A biographical history of Fremont and Mills Counties, Iowa, Part 39

Author: Lewis Publishing Company
Publication date: 1901
Publisher: Chicago, Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 752


USA > Iowa > Mills County > A biographical history of Fremont and Mills Counties, Iowa > Part 39
USA > Iowa > Fremont County > A biographical history of Fremont and Mills Counties, Iowa > Part 39


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ALBERT G. MALCOM.


The name of Malcom has long figured on the pages of the history of Fremont coun- ty, for the family to which our subject be- longs was established in this locality when it was a wild western district, situated on the borders of civilization. His birth occurred .


February 2, 1860, on the old family home- stead where he yet resides, and he was reared to the honest toil of the farm.


His parents, McCoy and Sarah (Jones) Malcom, were married in Indiana, of which state the father was a native, while the mother was born in Ohio. They began their domestic life upon a farm in the Hoosier state and there resided until 1856, when they came to Fremont county, settling on land which Mr. Malcom entered from the government, thus securing a tract of eighty acres on section 28, Prairie township. in the Nishnabotna valley. At that time there were but few permanent settlers in the county and. the country was wild and unimproved. Broad stretches of land were still unclaimed : wild game was plentiful; and various kinds of wild beasts roamed through the forests or over the prairie at will. Mr. Malcom was an excellent shot and his trusty rifle secured to the family much venison and other meat. He built a cabin upon his claim, fenced his farm with rails, and with characteristic enl- ergy began to plow and plant his fields from which he soon gathered rich harvests. When he first came to the county, in order to get some corn for meal, he rented a piece of land across the river from his home and there raised a crop. The following winter he and his thirteen-year-old son took an ox team and went to the field for a load of corn. The place was situated about four or five miles from the house. They had com- pleted the task of gathering the corn when a blizzard set in. They started for home and crossed the river on the ice, but the storm raged so violently and the snow be- came so blinding that the oxen refused to proceed. So Mr. Malcom unhitched then and let them seek shelter as they wished,


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while he and his son started for the house ; but the boy soon became exhausted. Pro- tecting him as well as he could, Mr. Malcom then had to leave him in order to go for help. The neighbors came to his assistance and they started to carry the boy home ; but he was so badly frozen that he died on the way, and Mr. Malcom also suffered so great- ly from that storm that he was unable to work for a year following, and never fully recovered ! Such were some of the trials which the early settlers had to encounter in opening up this region to civilization. In those early days people had to go long dis- tances to mill, mostly to Council Bluffs, but Mr. Malcom found a home market through selling his products to emigrants. Soon the country began to be settled and he lived to see the vast prairies transformed into beau- tiful homes and farms, the white houses standing in the midst of green fields and forming a very attractive landscape.


In politics he was a Democrat, but never aspired to office. Of the Christian church he was a worthy and consistent member and died in that faith April 26, 1893, at the age of seventy-five years. His wife yet sur .. vives him and is now residing in Sidney. Two of her brothers, William and John Jones, came to lowa, but both returned to Indiana. Mrs. Malcom preserved her health and strength to a remarkable degree, car- ing for her home until her death, February 14, 1901. She spent the evening of life among friends and children and looked back over the past without regret and forward to the future without fear, for her life had been in harmony with her religious belief, as a member of the Christian church. She had seven children: Sarah, now the wife of M. Smith: Robert, whose death is referred


to above: James, who died, leaving a wife and four children ; John and Isaac, who are farmers of Fremont county: Albert G., of this review : and George, also an agriculturist of Fremont county.


Born and reared on the old family home- stead, where he yet lives, the place is en- deared to Albert G. Malcom through the as- sociations of his boyhood, as well as those of later years. He remained under the pa- rental roof, caring for his parents in the evening of life. In 1880 he was married to Miss Martha Hiskey, and brought his bride to the old home. For a year he carried on farming there and then removed to another farm, which was their place of residence for seven years; but on the expiration of that period they returned to the old home- stead, where they have since remained. For twenty years Mr. Malcom has engaged in general farming and to some extent has raised and dealt in stock. He also operated a corn-sheller for fifteen years and has been content to carry forward the work inaug- urated by his father, whereby he has devel- oped a very fine farm that yields to him an excellent return for his labors.


