USA > Iowa > Story County > Biographical and historical memoirs of Story County, Iowa > Part 39
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Homer C. Boardman belongs to the firm of Boardman Bros., dealers in butter, eggs and poultry at Nevada, Iowa. This firm is one of the most progressive in the town, and since opening their establishment in 1979 they have added eminently to the strength of the produce interests in this section. Homer C. Board- man is a native of Troy, Vt., where he first saw the light of day on February 22, 1851, being the eldest of three surviving children born to his parents. In early boyhood he was brought by them to Iowa and was reared at Lyons, in Clinton County, the rudiments of his education being received in the public schools of that place. Later he took a com- mercial course in the University of Notre Dame, at South Bend, Ind., after which he returned to Lyons, and for some time clerked in a dry goods store. He next went to Mil- waukee, Wis., and for five years was in the employ of the firm of Hand & Seymour, acting in the capacity of a traveling salesman. He then returned to Lyons and for three subse- quent years was in the dry-goods business. From there he came to Nevada in 1879, and,
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as above stated, has since been engaged in his present business, in which he has built up an excellent reputation for integrity and execu- tive ability. In politics he has always been a stanch friend of the Republican party, and for a number of years was a member of the city council, and is now serving his third term as mayor of Nevada. During his administration the City Water Works have been built, owing in a great measure to his advocacy and energy in supporting the enterprise, and the town has been otherwise much improved since he has been an incumbent of his office. He has always been a patron of education, and he is now a member of the Nevada school board. Socially he is a member of the A. O. U. W., the M. W. of A., and belongs to Samson Lodge No. 77, of the K. of P., of which he is a char- ter member. His marriage to Miss Emma F. Jacobsen, who was born in Lyons, Iowa, took place in 1874, and their union has resulted in the birth of two children, William C. and Homer N. Mr. Boardman is a son of Nor- man and Lois (Knight) Boardman, who were born in Vermont and New York, respectively.
William K. Boardman is a member of the firm of Boardman Bros., dealers in butter, eggs and poultry at Nevada, Iowa. He was born in Troy, Vt., June 22, 1852, and is a son of Hon. Norman and Lois (Knight) Boardman. In 1856 he came with his parents to Lyons, Clin- ton County, Iowa, and there attended the pub- lic schools for some time. Later he became a student in Dean Academy at Franklin, Mass., graduating therefrom in 1873. The following year he began mercantile life for himself in Lyons, Iowa, becoming the proprietor of a dry goods and clothing house, but in 1877 he re- moved to Nevada, and was here engaged in the clothing business for two years. However, in 1879, he commenced a wholesale butter, egg and poultry trade, and has given his attention
to this up to the present time, being one of the leading business men in this section of the State. He is a Republican, R. B. Hayes receiving his first presidential vote, and socially he belongs to the K. of P., a member of Samson Lodge No. 77. He is now past chancellor and has twice represented Samson Lodge in the Grand Lodge of Iowa, and in 1888 and 1889 was special grand deputy for this district of the State. His marriage, which took place in 1877, was to Miss Addie Henningsen, who was born in Jackson County, Iowa, in 1857, a danghter of Hon. B. H. A. and E. Henningsen. Mr. and Mrs. Boardman are the parents of two chil- dren: Frank M. (born May 11, 1878) and Lois K. (born April 18, 1887). Mr. Boardman's name is identified with the welfare and mate- rial and social progress of this section, and his reputation for honesty and true stability has been fully substantiated.
Jesse Bowen has been a resident of Story County, Iowa, for the past thirty-seven years, and is well and favorably known to a host of friends and acquaintances in this community. His birth occurred in Marion County, eight miles north of Indianapolis, Ind., December 15, 1839, being the fourth in a family of eight children born to Ephraim and Gillie Ann (Johnson) Bowen, the former born in Ohio in 1818 and the latter in Kentucky, her death oc- curring in Iowa Center, Iowa, when about sixty-six years of age. Jesse Bowen is one of six surviving members of his father's family, and although he was obliged to assist his father on the farm, he succeeded in obtaining a good common-school education. His father came to Story County in 1853, and entered land in Indian Creek Township, after which he re- turned to Indiana to bring his family thither, which he did, reaching Story County on June 11, 1854. In 1861 Jesse enlisted in the Union army in defense of his country and served
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in Company E, Third Iowa Infantry until mus- tered out of service on June 18, 1864. He was a participant in the engagements at Shiloh, Corinth, Hatchie River, siege of Vicksburg, Jackson, Miss., and numerous minor battles. After his return home he was engaged for some three years in farming, but since 1868 has been in the employ of the well-known general mer- chants, Baldwin & Maxwell. He has also given considerable attention to the hotel business in the past twelve years, and is now the owner of the Maxwell Hotel, one of the best kept houses in the county. He was married in 1864 to Miss M. E. Will, who was born in Virginia in 1846, and to them have been born the follow- ing children: Ulysses F., Alice M., Edna I., William S., John E., Kate, Curtis, Esther, Glenn and Anna. He is a member of James H. Ewing Post No. 305 of the G. A. R., of which he is the present commander. He has always been popular throughout this section of the country, and is one of the men who is working to bring Iowa into the very front ranks as a Republican State.
