USA > Iowa > Story County > Biographical and historical memoirs of Story County, Iowa > Part 41
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Falcon M. Confare, farmer and stock breeder, Nevada, Iowa. This young but prosperous agriculturist of Story County was originally from Indiana, his birth occurring in Wayne County April 25, 1860, and is the son of Ben- jamin and Permelia D. (Murray) Confare. The father was born in Butler County, Ohio, July 20, 1834, and is the son of John Con- fare, a native of Pennsylvania, who went to the Buckeye State when a young man, and was there married to Miss Mary Sartman, a native of Ohio. John Confare was a farmer by oc- cupation and a plasterer by trade. He moved to Indiana in 1846, locating in Wayne County, where he resided until an old man, after which he came to Iowa and resided with our subject until his death, which occurred in March, 1887. He served three years in the late war. His wife survives him, and is now seventy-three years of age. She resides in Indiana with her daughter. Benjamin Confare, father of Falcon, reached manhood in Wayne County, Ind., and remained with his father until twen-
ty-one years of age. He was married there, November 27, 1856, to Miss Permelia D. Mur- ray, a native of Indiana, and the daughter of Veniah Murray. This wife died August 20, 1863, and left one son, Falcon M. After his mar- riage Mr. Confare farmed in Indiana until after the war, when he moved to Iowa (1868), and lo- cated in Story County, north of Nevada. He has been a resident of the same ever since. On December 26, 1868, in Carroll County, Ind., he was married to Miss G. M. Thomp- son, a native of Carroll County, Ind., and the daughter of Henry Thompson. Three chil- dren were born to this union: William, Flor- ence and Katie. Mr. and Mrs. Confare are members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and socially Mr. Confare is past mas- ter in the I. O. O. F. He has held several local positions of honor and trust. His son, Falcon M. Confare, who was the only child born to his first marriage, received a common-school education, and when about ten years of age came to Story County. He began farming for himself in Milford Township when about twen- ty-one years of age, and became the owner of 240 acres. In February, 1884, he sold that farm, and in the fall of the same year bought his present home in Nevada Township, on Sec- tion 21, three miles southeast of Nevada. He has 160 acres of well-improved land, and is actively engaged in farming and stock breed- ing. For a number of years he has been giv- ing attention to breeding horses, and now owns Honest John III, which he purchased when it was about three years of age. The horse was im- ported in May, 1887, by Frank Curtis, is of English shire stock, and is one of the fine horses of the county. In 1882 our subject was married to Miss May Harrison, who was born in Nevada in 1864, and who is the daugh- ter of Samuel and Elizabeth Harrison, resi- dents of Nevada. Two Mr. and Mrs. Confare
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were born two children: Jesse B. (born in 1883) and Lessie May (born in 1884). In his po- litical preferences he is a Republican, and his first presidential vote was for James G. Blaine. Mr. Confare is industrious and progressive, and is recognized as one of the enterprising young farmers of Nevada Township. Mrs. Confare is a member of the Cumberland Pres- byterian Church.
James W. Cook, farmer, Nevada, Iowa. Every community is bound to have among her citizens a few men of recognized influence and ability, who by their systematic and careful, thorough manner of work attain to a success which is justly deserved. Among this class is Mr. James W. Cook, a man esteemed to be a prominent and substantial, as well as progress- ive, farmer, of the township. He was born in Culpeper County, Va., on August 14, 1834, and his parents, Wesley and Nancy ( Edwards ) Cook, were natives also of the Old Dominion. The father died in Ohio at the age of forty- five years, but the mother is still living, is a resident of the Buckeye State, and is about seventy-six years of age. They moved to Ohio about 1836. James W. Cook, the eldest of five children, was reared on the farm and began for himself by tilling the soil in Ohio, where he continued until 1859. In the fall of that year he came to Story County, settled in Ne- vada Township, and in the fall of 1866 removed to his present farm, three miles east of Nevada, where he owns 250 acres of land. He made his own way in life and the principal part of his property since the war. During that great struggle he served in Company A, Twelfth Iowa, from 1864 until the close of the war. Previous to this, in 1857, he was married in Ohio to Miss Sarah E. Barnes, whose birth occurred in Oneida County, N. Y., on April 2, 1836, and who is the daughter of Philip and Lutitia (Bailey) Barnes, both of
whom died in the Buckeye State. Seven chil- dren were born to Mr. and Mrs. Cook: George P., John W., Nancy A., Mary M., James T. Lewis C. and Frederick. Mr. Cook is a Dem- ocrat in politics, is a member of the G. A. R., Woods Lodge No. 99, and he and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. When he first came to this State he rented land for seven years, but is now the owner of one of the best farms in the county.
