USA > Iowa > Story County > Biographical and historical memoirs of Story County, Iowa > Part 49
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Baldwin & Maxwell, at Iowa Centre, Iowa. He has always taken an active interest in the po- litical affairs of the county and State, and has ever had the best interests of the Republican party at heart. His first presidential vote was cast for Abraham Lincoln, while he was yet under age and serving in the army. In 1875 he was elected to the position of treasurer of Story County, by a majority of six votes, was re-elected two years later with a majority of nearly 1,000, and at the end of two years was again chosen to the position, proving, during his terms of office, one of the most efficient treasurers the county ever had. He is thor- oughly identified with the business interests of Nevada, is a man of enterprise, intelligence, and strictly honorable principles, and his la- bors here have met with most pleasing results from a pecuniary point of view. He has shown his approval of secret orders by becoming a member of the A. F. & A. M., joining Lodge No. 99, of Nevada, 3 X 3 Chapter No. 92, St. Alde- mar Commandery, at Marshalltown, and Elka- hir Temple, at Cedar Rapids, and also belongs to Sampson Lodge No. 77, K. of P., of which he is a charter member. He is a member of J. D. Ferguson Post of the G. A. R. at Neva- da. His marriage to Miss Lillie Day, of Ne- vada, took place in 1880, and by her he is the father of one child: Day E. Mrs. King passed from the scene of her earthly labors in June, 1881, and Mr. King remained a widower until 1889, when he wedded Mrs. C. E. Coggshall, formerly Miss Severns, born in Ohio. Mr. King has been a resident of this county for twenty-two years, having from the very first identified himself with its material progress and development, and his career has been one that reflects great credit upon him.
Seaman Asahel Knapp, LL. D., was born in the town of Schroon, Essex County, N. Y., De- cember 16, 1833. His father, Dr. Bradford
Knapp, was a physician of eminence in North- ern New York, and belonged to one of the oldest families of the Empire State. He was sixth in descent from Nicholas Knapp, who came to America in 1630 in the fleet of Winthrop and Salstanstall, and settled in Westchester County, N. Y., in 1648. Nicholas was grandson of Roger Knapp, a knight of large possessions and great renown in the time of Henry VIII. Rhoda Seaman, the mother of Seaman A. Knapp, was a woman of rare natural ability and accomplishments. Her family dates in New England from the landing of the Pilgrims, and was noted for scholarship. Her uncle established the first school for the higher education of young men and women in Northern New York. Her brother was the first graduate of the first normal school estab- lished in America. At the age of sixteen S. A. Knapp was sent to the Troy Conference Semi- nary. At twenty-two he graduated at Union College, Schenectady, N. Y., taking the honor of Phi Beta Kappa for scholarship. In 1856 he married Maria E., daughter of Hon. Hiram Hotchkiss. Her family came from New Haven. She was a graduate of Troy Confer- ence Seminary. Her family was eminent in the production of scholars and statesmen. After his marriage Mr. Knapp took the chair of Greek and higher mathematics in the Fort Edward Collegiate Institute, later became as- sociate president and joint manager with Jo- seph E. King, D. D., during which time the school was very prosperous. In 1863, with Rev. Dr. Newman, he founded the Ripley Fe- male College, at Poultney, Vt., which was highly successful. In 1866, seeking to recuperate his broken health, he came to Iowa, where, in 1869, he was elected president of the State College for the Blind. Six years later he re- signed this position, and devoted himself to the agricultural interests of the State, was promi-
Jany acking.
