USA > Iowa > Clarke County > Biographical and historical record of Clarke County, Iowa > Part 34
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HISTORY OF CLARKE COUNTY.
Miss Electa Johnson, daughter of Charles Johnson, of Osceola Township. They have two children-Leroy and Monroe. Ile is an influential member of the Democratic party, and has twice been the nominee for cleik of the court, though receiving a flattering vote, was cach time defeated. Hle works a portion of his father's farm.
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CHARLES HODGES, one of the old pioneers of Clarke County, living in Green Bay Township, on section 28, is a native of Wyoming County, New York, where he was born April 19. 1821. Ilis parents, William and Abigail (Iloward) Hodges, were natives of Taunton, Massa- chusetts, and Vermont, respectively. They had a family of eight children -- Simcon, John, Sally, Julia, William, Charles, Albert and Mary. Our subject was reared on the home farm and educated in the common schools of his native State. He was mar- ried July 30, 1854, to Lydia Janc Williams, who was born and reared in Wyoming County, New York. In the fall of the same year he came to lowa, and entered land from the Government, where he now lives in Green Bay Township, Clarke County. llc then built the frame house which he still occupies, and commenced to make a permanent home for himself and family. He has been very successful in his farming and stock-raising. and is now the owner of 400 acres of choice land, which is well adapted to the raising of grain and grass. During the late war Mr. Hodges enlisted in the Thirty-ninth Infantry, the date of enlistment being August 9, 1862. He was on detached duty the greater part of the time. He was discharged at Clinton, Jowa, Junc 5, 1865, when he returned to his farm in Green Bay Township. Of the five chil- dren born to Mr. and Mrs. Hodges, only
two survive -- Fanny Minerva and John. Mr. Hodges has held the office of township treasurer for several years, and has been a member of the School Board. Although he started in life without means he has been successful in all his undertakings, owing to his persevering industry and good manage- ment, and has a competence for his declin- ing years. He has one of the best barns in Clarke County, erected in 1875, at a cost of $2,400, its size being 40 x 60 feet, with twenty-foot posts, with a stone basement, seven feet in height.
TEPHIEN C. MESSENGER, a suc- cessful and enterprising farmer and stock-raiser, residing in Troy Town- ship, on section 16, was born in Richland (now Morrow) County, Ohio, the date of his birth being April 11, 1833. Ilis parents, James and Rachel (Corwin) Messenger, were natives of the State of Pennsylvania, the father born in Greene and the mother in Washington County. Since the father's death the mother makes her home with our subject, being now seventy one years of age. Stephen C. Messenger passed his youth on the farm, being reared to agri- cultural pursuits, which he has made the principal avocation of his life. Hiseduca- tion was obtained in the common schools of his native county. fle was united in marriage August 19, 1854, to Miss Bethenia Truex, who was born in Southern Ohio, a daughter of John P. Truex, deceased. Eight children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Messenger, only three now living -- William H., who married Mina Axtel, lives on section 7; Mary Ellen, wife of Walter 11. Moffitt, of Union County, and John N. Mr. Messenger came to lowa in the fall of 1859, when he located in Union County, his home there being but three and a half miles from his present farm.
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During the late war he enlisted in Com- pany B. Eighteenth lowa Infantry, but only served five months, being sick most of i of this Thomas under review and the gener- his term of service. In April, 1882. Mr. Messenger settled on his farm in Troy Township, where he has since followed farming and stock-raising with excellent success, being now the owner of 400 acres of valuable land. Both he and his wife are members of the Baptist church.