George W. Boyd is a butcher and dealer in ice at Nevada, Story County, Iowa, and was born in Carter County, Tenn., on March 16, 1843, being a son of J. R. and Elizabeth (Boyd) Boyd, who were born in 1810 and 1816, respectively, the former being now a resident of Nevada, the latter dying on May 27, 1883. The paternal grandfather was James R. Boyd, and the great-grandfather was Will- iam Boyd, who was a soldier in the Revolu- tionary War. George W. Boyd is the third of a family of ten children, of whom eight are living, and after remaining in Tennessee until 1851, he removed with his family to Illinois, and six years later to Jasper County, Iowa. Here he was reared to manhood on a farm, re- ceiving the advantages of the common schools, but upon attaining his majority he went to
the far west where he remained four years. He then returned to Iowa and remained in Jasper County until 1874, when he came to Nevada, and here has since resided, his entire time having been devoted to the occupation of butchering. He is one of the leading men in this branch of business in the town; from 1877 to 1883 it was conducted under the firm name of Boyd & Childs, but since 1885 the firm has been Boyd Bros. They are doing an excellent trade, and have a well regulated and extensive meat market. Since 1874 Mr. Boyd has also been engaged in the ice business, and erected the first good ice-house in Nevada. In his political views he has always been a Demo- crat, and he is now a member of the city coun- cil, and socially belongs to the I. O. O. F. His marriage to Miss Frances Bates took place in 1874, her birth having occurred in Ohio, and to them have been born the following children: Orvill E., Edward, Bessie M. and Earl.
Knud P. Boyd. Near the city of Bergen, in the far away land of Norway, the subject of this sketch was born (in Skaanevig) June 15, 1845. His parents, Peter A. Boyd and Sarah Alsager, were Norwegians by birth and education, and the father died in 1860. Knud came to Amer- ica in 1866, locating in Kendall County, Ill., and from there moved to Iowa, where in 1880 he purchased his present valuable farm. He has spared neither time nor expense in im- proving his land, and is to-day one of the most prominent farmers in Story County. He also devotes a great deal of time to stock- raising. In politics Mr. Boyd is an Independ- ent. On April 19, 1870, he was united in holy wedlock to Miss Betsy T. Thorsen, of Grundy County, Ill., and a daughter of Thor. Thorsen and Annie A. Nes. Her father is now a resident of Kendall County, and originally came from Norway. Mr. and Mrs. Boyd have had nine chil-
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dren, viz .: Sarah (wife of Sam Michaelson, whose sketch appears in this history), Peter, Anna, Arthur C., Belle, Carrie, Alfred, Emma and Katie. The parents are members of the Lutheran Church at Roland.
Elisha Briley, farmer, of Franklin Township, came to Iowa, and located in Story County, in August, 1851, with his mother, who settled near where her son now lives. At that time he was in his fifteenth year, and he lived on the farm with his mother until he reached his majority, and then he entered eighty acres for himself. Having a farm of his own, the next thing was to get married; so, on April 1, 1857, he led to the altar Miss Mary M. Foster, of this county, daughter of J. G. Foster, of this county, and formerly of Indiana, and they be- came the parents of fourteen children: J. W. (died in infancy), Juliette (wife of James Brown, of Boone County), Elmer E. (also of Boone County, married Permelia York, of Boone County, daughter of Joseph York, of Athhole, England), Elvira F. (now the wife of Elihu Wheeler, of Boone County), Alice (died in her nineteenth year), Eldora, and Albert, Frank P., Algernon S., John A. Logan, Jesse Fremont, Jean, Boston Corbett and Lo- rana J., all living at home. Financially Mr. Briley has been very successful, and now owns 300 acres of choice land, all of which is under cultivation, and has never had a mortgage or an execution floating around. In addition to farming he feeds and ships a considerable number of cattle and hogs each year. He and wife are consistent members of the United Brethren Church, and in politics he affiliates with the Republican party. Mr. Briley was born in Clay County, Ind., December 22, 1835, being a son of Absalom and Hannah ( Wheeler) Briley, natives, respectively, of North Carolina and Kentucky. The Wheelers were a promi- nent family of Kentucky, and one of Mrs. Bri-
ley's brothers was in the War of 1812. Absa- lom Briley was a farmer by occupation, and tilled the soil in Indiana until 1847, when he moved to Illinois, choosing a location in Ful- ton County, and the same year of his arrival he contracted the pneumonia and died, leaving his widow with a family of seven children, the eldest of whom was about eighteen years of age, and the youngest but a few years. She remained in Illinois until 1851, when, led by a desire to get land cheap for her children, she started for Boone County, Iowa, in company with her son-in-law, Warren Pickark. From May until August they lived in Boone County, and then she came here, but, the land not be- ing in market, it was 1854 before she entered any land. In that year she entered 320 acres, and lived on it until her family all grew up and married, with the exception of Albert G., who entered the Eighth Iowa Cavalry, and after about eighteen months' service was killed in a charge near Macon, Ga. His death broke up the old household, and Mrs. Briley came to live with her sou (our subject), and remained with him until her death.