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nent in the organization of the Iowa Stock Breeders' Association, of which he was first president, and was personally successful in rearing improved live stock. In 1879 he was elected professor of agriculture, and afterward president of the State Industrial College at Ames, and for six years was a valued citizen of Story County. In 1885 he removed to Lake Charles, La., and became one of the local managers of the North American Land and Timber Company, a syndicate owning large tracts of land along the Gulf coast. In 1888 he became president of the Southern Real Es- tate Loan and Guarantee Company, and mana- ger of the American interests of the Louisiana and Southern States Real Estate and Mortgage Company, an association which includes some of the leading capitalists of England. In the family are two daughters and three sons: Min- nie (wife of A. M. Mayo, of Lake Charles, La. ), Helen (aged thirteen), Prof. Herman Knapp (treasurer of the Iowa Agricultural College), Bradford (now a student in Vander- bilt University, Tenn. ), and Seaman Arthur (a student of the Iowa Agricultural College). It is readily seen that Dr. Knapp is a man of affairs, of fine executive and administrative ability, and an exceptional type of the self- cultured and growthy American. By his energy and genius he has broadly laid the foundations for a personal fortune, while never omitting to do his full duty to each locality that from time to time has claimed him as a citizen.
William Vance Kyle. The Emerald Isle ! has bequeathed to America some of her best citizens, and it is to her that Story County is indebted for one of its representative agricult- urists, William Kyle. He was born in the county of Londonderry, North Ireland, on Jan- uary 11, 1824, of Scotch parentage, his father's occupation being that of a fine linen draper
and a husbandman. He was the second in a family of nine children-six sons and three daughters-whose names are: Mary, Willianı, James, John, Andrew, Nancy, Joseph, Mar- garet Jane and Thomas J. Mary is now Mrs. William Galloway, and her home is in White Water, Wis .; (her husband was born in Ireland, but is now a retired farmer of the above men- tioned place) ; James is married and carries on agricultural pursuits at Lima Center, Rock County, Wis .; John is also married and farms in Jefferson County, Wis .; Andrew was an em- ploye of the Chicago & North-Western Railroad for a period of over twenty-five years, but de- parted this life in 1887, leaving a widow who still survives; Nancy is the widow of James Boyd, who was a farmer by occupation, and her home is in Denver, Colo .; Joseph, a farmer by occupation, wedded Miss Ella Graham, and they make their home in Rock County, Wis .; Margaret Jane married Duncan McArthur, a Scotchman, and their home is in Rock County, Wis., where the husband is successfully en- gaged in tilling the soil; and Thomas J. mar- ried Miss Mary Boyd, and is now engaged in merchandising in Walworth County, Wis. William Vance Kyle obtained his early educa- tion at the schools in the North of Ireland, and tells how he carried bis coppers to pay his tuition, and brought the peat for his share of fuel. He was reared as a farmer's boy, but in early life wove fine linen. In 1845 he sailed from Belfast, Ireland, and after a stormy and tempestuous voyage of five weeks, landed at New York City. He then took the New York & Erie Canal to Buffalo, N. Y., and there took passage in the "Constitution," for Milwaukee, Wis., and after his arrival in that State, em- barked in agricultural pursuits. In January, 1850, he started for California, going as far as New Orleans. Upon arriving in that city he learned that a ticket through to San Francisco,
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Cal., would cost $1,000, and he then gave up the California project for the time and located at Weston, Mo., from where, after a time of hard toil, he started across the continent with ox-teams. In crossing the plains they ex- perienced many hardships and privations, and at Carson River cholera entered the company, and took ten out of the band of sixty originally composing the company. After arriving in California, Mr. Kyle mined for two and one- half years, and then returned to his home in Rock County, Wis., and on January 13, 1853, Miss Jeannette McArthur, a native of Scotland, became his wife. He continued in Rock County, Wis., until 1864, engaged in various pursuits, but in the spring of that year he and his brother, T. J., made a trip to Idaho, with two loads of merchandise, and this venture proved a complete success. Returning to Wisconsin, he at once set out in a wagon with his family for Story County, Iowa, and upon arriving there he purchased forty acres of raw prairie land, totally unimproved. At that time there were but few settlers in the county, there being but twelve or fifteen residences in sight of his present home. Mr. Kyle has added eighty-eight acres to his original tract, and now has his entire farm under cultivation and well improved, with all necessary buildings, etc. He is quite extensively engaged in stock- raising, making a specialty of graded cattle, and in this he has been very successful. He and wife are both worthy members of the Re- formed Presbyterian society, and are zealous workers in the same. They are the parents of the following children: Nettie (deceased), Mary (deceased), Ellen, Nancy and Maggie (at home), Willie (deceased), Mary E. (wife of Charles Kingsbury, a farmer of Story ,County ), and T. J. (at home). James A. Dale, the little son of their deceased daughter Net- tie, makes his home with his grandparents, and
lends gladness to their home. Mr. Kyle af- filiates with Arcade Lodge No. 249, A. F. & A. M., Ames, Iowa, and is an admirer of the principles of the Farmer's Alliance, being un- der the impression that its mission is a good one. He belongs to the Republican party.
