USA > Iowa > Wayne County > Biographical and historical record of Wayne and Appanoose counties, Iowa, containing a condensed history of the state of Iowa; portraits and biographies of the governors of the territory and state; engravings of prominent citizens in Wayne and Appanoose counties, with personal histories of many of the leading families, and a concise history of Wayne and Appanoose counties > Part 26
USA > Iowa > Appanoose County > Biographical and historical record of Wayne and Appanoose counties, Iowa, containing a condensed history of the state of Iowa; portraits and biographies of the governors of the territory and state; engravings of prominent citizens in Wayne and Appanoose counties, with personal histories of many of the leading families, and a concise history of Wayne and Appanoose counties > Part 26
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HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
of High Point, Iowa. Mrs. Cox was born in Jackson County, lowa, May 13, 1854. Five children have been born to this union of whom three are living-George W., Eva J., Elmer P. Mr. Cox is an enterpris- ing farmer and a highly respected citizen of his township. He is always interested in every enterprise for the good of his county, but has never sought for office, his entire time being devoted to his farm.
EWIS MILES, attorney and counsel- or at law, residing at Corydon, and at present one of Iowa's State Senators, is a representative of one of the pioneer families of Wayne County. His father, William Miles, was a native of Philadelphia, born April 6, 1816, but was reared in Ohio, going to that State when a child, and was there married to Emily Welch. They were the parents of ten children-Lewis, our subject; S. W., now in Kansas; Lovina, wife of George T. Tosh; Hannah D., wife of C. F. Le Compte; Benjamin T., a mer- chant of Corydon; Mrs. Martha J. Clark; Emma, and three who died in infancy, the last six being born in Corydon. William Miles came with his wife and four children to Wayne County, Iowa, in 1853, purchas- ing land in the immediate vicinity of Corydon where he followed agricultural pursuits till his death, which occurred December 26,1869. His wife died October 11, 1865. Lewis Miles, whose name heads this sketch, is the eldest child of his par- ents, and was born in Ohio, June 30, 1845. He began the study of law with General S. L. Glasgow, and was admitted to the bar in 1868. He served in the Thirteenth General Assembly of lowa, having been elected in 1869, when but twenty-four years of age, and is now serving as State Senator, having been elected for the Twen- tieth and Twenty-first General Assemblies.
Mr. Miles may be classed among the self- made men. His early educational advan- tages were somewhat limited, but by earn- est and determined application he has become one of the leading lawyers of Southern Iowa, and fitted himself to ably discharge the duties of a legislator. He is an extensive reader of the best books, his library being one of the finest in Wayne County. For his wife Mr. Miles married Mary D. Robb, a daughter of William Robb. Politically Mr. Miles is a Repub- lican, and is an able exponent of the princi- ples of his party.
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ENRY LEE EVANS, residing on section 17, Grand River Township, was born in Blount County, East Tennessee, April 15, 1830, a son of William and Nancy (Johnson) Evans, natives of Vir- ginia and North Carolina respectively, and of Scotch ancestry. Henry Lee was the eighth in a family of ten children, all of whom grew to maturity. Our subject was reared on a farm in his native county, re- ceiving a common-school education. He came with his parents to Davis County, Iowa, in 1850, and in 1851 located in Deca- tur County. He was married November 25, 1852, to Mary E. Duncan, a daughter of Hon. Harvey B. Duncan, a resident of Wayne County. Mrs. Evans died Novem- ber 14, 1861, leaving three children-Mrs. Henrietta N. Thomison, Edward G. and William H. B. The latter died in his twenty-third year. Mr. Evans was again married February 26, 1863, to Margaret S. Duncan, daughter of Joseph Duncan, de- ceased. Nine children have been born to this union, of whom eight still survive- Joseph H., Mary S., Homer and Dudley (twins), Lola M., Estella Lee and Susie A. Mr. Evans came to Wayne County, Iowa, in 1853, and settled in Grand River Town-
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ship where he has since made his home. He has been successful in his agricultural pursuits, and is now the owner of 230 acres of choice land. Since coming to this county he has served as justice of the peace for twenty-one years. He has served as township clerk six years and has been town- ship treasurer fifteen years, and is at pres- ent serving his third year as county supervisor. He isa charter member of the Masonic fraternity. Mr. and Mrs. Evans and their daughter Mary are members of the Methodist Episcopal church South.