Prof. J. L. Budd, in the department of hor- ticulture and forestry of the Iowa Agricultural College, owes his nativity to the county of West- chester, N. Y., born in 1837, and is the son of Joseph and Maria (Lancaster) Budd, natives of the Empire State also. The father was of French descent and died in New York State, where he had followed agricultural pursuits all his life. The mother now resides in Orange County, N. Y. Of the seven children born to this union, five are now living. Prof. J. L. Budd became familar with the duties of the farm in early life, and received the rudiments of an education in the common schools. Later he attended the State Normal School, and fin- ished by attending two years at Union Col- lege. In 1857 he went to Rockford, Ill., and
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taught the first academy at that place, remain- ing there for two years. From there he moved to Wheaton, Ill., taught the graded school for three years, and then bought a farm in Benton County, Iowa, near Shellsburg, where he es- tablished the Benton County Nurseries, the largest in Northern Iowa. Here he remained about fourteen years, and was quite successful as a nurseryman, shipping trees all over the continent. In the spring of 1877 he came to Ames, and was appointed to his present posi- tion, in which he is well known. While living at Shellsburg, Iowa, he was secretary of the Horticultural Society, and held that position for five years after coming to Ames. He is eminently qualified for the position he now holds as a teacher of horticulture, and as a propagator and distributor of hardy fruit trees, ornamental trees and shrubs. He owns 240 acres of land in Benton County, Iowa, and his son is running the large nursery at that place. He was married to Miss Sarah M. Breed (Breed's Hill was named for her ancestors, a family of Revolutionary fame), and two chil- dren were the result of this union: Allen J. and Etta M. The Professor is a member of the Masonic fraternity. He spent the summer of 1882 in Russia, studying the nature of fruits, and to find the kinds best adapted to this climate. He also spent some time in Asia, and is well versed in all subjects relating to horticulture. His horticultural library is one of the largest and most valuable on the conti- nent, as, in addition to his valuable collection, it contains the valuable collections of the late A. J. and Charles Downing.
A. H. Buck. Within the limits of Story County there is no man of greater personal ability than Mr. Buck, a man of recognized worth and substantial progressive spirit. He owes his nativity to Illinois, where he was born on the 31st of April, 1841, being a son of
Jacob and Susan (Fouts) Buck, both of whom were born in Maryland. The paternal grand- father, Henry Buck, was a native of Maryland also, and served in the Revolutionery War. Jacob Buck was a pioneer settler of Ogle Coun- ty, Ill., having come there in 1835, and there he made his home for twenty years. In 1864 he moved to Story County, Iowa, and there farmed for six years, but later removed to North- eastern Kansas, and there resumed his farm- ing operations until 1873, when he went to California, where he is at present residing. Of the nine children reared by Mr. and Mrs. Buck, only five are now living. A. H. Buck grew to manhood on his father's farm, and on the 16th of September, 1861, he enlisted in a company in the Forty-fifth Illinois Volunteers, and was assigned to the Mississippi Department, in the Army of the Tennessee, first under Gen. Grant, and then under Gen. Sherman. He partici- pated in the battles of Fort Donelson, Shiloh, Port Gibson, Raymond, Jackson, Champion's Hill, siege of Vicksburg, siege of Atlanta and Savannah, and was with Sherman on his fa- mous march to the sea. He was at Benton- ville, N. C., then up to Raleigh and to Durham Station, where Johnston surrendered, and thence to Washington City, and took part in the grand review. His company disbanded at Louisville, Ky., on July 20, 1865, and immediately after he returned to Iowa, where his father was then living. Here he purchased land, and farmed for ten years, and then went to Kansas, but after staying there eighteen months, he re- turned to his farm in Story County, where he has remained ever since. He owns a fine farm of 140 acres, sixty of which are under cultiva- tion, and he is considered one of the substan- tial and well-to-do farmers in the county. His marriage to Miss Sarah A. Craig, daughter of Presley R. and Elizabeth Craig, residents of this county, was consummated in 1866, and
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their union was blessed in the birth of four children-one son and three daughters: Bertha E., Frank E., Edith and Vernie, all living at home. Mrs. Buck is a member of the Christian Church. Mr. Buck is a member of the G. A. R., and in politics affiliates with the Republicans. He takes quite an interest in local politics, having served as clerk of his township, and is now serving as township assessor.
