USA > Iowa > Marion County > History of Marion County, Iowa, and its people, Volume II > Part 1
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39
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HISTORY OF
MARION COUNTY
IOWA
AND ITS PEOPLE L
Wright, John W, editor
-
ILLUSTRATED
VOLUME II
CHICAGO THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY 1915
THE N WORK PUBLIC ITERARY 713157 ASTOR, LENOX AND TILD _N FOUNDATIONS R
1915 L
.
JOHN W. WRIGHT
BIOGRAPHICAL
JOHN W. WRIGHT.
John W. Wright, whose identification with journalistic interests began more than a quarter of a century ago, has for the past thirteen years acted as city and county news editor of the Knoxville Journal, the leading republican paper of Marion county. His acquaintance is very wide and it is generally conceded that no citizen has taken a more active or helpful interest in the progress and substantial advancement of the community. His birth occurred in Oskaloosa, Mahaska county, Iowa, on the 4th of May, 1860, his parents being Dillon and Susanna (Frazier) Wright, representatives of the old line Quaker families of Grant county, Indiana, and Highland county, Ohio. The Frazier family removed from Indiana to Jefferson county, Iowa, and settled in the vicinity of Pleasant Plain in 1838, while the Wrights came from the Hoosier state to Iowa in 1857, likewise taking up their abode near Pleasant Plain.
John W. Wright spent his childhood days in Oskaloosa and attended school intermittently until twelve years of age. His school- ing, however, did not extend beyond the primary grades, for he was taken into the coal works as miner's helper in the winter after his twelfth birthday and subsequently labored in the mines during the winter months and in a brickyard throughout the summer seasons, his time being thus occupied until 1887. In that year he took charge of the "Questions and Answers" department of the old Des Moines Leader and of a similar department in the American Rural Home, the latter being a farm paper of immense circulation published at Rochester, New York. These query departments he has continuously maintained throughout the intervening twenty-seven years. In 1888 he took the editorship of the "Notes for the Curious" department in The Republic, of St. Louis, Missouri, and also a position on the editorial staff of the Sunday Republic, furnishing the leading edi- torials in that edition during 1895, 1896 and 1897. The "Notes for
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HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY
the Curious" department was published in the Saturday and Weekly editions from 1888 until January 1, 1899, or for ten years and four months, without the exception of a single issue.
In 1879 MIr. Wright came to Knoxville, Iowa, and three years later was united in marriage to Miss Lizzie Smith, by whom he had two children, namely : Loren S., who died at Beaver, Colorado, in 1904, when almost twenty-one years of age; and L. Bess, who is now the wife of Wilbur E. Brown, roadmaster of the Horton-Nelson branch of the Rock Island system, with headquarters at Fairbury, Nebraska. Mr. and Mrs. Brown have one child, Lawrence Edward, who was born at Fairbury, Nebraska, on the 5th of October, 1909.
No resident of Marion county of early or recent arrival has been more deeply concerned in the history and progress of the community than has John W. Wright. He enjoys a very extended acquaintance and is well known among all classes of people, including common laborers, miners, farmers and brickworkers, as well as merchants, lawyers, politicians, bankers and persons of statewide reputation, such as editors, educators and men of affairs. Having a mind practi- cally unbiased by school education and as absorbent as a sponge, he has made himself known as a writer on a variety of different sub- jects, mainly scientific, and at present is a member in good standing of the Iowa Academy of Sciences and of the National Geographic Society. He declined the flattering offer of a place on the staff of McClure's Magazine and has been importuned to take a position under Curator E. R. Harlan at the Historical Building in Des Moines. Mr. Wright's one copyrighted book, "Christ in Myth and Legend," was published by Cranston & Curts of Cincinnati, in 1894, and the entire edition sold from the prospectus before the first fin- ished copy came from the press. For the past thirteen years and more, since December, 1901, he has been city and county news editor of the Knoxville Journal, the leading republican paper of Marion county. During ten years of that time he furnished three thousand words every week on popular scientific subjects under the general head of "Nature Snapshots," writing from six to ten short articles weekly on animals, birds, insects, fishes, reptiles, trees, plants, etc., with a goodly sprinkling of geology as found in the local field. His style is terse and clear and his contributions have been eagerly sought and read as being most interestingly instructive. As assistant editor of the Knoxville Journal, under the able management of Messrs. Curtis & Gilson, he has maintained an enviable position in journal- istic circles of the county and has helped establish the reputation of
. . . .