USTIN AYRES .- In the year 1870 a pamphlet was published by William Henry Whitmore, of Boston, Massa- chusetts, containing as complete a record of the Ayres family as it was possible to collect. To him we are indebted for col- lecting in available form much information regarding the Ayres family. Mr. Whit- more says : "Captain John Ayres was of Ipswich in 1648 and was then a tenant of John Norton's. I know nothing of his par- entage. Ile removed to Brookfield, Mass- achusetts, when the settlement of that place was commenced, and in 1672 sold all his rights at Ipswich. He was killed August 3, 1675, with seven others, at the battle at Brookfield with the Indians. Though he had received large grants of land at Brook- field - some 2,000 acres-his family un- doubtedly returned to Ipswich and its vicinity, the settlement having been broken up and rendered unsafe. His widow pre- sented an inventory of his estate now re- corded at Salem, Massachusetts, on which she wrote, .I have seven sons and one | Thomas and John-the sixth generation in daughter.' Of the seven sons the third one was Thomas, of Newbury and Ipswich. lle again had two sons, Thomas and Abram. This Thomas-the third genera- tion from our progenitor, Captain John -- was born January 25, 1678, or 1679. Of his children nothing is known to us at present, but as Thomas has been the name of sire
i and son for several generations, and as ninety-one years elapsed between the birth ation following, of which we have definite knowledge, we reasonably suppose that the fourth generation from Captain John was also Thomas. Thomas, as tradition has it, having been the family name running back to the original stock from which we are descended, and the lapse of ninety-one years between the birth of Thomas in the third generation and Thomas of Boston, are the circumstantial facts which point to there being an intervening generation named Thomas. Thomas of Boston, of the fifth generation, followed the life of ocean sailor. He, while sailing in British waters or in a British port, was captured and pressed into the British naval service to fight against his own country. In the memorable battle off the coast of Scotland, in September, 1779, he was captured by the American privateer, Paul Jones, and re- turned to his native land. In this terrible battle he was Captain of a gun, and after- ward related a story of a little Yankee gunner who was also impressed into the service, who threw the cannon ball out of the port-hole instead of putting it in the cannon's mouth-which may have had an influence in the termination of the battle. Thomas, having been gone from home seven years, was supposed to be dead, and upon his return found his wife married again. Being of a peaceable nature he did not disturb the relations of wife with second husband. He had two sons, descent. John was a soldier in the war of 1812, was captured by the British and died a prisoner on shipboard on the way to Halifax. Thomas removed from Boston to Windsor County, Vermont, where he bought a farm. After selling the farm hc removed in 1815 to Summit County, Ohio, then Portage County, with family, among
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HISTORY OF CLARKE COUNTY.
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which was five sons - John, Stephen, Thomas, Justin and Orrin." Justin, the only one of the five now living-the others hay- ing all died in California-was born in Windsor County, Vermont, March 29, ISOS. His mother, Polly (Hawkins) Ayres, was a native of Connecticut. Justin was raised to manhood on his father's farin, then in the wilderness of Northern Ohio. He remained in Ohio until 1868, with the ex- ception of two years in Pennsylvania, en- gaged as foreman in the construction of the Pennsylvania canal, and eight years more or less of the time in Wisconsin in manu- facturing lumber. In 1868 he came to Clarke County, lowa, and settled on the farm where he now lives. Justin Ayres was married to Angeline Clarke, daughter of Johnson Clark, in Ohio, May, 1835. To them were born seven children, but five of whom are living -- llomer Clark, Frances Kimball, Alma L., Charles Thomas and Grace M. Rice. Thomas Corwin Ayres died September, 1847, aged nine years; George W. died January 4, 1864, aged eleven years. Angeline Ayres died in Ohio, September, 1866, aged fifty-two years. Justin Ayres, the seventh generation from Captain John, their ancestor, as near as can be learned, is a typical Ayres of the early stock. About medium height and compact build, is rugged and tenacious of life. An independent thinker, very firm in his opin- ions, and always looks for the whys and wherefores before forming them. Ile has never had official aspirations and never filled any but some minor offices. He has always been a consistent temperance man, as he was anti-slavery until the war dis- posed of that question, Fugitive slaves not a few found aid and comfort under his roof in the days of such events. During the few years of old age passing he has read, and written not a little for the press upon the topic of " Government Loans to the People." The idea is to furnish the
people a currency, based upon property instead of bonds (promises to pay) and the interest to inure to the benefit of the whole people as a revenue to the Government in- stead of going to the coffers of banking corporations.
