USA > Iowa > Keokuk County > A genealogical and biographical history of Keokuk County, Iowa > Part 19
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Mr. McDowell is now living a retired life in Kinross, Iowa. He was born in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, on the 14th of January, 1818, and comes of Scotch ancestry. His paternal grandfather, Sutfon Mc- Dowell, was a Revolutionary soldier under General Washington and had his leg shot off in the battle of Billet. He was an officer and after losing his leg he obtained a cork leg and remained in command of his company until the close of the war, proving a valiant soldier. He lived to be about one hundred years of age. General McDowell. who fought in the first battle at Bull Run, was a second cousin of the subject of this review. Samuel McDowell, the father of our subject, was born in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, and by occupation was a farmer and weaver. He married Rebecca Hallowell, a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her father lived to be about eighty years of age, while her mother reached the very advanced age of one hundred and three years. Leaving the Keystone state the parents of our subject removed westward and both died when sixty years of age, Samuel McDowell passing away in White Pigeon, Michigan. His wife came of English ancestry. who were Quakers in religious faith. Eight children were born unto this worthy couple, of whom Robert McDowell is the oldest.
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He was reared in Columbia county, Pennsylvania, from the age of five years. His father moved across the mountains at that time, by wagon, settling near Fort Washington. In early life Mr. McDowell was for some time a captain of a boat which sailed on the Susquehanna, Delaware and other rivers, and also made coasting trips. He was thus engaged for about twelve years. In 1839 he was first married, Miss Catherine Herr becoming his wife, and unto them were born twelve children, ten of whom reached years of maturity. The mother passed away in Keokuk county, Iowa, about 1893. After their marriage the young couple took up their abode in Pennsylvania, whence they removed to Rock Island county, Illinois, and in 1852 became residents of Keokuk county, Iowa, locating in Liberty township, among its first settlers. Mr. McDowell secured government land on the prairie, built a log house and, after cutting away some timber, began the development of a farm which bordered on the English river. There he improved his land successfully, carrying on general agricultural pursuits until about 1885, when he rented his land to his sons and took up his abode in Kinross, where he has since lived. He was a progressive agriculturist, wide-awake and enterprising, and his work was successfully carried on. He accumulated a large tract of land, at one time becoming the owner of sixteen hundred acres. He was also for many years engaged in the stock business, buying and shipping, and his annual sales brought to him an excellent income in the line of work which he undertook. He possessed sound business judgment and enterprise and his efforts proved very efficient in winning success.
Mr. and Mrs. McDowell traveled life's journey together as man and wife for fifty-six years. Theirs was a happy married life, in which their confidence and love increased as the years went by. Their children
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were as follows: David, who now resides in Keokuk county ; Catherine, deceased; Martin, a resident of Keota; Lovina, the wife of William Kent, of Nebraska; Ellen, the wife of George Dillen, of Keota; Eliz- abeth, the wife of John La Fever, of Washington county, Iowa; Sarah, the wife of Theodore Green of Washington county; Mrs. Hattie Winter, deceased; Robert, who resides upon the old home farm in Liberty town- ship; Nancy, the deceased wife of John Lawler; and William and Johnie, who have passed away. In 1898 Mr. McDowell was again married, his second union being with Mrs. M. E.(Crosby) Oldaker, who was born in Licking county, Ohio, a daughter of Edwin and Dianna (Green) Crosby. The mother was a descendant of the well known Green family and the father was born in Rhode Island and came of an old New England family, his ancestors having crossed the Atlantic in the Mayflower. Mrs. McDowell was their sixth child and was reared in Licking county, Ohio, until she was about twelve years of age, when slic became a resident of Iowa City, Johnson county, Iowa. On the Ist of January, 1860, she gave her hand in marriage to H. J. Oldaker, and became the mother of six children, five of whom are living, namely : H. E .; A. J., deceased ; William G .; H. W .; Beulah, the wife of Robert Thomas; and Lola, the wife of Ivan E. Coffey. A. J. Oldaker served as county recorded of Iowa county for four years and was a prominent and influential resident there, while H. E. Oldaker served as deputy county clerk of the county for eight years.