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HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY
the paper on a high plane. His influence is a potent factor in the upbuilding and development of the community, being always found on the side of right, justice, truth, progress and improvement.
CAPTAIN EDWARD P. BYE.
The name of Captain Edward P. Bye is well known in connec- tion with the pioneer history of Marion county. Arriving here in the early days, he lived to witness the many changes which have brought about present conditions and he was among those who laid the foundation upon which has been built modern progress and pros- perity. His memory long formed a connecting link between the primitive past and the progressive present and deep and sincere regret was felt when he passed away on the Ist of October, 1913. He was then eighty-six years of age, his birth having occurred in Colum- biana county, Ohio, on the 29th of April, 1827. His parents were Redding and Sarah (Corbin) Bye, the former a native of New Jersey . and the latter of Pennsylvania. The Bye family is of Quaker descent.
Captain Bye acquired his education in the common schools and was reared to farm life. He was but thirteen years of age when the family removed to Jay county, Indiana, where he settled upon a farm, there residing until 1851. On the 27th of November of that year he arrived in Marion county and was thereafter identified with the development and upbuilding of his section of the state. When he left his old home near Portland, Indiana, he had but a few dollars in his pocket. He thought to have better opportunities in the new and growing west and as he was desirous of improving his condition he resolved that he would save one hundred dollars for each year of his age. He walked from his home to Indianapolis, proceeded by . train to Evansville and thence by steamboat to Keokuk, from which point he walked to Marion county. When he reached Eddyville he found that his supply of money was exhausted and after staying all night with a farmer he agreed to make five hundred rails for him, for which he was paid two dollars and a half. This task completed, he again started on foot for Marion county, the snow lying twelve inches deep over the prairie. On the 27th of November he reached his destination, at which time his cash capital consisted of but fifty cents. He at once began working by the day and then, seeing the demand for mechanical work, he started to do cabinetmaking in a log shop owned by J. R. Palmer and situated at the southeast corner of
S
HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY
the public square. He had never learned the trade but his father had been a cabinetmaker and he had observed him, thereby gaining a good knowledge of the business. By 1855 he was the proprietor of a shop of his own and during the memorable cholera plague of that year he made many coffins used for the cholera victims. He was also the owner of the first hearse in Knoxville. Soon afterward he was called to the office of city marshal but resigned his position when the mayor would not fine a couple of men for drunkenness whom Captain Bye had arrested. He then resumed cabinetmaking and also took up contract work as a builder and evidence of his skill is still to be seen in some of the old structures of the city, including the Governor Stone residence, the United Presbyterian church, the Baptist church and others. He built the first case for the Knoxville postoffice and for forty years rented box No. 160.
In 1859, attracted by the discovery of gold in the mountains of Colorado, Captain Bye started for Pike's Peak but when he had pro- ceeded as far as the plains became discouraged and turned back. He again started in 1860 and this time reached his destination. He was in Denver when the first United States mail reached that city and he worked for a time in a mining camp near the present site of Lead- ville. While in California Gulch, in Colorado, he ate bread made from flour worth seventy-five dollars per hundredweight. He was a witness of all of the usual scenes of the mining camp. He assisted in building a church of logs and attended a Sunday school at which there were none present but armed men and many times those who refused to participate in the services would have a game of cards in the doorway.
