 22, 181 7, and his father, John Huston, was also a native of the Keystone state. The grand- father, Daniel Huston, was born in the north of Ireland and was a Protestant, belonging to a Scotch-Irish family of Presbyterian faith. He was reared in the place of his nativity until twenty years of age, when he boarded a sailing vessel bound for the new world, and when the Revolutionary war broke out he joined the continental army and fought under (leneral W'ashington. His death occurred in Pennsyl- 152 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. vania when he had attained tn a good old age. John Huston was reared upon the home farm in the Keystone state and there married Mrs. Xancy (Barr) Gibson, a widow, who had two cliildren, John and Betsy Gibson. She was born on tlie ocean while her parents were coming to the United States, as members of a colony composed of the Burrs. Crawfords, Harpers and other families, who legated in Penn- sylvania. .Vll were of Protestant faith. To Ji)hn and Nancy Huston were born the following named : Mary, now deceased ; Nancy ; William ; and Daniel, who was drowned when a boy. The father died at the age of eighty-two years and the mother passed awaj' at the age of seventy-four. For many years he was an elder in the Presbyterian church and was an earnest Christian gentleman, a faithful friend and a devoted Inisljand and father, and his excellent qualities won for him the trust and confidence of all with whom he came in contact. William Huston was reared in Washington county, Pennsylvania, and when quite young was instructed concerning the value of honesty and industry in the active affairs of life. The schools of the county aflforded him opportunity for mental discipline, and when twenty-six years of age he made preparation for having a home of his own by his marriage to Miss Sarah Louderbeck, a native of Pennsylvania and a representative of one of the old Dutch families of the state. Her father, Thomas Louderbeck, was born there and married Jemima Berry- man, also a native of that state, where both lived until called to the home beyond. Mr. and Mrs. Huston began their domestic life in the east, remaining in the state of their nativity until 1865, when, at- tracted by the business possibilities of the west, they came to Iowa, where Mr. Huston purchased the Gossage farm of one hundred and twenty acres, adding thereto till he now has one hundred and seventy-five BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 153 acres. The years have seen added improvements made, barns have been built, and there are now rich pastures of bkiegrass and highly cultivated fields, while an orchard yields choice varieties of apples and other fruit. This farm is a very valuable one and its value is enhanced because it is underlaid with coal. Mr. Huston has a fine brick residence on his farm, and this is situated in the village of Avery, where he has lived since coming to Iowa. Eight children have l)een born to him and his wife: Joseph, who for a number of years was a successful teacher, is now living in Atchi- son county, Missouri : he married Miss Martha Elder and has seven sons and seven daughters. Agnes is the wife of D. Nichol, of Albia, Iowa. John, formerly a farmer living in the village of Avery, is now a traveling salesman witli his liome in Albia. Oliver C. is an agricul- turist. Mrs. Elizabeth Love makes her home in Seattle. Mrs. Mary McMillan died in Monroe county. Daniel, who was a well known and capable physician of Wayne county, Iowa, died leaving a widow. William died at the age of fourteen years. The children have been well educated and are honored and respected wherever they are known. Mr. Huston's farm is operated by his sons, who are successful and pro- gressive agriculturists and stock-raisers. In 1 87 1 Mr. Huston returned to his old home in Pennsylvania upon a visit, and he has also visited Seattle, Washington, and other points on the Pacific coast. A member of the Reformed Presbyterian church, he served as one of its elders for many years, and his Christian faith has been manifest in his upright life, for he has so lived as to command the respect and good will of his fellow men. He has now reached the eighty-fiftli milestone on life's journey and has therefore been a witness of nuich of the growth and development of the country 154 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. through the nineteenth century, while in Monroe county he has borne his share in planting an advanced civilization here. He is now a venerable man who in the evening of life can look back over the past without regret, for honor and integrity have been the guiding elements in his conduct. A. J. G. BAILEY. A. J. G. Bailey, proprietor of the Lookout farm in Mantua town- ship, is one of the most successful and skillful farmers of the locality and has been an imiiortant factor in the moral, intellectual and material welfare of Monroe county since 1864. He was born in Lewis county, Virginia, January 25. 1842. wdiich was also the birthplace of his father, James R. Bailey, and his grandfather, Carr Bailey, was born in the same state, of English parents, who were early settlers of the Old Dominion. The family had its representatives in both the Re\oIutinnary war and the war of 18 12. On reaching manlntod James R. Baile\- married Miss Christie .'\nn Tharp, a daughter of Hezekiah Tharp. Thoroughout life Mr. Bailey followed farming and by his ballot supported the men and measures of the Demcxratic party. Eor many years he was a deacon in the Bap- tist church, and died in that faith at the ripe old age of eighty-seven years. His w'ife was seventy-eight years of age at the time of her death. They were the parents of thirteen children: A. J. G.. H. D., C. B., J. W. and John E., who are still living: Mrs. Minnie Reed, who died in Virginia ; Cynthia .\nn, who died at the age of twenty years ; Elzire Bird, who died in Virginia : Nancy, who died in Baltimore, Maryland; Paschal B., deceased: and three who died young. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 155 During liis Ixiyhuod and youtli .\. J. G. Bailey pursued iiis educa- tion in the scliools of liis native county, and having accjuired a good education he successfully engaged in teaching for three terms. On the 1 8th of October, 1863, he was united in marriage to Miss Matilda Ann Woofter, who was also Ixirn, reared and educated in Lewis county, Virginia, of which state her parents. Amos and Catherine (Shannan) Woofter. were life-long' residents, being of German descent. Her father died at the age of eighty and the mother at the age of sixty years. Their children were Marion; Albert, deceased, who was a soldier of the Civil war and was confined in Libby prison for a time; Matilda Ann, wife of our subject ; Mrs. Sarah Williams ; Mrs. Mary A. Moneypenny, deceased; Norval, of Virginia; Mrs. Amelia Hindman, deceased ; and Lydia, deceased. The parents were members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and the father was a Republican in poli- tics. The children born to ATr. and Mrs. Bailey are as follows: Mrs. Sarah Morgan, now deceased ; Mrs. Amanda C. Monroe, a resident of Albia. Iowa; Thomas, of Mantua township; A. Grant, of Troy town- ship; Amos, who dietl at the age of twenty-four years, a most promis- ing young man, honored and resjjected by all who knew him; Lizzie, at home ; Charles, a resident of Appanoose county ; Eva lona and Lulu, both at home; E\e and Noah died in infancy. The family is one of prominence in the cc;mmunit\' where they reside. Mr. Bailey remained in Virginia until 1864, when he came to Monroe county, Iowa, and here followed carpentering as well as farm- ing for some time. In 186S he ]nuchased his present farm in Man- tua township, and today has one of the best impro\ed places of the locality. His house is commodious, well furnished and comfortable, 156 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. his barns and outbuildings are good and substantial; there is a good orchard upon the place, and all tlie conveniences and accessories of a model farm are here found. His house was erected in 1894 at a cost of eighteen hundred dollars. He keeps a good grade of horses and cattle, and has met witli success both as a general farmer and stock- raiser. Politically Mr. Bailey is identified with the Republican party; has served as a delegate to its conventions, has filled the oftice of justice of the peace in a most acceptable manner, was assessor in 1871 and is now serving as trustee of his township. He is officially connected with the German Baptist church, and is a man of kindly, genial disposition, who makes friends wherever he goes, and has the entire confidence and respect of those with whom he comes in contact either in business or social life. C. V. MASON. The life of the tiller of the soil, while it has many hardships and uncertainties whicli make it unattractive to many, is after all the basis of the world's industries, and in all the ages of history men have fol- lowed it, not from necessity but l>ecause they were drawn to it by the natural desire to make the earth bring forth after its kind and because it afforded the most independent existence among the pursuits of man- kind. But now the old prejudices against farming are being dispelled by the new and scientific methods which tend to remove the fonner hap-hazard results and place it upon the most substantial basis. And among the young and progressive farmers of Monroe county who take rank with those who will be the leaders of agriculture in the first part of the twentieth century is C. V. Mason. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 157 His fatlier. J- ^\ ■ Mason, was a natixe of the state of Missouri and removed to Jefferson county, Iowa, when quite young, and wliile yet a young man came to Monroe county, where in 1R61 lie was married to Martha J. Barnes, a native of Indiana: her father, Jesse Barnes, was a native of Kentucky and was a pioneer settler of Cedar township, Monroe county, and Iiis wife's name was Ehza Ann Hogland ; Jesse Barnes died in Monroe county, but his wife is still living. I. W. Mason was a Republican in political sympathies, and he and his wife were members of the United Brethren church. He passed away in 1884 at the age of forty-two, but his wife is still living with the sub- ject of this sketch; there were se\en children born to them, three sons and four daughters : Jf)hn A., Minnie L., Eli A., Carrie, C. V., Esta, and Cora Mae. C. V. Mason was ushered into the world in Monroe county, Jan- uary 25, 1871, was reared to manhood under the hardy discipline of the home farm in Wayne township and there received his education in the country schools. In November of 1893 he was married to Min- nie M. Davis, who is a native of Hancock county, Illinois, and a daugh- ter of Eugene Davis, a native of Ohio; she spent her childhood in Illi- nois and came to Iowa after she had reached maturity. Mr. and Mrs. Mason have three sons, Clifford J., Paul E. and Dwight D. Mr. Mason casts his vote for the Republican party and he and his wife are faithful members of the United Brethren church. He has made a success of farming and he and his family stand high in the regard of his fellow citizens. 158 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. HARRISON HICKENLOOPER. After a somewhat stormy life, the gentleman above named is now taking things more quietly at his home in Albia. He is an interesting man to know, and one of those who, when well known, it is impossible not to esteem. A shattered arm bears mute testimony that he was well at the front during the national peril, and that he did not hesitate to bare his breast to the leaden storm that was hurled from the south against the defenders of the Union. Mr. Hickenlooper has many thrill- ing stories to tell of those troubled times, in whicli he shared his full part of the dangers and bore his portion of the burdens in order, as the great President Lincoln said, "that this nation might li\-e." Like most of the other veterans. Mr. Hickenl(X>per pro\ed himself as useful in peace as he had been brave in war, and when it was all over took up the threads of life where lie had (lrn])])ed them to enlist, and joined the busy workers at home, who were engaged with the various vocations of a ])rosperous commonwealth. So far back that "the memory of man runneth not to the contrary," as the law writers say, the Hicken- looper familv were estalilishcd in Pennsylvania, and for many genera- tions identified with its agricultural development. For the purposes of this sketch the genealogy will begin with Thomas Hickenlooper. who was born in western Pennsyhania in 1793. and in early manhfjod en- gaged in the manufacture of salt, lie married Julia A. Hawkins, also of the Keystone state, and in 184C) emigrated with his family to Iowa, where he located on a fanu in Monroe county. The father died in •1881. the mother in 1890. and of their ten children all but three are living. Harrison Hickenlooper was born in .\rmstrong county. Pennsyl- vania. April J I, 1840. and consequently was six years old when his HARRISON HICKENLOOPER. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 101 parents came to this state. He grew up in Monroe covmty and was still living at home when the outbreak of the Civil war drove all thoughts from his mind save the single determination to join the throng then rushing to the defense of the Union. In May, 1861. he enlisted in Company E, Sixth Regiment, Iowa \'olunteer Infantry, under Captain Henry Sanders, and with this command took part in all the early campaigns of the western army. During this period he partici- pated in the battles of Shiloh, Black River, Jackson, the sieges of Corinth and Vicksburg, not to mention the many intervening engage- ments of a minor nature. At the battle of Missionary Ridge Mr. Hick- enlooper received a gimshot wound in the arm, which so badly shat- tered that member as to necessitate his removal to the hospital at Chat- tanooga, from which place he was taken to Nashville. Up to the time of this accident he had not lost a moment's time from his company, but reported promptly for duty every day after his enlistment. The injury above mentioned, however, was so severe as to incapacitate him for future duty, and he received his discharge for disabilit\- after a faithful service of two years and nine months. After his release from the army Mr. Hickenlooper returned home and put in a crop on his father's farm. Later he taught school a while, and in the fall of 1865 was elected treasurer of the county, in which office he served four years. When his time expired he kept a bookstore, and then acted as agent for the American Express Company until his re-election to the country treasurership in 1874. After serving the term of two }-ears he was again elected and finished his career in this ofhce in 1880, but afterward was appointed deputy treasurer and has served several years in that capacity. He has always been an active Republican and recalls with pride the fact that his first i)residential vote was cast for .\braham 162 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. Lincoln, wlien tliat great patriot and statesman was making the race for his second term. Besides his long tenure of the office of county treasurer, he served six years in the office of justice of the peace, and has heen a local leader of his party e\er since he returned from the army. Xnvemher 13. 1K67, Mr. Hickenlooper was married to Sarah J., daughter of Samuel and Jane (George) Wallace, nati\-es of Virginia, who came to Iowa in 1854. Mrs. Hickenlooper was born in Virginia, March 7, 1S45. and died at Albia, Feliruary 24. 1900. She was a de- voted member of the United Presbyterian church, and all who knew her intimately speak highly of her virtues as a woman, wife and mother. Of the four children of Mr. and Mrs. Hickenlooper, Clara died in Albia at the age f)f twenty-four }'ears ; Mildred married Albert F. Ewers and has one daughter, l{dn;i : Wallace, civil engineer, who graduated from the biwa uni\'ersity, is in business at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and Edna remains at home with her father. Mr. Hickenlooper is a member of the Knights of Pythias, has been an Odd Eellow for thirty years, and belongs to Orman Post, Grand .\rmy of the Republic. He was a charter member of the last mentioned order and has been hon- ored by his old war comrades witli all the offices in the local organiza- tion. J. W. GILBERT. A life devoted to agricultural jjursuits is naturally peaceful and free from many of the striking features which characterize men in more hazardous callings, but to be a successful farmer, nevertheless, requires all the resolute purpose, the energy and the careful manage- BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 163 ment which are necessary to any business ; and in J. W. Gilbert we see a man who is a farmer, representative of these qualities, and one of the leading men in his line in the county of Monroe. His father, William Gilbert, was a native of the old Green Mountain state, born there in the early years of the past century ; he joined the great tides of emigra- tion which were constantly streaming westward from the less favored sections of the east to the fertile areas of the west, and on reaching Iowa in 1854 settled on a large farm of seven hundred acres in Jackson township, Monroe county, where he w"as an extensive farmer for the rest of his life. He was one of the earliest supporters of the Repub- lican party and was a member of the Christian church. Before coming west he had married Elizabeth Hickocks, who was a native of the state of Connecticut. She became the mother of fifteen children, and of them six are living at the present time. The elder Gilbert died in Jackson township in 1878, aged sixty-six, and his wife died in Lucas county in 1902. J. W. Gilbert was the fourth child and his birth occurred in Jack- son county, Indiana, June 7, 185 1. He came to Iowa when three years of age and received his education in the schools of Melrose. In 1879 he was married to Miss Sarah A. Thompson, a native of Kansas and the daughter of B. F. Thompson, of the same state. Six children blessed this marriage, one son and five daughters : Amasa, Cora, the wife of Elmer Adcock; Eifie, Pearl, Milly, and Macey. Mr. Gilbert has always followed farming and is recognized as one of the representa- tive citizens of the county. In politics he has adopted the choice of his father and votes for the Republican party, and his church mem- bership is with the United Brethren. 104 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. VV. A. KNAPP. W. A. Kiiapp has always lived in the Mississippi valley, his birth having occurred in Switzerland county, Indiana. His parents were John J. and Sarah Knapp, and under the parental roof he was reared. He has been a resident of Iowa since 1855 and lias taken an active and helpful interest in everything pertaining to the general gesides the qualities that are common to all pro- fessions remarkable care and accuracy and patience. The town of Albia, Monroe county, Iowa, is fortunate in having among her profes- sional men one of the leaders in this important branch of modern aids to the increase of physical health and comfort, and it is the purpose of this sketch to briefly narrate some of the main facts of his career which will be of interest to the many readers of this historical volume. Tlie parents of our subject were John C. and Mary (Wintermote) Hoover; the father was a native of Germany and the mother of New Jersey ; the former, who was a farmer through the years of his business 170 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. activity, was a soldier in the Civil war, having been a member of the Fortieth Ohio Volunteer Infantry; he returned from the service shat- tered in health, and as a result died at the early age of thirty, December 24, 1869, leaving two children. John C. Hoover was his wife's sec- ond husband ; her first husband was Ferdinand Hoover, by whom she had two children ; her third husband is Dennis Druley, of which union there were no children; they now live in Boston, Indiana. Born of the above parents in Greenville, Ohio, on the 23d of April. 1867, was Charles G. Hoo\er. He was reared in his native state and acquired his preliminary education in the public schools of the vicinity and of Yellow Springs, Ohio, also gaining much of the strength necessary for his life work on his father's farm. Having decided to study dentistry he attended the Indiana Dental School at Indianapolis and in 1891 received his degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery. For two years following his graduation he worked in a dental office at Manitowoc. Wisconsin, and in 1893 came to Albia and established an office, where he has ever since continued with success that has been gratifying to himself and friends. He keeps up with the progress of his profession and is a member of the Iowa Dental Society and of the Southwestern Iowa Dental Society. In 1894 Mr. Hoover was married to Miss Olive M. Wright, the daughter of Samuel W. and Marietta (Hancock) Wright, of Albia. Two children are now in their home, Harry Kenneth and Wendell Wright. Mr. and Mrs. Hoover are members of the Christian church, and he is a chapter Mason and Royal Arch Mason. Mr. Hoover claims especial distinction from the fact that he is a self-made man, having had few of the favoring winds of fickle fortune to carry him BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 171 to success, but having become what he is by his own diHgent and per- sonal application. ROBERT THOMAS BARTRAM, M. D. Among tlic physicians of Albia who command the confidence of the people to a high degree and enjoy a large clientage because of their skill in the treatment of the ills that flesh is heir to, is Dr. Bartram, who is recognized not only as an expert in his profession but also as a man of high character and one who through his own efforts has gained the place whicli he now occupies, in other words, a man who is the architect of his own fortunes. Doctor Bartranr is the son of English parents, Robert and Mary (Stokes) Bartram being born, reared and married in that country, and while there two sons and two daughters were born to them. The family came to the United States in 1852 and settled on a farm in Kendall county, Illinois; from here they removed to Iowa about 1874 and located in Warren county, where both passed away, Mrs. Bar- tram dying in 1884 at the age of fifty-six, and her husband in 1894 at the age of seventy-four. Four sons and four daughters were born to them in America, and thus they were the parents of twelve children. Robert Thomas was born while his parents resided in Kendall county, Illinois, the date of his birth being January 25, 1853. He was reared on a farm and received his education in the country schools, after which he taught for two terms. Having been attracted to the medical profession he began his study when twenty-five years old and in 1886 graduated from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Keokuk, Iowa ; he then came to .\lbia, where he has become one of the 172 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. successful practitioners. He owns a well equipped office, a good medi- cal library, and he has always been a hard student, having taken post- graduate courses in the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Keo- kuk. Dr. Bartram was twice married; his first wife, whom he married in 1881, was Miss Henrietta J. Stare, who died in 1891, leaving two children, Fern and Ida. In 1893 he became the husband of Emma S. Snodgrass, and their children are Margarette and Lois. He and his wife are members of the Presbyterian church and stand high in the social circles of the city. FRED D. EVERETT. The world, and .America in particular, will never grow tired of praising the "self-made" man, one who begins life with none of the often fictitious helps, such as wealth, position or a family name, and by consistent and hard "plugging" forges forward to a position in the front rank ; when this man has won the contest he often bears none of the signs of the struggles and disappointments through which he has passed, but to those who know his whole life he seems deserving of his success and well worthy a place among the leaders of men. The popular young lawyer of Albia, Iowa, Fred D. Everett, is one of this class, and in the long future which is before him a highly prosperous career seems to be marked out for him. Mr. Everett comes from a good mingling of nationalities, the pro- gressiveness of his English father being supplemented with the sturdy qualities of a Swiss mother; he is the son of John and Bertha (Demuth) Everett, the former born in England and the latter in Switzerland, BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 173 both coming to America in childhood. They were married in Davis county, Iowa, where Mr. Everett followed the occupation of a miller and died in 1900; his wife still survives and resides in Bloomfield, Iowa. There were only two children, a son and a daughter, Fred D. and Frances M. Fred D. Everett was born in Bloomfield, Iowa, April 18, 1876, and there grew up to manhood. In 1892 he graduated from the high school and the following year taught school in Monroe county. The next two years he engaged in fanning in Monroe county, and iiaving from these occupations saved some money and being filled with the am- bition to enter the profession of the law, in the fall of 1895 he began his studies in the law department of the State University at Iowa City, from which he graduated in the spring of 1897 and was immediately admitted to the bar. He selected Albia as the place to begin his legal career and formed a partnership with D. M. Anderson, which has continued to the present time. In the enthusiasm consequent upon the breaking out of the Spanish-American war in 1898 he became a private in Company D, Fifty-first Iowa Infantry, and served in the Philippines up to November, 1899. Since this time he has engaged actively in the practice of the law. As an evidence of his growing popularity and his ability, in the fall of 1900 he was elected on the Republican ticket to the ofiice of attorney of Monroe county and in the fall of 1902 received a renomination and election for second term. Fra- ternally Mr. Everett belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows, the Knights of Pythias and the Modern Woodmen: he is a man of much public spirit, and liis enterprising character is evidenced in the record of his public career. 174 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. WILLIAM C. STICKXEY. Prominent among the energetic, far-seeing and successful business men of tliis portion of Iowa is William C. Stickney. His life history most happily illustrates what may be attained by faithful and continued effort in carrying out an honest purpose. Integrity, activity and en- ergy have been the crowning points of his success, and his connection with the various business enterprises has been a decided advantage to Appanoose county. He is now the popular cashier of the First Na- tional Bank of Moulton. Mr. Stickney was born in Prince Edward county. Ontario. Can- ada, on the 8th of June, 1842. and his parents were Walter H. and Phebe (Christy) Stickney. He comes from one of the oldest families of England. The line of descent can be traced back to William Stick- ney, a native of England, who in the seventeenth century left his own country and crossed the broad Atlantic, settling in Rowley. Massa- chusetts. His descendants are now numerous and are widely scat- tered throughout the countr\-. Mr. Stickney of this review being in the eighth generation in America. John Stickney, tlie paternal grand- father, was born in Massachusetts, and after acquiring his literary education took u]) the study of medicine and became a physician. When a young man he went to Canada and was there married to Re- becca Barker, a native of Saratoga county, New York, and a de- scendant of an old New England family. Among their children was Walter H. Stickney. He was born and reared within twenty miles of the birthplace of his son William, and after arriving at years of matur- ity he wedded Phebe Christy, also a native of the same locality, and a daughter of William Christy, who was born in Scotland, whence he came to America alone at the age of seventeen vears. He first lived BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 175 in Pliiladelphia, Init later tonk up liis aliode in Canada. His wife, who bore tlie maiden name of Rutli Bull, was a native of Dutchess county, New York. I\Ir. and Mrs. Stickney spent their lives in Prince Ed- ward county. Canada. There the former followed farming and was one of the enterprising and progressive agriculturists of his community. Both he and liis wife were followers of the Quaker church, and in their family were eight sons and two daughters. Three of the brothers are now deceased, and one brother is li\ing in Canada, another in New York, and two in East St. Louis, Illinois. The sisters are still residents of Canada. William C. Stickney was reared upon his father's farm in Canada, and at the usual age entered the district schools, acquiring a fair En- glish education. His training at farm work was not meager, and he continued to assist his father in the development and improvement of the home place until twent\-three years of age. After spending one year in New York he came to the west and for a year resided in Illi- nois. In 1870 he arrived in Iowa, settling in Butler county, where for two )ears he was engaged in farming, and during that time he was married. He then returned to Canada and spent six years on tlie old home, devoting his energies to agricultural pursuits. On the expiration of that period he again came to Iowa, settling in Franklin county, of which he was a resident for six years. He followed merchandising at Hampton with a fair degree of success, and in 1S85 he turned his attention to the hanking business at Sheffield, accepting the position of assistant cashier. In 1887 he came to Moulton, where he was first cashier of the Moulton Bank and later cashier in Bradlev's Bank. Upon the organization of the First National Bank in 1900, he was chosen its cashier, and has since occupied the position. His comjire- 176 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. hensive knowledge of the hanking husiness, his close application, his unfailing courtesy and iiis popularity have contrihuted in a very ma- terial degree to the success of the institution. In 1870 Mr. Stickney was united in marriage to Miss Ellen Coble, who was born in Wisconsin, and they now have four children : Edwin L., who is assistant cashier in the First National Bank; Russell, who is in Los Angeles, California; Walter, a student of die State University of Colorado; and Edna, at home. Mr. Stickney is a stalwart Re- publican, and socially is a Master Mason, while his religious faith is indicated by his membershii) in the Methodist Episcopal church. He has made an untarnished record and an uns])otted reputation as a busi- ness man, and in all places and under all circumstances he is loyal to truth, honor and right, justly valuing his own self-respect as infinitely more desirable than wealth, fame and position. In those finer traits of character which combine to form that which we term friendship, which endear and attach man to man in bonds which nothing but the stain of dishonor can sever, which triumph and shine brighter in the hour of adversity — in thcise qualities he is richly endowed. DAVID J. MARTIN. One of the ablest and most prosperous men of Monroe county to-day is D. J. Martin, who resides two and three-quarters miles north- west of Melrose, on the place known as the Walnut Grove farm, where he is extensively engaged in breeding- thoroughbred shorthorn cattle and Poland China hogs. He started in life without any particular ad- vantages which would of themselves lx>ost him to the top round of the ladder of success, but he has hv the wise use of the talents that MR. AHD MRS DAYID J. MARTIN. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 1T9 were vouchsafed to him and by the exercise of the determination and energ)- that were in him risen to a place where he may be called one of the leaders in the Inisiness and social life of his comminiity. AI. D. Martin, his father, was born in Ohio and came to Illinois when quite a young man, and from there went to Iowa, where he located in Wayne county, and a few years later located in Wayne town- ship, Monroe countv. His wife, Elizabeth S. Prather, was born in Bartholomew county, Indiana, in 1828, and there passed her early life. She came to Iowa in 1848 and located in Van Buren county, but in the same year her father, D. J. Prather, settled in Monroe county, and she remained at home there until her marriage. The marriage occurred in 1853, and one child was born, the subject of this sketch. Mr. Martin married a Miss Sackett for his second wife, and they became the parents of three children. Mr. Martin died in South Dakota in 189 1 and was buried near Rochester, Minnesota, where his second wife now lives. The mother of our subject lived on the home farm until 1884, when she went to Eugene, Oregon, where her death occurred January 30, 1901. D. J. Martin is a native son of Monroe county, his birth having occurred August 8, 1854. He received his preliminary education in the town of Melrose, and at the age of seventeen entered Howes Acad- emy at Mount Pleasant, where he was a student for two years, and he then spent one year at the Iowa Wesleyan University. For the next seven years he devoted himself to teaching school in the winter and to farming in the summer seasons. On March 5, 1885, he was mar- ried to Miss Sarah Brandon, who was born in Monroe county, and whose father we shall mention further on in this article. She attended the common schools of her native county until her seventeenth year, 180 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. and afterward received a complete business training at tlie Bloomfield and Shenandoali 1)usiness colleges. After returning from school she n])ened the first set of l)ooks in her father's newlv established bank at Melrose, and for four years preceding her marriage acted as cashier in this bank, she having been among the first, or perhaps the first lady bank cashier in the state of Iowa. Her sister then accepted the position and serx'ed in that capacitv until her marriage, at which time Mr. and Mrs. Martin took cliarge of the bank, Mr. Mar- tin being cashier and his wife assistant. This arrangement was continued for about seven years, and during the last four years Mr. Martin was the owner of a one-third interest in the bank. After re- tiring from the bank he returned to his farm, where he now lives. He has about four hundred acres of excellent land, and his place shows the e\idences of good management and thrift, which are largely respon- sible for his success. He also owns land in Oregon, while his wife has eighty acres in this count)' and one hundred and si.xty acres in Texas. In political belief Mr. Martin adheres to the Rejiublican party and is chairman nf the central committee of Wayne township. In religious affairs both he and his wife have been reared in the faith of the Methodist church and are active workers in the cause. They are well known and highly respected in all circles. Mr. and Mrs. Martin became the parents of six children, five sons and one daughter: Ran- dall, who died in infancy; Klbert C. Sterling B., Thomas, David B.. Mildred L. ; all are natives of Monroe county. Thomas Brandon, the father of Mrs. Martin, is a ])ioneer settler of Monroe county. He was l>)rn in Crouchtown. Tennessee, .\ugust 27, 1826. and remained there until sixteen years of age. He came to Iowa in 1H45 and took up a homestead claim in I'ranklin township. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 181 Monroe county. He lias since bought a great deal of land in this county and at one time owned about fourteen hundred acres, a large part of which he has since given to his children. He was the founder of the first bank in Melrose, and perhaps has done more to develop the material resources of the county than any (jther one man. Forty- one years ago he nearly suffered tlie loss of his eyesight, and his daughter, Mrs. Martin, assisted him in organizing his bank at Melrose, and to her he owes much of his success. He is now seventy-six years old and spends his winters on a large plantation in Texas and San Diego, California. Mr. Brandon is well known over the entire county and is everywhere shown the honor due to an old age following a life of useful and successful effort. THOMAS HICKENLOOPER. Monroe county, Iowa, would seem to be a good place for young men ambitious of official honors, as will be attested by an examination of the biographies in this volume. The present treasurer was elected about the completion of his thirty-seventh year, the auditor was first chosen before he was twenty-five years old and Mr. Hickenlooper found himself, clerk of the district court when scarce twenty-four years of age and but one year from his legal studies. While this makes a very creditable showing for the rising generation in I\h)nrc)e, it also gives pleasant testimony to the willingness of the older element to help forward deserving young men by a generous support of their worthy ambitions. The young gentleman who was taken from his law books to be made clerk of courts at Albia is genealogically speaking a mixture of (ierman and Irish. His grandfather, after marrving and 182 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. rearing a family in the east, came to Iowa in the same year that state- hood was conferred upon this new western commonwealth. Thomas Hickenlooper settled in Monroe township, Monroe county, and en- gaged in farming, which he pursued with success until 1881, when he died, about eighty-eight years old. His children were : William, now dead ; George, Ciiarles, Theophilas, deceased ; Cyrus, Simon, Caroline, deceased ; Rebecca. Harrison and Thomas. Theophilas Hickenlooper, who was born in 1829, near Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, after his arrival in Monroe county married Margaret (jray of Indiana, settled with his bride on a farm and spent his life in agricultural pursuits. He died in 1887, and his widow is at present a resident of Albia. Their five children were Mary, Frank, Harry, Ella, deceased, and Thomas. Thomas Hickenlooper, youngest of this family, was born on his father's farm in Monroe county, Iowa, July 23, 1876, and supplemented his common school education by taking a commercial course. When twenty-one years old he left the farm to study law, and after two years si)ent in mastering the principles of this profession was admitted to the bar in October, 1889. He entered immediately into practice, but had been so engaged only a year when elected clerk of the district court in the fall of 1900. In 1902 he was renominated on the Re- publican ticket, and at the fall election in that year was re-elected for a second term, which furnishes ample proof of the efficiency with which he had discharged his duties. In 1901 Mr. Hickenlooper was imited in marriage with Miss Nora Floyd of Kirksville, Missouri, and is at present residing in Albia. Mr. Hickenlooper is regarded as one of the rising young Re])ublicans, who.se popularity and ability place him in line for promotion to higher Imnors. He is active in the social and fraternal life of the city, holding membership in the Modern Wood- BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 183 men of America, tlie Foresters and tlie Brotherliood of American Yeo- men. BERTRAND P. CASTNER. Considering liis age, which is slightly ]wst thirty-two years at this writing, the young man ahove mentioned has had an unusually active and \'aried career, culminating in success which seldom comes even to the most fortunate so early in life. At present he is serving his second term as auditor of Monroe county, and iiad been elected to that responsible position Ijefore the completion of the twenty-fifth year of his age. Aside from this, however, he has been connected with various branches of business, including lumber, realty and loans, hard- ware and banking, which would indicate enterprise and energy as well as ability in different lines. The famil\- was of Pennsylvania origin, from which state his father, James M., came to Iowa and settled on a farm in Appanoose county. Bertrand P. Castner was born in Bluff Creek township, Monroe county, November 24, 1870. and. his mother having died three years later, the child was sent to the home of the paternal grandmother in Pennsylvania. When eight years old he returned to his father's home at that time in Lo\-ilia. where he was engaged in the lumber business, and received his education as he grew up at that place. When his seventeenth year had been completed he entered the lumber yard as an employe, later became a partner and remained with the firm until the fall of 1895, when lie was elected auditor of Monroe county. He entered upon his duties on the first of the following January, served satisfactorily four years, and was elected for a second term, which will expire January i, 1903. For five years Mr. Castner was connected 184 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. witli the Ramsay Realty, Loans and Abstract Company, and joined his brother in the purchase of a hardware business. Disposing of his interest in tlie Ramsay Realty Company he became cashier of the People's Savings Bank, after the opening of that institution in the fall of 1901, and also erected the building in which this bank conducts its Business. In 1895 Mr. Castner was united in marriage with Miss Grace Esshom of Lovilia, and since his election to the auditorship has made his home in Albia. He is regarded as one of the most popular of the young class of Republican leaders in Monroe county, and no one of his age has a brighter promise of future honors. His religious affilia- tions are with the Presbyterian church, and his fraternal connections with the Masons. THOMAS S. BROCKUS. Thomas S. Brockus owns and operates two hundred and thirteen acres of rich and arable land in Washington township, Appanoose county, and is known as a successful farmer and stock-raiser. His birth occurred in Carroll county, Indiana, on the i8th of December, 1847, ^"fl li's parents, Thomas C. and Jane M. (Scott) Brockus, were also natives of the same state, the sul)ject of this review being their only child. The father died in November, 1847, before the birth of Thomas, and the mother afterward married again, becoming the wife of John Brinegar. With her second husband she came to Iowa in 1856, set- tling in Bremer county, where they resided for ten years, and in 1866 they came to Appanoose county, taking up their abode in Washington township, where they both spent their remaining days. Mr. Brinegar passing away in 1880. His widow survived him iov many jears and BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 1S5 died in igo2 at tlic age uf seventy-eiglit years. Slie bore her husband ciglit children. During the period of his boyhcmd and youtli Thomas S. Brockus remained with his mother, and was therefore reared on a farm and pursued his echication in the common schools. The occupation with which he became familiar in youth has always been his life work. He left the parental roof when twenty-one years of age and about the time he was married settled u])on his jiresent farm. He was then a poor man with no capital, but he possessed energy and determination, and tliese are the best foundation upon which to rear the superstructure of success. He worked earh' and late, and his life has always been an industrious and honorable one. As time passed his methods were re- warded. The financial return that enabled him to extend the bounda- ries of his farm was judiciously invested, and he now has two hundred and thirteen acres of valuable land, which he has placed under a high state of cultivation. In 1868 Mr. Brockus v>as united to Miss E. Jane Hays, who was born in Indiana, and their marriage has been blessed with the fol- lowing children: Sallie, Tiionias J., Lulu M., Mattie and Lavina L. Mattie died at the age of four years. Of the living all are now mar- ried with the exception of the youngest. The family have long re- sided in Washington township and Mr. Brockus has been called upon to serve in positions of public trust. He lias hlled the office of school director for fifteen years, was trustee for one temi and then some time later was again elected to the same office, and is now serving as one of the trustees of his township. He is found to be a faithful officer, prompt and capable in the discharge of his duties and ever alive to the best interests of his community. In his political affiliations he is 186 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. a staunch Rqiublican and is a member of the Church of Christ. His life has been quietly passed and he lias always been free from ostenta- tion and display, but those who know him estimate his character as most commendable and that he is well worthy of the respect and con- fidence of those with whom he is associated. WILLIAM L. DOWNING, M. D. The last century, which is justly regarded as the greatest in the history of mankind, is not only remarkable for its wonderful inven- tions in the things that go to make up material progress and increase the luxuries of living until the poor man is now the peer of the prince of several centuries back, but along with the wonderful advance in science have come discoveries which tend to revolutionize the science of medicine and surgery and raise the profession to one of the grandest pursuits that can occupy the attention of man. And a man who earnestly strives to keep in touch with the progress of science and has won an enviable reputation as a physician and surgeon of no mean ability, is William L. Downing of Moulton, Appanoose county, Iowa. His paternal grandfather was a native of Ireland and of pure Irish stock. His father, Samuel B. Downing, was born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and came to Davis county, Iowa, where he married Miss Telitha Stark, a native of Indiana ; they still reside in Davis county, where he carries on farming pursuits. William is one of ten children and was born in Fox River town- ship, Davis county, Iowa, March ii, 1862. After a youth spent on the farm and in the country school he devoted himself to teaching, which he followed for four vears; he received his normal instruction BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 187 in the Soutliern Iowa Normal and Commercial Institute of Bloomtield, Iowa. He began his study of medicine at Unionville, Iowa, under the Doctors Sawyers and then entered Rush Medical College at Chicago, where he graduated in February, 1886. For a time he engaged in practice at Unionville, Putnam county. Missouri, but in 1890 came to Moulton, Iowa. He has a fine practice and is especially noted for his skill in surger\-. He has been a self-made man and his success is the reward of his f)wn efforts. To show that he follows the most pro- gressiye methods we have only to mention that in 1896 he took a post- graduate course in the Post-Gradnate school of New York city and in 190 1 took a similar course in the Chicago Polyclinic. Dr. Downing holds membership in the American Medical Asso- ciation, the Iowa State Medical Society, the Tri-State (Iowa, Illi- nois, Missouri) jMedical Society, the Western Association of Sur- geons and Gynecologists, the Northeastern Missouri Medical Society, the .\ppanoose and Wayne Counties Medical Society, and the Des Moines Valley Medical Society ; he is also the local surgeon of the Wabash and the Burlington railroads. He is a Master Mason. In 1887 the Doctor married Miss Martha A. Coons of Davis county, Iowa, and the}' ha\e had three children: Inez, born June 13, 1889; Helen, died aged eight years; and Wendell, born on the 28th of July, 1894. They are members of tlie Christian church and hold a highly respected place in the social circles of the city. WILLIAM DANIELS. William Daniels is a self-made man who without any famil\- or pecuniary advantages to aid him at the outset of his career has battled energetically and earnestly and has achieved both character and com- 188 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. petence. He is now classetl among the progressi\e agriculturists of Appanoose county, where lie owns a valuable tract of land. He has passed the eightieth milestone on life's journey, his hirth having oc- curred on the 9th of May. 1822. in Pittsburg. Pennsylvania. His parents were Abraham antl Rebecca ( Rawley) Daniels. The father was born in (jermany and the mother was born in Pcnnsyhania of English parentage. They were married in the Keystone state and re- moved westward to Ohio. They settled in Columbiana county. The father was a millwright l)y trade and in connection with working at that pursuit carried on agricultural pursuits, thus i)roviding for his family. He died when the subject of this review was about ten or twelve years of age. but the mother, long surviving him. passed away in Gallia county. Ohio, at the age of seventy-six years. In their family were eight children, namely: Joseph. John. David, Abraham, Wil- liam, Nancy, Mary Ann. and So])hia. Of this number all are now deceased with the exception of the subject of this review. William Daniels was reared upon his father's farm, and his edu- cational privileges were extremely limited. He had the opportunity of attending school for only a few days, Init he learned to read and write, and throughout his entire life has been a student, .so that he has constantly added to his knowledge by reading, experience and observation and has become a well informed man. At an early age he started out to cam his own li\ing, and whatever success he has achie\ed is due entirely to his own efforts. After living for a short time in Pennsylvania with an uncle, he left his native state to rejoin his mother in Ohio. He then remained at home working upon a farm until he was able to do for himself. He then entered the employ of a man in Wellsville. Ohio, the owner of a wholesale grocerv and com- BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 189 mission house. So capal)l\- did he ser\e tlie interests of his employer and so faithful was he to his duty, that he was retained in that service for seven years, and was promoted from time to time with a propor- tionate increase in salary. On the expiration of that period Mr. Dan- iels left his old employer and went to California, where he spent four years in hunting and mining. On the expiration of tliat period he again started for Ohio and after reaching his destination, having made the trip by way of New York city, he returned to his old home in the Buckeye state. In 1853 Mr. Daniels was united in marriage to Miss Mary Jane Reid, a daughter of William and Maria (Depevv) Reid. His wife was born in Columbiana count)-, Ohio, October 7, 1833, and the young couple began their domestic life upon a farm in Jackson county, Ohio, where for twenty-seven years Mr. Daniels continued the work of till- ing the soil. He then resolved to seek a home in Iowa, and in 1881 came tii this state. He located in .Vppanoose county upon his present farm, which comprises four hundred and eighty acres of valuable land in Wells township, and everything about his place is neat and thrifty in appearance, the Daniels farm being one of the attractive features of the landscape. The home of our subject and his wife has been blessed with the following children : James Franklin, who is married and is a farmer of Appanoose county ; Warren Taylor, who is married and follows farming in this county: Albert Reid, an agriculturist; Maria, the wife of Fred Hartwick; Rebecca ; William Sherman, who is married and lives in this county, served in the Spanish-American war; Charles E., who is married and at home, enlisted also for the Spanish-American war, but his regiment was never called into acti\e service; George Newman; and Vance Neal, deceased. 190 BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. Mr. Daniels has also experienced niiiitar}- service for one year. He was with the American army in the Mexican war. liaving enlisted in the Second Ohio Regiment. In politics he is a stalwart Republican, having from the organization of the party been an unfaltering advocate of its principles. His wife and children hold membership in the Meth- odist Episcopal church. Mr. Daniels has now reached tlie evening of life and has reason to be congratulated upon what he has accom- plished. Thrown upon his own resources in early childhood, he has overthrown the difficulties and obstacles in his path antl with deter- mined purpose has steadily advanced until he has reached a creditable and gratifying position upon the plane of affluence. \\ILLL\M J. TAYLOR. For forty years William Joseph Taylor has resided upon the farm which is now his home, in Washington township. Appanoose county. He was born in Hart county. Kentucky, January 23, 1836. and was a youth of thirteen years when with his parents he came to Iowa, since which time he has lived in this state, and the work of the home farm early received his attention and energy. To the public schools of the neighborhood he is indebted for the educational privileges he enjoyed. After arriving at years of maturity he chose as a companion and helpmeet on life's journey Miss Mary E. Rucker, their wedding being celebrated October 25, i860. The lady is a daughter of Milton and Margaret (Asby) Rucker, natives of Clark county, Kentucky, whence they came to Iowa. Mrs. Taylor was born in Sangamon county, Illinois, on the i8th of November. 1839, and for twelve years she proved a devoted companion to her husband, but on the j8th of Octo- BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 191 ber, 1872, was called to her final rest. There were three children born of this marriage : Emma Lourenna, now the wife of Frank Hughes, a farmer living in Washington township; Mildred, the wife of John S. Linden, wIkj carries on agricultural pursuits in Washington town- ship: and Lillian \'., the wife of Irvin Richardson, who makes his home in Missouri. After his marriage ]\Ir. Taylor took up his abode on a farm in Washington township, and in December, 1863, he came to his present farm, which is located on section 34. This has been his home almost continuously since, covering forty years. He has here one hundred and twenty acres of rich land and his efforts have transformed it into a valuable tract, neat and thrifty in appearance, having all the evidence of careful supervision and progressive cultivation. Mr. Taylor votes with the Democracy. He has had no desire for public office, having always preferred to give his attention to his business affairs, in which he has met with creditable and well merited success, so that he is now the owner of a rich and \aluable farm which annually returns to him a good income. \\TLLL\M FRANKLIN SWARTS. William Franklin .Swarts, now deceased, was a respected citizen and enterprising farmer of Appanoose county, living in W'ells town- ship. He was born in Highland county, Ohio, on the 8th of September, 1850, and was the youngest of six children born to Frederick and Phebe Ann Swarts, of whom further mention is made on another page of this work in connection with tlie sketch of C. V. Swarts, now an enterprising farmer of Wells township. 192 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. William Franklin Swarts spent his early youth in the state of his nativity, being twelve years of age at the time of his parents' removal to Iowa. They tat to Keokuk, Iowa, h'roni there by wagon he reached the present site of the town of Mora\ia, in Appanoose county, and settled one-half mile west, where a rcpresentati\e had located goveniment land for him. He was foremost in layiii^;- out the town of Moravia, using for that purpose his pocket compass and tape line : on his farm near by he opened the first store and also the first postofiice, of which he became the post- master. ser\in,i;' until iSoi. When the town of Moravia became a certainty he was one of its pioneer merchants ; he also dealt in clocks and in clock repairing, having a mechanical genius which fitted him for this, trade, and at an early day lie had peddled clocks in Indiana. In religion he was a strict adherent of the Moravian church, and in that faith he passed away in May. 1895. thus ending a long and useful life, devoted to the service of his family and his religion. In politics he was a Democrat. In 1841 Mr. Reich was married to .\nna .\urelia Herbst. also Ixirn in Salem. North Carolina, and she survived him five months. ])assing away at the age of seventy-two. Three chiKlren were born to them before leaving North Carolina, tht oldest daughter dying in infancy: the other two were L;uira E. and Francis .\. Mrs. Reich's brother, Charles Herbst, also came west with them and lived, married and died in this county. Tlie other children born to them on reaching Iowa were Mary C. Junius .\. and F.lla L.. all deceased. I-'r.wcis .\. Rv.uii. the only living son of Henry I'.dwanl and .\nna .\urcli,i (Herbst) i\eicli. was born in Salem. North Carolina, on the ,^otli of June. 1848. and was accordingly only a small child when BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 2Ul Iinjuglit to Iowa l)y his jjarents. Moraxia lias always been his home town and here he was educated. In early life he farnred; for ele\en years was in the sawmill business and then for about fifteen years fol- lowed the cari)enterinf^ trade. On December 4. 1882, he engaged in the grain and lumber business in the employ of W. M. T'catman. and in 1885 he and his brother Junius bought out the firm; Junius also conducted a grcKery and boot and shoe store in which our subject was interested. Francis managed the lumber business and in 1887 became the sole proprietor: in 1889 A. D. Maiken became liis partner, but since his death in 1897, Mr. Reich has carried on the enterprise alone, the firm being known as F. A. Reich, dealer in lumber and grain. In 188 1 Mr. Reich was married to Miss P'earl Weinberg, a native of Augusta, Illinois, and the daughter of German parents; they have seven children: II. Claude, Clarence P., Gladys P., Francis W., Herschel \\'., and Loren Keith and Kenneth Clare, twins. Mr. Reich votes the Prohibition ticket, and he and his wife are members of the Methodist church. Their home is a pleasant one and they are es- teemed members of societv. HENRY PERRY POWERS. In studying the ancestral sources of this family we discover that the progenitfirs were fr(jm Gcrmanv and that the name was originally spelled Pouer, then Power, and later Powers; and it is also possible to see in the character of our worthy subject some of the sturdy traits that be must have inherited from his Teutonic forefathers, who as a people still retain the characteristics that ha\-e made them famous since tlie dawn of historx-. 'I'be earliest .\merican ancestor of whom we have 202 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. definite knowledge was grandfather Joseph Powers, a native of Vir- ginia. Thomas Powers, tlie son of Joseph, was a native of West Jefiferson, Madison county, Ohio; in that state he married Mary Bar- ron, a native of New York, and in 1851 came to Iowa; they settled near Centerville and spent the remainder of their days in and about that town. In early life he followed farming and later engaged in the car- penter's trade, and these two occupations made the principal pursuits of his life. Although he was ardent in his adherence to the principles of the Democratic ])arty. he never aspired to hold any public office. He and his wife were members of the Baptist church. Twelve children were born to them, and eleven of these are still living. Henry Perry, the son of Thomas and Mary (Barron) Powers, is a native of Centerville, Appanoose county, Iowa, being born in that thriving city on the 28th day of February. 1836. He passed the first twenty-one years of his life in and about Centerville and had the privi- lege of a common school education. AMien he became of age he came to Moulton and learned the shoemaker's trade, which he followed up to 1889. But within him there was the constant desire for higher things which finally impelled him to put aside his awl and take up the study of law. lie began reading law with \V. F. Garrett, which he con- tinued till 1894. and then entered Drake University to carry out his studies. He was successful and in 1895 passed the examination before the supreme court and was admitted to the bar. He then returned to Moulton and o])ened an office and has since been carrj'ing on a good practice, at the same time dealing in fire insurance and real estate. He owns a fine professional library and is a deep student of all the live questions of the day. In the true sense of the word Mr. Powers is a self-made man, BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 203 and as such deserves all the rewards that have come to his well directed efforts. He is a Democrat, a Baptist, and a member of the Indepciid- ent Order of Odd Fellows. In 1879 he was married to ]\liss Jennie Ogden, a native of A])pano<3se county, and they have two children, Buhless and Harry. JAMES R. BARKLEY. James R. Barkley. a leading- attorney of Moulton, Iowa, is an example of a self-educated and self-made man. for, starting without a rich inheritance to assist him. liy the pluck that seems inborn in many men. and particularly Americans, he has found the way to fair success in life. Thomas Barkley, his father, was born in Belfast, Ireland, and when a }-oung man came to America in company with his mother. He soon moved to Iowa and in L)a\is county married and spent the re- mainder of his days on a farm, dying when the subject of this sketch, was but a child. His wife, Margaret Campbell, was a native of Mus- kingum county, Ohio, and early in life came to Davis county with her parents, about 1854; she now resides in Moulton. The only children were James R. and Samuel E., the latter a drug clerk in Moulton. James came into the world on the farm in Davis county, Iowa, on the 13th of February 1869. The happy da}s of his boyhood were passed in the tasks of the schonlniom and in the stimulating outdoor life of the farm. After his common school education was finished, he attended the Southern Iowa Normal at Bloomfield; he then taught for six terms and with the mone\' thus earned he licgan the stud)' of law, completing the prescribed course in Drake University at Dcs Moines. In the spring of 1894 lie was admitted to the bar and in December 204 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. of that year opened his office in Moulton. where he lias since practiced and has built up a good business. And from his record in the past we may presage a still brighter future for him. Mr. Barkley is active in Democratic politics; he is a Master Mason and a member of the Methodist church. In 1896 he was united in marriage to Minnie Henke. of Moulton, and they have two children in their home. Robert and Kathleen. FRAXXIS SEIGLE PENCE. The mere reading of the above name would suggest that the bearer was born during the Civil war and that his father was a patriotic upholder of the Union cause. Both these guesses will be found verified by this biography as its details are unfolded in the regular order of narration. At present the namesake of the famous German soldier who cast his l(^t with his adopted country in her hour of great trial is a prosperous Iowa farmer residing near the little village of Moravia, but, as is the case with most of the inhabitants of the state, his parents were of eastern origin. How and when they came, what they did after coming and the subsequent status of their descendants are the main points which make up the particulars of this biographical sketch. Tht name of Pence was formerly a familiar one in Maryland, and to a family of this designation was born, on the 17th of February, 1818, a son named Daniel. His people being in somewhat narrow circum- stances the boy was compelled at an early age to work for a living, and when a young man decided to abandon the state of his nativity and embrace the better prospects offered by the rising young common- wealth of the west. Daniel first made his way to Ohio, then a kind of BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 205 Mecca for all ambitious enii^^rants, and after reaciiing his destination found employment with one George Adams, who was running a grist- mill in Muskingum county. About the time, or shortly after, that he arrived Absalom and Harriet (Johnson) Foster, another Maryland family, had taken up their abode in the same section of the Buckeye state. Naturally they got acquainted and eventually became intimate, with the result that Daniel "fell in love" with Jane Fisher, the attractive daughter of the couple abo\'e mentioned. The young couple were united in marriage, June 4, 1843. and for several years thereafter re- tained their residence in the county of Muskingum. But Daniel had for some time been looking longingly toward the fine new state just coming into prominence along the banks of the upper Mississippi and finally resolved to join the secondary tide of emigration then setting in strongly for Iowa. So one bright morning in 1855 "^ team of horses was hitched up. the family's household goods were packed in the wagon and with the usual camping outfit the little party was soon on its way to the land of promise. It took fully four weeks to make the trip, but at length the weary and travel-stained wanderers reached their destination in Appanoose county. As Iowa was yet only nine years old as a state, the Fences came at a sufficiently early period to be ranked as first settlers or early pioneers, and as such they were known to the succeeding generation. Daniel signalized his advent by ])urchasing a claim for one hundred and sixty acres of land in Taylor township, at a price which seemed to him dear enough, but which to one familiar with present prices of land in Iowa appears absurdly low. The purchaser found a rude log cabin on his place and also about twenty-five acres that had been broken for cultivation, and with this condition of things confronting them he and his good wife settled down 206 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. to business. They realized tliat tliere was nnicli liard work before tliem and the road to weahh and ease a long and arduous one. but they set themselves resolutely to the task of facing every obstacle and over- coming every difficulty. Under the good management of Daniel Pence on the outside and of his sensible wife in her own sphere magical changes were soon wrought on tliis raw Iowa farm. The log cabin in time gave way to a commodious residence, fencing and outbuildings ornamented the landscape and the once wild prairie was brought into a high state of cultivation. As prosperity smiled upon him the projjrictor added tract after tract to his possessions until eventually his original investment of one hundred and sixty had grown to something like thir- teen hundred acres of fertile land. The price, too, improved with the acreage, and when Daniel Pence was called to render his last account he was in that comfortable condition known among farmers as "well ofif." As the extent of the farm and its operations increased so did the occupants of the household, and in course of years the fond parents saw^ a fine lot of boys and girls growing up around them. They lost three bj' death, Absalom and Josephine passing awav in childhood, and Harriet in infancw but all the others grew to maturity and are doing well in the world. Charles Daniel, the eldest son, served as a Union soldier in the Thirty-sixth Regiment. Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and is at present living in Salt Lake City, Utah. Peter David and William Henry, second and third of the surviving children, are residents of Taylor township, near the old family homestead. George Marion is living at Gordon Grove, Iowa : and Sarah Jane, the only daughter, is the wife of William Duvall and resides in Monroe county. Francis Seigle Pence, youngest of the children above mentioned was Ixjrn May 26, 1862, on the old homestead in .\ppanoose county, BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 207 Iowa, and owes liis first name to the fact tliat lie appeared on tlie scene at tlie height of the Civil war. Mis father was an admirer of (jeneral Francis or Franz Sigel, one of the famous corps commanders of the army of tlie Potomac, and gave his name to the boy born when the German patriot was much in the public eye. Though Francis was not able to say, in the language of the old soldiers" song, that "he fit mit Sigel," lie grew up to be the kind of a boy and man that the veteran general would be proud to acknowledge as a namesake. At the time of his birth his parents were still living in the old log cabin which shel- tered them for many years after their arrival in Iowa. His father had branched out extensively in stock-raising by the time lie reached robust boyhood, and turning his attention to the dairying department of the farm he learned all about cheese-making. This furnished him employ- ment for twelve years after he acquired the details of the business, and when he himself became a land-owner the knowlede:e acrjuired in youth proved quite useful to him in many ways. He has prospered since going into business for himself, as any one may see who now visits his place about a mile from the village of Moravia. At present Mr. Pence owns the old homestead farm of three hundred and tw^entv acres, which he has occupied as sole proprietor since his father's death May 23. 1897, and lives in a brick house which cost two thousand dollars and stands very near the site of the old log cabin where he was born. There i.s also a good barn on the ]ilacc, thirty-six by fifty feet in dimensions, be- sides a granary, buggy sheds, feed lots and all the other accessories of an up-to-date Iowa farm. Mr. Pence has a telephone in his house, and also enjoys tlie rural delivery of mail, these services furnishing him quick comniunicatii>n with all surrounding points of importruice and enabling him to transact his business in twentieth century style. .\ny 208 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. one who calls to see him will find out without being told that the pro- prietor is hospitable and genial in disposition and treats all visitors with the royal and hearty welcome customary in farm households of the first class. Mr. Pence's long residence and extensive dealings have made him well known throughout Appanoose and adjoining counties, among whose people he numbers his friends by the hundreds. February 19, 1893, Mr. Pence was married to Eleanor, daughter of Robert and Mary Jane (Xichol) Bell, of Monroe county, to which part of Iowa her i)arents came in 1852. Mr. and Mrs. Pence have a bright little family growing u]), ci>nsisting of two l)oys and two girls. Robert Daniel, the eldest, has about completed his eighth year, while his eldest sister, Hazel, is a year his junior. Ina is si.x years old, and little Garrett, the bal)y of the family, has hardly finished the second year of his age. In politics Mr. Pence has always affiliated with the Democratic party and confines his fraternal connections to membership in the order of Modern W'cxidmen of America. He and the other children ha\'e alwaws Ifxiked carefullv after the comfort of their mother, Mrs. Jane Pence, to whom they owed so much during the times of toil and struggle in the formative periods of their lives. This venerable lady, now in the seventy-eighth year of her age. is pleasantly located in a good home at Moravia, where the evening of her days is made enjoy- able bv the kindlv attentions of friends and relatives. JOHX A. HINOTH. Since 1877 John .A. Hinote has been a resident of Appanoose count}' and now li\es on section 25. Taylor township, where within the boundaries of his farm are comprised one hundred and se\enty acres BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 209 of rich land. He is one of tlie citizens tliat Indiana lias fnrnislied to the Hawkeye state. He was born i\Iarch 17, 1851, a son of Peter Hinote, wliose birtli also occnrrcil in Indiana. The grandfatlier was Alexander Hinote and his ti'randfather came from tjermany to the new world at a \ery early day and ser\ed in the Revolutionary war. Alex- ander Hinote died in Indiana and it was upon a farm in that state that Peter Hinote was reared. When he had attained years of maturity he wedded Isabel Dver, whose birth occurred in that state, June 9, 1820. On her mother's side she came of the Montgomery family of North Carolina and in the }ear 1855 Peter Hinote came with his wife and chil- dren to Iowa, traveling" by team to Des IMoines, which was then a small village largel}' built of log cabins. Intlians were encamped along the river and were engaged in hunting and trapping, and the work of pro- gress and improvement seemed scarcely begun in the state. In 1856 the family removed to Gentry county, Missouri, and after two years the father traded his property tiiere for a farm in Harrison county, Mis- souri, where he lived until his life's labors were ended in death, when he was forty-nine )ears of age. His wife, long surviving him, passed away at the age of sevent\-two years, dying in the faith of the Regular Baptist church, of which she was a devoted member. Their children were: Alexander, who for three years was a soldier in the Third Iowa Cavalry during the Civil war and died in BufTalo county, Nebraska, in 1900; Samuel, who lives in Nebraska; William, a successful nuisic teacher and preacher of the Christian church, who is now li\ing on the old homestead in Missouri; Elisha P., of Gentry county, Missouri; Mrs. Elizabeth Johnson and Mrs. Annice_Clabaugh. l)oth of that state; two sons, who died in Indiana; and F.llen Jane, who has also departetl this life. 210 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. Jolm A. Hinote was reared upon the Missouri farm, and the work of field and meadow cKcupied a consideral)le share of his time and at- tention through tlie period of his youth. Tn the winter months he pur- sued his education in the district schools, seated upon slab benches be- fore a big fireplace. When twenty-two years of age he went to Wapello county, Iowa, settling upon a farm, and in 1876 he arrived in Appanoose county. Here at the age of twenty-five years he married Clara M. Stevens, who was a successful and capable teacher prior to that time. She is one of the native daughters of the count}-, for her father, George L. Stevens, located here at a very early day and the family residence has since been maintained in this portion of the state. He was born in September. 1814. in Indiana, and was a son of the Rev. Benjamin Stevens. In addition to agricultural pursuits he carried on blacksmith- ing and he lived a life in harmony with his profession as a member of the Baptist church, dying in that faith at the age of seventy-four years. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Maria Fletcher, was born in Kentucky, and died at the age of seventy-tliree years. Her parents were James and Nancy (Dawson) Fletcher and the latter was a daugh- ter of Mrs. Elizabeth Dawson, who in her maidenh«)d bore the name of Miss Anderson. Elizabeth Dawson had a somewhat tragic history, for when she was but fourteen years of age she and her brother were captured by the Indians during the war of 181.2, but later were ex- changed at Fort Pitt, Pennsylvania. On that occasion her parents and one of their children were killed by the savages. The Andersons were of Scotch descent. George L. Stevens died while visitinr his old home in Indiana and his wife died at Moravia. Their children were as fol- lows: John E., a resident of Idaho; Mrs. Jurilda Knabb. of Nodaway county, Missouri ; George W. ; Mrs. Clara M. Hinote; and Salathial F. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 211 and Benjamin F.. Ixitli deceased. Tlie last named was a volunteer in the Indian war in Nebraska, serving" at^ainst the hostile red men, and he killed their chief and secured his trophies, including some firearms, a wig. a robe, a blanket and a gun. Later he became a prominent physi- cian and his death occurred in Appleton Mills, Missouri, .\nothcr member of the family was J. F., who is also deceased. For eighteen years Mr. Hinote has lived upon the farm which is now his home, ha\ing here f}ne hundred and seventA' acres of land. He calls his place Hazel Dell, and the farm is regarded as one of the best in this locality. He has erected a good modern home at a cost of over thirteen hundred dollars and it is tastefully furnished. He has a barn thirty by forty feet and uses the latest improved machinerv in carrying on the farm work. There is also a good orchard, a grove and meadow and pasture lands and he keeps good grades of cattle, horses, sheep and hogs. Both as a stock-raiser and as a general farmer he has been suc- cessful and for nine months he was proprietor of a store at Hiatt Sta- tion in Taylor township. To Mr. and Mrs. Hinote have been born nine children: Lawrence L., a resident of Pendleton. Oregon : Peter Clyde, who died at tlie age of seven years; Verna Z.. Richard Cleveland, Leoto Ethel, Bertha Lutecia, John Athel, Hazel Dell, and Paul Phillip. Mr. Hinote has served as postmaster of Hiatt and his daughter Verna was his assistant. He has also been justice of the peace. The household is noted for its hos- pitality and the members of the family enjoy the warm regard of a large circle of friends. 