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 48
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 48
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December 23, 1884. Mr. and Mrs. Hen- derson are members of the Presbyterian church. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, Fidelity Lodge, No. 228; Chari- ton Chapter, No - , and Constantinc Commandery, No. 23; also of Chappaqua Lodge, No. 121, I. O. O. F. The Hender- son and Harkness families were both of Scotch-Irish descent, the grandfather of our subject, George Henderson, coming to America in 1808, and settling in Delaware County, New York, where he died in May, 1861. The second son, James, the father of our subject, was born in that county in June, 1822, and is still living, the mother dying March 20, 1863. George A. Hender- son, the junior member of the firm of Henderson Brothers, was born September 19, 1860.
ESSE MITTEN, section 25, Jackson Township, Wayne County, was born in Carroll County, Maryland, Octo- ber 24, 1819, a son of James and Sally (Head) Mitten, the father being of English descent. Our subject's grandfather, John Mitten, emigrated from England in an early day, and was sold for his passage. He was an industrious, hard-working man, and at his death left a fine property. Jesse Mitten was the sixth of a family of thirteen children. He was reared on a farm, receiving such education as the subscription schools of that early day af- forded. When eleven years of age he went with his parents to Richland County, Ohio, remaining there eight years. In August, 1839, he started for Iowa by team, and set- tled in Jefferson County, where he lived four years. August 19, 1841, he was mar- ried to Mary Ann McCleary, daughter of Benjamin J. and Catherine (Harriman) Mc- Cleary, who were natives of Virginia. They have eight children - Benjamin,
45
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HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
Sarah, George, Catherine, Grenville, Mary Ann, Jesse and L. F. Mr. Mitten located in Wapello County, Iowa, after leaving Jefferson County, remaining there till 1867. He then came to Wayne County, and lived in South Fork Township till 1874. when he located in Jackson Township. He settled on his present farm in 1876, which at that time was entirely unim- proved. He has his 160 acres of land now under a high state of cultivation, with good residence and commodious farm buildings for stock and grain. Mr. Mitten is a mem- ber of the Odd Fellows order, belonging to Lone Tree Lodge, No. 352, of Seymour. Both he and his wife are earnest members of the Methodist Episcopal church.
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ILLIAM LAWSON resides on the northwest quarter of section 30, Warren Township, where he owns 240 acres of fine land and also owns eighty acres on section 32. The first improve- ments on the land were made by Hartley Bracewell, who built a small frame house in which he lived a number of years. Mr. Lawson bought 200 acres of Mr. Bracewell in 1869, paying for it $5,000, and since then has erected his pleasant residence and his comfortable farm buildings. He is one of the early settlers of Southern Iowa, as he located in Appanoose County in the spring of 1855, and in January, 1856, removed to Wayne County and settled in Grand River Township, where he lived until buying his present home. Mr. Lawson was born in the north of Ireland in 1833. His parents, James and Ann Lawson, came to America when he was seven years of age. The family lived in Pennsylvania about two years, and then removed to Belmont County, Ohio, where the father died. The mother came to lowa with her children and died in Grand River Township,
Wayne County, October 10, 1874. The family consisted of six children who grew to maturity, five sons and one daughter; of- these five have been residents of Wayne County-Jane is the widow of Thomas White, of Butler County, Kansas; Joseph is in Wapello County, Iowa; John was killed by a cyclone in Johnson County, Kansas, in 1865; Thomas is in Washington Territory; James A., of Grand River Township, and William. A daughter, who was born the day her father was buried, died in infancy. William Lawson was married in Ohio, in 1854, to Elizabeth Brown, who was born in Monroe County, Ohio, in 1833, a daugh- ter of Jacob and Elizabeth Brown. Her father was born in the block house at Wheeling, Virginia, where the people had taken refuge from the Indians, about 1790. Her mother was born in Ohio. To Mr. and Mrs. Lawson have been born six chil- dren, of whom five are living-Alonzo, Ann Eliza, Mary J., Joseph Grant and Lilla C. One son, John William, died in infancy. Mr. Lawson voted the Democratic ticket until the war, but since 1860 has affiliated with the Republican party. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Epis- copal church at Clio.