ASPER CARTER, one of the promi. nent and successful farmers of Clarke . County, residing in Osceola Town- ship, was born in Decatur County, Indiana, in April, 1827, the only son of Dr. Abraham and Harriet Carter, of whom the mother is still living, in her eighty-fifth year, having been a resident of Osceola since 1856. Cas- per Carter was reared and educated in the schools of Greensburgh, in his native coun- ty, and on attaining his majority he married Miss Clara C. Spencer, of Sumner, Illinois. They have had eight children born to them -Harriet A., married Enoch Shawver, who is now deceased; Elizabeth P .; Adelia, wife of J. P. Cady ; Sarah H., at home, and Loyd P. The others died several years since. Mr. Carter came with his family to Clarke County, Jowa, in 1856, where he followed farming till the breaking out of the war, when he enlisted in Company D, Thirty-ninth Iowa Infantry. After serving eighteen months he was transferred to Com- pany E, of the same regiment, and was then mustered as Captain of the company serving till the close of the war. He participated with his regiment in the battles of Parker's Cross Roads, Town Creck. Snake Creek Gap, Resaca, siege of Atlanta, and was with Sherman on his march to the sea. He re- ceived an honorable discharge at Washing- ton, District of Columbia, in June, 1865, and soon after returned to Clarke County. where he has since followed agricultura! pursuits. He is a thorough, practical farmer, and in all his undertakings has met with success, and is now the owner of 600
Caspar learter
Mrs. Casper Carter
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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
acres of valuable land, which is under good cultivation. His land is well fenced, and the greater part seeded down tograss. He has devoted considerable attention to the raising of cattle and hogs, which he fed and fattened on his own farm, and has lately turned his attention to raising high-grade short-horn cattle and Poland-China hogs, and is also raising horses and buying and shipping them to Dakota. He has a good residence, surrounded with shade and orna- mental trees, and comfortable and commo- diousfarm buildings for the accommodation of his stock. For many years he has fur- nished the agricultural statistics and reports of his township to the Secretary of State. Previous to the war Mr. Carter was clerk of Osceola Township, and for many years has served his township as trustee, with credit to himself and satisfaction to his constituents.
HAARLES THOMAS AYRES, young- est son of Justin Ayres, of Jackson Township, was born in Summit Coun- ty, Ohio, September 18, 1847. Ile accom- ranied his father to Clarke County, in 1868, the year of his majority, and since then has been associated in the business of farming and stock-growing, owning jointly 500 acres of choice land. C. T. Ayres is a thorough student of the best means to be adopted in successful farming. His mnotto is " the best is none too good," and lays his plans accordingly, as his means will admit of. Live-stock breeding is the feature of farm life most fascinating to him, yet has a love , sole owner in November, 1885. Mr. Stiv- for all the beauties and benefits of a nice
home and rural surroundings. February ; sional and business life, and is a type of 18, 1879, C. T. Ayres was married to Nellie Raymond, who was born in Michigan, July 25, 1859, a daughter of D. R. Ray- mond, then of Clarke County, Iowa, but now a resident of Huron, Dakota. Charles
and Nellie Ayres have three children -- Lizzie, Romeyn and Raymond. Mr. Ayres is an independent in politics. Has served as president and secretary of the County Agricultural Society, and has served in an official capacity in township affairs, but does not aspire to office.
ENRY STIVERS, publisher and cd- itor of the Osceola Sentinel, a history of which is given in the Press chapter of this volume, is a son of Aaron and Susan L. (Karr) Stivers. They were na- tives of New York and Ohio, respectively. and were married in the Buckeye State, where they 'resided a number of years. Losing his first wife by death, Mr. Stivers married again, and in 1879 fixed his resi- dence at Osceola. Ilis son, Henry, whose name heads this notice, was born October 26, 1849, at Middleport, Ohio, and came to Osceola in 1869, entering as a law student the office of II. L. Karr. He was admitted to the bar on his twenty-first birthday, and practiced law for the ensuing ten years. He then assumed the duties of vice-presi- dent and superintendent of the Des Moines, Osceola & Southern Railroad, in the pro- jection of which he had been among the foremost, and to this he gave his time until April. 1885. During the year and a half preceding this date, he had been also president of the Clarke County Bank, which he now resigned. He has since April, 1885, devoted his time and energies to the Osceola Sentinel, of which he became ers seems equally well adapted to profes- that group of pushing men who, with the welfare of Osceola at heart, have done so much to improve the capital of Clarke County. Mr. Stivers was united in mar- riage September 25, 1873, with Miss Lucy
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HISTORY OF CLARKE COUNTY.
Goetchius, of Ward Township, Clarke County. Both are members of the Metho- dist Episcopal church. Mr. Stivers is a member of the Masonic and Odd Fellows' orders.