212 BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GEXEALOGICAL HISTORY. STEPHEN JAMES and C. S. JAMES. M. D. The gentlemen whose names head tliis article are prominent citi- zens of the city of Centerville and stand high in the esteem of their friends and acquaintances on account of their many excellent qualities. Stephen James is a son of David and Clarissa James, the former a na- tive of Trenton, Xew Jersey, and the latter of New York ; the birth- place of Stephen was near Utica. New York. He grew to manhood much after the manner of all boys and was allowed the privilege of a liberal education. When the Civil war came like a blight upon the country, he enlisted and served three years in Company B. First United States (Berdan's) Sharpshooters, being made corporal soon after en- listment, and he participated in many battles with the army of the Po- tomac. Since the war he has retained his connection with his old com- rades by membership in the Grand Army of the Republic, in which he holds the honorable position of member of the executive committee of the national council of administration. After the war, during the years 1867-8. Mr. James resided in Appanoose county, Iowa, and then went to Kansas, where he remained until 1880: he then returned and has ever since lived in this county. In early life he taught school for a number of years, but later took up farming, which he carried on successfully until 1888; this year was the date of his removal to Centerville and he has since been engaged in clerical work, for four years and a half assisting Dr. Reynolds, and since that time doing like service for his son, Dr. C. S. James. Mr. James upholds the principles of the Republican partj\' with all the ardor of his belief, and he and his wife are zealous members of the Methodist church. The maiden name of his wife was Miss Sarah E. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 213 Heasley, wlio has proved a most capal)le and devoted lielpmeet to him in the journey of Hfe. They have two children, Charles S. and Lora D. Charles S. James, son of Stephen James, was born in Emporia, Kansas, in 1870, and while only a little more than thirty years of age he has gained an enviable reputation as a leading physician and surgeon. \Mien ten years old his parents brought him to Appanoose county and there he was educated in the common schools and in the Iowa Wesleyan University. He then began the study of medicine under Dr. E. M. Reynolds of Center\-il!e, continuing from 1887 to 1891 ; he completed his course in the University Medical College at Kansas City, graduating March 14, 1891, and on March 20, the same year, opened his office in Centerville. Dr. James has always been a progressive and eager stu- dent of his profession and in 1899 '^^ '^'^"1'' '^ post-graduate course in the Chicago Polyclinic and also in the New York Post-Graduate School in 1901, and in the same year did post-graduate work in Philadelphia and Baltimore. Since 1892 the Doctor has been a member of the Iowa State Medical Society and in 1900 was honored with the chairmanship of the section Practice of Medicine. In the line of his profession he is a member of many other bodies, the Des Moines Valley Association, the Western Surgical and Gynecological Society, the Appanoose and ^^'ayne Counties Medical Society, of which he is secretarj'; of the Southwestern Medical Society and of the American Medical Association ; he is a mem- ber of the board of insane commissioners of Appanoose county and is surgeon for the Burlington Railroad. I'raternally the Dcx'tor stands high in the Masonic order, being a Knight Templar and a Shriner, and he is also a Knight of Pythias. In politics he is a Republican. On June 7, 1894, he was married to Miss Blanche Barrows, a daughter of J. C. Barrows of Centerville. 2U BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. ED\\'ARD K. ELLEDGE. This gentleman is the prosperous general merchant of Cincinnati, Iowa, where he has been established since 1893, and there is no doubt that he has materially improved commercial and trade conditions since he has been in business. The family has been well known in Appanoose county for over half a century, and no biographer of the prominent men of the county could well omit mention of them. But for a rounded his- tory of the Elledges we must take the reader back to the ancestral home in Scotland, where grandfather Benjamin Elledge was born January 24, 1782. He came to America and first took up his abode in Virginia, then moved with the western stream of migration to Indiana, whence he came in pioneer days to Pike county, Illinois, and remained there until he was called to his final rest in his seventy-second year, October 31, 1853. His wife was Catherine Reynolds, who was of German de- scent and was born July 13, 1786, and died before her husband, in Pike county, having become the mother of a large family. One of the sons was Henry V. Elledge. who was born in Indiana, June 2. 1826. He was reared in Pike county, Illinois, and when he was twenty-ft)ur years of age came to Appanoose county, Iowa, the cen- tury having just turned the half-way mark. Since that time he has resided here almost continuously ; he w-as in Davis county. Iowa, for about two years and in Hitchcock county. Nebraska, for four, but in 1893 he returned and is now residing in Cincinnati. Farming has been his life occupation. Mr. Elledge had been in Appanoose county but a short time when he was married on Deceml^er 8. 1850. to Miss Hannah Rogers; her father was Thomas J. Rogers, a pioneer settler of Appanoose county, and her mother. Phoebe Shin, is still surviving in Moulton, BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. -'15 Iowa. Mrs. Elledge was lK>rn August 4, 1833, and died at the age of thirty-two, on March 13, 1866, and of the children born to lier the fol- lowing reached years of maturity: William R., born June 20, 1853, is now living in Colorado; Charles R., born November 5, 1857, is in this county; Mary Emma, born October 13, 1861, lives in Arkansas; and Edward Kindred. After the death of his first wife Mr. Elledge was married to Mrs. Mary S. Jennings. Her son, James D., who was born to her of a former union. August 22, 1864, took the name of Elledge, and was the boyhood companion and was often taken for the twin of Edward K. ; they were reared tiigether from the age of two and were together constanth', and the former is now a prosperous farmer of this county. The living children of the second union are : Laura Maud, born September 20, 1874, and now in St. Louis ; Carl B., born May 2^, 1876; Eva Ora, born September 25, 1881, also a resi- dent of St. Louis. The family history has now been brought down to Edward K. Elledge, who was born while his parents were farming in Davis county, Iowa, December 8, 1863. He had a fair amount of schooling mixed in with the wholesome labor of the farm, and when he was eighteen years old he began life for himself, for the following twelve years being in the milling business. He was not a person to dissipate his earn- ings as fast as he got them, and liy 1893. with the capital he had ac- cumulated, he was able to start his present mercantile house in Cin- cinnati. His good business methods have commended him to the pub- lic, and he is now rated as one of the soundest and most reliable mer- chants in the county. He owns his own store, ^yhich is a two-story and basement brick block, equipped in a modern way, with elevator and stairways, and with a fine and well selected stock of goods. 216 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. On November 15. 1896. Mr. Elledge was married to Miss Laura E. Pugh, \vho was born in this county, November 29. 1871. Her parents are Samuel and Dicy (Baker) Pugh. the former born in Ohio, July 6. 1838, and the latter in West Virginia, June 8. 1843; of the nine children born to Mr. and Mrs. Pugh the following came to maturity : Laura E., Van H., Sanford C, Lucy E.. David .K., and Blanch H., all of whom reside with their parents except Laura E. The first child to come into the home of Mr. and Mrs. Elledge was Lloyd Cameron, on February 2, 1898; then Inez Maud, December 19, 1899; and Lora Lucile, January 31, 1901. Mr. Elledge is a Democrat in political belief, and is a good member of the Indq:)endent Order of Odd Fellows. His success is not a matter of luck, but has been gained by close application, honorable princii)les, and umemitting diligence, which are the cardinal virtues in this workadav world and lead to certain and honest rewards. WILLL\M H. GR.VY. The beautiful country site known as Shadeland is the property' of William H. Gray and is pleasantly located two miles west of Eddyville in Monroe county. This place is endeared to Mr. Gray because of the associations of his boyhood as well as those of later years, for it was here that he was born on the i8th of June, 1849. The family is of Scotch-Irish ancestry, and liack thrnugh four hundred years is the line of descent traced, showing close connection with the nobility of Eng- land. (ireat-grandfather James Gray, of Barringfon, New Hampshire, was a pri\ate in Captain Richard Dowe's Company in Colonel W'in- gate"s Regiment of New Hampshire troops, in 1775, and never re- BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 217 turned from tlie war. His chiklren were as follows: Henry, John, Joseph. James, Solomon, Hannah, Fanny, and Johannah, who married Thomas Berry. James Gray's son Henry emigrated to Vermont in company with a Thomas Berry. He married Eunice Goodwin, whose mother's name was Dunhar, and the children were: John Blake; Wells, who died in Minnesota; William, who died in Canada; Henry, who died in the United States service; Anson, in "Vermont; Hannah, Margaret, Abigail, Eunice, Judith, and I-'anny. John Blake Gray and Eliza J. Stephens were married May 15th, 1834, in Illinois. He went into business in what is now Burlington, Iowa, in the same year. He was permitted to name the place, which he did in remembrance of his home in \'ermont, and the lirst shipment of goods that came to Bur- lington, Iowa, was sent to John B. Gray. The place had been called Flint Hills or Shockocon. The issue from this union is as follows: John Stephens Gray, William Henry Fulton Gray, James Anson Gray, Abigail A. Gray. Mary F'rances Clray. Lilleas Jane Gray, Eunice Eliza Gray; all were born in Iowa except the next to the last daughter, who was born in Texas. In 1837 John B. Gray went from Burlington to Texas, where he remained three or four }ears, Init the Indians were so hostile and the Mexicans so treacherous that it was not safe for the whites, who never knew at what hour they might be called out to defend their liomes or to rescue some stolen member of some other citizen's family. How- ever, there were great prospects of becoming wealthy in the possession of land obtained through some sort of grants of the republic of Texas. Mr. Gray had obtained great tracts of it — they measured it by the league— but when the difficult)' came u]) between the United States and Mexico he chose rather to enjoy the safety of the states and home gov- 218 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GEXEALOGICAL HISTORY. ernment, to wealth in a disputed country with all the chances of war before him; so in 1S40-41 he made the trip back to Iowa in a wagon, making frequent stops on the journey. In the fall of 1842 he obtained an agency to sell goods to the Sac and Fox Indians who were occupy- ing this part of the country west of the Mississippi river. He lived in Eddyville, near which place there was a large encampment of the Indians awaiting transportation to some point farther north or west in the territory. The time of the opening of this part of the country to the whites was April i, 1843, ^^ which time Mr. Gray took possession of his claim, and lived continuously in this county (Monroe) until he died on December 9, 1876. He did not always reside on the farm, for he was one of the commissioners to the first territorial legislature. Thus Mr. Gray's family were among the very pioneers of Iowa, and his son. John, was the first child born in Monroe county. The wife of John Blake Gray. Eliza J. Stephens, was born in Vir- ginia ; went to Indiana when she was three years old ; came to Illinois and then to Iowa about 1834-35. Her brother, Samuel Stephens, was the head of the family at this time; he always lived near Burlington and died there. Mrs. Gray's brothers and sisters were Samuel, Mary, Margaret. Agnes, Isaac, Elsy Ann. and James Fulton, the family being in some way related to the famous Robert Fulton, the inventor. Elsy Ann married John Webber, whose name can be found in the gov- ernment records of Des Moines county. Iowa. Agnes married, first, a Mr. White, who died, and she then married a Mr. Sturdevant, who held the position of gunsmith among the Sac and Fox Indians, and was moved with the Indians when their term of possession expired ; he died in what is called the Osage purchase. As a boy ^^'illiam H. Gray alternated his play with work and as BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 219 his years and strengtli increased lie became a factor in the work of the fields. His education was acquired in the pubhc schools and thus he was fitted for life's practical and responsible duties. Throughout his business career he has carried on agricultural pursuits, his labors being attended with excellent results because of his thorough training for the work and his careful management and progressive methods. In the year 1874 Mr. Gra)- was united in marriage to Miss Fan- nie Myrick. who was born in the same locality as her husband. Their union has been blessed with two children : Macy, who is married ; and Archie E., at home. The son assists his father in their extensive fruit business and in the other work of the farm. Mr. Gray is known as one of the most prominent representatives of horticultural interests in this portion of the country, and sixt}- acres of his fine farm is devoted to tlie cultivation of fruit. He owns altogether two hundred and forty acres of land, his orchard contains manv varieties of fruit trees and he also raises the smaller fruits, so that throughout the summer season various kinds of products are gathered and sent to the market. In fruit production Mr. Gray gives special attention not only to the size, but also to the qualit\- and flavor, and thus the products of Shadeland find a ready sale upon the market, and Mr. Gray's opinions regarding horticulture are largely received as authority in this part of the state. EverA'thing bearing upon fruit culture is of interest to him and the ideas advanced whicli he ]>clic\cs will i)rove of practical benefit in his work are readily taken u]) and incorporated into the later of car- ing for his orchards. Shadeland is well named because of the many and the beautiful trees whicli adorn the farm, and through the vista of green can be seen a lovely lake which is one uf the attractive feat- ures of his beautiful country seat, 220 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. Mr. Gray exercises his right pi franchise in support of the men and measures of the Rq^ubhcan part)-, of which he has been a stahvart supporter since he cast his first presidential ballot for General Grant in 1872. He keeps well informed on the issues of the day, as every true American citizen should do, but has never sought or desired ofifice, pre- ferring to give his attention to the production of grain and fruit. His farm is splendidly equipped for the purposes for which it is utilized and in the midst of fine orchards and highly cultivated fields stand substantial buildings, including a nice residence. The household is noted for its hospitality, which is greatly enjoyed by the many friends of the family. j\Ir. Gray has made "honor" his life motto, and it is this which has characterized his social, his business and his political relations. He is always straightforward in his dealings, courteous to friends and neighbors, and his genuine worth of character has made him a man worthy of the highest regard. LEWIS LEROY TAYLOR. Grandfather John Taylor was a native of the Old North state, and the family had established themselves there at a time when the histor}' of America had hardly begun. His son John M. was also a native of North Carolina, but came west to Kentucky, where he was married to Nancy A. Wilson, a native of that state and the daughter of William Wilson, who came of an old Virginia family. After their marriage the parents of our subject lived on a farm in Kentucky for fourteen years, but in 1849 settled on a farm in Washington township, Appanoose county, Iowa, and there spent the remainder of their days; he passed away in 1889, aged nearly eighty-five, and his wife in 1899, also aged LEWIS L. TAYLOR. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 223 eighty-five; had lie Hved one day more they would liave hved to- gether as husband and wife for fifty-four years. By occupation he was a farmer and carpenter and gained a moderate success in business. In rehgious faith they were Baptists, and he was a Demi^crat. To tlieir marriage were born nine children, one of whom died in infancy, and one at the age of thirteen; the others were as follows: William J., a farmer of Appanoose county: Holland P., who died in i860; the sub- ject of this sketch; Isaac \\'., of Harrison county, Missouri; James N., who died in 1901 ; Mary Jane, the wife of W. S. Beggs. of this county; Nancy A., who died in 1897. Lewis Leroy Taylor was ushered into this world in Hart county, Kentucky, March 27, 1838. Since 1849 he has resided in this county and his early life was spent on a farm. He devoted himself to farm- ing and teaching school up to 1879; in that year he located in Cen- terville to serve as clerk of the courts, to which office he was elected for four terms, eight years in all. After severing his official connec- tion with the county, he was teller and bookkeeper in the First National Bank of Centerville for twelve years. In January, 1903, he accepted the position of cashier in the new bank of Unionville, known as the Union- ville Savings Bank. While living in Washington township Mr. Taylor served eight years as assessor and the same time as justice of the peace ; also was secretary of the school district, township of Washington, for fifteen successive years, serving in that office from 1864 until 1879. In 1864 Mr. Taylor was united in marriage to Miss Miriam Siler, a native of Illinois, and she became the mother of two children. Henrietta, who died in 1900, and a son, John B., who is now in the drug business in Centerville. Mr. Taylor has been an active member of the Democratic party, and he and his family are devoted members of 224 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. the Cliristian church, in whicli lie holds an official position. He has gained a highly respectable position in society and is esteemed for his many excellent qualities of heart and mind. H. H. PHILLIPS. H. H. Phillips is the proprietor of the Sunny Slop* stock farm, situated on section 4. Douglass township, Appanoose county. He has spent his entire life in this localit}- and represents one of the pioneer families that was founded at a primili\c period in the history of the state. His birth occurred in Walnut township, Appanoose county, August 16, 1862, his parents being Jacob and Sarah (Frisby) Phillips. The father was born in Cla\ton coimt)-. (^hio, in 1829, and his ancestors were people of genuine worth, active in business and honorable in all transactions. He was reared in the state of his nativity and continued his education there until the removal of the family to McLean county, Illinois, the home being established near Bloomington. In that locality Mr. Phillips was maried to Sarah Frisby. who was born in Ohio and spent her girlhood days in that state and Illinois, largely pursuing her education in the latter state. Attracted by the opportunities offered by Iowa, they loaded some of their household goods into a wagon which was drawn by a team of horses, and thus about 1850 they made their advent into Apjianoosc county. Mr. Phillips had but small means, but was industrious and possessed excellent business qualifications, and through his unremitting diligence and perseverance he became one of the wealthy men of bis locality. He had firm faith in^ the future of Iowa, made investments in land and also became the owner of large numbers of cattle and horses. As the years passed he prospered in his BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 225 undertakings and at his deatli left an estate valued at forty thousand dollars. In the family were nine children, fu'e sons and four daughters, and those who are still living are Clara, on tiie old homestead; Lewis F., a prominent cattleman of White Lake, South Dakota; Howard H. ; Charles C, of Wahiut township, Appan(X)se county; and Perry M., who lives upon the home farm with his mother and sister and operates the fields. The children of the family who have passed away are James \\'., Emma, Mary and Ellen, all of whom died in early life. The father departed this life in Februar)-, 1900, at the age of seventy-one years. He voted with the Republican party, but was never an aspirant for office, giving his aid. howc\er, to all measures which he believed would prove of public g(5od, and his integrity stood as an unques- tioned fact in his career. Tn religious faith he and all of his family w-ere Methodists. Howard H. Phillips was reared upoji the old homestead farm and early in life was trained to the work incident to the cultivation of the fields and the care of stock. His early educational privileges were sup- plemented by study in the college at Quincy, Illinois, and when eighteen years of age he began teaching, which jirdfession he followed for some time in Appanoose county. His services were always in demand be- cause he was an excellent disciplinarian and also had the ability to im- part readily and clearly to others the knowledge that he had acquired. He lived upon the home farm until his marriage, which occurred when he was twenty-four years of age, the lady of his choice being Marinda Whistler, who had also successfully taught school prior to her mar- riage. Her father, Samuel \Miistler, now deceased, was born in Vir- ginia and his father was born near Hayestown, Virginia. Samuel Whistler was a loyal member of the German Baptist church and died at 226 BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. the age of forty-seven years. To liiin and his wife were horn eleven children: William H.. ]\Iartha E.. John II.. Mary J.. Columhus E., .\iTianda A., Lewis C, Anna C, Sarah A., Mrs. Phillips and S. Walter. The home of Mr. and ^Irs. Phillips has been blessed with seven children : Carl E.. .Anna May, Luella. Walter H.. Edith Esther. Wen- dell D. and Martha Etta. The parents are well known people of this locality and have a large circle of warm friends. Their home is pleas- antlv located on section 4, Douglass township, and is appropriately named the Sunnv Slope farm. It comprises three hundred acres of rich land and in addition to this Mr. Phillips also owns another tract of two hun- dren and si.xty-tive acres in this county and six hundred and forty acres in Aurora county. South Dakota, near White Lake, it being well stocked with cattle and horses. The Sunny Slope farm is one of the best in .\ppanoose county, supplied with all modern equipments and all of the accessories of a model farm, on which he is engaged in the raising of high-grade horses and cattle. An earnest Republican in politics, he is unfaltering in his advocacy of the right principles and has held a numl^er of township offices. Li 1895 he was also elected a member of the board of county commissioners and served three years, making a creditable record by his faithful service and his practical aid given to measures for the u]>build- ing of the localitv. In manner he is genial and courteous, and his kindly disposition and many excellent traits of character have made him a popular citizen of Appanoose county. BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 227 JOHN W. MOSS. Juhn W. Moss was Ijorn Decemljer 17, 1830, in Putnam county, Indiana, his parents Ijeing l-'rancis and Mar\- (Webster ) Moss, both of whom were natives of X'irs^inia. '["he father died in Putnam county, Indiana, at the age of sixty-eiglit }ears, and the mother afterward came to Iowa, spending Iier last days in Pleasant township, Monroe county, where she died at tlie ver_\- advanced age of ninety-one years. In the family of this worthy couijIc were nine children, eight of whom reached years of maturity-. In taking up the history of John W. Moss we present to our read- ers the life record of one who is widel}- and favorably known in this portion of Iowa. He remained upon the home farm in the Hoosier state until twenty-one )-ears of age and his boyhood's training was such as to make him familiar with farm work in its various depart- ments. The mental discipline which he had was that afforded by tlie common schools and on attaining his majority he left Indiana, l>eliev- ing that he might have better business opportunities in a district further west. Accordingly he came to this state in the year 1853. After a year, however, he returned east and in 1855 he again came to Iowa, settling in Monroe county, where he has since made his home. In i860 he purcliased one hundred and fifteen acres of land, but of this he has since sold a portion and he now owns one hundred acres. Mr. Moss has made the place what it is to-day, a valual)le and well improved farm, but this statement l)ut faintly indicates the years of earnest labor which ha\'e i)een devoted to the farm, .\fter taking up his abode here he worked early and late in order to place his fields under culti\ation, practicing the rotation of crops in order to keep the land productive and 228 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. following- progressive methods that have become known to the farmer as time has advanced. He had no special edncational privileges to aid him. in fact, he pursued his studies while seated upon a slab l>ench in a log schoolhouse. In him. however, was the strength of character that caused him to brook no obstacles that could be overcome by persistent and determined energy and his labor has been the ladder upon which he has risen to the plane of aftluence. There is now evidence that his farm is underlaid with one of the richest coal veins in the county or state, and in the development of this there lies in store for Mr. Moss a handsome competence, of which he is certainl}- deserving as a reward for his career of industry. On the 15th of Xovember, i860, occurred the marriage of our subject and Mary Miller, the widow of .\braham Kinger_\-. She was born in Ohio and by this union has become the mother of two sons, the elder being Perry K., who is married and has two children; and Riley E., who is married and had four children, three of whom are j'et living. Both Mr. and Mrs. Moss are faithful members of the Baptist church and take an active interest in its work, doing all they can for the extension of its influence. In p(jlitical circles Mr. Moss is also prominent and inlluential and is identiticd with the Democratic party. In 1878-9 he served as county auditor of Monroe county and from 1884 until 1887 was tlie county treasurer, discharging his duties in a most prompt and cajiable manner. He has also filled township offices and was at one time the candidate of his party for the legislature, but could not overcome the strong Republican majority of his district. His first presidential vote was cast for General Winfield Scott, the candidate of the Whig party in 1852, and in 1856 he voted for James Buchanan, the Democratic nominee for the i)residcncy, since which time he has BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 221t never wavered in his allctiiance to tlie Democracy. Both lie and his wife possess sterling traits of cliaracter, wliicli ha\'e gained for tinem high esteem through the community, and the hfe record of Mr. Moss proves conchisively that success is not a matter of genius hut is tlie outcome of clear judgment and experience and that it may he won hy diligence and persistenc\- of purpose. C. MILTON FORREST. C. Milton Forrest is widely known in Monroe county. For many years he was connected with agricultural pursuits and is now a repre- sentative of the Consolidated Coal Company, making his home in Lovilia, and the qualities of an upright manhood have long been mani- fested in his career, and few men enjoy in a higher degree the respect and confidence of those with whom they are associated. Mr. Forrest is further entitled to mention as one of the native sons of the county and a representative of one of its pioneer families. He was born in Blufif Creek township, February i, 1847, his parents being Thomas E. and Susan (Harris) Forrest, Ixjth of whom were natives of Kentucky. During his boyhood days Thomas E. Forrest accompanied his parents to Licking county, Indiana, where he remained for a number of years, and in 1844 he left the Hoosier state for Iowa, settling in Monroe county. A farmer by occupation, he followed that pursuit throughout his entire life, his agricultural laliors being ended in death in i86j. He was at that time residing in Alhia. His capability and worth were widely recognized by his fellow men, who frequently intrusted him with positions of responsibility. He served as justice of the peace and was one of the early commissioners of Monroe county who located the 230 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. county seat. W'liile acting as justice his decisions were always strictly fair and impartial, and he was also called upon to perform many mar- riage ceremonies. His political support was given to the Republican party, for he strongly endorsed its principles and joined the party upon its organization. He was also a devout member of the Christian church, to which his wife belonged, and they not only contributed liber- ally to its support but also took an active and helpful part in its work. The mother died on the old home farm in Bluff Creek township in 1888, when sixt\-eight years of age. In the family of this worthy and respected couple were ten children: John \\'.. who came home from the army in 1863. but died s(x)u afterward; Millie C, who has also passed away; Washington and Richard, both deceased; Thomas J., who was in the army and lias departed this life; C. Milton, of this re- view; Matilda Jane, who was the latter's twin sister and is deceased; Laura, deceased ; Marion ; and Mary, who has also Ijeen called to her final rest. The family was certainly well represented in the Union army during the war of the Rel)elli<)n. John ^\'. enlisted in 1861 and Thomas J. in 1862, and both were loyal and gallant soldiers. C. Milton Forrest was reared in Monroe county and is indebted to the common school system for the educational pri\ileges which he en- joyed. When not engaged with the duties of the schoolroom he as- sisted his father in the work of field and meadow, and after completing his education devoted his entire time and attention to farming, which has been his principal occupation since. .As a companion and help- meet for life's journey he chose Miss Jane C. Cousins, their wedding taking place in 1867. The lady is a daughter of Moses and Nancy Cousins, who were natives of \^ermont and came to Iowa at an early day. .settling on a farm on which a i)art of .Mbia now stands. Mrs. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 231 Forrest was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1849, and with her parents came to Iowa in 1853. In the family were the following children; Moses and Nancy, both deceased ; Washington B. ; Verness, who has also passed away ; Emma, ar.d Mrs. Forrest. Both Mr. and Mrs. Cous- ins died in 1888, the father at the age of eighty-four and the mother at the age of eighty years. Airs. Forrest's eldest brother was a ser- geant in the Thirty-sixth Iowa Regiment and her brother, Washing- ton B., is now a practicing physician of Akron, Ohio. ]\Irs. Forrest secured a good education and is a lady of more than average intelli- gence and culture. By her marriage she has become the mother of eight children: Alice, Clara Agnes, Mrs. Annie Laurie McAlister, Mrs. Elsie Verness Carhart, Charles E., Minnie G., who is teaching school in Lovilia; Nora M., and Nellie I. Mr. and Mrs. Forrest have also ten grandchildren. Previous to the time of his marriage Mr. Forrest had manifested his loyalty to the government by enlisting for service in the Union army at Albia in 1864. He was assigned to the company under com- mand of Captain N. B. Humphreys, organized at Albia, while the regi- ment was under command of Colonel Stone. Mr. Forrest was with General Sheridan in the Virginia campaign and at the close of the war was mustered out at Savannah, Georgia, and received his final pay as a soldier in Davenport, Iowa. He lias a warm place in his heart for the boys who wore the old lilue uniforms, and is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and at the present time is serving as presi- dent of the Veterans' Association of Bluff Creek township. In his political views Mr. Forrest has been an earnest Rcpulilican since ca.sting his first presidential ballot for Al)rahani Lincoln, and he has been honored with a number of offices, because the people recog- 232 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. iiize his loyalty in citizenship and his capaljility in tlic discliarge of his duties. In 1885 he was nominated for slieriff of tlie county, l)ut was defeated by L. T. Richmond. Two years later, however, both men were again candidates for the office and he defeated Mr. Richmond. When he had served for two years he was again nominated and this time defeated W. T. Gardner, so that he filled the office for four con- secutive years, and by his promjitness and fidelity won high commenda- tion. Throughout the greater part of his life he has carried on agri- cultural pursuits, owning and ojjerating a farm in Bluff Creek township, but in September, 1902. he abandoned the plow and removed to Lovilia. where he is at present employed by the Consolidated Coal Company. Both Mr. and Mrs. Forrest are faithful members of the Methodist Episcopal church and their interest in this work is manifested by the active co-operation which they give. They are especially well known in connection with the social functions and work of the Veterans' Asso- ciation of Bluff Creek township and at the meeting held on the 226. of May. 1896. when a flag was jjresented by the ladies of the township to the association, she dcli\-ered the chief address which we gladly give. It is as follows : "The ladies of Bluff Creek have kindl)' chosen that I, in their name, should have the pleasant task to ])rcsent to the Veterans' .\s.s(xia- tion this flag as a memento of our love and esteem. This day, the anniversary of the assault on Vicksburg — May 22, 1863 — is one long remembered by all soldiers and their families. "Many thoughts come to me as I look upon this flag. It recalls to memory the pale cheeks of women and the flushed faces of men as they parted from loved ones and marched awa)- to the boisterous sound of drums and the si!\cr tones of bugles to take part in that great strug- BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 233 gle to do and to die for 'tlie eternal right,' and we bade you goodbye with breaking hearts, praying God to be witli )ou while 'His truth was marching on.' "Many never returned. They are at rest in the land they helped to make fr ee; under the flag they made stainless; they sleep beneath the shadows of the clouds, careles.s alike of storm and sunshine, each in the windowless palace of rest. "Soldiers of the Republic ! You were not seekers after vain glory, nor were you animated with hopes of plunder or love of conquest, but you fought to preserve the blessings of liberty, that your children might have peace, and to finish what the soldiers of the Revolution com- menced ; to keq:) our country on the map of the world and our flag re- corded in heaven. "Grander than the Greeks and nobler than the Romans the sol- diers of the Republic battled for the rights of others ; the nobility of labor, that mothers might own their own babes and that our nation might be sovereign, great and free. Blood was as water, money as leaves and life as common as air until our flag floated over the re- public without a slave or a master. "Now, as we look upon our flag, it is to us something more than a piece f>f bunting, a patch-work of colors; it is to us a remembrance of deeds of loyalty, of patriotism, of suffering and of duties nobly done, whether upon the battlefield, in prison pen, upon the lonely picket, or against the treacherous foe on tlie great plains of the far west. " 'Nothing but a flag, it is bathed in tears, It tells of triumphs, hopes and fears; It tells of hosts of loyal men. Who've marched beneath in davs gone bv. 231 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. It tells of prayers of mothers, wives. The heart must pray though lips be dumb, Silent at speaks, and thoughts will come." "The red, the symbol of love and fervency, is a remembrance of the love you have for our country and her flag, and the fervency with which you responded when the first nuUterings of the distant storm of rebellion were heard, and the lightning flash and thunderous roar of the gims as they fired upon Fort Sumter. And when the call for troops was made you so bravely responded, 'We are coming. Father .\braham, three hundred thousand more.' "It was a mighty gathering from farms, mines, work-shops, schools, colleges, from the bar and pulpit, all over our fair north, still echoing that response, until o\er two million fathers and sons were in arms to protect our Union. Many boys there were — no older than those upon this platforhi — worthy descendants of the signers of the Declaration of Independence; so down through the ages shall the chil- dren of the republic sing how well \(>u maintained the constitution, preserved the union of states established by our fathers, kept the flag unsullied and giving the nation a new birth of freedom. "The white, the symbol of purity, is a remembrance of your purity of purpose, not for personal gain or mere idle pastime, but to preserve our nation as one, that the shackles should be dropped from four mil- lion men, women and children; that no longer should be heard the blood-hounds upon the footsteps of some poor human Ix^ing seeking for freedom, and that no longer should husband be sold from wife, mother from her children, but freedom should be for everyone. "The blue, the symbol of truth and fidelity, is a remembrance of this love vou have for our countrv, and when vou followed our loved BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 235 flag, tlirougli all those long weary marches Ihrough winters' snows and springtime slush and mud, thn)ugh cities and towns, over prairies and on to the field of Iiattle, where the furrows of the old field were as ravines filled with blotid, and where you left so many of your comrades pierced with bullets, torn with shell, their life ebbing away among the withered leaves, then did vou, with features stern and nerves of steel, resolve that not a star by trait(_)rous hands should be removed from that field of blue. "But the gallant deeds of the thousands in the forepart of the bat- tle were eclijised only by the heroic fortitude of the i)risoners in 'Dixie,' in the presence of untold torture, compared to which the whistle of the bullet and the screaming of the shell was as the sweetest music. There is no blacker page in the world's history than that on which is recorded the cruelties practiced upon tlie Union prisoners of war in Libby, Belle Isle, Salisbury and far-away Tyler, Texas; in Anderson- ville. five times enlarged, ten times intensified, thirty thousand prison- ers on eighteen acres of ground, without shelter, but within sight of timber; without water, yet within sight of pure, bright sparkling water; without food, except each day one-half pint of corn meal, ground cob and all ; no fire in winter to protect against the cold winds and rains ; no shelter from the hot blistering sun of the southern summer. SufYer- ing, starving semblances of humanity, yielding your libert}' by refusing to renounce your allegiance to the flag and country you loved so w'ell. Grander deeds than these ha\e no man done. "The stars upon the field of blue are a remembrance that the Creator of all things has blessed your efforts, and not a star was lost, and the cries of the afiflicted through all the long weary years have been heard, for He said, 'The right shall pre\-ail ;' and through your trials and suf- 230 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. ferings you have bequeathed to your country the legacy of Uberty and union, insuring to your cliildren the blessings of free institutions, under which they enjoy greater prosperity, a larger liberty, a higher civilization and a purer Christianity than was ever before en- joyed by a people. "The yellow, einblen: of constancy, is a remembrance that you were constant and true to all duties. As you so proudly marched away under the flying flags, keeping step to the wild, grand music of war, you followed our flag in sunsliine and storm, victory or defeat, with as much confidence as did the children of Israel who followed the pil- lar of cloud by dav and of fire l)y night. You laid your lives, your honors, your fortunes, upon the altar of liberty and union, that a 'gov- ernment of the people and l)y the people should not perish from the earth.' "The eagle, a remembrance of the liljerty you gained 'with malice toward none and charity for all." "The cord, a remembrance of the manv ties that bind this united country together, and may the cords of loyal, enthusiastic sentiment grow stronger and stronger while we are permitted to live, and when the last roll is called may we be gathered in that great camp where the bugle sounds neither 'reveille' nor 'lights out.' "And from the stars and stripes we recall the story of liberty and union as exemplified in the lives of Washington. Lincoln. Grant, and the patriotic sons of the republic, who l)y their valor and suffering ren- dered the fame of this trio imperishable, and we look upon the Ameri- can flag by 'angels' hands to valor given.' with as much reverence as did the Israelites look upon the Ark of the Covenant. "This flag, the emblem of this grand nation, is a symbol of the BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 237 n()I)lest strength and purest love; its every wave and fold speaks to us with more thrilling words than orator ever uttered. It recalls to mem- ory when Lincoln bore our country's burden, and Grant led the army to victory, and to a more perfect union, which is to-day the wonder and admiration of the world. This, the nation's standard, as it floats to-day, reminds us that we are free, subjects of no king but Him who rules the universe. "Mr. \^'atson, to you as the rqiresentative of the veterans, 1 have tried to express the lo\'e and esteem in which we hold the soldiers of the republic. Words are a poor medium and are soon forgotten, but as you and your comrades look upon the flag, may each color bring to your memory our gratitude and lo\-e for your protection. I now have the honor to present to you this flag." JACOB SHOLLY. Jacob Sholly, who was well known and highly esteemed for his sterling integrity and honor and was long classed among the represent- ative citizens of Monroe county, passed away June 6, 1901. He was born in Germantown. Ohio, May 24, 183 1, and was a son of Joseph Sholly, a native of Pennsylvania. The father was a shoemaker by trade, following that jiursuit in order to provide for his family. When the son Jacob was Init fourteen years of age both the father and mother were stricken with tyijhoid fever and died within two weeks of each other. Six children survived them, of whom the subject of this re- view was the second in order of birth, tlis earl}- life was marked by no event of special imi)ortance aside from his parents' death, when he was thrown upon his own resources, \\'hen a young man he took up 23S BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. the painter's trade, whicli he followed throughout his entire life, ajid his success was, no doubt, due in a large measure to his faithful ad- herence to the work in which as a young tradesman he embarked. After leaving his home in Ohio he went to Indiana, where he met and married Miss Martha Jane Smith, the wedding taking place in 1S52. The lady was a daughter of Peter and Ruth Smith. Her mother died during the infancy of the daughter and the father's death occurred in 185 1. In the family were nine children, four of whom are still living, and Mrs. Sholly was the fourth in order of birth. The young couple began their domestic life in Indiana, where they remained until 1856, when they removed to Kirksville, Missouri, which was their place of residence for five years. Early in the year 1 86 1 Mr. and Mrs. Sholly removed to Monroe county, Iowa, becoming early residents of Albia, which was then a mere hamlet, containing a few log houses. Here he began work at the painter's trade, which he followed through a long ])eriod. and the excellence of his work se- cured him a good patronage. He always lived faithfully up to the terms of a contract and because of his desire to please his patrons and his straightforward dealings he was accorded a constantly growing trade. To Mr. and Mrs. Sholly were born five children : William F., Marion, George, John and Edward, but the only one now living is William F.. the eldest. They also had an adopted daughter, Blanche Ijams, who is now married and resides in Albia. while a granddaughter, Gertrude Sholly, is now living with her grandmother, Mrs. Martha J. Sholly. Fraternally Mr. Sholly was connected with the Odd Fellows so- ciety for a number of years and enjoyed the confidence and esteem of BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 239 his bretliren of the order. He held niemliership with tlie Cliristian church and in his life exemphfied iiis behef, doing everything in his power to promote the growth and extend the influence of the church, while with his fellow men he was e\'er honest and considerate. He passed away on the 6th of June, 1901, at the age of seventy years, leav- ing behind the priceless heritage of an untarnished name. Mrs. Sholly still survives her husband and makes her home in Albia, where she has many friends. She, too, is a member of the Christian church and has lived in harmonv with its teachings. ALEXANDER BAIN. Nature certainl\- intended that man shoukl rest in his declining years. His whole history proves this. In youth he is strong, vigorous and ambitious, and in mature years he has learned to so direct his la- bors that as a result of his sound judgment, experience and industry, he may acquire a good competence. As the evening of life draws on, his physical powers are somewhat diminished and it is just that the long years of business acti\'ity should be followed by a period in which to enjoy the fruits of his former toil. This has been vouchsafed to Mr. Bain, who is now living retired in Albia, but for many years car- ried on agricultural pursuits in Monroe county. A native of North Carolina, his birth occurred on the 26th of Jan- uary, 1820. His parents were Robert and Mary (Irwin) Bain, and the fomier was a native of Scotland, while the mother was of Dutch e.xtraction. Tn early life Robert Bain came to the United States and for some time resided in North Carolina, but the latter part of 1820 witnessed his emigration to what was then the wild west — Jefferson 240 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. county. Indiana, wliere lie spent liis remaining days. ilie family ex- perienced all the hardships and trials of pioneer life there, hut as the years passed the fruits of the father's lalxjr brought to them a comfort- able living. In addition to agricultural pursuits he engaged in work as a teamster. His study of the political questions led him at first to give his supi)ort to the Jacksonian Democracy, and his religious faith was that of the Presbyterian church. His life was upright and honorable and to his children he furnished an example well worthy of emulation. He passed away .\pril 12. 1845. at his home in Jefferson county. In- diana, and his wife died in the same locality on the 15th of July. 1849. Their children were : Samuel. \\'illiam. Robert. James. Sarah. John. Jane. Mar}-. Margaret. Alexander. Thomas. Xancy, and one daughter that died in infancy, and all are now deceased with the exception of Alexander and his sister Margaret. The parents were laid to rest in the cemetery of the United Brethren church in Jeflferson county. In- diana. Before he had reached his first birthday Alexander Bain was taken by his parents to Jefiferson county and resided there continuously until October, 1855. when he came to Monroe county, Iowa, where he has since lived. His educational pri\'ileges were limited because of the primitive character of the frontier schools. Tliroughout his entire life he has carried on farming and though he has met with some difficul- ties and obstacles in his path he has steadily persevered and has event- ually become a well-to-do citizen. In early life he suffered heavy losses, but with strong resolution and determined purpose he started again, working hard and living economically and in six years had made fifty- five hundred dollars. In Lakewood county. Indiana, in 1840. Mr. Bain was united in BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 241 marriage to Miss Mary Gulic, a daughter of William Gulic, a miller of that part of the country. Six children were born to our subject and his wife while they were residents of the Hoosier state, these being: James, who was bom in 1841 ; Henry and Sarah, both deceased; Ellen, Hattie, and Annie. After the arrival of the family in this state other children were added to the household, including Robbie and Mary Lxjuisa. the latter now deceased. Mr. Bain secured a tract of land in Mantua township. Monroe county, and with characteristic energy began its cultivation, making the fields so productive that he aniuially gathered good harvests and thus materially increased his income. At length, on account of the ill health of his wife, he removed to Albia, where he lived for seven vears, and in 1898 he was called upon to mourn the loss of his loved companion, with whom he had traveled life's journey for fifty-eight vears. She was called to her final rest on the 12th of October of that year, at the age of eighty-two years, having been born in 1816. Mr. Bain sold his farm to his son-in-law. \\\ C. Scorck, just prior to his wife's death, and since that time he has lived a retired life. Mrs. Bain was a devoted member of the Presbyterian church, to which Mr. Bain also belongs, having joined the organization when eighteen years of age. For a long period he served as an elder in the church, but later resigned. His interest in the church, however, and in the advancemeni of the cause of Christianity has never abated, and his intluence has ever been cast on the side of right and truth. He has now reached the age of eighty-three years, and his has been a career in which industry, straightforward dealing, loyalty in citizenship and kindliness to his fellow men have been the salient characteristics. 242 BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. CLEXDENNEN BOGGS. Cleiuiennen Boggs is now living a retired life in All)ia. He has passed the seventy-sixth milestone on life's journey, and his has been an upright and honorable career, worthy of the respect and veneration which are shown him. He was born in Braxton county. West Vir- ginia, June i8, 1826, his parents being L. M. and Nancy Boggs, who were also natives of West Virginia. The father followed farming throughout his entire life, thus providing for his family. With his wife and children he started for the west in the year 1837 and took up his abode in Lee county, Iowa, nine years before the admission of tlie state into the Union. He secured a tract of hind upon which he carried on agricultural pursuits, and in 1843, when the district now comprised within Monroe county was ojiened for settlement by the white man, he came with his family to this portion of the state and was among the honored pioneers who laid broad and deep the foundation for the pres- ent development and progress of the county. He gave his political sup- port to the Whig party in early life and when tlie Republican party was organized he j.^ined its ranks. In the early fifties he was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who died in the faith of the Methodist church, of which she was a devout and earnest member, Mr, Boggs long survived her, reaching the advanced age of ninety-three years, his deatli occurring in 1899. Their children were Clcndcnncn : Hender- son; Mathan; Mary Jane, deceased ; Louisa; Smith: George M., who has also passed away; Martha .Ann; Malis.sa; and Martin. Ciendennen Boggs spent the first thirteen years of his life in the state of his nativity and then became a resident of Iowa, wdiere he has lived continuously since, and the history of the state from early pioneer BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 243 times is familiar to him. His educational privileges were limited, Init he made the most of his opportunities and as the years have passed he has prospered, gaining' a comfortable competence as the result of his earnest and indefatigable labor. When twenty-three years of age he was united in marriage to Miss Margaret Ramsey, a daughter of John Ramsey, their wedding being celebrated in Monroe county, where he had located about three years previous. Previous to his marriage he had entered one hundred and twenty acres of land from the govern- ment, for which he paid the price of one dollar and a quarter per acre. It was as it came from the hands of nature, covered with the native prairie grasses, not a furrow having been turned or an improvement made thereon, but he at once began to break the prairie and in course of time the fields were planted and good harvests followed. Through his energetic efforts and the assistance of his estimable wife he prospered as the years passed b_\' and throughout his active business career con- tinued to engage in farming, but he e\entually put aside business cares, and disposing of his land removed to Albia. He there purchased prop erty and has since made his home in this place. To Mr. and Mrs. Boggs have been born the following children: Henry Clay; William V... deceased; and Newton E. For almost fifty- seven years the subject of this review has resided in Monroe county and for more than a half ccntur_\' he and his wife have traveled life's journey together. While there ha\e been no exciting chapters in his career, his life history pro\es how valuable are enterprise and industry in the active affairs of life, for it has been along these lines that Mr. Boggs has acquired the conifnrtable competence that now enables him to live retired in the enjoyment ni the fruits of his former toil. 2U BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. LINCOLN HARBOLD. Development and progress, centralization and specialization — these terms are characteristic of the present age of industrial activity ; and nowhere are these facts more patently sliown than in the history of the great stock-raising and meat business, which reaches its highest per- fection in the L'nited States and under the energy and genius of the American producer. It is only within the past few years that the rais- ing of large c]uantities of cattle was possible or profitable; but with the growth of transportation facilities and the expanding of the pack- ing and preserving industry, the stock business has been rexolutionized and is now one of the surest and most profital)le pursuits ; immense herds ma\- be fattened and hurried off to distant markets for packing with absolute certaintv of returns, and with none of the anxieties or de- lays connected with the old local markets and Uxral slaughter houses. With these facts before us, we can better appreciate the foremost posi- tion which Lincoln Harlxild occupies among the business men of Ap- panoose county, for although a comparatively young man. he is reck- oned as one of the leaders of Iowa's many stock dealers. Samuel L. and Mary E. (Hudson) Harbold were the parents of our subject; the furmcr was a native of the old Bluegrass state and was born near the town of Paris. These worthy people first met in Appanoose county and were there married and spent the remainder of their lives. Samuel was considered one of the prominent and influen- tial farmers of southern Iowa and his successful life was certainly an inspiration to his young son, and the memory of his name and work was not by any means the least inheritance which he left behind at his death. His life was ended on Se])tember lo, 1895, and his wife died in 1875, when the boy, Lincoln, was but tweh'e years t)ld. BIOGRAPHICAL A\D GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 24o Lincoln Ilarhnld is ;i native of Ap])anoose ccnmty and was l)orn on his father's farm. August 7, 1863; he was reared under t'lie sturdy discipline of the home farm and early acquired an insight into the prac- tical working of the business to which he was to later give his atten- tion and utmost efforts. .\s he grew older and the possibilities of the business became more ap])arent. he increased his facilities initil he is at present the owner of six hundred and sixty acres of fine land near Piano, and two hundred and eighty acres near Truro, Iowa, which he devotes to the grazing of the thousands of cattle handled by him e\-ery year, and he buys large quantities of grain for their consumption. Mr. Harbold first began the feeding and handling of stock on a large scale in 1896, and now his broad acres are the temporary feeding grounds for manv cattle, which, as soon as they have reached the required weight and the market justifies it, are shipped ofT to the packing centers, and thus the business goes on, with its various fluctuations, but continually bringing increased returns to its capable manager and owner. He feeds annually three thousand cattle and five thousand hogs, which con- sume one hundred and fifty thousand bushels of corn. In 1887 Mr. Harbold was married to Caroline Kirkland, the daughter of Benson and Mary (Doran) Kirkland. Her father was a native of West Virginia and her mother was born in Maryland; they were married in West \'irginia and in 1869 came to Iowa and located on a place two miles west of Mr. Harbold's home: they are still living and reside on the old Kirkland farm in Johns township. Mr. and Mrs. Harbold became the jjarents of three children, only one of whom is now living, (iracc Harbold. .\fter tlieir marriage thc_\- began house- keeping on the farm which they now reside and to-day they own the finest residence in .\pi)an(3ose county, comfortable and commodious, and 246 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. fitted with all the conveniences which make life in the country ideal. All these possessions which go to make life happier are but the results of the well deserved success of Mr. Harbold. who has won all by care- fully following the business instincts implanted in him in his youth and by the application of the cardinal \irtues which are given to every man. In his fraternal relations he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows in Piano. SAMUEL ELDER. In almost all American communities there may be found quiet, re- tiring men, who never ask for public office or appear prominent in pub- lic affairs, yet who, nevertheless, e.xert a wide-felt influence in the coni- munitv in which tliey live and hcli) to construct the proi^er foundation upon which the social and ixjlitical world is built. Such a man is Samuel Elder, who throughout his entire life has been an honored and respected citizen of Monroe county. He was born on the farm on which he still resides, ten miles northeast of Albia; four miles north of Avery and three miles from Chisholm, the latter being his postoffice address, and the date of his l)irth was January 26, 1853. His paternal grandfather, John Elder, came to this country from Ireland when twenty years of age, and his death occurred in Ohio, while on the maternal side our subject is descended from old Pennsylvania ancestry. He is a son of Mattiiew and Jane (Lowery) Elder, the former of whom was born in Coshocton county, Ohio. In 1850 Matthew Elder came to Iowa, locating on our subject's present homestead, where he passed away in death at the age of sixty-eight years and one month. His wife, who was born near Pittsburg, Penns}lvania, died at the home of BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 247 a son in Albia, when she had passed the age of eighty-one years. Ten children were the result of this union, nine of whom are still living, and the deceased daughter left a family of five children. Samuel Elder received his early education in the schools of Mon- roe county, while later he attended the educational institutions of Eddy- ville, Iowa, and Monmouth, Illinois. After his marriage he located in Ringgold county, Iowa, where he farmed on rented land for two years, after which he purchased and removed to a place in Wayne county, this state. After a residence there of one year he sold his possessions and purchased the three hundred acres which constitute his present valuable homestead. The farm is located in Pleasant township, and at the time of purchase was only partially improved, but he has since placed the entire tract under cultivation, and it is now one of the valuable farms of the county. He devotes his attention to general farming and stock- raising, and in both lines of industry his efforts are being rewarded with a high and well merited degree of success. The marriage of Mr. Elder was celeljrated on the 14th of March, 1878, when Miss Anna Chisholm liecame his wife. She was born in Columbiana county, Ohio, and is a member of an old and prominent family of Monroe county, Iowa, the village of Chisholm, located therein, having been named in honor of her father. She is a daughter of William and Mary (McQueen) Chisholm. The father, also of Col- umbiana county, Ohio, came to Iowa in i860, and his death occurred in this state at the age of sixty years. His mother, Janet, reached the re- markable age of one hundred and one years, and she was from Scot- land. The mother of Mrs. Elder, who was born in Columbiana county, Ohio, also spent her last daj's in this locality, passing away in death at the age of sixty years. By her marriage Mrs. Elder has become the 2i8 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. mother of tliree cliildren. the two eldest of whom. Charles M. and Marv E.. are attending Penn College of Oskaloosa, Iowa, and the youngest, Janet, is at home. In political matters Mr. \i\(\ev has been a life-long Republican, his first \()te having been cast for R. B. Hayes in his race for the presidenc}', and in 1899 he was elected to the position of supervisor and he was made chairman of the Ixiard. The family are members of the I'nited Presln-terian cluu-ch, and Mr. Elder as- sisted materially in the erection of the house of worship of that denom- ination in this locality. THOMAS FOSTER. For a half-century Thomas Foster was a resident of Appanoose county and while he did not figure prominently in political or public affairs, he was nevertheless numbered among the valued citizens because of his interest in everything pertaining to the public good, and because in private life he was a man worthy of respect and honor. He was born in Edgar county, Illinois, on the 14th of July, 1828, and passed away at his home near Moulton, Iowa, on the 14th of August, 1901. His parents were John and Elizabeth Eve (Rhoades) Foster, in whose family were thirteen children: Thomas, Rachel, Arthur, An- drew, Hannah, Rebecca, Catherine, Mary. John, Evaline, Angeline, Jackson and Washington. Of this family Thomas Foster was the eldest and in consequence of this the burdens which devolved upon him in early years were heavy. He was reared to farm life and in the common schools pursued his education. He remained under the par- ental roof until he was twenty-five years of age, and at that time be- came the manager of the family affairs, remaining in charge for sev- THOMAS FOSTER. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 251 era! years, during which time lie was the main support of his mother and younger brothers and sisters. He bravely performed the duties which devolved upon him and fulfilled his task with conscientiousness and energy, such as characterized his entire career. On leaving Illinois the family had removed to Missouri, thence to Lee county, Iowa, and in 185 1 had come to Appanoose county, where Thomas Foster made his home until called to his final rest. Throughout the years of his man- hood he carried on agricultural pursuits, his labors being interrupted only by his service in the Civil war. On the 8th of July, 1862, feeling that his first duty was to his country in her hour of peril, he offered his services to the government, enlisting as a member of Company D, Sixth Iowa Infantry, in which command he served for four years and one month, never faltering in his loyalty or in the discharge of any task as- signed to him, although he was often in tlie thickest of the fight and became familiar with all the hardships of war. In 1864, while home upon a furlough, Mr. Foster was married, the lady of his choice being Miss Sabra A. Robinson, a daughter of Joel and Jane (Daily) Robinson. The lady was born in Fountain county, Indiana, September 25, 1836. Her parents were southern people who remo\-ed from North Carolina to Tennessee, thence to In- diana, whence they came to Appanoose county, Iowa, in 1851, here spending their remaining days. j\fter the close of the war Mr. Foster resumed farming and was thereafter actively engaged in the work of tilling the soil. He placed the land under a very high state of cultiva- tion and made many e.xcellent and modern improvements upon his place, which are today evidences of his life of thrift and industry. In connection with the cultivation of the fields he also engaged in stock- raising and found that a profitable source of income. At his death he 252 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. left a fair estate, and to his widow, who survives him, he left a com- fortable competence for the rest of her life. He was an industrious and energetic man, in whose career there were few idle moments. He was fair-minded, just and honest, and was uniformly respected by a wide circle of acquaintances. While not a member of any religious organization, he was a man of high moral worth and rectitude of charac- ter, and well may it be said of him that he was a loyal and enterprising citizen and a faithful friend and kind husband. He held membership in the Grand Army of the Republic and was highly esteemed by his old comrades of the blue. Mrs. Foster is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and is well known in the county where she has re- sided for more than a half centurv. \VILLI.\M BERXARD. \\'hen the hey-day of life has been spent and old age comes on, it is a blessed privilege to be able to look back upon a life of fruitful effort and to know that not all tiie opportunities thrown in one's way have been passed by; and certainly in a country of opportunity, this great United States, no man can offer any excuse for not enjoying this privi- lege, and it is a pleasure to here record the life of one who has passed a successful career and now reaps the contentment coming to the re- tired farmer. Malechia Bernard, who was born in Maryland, came from there to Seneca county, Ohio, when that state was still young, and he remained there till his death. He married Sarah Rayner, a native of Maryland, and she died in Michigan. These were the parents of the subject of this sketch and they had nine children in all. six sons and three daugh- BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 253 ters : Jolin, deceased: Susan, deceased; Edwin, deceased; Aaron; \\'illiam : (ieorge; W'asliington. deceased ; Ellen, deceased ; and Mary. Malechia Bernard was a member oi the old Whig party and his reli- gious belief was that of the Methodist Protestant church. William Bernard is able to claim the beautiful old state of Mary- land for his birthplace, being born there in Frederick county, December 17, 1823, and he was reared and educated in that place. At the age of seventeen he came to Ohio, where he remained for eleven years. His arrival in Monroe county is dated in 1855. and he first located in Pleas- ant township, but afterward lx>ught a farm in Jackson townshii), wiiich he still owns, although he is now retired from active farming. He be- longs to the Republican party and for a number of years was a suc- cessful attornew but be has ne\'er aspired to any of the honors that come \vith political office. His has been a well-rounded and full life, and he is a representative and worth}- citizen of the county. While residing in Seneca county. Ohio. ■Mr. Bernard was married to Elizabeth Egbert, who was a native of that county. Eight children now make up the happy family, seven sons and one daughter, as fol- lows : Charles \\'., George M., Warren, Rolla. Jesse, Alta, William, Jr., and one wbo died in infancy. Mrs. Bernard died December 31, 1890, and on October 15. 1902. ]\Ir. Bernard married Miss Sarah Albert, who is a native of Indiana. AMOS F. INHLLEK. One of the most progressixe and enteri)rising business men of Monroe county is .\mos F. Miller, who is connected with one of the largest cheese factories in the county. By his progressive spirit and 254 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. unflagging energ>- he has contributed in a large measure to the business activity of Bkiff Creek townsliii). antl is regarded as a man of force and wortli in tlie Inisiness world. Mr. Miller was born in Ripley county. Indiana, on the 28th of January. 1855, and is a son of Henry and Mary R. (Hiteman) Miller. The father, who was of German origin, was a native of France, but when a mere 1)oy he left his jiome across the sea and came to the United States. The year 1858 witnessed his arrival in the Hawkeye state, and a location was made near the vicinity of Hite- man in Monroe county, that \illage having been named in honor of an uncle of our subject. Both Mr. and Mrs. Miller died in Pottawattomie county, Iowa, the former at the age of seventy-nine years and the latter w'hen fifty-nine years of age. They became the parents of twelve chil- dren, ten of whom are still living. Amos F. Miller was early inured to the lalx)rs of the farm, and he continued to reside on the old home farm until the nth of March, 1881, when he was married to Martha E. Williams. She was born in Kan- sas, and by her marriage has become the mother of six children, one of whom died in infancy, and those living are: Amy, who became the wife of J. C. Moore; and Henry E., Qiarles M., Anna L., and Mildred E., at home. All are receiving excellent educational privileges, and they will no doubt prove an honor to the honored family name. After his marriage Mr. Miller located on a farm near Avery, Monroe county, Iowa, where he conducted a cheese factory for one year, he having learned that business prinr to his marriage. Removing thence to Lynnville, Iowa, he resumed the same occupation, and after residing there for a time located .southeast of Albia. Three years later he came to his present location, four miles northwest of that city, where he is now serving as the manager, treasurer and salesman of one of BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 255 the largest clieese factories in tlie county. This concern lias a capacity of seven thousand jiounds of milk daily, and furnishes employment to many men. The plant is now equipped with modern machinery and all accessories for facilitating" the work and rendering the product of value on the market hy reason of its excellent quality. Mr. Miller is also the owner of a \aluahle farm, and is one of the substantial business men of Monroe county. He was reared in the faith of the Republican jiarty and was one of its supporters until the Prohibi-. tion agitation in Iowa, when he supported Grover Clevehuul in his first race for the presidenc)-, and continued to uphold Democratic principles until the nomination of William J. Bryan. Since that time he has exer- cised his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the Rejjublican party. I""or one term he scr\ed as assessor of his township, for many years was a member of the school board, and is now school secretar}' and township trustee, being incumbent of the latter position by appointment. The family attend the services of the Methodist Epis- copal church. JAMES W. CLAVER. Tlie name of James \\'. Claver is inseparably interwoven with the history of Monroe count}-. He is one of its honored pioneers and most esteemed and worllu' farmers. His birth, liowever. occurred in the old Hoosier state, in Putnam county, where he first opened his eyes to the light of day on the 28th of August. 1845. When nine years of age, in 1854, he accompanied his parents on their removal to Iowa, the fam- ily locating where our subject now resides, and with the exception of his term of one year in charge of the county farm this locality has since 256 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. continued to be his liome. When tlie Civil war was inaugurated for the preservation of tlie Union, Mr. Claver nobly offered his services to his native country, enlisting in June, 1863, in Company C, Eighth Iowa Cavalry, under Colonel J. B. Dorr. His military record was indeed an honorable one and when the war had closed and the country no longer needed his services he was mustered out at Clinton, Iowa. Re- turning thence to his home, he remained under the paternal roof until his twenty-second year, when he was married to Eliza Hilliard, a na- tive of Van Buren county, Iowa. They became the parents of five children, three of whom still survive: Ervin E., Nellie and Bert F., all of whom are married, and Ervin E. and Xellie have each two chil- dren. The first born in this family died at the age of two years, and another passed away in infancy. The wife and mother also passed into eternal rest, and in 1888 Mr. Claver was united in marriage to Loretta Bucher, by whom he has one son, Frank W. After his first marriage Mr. Claver settled down to farm life on the old homestead, which is located about seven miles north of Albia, in Blufif Creek township, and the many improvements here inaugurated by the father have been carried out by the son, and it is now one of the valuable homesteads of the locality. The fellow townsmen of our subject, who have recognized his worth and ability, have called him to many public offices, and among the many local positions which he has held may be mentioned that of township trustee, while for many years he was also a member of the school board. He has, since casting his first vote, continued to uphold the principles of the old Republican party. The family attend the services of the Methodist Episcopal church. As the years have passed by Mr. Claver has acquired a hand- some competence. He possesses the sterling ([ualities of the sturdy BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 257 pioneers who have bravely faced tlie trials and hardships of life on the plains in order to make homes for their families, and thus aided in lay- ing the foundation for the present prosperity and progress of this por- tion of the state. IRA NOBLE. The fame of Iowa as the home of thoroughbred stock has extended over the civilized world. The last census gives her precedence in the live-stock industry over all the states of the American Union, and her output is as fine in quality as it is large numerically. The famous breeding counties of old England, which at one time supplied this and all other countries witli the best samjiles of horses, cattle and sheep, no longer e.xercise the pre-eminence once enjoyed. Nor do the stock centers in the celelirated bluegrass sections of Kentucky, middle Tennes- see and Ohio now enjoy the supremacy which a few decades ago was allowed them without question. The fine-stock banner, like the center of population and the "Star of Empire," has been moving westward anfl at length seems to float ])ermanentl\' over the comparati\'ely new state, whose eastern border is washed by the upper ]\Iississii)i)i. It is only necessary to attend one of the international live-stock exhibitions given at Chicago every Decemlicr to be convinced that Iowa is able to hold her own in compctitii)n with the whole world in this important department of national development. All over the state may be found farms devoted to the scientific Ijreeding and feeding of stock, where the general methods embody all the latest im])rovements and the concrete results of the highest skill. One of these stock farms, which is a model of its kind, is situated in Monroe count\', near All)ia, and the foregoing 258 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. prefatory remarks are intciidcd as an introductinn to its owner. It is called the Maple Row stock farm, and has l>een owned and operated about seventeen years by Mr. Ira Noble, a nieml)er of a family long influential in the affairs of Monroe county. The lover of fine horses who visits this place will find much to delight the eye in the shape of fine trotters of the best strains and trained by a thorough master in the art of breeding. He will be shown stallions with pedigrees as long as those of any English king, who have to their credit some remarkable achievements on the track. (General Wilkes. Jr.. has a record of 2:24 1-2, and is the sire of one colt with a record of 2:08^4 to his credit, twelve others w-ith records l>etter than 2 :20 and twenty-four in the 2 130 list. Red Maple was sired by Red Baron and is another high- born member ()f this equine aristocracy, having to his credit the hardest and longest race in the world, won at Independence after twelve heats. Much space could be devoted to description of other I)eauties on this fine fanu and to the place itself, but first something nuist be said of the proprietor and the famih- to which he belongs. Samuel Xoble. the emigrant founder, came from Ireland during the latter ])art of the eighteenth century and settled in Huntington county. I'ennsvlvania. His so!i John, lK)rn in 1796. long afterward removed to Iowa, where he died in 1871. at Fairfield. He married Elizabeth, daughter of .Abram Crane, of (lerman lineage, by whom he had ten children, all sons but one. and nine of these are still living. Samuel Noble, one of the nine boys, was born in Huntington county, Pennsylvania, November 30, 18 19. and came to Iowa in 1845, just a year ])re\ious to the state's admission into the Union. He first located at Fairfield, Jefferson county, but in 1849 embarked in merchandising at Albia. and continued that business with success for sixteen vears. BIOGRAPHICAL A.YD GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 259 In 1865 he cliised out Iiis mercantile business and engaged in realty and loaning, which constituted his occupation for a number of years. Dur- ing this period he did much for the improvement of Albia, a notable instance being the erection of the fine business block on the northwest corner of the square, which is known l)y his name. By judicious invest- ments in real estate and general business ability he became a large propert}- holder, his possessions including several hundred acres of farm land near the city. .