Martin V. Bump, farmer and stock-raiser, Zearing, Iowa. For many years, or since his location in this county, the reputation which Mr. Bump has enjoyed has been not only that of a substantial and progressive farmer, but of an intelligent and thoroughly posted man in all public affairs. He was originally from the Buckeye State, his birth occurring in Franklin County in 1844, and is the youngest of five children born to Daniel and Lucinda (George) Bump. Daniel Bump was born in Vermont in 1806, and was one of two sons born to John Bump, a native of Scotland, and a Revolution- ary soldier. Lucinda (George) Bump was the daughter of John George, who was born in the Empire State. Martin V. Bump was the youngest of the following children: Isaac (of Mahaska County, Iowa), Miletus N. (now in Hall County, Neb.), Philinda (wife of A. Baughman, of Nebraska, now deceased) and George W. (who died March, 1880). Martin came to Iowa with his parents in 1854, locating in Mount Vernon, where the father died in March, 1871, and there was reared to mature years. In 1864 he enlisted in Company I, Forty-seventh Regiment Iowa Volunteer In- fantry, and served until the close of the war on detached duty. He then returned to Mount Vernon, and was married, in 1867, to Mrs. Hannah S. (Tanner) Bolton, a daughter of David Tanner. Four interesting children were the fruits of this union: Fred, Edna, Albert and Milton, all at home. Mr. Bump came to
Story County in the fall of 1880, located on Section 32, on a raw farm, with no improve- ments, and he has now 262 acres of good land, all well improved. He has on his farm in the neighborhood of $3,000 worth of stock. He is a Republican in politics, and a member of the G. A. R.
Dr. Densmore J. Bunce is one of the leading veterinary surgeons of the State, and his office is located at his Horse Infirmary at the corner of Sixth and Vine Streets, Nevada, Iowa. The Doctor was born in Ogle County, Ill., Decem- ber 22, 1838, and is a son of James A. L. and Esther (Lewis) Bunce, who were born in York State in 1796 and 1806, and died in Whiteside County, Ill., in April, 1860, and 1871, respect- ively. The former was a blacksmith by occupa- tion, and was a soldier in the War of 1812. Of a family of thirteen children born to him, the sub- ject of this sketch was the tenth, and seven are now living. Dr. Densmore J. spent his youth on a farm in Whiteside County, Ill., and there ac- quired a fair practical education in the com- mon schools. In 1856 he began the study of veterinary surgery and entered upon his prac- tice in Whiteside County, and there continued until the month of April, 1860, when he came to Lyons, Iowa, and in 1879 to Nevada, where he has since held forth. He is very successful in all branches of his business, and guarantees complete satisfaction or withdraws his charges, and has numerous calls in this and throughout adjoining States. In the fall of 1889 he in- vented Dr. Bunce's Veterinary Mouth Specu- lum, a patent on which was granted February 18, 1890. For the past sixteen years he has also been engaged in auctioneering at stock sales, and is considered one of the best in this section of the country. He is a Prohibition- ist in his political views, and in March, 1886, was converted to Christianity. He had formerly been a very Godless man and held in the
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greatest contempt all those who professed Christianity, but since that time he has been one of the most devoted workers for the cause the church has ever had, and is exceptionally act- ive in Sunday-school work. Ever since his con- version he has held weekly prayer meetings in his office, and has been the means of convert- ing many persons to the cause of Christ. Oc- tober 19, 1856, he was married to Miss Marinda Griffith, who was born in Steuben County, N. Y., and by her has a daughter, Lucretia A.