OHN RUSH, section 4, Benton Town- ship, was born in Blount County, Tennessee, April 25, 1824, a son of James and Mary (Caylor) Rush. When he was about fourteen years of age his parents moved to Madison County, Illinois, and in the spring of 1846 he came to Iowa, and'en- tered eighty acres of land in Jefferson County, on which he lived till February, 1854, when he moved to Wayne County, and bought the 220 acres which is now his home- stead, all but twenty acres of it being wild land. He was married in 1850, to Eleanor J. Allen, and to them were born ten children,
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOR, LOWOX AND TILDEN FOUNDATION3.
yours July IM Clark
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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
seven of whom are living-Mary, Annie, James, Warren, Charles F., Edward C. and Margaret C. Mrs. Rush died in Septem- ber, 1870, and in January, 1872, Mr. Rush married Malinda A. Callaway, widow of Charles Callaway, and daughter of Oliver Marshall. They have one child-Carl D. Mrs. Rush had four children by her former marriage; but one is living-William O. Callaway.
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ON. DAVID M. CLARK, farmer, Union Township, postoffice New York, was born in Scott County, In- diana, July 25, 1824, a son of David Clark, a native of Delaware, who died in 1827. The family are descendants of ex-Governor Clark, of Virginia, and its founder in Amer- ica was one of Captain John Smith's Vir- ginia colony. David Clark married Eliza- beth Managh. David M. Clark was reared in his native county with limited opportunities for an education. During his young man- hood he worked at farm labor, rail splitting and in contract work of various kinds, mak- ing, in 1845, 10,000 rails on contract. In 1841 he made his first visit to Iowa, assisting to drive what was thought to be the first flock of sheep into the State. In 1845 he made his second visit to Iowa, and repeated it in 1847. In August, 1849, he brought his family and settled permanently in Wapello County, paid $360 for eighty acres, on which was a rude log house 12 x 14 feet. It had a clapboard roof and door, and punchcon floor, and for some time was win- dowless. There was not a nail or bit of iron used in its construction. , They spent the first winter in this cheerless abode, and then built a hewed log house. Mr. Clark kept steadily at work bettering his worldly condition, and improving his farm and live- stock. In 1863 he sold his fine farm of 260 acres and moved to Wayne County, buy- ing the farm of M. Cross, an early settler
and wealthy farmer of Union Township. Beginning here with 400 acres he has steadily increased his possessions till he now owns about Soo acres, besides what he has deeded to his children. He and his sons are among the largest live stock deal- ers of the county. He was the first to start a herd of short-horn cattle in this county, and owns the largest herd in the county, feeding annually from fifty to 200 head. He was one of the early apple- growers of Iowa, and has two orchards, consisting of about 3,000 trees, from which he has sold apples every year for fifteen years. He has been a prominent politician; was a Whig and original Abolitionist, and throughout the war a Republican, support- . ing war measures, recruiting for the service, etc. Since 1867 he has been a Greenbacker, and has occupied a leading place in the party. He has held the most of the town- ship offices, and was twice elected county commissioner, once defeating the regular Republican nominee. In 1878 he defeated Lewis Miles, the Republican candidate, on a straight Greenback ticket, and repre- sented Wayne and Monroe counties in the State Senate. The following year he was nominated by the Greenback State Con- vention for Governor of Iowa, and re- ceived 38,000 votes. He had personally canvassed sixty-three counties. In the fall of 1882 he was a candidate for Congress, representing the Eighth District, but run- ning against Republican and Democratic candidates was defeated. He has always been a temperance man and has voted for prohibition but believes in local option. He is a member of the Christian church, and has been an elder twenty years. He was one of the organizers and has been a strong supporter of the New York church. He was married in Scott County, Indiana, in 1845, to Mary Hamacher. His wife has been an invalid for the past ten years, con- fined to her chair. They have cight chil-
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dren, seven of whom are married and set- tled by themselves on good farms. Mr. Clark is an honest, upright man, and is honored and esteemed by all who know him.
N. McCOY, M. D., is a native of the State of Missouri, born in Scotland County in 1859. He is the youngest brother of R. B. McCoy, of Allerton, Iowa. He began the study of medicine in the autumn of 1878, and graduated from the College of Physicians and Surgeons, of Keokuk, Iowa, in February, 1882. The following November he located in Cory- don, where he has made many friends and has gained the confidence of his patrons, the number of which are constantly increas- ing. He is a young man of pleasing ad- dress and studious habits, and has the promise of a bright future in which he will be one of the honored and prosperous phy- sicians of Wayne County.