\s a stockholder and director in the Monroe County Bank he was for man\- vcars an influential figure in the financial circles of Albia and ranked without question as one of its leading citizens. In i860 he was elected judge of Monroe county on the Republican ticket and also served se\eral terms as a member of the city council. He has been an elder in the I^-esbytcrian church for forty years or more, and during that time also one of the most liberal contributors to and pro- moters of religious work of all kinds. In 1842 Judge Noble married Miss Sarah Matthews of Penns\l\ania, who died a few years later in her native state, and in 1849, ^.iter coming to Iowa, he contracted a sec- ond matrimonial union with Miss Mary J., daughter of Samuel Ship- ler, of Jefferson county. Mrs. Xoble died October 14. 1892, leaving two sons, Emmett E. and Ira, and a daughter, Mary, now the wife of Charles Tharp of Chicago. Ira Noble, second of the sons above mentioned, was born in .\ll)ia, Monroe county, Iowa, May 6, 1837, and was educated in the schools of his native place and in Burlington. His first business employment after leaving the schoolrcjoni was as clerk in the old Monroe County Bank, but he soon abandoned this for more energetic pursuits. From earliest childhcxxl he had develo])ed a fondness for horses, and was ne\-er so happv as when handling these animals. This disposition found a vent 260 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. ill the estal)lisliment of a livery stable, which enterprise followed closely after his departure from the bank, and he was also connected for a time with a grocery store in Albia. The ruling passion, however, found full gratification in 1886. when Mr. Xoble abandoned every other kind of business to concentrate his attention upon stock-breeding. In the vear mentioned he took possession of Maple Row stock farm, consisting of nearly one hundred and sixty acres of land within a mile of Albia. Here he entered into the breeding of horses for the road and farm, and for a number of years kept jacks, but latterly he has practically droppetl all other features to make a specialty of trotters. He handles only the standard breeds, as a glance over his catalogues will show, and his place is visited by turfmen from far and near who are anxious to secure promising colls. Mr. Xoble enjovs a hi.gh reputation as a breeder and handler of trotting stock, and his name is familiar throughout the west at all places where turfmen meet for business or pleasure. From his neatly kept farm go forth e\ery year a dozen or more fine young ani- mals, the product of proud sires and dams, and many of Mr. Noble's output have made fine racing records. His reputation both as a breeder and conscientious dealer, added to the excellence of his stock, enables him to obtain high prices and to enjoy a deserved prosperity as the result of his enterprise. It is such men as he that have given to Iowa her place of proud pre-eminence in the live-stock industrv and brought her to the front as the home of tliDroughlireds of the highest and best quality. In 1879 ^I""- Noble was united in marriage with Miss Nellie A., daughter of Janies B. and Elizabeth (Irvin) Bell, the former of Penn- syhania and the latter of Indiana, and now residing on a farm in Kan- sas. Mrs. Noble, who is highly spoken of b\- those who knew her well BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. '201 as a Christian wife ami inntlier, died a few years ago, at tlie eompar- ati\'elv earlv age of lliirty-nine. She left as a consolation to her bereaved iuisband three unusually bright children, whose names are Guy G., Iva J., and J. Thorpe, who in years to come promise to be worthy success- ors to their father in his nuble calling. ALEXANDER C. WATSON. Taking all things ec|ual, the soldier makes a better citizen than the civilian, for ujxjn the field of 1)attle he has learned wliat it means to stand by the country in the hour of peril, and the patriotism which he has manifested in the hour of strife remains with him through the years following and pro\-es one of the basic elements of his citizenship. Mr. Watson is among the number who, when the south attempted to overthrow the L'nifin, went forth in defense of the national government at Washington ami through the period of civil strife loyally defended the old flag and the cause it represented. Today he is regarded as one of the leading business men of Monroe county, where he is successfully engaged in general agricultural pursuits and stock-raising. A native of Mifflin county. Pennsylvania, Mr. Watson was born November ii, 1842. and comes of a family noted for military prowess and unwavering loyalty to the country in hours of danger. One of his ancestors served with General Braddock in the French and Indian war and was captured by Indians at Fort Pitt. Others of the name served in the cause of independence, and the grandfather of our sul>- ject was a soldier of the war of 1S12, bearing arms for his country at the early age of eleven years : he was wounded and drew a pension. One of tlie near relatives, an Alexander Watson, was a captain in the 262 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. war of tlie Rebellion, and still others joined the Union army and fought with the boys in blue. Thomas Watson, the father of our subject, was born in county Antrim, Ireland, and was only a \ear and a half old when brought by his parents to America. After arriving at years of maturity he wedded Elizabeth D. Cameron and in the year 1855 he came with his family to Washington county, Iowa, and spent two years there when he moved to near Tyrone and operated a sawmill two years. In 1859 he came to Monroe county, Iowa, settling upon the farm where his son Alexander now resides, about four miles north of Albia. Op- pression in any form was always distasteful to him and awakened his strong opix)sition and it was therefore natural that he should oppose the cause of Rebellion and work for the suppression of slavery in the south. His home in Pennsylvania had been a station on the famous underground railroad and be did e\erything in his power to promulgate anti-slavery sentiments. .\t one tiiue he and his father were the only abolitionists who voted in llieir district. He pas.sed away at the age of seventy-six years, and his wife died at the lionie of her son Alexander when also seventy-six years of age. They were the parents of eight children, three of whom are yet living, and the sister Mary now makes her home with her brother .Alexander. She is a lady of nol)le Christian character and ])resitles with gracious hospitality over his home. Ale.xander C. Watson spent the tnrst thirteen years of his life in Mifflin county, Pennsylvania, where he was born on the 1 ith of No- vember, 184J. In 1855 he accompanied his parents on their westward emigration and here he assisted in the arduous task of developing a new farm, working in field and meadow, as does the average farmer boy. until he had attained the age of eighteen years. Then, on the 2d of October, 1861, in response to his country's call for aid to suppress the BIOGRAPHICAL A.\D GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 2G3 rebellion in the smUli. lie enlisted fur service as a member of Company H. Tbirteentb Iowa Infantrv. becoming a member of Colonel Crocker's Regiment, with which he serxxd for three years and four months. He participated in the engagements at Shiloh and Corinth, and he started with Sherman on his famous march to the sea, but was wounded at Kenesaw Mountain, when he was sent home on a furlough. \\'hen the war was ended Mr. Watson received an honorable dis- charge at Marietta, (leorgia, and received his last pay at Louisville, Kentucky, after which lie returned to his father's home in Monroe county, Iowa. For two years following his military experience Mr. Watson at- tended scIkxjI in order to be prepared for the duties of a business career and has since been actively engaged in farming and stock raising, carry- ing on his affairs in a systematic manner, which shows that he is thor- oughly familiar with the best methods of farm work. He lived and worked upon the old homestead and was soon recognized as a leading business man and stock raiser. He is especially well known in tlie latter direction, having dealt quite extensively in pure standard bred stock, making a specialt_\- of Callowa_\- cattle and Shropshire sheep and Po- land China and Chester White hogs. He also owns some of the best l)red horses that have e\er been placed upon the market. He is con- tinually seeking to iiuprove the grade of stock raised and has thus done nuich for the community, f(.ir as the graile of stock is impro\'cd ])rices are accordingly advanced, ;ind the entire locality is benefited thereby. Since his return from the war he lias practically lived all of the time upon the farm which is yet his home. The first house was 16x24 feet and is still standing near the present commodious and modern resi- dence, which was built in 1869. There are good barns and outbuild- 264 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. ings upon the place, and the air of neatness and tlirift prevails, indi- cating a careful and progressive owner. On March 2. 1882, Mr. Watson was united in marriage to Miss Mary Lane, a native of Muskingum county, Ohio, and a daughter of Dr. J. Morris and Susanna Lane; her father was an own cousin of the celebrated Jim Lane, who won his fame in "Bleeding Kansas." The Doctor died in Ohio, but his widow still survives and is living in Bloom- field, that state. Mrs. Watson was a most estimable lady, jx^ssessing a beautiful character, and her kindliness of heart and her cordial man- ner won her the love and esteem of all with whom she was brought in contact, but at the early age of twenty-five years she was called to her final rest, passing away on the 12th of December, 1884, her birth having (nrcurred on the 23d of May, 1859. She was prominent in church work, holding membership with the Presbyterian denomina- tion, and her Christian faith jiermeated her entire life and colored her relations with those with whom she came in contact. She died leaving two sons — Morris L. and Thomas E. — who are l)right, intelligent boys, now students in the Albia high school. Mr. Watson cast his first presidential ballot for .\braham Lincoln in 1864 while a member of the army. His father had been an old-line Whig, and upon the organization of the Republican party, to prevent the further extension of slavery, he joined its ranks and cast his vote for John C. Fremont. On attaining his majority the son followed in the father's political footsteps and has never seen a reason to change his allegiance to the party. He and the family are members of the Associate Reformed church and he is liberal in support of the cause of Christianity, is a friend of education and co-operates in all meas- ures for the general good, along lines of progress, reform and improve- BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 265 ment. His has been an active and useful life, one which commends him to the confidence and esteem of all with whom he has been brought in contact. Perhaps no better evidence of his patriotic spirit can be given than by quoting the speech which he made in behalf of the \-et- erans of his township when they were presented by the ladies of the community with a fine flag: ■' In behalf of the veterans of our township, and in profound re- spect for the purpose that prompts this gift, I accept from your fair hands this beautiful gift — the flag of our country — and would say that to those who have followed this starry banner through the storm and carnage of battle to victory and final peace, no other gift could so touch our hearts, so awaken the memories of the past, and kindle our emo- tions, none that could appeal with more eloquence to the future in all that we desire for the glory of our country and the happiness of those we hold most dear. " And in receiving this beautiful emblem of our country's glory, we are not forgetful of the brave boys who marched with us to the front at our country's call, who are not with us to take part in these pleasant ceremonies. We have heard tlieir dying cry as they fell in defense of this flag, and they are not forgotten. No ! There is a voice from their tomb that is sweeter than song, and a remembrance to those dead to which we turn ever from the charms of the living, whose frag- mentary history was recorded by the daily press as only a picket shot down, or they died in ho.spital, or they fell in battle, or they died in prison, where the common humanities of life were forgotten by a cruel and embittered foe, but their memory and honor are cherished by a grateful and patriotic people, and their blood adds a deeper luster to 26G BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. this beautiful flag, and by tlieir sacrifice we enjoy tlie inestimal)le bles- sings of peace and a nation preserved. " And we cannot receive tliis beautiful flag without remembering our mothers — some l)eing with us to-da_v to bless us with their pres- ence — who with pathetic fortitude, with tearful eyes and breaking hearts, as they caressed and kissed us good-bye, asking God's speed with a mother's blessing, seeing only visions of wounds and death to their sons who marched to the country's defense. A thousand battles tell in part the story of their sorrows, and gentle time has in some measure assuaged their grief and solaced their hearts, and to the great numl)er the angel of mercy has come and touched them with his wings and whispered in their ears this message: "Come, ye blessed of my bather; inherit ihe kingdom prepared for yon." leaving us the precious memory of their gracious lives. May we not say the field of blue is the heaven of mother's love, in which is relit the stars of our unitv and glory ? " In accepting this beautiful tlag we express the desire that it may ever remain the defense of civil liberty, and that liy wise and whole- some laws to every worthy luember of our nation life shall be written in potential mood, that the stranger within our gates may have full protection, and that all children of men may turn with joy and hail it as the defence of all that is true and equitable in government. And we will teach our children to honor, defend and advance its glory. And now. dear hearts, in receiving this beautiful flag' from your fair hands. we renew again all the covenants of life. and. although in the progress of the vears we feel that the sword of its defense is ])assing to other and younger hands, we t'ecl assured that our gallant sons will stand for its defense .and will follow and defend it wherever dutv and honor BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 2G7 calls, and will transmit it unsullied with added luster by their worthy lives and noble deeds. And when we have heard the last song, and the last audible word, and looked for the last time in your loving faces, and God shall have closed our vision, may this beautiful banner drape the casket as we are carried to our last encampment, as the emblem of the country we loved and a token of affection of those we hold most dear, and we express the first and last desire anil pra}-er of our hearts, mav God bless vou all." WILLIAM MERCER. The subject of this review is a self-made man who in his youth had few advantages, educational or otherwise, nor had he the assist- ance of influential friends, but he possessed strong resolution, and, de- siring to become a successful factor in business circles in Monroe county, he has labored earnestly and energetically until his efforts have been crowned with a gratifying degree of prosperity. He now lives in Bluff Creek township, where he owned a valuable property, com- prising four hundred and sixty-five acres of land, which, however, he has divided among his children, retaining for himself one hundred and sixty acres: Mr. Mercer was born in Kentucky, February 26, 1827, and comes of a family of Scotch origin. From the land of hills and heather his early ancestors went to England and thence to America. The great- grandfather was a soldier in the continental army during the Revo- lutionary war and valiantl_\- assisted in winning .\merican independ- ence. George and Mary (Martin) Mercer, the grandparents, were residents of Pennsvlvania, whence thev removed at an earh' dav to 268 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. Kentucky, there residing until called to their final home, the former at the age of sixty-eight years, the latter at the age of seventy-four. Martin Mercer, the fatlier of our subject, was born in Kentucky and served his country in the war of 1812 under General Jackson, partici- pating in the "'tearless battle" of New Orleans. He was married to Anna L. Biggs, a daughter of .Andrew and Elizabeth (Christ) Biggs, w'ho were residents of Kentucky, but removed to Indiana, where both passed away at an advanced age, the former when he had attained four- score years, the latter at the age of seventy-eight. Mr. and Mrs. Martin Mercer also removed to Indiana, locating there in 1831. They became the parents of ten children, but only two are yet living, William and his brother, H. H. Mercer. The father died in Indiana at the age of seventy-three, and the mother's death occurred in the same place when she was seventy-two years of age. The early youth of William Mercer was a period of persistent and unremitting toil. His educational privileges were very meager, as he had opportunity to attend school for only al^out two months each year, and during that time he pursued his studies in a log building, sitting upon seats made of slabs, w'hich rested upon wooil>:NTON I'RINTZ. The medical profession has an eminent representative in Edward Trenton Printz. a leading physician of Moulton. Appanoose county. Iowa. He is of (ierman anccstr\- and inherits some of the estimable traits of that worthy race. Peter Printz, his paternal grandfather, was of German lineage and a native of Virginia, being a large planter. Solomon l''rintz, our subject's father, married Sarah Kiblcr. whose father. John Kiblcr. was a Virginia ])lantcr and also of German descent, and later came west with our subject's parents and died in Illinois at EDWARD T. PRIHTZ. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 277 the age of eighty-seven. Solomon and Sarah Prints were bolli natives of Page countv. Virginia, and in 1849, with a family of two sons and two daughters, came west in a wagon and settled in Jasper county, Illi- nois, on a farm; there they spent the rest of their lives, he dying when past sixty, and she when past seventy. They belonged to the Evangeli- cal Lutheran church, and he was an active Democrat and a success- ful farmer. Their children were as follows: Calvin F., deceased; Hiram, living in Newton, Illinois, and a prominent business man of that place; the two daughters next in order died in childhood in Illi- nois; Lvdia, the wife of Mr. Strall, of Illinois; John .\., a fanner and stock-raiser of Jasper county, Illinois; Edward Trenton; and Mary, who died at the age of twenty-six years. Edward Trenton Printz was born in Newton, Jasper county. Illi- nois, November 6, 1856, and was reared on a farm up to his sixteenth year; he first attended the country schools and then attended the normal school at Newton. Having fitted himself thoroughly for the task of teaching, he followed that profession for five years in the state of his birth. Having decided that his bent of mind was toward medicine as a calling, he entered the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Chi- cago and graduated in 1884, after which he located in Newton, Illinois, and practiced for two years. The date of his arrival in Moulton is 1886, since which time he has gained a large and lucrative patronage. Mr. Printz is a member of a numlier of professional organizations, the Iowa State Medical Society, the Des Moines Valley Medical Society, the Appanoose and Wayne Counties Medical Society, the .\merican Medical .\ssociation, and the National .Association of Railway Sur- geons. Dr. Printz was married in 1888 to Lizzie Marshall, who died in 278 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 1890; in 1895 he was married to Yerna Dye, and he has had two chil- dren by his last wife. Fraternrdly lie is a Master Mason, a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias. JOHX E. C.ARIl.XKTT. Far back into the early history of this countr)- can the ancestry of the Carhartt family be traced. The first of the name in .\merica was Thomas Carhartt, who crossed the .\llantic to serve as secretary to Governor Diigan, and in our subject's home is a complete genealogical record, giving the lines of descent from Thomas Carhartt down to the present. The parents of our subject were James S. and Mary (Elder) Carhartt, the former a son of Seth Carhartt and the latter a daughter of John Elder. They resided for some time in Coshocton county. Ohio, and both were natives of that state, but in 1850 they started westward and established their home in Monroe county, where the father engaged in farming. He spent his last days in the home of our subject, where he died aged seventy-six years. The mother afterward went to Union county, Iowa, where she died at the age of eighty-two years, but John Carhartt brought her remains back to this county, and she was buried by the side of her husband. In the family were six children, but John E. and one sister are the only ones now surviving. John E. Carhartt was born in Coshocton county, Ohio, September 13, 1840, and was reared upon the home farm, spending the first ten years of his life in the state of his nativity, and then accompanying his parents on their removal to Iowa, with the interests of which state he has since been identified. His education was begun in a log schoolhouse, and he conned his lessons while sitting upon a bench made of a slab BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 279 laid on wooden pins drisen into the wall. Later, however, he enjoyed better educational j)ri\ileges and for a time was a student in Albia. Reading upon the current topics of interest has made him a well in- formed man, and he keeps well versed on general subjects, political and otherwise. Through his _\outh he assisted in the work of the home farm, but during the early part of the Civil war he enlisted in Company E, Sixth Iowa Infantry, under Captain Sanders. He was with his regiment in a number of battles and skirmishes, and though he often went upon long marches or took part in battles when suffering from ill health, he reported for duty every day and loyally stood by the old flag until it was planted victoriously in the capital of the south- ern Confederacy. After the close of the war he was honorably dis- charged at Lcjuisville, Kentucky, and was mustered out at Davenport. There was no braver man in the army, and with a creditable military record he returned to his home. Mr. Carhartt at once went to his father's home, near where he now resides, and in the spring of 1866 purchased his present farm in Troy township. He further completed his arrangements for having a home of his own when in 1868 he married Miss Alice A. Boggs, a native of Monroe county. Four children have been born to them, of whom three are yet living: Mary L., who married S. H. Latham and has four sons; James S., who is married and has two sons and a daughter; and John \\'., at home, assisting his father in the cultivation of the farm. Since his marriage J\Ir. Carhartt has resided continuously upon his present farm and has made it a fine country home, its neat and tlirifty apjjearance being indicative of the care and supervision of a progressive owner. Never an active politician in the sense of ofiice seeking, Mr. Car- 280 BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GEXEALOGICAL HISTORY. hartt lias always had firm faith in the principles of the party which he endorsed by casting his first presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln, in 1864, while in the army. He has labored for the success of the party and is recognized as one of the stalwart Republicans of the locality. He is a charter member of J. R. Castle Post Xo. 313. G. A. R., of Avery, the oldest post in this section of the state ; for two years he served as its com- mander, after which he became quartermaster and has since held that ofifice. He also belongs to the Presbyterian church, and his Christian faith and belief have been manifest in his conduct toward his fellow- men, who know him to be a man of upright purpose and of intrinsic worth of character. THOMAS S. PATTOX. The above named, now living in retirement at Albia after a busy life, is a native of Ohio and has spent the whole of his activities within the borders of this state. Like most of his ancestors for generations, he has depended upon the soil for a livelihood, and the chief business of his life has been the cultivation of Mother Earth. His people, like nine-tenths of all the older Ii:)wans, came from eastern states during the formative period of this section and took part in the settlement, which was at its culmination between 1850 and 1870. The paternal grandparents of the gentleman under consideration were James and Anna (Walker) Patton, natives of Pennsylvania, who ended their days in the state of Ohio. Their son, James H. Patton, was born in Ohio in 1820, came to this state in 1856 and practiced medicine in Louisa and W'ashington counties, Iowa, for a few years, when he engaged in farm- ing. He died December 22, 1889. Dr. Patton married Elizabeth A. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 281 Shaw, who was 1)orii in Washiiii^ton cmint)-, Pcnnsvlvania. in 1829, and died in Iowa in 1902. Her parents were Pennsylvanians, wlio emi- grated to Iowa, engaged in farming and died in that state. Thomas S. Patton. son of tiie physician above mentioned, was born in Harrison count}-, Oliio, August 29, 1849, '""^' remained under the parental roof until he reached the age of twenty-one years. In the expressive western language he then "struck out for himself" and spent the two following years in laboring for monthly wages. On l-'ebruary 5, 1874, he married Mary .\., daughter of Josiah J. and Alargaret (Shaw) Orr, and a native of Louisa county, Iowa. Her father was a Tennessean, but the son of an Irish immigrant who came to this country at an early period and died at an advanced age. Josiah J. Orr came to Iowa about 1844 and purchased land, which he was engaged in farming until his death, which occurred January 26, 1900. at Columbus City, in the eighty-eighth year of his age, luning been born August 26, 1812. After his marriage Mr. Patton spent six months in Washington county, then rented a farm from his father-in-law in Louisa county, which he cultivated for seven years, and then purchased one hundred and twenty acres of partially impnned land in Monroe county, Iowa. This was followed l)y various purchases and sales until, as the result of all his transactions in real estate, Mr. Patton's holdings now amount to two hundred and ninety-six and one-half acres. Of the three children born to Mr. and Mrs. Patton. b^rcderick Oscar died when he was twenty months old; James O., who was born November 20, 1888, in Monroe county, is now attending high school ; Robert .\., the youngest child, was born .August 13. 1894, and like his brother gives promise of a l)right future. In fact, both of Mr. Patton's boys show unusual spright- liness and bid fair by their future achievements in life to reflect credit 282 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. on their luniored parents. Mr. Pattun"s political affiliations have always been with the Republican party, and his first vote was cast for General Grant when he was making the race for his second presidential term. In religion he and his wife are believers in the doctrines taught by the United Presbyterian church, and as members of that denomination they have always been active in its work. SAMUEL A. NEWELL. Though not a native of Iowa, the above named has been a resident for over fiftv years, and so long has he been identified with the affairs of Monroe county that he may justly be classed with the earliest pio- neers. Originally from the north of Ireland, his ancestry settled in old Virginia many generations ago, and his paternal grandfather. Samuel Newell, was a man of note during the latter half of the eighteenth century. He enlisted for the Revolutionary war, fought gal- lantly in many engagements, and at the battle of King's Mountain re- ceived a British bullet in his body which he carried until his dying day. Samuel married a Miss Montgomery, and among their children was a son named William. The latter married Paulina, daughter of David and Elizabeth Fain, Tennesseeans by birth, who removed first to Ken- tucky and then to Indiana, where the former ended his days. William and Paulina (Fain) Newell came to Iowa in 1851 and settled in Monroe county, where the former died shortly after his arrival, in the fiftieth year of his age, his wife long surviving Jiim and dying when seventy- six years old. Of their eleven children six are living in different sec- tions of the country, and all of them have families of their own. Samuel A. Newell, who is included in the last mentioned list, was BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 2S3 born January 25, 1838, during tlic residence of liis parents in Owen county, Indiana. He was tlierefore about tlTirteen years old when they came west, and grew to manhood on the farm settled by his father in Monroe county. After his father's death he became the head of tlie liousehold and occupied tlie position of a parent towards liis j'ouiiger brothers and sisters. He took charge of the farm and managed it until 1870, and during the subsequent twelve years was engaged in mer- chandising at Melrose, Monroe county. After retiring from his mer- cantile venture in T882, he embarked in the live stock business, and since then has been a general dealer in this industry. In May, i860, Mr. Newell was united in marriage with Malinda J., daughter of David and Rebecca (Nail) Lukenbill, who came to Iowa in 1852. The father died in Eddyville in January, 1853, a few weeks after his arrival, but his wife lived to be sixty years old before passing away at the home of her daughter. She had nine children, and of these three are now living, including Mrs. Newell, with whom she lived and was tenderly cared for during her declining years. Mr. and Mrs. Newell have an only daughter, named Ida. who married David A. Cris- well, a train dispatcher, and has three children, one boy and two girls. The Newells have a creditable record for patriotism, gained at different periods of the country's history. Besides the grandfather, of Revolu- tionary fame, one of his uncles participated in the Black Hawk war, and Mr. Newell himself was one of "the brave boys in blue" who fought for the Union. In the spring of 1862 he enlisted in Companv C, Eighteenth Regiment, Iowa Volunteer Infantry, under Captain Van Benthusen, and served loyally with his command for al)out one year. Mr. Newell started his political career by voting for Abraham Lincoln when he was making his race for the presidency, and has ever since 284 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. favored Republican ])rinci])les, thoiig^li lie is very independent in his \oting and "carries his sovereignty under liis hat." He was an Odd Fellow until his lodge surrendered its charter. He ma}- be described as a strictly self-made man, as what he has done has been accomplished without the assistance of wealthy or influential friends, and by his indi- vidual efforts he has obtained a creditable standing in the social and business world. GEORGE P. CRAMER. As the gentleman above named has been a resident of Iowa since 1849, three years after the state's admission into the Union, he is en- titled to the designation "early pioneer," and also to the respectful con- sideration which attaches to that name everywhere. The variety of Mr. Cramer's jnu-suits, his large exi)erience with men and affairs, and the adventures that have befallen him during his long career make him an unusuallv entertaining companion, and a pleasant evening may be passed any time by one who induces Mr. Cramer to relate his experi- ences. He can tell stories of what happened while he was an officer of the law arresting criminals; he knows how to keep hotel from twenty years' experience in that business; as i)roprietor of a transfer company he has come in constant contact with that irritable quantity called the traveling public. But above all, Mr. Cramer once had charge of a circus and was successful in its management. He sold his circus to Sells Brothers. Knowing that others will be interested in such a man, pains have been taken to obtain the main details of his life, which will now be unfolded in consecuti\c order. The genealogy will be started with the grandparents on either BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 285 side, botli of whom were Peiins}-lvanians of some note in tlieir day. Christopher Crane, the maternal grandfather, served as a soldier in the war of 1812, and paternal grandfather Cramer, wIkj spelled his name with an initial K. was a minister in the Lutheran church. The latter had a son, Christian J. Cramer, who was born at the family home in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, and after he grew up learned the trade of a harnessmaker. He married Barbara Crane, of Huntington, and later settled in Blair county, Pennsylvania, where he spent some years in the prosecution of his regular calling. It was while his parents resided in Blair county that their son, George P. Cramer, was born, jMarch 16, 1834, and he spent the first fifteen years of his life in the place of his nativity. In 1849 the family migrated to the distant state of Iowa by the somewhat crude and mingled methods of travel then in vogue, and after their destination was reached a home was established in the county of Fairfield, Jefferson township. The_\- moved on a farm, but came to Albia in the spring of 1850. CJeorge P., not finding the opportunity he wanted near home, went o\-er to Fort Des Moines and secured a job of hauling sawlogs. This, however, he kept up only two months and then began looking around for something more suitable to his taste. Albia, now the prosperous capital of Monroe county, was at that time a mere hamlet, but Mr. Cramer determined to cast his lot with what seemed to be a promising place and located there in the fall of 1849. Securing a clerkship in a dry goods store, he supported him- self from his salary for two years. The father having reopened his harness shop at that jilace, the son joined him and spent two years as assistant manager and salesman. The termination of this pcricid brought him to the completion of the nineteenth year of his age, at which time he made his first important business venture. Beginning as 2S6 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. a l)uyer and sliipper of live stock al .\lhia in 1S53, liis business grew with the town, and Mr. Cramer was one of the important dealers in this industry until 1866. when he closed out. His next venture was in the dry ^oods business, which he conducted at Albia two years and dis- posed of for the ])urpose of organizing a circus. This move seemed to be out of his line and caused some wonder among Mr. Cramer's friends, but he showed that he knew what he was doing and soon had his knights of the ring and sawdust, his accomplished equestrians, his fun-making clowns and other wonders going all over the country and showing to crowded tents. Tiiat be was making a success of it is amply proved by the fact that the great aggregation knows as Sells Brothers bought him out in 1870. After this exciting experience Mr. Cramer settled down to the more peaceful pursuit of hotel keeping, and for almost twenty-three years made the Cramer Hotel one of the most popular stopping places at .Albia. In connection witli the hostelry he conducted a bus and transfer company, of which he is still in active control. Though a lifelong Republican, having cast his maiden presi- dential v(jte for John C. Fremont, the party's first candidate, his office holding has been limited to membershii) in the city council and service as constable and deputy sherifT. On April 26, 1856, Mr. Cramer was married to I\liss Rachel Webb, whose ancestry is deserving of more than a passing notice. Her great- grandparents. Adrian and Lucinda ^^'ebb, were Virginians, who re- moved to Ohio early in the nineteenth century. Among their children was a son named John, who served as a substitute for his father in the war of 181J and drew a pension. He owned a farm in Preble county, Ohio, and there, on the 28th of September, 181 8, was born to him a son named facob. The latter remained mider the ])aternal roof until BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GEXEAI.OGICAL HISTORY. 287 the completion of liis twentietli year, wlicn he went to Iowa and in the fall of 183S located in \'an Bnren county. Xi>t being satisfied with the situaticin, he "ahont-faced" and went to Rush county, Indiana, and a few years later to Jefferson county, in the same state. In the spring of 1846 he returned to Iowa, took possession of a farm in Monroe county and operated it until elected clerk of the court, in which office he served three terms. In 1855 he went to California, .spent two years there aiid in Jnly. 1857. reappeared at his home in Albia after a tedious trip across the plains. In 18(10 he tHi>k another trip west, this time on a prospecting expedition, which lasted about eighteen months, and since then Mr. \\ebb has resided at Albia. In 1840 he was married to Sarah J., daughter of David and Susan (Donney) Caldwell, natives of Kentucky, who died in Iowa. One of the children by this marriage was Mrs. Rachel Cramer, who was born in Rush county, Indiana, De- cember 4, 1840, and died in Albia, Iowa, December 22, 1882, leaving three children. ^\■. P. Cramer, the youngest of these, was born in Jefiferson county, Iowa, April 13, 1863, and died in Albia in 1895. The first child was Anna, now the wife of Sheriff John Doner, of whom a sketch is printed in another ]iart of this volume. The second of the children was Emma, who married Thomas Mitchell and has one child. March 22, 1888, Mrs. Cramer contracted a second marriage, with Melissa Garlinghouse, a native of Kentucky, by whom he has two children : George G., born July 12, 1889, and Elsie A., born December 27, 1891. The family enjoy cordial welcome in the best circles of Iowa society. He is also prominent in connection with the fraternal orders, having been a Mason for twenty years and a member of the Knights of Pythias almost from the incorporation of the organization, which he joined when there were onlv twentv-onc in the state. 2S8 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. ANDRE^^■ JACKSON CASADY. This name recalls that period of American history when "Old Hickory" was the central figure on the political stage and hoys were called after him hy admirers of the great Democratic leader. In fact. Mr. Casady was born when the hero of New Orleans was at the height of his fame, and he was about entering the race which ended in his first triumphant election to the presidency. It needs no prophet to tell us that Mr. Casady's father was one of tlie mighty throng then shouting lustily for "Old Andy." as the naming of his son for the future presi- dent clearly indicates where he stood. As will be seen later, the son kept up the traditions of his family when he himself came on the politi- cal stage, and as a Democratic leader or candidate fought many a valiant battle for the principles of his party. He is a son of Thomas H. and Sophia (Scott) Casady, native New Yorkers, who were born and bred and died in the great Empire state of the east. The father was born at Albany, March 28. 1800, and died in 1857, while his wife, who was two years older than himself, survived until 1877, her birth having occurred March 28, 1798, just two years to a day before her husband's birth. They had nine children, but of these only three are now living. Andrew Jackson Casady was born in Jefferson county. New York, July 26, 1827, but by reason of his parents' removal was reared from the fourth year of his age to manhood in the county of Herkimer. After growing up he taught school for a number of terms both in town and country, and at his twenty-sixth year decided to try his fortunes in what was then called the "far west." A trip from New York to Iowa in those days was quite an c\cnt in one's life, inasnnich as the BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 289 distance was long and tlie facilities tor transportation by no means the best. This tedious and even dangerous journey was, however, made bv Mr. Casady without accident, and in December, 1853. he arrived at Iowa City. The state being quite young and sparsely populated, the opportunities for employment or business were not so numerous as tliey became at a later period, so as a temporary means of gaining a liveli- hood Mr. Casady concluded to become a pedagogue. That teaching school in Iowa at that period was not without its picturesque features is evidenced bv the fact that during school hours it was no uncommon spectacle to see Indians peeping in at the windows to see what the "pale faces" were doing. At this time, how^ever, there was little fear of trouble from the Indians, and Mr. Casady taught many years in Iowa without feeling that his scalp was at all in danger. Meantime he had utilized his spare time in acquiring an elementary understanding of the law, and made such progress as to gain admission to the bar in i860. In his first case he had for an opponent Rush Clark, afterward speaker of the house of representatives and one of the most distinguished men in the state. In 1862 Mr. Casady joined a party which had been organized in Iowa City to pros]ject in the recently discovered gold fields in the Salmon river region of British Columbia. The passage across the plains to this wild and mountainous section was accompanied by dangers as well as privations, and Mr. Casady received a gunshot wound during one of the brushes with the Indians while traversing the country then claimed by those roving nomads. He is now the only sur- \ivor of the dashing party of young men who started out so bravely in search of adventure and fortune in the wilds of Snake river over forty years ago. In 1865, after his return from the west, Mr. Casady went to St. 290 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. Charles, ^lissouri, to accept tlie agency of the express comparty at that point and spent several of the subseciuent years at different places in the same state. Later he returned to Albia and has since made his home at that enterprising county seat. At an early period he got in touch with frontier politics and soon became popular both as a worker and an office holder. His official service was as deputy sheriff in Johnson county, which he held under two different principals. Later he was elected in ]\Ionroe county, Iowa, to the offices of county superintendent, auditor, surveyor, assessor and attorney. As previously stated, he was born and bred a Democrat and cast his first presidential vote for Van Buren in 1848, and his zealous work has often been a benefit to his party asso- ciates at Iowa City. September 13, 1865, Mr. Casady was married to Miss Sue P. Morrison of Illinois, but of the three children of this union two died in infancy. Marion, who reached maturity, is the wife of Thomas H. Woolsey. a telegraph operator at Great Bend, Kansas, and has one child. Hugh H. Mr. Casaday and his family are well known and popular in Monroe county and enjoy a welcome in the best circles of societv at Albia. ALBERT HILTON. The name borne by this gentleman has been a familiar one in Ap- panoose and Monroe counties ever since their organization as bodies politic, and the Hilton family has been an influential one in this section from the time that Iowa was admitted into the Union as a state. In fact, the history of the founder is largely a history of Monroe county, as he came here when the Indians were still in possession, and only three years after Iowa was given existence as a territory. No apology BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 291 therefore is necessary for dwelling at some length upon the biographical details of this early pioneer, as they will prove interesting to all who enjoy stories of the "olden time." James Hilton, who was destined to become such a prominent citi- zen of the future Iowa, was born in Orange county, New York, July 9, 1816. Nine years later he was taken by his parents to New York city, there grew to manhood and in October, 1841. left his native state to identif}- himself permanently with the rapidly developing region be- yond the Mississippi. Travel then was mostly by the rivers, and after a tedious journey across intervening states the young voyager found himself on one of the small steamers used at that tiiue for navigating the great "Father of Waters." On this lioat he ascended the Missis- sippi to a little town called Keokuk and situated in what was then known as the Black Hawk Purchase. The landing at this point was made on the joth of Xmember, 1841, or only three years after Iowa territory had been organized, and when white men were not allowed to occupy the land west of the Purchase. What is now Monroe county was at that time the hunting grounds of roving tribes of red men. Owing to the unsettled condition of affairs young Hilton went to Missouri and re- mained there until September, 1842, when he returned to be present at the Iowa Indian agency when the treaty was negotiated between the national go\-ernment and the Sac aufl Fox Indian tribes. The negotia- tions resulted in the purchase and throwing open for settlement of all the territory extending from the west line of Jefiferson to the Missouri river, comprising more than two-thirds of the present state of Iowa. The \oung easterner was much impressed with what he saw on this oc- casion, and often in after life detailed the circumstances to parties of friends. The aboriginal owners of the land, yielding to inexorable fate 292 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. and o\er\vlieIming odds, were assenililed to bargain away uniler duress their hereditary homes and yield the land tliey loved to the hated pale face. The chieftains present at these negotiations bore names that have been perpetuated throughout Iowa to designate dififerent political divi- sions of the state, but this is all that remains of that rnmantic race which roamed at will over all the boundless prairies of the west. Among the mighty chiefs taking part in this sad and solemn ceremony were Keokuk, Mahaska, Powshick, W'apello. Pashpaho, Plardfish and Appa- noose. .\fter the conclusion of this Jiistoric treaty, young Hilton returned to Missouri and remained there until May, 1843, "^ which time the Indians were to vacate so much of the territory as extended westward to a line agreeing with the west line of what is now Monroe county. He then came back, and the picture presented on his return so im- pressed his imagination tliat it remained a vivid recollection to his dying day. The country was still in all its virgin newness and wild grandeur. Herds and flocks of wild game, the great open country without habitation, houses, fences or any other indication of civiliza- tion — such was tlie panorama unfolded before James Hilton in the spring of 1843. 1^"^ this young man was there for practical rather than sentimental purposes, and the urgencies of the situation left him little time for moralizing: the main thing was to secure a home, and he at once made claim to a tract of excellent land, containing at that time two hundred and eighty acres, on which he soon had erected the small log cabin so characteristic of as well as so indispensable to the earl\- pioneer. On this place, which, however, underwent many changes in the way of buildings and other improvements, James Hilton resided during the long period that intervened between his first coming and his BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 293 final call to rest nearly sixt\- years later. These years were marked by great activity both in pnlilic and private life, and during the time he held man\- offices of trust, which were administered with ability and unswerving integrity. He was the first clerk of the district court of Monroe county, having been appointed by Judge Charles Mason, in March, 1846. In April, 1857, he was elected judge of Monroe county, which necessitated his remo\-al to Albia, where he resided for several years in a hewed log house in West Benton street. While occupying the position of judge he built the court house at a cost of about ten thousand dollars, and was warmly commended by the people for the economic judgment displayed in its construction. In October, 1871, he was elected to represent Monroe county in the fourteenth general assembly and acquitted himself as a legislator with the same discretion he alwavs exhi1)ite(l im the liench. He was an authority on all things relating to the earl\- settlers and the history of Monroe county, and it was a rare treat to hear him relate stories and describe incidents of the remarkable times which have long since passed away never more to be seen of men. In the sjjring of i860 Judge Hilton gave up his residence at Albia and returned to his tieloved home in the country, where death overtook him on the 9th day of January, 1902, more than sixty years after he first set foot on the soil of Monroe county. In September, 1845, Judge Hilton was married to Mary E. Rankin of Davis countv, with whom he lived in utmost harmony and affection until she was called from the scenes of earth in 1875. This union proved as fruitful as it was hajjpy and of the tw'elve children all of the seven sons and three of the five daughters are still living. It is with Albert Hilton, one of the elder sons, that this biography is more imme- diately concerned, :ind some particulars concerning him will now be 294 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. given. He was born in llie old historic homestead in Monroe county, Iowa, April 8, 1853, and was trained to farm life under the excellent instruction of his honored father. He received a good education as he grew up. and upon reaching manliood was well qualified for the duties which it was his destiny to discharge during his lifetime. His ambition had always been to succeed in the higher branches of agriculture, and his wishes in this respect have been amply fulfilled. .After securing a home of his own and one hundred and sixty acres of land as a basis of operations. Mr. Hilton scxin developed his qualities as a farmer and breeder. Turning his attention to blooded stock, he soon had one of those fine tlinroughbred herds for whicli hnva has so long been famous, and to-day he ranks as one of the most successful breeders of Monroe county. He has never aspired to office, but devoted all his time to the prosecution of his agricultural interests, and is a pronounced Democrat, l)Ut in local affairs votes for the best man. May 15, 1884. Mr. Hilton married Miss Mary A. Arnold, a mem- ber of another of the old and highly respected families of Monroe county. Her father. Willis Arnold, was born in Franklin county. Ken- tucky, October 13, 1809, being the ninth child of a family of twelve sons and one daughter, all of whom grew up, married and had families ; the last survivor is Mrs. I-lIiza J. Deal, a widow, who lived for some time with a daughter at Magnolia. Towa. In 18 16 Willis Arnold went with his parents to Washington county, Indiana, and later removed to near the town of Greencastle, where in 1835 ^''^ ^^'"^^ married to Martha Rice Reed. There were nine children by this uniim. the three sur- vivors being Elizabeth .\. Noble, Eliza J. Sylvester, both residing at Albia, and Marcus T. Arnold, a prominent business man of Bur- lington, Kansas. In the fall of 1850 Willis Arnold came with his fam- BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. '295 ily to Alhia and in the fall of 1853 was elected to tlie office of sheriff of Monroe comity. He joined the Christian church at Greencastle, Indiana, in 1835, and at his house in Alhia the first Christian organiza- tion was made. His first wife died a few months after this event, and in 1853 Mr. Arnold married Zerelda Rohinson, of Indiana, by whom he had fnur children, and the three now living are Mrs. Mary (^Arnold) Hilton, Martha L. Waugh of Lucas county, and Albert G. Arnold of Fairfield, Nebraska. The father died February 24, 1899, ^t his home in .\ll)ia. when well ad\anced in the ninetieth year of his age. Mr. and Mrs. Albert Hilton have one son, Carl A., who was born J;uuiary 6, 1888, has developed already into a zealous student and gives promise of a career in life that will reflect credit upon his honored ancestry. The family are members of the Christian church and liighh- respected in the best social circles of the county, as well on their own merits as liecause of the respect felt by all the people for the memory of their pioneer fathers. ROBERT W. TUTTLE. Iowa farmers, as a class, are regarded as the most intelligent and progressive, as they certainly are among the most prosperous, in the world. Nowhere is agriculture carried on more scientifically ; nowhere are methods more thorough and modern, and nowhere is the latest im- proved machinery in more universal use. The results are such as might be expected from the foregoing facts, as Iowa takes the lead in its out- put of that imperial crop of all crops, king corn, and in the number, quality and fineiicss of its blooded stock of all kinds. In all these par- ticulars the young giant on the banks nf the "Great Father of Waters" 296 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. has long since left her older sisters in the east far behind in the path of progress. In fact, the methods,, implements and general .style of farming in the older eastern states are "old fogj'ish" compared with those i)revailing on the fat and fertile prairies of Iowa, which is now the chief priestess in the temple dedicated to Ceres. It follows from the foregoing that when it is said of a man that he is a worthy repre- sentative of Iowa farmers, he is justified in feeling complimented, and this can with truth l)e affirmed of Robert VV. Tuttle, who resides on his place near Moravia. It is interesting to know men of this kind and still more interesting to go upon their places and study the twentieth century process by which such splendid results are achieved in the noblest of all the callings. The Tuttles on the paternal side are descended from an old New York famil}', while through the mother the_\- trace back to the Virginia family of Law. Parmenas Tuttle, who was a nati\e of Oneida count}'. New York, came to Iowa about the middle of the last century and first settled in Alonroc county, not far from the present village of Moravia. He marrieil Elizabeth Law of Virginia, by whom he had seven chil- dren, and six of these are now living with families of their own. The father died at his Iowa home, aged fifty-seven years, but the death of the mother, who long survived him, did not occur until September, 1902, when she was about seventy years old. Robert \V. Tuttle, one of their sons, was Ixjrn in Monroe county, Iowa, on his father's farm near Moravia, October 15, 1859. His early training and education were not unlike those of the average farm boy, and he remained with his mother until twenty-one years of age. February 10, 1880, he was married to Mary A. Temple, a native of Marion county, Iowa, where she was brought up on a farm and trained to all those duties which BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 297 go to make tlie excellent housewife. Her father. John F. Temple, who came from Xorlh Carolina, farmed for a number of years in Iowa, but is at present living in Oregon. He married .\nna Bell Long of Penn- sylvania, who l)ore him three children and died some years ago near Moravia. After their marriage Mr. and ^Irs. Tuttle lived for some years in that economical way suitalile to a \oung couple beginning life on limited means, but they were industrious and thrifty and were soon able to indulge in some of the luxuries of life. Their residence up to 1899 was a small house about 14x28 feet, where they contented them- selves until the present commodious residence was built and ready for occupancy. They are now agreeably situated in every way, and Mr. Tuttle's skill as a farmer, aided by his wife's excellent management, has brought prosperity to their hospitable home. Though his farming is chiefly of the mixed or general character customary in that section, J^Ir. Tuttle pays considerable attention to breeding roadsters, using only standard bred trotters as sires, and has turned out some line speci- mens of this kind of stock. He leads a quiet, unobtrusive life, attends strictly to business and performs punctually every duty devolving upon a good citizen and good neighbor. The household has been brightened by the achent of eight children, whose names, arranged in order of birth, are Warren \V., Etta L., Lora. deceased, Dessie D., Robert W., Marcia and Marie, twins, and Grace H. Lora died at the age of two years, Warren W. is attending college at Grinnell, and the others re- main at home. The entire family are members of the Methodist Epis- copal church, and the political affiliations of Mr. Tuttle arc with the Republican party. 21*8 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. DAVID THORNTON STARK. A visitor to Moravia, Iowa, wlio calls at a certain farmhouse on a tract of land adjoining the village on the south will get acquainted with samples of the very best afforded by American rural life, and see a specimen of the agricultural development of the United States which is the wonder of the world. The recent owner of this farm was a man who came to Iowa in the year that saw its admission into the Union as a state, and whose career therefore covered the whole of that period which has seen this great commonwealth develop from raw prairie land to leadership in farm products among all the states of the Union. He and his good wife grew up with this western state, and at every step of its progress were found doing their full share toward accomplishing its manifest destiny. Each commenced life poor, and knew what it was to work and work hard. Each was one of a large family and com- pelled by circumstances to do drudgery of the most grinding kind when, under happier auspices, they would have been at school or play. Know- ing misfortune and hardships, equally inured to privation and care, they joined hands together when those hands were practically their only reliance, and side by side they struggled and hoped and prayed until fortune at length smiled upon them, with the result that they were able to spend the evening of their lives in one of the happiest homes that is to be found in all the region around. When David and Edith Stark came from their southern home to Indiana there was little in the prospect that was pleasing. It was early in the nineteenth century, when the Hoosier state was still enveloped in its massive forests of walnut, oak and beech, when comparatively little land had been cleared, and when the task before the agricultural pioneer was little less than appalling. But the Starks set resolutely to work BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 299 like so many others of tlieir courageous compatriots, and somehow or otlier, by hook or by crook, managed to grub out a hving from the reluctant surroundings. In the course of time the first comers were gathered to their fathers, but a son was left to represent them and per- petuate the faniil)' name. When Caleb Stark grew up he married Rhoda Burney, and lived some years thereafter in his native state, but after re- peated discussions around the family fireside it was decided that they could do better by moving farther west. So, in 1846, the very year in which Iowa was made a state of the Union, this little caravan might have been seen wending their way toward the setting sun to cast their destiny with the new commonwealth just ernerging into existence on the banks of the Mississippi. One of this party was David Thornton Stark, who had been born in Scott county, Indiana, in September, 1837, and was consecpiently at that time only nine years old. With a boy's freshness and watchfulness, however, he well rememljered that trip and often loved to tell about its incidents in after years. In due time the emigrants reached Iowa, and shortly thereafter settled on a farm in Appanoose county, in the vicinity of what is now Walnut City. But within one year after their arrival a great and what, tmder the circumstances, seemed an irreparable calamity fell upon the little family from the Floosier state. The father fell sick, and after lingering a short while was carried away in the \'ery prime of life, before he had reached his fortieth year. This blow seemed to be irremediable, liut the widow and the little ones braced themselves for the inevitable, and by dint of a desperate struggle managed at last to pull through. Foremost among the little workers who strained every nerve to help his mother was David Thornton, and many a time in later life he told of the hardships of those trying times. He worked hard and he worked late, he worked 300 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. at home and lie worked for others. He found out what it was to be a hired boy for exacting neighbors, who hustled liim out of bed to eat breakfast by candle light, then to the barn to feed the stock, later to the field for a hard day's work, back to the house to do chores and to bed thoroughly exhausted l)y the day's labor. This routine, begun at ten or twelve years of age, w*ent on for some years, his compensation being a mere ])ittance. but that pittance went to help mother, antl David was satisfied. So things ran along until he l)egan to think of marrying, his choice falling upon a neighboring girl of great worth, who also knew what it was to work for a living. Sarah Burrows was the daughter of WiU- iam and Margaret Burrows, the former of North Carolina, and the latter of Tennessee, who had married early in life and settled in Lee county, Iowa. There were eleven children in this family, nine of whom are yet living, and as they were poor Sarah had to assist from early girlhood in keeping the wolf from the door. She and David Thornton Stark, therefore, were kindred spirits and knew how to sympathize with each other when, after their marriage, March lo, 1858, they "set up housekeeping" on a rented farm. Their only capital was willing hands, good health and ambition to succeed, backed by mutual love and confi- dence in each other. The struggle was a hard one during the years they lived on rented places, but by the closest kind of economy they managed to save some money for a rainy day. With this Mr. Stark found a chance to buy at a bargain eighty acres of land that was sold at sheriffs sale, paying half in cash and the rest at the end of a year. This tract, which lay near Walnut City, on the west. i)roved the starter or nest egg. and from that time on affairs went more smoothly with our worthy friends. Prosperity smiled u])on them, and a few years later BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 30l Mr. Stark traded liis little place for a larger farm lying between Mo- ravia and Iconium. This he afterward disposed of to advantage and purchased the Putnam farm in the same vicinity, which in turn was traded to his son-in-law for three small tracts near Moravia. Those he rented to different parties and retired to Moravia, where he engaged in the stock business and took things more easily for some years. Being at last in easy circumstances, he bought the fine farm adjoining Mora\'ia on the south, and in 1898 built the handsome house in which he and his faithful wife made their home and enjoyed comparative leisure aftei their arduous lives of labor and self-sacrifice. The venerable father of Mrs. Stark was affectionately cared for by his daughter and son-in-law imtil his eyes were closed in death, at the age of eighty-three years. Her mother went to live with a daughter in Missouri, where she was tenderly looked after until her earthly pilgrimage was eyded, in the sixty-seventh year of her age. Mrs. Stark has been an active member of the Christian church for more than twentv years, and she and her husband were regarded as pillars and mainstays in the Sunday-school and other religious work. None contributed more liberally than he toward the building of churches and spreading the gospel throughout Appanoose county, and his ex' emplary Christian life is an inspiration for the rising generation. In politics, while never an office seeker. Mr. Stark was always loyal to the principles of the Democratic party and cast his first presidential vote for Stephen A. Douglas, when the "Little Giant" was making his race against Lincoln in the memorable campaign of i860. A few addi- tional words as to the children of Mr. and Mrs. Stark will fitlv close this narrative. Rhoda J., their eldest daughter, married hap[)ilv Harlan Scott, but died at the early age of thirty-five years, after becoming the 302 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. mother of six children; Mary A., the second daughter, married Noble Main and also has six children ; William, the eldest son, has a family consisting of a wife and one child ; James has had three children, but lost one by death. This record of Mr. Stark's prominence in his community and his worthy and useful life of sixty-five years will indicate how deep was the loss to his wife, family and friends, when on the 26th of Jan- uary, 1903, he was called to his final rest, after a life whose influence will be felt in tlie future generation. JOHN G. WILSON. The above named is a good example of the self-made man, which the free institutions of our great republic make possible of development from all the walks of life simply by allowing full play to the natural ability and resourcefulness typical to American youth. It has become a truism that the humblest child, with poorest surroundings, may in this country aspire to the highest honors, and if he does not reach them the failure is not due to artificial restraints or the obstacles of special privilege. In this country, at least, however it may be elsewhere, pov- erty of itself is no disgrace. The disgrace consists in doing nothing to avoid it. So, with every possible inducement to do well and every en- couragement to honorable ambition, it is a spectacle as common as it is pleasing to see young men all over the Union rising in a few years from penury to plenty and from lowly callings to become rulers of the state. In this honorable list the writer takes pleasure in placing John G. Wil- son of Albia. who, though scarcely yet in the prime of life, finds himself elected treasurer of the prosperous county of Monroe. He has achieved that honor without fictitious aid of any kind, without powerful scKial JOHN G. WILSON. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 305 backing ov weallli. wliicli some people lielievc to l>e iinlispensaljle to success ill any great undertaking. These are valuable, undoubtedly, but not indispensable, as is proved in the case of Mr. Wilson and thous- ands like him, and it is always a pleasure to have such examples to bring forward frir the encouragement of others who are fighting life's trying battles. It is possible that but for the slavery agitation in years gone by Mr. Wilson would not be living in Iowa, but in the state down on the Atlantic coast where Sir Walter Raleigh landed the first band of white men that settled on those shores. Jesse M. and Miriam P. (Gardner) Wilson, the former of Irish and the latter of French descent, were living in North Carolina during the exciting period immediately preceding the great Civil war. Mr. Wilson, if not an outright abolitionist, had a dislike to the whole slavery system and no love for the insolent element which in the interests of that infamous institution were ruling things with a high hand in the southern states. During the last years of the fifties residence in any of these states was made very unpleasant for those supijosed to hold opinions antagonistic to the ruling classes, and this condition of affairs was the cause of driving away many of tin state's best citizens. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson, in 1859, determined to leave the land of their nativity and seek a home in the boundless west, where there were no artificial restrictions on worth or hateful caste dis- tinctions to repress honest ambitions. By one living in the age of trolley cars going at the rate of sixty miles an hnur and lightning ex- press trains crossing the entire continent in less than five days, something like amazement is felt at the statement that the Wilsons started on their long journey from the Carolina mountains to the u]iper course of the Mississipi)i with an ox 306 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. team, and that fifty-fi\e days were consumed on the trip. But "the race is not always to the swift." and even a team of oxen will get there if you give them time enough. So in due course Jesse Wilson and his wife were found settled on a farm in Monroe county, which at that time was filled with virgin land yet untouched by the plow. The newly ar- rived North Carolinians did their share in the way of work, and it is needless to add that the rich Iowa soil did the rest. So it was not long until the emigrants were in comfortable circumstances, possessed of all the substaiitials and some of the luxuries of life. Mr. Wilson was a carpenter and supplemented his farm labors by working at his trade, a handicraft always in demand in new settlements, and between the two employments he had been able to lay by something when the messenger of death reached him in Januanv. 1900. He espoused the cause of the Republican party during his residence in Iowa, and held several town- ship offices, including that of justice of the peace, which he occupied about ten vears. He and his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and taught their children the tenets of Christianity as unfolded in the creed of that denomination. Mr. Wilson was about seventy years old when he closed his mortal career; his wife is still living on the old farm in Monroe township, in the seventy-fifth year of her age. Their children, seven in number, were: .Abel P.. Mary J., deceased: Nathaniel G., Martha .\., John G., Ephraim F., Rachel S., and all the living sons reside in Monroe county. John G. Wilson, fifth in the list above enumerated, was bom on the farm in Monroe county, Iowa, August 16, 1863, and after reaching suitable age assisted his father in the carpenter shop. After the com- pletion of his nineteenth year he entered the emplojinent of a railroad company and continued in this occupation eleven years, during a jx^rtion BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 307 of which time he was fi)renian of a section gang. In 1894 he aban- doned railroading to engage in general merchandising at Foster, and was thus employed when elected treasurer of Monroe county in the fall of 1901. In December of that year he removed to Albia to enter upon the discharge of his ot^icial duties, which have ever since demanded all his attention to the exclusion of other business. In 1888 Mr. Wilson was united in marriage with Miss Minnie Winecup, of Monroe county, and they ha\e had six children, of whom five are li\ing. His religion and politics are in accord with those of his late father, which iriake him an adherent of the Methodist Episcopal faith, on the one hand, and an advocate of Republican principles on the other. CHARLES STAUBER. The late Joseph Stauber, besides being a very worthy and good man in the ordinary relations of life, was an interesting person to know on account of his patriarchal age. His career lacked only four years of covering the whole nineteenth century, and thus embraced the most interesting period of the world's history. He was born about the time that Jefferson was finishing his first administration, and it is well to recall a few events to show how long ago this was. The war of 18 12 did not commence until eight years after Mr. Stauber's birth, and the battle of Waterloo was still eleven years in the future. Queen Vic- toria, whose reign is regarded as phenomenal for its length, was not even born at that time, and yet she passed to her account se\'eral years ago. Abraham Lincoln, who was five years younger than Joseph Stauber, lived his wonderful career and passed away thirty-five years 308 BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. before Mr. Stauber"s death. Scores of people of national fame, who re- mained before the people so long as to seem old men, had their rise, progress and decline far within the period at both ends as measured by the birth and death of Joseph Stauber. He was an eye witness to all the wars of the Union after the Revolution. He was alive at the admis- sion of every state into the Union after Ohio in 1802. Since he came upon the scene the United States has grown from a straggling string of states along the Atlantic seal)f)ard, with a few million inhabitants, to a mighty republic, embracing all tlie territory between the two great cardi- nal oceans of the globe. Mighty, tremendous, almost inconceivable have been the changes and revolutions since Joseph Staubers' birth in 180-I and his death in 1900. The family of this name, though long settled in North Carolina, came originally from the north during the latter half of the eighteenth centur}-. Christian Stauber was still a boy when his parents left their home in Pennsylvania to find a new location in the Old North state, and he continued to live there until his death at the age of seventy-five years. He married Maria Baumgartner, and from this union sprang the Joseph Stauber who became the progenitor of the western branch of this numer- ous family connection. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Christian and Anna (Stair) Fogel, and lived for some years thereafter in North Carolina, but eventually decided to try his fortunes in the west. It was in the fall of 1849 *hat he j^icked his household goods and with his wife and little ones set out on the long and tedious journey to the distant state of Iowa. The point of destination was Fairfield, where they spent the W'inter of 1849-50, and in the spring of the last mentioned year removed to the county of Ap])anoose. At that time Iowa was a com- paratively wild state, and the farms which now "blossom as the rose" BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 309 were almost entircl}- uniniijnned. The newcomers, wlio were rushing in by tlie thousands, were aljle to secure tiiese rich lands at what would now be regarded as ridiculously low prices, and in this way poor emi- grants could by very small investments in cash lay the foundations for magnificent landed estates. Joseph Stauber bought warrants for two hundred and fort)- acres of prairie land, on which stood a little shanty, and set to work with a will to improve his place. The absence of heavy timber made this a much easier task than confronted most of the pioneers in states farther east, and in course of time Mr. Stauber effected such magical changes that the once raw land is now one of the most highly improved and valuable farms in the county. His wife, who was two years his junior, having been born in 1806, passed away in 1878, but his own death did not occur until March 12, 1900. Six of their eight children are living, and of this number is Charles Stauber, who was Ijorn in North Carolina in 1847, ^.nd conse- quently was about two vears old when his parents came to Iowa. As he grew up he assisted his father in making the old homestead what it is now, and learned the art of agriculture after the Iowa methods, which are perhaps the best in the world. At first, of course, it was necessary for the family to live in a rather rude way, after the manner of pioneers, and for many years they were sheltered in a cabin about sixteen by thirty-two feet in size. This in time was replaced by a commodious residence, completed in 1874. and all the other necessary buildings and adjuncts of an up-to-date farm were added as they were needed. .Ml the children married and went to themselves with the exception of Charles and Ellen, who, since the death of their father, have continued to occupy the home place. Though Mr. .Stauber has preferred to re- main a bachelor, his home has not been without the cheerfulness that is 310 BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. imparted hy the i)resence of children. His score of nephews and nieces think the world and all of "Uncle Charles." and tlieir frequent visits to the old homestead are the source of much merriment and social pleas- ure. The farm is situated ahftut one mile east of the village of Mor- avia, in one of the most desirable sections of the county, and is culti- vated by Mr. Staubcr with the skill and gncxl judgment which come only from long experience. His standing in the county, both as a busi- ness man and model citizen, leaves nothing to be desired, and none enjoys greater personal jiopularity among those who know him intimately. Though his parents were of the religious sect known as Moravians, Mr. Stauber is a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian church, but his sister still stands by the old church. DAVID H. SCOTT. For over half a century David H. Scott has l)ecn one of the promi- nent citizens of Monroe county, Iowa, where he has made an enviable record not only as a progressive farmer, but also as a public-spirited man who has been raised to high places of trust in his county, and now in the declining days of his long career he enjoys that satisfaction which always belongs to the man of upright character. On Februarv 25. 