Mrs. Malcom is a lady of intelligence and culture and also represents one of the early families of Fremont county. She was born in Madison county, lowa. December 17. 1861, and is a daughter of Jacob and Arminda ( Cornwell) Hiskey, both of whom were natives of Ohio, in which state their marriage occurred. They afterward came to lowa and the father, who had previously followed carpentering, turned his attention to the farm, entering land from the govern- ment. He improved the place and made it his home for a number of years, after which he removed to Nebraska, where he died July


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10, 1869. He was a consistent and worthy member of the United Brethren church, and in his political views he was a stalwart Re- publican, but was never an aspirant for the honors of office. His wife passed away in Nebraska, February 7, 1892. Her mother was Lydia Shafer Cornwell, of Ohio, who had three children : Mrs. Hiskey, and Isaac and James. both of Ohio. The children of the Hiskey family are: Franklin, Albert and Allen, all of whom are living in Nebraska ; Mrs. Martha A. Malcom: Wilbret, who is living in Nebraska; Caroline, now the wife of B. Stockton; and Margaret, the wife of F. Huffman.


The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Malcom has been blessed with five children, namely : Ethel. born August 17, 1882; Walter, born January 10, 1884; Orville, born April II, 1886: Cora, born September 28, 1889; and Clyde, born August 17, 1896. Mr. and Mrs. Malcom are well-known people of the com- munity in which they reside and have gained many friends by reason of their excellent qualities. He belongs to the Modern Wood- men at Sidney, but gives little time to out- side interests, his attention being devoted untiringly to his farm work, whereby he is enabled to surround his family with all the comforts and many of the luxuries of life. Mrs. Malcom is a member of the Royal Neighbors, of Farragut, Iowa.


DANIEL T. RHODE.


Among the agriculturists and stock-deal- ers of Green township who successfully carry on the business to which they give their attention is numbered Mr. Rhode, whose name introduces this record. He was born in Warren county, Indiana. December 18.


1838. His father, John Rhode, was a na- tive of Ohio, born in the western part of that state in 1817. When a boy he went to Indiana and afterward to Arkansas, where he remained for four years, after which he returned to the old home in the Hoosier state. He was of German lineage, for the great-grandfather of our subject came to the new world from Germany.


The grandparents of our subject were Jonathan and Harriet ( Rosencrans ) Rhode. The latter died in Arkansas about 1842, and the grandfather subsequently returned to In- diana, where his death occurred about 1845. having reached an advanced age when called to the home beyond. They reared five sons and two daughters, who have families. Two uncles and two aunts of our subject lived and died in Indiana, while John. Daniel and Joe Rhode all came to Iowa, John and Jo- seph having arrived in the state in 1851, while Daniel preceded them, having removed from Arkansas to Iowa in 1847. He was among the early settlers in the vicinity of Hamburg and before 1851 he came to Fre- mont county and filed claims to a large tract of land, thus becoming the owner of eighteen hundred acres. He was one of the wealthy men in the county, for his time. He entered nearly all of the land at one dol- lar and a quarter per acre and took an active part in reclaiming the primitive prairie for purposes of civilization, his improvement of his property promoting the general prosper- ity as well as his individual success. On coming from Arkansas he drove one hun- dred head of steers to Iowa, where he sold them to the Mormons who were en route to Utah. The purchase price was about eight dollars per head and he sold them at from eighty to one hundred dollars per yoke, thus


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realizing a handsome profit. The Rhode brothers were promineatly known in Fre- mont county as leading business men and the name has been inseparably connected with the history of this portion of the state. The mother of our subject bore the maiden name of Polly Cobb and was born in Law- rence county, Indiana, in which state she gave her hand in marriage to John Rhode.


Our subject was their first child and at the time of his birth the father was but twenty-one years of age. In their family were four children, the second being Eliza- beth, the wife of Josiah Eggleston, who is living at Puget Sound, Washington, and has three children. Hannah is the wife of Mr. Buffington, a farmer of Nebraska, living in the Niobrara river country. Her first husband was Mr. Tarpening and she has three children. The fourth member of the Rhode family was a son who died in infancy. The mother died in Indiana, about 1825. and the father was again married, in Law- rence county, that state, his second union being with Miss Martha Scott, by whom he had eight children, five sons and three daughters. The eldest, Joseph, died at the age of fifteen years, and with the excep- tion of two others all were married.