OBERT MONTEITH, farmer, Mon- roe Township, Wayne County, was born in Fayette County, Pennsylva- nia, August 20, 1820, a son of James and Esther (Chambers) Monteith, the father being a native of County Armagh, Ireland. Our subject remained in his native county till twelve years of age, when his parents removed to Marshall County, West Vir- ginia, where he was reared to manhood, remaining there about twenty years. He was reared on a farm, his father being a farmer by occupation, and his education was received in the common schools. When quite young he began working at the carpenter's trade which he followed for many years. September 11, 1845, he was married to Leah M. Shepherd, daughter of Benjamin and Mary (Gregg) Shepherd, of Virginia. They have a family of five chil-
dren-Martha P., W. H., John, Charles F. and James C. In 1856 Mr. Monteith re- moved with his family to Iowa, locating in Des Moines County, going thence to Henry County, Iowa, where he resided till 1864. He then came to Wayne County, Iowa, and bought his farm in Monroe Township of J. Vance, on, which he has since re- sided. He has a fine residence and good barn and out buildings, and his farm, which contains sixty, acres is under high cultiva- tion. Mr. Monteith is a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church of Genoa. Politically he affiliates with the Democratic party.
HILIP L. STECH, farmer, section 14, Union Township, was born in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, April 22, 1831. He was reared a farmer in his native county and also in his youth learned the carpenter's trade. In April, 1856, he left his native State and came to Iowa and bought eighty acres of wild land at $5 an acre. This land he has improved and it is now his valuable farm. In 1860 he built his house in which he still lives, but has re- modeled and improved it. He was mar- ried in 1860 to Susan B. Mason, who was born in Tazewell County, Illinois, a daugh- ter of Hiram Mason, and came with her parents to Iowa when ten years of age, they locating in Wright Township, Wayne County. In August, 1862, Mr. Stech en- listed in the defense of his country, in Com- pany F, Thirty-fourth Iowa Infantry, and served three years. He participated in the battles at Helena, Chickasaw Bayou and Arkansas Post. He was one of a detail to guard rebel prisoners to Camp Douglas, Chicago, and then returned home on leave of absence. He rejoined his regiment July 3, 1863, the day before the fall of Vicks- burg. Later he went to Yazoo City, Port
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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHIES.
Hudson, New Orleans and on the Red River expedition. On account of disability he was assigned to the Veteran Reserve Corps and was sent to Virginia, thence north to Pennsylvania and later to Hart- ford, Connecticut, on provost duty. After three years of the hard life of a soldier, his final discharge at the close of the war was a welcome event. Of the eight who sur- vived the March out of Yazoo City he was one of the fortunate ones. He was a faith- ful and courageous soldier and was a gener- al favorite with officers and men. Since the war he has devoted his attention to agriculture and is now one of the promi- nent and prosperous citizens of Wayne County. In politics he is a Greenbacker. He is a member of the Odd Fellows order. Mr. and Mrs. Stech have five children- Hiram M., Maggie J., Harry, Nellie and Ivey, all born on the homestead in Union Township.
OHN W. SAYRE, one of the success- ful and enterprising young farmers of Wright Township, residing on sec- tion 17, is a native of Rockland County, New York, born October 7, 1853, the fifth child of George Sayre, who was born on the Island of Guernsey, in the Eng- lish Channel. Our subject was two years old when his father removed with his fam- ily to Buchanan County, Iowa, and there he cleared and improved a farm of 160 acres, the family residing there till the spring of 1866, coming thence to Wayne County, and settling in Wright Township. John W. Sayre passed his youth on a farm, and attended the district schools of his neighborhood. He has been a resident of Wayne County since 1866, and in 1878 purchased his present farm in Wright Township, which was then a wild, un- cultivated tract of land. His farm, which contains 120 acres, is now under a
high state of cultivation, and all the sur- roundings betoken the care and thrift of its owner. He has a comfortable residence, and his barn and out buildings are notice- ably good. Mr. Sayre was united in mar- riage, July 23, 1879, to Miss Emma Davis, a daughter of Andrew and Mary Davis, who are residents of Wright Township. Their family consists of three children-Arthur, Bertha and Frank. Politically Mr. Sayre is a Republican.