RANCIS M. EVERETT, M. D., is the oldest practicing physician in Cory- don. He was born in Mason County, Virginia, in 1840, and when but a year old his father, Rev. Warren D. Everett, a Bap- tist clergyman, removed with his family to Monroe County, Missouri, where he lived seven years, and in 1848 located in Marion County, Iowa. Warren D. Everett was a native of the State of New York, and when a young man removed to Virginia, where he married Pantha J. Morris He entered the ministry of the Baptist church when twenty-one years of age. His wife died in 1851 and her sickness and death directed his attention to the study of the nature, cause and cure of disease, which resulted in his adoption of the medical art as a pro- fession, although he never gave up his min- isterial duties. His medical practice began in 1854, and in 1856 he removed to Wayne County and located in Corydon in the spring of 1864, where he died the following year. He was a man of excellent literary attainments, having been through life a hard student. He was possessed of good judgment and great perceptive powers which enabled him to readily discriminate between the true and the false, and was withal a worthy and valuable citizen.
Francis M. Everett began the study of medicine with his father in the spring of 1861, and graduated from the Keokuk Medical College in February, 1864. He soon after formed a partnership with his father which continued until severed by the latter's death. Dr. Everett has for many years had an extensive practice and has attained a high rank in his profession. In the earlier days, when physicians were less numerous than now, his practice ex- tended over a large area of country, and many horseback rides has he taken, miles from home, on dark and stormy nights and in the cold and gloom of winter, to minister to the suffering of the sick. The Doctor is a member of the Iowa State Medical Socie- ty, the Des Moines Valley Medical Society and is President of the Wayne County Medical Society. Dr. Everett was married in November, 1861, to Fidelia C. Barlow, a native of Ohio, born in 1845. They have had five children, four of whom are living -Burrus E .; Blanche, wife of E. J. How- ard, of Centerville, Iowa; Claud and Maud. Their eldest child died at the age of nine months.
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AMUEL COX, section 31, Clay Township, was born in Logan Coun- ty, Ohio, April 27, 1816, his father, Abner Cox, being a native of Virginia, and a pioneer of Logan County, Ohio. In 1844 our subject located in Champaign County, Illinois, and in 1846 removed to Logan County, Illinois. He came to lowa in June, 1852, living in Polk County till 1853, when he settled on his present farm. He was married November 27, 1836, to Miss Han- nah Littler, daughter of John Littler, and of the six children born to this union only two survive-Elizabeth and S. Littler. Elizabeth married Elijah Mendenhall, and has five children-Laura, Mary, Samuel,
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HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
Frank and John. Mr. Cox was bereaved by the death of his wife, March 30, 1878. Mrs. Cox was possessed of all the attributes of a true Christian woman, and was re- spected by all who knew her. Mr. Cox commenced life without means, but a de- termination to succeed. He has always been a hard-working man, and by his in- dustry and strict economy has acquired a competency for his old age. He is now living on the old homestead with his·son, S. Littler. He is a member of the Method- ist Episcopal church.
OSIAH MCGUIRE, section 17, Clay Township, was born in Monroe Coun- ty, East Tennessee, in 1829, a son of Josiah McGuire, a native of Baltimore, Maryland. His early life was spent on the farm of his father, who, being a poor man, could not give the son even the meager ed- ucational advantages to be had at that time in his county, but was obliged to require his assistance to maintain the family. He, however, by persistent effort, obtained a fair knowledge of the common branches, often working for his teacher to defray his ex- penses. Upon reaching manhood he began working for himself, and not being satisfied with the opportunities for obtaining a home offered by his native State, in 1852 came to Iowa, and first located in Henry County, but in the fall of 1855 removed to Wayne Coun- ty, and settled where he now lives, in Clay Township. He first built a hewed log house, and went bravely to work to culti- vate his farm. As time went on and his capital increased his buildings were im- proved, and there are now none in the township that surpass them in comfort and convenience. He owns 522 acres of valu- able land, which is mostly under cultiva- tion. His stock is of the finest grades, his cattle being of the Jersey breed. Mr. Mc-
Guire was married in 1850, to Elizabeth J. Axley, a native of Monroe County, Ten- nessee, daughter of Rev. James and Cynthia (Earnest) Axley. They have had six chil- dren, but three of whom are living-Frank, Carleton M. and Mary A. The former re- sides on section 10, Clay Township, and the other two are at home. Carleton is an en- terprising, intelligent young man, and a prominent and useful member of society. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, an organization in which he is much inter- ested. Mrs. McGuire's great-grandfather came to the United States when a boy, starting from home in company with his parents and a younger sister. While on the ship his parents died, and the captain in- tended selling the children to pay their passage, but a wealthy gentleman became interested in them and examining their effects found sufficient to pay their fare. He then took them to Pennsylvania and reared and educated them. The boy after reaching manhood married and moved to Greene County, Tennessee, where he reared a large family.
