USA > Iowa > Adams County > Biographical history of Montgomery and Adams counties, Iowa : containing portraits of all the presidents of the United States, with accompanying biographies of each ; a condensed history of Iowa, with portraits and biographies of the governors of the state, engravings of prominent citizens of the counties, with personal histories of many of the early settlers and leading families > Part 29
USA > Iowa > Montgomery County > Biographical history of Montgomery and Adams counties, Iowa : containing portraits of all the presidents of the United States, with accompanying biographies of each ; a condensed history of Iowa, with portraits and biographies of the governors of the state, engravings of prominent citizens of the counties, with personal histories of many of the early settlers and leading families > Part 29
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Mr. MeIntyre was married December 30, 1860, to Miss Louisa J. Fast, of Carroll county, Illinois. Her father died May 22, 1888, at the age of sixty-nine years. The mother is still living at this writing, aged seventy-three. Mr. and Mrs. McIntyre have had six children, namely: Mary J. married George Windsor, and has three children :- Clarence E., Bertha M. and William E .; John P., a promising youth and the hope of his fond parents, died at the age of sixteen years; Harriet E., wife of John West, has
Ворву T. J. J. Mercer.
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MONTGOMERY AND ADAMS COUNTIES.
two children, Edna L. and Effie M .; Samuel E., Jessie F., and Alvin E.
Both Mr. McIntyre and his wife are meni- bers of the United Brethren Church. He has held various church offices, and is a prominent factor in such enterprises as pro- mnote tlie best interests of his community.
R. JAMES T. MERCER, deceased, came to Adams county in the spring of 1861 and settled on a tract of wild land in section 27, in what is now Mercer township, -- then Queen City township-which em- braced Mercer und Prescott township boun- dary lines. Dr. Mercer was instrumental in organizing Mercer township, and it was named in his honor. He was born in Gran- ville, Monongalia county, West Virginia, July 27, 1830, a son of Jesse and Rachel (Bowslock) Mercer, natives of West Virginia, and of Welsh and German ancestry. He be- gan the study of liis profession when seven- teen years of age, and after finishing his studies he practiced for one year in Fetterman, in his native State, after which he came to Ohio, where he followed his profession and taught school. He was married October 5, 1856, to Miss Sarah J. Vernon, a native of Monroe county, Ohio, and a daughter of Jacob and Catherine (Smith) Vernon. The former was a native of Pennsylvania and of French ancestry, and the latter a native of Pennsylvania also and her ancestors were from New Jersey. After coming to this county Dr. Mercer, in connection with his profes- sional duties, improved a tract of 320 acres of wild land, on which lie resided for about twelve years, when he moved to the farm where his widow now resides, and there im- proved 800 acres which belonged to the father of Mrs. Mercer. He lived here the 24
remainder of his days. In 1889, while taking a trip to the National Park, the Doctor was removing a loaded gun from his wagon when it accidentally went off, enter- ing the Doctor's body. From this wound he lived but half an hour, leaving his widow and ten children to mourn his loss.
Doctor and Mrs. Mercer were the parents of thirteen children, ten of whom still sur- vive: Eardley M., who died in infancy, Au- gust 29, 1857; Latona M., who was married August 2, 1874, to Charles T. Chute, now a resident of Miami county, Kansas; Myra V., who was married December 30, 1876, to William Watts of Oskaloosa, Iowa; Spur- geon V., who married February 15, 1882, Miss Clara Bardwell, and resides in this township; Jesse J., who married May 1, 1890, Miss Eva Matthias; Frank L., at home; Catherine, who married February 24, 1886, M. E. Kirley of this township; Emma L., who was married February 11, 1891, to M. E. Delameter of Knox, North Dakota; Minnie A., Lillian N., Thornton, who died March 22, 1877, when six inonths old; and Carlton T. Dr. Mercer and wife were active and con- sistent members in the Baptist Church. He officiated as a preacher in that organization for several years. He served as a member of the Board of Supervisors of Adams county for several terms and in many local offices of trust and responsibility. He was the organ- izer of the Greenback party in Adams county, but formerly cast his suffrage with the Democrats.