Daniel Lamb, farmer, Maxwell, Iowa. An es- teemed resident of Collins Township, Mr. Lamb is now in his sixty-seventh year, having been born in Henry County, Ind., on the 21st of January, 1824. His parents, Zeno and Martha (Hutson) Lamb, were natives of North Caro- lina. The father moved to Indiana at an early day, settling first in Wayne, and then in Henry County, where he helped clear the wilderness, and there resided until 1854. In the spring of that year he moved to Iowa, settled in Story County, and entered the land where our sub- ject now resides. There his death occurred in the spring of 1885. He held a number of local offices, justice of the peace, etc. His wife died about 1873. Daniel Lamb, the eldest of five children, grew to manhood in Indiana, and was married there, first in 1846, to Mrs. Mariam Whitson, a widow, and the daughter of Jesse Draper. Mrs. Lamb was born in Ohio, and with her parents moved to Indiana. After Mr. Whitson's death, she and Daniel Lamb moved to a farm in Henry County, which he cleared of heavy timber. There he resided until the fall of 1855, when he sold out, and moved to Iowa, locating in Story County. He bought the land of his father, and now has his place improved, and on it has erected a good dwelling and sub- stantial out-buildings. On this farm Mrs. Lamb died, in 1873, leaving six children: Zeno (mar- ried, and resides in Wyoming), Mary ( wife of Oliver Conner, of Calhoun County, Iowa), Jo- siah (in this county ), Delphia (wife of William Sanderson, of Kansas), Jesse (in California) and Josephine, wife of Henry Meese, of Jasper County). Two children died in early child-
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hood. Mr. Lamb was married in this county in the fall of 1873 to Mrs. Mary Ann Beach, a widow, and a native of Pennsylvania. She was reared in Michigan, but later moved to this State, where her first husband died. She had three children by this marriage, all married. Mr. Lamb entered the army in November, 1864, Eighth Iowa Infantry, and served one year, being discharged at Montgomery, Ala., in November, 1865. He was in the fight at Spanish Fort, and many skirmishes. He has been a member of the board of supervisors of the county, has been township trustee, and has served as justice of the peace three or more terms. He is a member of the G. A. R. Post. He and Mrs. Lamb are members of the Method- ist Protestant Church.