Great changes have come since John Rhode and his brother Joseph traveled to łowa in the true emigrant style, with two large covered wagons, each drawn by four yoke of oxen, and two two-horse wagons, while each of the brothers also had five cows. As they crossed Illinois in the spring their wagons often got stuck in the mud, at which times they would double the teams and thus extricate the wagons. They were two months in making the journey and ar- rived in Fremont county in July or AAugust.


The two brothers located near their brother Daniel, and the father of our subject paid six hundred dollars to John Hughes for his timber claim. He secured timber land, which everybody considered the most desirable, the prairies being regarded as comparatively worthless, as there was not timber to fence them. Then, too, on the prairies it was so cold and bleak that the settlers feared that they might freeze to death. Several of the pioneers did die upon those broad open stretches of country. About six years be- fore his death John Rhode buried his sec- und wife. He passed away about 18go, upon the farm where he located in 1852, hiv- ing then in a log cabin. About 1857, how- ever, he had erected the present large frame house. At one time he was the owner of eight hundred acres of land and at his death he was still in possession of three hundred acres having given the remainder to his children, to whom he either donated land or money.


Daniel T. Rhode, whose name begins this record, was reared upon his father's farm. He was thirteen years of age when he came to lowa, and here he remained un- til the ist of May, 1859. Ile was of the number who started for l'ike's Peak, on the discovery of gold there, but after spending one summer in that country he returned home. While en route he saw a number of buffaloes and killed three in one place. He remained with his parents until the spring of 1862, when he returned Pike's Peak, Colorado, remaining for eighteen months, during which time he worked on the stage route, building log houses and barns. He then went to Idaho, where he engaged in mining gold for three months, and then re- turned with ten thousand dollars of the


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precious metal. In one day he secured gold to the value of fifteen hundred and twelve dollars, having in one pan eighty-two dollars. This fortunate find came to him just at the right moment, for he and his partner were almost destitute of funds when they discov- ered the mine, in what was known as Stink- ing Water Gulch. They accidentally dis- covered the gold by digging at the side of a boulder, and Mr. Rhode still has in his pos- session nuggets which he found and which are worth from fifty to one hundred and twenty-seven dollars.


When twenty-nine years of age, on the 2Ist of March, 1868, Mr. Rhode was united in marriage to Miss Sarah C. Taliaferro, who was born in Missouri, a daughter of James and Catherine ( Holland) Taliaferro, the former a native of Missouri and of French ancestry, while the latter was a na- tive of Ohio. Unto our subject and his wife have been born eleven children, three of whom died in childhood. The others are: Dora, the wife of Charles Delaney, by whom she has two children ; Clara May, who is the wife of George Plank, and has two children, both of whom are now in Oregon; Wilbert, who died at the age of twenty-six years; Alonzo, who is a farmer of this neighbor- hood and has a wife and one son; Maggie, the wife of Alonzo Kempton, also a resi- dent farmer of Green township; Curtis, a young man of twenty-one, now in Oregon ; Albert, who died at the age of fourteen years ; Pearl, Richard and Daniel, aged re- spectively, seventeen, fourteen and nine years ; and Ruby, who died at the age of four years.


Mr. Rhode is six feet in height and weighs two hundred and fifty-three pounds, and we seldom meet a man of greater


strength or endurance. Of strong domestic tastes, his greatest enjoyment comes to him through his associations of home. He is to-day the owner of four hundred and eighty acres of land, of which one hundred and fifty is timber. He also has ten acres and a good residence in Tabor. He has recently purchased two thousand acres in Kansas, upon which he has placed his son Alonzo. He carries on general farming and in addi- tion successfully follows stock-raising, keep- ing on hand twenty-four horses, while an- ually he feeds and sells one hundred head of shorthorn cattle. He has the most of this land seeded down and has grown from six to seven thousand bushels of corn in a year. His fine timber is largely black wal- nut. Fine modern improvements may be seen on his place, including his mammoth barn, which is forty by seventy-two feet, with sixteen-foot posts. It is all built of hewed frame timbers from his woods and has an eight-foot basement. Everything about the place is neat and thrifty and up to date.