YMAN L. BULLOCK, a farmer on sec- tion 17, Nodaway township (postoffice Nodaway), was born in Morgan county, Ohio, September 7, 1859, the youngest son of Marshall and Rhoda (Devoll) Bullock, a sketch of whom is elsewhere given. He
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was a boy of five years of age when his father came to this county, and he spent his youth on the old homestead, receiving a good edu- cation ; and, having an apt and communicative mind, he taught school a number of terms with inarked success, alternating with farın work during the warmer months of the year. He is now located on a farm of forty acres of rich bottom land, where he has a good dwell- ing, out-buildings, etc. He is engaged also in ponltry-raising, which he finds profitable.
On national questions he is a Republican, and is an efficient worker for his party-is indeed a "wheel- horse" in the cause of Repub- licanisın. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Nodaway, in which he is a zealous worker in the Sunday-school. He is a gentleman of progressive ideas and ad- vanced education.
Angust 9, 1882, is the date of his mar- riage to Jessie Cowles, daughter of J. E. Cowles, a prominent citizen of the county, whose sketch is given elsewhere in this vol- ume. Mr. and Mrs. Bullock have four chil- dren,-Benjamin Howard, Anna Daisy, Flora Blanche and Frank Elliott.
ARSHALL BULLOCK, section 17, Nodaway township (postoffice Nod- away), was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, December 17, 1816. His father, Curtis Bullock, was born in Chester county, that State, and the father of the lat- ter, Moses Bullock, was born in Maryland, of English ancestry. Moses had two brothers in the Revolutionary war, John and Isaac. Marshall Bullock's mother, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Hickman, was a native of Chester county, Pennsylvania, and of German ancestry.
Our subject, at the age of twenty-one years,
went to Morgan county, Ohio, where he made his home until 1864, when he came to Adams county, Iowa. His farm of 120 acres is good, rich bottom land and hillside. Here he has all the equipments of a good grain and stock farm, in find condition. In poli- tics he is a Republican, and for forty years he has belonged to the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which society he lias been stew- ard, class-leader, and superintendent of the Sunday-school. He devotes special attention to the improvement of his children, four of whom have been successful school-teachers.
Mr. Bullock was married in Morgan coun- ty, Ohio, to Miss Rhoda Devoll, danghter of Joseph and Sarah (Manchester) Devoll. Of their nine children five are living, namely: H. D., a prominent citizen of Nodaway town- ship, a sketch of whom is given on another page of this work; Williamn, who lives in Randolph, Fremont county, this State, a car- penter and contractor; Lyman L., of whom also a sketchi appears in this volume; Debo- rah, now the wife of Jacob Smith, of Noda- way township; and Priscilla, the wife of Dr. McKittredge. of Ohio. Four are deceased namely: Curtis, who is buried in the ceme-, tery at Vicksburg, Mississippi, where he died in the service of his country, a member of the Thirtieth Ohio Volunteer Infantry; Sa- rah, who was the wife of Dr. Cooper, of Vil- lisca; Rhoda Ann, who died at the age of twelve years; and Nancy, who died when two years of age.
B E. TITUS has been identified with the agricultural interests of Adams county since 1882, having settled here in March of that year. He was born in Brown county, Indiana, Angust -- , 1831, and is a son of Benjamin and Hannah (Evans) Titus. The father was a native of Pennsylvania and
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was of English descent; the latter was born in Virginia, of Scotch ancestry. They were early settlers of Indiana, where they reared a family of eight children, six of whom survive.