In his political affiliations Mr. McDowell has been a life-long Demo- crat and in early manhood cast his ballot for James K. Polk. His fellow-townsmen had honored him with a number of local offices and he has taken an active part in the upbuilding of schoolhouses and churches and has been the friend of every movement for the promotion
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of the general good and for the development of the county in which lie has lived for so long. He was reared in the faith of the Society of Friends and with that denomination has always been identified, exempli- fying in his life his Christian faith. In 1876 he made a trip to Phila- delphia, where all his relatives were living, he being the only one of the family who resides in Keokuk county. He is now enjoying a well- earned rest from labor. By carefully watching and improving his business opportunities and laboring untiringly for the achievement of a competence, he gained an honorable place among the substantial resi- dents of this portion of the state.
JAMES J. TERRELL.
One of the honored citizens and distinctively representative busi- ness men of the thriving village of Ollie, which is located in Jackson township, Keokuk county, is Mr. Terrell, and his progressive and public spirited attitude has greatly benefited this section of the county, in whose industrial and civic advancement he has ever shown marked interest. James J. Terrell was born in Fayette county, Ohio, on the 6th of June, 1848, being a son of Samuel C. Terrell, who was born in Virginia, in February, 1802. The latter's father, Samuel Terrell, was likewise a native of Virginia and was a member of the Society of Friends. By reason of his great repugnance to the institution of slavery, which so greatly obtained in his native state, he emigrated thence to Ohio in an early day, his son Samuel C. being at the time a mere child, and he was numbered among the pioneers of Highland county, having located on the site of the present village of Leesburg. He there reclaimed and developed an excellent farm, and it may be noted that
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he had one of the most extensive maple-sugar camps in that section, which still continues to be celebrated for its products in this line. He was finally compelled to abandon this farm, the government authorities deciding that this and other land in the vicinity was the property of the heirs of General Lee, a distinguished officer of the Revolution. Mr. Terrell then purchased another tract of land in the same locality and also brought this under effective cultivation.
On that farm the father of our subject was reared, amid the envir- onments of pioneer life, and after his marriage he continued to make his home in that locality for several years, his first wife dying there, in 1844. They became the parents of three children, all of whom are now deceased. In 1847 Samuel C. Terrell consummated a second inar- riage, being then united to Mrs. Malinda (Johnson) Horton, the widow of Greenbury Horton. She was born and reared in Ohio, being the daughter of Micajah and Rachel Johnson, who were pioneers of the Buckeye state, where they died, her grandfather having previously been the owner of a valuable estate in North Carolina and having been a clet gyman. Samuel C. and Malinda (Johnson) Terrell became the parents of four children, of whom one died in infancy, while the three surviving are: James J., the immediate subject of this sketch ; Sarah V., the wife of R. H. Cutler, of Sigourney, this county ; and Samuel C., of Lancaster, Iowa. In the year 1855 Samuel C. Terrell removed with his family from Ohio to Iowa, locating in Jackson town- ship, Keokuk county, on a farm of seventy-five acres, which he im- proved, and there he continued to reside until he had attained the vener- able age of eighty-seven years when he retired from active affairs and thereafter made his home in Ollie, with his son James J., until his death, which occurred in April, 1889, his wife passing away in October, 1891.
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James J. Terrell remained at the parental home until he had attained the age of twenty-four, and on the last day of the year, 1881, hie located in Ollie, where he opened a blacksmith and wagon shop, which he successfully conducted for several years. He finally established a feed mill here and afterward erected and equipped a saw-mill, conduct- ing operations with marked success until 1895, when he disposed of his interests in the enterprises noted. Eventually, however, he again be- came identified with the industrial activities of the place, and he is now the owner of the planing mill and wagon and machine shops, which are among the important business establishments of the town. He was the first president of the Bank of Ollie, originated the plans for its building and was chairman of the committee which had charge of the erection of the same, in which connection he drew the warrants in payment for all work done on the structure. Mr. Terrell has shown marked executive ability and keen business discrimination and he has attained a position of independence, being known as one of the substantial citizens of the county, while his course has ever been such as to retain to him unqualified confidence and esteem.