John Cook, farmer and stock-raiser, Cam- bridge, Iowa, is justly conceded a place among the enterprising, influential men of worth in this community. Not only is he esteemed as one of the pioneers of the county, but is one of its pro- gressive and substantial citizens. Born in Central New York on the 15th of August, 1835, he was the fourth of eight children-five sons and three daughters [ see sketch of Charles Cook for further particulars of family ]. The father was a native of Scotland and the mother of Ireland, and the former was a successful agri- culturist. He died when about eighty-three and the mother when sixty-five years of age, and both are interred in Centre Grove Ceme- iery. John Cook's educational attainments were obtained in the old subscription schools, and in the common country schools of New York. He early had instilled into his youth- ful nature all the duties of farm life, and this calling has ever continued to be his chosen field of labor. He commenced for himself at the early age of fourteen years, and is to-day one of the most practical farmers in Union Township, whither he had moved from Lewis County, N. Y., in October, 1855. He chose as his companion in life Miss Lucy Sear, a native of Ohio, born July 19, 1843, and who received her education in the Clinton (Iowa) high schools. This marriage was consummated in Clinton, Iowa, on the 24th of February, 1866, and three children were born to them-all sons:
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Fred (resides with his parents, has a fair com- mon-school education, and has chosen farming and stock-raising as his occupation ), Jasper (re- sides at home and is also a farmer ) and George (who died of scarlet fever when about eight years of age). Mr. Cook has identified himself with the Republican party, but is not a strict partisan, favoring the man rather than the party. He cast his first presidential vote for the lamented Abraham Lincoln, at his first election, and at a time when the war cloud hung o'er sea and land. At different times Mr. Cook has been tendered positions in his township, but has modestly declined, being aware that a practical farmer's time is of more value and consequence to him than any official position. He has served, however, all of five years as school director, and is a great sup- porter of all good educational principles which tend to develop the rising generation. He and Mrs. Cook are ready to aid all enterprises cal- culated to benefit Story County, and they allow no worthy movement to fail for want of support so far as they are concerned. Mr. Cook emi- grated direct to this county in 1855, as above stated, and was one of the first pioneers of Union Township. Many are the changes which have occurred since this worthy citizen located here, and he has witnessed the growth of what was once a vast marshy tract of land to one of the most prosperous and influential counties in the State. Nevada contained only two stores and three or four houses, and Cambridge contained a little shanty and an old water saw-mill. Mr. Cook got out the timbers of the Cambridge City Steam Mills, and he also dug the pit at the mill. He being one of the first settlers can relate many interesting incidents relative to pioneer times. He tells about the first cele- bration held in Cambridge, and how he was one of the number who raised the first liberty pole. Mr. Cook is a living example of what
can be accomplished by honesty, toil, frugality and economy. He is the owner of 500 acres of improved land, a comfortable and commodi- ous house and excellent out-buildings. His first neighbors were Amos Ball, Josiah Chand- ler and S. Chandler. He has 500 rods of tiling on his farm, and intends to tile more. He and Mrs. Cook expect to make Story Coun- ty their home for the future, and, surrounded by an abundance of this world's goods, are con- tent to pass the balance of their days here.