Our subject was reared to the occupation of a farmer, and during his boyhood attended the common schools. At the age of seven- teen years lie went to learn the trade of a blacksmith, serving an apprenticeship of three years with Hill & Phillips, of Indian. apolis, Indiana, Afterward for a period of six years he worked as a journeyman, and then engaged in business for himself at Thorntown, Indiana. In 1850 he went to Tippecanoe county, and for fifteen years was engaged at his trade at Culver Station.
Mr. Titus was married in Boone county, Indiana, June 5, 1852, to Miss Elizabeth Green, a native of Ohio, and a daughter of David and Elizabetlı (Snttou) Green, natives of New Jersey and New York respectively. It was not until 1870 that he emigrated to Iowa, and settled in Pierce township, Page county. There he followed his trade for a year, locating at the end of that time on an unimproved farm of seventy-six acres. He spent much time and labor on this place, and resided there until 1882, coming at that time to Adams county. Here he has bought 138 acres of land, which has been improved by J. E. Jones. It is choice farming land, and has many modern improvements.
Mr. and Mrs. Titns are the parents of six children: Lina, the wife of. James W. War- ner, of Tippecanoe county, Indiana; Emma, a school-teacher in this county; Linda L .; Benjamin G., who married Unie Bigham; Mary, wife of Edward Peregrine; and Ella, also a teacher of this county. The parents and daughters are active and consistent mnem- bers of the Christian Church, and the family are highly respected members of the com- munity in which they are residents.
In his political opinion Mr. Titus adheres to the principles of the Republican party. He is a self-made man, and by his own in- dustry he has accumulated a comfortable living.
BARRY LAMBOLEY, one of the intelli- gent and solid men of Quincy town- ship, has resided in this vicinity since 1885. Mr. Lamboley is a native of France born January 6, 1850, son of Felix and Frances (Doubet) Lamboley, natives of that country. For seven years his father was a soldier in the French army. At one of the battles in which he participated a brave and gallant officer was wounded and left on the field to die, and at the risk of his own life Mr. Lamboley went to him and bore him off the battle-field. For this heroic act he was granted a pension of $8 per month and given a medal of honor. His mother dying when he was eighteen months old, Harry was brought by Xavier Doubet to America, and was reared on a farm in Peoria county, Illi- nois. receiving his education in the common schools. He subsequently spent some time in Knox county, that State. In 1885 he came to Adams county and bought a farm- ninety acres-of Uriah Thomas. He lias since acquired other lands and is now the owner of 270 acres. His farın is under a high state of cultivation, and the substantial improvements and general surroundings all indicate that prosperity is attending the owner. Among his stock are some thorough- bred shorthorn cattle.
Mr. Lamboley was married in Peoria county, Illinois, February 5, 1873, to Miss Ellen Lonsdale, who was born and reared in that county, daughter of Henry and Anna (Malone) Lonsdale. Her father was an Englishman, and both her parents died in
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF
Peoria county, Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Lam- boley have five children: Henry Felix, Fran- cis La Fayette, Rebecca Ellen, Charles E. and Deliah Isabelle. Mr. Lamboley is a member of the Farmers' Alliance. Mrs. Lamboley's father was born in Lancashire, England; her mother was born in Ireland, at Belfast. Mr. Lamboley lias a sister living in Adams county, Iowa, and a brother who is engaged in farming in Knox county, Illinois.
DAM MCKEAN, who resides on section 1, Colony township, adjoining the town of Nevinville, Adams county, Iowa, was born in Nova Scotia, near Halifax, Feb- ruary 5, 1826. His father, David McKean, was born on the sea while his parents were en route to America to settle in New Jersey. Grandfather Mckean was a Scotchman. The mother of our subject, nee Jane McKensie, was born in Nova Scotia. She died at the age of fifty-five, and the father passed away in 1857, aged sixty-seven. Twelve children and one adopted son composed their family, Adam being the sixth born and oldest son.