EORGE GUTCHES, one of the early settlers of Clarke County, and a prominent farmer of Osceola Town- ship, was born near the city of Columbus, in Franklin County, Ohio, November 29, 1821, his parents, John and Nancy (Waits) Goetchius, being natives of New York, the father being born in Dutchess County. They moved to Ohio when quite young, remaining in that State till their death. John Goetchius died in 1875, aged eighty- two years and five days, and Nancy in 1835, aged forty-four years. They had a family of nine children of whom four yet survive. George Gutches, our subject, passed his youth on a farm, and in attend- ing the common schools, remaining with his parents till twenty-four years of age. He was united in marriage in 1844 to Miss Alcinda Armstrong, after which he rented a farm and engaged in agricultural pur- suits on his own account, continuing to re- side on rented land till 1854. He then came to Clarke County, lowa, and entered 120 acres of land from the Government, on which he erected a small log cabin, and in the fall of the same year removed his family to his new farm, where he has since made his home. His wife died in IS;S. leaving five children -- William W. and George, both living in Columbus ; Emeline, wife of George Briggs, now of Colorado ; Sarah ., married W. R. Jones, who is en- gaged in the stock business in Colorado; Anna, wife of larry Teller, a mer- chant, of Colorado. For his present wife he married Mrs. Ellen J. Owen, a daughter of Thomas and Christena Taylor, natives of Scotland, both of whom died in Jeffer-
son County, Indiana. Mr. Gutchesentered the service of his country in 1861, enlisting in Company F, Sixth lowa Infantry, as a fifer, and participated with his regiment in twenty-seven hard-fought battles, among which were the following: Shiloh, siege of Vicksburg. Mission Ridge. Ile re- enlisted as a veteran. and took part in all the battles of his regiment, and was with Sherman on his march to the sea. He was mustered out at Louisville, and sent to Davenport, where he received his pay. He then returned to his home in Clarke County, where his wife had carried on the farm and cared for the family while he was at the front. He now has eighty acres of well cultivated land in his farm, which is located on section 24 of Osceola Township. His property has been ac- quired by years of hard toil and industry, he having commenced life for himself with- out capital. In his political views Mr. Gutches is a staunch Republican. He has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal church for many years, uniting with that denomination when a boy.
R UFUS E. GARDNER, a resident of section 26, Jackson Township, is one of the pioneers of Clarke County, and was born in Union County, Indiana, Sep- tember 16, 1849. His father, Asa F. Gard- ner, was a native of Indiana. His mother, Amy (Barnard) Gardner, was born in North Carolina, and at the age of nine years went to Wayne County, Indiana, where she was reared. Mr. and Mrs. Asa F. Gardner, with their six children came to Clarke County in 1855. They lived in Osceola Towaship three years, improving a farm there. In 1858 they removed to Franklin Township, where they improved a small farm, which they occupied until the death of Asa F., which occurred Au-
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grust 11. 1883. He was sixty-seven years of age, and was reared a Quaker. His widow survives and resides with her youngest son in Franklin Township. The following are the names of the children -- Sophronia, who died in infancy; Charles C., died in Franklin Township, aged nineteen years; Erastus R., a resident of Wichita, Kansas; Andalusia, died at the age of fit- teen: Rufus, the subject of this sketch; Alphonzo, a resident of Franklin Town- ship: Mary, died at the age of nine years; Albert L., died at the age of six years; and l larrison L., who died at the age of twenty- one months. Rufus E., the subject of this sketch, was reared on his father's farm and educated in the district schools. He also attended the academy at Garden Grove. At the age of nineteen he com- menced teaching school, and followed that vocation successfully fourteen years, and nearly all the time in Clarke County. No. vember 11, ISSO, Mr. Gardner was married to Mrs. Abbylene Mills, daughter of Isaac and Charity Bidwell. Her parents were among the early settlers of Mahaska Coun- ty, lowa. She was born in the State of ' Illinois. April 15, 1840, but has resided in lowa since three years of age. May 17, 1
daughters, Cora and Florence A. One chill, Hettie, died at the age of five years. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Gardner is on section 26, of Jackson Township, Mr. Garduer has 176 4-20 acres, located on sec- tions 26, 27 and 35. Both are members of the Christian church. In politics Mr. Gardner is a Republican. and has served as secretary of the School Board three years.