OHN M. LEAVELL, of Seymour, is the eldest child of Benjamin. W. and Susannah Leavell, who settled in what is now Udell Township, Appanoose County, in the fall of 1851, among the pioneers of that county. He was born in Wayne County, Indiana, in 1842, being in his tenth year when he came with his parents to Appanoose County. He was reared on a farm, and learned the carpenter's trade. For his wife he married Orilla Clemens, daughter of J. W. Clemens, who is now a resident of Seymour. Mr. and Mrs. Lea- vell have seven children-Walter F., Elbert J., Cora E., Henry, Tazwell A., Isis M. and Winnie. Benjamin W. Leavell was born and reared in Wayne County, In- diana, his parents being originally from
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Kentucky, and of French descent. In 1850 he came to Jefferson County, Iowa, with his family, moving to Appanoose County the following year. The family then con- sisted of the parents and five children-John M .; David A., who was a member of Com- pany C, Thirty-sixth Iowa Infantry, and died at St. Louis, in December, 1862; Jacob A., now residing on part of the homestead in Appanoose County; Jasper E., who died at the age of about fifteen years, and Amanda A., who is living on the home- stead with her mother. Five children were born to the parents after coming to Iowa, of whom four are yet living-Mary E., Benjamin F., William H. and Oliver W. Benjamin W. Leavell settled on a new farm in Appanoose County, which he ob- tained from the Government. He im- proved this farm, living on it till his death, which occurred in November, 1867. His widow still resides at the homestead in Appanoose County.
ILLIAM N. LOGAN, residing on section 18, Grand River Township, Wayne County, was born Decem- ber 12, 1841, a native of Laurel County, Kentucky. In 1844 his father, John E. Logan, removed with hisfamily to Decatur County, Iowa, when the principal inhabit- ants of that county were Indians and wild animals, and here our subject passed his youth on his father's farm, his education being obtained in the rude log-cabin school- houses of that early day. He was united in marriage, September 15, 1861, to Charity A. Neill, a daughter of Robert Neill, de- ceased. Seven children have been born to this union, of whom six still survive-James A., Eliza A., William N. B., Erminna, John E. and Tony. Mr. Logan has made his home on his present farm since 1863, where he owns 150 acres of choice land
under good cultivation. In connection with his farming he pays some attention to stock-raising, making a specialty of short- horn cattle. He is one of the respected citizens of Grand River Township, which he has served as justice of the peace for three years. He is a member of the Meth- odist Episcopal church South. He is also a member of the Masonic fraternity.
EORGE I. EVANS, general merchant, Seymour, Wayne County, established his present business here in Septem- ber, 1884, and by his close attention to the wants of his customers and his gentleman- ly deportment has built up a good trade. He is a native of Walnut Township, Wayne County, born April 25, 1860, his father, Aaron Evans, being one of the early set- tlers of Walnut Township. He was reared on his father's farm, and was subsequently engaged as a clerk for the firm of Conger & Michaels, with whom he remained three years. He was united in marriage to Cora L. Reynolds, who was born in Jefferson County, Iowa, in 1856 a daughter of David and Nancy Reynolds. Mr. and Mrs. Evans have two children -- Willis and Mamie. David Reynolds, father of Mrs. Evans, was born near Lexington, Kentucky, in 1838, and when a boy came with his parents, James P. and Almina Z. Reynolds, to Jef- ferson County, Iowa. They removed to Appanoose County in 1866, remaining there till 1882, when they settled in Taylor County, Iowa, where Mrs. James P. Rey- nolds died. David Reynolds was married in Jefferson County, Iowa, to Nancy M. Widger, who was born in Fulton County, Illinois, her parents, Charles and Sarah Widger, removing to Jefferson County, Iowa, where they died when she was a child. David Reynolds and wife removed to Appanoose County in February, 1868
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HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
and are now residents of Seymour. Four children have been born to them-Cora, wife of G. I. Evans; Gertrude, wife of William Veach; Charlie, who died in Appa- noose County, aged seven years, and James W., born October 8, 1871, in Appanoose County, lowa.