Amos A. Lande, druggist, Slater, Iowa. Mr. Lande, the subject of this sketch, is a res- ident of the enterprising little town of Slater, Iowa, and is owner and proprietor of an excel- lent drug store in the village. He is a for- eigner, his birth having occurred in Norway, near the old city of Bergen, on January 10, 1866, and was the youngest of nine children- four sons and five daughters-who are named as follows: Albert (married, and engaged in farming in Story County), Mary (married a farmer, and died at the age of thirty-two years), Carrie (resides in Sioux County, Iowa, and is the wife of a farmer), Ole (married, a farmer, and died at the age of twenty-nine years), Helen (died in infancy ), George (married, and engaged in farming in Story County ), Helen (single, and died at about the age of twenty years), and Bertha (married a merchant and died at the age of twenty-three years). The parents of these children were both natives of Norway, and the father was an agriculturist. The latter died on June 15, 1890, and his re- mains are interred in the cemetery near the town of Huxley, Iowa. The mother is still liv-
ing and is sixty-seven years of age. Amos A. Lande emigrated with his parents to the Unit- ed States in 1866, and located in Polk County, Iowa, where he remained until 1869. His par- ents then removed to Story County, Iowa. He had received his early educational training in the common schools of Iowa, and afterward at- tended the Iowa Business College at Des Moines. When about sixteen years of age he served an apprenticeship to a pharmacist, and also attended the school of pharmacy at Des Moines. He located at Sheldahl, Iowa, in 1886, and removed from there to Slater, Iowa, in 1887, where he carries, at the present time, a large and complete stock of pure drugs, oils, paints, perfumeries and all fancy articles. He also keeps a full line of text books and school supplies. Mr. Lande was married on October 25, 1888, to Miss Bertha Hill, a native of Iowa, born on January 16, 1868, and who was edu- cated in the common schools. One little daughter is the result of this union, Marie Helene, aged five months. Mr. Lande is a stanch Republican, and his first presidential vote was cast for Benjamin Harrison. He is not an ultra politician, being a practical bus- iness man who attends strictly to his business. He and wife are devout members of the Lu- theran Church, and they contribute liberally to all worthy enterprises. Socially he is a mem- ber of the I. O. O. F. He is a young man pos- sessed of fine business qualifications, and is a practical pharmacist. He is the owner of a fine residence in Slater, and his large line of merchandise.
David L. Lang, farmer and stock-raiser, also breeder of fine stock, is a native of Ohio, born in 1852, but grew to manhood and received his education in Illinois. The parents, J. A. and Betsy A. (Williams) Lang, were natives of New Hampshire and Canada, and born, re- spectively, in 1827 and 1828. The father came
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to Ohio when a youth, located in Loraine Coun- ty, and there received his final summons in the winter of 1889. The maternal grandparents of our subject, John and Lucia (Collins ) Williams, were natives of Vermont and Canada, born in 1777 and 1803, respectively. David L. Lang was the second of the following children: F. H. (born in 1849), Ella H. (born in 1854), Nel- son C. (born in 1856). David L. moved with his parents to Illinois, in 1858, and here remained until after the war, when they returned to Ohio. About 1870 David Lang returned to Illinois, resided there for some time, and in 1873 was married to Miss Addie Hill, who bore him the following children: Frank H. (born April 19, 1874), Grace (born December 11, 1875), Net- tie (born April 26, 1878), and Genevieve (born November 14, 1881). Leaving Ohio, Mr. Lang moved to Story County, Iowa, locating on Sec- tion 31, of Milford Township, where he owns a quarter section of fine land, all well improved and well stocked. Mr. Lang is a member of the A. F. & A. M., and has at all times voted the Re- publican ticket. He has served as township trustee since 1878, and has ever taken an active interest in school and any and all laudable enterprises that come to his notice.
Ole C. Langland, a model farmer, excellent business man, and an exceedingly pleasant gentleman in every way, was born in Norway, September 28, 1837, and passed eighteen years of his life in that country, after which he came to America, and located in Grundy County, where he remained for some little time. Mr. Langland enlisted, August 20, 1861, in the Thirty-sixth Illinois Infantry, was transferred to the Fifteenth Illinois Cavalry, and served until the end of the war, exhibiting at all times the courage and prowess for which Norwegians are famous, in the battles of Pea Ridge, Corinth, Jackson and many others, but had the good luck not to be wounded in any of
them. At the close of the war he returned to Illinois, soon afterward locating in Story Coun- ty, Iowa, where he now resides, and owns 360 acres of fine prairie land. His residence is very large and quite handsome, and the farm is improved from one end to the other, and every new idea of merit is put into practice by our subject, who ranks high in the commu- nity. In polities he is a Republican, and a strong supporter of his party; has held many public offices, and is supervisor of the county roads. Mr. Langland married Miss Betsy Gun- derson, who resided in Norway in childhood, coming to this country at the age of thirteen, and living since that time in Story County. She is a daughter of John Gunderson, and the mother of eleven children, seven living: John, Ann, Malinda, Sivren, Olena, Jacob and Mar- tin. The family are members of the Lutheran Church.