JOHN H. MARQUIS, one of the pio- neers of Liberty Township, living on section 12. was born in Highland County, Ohio, January 24, 1831. a son of John and Sarah (McCully) Marquis, the father born in Pennsylvania, of German and Welsh descent, and the mother a native of Muskingum County, Ohio, of Irish descent. Our subject was reared to agricultural pursuits, remaining on the home farm with his parents until almost twenty-one years of age. He then, with an elder brother, Andrew J., came to Iowa, making the trip to Henry County on horseback, reaching his destination in March, 1852. In December of the same year he returned to his father's home, where he remained till the fall of 1853. Ile then drove a team from Ohio to Henry County for his eldest brother, William W., since which time he has been a resident of the State of Iowa. He was married March
1857, she was married to Runa Marvin. and in August, of that year, came to Clarke County and settled on section 35. Mr. Marvin was born in Fountain County, Indiana, October 2, 1833. He enlisted in Company D, Thirty-ninth lowa Volun , 7. 1854, to Margaret Felgar, who was born teers, in August, 1862, and died at Corinth, in Westmoreland County. Pennsylvania, Mississippi, March 4, 1863. aged thirty . March, 28, 1833, daughter of Samuel and years. Mr. and Mis. Marvin had three Lucretia Felgar, who were natives of Penn- sylvania. of French and Swiss origin. Her parents were among the early settlers of Henry County, lowa, where both are still living on a farm. He commenced married life with SS5: when moving to Clarke Coun- ty, his cabin was made of split logs 11 x 12 feet, with a clapboard roof, and door of the same, and a puncheon floor, and clapboard children-Elizabeth N., who died at the age of five years; Mary C., now wife of C. D. Ury; and Charlotte L., who died at the age of nine months. The second mar- riage of Mrs. Gardner was with Thomas C. Mills, March 11, 1866. He was born in Morgan County, Ohio. September 1, 1835. and died January 28, 1876, leaving two
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table, and a bedstead with one leg : there "agement, he has prospered, and his home- was no saw-mill near, and he had to go thirty stead, which now contains 255 acres, is one to forty miles to grist-mill. They were the i of the finest-improved farms in Liberty parents of nine children-Mrs. Catherine , Township. He also has a farm in Lucas Black, of Champaign County, Ohio; Mrs. 'County of 100 acres, well improved, and Marquis, the second child ; Jacob died aged one in Union County of eighty acres, well improved. His farm is well stocked with eighty head of cattle, many of them high grade ; eighteen head of horses, all of good grade, and other stock, hogs and sheep. They have accumulated their property by close economy and attention to business, and have given their married children a reasonable outfit. Both Mr. and Mrs. Marquis are members of the Christian Union church. In politics Mr. Marquis is identified with the Greenback party. The brothers and sisters of Mr. Marquis are as follows: William W., who settled in Liberty Township in 1856, and died in 1872 ; An- drew J., came to Liberty Township in 1855, where he still lives; Samuel N. has been a resident of Liberty Township since 1856; Mrs. Rachel Ann Trout, of Page County, lowa: Mrs, Sarah L. Rook, of Liberty Township; Mrs. Eliza J. Short, living in Nebraska, and Mrs. Mary E. Welch, of Lucas County, Iowa. five years ; Henry T. died in the service of his country, aged twenty-four years ; Mrs. Elizabeth Mullen, of Henry County : Samuel, living in the same county; John N., died aged thirty-two years ; Mrs. Mary Morehouse, of Henry County, and Mrs. Julia 1. Hochritter, a resident of the same county. To Mr. and Mrs. Marquis have been born nine children-Andrew T. and Lucretia E. twins, the former dying in Lucas County, Iowa, aged twenty-cight years, and the latter, married to J. W. Barnes, of Union County : Sarah Edwinna married Elisha O'Neal, and died in Liberty Township ; Samuel D., of Liberty Town- ship, married Martha J., daughter of Will- iam Manly ; Mary L .. George A., Newton C. and John II., living at home, and Henry Walter, the youngest, died aged fourteen months. Mr. Marquis left Henry County In November, 1855, when he came to his present farm. At that time there were but fourteen families in Liberty Township, his nearest neighbor being one and a half miles away, and the nearest stock-and- grain market was Burlington, a distance of OHN B. HUBER, who is engaged in farming and stock-raising in Madison Township, Clarke County, where he re- sides on section 3, is a native of Baden, Ger- many, born February 6, 1820, his father, Lawrence Huber, being a native of the same country, where he lived till his death. John B. Huber, whose name heads this sketch, left his native country in 1853, immigrating to the United States. He spent the first three years of his residence in this country in the State of New Jersey, when he came to ' Iowa, locating in Burlington, and making his home in Des Moines County till is82. He then came to Clarke County, when he about 145 miles. The first election in the township was held in the spring after Mr. Marquis located here, when about twenty- two votes were cast. In the fall of 1856 the parents of Mr. Marquis made their home in Liberty Township, where both died, the father in 1871, and the mother in ISSO. Mr. Marquis commenced life in Clarke County with limited capital, having less than $400. His first purchase was ten acres of timber, for which he paid $to per acre, and 120 acres he entered from the Government. Owing to his industrious habits, combined with his excellent man-
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