1797, Alexander Scott was born in Westmoreland county, Penns\!\ania : he later removed to Fleming county, Kentucky, where he was married to Martha Wills, who was a native of Fleming county, Kentucky, born in 180^). Shortly after their marriage, in 1827, they came to Putnam county, Indiana. 'Iliere Mr. Scott, who was a farmer and wheelwright by occupation, located on a strip of timber land and spent considerable time in clearing and improving it. Both of these BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 311 worthy people dieil in Indiana, the luishand passing away in ic^jy. on the same day and montli mi whicli liis hirlli (jccurred, and his wife in 1847. David H. Scott, wiio was a child of tlie aljove parents, was born in Fleming county, Kentucky. June 27, 1825. and he attended school and worked on the home farm until he was twenty-one years old. He then married and he and his wife first went to housekeeping in Clinton county, Indiana, where they lived on a rented farm for one year; they next moved to Putnam county and farmed for four years. On October i, 1850, they arrived in Iowa; in the previous year Mr. Scott had come to Monroe county and entered a piece of land six miles north of the present town of Albia, and on this he built a log cabin and a wheelwright's shop and settled down to real life. In the fall of 1854 he sold out and ]nn'- chased a farm that now joins Albia on the north ; much time and money were spent in the improvement of this propert\-, and in 1861 he dis- posed of this land and bought a place four miles east of Albia, to which he removed in the spring of 1862. In August of this year his patriotic spirit aroused him to enlist in Company A, Thirty-sixth Iowa Infantry; he entered the service as first sergeant and was later commissioned sec- ond lieutenant, but after two years' service, while in the discharge of his duty as an officer of the government, he suffered a broken leg and resigned his pijsition and returned home. While away in the army he had left his farm to the care of his wife and children, wlio right nolily performed the vigorous duties j)ertaining to its management. On his return he took up the work of improvement ani-l resided there until 1896; in this year he sold out and removed to .\ll)ia. where he and his wife now make their home, relieved from the cares and responsibilities of earlier life and enjoying the ease which comes as the result of diligent efTort. 312 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. Mr. Scott has an excellent record as a public-spirited man and as a leading member of the Republican party of his county. In 1854, when the movements were on foot to establish what is now the Repub- lican party, he helped to organize the party in Monroe county and has ever since been one of the active spirits in politics. For twenty years he served as assessor of his township and as a final reward for his services and in recognition of his ability, in 1895 he was elected to the Iowa house of representatives from his county ; he served in the session of the following year and also in the e.xtra session which followed, called for the purpose of revising the state laws. Mr. and Mrs. Scott are de- voted members of the First Presbyterian church; Mr. Scott has been an elder for forty-three years and he was twice sent to the Presbyterian general assembly, one at Saratoga, New York, in 1883, and one at Port- land, Oregon, in 1892. Fraternally he is connected with the (irand Army of the Republic. On the 16th of October, 1845, Mr. Scott was married to Miss Mary Wills, who was born in Fleming county, Kentucky, May 28, 1827. Her parents, David and Sarah (Ramsey) Wills, were natives of Kentucky, the father being torn in March, 1799, died in 1868. and the mother torn January i, 1807, died March 29, 1889; lliey were married in Kentucky and he followed farming as a life occupation ; in October, 1837, they moved from Kentucky and went to Putnam county, Indiana, and re- mained there until 1850, when they came to Monroe county, Iowa, where they made their home until their death ; for a number of years they were on a farm one mile south of Albia. Mr. and Mrs. Scott became the parents of nine children, five of whom are living: Mrs. Clara Ellen Godfelter, of Independence, Oregon : Sarah Martha died at the age of six years ; Margaret Ann died two years after her marriage to Mr. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 313 Charles Fox; Mrs. Mary 1^.. Smilh lives four miles south of .\ll.)ia; Mrs, Melissa Jane Coojjer lives in this eounty : Charles Sumner died at the age of four years; Mrs. Laura Belle Campbell is a resident of St. Louis; Mrs. Amy Mildred Dixon resides in Vincennes, Indiana; and Emma died in infancy. WILLIAM K. HARDENBROOK. To the superficial observer it often seems that worldly success is the result of some inherited talent which has given an individual the start of mankind or is the result of some adventitious circumstances usually designated as luck, but when studied from the standpoint of universal historv the open sesame which unlocks the door of success is found to be nothing more nor less than industry and perseverance, quali- ties before which the most obstinate obstacles gradually yield and open the road to golden gain. .\n(l this rule is exemplified in the case of the subject of this sketch, who. starting with only the knowledge of a trade, has worked himself to a place of prominence in his city. His father, Isaac Hardenbrook. was born in Ohio, February 22, 1823, and died March 12, 1888; he married Mary A. Kelly, who was born in Jefferson county, Ohio, Sqjtember 15, 1823, and later came to Morrow county, Ohio, with her parents, where her marriage occurred in 1843. Isaac Hardenbrook was actively engaged in farming during the earlier part of his life and later operated a fiouring mill; he dis- posed of his farm near .\lbia, Iowa, in 1874, and moved to La Villa, where he ran a flouring mill until i886, when he retired from active pursuits. After his death his wife made her home in Kansas for three years and then resided in .\lbia with her daughter until licr death, Jan- 314 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. iiary 13, 1903. Of the nine cliiUlren born to these parents four are now living. One of tlie sons of the above parents was William, wlio was born in Mount Gilead, Morrow county. Ohio, Noveml)er 9, 1844. His boy- hood was spent on the farm of his birth until he was twelve years old, and on May 8, 1856, he came with his ])arents to Monroe county, Iowa, and lived (jn his father's farm five miles north of Albia. His educa- tion was received in the town school of Mount (jilead and in the country schools of Monroe county. William remained with his parents until Julv. 1862, when the Civil war summoned him into the ranks, and he enlisted in Company D, Twenty-second Iowa Infantry, under Captain R. M. Wilson; he spent nine months in the service and then received an honorable discharge on account of physical disability. After his re- turn he went to Osceola, Iowa, where three years were ,s])ent in learning the harness trade; having thoroughly mastered llic business he worked for three years at this trade in Henry count)'. Illinois; he then spent about a year in .Mbia and in 1871 went to Minneapi 'lis. On November I. 1874, Mr. Hardenbrook opened a harness shop on the southeast cor- ner of the square in .\lbia and since tliat time has rapidly extended his business and increased his influence in the various affairs of the city until he is now recognized as one of the leaders. He located in his pres- ent convenient and commocHous store in 1887. Mr. Hardenbrook has been very influential in the councils of Re- publican party: lie has been a member of the cit_\' council and has been chief of the fire department; in 1897 he was nominated and elected to the office of mayor and such has been the satisfaction with his adminis- tration that he is now serving his thirtl term. He is a member of var- ious organizations, the Grand .\rmy of the Republic the Independent BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 315 Order of Odd I'cHdws, tlie Woodmen of llie \\'orld, tlie Ancient Order of United Workmen and the Elks. In 1876 Mr. Hardenbrook was mar- ried to Julia B. JNloiint, who was born in West Virginia, June 21, 1854; her parents, Jolin and Mary Mount, l^ecame residents of Fairfield, Iowa, and spent tlieir declining days in Albia; John ■Mount was a cabinet maker by trade anil at one time owned a store in /\lbia. One child, Carrie M., was born to Mr. and Mrs. Hardenl)ro(jk, and slie resides at home witli her parents. JOHN G. BRIDAL. .\t one of the hospitable homes in Moulton may be found an elderly gentleman of English birth, but a tlKiroughly Americanized citizen, who is a decidedly interesting i)erson to talk to. He can tell you of a period in American history which yields to none in "stirring incidents of flood and field." tragic events growing out of sectional feuds, racial wars and deeds done when the passions of lawless men are at their worst. For Mr. Bridal will entertain you with stories of "Bleeding Kansas" in the days of tlie "border rufiians," old John Brown of Osawatomie and the frightful feuds growing out of the bitter antagonism between the advo- cates of slavery and the frierids of freedom. From 1836 until 1865 Mr. Bridal was right in the midst of all this and i)articipated actively in some of the most exciting scenes of those dark and tempestuous times. One who listens to him now in liis quiet retirement at Mouiton and finds him in a mood to talk of his lirst ten years' experiences in "free America," W'ill lie struck at the contrast between the startling nature of his themes and the subdued voice in which he describes them. It was to Joseph Bridal, a gentle English shepherd, and his wife, 310 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. Elizabeth (lalpin, tliat America is indebted for the son who was des- tined to take sucii lively i)art in the first serious collision between the lorces of freedom and the hateful system of human bondage. John G. Bridal, child of these unassuming parents, was born in Dorsetshire, England, Septemlier ii, 1831, and twent\-three )ears later found him- self standing in New York city wondering where to turn for a living. He finally decided to go "up state" to the great river connecting Erie with Ontario, and here for a few months he secured employment as a boat- man on the Niagara. Tiring ni this occupation, the young Englishman moved further west and upon arriving in Illinois secured a year's work as hired hand in connection with a sawmill and farm. The termination of this job brought him into the year 1856. when he married Mary Gaplin, and later made a move which introduced all the excitement he wanted into his hitherto rather uneventful life. In the year following his marriage, Mr. Bridal, with his newly made bride by his side, started on his venturesome trip to Kansas. On the way they were joined by a Methodist minister named Frate Shepard, who was taking his family to join a brother then engaged in selling supplies to the Indians in Frank- lin county. .\t the time these little parties united their forces the terri- tory to which they were journeying was the most disturbed and the most dangerous place in the United States. Kansas was filled with outlaws of every kind, rude and lawless people from all over the world, intent only on killing and plundering, and a "holy terror" to all persons peace- fully inclined. What were called the "border ruffians" were organized gangs from the southern states, chiefly Missouri, whose object was to make a slave state out of the new territory, and with this end in view they sought to (lri\'e out all who were unfriendl}- to their scheme. .As many fearless men had come to this debatable land from the northern BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 317 states and man}- of them were strong Abolitionists, hating slavery with all the earnestness of their natures, it was easy to foretell that the rufhans would not have it all their own way. In addition to all this, the terri- tory abounded in wild Indians, who were not slow to take advantage of the incipient Civil war, and altogether Kansas at that time was anything else but a pleasant summer resort. When Mr. Bridal and his fellow travelers reached their destina- tion in Kansas, they were not long in realizing the deadly dangers by which they were surrounded. Hardly had they alighted from their sad- dles until it was ascertained that a conspiracy to exterminate them was on foot among the Indians. Fortunately for the intended victims, how- ever, a squaw who was at the time on unfriendly terms with her tribe betra}-ed the plot in time to enable them to escape. This treacherous action of the redskins delayed for two years a treaty then pending be- tween them and the United States government and caused much incon- venience. After this trouble subsided Mr. Bridal and Preacher Shep- ard secured a job of hay-cutting from one of the Indian chiefs, but dur- ing the six months' time of its continuance had many exciting experi- ences and narrow escapes from the wiles of the savages. While living in Franklin count}-, Mr. Bridal became acquainted with the then only locally known John Brown, who was destined soon to obtain world-wide celebrity as organizer and leader of the famous Harper's Ferry raid. .\t the time under consideration. Brown was en- gaged in preaching to his followers in Franklin count}-, and Mr. Bridal, who often went to hear him, says he always placed revohers on the pulpit in front of him before he began to talk, to prc\-ent attacks front the friends of slavery. The natural gloominess and bitterness of the old fanatic had been greatly intensified by the killing of three of his 318 BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. sons at the Iiaiuls of the "Ijorder ruftians." and liis intense hatred of slav- ery was douhtless accentuated l>y desire for personal revenge upon the murderers of his children. Although Mr. Bridal enjoyed the personal acquaintance of Hrown. he knew nothing of the plans for the Harper's Ferry episoridal mo\ed on west and when he reached his destination found that the i)eople he came to supply had been out of provisions for nearly a month and were almost starved. On his return trip he learnetl that a bl(jridal BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 319 and others were cinniielletl to cross tlie ri\-er, whicli was swollen high at the time, and for the benefit of those who could not swim, W'illiam H. Lawrence, afterward secretary of state of Kansas, swam across carrying a rope which was stretched over the stream and used as aid for his fol- lowers. In 1862 Mr. Bridal enlisted in Nug'ent's Second ^lissouri Bat- talion and for six months was with this command in pursuit of General Price and his raiding forces. He also assisted in defense of Fort Scott, meeting a force of Confederates which outnumbered the Union troops seven to one, but they succeeded in defeating them. The nearest Mr. Bridal came to being wounded was when three bullets passed in rapid succession through his hair, but they only grazed the scalp and did no injury. This ended his war experience and also his adventures in "Bleeding Kansas," which he left shortlx- after the war for more peace- able and congenial climes. In 1865 'is located in Davis county, Iowa, having lost his wife in Kansas in 1864, and two years later came to Appanoose county, where he lived until eleven years ago on a farm north of Moulton and then moved to town, where he has since resided. By his first marriage he had three children: Joseph W., of Council Bluffs, Iowa; George L., of Oklahoma; Mrs. Ann E. Taylor. By his second marriage, to Martha J. Dysart he had two children : Arthur, of Appanoose county, and John, of South Dakota. His present wife was Jane Thrap, a native of Ohio; w-as brought to Davis county, Iowa, when (piite small bv her ])ar- ents, Henry and Susannah (Moots) Tharp. "Mv. Bridal is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and one of the esteemed comrades in the local post of the Grand Army of the Republic. 320 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. W. PARKER TAYLOR. Descended from early residents and connected with a family long identified with the interests of Appanoose county, Mr. W. Parker Tay- lor owns and resides upon a farm of tJu'ee hundred and thirty acres of what many consider the finest land in the county. His home is the abode of elegance, comfort and hospitality, and its owner is one of the most popular as he certainly is one of the most substantial citizens of the township. The family name for generations has been connected with farming, but the younger set, being lx)rn in the age of marvelous advances in scientific agriculture, have figured conspicuously in all that relates to that great industry in the section where their lot has been cast. They are of eastern origin and of mixed northern and southern blood. Samuel 'l"a)]c)r. who was l)orn in Ohio in 1816, and Elizabeth Pella, whose birth occurred in West Virginia, August 4, 1832, met and mar- ried man\- years afterward in the state of Iowa. Their union took place in Davis county in 1S55, but later land was purchased in Appanoose county, where the father farmed and raised stock with success until his death in 1891 at the age of seventy-five years. His widow survives and makes her liome with a son, John E. Taylor, who now owns the old homestead. W. Parker Taylor, another of the sons, was born in Davis county, Iowa, October 8, 1859, and remained under the parental roof imtil sev- eral years past his majority. In 1883, he matle his first venture on his own account by beginning work on one of the neighboring farms and while so engaged, like the young man in Tennyson's poem, his fancy "lightly turned to tliDUgiits of love." In otlier worils. ho determined to take a wife, and this resolve was consummated by his marriage on Marcii BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 321 5, 1884, to jMiss Xancy J. Ransom. Ininiediatelv thereafter tlie young couple settled down to housekeeping on the old Taylor farm, which had heen entered from the government by his father, and have since had no complaint to make as to the share of happiness and prosperity vouchsafed to them. In fact, they have every reason to he thankful, as in addition to the lu.xurious home above mentioned and other property, both real and personal, their household has been brightened by the advent of healtln' and happy children, such as cannot fail to delight a parent's heart. Of the seven born to Mr. and Mrs. Taylor, they have lost only one by death, the survivors being Clarence Lowell, Orpha, Samuel D., Leo, Elsie and Mabel. Father and mother are members of the Metho- dist Episcopal churcli, while Mr. Taylor's fraternal connections are with the Masonic Order and "Yeomen." JOHN N. McFALL. After working hard on his farm for over fifty years with only brief and occasional intervals of rest, the gentleman above named was com- pelled in the fall of 1902 to suspend his personal labors on account of poor health. Nor will any one begrudge him this well earned rest which comes in the evening of a long and useful life, during which he has reared and provided for a large family, borne his share of all public bur- dens and fulfilled c\-ery obligation of good citizenship. Mr. McFall's earliest recollections arc nf an "old Kentucky" home, in which he played with a numerous band of little brothers and sisters, most of whom have long since settled their earthly accounts and joined the silent majority. The head of this household in the "time long ago" was David McFall, an industrious, hard-working man who ckcd out a living for himself 322 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. and numerous ijfogeny by incessant lal)or on a none-too-productive Ken- tucky farm. >le married Mary Ann Harvey who, like himself, was a native of the state and after "plodding along" many weary years they concluded to try their fortunes in a more bounteous if not more con- genial clime, where better results would reward the toiling husband- man. With this end in view, the father and mother prepared for the long journey to the "far west." and there was something both pictur- esque and ])athetic in the picture presented on the eve of departure. As there were few railroads in those days, the trip must necessarily be made in wagon and the lack of gof)d roads, the innumeral^le streams to be crossed and the long distance, made such a journey a very serious under- taking. The household "plunder," as it was called, was loaded into the "prairie schooner." the numernus children were stowed awa)- as well as possible, a final farewell was taken of friends in old Kentucky and the adventurous emigrants were off for the distant state of Iowa. The journey included the passage through many states, the crossing of the Ohio. Mississippi and scores of other streams, with all the incidents and accidents sure to happen to such a train of movers. This was in 1850, and after being many weeks on the road the weary wanderers finally reached their destination in .\])])anoose county, where they secured a humble home and set bravely to work to re-establish their shattered for- tunes. There were altogether eleven children in the family, but only three of them now remain. The father died at St. Louis in 1862. while visiting a son who was in the army at that place, and the mother, after surviving him about twelve years, passed away in 1874. John X, McFall, one of the three surviving children, was bom at Russell. Kentucky. December n. 1836. and well remembers the wagon trip across the cnuntr_\-. as he was fourteen years old at the time. BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GEXBALOGICAL HISTORY. 323 As lie grew up in Appanoose county lie worked at such odd jobs as he could ol)tain. mostly mi farms, until eventually he was able to have a home for himself and settle down to the peaceful pursuits of agricul- ture. As the sharer of his cares and joys he selected Miss Lavisa King, to whom he was married in iHhi. and of whom lie was ])ercaved by death on the I4tli of July, 187O. The six children of this union are James William, a resident of Kansas; David L., Francis 1\I., John L., Mrs. Amanda Ellen Davidson and Charles W. Mr. McFall is a man of religious tendencies and has licen a member of the Christian church during all the years of his adult life. He continued to attend actively to his business afifairs and do more or less manual labor on his farm until the fall of 1902. when he was compelled by ill liealth to seek re- tirement. Since then he has been making his home with his second- born son, David L. McFall. The latter was married to Mary E. Mc- Grew, of Appanoose county, and they have five children: Alta M., Blanche I.. Ella C, Glenn C, and Zana E. JAMES C. BARROWS. The alxne named gentleman needs no introduction to citizens of Appanoose couiit\-, but a few biographical details concerning tliis promi- nent editor of Centerxille may i)rove of interest to those living without the s])]iere of his activities. l"or twenty-two years Mr. Barrows has been identified with new.spaper work at the county seat, and two-thirds of this time has been spent as pro])rietor of its leading political journal. Such a ])osition, always (Mie of conspicuousness and res])onsibility, has necessarily given Mr. Barrows a wide acquaintance and brought him in touch with the forces engaged in develojiing and governing his city and 324 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. section. Though editors naturally make enemies, Mr. Barrows has probably escaped with as few of these necessary counter-irritants of successful men as any one in the business, a result due largely to an un- failing tact and a "sweet reasonableness" combined with firmness. Though Mr. Barrows was really born in Canada, it was so near the border and under such circumstances that this slight difference in geography cannot be cited in discount of his genuine Americanism. His grandfather was a Vermonter, who engaged in business near Pres- cott, on the Canadian side of the St. Lawrence, and retained a residence in that locality during the remainder of his life. He left a son who strengthened the ties originally binding him to American soil by marry- ing a lady of the typically patriotic family of Adams, whose ancestors came from Boston. James C. Barrows, the future editor with whose affairs this sketch is concerned, was the son of the last mentioned couple, and his birth occurred at Prescott, Ontario, February i6, 1845. Eleven years after his appearance in the world his parents removed to Iowa and located in Wapello county, but after the war Mr. Barrows located in Center\-ille, where he has since resided. In 1856, the date of his arrival, Iowa was a new and comparatively crude state, having been a member of the Union only ten years and as yet scarcely giving promise of the wonderful commonwealth which it has since become. It was a good state to go to, however, and a good state to remain in, as Mr. Barrows and some hundreds of thousands of others have long since found out. It was, above all, a patriotic state and rallied rapidly to the support of the flag of the free when that sacred emblem was menaced by the re- bellion of 1 86 1. Though quite young when this portentous event oc- curred, Mr. Barrows contributed his full share in support of the Union cause by enlisting in Company H, Eighth Iowa Cavalry, with which he BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 3t.'5 served until tlie close of hostilities. His regiment during the last year and a half of the war was part of General Ed McCook's cavalry divi- sion, which operated in Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi, and did effective service liy those rapid raids which gave the final strokes to the dying rebellion. After the restoration of peace Mr. Barrows located in Centerville and engaged in. business. About 1881 he became connected with news- paper w'ork, and seven years later took charge as proprietor of the lowegian, the leading Republican paper of .\ppanoose count}-. He was alone in the ownership for some years, but later his son, George Earl Barrows, was admitted into partnership and the paper has since been conducted under the firm name of Barrows & Barrows. It ranks among the strongest and most successful of the many prosperous county-seat newspapers in Iowa, and at all times and under all circumstances has been a true and able exponent of Republican principles. MATISON S. EDWARDS. The gentleman abo\e named is another member of the family whose record and achievements are fully noticed in the sketch of his elder brother. With the latter he constitutes the firm of Edwards Brothers, which for thirty-two years has 1)een actively engaged in buying, breed- ing, selling and shii)ping live stock of all kinds. Though his activities have been chiefly confined to the stock business, Mr. Edwards has been a moving spirit in other lines and quite prominent in political, religious and banking circles. He is certainly one of the leading men of the county and it would be taking little risk to set him down as also one of the most popular of the citizens of Appanoose. Mr. Edwards comes 326 BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. naturally Ijy his fondness for stock and skill in its handling, as his father before him was an expert in this line and laid the foundation on which his enterprising sons ha\e built so successfully. \\'illiani Ed- wards, of Tennessee, removed in early manhood to Kentucky and mar- ried one of the attractive maidens of that state named Marilla Elliott. After this event the \i)ung couple "settled down to housekeeping," as they say in the cnuntr\-, and the father engaged in breeding and raising the stock for which old Kentucky has long been so famous. He did fairly well at the business, but concluded tliat by moving farther west he could do still better. With this end in view, he closed out his deals, converted his estate into money, loaded up his personal property and in the fall of 1850 started on the long journey to Iowa. The family ar- rived safely in Van Buren county, where they spent the first year, and then moxed on to Appanoose, which was destined to be the place of their permanent abode. The father purchased a farm five miles south of Moulton and soon was under way again in his favorite pursuit of rais- ing and selling live stock. Jle kept this uj) for about thirty years, during which time he did a great deal of business, made and lost consid- erable money, but on the whole came out on the right side of the ledger and as old age ai)prnached found himself in possession of a comfortable estate. E\entuariy he sought rest from active business by retirement at Moulton, where his death occurred in 1885, followed by that of his wife in February, 1902. Matison S. b^dwards. younger son of the afore-mentioned couple, was born in Laurel county. Kentucky, Ai)ril 11, 1850, and when six months old was an unconscious participant in his parents' journey to the west. He grew up on the farm near Moulton. where his father ini- tiateroving its quality. It is tu such men as these that Iowa owes its prominence in the world of agriculture, and to no two citizens is more credit due for this culmination than to the Edwards Brothers. This notaljle family is of southern origin. William Edwards, Sr., moved in early life from his native state of Tennessee to Kentucky, where he met and married Marilla I^lliott, with whom he migrated in 1850 to Iowa. The first year after this arrival was passed in Van Buren county, after which they settled permanently in Appanoose on a farm about 334 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. five miles south of Moulton. Here for many years the head of tlie household carried on successful farming, with especial attention to live stock, a taste for dealing in wliich he had acquired in his "Old Ken- tucky home." Eventually, as the shadows began to lengthen and old age was felt to be creeping on, this estimable couple moved to town for the purpose of spending more agreeably their declining years. The closing scene occurred for the father in 1885, but his wife survived many years afterward and terminated her blameless life in 1902. William Edwards, namesake and eldest son of his father, was born in Laurel county. Kentucky, December 19, 1843, 'i"^ ^^'^^ about seven years old when his parents settled in Iowa. As he grew up he received from his father that training in farm management and stock dealing which proved so valuable to him in later life, and meantime obtained a fair education during desultory attendance in the schools of the town- ship and at Centerville. Young Edwards, though still in his "teens" when the Civil war began, was among the first to enlist, and served with steady gallantry for three years and eleven months as sergeant of Com- pany B. Second Regiment, Missouri Cavalry. He made an excellent record in the army and as soon as his honorable discharge was obtained returned without delay to his home in Iowa. Immediately thereafter he took up the work interrupted by the war and soon showed that he possessed a natural aptitude for the farm and all the various ramifica- tions of agricultural pursuits. His tastes as well as his talents seemed, however, to turn naturally to stock-raising and stock-selling, and in his branch of agriculture his success has been pre-eminently pro- nounced. In 1870 he formed a partnership with his brother, Matison S. Edwards, for the raising, buying and shipment of live stock, which firm now ranks anion"; the foremost of its kind in southern Iowa, BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 335 While making a specialty of cattle and hogs, they have also dealt exten- sively in horses for the farm and road. It is hardly necessary to attempt to analyze the reasons for the success of this ixipnlar fraternal firm, in- asmuch as the causes lie close to the surface, in the shape of good judg- ment, untiring energ)- and an acquisition of the public confidence by constant fair dealing. That is the whole story in a nutshell. Every- body knows the Edwards Brothers; everybody likes them; everybody has confidence in them, and everybody trusts them. At present Mr. Ed- wards ow'ns, one-half mile from Moulton, three hundred and twenty acres of land, which is one of the best stock farms in the state. His residence in Moulton has long been celebrated for the gen- erous hospitality of its happy home circle and the family constitute a social center around which assemble all the brightest and best people of the vicinity. In 1867 Mr. Edwards was married to Mary A. Floyd, and the six of the nine children by this union now living are: Ulysses W., Mrs. Mae Tifft, wife of G. E. Tifft, a Methodist minister, stationed at ^loline, Kansas; Charles \V., Clyde V., Clarence F., and James H. The last tw^o mentioned are still at home and Clarence remains on the farm all the time, looking after the practical management of his father's widely diversified interests. In 1901 Mr. Edwards consummated a second marriage with Miss Maude May Taylor, who presides over his home with a grace and discretion that add much to its social charm. In many ways, aside from his main business, Mr. Edwards has proved himself a progressive, enterprising and ])ublic-spirited man. In 1902 he was one of the organizers of the Moulton State Savings Bank and holds the position of director of this popular institution. In religious circles he has also long been active, enforcing his views both by precept and prac- 336 BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. tice. He contributed lil>erally to the funds for tlie construction of the handsome building- devoted to the services of tlie Methodist Episcopal church, of whicli he is a leading member. The fraternal connections of Mr. Edwards are confined to the Odd Fellows, with whom he has fraternized for over twenty-eight years, and associates with his old com- rades in the Grand Army of the Republic. MOSES Y. SELLERS. M. D. Tlie medical corps at Moulton includes the above named physician, who has been practicing there over thirty-three jears and has become thoroughly identified with the growth and progress of the place. Though a nati\e of Indiana Dr. Sellers has been a resident of Iowa nearly half a century and has done his share as a citizen to help forward the marvelous development which has characterized this state during that eventful period. The family is of Kentucky origin, his father, Nathan Sellers, having been born on a farm near Lexington in the first cjuarter of the nineteenth century. He married Mary Yowell, also a member of a Kentucky household, and with her moved to Indiana at an early period in the history of that state. He settled on a farm in Put- nam county and in after years rose to a position of prominence in that community, being elected treasurer of the county and otherwise hon- ored by his political associates. In 1854 he removed with his family to Iowa and located near Albia, county seat of Monroe, and there resumed his old occupation of tilling the soil. Moses Y. Sellers, next to the youngest of his father's eight chil- dren, was born near Greencastle, Indiana, August 5, 1839. and was a boy almost fifteen years old when the migration was made to Iowa. He BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 337 assisted his father on the farm and attended school until lie readied liis majority, when he engaged in teaching, and followed that occupation for five years. During the year 1864 he spent some time at the Keokuk Medical College and after leaving that was engaged for four and a half years in the practice of medicine at Iconium. .\fterward he returned to the same institution at Keokuk, where he took a thorough course and was graduated in the class of 1880. Immediately thereafter he returned to his office at Moulton. and that town has ever since been the central point from which he prosecutes his professional labors. The Doctor is a memlier of the Des Moines Medical Association and the ]\Iedical Society of Wayne and Appanoose Counties. His religious affiliations are with tlie Christian church and his fraternal connections are confined to membership in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. ' May 14. 1867. Dr. Sellers was united in marriage with Sarah Cas- sia Stauber, who died in October. 1870, leaving two children, whose married names are Mrs. Lillie Alay Brunk and Mrs. Flora Effie Bradley. August 30. 1877. Dr. Sellers contracted a second marriage, his bride be- ing Elizabeth C. Tipton, who died leaving three children : Mrs. Jennie Bell Brunk, Maggie, and Earl D. Sellers, who is a medical student in the Louisville Medical College. Dr. Sellers contracted his third matrimon- ial alliance with Mrs. Ann Primm, a natix-e of Virginia, who came west with her parents in 1853. Mrs. Sellers is the daughter of Samuel Peek, who married Mary Hildreth, 1))- whom he had ten children : Elizabeth, Amelia, x\aron. Eli, Gusta\-us, .\lfred, Ann, Mack, Christopher Colum- bus, and Casandra. Of these children Christopher C. and Mrs. Sel- lers are the only ones living. Mrs. Sellers was married in Virginia to A. P. Primm and lived with him a few years near Lafayette, Indiana, after which the\' came to Greene countv, Iowa. Mrs. Primm's marriasfe 338 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. to Dr. Sellers occurred at Lancaster, Missouri, in 1890, since which time she has presided over the household at Moulton with the dignity and grace of the experienced housekeeper. P. H. HYNES. One of the busiest, most energetic and progressive l)usiness men of Monroe county is P. H. Hynes of Avery, the secretary of the Smoky Hollow Coal Company, and in his official capacity he controls the opera- tions of six hundred men employed in the mines, besides a large number of bookkeepers and otiiers employed in clerical capacities. From a hunil)le financial position he has gradually worked his way upward through close application, unremitting diligence and honorable methods, and today occupies an enviable position as a leader of industrial interests in this part of Iowa, and his example is one well worthy of emulation. Mr. Hynes is a native of Champaign county, Ohio, born in 1865, a son of Patrick and Mary Hynes. His mother died in 1890. His father, who was born of Irish parentage, died in 1869. The son, P. H. Hynes, was reared in Keokuk county, Iowa, and his school privileges were supplemented by study at home and by knowledge gained in the school of experience. Possessing an observing eye and retentive mem- ory he has continually added to his knowledge until he has made it a potent factor in his successful business career. When a boy he began work in the coal fields in a humble way, but his earnest lator and close application won the attention of those who employed him and he was promoted from time to time. He lived successively in Lee county, Ma- haska and Monroe counties, and as the years passed gradually pro- gressed in the business world until for the past ten years he has filled the BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 339 responsible position of secretary of tlie Smoky Hollow Coal Company, of whicli Air. E\-ans is the ])resir. In fact, his whole life, from childhcxxl up, has been one of almost unremitting toil, and up to a year ago he might still be seen in his fields "holding a row" with the best of them. Though quiet and unassuming, Mr. W^allace is a man of great worth and real nobility of character and in his unpre- tentious way has contributed to the development which has placed Iowa at the lead of all the agricultural states of the Union. He is a son of Solomon and Millie Wallace and was born in Kenr county, Delaware, December 14. 1822. The death of his father when he was still in early childhood brought upon him that fate so much dreaded, the necessity of becoming a "bound boy" as the only means of obtaining a livelihood. Such a life at best is not enviable, but Mr. Wallace seems to have fallen into fairly good hands when apprenticed to one \\'illiam Hollingsworth. a seafaring man who lived in Kent BIOGRAI'llICAL AXP GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 341 county, Delaware. This individual was cai)tain of a sailing boat and it was tlie business of little Thomas to cook for llie crew, while incidentally engaged in mastering the details of the sailor's trade. This drudgery continued four years, at the end of which time the boy was taken by his master to Fayette county, Indiana, where he was fortunate enough to find an uncle, who furnished him a home. He remained with his uncle Joshua one year, during which time he worked on the farm all week and hauled logs on Sunday. At the expiration of his time on this place the boy had completed the thirteenth year of his age and during the ten following years was engaged as a farm hand bv the month on dififer- ent places in that part of Indiana. In 1845 he was married to Eliza Barkley and spent the next two years on the farm of his wife's father, in Fa)-ette count\-, Indiana. In the fall of 1847 he remo\-ed with his wife and child to Davis county, Iowa, where he remained five months and then made what proved to be his final move to Appanoose county. He arrived in March. 1S48. and immediately took possession of the farm of one hundred and sixty acres which has ever since been his place of residence. Here he busied himself for some years getting his land in shape for cultivation, until his household afifairs were disarranged by the loss of his wife, who died in the early part of 1856, lea\ing five children. These, in order of birth, were George, now a resident of But- ler county, Kansas : James, of the same section ; Mrs. Sarah Ankrom, who has since died: Jasper, who li\-es in Custer county, Xcl)raska : and Lewis, who resides near his father's homesteacl. On August 7, 1856, Mr. Wallace tcKjk a second wife in the person of Lydia Croxton, who died December 28, 1888, leaving seven children: Mrs. Margaret E. Gordf)n ; John, of Davis county, Iowa; Francis M., of Butler county, Kansas: Warren. f)f Centerxille, Iowa: Washington 342 BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. H., of Davis county; Mary J., of Appanoose county: and Mrs. Minerva C. Bean, of Fort Madison. On March 31, 1890. Mr. Wallace contracted his third matrimonial alliance with Mrs. Xancy J. Howell, who came in childhood to Iowa with her parents from Roanoke county, Virginia. By her first marriage she had one child, Mr. A. A. Howell, who is now proprietor of the Howell House at Moulton. ]\Ir. Wallace is a de- voted member of the Christian church and for a long time performed the functions of preacher during the absence of the regular pastor. As he has occupied his present homestead for fifty-four years he is probably entitled to rank as the oldest continuous resident of Appanoose county. His place contains a curious relic of the olden times in the shape of a log cabin which was the first building ever located in Appanoose county, having been remoxed there from the nearby county of Davis. THOMAS BENTOX McDONALD. .Among the worthy citizens of Monroe county who have come to this locality irom Indiana is Thomas Benton McDonald, who was born in Liberty, Union county, in the Hoosier state, December 6, 1846. He comes of Irish lineage, his father, Bernard McDonald, having been born in county Carlow, Ireland, whence he crossed the Atlantic to America. The paternal grandfather was Edwin Lawrence McDonald, M. D., who on reaching years of maturity wedded a Miss Camel and among their children was a son to whom they gave the name Bernard. The latter was a sailor in early life, following the sea for some years. Taking up his abode in this country, he wedded Elizabeth Hea\enridge, a na- tive of Virginia, and in 1840 he retired from the sea in order that he might devote his energies to farming, which occupation he followed BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 343 until 1888, when he put aside l)usiness cares entire!}'. He was born in 1808. took up his abode in this country in 1840 and is now living a retired life in Fairmount, Indiana, at the very advanced age of ninety- five years. His wife passed away in 1865. The children of their fam- ily were: Thomas B. ; Emeline, deceased; Edwin; Lawrence, who has also passed away; John, Frank, Elizabeth and Jemima. Thomas B. McDonald spent his early days in Indiana and attended the public schools there. When he became a young man he began learning the trade of a s]iinner anti after a year spent in that way he secured employment with a millwright. In 1867 he began railroading on the Pan Handle system, first acting as a brakeman, while later he was promoted to the position of conductor. When he had been with the Pan Handle road for a year he left Indiana and reiuoved to Ne- braska, where he secured a i)osition as conductor on the Midland & Pacific Railroad, running between Nebraska City and Lincoln. In 1871 he began work on the Burlington as conductor and contiiuied in that capacity until 1879. when he retired altogether from railroad work. He then came to Lovilia, Iowa, and with the capital he had acquired through his own labors and economy began merchandising. He is to- day the leading merchant of the town and his efiforts have been largely instrumental in the ui)bui]ding and improvement of this place. He car- ries a large and well selected line of general goods, and because of his correct business policy and earnest desire to please his customers is ac- corded a liberal patronage. On the loth of December, 1890, he es- tablished a private bank, which is known as the Lovilia Exchange and which has become a leading financial institution in this part of the county. Its present officers are T. !'>. McDonald, president ; O. L. Wright, vice president; and Jerry Wilcox, cashier. 344 BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. On the 25th of January. 1878, occurred the marriage of Mr. Mc- Donald and Mrs. Sarali J. Wilcox, a widow, and a daughter of Joseph Patterson. Her parents were residents of Baltimore. Maryland. Mrs. McDonald is an estimable lady, holding memljershi]) in the Methodist Episcopal church of Lovilia and her friends in the community are many. Mr. McDonald, however, is an adherent of the Episcopalian faith, and fraternally is connected with the Masonic order, belonging to Lodge No. 269, F. & A. M., Clinton Chapter No. 16. R. A. M., and the Malta Com- mandery, K. T. He is an exemplary member of the craft, true to its beneficent teachings. Mr. McDonald started out upon his business career without capital, and the success that he has achieved is entirely due to his own efforts. He may well be termed a self-made man. for he has placed his dependence upon his own industry, unremitting dili- gence and perse\erance and these ha\e ])ro\ed the foundation upon which he has Ijuildcd the superstructure of his jjrosjjerty. JOHN CHAMBERLAIN. When death comes to any one it is customary to review the life record and note whether it has been for good or ill. Favorable indeed is the judgment which has been passed upon John Chanil)crlain. who for seventy-fi\e years traxeled life's journe\-. performing faithfully and well every duty which devohed upon him and meeting fully every obli- gation that rested u])nn him. His example, therefore, is commendable and worthy of emulation, and his life history deserves a place on the pages of this volume among those of the representative citizens of ^bm- roe county. Mr. Chamberlain was born in Ashland count v. 01ii(^. March j8, BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 345 1827. and was a son of James and Sarali (Peterson) Chamberlain, both of whom were natives of Virginia, whence they removed to the Buckeye state, setthng there at a pioneer epoch in its history. A farmer by occu- pation, the fatlier followed that pursuit throughout his entire life, culti- vating his fields from year to year in order to provide for his family, which in the course of time came to number ten children. These were: John, now deceased; Mary, Josiah, James. Henry, Washington, Eliza- beth, who has also passed away; Abraham, Weed, and William, de- ceased. The father was called to his final rest in 1882, at the age of seventy-five years, and the mother reaching the advanced age of eighty- nine vears, her death occurring in 1898. John Chamberlain lived in Ohio until twenty-two years of age, his bo)'hood being passed in a manner similar to that of most farmer lads of the period. When school was in session and his services were not needed on the farm he there pursued his studies, but during the months of summer he assisted in the work of the fields, plowing, planting and harvesting, all farm work becoming familiar to him ere he left home. The year 1847 witnessed his arrival in the new state of Iowa and he took up his abode in Eddyville. Four years later, on the 29th of June. 1S51. he was joined in wedlock to Miss Sarah Bredwell, a daughter of John and Elizabeth Bredwell. Her mother died when Mrs. Chamber- lain was but three years old, but her father long survived, passing away about 1872. In 1842 Mrs. Chamberlain and her brother came to Iowa, locating in Eddyville, and in Monroe county she has since made her home. She was born March 20, 1834, and at the age of seventeen she gave her h.-md in marriage to Mr. Chamberlain, with whom she traveled life's journey long and happily. For the past forty years she has resided upon her present farm, the location being made here shortly after their 346 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. marriage. As the years passed several cliildren came to bless the house- hold, namely: Annis and Rachel Ann, both deceased; Sarah Elizabeth; Edward; Henry; John; Otis; Minnie, W'illin. William, all three de- ceased; and Ida. Throughout his entire married life Mr. Chamberlain followed farm- ing and carpentering. He kept everything about his place in good con- dition, exercised care and thought in planting his fields and harvesting his crops, and the annual sale of his farm products returned to him a good income. The home place is pleasantly located west of Lovilia. In his political views Mr. Chamberlain was a Democrat and for many years served as a school director and a member of the school board. He believed in progress in education as in other lines and was anxious to have good schools and competent teachers. In his younger years he belonged to the Baptist church, but afterward united with the Christian church, with which he held memliership until his death. For many years he was also identified with the Masonic fraternity and was a faithful follower of its teaching concerning brotherly kindness and helpfulness. He died on the home farm, September i6, 1902, at the age of seventy-five years, and his remains were laid to rest in the Os- born cemetery. JNIrs. Chamberlain is still residing at home and she, too, is a loyal member of the Christian church, whose teachings and prin- ciples she has made the guide of her life. JAMES M. CASTNER. James M. Castner, who is engaged in the hardware and implement business in Lovilia, has been a representative of mercantile interests in this place for a number of years, and is an enterprising man, who might BIOGRAPHICAL A\D GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 347 well be termed a "captain of industry" because of his indefatigable labor and successful control of every work he has undertaken. Far back into the early history of Pennsylvania can his family history be traced. In 1766 his ancestor entered from the government the land upon which James M. Castner was lx)rn, and the old house is still in the possession of his descendants. Six generations of the Castners have been born upon that land, and the town of Donora, Pennsylvania, has been built upon a portion of it. Daniel and Rebecca (Miller) Castner, the parents of our subject, were both natives of the Keystone state, and the former, a farmer by occupation, de\'oted his energies throughout his entire life to the tilling of the soil. His political support was given the Democracy and he was ever a citizen of worth, giving his co-operation to every measure which he believed would benefit his locality. He died in 1875, and his wife, survi\'ing him twent}'-one years, passed away in 1896. In their family were twelve children : Martin Van Buren, Maria E., James M., John K., Silas W., Jessie M., Bert W., Mary J., Wilbert F. and William L., and two that died in infancy. Upon tlie ancestral homestead in Washington county, Pennsylvania, James M. Castner was born, February 11, 1843, and was there reared, while in the common schools of the neighborhood he received his educa tion. Lessons of industry and integrity were early impressed upon his mind by his parents, and through the periods of vacation he gained practical knowledge of farm work l))- assisting his father in the fields. At the age of twenty-four he left his boyhood home and in 1868 became a resident of Blufi' Creek township, Monroe county, where he followed farming for about six years. In 1874 he took up his abode in Lovilia, where he has since resided. In 1875 he established a lumber and grain business, which he conducted with success until 1894, when he sold out 348 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. to the Green Bay Lumber Company, and he is now conducting a hard- ware and implement business. He is well known as a factor in the business life of Lovilia and after embarking in his new enterprise it was not long before he had secured a liberal patronage, which is constantly growing, so that the business has already assumed profitable propor- tions and the future of the enterprise seems a bright one. In 1866 Mr. Castner was united in marriage to Miss Helen Pollock, a native of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, and to them were born three children, two sons and a daughter, but Bert P., the eldest, is the only one now living', Mary Josephine and John Kerr having passed away. The wife and motlier died in 1874 and in 1876 Mr. Castner was again married, his second union being with Miss Rose Clark, a daughter of P. R. Clark. Five children have graced this union : Guy Kerr, Katheryn, Anna, Louis and James Miller. A staunch Republican, Mr. Castner exercises his right of franchise in support of its men and measures, and has labored effectively for its success in this community. He has been honored with some local offi- ces, having served as school director, as justice of the peace and as a member of the board of supervisors and his official labors resulted bene- ficially along the lines directed. Both he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and in his fraternal relations he is con- nected with the Masons, the Odd Fellows and the United Workmen, holding membership in the local lodges in Albia. Starting out in life for himself without capital, and realizing that there is no royal road to wealth, Mr. Castner has labored diligently and unremittingly in an ef- fort to attain prosperity, and toda\' is accounted one of the substantial citizens of his adopted town, while his social qualities are those which BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 349 will friends, aiul \vhere\cr known Mr. Castner is spoken of in terms of high resrard. NATHANIEL McCLOUD. This well-known farmer of Tavlor township became a resident of Appanoose county, Iowa, in 1864. He has, therefore, been identified with its agricultural interests for almost forty years, although he did not locate upon his present farm until .April, 1901. He was born in Highland county, \'irginia, April 4, 1841, the same year in which King Edward of England was born. He belongs to a family noted for in- dustry, honesty, morality and courage. His ancestors came originally from the highlands of Scotland, being- descended from McCloud, a Scottish chief, who was prominent in tlie wars of that country two hun- dred years ago. His grandfather, Nathaniel McCloud, was also a native of the Old Dominion, as was also his wife Margaret McMahan, who was of Irish lineage. Nathaniel McCloud, Sr., was a soldier of the war of 18 12. He received a land warrant calling for one hundred and sixty acres of gov- ernment land for his services. Not hax'ing a disposition to farm, after having the land warrant in his possession for thirty or forty years he traded it for a horse valued at about seventy-five dollars. He never was the owner of any real estate, but spent his life in hunting wild game in the Cheat and Allegheu)' mountains. At the age of three-score and ten years he died in Pocahontas county. West \'irginia, at the hoiue of his youngest daughter, Mrs. Mahala Jackson. Their son, George Riley McCloud, father of our subject, was Ixirn and reared in Virginia. In early life he wedded Miss Mary J. Warner, 350 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. a native of Pendleton county, that state. Her parents were James and Jane Warner of \'irginia, where they spent their entire hves. Tlie Warners were a well known and prominent family of that state. Two of its representatives became distinguished ministers of the gospel. George \\'^arner was a member of the Methodist Church South. He moved from Pendleton county to Fayette county. West \'irginia, where he married and spent the remainder of his life. He died during the war of the Rebellion at an old age. Zebedee. a nephew of the Rev. George Warner and a first cousin of the subject of this sketch, was a minister of the United Brethren Church of Christ, one of its most noted members. He held the degree of LL.D. He was the presiding elder of Clarksburg district, West Virginia, during the war. During his elder- ship he had a discussion with the editor of the standard church paper, published at Dayton. Ohio. Warner took the position that the discipline would have to be changed on the subject of secret organizations ; that the members should have the right to exercise their own judgment as to the teachings of the Bible on the subject of secret orders. Since that time the rules of the church have been changed, thus showing that Warner's position was right. He died in Nebraska at about the age of fifty, \vhile serving as a missionary. Z. Warner was married near Boonesville, Maryland, September ii, 1856, to Sarah C. Snively, who survives him and makes her home at Parkersburg, West Virginia. To them were born nine children, seven of whom are still li\'ing. With team and wagon George R. McCloud, X. McCloud and fam- ilies came to Iowa in 1864, settling in Chariton township, Appanoose county, where George R. followed farming the remainder of his life, dying there at the age of sixty years. He was a Democrat in politics. He had been a member of the Christian church for a number of vears, to BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 351 the time of his death. His widow still survives him, having reached the advanced age of eighty-five years. Of the twelve children ten reached the age of maturity, namel}' : William E., who died in York, Nebraska, June ii, 1902; Nathaniel, of this review; George; Nancy J., deceased ; Elizabeth ; Susan ; Asa ; Amanda ; Henry ; and Anna. Under the parental roof Nathaniel McCloud passed the days of his boyhood and youth, assisting his father in the operations of farming when not in school. At the age of nineteen years he was married at Harper's Ferry, Virginia, September 20, i860, to Miss Rachel J. Tom- linson, both of Highland county, Virginia, his wife being a daugh- ter of Zacariah and Huldah Tomlinson, who made their home there throughout life. She was third in order of birth in a family of five children, the others being Henry, Sarah Ann, Hester, and Mary, two of whom are now residents of Kansas ; the brother Henry lives in Oklahoma, and the other sister lives in Vir- ginia. As previously stated, N. McCloud came to Iowa in 1864 and cast his first vote at Moravia, Iowa. The first land he purchased was in Chariton township, in 1870. After securing one hundred and fifty acres of land near Maine station, he remained a resident of that neigh- borhood till 1901. He was the promoter of the postoffice known as Maine and served as postmaster during 1887. He afterwards had the name of the postoffice changed to that of Ray in honor of his eldest son. He and family, with many others, were in a cyclone which passed over their home on the evening of May 5, 1894. The cyclone began about six miles west of the home of this family and swept away all the build- ings in its path for a distance of many miles, taking away all the out- buildings of this famih', leaving the dwelling, but moving it from the foundation. The family took refuge in a cave. Only one person — Mrs. 352 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. William AIcDanel — was killed in this storm, but a number of others were seriously injured. William E. McCloud, alx)ve mentioned, the eldest brother of the subject of this sketch, came to Iowa at the age of seventeen years. At the age of nineteen he married ^liss Ann M. Sears of Taylor township. He followed the occupation of farming some years, but later in life was an extensive stock shipper, at one time being in partnership with Captain E. Cummins in the shipping business, and afterwards was a partner of R. M. Hicks. After moving to York, Nebraska, Mr. McCloud en- gaged in the commission business in the stock-yards at Omaha ; was also one of the organizers of the bank at Waco, Nebraska. His son, C. A. McCloud, and nephew of the subject, is now engaged in the real estate and insurance business at York, Nebraska. He is very prominent in the county in Republican party politics, and is among the wealthiest citizens of his county. Mrs. Rachel J. JSIcCloud died March 12, 1883, having lived a num- ber of years as a faithful and consistent member of the United Brethren church, leaving one daughter, now Mrs. R. H. Raster, of Chariton town- ship. On June 15, 1884. our subject was again married, his second union being to Mrs. !Mary J. Breese, widow of Timothy Breese, de- ceased. Timothy Breese was a member of the Eighth Iowa Cavalry. He was born in Ohio, but reared in Lee county, Iowa, dying near Iconium, Iowa, December 15, 1880, holding membership in the Chris- tian church at the time of his death. He left three surviving sons : Alpha A., by a former wife; Mary Hazlewood; and Ira E., now of Chicago, Illinois. One son, Everett, died at the age of four months. By the union of Nathaniel and Mary J. iNIcCloud were born four children, three of whom are now living — Alta, Rav and Irl, Fannie BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. -353 having died in infancy at tlie age of twelve months. Mrs. McCloud. the present wife, was born in Putnam county, Indiana, November 8, 1850, near Greencastle. She was a daugliter of James and Anise Nich- olson, formerly Anise Brewer. Her father was a farmer by occupation ; also a brickmason. He brought his family to Iowa in i860 and located near Iconium and died in 1875 at the age of sixty-two years. His politi- cal support was given to the Republican part}-, and he was an active member of the Methodist church, in which he served as class leader for a number of years. His wife, who was also an earnest member of the same church, was born in North Carolina and died in Monroe county, Iowa, Februar}- 10, 1896, at the age of seventy-eight years. To James and Anise Nicholson were born thirteen children, as follows : Edna, Martha, Melvina, Nancy, Mary J., John; F.phraim. and Hannah, de- ceased. The others died in infancy. Ei>hraim enlisted in the Thirty- sixth Infantry, Iowa Volunteers, and served until the close of the war. He died at Duvall's Bluff of smallpox just after the remainder of his company were mustered out of the service. In March, 1901, N. McCloud purchased the Jefferson Turner farm of one hundred and forty acres in Taylor township, where he now re- sides. This farm is located on the Albia and Centerville wagon road, one mile south of IMoravia. On this farm is a two thousand dollar house and brick cellar. The lawn is adorned with pine, cedar and other shade trees, and there is a good orchard and a large pond well stocked with fish. In fact, it is one of the most attractive and desirable farms of its size in the county. In addition to the raising of grain, Mr. Mc- Cloud raises and feeds stock for market and has found this branch of his business quite profitable. The Democratic party finds in Mr. McCloud a stanch supporter of its principles. He has always taken an 354 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. active interest in public affairs. Both he and his wife are connected with the Methodist church and are people of refinement and culture, who make friends wherever they go. Ira E. Breese, before mentioned, the stepson of our subject, made his home at the home of X. McCloud from June 15, 1884, till the spring of 1895. Then, to get better school facilities, he went to Shenandoah and attended Western Normal College. From there, in September, he went to Ouincy, Illinois, and attended the Gem City Business College and graduated from there in the shorthand course in April, 1897. He en- listed May 27, 1898, in the United States navy and was discharged September 30, 1898. During his service in the navy he was at New- York, Brooklyn, Norfolk, Hampton Roads and Key West, returning by way of Philadelphia and Chicago. He is at present engaged with the American Railway Guide Company as stenographer, with excellent chances for promotion. JOHN KNOWELS. John Knowels is a retired farmer of Appanoose county, who from an early period in the development of this portion of the state has re- sided in the county. For many years he followed agricultural pursuits, but has now put aside business cares to enjoy a well earned rest and his comfortable competence, which has been acquired through untiring energy and perserverance. A native of Ohio, Mr. Knowels was born in Holmes county, that state, on May 4, 1818; a son of John and Hester Knowels. In the state of his nativity he was reared and educated, his boyhood days being quietly passed and unmarked by any event of special importance. At- JOHN KKOWBLS. BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 357 tracted by the opportunities of tlie growing west he came to Van Buren county, Iowa, in 1840, and took up his alx)de in Appanoose county, where lie has since made his Iiome. In tliat year he was united in mar- riage to Miss Martiia Jackson, a native of Ohio, born in tlie same year in which her husband's birth occurred. They became tlie parents of eight children, one of wiiom is now deceased. After the death of his first wife Mr. Knowels was again married, his second union being with Eva Jane McKern, whom he wedded in 1877. She is still living with him, and they have four children. On locating in this county, Mr. Knowels took up his abode upon a farm and began to till his fields and harvest his crops, keeping in touch with the advanced methods of farming which were introduced and proved of practical value in the w-ork of cultivating and improving his place. He was thus engaged when the country became involved in Civil war. A loyal advocate of the Union cause, during the progress of the war he felt that his first dut}- was to his country, and he enlisted as a member of Company I, Third Iowa Cavalry, with which he went to the front. In 1862, in the midst of battle, he was wounded by a bullet in the left leg, just below the knee, and because of the injury he receives a pension from the government. Age would have exempted him from military service had he so desired, but his patriotic devotion to his country led him to join the army, and in days of peace he has been equally patriotic and quick to respond to liis country's needs. One ot the results of his war ser\ice was a change of name. His name was originally spelled Nowels, and the family still spell it so, but when Mr. Nowels's description roll was made when he entered the amiy the name was put down Knowels, and he has since continued it so himself. Mr. Knowels went to the army as a Democrat, but his political 358 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. views changed during the progress of the war, and he returned a Re- pubhcan and has since been most loyal to the party and its principles; but he is not strictly partisan and regards always the capability of the candidate as well as the party to which he belongs. Mr. Knowels is a third degree Mason and a charter member of Antiquity Lodge No. 252, F. & A. M. For eighty-four years he has traveled the journey of life, during which time he has witnessed many changes in the world of progress and has seen his country advance to take a proud position among the leading countries of the world. He is still interested in what is going on, and is an entertaining, companionable old gentleman, who can relate many interesting events concerning the pioneer history of Appanoose county and the early days during which he took up his abode here to become an active factor in agricultural circles. JOSEPH C. McELHANEY. Joseph C. McElhancy is today one of the prosperous agriculturists and enterprising business men of Monroe county. There is no rule for achieving success, yet certain elements are always found in a prosperous career, and these are tireless energy and keen business perception, both of which are manifested in tlie career of Mr. McElhaney, who is now controlling extensive and important interests lx)th in Monroe county and in other sections of the country. He is a native of Hancock county, Ohio, his birth having occurred there January 21, 1853, his par- ents being Isaac and Sarah Jane (Reddick) ]\IcElhaney. His father was born in Pennsylvania and was of Scotch-Irish descent, while the mother was a native of Columbiana county, Ohio. Durnig his residence in the Buckeye state, Isaac McElhaney followed the cooper's trade, but BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 359 after his removal tn Iowa he abandoned indnstrial interests in order to give Iiis attention to agricultnral pnrsuits. The year 1865 witnessed his arri\al in this state and he took up his aliode in Guilford township, Monroe county, where he made his home for ten years, and then re- moved to Union township, where his remaining days were passed. As every true American citizen should do, he kept well informed on all political questions affecting the welfare of his county, state and nation, and his belief in the principles of Democracy led him to cast his ballot for its nominees. Both he and his wife were devoted members of the United Presbyterian church and took an active part in its work, liij death occurred on the igtli of March, 1891, when he had reached the age of seventy-five years and seven months, and his widow is still liv- ing, making her home with the suljject of this review. To Mr. and Mrs. Isaac McElhaney were born eight children, five of whom are yet living, namely: Mary J., Margaret C, Mattie, Cynthia and Joseph C. Those who have passed away are David R., who was the eldest; Irvin Presley; and Dora, who. was the youngest of the family. Joseph C. McElhaney lived in Ohio until he had reached the age of nine years, when he accompanied his parents on their removal to Iowa. He accjuired his early education in the public schools and when sixteen years of age took up the study of geology, which he mastered and then began prospecting for coal in the employ of different companies. He has done prospecting work in Missouri, Kansas and Iowa, and has been instrumental in locating several coal beds which have yielded excellent returns. He is today the owner of a fine and valuable farm of three hundred and sixty-six acres of Iowa's rich soil, located just north of Lovilia, and r}f this two hundred acres is under cultivation, being planted with cereals best adapted to the climate. The remainder of the farm is 3»;0 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. pasture land and Mr. McElhaney is successfully engaged in raising and dealing in stock, his annual sales from animals bringing to him a good return. He has resided upon his present farm for fifteen years, living with his mother and his two sisters, Maggie and Cynthia. Mr. Mc- Elhaney is a man of excellent business ability, resourceful and far- sighted and he has not confined his attention entirely to one line. At the present time he is extensively interested in rice growing and has a tract of land of ten thousand acres in Texas, of which forty-five hun- dred acres are now planted to rice. He has been interested in rice pro- duction since 1899 and believes it to be one of the country's profitable crops. Mr. McElhaney is a member of the Pioneers' Association and at the recent meeting held in Lovilia he served as officer of the day. He is honored and respected by all, not only on account of the success he has achieved, but also because of the honorable, straightforward business policy he has ever followed. In his Inisiness affairs he has never taken advantage of the necessities of his fellow men, but has been fair and just in all transactions, and his prosperity is the legitimate outcome of care- ful discernment in business and of unremitting diligence. JAMES HIBBS. Among the many worthy and esteemed residents of Appanoose county who make up the farming class, and by their substantial citizen- ship and progressive ideas ha\e made the county one of the foremost agricultural sections of the state, is Mr. James Hibbs, who now resides in Numa, but for many years served in an official position, was active in the mercantile business, and also as a leading farmer. His ])arents were Mahlon N. and Elizabeth (Hurst) Hibbs, who BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 361 were both natixes of Tennessee, and wlien young were taken liy tlicir parents to Putnam county. Indiana, where they were married. Mr. Hibbs was a hfelong farmer. In 1847 '^^ came to Iowa witli liis family and located in Wapello county, and there he died about 1850. Shortly afterward his wife, with her children, moved to Appanoose county and located on a farm two miles south of what was known as Hibbsville, where Mrs. Hibbs died. James Hibbs, the immediate subject of this sketch, was the eldest of eight children, six of whom are still living. He was born in Putnam county, Indiana, April 15. 1826. Pie early displayed the energy and honesty of purpose which have charactertized his entire career, and not only was he successful in his private affairs, but entered heartily into any enterprise directed toward the common good. When he, with his mother and family, settled in Appanoose count)', he was instrumental in having a post(jflice estaloiished near their farm, and in his honor it was named Hibbsville. Dr. Hall, now deceased, was the first postmaster of this place, but after his incumbency Mr. Hibbs was appointed to the office and conducted it in connection with a general store until 1901, when the postoffice was abolished. Mr. Hibbs still owns the old farm south of Hibbsville, but makes his home in Numa. In 1856 Mr. Hibbs was married to Martha E. Cooley, who is a native of Indiana, and was born in 1840. \^^^en only six months old she came west with her parents and lias since made her home in this county. Mr. and Mrs. Hibbs became the parents of eight children, of whom six are now living: Mahlon E., James W., Mrs. Martha Farmer, George. Mrs. Nancy Jane Ellis and Samuel. This family hold a very influential position in the social and business life of their community and justly cnnunand the high regard of many friends and acquaintances. 