In his political views Mr. Rhode is a Republican, having supported the party since casting his first presidential ballot for Abra- ham Lincoln. He has served as school di- rector and road commissioner, but has never been an aspirant for office, preferring to de- vote his time and energies to his business affairs, in which he has met with creditable success.


WILLIAM C. FUGITT.


William C. Fugitt, who since pioneer days has been a resident of Fremont coun- ty, was born on the old family homestead in Madison township, July 26. 1854. His


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father. Townsend F. Fugit, was one of the prominent early settlers of this portion of the state, coming here in 1848. when this part of lowa was first opened up to civili- zation. He was born in Platte county. Mis- souri, in 1824, and his father, Hiram Fu- gitt, was one of the pioneer settlers of the Platte purchase, where he established his home about 1822. He was born in Ken- tucky and was of French extraction. His wife. Martha, was also a native of that state and represented a good family there. They were married in Missouri, and the grandmother of our subject died in Clay county, while Hiram Fugitt passed to his final rest in 1873, at the age of seventy- seven years, while living on the old home- stead.


Townsend F. Fugitt was reared in Clay county, Missouri, amid the wild scenes of the frontier. Indians still lived in the neigh- borhood and all kinds of wild game could be found. In 1848 Mr. Fugitt came to Fremont county and secured a claim of gov- erminent land. He married Eliza McKis- sick, a young woman who had been the housekeeper for his brother Jacob, one of the first settlers of the county, living at McKis- sick's Grove. She was born in Missouri and was a daughter of William and Eliza McKissick. With characteristic energy Townsend Fugitt gave his attention to the cultivation and improvement of his land. and developed one of the best farms in the township. Upon it he erected a fine resi- dence, substantial barns and made many other improvements. His blue-grass pas- tures rivaled those of Kentucky, and every- thing about his place was neat, thrifty and attractive in appearance. Ile became the owner of four hundred acres of land, and


in addition to the cultivation of the fields engaged extensively and successfully in the raising of horses and cattle. He took quite an active interest in public affairs and was a wide awake, enterprising citizen who with- held his support from no measure which he believed would prove of general good. His political support was given at different times to the Democracy and to the Greenback party, and for years he was very active in political circles, doing all in his power to secure the adoption of the principles in which he believed. He was one of the carly Masons of the county and his life exempli- fied the beneficent spirit of the fraternity. In personal appearance he was striking, be- ing six feet in height and weighing two hundred and fifteen pounds. His manner was always cordial, genial and unaffected. and the latch-string of his home always hung out, hospitality being extended to the weary and the hungry as well as to the im- mediate friends of the family. His life was permeated by his Christian belief as a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian church and his word was ever as good as his bond. Both he and his wife were loved by all who knew them.


This worthy couple were the parents of nine children, four sons and five daughters. of whom five are yet living, namely : Will- iam C .; Sally, the wife of John MeClellan, of Shenandoah, Jowa: Ed H., of Hamburg : and Effie and John, who reside in Broken Bow, Nebraska. Those who have passed away are Henry Clay, who died at the age of sixteen years; Mrs. Nancy Nelson, who died in Shenandoah, lowa: Martha, who died on the old homestead; and Mrs. Betty Finnell, whose death ocurred in Atchison county, Missouri. The mother passed away


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at the age of forty-eight years and the fa- ther died at the age of sixty-four.


William C. Fugitt spent the days of his childhood and youth on the old family home- stead and in early boyhood took his place in the fields to assist in their cultivation. The habits of industry which he then formed have been a salient feature in his success in later life. He acquired his education in the public schools and continued at home until twenty-three years of age, when he began farming on his own account on a tract of wild land in the eastern part of Madison township. There he opened up a fine farm of two hundred and forty acres, while he still owns. At the age of twenty-six he se- cured a companion and helpmate on life's journey by his marriage to Miss Martha Ackerman, who was born, reared and ed- ucated in Fremont county, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. S. Ackerman, of Madison township. Four children were born of their union, of whom two are yet living : Ernest, now nineteen years of age, and Pearl, the wife of J. S. Johnson, of Fremont county. One daughter, Goldy Ethelyn, died at the age of twelve years. The mother of these children was called to her final rest on the 19th of May, 1893, at the age of thirty-two years. She was a consistent member of the Cumberland Presbyterian church and had a large circle of warm friends who deeply mourned her loss. On the Ist of November, 1894. Mr. Fugitt was united in marriage to Florence Mary Harris, whose birth oc- curred May 6, 1870. She was born in Maine, but was reared and educated in Fre- mont county, and is a daughter of A. F. Harris, who came to this county in 1872. In the east he engaged in merchandising. He married Ellen E. Poor, also a native of