In the fall of 1861 Captain Bye returned to Knoxville and imme- diately afterward joined Company G of the Fifteenth Iowa Volun- teer Infantry as a private. The regiment went into winter quarters at Keokuk and early in March started for the front. The first impor- tant engagement in which Captain Bye participated was the battle of Shiloh, where the regiment lost one-fourth of its number in killed and wounded. He also participated in the battle of Corinth, the siege of Vicksburg, the Atlanta campaign, the march to the sea under Sherman and other celebrated military movements which contrib- uted to the success that finally crowned the Union arms. Following the engagement at Corinth he was promoted to the rank of sergeant and in October, 1862, was advanced to the position of second lieuten- ant. On the 7th of March, 1863, he became first lieutenant and on the 27th of August, 1864, was commissioned captain of Company G,
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HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY
serving with that rank until mustered out at Louisville, Kentucky, on the 24th of July, 1865, for the war had closed and the country no longer needed his services.
Captain Bye received his honorable discharge at Davenport and returned at once to Knoxville, where he resided until 1869. He then removed to a farm of one hundred and thirty-eight acres of land five miles southwest of Knoxville, upon which his widow and son still reside. He hauled the lumber from Pella, a distance of twenty miles, and built a house. He engaged in stock-raising as well as general farming and in time handled many head of stock each year, keeping a herd of about one hundred head of cattle and about two hundred head of hogs. As the years passed he brought his farm to a high state of cultivation and added to his original holdings until within the boundaries of the place were comprised two hundred and thirty acres, well known as the "Burr Oak Farm." The spirit of progress and improvement actuated him at all times and he planted many trees, surrounding his home with a beautiful grove of chestnut and maple trees of his own planting. He established a complete system of waterworks and added other modern equipments and accessories which made his farm one of the finest in this part of the state.
In 1855 Captain Bye was united in marriage to Miss Luvena Palmer, who passed away on the 23rd of January, 1860. Their only son, Charles, died in infancy and a daughter of this marriage, Emma, who became the wife of J. B. Clark, died in 1885 at the age of twenty- eight years. On the 15th of October, 1865, Captain Bye was again married, his second union being with Mrs. Elmira Eldridge, widow of Rufus H. Eldridge, a native of Ohio, whence in early life she re- moved to Iowa. Her husband enlisted in the Union army in 1861, becoming a lieutenant in Company K, Fifteenth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and was killed at the battle of Corinth on the 2d of October, 1862. Both of her parents have passed away. Her father died in January, 1881, at the age of eighty years, and the mother departed this life in September, 1905, in her eighty-eighth year. Both came from families noted for longevity. By her first marriage Mrs. Bye had one son, E. R. Eldridge, who is now conducting a store for the sale of books, sporting goods, etc., at Mineral Wells, Texas. By their marriage Captain and Mrs. Bye had three children. Delbert O., a lawyer of Alliance, Nebraska, also owns a farm in that part of the state. He is married and has a family of eight children. George E., a successful farmer near Moberly, Missouri, is married and has two children. William H., who operates the home farm for his mother, is also the individual owner of a farm and is well known as a repre-
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HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY
sentative and leading agriculturist. He is a stanch advocate of the republican party.
Captain Bye gave his political allegiance to the republican party and never wavered in his support thereof. He belonged to the Masonic fraternity and was a charter member of Tadmor Chapter, No. 18, R. A. M. The motive spirit of his life, however, was found in his belief as a member of the Methodist church. He never forgot his religion even when in the heart of the mining camps of the west. It was the force which guided him in his actions and made him the honorable, upright man whom Marion county knew as one of its most valuable and highly respected citizens. His life was indeed one of worth to the community and no history of Marion county would be complete without mention of this pioneer citizen.
WILLIAM A. YOUNG.
Since 1912 William A. Young has been the editor of the Pella Chronicle and has maintained its prestige as a paper that gives the latest news in an accurate and interesting form. He was for a number of years previous to his connection with the Chronicle a teacher, hav- ing taught at the Central University of Iowa here and also at Grand Island, Nebraska. He was born in Liberty township, this county, on the 7th of August, 1871, a son of Joseph H. and Lavinia (Jolliffe) Young. The father was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1839, and the mother in Edgar county, Illinois. The paternal grandparents, John and Mary (Hargrave) Young, both of whom were born in England, emigrated to this country and settled in Cincinnati, Ohio, whence in 1842 they removed to Shelby county, Indiana, where they resided until their deaths.