John C. Burkhart is a lumberman of Zear- ing, Iowa, and being honorable and upright in all his dealings as well as enterprising and in- telligent, he has been successful. He is a na- tive of Cambria County, Penn., born in 1833, and was fourth in a family of ten children born to Ephraim and Catherine (Hildebrand) Burk- hart. The mother was drowned in the Johns- town flood in May, 1889. John C. remained in his native State until the month of April, 1856, at which time he came to Linn County, Iowa, where he remained engaged in tilling the soil until August, 1862, when he joined Company A, Twentieth Iowa Infantry, and was on active duty until the close of the war. At first his operations were confined to Missouri and Arkan- sas, but from there he went to Vicksburg, tak- ing part in the siege of that place, after which he assisted in the seige of Ft. Morgan, Ft. Blakeley and Mobile. In April, 1867, he came to Story County, Iowa, and made his home in the town of Nevada until 1872, when he located on a farm in Richland Township, and for ten years was there engaged in tilling the soil. He then began dealing in lumber in Zearing, and has successfully followed this occupation up to the present time. He was married in 1858 to Miss Annie M. Albaugh, a daughter of Daniel Albaugh, of Pennsylvania, and to them a family of five children have been born: Charles A., Jessie M. (now Mrs. James S.
Smith of Zearing), Hubert E., Gracie and Florence. Mrs. Burkhart is a member of the Christian Church, and J. C. Burkhart belongs to Andrew Patton Post No. 239, of the G. A. R., at Zearing. His brothers and sisters are as follows: Abraham H., Margaret (now Mrs. James Sinsebaugh, of Mineral Point, Penn.), Joseph S., John C., Keziah ( now Mrs. George Ford, also of Mineral Point; while working on the Pennsylvania Central Railroad, her hus- band was killed in May, 1890), Mary A. (wife of George James, of Rock Falls, Ill.), Cath- erine J. (wife of A. Byers, was drowned in the Johnstown flood, May 31, 1859), and Lovina (who is the wife of Edwin Muller, of Stoys- town, Penn.), Abraham (died in Mexico during the Mexican War), Samuel ( was killed at Min- eral Point, in August, 1865, by the explosion of a boiler), and Charlotte (also deceased).
Charles E. Campbell, farmer and stock- raiser, Nevada, Iowa. On September 7, 1854, in New York City, there was born to the mar- riage of James and Ann (Eccles) Campbell, a son, whom we now take as the subject of this sketch. He was the third of the following chil- dren: William J. (died in 1872, at the age of twenty-three years), Bell (now Mrs. W. Gos- sard, of Red Willow County, Neb. ), Sarah A. (now Mrs. M. W. Gossard, of Story County, Iowa), and Justice (a resident of Story Conn- ty). There is a half brother by the father's first marriage, R. J., who resides in Washing- ton County, Kas., and who served from the beginning until the close of the late Civil War, and received a wound during this time. The parents of the above mentioned children were natives of Ireland, but emigrated to the Unit- ed States at an early date. The father was born in 1808, and after coming to this country located in New York City, where he remained for about thirty-five years. He came to Story County, Iowa, in 1856, and remained in the
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county from that time until the time of his death, which occurred in 1881. Charles E.'s mother was born in 1825. Charles E. Camp- bell was but two years of age when his parents moved to Story County, and he has been a constant resident of the same since that time. He is now the owner of 160 acres of well-im- proved land, and has it well stocked. He was married on November 1, 1885, to Miss Nina Stratton, a daughter of J. A. Stratton, who is a resident of Iowa Centre, Iowa. She was the third child of six living children: J. M. Stratton (in Story County ), Belle (now Mrs. M. T. Hard- esty, of Nevada ), Eva (now Mrs. Ellis Alder- man, of McCall), Berge, George and Albert (of Iowa Centre). To the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Campbell have been born two chil- dren: Robert J. and Benjamin F. Mr. Camp- bell is a public-spirited citizen, and a success- ful, enterprising farmer.
Oliver Chamberlin resides near the town of Cambridge, in Story County, Iowa, but was born in Scioto County, Ohio, July 13, 1816, being the second of nine children whose names are as follows: Mary (who died in Ohio, at the age of about seventy years) Marie (Mrs. White, also died in that State), Myra (was the wife of a Mr. Stenard, and also died in Ohio), Mahala (was the wife of a Mr. White, and both died in the "Buckeye State"), Matilda ( was the wife of a Mr. Newell, and passed from life in Ohio), Minerva (deceased), Orilla (died in Ohio, the wife of a Mr. Duteil, ) and three other chil- dren-two sons and one daughter. The father of these children was born in Connecticut, but until twenty-two years of age spent the most of his life in Vermont, where he learned the calling of a farmer. In 1808 he removed to Ohio, and from that State enlisted in the War of 1812, going as a teamster to Sandusky City. He died when about eighty-three years of age, his wife, a native of Pennsylvania,
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