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 48
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 48
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Patrick Toohey died March 19, 1881. In politics he was a Democrat; in religion a devout Catholic. The widow and seven chil- dren survive. The names of the latter are as follows: Mary Ann, at home; Michael, Gree-
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ley county, Nebraska; Kate, wife of Patrick Grady, Greeley county, Nebraka; Anna, wife of William Devereaux, Douglas township, this county; Emma, wife of William Hauf, of Chicago; and John and Patrick, twins, the former at the homestead and the latter a resident of Greeley county, Nebraska.
B H. EGLESTON has been a resident of Douglas township. Adamns county, Iowa, since 1881, and is one of its intel- ligent and prosperous citizens.
Mr. Egleston was born in Oswego county, New York, September 25, 1849. His father, Jeremiah Egleston, was born at Floyd Hill near Holland Point, New York, son of Ezekiel Egleston, also a native of New York State, the family being of English descent. The mother, Rozena (Howard) Egleston, was born in Oswego county, New York, daughter of Dexter Howard, a native of Whitesboro, New York, and a descendant of Dutch ancestry. To Jeremiah Egleston and his wife were born eight children. The father was a contractor and builder, and was a mem- ber of tlie Baptist Church. He died at the age of fifty-six years. The mother is now a resident of Pulaski, Oswego county, New York, and is seventy-two years of age.
B. H. Egleston was reared in his native county, attended the public schools and com- pleted his studies at Mexico Academy. He learned his father's trade, that of carpenter, and has followed it the most of his life. In 1873 he moved to Will county, Illinois, and made his home near Joliet for four years. He then went to Trego county, Kansas, bought and improved a farm and lived there three years. In 1881 he came to his present location, purchased eighty acres of wild bush and, at once began the work of clearing and
improving, and now has a good farm, com- fortable cottage liome, good barn and out- buildings, and an orchard and grove. Since coming to Adams county he has devoted much of his time to work at his trade.
Mr. Egleston was married in Oswego county, New York, at the age of twenty, to Ida Cole, a native of that place and a daugli- ter of Clark and Caroline (Root) Cole. They have five children: Louisa, wife of Oscar Oster, of Douglas township, and Willie J., Arthur, Freddy and Roy. Gracie, their third child, died at the age of two years.
Mr. Egleston has served as a member of the School Board for ten years, and is at preseut Township Trustee, being an efficient and popular officer. He is a Democrat and au active worker in the ranks of his party.
H. ENSIGN .- This gentleman has been a resident of Douglas town- ship for many years and is well known here. A brief review of his life and ancestry furnishes the following facts :
The family name was originally English One of his ancestors was an ensign in the British army, and was a rebel and deserter. Coming to America he dropped his own name and assumed that of Ensign, which has been lianded down to his posterity. The great-grandfather of our subject was a me chanic by trade and mnade cutlasses for the Revolutionary soldiers. His grandfather, Isaiah Ensign, was a captain in the war of 1812, and both he and his son William, father of W. H., were natives of Hartford, Con- necticut. William was twenty years old when his father moved to New York State, and the former was engaged in the manu- facture of salt at Syracuse when that town contained only four honses. He married
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Hnldah Brookins, a native of Berkshire county, Massachusetts, and a daughter of of Steplien Brookins, a native of Massa- chusetts. Stephen Brookins was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, as was also his wife's father, Michael Taylor. The Ensign family were among the early settlers in Madison county, New York. Captain Ensign died there, aged eighty eight, and his wife, ninety- six.
In 1856 William and Huldah Ensign re- moved from Madison connty, New York, to Fond du Lac county, Wisconsin, where they remained until 1866, when they came to Adams county, Iowa. They reared a family of five children, four of whom are living. Here the mother died in 1873, and the father passed away at the age of seventy-five years. The latter was a Wlig and subse- quently a Republican ; was an earnest Cliris- tian man, first a Baptist, afterward a Metho- dist, and at the time of his death a member of the United Brethren Church. The names of the children born to thiem are as follows: Polly Noise, of Bates county, Missouri; W. H., whose name heads this sketch; O. S., of Douglas township, Adams county; Steplien B., deceased, and Eunice Jenette Wright, of Bates county, Missouri.
Stephen B. Ensign was born in Madison county, New York, and was reared there and in Wisconsin. He was married in Adams county, Iowa, to Mrs. Mary E. Erskins, nee Spargur. She was born and reared in High- land county, Ohio, daughter of Caleb W., and Lydia Spargur. Her first husband, Michael Erskins, died in Highland county, Ohio, leaving her with one son, M. G. Erskins, who now resides with W. H. Ensign. Stephen B. Ensign and wife both died about the same time, some twelve years ago, leaving a daughter, Anna Belle Ensign, who also re- sides with her uncle, W. H. Ensign.