EORGE W. HARBERT, general merchant, has been a resident of Sey- mour since May, 1876. At that time he began clerking in the general store of L. F. Thatcher, of Warsaw, and in 1879 he became associated with O. K. Rogers, of Seymour, in the grocery trade, which he continued about one year. He engaged in the grain and stock trade in connection with D. W. Pollock, a resident of St. John, Missouri, Mr. Harbert doing the business of the firm at this place. In March, 1881, he engaged in the hardware business with J. R. Bradley, this partnership continuing till August, 1882. In February, 1883, he, with J. H. Gunn, bought the merchandise stock of Martin Brothers, and about a year later, in March, 1884, he bought the interest of his partner, Mr. Gunn, in the mercantile business, although the latter is still associ- ated with Mr. Harbert in the grain trade. who has been dealing in grain and stock for several years. In August, 1885, Mr. Harbert was burned out and reopened where he is now located December 23, 1885, occupying the Masonic hall till the present building was completed. Mr. Harbert started in business in 1879 without capital, borrowing his first $50 to make a payment on his first bill of goods, and from this small beginning he has built up an ex- cellent trade, his sales in 1885 amounting to
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HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
about $25,000. Mr. Harbert is a native of St. John, Missouri, where he was born in 1856, living there till eighteen years of age. 'He then engaged in clerking for Mr. Thatcher at Warsaw, as before stated, com- ing to Seymour in 1876. Mr. Harbert was married to Nettie E. Lowry, a native of Wayne County, Iowa, a daughter of John S. Lowry, an early settler of Appanoose County. Michael Harbert, father of our subject, was born and reared in Ohio. He was first married in Ohio, his wife dying in that State. He then went to Missouri where he was again married, to Elizabeth S. Call, who was the mother of our subject. Michael Harbert was one of the carly busi- ness men of Corydon, Wayne County, but subsequently returned to Missouri where he died.
OHN W. TABLER, one of the early settlers of Wayne County, Iowa, was born in Miami County, Ohio, Octo- ber 4, 1819, his parents, Jacob and Julia (Hoffman) Tabler, being natives of Mary- land. He was reared on his father's farm, and received his education in the primitive log-cabin schools. He came to Wayne County in 1855 from Edgar County, Illi- nois, where he had resided about a year. Since coming to this county he has made his home in Grand River Township. He was the first postmaster at Clio, which of- fice he held for several years. January 25, 1842, he was married to Susan R. Souder, daughter of Anthony and Lucretia (Lakin) Souder. Of the five children born to this union four are living-William N., E. Jane, Mary E. and Julia A. One son, Jacob A., lost his life while fighting for his country in the late war. Mr. Tabler has followed farming the greater part of his life, in which he has met with success, and now owns a good farm of 225 acres in Grand River Township, beside ninety-eight acres of land
in Jefferson Township, Wayne County. Mr. Tabler is a member of the Masonic fraternity. Both he and his wife are mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal church.
LIJAH CRAWFORD, section 22, Benton Township, was born in Or- ange County, Indiana, March 18, 1833, a son of Jesse Crawford. He came to Iowa in October, 1853, and settled on sec- tion S, Benton Township, Wayne County, and in the spring of 1864 moved to his present farm where he owns 186 acres of valuable land. He has been a prominent citizen of the township and has held the offices of school treasurer, justice of the peace, clerk, trustee, assessor, school direct- or and constable. He was married July 29, 1852, to Minerva Todd, daughter of David Todd. Six of their twelve children are living-Mary E., Orra J., Riley, Kate, Matilda A. and Lloyd S. September 29, 1885, Mr. Crawford had his leg amputated, the result of his horse, which he was riding, becoming frightened and falling on it, breaking and mangling it beyond any possi- bility of recovery.
AMUEL N. HICKMAN, section 29, Jefferson Township, was born in Licking County, Ohio, August 9, 1853, a son of John Hickman, also a native of Ohio, who came to Iowa in the fall of 1859 and settled in Woodland Township, Decatur County, at that time a wild, uncul- tivated country, and infested with wild animals. Our subject was reared on this frontier, in his youth assisting his father to improve his farm. He was given a good education, completing it at the Leon High School. In 1874 he began teaching school, a vocation he has since followed every
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winter save two. In 18So he settled on the farm where he now lives, which he super- intends during the summer. His farm contains 120 acres, and his residence and farm buildings are comfortable and com- modious. Mr. Hickman was married Oc- tober 29, 1879, to Clarissa I. Petty, daughter of Jesse D. Petty, of Jefferson Township. They had one child-Flossie L. Mr. Hick- man has been assessor of his township two years Mrs. Hickman is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church South.