AVID M. THOMAS, of Harvard, has been identified with this place since it had a beginning, and transacted the first business here. The inducement which led him to engage in business here was the hope that the railroad company would estab- lish a station at this point, the hope being realized several years later, Mr. Thomas be- ing the only man in business till that event. In the fall of 1879 he purchased the first grain here, and since that time has continued dealing in grain with the exception of two years, and has met with success, this being a fine grain point. Mr. Thomas also ship- ped the first live-stock from here. He has also been quite extensively engaged in farming and stock-raising and now owns a half-section of land two miles east of Har- vard and 120 acres adjoining the town, be- side a 100-acre farm in Putnam County, Missouri. He still carries on his mercan- tile business in connection with his stock and grain trade. He was the first post- master here, receiving his appointment in 1876, the name of the office being Grain- ville, a name by which the village plat is still known, but the station and postoffice have since received the name of Harvard. Mr. Thomas is a native of Illinois, born April 5, 1838. For his wife he married Miss Ellen Ferguson, a native of Ohio, and daughter of Oliver Ferguson, who settled in Washington Township, this county, about the year of 1865, but is now living in Clarinda, Page County, Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas have four children-Lloyd, Lizzie, Tilden and Charles. Mr. Thomas
served his country about three years during the late war, enlisting in Company F, Thir- ty-fourth Iowa Infantry, August 18, 1862. He participated in the siege of Vicksburg, Banks' Red River Expedition, battle of Ar- kansas Post, and also took part in the at- tack on the defences of Mobile. He still feels the effect of his service in the army. Mr. Thomas is a son of George and Mary (Guthrie) Thomas, who were pioneers of Wayne County, they having settled with their family in Benton Township, in March, 1855. George Thomas was born in Ken- tucky, but removed with his parents to In- diana when a boy, and in that State was reared to manhood and married, his wife being a native of Indiana. Twelve children were born to Mr. and Mrs. George Thomas, several being born in this county. Three sons and four daughters still survive, our subject being the only one now residing in this county ; Ellen M. resides in Nebraska; Reuel lives in Kansas ; Harriet, in Van Buren County, Iowa ; Lemuel and Janett, residents of Nebraska, and Jane, living in Van Buren County, Iowa. George Thomas removed from Indiana to Brown County, Illinois, with his family, thence to Wayne County, Iowa, settling on a farm of unim- proved land for which he paid $4 per acre, his farm being located on section 23, Ben- ton Township. Beside his home farm he owned a tract of timber land on section 28 of the same township. He improved his farm, living there till his death, which oc- curred in the fall of 1860 at the age of six- ty-seven years. After his death his widow returned to Illinois, where she died in 1876.
H. HAVNER, deceased, who was among the old pioneers of Wayne County, was born in North Caro- lina, in the year 1817. He was reared in his native State, and there married Miss Eliz- abeth Rhinehart, a native of the same
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county as her husband, the date of their marriage being January 21, 1836. To this union were born eleven children as follows -Barbara, G. J., J. D., Sarah, Anna, Sa- phronia, Belle, Henry, J. W., A. M. and Virginia. In 1843 Mr. Havner removed with his family to Morgan County, Indiana, and after living there four years returned to North Carolina. In 1848 he located with his family in Lee County, Iowa, re- maining there till the spring of 1857. when he came to Wayne County and settled in Union Township, living there on his farm, on section 19, till his death. For five years he held the position of postmaster at Wayne Cross-Roads. He was a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church which he served for ten years as class- leader. He also served as steward of his church, and as superintendent of the Sun- day-school.
EV. JOHN JELLISON, residing on section 19, Howard Township, Wayne County, was born September 30, 1827, a native of Mercer County, Pennsylvania, the eldest of ten children of Joseph and Nancy R. (Adams) Jellison. He passed his youth in assisting with the work on his father's farm and in attending the subscrip- ) tion schools of his native county, where he lived till eighteen years of age. In 1845 he removed with his parents to Wood County, Ohio, where they resided about fourteen years, removing thence to La Fayette County, Wisconsin, and engaged in farm- ing. Our subject was engaged in the hotel business for some time at Warren, Jo Daviess County, Illinois. In 1871 he re- moved to Ellsworth County, Kansas, where he improved some town property, and for some time was engaged in dealing in cat- tle. In 1875 he traded his property in Kan- sas for his present farm in Howard Town- ship, which contains 206 acres of well-im-
proved land, this being one of the oldest farms in the township. When fourteen years of age Mr. Jellison united with the Presbyterian church, beginning to preach the gospel at the age of forty years. In 1881 he joined the Methodist church. He has been an earnest and devoted worker in the cause of religion, having been a success- ful minister of the gospel. Mr. Jellison was united in marriage September 21, 1848, to Barbara Ann Harting, of Pennsylvania, a daughter of Jacob and Susan Harting. Eight children have been born to this union, of whom five are living-E. W., Florence L., Ida L., Eva and Albert. Celesta E., Alice A. and William J. are deceased.