George Lash, farmer and stock-raiser, Max- well, Iowa. On July 10, 1830, in Wayne County, Ohio, there was born to the union of John and Catherine (Onstott) Lash a son, who is now taken as the subject of this sketch. He was one of sixteen children-eight sons and eight daughters-of whom twelve grew to mature years, and became the heads of families. Five sons and four daughters are living at the present time. George Lash was reared in Kosciusko County, Ind., and remained under the parental roof until twenty-one years of age. He moved to Iowa in 1854, located in Buchanan County, and there remained one year. From there he moved to Butler County, and after a residence there of about ten years, moved to Story County, where he bought his present property. He is the owner of 255 acres of land, all in a good state of cultivation, and has good, commodious buildings on the same, a good orchard, etc. When he first located on his place all was prairie, with not a house to be
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seen, but he went to work, and by hard work and perseverance has become the owner of one of the best farms in the township. He was married in Kosciusko County, Ind., September 23, 1852, to Miss Margaret Wolfkill, a native of Pennsylvania, but who was reared in Ohio, and the daughter of Daniel and Nancy ( Snider) Wolfkill. Two children were boru to Mr. and Mrs. Lash: Olive S. (wife of Joseph Chaffin, now of Nebraska, ) and Orin S. (a farmer and one of the leading stock-dealers of Story County ). Mr. Lash is a member of the Evau- gelical Church, and is a highly-esteemed citi- zen of the community. His father, John Lash, was a native of New Jersey, and moved to Pennsylvania with his parents wheu a lad of ten years. There he was reared, and married Miss Oustott, a native of Pennsylvania. He afterward moved to Wayne County, Ohio, about 1825, resided there until 1836, and then set- tled in Kosciusko County, Ind., where his death occurred July 9, 1852. He held several local offices. His wife survived him until about 1869.
Jacob C. Lee, farmer and stock-raiser, Cam- bridge, Iowa. The subject of this sketch needs no introduction to the people of Story County, for he is one of the oldest and most esteemed citizens of the same, and is one whose integrity and honesty of purpose are unques- tioned. He was born in the Old Dominion in 1823, was the only child of his parents, and was removed from Virginia to his grandparents in Ohio when but three days old, residing with them until eight years of age. He then com- menced life for himself as a farmer boy, work- ing for $1 per month, and when about the above mentioned age emigrated to Vermilion County, Ill., where he resided until 1856. He then came direct to Story County, Iowa, and has resided here ever since. He obtained what little education he could in the common sub-
scription schools, but being a man of sound judgment and good practical common sense, he is as well posted as many who had much better facilities for an education. His parents were natives of Virginia, and died while he was an infant. The father was a farmer by occu- pation. Mr. Lee married Miss Lucy Ellen Cooper in Vermilion County, Ill., aud nine children were the fruits of this union-six sons and three daughters: James (married Miss Jane Pierce, and is a successful farmer of Story County, Iowa), Mary Jane (married a farmer named Benjamin Henderson, and re- sides in Hamilton County, Iowa), Jacob (is engaged in farming in Story County, and mar- ried Miss Macy ), Robert (resides in Story County, engaged in farming, and married Miss May; his twin brother, Allen, married Miss Anna Cerkin, and resides at the Iowa State Agricultural College), Moses (engaged in till- ing the soil in Story County, and was married to Miss Batterson ), Elizabeth (resides in Cam- bridge, Iowa, and married George May), Ellis (resides in Story County, and works on the homestead ), and Rebecca ( who resides at home ). Mr. Lee has always voted the Democratic ticket, and has supported honor and integrity irrespective of party. He and Mrs. Lee have always contributed to all worthy enterprises, and are among the most influential and re- spected citizens of the community. He is the owner of 415 acres of good land, with nearly all under cultivation, and being rich bottom land, makes one of the finest farms in Story County. Mr. Lee has resided on the same for the past thirteen years, has comfortable and commodious buildings, and everything to con- tribute to his ease and pleasure. Mr. and Mrs. Lee expect to make Story County their home for the future, and there, surrounded by peace and plenty, and with their children near, will pass their declining years.
