USA > Iowa > Monroe County > Biographical and genealogical history of Appanoose and Monroe counties, Iowa > Part 19
USA > Iowa > Appanoose County > Biographical and genealogical history of Appanoose and Monroe counties, Iowa > Part 19
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In May, 1860, 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 Company C. Eighteenth Regiment, Iowa Volunteer Infantry, under Captain Van Benthusen, and served loyally with his command for about 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
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favored Republican principles, though he is very independent in his voting and "carries his sovereignty under his hat." He was an Odd Fellow until his lodge surrendered its charter. He may 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 pursuits, his large experience with men and affairs, and the adventures that have befallen him during his long career make him an unusually 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 proprietor 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 consecutive order.
The genealogy will be started with the grandparents on either
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side, both of whom were Pennsylvanians of some note in their day. Christopher Crane, the maternal grandfather, served as a soldier in the war of 1812, and paternal grandfather Cramer, who 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, March 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. They moved on a farm, but came to Albia in the spring of 1850. George P., not finding the opportunity he wanted near home, went over 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 place, the son joined him and spent two years as assistant manager and salesman. The termination of this period brought him to the completion of the nineteenth year of his age, at which time he made his first important business venture. Beginning as
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a buyer and shipper of live stock at Albia in 1853, his 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 goods business, which he conducted at Albia two years and dis- posed of for the purpose 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. That he 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 with 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 vote for John C. Fremont, the party's first candidate, his office holding has been limited to membership in the city council and service as constable and deputy sheriff.
On April 26, 1856, Mr. Cramer was married to Miss Rachel Webb, whose ancestry is deserving of more than a passing notice. Her great- grandparents, Adrian and Lucinda Webb, 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 1812 and drew a pension. He owned a farm in Preble county, Ohio, and there, on the 28th of September, 1818, was born to him a son named Jacob. The latter remained under the paternal roof until
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the completion of his twentieth year, when he went to Iowa and in the fall of 1838 located in Van Buren county. Not being satisfied with the situation, he "about-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 and in July, 1857, reappeared at his home in Albia after a tedious trip across the plains. In 1860 he took another trip west, this time on a prospecting expedition, which lasted about eighteen months, and since then Mr. Webb 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. W. P. Cramer, the youngest of these, was born in Jefferson 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 part 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 only twenty-one in the state.
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ANDREW JACKSON CASADY.
This name recalls that period of American history when "Old Hickory" was the central figure on the political stage and boys were called after him by 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 the 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 event in one's life, inasmuch as the
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distance was long and the facilities for transportation by no means the best. This tedious and even dangerous journey was, however, made by 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 they 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 by 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, however, 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 1860. 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 prospect 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- vivor 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.
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Charles, Missouri, to accept the agency of the express company at that point and spent several of the subsequent 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 Monroe 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 society 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
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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 identify 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 time for navigating the great "Father of Waters." On this boat 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 20th of November, 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 government and the Sac and 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 Jefferson to the Missouri river, comprising more than two-thirds of the present state of Iowa. The young 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
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and overwhelming odds, were assembled to bargain away under duress their hereditary homes and yield the land they loved to the hated pale face. The chieftains present at these negotiations bore names that have been perpetuated throughout Iowa to designate different political divi- sions of the state, but this is all that remains of that romantic 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, Powshiek. Wapello, Pashpaho, Hardfish and Appa- noose.
After the conclusion of this historic treaty, young Hilton returned to Missouri and remained there until May, 1843, in 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 that 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 the panorama unfolded before James Hilton in the spring of 1843. But 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 early 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
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final call to rest nearly sixty years later. These years were marked by great activity both in public and private life, and during the time he held many 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 removal 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 always exhibited on the bench. He was an authority on all things relating to the early 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 spring of 1860 Judge Hilton gave up his residence at Albia and returned to his beloved 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 county, 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 happy and of the twelve 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, and some particulars concerning him will now be
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given. He was born in the 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 manhood 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 soon developed his qualities as a farmer and breeder. Turning his attention to blooded stock, he soon had one of those fine thoroughbred herds for which Iowa 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, but 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. Eliza J. Deal, a widow, who lived for some time with a daughter at Magnolia, Iowa. In 1816 Willis Arnold went with his parents to Washington county, Indiana, and later removed to near the town of Greencastle, where in 1835 he was married to Martha Rice Reed. There were nine children by this union, the three sur- vivors being Elizabeth A. 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-
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ily to Albia and in the fall of 1853 was elected to the office of sheriff of Monroe county. He joined the Christian church at Greencastle, Indiana, in 1835, and at his house in .Albia the first Christian organiza- tion was made. His first wife died a few months after this event, and in 1853 Mr. Arnold married Zerelda Robinson, of Indiana, by whom he had four 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, at his home in Albia, when well advanced in the ninetieth year of his age. Mr. and Mrs. Albert Hilton have one son, Carl A., who was born January 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 highly respected in the best social circles of the county, as well on their own merits as because 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 fineness of its blooded stock of all kinds. In all these par- ticulars the young giant on the banks of the "Great Father of Waters"
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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 fogyish" compared with those prevailing 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 be affirmed of Robert W. 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 family, while through the mother they trace back to the Virginia family of Law. Parmenas Tuttle, who was a native of Oneida county, New York, came to Iowa about the middle of the last century and first settled in Monroe county, not far from the present village of Moravia. He married 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 W. Tuttle, one of their sons, was born 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
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