362 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. JOHN S. BOARDMAX. The subject of this sketch lias had a career extending over a period of many years whicli may justlv be descrilsed as archious, adventurous and hazardous. The first portion covered tlie period of the Civil war, during which Mr. Boardman saw much hard service and fighting, and made a most creditable record. Leaving the army, he entered a service whose risks and dangers are second only to those of war, and as a "railroader" endured hardships in many different states and in the em- ployment of many different corporations. Added together, his army and railroad service extended from the early sixties to 1898, nearly forty years, and none will en\'y him the repose he is now enjoying after a life of such strenuous labor and exciting experiences. His father, Levi Boardman, was a native of New York state, who followed milling in early life and devoted his last years to farming. He married Minerva Monroe, who came from Scotland with her parents in childhood and grew up in Genesee county. New York. This union, which continued in utmost conjugal harmony until severed 'by the death of Mr. Board- man in 1866, resulted in the birth of eight children, of whom only two are now living. John S. Boardman, youngest of his father's surviving children, was born in Pennsylvania, January 17, 1843, '^'''d ^^''^s prevented by poor health in childhood from obtaining more than the mere rudiments of an education. When fourteen years old he began driving a stage between Columbus, Pennsyh-ania, and Jamestown, New York, but soon abandoned this job for employment in tiie oil fields of Crawford county, Pennsylvania. Sulisequently he was engaged for four years as a stage driver between Tilus\ille and L'liion, Pennsylvania, and during this time also had charge of several teams. This monotonous and unexcit- BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 363 ing employment was terminated 1\v that mighty event whicli clianged the current of S(^ many million lives, and altered the very course of history itself. The outhreak of the Civil war found young Boardman in his eighteenth year, and full of the fiery patriotism that inspired every spirit in those troublous times. His feelings found vent by enlist- ment in Company B, Twelfth Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Cav- alry, with which he went promptly to the front and took part in the opening scenes of the great drama along the Virginia border. /Vt the expiration of his term he re-enlisted, or "veteranized," as it was then termed, in the same command, and remained with it until the last gun was fired in the fratricidal strife. J\Ir. Boardman's services were not only of a varied and dangerous character, but they were marked through- out by a gallantry and devotion to duty which brought him constant commendation of his superior officers. He was with General McClellan all through the Peninsula campaign and during this exciting time was detailed to act as orderly for the commander-in-chief. Later, when General Pope took command in Piedmont, Virginia, the troops to which Mr. Boardman belonged were detached and sent to join his forces, it being the only part of the regiment that was employed in that service. By reason of this detached assignment the troops participated in the hard fought battles of second Bull Run, Antietam and South Mountain, with all the intermediate hard marching and privation which charac- terized the campaign iireceding and following Lee's first invasion of Maryland. June i6, 1863, shortly before the battle of Gettysburg, whither the armies were then converging, Mr. Boardman met with the misfortune of being wounded and taken prisoner, which necessitated a countermarch under guard up the valley of Virginia to Richmond, where he was introduced to the delectable bill of fare of Lil)l:)y prison. 364 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. After four weeks' detention in this dismal den he was transferred to Belle Isle, an equally undesirahle boarding house, situated on James river, near the western end of Richmond. From this abode of misery he was sent in a month to another of the same kind at Florence, South Carolina, and finally obtained his parole at Charleston, in the same state. After his release Mr. Boardman served under General Phil Sheridan throughout his famous campaign in the Shenandoah valley, taking part in the innumerable raids and skirmishes which preceded Early's com- plete overthrow in the fall of 1864. During his services with Sheridan's dashing antl incomparable cavalry, Mr. Boardman was commissioned second lieutenant for conspicuous bravery and held this rank until mus- tered out of the service on the 20th of July, 1865. Immediately after obtaining his honorable discharge, Mr. Board- man went directh' to his brother and engaged as a fireman on the Chi- cago and Northwestern Railroad. Thus began a career which was des- tined to last a long time in the same line of work, and during this period he worked as a locomotive engineer, ten years for the Chicago and Northwestern, five years for the Burlington and Southwestern, one year for the Union Pacific, five years for the Wisconsin Central, four years for the Chicago, Burlington and Ouinc}-, and seven years for the Illinois Central. The only interruption in this chain of employment was caused by failure of health, which compelled him to spend four years in Colo- rado for recuperation. Finally, in i8g8, he concluded that he had done his share of hard work, and the veteran soldier and railroader sought a rest from the strain and perils to which he had so long been sub- jected. He first located in Appanoose county in 1879, and ever after- ward made his headquarters here while engaged in various railroad occupations. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 365 In 1864 jMr. Boardmaii was married to Mary RoImiisou, wlio died in 1876, leaving a son. W. R. Boardman, who is at present a resident of Lynclilinrg, Virginia. In 1883 a second marriage was contracted, with Miss Emma Ferris, a native of Oliio, who came to Iowa witli her parents in early childhood. They are comfortably situated on a pro- ductive farm of eighty acres, five miles west of Moulton, where a gen- erous hospitality is dispensed to visiting friends. For the last thirty years Mr. Boardman lias been a member of tlie Independent Order of Odd Fellows, still holds membership in the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and is an honored comrade in the Grand Army of the Re- public. GEORGE D. PORTER. Through a long line of good Irish ancestral stock — and a good ancestral heritage is often worth more than money — reared among sur- roundings that were favorable to the growth and development of the excellent traits of his character, the subject of this biography was one who made the most of life's opportunities, and his career is well worth study and emulation. In tracing the ancestry of the Porter family we tind that in the }-ear 1797 Robert Porter with his wife Elizabeth and son George left their native land of Ireland and sought a home in the new world, landing at Wilmington. From there he drifted into Penn- sylvania, and there maintained his residence. So far as is known he had only one son, George, who was born in Ireland and married Mollie Dougal. Their son, George D. Porter, was born in Pennsylvania in 1805, and married Sarah McCoy, and they became the parents of the subject of this sketch. George D., Sr., was a Presbyterian minister, and preached at various points in Illinois, later moving to Cedar 360 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. county, Iowa, in 185 1, in wliicli state he preaclied at several points. He continued in the active work of tlie ministry until his death, which oc- curred in Blairstown, Iowa. George D., the son of George D. and Sarah (McCoy) Porter, was born in Perrv county, Pennsylvania, in 1846. He obtained a fair edu- cation in the public schools and later studied law in Richmond, Mis- souri, being admitted to the bar at that place. He began the practice of his profession at jNIoulton. Appanoose county. Iowa, in 1870. In the following year he returned to Richmond, and there married Hannah Rodman, a native of Indiana. They then came to Mnulton. Init soon took up their residence in Centerville. where he carried on a very lucra- tive general law practice. Mr. Porter was a thorough believer in the principles of the Democratic party, and was always active in the party councils. The citizens of Centerville chose him to the important posi- tion of mayor of the municipalit}-, and he also served on the schocil board. His useful life came to an end in Centerville, on the nth of Februarv, 1899, and thus passed away a man whose worth was well recognized by his fellow-citizens and whose influence in public and social atYairs will long be felt in the community. He left behind his widow, who resides in Centerville. and fl\'e children : Claude R., Sadie L., Northa I., George McCoy, and Anna Mary. Claude R. Porter, the son of George D. and Hannah (Rodman) Porter, was born in Moulton, Iowa. Jul}- 8. 1S72. After graduating at the Center\-ille high scIick^I he spent one year of study at Parsons Col- lege at Fairfield, Iowa. He then decided upon the legal profession as his life work, and after studying under his father for a time attended the St. Louis Law School for one year, and was admitted to the Iowa bar in October, 1893. He has since carried on a high-class practice in BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 367 Centerville. As an e\i(Ieiice of his popularity and eminent fitness for important positions in county and state, it is only necessary to give the offices he has held in the gift of the people. Although, like his father, he was an ardent Democrat, in 1895 the voters of his county, which is Republican, elected liiiu as a representative to the lower house, and chose him again in 1S97. while in 1899 he was made state senator from the district consisting of Appanoose and Davis counties, which is a Republican district, and in 1902 he was elected county attorney of Ap- panoose county. Fraternally he is a member of the Masonic order and the Knights of Pythias, and in religion is a Presbyterian. In 1899 his marriage was celel)rated to Miss Maud L. Boutin, of Centerville, and they have one son, George. R. S. COULSON. Among the substantial and progressive farmers and stock raisers of Appanoose county none stands higher in public esteem than R. S. Coulson, who owns and operates the fine farm Maplehurst, of two hundred and twenty acres, on section 33, Douglass township. He was born on the old Coulson homestead in this county on the 24th of [anu- ary, 1861, and is a representative of an old and honored family, his father, William Coulson, having settled here about 1849. The latter was a native of Tennessee, where he grew to manhood upon a farm, and in that state he married Margaret Slater, who was also born and reared there. Loading their possessions into a wagon, they came to Iowa in 1849, and took up their residence in Taylor township, this countv, where Mr. Coulson engaged in agricultural pursuits throughout the re- mainder of his life. Success crowned his well directed efforts and he 368 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. became the owner of several hundred acres of lancL He was one of the heaviest taxpayers in the county, and was a man higlily respected and esteemed by all who knew him. By his marriage to Margaret Slater he had six children, four of whom are still living: John, a resident of Darbyville; Elkaner, also of Appanoose county; Samuel, of Johns township ; and Jerry, of Oklahoma ; while Rachel and Luther are both deceased. For his second wife the father married Martha Kinser, who came of a good family. She was born in Indiana and died in 1882 at the age of fifty-four years. The children born of this marriage were Frank, a resident of Taylor township, Appanoose county; F. H., of Monroe county, Iowa ; R. S., of this review ; Mrs. Mary Sarepta Turner, who lives on the old home farm; \\'iley B., also of this county; Ben- jamin and Sarah, both deceased ; Martha, and Margaret. R. S. Coulson passed the days of his boyhood and youth upon the old home farm, and by assisting in its operation developed his physical strength, while his literary education was acquired in the district schools of the neighborhood. At the age of twenty-two years he was united in marriage to Miss Flora Scott, who was also a native of this county, where she was reared and educated, being a daughter of Stephen Scott, now deceased, who was a resident of Taylor township. After a brief married life she died in 1884 at the age of twenty years. She was an earnest and consistent member of the United Brethren church, to which the mother of our subject also belonged. In 1891 Mr. Coulson was again married, his second union being with Mrs. Lucy (Tadlock) Hopkins, widow of J. B. Hopkins, who was a member of the United Brethren church, and died in this county in 1889. Mrs. Coulson was born in Wapello county, Iowa, near the cit)' of Blakesburg, but the greater part of her girlhood was passed in Appa- BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 3C.9 noose county. Her parents are J. M. and Charlotte (Kent) Tadlock, residents of Taylor township, this county. Her father came to Iowa from Illinois, but her mother was born in Lincolnshire, England, though she was only eight years of age when she came to the new world and settled in Iowa. In his political views Mr. Tadlock is a stanch Democrat and his religious faith is manifest by his member- ship with the Cumberland Presbyterian church. In his family are seven children, namely : Lucy, the wife of our subject ; Thomas : John .\. ; Arthur J. ; Ivy S. ; Arlie R. ; Sylvia S. Our subject and his wife have two children. Flora C, now ten years of age, and Bethel E., aged eight. Throughout his active business life Mr. Coulson has followed farming with marked success, and is to-day the owner of a well im- proved and valuable farm of two hundred and twenty acres. He has erected thereon a fine residence, a large barn and windmill, and has set out an orchard ; in fact, he has one of the best and most desirable farms of its size in the count)-. The fields are highly cultivated and on the pastures are seen good grades of stock. By his ballot Mr. Coulson supports the Democratic party and its principles, and he has etificientlv served as a member of the school board in his district. Now in the prime of life, he is enjoying the success which usually follows a life of industry and honesty, and both he and his wife are numbered among the most highly esteemed and honored citizens of the community where thev reside. 370 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. J. R. DOGGETT. ]. R. Doggett. whose fine farm of three hundred and forty acres is pleasantly located on section 15, Douglass township, Appanoose county, not far from Center\ille. is a self-made man, who, through un- tiring industry and unfaltering honesty and good management has worked his way upward to a position of affluence. His residence in the county covers almost thirty-eight years, and he is one of Iowa's native sons, for his hirth occurred in Wapello county, near Ottumwa, on the 17th of December, 1848. tlis father, Silas Doggett, came to Appa- noose county in 1865 and died ten years later at the age of fifty-four years. He was born in Indiana and was reared in that state, and when a young man cast in his lot with the pioneer settlers of Wapello county, living there when it was possible to hunt wild game, for so desolate was the region that the animals had not been driven west by the approach of the white man. Mr. Doggett was a good hunter and trapper and secured the animals for their furs, which brought a fair price. In those early days it required two weeks to go from his home to mill, and the family endured many hardships and privations incident to life on the frontier. He married Martha Redish, who was born in Indiana and died in 1848, leaving a family of ten children, namely : Thomas Dud- ley, who is now deceased ; Mary .\. ; Catherine, who has also passed away; Absolom, who died in 1902; John; Dudley; Daniel P.; Nancy J.; Moses, who was a soldier of the Ci\il war; and J. R., of this re- view. In the year 1849, soon after the discovery of gold in California, the father crossed the plains with an ox team, Ijeing fi\e months upon the way. There were few good roads, and as the rivers were unbridged they had to be forded. The party with which he traveled had several encounters with the Indians and on more than one occasion ]\Ir. Doggett BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 371 narrowly escaped death. For three or four years he engaged in mining in CaHfornia, and then returned to Wapello county, Iowa, and later went to Appanoose county, where he carried on agricultural pursuits until his demise. For his second wife he chose Harriet (Derby) Bouren, and they had four children : Gilmore, Martha, Milton, and Harriet. The last named is now deceased. The father voted with the Democracy and was a zealous and active member of the Hardshell Baptist church, in which he was an exhorter, proclaiming the gospel tidings for many years. J. R. Doggett was reared in Wapello county until fifteen years of age, and in early life began work in the fields, following the plow almost from the time that he was old enough to reach its handles. He ob- tained his education in subscription schools, which were held in different houses in the neighlx)rhood, and remained at home until nineteen years of age, when he went west, being employed in freighting across the plains. He afterward engaged in mining coal in Wyoming and in driving freight trains. He was also a cowboy upon the plains and in the winter months mined coal at Bitter Creek, Wyoming. He experi- enced many hardships and saw some of the wild and exciting times which form a part of the early history of the west. After two years, however, he returned to Ai^pannose county, Iowa, and began farming here. At the age of twenty-two years Mr. Doggett was united in mar- riage in Douglass township to Miss Ellen Rebecca Ullem, who has in- deed been to him a faithful companion and helpmate on the journey of life. She is a lady who possesses many excellent characteristics and is highly esteemed for her good qualities of heart and mind. She was born in Monroe count}', but was reared and educated in Appanoose 372 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. county, and is a daughter of John Ullem, whose birth occurred in Indi- ana, March 13, 1826. He was one of tlie four children of Jacoli UHem, a native of Germany, and the latter had a brother Josiah, who served in the Mexican war. Jacob Ullem was united in marriage to Jerusha A. Stewart, and their son John was reared after his thirteenth year by Harley Greenwood, a prominent man. In 1848 John Ullem came to Iowa and two years later made the overland trip to California with ox teams, being upon the road for five months, during which time he met the usual experiences incident to traveling across the plains in those days. At length he reached his destination in safety, and after two years spent in the mines of California he returned to Iowa by way of the Isthmus, bringing with him a good sum of money which he had secured in the far west. In 1850 he came to Monroe, later moving to Appanoose county. In Van Buren county he had married Phebe M. Cook, a native of Indiana, and a daughter of Jacob Cook. She died at the age of forty years. At her death Mrs. Ullem left the following chil- dren : Mrs. Lydia C. Morrison, now deceased: Mrs. Doggett; Hannah Jane \\'hite, living in Centerville; Jerusha Ann; Phebe Darthuley, the wife of Gilmore Doggett; Oliver Cook; Mary Gertrude; Lewis Harley ; and Leila Addie, all of the last six being deceased ; John Josiah, of Appanoose county ; Frances Matilda, who has also passed awav; and Benjamin Richard. For his second wife the father of these children chose Susan Hockett, and by this marriage there was one son, James N. His third wife bore the maiden name of Harriet Vought, and they had no children. The father was a successful man and good manager and became the possessor of a fine farm and excellent property. His life was e\er upright and honorable, and he therefore won the con- fidence and unqualified esteem of those with whom he came in contact. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 373 To Mr. and Airs. Doggett were Ijorn seven cliildren : Charles Edward : James Harley : Leonard Ullem ; Nellie Jane, the wife of F. \\^ Hollingsween associated with him since 1889, and in 1894 the firm was incorporated as the Law Brothers Company. Mr. Law is known as a hustler and is certain to make a success of any enterprise which he undertakes. He was married in 1880 to Miss Anna Deeds, and they have two children. The family is one of the most respected in the town and has a large circle of friends. HENRY H. WRIGHT. General Henry Harrison Wright is an honored veteran of the Civil war and a man who has for a number of years held a leading place among the prominent business men of Appanoose county, Iowa, where he is engaged in the general insurance Inisiness. He was born in Williams- port, Warren county, Indiana, on the 26th of February, 1840, being a son of John B. and Eliza (Purjue) Wright. The father, who was a native of Ohio, was of Scotch-Irish ancestry, while the mother, who was born in Incliana, was of Irish descent. Henry H. \^'right spent the first twenty years of his life in the place of his birth, receiving his early education in its common schools, which was later supplemented l)y a course in the Boyer Academy of Williams- port. \Micn eighteen years of age he began learning the printer's trade, which he followed at Williamsport. Indiana, and Danx'ille, Illinois, until 394 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. i860, coming thence to Centerville, Iowa, his intention being to con- tinue the journey to the mines at Pike's Peak. However, in May, 1861, at the first call for troops, he enlisted for service in the Civil war, be- coming a member of Company D, Sixtieth Iowa Infantry, entering the ranks as a private, and was not mustered into service until the 17th of July following. His regiment served in Missouri until March, 1862, when it was ordered to Shiloh, taking part in the engagement at that place; also participated in the siege of Corinth, in the campaign in northern Mississippi under General Grant, in General Sherman's divi- sion and corps, the Vicksburg campaign, the second capture of Jackson, Mississippi, Missionary Ridge, and in the relief of General Burnsides at Knoxville, Tennessee. It also participated in the Atlanta campaign, including the battles of Resaca, Dallas, Big Shanty. Kenesaw Moun- tain, Atlanta. Jonesborough and Lovejoy's Station. The regiment was with General Sherman on his march to the sea, the campaign through the Carolinas, in the battle of Bentonville, at the capture of Raleigh, North Carolina, and in the march through Richmond, Virginia, to Washington, where it participated in the grand review in May, 1865. Mr. Wright took part in all the engagements with his regiment, and January i, 1865, was commissioned second lieutenant of his company by Governor Stone. He was mustered out with his regiment at Louisville, Kentucky, July 22, 1865, and after his discharge from the army returned to Cen- terville. In the following October he was elected sheriff of Appanoose county, which office he held by re-election until January, 1874, serving in all eight years, and for the following two years he was the deputy sheriff under John M. Elgin. In January, 1876, General W'right em- BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 395 barked in tlie insurance, real estate and abstract business at Center- ville, to which lie has devoted more than twenty-five years. The marriage of our subject was celebrated on the I5t!i of Novem- ber, 1866, at Ceiiterville, when Miss Catherine A. Gray became his wife. They have five living children : John Albert, Henry Clay, Fanny, Mary D., and Rolle. One son, Charles Cyrus, died in October, 1872, at the age of five years, and Jesse Berch died at the age of fourteen months. On the 7th of December, 1878, Mr. Wright entered the Iowa National Guard as first sergeant of Company E, Fifth Regiment, and soon after- ward, on March 14, 1S80, was promoted to second lieutenant of Com- pany E, Second Regiment, while on April 15, 188 1, he was made the captain. He was promoted to colonel of the Second Regiment, July 26, 1 88 1, and on September 3, 1883, was elected brigadier general and twice re-elected, commanding the First Brigade, Iowa National Guard, for eleven years. He was appointed adjutant general for Iowa, Febru- an*- I, 1896, by Governor 1". M. Drake, and served two years. In his political affiliations Mr. Wright is a Republican, and fraternally is a member of the Odd Fellows order, being past noble grand of Center- ville Lodge No. 76, and he is also a past post commander of John L. Bashaw Post No. 122, G. A. R. GEORGE C. ELLIOTT. This gentleman, who ser\-ed as clerk of the district court of Ap- panoose county, is perhaps the most experienced official in the count}. During his comparatively short lifetime he has served in three diff'erent county offices, and pre\-iously served two terms as deputy in the office he recently filled as principal. This long official service has not only 396 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. made him efficient, but lias brought him into acquaintance with a large number of people whose good will is the best test of his standing. .\s he is still under thirty years of age. a member of the dominant party and quite popular with all classes, it is safe to predict for this accom- plished young man a brilliant and successful future. He is now en- gaged in the abstract business. He is a son of John and Xancy (Morgan) Elliott, who formerly lived in Davis county, but came to Centerville in 1884. The father was twice elected clerk of the district court of Appanoose county and served liis two terms with such satisfac- tion as to be voted one of the most popular officials the county ever had. George C. Elliott was born May 14, 1874. while his parents re- sided at Drakeville. Iowa, and was ten years old when brought by them to Centerville. He attended the city schools, but at a very early age became a deputy under bis father in the clerk's office of the district court. As he remained there during his father's tw-o terms, he re- ceived an unusuallv thorough training in all the details and duties con- nected with such a trust. Xaturally this made his services in demand and he was appointed deputy in the recorder's office, where he served a year, and went from there to the office of the county treasurer, with whom he remained as deput\- four years. In addition to all this he was for a time collector of delinquent ta.xes and the duties of these posi- tions were discharged with such efficiency and fidelity that when a va- cancv occurred in the clerkship of the district court Mr. Elliott was appointed to fill the unexpired term. This appointment, which sent him back as principal to the office which he had so long occupied as deputy, was made in January, 1902, and he forwith assumed charge of his trust. Since leaving this office Mr. Elliott has engaged in the abstract business, which occupies his attention at the present time. Mr. Elliott's BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 397 political preferences are zealously Republican and he is popular as a worker and leader among the younger element of the party to which he gives an earnest advocacy. JAMES FRANKLIN PARKS. The .story of the life of the subject of this sketch is like that of many other progressive lovva citizens, filled with years of boyish enjoy- ment and work on the old farm, advancing by steady degrees along the way of life, and by his conscientious work and determination pushing forward until he now occupies an honored place among the citizens of Appanoose county and is serving the people in one of the important of- fices of the county. Robert and Sarah (Lowe) Parks are the parents of the subject of this biography ; the father was born in Tennessee, but when a mere in- fant was taken l)y his parents to Indiana, where they lived and died. Robert grew to manhood in this state and when nineteen years old went to Illinois ; he was there married, Sarah Lowe being a native of Ken- tucky, but being taken by her parents to Sangamon county, Illinois, when a young girl. Soon after his marriage he went to Iowa and finally de- cided to locate in Davis county, but in 1865 moved to a farm in Ap- panoose county. He has been a successful farmer all his life. He has always cast his vote for the men of the Republican part\-, and relig- iously he and his wife are members of the Christian church. There have been born to them five daughters and two sons. James Franklin, one of the above children, was tx)rn while his par- ents resided in Davis county, Iowa, on Christmas day of 1859. Reared on the farm, his labor was diversified by attendance in the district schools 39S BIOGRAFHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. and by evenings spent in reading and self-education at liome. He re- mained on his parents' farm in Appanoose county until 1884 and in that year was married to Miss Cora F. Kewley. the daughter of Thomas P. Kewley, deceased, and a nati\e of Illinois. After his marriage Mr. Parks settled on a farm and has farmed and resided in this count)- ever since with the exception of two years spent in Nebraska. He has taken an active interest in local politics, lieing a member of the Republican party, in the fall of 1900 he was chosen by his fellow- citizens to the office of county auditor ; the confidence the people showed in him in electing him to this ot¥ice has been amply endorsed In- the ca- pable handling of the position bestowetl upon him. He is progressive and ready to assist in any enterprise for the city's advancement, and he has a genius for hard work that will effect many improvements in the details of his office. Mr. Parks holds membership in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and belongs to the Christian church. His mar- riage has been blessed with two sons, Thomas R. and Seth Lyle. EDWARD J. GAULT. One of the distinguished citizens of Appanoose county, his name figuring prominently in public affairs, is Edward J. Gault. He was born near Belfast. Ireland, on the ist of June, 1828, his parents being Francis and Deborah (McCall) Gault. both of whom were natives of the Emerald Isle. His paternal grandfather was a participant in the Irish revolution and was killed in that conflict by the British at the bat- tle of Antrim. In 1839 tlie parents of our subject with their seven children came to the United States and took up their alx>de in Philadel- phia, Pennsyhania. where they remained for ten years. On the expira- ELWARD J. GAULT. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 401 tion of tliat period they renioxed to Madison, Wisconsin, and late in the year 1854 they left that locaHty, following our subject to Appanoose county, Iowa. Here the mother died in i860 at the age of sixty-three years, and the father's death occurred in 1870, when he was .seventy years of age. Both were laid to rest in the Cincinnati cemetery. The father was reared a farmer and throughout his entire business career carried on agricultural pursuits, achieving fair success in his under- takings. In politics he was first an old-line Whig and afterward be- came a Democrat. In religious faith he was a Presbyterian, while his wife was connected with the Episcopalian church. In their family were seven children, namely : Annabel, now deceased ; Francis, who died in Kentucky; Edward J., of this review; Richard, who is a resi- dent farmer of Iowa; Henry, who died in Appanoose county in 1885; Annie, the wife of James Wolfinger, who is living near Cincinnati; and one that died in infancy. Edward J. Gault was in his eleventh year when his parents came to the United States and during the succeeding decade was a resident of Philadelphia and of New York city, spending a year and a half of that time in the American metropolis. He was apprenticed to learn the painter's and gilder's trade in Philadelphia. After spending a year and a half in New York he resided in Wilmington, Delaware, for about the same time. (3n the expiration of that period he went to Louisville, Kentucky, which place he left in October, 1850, going down the Ohio river and up the Mississippi to Galena, Illinois; from that place he made his way to Madison, Wisconsin, where he was employed as a farm hand until the s])ring ni 1852. In the summer of that year he went to Oswego, Illinois, where he worked at his trade, and in the spring of 1853 he came to Appanoose county, Iowa, settling where ne 402 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. now li\-es, in Pleasant township. Since that time he lias carried on general farming and stock-raising. When he came to this connty he brought with him a capital of about three hundred dollars, all of which he had saved from his earnings. He has since been \'ery successful in his business affairs, his diligence and enterprise enabling him to over- come all difficulties and obstacles in his path and work his way steadily upward to prosperity. On Christmas day of 1853 Mr. Gault was united in marriage to Miss Sophia L. McClure, a daughter of Thomas and Jane ( Young) McClure. Mrs. Gault \vas born in Ohio, but her parents were natives of the north of Ireland, whence they emigrated to the new world. In religious faith they were Presbyterians. Mrs. Gault died on November 27, 1873, at the age of forty-three years, and on the 25th of June, 1879, Mr. Gault was again married, his second union being with Mrs. Jane S. Wootten, who was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a daughter of Stephen H. and Jane (Kennedy) Simmons, both of whom were natives of Philadelphia. Ten children were born to the marriage of our sub- ject and his wife, and nine of the inimber lived to years of maturity, namely: Thomas F., Annie, Frank E., Edward, Mary, Alice, Richard, Jessie, and Sophia, of which number Mary is now deceased. In his political views Mr. Gault was first a Whig and afterwards became a Douglas Democrat. Since that time he has been unfaltering in his support of the Democracy. In 1861 he was elected a member of the county board of supervisors and served for one year. In the fall of 1861 he received a unanimous vote electing him to the lower house of the state legislature, being the only official e\er given the unbroken svipport of the people in this way. He served for one term and then declined to continue in the office. In 1871, however, he was elected to BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 403 the state senate and filled tliat position for four years. In 1883 lie was again chosen to tlie same ofiice and served for four years. An enumera- tion of the men of tlie present generation wlio liave won lion(jr and puh- Hc recognition for themselves and at the same time have honored the state to which they belong, would be incomplete were there failure to make prominent reference to Mr. Gault. He holds distinctive prece- dence as a statesman, as well as one of the leading and progressive ag- riculturists of his community. He has been and is distinctively a man of afifairs and one who has wielded a wide influence, and during his service in both branches of the general assembly he left the impress of his individuality upon the legislation enacted during those periods. He and his family attend the services of the Congregational church and are prominent and representati\-e residents of Appanoose county. JAMES WILSON. The land of the bonnie blueljell and of the immortal Burns has sent forth many a worth)- son to the free land across the waters who has been an important factor in the industrial, social and political life of this countrv, and to have the blood of the sturdy Scotch in one's veins is in itself an excellent heritage. .And it is now our pleasure to record the career of one who is in e\'ery way an ornament to his adopted land and an American citizen in the true sense of the word. The Wilson f:unily traces its lineage back to an old Scotch house. James and Janet (Young) Wilson were the parents of our immediate subject and were both born in Scotland. James Wilson, Sr., was a coal miner and at the age of thirt)'-four lost his life by falling down a shaft. To them were born eight children, of whom six are still living: one died in in- 404 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. fancy and a son, Adam, was killed on the western plains in 1863 by the Indians. James W'ilson was the oldest son and was born in Inveresk parish, Mid-Lothian county, Scotland, on the 22d day of September, 1834. All the school training that was afforded him was such as he could obtain in the first ten years of his life; at the end of that period he be- gan his career as a coal miner. In 1854, when twenty years of age, he came to America; he landed in New York city; from there went to Philadelphia, then on to Baltimore, finally obtaining employment in a coal mine in Frostburg, Allegany county, Maryland; after spending a short time here he went to St. Louis, Missouri, and worked in a mine, then was employed in Warren county, Illinois, and in the fall of 1861 located in Monmouth, Illinois, where he engaged in mining for twenty- one years. He made his arrival in Centerville, Iowa, in 1882, and he here bought a local coal mine, which he developed and operated for some time, and for a year ran a butcher shop. After this venture he bought another mine in Centerville and operated it in connection with the Star Coal Company ; later, selling his interest, he became a stock- holder in the Anchor Coal Company, in which he only recently dis- posed of his interest. From 1889 he has served as superintendent of the mines, his wide experience in mining making him invaluable in operat- ing and developing the affairs of the company. In 1862 Mr. Wilson celebrated his marriage in Monmouth, Illinois, to Miss Elizabeth Welsh, who is also a native of Scotland. Six chil- dren were born to them: His son, James M., whose sketch also ap- pears in this work, is a leading lawyer of Centerville ; a daughter, Janet, has been for several years a successful teacher in the schools of Center- ville ; another daughter, Isabell, was a private stenographer for Cover- BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 405 nors F. M. Drake and Leslie M. Shaw during their administrations, and now occupies an excellent position in the treasury department under the present secretary of the treasury'. About 1856 the widowed mother of our subject came with her children to America and here spent the re- maining days of her life, passing away at the age of eighty-three. Mr. Wilson stands high in the Masonic order, ha\'ing taken the thirty-second degree. He is in every sense of the word a self-made man, and this has come to be the very highest distinction tliat can be conferred upon a democratic, liberty-loving American. JAMES M. WILSON. Marked success has been the attendant of James M. Wilson throughout his brief but brilliant career, and when we consider the fact that he is not yet at the meridian of life it is not difficult to predict still greater achievements for him in the future. As the history of his father's family has been reviewed above, it will not be here necessary to recapitulate. James M. Wilson was ushered into the world on September 8. 1866, near the city of Monmouth, Warren county, Illinois, the son of Scotch parents, James and Elizabeth (Welsh) Wilson; he is one of four living children. His first training was gained in the common schools, and when his father came to Centerville in 1882, he was employed as weigh-master in the coal mine with which liis father was connected, but he later attended the Centerville high school and graduated in 18S5 ; he then entered and spent two years in Monmouth College. Ufpon his return home he was engaged in several occupations before his mind was fully centered; for a time he railroaded, for one year was clerk in 400 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. United States railway mail ser\ice, then took up teachmg for awhile, being employed near home one winter and for a year taught in Ver- sailles. Illinois ; in all these pursuits he displayed much versatility, thor- oughness and ability. He then began the study of law imder Hon. T. M. Fee; in 1896 he graduated in the law department of the Iowa State University as president of a class of one hundred and three members. He had been admitted to the bar in 1895 and has since carried on a good practice in Centerville. Mr. Wilson has taken an active part in politics and for fifteen years has been one of the popular speakers at the various political meetings. In 1896, as the candidate of the Republican party, he was elected county attorney and received a re-election in the fall of 1898; previously he had served two years as city attorney of Centerville. In 1901-1902 he was reading clerk of the state C(jnvention held in Iowa. His official record was an excellent one. Mr. Wilson is prominent in the fraternal orders, being a Knight Templar. Ro}-aI Arch Mason, having served as high priest of Euclid Chapter No. 43, and a Mystic Shriner; also a Knight of Pythias, and he is a member of the judiciary committee of the state Knights of Pythias grand lodge. On December 24, 1891. he married Flora M. White, a daughter of J. A. White, a prominent citizen of Centerville. They have two children, Eva, born October 13, 1892. and Jean, born July 12. 1894. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson are members of the Methodist church and stand high in the regard of their many friends and ac- quaintances. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 407 HENRY GAULT. The Gaiilt homestead, situated a short distance north of Cincin- nati, is one of the most attractive as weH as vahiable of the man\' beau- tiful estates in Appanoose county. Consisting of seven hundred and fifty acres of the fine farming land for which Iowa is noted, cultivated by the most modern methods known to scientific agriculture, and orna- mented with a variety of buildings of tasteful architecture, it is difficult to imagine a more alluring picture than that presented by this superb country seat. At this happy home dwell the widow and children of the man by whose industry and wise management the property was accum- ulated and improved within less than thirty years, and concerning whose life and work it is the intention to communicate a few particulars in this brief biography. The late proprietor was not a man of show nor in any sense a spectacular or sensational character, his achievements being all wrought out by quiet means and never with sound of trumpets. So his story presents no dramatic incidents or details out of the ordinary such as might be expected in the peaceful pursuits characteristic of a farmer's life. Henry Gault was born in Ireland, October 6, 1833, and as sketches of his parents, Francis and Deborah (McCall) Gault, appear in another part of this volume, in the biography of E. J. Gault, it is not necessary to repeat the particulars here. They emigrated to this country when Henry was quite small and settled in Philadelphia. The boy remained at home until seventeen years old and in 1850 went to Wisconsin, where he remained for six years. From that state he proceeded on west until he reached Appanoose county, Iowa, where he took possession of the farm which proved his place of residence until the end of his life. He engaged in general farming and stock-raising, and from the beginning 408 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. made a success of these pursuits, which in its general results partook of the phenomenal. In fact, he seemed to have a natural turn for the business, and all his moves prospered. He had attained but a limited education in youth, but had one of those minds and dispositions that are quick to take advantage of opportunities, knowing how to master details as well as how to group the latter so as to control general re- sults. When his work seemed practically done and an elegant home had been provided for his last days, he was called suddenly away from the scenes of earthly care and endeavor in such a way as made his death a peculiarly sad one. On the 25th of March, 1885. while standing on the platform at Moulton and in the act of boarding a train for his home, the threads of life suddenly broke asunder and he dropped dead in his tracks, from what the physicians pronounced heart failure. So ended a useful and. in its way, a remarkable career, which reflects credit of the highest order on him who gave it direction and controlled its forces. In December, 1855, Mr. Gault was married to Hester, daughter of Thomas and Mary Jane McClure, both of whom were natives of Ireland. Mrs. Gault's mother died in 1848, and her father in 1878, when eighty- two years old. The eight children of Mr. and Mrs. Gault are thus re- corded in the family register: Francis, deceased; James R., Debbie, Jennie, Harry and William T. ; Frank and Thomas, deceased. Of those living, Harry is the only one married, and he and the other chil- dren reside with their mother. Mr. Gault, during his lifetime, was a member of the Presbyterian church, and his wife also has long affiliated with that denomination. His only fraternal connections were with Masonry, of which ancient and honorable order he was long an es- teemed member. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 409 E. C. HAYNES. One of Centervillc's public-spirited citizens is Coionel Haynes, who is now tlie popular postmaster and has an excellent record as soldier in the war of the Rebellion, has filled several public offices and has a good reputation as a leading lawyer. Colonel Haynes' father, Cyrus Haynes, was a native of North Carolina and removed from that state to Tennessee in 1811, when only six years old; in that state he grew to manhood and then came north to Illinois, where he was married. Ma- hala Smith, who became his wife, was born in Kentucky, and in girlhood was brought to Illinois by her parents, who went on to Iowa in 1837 and settled in Van Buren county, before the admission of the territory to statehood. After his marriage Cyrus Haynes lived in Illinois till 185 1 ; his wife died in 1850 and in the following year he came to Iowa and located in Appanoose county, where he resided until his removal to Missouri about 1868. He died in 1871. The birthplace of E. C. Haynes was in McLean county, Illinois. where he came into the world on the nth of May, 1844: at the death of his mother he came to Iowa and lived with his grandparents in Van Buren county; in 1852 he went to his father's home in Appanoose county, where he has made his home e\-er since. He enjoyed the ad- vantages of the common schools and was in attendance at the Troy (Iowa) College, when the Civil war spread its fury over the land. .'\mong the first, in May, 1861, he enlisted in the state military service, and his companv afterwards became Compan)' D. Sixth Iowa Infantry ; his service lasted through the war to July, 1865. At Atlanta, in 1864, he was wounded and thereby lost an arm. He entered the war as a private and was discharged as first lieutenant. He now retains mem- 410 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. bership in the John L. Basliaw Post No. 122, Grand Army of the Re- pubHc. At tlie close of his army service Mr. Haynes took a course in the Birmingham (Iowa) College and prepared for his chosen profession of the law by attending the Iowa State University. Upon his admission to the bar in 1868 he at once began his practice in Centerville, where he con- tinued for several years and soon evinced his ability. Because of his active participation in politics he was elected in 1868 to the position of county recorder and served two terms. He was also chosen mayor of Centerville. In the nineteenth general assembly he was chief clerk of the Iowa house of representatives. He was first appointed to the place of postmaster by President Arthur and has held that office under every Republican president since that time. Mr. Haynes is familiarly known as "Colonel," which title he has derived from serving as lieutenant col- onel under several of the state governors. Fraternally Mr. Haynes is connected with the Knights of Pythias, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. The maiden name of his wife was Elma M. Felk- ner, and she is the mother of nine children : Two of the sons served in the Spanish-American war, H. C. Haynes being captain of Company E, Fiftieth Iowa Infantry, and Glenn C, first sergeant of the same com- pany ; the former is now lieutenant colonel of the regiment, while the latter is captain of Company E ; three sons are privates in the company ; Leo R., E. C, and Fritz; the oldest daughter, Bessie, is a teacher in the public schools; Helen is a mailing clerk; the other two children are Wilma and Marian. The family is a happy one and add much to the social life of the city, being highly esteemed by all. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 411 EMERY MELVILLE PROBASCO. Tlie legal profession is the lodestoiie that attracts many a man of keen, brilliant intellect, for in that field lie boundless opportunities for wealth, social position and fame. And one of the devotees of the law in Appanoose C(nmty and one to whom marked success has come whtfe still young, is the attorney whose name heads this article. Grandfather Peter Probasco was a native of New Jersey and later came west and made a permanent settlement in Putnam county, Mis- souri, where he entered land and de\oted almost all the rest of his life to farming; toward the end of his life lie started to California to spend his last years, but while visiting in Wayne county, Iowa, he passed away, being about seventy years of age. He reared a large family, and of this was Edward Probasco, the father of our subject. The latter was born in New York, came west to Missouri and was a pioneer merchant of Mendota, that state: about 1880 he came to .\ppanoose county, Iowa, and here pursued farming for ten years: in i8go he removed to Moul- ton, where he engaged in the lumber business for a time, but is now retired. During the Civil war he served in the Union army for two years. While living in Missouri he was married to Malinda R. Mc- Connel, a native of Iowa and of Scotch descent; only three children of this union arrived at years of maturity. Of this parentage Emery Melville Probasco was born in the village of Mendota, Putnam county, Mis.souri, September 20, 1871. His child- hood and youth were spent on a farm and in the common schools; he graduated at the high school at Moulton and also the Highland Park Commercial College. Having determined unon the study of law, he was graduated in 1897 in the law department of the Iowa State University and in June of the same year was admitted to the bar. He then opened 412 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. up his office in jMoulton and was soon enjoying a good practice. In politics Mr. Probasco's lot has been cast with the Republican party, and as the candidate of that party he was chosen to the office of county at- torney in 1900: on the first day of the following year he entered upon hi| duties, at the same time removing to Centerville. He has shown much ability in the conduct of this position and now ranks as one of the rising lawyers of the county. Mr. Probasco was happily married in 1901, Miss Anna Nelson of Indianola, Iowa, becoming his wife. WILLIAM P. DAVIS. William P. Davis, the efficient and popular sheriff of Appanoose county, began life as a poor boy and by industrj-, perseverance, and thrift has succeeded in building up a modest competence against old age, and has so well shown his capacity for action that the people of the county have raised him to one of the important offices of trust. His parents were Thornton and Nancy Ann (Vestel) Davis, now deceased; the father was born in Ohio and the mother in Indiana, in which state they were married. After coming to Iowa they settled in Monroe county and followed farming the rest of their lives. Nine children were born to them, of whom two are now deceased. William P. was born on his father's farm in Monroe county, Iowa, March 22, 1859. He lived at home until twenty-four years old, helping his father with the arduous labors of farm work and attending the dis- trict school in the winter. After his marriage he settled on a farm in Independence township, Appanoose county, and continued with good success in this occupation until he was elected by his Republican par- tisans to the office of sheriff in November, 1901 ; he is now serving in BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 413 that office to the fullest satisfaction of the people. Mr. Davis now owns an excellent farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Independence town- ship, which is under a fine state of cultivation and has many improve- ments. In 1S83 Mr. Davis was married to Miss Alma Grance Linch, and six children ha\e heen born to them; one son, Delbert, is now acting as deputy sheriff. Fraternally he is identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias and the Modern Wood- men. He is a member of the Baptist church, while his wife belongs to the Christian church. The family are held in high regard in society, and the position that Mr. Da\is has gained for himself by his efforts is the worthy reward of his unimpeachable character. JOSEPH W. BASHAW. Joseph W. Bashaw, now deceased, was one of the representative business men of Centerville, Iowa, and what he had accomplished in life was due to his own efforts and to his persevering industry. In his veins there was a liberal mingling of English. French, Irish and Scotch blood. His parents were William and Mary Jane (Hull) Bashaw, both natives of Virginia; they had nine children and in 1854, when the subject of this sketcli was but nine years old, they came west from Vir- ginia by wagon to Blakesburg, Wapello county, Iowa, where for several years he followed his trade of wagon maker. He died about 1872, l>eing fifty-six years old, and his wife survived him about twenty years, dying at the age of seventy-five. The birth of Joseph occurred in Culjieper county, Virginia, Jan- uary 23, 1845. and in the town of Blakesburg he was reared and given Hi BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. a common school education. Up to his nineteentli year lie worked in his father's shop and tlien went to Ottnnnva, Itjwa. where lie engaged in carriage making for four or five years. On returning to Blakesburg he married an*d in 1870 came to Centerville, which place he made his home for the remainder of his life. He at once opened a carriage shop and built up a fine trade; a few years before his death he took his son Ernest as partner, and he now conducts the prosperous firm of J. \V. Bashaw & Son. Mr. Bashaw's life was ended on February 3. 1902. Beginning as a poor man, he was able to lay down his life's work with the satisfaction that he had fought a good fight and that he well de- served the competence he had earned. Politically he was a Democrat ; he was prominent in the Methodist church, being one of its officers, and was also identified with the Inde- pendent Order of Ofld Fellows. In April, 1867, he was married to Nancy Gaston, born in McConnels\'ille, Morgan county. Ohio, in 1848; her parents, Alexander and Mary (Cohagan) Gaston, the former a na- tive of Ohio and the latter of Virginia, settled in Davis county, Iowa, in 1854, and in 1861 located in Blakesburg; her father was a physician and surgeon and died in 1882 in Newbern, Marion county, Iowa, but the mother is still li\ing and makes her home with her daughter. Mrs. Bashaw. Of this marriage there are now five children living: Wil- liam is a jeweler in Centerville, J. Ernest is the manager of the firm of J. W. Bashaw & Son, Clara L. is an osteopath student at Kirks- ville, ?\Iissouri, Frank C. and George Elton. Mrs. Bashaw is a de- vout memljer of the Methodist church, and the family is one of the most respected in the city. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 415 JOHN LAZELLE SAWYERS. M. D. This name has lieen made famihar to every inhabitant of /\ppanoose count}' by the long continued prominence of father and son in the medi- cal profession. It seems to be a case of heredity, but at any rate the father's great and widespread celebrity has been equalled if not sur- passed by his talented son. The two lives together cover a period of one-half a century, during which there never was a time when "Dr. Sawyers" was not a familiar sound to every citizen of the county. This family, now so well known, had its beginning with a poor boy of Ten- nessee, who was buffeted by all the waves of "outrageous fortune" in youth and early manhood, but e\-entually triumphed after a series of struggles that challenged the highest powers of manhood to cope with them successfully. Elisha Sawyers was born near Nashville, and being left an orphan was forced to undergo the hardships as well as humiliations usually con- nected with the conditions described as "bound out." During this pe- riod he mastered the tailor's trade, married after he regained his busi- ness freedom and came with his family to Iowa about 1850. For awhile he kept a hotel at Centerville and later one at Unionville, to which place he had removed fnr the prosecution of his trade. He lost his wife by death in 1854. but li\ed himself to the extreme age of ninety-five years and closed his arduous but blameless career at Unionville in 1901. His children, in order of birth, are thus recorded in the family register: Sylvester H., deceased; Lizzie, deceased; Eugene, lona, David, .\llen and Mattie J. It was Sylvester Hart well Sawyers, the oldest of the above men- tioned children, who became the famous physician and father of physi- cians. He was born during the hard years before his parents left 416 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. Tennessee, but despite narrow circumstances the father managed to give his promising boy a fair hterary education. He early developed an ardent ambition to become a doctor and was still a boy when he took up the study of medicine, .'\fter his parents came to Appanoose county he entered vigorously into the practice and soon acquired a- local, fol- lowed by a state reputation, in the profession. This distinguished phy- sician married Mary F. Miller, by whom he had ten children : John Lazelle, Mary Lillian, Kate C, deceased; Sylvester H.. Ralph, de- ceased; Clyde E., Emma, Ada, Zelma and Frank. The father died in 1890, but the mother still presides over the hospitable home in Union- ville, an object of devoted affection from her loving children and esteem from her numerous friends. John Lazelle Sawvers, oldest of the children and destined successor of his father in medical fame, was born at the ancestral home in Union- ville, Tidy 18. 1856. His early education was obtained in the local schools and under a private tutor, with \\hich groundwork he began the study of medicine in his father's office when eighteen years old. It is needless to say that he made rapid progress under such able preceptor- ship and was soon cjualified to grapple with the higher branches taught only at the special schools for this purpose. He first went to the Chi- cago Medical College, but in 1S76 entered the Kentucky School of Medi- cine at Louisville, where he obtained a degree in the following June, and received the prize for surgery and a gold medal for general \no- flciency in all the branches of medicine. After his graduation he prac- ticed in partnership with his father at Unionville until the fall of 1877, when he returned to the Chicago Medical College and was graduated in that institution in the class of 1878. During the winter preceding his graduation he had been appointed physician at the C(M)k County Hos- BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 417 pital, wliere he remained for twenty-two months and derived much ad- vantage from the methcal training to be derived from such a position. In 1879 Dr. Sawyers returned to his old liome at Unionville, where he resumed and continued practice for about one year. In 1880 he went aliroad and spent nearl\' two years in the old world, most of his time be- ing occupied in attending clinical lectures at the various hospitals of Vienna, Austria. During his absence Dr. Sawyers visited many parts of France and Germany and spent some time also at the most celebrated resorts in Italy and Switzerland. His tour was suddenly interrupted and he called home by the severe illness of his father, which w^as at first thought to be fatal. But he recovered and in partnership with his son., after the latter's return from Europe, practiced medicine until 1883. In that year the _\ounger Dr. Sawyers separated from his father and located at Centerville, where he soon gained a large and lucrative practice and rose rapidly to prominence in his profession. In fact, his fame soon spread beyond the confines of his nati\'e county, his skill as a physician and surgeon attracting many patients from a distance, and he has often been called into consultation in important cases over a wide territory, both in Iowa and Missouri. The Doctor is a member of the Des Moines Valley Medical Society, the Iowa State Medical Society and the Ameri- can Medical Association. In 1883 Dr. Sawyers was united in marriage with Miss Jennie, daughter of Ex-Governor F. M. Drake, of Centerville, and to this union three children have been born. The jjarents are members of the Chris- tian church and the Doctor is prominent in Masonry, having reached the Knight Templar degree. After the foregoing details it is hardly neces- sary to add that Dr. Sawyers and bis family enjoy a warm welcome in the best social circles at Centerville and other cities of the state. 418 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. JOHN CRATON McDONALD. One of the most successful, enterprising and progressive business men of Cincinnati is John Craton McDonald. \\'ith him success in life has been reached by his sterling qualities of mind and heart, his manly principles, by unfaltering determination, by unflagging industry and by a diligence that has enabled him to persist in a course which he has marked out. We read of the lives of the heroes of the past, and they not only prove of historical interest, but serve to inspire and encourage us. Yet we need not go to former ages for examples well worthy of emulation. The men of prominence today equal in exemplar)- traits of character those who have passed away, and the life record of Mr. McDonald is one which proves what may be accomplished with indi- vidual effort when guided l)y sound judgment and correct business prin- ciples. Mr. McDonald was born in Mercer county, Pennsylvania, July 13, 1845, and is a son of Daniel and Mary (Stewart) McDonald. The father was born in Mercer county, Pennsylvania, on the loth of March, 1814, and was a son of John and Mary (Uber) McDonald. The grandfather of our subject was a native of Westmoreland county, Penn- sylvania, and when a young man removed to Mercer county, that state, where he spent his remaining days, dying at the age of sixty years. He served as a soldier in the war of 1812, against the Indians in Ohio. His father was William McDonald, who emigrated from Scotland and settled in Pennsylvania. He had Init two children, J(jhn and Susan. John McDonald was united in marriage to Mary Uber, who was a na- tive of Pennsylvania and was descended from an old Hessian family that settled in the Keystone state soon after the Revolutionary war. Among their children was Daniel McDonald, the father of our sub- JOHN c. Mcdonald. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 421 ject. wlin was reared in tlie state of his nativity and after arriving- at years of maturit}- wedded Mary Stewart, who was bf Walter Stewart and a cousin of King Charles the Second, and removed from England to county Antrim, Ireland, in 1648. In the year 1816 Craton Stewart emigrated to the United States and settled in Allegheny county, Pennsylvania. There he spent his remaining days and it was in that county that the parents of our subject married on the 25th of November, 184 1. They took up their abode in Mercer county, Pennsylvania, and there lived until April, 1852, during which time six children were born to tliem. With their family they then removed westward, locating in Lee county, Iowa, and in March, 1854, came to ^Appanoose comity, Iowa, settling in Cin- cinnati, where they resided until called to their final rest. The father was a well-to-do farmer, carrying on his work along progressive lines and thereby securing a good competence. In politics he was first a Whig and then a Free Soiler. Later he advocated the cause of the Abolition party and when the Republican party was formed to prevent the further extension of slavery he joined its ranks and became one of its stalwart advocates. Both he and his wife were members of the Presbyterian church in early life. l)ut afterward became identified with the Congregational church. Eight children were born to them, of whom one died in infancy, while seven reached years of maturity, namely: Mrs. Nancy Sloan Baker, who died May 12, 1894; Mrs. Mary Lucetta Root, of Centerville, Iowa; John C, of this review; Albert Clark, of Cincinnati, Iowa; Mrs. Eliza Josephine McCann, who died November 26, 1900; Mrs. Harriet Beecher David, of Cincinnati, 422 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. and Wilber Sumner, who is associated with his brother, John C, in business. The mother of these children passed away on the i8th of May, 1878, and on the 19th of April, 1895, t'l^ father was called to his final rest. John Craton McDonald was born and reared upon the farm and w-as seven years of age when brought to Iowa. When a }-outh of nine years he became a resident of Appanoose county, where his home has since been. He acquired a common school education and assisted in the task of improving his father's farm. In April, 1863, feeling that the country needed his services, he joined the Union army, enlisting as a private of Company E, Seventh Iowa Cavalry, for a term of three years. He served against the Indians on the plains and was honorably discharged on the 17th of May, 1866, with the rank of sergeant major of his regiment. He is fiow a member of Henry Jaquiss Post No. 325, G. A. R., and thus maintains pleasant relationship with his old army comrades and has spent many a social hour with them recalling scenes which occurred upon the tented fields or in the midst of battle. Upon his return from the war Mr. McDonald resumed farming and was thus engaged in connection with his father until 1870. In that year he was married and began life as a farmer upon his own ac- count, continuing the cultivation of the soil for about ten years. In 1880 he embarked in the furniture and undertaking business in connec- tion with his brother, A. C. McDonald, and in 1882 they also added a lumberyard to their enterprise. In the same year the father became a partner, but in 1885 our subject purchased both his father's and his brother's interest and continued alone in business until 1888. In that year his brother, Wilber S., became his partner, and the business has since been carried on under the firm name of J. C. McDonald & Brother. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 423 They have enjoyed a liberal and growing patronage as fnrniture and lumber merchants, their sales being quite extensive. On the ist of April, 1889, they also widened the scope of their labor by entering the banking business under the firm name of J. C. McDonald & Brother, bankers. In 1898 they established the Citizens' Bank, the subject of this review acting as president, while Wilber S. McDonald is filling the position of cashier. Our subject also has some farming interests, and the various branches of his business are returning to him excellent profits. In 1870 was celebrated the marriage of Mr. McDonald and Miss Mary Boyles, a daughter of John P. Boyles. She was born in Belmont county, Ohio, September 22, 1846, and died March 30, 1895, leaving one child, while five children born to them had passed to the home be- yond. The one that was living at the death of the mother was Cath- erine, and she subsequently died at the age of twenty-five years. In 1896 Mr. McDonald was again married, his second union being with Miss Alice Reed, of Jackson. Michigan. In 1890 he erected a large and handsome modern frame residence in Cincinnati. It is one of the most tasteful homes in this part of the state and would be a credit to a city of much greater size than the one in which Mr. McDonald makes his home. In his political views he is a Republican and fraternally is a Master Mason and an Odd Fellow, having taken all three of the degrees in the latter organization. He likewise belongs to the Congregational church. His unswerving purpose, his unquestioned fidelity, his un- faltering honesty and his unchanging will have commanded tiie highest respect of all. He has been a leader in the cause of liberty, freedom and progress, and his hearty co-operation has ever been given to that which tends to elevate mankind. 424 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. JOH\ M. STURDIVANT, M. D. John M. Sturdivant, M. D.. wiio is engaged successfully in the practice of medicine and surgery in Cincinnati, receives a liberal patron- age, which is the public tribute to his skill and ability. He also has the en- dorsement of his professional friends and commands respect and confi- dence wherever he goes. He was born in the town which is still his home, his natal day being January 14, 1866. His father, the late Dr. John I\I. Sturdivant. Sr.. is represented on another page of this vol- ume. The son remained a resident of Cincinnati until he was sixteen years of age. when his parents removed to Centerville. Iowa, and in the schools of the two towns he was educated, acquiring a g(xxl literary knowledge to serve as a foundation upon which to rear the superstruc- ture of professional learning. He took up the study of medicine in his father's office and remained under his instruction for two years. On the expiration of that period he entered the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Keokuk. Iowa, and was graduated in tliat institution in March. 1887. He then lijcated in Earlton. Kansas, where he practiced until June, 1890, when he returned to Centerville. At that time he be- came associated with his father, with whom he remained until the lat- ter's death. He continued in practice in Centerville. however, until iSqj, when he came to Cincinnati. This has since been his home, and he has enjoyed a large and growing practice, which has made constant demands upon his time, energies and attention. He is continually broadening his knowledge through reading and research and has also gained new ideas through the interchange of thought by his membership in the Putnam County (Missouri) Medical Society and of the North- eastern Missouri ]\ledical Society. In 1889 Dr. Sturdivant was united in marriage to Miss Allie Can- BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 425 non, of Kansas, and they now liave two sons, John M. and Byron Earl. Their home is celebrated for its gracious and pleasing hospitality, which is much enj()\'e(l In- their man\' friends. The Doctor is a Democrat in his political alifiliations, and is a prominent Mason, having attained to the Knight Templar degree in that order. Entering a profession where advancement depends entirely upon in(li\-idual merit and upon broad learning, he has gained a position of considerable distinction and well deserves mention among the representati\e citizens of his part of the state. wiLBER s. McDonald. One of the leading and representative business men of Cincinnati is Wilber S. McDonald, a member of the firm of J- C. McDonald & Company, dealers in furniture and lumljcr. Thev are also bankers, and the subject of this review is acting as cashier of the Citizens' Bank, the success of this institution being largely due to his efforts and capabilitv. He was born in Cincinnati on the 29th of April, 1856. and is a son of Daniel and Mary (Stewart) McDonald, who are mentioned in connec- tion with the sketch of J. C. McDonald on another page of this work. He was reared upon a farm and the educational advantages afforded him were those provided by the common schools. He remained upon the old homestead until twenty-five years of age. In 1884 he went to Green City, Missouri, being preceded to that place only by the station agent. He built the first house and became tlie first merchant there and also the first real estate dealer, and in his business operations he prospered, his sales of lands and of goods bringing to him a s^ood financial return. Mr. McDonald remained there until 1886, when he went to Greencastle, Missouri, where he resided for two vears. and acted as foreman of a •i26 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. large hoop and railroad tie company. In 1888, however, lie returned to Cincinnati, and since that time has been associated with liis brother in business as a banker, lumberman and furniture dealer. As cashier of the Citizens' Bank he has thoroughl)- mastered the business in all its de- partments. He has become a popular official because of his obliging manner and unfailing courtesy, combined with excellent business ability and executive force. In 1882 Mr. McDonald was united in marriage to Miss Louisa Phillips, of Sullivan county, Missouri, and they now have four children : George S., Wendall Phillips, M. John, and Cora Marie. The parents hold membership in the Congregational church and have a nice home in Cincinnati. Mr. McDonald is a Republican and keeps well informed on the issues of the day, and is thus enabled to support his position by intel- ligent argument. Prominent as a Knight Templar Mason, in his life he exemplifies the benevolent and helpful spirit of the craft. Through his own exertions he has attained an honorable and marked prestige among the representati\e business men of his native town, and with equal consistency it may be said that he is the architect of his own for- tunes and one whose success amply justifies the application of the some- what hackneyed but most expressive title, "a self-made man." WILLIAM H. STEVENSON, M. D. The world instinctively pays deference to the man whose success has been worthily achieved, who has attained wealth by honorable busi- ness metb.ods, acquired a high reputation in his chosen calling by merit, and whose social prominence is not less the result of an irreproachable life than of recognized natural gifts. Mr. Stevenson is one who in the BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 427 practice of medicine lias gained envial^le distinction, being today recog- nized as one of the leading memliers of his profession in this part of Appanoose count}-. lie is now living in Cincinnati, where for almost twenty years he has made his home, and in addition to the care which he gives to a large general practice he is also conducting a drug store which he established about cle\en }ears ago. The Doctor was born in the town of Castine, Darke county, Ohio, on the 13th of November, 185 1, and is a son of Parkhill John and Mary (Gunder) Stevenson. The father was l)orn in Fayette county, Penn- sylvaia. and was a son of Henry Stevenson, who was likewise a native of the Keystone state and was of Scotch-Irish ancestry. Leaving Pennsylvania, Henrv Stevenson removed to Darke county, Ohio, and thence to Iowa, first settling in \\'apello county. About 1856 he came to Appanoose county, taking up his abode in Franklin township, where he lived for many years, making farming his occupation, and died when about eighty-seven years of age. The Doctor's father was married in Ohio, having accompanied his parents to that state in his youth. He wedded Miss Mary Gunder, who was born in Darke county, and was a daughter of ^^'illiam Henry Gunder, of Pennsylvania Dutch descent. At an early epoch in the devel(5pment of Darke county he had located there and made his home in that community throughout his remaining days. It was in 1868 that the Doctor's parents removed from Ohio to Appanoose county, Iowa, settling in I<"ranklin township, and four years later they took up their abode in Cincinnati, where the father is now liv- ing at the advanced age of seventy-seven years, while the mother has reached the psalmist's span of three-score years and ten. Parkhill Stevenson is a shfiemaker by trade and throughout his entire business career has carried (jii his work along tliat line. A man of sterling 428 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. worth, he has always been honorable and straightforward in business and has commanded the respect and confidence of those with whom he has been associated. In the family were six children, one of whom is deceased. Dr. Stevenson, the eldest child, spent the first seventeen years of his life in the state of his nativity and then accompanied his parents to Iowa. He, too, laid the foundation of his education in the public schools of Darke county, Ohio, and after his removal westward became a stu- dent in Christian College at Oskaloosa, Iowa, where he gained a liberal literarv education, and when nineteen years of age he began teaching school and followed that profession successfully for some time, alternat- ing his work as an educator with periods of study through several years. In the meantime he took up the study of medicine under the direction of Dr. John M. Sturdivant of Cincinnati, Iowa, and after reading with him for a time entered the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Chi- cago. In 1S84 he entered upon the practice of medicine in this city, where he has since been located and where he has enjoyed a constantly growing patronage. About eleven years ago he also established a drug store, which he has since conducted in connection with his medical prac- tice. In 1875 ^^^ Doctor was united in marriage to Miss Matilda White, a native of Wapello county, Iowa, and to them have been born three children, but Frank, the eldest, is now deceased. The others are Lil- lian L. and .Vrthur P.. who are still with their parents. In his social relations the Doctor is a Master Mason and is also connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. His time and energies are largely devoted to his practice, although in matters of citizenship he is pro- gressive and public spirited. Greater than in almost any other line of BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 429 work is tlie respoiisiliility that rests upmi the physician. Tlie issues of Hfe and death are in his hands. A false prescription, an unsi is now leading a retirctl life at his home near Jerome, has been a resident of Ai)pancK>se ci>unty for tliirty-three years. Previously he had lived many years in Indiana, wliere liis parents brought him in what the historians call an "early day." and thus Mr. Crist has been familiar with life in the west for the full period allowed by the psalmist as the limit of human existence. Tlu)ugh his career has not been especially adventurous, Mr. Crist has seen much and can tell many interesting stories of his experiences of what used to be called "the tar west." but which, is now in the very center of civilization. A son of John and Mary Crist, he was born at Delaware. Pennsylvania, October jS, i8iy. When he was still a lad his parents left their native state and located in l-ranklin county. Indiana, where they spent the remainder of their da\s. Though not members of any church, they were believers in the truths of the gospel, often attended divine services and instructed their offspring in the funtlamental truths of Christianity. Of their eight children the four now living are John G., Isaac, Allison and Margaret. Mr. Crist grew up in Indiana, w-here he got some education by irregular attendance at the country schools, and when the Civil war came on he enlisted in Company B. Eighty-seventh Indiana \'olunteer Infantry, with which he served loyally until injury from a fall while marching compelled his discharge for disability, after twenty-one months in the army. In 1869 be left Indiana for Iowa, and upon arrival took up his abode on a fami in Appanoose county, near Jerome, which has ever since been his abiding place. In 1849 Mr. Crist was married in Indiana and has eight children: John. Isaac, .