ETER RIFE, one of the progressive farmers of Warren Township, Warren County, is a native of Rhine, Prussia, where he was born in 1824. He was reared to the occupation of farming, remaining in his native country till twenty-four years of age. He served four years as a soldier in the Prussian army. He left the fatherland on account of the revolution which then prevailed in Germany, coming to America, and for two years lived in Cayuga County, New York. He then went to Sangamon County, Illinois, and engaged in farming. He was married in Springfield, Illinois, to Eliza Lemons, who wasborn in England in 1826, coming to America in 1848 with her brother, John Lemons, her parents, Joseph and Jane (Sturgeon) Lemons, coming to America and locating at Springfield, where the mother died immediately on her arrival. The father lived in Sangamon County till his death. He left two sons and five daughters, who all live in America. Mr. Rife had one brother and six sisters, all of whom died in Germany but one sister, who still lives in that country. His brother was an architect, and left one son, who adopted
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HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
his father's trade. He came to America, and is now in Atchison, Kansas. Mr. and Mrs. Rife had no children of their own, but have reared a girl from childhood, who is now the wife of William Ellis. From San- gamon County Mr. and Mrs. Rife went to Christian County, where they improved a farm, on which they lived till 1875, when they came to Wayne County, Iowa. They then settled on a farm on section 15, War- ren Township, on which but little improve- ment had been made, but by hard work and careful management they have made for themselves a pleasant home, having now good buildings and other valuable improve- ments, their farm containing sixty acres of well-improved land. In politics Mr. Rife is a Democrat, casting his first vote for James Buchanan in 1856.
W. H. DUDEN, M. D., homeopathic physician and surgeon, has been resident of Iowa since 1854, com- ing to Wayne County in 1857, and is the only physician of his school in the county. He was born in Huntingdon County, Pennsyl- vania, March 13, 1830. When four years of age his parents moved to Licking Coun- ty, Ohio. His father, David Duden, died at the age of seventy-two years, and his mother. in 1885, aged seventy-five years. He was married in 1852 to Mary L. Bigelow, a daughter of Dr. Alpheus Bigelow, of Gale- na, Delaware County, Ohio. In 1854 Dr. Du- den came to Monroe County, Iowa. In 1857 he removed to Wayne County, and settled on a farm in Clinton Township, where he lived until the spring of 1885, when he moved to Allerton. He graduated from the New York Homeopathic College in 1870. He has been practicing medicine since 1862 and is one of the oldest physi- cians in the county. He is very liberal in his theory and practice, and is very success-
ful in his treatment of disease. Dr. Du- den and his wife have a family of eight liv- ing children-Flora, Lenora, George E., Dulana, Althea, Alpheus B., Charles W. and Estus G. One child died in infancy. In politics Dr. Duden is a Republican. His farm which he settled on in 1857 he still owns, and it is one of the best stock farms in the county, with fine house and barn, and fruit of all kinds. His father's family consisted of eight sons and one daughter, all of whom are living, and February 6and 7, 1886, there was a reunion of the family at the home of D. S. Duden, in Clinton, Mis- souri, thirty-four years having elapsed since they were all together.
B. GARTON, an enterprising farmer of Washington Township, residing on section 19, was born in Mason County, Virginia, May 21, 1849, a son of A. D. and Caroline (Kimberling) Garton, his father being one of the prominent pio- neers of Wayne County. To his parents were born seven children, as follows-George W., H. B., F. M., T. E., N. H., C. A. and Elizabeth Jane. H. B. was but three years old when his parents came to Iowa, and after spending one year in Jefferson County, they came, in 1853, to Wayne County. The father then entered land from the Government, in Washington Township, which he improved, but subsequently re- moved to section 29, Clay Township. Our subject was reared on a farm, and received his education in the district schools and at Chariton, Iowa. He commenced teaching school at the age of eighteen years which he followed many terms with good success. November 30, 1876, he was married to Miss Anna Moore, a daughter of John S. Moore. This union has been blessed with four daughters-Carrie M., Gracie, Flora and Stella. Mr. Garton located on a farm
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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
where he now resides in 1876, where he has 232 acres of choice land under a high state of cultivation, a good residence, barn, out buildings and orchard. He is engaged in general farming and stock-raising, in which pursuit he is meeting with success. Mr. Garton is one of the influential citizens in Washington Township, having gained a good position both socially and financially. He has filled most of the township offices, and is at present serving his township as trustee.
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