Charles Cook is an old resident of the town of Cambridge, and, although he was formerly engaged in harness and saddle-making, he is now giving his attention to the livery business. He is a native of New York, his birth occur- ring in Lewis County in 1839, and he was the seventh of eight children born to Robert and Catharine Cook, who were natives of Europe, and of Scotch-Irish descent. The father was a farmer by calling, and died in Story County, Iowa, at the age of seventy-nine years, his wife also dying there, aged about seventy years. The names of their children are as follows: Sarah ( who died in New York, aged about sixty years), William (who married Miss Rosetta Steele, and was engaged in harness and saddle making in New York for many years), Marie (who is the wife of John De Lawyer, a farmer of Polk County, Iowa), John ( who is married to Miss Lucy Sayers, and is following the oc- cupation of a farmer in Story County, Iowa), James (who was a miner in California, and died at about the age of forty-five years ), Rob- ert E. (who is married to Miss Nancy Marie Ferris, and is engaged in farming and carpen- tering in Benton County, Iowa), Charles (the subject of this sketch) and Mary (the wife of A. C. White, a farmer of Kansas). Charles Cook obtained his early training in the com- mon schools, and also took a short course in a select school in New York; and from the time
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he attained his majority he has always sup- ported and upheld educational interests. He was married in North Carolina, in 1867, to. Miss Henrietta Watson, and unto them have been born a family of nine children, six of whom are living: Katie (married to M. M. Keller, a lawyer, of Missouri), Tabitha M. (who died at the age of four years), Charles W. (who lives with his parents in Cambridge, and is engaged in the livery business with his father), John L. (who died at the untimely age of seventeen years, May 13, 1890), Anna Sweet, George Maxwell, Harry M. (who died in in- fancy ), Addah V., and Lizzie May (the baby). Mr. Cook was mustered into the Union service in the fall of 1861, becoming a member of Company D, Ninety-fourth New York Infantry Volunteers, and after fourteen months' service he was transferred to Company M, Fifth United States Cavalry, and was assigned to the Army of the Potomac. His regiment took an active part in seventeen engagements, the principal ones being the second battle of Bull Run, Beverly Ford, Falling Waters, Ashby's Gap, Manassas Gap, Front Royal, Gettysburg and Winchester (and witnessed Gen. Phil Sheridan, after his famous ride, rallying his men to vic- tory), Culpeper Court House and Lynchburg, Va. Mr. Cook, with about 900 men, was cap- tured and paroled on the field at Manassas, he being under the command of Gen. Pope at that time. He was present at the Grand Review at Washington, D. C., and returned home with the consciousness of having served "Uncle Sam" faithfully and well. After his three years of enlistment had expired he became connected with the construction party, and remained steadily in the Government employ until the final surrender. He received honorable dis- charge in the fall of 1864, at Middletown, Va. He received a severe injury, while in the serv- ice, by his horse falling upon him but he has
never drawn any relief from the Government as yet. At the early age of fourteen years he commenced doing for himself, and was reared to the trade of a harness-maker and saddler, in Jefferson County, N. Y. He emigrated to Story County, Iowa, direct from Raleigh, N. C., in 1870, and although this county at that time offered few inducements to settlers, he located here, and here has since resided, being now the owner of a comfortable home and business. He has always been identified with the Repub- lican party, and his first presidential vote was cast for Abraham Lincoln. He belongs to Ersland Post No 234, G. A. R., at Cambridge, Iowa, and also belongs to the Masonic frater- nity of Cambridge. He and his wife have al- ways been liberal contributors to worthy enter- prises, and are highly respected in this com- munity.
Charles W. Cook, farmer, Nevada, Iowa. Among the many estimable citizens of Story County stands the name of Charles W. Cook, who is one of the progressive and substantial farmers of his portion of the county. He was | born in Lake County, Ill., on December 14, 1840, and is the son of Alonzo and Mary (Holton ) Cook, the father a native of Vermont, born in 1808, and the mother a native of Massa- chusetts, born the same year. They were mar- ried in 1836, and now have been living together fifty-three years. They make their home with their son, Charles W. In 1832 the father went from Vermont to Chicago, Ill., where he was in business for some time. The paternal grand- father, Nathan Cook, was born in Massachu- setts and died in Vermont, at seventy years of age. His wife died in the same State when eighty-one years of age. The Cook family are of English descent. Charles W. Cook, the elder of two children, received; in addition to a common-school education, several terms of training in the Batavia Institute, Illinois, and
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assisted his father on the farm until 1862, when he enlisted in Company B, One Hundred and Twenty-fourth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, serv- ing three years. He was at Champion's Hill, siege of Vicksburg, Mobile, and was honorably discharged in 1865; then returned to Illinois, where he resided until 1869, and then came to Story County, Iowa, settling on his present property. His farm, consisting of 120 acres, is situated two miles west of Colo and five miles east of Nevada. Mr. Cook was married, in 1877, to Miss Adalaide M. French, who was born in Story County, Iowa, on June 11, 1856, and who is the daughter of Isaac and Rebecca (Hague) French. The fruits of this union were three children: Glenville D. (born in 1880), Blanche (born in 1886), and Clarence Jay (born in 1888). In politics Mr. Cook is a Republican, and his first presidential vote was for Gen. U. S. Grant. He is a member of the A. F. & A. M., and the G. A. R., and is one of the honor- able men of Nevada Township.