OBERT VANCE, of the firm of Mil- ler & Vance, Seymour, Iowa, was born in West Virginia in 1846, and in
1855 accompanied his father, Gideon Vance, to Missouri, coming thence to Iowa in 1857. Gideon Vance was a resident of Monroe Township, Wayne County, many years; subsequently went to Kansas but re- turned to Iowa and died at the home of his son Robert in Seymour, August 23, 1885, on his seventy-fifth birthday. His wife, the mother of our subject, died in Virginia in 1848. His family consisted of four sons- George A., in Labette County, Kansas ; Joseph, in Texas ; John C., in Appanoose County, and Robert. Robert Vance is a veteran of the war of the Rebellion. He enlisted August 1, 1863, in Company D, Eighth Iowa Cavalry, and was mustered out August 13, 1865. He participated in Sherman's Atlanta campaign and was with Stoneman on his raid through Georgia; was captured at Newman's Ford, July 29, 1864, and confined in Andersonville Prison until the 27th of the following October. Dr. B. S. Everett, of Allerton, was on the same raid and was captured at the same time. After his exchange he rejoined his regiment at Pulaski, Tennessee, and participated in the final campaign against Hood, under General Thomas, taking part in the battles
at Nashville and Frankhn, and also on what was known as Wilson's raid through Ala- bama and Georgia, and was mustered out at Macon, Georgia. He was a gallant soldier and served his country faithfully. After his return from the war he engaged in stock-dealing at Genoa until 1869, when he went to Kansas and engaged in farming until 1877, when he returned to Wayne County and located in Seymour. He has been twice married and twice has death robbed him of his companion. His first wife was Mary A. Carter, daughter of William Carter. She died in Kansas in 1874 leaving two children-Nancy E. and Char- lotte W. His second wife was Clarissa Johnson, daughter of Martin Johnson, a pioneer of Monroe Township. She died in Seymour in September, 1884. To his sec- ond marriage were born four children- Julia, Nettie L., and Elva and Erva, twins.
AMILTON J. HERBERT, a leading farmer of Richman Township, resid- ing on the southwest corner of sec- tion 27, was born February 27, 1836, in Berrien County, Michigan, his parents, James B. and Lydia (Carroll) Herbert, be- ing natives of Virginia. In early childhood he was taken by his parents to Missouri, who shortly afterward removed to Warren County, Illinois, the father engaged in farm- ing. On reaching the age of eighteen years our subject left his home and went to Mer- cer County, Illinois. May 24, 1861, he en- listed in Company F, Seventeenth Illinois Infantry, and with that gallant regiment participated in the battles of Fredericktown, Missouri, Fort Donelson, Shiloh, siege of Cornith, Hatchie, Iuka, siege of Vicksburg, Jackson and the Meriden expeditions. He was mustered out with his regiment at Springfield, Illinois, June 8, 1864, when he returned to his farm in Mercer County.
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HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
February 9, 1865, he was united in marriage to Mary D. Morford, and of the three chil- dren born to this union only one is living -Edmund J., at home. Lillian Nettie and an infant arc deceased. Mr. Herbert re- mained in Mercer County, Illinois, till 1868 when he located in Polk County, Iowa, and engaged in agricultural pursuits near Des Moines. Three years later he went to Kan- sas, from which State he removed after liv- inge there three and a half years, being driven out by the grasshoppers. He then came to Wayne County, Iowa, where he has since made his home. He is at present serving as trustee of Richman Township. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. He is a member of Chappaqua Lodge, No. 121, I. O. O. F., and is a com- rade of Wayne Post, No. 137, G. A. R., and is junior vice-commander of his post.
AMUEL WHITMORE resides on section 32, South Fork Township, where he has lived since 1862. At that time, of his 350 acres but thirty acres had been broken and fenced, and the only building was a log house. He went bravely to work, being assisted and encouraged by his wife. and now has, as a result, one of the finest farms in the township. His log house, in 1877, gave place to a pleasant frame residence, and his other buildings are comfortable and commodious. Mr. Whitmore was born in Delaware, Knox County, Ohio, in August, 1825, remaining in his native State until seventeen years of age, when he accompanied his parents to what was then the Territory of lowa. They first settled in Jefferson County, later to Wapello County, and thence to Van Bu- ren County, where the parents dicd. Mr. Whitmore was married in Wapello County in August, 1847, to Parmelia Jackson, who was born in Pennsylvania in 1831, daugh-
ter of William and Aseneth (Chandler) Jackson, the former a native of Massachu- setts and the latter of New York. They were married in Pennsylvania, and in 1843 removed to Iowa. Mr. Jackson died in 1852, at the age of forty-two years, in Wis- consin, whither he had gone on business, and Mrs. Jackson afterward married Jacob Bly, who died in 1884, and Mrs. Bly now lives with her children. To Mr. and Mrs. Whitmore have been born three children- George, now of Oregon, who married a daughter of Judge Wade, and has seven sons, the eldest being less than fourteen years of age. Alma is the wife of Joseph Bly, of Oregon, and William Walter, the youngest, is still at home.
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