In politics Mr. Terrell has given an unswerving allegiance to the Republican party and has been an active worker in its cause, while he has ever taken a deep interest in public affairs of a local nature, and has naturally been called upon to serve in offices of trust and respon- sibilty. In 1894 he was elected a member of the board of county super- visors, retaining this incumbency for a period of six years, while he has held various other local offices and has been president of the schoot board for a long term of years. He is a member of the Baptist church at Ollie, as is also his wife, and both have taken an active part in its work. Fraternally our subject has been identified with the Independent
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Order of Odd Fellows for the past thirty years, being a member of Kossuth Lodge, No. 32. He is also a member of the time-honored fra- ternity of Freemasons, in which he served his lodge as master, at various intervals, for a period of about eight years, while he also represented the same in the grand lodge of the state. He is a member of the lodge of Knights of Pythias at Ollie and also of the Mutual Benefit Asso- ciation here, having been the first president of the latter.
In 1883 Mr. Terrill was united in marriage to Miss Katherine Bow- ersox, who was born in Pennsylvania, on the 21st of September, 1851, and who accompanied her parents on their removal to Iowa when she was a child. They first located in Washington county, and when Mrs. Terrell was about sixteen years of age they came to Keokuk county. To Mr. and Mrs. Terrell have been born eleven children, their names, in order of birth, being as follows: Oscar S., Mary M. (deceased), David S., Nannie A. (deceased), Frank A., William A., James W., Ger- trude A., Mary and Martha (twins, both deceased) and Charles C. (de- ceased. )
CHARLES McKINNIS, M. D.
So dependent is man upon his fellow-men that the worth of the of the individual is largely estimated by what he has done for humanity. There is no class to whom greater gratitude is due than to those self- abnegating, noble-minded men whose life work has been the alleviation of the burden of suffering that rests upon the world, thus lengthening the span of human existence. Their influence can not be measured by any known standard and their power goes hand in hand with the beneficent laws of nature that come from the source of life itself.
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Among the able representatives of the medical profession in Keokuk county is Dr. McKinnis, who is established in practice of medicine and surgery in the thriving town of Ollie, his support being of a distinctly representative order and his standing in the community, both as a man and a physician, being such as to establish him high in the confidence and regard of all who know him.
The old Buckeye state figures as the place of Dr. McKinnis' nativ- ity, since he was born in Vinton county, Ohio, on the 22d of April, 1851, being a son of Jesse McKinnis, who was likewise born in the same state in 1830 and was there reared to maturity. At the outbreak of the war of the Rebellion he enlisted as a private in an Ohio regiment of vohin- teer infantry, with which he was in active service for a period of ninety days, within which he contracted a disease which resulted in his death about a decade later. In the fall of 1863 Jesse McKinnis, in com- pany with ins wife and their children, all of whom were born in Ohio, came to Iowa and settled on a farm in Jefferson county, where he con- tinued in agricultural pursuits until 1865, when he removed to Wash- ington county, where he was engaged in farming until his death, which occurred in 1872. In his native state he was united in marriage to Miss Allie Wilson, who was born in Maryland, whence her parents emigrated to Ohio when she was about ten years of age, her father becoming one of the successful farmers of the Buckeye state. They later moved to Iowa, where they passed the remainder of their lives. Their names were William and Elizabeth Wilson. Jesse and Allie McKinnis became the parents of three sons and one daughter, namely: Charles, the im- mcdiate subject of this sketch; George, a resident of Ollie; Mary E., the wife of G. B. Richardson of Sigourney, this county; and Jasper, who died at the age of ninteen years.
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Dr. McKinnis received his early educational discipline in the pub- lic schools of Ohio and Iowa, and that he made proper utilization of the advantages afforded him is evident when we revert to the fact that he became eligible for the pedagogic profession when a youth, having been a successful teacher from the age of twenty-one until that of twenty-five years, within which interval he taught one year in the public schools of Washington county and the remainder in the schools of Keokuk county, having been twenty-two years of age at the time of his father's death. After giving up his pedagogic work the Doctor engaged in the drug business at Ioka. where he remained until 1882, when he established himself in the same line of enterprise in Ollie and also entered upon the general practice of medicine here, having thoroughly prepared himself for the work of his profession and having been in practice in Ioka prior to coming to Ollie. His technical education was received in Keokuk Medical College, where he prosecuted his studies with energy and marked discrimination.