In 1844 Mr. McKean left Nova Scotia, came West and settled in Clinton county, Iowa. In the year 1852 he crossed thic plains with an ox team, and spent the following four years in California, engaged in mining. In 1856 he returned to Iowa and married Miss Mary J. Stumbaugh, a native of Frank- lin county, Pennsylvania. They lived in Clinton county, Iowa, until the breaking out of the war of the Rebellion, when he entered the service of his country, enlisting in Con- pany K, Twenty-sixth Iowa Volunteer In- fantry, Colonel Milo B. Smith. He was at the siege of Vicksburg, Arkansas Post, Haines Bluff, Jackson, Mississippi, and Raleigh, North Carolina, besides partici-
pating in many other minor engagements, and through all his service never received a wound. He was made Sergeant of Company K, which position he occupied until the close of the war.
Mr. McKean came to Adams county in 1866 and a short time afterward went to Kansas, soon, however, returning to this county and settling where lic now resides. He owns 160 acres of good farming land, especially adapted to stock-raising. On this place are fifteen acres in a natural grove and nine acres that have been set to forest trees. There are 500 grape vines and an abundance of small fruit, besides six acres devoted to orchard. Among his stock are fine hogs, shorthorn cattle and Hamiltonian and Bashiaw colts and horses. The house, a comfortable cottage, is located on an eminence and commands an extended view of the surrounding country. The bank barn, 40 x 32 feet, and other outbuildings furnish shelter for stock, etc., and everything about the premises is kept in perfect order.
Mr. McKean has never had any political aspirations, although he has been called upon to serve his township at various times in the capacity of trustee and other offices of minor importance. He votes with the Republican party.
Of the seven children born to Mr. and Mrs. McKean only two are living. The oldest, Cora, is the wife of Frank Becbe. They and their son Edward reside with Mr. Mckean. He and his wife and daughter are members of the Congregational Church.
AVID OSBORN, a worthy citizen and a prosperous farmer, residing in section 36, Washington township, Adams coun- ty, Iowa (Mt. Etna postoffice), was born in Guernsey connty, Ohio, May 11, 1832. His
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parents were Lewis and Mary A. (Covey) Osborn, both natives of New York. The father was a cabinet-maker by trade, and was one of the early settlers of that locality. He owned a farm, and carried on farming also. He died many years ago and his wife passed away in 1872, aged seventy-three years. She was a devout member of the Baptist Church. They had twelve children, our subject being the eleventh-born. Of this family ten are still living.
Young Osborn began life for himself at the age of nineteen years, at which time he started to California in company with fifteen others from Guernsey county, Ohio. They made the journey via Nicaragua and arrived at their destination March 5, thirty-one days after they left New York. He remained in California two years and a half, successfully engaged in mining. July 5, 1856, he turned his face homeward, and mnade the return voy- age via the Panama route, arriving in safety after a journey of twenty-two days. He at once engaged in farming in Ohio, and was thus employed when the war came on.
In January, 1864, Mr. Osborn enlisted in Company D, Sixtieth Ohio Volunteer Infan- try, was in a number of important engage- ments, and on the 17th of June, 1864, while charging the breastworks in front of Peters- burg, was wounded in the hand, losing the second finger and the use of the others. He was sent to the hospital, afterward to Wash- ington city, and still later to Little York, Pennsylvania, remaining in the hospital at the latter place until his discharge in July, 1865.
After returning home and recovering, he moved with his family to Story county, Iowa, where he lived two years and a half. He then moved to his present location on the half section road which leads through Mt. Etna, and here lie owns 120 acres of land, a
comfortable cottage home, orchard, etc., and is well fixed to enjoy life.
Mr. Osborn was married September 23, 1858, to Miss Christiana A. McPeak, daugh- ter of Daniel and Lydia McPeak, of Guern- sey county, Ohio. Following is the issue from their union: Lydia A., wife of James Homan, a farmer of Adams county; Mary A., wife of Alpheus Madison, who is engaged in the lumber business in Corning; Lizzie A., who has been a successful teacher for ten years and is now engaged as Principal of the Mt. Etna graded school; Carlie A., a farmer; Wesley E. and Rosella E.