\ltred, Sarah Elizabeth, Emily. Mary, William and Minnie. The i)arents are members of the BJOGRAFJIJCAL ASD GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 445 Baptist cliurcli anfl the whole family are among the most respected residents of the neighborhood around Jerome. EDWARD T. JEXXIXGS. It is not too much to say that in this commonwealth of the free and independent the man who performs faithfully the duties that fall to the lot of the American citizen is the peer of any proud and hide- bound aristocrat who ever pranced in the royal purple before the admir- ing gaze of serf-born foreigners; and at the end of a long life of con- scientious anfl active effort he may well view with satisfaction and con- tentment the work of his hands. In this list of worthy and honored citizens we include witli perfect right the name of Edward T. Jennings, who is one of the leading farmers of Appanoose county, and resides near the town of Piano. William Jennings, who was the father of our subject, was born in Covington, Kentucky, and died in Johns township, Appanoose county, in May, 1869; he married Christina Shultz, who was a native of Penn- sylvania, and died in Johns township May 16, 1874. They were mar- ried in Adams county. Ohio, and there began their home life. Mr. Jennings was a gunsmith by trade and followed this calling all his life. In July of 1854 he left Ohio and took up his residence in Johns town- ship, Appanoose county, where he and his wife remained the balance of their lives. One of the children of the alxne parents was Edward T. Jennings, whose birth occurred in Adams county, Ohio, September 13, 1837, and his youth was passed in the varied activity common to most boys reared in the first half of the la.st century. .\t the very Ijeginning of the war of 446 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. the Rebellion he enlisted in the Fifth Kansas Cavalry under Colonel H. P. Johnson, who recruited a company in Iowa. He was afterward transferred to the Sixth Kansas and saw much of the stern reality of war in Missouri, Arkansas and other western states. He was taken prisoner at Fort Smith, Arkansas, and for over a year endured confine- ment in the southern war prison at Tyler, Texas. He was among those who were engaged in chasing the Price raiders, and did considerable guerrilla fighting. After he was released from the prison he returned to Appanoose county. He first lived on a farm two miles south of Piano, and in 1892 removed to his present nice home just south of Piano. There he conducts his farming interests very profitably. Mr. Jennings was married in 1869 to Josephine Van Dorn, who was born in Van Buren county, Iowa, March 12, 1844, and died August 21, 1899; her parents removed to Appanoose county in 1856. Of the four children of Mr. and Mrs. Jennings two are still li\'ing and keep house for Mr. Jennings — Lena and Elizabeth. Mr. Jennings lives over again the scenes of the Ci\il war among his comrades in the Grand Army of the Republic post at Centerville. He actively supports the principles of the Republican party, and has shown his interest in edu- cation in his community by serving for twenty-five years as president of the school board. AR]\IILDA JENNIE KINGSBURY. Mrs. Armilda Jennie Kingsbury, residing near the village of Dia- mond, Appanoose county, Iowa, was born in Coles county, Illinois, August 28, 1844, and was the daughter of excellent people by the name of Dr. A. A. and Catherine (Dick) Keran. Her father was a native of Shelbv countv, Ohio, and her mother was bom in Kentuckv. These BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 447 parents were married near Paris, Edgar cmnity. Illinois, and soon after- ward came to Coles countv, where the suhject of this sketch first saw the light of day. A. A. Keran was a physician and also a Methodist minister. For thirteen months he was engaged in the practice of medi- cine in Minnesota, and he then brought his family t(.) Davis county, Iowa, and settled on Soap creek, but in 1854 he removed to Appanoose county and located on a farm one mile west of where Mrs. Kingsliury now resides. Mr. Keran and wife afterward moved to Clarke county, Iowa, also to Kansas and Missouri, and in Golden City of the latter state he passed away. It was in the fall of i860 that Miss Armilda married John Kings- l)ur\-, and they at once began their married life on a farm to the east of the place where Mrs. Kingsbury now lives. When the Ci\il war came on Mr. Kingsbury was found among the volunteers who were willing to sacrifice their private interests to the welfare of the country. He enlisted in ComiJau}- I, Thirty-sixth Iowa Infantry, and at the battle of Arch Mills was wounded. This wound was the eventual cause of his death in 18S5. Mrs. Kingsbury made her home with her parents in Kansas until her husband was discharged from the service, and they then returned to Iowa and engaged in farming pursuits. To the union of Mr. and Mrs. Kingsbury were bom eight chil- dren, and these are now filling honorable places in the different walks of life. William is at home; Mrs. Minnie O'Neal lives in Ringgold county, Iowa; Roy is at home; Elmer was a member of Company I, Fourteenth Infantry, of the regular army in the Philippines, but now resides in Salt Lake City; Charles resides at Marion, Iowa; Harry is in this county ; Jesse Gordon makes bis home near Garfield ; and May is at liome. The sons ha\e taken the place of their father and 448 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. farm the estate of one hundred and sixty acres in Bellaire township. Mrs. King-sbnry is a devoted member of the Christian church and occu- pies a place of high regard in tiie community. ROBERT KINGSBERRY. Robert Kingsberry is a native of the bright, green isle of Erin, and with all the lively and progressive qualities of the race, he, like thousands carrying the blood of the ancient Celts in their veins, has closely identified himself with the American democracy and filled the niche of a worthy and upright citizen. He was born in the north of Ireland, county Monaghan, in the month of March, 1823. His father, Robert Kingsberry. was born in 1802 and died in 1858, and spent his whole life in tilling the soil of his native land. His mother's maiden name was Mattie Dugan. She came to America and lived with the subject of this sketch, passing away about 1863. Robert spent the first twenty-four years of his life on the farm of his father, and in 1848 decided to cast in his lot with the great world he had heard so much about on the other side of the Atlantic. He landed in New York on June 13 and remained there one month, ac- quainting himself with the ways of the new world, and then went to Cleveland and from there to Xenia, Ohio, where he lived for a num- ber of years. In the latter place he was engaged in railroading on the Little Miami Railroad for sixteen years, and for two years was engineer on a switch engine in Centerville. In February, 1864, Mr. Kingsberry enlisted in Company K, One Hundred and Eighty-fourth Ohio Volun- teer Infantry, and until the close of the war saw much hard service in Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama. He was mustered out at Camp Chase, Columbus, Ohio, with a creditable record as a soldier for his adopted BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 449 country. Mr. Kingsberry dates his arrival in Iowa in the year follow- ing the war. He had previously, in 1853, purchased one hundred and eighty acres of land in this county, and here he has ever since made his home, owning' at the present time two hundred and twenty acres of choice land. On the 26th of I'ebruary, 1850, Mr. Kingsberry married ]\Iiss Sarah Mills, who was living at Springfield, Ohio, at the time of her marriage. She was born in Ireland, January i, 1828, and was reared on a farm near the home of her future husband. Her father died in 1836, and in 1847 she came to America with her mother, who died three months after landing. Mr. and Mrs. Kingsberry had eight chil- dren, of whom the six following are living: W. D., George, Mary, Robert, Jr., Jennie, and Maggie. Mr. Kingsberry was for a numljer of years secretary of the school board. He is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons, holds closely to the tenets of the Republican party and is a member of the Methodist church. In ail the relations of life, whether in the position of the skilled mechanic, as a soldier or as a farmer, whether in private business affairs or in the larger puljlic inter- ests, he has made his influence felt as a man of integrity, thorough, ca- pable and honest. ELIZABETH WAKEFIELD. One of the honored residents of Appanoose county living near Piano is Mrs. Elizabeth Wakefield, who, already past the allotted three score and ten, still experiences the joys of life in the peace which is alone the concomitant of an old age preceded by years of industrious and conscientious effort. Mrs. Wakefield is a native of Bartholomew 450 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. county, Indiana, her birth taking place on April 29. 1829. Her parents were Samuel and Anna (Stater) Daugherty, who both died in Indiana, where the father had for many years followed the trade of a carpenter and blacksmith and was also a farmer. On August 24. 1848. Miss Daugherty was married to James Stuckey Wakefield, and it was their lot to travel together the way of life for nearly half a century, sharing equally the burdens and the comforts which came to them. Mr. Wakefield was born in Bartholomew county. Indiana. June 6, 1823. and passed away on January 16. 1899. His parents were native to Indiana and were neighbors to the Daughertys. The father, who was a teacher by profession, died at the age of forty-eight, and the mother at the age of eighty-four. After their marriage James and Elizabeth \Vakefield went to housekeeping with a grandfather of Mr. Wakefield, and later mo\ed to a farm owned by the father of Mrs. Wakefield, where they remained until 1855. They then loaded their possessions into wagons, took with them horses and live stock and made the long but pleasant journey to .\ppanoose count}', where they occui)ied the place which is still in the possession of Mrs. Wakefield. Like his father, Mr. Wakefield was a teacher, and many who have now grown to middle age remember him as the instructor their youth. While in Indiana he served for many years as justice of the peace, being elected on the Democratic ticket. He also held the same office in Appanoose county and was fulfilling its duties a short time before his death. He was a member of the board of supervisors at the time the court house was built in 1861 ; also when the county farm was purchased. During President Cleveland's first administration he was postmaster of Piano. For twenty-two )ears he was school treasurer, holding that place at the time of his death. His religious connections were with the Chris- BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 451 tiaii churcli. Sucli a life of usefulness could not fail to leave its im- press upon the community, and to him was shown the regard due the man of character and faithfulness to trust which he had proved himself to be. Ten children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Wakefield and all are now living: Mrs. Catherine .\. Baker, of Bellaire township; Mrs. Sylvania J. Wailes, living north of Garfield; Samuel W., of Brazil, Iowa; George W., at home; James H., of Piano; John A., of Des Moines; Mrs. Elizabeth Matilda Cross, living near the old home; William F., also near home; Christian E., residing north of Garfield; and Randle Fisher, at home. JAMES L. STONE. James M. Stone, who was the father of the subject of this brief biograph}-, was born in the state of Connecticut, August 27, 1809, and died in August, 1895, having a long and useful life to his credit. He left home at the age of sixteen and went to Elizabethtown, New Jersey, where he earned a livelihood by peddling tinware. At that place he also met the lady who became his wife, Miss Eliza Ann W'ilco.x. She was born in New Jersey on December 29, 1812, and died July 23, 1871. After their marriage they went to Ashtabula county, Ohio, and settled on a one hundred acre tract of timber land given to them by Mrs. Stone's father. Mr. Stone followed farming the rest of his life. In 1857 he came to Iowa with his wife and children and located on a farm in Appa- noose county, where he and his wife remained until called away liy death. Of the seven children born to them fi\'e are yet living: J. J. Stone, of Mystic, Iowa; .Alfred Stone, of Centerville; Albertus Stone, 452 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. who resides in Kansas; Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Powers, of Chicago; and James L. Stone. James L. Stone was born in Ashtabula count}'. Ohio, June 6, 1835. and at an early age learned the art of husbandry upon the farm of his father, with whom he came to Iowa in 1857. \\'hen twenty years of age he was married, on February 4, 1855, his wife being Miss Ximena Dodge, and the ceremony being performed just across the Pennsylvania line. Miss Dodge was born in Ashtabula county. June 4, 1839. Cyrus and Susan (Thomas) Dodge, her parents, were natives of Ohio, the former dying when the daughter Ximena was small, and the latter, who was born in 1818, passing away in 1877. The only son of these parents was killed in the Civil war. To Mr. and Mrs. Stone were born eleven children, and nine of these are still living and occupy honorable places in societ}' : Almeron J. Stone resides at St. Joseph. Missouri; Frank L. is in South Dakota; James X. lives at Beatrice, X'ebraska; Mrs. Flora Rigsby is in Kansas ; Aurelius conducts a store in Piano ; Mrs. Alice Benson resides in Kansas ; Charles W. has his home in St. Josepli, Missouri ; W. Byrd lives at Piano ; and Clyde resides in St. Joseph. The outbreak of the Civil war threw all the plans of domestic comfort and material happiness into confusion, and with the other loyal citizens Mr. Stone offered his services, being enrolled, in 186.2, in Com- pany I, Thirty-sixth Iowa Infantry, and he followed the flag till the close of the struggle; most of his service was spent in Arkansas, Mis- sissippi, Missouri, and Texas. At the battle of Saline River he was taken prisoner and endured ten montiis of confinement in the southern prison at Tyler. Texas. With the exception of this period spent in the service of his country Mr. Stone has followed farming the greater part of his active life and met with excellent returns, so much so that in BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 453 1897 he retired from the farm ami now makes his home in Piano, where he and his wife enju\- the fruits of their former toil. He is a meniher of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and he and his wife are activel}- connected with the Methodist church. The record of such a life is full of encouragement, and among the names of men who have heen marked for their consistent efforts in the upbuilding of the life of every community must be placed that of James L. Stone. JAMES HAGAN. James Hagan is one of the old residents of Appanoose county and derives from his Irish father many of the characteristics of that race, which have undoubtedly been a considerable factor in his successful career throughout the many years of his life. His father was John Hagan and was a native of Dublin county, Ireland. He came to America when four years old; his parents first located in Princeton, Xew Jersey, and later removed to Warren county, Ohio. John Hagan became a ship carpenter and weaver by trade and was engaged in this occupation most of his life. His wife was Elizabeth Glasbie, who was a native of Virginia and went to Warren county with her parents, where she met and married Mr. Hagan. Shortly after their marriage they removed to Hamilton county, Ohio, but later returned to Warren county, where Mr. Hagan died in 1S33. His wife continued the weav- ing business and remained on the farm until 1840. She died in 1845. James Hagan was the son of the above parents and was born in Hamilton county, Ohio, near Cincinnati, on the 23d of February. 1825. He was reared ])rincipall\- by his mother and learned the cooiiering trade, which he followed in Clinton county, Ohio, up to 1848. In 1852 451 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. he became a resident of Illinois, and the following year removed to Council Bluffs, Iowa, where he remained only a short time. In the latter part of 1853 he returned to his native state of Ohio and engaged in the coopering business. In October, 1854, in company with Peter Sidles, he came to Appanoose county and loca'ted in Lincoln township. The next year he was married and began married life on a farm in Lincoln township. Shortly afterward he removed to Bellair township, lived one year at Xuma and then returned to Lincoln township. He con- tinued farming until 1870, when lie came to Jerome and occupied his present nice home. He gave up the active duties of the farm when his sons were able to take charge. Mr. Hagan was also a carpenter by trade and followed that pursuit for several years. On August 2, 1855, Mr. Hagan was united in marriage to Eliza- beth B. Criswell, daughter of John and Rebecca (Kilgore) Criswell. Of the six children born to them fi\e are li\'ing : Mrs. Ada Crouch, Mrs. Mary Belle Hawkins, William .V., Mrs. Emma Ogle and John. Mr. Hagan is the oldest Mason in Seymour Lodge, having been a mem- ber fifty-three years. He is also a member of the Methodist church. CALVIN R. JACKSON. Among the old residents of Appanoose county who have figured prominently in its development and progress is Calvin R. Jackson, who has been an inhabitant of the county for nearly half a century and has witnessed its growth from a county with a scattered population to its present flourishing condition as one of the foremost agricultural and industrial counties of the great western commonwealth. His parents were Thomas and Delilah (Wethington) Jackson, who were both born BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 455 in tlie Bluegrass state wlien its mighty forests were almost intact and tlie Indians were still cqnal sharers with the whites. They afterward moved to Ohio anil then to Indiana. Mr. Jackson was a farmer and Inmberman. and he met his death by a heavy log rolling on him as he was on his way to Lonisxille, Kentncky. It was while his parents resided in Jefferson county, Indiana, that Calvin R. Jackson came into the world, the date of his birth being February 2. 1S20. He grew up to manhood in his native state and in 1848 left Indiana with his mother, his wife, his sister and two children and came west to the new state of Iowa. They first located in Henry county and after remaining there one year moved to Jefiferson county. In 1854 he came to Appanoose county and settled on a farm three miles south of Centerville, but a year later went to Jerome, where he now resides. Mr. Jackson was a successful and enterprising farmer until 1894, in which year he retired from the active labors of the farm and opened a boarding house in Jerome, now furnishing one of the indispen- sable places of rest and home comforts which have been one of the insti- tutions of the world since the beginning of time. Mr. Jackson is also one of the Ci\il war veterans. He was a member of the Fifth Kansas Infantry and was afterward transferred to the Sixth Kansas Cavalry, in which regiment he saw much arduous service for three years and three months in Missouri. Mr. Jackson's lirst marriage occurred in 1844 to Ellen Watkins, who died May 22, 1879. Ten children were born of this marriage and eight are now surviving. His second wife was Nancy (Cashman) Heirrear, who is still living. Xo children were born of this union. Mr. Jackson is a member of the Grand Army post at Seymour and in re- ligion he belongs to the United Brethren church. 456 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. CLARENCE W. LEWIS. It is the uiii\ersal opinion that success in business is the result of industry and application rather than any special talent, and in fact what obstacle can stand long before these cardinal virtues? In the city of Centerville there grew up a great business, known as the Lewis Lum- ber Company, which was the result of the hard work and progressive business skill of two men, S. Lewis and his son. And we shall here give in brief detail the main points of the life of Clarence W. Lewis, who did so much for the welfare of his city and at his death left the priceless legacy of a good name. His parents were Seth and Celina (Woodworth) Lewis, the former a native of Connecticut and of Welsh ancestry. They were married in Illinois and about 1865 located in Marengo, that state, where he engaged in the banking business, having previously dealt in lumber. Their son, Clarence, was born in the village of Blackberry, Illinois, February 7, 1855, and was educated in the common schools, and at an early age entered his father's bank. In 1880 he was married and then went to Trenton, Misscniri, where, in connection with his father, he engaged in the lumber business. But they remained here only two years and in 1882 came to Center\ille. where they established an exten- sive lumber concern. They also had branches in Seymour, Jerome and Mystic, Iowa; the father located in Seymour, where he managed the lumljer yard and also conducted a Ijank; there his ileath occurred in 1893, after a long and prosperous career in different lines of commer- cial activity. In 1894 the Lewis Lumber Company was incorporated with the following officers : C. W. Lewis, president and treasurer ; L. W. Lewis, vice president, and C. M. Crego, secretary. From the be- ginning this company enjoyed a large patronage and it occupies large CLAREHCE W. LEWIS. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 459 yards and sheds, covering fully a half a hlock of ground. B}' its abil- ity to buy in immense quantities the firm has been able to sell at reduced prices, at the same time offering the very best lumber in the mar- ket, and thus the concern has become one of the sources of pride to the citizens of Centerville. Mr. Lewis continued at the head of this enterprise until his death, which t(Xik place on April 4, 1901. And thus passed away a man whose influence for good was everywhere felt and whose remarkable success in the business field will long serve as a me- morial to his strong, honest, forceful character. In 1880 Mr. Lewis was married to Carrie M. Safford, a native of Marengo, Illinois, and the daughter of Frank and Wealthy (Hanchett) Safford, pioneers of Illinois from New York. There are five living children; Louise, Lawrence, John, Howard and Carrie May. DAVID PUGH. David Pugh belongs to a family that was connected with the early settlement of different sections of this country, and he himself can claim the right to attend the conventions of the old settlers of Iowa. No class of people is worthy of more respect than those who have blazed the way for the oncoming army of civilization, and in the coming years the figures of these brave and hardy pioneers will loom up larger and larger on the horizon of history, for to them belongs in great measure the credit for "western expansion," the wonder of the nineteenth cen- tury. The parents of the subject of this sketch were Levi and Jane (Watkins) Pugh, both natives of Virginia. Levi Pugh was one of the honored veterans in the war for the final vindication of American rights in 1812, and by occupation he was a tiller of the soil. Joining the tide 28 ^i^i^ 460 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. of emigration which, after the war for independence, streamed across the mountains into the western territory, in 1827 they settled in Wayne county, Indiana, and from there moved to Washington county. Levi Pugh died while living in Wayne county, and his wife passed away in Harrison county, Missouri. David Pugh claims the Old Dominion state for his birthplace, being born in Montgomery county, January 12, 1819, and he spent his youth in the invigorating work of the farm, and moved with his parents to their different places of residence. His coming to Johns township, Appanoose county, is dated on May 9, 1854, and he has ever since made this his home, with the exception of twenty-two months spent in Kansas. His occupation throughout his active career has been that of farmer and teamster. In 1892 he removed to Piano, and he now resides there with his wife, spending his remaining days in peace, and quiet con- templation of the future and happy memories of the past. Mr. Pugh was married in 1842 to Nancy Needham, a native of Jennings county, Indiana, born May 4, 1824. She was living with her parents, Enoch and Lucretia (Spaulding) Needham, in Bartholomew county, Indiana, at the time of her marriage, and in that state both her parents died. There were born to Mr. and Mrs. Pugh twelve children. Five of these died in infancy, one was killed while bravely serving his country in the Civil war, and the five now living are as follows : Mrs. Jennie Baird, of Center\-ille ; Mrs. Ann Baker, of Kansas; Preston Pugh, in Nebraska; William H. Pugh, in Kansas; and Mrs. Josephine Needham, living in Ringgold countv, Iowa. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 461 JESSE A. SWAN. To the superficial observer the Hves of men possess a monotonous similarity and almost undeviating regularity, consisting of birth, a short period of active existence, and the end-all, death; but to the sympathetic student the life of every individual shows a thousand phases of interest, stamping every human being as an individual distinct from all his fel- lows ; and, although space precludes an entering into the inner and real life of men, yet their outward acts are entertaining and indicative of the wide diversitv in mankind. Among such men of Appanoose county as ha\'e made an impress on the life and institutions of the community is Jesse A. Sw-an. Jesse A. Swan is the son of James N. and Mary (Maulding) Swan, and a native of Appanoose county, having been born here in the month of October, 1868. He was born on a farm and there spent his youth, receiving his education in the country schools. He lived on the farm until he was twenty-three years of age, and then purchased the J. J. Bland hardware store in Piano. He is now most successfully con- ducting this, in connection with a general store and the village postoffice. On May 23, 1901, Mrs. Swan was appointed postmistress, and she is now capably filling that position. Mr. Swan holds membership with the Modern Woodmen, and is otherwise prominently identified with the interests of the community. On June i, 1891, Mr. Swan married Miss Minnie E. Elgin, and they have one son, Carl E., who was born March 10, 1892. The parents of Mrs. Swan were John M. and Mary J. (Silknitter) Elgin. The former's place of nativity was at Martinsville, near Indian- apolis, Indiana, and the latter was born near the same place, and when only eight years of age came west with her parents and located in the 462 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. northern part of Appanoose county. Mr. Elgin also came to this county when a child. He was a farmer, an extensive stock dealer and for four years most capabl_\- performed the duties of sheriff of Appanoose county. He also ser\ed his country as a soldier in the Civil war. Mr. Elgin died April I, 1900, but his wife still survives and resides in Centerville. To these parents were born seven children, and all Ijut one are living: \V. E. Elgin, Charles H. Elgin, Maude Elgin, Jennie Elgin, Fred Elgin, the last three being at home with their mother, and Minnie E., the wife of our subject, was born near Walnut City, Appanoose county, December 19, 1868. SAMUEL HIXSON. With the active blood of southern-born parents in his veins and with a sturdy inherited character, Samuel Hixson has spent his long life amid various scenes, has engaged in the noble calling of agriculture with such energy and businesslike astuteness as to place him among the front rank in that occupation, and besides his private matters has found the time and possessed the inclination to serve his fellow citizens in public offices, and thus fulfill the duties that are indissoluble from true American citizenship. Such is the brief record of this gentleman, whose parents were William and Sallie (Pearson) Hixson. The former was born in the sunny state of Georgia in 1804 and ended his earthly labors in 18S7, The latter was a native of North Carolina and died when the subject of this sketch was fourteen years old. William Hixson was brought b)' his pare'.its, in 18 16, to Preble county, Ohio, where the latter made their home until their death. He engaged in farming all his life and attained a foremost position among the agricultural element of the BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 403 county. Se\-en children were born to these parents, and three are now surviving: Mrs. Rebecca Rinehart, of Preble county, Ohio; Mrs. Hannah Gard, of Randolph count)-, Indiana; and Samuel. Samuel Hixson was ushered into the world in Preble county, Ohio, September 20, 1832, and remained in that county until 1856, hav- ing bv that time become fully initiated into the intricacies of farm life, with all its ups and downs, and also having found for himself a partner in life's journey. In that year be came west to Iowa and located in Lee countv, where be pursued bis chosen vocation for the period of six and a half years. In 1863 be removed to Appanoose county and settled on the place north of Mystic on which they now reside. Here he early became identified with the public interests of the county, and his fitne.ss for places of trust was recognized in 1879 by his election on the Green- back ticket to a seat in the Iowa legislature, where, during the session of 1880, he performed his due share in the actions of that body. For one term he held the office of justice of the peace and was a member of the Walnut township board. In religion be is connected with tlie Christian church. In the fall of 1855 ^^i'- Hixson was married to Miss Elizabeth Miles, who was born in Preble county, Ohio, February i, 1837. Her parents were John and Susan Miles, both natives of Ohio. The former was born February 5, 18 10, and died in 1870, and the latter was born June 2;^. 1813, and died March 2j, 1853. Mrs. Hixson's father was a shoemaker by trade and also followed farming. He had nine children, six of whom are living: Mrs. Delila Eikenbary, Mrs. Rebecca Harms- ton, Catherine Miles, P. M. Miles, deceased, C. V. Miles, and Mrs. Hixson. Mr. and Mrs. Hixson were the parents of nine children, and eight are still living, being luimbered among the respected citizens of 46i BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. their county: Elliott P.. of Keokuk county: John Miles, of this county; James William, at home with his parents ; Mrs. J. W. Ellis, near Cin- cinnati. Iowa : Mrs. Eliza Douglas, in this county ; Mrs. Leonia Ellis, of Calhoun county, Iowa ; Mrs. Lauretta Ockerman, of Wayne county, Iowa; and Mrs. Catherine Blattner, of Keokuk county. GEORGE W. McCLOUD. George \\'. IMcCloud is one of the representative farmers of Appa- noose county and deserves special mention on account of the active part he has always taken in affairs of public nature and his character as a worthy and upright citizen. His parents were George R. and Mary Jane (Warner) jMcCloud, natives of Virginia. The former died Feb- ruar\- 3, 1886, but the latter still survives and makes her home with her children in Appanoose county. Mrs. McCloud has the unique distinc- tion of being at the head of five generations. Four different groups of children have descended from her. and she is now variously designated as mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and great-great-grand- mother, a relationship almost incredible without the actual facts at hand. This estimable lady was born in Pendleton county. Virginia. January 26, 1818, and was there reared, remaining at home with her parents, William and Jane Warner, until she married Mr. McCloud. After their marriage they remained in Virginia until November 7, 1865, when they started on the trip to Iowa. They made the entire journey by w-agon and finally located in the northern part of this county, near Iconium. Mr. McCloud made farming his occupation all his life, and his death occurred in Iconium. Ten of their children grew to maturity and eight of the.se are living: Nathaniel, residing at Moravia; the subject of BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 465 tliis sketch ; Susan Teegarden. of Moravia, Iowa ; Elizabeth Sheeks, of Kansas; Asa R.. of Iconium; Mrs. Amanda Myers, of Kansas; Henry, of Mystic ; Anna Burns, of Iconium. George W. McCloud claims the Old Dominion state as the place of his birth, being born in Pocahontas county, March i, 1845. When only seventeen years old he l^ravely shouldered a musket in defense of the Union, enlisting December 4, 1861, in Company B, Tenth West Virginia Infantry. In 1863 he was attached to Batter}' G. First Virginia Flying Artillery, and was a participant in many of the important battles of the war, some of them being Droop Moimtain, Maryland Heights, Win- chester, Woodstock, Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek. In the last men- tioned both ex-Presiclents Hayes and McKinley took part. He was also in several raids in Tennessee and Virginia under General W. W. Aver- ell. On returning from the war, he soon forgot the sanguinary strug- gles on the battlefield in the engrossing occupation of a farmer, to wdiich pursuit he had determined to devote himself ; and in this calling he has made a gratifying success and at the present time owns a farm of one hundred and sixteen acres, one-half mile north of Mystic, which is a model in many respects. Mr. Cloud's marriage occurred in 1874 to Miss Jennie Thomas, whose parents, Asbury and Mary A. (Bowers) Thomas, are both de- ceased, the father dying in Texas and the mother in Appanoose county. Jennie Thomas was born on February 14, 1852. Mr. and Mrs. McCloud had nine children born to them, of whom six are now living: Linnie Myrtle Garton, Minnie, Lillie, Harrison, Mary and McKinley. The members of this family are well known in the community, and their lives have always been such as to command the high regard of their friends and acquaintances. 466 BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. JAMES A. SEDDOX. In tlie multiplicity of modern industrial interests the one factor that must ever\\vhere be reckoned with is "King Coal." Without this uni- versal article of fuel the great industries of this, the greatest commercial country on the globe would be completely paralyzed, the busy marts of trade, transportation and all the activities that make up the civilization of modern times would receive the check that nothing else could effect. Therefore we must duly respect one who is instrumental in bringing to the market this important product; and in Mr. James A. Seddon we have a man who has been engaged in coal mining in its different phases ever since he was a child, and one who now occupies a foremost place in the business interests of Appanoose county. Ralph and Mary (.Armstrong) Seddon were both natives of Eng- land and were married in the county of Lancashire, about 183 1. The former was born September 26. 1807, and died September 24. 1859. The latter was born in October, 18 10. and died in the month of July. 1874. They spait their entire lives in the country of their birth, and Mr. Seddon was employed as a coal digger up to his twenty-second year, when he became a manager of mines and continued in this till his death. They were the parents of fifteen children, the only three survivors making their home in America : John Seddon, of Mystic, Iowa; Mrs. Margaret Newman, of Hines, Iowa; and James A., the subject of this sketch. In Lancashire, England, on the I2th of May, 1851, James A. Sed- don was born, and at the age of eight years began working in the mines. In 1869 he left England, and, coming to the United States, located in Boone county, Iowa, where he obtained employment as a coal miner. In 1870 he went to ^^"yoming and followed mining one year. The next BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 467 year he returned to Iowa and from there went to Monongahela, Wash- ington county, Pennsylvania: from there, in 1872, to Tioga county, that state, always engaged in mining. He soon returned to his old home in England, intending to remain there, but in July, 1874, he again set out for the new world, and this time located in Jefferson county, Iowa, where he remained till 1876; he then followed his calling for three months in Marion county, and for fifteen months in Monroe county. In 1877 lie became a mine operator, but disposed of his inter- ests the next year and came to Whatcheer. Keokuk county, Iowa. Shortly afterward he made a second trip to his old home, but after a visit of nine weeks returned to W' hatcheer, where he stayed four months. He then took charge of a mine in Wyoming, but in the latter part of 1878 he resumed the operation of mines in Monroe county, Iowa. In 1880 he spent six months in Whatcheer, and then for the third time went to Wyoming, where he was manager of the coal mines of the Union Pacific Railroad, but he continued this only fourteen months, when he again came to Whatcheer and was employed for fifteen months in weighing coal. In 1884, again taking up his residence in Monroe county, he remained until 1886. when he came to Mystic, Appanoose countv, where he has since made his home. Mr. Seddon and his brother Thomas opened the second mine in Mystic, which was known as the Seddon Brothers Coal Company. They disposed of this mine to the Centerville Block Coal Company. They then purchased the Mystic Block, which they sold to the Peerless Coal Company. They then opened up the Bran and Bower mine, and three others west of Mystic. Mr. Seddon is now the owner of the Iowa and Missouri mine and the Klondyke, and holds controlling interest in the Mystic Fuel Company's mine. For a number of years Mr. Seddon 408 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. has been engaged in building houses for the miiiers and selling them on the instahnent plan. There are about two hundred and twenty-five men in his employ. In October, 1899, he opened a general store in the west end of town, and on the ist of January, 1901. he established a store in a central part of the town, which is ownetl by a joint stock company, but all the stock is owned by ]\Ir. Seddon except five shares. Mr. Seddon built and now owns the store building occupied bv the Bain Brothers' general store. When i\Ir. Seddon returned to England for the first time he was married to Anna Morris, a native of England, as were her parents. She died August 22, 1892, at the age of thirty-seven years, leaving four children : Margaret Elizabeth. James Samuel, \\'infield Scott and Peter Henr\-. In January, 1893, Mr. Seddon married Aliss Hannah E. Hughes, who is a native of Des Moines. Iowa. They have two chil- dren. Hazel and Beatrice. JAMES WOLFIXGER. The record of Mr. Wolfinger is that of a man who has worked his way upward to a position among the substantial men of the community m which he lives. His life has been one of industry and perseverance, and the systematic and honorable methods which he has followed have won him the support and confidence of many. Back to the old Key- stone state must we turn for the ancestry of our subject, and in Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, he first opened his eyes to the light of day on the 5th of September, 1833. He is a son of John and Catherine (Miller) Wolfinger, both born in Bucks county, Pennsylvania. Their marriage was celebrated in the last named state, where Mr. Wolfinger was ac- BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 469 tively engaged in farming until 1834, in which year the family removed to Mercer county, Illinois. That locality continued to be their home for the following four years, on the expiration of which period they took up their abode in Bates county, Missouri, and there the father's death occurred in March, 1S61, when he had reached the age of sixty-three years. The mother afterward removed to Appanoose county, Iowa, and her death occurred on the 17th of February, 1879, at the age of eighty- one years. Five children were born to this worthy couple, but only two of the number are now living, James, and Huldah, wife of Thomas Phillips, a resident of Nebraska. Those deceased were Elias, who died October 11, 1864, in the Union army; Nelson, died May 5, 1862; Shad- rach, died September 21. 1864, at Fort Smith, Arkansas, while in the service. James Wolfinger, whose name introduces this review, accompanied his mother on her removal to Appanoose county, and has ever since con- tinued his residence in this locality. On their arrival here they first located in the vicinity of Numa, where the son James turned his atten- tion to agricultural pursuits. On the 12th of August, 1861, he enlisted for service in the Civil war, entering Company B, Sixth Kansas Cavalry, and served his country as a valiant soldier until November 18, 1864, when he was honorably discharged. ' Returning thence to his home in Appanoose county, he was here married in 1868, when Miss Annie Gault became his wife, and their union has resulted in the birth of four children, three of whom still survive, namely: Deborah, who was born in 187 1, and is at home with her parents; Catherine, who was born on the 14th of September, 1873, and is the wife of Edward G. Camp- bell, of Appanoose county ; and James F., who was born March 23, 1876, and is also at home. Since 1875 the family have resided in their i7ct BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GEXEALOGICAL HISTORY. beautiful and attractive home one-half mile north of Cincinnati, where Mr. \\'olfinger owns one hundred and ninety-five acres of rich and fertile land. In his social relations he is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, in which he holds pleasant relations with his old comrades of the blue. WILLIAM M. ELLIS. The late William M. Ellis was quite well known to citizens of Appanoose county, of which he had been a resident for more than forty- five years. He was born in Mercer county. Kentucky, January 13. 1830, but when only eight years old was taken by his parents to Harrison countv. Indiana, where they took up a permanent abode, which only ceased with their deaths many years later. \\'illiam grew up in Har- rison county, and such education as he was destined to receive was ob- tained in the somewhat crude schools then prevailing in that section' of Indiana. \\'hen approaching the completion of his nineteenth year he met and married Miss ^Margaret A. Ellis, a distant relative of his family, the ceremony occurring in Harrison county, Indiana, December 24, 1849. ^liss Ellis was but slightly her husband's junior, having been born in Harrison county, April 4, 1830, and the union that then took place lasted for more than half a century in a harmony of temperament and tastes that was as pleasing as it was unusual. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Ellis resided on an Indiana farm for six years, and then decided on a removal to the distant state of Iowa. It was in 1854 that this, their first bridal trip, was taken, and when they reached the new state beyond the Mississippi a location was selected in \'an Buren county, which remained their home during the three following years. In 1857 they transferred their residence to BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 471 Appanoose county, wliere Mr. Ellis became the owner of the celebrated Long Branch stock farm, and for years was noted as one of the most extensive stock raisers in that part of the state. Of late years, however, owing to failing health, he was compelled to relax his former vigorous efforts and leave the tasks to youtiger hands. Eventuallv, in the course of nature, he reached the "inevitable hour" which awaits all things mortal, and on the 22d of March, 1902, his kind heart and benevolent impulses were hushed in death. Since this sad event Mrs. Ellis has resided at the old homestead, which has witnessed so many of the mutual joys of herself and husband, and where the golden anniversary of their wedding day was observed in 1899. Of her nine children seven still remain to comfort her old age, though their residences are scattered in many different states and localities. Perry\ Jesse and Mil- lard all reside in Appancxjse county, the latter at Numa. Elias is a citizen of Kansas. Mrs. Laura Tony makes her home in Missouri. Mrs. G. W. Edwards is in distant Colorado. Mrs. Harry Benefield, youngest of the family, is living in Oklahoma territory. Mrs. Ellis looks after the business of the farm and keeps the old homestead cheerful with the hospitality that always distinguished it and ready for the reception of her children when they come, as it always was in their childhood, dur- ing the happy days gone by. ROBERT CRAWFORD FORSYTH. Though this son of "old Scotia" has led a roving life on land and sea, changed resilience and l)usiness frequently, he has, with the shrewd- ness of his race, kejrt an eye on the main and followed the advice of his great national poet to "gather gean by every wile that's justified by •i72 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. honor." In otlier words, after a long and linsy career and his due sliare of the reljuffs of fickle fortune. Mr. Forsyth can show a comfortable balance on the right side of the ledger and is justly entitled to rank as a successful man of business. It is something of a privilege to have been born in the same county that produced Robert Burns, and this honor belongs to Mr. Forsyth, whose place of nativity has received such a halo from the poetry of this immortal writer that it has become familiar all over the world. He was the son of James and Margaret (Crawford) Forsyth and his birth occurred in Ayrshire, Scotland, June 2, 1832. His father was a hand loom weaver and his business was to make some of those shawls and plaids for which Scotland is so cele- brated in the marts of trade. The parents, who spent their wliole li\'es within the confines of Scotland, had ten children, of whom Robert was the youngest. They removed to Dundee when the lad was four years old, and in that famous old town he was reared while lieing educated under the strict discipline of the Scottish schools. When near his fourteenth year the boy was apprenticed to learn the apothecary's trade, which in that country carries with it the power to diagnose cases of sickness among the county poor. It was his intention to eventually become a ph}-sician, but after serving his apprenticeship the irresistible inclination toward the sea, s® common to the coast countries, drew him like a lodestone, and at the age of seventeen he found himself aboard a ship bound for "foreign parts." It was his fortune to get his fill of this kind of life. After tossing on the billows, riding through storms and undergoing all the other hardships of seafaring for ten years, it was with an increased stock of experience but no considerable improvement in his e.xchefpier that Mr. Forsyth stepped ashore after his decade of dallying with the inconstant sea. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 473 About this time, or, more specifically, in August, 1857, he took to him- self a wife, and this event set him to thinking that it was desiral)le to establish a permanent home. With this end in view he crossed the Atlantic in 1858 to Canada, but soon crossed the border into the states and eventually drifted to Rock Island, Illinois, where he found lodg- ment and work. For some years after his arrival he found what the loggers call "rough sledding," 1)ut his sailor's career had inured him to hardship, and he buckled d(.)wn manfully to such hard tasks as he had undertaken to do. For twenty-three years Mr. Forsyth put in his time between coal mining and farming, spending eight years at Rock Island, the other fifteen in Poweshiek county, Iowa. Subsequently he lived awhile in Keokuk county, and eventually found his way to Appa- noose county, where he selected a location at Mystic that proved to be permanent. During his stay in Poweshiek county Mr, Forsyth resumed work as a mine operator, but the venture proved unsuccessful. At W'hatcheer, Iowa, he embarked in the drug business, and during the ten years of its continuance at that point found the knowledge acquired during his apprenticeship in Scotland could be put to practical use. At the present time Mr. Forsyth is conducting the drug business at Mystic, in partnership with bis son, and they also have a branch establishment at Redfield, under the firm name of Robert Forsyth & Company. Of late years fortune has smiled upon tlie Scottish sailor, and with constantly improving financial conditions he is able to say with King Richard: "Now is the winter of our discontent made glorious summer by this sun of York, and all tlie clouds that hovered o'er our house are in the deep bosom of the ocean l)uried." The lady whom Mr. Forsyth married in 1857 was Betsie Butter, wlio has borne him a large family of children, all of whom grew to maturitv and are well settled in the 474 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. world, their names being: James C, Donald W., David B., Robert J.. Dugal R., Isabella, Mary E., Jesse and Lizzie. The parents are mem- bers of the Presbyterian church, while Mr. Forsyth also holds fraternal connections with the Masons and Independent Order of Odd Fellows. DAVID DINNING. Connected with the development of the rich coal deposits of Iowa, David Dinning is now accounted one of the most prosperous business men of Cincinnati, Iowa. At the age of fourteen years he started out in life for himself, and though but a boy from that time forward he earned his own living, and whatever success he has since achieved is a direct result of his own labors. He was born in Ayreshire, Scotland, on the 27th of April, 1859, and is a son of Matthew and Martha (Nicol) Dinning, who were also natives of Scotland. His paternal grandfather, Hugh Dinning, was a son of Matthew Dinning, who was a sexton, or Scottish beagle. His marked characteristics made him the subject of many anecdotes which are told in Dean Ramsey's "Anec- dotes of the Scottish Worthies." The parents of our subject had ten children, of whom five are now living and are residents of Cincinnati. The father and mother came to the United States in 1884, taking up their abode in Cincinnati, Iowa, where Mr. Dinning is still living at the ripe old age of seventy-six years. His wife, however, passed away in 1890 at the age of fifty-nine years. David Dinning was the first of the family to come to America. He crossed the Atlantic in 1880 when twenty-one years of age, believing that he might better his financial condition in the new world with its broader business opportunities. He had gained a fair education in the DAYID DIKHIHG. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 477 schools of Scotland, and at the age of eleven years had begun to mine coal. After a short duration following his arrival in the United States, he came to Appanoose county, Iowa, where he has since lived. For two years he was employed as a coal miner at Centerville, and in Aug- ust, 1883, he came to Cincinnati, where he obtained similar work, but his ability soon won him promotion and he was made manager of the Cincinnati Joint Stock Company in control of the Appanoose mine, which position he continued to fill until 1888. In that year, with three of his brothers and two of his brothers-in-law, he formed a partnership under the name of the Thistle Coal Company, and they began the de- velopment of the Thistle coal mine, sinking a shaft and carrying on the work with energy. In 1892 Mr. Dinning, associated with David Steel, purchased the interest of all the other partners and now these two gen- tlemen are in control of three paying mines, the second one being known as the Thistle Mine No. 2, and the third. The Merchants mine, known as Thistle Mine No. 3. Annually under their supervision a large amount of coal is taken from the earth and placed upon the markets, where it commands a good price, and brings to the mine operators a desirable financial return for their labor. In 1881 Mr. Dinning was united in marriage to Miss Jane Ross, also a native of Scotland, and to them were born four children : Mary Belle, now the wife of J. A. Cochrane, doctor of dental surgery at Cin- cinnati, Iowa; Matthew and Martha, both of whom are deceased; and George, who completes the family. The parents are zealous members of the Congregational church, and Mr. Dinning is a Royal Arch Mason. In his political views he is a Republican, but the demands of his business give him no time for seeking public office. His career proves that the only true success in life is that which is accomplished by personal ef- 478 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. fort and consecutive industry. It proves that the road to success is open to all young men who have the courage to tread its pathway, and the life record of such a man should serv^e as an inspiration to the young of this and future generations, and teach by incontrovertible facts that success is ambition's answer. CARRIE A. HAKES. This lady, who resides on her farm near Centerville, is one of those interesting links which connect the pioneer past with the progressive present. Although by no means a very old woman, her life covers the whole of that period during which Iowa grew from raw prairie to the finest 1>ody of agricultural land in the whole world. During her resi- dence here of about fortj'-seven years it has been the fortune of Mrs. Hakes to witness most of the important steps which have led to the Iowa of to-day. When she came the state was comparatively undevel- oped and the population was still small, and she has seen the mar- velous growth which step by step and decade by decade proceeded until this great trans-Mississippi commonwealth achieved an acknowledged supremacy among all the agricultural states of the Union. It is in- structive to review, even though briefly, the lives of such old residents as Mrs. Hakes, as they represent a period and can tell us of conditions which have passed away, never to return, and only in books specially devoted to such subjects or from the lips of the few surviving partici- pants can we now learn of those " Round whose home the glory That blushed and bloomed Is but a dim-remembered story Of the old Time entombed." BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 479 Carrie A. Hakes was born in Pennsylvania, April 28, 183 1, a daughter of A. D. Rose and Sarah (Yeager) Rose, both natives of New York. Pre\-ious to the birth of Mrs. Hakes they moved to Penn- sylvania, where the father was a farmer. After living in that state a number of years, the family removed to Missouri and located at Alex- ander, where the daughter was married to Henry Hakes, October 11, 1854. Henry Hakes was born in New York, September 27, 1823, studied medicine with one of the leading physicians, and before coming west in 1853 had practiced with some success in his native state. Shortly after his marriage Dr. Hakes removed to Appanoose county, Iowa, where he located and resumed the practice of medicine at Centerville. In addition to this, he conducted a drugstore and was the first person to have an open' front on what is known as the west side of the square. In 1865 Dr. Hakes disposed of his drug business and moved to his farm southwest of Centerville, where he resided until his death, which occurred May 31, 1885. Mrs. Hakes, who has no children, still occu- pies the homestead and looks after all details connected with the man- agement of her estate. She has long been a member of the Baptist church, and her husband, during his lifetime, was connected with the same denomination. JAMES H. STEVENS. Few men of his age have had such a varied business career as the popular merchant whose life it is now the intention to outline. Scarcely any of the regular mercantile callings have escaped Mr. Stevens" activi- ties, and at different times he has been a carpenter, dealer in hardware, jeweler, general merchant, furniture dealer, keeper of a second-hand 480 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. store, and to cap it all twice a proprietor of two different hotels. But Mr. Stevens' fame rests on even a more enduring foundation than that of having heen "all sorts of a merchant," and successful in each line. He is entitled to the honor of having founded the town of Mystic, which now holds out bright promises, but when discovered by Mr. Stevens was in a decidedly forlorn state. In fact, there was nothing of it at all, un- less two or three scattering farmhouses could be called a town, but the store established by Mr. Stevens made a nucleus around which in time grew up the now lively infant village. From these preliminary remarks it will be seen that James H. Stevens is an interesting man to know, and it is the object of this memoir to introduce the reader to his ac- quaintance. He is a son of the late Wesley Jiles and Jane (Schooler) Stevens, natives of Ohio, who removed to Illinois about the third decade of the nineteenth century and settled in the vicinity of Abingdon, where they engaged in farming. Some years later they moved to Iowa and located near Eddyville, but in 1850 returned to Illinois, where they remained until 1862 and again came to Iowa for permanent residence. A sojourn of eight years was made in Wapello county, followed in 1870 by re- moval to Appanoose and the selection of a location near Mystic. Dur- ing the last four or five years of his life Mr. Stevens resided at Mystic, where his death occurred in 1899, but his widow still occupies the old home. Mr. Stevens was a farmer all his life, Republican in his politics and the religious affiliations of himself and wife were with the Metho- dist Episcopal church. Of their nine children only five are now living. James H. Stevens, youngest of his father's four sons, was born at Abingdon, Illinois, August 24, 185 1, and he participated in the fam- ily's subsequent sojournings in Iowa, .\fter the usual routine and edu- BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 481 cational experiences of farm life, he branched ont for himself at the age of eighteen in the trade of a carpenter. This employment engaged most of his time and attention for eighteen years, and in 1887 he began a general mercantile business at Mystic, or, rather, at what subsequently became Mystic, as there was no town there when Mr. Stevens became the pioneer merchant of the locality. He had a partner named Elgin, but the business was only conducted one year under the firm name of Stevens & Elgin, after whicii it was sold to Swanson Brothers. Subse- quently Mr. Stevens purchased a third interest in the same store, re- mained a partner for the next two years of the Swanson Brothers and Ewand Brothers Company, when he again disposed of his holdings. In 1890 he went into the hardware business as senior member of the firm of Stevens & Heifner, which continued until 1893, when he sold his inter- est and retired. Meantime he had embarked in the jewelry business in 1892 as senior member of Stevens & Casey, but this interest he also disposed of after a year to Forsyth & Son. In the fall of 1893 the firm of J. H. Stevens & Company was formed to conduct a hardware busi- ness, and shortly afterward the old partnership of Stevens & Casey was renewed to carry on a general merchandise store. After one year this last mentioned interest was disposed of, and in the spring of 1894 Mr. Stevens purchased the Coulter & Heifner hardware store, still retaining his interest in the firm of J- H. Stevens & Company. To Wallace Dun- can, his partner in the last mentioned firm, he sold a half interest in the hardware store purchased from Coulter & Heifner, which was there- after conducted under the firm name of Duncan & Company. Later Mr. Stevens bought the Duncan interest in both stores and since then has conducted the business alone under his own name in a double room. He added furniture to the hardware stock, but in 1901 he sold the furniture 482 BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. business to A. Shaw and confined liimself exclusively to his other branch. He carries a full line of general hardware, stoves, agricultural imple- ments and tinware. At one time Mr. Stevens was interested in a sec- ond-hand store of general goods, which he managed four years with a partner a portion of the time. Nor must it be omitted that twice during his busy career he undertook the role of "mine host." having charge of the Richelieu Hotel one year and the Iowa House a short time. He began business on the capital earned at the carpenter's trade and by farm- ing, and his success in various lines indicates decided skill as a financier as well as those "hustling" qualities indispensable to success in any line. The firm of Stevens & Elgin was the first to carry on a mercantile business at Mystic, the starting of their store in 1887 being the begin- ning of the town, as previous to that not a lot had been laid out and three farm houses were the onh- buildings in the vicinity. For the first six months after the birth of this embryo city goods were hauled from Garfield station on the Keokuk and Western Railroad, two and one-half miles distant. After the Milwaukee Railroad was constructed a station was opened and named Mystic. The same year that Mr. Stevens began his pioneer mercantile venture the first regularly operated coal mine was opened, but at present there are about thirty mines in the vicinity and the town has a population of over two thousand. As his partner only remained with him about one year, Mr. Stevens may truly be styled the founder of Mystic, as he certainly has been one of its principal business men and most enterprising citizens. On the social side of life Mr. Stevens is as agreeable as he is pop- ular in the commercial world. In 1875 he was united in marriage with Miss Maggie J., daughter of Robert Baker, a pioneer of Appanoose countv, and their familv consists of six children. Their household BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 483 forms the central attraction tor many friends, who esteem it a privilege to share in its genial hospitalities. A. J. RICHARDSON. Thongh Mystic is only a fifteen year old town it is quite a lusty youth and has already assumed the features of an incipient city. Chiefly owing to the near presence of so many coal mines in full operation, the population lias grown rapidly, and with it business has naturally in- creased, which, of course, has created a demand for merchants, bank- ers and all the other adjuncts of civilization, and it is the object of this memoir to sketch an outline of the life of one who has been quite con- spicuous among the financiers of the li\ely little city of Mystic. Mr. Richardson has been identified with the place for eight years, more than half the age of the town, and during that time has impressed himself most favorably upon the business element as well as the general public. His father, who had the same name as himself, was a native of Ohio, but came to Iowa before the Civil war and passed the remainder of his days in this state. After his arrival he met and married Susan Bullard, an immigrant from Illinois, located on a farm in Lee county, and lived there until his wife's death, in 1880, in the forty-ninth year of her age. Seven years after this bereavement, the father removed to \Vayne county. Iowa, where he died in 1895 at the age of seventy. A. J. Richardson, one of the five sur\-iving children, was born at Fort Madison, Iowa, May 29, 1869, and grew to maturity on his father's farm. Besides attendance in the country schools he had the benefit of a course in the business college at Burlington, where he was graduated in the class of 1890. For a short time after leaving sgliool he was book- 4S4 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. keeper in a bank at Promise City, later was promoted to the position of cashier in the same institution and Iield this place about two years. In December, 1894, Mr. Richardson was made assistant cashier of Brad- ley's Bank at IMystic and three years later was given the position of cashier, \\-hich he has since held. In ]\Iay, 1897, Mr. Richardson was united in marriage with Miss Ella Taylor, one of the popular young ladies of Mystic, and their house- hold is one of the most attractive social features of the town. Besides his qualifications as a business man, Mr. Richardson is recommended to his friends and wide circle of acquaintances by his courteous address and genial manner. He is fond of club life and gratifies this feeling of fellowship by connection with Masonry, in which he has reached the Knight Templar degree, the Elks and Modern Woodmen of America. ALBERT ROBB SCOTT. Owing to the fact that he has held the office of justice of the peace for many years Mr. Scott has naturally become a prominent and well known personage at Mystic. In addition to his judicial position, how- ever, he has been connected with the town almost from its birth in the shoe-repairing business or as real estate dealer. In these various capaci- ties, which have brought him in constant contact with the public, Mr. Scott has become acquainted with almost everybody for miles around and he has many friends who entertain for him a warm personal re- gard. He is the son of John Scott, who came from Indiana in the spring of 185 1 and located on a farm in Appanoose county, a part of which was later used as the site of Walnut City. He arrived in Iowa with limited means, but managed to buy a small body of land, which BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 485 he improved, and eventually placed himself in comfortable circum- stances. Aside from farming he did some promoting and was the builder of the Christian church at Walnut City. By his first marriage in Indiana he had five children, all daughters, and by a second union, with Mary Robb, he had six sons and three daughters. He and his wife were members of the Christian church, which they joined in Indi- ana under the ministrations of the celebrated Alexander Campbell. Mr. Scott continued to farm with success until his death in i860 at the com- paratively early age of fifty-six years. Albert Robb Scott, one of the children by his father's second mar- riage, was born in Morgan county, Indiana, November 8, 1848, and was consequently but three years old when brought to Iowa by his parents. He grew up on the farm, was trained to its work, and during the first forty years of his life knew no other occupation except that connected with agriculture. In 1882 he went to South Dakota, but after trying the opportunities of that new state for six years concluded to return to Appanoose county, which has since remained his constant place of resi- dence. In 1888 he located at Mystic and opened a shoe-repairing shop, which he conducted until October, 1901, and then engaged in the real estate business. Considering that he began business on his own account in the sixteenth year of his age, without any special advantages, Mr. Scott may look complacently over his career as one of comparative suc- cess, as he now owns considerable real estate, all accumulated in the last fifteen years. In 1889 he was appointed justice of the peace and by sub- sequent elections has held the office ten years, though not continuously. and has made a good record as a dispenser of justice and dispatcher of business. On February 18, 1869, Mr. Scott was united in marriage with Miss 486 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. Amanda Long of Appanoose county, and of the eleven children born to this union there are ten living, seven sons and three daughters. Mr. Scott's political predilections have always been decidedly Republican, and his fraternal connections have been confined to membership in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and Modern Woodmen of America. JOSIAH SAMUEL WAILES, M. D. Physicians are indispensable adjuncts of new towns, whose rapid growth, lack of sanitary regulations and other dangers incident to munic- ipal adolesence are apt to make calls for the doctor frequent and per- sistent. They might make an effort to get along for awhile without lawyers or dentists or even preachers, but doctors they must have. In this connection it is not too much to say that the growing town of ^lystic was rather fortunate when Dr. Wailes settled there, inasmuch as he is what is called in the west a "hustler," that is. a man of unusual energv, and besides is an excellent physician and surgeon and on the whole "a royal good fellow." The Doctor's people came from Alary- land, but were so long identified with Indiana as to be entitled to the name of "genuine Hoosiers." John P. Wailes and Sarah Wilson were both born in Maryland and both migrated to Indiana, where they met and married, but later removed to Iowa and settled in Appanoose county. It was in 1855 that they took up their abode on a farm in Chariton township and here both ended their days, the mother in 1862 and the father twenty years later. They reared a family of eight children, equally divided between sons and daughters. Josiah Samuel Wailes, one of the sons of the couple just described, was born at Wailesboro, Bartholomew county, Indiana, Tune 2\, 1848, BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 487 and was therefore seven years old when his parents made their migra- tion to Iowa. He grew up on the paternal homestead in Appanoose county and olitained the princijial part of his education in the schools at Iconium. He had early conccix'ed a desire to enter the medical profes- sion, and with a view to gratify this ambition became a pupil in the office of Dr. Abel Jewett. After studying diligently for a year under this able preceptor, the youthful aspirant for professional honors went to Kansas, opened an office at Peabody and practiced there nine years in partnership with Dr. George M. Gronnett. After this experience Dr. Wailes entered the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Keokuk and was graduated by that institution in the class of 1889. Immediately thereafter he located at Brazil, Iowa, practiced there three years and in 189 1 came to Mystic, where he has ever since been one of the features of the place. In 1891 Dr. Wailes was married to Sarah J. Cross, who died in 1897, leaving five children. In 1902 he took a second wife in the per- son of Mrs. Susa M. Stoole, whose maiden name had been Cunningham, and there is no more popular couple in Mystic social circles than the Doctor and his amiable wife. Dr. Wailes is justly entitled to rank as a strictly self-made man, as he owes all he has and all he has done to his own practically unaided exertions. As previously stated, he is a man of great energy of character and has no superior in the rapid and effi- cient dispatch of business, both ordinary and professional. JOHN J. STONE. All the states of the Union have contributed to the population of Iowa, but perhaps none have sent a more generous stream than Ohio. Much of this, too, mav be said to have been l)v "infiltration" rather th;ui 48S BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. direct contribution, that is, the immigrants first came to Ohio from the east or south and later moved fartlier west. Inckided in this class was James ]\I. Stone, whose father was one of three brothers who emigrated from England to the United States in the latter part of the eighteenth century and made their subsequent homes in Connecticut. James mar- ried Ann Eliza Wilcox, a native of New Jersey, of German descent, and with her joined the tide of emigration to Ohio, where they lived for a number of years, and in 1858 came to Iowa. He lx)Ught a home in Johns township, Appanoose county, which he cultivated for a livelihood during the remainder of his days. His wife died in 1871 in the fifty- eighth year of her age and his own life was terminated by death in 1898 when eighty-seven years old. They were both members of the Metho- dist Episcopal church and their cliildren consisted of fi\'e boys and two girls. John J. Stone, one of his father's five sons, was torn in Ashtabula county, Ohio, February 4, 1842, and was about Sxteen years old when brought to Iowa by his parents. There was nothing out of the ordinary either in his rearing or his schooling, the first notable event in his career occurring in September, 1861, when he became a soldier of the Union for service in the Civil war. His enlistment was in a company that had been raised in Johns township, but as Iowa's quota of seventy- five thousand men under the President's call was already full it could not be accepted by the governor of that state. They had better success, however, with the chief executive of Kansas, who had them enrolled as a company in the Fifth Regiment, Kansas Cavalry. They were mus- tered in without delay and Mr. Stone served altogether for more than three years and three months, part of the time with Harvey's Company from Iowa and later by transfer as a member of Company H (Thomp- BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 489 son's). Fifth Regiment, Kansas Cavalrw Besides nnmerous skirmishes Mr. Stone took part in tlie more serious engagements at Helena, Little Rock, Pine Bluff. Yazix) Pass, and when mustered out in iSfi5 had reached the rank of corporal. After returning from the arm)' he jnn"- chased a farm in Johns townshi]) and cultivated it for a li\-elihood until 1880, when he engageil in merchandising at Piano. Thirteen years later he located at j\Iystic, and this proved to be his final move, as he lias ever since been one of the active commercial spirits of the town, the firm name at the present being J. J. Stone & Son. He has l)een quite successful in business and his entire career, both in war and peace, has been creditable to him as a man and citizen. In 1865 Mr. Stone was married to Sarah E. Cole, by whom he has five children: Zena M., James M., Celia E., Albertus and Arthur, all married except the last and all four of the sons merchants. Mr. Stone's political preferences are for the Republican party, but his office-holding has been confined to two terms as mayor of Mystic and eight years as justice of the peace in Johns township. He has been a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows for twenty-five years, and by virtue of his honorable military services is an esteemed comrade of Centerville Post, G. A. R. WILLIAM SAYRES, M. D. Dr. WHliam Sayres, now deceased, has left behind him the memory of an upright life as well as one of professional skill and ability. He was the loved physician in many a household in Appanoose county and enjoyed the warm regard of those with whom he came in contact liotli professionally and socially. Fie was born in Harrison county, Ohio, December 24, 1818. and jussed away in Cincinnati, Iowa, March 14, 490 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 1897. He was reared upon the farm belonging to his father, Ephriam Sayres, of Harrison county, and was given a common school education. Later he was apprenticed to learn the tailor's trade, and after the expira- tion of his term of service followed that pursuit for a few years, but a natural predilection for the study of medicine led him to prepare for the practice, and he began his leading toward that end in Freeport, Ohio. For two years he continued his reading under a practicing physician who acted as his preceptor, and then began the practice of medicine in Westchester, Ohio, where he remained for a year. He also practiced for a similar period at Marietta, that state, and in 185 1 came to the west, locating in Drakesville, Iowa, whence he came to Cincinnati in 1855. Here he practiced for about six years and then on account of failing health abandoned the practice of medicine and on a very limited capital engaged in the grocery business. In the new undertaking, how- ever, he prospered, and soon had a general store, doing a large volume of business. He was assisted by his sons, O. H. and A. M. Sayres, the former becoming his partner in 1877 and the latter in 1880, after which the firm was known as Sayres & Sons, general merchants. At the time of the father's death in 1897 O. H. Sayres became sole proprietor of the store. In politics Doctor Sayres was first a Whig and afterward a Republi- can. He served as a delegate to the first Republican state convention of Iowa, held at Iowa City, traveling on horseback to take part in the deliberations of the new political organization. In July, 1861, he was appointed by President Lincoln to the position of postmaster of Cin- cinnati and continuously thereafter held the office up to the time of the first administration of President Cleveland, discharging his duties in a most capable manner, which won for him the high commendation of all BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 401 concerned. In 1876 lie xisitcd the Centennial Exposition at Philadel- phia and there saw nian_\- things of interest giving evidence of the world's progress, fie was always pnlilic spirited, and his natnre was never narrow or restricted, re juicing only in the advancement of his local comninnit}'. In Deceniljer. 