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Michael D. Livingston is a well-known cit- izen and successful hardware merchant of Cam- bridge, Iowa, and although his birth occurred in Belmont County, Ohio, February 27, 1823, he has been a resident of Iowa since 1851, first residing one year in Henry County, then two and one-half years in Linn County, since which time he has been a resident of Story County. At the age of twenty-two years he commenced the battle of life for himself with- out any capital, excepting a strong body, will- ing hands and an industrious and economical disposition, and having been reared to the oc- cupation of farming and stock-raising he made this his chief calling until recently, when he embarked in the mercantile business. On first coming to Story County the prospects for the future prosperity of the settlers was not at all inviting, but he has seen it reclaimed from a marshy and uninviting region into fertile, well- tilled and productive farms. Only two small buildings constituted the now flourishing town of Cambridge, and the residences throughout the township were few and far between. He has seen with pride a rapid development, and has, perhaps, done as much as any man in the county to bring about this desirable result. At that time merchandise had to be hauled from Davenport or Keokuk by ox-teams, but now excellent mercantile establishments of all kinds are in every town, and the goods are sold at prices within the reach of all. Mr. Living- ston's establishment comprises a large and se- lect stock of hardware of all kinds, and besides this he owns some excellent residence property in the town. He is now very comfortably fixed financially, and he and family are surrounded by all that makes life enjoyable-true and agreeable friends and ample means. On Au- gust 27, 1846, he was married to Miss Eliza- beth Wilson, a native of Ohio, and to them a family of eleven children have been born: Mary
E. (is the wife of Richard Newcombe, a farmer of Sac County, Iowa), John W. (is married, and is a dealer in lumber in Kansas City, Mo.), Sarah (is the wife of Dr. Grafton, a physician and surgeon of Cambridge), Frank M. (is as- sociated in business with his father in Cam- bridge, the firm being known as Livingston & Son. He was married to Miss Ringman, a na- tive of Iowa, and is proving himself to be a wide-awake and enterprising young business man. He received his education in a business college of Des Moines, but also took a course of study in the graded schools of Cambridge). The next child in order of birth was William C. (who married a Miss Ball, a native of Illi- nois, and is now engaged in farming in Union County, Iowa), Amanda (is a saleslady in a dry-goods store in Nevada), Mattie (is a teach- er in the public schools of Phelps County, Neb., having received her education in the graded schools of Nevada, Iowa), Alice (is the wife of Henry Lesky, a farmer of Phelps County, Neb. ), Eugene (is married to Miss E. Green, and is a farmer of Story County), Graf- ton (is also a farmer of this county) and Blanche (who resides with her parents. She is well educated, and is fitting herself for the calling of a music teacher). Mr. Livingston has always identified himself with the Demo- crat party, being an admirer of Jeffersonian principles, but he is not an ultra partisan. He has always been an officer of the school board in his home district, is a stanch sup- porter of education, and believes that free schools are the salvation of the country. He is a member of the A. F. & A. M., Lodge No. 94, of Nevada, and was demitted to Cambridge Masonic Lodge No. 444. His wife belongs to the Methodist Episcopal Church, and they are both liberal in their contributions to en- terprises which are for the upbuilding of the community in which they reside. Mr. Living-
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