Mr. Osborn is a deacon in the Baptist Church, of which his wife was also a devoted member. The latter's death occurred July 4, 1879, at the age of fifty-two years. In her life she was the truest and purest type of Christian wife and mother combined, and her death was a source of much bereavement to her family and many friends.
LDER JOSEPH PEREGRINE, one of the honored pioneers of Adams county, was born in Shropshire, England, Au- gust 6, 1822, and is the fourth son and child of the Rev. James Peregrine, a native of Wales. The mother was also a native of England. James Peregrine was a minister in the Presbyterian Church for over fifty years. In 1830 the family emigrated to America, and located at Utica, New York. Then they removed to Oliio, and afterward to Indiana, in which State the father died about the year 1862, at the age of seventy- seven years. The mother died several years pre- viously, at the age of sixty-five years.
Joseph Peregrine spent the greater portion of his youth in farin work. He was married in Rush county, Ind., to Miss Catherine Robin-
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF
son, danghter of John and Catherine (Rishling) Robinson, who came to Rush county in an early day. After his marriage our subject followed farming in Rush, Scott and Jasper counties, Indiana, until 1855, when he came to Iowa, and entered 200 acres of Government land in what is known as Methodist Grove; there he resided one season, and in 1856 he located on his present farin; he has 170 acres in a high state of cultivation.
In March, 1858, he entered the ministry of the Christian Church, and labored as an evangelist in eight counties in southwestern Iowa, and Nodaway county, Missouri. He has been pastor of the Brooks church over fifteen years; of the Valley church for nine years; of the church at Bedford, six years; of the church at Prescott for four years; of the Boundary Grove church, six years; of the church in Clairmont, Missouri, three years, and for several years he was pastor of the Union City, Buchanan, and Hawleyville congregations. He has probably been called to preacli as many funeral sermons as any other minister in this part of the State, and he never fails to respond when possible to attend.
Mr. and Mrs. Peregrine had born to them eiglit children, six of whom survive: J. S., a physician at Brooks, Iowa; Elizabeth, the wife of William Hanly; Amanda, the wife of Orlando McKay; G. R., a resident of Nance county, Nebraska; E. J., the wife of G. D. Wilson; C. S., a druggist at Brooks, lowa, and two children who died in infancy. The mother of this family died in 1862, at the age of thirty-six years. Mr. Peregrine was married again in 1863, to Mrs. Lydia J. Newhouse, whose maiden name was Flenner; she is a daughter of Thompson Flenner, formerly of Rush county, Indiana. By this last marriage six children were born: Edgar, Mary, Adner, the wife of M. D. Parcher; Cora, Walter and Homer.
Mr. Peregrine has been a member of the Board of Supervisors for five years. Polit- ically he was formerly an old-line Whig; he voted with the Republican party upon its or- ganization, but he is now a staunch Prohibi- tionist. He has spent many years of his life in preaching the gospel of his Master, and expects to continue this work as long as his health and strength will permit.