1841, Dr. Sayres was united in marriage in Ohio to Miss Mary Hannah Winders, a native of Harrison county, Ohio, born August 20, 1822. She still survives him and is now one of the oldest residaits of the county, making her home in Cincinnati. Of the chil- dren born of this marriage, four died in early life while the following reached years of maturity: John D., born in Ohio, in 1843, was a hardware merchant of Cincinnati, and died September 24, 1895; Oscar H. and Arlington M. are both mentioned on another page of this work; Mary C. is the only sur\'i\'ing daughter of the family. For many years the Doctor and his wife were members of the Congregational church, to the support of which he contrilnited liberally, while in its work he took an active part and zealously promoted its efforts in behalf of mankind. He served at one time as mayor and was one of the influential and iion- ored members of the communit)-. Those r|ualities which ever command respect and regard were his ; he was kind, a quality which tempered his inflexible love of justice; he was ever true to what he belie\-ed to be right and neither fear nor favor could swerve him in defending his honest convictions, yet he was always lenient in passing judgment upon others and was ever ready to assist those in need. Well known in Cin- cinnati, no man enjoyed the respect and good will of his fellow citizens more than did Dr. Sayres. 492 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. OSCAR H. SAYRES. Throughout his entire business career O. H. Sayres has been con- nected with the mercantile interests of Cincinnati and throughout the greater part of his hfe he has Hved in this place. Not to know O. H. Sayres is to argue one's self unknown, for through the long years of his residence here, because of his prominence in public affairs, his activity in business and his social nature, his acquaintance has constantly widened. He was born in Harrison county, Ohio, August 5, 1847, and was only four years of age when brought to Iowa by his parents, Dr. William and Alary Hannah (^W'inders) Sayres. He was not yet eight years of age when the family came to Cincinnati. Here he acquired his education in the common schools and in early life entered upon his business career as a clerk in his father's store. In 1877 he was admitted to a partnership in the business, and in 1880 his brother, A. M. Sayres, also became a partner, this relation Ijeing maintained until the death of the father in 1897. At that time the younger brother withdrew and Oscar H. Sayres has since been sole proprietor. Since igoi he has been engaged in the hardware trade, carrying a complete stock of the best goods in his line. He has a well arranged and handsome store and liis is an active and successful business career. When associated with his father he was engaged in general merchandising. In 1878 occurred the marriage of Oscar H. Sayres and Miss Liz- zie Johns, a native of Ohio. Two children graced this marriage: Lois E. and George C, both of whom are still with their parents. The latter was born in Cincinnati, August 8, 1880, and was provided with a high school education ; he is now associated with his father in business, and is a Master Mason. Mr. Sayres is also identified with the ]\Iasonic order, having taken the degrees of the blue lodge. He and his wife are mem- BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 493 bers of the Congregational church, to which their children also belong. The family is an influential and leading one in the community. Mr. Sayres exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the Republican party, but has never sought or desired of- fice, preferring to give his entire time and attention to his business, which has been attended bv gratifving success. ARLINGTON I\I. SAYRES. Arlington AI. Sayres. a general merchant of Cincinnati, was born in Drakesville, Iowa. June 6, 1854, and is a son of the late Dr. Wil- liam Sayres, who is represented alx>ve in this work. During his jnfancy he was brought to Cincinnati by his parents and was here reared and educated. Early in life he received his business training as a clerk in his father's general store and in 1880 he was admitted to a partnership in the business in which his brother Oscar H. Sayres had become a part- ner three years before. Under the firm name of Sayres & Sons the busi- ness was conducted until the father's death in 1897. ^"ot long after this our subject sold out to his brother and turned his attention to the hard- ware trade, but later disposed of his stock of goods in that line and was out of business for two years. On the ist of .-Vugust, 190 1, how- ever, he again became a potent factor in trade circles of Cincinnati by opening a general mercantile establishment, which he has since con- ducted. He is today enjoying a large and growing patronage, his well selected stock finding favor with the public, so that his sales are quite extensive, and thereby a good profit accrues. In 1883 Mr. Sayres wedded Miss Clara Orr, of Davis countv, Iowa, and two children have blessed this marriage, Bvron and Lela. aged re- 494 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. spectively seventeen and thirteen years. The son is associated with his fatlier in mercantile pursuits. The family are all members of the Con- gregational church. Their home is celebrated for its gracious hospital- ity, which is enjoyed by a large circle of acquaintances, who are many in the community. Mr. Sayres's study of the political issues and ques- tions of the day has made him an ardent Republican. Fraternally he is connected with the Modern Woodmen of America. As a representa- tive business man of his community Mr. Sayres is widely respected and honored by those who know him. WILLIAM BARTON McDONALD. During his long life the gentleman above named has spent a good deal of time in three dififerent states, but has been a resident of Ap- panoose county for nearly half a century. While his career has not been especially adventurous, it has been one of usefulness, and contrib- utory to the full extent of his abilities to the welfare of each and every community in which he has resided. More than this no man can do, and it will be well with the best of us if the same can be truthfully said when we come to render the final accounting for deeds done in the flesh. Thomas McDonald, who was a native of Maryland, found his way to Kentucky when it was still the "dark and bloody ground" of song and story, and became a participant with the other settlers in the adventures incident to the pioneer period. Some years after arriving there he met and married Frances Smoot, a native of the state, and who had li\-ed for twenty years in Kentucky. In 1846 he remo\-ed with his family to Indiana, but within a year after reaching that state the final summons came both to himself and wife, and the children were left to shift for themselves. MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM E. McDONALD. BIOGRAPHICAL AAW GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 497 William Barton McDonald was born in Kentucky on the 15th of January, in 18 18, and was consequently twenty-eight years old when his parents took uj) their residence in the Hoosier state. He spent his twenty-first year in the college at Bloomington, Illinois, and for some time afterwards was engaged in farming in the Indiana counties of Montgomery, Jennings and Monroe. Mr. McDonald was a resident of Hendricks count}', in the same state, for twenty years, six of which were devoted to school teaching and fourteen to farming. On No- vember 5, 1847, li*^ ^^''is married to Lucinda Dale, and eight years later removed with his wife to Appanoose county, of which they have been honored residents for forty-seven years. Originally Mr. McDonald lo- cated three miles northeast of Centerville, where he owned three hun- dred and seventy-six acres of land, most of which was subsequently sold or divided among the children. The latter were eight in number and the ones now living are Mrs. Mary Frances Shaw, George W., John D., Mrs. Emma Florence Long, and Henry McDonald. Those deceased are James W., Thomas J., and Mrs. Luella Jane Evans. In 1902 Mr. and Mrs. McDonald took up their abode at Centerville and have since been comfortably located in a cosy home on Seventh street. They are both members of the Christian church at Centerville, and are objects of almost reverential esteem by those who are familiar with their blameless lives and exalted worth. Mr. McDonald holds fraternal connections with Lodge No. 42, F. and A. M., of which he has been a member in good standing for twenty-six years. 498 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. ROBERT W. DINNING. Among tlie young lousiness men of Cincinnati is numbered Robert W. Dinning, tbe senior member of the firm of Dinning & Mitchell, gen- eral merchants. He is a member of a prominent Scotch family of this county and his birth occurred in Ayrshire, Scotland, on the 9th of July, 1868, his parents being Matthew and Martha (Nicol) Dinning. Reared and educated in Scotland, he came to the United States in 1886 with his parents and has since lived in this place. He was only twelve years of age when he began earning his own living in Scotland by working in the coal mines and after coming to America lie followed the same occupation in this county for ten years. For five years he was a part- ner of the Thistle Coal Company, but sold his interest therein in 1892. In 1895 he began merchandising here and has since conducted his store with excellent success. In 1897 he admitted W. L. Mitchell to a part- nership, and they have since enjoyed a good and constantly growing trade. They do not find it difficult to retain patrons whose support has once been secured, and this is due, doubtless, to their honorable business methods, their promptness and their earnest desire to please. Mr. Din- ning possesses the qualities which make a popular merchant. He is genial and approachable, and has the tact to know how to meet the varied natures which one continually sees when engaged in any mer- cantile enterprise. In 1895 occurred the marriage of Mr. Dinning and Miss Agnes Bowie, of Cincinnati, and they now have two children, Ellen and Mat- thew. The parents hold membership in the Congregational church and Mr. Dinr.ing is a Master Mason, while in his political views he is a Republican, unswerving in his support of the principles of the party. In his life he exemplifies many of the strongest and most commendable BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 499 elements of the Scottish nation, inchuhng thrift, business sagacity, strong purpose and absolute justice. HANCE MITCHELL. Coming to .\ppanoose coimty in limited financial circumstances, Hance Alitchell. b}- his well spent life, proved the force of industry, econ- omy and energy in winning success. At the same time he tnade for himself an honorable name and gained the respect of all with whom he came in contact. Although some years have passed since he departed this life, he is yet remembered by the many who knew him and entertained for him a high regard. He was born in Pennsylvania in the year 1801 and died in Pleasant township, Appanoose county, in 1868. At an early age he was left an orphan and was then l)ound out to learn the carpen- ter's trade. In his youth he left Pennsylvania and went to Ohio, settling in Guernsey county, where he still continued to follow the carpetiter's trade. There he marrietl Miss Charity Hunt, who was born in Guern- sey county, Ohio, about iSio, and who died in Appanoose county in 1867. They resided in Ohio until 1853, when they removed westward to Illinois, spending about two years in that state. In 1855 they went to Clarke county, Iowa, and there resided for ten years, settling in Ap- panoose county on the 23d of February, 1865, as residents of Pleasant township, where their remaining days were passed. The father fol- lowed farming throughout his entire married life, and his careful man- agement of his land enabled him t(i win a fair degree of success in this way. Before leaving Ohio twelve children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell,. Init four of that number died in childhood. The others who 500 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. reached mature years were: Cynthia, who married G. W. Banker, and died, leaving several children: John V., a resident of Clarke countv; Joseph, of Lafayette county, Missouri; Hiram, who is living in Clarke county, this state; Albert, of Appanoose county; Robert, who makes his home in Oklahoma ; Preston, who was married and died, leav- ing several children; and Martha, who married W. L. Robertson, and died, leaving two children. All of the sons became farmers. When Hance Mitchell came to the west he had little capital, and it was to better his condition that he sought a home beyond the Mississippi. His determination to do this was attended with good results. He pur- chased eight hundred acres of land in Clarke county at a time when farm land sold for a low figure. He afterward disposed of his property, and came to Appanoose county rather as a prospector than anything else, but here he spent his remaining days. In his political affiliations he was first a Whig and afterward a Republican. Both he and his wife were members of the Christian church and their religious belief was manifest in their relations with their fellow men. They closely followed the golden rule and were people of the highest respectability, respected and honored wherever known. They became worthy pioneer settlers of Appanoose county and deserve mention among the representative citizens who have contributed to the upbuilding of the county. Albert Mitchell, a son of Hance Mitchell, was born on the old home farm in Guernsey county, Ohio, April i, 1846. When twenty years of age he accompanied his parents on their removal to Appanoose county, where he has since made his home. He was reared upon a farm and acquired a fair common school education. He afterward engaged in teaching for a few years, being employed for two terms as a teacher in the village of Cincinnati, and during the remainder of the time in the dis- BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 501 trict scliools. Farming, however, lias been his real hfc work and along that line he has met with success. After his marriage he lived upon the old homestead which liis father purchased until about 1880, when he settled upon his present farm just at the southwest corner of Cincinnati. A part of' this farm has now been laid out in town lots and good resi- dences have been erected thereon. In connection with his agricultural pursuits Mr. Mitchell has dealt in stock, his enterprise in this branch of the business bringing to him a good return. He has two hundred acres in his residence farm and he also owns three hundred and twenty acres in another part of Pleasant township. He is a practical and progressive agriculturist, keqiing in touch with all modern methods, which indicates that the farmer is not behind his city l)rothers in impro\-ement or ad- vancement. In 1871 Mr. Mitchell was united in marriage to Eliza Jane Hol- brook, a daughter of Luther R. Hollirtxik. one of the pioneer citizens of Pleasant township and of Cincinnati. Their marriage has been blessed with two children: Charles H., now deceased; and Wesley L., who is a member of the firm of Dinning & Mitchell, dry goods merchants of Cincinnati. The parents hold membership in the Congregational church. For thirty-seven years Mr. Mitchell has been a resident of this county and has therefore witnessed much of its growth and development. His life has been quietly passed, yet he has always been found faithful to his duties of citizenship, and in business life has won the respect and confidence of his fellow men by his reputable dealing and justice in all trade transactions. 502 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. GEORGE W. McKEEHAN. McKeehan & Brothers has long been a popular mercantile firm at Cincinnati and it is the object of this biography to give a brief outline of the career of the senior member. He is a native of Iowa and a son of pioneer parents who became identified with this vigorous western state in the days when it was but sparsely populated. David McKee- han, who was Ijorn in Ohio in 1814, came west with his two brothers, Bazil and James, in 1843, and located on a farm in Lee county, Iowa, and in 1846 came to Centerville. Before leaving Ohio he had married Susan Hankins, a native of that state, and by her he had the following named children: Hankins C., now of Centerville; Lovina, wife of Dr. Ames Patterson; Belle, wife of Porter Sparks; Sarah, a residait of Cen- terville; John K., of St. Paul, Minnesota; Samuel A., of Cincinnati; Cassie, wife of Frank Fisk ; and George W. The father of this family was a Methodist in religion, a Democrat in politics and a farmer by oc- cupation until his untimely death by a stroke of lightning in 1868. His wife survived him until 1881, when she passed away in the fifty-third year of her age. George W. McKeehan, youngest of the children, was born on his father's farm in Appanoose county, Iowa, March 18, 1862, and received a fair common school education as he grew to years of maturity. In 1884 he branched out for himself by engaging in the butchering busi- ness, and opened a meat market at Cincinnati in partnership with his brother, Samuel A. Since that time the brothers have continued to- gether in business, but at the present time are conducting a general mer- chandise store. In 1893 ^f''- McKeehan was appointed postmaster of Cincinnati by President Cleveland and held that position for a term of four years. He pro\-ed a popular ofiicial, just as he has proved a popu- BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 503 lar butcher and niLTcliaiit, and he is certainly one of the enterprising men of liis adopted town, in 1S84 Mr. McKeelian was united in mar- riage with Miss Minnie May, who shares with him the friendship of an extensive social acquaintance. His political predilections have always been Democratic, and his fraternal connections are confined to mem- bership in the Knights of Pythias, the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows and the Modern Woodmen. IMMER FOWLER. Appanoose county figures as one of the most attractive, progressive and prosperous divisions of the state of Iowa, justly claiming a high order of citizenship and a spirit of enterprise which is certain to gain marked advancement in the material upbuilding of the section. The county has been and is signally favored in the class of men who have controlled its affairs in official capacity, and in this connection the sub- ject of this review demands representation as one who has served the county faithfully and well in positions of distinct trust and responsi- bility. He is now serving as postmaster of Cincinnati, a position which he has occupied continuously since 1897. Mr. Fowler was born in Noble county, Ohio, October i, 1843, his parents being Cherry V. and Elizabeth (Bond) Fowler. The father was born in New Hampshire and when six years of age accompanied his parents on their removal to Noble county, Ohio. He was a son of Lemuel Fowler, also a native of the old Granite state. The ancestors of the family came from England. The grandfather was a farmer by oc- cupation and after his removal to the west remained a resident of Ohio until his death. Cherry V. I'owder was reared in the Buckeye state and 504 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. as a companion and helpmeet for life's journey chose Miss Elizabeth Bond, wiio was Imrn in Harrison county, Ohio. The}- Ijecame the par- ents of fifteen children, nine sons and six daughters, and five of the sons were loA-al defenders of the Union cause in the Civil war. The father was a farmer by occupation, and with his wife at the time of their mar- riage settled upon a farm in Xoble county, Ohio, there living together for sixty-four }ears, their mutual love and confidence increasing as time passed by, for theirs was an ideal marriage relation. Mrs. Fowler died at the age of eighty-one years, while her husband reached the advanced age of eighty-seven years. Upon the home farm Immer Fowler was reared and in the comiuon schools of the neighborhood obtained his education. He was but eigh- teen years of age when he ofl:'ered his services to the governiuent. enlist- ing as a private of Company G, Seventy-eighth Ohio Infantry, with which he served from the 24th of December, 1861, until the nth of July, 1865, having re-enlisted on the ist of January. 1864. At the time he was discharged he held the rank of sergeant. He had participated in many important battles, including that of Fort Donelson. Shiloh, the siege of Corinth, \'icksburg, the Atlanta campaign and Sherman's march to the sea. He likewise participated in the grand review at Washing- ton and was mustered out at Louisville, Kentucky, after which he re- turned to his Ohio home. In 1863, while his company and others were at Louisville,- Kentucky, awaiting the mustering out, there was issued a general order to furlough three men from each company, but in order to increase the number the division commander issued an order that each company elect a fourth man from its ranks, and Mr. Fowler's com- pany chose him as this fourth man. This was an honor conferred upon him and indicates the standing he held with his comrades, who further- BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 505 more manifested their friendship for him and their trust in him by plac- ing in his charge a large sum of money which they wished to be carried to their several homes in his vicinity, tlie sum aggregating between two and three thousand dollars. Mr. Fowler remained in Ohio for only about a year and in 1867 came to Appanoose county, Iowa, settling in Caldwell township upon a farm. He carried on agricultural pursuits here until 189 1 and in the meantime gave considerable attention to teaching. He followed that profession for twenty-four jears, from 1866 until 1890, in Ohio, Iowa and Missouri, and was a capable instructor and gave general satisfaction in every district in which he was employed. At the same time he car- ried on his farm work through the summer months, but in 1891 he abandoned the plow and remo\-ed to Exline and two years later to Cin- cinnati, where he engaged in merchandising until appointed postmaster on the 23d of Jul}'. 1897. He has since occupied the office and his ad- ministration of its affairs has been practical, businesslike and sys- tematic, showing that he has gained the commendation of all fair-minded citizens. In 1868 was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Fowler and Miss Mary Steward. They have five children : Charles C, a physician in Des Moines, Iowa; Ella D., wife of H. E. Johnson, of Caldwell township; Hattie I., wife of J. C. Bohne, who resides in St. Louis; Bert E., a stu- dent in Des Mdines; Ethel, in school at home. Mr. Fowler is identified with the Rq:)ublican party, having long supported its principles, and he maintains pleasant relationshiii with his old army comrades through his membership in the Grand Army of the Republic. He is also a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and is interested in the moral, intel- lectual and material de\'elo])mcnt of his community. True to his duty 506 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. upon southern battlefields, he has been equally loyal to the best interests of his country in times of peace, and is now proving his fidelity to the government b\- capable ser\ice as one of its official representatives. JAMES VALENTINE LESENEY. Among the earnest and enterprising men whose depth of character and strict adherence to principles excite the admiration of their con- temporaries. James Valentine Leseney is prominent. Banking interests are the heart of the commercial bod_\'. indicating healthfulness of trade, and the bank that follows a safe, conservative business policy does more to establish public confidence in times of wide-spread financial depres- sion than anything else. Such a course has the Farmers and Merchants' Bank of Cincinnati followed under the a])le management of its officers, one of whom is Mr. Leseney, the popular and well known cashier. For some tim^ he has been one of the most prominent and active business men of this place, and his efforts have been of benefit to the city, while they have also promoted his individual prosperity. A nati\e of Ohio, Mr. Leseney was born in Aliami county, near the town of Fletcher, on the 14th of February, 1858, his parents being Jon- athan and Jane (Garbry) Leseney. who were also natives of ]\Iiami county. The paternal grandfather, William Leseney. was born in Penn- sylvania and spent the greater part of his life in Ohio. John Garbry, the maternal grandfather, was also a resident of the Buckeye state throughout the greater portion of his life. The parents of our subject were married in Miami county and to them were born five children, one of whom died in childhood. Those still lix'ing are William L., a resi- dent of Oklahoma: Frances E.. the wife of N. A. Robertson, of Promise BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 507 City, Iowa; James V., of tliis review: and Justice M., who is a railroad passenger conductor of Xew Mexico, running on tlie Santa Fe road. In i86j tlie father 1)roughl the famil_\- to Iowa, settling upon a farm near Cincinnati, where he carried on agricultural pursuits for ahout a decade. In 1872 he took up his ahode in the town and for ten years was proprie- tor of the Cincinnati hotel. In 1882 he turned his attention to mer- chandising, conducting a general store in connection with his son James. This was sold out in 1893 and in that year the Farmers and Merchants' Bank was organized by Mr. Leseney, his son and N. A. Robertson, the bank being opened for business on the 3d of January, 1894. The father was connected with this institution until his death, which occurred De- cember 18, 1900, when he was nearly seventy-five years of age, and since that time his widow has held his interest in the bank. Mr. Leseney was a staunch Republican in politics, and in ante-bellum days was an AIkjII- tionist. He held membership in the Christian church, was an untiring worker in its behalf and was one of the organizers of the church of that denomination in Cincinnati. His life was permeated with his Christian faith and in his relations with his fellow men he largely exemplified the precept known as the golden rule. His widow still survives him and is now living in Cincinnati, at about the age of seventy-five years, her birth having occurred on the 3d of January, 1828. She, too, is a member of the Christian cliurch and a most estimable lady. Under the parental roof James V. Lesene}- was reared. He at- tended the schools of Cincinnati and from an early age has been an ac- tive factor in the business life of this locality. His parents removed to the town when he was fourteen years of age, and he was twenty-four years of age when he Iiecame a partner of his father in the establishment and conduct of a general mercantile store, which thev successfullv car- 508 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. ried on for eleven years. In 1893, however, they sold out in order to give their attention to the banking business. In that year they were joined by X. A. Robertson in the establishment of the Farmers and Mer- chants' Bank, which now enjoys an enviable reputation as one of the lead- ing institutions in this part of Appanoose county. From the organiza- tion Mr. Robertson has served as president and Mr. Leseney as its cash- ier. Since its organization the bank has enjoyed a constantly increasing patronage. It has always followed a safe, conservative policy, which has commended it to the support of the public, and its officers and stock- holders are men of well known reliability and unquestioned business honor. In 1884 occurred the marriage of Mr. Leseney and Miss Adda Armstrong, a daughter of J. H. B. Armstrong, who was formerly a resi- dent of Cincinnati, Iowa, but is now deceased. The}- ha\e one son, Chester A., who, with their niece, Myrtle O. Mallum, constitutes the household. Fraternally he is connected with the Knights of Pythias and in his political views is a Republican. Mr. Leseney is recognized as a very wide-awake, progressive business man, whose life seems to typify the enterprising spirit that has ever dominated the Mississippi valley and has led to its wonderful development. His success has been the result of honest, persistent purpose and effort in the line of honorable dealing and manly principles. His aims have always been to attain the best and he has carried forward to successful completion whatever he has undertaken. His life has been marked by a steady growth, and now he is in the possession of a comfortable competence, and more than all has that contentment that comes from the conscience of having lived to a good purpose. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 509 JAMES S. nOAGLAND. This gentleman was Ijorn near Campbellsville, Kentucky, the son of John and Nancy (Ship) Hoaghmd. The former was also a native of Kentucky and a farmer and hreeder of fine horses. His wife was a native Kentuckian. In 1S37 they moved to Indiana and settled eighteen miles south of Indianapolis in Johnson county, where they remained till their deaths, he passing away in 1889 at the age of eighty-eight, and his wife was also eighty-eight years old at the time of her death. Their children were Malinda Jane, deceased ; James S. ; Eliza Ann ; John, Isaac, deceased: Marian: Jeptha, deceased; Isabel, deceased: Lizzie, deceased; George; and Nancy. The sons, with the exception of James S., are living in Johnson county, Indiana, and Marian and Nancy also live there, while Eliza .\nn is a resident of Iowa. James S. Hoagland remained in Kentucky until he was fourteen years old, where he received a common school education. After going to Indiana he attended Franklin College, where he was graduated in T846 and was then chosen assistant surveyor on the Miami reserve having taken a civil engineering course in college. He was next resi- dent engineer on the Franklin and Martinsville Railroad, and in 1855 was connected with the management of the construction of the line from Jeffersonville to Indianapolis, and also sketched the topography of the Peru and Indianapolis line. On November 23, 1848, Mr. Hoagland was luarried to Miss Mary Ann Woods, of Morgautown, Indiana, the daughter of William and Elizabeth Woods, natives of Tennessee. On account of his wife's ill health he moved to Iowa and settled on a quarter-section of land which he had entered in 1848 in Monroe county. On this he began the rais- , ing of live stock and general farming, and he also acquired land in 510 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. Wayne township. He has made several moves since coming to the county, but now resides on his farm in Cedar township, where lie held the office of supervisor for twelve years shortly after c(5ming here, and was also a justice of the peace. He was nominated three times for the legislature, but refused till the last time, when he was elected, and served during the session of 1884. His wife died December 31, 1887, and was buried at Eden Chapel cemetery. Her children were Elvirely R. ; Fremont, deceased ; Hernon ; Jerome, deceased; John, deceased: Peter; Marius ; Laura, deceased; and Mary Ann. Mr. Hoagland was an ardent Democrat till the forma- tion of the Greenback party, when he joined its ranks, and it was nu that ticket that he was elected a member of the twentieth assembly, which was the first session held in the new cajjitol building. He is a member of the United Brethren church, as was his wife, and her brother, the Rev. Woods, is a prominent minister in the Methodist church, being a presiding elder, with his residence at Indianapolis, Indiana. HENRY J. HAMMOND. This gentleman was born in Muskingum county, Ohio, near Zanes- ville, February 6, 1833, the son of Jacob and Elizabeth Hammond. Grandfather Hammond came to Ohio at an early day ; he was a farmer, a Republican in politics and a Methodist, and his death occurred in Marion county, Ohio. His son Jacob was a native of Pennsylvania, and he and his wife came to Iowa in 1834, where he died in February, 1882, at the age of seventy-two, and his wife died in 1876. Their children were: Henry J., Daniel W., GreenvilleC, who died in the army of ill- ness; Butler, deceased; James, Emeline, Catheryn, Nancy Hattie, and Elizabeth, deceased. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 511 Henry J. Hammond remained in Oliio till he was twenty-one years old, where he received a fair education and also became accjuainted with farming, which was the principal occupation of his life. In 1862 he en- listed for the war at Knoxville, Iowa, and served through the struggle in Company A, Thirty-third Iowa Volunteer Infantry. He was mus- tered out at New Orleans and discharged at Davenport, Iowa, and is now a pensioner. In i860 Mr. Hammond was married to Mary M. Copeland, the daughter of James and Jane Copeland, the former from Kentucky and the latter of Indiana. The children of this union were Samuel B., Joseph F., John C, Elizabeth, deceased, Josephine C, Clayton, Clarke, de- ceased, and Mary Emeline, deceased. Mrs. Hammond died in April, 1882, tmd is buried in Marion county; she was a member of the Metho- dist church. Mr. Hammond is a Republican, has been a Mason since 1862 and is a member of the Methodist church. His son, Joseph F., assists him in carrying on the home place. WELLINGTON SPENCER. This citizen of Monroe county, Iowa, was born in Morgan county, Ohio, May 15, 1848, the son of David and Angeline Spencer, lx)th na- tives of Ohio. The father was a farmer all his life and lived in Ohio till his death, which occurred July 28, 1888; ten years later his wife came to Iowa, and now makes her home with her son Wellington and at McConnelsville. There were twelve children in the family: Welling- ton, Levi D., Anna N., Corwin H., the first vice president of the St. Louis exposition; Hamilton. Arthur C. and Albert, twins; Jenny, Bush- rod, Alonzo, Rhoda C, and Mrs. Florence Donnelly. 512 BIOGRAPHICAL A?^D GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. Wellington Spencer passed his boyhood days in Ohio, where he re- ceived a good education, and then taught school for a time. He took up the carpenter's trade and also followed farming. He came to Iowa in 1870, and first settled in Cedar township; he has lived on his present farm for nine years. He was married in Morgan county, Ohio, in 1869, to Amanda Hammond, the daughter of James and Sarah Hammond, the father a native of Ohio and the mother from England. Their three children are Robert, Edward and Minter Day, the first and the last be- ing married and having homes of their own, while Edward remains on the home place. Robert is the superintendent of the Albia public schools. Mr. Spencer is a Republican and has held various township offices. When the Civil war broke out he was so patriotic as to offer his services, but they were rejected owing to his youth. He and his wife and children are members of the Methodist church. MELVLN KNAPP. While the vast commercial enterprises of this country are the wonder of the foreign world and place the United States in the front rank of nations, it should ever be kq:)t in mind that the basis of this prosperity and commercial dominion is necessarily in the great agricul- tural interests; in the corn and wheat belt of the United States lies the destiny of the world, and all other interests, large and small, rise or fall with the size of the corn and wheat crops. With these facts in mind, it is eminently fitting that in the foremost agricultural district of the great state of Iowa prominent mention should be given the farmer and citizen Melvin Knapp. Elihu and Polly (Hays) Knapp were the parents of this gentle- MELYiH KHAPP. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 515 man ; the former was a native of the state of New York, born February 12, 1800, and died in February. 1883; the latter was born in the state of Virginia, and died February i, 1846. They were married in Frank- hn county, Ohio, and took up their residence in Madison county, that state, in the home previously established by Mr. Knapp, near .-\mity. There Elihu operated a tannery, and made harness and shoes. Of the three children in the family our subject alone survives. The birth of Melvin occurred in Madison county, Ohio, on July 7, 1834; he remained at home until he was twenty-two j'ears old and when not in school spent his time in the tannerv and in farm labor. In the spring of 1856 he went to the great west, expecting to locate in Kansas, which was at that time the hotbed for all the civil strife which was so soon to break forth on the whole country. He concluded to avoid that and instead removed to Iowa, locating in .Appanoose county in April. A little later he was married and after spending the first year of his married life in Ohio he settled in Independence township, Appanoose county, where he remained for two years. He then located in Bellair, coming to Numa after the close of the war. His plans were interrupted by the outbreak of the Civil war; he enlisted in the Thirty-si.xth Iowa Infantry and for three years saw active service in the field, all (jf that time being spent west of the Mississippi river, e.x- cept at the time of the siege of Vicksburg. He returned and purchased his present farm in 1865, and has since been actively engaged in farm- ing; he is now the owner of two hundred and sixty acres of fertile and well tilled land, which he devotes to general crops. In December, 1856, Mr. Knapp married Miss Lucretia McGuire; they became the parents of three children, two of whom are now liv- ing: Ella Hugh, residing in Pleasant township; and Caroline, who is 516 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. at liome. Mr. and Mrs. Knapp are members of tlie Christian church and are well thought of in the society of the community ; he is a mem- ber of the Centerville post of the Grand Army of the Republic and has been a Mason since 1863. ALLEN A. MASON. The subject of this sketch was born in Chautauqua county, New York, April 14, 1834, the son of Norman and Sarah Ann (Allen) Ma- son, the latter a descendant of Ethan Allen, of historic fame. His father was a native of New York and his mother a native of Vermont, and they were married in Washington county. New York, in 1830. Af- ter marriage they lived in western New York, but came west to Iowa in 1863 and settled in .Mbia, where for a time he conducted a restaurant and boarding house. To this union these children were born : Eliza- beth, deceased; Allen A.; Darwin N., a minister; William Gussie, de- ceased; Mary; Charles, deceased ; Katie; Lillian, deceased; and Jessie, deceased. Father of these children died in 1892, but his wife is living with her son in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Allen A. Mason spent his early days in western New* York until twenty-two years of age. He taught school in Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York. He was married in October, i860, to Miss Margaret Boyle, daughter of William and Esther Boyle, pioneers of Iowa. The four children by this union were: Charles N., Fred D., Jolni H., and Ben A. His wife died in the spring of 1874. and is buried in Albia. He was married in the fall of 1875 to Martha E. Taylor, daughter of John M. Taylor. Six children ha\"e been Ijorn by his second wife: \\'alter M., Ralph T., Elsie, Roy E., Edna E., Carlis. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 517 ^^■hen Mr. ^lason first came to Iowa he followed the carpenter's trade. He served as deputy clerk for two years, and in 1858 and 1859 he was deputy treasurer and recorder. In 1861 lie was elected county judge on the Republican ticket. Since 1864 he has been engaged in running a nursery and in farming. He has one hundred and twenty acres on the home place, having sold oi^' th'^ee hundred acres in 1901. He was in the dairy business in Albia from 1876 until 1887, and had the onlv milk wagon at that time in the citv. S. M. KING, M. D. Dr. S. i\I. King was born in Portage county, Ohio, September 2j, 1836, on a farm, and when two years old his parents moved to Illinois. His parents were Joel E. and Emeline (Barnes) King, both natives of Massachusetts. The father's parents were Robert and Bridget (Mor- gan) King, natives of Massachusetts, and great-grandfather Robert King was a native of Ireland and died in Berkshire county, Massachu- setts, in 1802, aged sixty-two years. His wife was also a native of Ireland, and he married in Ireland and they had eleven children. He was a practicing physician. His son. Dr. Robert King, was also a prac- ticing physician and participated in the war of 18 12, as a captain of the Massachusetts militia. He removed from Massachusetts to Portage county, Ohio, in 1826, and lived and died there. He had twelve chil- dren, of whom was Joel Elislia King, our subject's father, born in 1813 and died in 1890 in Fairfield, Iowa. His wife is living in Mount Pleas- ant, Iowa; she was born December 24, 1813. They had eight children, si.x now living. He, too, was a physician and in 1861 enlisted in Company E, Twentieth Illinois Volunteer In- 518 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. fantry, and was detailed to the hospital service. In 1862 he was dis- charged on account of physical disability. He moved to Fairfield, Iowa, in 1865 and practiced there up to his death. He was a Republican and a Methodist. \Mien he went to Illinois from Ohio it was to preach, but he gave up the ministry for medicine. Sylvester Morgan King was the eldest of the children and he was reared in Illinois. On April 19, 1861, he enlisted in Company E, Twen- tieth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, as a private, and was at Fredericks- burg, Fort Donelson and Shiloh, being severely wounded at the last battle. On October 12, 1862. he was discharged and August 15, 1864, re-enlisted from Akron, Ohio, in Company I, Sixth Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, and served in all the engagements, including Hatcher's Run, Five Forks. Dinwiddle. Sailor's Creek, Farmville, and on to Appomat- tox under Sheridan. He was discharged May 30. 1865, at the close of the war, and then came to Iowa. He soon went to Cleveland, Ohio, and there- attended the Cleveland Homeopathic College, in 1866, and then came to Iowa and located at Eddyville. where he remained till 1870, when he came to Albia. He has been in active practice ever since. In 1878 he graduated from the Hahnemann Hospital College at Chicago. He is a member of the Iowa Homeopathic Medical Society and the American Institute of Homeopathy. He is also a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and is a thirty-second degree Mason, of the Scottish Rite, is a Knight of Pythias, a Modern Woodman, and belongs to the .\ncient Order of United Work- men. He was married in 1866 to Louisa M. ChafYee. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 510 JOHN REES PRICE. John Rees Price, attorney at law, was born at Rhoudda Valley, South Wales. June 23. 1874. the son of Isaac and Ann (Davis) Price. His parents are natives of Wales and trace their genealogy back for many generations in W'ales to the time of William the Conqueror. In 1880 the parents canie to America, stopping in Rapids City, Illinois, in the spring of 1880, and in the fall of the same year came to Monroe county, Iowa, and settled three miles west of Albia. at what was known then as Cedar Mines. Here the father engaged in mining and farming, having from early life been engaged in those occupations in Wales. From 1886 to i88g the family was in the territory of Washington, but then returned to Monroe count}', where the parents have since resided. For several years past the father's occupation has been farming; he re- sides in Guilford township and is meeting with fair success. These parents had seven children. John Rees Price being the third oldest. Flis youth was spent in coal mining, and he was educated in the country schools, and then spent four years in Central University at Pella, Iowa. He taught school several years in Monroe and Marion counties and in May, 1898, began the study of law in Albia, under John T. Clarkson. He was admitted to the bar on examination before the supreme court in Ma}'. 1900. and since then has practiced in Albia. He was in partnership with Thomas Hickenlooper up to the time the latter was f|ualified as clerk of district courts. He was then alone till March, 1902, when he fornied a ])artnership with Judge J. C. Mitchell, of Ot- tumwa, the latter holding an office at Ottumwa, his resident town. At the same time J. H. Tomlinson, of Eldon, became an associate partner, the firm being Mitchell, Tomlinson & Price, a strong and successful combination. The firm conducts a general law practice, abstract and 520 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. loan business. Mr. Price is a Republican and belongs to tbe Indepen- dent Order of Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias. He was mar- ried in 1899 to Miss Mary Welch. J. C. ROBESON. J. C. Robeson was born near Plamilton, Ohio, January 6, 1834, the son of Elihu and Mary I. (Cummins) Robeson, both natives of Butler county, Ohio. The paternal grandfather, William, was born at Rock- bridge, Virginia, and moved to Pennsylvania, and thence to Ohio. Robeson is a Scotch-Irish name. The Cummins family are of Scotch extraction. The parents of our subject moved from Ohio in 1854 to Des Moines county, Iowa, where the father died in 1864. The mother afterward died in Monroe county, Iowa. The father was a farmer, a Whig in politics and he and his wife were United Presbyterians. They had seven children. J. C. Robeson is the oldest in the family. He was reared on a farm and received a common school education. He came west with his par- ents in 1854. On November 16, 1861. he enlisted in Company K, Four- teenth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and served three years. He is now a member of the Grand Army of the Republic. He came to Monroe county in 1869 and settled four miles north of Albia and farmed up to 1900, when he removed to Albia. He is now president of the Albia Telephone Company. A Republican in politics, he was elected representative in the fall of 1887, and served one term. He has been twice married ; first in i860 to Miss Maria McChesney, who died in February, 1861, leaving one child, John E., of IMonroe county, a farmer. In 1870 he married Mrs. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 521 Margaret Elder, and they had three children. He and his wife are members of the United Presbyterian church. N. E. KENDALL. N. E. Kendall, an attorney at law, was born in Lucas county, Iowa, near Russell, on ]\Iarch 7, 1868, the son of Elijah L. and Lucinda (Stev- ens) Kendall. The father was born in Shelby county, Indiana, and the mother in Hendricks county, Indiana. ^Vhen Elijah Kendall was in boyhood his parents came to Iowa and settled in Lucas county, where they lived and died. Grandfather Abbott G. Kendall was a native of Highland county, Ohio, and was a son of Aaron M. Kendall, of Irish descent. The father of our subject was a farmer and was a member of Company C, Eighteenth Iowa Infantry, and served four years as a private in the Civil war. He died in 1896, aged seventy years, and his wife died when our subject was a boy. N. E. Kendall was reared on a farm and given a common school ed- ucation. He was fifteen years old when he left the farm to take up the battle of life for himself. He went to Chariton, Iowa, and entered the law office of Stuart Brothers, as a stenographer and law student. He later came to Albia and entered the law office of T. B. Perry, in the same relation, and was admitted to the bar May 15, 1889, since which time he has practiced in Albia. He is a Republican and was city attorney for Albia for two terms and county attorney for two terms ; also a mem- ber of the Republican state committee for three terms, being secretary one term, and vice chairman two terms. He was elected a member of the Twenty-eighth and Twenty-ninth general assemblies of Iowa. In 1896 he was married to Miss Belle Wooden, of Centerville. 522 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. Mr. Kendall is a Master Mason, a Knight of Pythias, a memher of the Modern Woodmen of America, the Ancient Order of United Workmen, the Brotherhood of American Yeomen, and the l)ene\nlent and Protec- tive Order of Elks. EDGAR M. NOBLE. Mr. Noble was born in the town of Albia, Iowa, April 25, 1854, the son of David A. and Elizabeth Ann (Arnold) Noble. His father was born in Pennsyhania and his mother in Indiana. The}- were married in All)ia in 1853, the father having" come to Albia in 1851, and the mother in 185 J. The_\' had three children. The elder Mr. Nolile mer- chandised in Alljia thirty or more years and died in 1895, aged sixty- fi\-e, bnt his wife still resides in Albia. aged sixt)'-eight. The father was a Republican and was county treasurer two terms. He and his wife were members of the Christian church. He was a successful business man as a general merchant. He had a fair common school education. The last several years of his life were spent retired. Edgar M. Noble was reared and educated in Albia and spent one year at Christian College at Oskaloosa. In early life he entered the store of his father and was in mercantile lines up to 1895. since when he has been in the real estate and insurance business. Pie was married in 1878 to Miss .\nna Miller. He is a Republican and the nominee of his party for auditor of the count}'. He and his wife are Methodists, and he is a Knight Templar ISIason and belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 523 LEVITICUS TILTOX RICHMOND. Leviticus Tilton Ricliniond, cashier of the First National Bank and Fanners" and Miners' Savings Bank of Albia, Iowa, was born on a farm in Cedar township. Monroe county, Iowa, June ii, 1861, the son of Samuel and Sarah A. (Bell) Richmond, both sides being Irish stock. His father was lx)rn in Trimble county, Kentucky, November 22, 1822, and was reared in Kentucky, where he was married, his wife being a native of Kentucky. From this state they removed to Indiana, where they resided near Bedford for a few years and in the fall of 1844 came to Burlington. Iowa, and the next year went to Davis county, Iowa, and in the spring of 1846 came to Monroe county and settled in Cedar town- ship, where the father still resides, but the mother died in February, 1897. He has been a farmer and miller, being a millwright by trade. Leviticus Tilton Richmond was reared on a farm and was the eighth of a family of ten children, one son and a daughter being younger than he; there is only one daughter in the family. His early education was obtained in country schools, afterward at Central University at Pella, Iowa, being there from 1877 to 1880. In 1880 he taught in the academy at Knoxville for six terms. He had previously taught and by attending school and teaching alternately had educated himself. His first teaching was in the public schools of Monroe county, and his first term was taught in 1878, when just past eighteai. In March, 1882, he began reading law under the late W. .\. Nichole. of Albia ; was admitted to the bar in May. 1883. He at once began the practice of law in Albia. Mr. Richmond is a Democrat and as such was appointed deputy sheriff in 1884. He was elected sherifY in 1885 for a short term and in 1886 was re-elected and held office till January i, 1888, when he re- sumed the practice of law. I-'or five months he served as mayor of Albia, 524 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. being appointed by the council, of which body he was a member ; he was a conncihnan for four years. For four years he was a member of the board of trustees for the huhistrial School for the Blind at Knoxville, Iowa, through appointment by the general assembly. He practiced law up to January, 1899, when he was made cashier of the First National Bank and in October, 1901, wiien the Farmers' and Miners' Savings Bank was organized, he l)ecame its cashier. He was married November 18, 1885, to Lizzie W. Malone, a native of Maryland, and a daughter of James and Mary (Coughlin) Malone. natives of Ireland, and who came to ]\Ionroe county in 1870, and died here. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Richmond are: Francis H., 'Wil- liam T., and Thomas B. The family are members of the Roman Catho- lic church. JOSEPH HARVEY ROBERTSON. "Men of progress" is a phrase that aptly applies to many Americans in this twentieth century of industrial advancement, and in these three words is often summed up the highest compliment that can be paid to these soldiers of this commercial age when the world's battles are no longer fought b_\- the sword. And among those who may very justly be considered in this class is the gentleman whose name heads this sketch, a worthy, prosperous and leading citizen of Appanoose county, Iowa. While he has devoted his life to hard work and has intently fol- lowed the business of his choice, he has also found time to give to the public interests of his community and is a worthy exponent of American citizenship in its highest and best sense. Moses Robertson was his father; he was born in Kentuckv on BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 525 Octo!)er 21, 181 1, aiul died in Appanone body on his place; a fine and valuable farm. In 1856 Mr. Streepy was married to Lucy Elizabeth Dean and three children were born: Dedetta A., who is now Mrs. Edward White; and the two deceased are Alice and Baxter. Mrs. Streepy died in 1862. In 1866 he was again married, his second wife being Mary Reprogle, who died August 2y, 1875 ; she left one child, Mrs. Mary E. Harvey, of Centerville. For his third wife Mr. Streepy chose, on March 16, 1876, Miss Margaret J. Cafferty, who is now living and is the mother of three children : C. E. Streepy, Zelma E. Streepy and George W. Streqiy, Jr. Mr. Streepy recalls the days of the Civil war by his membership with the Grand Army of the Republic. He casts his vote for the Re- publican party, and in the public afifairs of the county has been a mem- ber of the county board of supervisors for one term and has filled num- erous township offices. He has been one of the prominent members of the Methodist church and a few years ago donated the ground, directly across the road from his home west of Cincinnati, upon which has been erected a substantial house of worship ; the only condition affixed to this gift was that the church should be of no particular denomination, but open to all services held in the cause of religion. In this, as in many other ways, Mr. Streepy has shown his excellent common sense and his desire for general progress in the community. He may be truly desig- nated as a man of character, one whose every act is in accord with his inmost principles of right and justice. 530 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. J. N. VAN PELT. The constantly increasing number of fanners who, after a life of well spent activity, are retiring and passing their remaining days in the enjoyment of their competences is an indication that this most worthy class of industrial workers is now meeting with the rewards which they so richly deserve, for surely the tiller of the soil, above all other men, should be able to lay by enough in his working years to give him the comforts of life without labor in old age. One of the retired farmers of Monroe county, Iowa, is J. N. Vanpelt, who is now making his home in Melrose and has been one oi the leading agri- culturists of this section. His parents were \\'illiam and Angeline (Nadenbnsh) Vanpelt, the fiirnier a native of Washington county, Virginia, and the latter born in Franklin county, Ohio. William Vanpelt lived in his native state until sixteen years of age, and then went to Ohio and located in Franklin county, where he was married. He later came to Monroe county and purchased a farm of eighty acres ; he was also a carpenter by trade and followed this occupation as long as he was able to do active work. His first wife died at the birth of the subject of this sketch, and he was again married, his second wife l)ecoming the mother of twelve children. The birth of J. N. Vanpelt occurred in I'ranklin county, Ohio, October 18, 1835, and after spending his boyhood in Ohio he came, at the age of sixteen, to Monroe county and was then engaged as a farm laborer until the outbreak of the Civil war. His fighting blood was kindleil, and on the patriotic day of the Fourth of July, 1862, he en- listed in Company D, Twenty-second Iowa Volunteer Infantry, being mustered in at Iowa City. He was first sent to Raleigh, Missouri, ■BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 531 under Colonel Stone, and his regiment participated in twenty-five en- gagements throughout the war, among them the siege of Vicksburg; Jackson, Mississippi ; Baton Rouge ; Champion Hills ; Winchester, Virginiai: in this last named battle Mr. Vanpelt was wounded by the explosion of the last shell fired by the Confederates in the engagement, and one part of the shell took off a thumb and another lodged in his hip, which fragment he still has in his possession. After lying in the hospital for several months he recovered from his wounds and was mustered out at Davenport, Iowa, February 3, 1865, having spent three and a half years in the service of his country. He easily went back to the peaceful pursuit of farming again and continued tO' live on his farm until 1899, when he retired and moved to Melrose, where he now lives in a comfortable home. Mr. Vanpelt was married December 17, 1868, to Amanda Cobb, who is a native of Missouri and the daughter of Joseph Cobb, a pioneer settler of Marion county, Iowa ; she left the state of her birth when five years old and went with her parents to Marion county and later to Monroe county, where she remained till her marriage. Eight children were born, six sons and two daughters: William A., Tula, Scott, Julia, Lee, W^die, Lewis and Sherman. Mr. Vanpelt is a stanch Re- publican and keeps up his connection with old army comrades by his membership in the Grand Army of the Republic. He and his wife are members of the Methodist church. RALPH M. DAVIS. Ralph M. Davis, a cigar manufacturer, is acceptably filling the office of mayor of Moulton, and is one of the wide-awake and enter- prising men of the city, who exemplifies in his life the progressive spirit 532 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. which has led to the rapid upbuilding of the west. He is also con- nected with the commercial interests of the town, having been formerly a member of the Davis Brothers Manufacturing Company, but he now conducts the business alone and in his own name. He set at naught the old adage that "a prophet is never without honor save in his own countiy," for Mr. Davis is a native son of the town in which he has been honored with the offices within the gift of the people. He was born in Moulton on the 23d of April, 1874, and is a son of Levi and Martha (Willett) Davis and a grandson of Richard Webb Davis, who was born in Delaware in 1805, but was reared in Maryland. In 1833 Richard Webb Davis was married to /Vhnira Landfier, a native of Dayton, Ohio, and a short time afterward they moved to Lewistown, Fulton county, Illinois. He was a stonecutter by trade, having per- formed much work of that kind, and he also followed farming. In 1839 they removed to Adair county, Missouri, where they spent one winter, and then took up their abode in Schuyler county, but in 1842 came to Appanoose county, Iowa. In 1846 he moved to Bloomfield, Davis county. His wife died in Bloomfield in 1862 at the age of fifty- two years. They became the parents of thirteen children, namely : Adriel B., who was born September 2, 1835; Levi, who was born February 23, 1837 ; Mary, Lucy, Nancy, James Price and Sarah Jane, twins, who died at birth; Julia, Webb and two who died in infancy. Levi Davis, the second of the above enumerated children, was born in Illinois, February 23, 1837, and shortly afterward, in 1840, was taken by his parents to Schuyler county, Missouri. Subsequently they took up their abode in Bloomfield, Davis county, Iowa, and in 1857 moved to Orleans, now a deserted village north of Moulton, and there Mr. Davis met and married Miss Martha J. Willett, their wed- BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 533 ding being celebrated April 14, 1858. To this union were born eight children, as follows: Fannie B., Homer E., Eva L., James A., Fer- nando C, Willie W., Ralph M., Ray L., all of whom are living with the exception of Eva L., who died in March, 1871. The family came to Moulton in 1869, and for many years the father was the express agent at this place, and when it was first incorporated he was elected the town marshal. He was a citizen of prominence, and for fifteen years was honored with the office of chief executive, also acting as a justice of the peace. He had an excellent knowledge of the law and often met learned counsel at the bar, when he often floored his oppO' nents. He was a stalwart Democrat in his political views, was an active and consistent member of the Christian church, and filled an important niche in the pioneer days of the locality and will long be remembered as one of the landmarks of Moulton. After nearly a month's illness his death occurred on the i6th of December, 1902, leaving an aged wife, who is still living in this city, and seven children. Ralph M. Davis spent his boyhood days in bis parents' home and at the usual age was sent to school, acquiring a good English educa- tion. After leaving school he went upon the road as a traveling musi- cian, and for ten years was thus employed, visiting various parts of the country. In the year 1896 he returned to Moulton and entered into partnership with bis brotlier, I'lay L., a practical cigarmaker, under the firm name of Davis Brothers Cigar Manufacturing Company, this relationship being continuetl until our subject purchased his brother's interest, Januar\' 26, 1903. The business has steadily grown, and he now manufactures a number of brands of cigars which have become favorites on the market. The enterprise was established on a small 534 BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. scale, but has steadily increased, until the business now pays an excel- lent annual dividend. In 1898 Mr. Davis was united in marriage to Miss Ella M. Clink- enbeard. of Moulton, and the young couple enjoy the hospitality of many of the best homes of the city, their circle of friends being exten- sive. Mr. Davis is a member of the American Bene\-olent Association, the Iowa State Traveling ]Men"s Association, the ^Modern \\'oodmen of America, the Masonic fraternity, and in addition to being a Master Mason is connected with the order of Eastern Star. In politics he has always been a Democrat, and in the spring of 1902 was elected upon that ticket to the position of mayor of the city, in which position he is now acceptably serving. He has already manifested deep regard for the public welfare, and his efforts in behalf of the general good have been effective. CHARLES M. MARSHALL. Charles ^1. Marshall, the postmaster of Moulton, Iowa, is a mem- ber of a large family of men noted for their public spirit and enterprise, and his excellent career as a business man and as the incumbent of the most important public office of his city makes him specially deserving of a place in this volume. His parents are William and Arminda (Hayes) Marshall, the former a native of Kentucky, and the latter of Ohio. They were married in Ohio and in 1872 came west, first locating in Missouri, where for a time he ran a hotel in Coatsville. In 1873 he removed to Iowa, since which time they resided in Moulton. For many years he was in the real estate business, and for twenty-one years was assessor of his township. His long and l)lameless career BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GEXEALOGICAL HISTORY. 535 was ended in death on December 17, 1902. He was a Republican and in religion a Methixlist. William Marshall was married three times, and our subject is the son of his third wife. There are five living chil- dren of the first marriage, one of the second and four of the third. Those living are as follows : W. J. Marshall is a prominent banker of Sardinia, Ohio, the original home of the family; Mrs. Dr. W. W. Glemi, of Hillsboro, Ohio; Judge H. L. Marshall, of Eufaula, Indian Territory; Robert L. Marshall, of Cincinnati, Ohio, an employe of the Big Four Railroad; James O. Marshall, also in the railroad business; W. L. Marshall, a farmer in Indian Territory; our subject; Guy Mar- shall, in the employ of the rural free delivery service at Moulton ; Cam. G. Alarshall, assistant postmaster of Moulton; and Booze Marshall, at home in Moulton. Charles M. Marshall claims Brown county, Ohio, as his nati\-e home, having been born there February 5, 1864. He has spent most of his life in Moulton, where he was reared to manhood and given a common school training. After reaching manhood he entered the clothing house of W'ooldridge & Pulliam at Moulton and continued in their employ for eleven years. In 1898 he was appointed postmaster of Moulton and took charge of the office on the anniversary of his birthday of that year. Four years later he received a reappointment and is still filling this position. That Mr. Marshall has been faithful and progressive in the performance of the duties of this of^ce is sub- stantiated by the fact that under his administration three rural free delivery routes have Ijeen established, and that the salar}- of the office, which depends upon the receipts, has been raised from twelve hundred dollars to fifteen hundred dollars a year, and through his efYorts the office is now located in a new brick building, heated with steam and 536 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. provided with conveniences such as few towns the size of Moulton have. Mr. Marshall is a thorough believer in the principles of the Re- publican party. Fraternally he is a Knight Templar Mason and a Knight of Pythias. He is active in church work and is chorister in the Methodist church. In 1885 he was united in marriage to Miss Jennie D. Gale, of Moulton. and they have two bright children, Olive and Lucile. The family occupy a prominent place in the society of the town and are held in high esteem by a large circle of friends and ac- quaintances. SAMUEL RICHMOND. More than a half century has passed since Samuel Richmond arrived in Monroe county, and his residence in the state dates from 1845. Most of this time he has carried on farming and is to-day the owner and occupant of a good farm in Cedar township. He was born in Morgan county, Kentucky, on the 20tli of November, 1822, a son of John and Alice Richmond, the former a native of Virginia, while the latter was born in Tennessee. John Richmond carried on general farming and also made a specialty of the raising of tobacco. In his early life he devoted his energies to the advancement of the interests of the Whig party, and when the Republican party sprang into exist- ence he joined its ranks and continued to give to it his support until he departed this life. He died in 1882 and his wife passed away five years later. To their marriage were born six children: Lizzie; Samuel; William, who is deceased ; Silas ; and Henry and David, twins. From the time when he located upon the farm where our subject was born until his death the father resided continuously in that place, and was a well known resident of his portion of Kentucky. BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GEXEALOGICAL HISTORY. 537 When Samuel Richmond left his birthplace in the Bluegrass state he went to Indiana, where he remained for three years, and during that time he was engaged in farming and in working in a mill. In 1845, however, he left Indiana and came to Iowa, settling first in Bur- lington, where he remained through one winter. In 1846 he took up his abode in Wapello county, where he continued until the following September, when he removed to Monroe county, with which section of the state he has since Ijeen identified, covering almost fifty-seven years. He has made his home throughout this period in Cedar township, where he now owns four hundred and eight acres of land, constituting one of the good farms of the locality, well tilled fields surrounding sub- stantial barns, and a comfortable frame residence. In March. 1842. in Johnson county. Indiana. Mr. Richmond was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Bell, of that county, a daughter of Isaac and Elizabeth Bell. Mrs. Frances Cooper, a sister of !Mrs. Rich- mond, is the only surviving member of the Bell family, and she now re- sides upon the Richmond farm. Ten children were born to our subject and his estimable wife: Byron, now deceased; William Perry; James H.. who has also passed away: Crates C, John, Frank D., Columbus, Tilt. Jane, and Major S. In 1897 Mr. Richmond was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who passed away in that year at the age of seventy-three. As man and wife they had traveled life's journey for fifty-five years, sharing with each other the joys and sorrows, the adversity and prosperity which come to checker the careers of all. Mrs. Richmond was a mem- ber of the Baptist church and Mr. Richmond belongs to the Methodist church. He is an earnest, consistent Christian man, who has ever en- deavored to live at peace with his fellow men and to treat them hon- 538 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. orably and fairly in all business transactions, and therefore in the evening of life he is honored and respected, receiving the veneration which should ever be accorded to those of advanced years. As he looks back along the vista of the past there are many incidents in his career in the county of which he has reason to be proud. He walked twelve miles to the election to vote for the adoption of the state constitution, and helped to organize Cedar township. He never missed an election up to date; helped build the first cabin, the first school and church in the township, and has done his part in making rails, building fence, breaking prairie, killing rattlesnakes and wolves ; and now he is ready to pay his last tax and with it go home with no one left behind but his friends to mourn. GEORGE T. PULLIAM. The most that can be attempted in a brief sketch of this kind is a recital of the main facts of the outward life of a man, and from these details posterity must judge the character of him who lived and wrought in the past ; but surely it does not always require the seer to scan the history of the indi\"idual to judge his fitness for the higher rewards of the world, for the book of man's life lies open and there the deeds done here show the fruit of his best endeavors. And while the career of the prominent citizen of Moulton, Iowa, whose name heads this article, may be summed up in a few lines, there is evidence therein of hard, conscientious, well directed efYort, ever lifting the life of today a step above that of the yesterday. The father and mother of George T. Pulliam were James and Charity (Hindi) Pulliam, both natives of Kentucky; they were taken to Illinois in youth and there they grew up and married. In 1853 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 539 they came to Iowa and first settled near Eddyville; the next year they removed to Davis county, and in 1S56 moved to Orleans, Appanoose county. He was a farmer, a merchant and a stock dealer, and was one of the pioneers of the village of Orleans. He was a pioneer Republican, joining that political organization at its inception ; in religion he and his family were members of the Christian church. He died in 1868 at the age of fifty years. In 1858, while living in Orleans, his first wife died, aged thirty-six \ears. having borne him six children. The oldest son, William H.. served in the Twenty-first Missouri Infantry and later in the Eighth Iowa Cavalry ; iluring the siege of Atlanta he received a wound and from its effects died August i, 1864. The birth of George T. Pulliam occurred in Pike county, Illinois, November i, 1849. His l.ioyhood w'as spent on the farm and he was given a common school education. At the age of twenty he was thrown upon his own resources and soon started upon his career as a merchant in Moulton; he was one of the successful retailers of that town for more than twenty-five years, but in 1898 he retired; his principal line was clothing. For twenty years J. V. \Vooldridge was his partner, first under the name Wooldridge, Pulliam & Deupree, and then Wooldridge & Pulliam, and later Geo. F. Pulliam. In 1885 Mr. Pulliam was married to Miss Ollie M. Gates, who was at the time a very popular and successful teacher in the Moulton schools. In politics he is Republican; is a memlier of the Knights of Pythias, and a great friend of the jniblic schools, of which they are so justly proud. His success is due to his own efforts, and he is justly ranked as one of the leading business men of Moulton and Appanoose county. 5-40 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORV. JOHN C. PHILLIPS. One of the largest land owners and most extensive agricnltnrists in .Vppanoose connty is John C. Phillips. His father was Theophilus Phillips, whose wife was Mahalia Ann Moore; they were both natives of Adams county, Ohio, and were married in that county. ]\Ir. Phillips was throughout his life a tiller of the soil, and his life laljors were ended in death in 1879, when at the age of sixt_\--four years. Mrs. Phillips died in 1853, aged thirty-nine years. Mr. Phillips came west in 1863 and after residing in Appanoose county for two years returned to Ohio; in 1871 he spent one year in Missouri and later removed to Appanoose county, where he passed the remaining days of his useful life. This worthy couple were the parents of ten children, of whom six are now living. One of these children was John C, who was born in Adams county, Ohio, January 5. 1841, and was reared to a farmer's life, spending his youth in work on the farm and in attendance at the country schools. He had arrived at manhood when the Civil war spread its blight over the land and in 1862 he enlisted in Company F, Ninety-first Ohio Vol- unteer Infantry, and gave three years of faithful service to his country, .