Rev. Campbell Coyle, pastor of the Presby- terian Church at Nevada, Iowa, was born on a farm near Coburg, Canada, March 4, 1861, being a son of James and Ann (Thompson) Coyle, the former of whom was born near Dub- lin, Ireland, in 1819, and the latter near Edin- burgh, Scotland, in 1821. He came with his parents to the United States in 1865, and until the fall of 1878 was a resident of the northern peninsula of Michigan, after which the family moved to Crawfordsville, the Athens of In- diana, where Wabash College is located, and from this institution Rev. Coyle was graduated in 1886. He then spent the three following years in McCormick Theological Seminary, of Chicago, and just before graduating received and accepted a call to the Presbyterian Church of Nevada, Iowa, and on June 11, 1889, was ordained and installed pastor of this church. He is an interesting speaker, and is a man who
is honored and respected by the members of his church. He is a brother of Rev. Robert F. Coyle, D. D., pastor of Fullerton Avenue Presbyterian Church, of Chicago. He was mar- ried on September 10, 1889, to Miss Alice Hays, daughter of Rev. L. Y. Hays, but her death occurred on May 7, 1890, at the untimely age of twenty-one years and eight months. Her whole life had been devoted to Christian work, and she was a true and noble lady, and her early death was mourned by all who knew her.
Frank Bartis Cramer, editor and proprie- tor of the Slater News, Slater, Iowa. Mr. Cramer is a resident of the thriving and en- terprising town of Slater, Story County, Iowa, and is also editor and proprietor of the Slater News, a neat, newsy journal, which is admirably supported by the people. Mr. Cra- mer was born in Hamden, Vinton County, Ohio, on the 15th of November, 1863, and was the eighth in a family of twelve children-four sons and eight daughters. His parents were both natives of Ohio, and the father was a harness-maker by trade. He is mayor of the town of Hamden, and has filled this position for twelve years with great satisfaction. He is now about fifty-six years of age. The mother is now deceased. Frank B. Cramer obtained a good practical education, and when eighteen years of age began learning teleg- raphy. He was train dispatcher for the Chi- cago, Rock-Island & Pacific Railroad for about three and a half years, which was a very responsible and onerous position for a young man of his years. He went to Des Moines, Iowa, where he resigned his position to take a similar one on a division of the Chicago, St. Paul & Kansas City Railway, where he re- ceived a large salary. He at once, after leav- ing the dispatcher's " key," located in Slater, Iowa, in 1890, and founded the Slater News,
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a journal which is exclusively devoted to the interests of his patrons. Mr. Cramer is a pro- gressive young man, and under his efficient management the News has come to be regarded as one of the representative country journals, although it has only been established a short time. He has ever been an earnest advocate of all public enterprises calculated to benefit the county, and through the columns of his jour- nal has wielded no slight influence in directing the steps to be taken for any worthy movement. Mr. Cramer was married to Miss Blanche Stier, a native of Iowa, born on the 15th of January, 1871, and who was educated in the Female Seminary at Ottumwa, Iowa. To this marriage has been born one child-Harry Bending, who is now two years of age. Mr. Cramer has al- ways affiliated with the Republican party, and cast his first presidential vote for James G. Blaine. He has ever taken an active part in the body politics of his township, county and national ticket. He and wife have not fully decided to make this their future home, as Mr. Cramer has been tendered most excellent positions on standard railway systems as dis- patcher, with such a flattering salary, that in all probability he will accept. He is yet a young man in years, and his prospects for the future seem unusually bright.