AMES MILLER RUSSELL, one of the representative citizens of Quincy town- ship, was born in Windham county, Ver- mont, November 24, 1832. When he was eight years of age his father, Alvin J. Rus- sell, emigrated from the State of Vermont to Morgan county, Ohio, and thence to Wyan- dot county, in the same State. When the family emigrated to Ohio it consisted of the parents and two sons, James M. and Alvin Chandler. A third son, George W., was born in the State of Ohio. In 1854 James M. Russell, then a young man of twenty-two years, came to Iowa. He remained in Polk county during the summer of that year, when he returned to Ohio. He was much pleased with Iowa-in fact made so favorable a re- port of the country that his father decided to emigrate hither with his family. A gen- tleman living near the home of Mr. Russell, in Ohio, owned quite a large tract of land in Adams county, and Mr. Russell, Sr., entered into negotiation with this gentleman, whose name was Anthony Beery, for a portion of this tract of land. The negotiation resulted in Mr. Russell exchanging his farm in Ohio for 200 acres on section 13, Quincy township, Adams county. Accordingly, the following year, the entire family of Mr. Russell, Sr., consisting of parents, their three sons and an adopted daughter named Ann Katch,
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came to Iowa and settled on this land. They made the journey with teams, bringing also by the same conveyance their household goods, etc. No improvements had been made on the land when the family located thereon. During the first winter of their sojourn in Adams county the family occupied a log cabin with a sod roof, which was lo- cated on the stream known as Hatton branclı, that being the only available shelter they were able to secure, and this was situated some distance from the land they had secured for a future home. In the spring of 1856 the father and sons began breaking up the land, and built thereon a small plank honse, into which the family moved. They con- tinned to work together improving the farm, and ultimately added largely to their first possession, becoming the owners of 840 acres. The first of the family to remove from the homestead was Alvin Chandler, who married and settled in Washington township, Adams county. In 1871 he re- moved to Oregon and resided in Umatilla county. The youngest of the three brothers married, and engaged in merchandising in the village of Quincy, then the county seat of Adams county. Later he engaged in the same business in Corning, where he con- tinned for a number of years when he re- mnoved to Indian Territory, and died in the fall of 1886, leaving a family of six children. The father and mother of the Russell family lived at the homestead until death. The former was born in Vermont, February 26, 1803, and died April 26, 1876. The mother, whose maiden name was Nancy Miller, was born February 26, 1804, and died November 12, 1882.
James Miller Russell, the eldest child, as already stated, was the first of the family to come to Iowa. He was married, Marclı 3, 1859, to Miss Mary Elizabeth Howard, daugh-
ter of Charles Howard, of Wapello county, Iowa. Mrs. Russell was born in Morgan county, Ohio, in 1838. She lost lier mother by death when she was but twelve years of age. Her father remarried, and in 1850 emigrated with his family to Iowa. He lived in Wa- pello county for twenty-five years, and then removed to Missouri. He was killed a num- ber of years ago by being run over by a wagon. Mrs. Russell was the eldest of five children.
James M. Russell continned to live at the homestead until his death, which occurred very suddenly July 29, 1889. He had been in usnal health and partook of his dinner as usual, soon after which he went to the well, which was at some distance from his barn where men were engaged in threshing, to obtain water for the threshers. Having been absent much longer than was deemed neces- sary, his son, James M., went in search of him and found his father lying dead beside the spring, having, as was supposed, died from an affection of the heart. The sudden death of the husband and father was a crush- ing blow to his family. Mr. Russell was an upright, respected citizen, and during his long residence in Adams county had ever the confidence and esteem of his fellow-citizens. He was ever prominent in whatever tended to promote the best interests of the com- munity in which he lived. He was for many years connected with the School Board, and did much to promote the growth of edu- cation in his district.
In his political views he was a Republican.
Mr. Russell and wife were the parents of ten children: Charles A., the eldest, born January 29, 1860, died at the age of three years; Colonel Warren Russell, the eldest surviving child, was born January 28, 1861. He married Miss Cora A. Jones, and lives on a portion of the homestead. George
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Howard, the second son, a prominent teacher, was born December 5, 1862; James A., was born December 18, 1864; Nancy, September 20, 1866; she is one of the prominent teachers of Adams county, and has tanght the home school for ten terms; Mary Lucre- tia, born September 12, 1868, married Charles Van Houten; Abbie Oddesson, was born April 27, 1870; Ralph, March 21, 1872; Frank, December 12, 1874, and John Ed- ward, March 17, 1881. Mrs. Russell, with her children, reside at the old homestead, around which are associated pleasant memories of the days gone by, when she and her lamented husband labored in unison to improve and beautify their Iowa home.
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