In Jefferson county, in 1872, Dr. McKinnis was united in mar- riage to Miss Laura Helen McCarty, who was born in Washington county, this state, in 1851, being the daughter of Robert and Rebecca McCarty, who emigrated from Pennsylvania and became numbered among the pioneers of Washington county, Iowa, where their children were reared and educated. Dr. and Mrs. McKinnis are the parents of three children, namely: Mollie B., who is the wife of R. L. Grimes, d jeweler of Dows, Iowa; Ivy, who is the wife of C. W. Long, a hard- ware merchant of Dows Iowa; and Stella Grace, who still remains at the parental home; all were born and reared in Keokuk county.
Dr. McKinnis is one of the public spirited citizens and popular physicians of this section of the county, and he still continues to conduct
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a drug store in Ollie in connection with his general practice, which is of wide extent. He has taken at all times a deep interest in public affairs of a local nature, and has given his influence and aid in support of such measures as have tended to the general welfare, while in his political proclivities he has been a stalwart adherent of the Republican party, as had been his father also. Fraternally he is identified with Ollie Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons; with Ioka Lodge, No. 173, Independent Order of Odd Fellows; with the organization of Modern Woodmen at Richland, the Triple Alliance and the Mutual Benefit Asso- ciation at Ollie, while he is one of the prominent and honored members of four different medical societies. The Doctor and his wife hold mem- bership in the Baptist church at Ollie, and he has been clerk of its official board for a number of years past, taking a zealous interest in both the spiritual and temporal work of the organization.
WILLIAM R. WOODS.
Each calling or business, if honorable, has its place in the scheme of human existence, constituting a part of the plan whereby life's meth- ods are pursued and man reaches his ultimate destiny, and thus there is maintained a social balance to which each contributes. The dignity of honest toil and endeavor is the only true dignity, and thus unqualified respect is due to those who are of the rank and file of the world's work- ers. The subject of this review, who is one of the honored pioneers of Keokuk county, where he has maintained his home for nearly forty years, may well be classed as one of the world's workers, for his life has been one of consecutive endeavor and his course has been such as to commend him to the confidence and esteem of all with whom he has
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been thrown in contact in the various relations of life, while he is clearly entitled to representation in this volume.
William R. Woods, who is engaged in the blacksmithing business in the village of Ollie, is a native of Dearborn county, Indiana, where he was born on the 5th of December, 1836, being a son of Joseph and Elizabeth J. (Bushfield) Woods, both of whom were born and reared in Pennsylvania and both of whom were of Scotch-Irish lineage. Shortly after their marriage they removed from the old Keystone state to Dearborn county, Indiana, and there the father of our subject took up a tract of government land, whose reclamation and improvement he forthwith instituted. Finally, however, he disposed of this farm and removed to Jefferson county, in the same state, where he continued in agricultural pursuits until his death, in his fifty-fourth year, his wife having passed away about 1838. Of their eight children the subject of this sketch was the youngest and he is one of the two survivors, the other being his brother James, who is a resident of Jefferson county, Indiana. Those deceased are as follows: Elizabeth, Samuel, Margaret, Joseph, Charles L. and one who died in infancy.