S. W. Dakins (deceased). Nature seems to have intended Mr. Dakins for a long and more than ordinarily useful life, but while just in his prime his career was closed forever. He was born in the province of Canada in 1840, and after receiving his education and rearing, and remaining there until 1870, he came to the conclusion that the West offered an excellent field for a man of enterprise and energy, and his first settlement was made in Story County, Iowa. He purchased a one-half section of land just north of Zearing, and being a man of great energy and much ability he was not long
in securing a comfortable home in his new location, and in time proved the wisdom of his views regarding the promises to settlers in the West, for he increased his original purchase of land to 440 acres, and had it improved by fine buildings of all kinds, and a good bearing orchard. His extensive acquaintance and long connection with the affairs of this vicinity ren- dered him well and popularly known, and al- though he devoted the greater part of his life to tilling the soil, and only received a common- school education, he was known to be a man of intelligence, sound views, and thoroughly reli- able in every respect. He was married in Illi- nois, in 1870, to Miss Kate Cahill, also a na- tive of Canada, but she was called from the scene of her earthly labors in 1881. Two years later his marriage with Miss Clara E. Gressley took place, she being a daughter of Charles and Sophia (Corfman) Gressley, who were early emigrants to Colo, the mother being still a resident of that place. Mrs. Dakius was brought to Story County, Iowa, when she was about five years of age, and here she grew to maturity and was married. On August 9, 1889, she was called upon to mourn the death of her estimable husband, who had always been a wise, kind and indulgent husband and father. Mrs. Dakins is a lady in every sense of the term, and one whose refined presence and noble qualities of mind and heart have endeared her to a large circle of friends. She now contin- nes to reside on the magnificent farm left her by her husband, together with her two chil- dren: Manley E. and Howard. Mr. Dakins was one of ten children born to Elisha and Sarah (Buker) Dakins, the former being born in the State of New York in 1813, and in after years followed the occupation of tilling the soil. When a young man he moved to Canada, and was there married and reared his family. Hon. John Lockwood Dana is a man who
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has steadily and surely made his way to the front in the profession of law, and he possesses in a more than ordinary degree the natural at- tributes essential to a successful career at the bar and in public. He was born in New Haven, Ohio, March 25, 1827, his parents, Joseph and Alcy (Lockwood) Dana, being born in New Hampshire and Rhode Island, May 5, 1769, and July 8, 1780, and died at Fremont, Ohio, April 5, 1850, and March 10, 1850, respectively. The father was a proficient and very successful educator by profession, but when the War of 1812 broke out gave up this calling for a time to enlist in the service of the United States, and was a participant in the engagements at Bridgewater and Lundy's Lane. He removed with his family to Huron County, Ohio, in 1816, and there spent his declining years. The subject of this sketch is the youngest of twelve children, two now living, and he first attended school at Fremont, Ohio, but from 1847 until 1850 he was a student in Oberlin College (Ohio), and from 1851 until 1852 he was a student in the law department of the Ohio Uni- versity at Cincinnati, being a classmate of Oliver P. Morton and Daniel W. Voorhees. He was graduated in March of the latter year, but as he had had the "gold fever " for some time, he, in company with a brother, started across the plains to California with 100 yoke of oxen and twenty wagons, and after remain- ing in that State until 1852 they returned to Ohio. In 1853 Mr. Dana started once more for California, and made his way on horseback and alone from Council Bluffs to Salt Lake City. The same year he returned to his old home, and in 1854 came to Iowa and settled in Keokuk County, but in 1855 took up his abode in Marshalltown, where during the winter of 1855-56 he and his wife taught school. In the spring they came to Story County, and here have since made their home. In his profes-
sional capacity he soon became well and favor- ably known, and from 1858 until 1860 he rep- resented Story County in the General Assem- bly of Iowa, being its first representative. He was admitted to the bar in Sigourney, Keokuk County, Iowa, in October, 1854, and for the past thirty-five years he has assisted in secur- ing pensions to soldiers and soldiers' widows. He is one of the oldest lawyers in this section of the country, and is an honor to the calling. He has been a life-long Republican and helped or- ganize that party in the State of Iowa and Story County, and served one term as mayor of Ne- vada. In 1858, while a member of the State Legislature, he walked home from Des Moines and located the site for the State Agricultural College. He took a very active part in the lo- cation of the college in this county, and secured for it more than three-fourths of all the land and money donated by citizens of the counties of Story and Boone, for the use of the college. He deserves much credit for his interest and work in this direction, but aside from this he has always been a patron of worthy enterprises. He took an active part in the enactment of the laws relative to our present school system, of which Iowa is justly proud. Mr. Dana was mar- ried on February 16, 1854, to Miss Harriet A. Davis, who was born in Bucyrus, Ohio, No- vember 28, 1835, a daughter of Rev. John Davis, of Ohio. They have three children: Frank, Florence and Mabel.
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