Joseph H. Young served in Company D, Thirty-third Indiana Volunteer Infantry, in the Civil war and in 1867 located on a farm in this county, remaining thereon until 1893, when he came to Pella. He made this city his home until 1912, in which year he removed to Knoxville, where he is now living retired. The mother of Mr. Young of this review was a daughter of Collins and Jemima Jolliffe, of Virginia, who went to Illinois in 1832 and in 1853 came to this county, locating in Liberty township, where both passed away, Mr. Jolliffe dying in January, 1894, when about ninety-two years of age, as he was born in 1802. The demise of Mrs. Joseph H. Young oc- curred in 1874 and Mr. Young remarried, Mrs. Eliza Garrison
11
HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY
becoming his wife. To the first marriage were born three children, the subject of this review being the eldest. Five children were born to the second union.
William A. Young received broad educational training. He was graduated from the Central University of Iowa at Pella in 1898 with the Bachelor of Arts degree, in 1904 received the Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Chicago and then attended the Iowa State University for some time. For thirteen years he taught mathe- matics at the Central University of Iowa and was for one year a teacher in Grand Island College at Grand Island, Nebraska. A good mathematician himself, he also possessed the ability to develop the power of mathematical reasoning in those whom he taught and to train his students in accuracy. In 1912 he became editor of the Pella Chronicle and has since given his time and energies to that work. His leading articles are timely, vigorous and lucidly ex- pressed, and under his management the news columns of the paper give the readers of the Chronicle an excellent account of local hap- penings and also of the more important events in the outside world.
Mr. Young is a member of the Baptist church of Pella and gives his moral and material support to movements that seek the betterment of the community life. In politics he is a democrat and a single taxer. He holds membership in Pella Lodge, No. 55, A. F. & A. M., and in Des Moines Consistory, No. 3, A. & A. S. R. Practically his entire life has been spent in this county, and he has risen to a place of honor among those who have known and respected him from youth.
THOMAS E. ROSE.
Thomas E. Rose is a representative farmer of Liberty township, living on section 7. He was born on the adjoining section-the old homestead farm of the family-February 24, 1856, a son of Richard and Matilda (Glenn) Rose, the former a native of Kentucky and the latter of Brown county, Illinois. They were married in the latter district and as the years went on six children were added to the house- hold, as follows: Thomas E., of this review; Catherine, who is the wife of Frank Williams, of Clay township, this county; Sarah, who gave her hand in marriage to Tim Gregory; Elizabeth, who died at the age of eighteen years; Charles I., who is a resident of Harvey county, Kansas; and George H., living on the old home place.
12
HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY
In October, 1855, the family home was established in Marion county, on a tract of land, two hundred and forty acres of which Mr. Rose had preempted a few years before. The father bent his energies to the development and improvement of the old home place and as they became old enough his sons assisted him in the farm work, and there Richard Rose passed away April 6, 1896, at the age of about seventy-five years, his birth having occurred June 1, 1821. His wife, who was born November 2, 1829, died in 1906, and they were laid to rest in Liberty cemetery. During the long years of their residence in this county they had become widely and favorably known and their memory is yet cherished by many. The father was a veteran of the Mexican war. He always carried on farming and stock-raising and his energy and determination enabled him to so successfully conduct his business that he provided a good living for his family. In politics . he was a democrat and served as township trustee. He was much in- terested in public affairs, took a helpful part in advancing the welfare of the community and was among those who laid broad and deep the foundation upon which has been built the present progress and pros- perity of the county. Both he and his wife were members of the Christian church and their lives constituted an example that any might well follow.
Thomas E. Rose was educated in one of the old-time log school- houses of the pioneer days and he shared with the family in all of the hardships and privations incident to pioneer life. He assisted in the arduous task of breaking the sod and developing new fields and as the years passed on his labors were attended with substantial success and brought to him the experience that enabled him to carry on his own farm work in a most capable manner. In March, 1884, he located upon his present place and is today the owner of two farms comprising one hundred and fifty-nine acres. He cultivates the cereals best adapted to soil and climate and also successfully engages in raising stock.