•\t the battle at Bufifalo Gap he recei\-ed a wound which compelled him to spend some time in the army hospital. Shortly after his return from the army, in 1868, Mr. Phillips followed the example of his father and came to Cooper county, Missouri, where he engaged in farming for a few years. In the spring of 1872 he moved to Wayne county, Iowa, and continued farming for twelve years. His residence in Ap- panoose county dates from 1884, and here he has met with most gratify- ing success in farming and stock-raising. For ten years his stock opera- tions were conducted on a large scale in partnership with Mr. B. Bowen, BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 541 of Centerville. That he possessed much business abiUty was shown in his being chosen to act as cashier of the Farmers' and Drovers' Bank of Seymour, Init after a }ear lie resigned, preferring the free and interest- ing Hfe of the farm. At the present time Mr. Philhps owns on his home place fourteen hundred and eighty acres of fine land, which is one of the most extensive farms in the state. In 1862 Mr. Phillips was married to Miss Clementine Drake. Her parents were James H. and Caroline (Marshal) Drake, who were resi- dents of Licking county. Ohio, coming to Iowa in 1878, where the father died in 1900 in his ninetieth vear, and the mother passed away in 1893, aged seventy-seven; the wife of Mr. Phillips was born in Licking county, Ohio, November 27, 1843. Thirteen children were born and all but one are now living: Oiarles E., Emma A. Stewart, James P., Hosea M., Joseph Walter, Carrie A. Richardson, B. Bowen, Kennedy Kendall, Herbert H.. John J., Oscar Orville, and Roscoe C. : the last three li\e at home with their parents. Mr. Phillips retains his connection with his old armv comrades in the Grand Army of the Re- public at Seymour, and he has membership in the Methodist church at Genoa. It is through such men as Mr. Phillips that the solid and noble calling of agriculture as been brought to its high state of per- fection, which in no other country of the world has been so highlv de- veloped and attracts such a high class of men. D. C. KENWORTHY. The subject of this sketch is a man who has been prominent in many of the affairs of life, has fought on the battlefields of the south in defense of the Union, has been a leading farmer of the county for 542 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. nearly half a centur}- and has taken an active part in pnblic, social and religions matters of the conimnnity. His grandfather was Elisha Ken- worthy and was a native of Penns)'l\'ania ; he and his wife Sarah both died in Indiana. Thomas Kenworthy, the father of D. C. Kenworthy, was born in Ohio, where he was reared on a farm. In 1844 he went to Miami connty, Indiana, and until 1853 ran a grist and saw mill. Then coming to Monroe county, Iowa, he bought a farm near where the sub- ject of this sketch now lives; selling this place a few years later he re- moved to Ringgold county, but soon S(jld the farm he had acquired there to the Burlington railroad, and then went to Oregon, where he died at the age of eighty-five. He was a successful medical practitioner in Iowa for a number of years and was a man of sterling traits of character. He lived during the heat of the slavery strife and was an uncompromis- ing abolitionist Republican and was an acti\'e supporter of John C. Fre- mont in the first campaign of that party ; he was also a friend of Colonel Jim Lane of Kansas. He was a Methodist in religion. He was mar- ried in Montgomery count}-. Indiana, to Sarah Beesley, a native of Pennsylvania ; she was the mother of twelve children : Sirena, Irnada, Delitha, Louisa, Mary, Saphrona, Martha, David C, and four others. Tliomas Kenworthy's second wife was Minerva Jackson, by whom he had seven children ; she died in Oregon. Da\id C. Kenworthy was born at Crawfordsville, Montgomery county, Indiana, July 13, 1839, and was fourteen )-ears old when he came to Monroe county, in November, 1853, and here he was reared and completed his education in the cnmmon schools. \Mien he was twenty-two years old he enlisted, in Jul_\-, 1861, in Company H. First Iowa Volunteer Cavalry, under Colonel F. Warren and Captain D. Anderson. He saw much acti\'e service in the campaign in Missouri, BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 543 Arkansas and Mississippi: lie was in tiie engagements with General Price's army, also Ouantrell's raitlers and Bill Anderson's troopers. He was in the battle at Jackson, Missom'i; Little Rock, Arkansas; Cam- den, Missouri; and he started to assist General Banks in the Red River expedition, but his regiment failed to reach liim in time; they then went on a forced march ui) the Saline river to meet General Price and after crossing on pontoon bridges engaged in a hard fight which lasted all day; he took part in the battle of the Poison Springs on the Little Mis- souri and then recei\c(l a \eteran's furlough for thirty days. He was stationed at Mexico and St. Joseph, Missouri, and fought l)usliwhackers all over the state; he was sent to Jefferson City to support the Union forces against Price and received his final discharge in November, 1865, returning home with a most en\iable war record. While on his veteran's furlough Mr. Kenworthy was married. May 29, 1864, to Alice Harris, who was born in Delaware county, Ohio, in 1845, being the daughter of R. B. Harris, a native of New York, anil of Mary Bains, a nati\e of \\'ales. Morris Bains, the father of the latter, is now one hundred years old and was born in Wales, where he married Alice Jones; in 1835 they came to Delaware county, Ohio, and in 1856 came to ]\h:jnroe count}- ; they had two children, Edward, de- ceased, and Jklrs. Harris; Mr. Bains has eight great-great-grandchil- dren, thirty-six great-grandchildren, and eighteen grandchildren, and he is known and respected as (me of the patriarchs of the county. R. B. Harris and wife had fourteen children: William, who was a soldier in the Civil war in the Pirst Iowa Cavalry and died while in the service; Alice, who became Mrs. Kenworthy; Zilia, deceased; Morris; Albert; Edward, deceased; Clinton, deceased; Emily McGinnis, li\ing in this countv; Ahir\-; Losinia. the wife of the Rew William I'otter. of the 54i BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. Methodist church at Ainsworth, Iowa,: Hattie; and tliree others. The father of these children passed away at tlie age of eighty and the mother at the age of seventy-seven, the former heing a memljer of the Republi- can party, and both devoted meinbers of the Methodist church. Mr. and Mrs. Kenworthy are the parents of five children : Florence, the wife of Henry Payne, of Albia; Mattie R. Barnhill, of Franklin town- ship, a former teacher of the county ; Arthur, who married Myra Searcy, of this county; Hattie, of Albia; and Maud Richardson, residing in this county. Mr. Kenworthy lives on a three hundred acre farm, known as the old George Town farm. He takes an active interest in the success of the Republican party and is a member of the central committee of the township, of which he has been chairman for years ; he is a leading member of the post of the Grand Army of the Republic at Albia; and he has been steward of the Methodist church for many years and one of its most liberal supporters. Throughout his long residence in the county he has proved himself a man of no mean ability, and is held in high re- gard. LUTHER CPHSMAN. Luther Chisman is a self-made man, whose industry and energy in his chosen life work have made him one of the well-to-do agriculturists of his connnunity. His birth occurred in Dearborn county, Lidiana, October 21, 1851, and he comes of an old Pennsylvania family of Ger- man descent. His paternal grandfather, John Chisman, was a native of the Keystone state, but became a resident of Iowa, and both he and his wife died in Wapello count)- and were laid to rest in a cemetery BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 5i5 near their home. Tlieir son, Etlward Chisman, was born in IncUana and spent tlie days of his youth upon a farm in Dearborn county. Wlien lie liad reached man"s estate he desired a companion and liclpmeet f(jr the journey of Hfe and married Miss Keturah Clark, who was born in Ohio, and belonged to a prominent family of that state of English an- cestry, but was reared in Indiana. In 1855 they left their home in Dearborn county and witli their family came to Iowa, settling in Polk township, Wapello county, near the Monroe county line, he having here purchased a tract of go\-ernment land in 1850. It was then raw prairie, on which not a furrow had been turned or an improvement made, but with characteristic energy he began to plow the fields and in course of time made his tract a valuable farm property. In the family were the following children: .Amanda, the wife of Pete Burjeson, of Blakes- burg, Iowa; .\nna, the wife of x\lec Tubaugh, of this township; Luther; Laura, who became the wife of H. D. Lane and died in Wapello county; Trumlnill ; antl Josephine, deceased. The father died upon the homestead farm in 1861, at the age of forty-one years. He was a Democrat in his political views and served as justice of the peace and as a member of the school board. He held membership in the Baptist church, to which his widow also belongs. She still resides upon the farm and on the 13th of November, 1902, she attained her eighty-first year. Luther Chisman spent his early boyhood days with his parents, but at the age of fourteen years started out to earn his own living. Previous to this time he had been a student in a district school, in which tliere were seventy-five students and two teachers in a room twenty-two by twenty-four feet. It was known as the Liberty school, and to that institution he is indebted for all the mental training he received inside a 546 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. schoolroom. Mr. Chisman was married on tlie 5tli of Fe1)ruary, 1874, to Miss Tennie Burjeson, a native of Sweden, in wliich country slie was educated. Her parents were Jacob and Lena Burjeson, and the latter died during tiie infancy of Tennie. The father, howe\er, came to America and for six years was a resident of Iowa. Mr. Chisman's first purchase of land comprised eighty acres in Cedar township, Monroe county, and was bought with money acquired through his own labor at farm work. After four years he sold this property and removed to Kansas, where he remained for four years and then returned to Iowa, settling on a rented farm in Ringgold county, near Kelierton. In 1888 he purchased a farm of William Wilcox in Mantua township, Monroe county, comprising one hundred and sixty acres of land, and has since resided on this property, which constitutes one of the best farms in the locality because of its many excellent im- provements, its good grades of stock and highly cultivated fields. There are blue-grass pastures, verdant meadows and grain fields which give promise of rich barxests, and the farm is well fenced and ever^-thing is in good condition. To Mr. and Mrs. Qiisman have been born six children: James, who is twenty-f(jur years of age and assists in the cultivation of the home farm; Ina, the wife of Charles Springer, a prominent farmer of this township; Retta, who is a student in the high school of Albia; Alta, who is eleven years of age; Edward, who died at the age of twenty- one years; he was a young man loved by all for his good qualities and his loss was deeply felt throughout the community; and Sarah, who died at the age of two and a half years, in the state of Kansas. Mr. Chis- man's study of political questions has led him to endorse the principles of the Democratic party, and he has frequcntl)- been a delegate to its BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 647 county conventions. He is regarded as one of the substantial citizens of the community, being found on the side of progress and improve- ment in all matters pertaining tO' the general gooil, and in matters of business his straightforward and reliable dealing is one of his strong characteristics and has led to his success. RUFUS E. CUMMINS. Peter Cummins, the great-great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was an officer in the English army and a citizen of Vincennes, Indiana, in 1783. The act of congress, March 3, 1791 (Vol. I, page 221, U. S. Statutes), granted four hundred acres of land to each person who in the year 1783 was the head of a family at Vincennes or in the Illinois country on the Mississippi, according to the act, April 30, 18 10 (II Vol., Statutes. 590). The claim was confirmed by act, February 13, 1813, Vol. II, General Statutes, page 800, reported in 7th Vol. American state papers, pages 704, 722 and 723. Ephraim Cummins, the son of Peter, was born at Vincennes, in 1770; was a farmer; moved to Iowa in 1851, and died in Wapello county, in 1862. He was the possessor of the following patents, recorded thus: Certificate No. 140, Vol. i, page 140; signed by James Monroe. Cer- tificate No. 1360, Vol. 5, page 429; signed by James Monroe. Certifi- cate No. 2628, Vol. 9, page 370; signed by J. Q. Adams. Certificate No. 3537, Vol. 8, page 2y ; signed by Andrew Jackson. His son Daniel was born in Spencer county, Indiana, in 1803; was a farmer; moved to Appanoose county, Iowa, in 185 1 ; in the spring of 1863 moved to Santa .\na, California, where he lived for twelve vears, 548 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. then moved to \\'ashington. He reared a family of twenty-two children and died in 1886. Ephraim Cummins, the son of Daniel, was born in Spencer county, Indiana. February 26, 1832. At the age of sixteen he moved to Wapello county, Iowa, with his uncle, Ephraim Cummins, and after one year moved to Moravia, Appanoose county, Iowa. On ]\Iarch 4, 1852, he married Maria Theressa Stauber. who was born December 8. 1833, and died June 12, 1874. She was a daughter of Joseph Stauber, who laid out the town of Moravia and named it in honor of the Moravian church, of which he was a member. To them were born eight children, five of whom are now living : Josephine C, Eunice E., Frank B., Rufus E., William R., Theresa, Grant and Laura. Ephraim Cummins afterwards married Anna R. Stauber, who was born January 21, 1850. Two children were born: Blaine and Mabel. He was engaged in tlie mercantile business before the war, closing the busi- ness to enter the army. On his discharge he again engaged in the same business and in connection he was postmaster and held the office until Cleveland's election. He was a charter member of Antiquity Lodge No. 252, A. F. and A. M., and was rated as one of the successful and leading citizens of the county. Politically Captain E. Cummins was a Republi- can and extended his influence in the- formation of that party in Ap- panoose county, Iowa. He voted for John C. Fremont for president in 1856, and for Abraham Lincoln in i860, and every Republican candi- date for president thereafter until his death. He was as true as steel to his friends, and ne\er quailed l)efore an enem_\' on the field of battle. He was an indulgent father and treated his children with great kind- ness, yet was firm with them, all of whom grew up to be useful men and women, loval to the couiitrv and flag. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 549 The Eighth Iowa Cavah'y was commanded b)- Colonel J. B. Dorr, and Captain E. Cummins, who enhsted June 24, 1863, organized Com- pany F. They were mustered in at Camp Roberts, Davenport, Iowa, August I, 1863, and remained there until October, 1863, when the com- pany went to Louisville, Kentucky, where they received arms and out- fits, and marched to Nashville, Tennessee. Mr. Cummins was em- ployed in hunting down and capturing \'arious bands of cut-throats that infested the state at that time. In March, 1864, the company marched to Cleveland, Tennessee, and was made a part of the magnificent army of General Sherman on May 3, 1864. The first fight was at Varnell, Georgia, May 9, 1864. He was with Sherman at the capture of Atlanta, and marched to the sea. Captain Cummins was in the various battles and skirmishes that his regiment was engaged in on that cam- paign up to the battle of Cassville, where he was badly wounded while leading a charge at the head of his company, and was compelled to leave his regiment, but as soon as he was able he returned and served under General Thomas against Hood. At the close of the war he was hon- orably discharged. Captain Cummins was noted for his great bravery and coolness in battle ; was a great favorite with the soldiers of his regi- ment, and no officer was held in higher esteem than lie by the soldiers of his own company. (This war record was written by Corporal William D. Kinser and Sergeant Robert K. Johnson.) Captain E. Cummins died August 6, 1891. Rufus E. Cummins, tiie son of Ephraim and ]\Iaria T. (Stauber) Cummins, was born in the village of Moravia, Iowa, .\ugust 24, i860, and passed his youth and gained his early educational training in this place. His first business experience was obtained in his father's store, 550 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. but after his marriage he settled on a farm in Taylor township, Ap- panoose county, and continued in this occupation until 1897. in which year he was appointed postmaster of Mora\-ia : he still fills this office and gives entire satisfaction. Like his father, he is a Republican in politics, and is a member of Antiquity Lodge No. 252, A. F. & A. M., and also a member of Monroe Chapter Xo. 125, R. A. M. In 1884 he was married to Miss Jennie Long and they have one child, Beulah. Mr. Cummins is much esteemed for his excellent personal qualities as well as his strict business integrity. HERMAN SXOW. The Forest Glen stock farm, comprising six hundred and forty acres, is the home of Herman Snow, one of the popular and prominent citizens of Monroe county. His farm is located in Urbana township, not far from the Blakesburg postoffice, and approaches very nearly to the ideal stock farm. Upon the place are three houses, his own residence being a very attractive one, surrounded by a well kept lawn, and in the rear stand good barns and sheds for the shelter of grain and stock. The latest improved machinery is used in the cultivation of the fields, which annually return rich harvests, and there are good pasture lands, furnishing feed for the stfjck in summer, while the exten- sive meadows give a hay supply for the winter feeding. The stock raised is of high grades, and the owner has reason for just pride in his valuable farm, for Forest Glen is one of the finest stock farms in this part of the state. Mr. Snow has resided in Monroe county since 1866. He was born in Knox county, Illinois, near Galesburg, March 21, 1852, and BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 553 comes of a prominent family, the name figuring many times upon the pages of history. His father, Lucius Snow, was born in Portage county, Ohio, and was a son of Oii\er Snow, a native of Massacliusetts, and a descendant of an old New England family of genuine Puritan stock that was established in America by English emigrants who landed on the famous Plymouth Rock. Oliver Snow married Rozetta L. Petti- bone, a native of Coiuiecticut, and his last days were spent in Illinois. For a short time he was a believer in and follower of Joseph Smith, the noted Mormon leader, but later renounced that belief. Both he and his wife were laid to rest at Walnut Grove, now .\ltona, Illinois, their graves being marked by two large trees, planted there by their son Lucius. Lucius Snow was one of seven children. Lorenzo Snow, the fifth in age, became an elder and the leader of the Mormon church at Salt Lake City for a number of years, but is now deceased. Eliza R. Snow won a wide reputation as a poet and author. Lucius was the sixth of the family. Mrs. Lenora Leavitt died at Salt Lake. Samuel P. Snow is a well known author and writer of California. Percy Amanda died in Illinois, aged forty, and Melissa died in Portage county, Ohio, aged twenty-five. Reared in Ohio, Lucius Snow afterward lived in Illinois for a number of years and was married in Kno.x county, that state, to Miss Eliza Walker, a native of New York, and a daughter of Joseph Walker, who was born in England. In 1854 Mr. and Mrs. Snow removed from Illinois to St. Paul and later to Red Wing, Minnesota. He became one of the pioneers of the locality and was an active factor in the work of development there and was prominent in public affairs, filling a number of positions of trust and responsibility. In 1866 he removed from Minnesota to Monroe county, Iowa, locating in Urbana townshi]>, where 55-i BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. he died at the age of seventy-nine years, honored and respected by all who knew him. He had always carried on farming and stock raising and was regarded as authority upon bees and bee culture. His widow is now living in Blakesburg, Iowa. They had five children : Herman ; Ida Dorothy, of Wapello county; Anson A., a prominent business man and also postmaster of Bracewell, Decatur county, Iowa, and a well known writer upon free thought; lantha, the wife of W. E. Bracewell, who is one of the most extensive sorghum manufacturers of the United States and a leading farmer of Decatur county, Iowa; and Sidney C, prominent in connection with the telephone business in Urbana town- ship, Monroe county. Herman Snow was reared in Illinois and upon the frontier of Minnesota, and acquired a good education in the schools of the latter state and in the Kirksville (Missouri) Normal College. For twelve years he was successfully engaged in teaching, but now devotes his entire time and attention to the supervision of his farming and his telephone interests. He owns an entire section of land in Monroe county, from which he annually secures good crops, while his stock sales also amount to a good figure each year. On the 14th of October, 1879, Mr. Snow was united in marriage to Miss Kate Trussell, whose father, Andrew Trussell, was one of the prominent and wealthy farmers of Monroe count3^ He came to Iowa during its territorial days, settling in Wapello county in 1842, and afterward removing to Monroe county. He became a very prosperous farmer, owning hundreds of acres of land and carrying on stock deal- ing on an extensive scale. He also became one of the organizers of the First National Bank of Albia and one of its directors. He mar- ried Martha Williamson, of Iroquois county, Illinois, and to them were BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 555 born fi\e cliildren : Mrs. Sarah A. De Haven, nf Urbana township, Monroe connt_\- ; Mrs. Martlia J. Derby, of \\'ai)ello county; Samuel H., of Ewing', Holt county. Nebraska, a prominent cattleman: W. H., a well known banker of Moravia, and Mrs. Snow. The father gave his political endorsement to Republican principles and was one of the substantial citizens of Monroe county. His birth occurred in Pennsyl- vania in 1814 and he died at the age of seventy-six years, while his wife passed away at the age of seventy-eight. She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mrs. Snow, their daughter, was reared and educated in this county and presides with gracious hospi- tality o\er her beautiful home, which is characterized by culture and refinement. In the family are four children: Norlan, who is with the First National Bank at Albia : Zatha. who is a fine musician: I*". Ralph, and Herbert A. For three years Mr. Snow served as a member of the county board of supervisors and gave his aid and influence to all measures which he regarded as beneficial to the community. He votes w^ith the Republican party and has frecjuently been a delegate to its county and state con- ventions, having' served in the state con\ention when Governor Shaw was nominated to head the ticket. He has also been active in advancing the school interests of his county in the way of better schoolhouses, better wages for teachers, and was instrumental in getting free libraries for each school in his own township of Urbana. He is at present a director in the First National Bank of Allna and in the Farmers' and Miners' Savings Bank of Albia and in the Blakesburg Savings Bank of Blakesburg, and also the president of the Blakesburg Telephone and Telegraph Company. For twenty-se\-en years he has been a most con- sistent and devoted member of the Christian church, has contributed 556 BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. generously to its support and labored untiringly for the extension of its influence, and has long served as Sunday-school superintendent. His life has ever been upright and honorable, his actions manly and sincere, and he now stands as one of the strong men of the county, strong in his success and in his honor and good name. ■ ISAAC N. TRIMBLE. Isaac X. Trimble, who resides on section 31, Mantua township, is one of Monroe county's native sons and a representative of one of her old and honored families. He was born on the farm where he now lives, July 6, 1854, and is a son of Thomas Trimble, who is a prominent early settler and successful business man of the township. He was born in Kentucky in 18 17 and was reared and educated in that state. Going to Indiana, he was there married to Miss Elizabeth Webb, a native daughter of the Hoosier state, and a daughter of John Webb, who was a soldier of the Revolutionary war and afterward drew a pension. In 1850 they came to Iowa by team and wagon and were among the first to locate in Mantua township, Monroe county, where the father pur- chased two hundred and sixty acres of land and developed a farm, mak- ing it his home up to the present time. He has been called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who was a most estimable lady and a faithful member of the Methodist Episcopal church. She passed away in 1877, at the age of forty-five years. Although now eight)'-five years of age, Mr. Trimble still enjoys good health, and throughout his active busi- ness life successfully carried on general farming and stock-raising. In politics he is a pronounced Republican, and has ever taken a commend- able interest in public affairs. In his family were ten children, three BIOGRAPHICAL AMD GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 557 sons and seven daughters, namely : Alexander, who served for three years and four months during the Civil war as a member of the Seven- teenth Iowa Volunteer Infantry and is now a resident of Albia, Iowa; Nancy W., Jeimie, Isaac N., Eveline, Christina, George, who died at the age of fourteen years. Lou, who died at the age of forty-two; and Mrs. Lotta Miller and Mrs. Ida Gillett, also deceased. The family is one of the most prominent and influential in Mantua township. Upon the old homestead Isaac N. Trimble grew to manhood and by assisting his father in the work of the farm early became familiar with all the duties which fall to the lot of the agriculturist, at the same time pursuing his literary studies in an old schoolhouse with bench seats, near his home. In February. 1879. he married Miss Clara Belles, a daugh- ter of ^\'iIliam and Mar\- J. (Maull) Belles, who were natives of New Jersey and Kentuck}-. respectively. Her parents were both members of the Methodist Episcopal church and her father was a Republican in politics. In early life he learned the tailor's trade, which he followed for a time, but subsequently turned his attention to farming. He died in 1897, at the age of seventy-eight years, and his wife passed away at the age of fifty-two. This worthy couple were the parents of thirteen children, of whom eight are still living, namely: Mary Ann; John, who was a soldier of the Civil war: Myra: Sarah: Alva and Clarence, twins; Oak : and Grant. Of those deceased, Isaac N. was a soldier of the Union army during the Rebellion and was killed in battle; Slona. one who died in infanc}'. Effie. and Cora A., who died in Wapello county. Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Triml)le have eight children li\'ing: Guv. Pearl. Ruth. Lena, Famiy, George, Paul and Ola, while Frank, the third in order of birth, died at the age of nineteen years : and Etta, the fourth of the family, died at the age of seven years. 558 BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. Aiter his marriage Mr. Trimble continued to reside upon the old homestead with his father, and is today successfully operating three hundred and twenty acres of land, which is under a high state of culti- vation and well improved. In religious faith the}- are Friends and hold membership in the Friends church at Albia. Iowa. People of refinement and culture, they make many friends, who are always sure of a hearty welcome within their hospitable doors. GEORGE C. HAZLE\\OOD. This name has long been favorably known in Appanoose county, especiallv in the vicinit\- of Iconium. where its owner has resided and carried on a prosperous business for many xears. Though bred to farming and always engaged more or less directly in agricultural pur- suits, Mr. Hazlewood early developed taste and talent for dealing in real estate, and has met with remarkable success from his numerous dealings in land. In other wavs. also, he has displayed decided business ability, and with it all enjoys a reputation for honest dealing and iinancial stabil- ity that gives him credit of the highest class. It is safe to say that no banker or capitalist who knows him would hesitate to cash at par any note bearing the signature or endorsement of George C. Hazlewood. His life story in the main is much like that of many other Iowa farmers who have descended from early pioneers from the east and have been brought up at country homes in the rural nciglil)orhood in this state. About the time that Iowa emerged from the territorial condition and was admitted to the Union as a state there arrived a worthy couple from the east and cast their fortunes w-ith the new commonwealth. Joseph G. Hazlewood, who was a native of Virginia, had tarried long enough BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 559 in Indiana to find a wife in the person of Deborah E. Downing, and with her he settled on a farm in Jefferson county. He tilled his land there in the usual way for some years, -and in 1857 made a change of location to Mercer county, Missouri, where he remained eight years, coming thence to Appanoose county, his death here occurring at the age of eighty-one years, and his wife died when seventy-one years old. Of their eight children seven are living, and among these is included the prosperous farmer at Iconium whose operations it is now the intention to describe. George C. Hazlewood was l)orn on the farm first occupied by his father in Jefferson county, near Fairfield, January 9, 1852. He grew up and received his education in that vicinity and other localities, but be- fore reaching his majority decided to take unto himself a wife. This resolve was carried out July i,^, 1871, by his marriage to Melinda E. McKern, a girl of Iowa nativit}-, who died in Nebraska a few years sub- sequent to her union, at the age of twenty-eight years. She was a daughter of John and Celaw (Van Doren) McKern, natives of Indiana and the parents of twelve children, of whom five reached mature years and there are now living: Jabez and Hannah Graham, residents of Moravia; and Mr. Hazlewood's present wife. Dilemma. Of the five children born to Mr. and Mrs. Hazlewood, two are living: Bertie C. and Rena M., the last named being the wife of Edgar Breese, and they have one son, Loyd B. During this first union Mr. Hazlewood bought a small tract of land, mostly in its raw state, sixty acres. Three years later he tought eighty acres more, but in two years he sold the larger tract for a handsome profit. In a few years he purchased sixty acres adjoining the first pur- chase and as time passed on Mr. Hazlewood sold this farm, consisting of 560 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. one hundred and twenty acres, after occupying it eight years. \\'ith a speculative turn lieretofore noticed Mr. Hazlewood made another pur- chase of one hundred and sixty acres. This, too. he sold two years later, and purchased one hundred and five acres adjoining the village of Iconium. on which he resided for eight years. But during this time, owing to the poor health of his wife, Mr. Hazlewood went to Nebraska for the benefit of his wife's health, but all in \ain. His wife. Melinda E., died in Nebraska September i8, i8Sj, and Mr. Hazlewood returned to his farm at Iconium. On the 13th of November, 1883, Mr. Hazle- wood contracted a second marriage, with the widow of L. B, Hutton, a sister of his first wife. She has one lixing child by her first husband, John W., who married Lena Young, and they have a daughter named Fern. After his second marriage Mr. Hazlewood took up his residence on the one hundred and five acre farm, but he scx^n sold it in small lots, with the profit that usually accompanies his real estate transactions. The fine farm he owns at the present time was obtained by purchase at dif- ferent times, in three tracts, numbering ninet}'-five, fortv and one hun- dred and twenty acres, respectively, but he afterwards disposed of the largest tract and bought instead eighty acres in Monroe county, adjoin- ing the balance of his land. As the result of his \-arious deals Mr. Hazlewood now enjoys that hajijiy state which is usuall}' summed up by the expressive phrase, "well fi.xed," and few men of his age can make a better financial showing with no greater capital to start on. Mr. Hazle- wood's farming is of the kind usually descrilied as mixed or general, but he has paid some attention to blooded stock, showing a preference for hogs of the best grades. He understands the business thoroughly, whether on its speculative or practical side, and possesses that valuable faculty for all l)usiness men of knowing how to m;dbruary, 1844. He grew uj) to maniiood much after the manner of other boys and was early introduced to the practical side of life, and owing to the earh' death of his father he laiuiched 582 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. out into an independent course in life when only a hf)}'. In 1869 he married Miss Hannah Maria Rice, who was born in Mercer county, Pennsylvania ; she came west to Iowa several years before her parents made the journey and made her home with her brother in Cincinnati, Iowa. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Bell settled down to married life on what is known as the old Bell farm and were there actively en- gaged in farming until 1893, when they removed to their present com- fortable home west of Cincinnati, where they carry on general farming operations on one hundred acres of choice land. Four children were born to the union of Mr. and Mrs. Bell. l)ut only two of these are now living. Edwin R. Bell is a farmer and resides on the place just east of the home farm; Delia Bell lives at home with her parents. The family are members of the Baptist church of Liv- ingston and are highly respected throughout the comnumity where they have so long been useful citizens. LIVINGSTON G. PARKER. This gentleman, who is at present li\'ing a retired life at Living- ston, is one of those interesting characters whom every one likes to meet and talk to. He appeals to us an honored veteran of the Civil war, in which he rose to the rank of captain, as a minister of the gospel, as one of the early pioneers and a man of many varied occupations at different periods of life. Having lived long and always been a close observer, Mr. Parker can talk entertainingly on a large variety of subjects, and it well repays an efifort to "draw him out" concerning events he has witnessed or been a part of. When it is mentioned that Mr. Parker was born in tlie vear of the battle of Waterloo, it will be LIYINGSTOH G. PARKER. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 585 readily appreliended how large a scope of the world's greatest history is embraced within the limits of his career. When he was a baby James Madison was President of the United States, Victoria had not begun to rule England, Napoleon was emperor of France, the state where he now lives had not even been organized into a territory, but was still a wilderness filled with Indians and wolves, which made night hideous with their hungry bowlings. It was his fortune to take an active part as a pioneer in one of the American states and to be in touch, as a soldier or civilian, with the mighty events which led up to the Civil war or occurred during the four years of its continuance. He is a grandson of Joseph W. and Abigail Parker, the former of Massachusetts and the latter of Vermont, who settled in New York after their marriage. The grandfather fought in the Revolutionary war, and after the con- clusion of peace engaged, in farming, which was his principal occupa- tion throughout his life. The father of our subject, Jeremiah Parker, died in his seventy-se\'enth year, while his wife Abigail, whose death occurred but a few years ago, had attained the age of ninety. Livingston G. Parker, a son of the above mentioned couple, was born in Watertown, New York, February 7, 181 5. and as he grew up secured an unusually good education for those days. Besides going through the common schools, he was graduated from the Belleville Academy and took a course in civil engineering. He next entered Union College, now Union University, at Schnenectady, New York, in which he was graduated in 1835. After teaching school for a num- ber of years in northern New York, he commenced the reading of law with his uncle, Orson Parker, who afterward became noted as a re- vivalist, but our subject was never admitted to the bar. In 1S38 he removed to Ohio, where he was employed as an engineer in construct- 586 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. ing the Miami canal, and in tliat state, on the 2d of June, 1841. lie was united in marriage to Miss Nancy J. Barney, a sister of a college- mate, with whom he had heen associated in the building of the canal. Their wedding tour consisted of a trip to northeastern Indiana, where Mr. Parker secured employment in constructing dams and water power for a milling company. He afterward conducted a book store at Urbana. Ohio, for a time, and both he and his wife taught in the public schools of that city for several years. They came to Appanoose county, Iowa, in 1854, settling at Livingston, where he has ever since resided. After improving his farm to some extent he engaged with J. T. Place in editing the Appanoose Chieftain, but publishing a paper m Centerville at that time was an uphill vocation, and he soon aban- doned the business, although to him is accorded the honor of being the first Republican editor of the county. He taught school one winter in Pleasant township, and among his pupils was C. A. Stanton, with whom he has kept up a lifelong friendship. During the years of 1859- 60 Mr. Parker was engaged in surveying a route for the proposed State Line Railroad, which was afterward built and known as the Missouri, Iowa & Nebraska, now a part of the Burlington system. When the Civil war was inaugurated, though past the age of mili- tary duty, in company with his eldest son, Mr. Parker enlisted in Company B. Sixth Kansas Cavalry, and shared its fortunes until in May, 1863. He had previously been made cjuartermaster sergeant and was then given a recruiting commission for Company M, Sixth Kansas Cavalry, but was almost immediately given command of Company B of that regiment and stationed at W'estport. Missouri, Captain Harvey and the lieutenants being on detached service, while later he became first lieutenant of Company M. Fifth Kansas Cavalry, and afterward BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 587 captain of the company. The company was a typical frontier crowd, composed of Mexicans. Indians, soldiers from the regular army and men from almost every state in the Union and of almost every nation- ality and occupation, but this company has a record not excelled by any that served in the Civil war. They engaged in the pursuit of Ouantrell after the burning of Lawrence. Kansas, and on that occasion were in the saddle for thirty-six hours continuously. When the regiment was mustered out. after three years of service. Companies L and M. which were recruited later, were consolidated under Captain Parker, attached to the Fifteenth Kansas and marched across the plains to Fort Larned, Kansas. They afterward made the return march to Fort Leavenworth and were mustered out in October, 1865. During the seven years Mr. Parker had resided in Appanoose count\' prior to the war he had engaged in farming, school teaching, surveying, editing a newspaper, and in addition had been licensed to preach by the Baptist denomination, of which church he had been a memlier for years. In the summer of 1866 he was regularly ordained and called to the pastorate of the Baptist church at St. John, Missouri, at which place, together with Exline and Livingston, in this county, he preached for a number of years. In 1871 he was a candidate on the Republican ticket for the position of state senator, but was defeated by Senator E. J. Gault. The six children resulting from his marriage were: Edward L.,: John, deceased; Benjamin; Charles; Will, de- ceased; and Albert L. After a happy married life of over fifty-three years the wife died in 1894, and since that time Captain Parker has made his home with his sons, Benjamin and Charles, where lie has en- joyed the love and respect of a much larger circle of friends than usually falls to the lot of man. He became a resident of this commonwealth 588 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. soon after its admission into the Union, availing himself of an oppor- tunity to join one of those wagon trains quite common in those days, made up of lumbering vehicles called "prairie schooners," and often containing parties of several scores of people. In this slow-moving outfit he journeyed west, and was on the road many days before reach- ing his destination in Appanoose county, Iowa. He became the founder of the town of Livingston, which bears his name, and for years was the postmaster of that hamlet. In 1892, feeling that he had perfomied his full share, he retired from active Imsiness, and the evening of his life is passing serenely, amid friends of long standing and grateful relatives, but best of all in the consciousness of past time well spent and duty well performed. DAVID STEEL. To a student of biography there is nothing more interesting than to examine the history of a self-made man and to detect the elements of character which have enabled him to pass on the highway of life many of the companions of his youth who at the outset of their careers were more advantageously equipped or endowed. The subject of this re\-iew has through his own exertions attained an honorable position and marked prestige among the representative men of the west, and with signal consistency it may be said that he is the architect of his own for- tunes and one whose success amply justifies the application of the some- what hackneyed but most expressive title, "a self-made man." Mr. Steel was Iwrn in .\yrshire. Scotland, on the 8th of January, 1852, his parents being Matthew and Elizabeth (Bird) Steel. They, too, were natives of the land of hills and lieathcr and spent their entire BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 5S9 lives there. The father fnllowed the dccupation of fanning in order to pro\'ide for his family, which numbered ten children. David Steel had good common school advantages and when twelve years of age began mining coal, a business with which he has since been connected, either as a mine oi)erator or owner, and to-day he is an important factor in the de\elopment of the rich coal resources of Ap- panoose county. Ere leaving his native land he was married in 1873 to Miss Jean Dinning, a daughter of Matthew and Martha (Nicol) Din- ning. Four children were born to them in Scotland : Matthew, Martha, Elizabeth and Jean. \\'ith his wife and children Mr. Steel sailed for the United States on the 3d of November, 1880. He has never had occasion to regret his determination to seek a home in America. In this count r}- three other children ha\e been added to the family, David, William and Hugh. Making his way westward, Mr. Steel was engaged in mining coal in Centerville and in 1883 came to Cincinnati, where he has since re- sided. Here he was again employed as a coal miner until 1888, when he joined several well known business men in the establishment of the Thistle Coal Company, and a shaft was sunk at wbat is now known as the Thistle mine. A rich coal 1)ed was struck and the output of the mine soon brought an excellent financial return to the owners. Later Mr. Steel and David Dinning purchased the interest of the other part- ners and are now the sole proprietors of two paying and valuable mines. In his political views Mr. Steel is an earnest Republican, giving a loyal support to the men and measures of the party. He is identified with the Masonic fraternity as a Master Mason and he and his wife hold membership in the Congregational church. He is a most genial man, easily approachable by all who may have occasion to seek an audi- 590 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. ence with him, and is very hospitable and generous, being sympathetic in manner and nature and imbued with a broad liumanitarian spirit. His life record pro\'es the force of untiring industry as a factor in the busi- ness world, and although he started out for himself empty-handed he is to-day classed among the prosperous and progressive men of his adopted city. CHARLES CLAWSON. Charles Clawson is the proprietor of a n:eat market at Cincinnati and also a well known stock dealer. He was born in Lexington, Mc- Lean county, Illinois, January i, 1868. and is a son of William and Min- nie (Myers) Clawson. His father was a native of Indiana, and his mother of Illinois. Jesse Clawson, the paternal grandfather of our subject, was born in Pennsylvania and was of Pennsylvania Dutch de- scent. Hoping to enjoy better business opportunities in the west he emigrated to Indiana at an early day in its development, and prior to the Civil war took up his abode in Lee county, Iowa. Subsequently he removed to Wayne county, Iowa, and died at Promise City. By occupa- tion he was a farmer throughout his entire life. The parents of our subject were married in Illinois and the year 1877 witnessed their ar- rival in Iowa. They settled north of Corydon in Wayne county and later became residents of Allerton, Iowa, where they yet reside. By their marriage they had eight children, one of whom is deceased. Upon his father's farm Charles Clawson was reared and early be- came familiar with the work of tilling the soil. He obtained a common school education. Not desiring to follow the plow as an occupation, at nineteen he became connected with the butchering business in Aller- BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GEXEALOCICAL HISTORY. 501 ton. where lie remained for two years. He then went to Mendota, Missouri, and entered tlic employ of the Putnam Supply Company, with which he was connected for five years. On the expiration of that period he arri\-ed in Cincinnati, and with the money which he had saved embarked in business on his own account as proiirietor of a good meat market here. He also deals in stock and owns two imported stallions. In his business interests he is associatetl with his brt)ther-in-law. George M. Smith. In 189 1 occurred the marriage of Mr. Clawson and Miss Mary Smith, of Mendota, Missouri, and they now have three children. In his political views Mr. Clawson is a stalwart Republican and has served as constable and in other minor offices in his town. Socially he is identified with the Masonic fraternity and with the Independent Order of United Workmen. He has spent much of his life in Iowa, and in Cincinnati he has become recognized as a trustworthy man of business who means to win success through perseverance and honorable methods, and who therefore is accorded a good patronage. JACOB CONDRA. One of the most pleasant diversions which one can enjoy is to hear from his own lips the personal reminiscences of the old settler, who has passed the greater majority of his allotted years, and now, retired from those toils in which he once delighted, looks back to the days that are only a memory and forward in hope of the future. For him there is no present; he lives in that sweet, quiet interval when the tempest-tossed world seems receding in the distance and the sea of life is narrowing to the harbor of the e\-ermore. Of such a character is this sketch written. 502 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. and too briefly must we record the life that is so rich in experiences of the past. For over half a century has Jacob Condra been one of the honored residents of Appanoose county. Born in Crawford county, Indiana, on the 25th of March, 1816, he passed his youth and early manhood on his father's farm, and in 1840 removed to Knox county, Illinois, where he tilled the soil for ten years. In 1850 he came to Iowa and entered four hundred acres of land, where he has since maintained his home. The trip from Illinois to Iowa was made by Mr. Condra and his wife in a wagon drawn by an ox team. They started March 20, 1851, and ar- rived on the first day of April. At the close of the Civil war Mr. Condra distributed all but one hundred and seventy-five acres of his land among his children. On this latter part they now make their home, but rent the land and are retired from all active labor. In 1838 Mr. Condra was married to Miss Louise Adams, and at the time of this writing they have spent sixty-four years of happy wedded life, experiencing joy and sorrow with equal share. Mrs. Condra was born April 11, 1820. They became the parents of eleven children, of whom three died in infancy, two died after reaching ma- turit}-, and six are still living, as follows: Isaac N., Rebecca Odell, Leander Franklin, Mary Angeline Kellar, Mrs. Lydia Trimble and John Alonzo. The parents of this family now live alone on their farm and are in very poor health. When able to do so they were regular attendants of the Methodist church in Simpson. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 593 O. S. CLARK. Wlien O. S. Clark opened his eyes to the hght of tlie world the territory of Iowa had not been admitted to statehood, and he certainly, therefore, can claim the title of being an old resident of the state. Great has been the progress of this state since that time, and among the men who have helped to develop the resources of this favored country Mr. Clark holds a prominent place. His father's name was William G. Clark. He was born in Connecticut and spent his early life there. It was in 1843 that he came to Iowa and located in Troy township, Monroe county, at a place called Clarks Point. Here he took up a claim of six hundred and forty acres of raw land and was soon engaged in making this virgin soil bring forth useful crops where before it had run to wildness. In the fall of 1855 he bought about four hundred acres in Monroe township and remained on this farm until his death, in 1893, when at the age of seventy-seven. He was married in Van Buren county, in May, 1843, to Jane S. Rankin. She was a native of Ohio and came to Indiana with her parents at the age of fourteen and came on to Iowa in 1844. She became the mother of twelve children, eleven sons and one daughter, of whom all are living. Mr. Qark was a Dem- ocrat, but was an abolitionist in regard to the slave question. O. S. Clark was the oldest child in the above family, and his birth occurred in Troy township, January 12, 1845. The first nine years of his life were spent in Troy township, and he was then taken to Monroe township, where he completed his mental training in the common schools. He remained on the home farm until thirty years old, and at that age was married to Sarah F. Babb, a daughter of Isaac Babb, who was one of Iowa's pioneer settlers. Seven children were born to Air. and Mrs. 594 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. Clark, one of wliom died in infancy. The otliers are as follows : Sarah, Margaret, Susan. Ralph, Benjamin and Luther. Mr. Clark hought the farm on which he now lives in 1875, and at the present time owns two hundred and fifty acres of good land, on whicli he raises excellent crops. He is a member of the Prohibition party and is one of the highly re- spected citizens of Monroe county, always being found on the side of right and progress. GEORGE c. Mccormick. No paper in Monroe county, Iowa, publishes more news, is more public spirited in its support of all measures afifecting the town and county or enjoys more full_\- the backing of the best citizens of the county, as shown by the large and representative subscription list, than the Albia Republican, whose success is the result of the efforts of its enterprising and energetic editor, G. C. McCormick. And it is most fitting to record the life history of the journal ami its owner in this book of biography of two of Iowa's most progressive counties. Mr. McCormick comes of Scotch-Irish ancestry, who came to America before the Revolution, members of the family taking part in that war, also in the war of 18 12, the Mexican and Civil wars, so that they may be listed among the patriotic families of America. The first ancestors settled in Virginia, then migrated west to Indiana, and from there to Iowa, in 1867. The parents of our Monroe county editor were Mont and Hattie McCormick; the former was a farmer and veterina- rian and served three years in Company A, Fifty-ninth Indiana, dur- ing the Civil war; his wife was a school teacher and a most estimable woman, as the lasting influence she exercised over her children proved. GEORGE G. Mccormick. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 597 It was after liis parents had taken up their residence in Sandyville, Warren county, Iowa, that (leorge C. McCormick came into the world, on October ^o, 187^. He was not liorn witli a silver sixxin in his mouth, and now that he is on the fair road to success he might have considered that an incumbrance rather than a benefit. But he was in- dustrious from the start, and the fact that the first eighteen years of his life were spent on a farm probably had much toi do with the shaping of his character and subsequent development. At the age of eighteen he moved to College Springs, Iowa, and entered the preparatory de- partment of Amity College at that place. As he was not afraid of hard work, he paid his way through school by doing chores for his board, teaching school and acting as general agent for a book com- pany, and notwithstanding such restrictions he went through with his class and graduated in 1897 with the degree of Ph. B., having covered the general collegiate course of studies. He had already decided to make a career of journalism, and three months before graduation had bought the College Springs Current Press. He published this ]iaper until January, 1899, when he bought the Albia Republican and re- moved to Albia in order to enter upon his duties as editor and pub- lisher. Mr. McCormick is a man of push and ability, and he has, in the short time he has owned it, made his paper the official organ of the county and has placed it on a firm financial basis, so that it is a paying property. The paper, like its editor, is straight Republican in politics, but on the questions of general policy that are continually be- fore the people for settlement it advocates progress and the general welfare of all. In 1902 he built a two-story printing office, and the entire office has been newly equipped in the last four years, so that there are few country newspapers anywhere which are better fitted up 598 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. for tlieir work. The paper is a six-column quarto, all home print, and the average circulation for 1902 was 2.204 copies. Mr. McCormick is one of the whole-souled, genial gentlemen who make friends everywhere they go, and his hitherto successful career is due to these and other solid elements of character. He early learned how to work hard and effecti\ely, and this happy qua'itv. combined with his enthusiasm, makes him a winner in whatever field of endeavor he may engage. While he has advocated the principles of the Repti.b- lican party and tlius has been able to be of much assistance to his party, he has never chosen to enter the field of politics, and prefers to devote himself to his business. He is a member of the Methodist church, belongs to the Masons, the Woodmen and the Yeoman frater- nities, and is a willing helper in all branches of social and religious work. On June 22, 1897, Mr. McCormick was married at College Springs, Iowa, to Miss Carrie Sherman, the daughter of S. L. Sher- man. She was liorn and reared at College Springs, Page county. They have one son, Paul Sherman McCormick. who was born August 12, 190 1. JOSEPH MARINE. The subject of this sketch is one of those quiet, unpretentious men whose names are not seen in the papers nor on the ballots of political parties, who pursue "the even tenor of their way,"' and whose industry, in the mass, is the prime factor in making the wheels go round. Mr. Marine owns a good sized piece of land in the matchless farming state of Iowa, and this he has worked industriously for many years and still works in person, though now in the seventy-first year of his age. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 5^9 Thougli uiKjhtrusixe in niaiiners and inclined to attend strictly to his own business, wliile letting- that of others alone, Joseph Marine is recog- nized by his intimate friends as a man of sterling worth and blameless life. The famil)- came originally from Xew Jersey in the persons of Moses and Ellen (Monroe) Marine, who settled first in Ohio and came west to Iowa in 1854. The father was a farmer and followed that occu- pation for a livelihood until his death in 1870, two years after his wife had departed from the scenes of earth. They liad the unusually large number of fifteen children, of whom only Moses, Joseph, Alexander, Sarah and Maria are now ali\'e, those dead being Robert, Samuel, John, Nichols, William, \\'ashington, Ilof, Mary, Margaret and Louise. Joseph INIarine, who was the seventh of this numerous family, was Ijorn .\ugust 25, 1832, in Belmont county, Ohio, and .spent his boyhood at home. In 1850, when about eighteen years old, he caught the western fever and crossed the Mississippi into the great state of Iowa, but in two years felt such a longing for a sight of the old Buckeye home that he could not resist the pressure to return to Ohio. However, he did not long remain in his native state, but, again turning his face northwest, came back to Iowa, and from that time until now has been one of its most steadfast citizens. In 1855 Mr. Marine was married to Lucy, daughter of William and Mary Foster, to which union an only son, Alexander Lincoln, was born. Mr. Marine owns a farm of two hundred and forty-nine acres, which he works himself, despite his more than three-score and ten years of age. He and his wife are both devnted Christians and regular attend- ants of the Methodist Episcopal church, of which they base long been members. 600 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. J. D. CLEVELAND, M. D. The family to which this eminent pliysician belongs has double charms for consideration, both as pioneers and patriots. Its first repre- sentatives figured conspicuously in the formative period of Iowa, while later descendants bore themselves bravely in behalf of the Union during the crucial era of the Civil war. Others have done well their part in various employments and in the discharge of diverse duties, such as fall to busy men in a great and growing country. It is fitting therefore that a volume devoted to the representati\-e men of Iowa should contain some particulars of so interesting a family connection, and no apology is necessary for sketching at some length the li\es of Dr. Cleveland and his immediate ancestors. When Zedekiah Cleveland reached Iowa in 1835 the prospect was not so pleasing as it afterward became. It was at the time practically a wild and unredeemed territory. There were no railroads as yet, the principal avenues of communication being the rivers, and population was still very sparse and widely scattered. Only in a few places had the rich prairie sod of this region been broken by the plow, and little promise was given then of the mammoth corn crops which have aston- ished the people of the present generation. Zedekiah Cleveland was still little more than a boy when he reached Iowa, his birth having occurred in Washington county, Xew York, in 181 1. but he was an adventurous spirit and had already seen much of life both on land and sea. He reached the west about the time of the Black Hawk purchase and became a pioneer farmer as well as one of the first hotel men in that locality. Later he moved to Van Buren and ivom there to Davis county, where he spent the remainder of his days. It is difficult to overestimate the value of the services rendered to those young western BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. GOl territories in tlieir incipicncy by sucli men as Zedekiah Cleveland. It is easy enough to travel the road after it is graded or to cross the ri\-er after it is bridged, but the jjioneer does his best work before there are either roads or britlges. Each one, too. became a nucleus, a rallying point around which by degrees a settlement was formed from which gradually grew a county, eventuallv to become an integral part of a great state. We hear of this work collectively on account of its last- ing results, but not much individually, as the separate units disappear in the general amalgamation. Zedekiah Cleveland in early life chose for his Ijride Anna Ware, a nati\'e of Orange county, Indiana, who shared all the hardships of his earlier struggles and passed away at the old home in Davis county when about fifty-six years old. The \'enerable husbantl sur\-i\ed his faithful companion some years, and finally closed his eyes on the world and its contentions in 1882, when approaching the seventy-second year of his age. J. D. Cleveland, son of this worthy pioneer, was born in Lee county. Iowa. Xovember 9, 1857, and remainetl at home until the twenty-first year of his age. He then entered the normal school at Bloomfield and from there went to the Xorthwestern Medical College at St. Joseph, Missouri, where he was grautlated in the class of 1892. His first practice after receiving iiis degree was at Cleannont, Missouri, but after remaining there a while he returned to his native state. Dr. Cleveland located for short periods at different places in Iowa, growing steadily in reputation all the time, until finally he reached Iconium, where he has been a fixture since 1900. He is quite popular o\'er the territor}- covered 1)_\- his professional work and is an excellent example of the self-made man. who rises without extraneous aids until, by slow degrees and steady progress, he reaches that condition of stability which G02 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. is the culminating anilxtion of every aspiring citizen. In politics tlie Doctor is Democratic and had the pleasure of casting his first presiden- tial vote for Grover Cleveland. Nevertheless he is rather independent in his political views and does not hesitate to criticise the acts or poli- cies of his party when they seem to him wrong. Dr. Cleveland is justly proud of his pioneer parents and also of his two brothers, who luade honorable records on the right side during the great war for the time. One of these, E. Aaron Cleveland, was a member of the Sixth Regi- ment, Iowa Volunteer Infantry, while his brother, Cyrus M., belonged to the Forty-sixth Regiment. In 1888, while still in college. Dr. Cleveland was married to Miss Mally Fraley, by whom he had two children, but only one of these, a son, is now living. In 1895 Dr. Cleveland took a second wife in the person of Miss Belle Sponner, a popular young lady of Centerville, by whom he has an only daughter, having lost one child by death. The family are communicants of the Methodist church, in which Mrs. Cleve- land is a zealous worker, and they enjoy high standing in the best circles of society. Dr. Cleveland is a member of the County Medical Society and is also connected with the Modern Woodmen of America. Both personally and professionally he is much esteemed at Iconium as well as at other places in the state where he has acquaintances. R. A. SPENCER. Among the representative business men of Moravia is numbered R. A. Spencer, the proprietor of a livery, sale and feed stable, located one block from the northwest corner of the square. His barn is large, commodious and well arranged for the accommodation of horses and BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 008 carriages, and he keeps some fine driving stock and good travelers, as well as a nice line of vehicles. He caters to the wants of his customers and makes a specialty of the traveling man's patronage. Genial and affable in manner and strictly fair in his business dealings, he has become very popular and is well known throughout both Appanoose and Monroe counties. Mr. Spencer was born in Monroe township, Monroe county, about thirty-five years ago. and his early life was spent upon the old homestead there. His father, John Spencer, was born and reared in Kentucky, and from there remo\-ed to Indiana, where he married Miss Nancy Alexander, a native of the Hoosier state. In 1855, loading their household goods into a wagon, they came to Iowa and took up their residence in Monroe county, where the father developed a fine farm of six hundred acres, lieing one of the most successful agricul- <:urists and stock raisers in his community. There he died, honored i.nd respected by all who knew him. In his family were seven children, a follows: James; Wiliam ; Mrs. Lovina B. Wedman, of Nebraska; J the Buckeye state. His first wife died during the early boyhood of her son John, who was the youngest of their three children, the others being Andrew and Nettie. After her death James Ralston was united in marriage to Elizabeth ]\Iathers, who was born in 1807 and was a resitlent of Ohio. P'ive children graced this marriage: Martha, Samuel, Roliert, James and Maggie. A third time Mr. Ralston was married, Miss I\Iary Reed, a native of Penns}-lvania, becoming his wife. There was one son by that union, William. For several years James Ralston continued to make his home in Ohio, but in the fall of i860 he severed his business connections there and came to Iowa, spend- ing his last days in Madison county, this state, where he died in 1867 at the age of eighty years. John Ralston spent the years of his minorit)- in (iuernsey county, Ohio, and on attaining his majority sought a home in Iowa, for he belie\-ed he would ha\e better business opportunities in the western dis- 016 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. trict, where competition was not so great. Here he took up carpenter- ing-, but in his earher years he had taught school in Oliio. In i860 he became a resident of Madison county and was living here at the time of his enlistment for service in the Civil war. He was in the army the last nine months of the long struggle for the preservation of the Union, being drafted for ser\ice. after which he became a member of Company D, Fifteenth Iowa Infantry. He was with Sherman on the celebrated march to the sea, and after the close of hostilities was mustered out in Washington, D. C. His brother Robert served throughout the entire period of hostilities as a memljer of the Fourth Iowa Cavalry. At the close of the war Mr. Ralston returned to his home in Madison county and for twenty years was interested in farming and stock raising. In 1885. however, he took up his abode in Monroe county, settling in Alljia, wliere he is now living. However, he spends about six months each year upon his farm in Madison county. About six years ago he established a tanning factory in Albia, organizing a stock company for this purpose, but e\-entually he sold nut and the factory has since been moved elsewhere. On the 22i\ of November, 1862, Mr. Ralston was united in mar- riage to Miss Harriet Bell, a daughter of William and ]\Iary Bell, who were natives of Ohio. They became the parents of two children, Mar}' and Emma. The wife and mother, however, died in 1890, passing away at her home in Albia on the 5th of September of that year, after which her remains were interred in the Albia cemetery. ilr. Ralston has always had firm faith in Iowa and its future. When he came here as a young man he believed that the state was entering upon a period of progressive development and was therefore anxious to ally his interests with those of the early settlers. Taking BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 017 advantage of tlie business opportunities, lie steadily worked his way upward, brooking no ol)stacles tliat could lie overcome by determination and earnest purpose. His life record has at all times been one that would bear the closest investigation and scrutiny, and through his well directed business affairs he has not only won a competence, but has also gained the respect and regard of his fellow-men. WILLIAM WILCOX. The subject of this sketch is one of the honored veterans of the Civil war, having served his country during that struggle as a member of Company K, One Hundred and Forty-seventh Indiana Volunteer Infantry, under Captain Thomas Kennedy. He was on duty for a time at Harper's Ferry, Virginia, and in the Shenandoah valley, and remained in the service until hostilities ceased, being honorably dis- charged on August 4, 1865. Like many of Iowa's best citizens, Mr. Wilcox is a native of Ohio, his birth having occurred near Zanesville, in Muskingum county, on the i8th of June, 1839. His father, Charles Wilcox, was born in the same county and was a son of James Wilcox, a native of New York state. The latter was drafted during the war of 1812, but obtained a substitute. In the county of his nativity Charles Wilcox grew to man- hood and married Miss Nancy Taylor, who was also born there and was a daughter of Dr. James Taylor, of Ohio. They continued to make their home in that comity throughout life, the mother dying at the age of fifty-eight years and the father at the age of eighty-four. He was never in but two counties during his entire life and never rode on a railroad train. Politicallv he was a Democrat, and religiouslv G18 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. was a very active and zealous memljer nf tlie Aletliodist Episcopal cliurch. in which he served as class leader for many years. He was a very consistent and conscientious Christian gentleman, and was highly respected and esteemed hy all who knew him. In the family of this worthy couple were ten children, five sons and five daughters, namely: James, now deceased: Lavina, who died at the age of sixteen years ; Emily, who died at the age of fourteen ; John Wesley, who died at the age of twenty-three; George, who died in Coshocton county, Ohio, at the age of sixty-eight years; William, our subject ; Charles, a resident of ^luskingum county. Ohio, who enlisted in 1862 in the Second Ohio Regiment and served two years; Mary Jane ^lusk, of Ohio; and Rebecca and Elizabeth, also residents of the Buckeye state. Under his father's watchful care William \\'ilcr>x was reared to habits of thrift and industry, and during much of his youth was en- gaged in cutting wood and grubbing stumps that the farm might be cultivated. He received a fair education at a time when primitixe meth- ods were in use and the teacher boarded around among the scholars. On reaching man's estate, he was married in Coshocton county, Ohio, to Miss Minerva H. Poland, who prox-ed to him a faithful companion and helpmate. She is a native of Coshocton county and a daughter of George Poland, who was born in Maryland and died at the home of our subject in Iowa at the age of eighty years. He was a farmer by occupation, a member of the Baptist church and a Democrat in politi- cal sentiment. His wife died in Washington county, Pennsylvania. Seven children were born to our subject and his wife, four sons and three daughters, as follows : Charles, who now owns and operates a good farm of one hundred and fifty acres in Mantua township, Monroe BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 619 count}-, Iowa; George F. and \\'illis, I)oth at home; Flora, wife of Grant Cook, of Mantua townsliip; Clara J., wife of George Cook, of Mantua township: M_\rtle Ethel, at home; and \\'alter Scott, who died at the age of one year. Leaving Ohio in 187 1, Mr. Wilcox came to Iowa, and after spend- ing eight years in W'apello county took up his residence in Mantua township, Monroe county, where he purchased forty acres of land. To the cultivation and improvement of this farm he has since devoted his energies. He is a supporter of the Repuhlican party and an honoretl memher of Castle Post No. 113, G. A. R., of Avery. His religious faith is manifest by his membership in the Methodist Protestant church, to which his wife belongs, and he has served as class leader in the same for the last twenty-five years. THOMAS PULLIAM. Thomas Pulliam, one of the old settlers and highly respected citi- zens of Sharon township, Appanoose county, was born in Pike county, Illinois, on the 26th day of January, 1843, ^"^ is a son of John and Rebecca (Likes) Pulliam. His jiaternal grandfather was Thomas Pulliam, a native of Kentucky, who removed to Illinois and there spent his last days, his death occurring in that state. The father of our sub- ject was born in a block-house on the Wabash river in Illinois during the pioneer tlevelopnient of the state. The place in which he was born had been built for the protection of the settlers against the Indians, and all was wild and unimpro\'ed in that region. After arriving at years of maturit}- he was married in his native state to Miss Rebecca Likes, who was born in Indiana and was a daughter of William Likes, a native of Peiuisylvania. Both of the grandfathers of our subject 620 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. were soldiers in the war of 1812. and removed to Illinois in pioneer times, taking an active part in laying broad and deep the foundation for the future de\-elopment and progress of the localities with which they were associated. After their marriage the parents of our subject continued to live in Illinois until March, 1864. when they determined to seek a home in Iowa, and settled in Wells township, Appanoose county, where both passed away, the mother departing this life about 1873, while the father survived her for three years and died in 1876, at the age of sixty-two years. They were the parents of five sons and three daughters, and three of the sons are now deceased. In order to support his family the father followed agricultural pursuits throughout his entire life, being a progressive and enterprising farmer. In his political affiliations he was a Democrat, and in religious faith was a Dunkard, while his wife held membership with the Baptist church. Tliomas Pulliam was reared upon the home farm and received a common school education. He was only eighteen years of age when he enlisted for service in the Union army, joining the boys in blue on the 14th of August, 1862. He was assigned as a private to Company F., One Hundred and Eighteenth Illinois Infantry, and remained with that command for more than three years, when he was honorably dis- charged, on the 30th of October, 1865. He participated in the Vicks- burg campaign, including the siege and capture of the city, and was afterward in the battles of Arkansas Post, Port Gibson, Champion Hills, Black River and many other engagements. At Black River the com- pany was mounted and thereafter was on cavalry duty. Mr. Pulliam was ever found to be a loyal soldier, faithful to the old flag and the cause it represented. He was always found at his post of duty, whether in the midst of battle or upon the tented fields. BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. C21 After the war was over and the country no longer needed his services. Mr. Pulhani returned home. He first came to Appanoose county in 1865 and remained for a year. He then returned to his native state, where he spent two years, and then once more came to Appanoose county. Later, however, he removed to Missouri, where he resided for ten years, hut since 1882 has made his home continuously in this county, following the occupation of farming. He has one hundred and twenty acres of land, which he has operated with good success, acquiring a comfortable competence, which now enables him to enjoy not only the necessities but many of the comforts of life. In 1869 Mr. Pulliam was united in marriage to Miss Laura Smith. who was born in Ohio, and they have an interesting family of f^ve chil- dren: Emma. Charles. Edward. Gertrude and Laura. Mr. Pulliam exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the Republican party, but he has never sought or desired office, pre- ferring to give his entire time and attention to his business affairs, which he hal capably conducted, with the result that he is now a prosperous farmer of his adopted county. JOHN ABEGGLEN. The little republic of Switzerland has sent to America compara- tively few of her adopted sons, but those who have come are a valued portion of our citizenship. One of these worthy immigrants is John Abegglen, who was born to Peter and Maggie Abegglen. His father followed farming in one of the beautiful valleys of Switzerland until 1855, when he brought his family across the Atlantic to America. Pro- ceeding into the interior of the country, he took up hh abode in Ripley G22 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. county, Indiana, where he remained until 1869, and then came to Monroe county, Iowa. For the next twenty-four years he was one of the respected residents of this vicinity, and in 1893 his hfe came to a peaceful end, when he was eighty-two years of age; his wife is also de- ceased. Both were devout and consistent members of the Lutheran church and impressed upon the minds of their children lessons which have ]>orne fruit in upright lives. This worthy couple were the parents of the following children: Crist, Margaret and Gottlieb, deceased; John; Elizabeth, also deceased; and Fred and Anna, both residents of Monroe county. John Abegglen was born in Switzerland November 27, 1840, and was a youth of fifteen when he came with his parents to the new world. All the educational ad\-antages he was privileged to enjoy were obtained before he left his native land. He accompanied his parents to Iowa and has since Ijeen one of the prominent agriculturists of this great state. Shortly after his second marriage he took up his residence on his present farm just east of Lovilia, and in the course of the nearly ten years spent on the place has made his property both valuable and attractive. Excel- lent improvements are found on the farm, and everything is kept in the best of order and system. In 1865 Mr. Abegglen returned to Switzerland on a visit, which ended in a practical romance for him, inasmuch as he met Miss Margaret Michalo, with the result that she accompanied him to the United States, wdiere they were married in 1866. Their domestic life was begun on a farm in Cedar township, Monroe county, where they remained during the lifetime of Mrs. Abegglen. They enjoyed eighteen years of wedded life, but in 1884 Mrs. Abegglen was called to her final rest. The chil- dren born of this marriage were John, Charles, Anna, George, Walter BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 623 and Sliermaii, who are all living; and those deceased are Willie, George and Jennie. Ten j-ears after the death of his first wife Mr. Abegglen married Miss Jennie Rose, a daughter of Edward and Phrela Rose. For a quarter of a century Mr. Abegglen has been an exemplary mem- ber of the Masonic fraternity, and his political support is given to the Repul)lican part}-. Both he and his wife are members of the Lutheran church, but as there is no congregation of that denomination in the vicinity, they attend the services of the Methodist Episcopal church. r^