the Pine Tree state, and unto them were born seven children, but only two are now living-Thomas H. and Mrs. Fugitt. The father is a member of the Christian church, the mother of the Unitarian church. By the second marriage of Mr. Fugitt there are two children-Ellen May and Oliver Townsend.


Mr. Fugitt owns and operates a fine farm of sixty-two acres adjoining Riverton. His home is built in a modern style of architect- ure, furnished in good taste and stands in the midst of a well-kept lawn. He also owns his farm of two hundred and forty acres in Madison township, and this is well improved with substantial buildings, and everything about the place is kept in good condition. In his political views he is a Democrat, strongly supporting Bryan. For a number of years he has served on the school board, and the cause of education, temperance and religion find in him a warm friend. For a number of years he served as an elder in the Cumberland Presbyterian church and is deeply interested in all that pertains to the welfare of his community and to the uplift- ing of man. Both he and his wife are hon- ored and respected by all who know them.


CHARLES MAGEL.


Charles Magel is a self-made man who, without any extraordinary family or pe- cuniary advantages at the commencement of life. has battled earnestly and energetically, and by indomitable courage and integrity has achieved both character and fortune. By sheer force of will and untiring effort he has worked his way upward and is now one of the substantial farmers and stock-dealers of Fremont county. He claims Iowa as the


CHARLES MAGEL


THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY


ASIORDENDI UN


LL


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state of his nativity, his birth having oc- curred in Des Moines county, March 16, 1846. His parents, Sibert and Mary ( Lee ) Magel, were both natives of Germany and in early life came to the United States. The father located in lowa in 1833 and the par- ents were married in this state. Both were descendants of influential families, repre- senting important farming interests in Ger- many.


On reaching Iowa the father found a wild, open country, only a few settlements having been made, the work of improvement and cultivation being scarcely begun. Like many pioneers, he had very limited capital. but was hopeful and not afraid to work, and his energy and financial ability enabled him to advance steadily on the road to prosperity. He secured a claim and when he could not find profitable labor in the service of others he gave his time to the cultivation of his land, making good improvements upon it as the years passed. He completed the ar- rangements for a home by his marriage, and both he and his wife labored carnestly and underwent many deprivations and hard- ships incident to pioneer life in order to gain a good start in the world. At that time Burlington contained but a few cheap houses and was too small to be called even a village ; but the steamers made a landing there. When the government survey was completed and the land was placed upon the market. Mr. Magel attended the salc and purchased his claim. He had not been able to save enough to make the entire pay- ment, but found a friend who lent him the money, for which he paid fifty per cent in- terest until his indebtedness was discharged. His first farm was located about six miles from Burlington and he made it a highly 19


improved property. As claims were estab- lished he placed his crops on sale and suc- cess followed his efforts. About 1850 he moved within three miles of Burlington. He made many substantial improvements upon the homestead and there reared his children, spending his remaining days upon the old farm, where he passed away on the 9th of August. 1897. His wife preceded him to the home beyond, dying on the 5th of December, 1896. Both had been reared in the Lutheran church and held member- ship therein throughout their lives.


Mr. Magel was known as a very promi- nent and influential citizen of Des Moines county, proving a very important factor in the work of improvement and upbuilding there. After placing his home farm in good condition he purchased land and improved other farms, which he sold, becoming quite an extensive real-estate dealer. He also aided materially in the development of Burlington, building houses and dealing in property in that city. . At the time of his death he owned some very valuable real estate there. He lent money and all of his efforts in a business way were crowned with success. He was an excellent financier, en- ergetic, determined and persevering, and those qualities enabled him to advance stead- ily on the progressive path of prosperity. He was an intelligent. broad-minded man, of sterling integrity and honor, and among all by whom he was known he commanded uniform confidence and respect. He had no near relatives in this country, but his wife had two brothers, Conrad and William Lee, both of whom were farmers and are now deceased.




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