On the 17th of March, 1878, Mr. Rose was united in marriage to Miss Nancy E. Stephens, her parents being Cumberland and Sarah J. (Ridlen) Stephens, who came to this county in the '50s and spent the remainder of their lives in Liberty township. They had thirteen children, six of whom survive. To Mr. and Mrs. Rose have been born six children, as follows: Myrtle, who passed away in 1906; Seth; Lena, who gave her hand in marriage to Roy Sherman, of Oglesby, Illinois; Ruth, the wife of Worth Phelps, residing in Lyon county, Minnesota ; Dwight; and Arminta.
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HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY
Mr. Rose exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the democratic party but the honors and emoluments of office have had no attraction for him, as he has always preferred to devote his attention to his farming interests, with the result that success is now his in creditable measure and he ranks with the leading and representative farmers of the county.
WILLIAM J. CASEY.
For thirty-eight years William J. Casey has been connected with the Knoxville Express, which was known as the Marion County Democrat in 1876 when he learned the printer's trade in that office. He has been one of the owners of the paper for many years and has had great influence in determining its policy. It has always main- tained a high standard and has a large subscription list, while it is extensively used by the merchants of the city as an advertising medium.
Mr. Casey was born in Cambridge, Ohio, on the 28th of August, 1861, a son of James K. and Hannah J. (Carlisle) Casey, natives of Pennsylvania and Ohio respectively. They were married in the latter state and remained there until March, 1867, when they came to this county. The father was a lawyer of ability and took a lively interest in public affairs. For several years he served as mayor of the city and his political allegiance was given to the republican party. He held membership in the Universalist church and frater-" nally belonged to the Masonic order. He passed away on the 9th of July, 1886, and is survived by his widow, who has reached the ripe old age of eighty-three years.
William J. Casey is the only child of his parents and was reared at home, receiving a good education. After completing the course in the public schools he entered McKee's Academy and in 1876 left school and began learning the printer's trade in the office of the Marion County Democrat, which for many years has been known as the Knoxville Express. He soon mastered the trade and after serv- ing his apprenticeship continued with the paper in other capacities and eventually became half owner of the same. Altogether he has been in the newspaper business for thirty-eight years and his long experience is a potent factor in securing the continued success of the Knoxville Express. He has exact and detailed knowledge of the typographical work involved and also understands the larger prob-
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HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY
lems of management, and his opinion on any matter connected with the business carries great weight. He is well known among the newspaper men of the state and has the respect of his colleagues in the profession.
Mr. Casey was married on the 15th of June, 1887, to Miss Lena D. Parks, of this county, a daughter of J. H. Parks. To them have been born three sons: James C. and William D., both associated with their father in business; and John H., who is a high-school student.
Mr. Casey is a democrat in politics and is quite prominent in local party circles, having been a delegate to the Baltimore conven- tion which nominated Woodrow Wilson. He was at that time as now a stanch supporter of Mr. Wilson. For nearly four decades Mr. Casey has resided in Marion county and in that time has wit- nessed its wonderful development and has done his share in securing the advancement of his community, especially through his connec- tion with the Knoxville Express, one of the leading weekly papers of this county.
JOHN O. RINEHART.
John O. Rinehart, successfully carrying on general farming on section 13, Union township, was born in Frederick county. West Virginia, September 5, 1863, a son of Charles and Rhoda (Slonaker) Rinehart. The former was born in what is now West Virginia on the 29th of November, 1825. and the latter was born in Hampshire county, the same state, on the 5th of September, 1830. Their mar- riage occurred in West Virginia and the father farmed there until 1863, when he removed with his family to Ohio and remained there for a few years. They came to lowa in the fall of 1867 and settled near Dunreath, this county, purchasing one hundred and twenty acres of land in Pleasant Grove township. He moved his house across the Des Moines river on a flatboat and immediately began to prepare his land for cultivation. He farmed until his death, which occurred April 8, 1891. His widow survives and lives in Pleasant Grove township with a son, who operates the home place. The father was a republican in politics and his religious adherence was given to the Methodist Episcopal church. Four of his eight children are liv- ing. The record is as follows : Edgar, deceased ; Howard, a resident of Knox township; Sidney, deceased; Charles, who resides with his
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