William R. Woods was reared to the sturdy discipline of the farm and remained on the homestead until the death of his father; his early educational advantages having been such as were afforded in the primi- tive schools of the pioneer epoch in Indiana. After the death of his father Mr. Woods went to the town of Greenwood, Johnson county, where he entered upon an apprenticeship at the blacksmith trade, serving for three years and receiving as compensation the sum of one hundred and thirty- five dollars, together with his board and clothing. After completing his apprenticeship, and having become a skilled artisan, he continued in the employ of his instructor for one year, and then proceeded to the
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west, being employed as a journeyman at his trade for the succeeding three years, within which he lived in various localities. In 1858 he returned to Indiana, and there in the following year he was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth J. Brenton, who was born in that state in the year 1840, being a daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth E. Brenton. and after his marriage our subject engaged in the work of his trade on his own responsibility, establishing himself in business in Johnson county, Indiana. At the expiration of three years he removed to Marion county, where he was employed as a journeyman until 1866, when he removed to Illinois, where he carried on a shop about three months, and then came to Keokuk county, Iowa, where he has ever since main- tained his home. He located in the village of Ioka, where he opened a blacksmith shop and conducted business for nearly fifteen years, - netil 1880. Thereafter he was engaged in various pursuits for a number of years, and in 1892 he took up his residence in Ollie, where he has since been successfully engaged in the blacksmith business, having a well equipped shop and securing an excellent patronage. To him and his estimable wife two children were born, the elder of whom, Elizabeth, died at the age of two years, while the younger daughter, Maggie M., is the wife of Homer Pridey of Harrison, Nebraska.
In politics Mr. Woods is a stalwart adherent of the Democrat party and he has been an active worker in its cause, while he has been called upon to serve in various offices of public trust and responsibility, having given able service as mayor of Ollie, while he was incumbent of the offices of justice of the peace and township clerk for a number of years each. Fraternally he is a popular member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias.
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CHARLES REED.
Charles Reed is an old settler and retired farmer now living in Webster, Keokuk county. He was born in Marion county, Indiana, October 1, 1840. His father, Isaac Reed, was an old settler of Keokuk county, Iowa, and a native of Tennessee, where his birth occurred in 1805. He was there reared and educated and afterward engaged in farming to some extent in his native state. However, he removed from Tennessee to Indiana when a young man, settling on a farm in the latter state. He was married in Tennessee to Sarah Morrison, a native of Kentucky, and they became the parents of eleven children, six sons and five daughters, of whom Charles was the youngest son and the seventh child. These are: William; one who died in infancy ; Alexander ; an- other who died in infancy; James, Griggs, Charles, Eliza, Saralı, Mar- garet, and a third who died in infancy. Of the children who reached mature years nearly all were reared in Keokuk county, for in 1850 the father removed with his family to Iowa, settling in German township, Keokuk county, upon a farm of one hundred and sixty acres of improved land. The following year, however, he removed with his family to English River township, where he located upon a farm of a quarter- section of raw land. Here with the aid of his sons he cleared the tract and improved the place, making it a valuable and highly productive farm. His death occurred in 1865, after which his son Griggs lived upon the old home place until his death, and his widow yet owns the farm. In early life Isaac Reed gave his political support to the Whig party and upon its dissolution he joined the ranks of the new Republi- can party. He held membership in the Methodist Episcopal church of Webster, aided in erecting a house of worship there and took an active interest in promoting the cause of Christianity.
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Charles Reed was reared on the old home and is indebted to the public school system of the country for the educational privileges he enjoyed. He was about twenty-five years of age at the time of his fath- er's death. He then purchased a tract of land in English River town- ship of one hundred and fifty acres, which was wild and uncultivated, but with characteristic energy hic began its cultivation and improvement and made his home thereon for thirty-four years, his attention being given continuously to his farm work. He placed his fields under a very high state of cultivation and added all modern equipments and acces- sories to the place.
On the 28th of October, 1871, Mr. Reed was united in marriage to Laura A. Holliday, a native of Illinois, born February 12, 1853. When two years of age she was brought to Keokuk county, Iowa, by her parents, H. M. and Nancy Ann Holliday, who were early residents of this portion of the state. They settled in Adams township upon a tarm of two hundred acres of raw land and her father at once began to plow the fields, plant his crops and in course of time garnered rich harvests. It was upon this farm that Mrs. Reed spent her girlhood days. Hier mother died upon the old homstead and her father passed away on a farm not far distant. To Mr. and Mrs. Reed have been born seven children, five sons and two daughters : Stella, Frank, Edward L., Donna A., Benjamin, Morgan, and Fred. Of this number Frank is now de- ceased. All were born and reared on the farm in English River town- ship.
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