The subject of our sketch was reared on a farm in Madison county, New York, where lie was born Angust 18, 1835. He re- ceived his education in the common schools of his native State, and was twenty years old when the family moved to Fond du Lac county, Wisconsin. February 9, 1864, he enlisted in Company I, Thirty-fiftli Wiscon- sin Infantry, Volunteers; served on the Mis- sissippi river, most of the time doing provost and gnard duty, and was honorably dis- charged at Madison, Wisconsin, May 12, 1865. In 1866 he came to Adams county, Iowa, with his parents and older sister, mak- ing the journey withi teams and camping out at night. He settled on his present farm in 1870. It was then wild land, and under his judicious management it has been developed into a fine farm. The two-story residence is built on the sonthern style and is located somewhat back from the road. Mr. Ensign has given much attention to stock. He owns one horse, now twenty-six years old, that he brought witli him from Wisconsin.
A jovial bachelor, honorable and upriglit in all his business dealings, and frank and cordial at all times, Mr. Ensign is a favorite among his many friends. He is a Repub. lican and a member of the Meyerhoff Post.
ON. THOMAS WEIDMAN, present State Senator, is a son of Phillip Weidman, who was born in North- hampton county, Pennsylvania, in 1800. The grandfather was Henry Weidman, also a native of Pennsylvania; but his father, who was also named Phillip, was a native of Ger- many and emigrated to America and settled at Philadelphia long before the war of the Revolution. He was a Quaker and as there was much disturbance in the colonies, lie re-
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moved to Canada, where he settled and died. The grandfather of onr subject did not go with his father, but settled in Pennsylvania.
The mother of Thomas Weidman was Susanna Rymond, also of an early Pennsyl- vania family. Her father was Jacob Ry- mond, a native of Germany. The father was the eldest of eight sons and there were also two daughters; all grew to mature years. Phillip Weidman was a shoemaker by trade; he and his wife had six children who grew to maturity, two sons and four daughters, all still living. The father came to Fremont county, Iowa, in 1857, where he settled on a farm on which he lived until his death in 1862; the mother survived for ten years; she lived with her son Thomas the last years of her life.
Mr. Weidman was born August 30, 1838, being abont nineteen when he came to this State. In 1861 he came to this county and married at that time Miss Betsy Chenoweth, the daughter of Joseph and Anna (Skidmore) Chenoweth. She was born in Ohio. They have had eleven children, seven sons and four daughters. The eldest daughter married Ezra Ruffner and died about three and a half years after marriage; Frances Alice and Ger- trude, both married and live in this county; Richard, Edward, Frank, Clark, Joseph, Phillip and Le Roy. Our subject has been engaged in farming in Grant township where he took a homestead; he has 445 acres in a body. He was for sixteen years Justice of the Peace; was a member of the county Board and was very popular; was elected in the fall of 1888 to the State Senate by a majority of 300 against the Hon. W. W. Merritt. He took a prominent part in the organiza- tion of the Senate, discharged his obliga- tions to that body and to his constituency with fidelity and ability that was as admir- able as rare; moved to the town of Red 33
Oak in May, 1890, where he has a pleasant home. He is a member of the Protestant Methodist Episcopal church. He has been a hard worker; has never taken a drop of liquor nor ever nsed tobacco; is an upright, moral man and a citizen of whont any com- munity might be proud.
AMES T. FIFE, a farmer and stock- raiser of section 24, Jasper township, was born in Allegheny connty, Penn- sylvania, March 3, 1829, a son of William Fife, who was a descendant of John Fife, of Fifeshire, Scotland. John Fife was born in 1721, and removed to county Tyrone, Ireland ; in 1756 he came to Winchester, Virginia, and in 1766 to Upper St. Clair, Pennsylvania, where he purchased 1,000 acres of land of the Indians and there he died November 19, 1800, and this land still belongs to his de- scendants. William Fife, the grandfather of our subject, a son of John Fife, Jr., was born in 1751, and died July 25, 1818, and served as a soldier during the Revolutionary war. His wife was Margaret Boyd. The father of our subject was reared on the old Fife homestead, and married Mary Thomas, of Nodaway township, Washington county, Pennsylvania. The maternal ancestors of our subject were among the first settlers of Wash- ington county, and were of Welsh descent. In 1835 William Fife sold his interest in the old homestead and removed to Washington county, Pennsylvania, where he died when our subject was fourteen years of age, leav- ing his widow and twelve children but limited means. .
It became necessary for those that were able to do anything to go to work; our sub- ject commenced work on a farm at $4 per month and never received more than $7. In
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF
the 'snminer of 1847 he attended Washington college; in the fall of the same year he en- gaged in the sale of books and in this busi- ness he obtained means to pursue his studies until the spring of 1850, when he left school and went to Salem, Columbiana county, Ohio, and there purchased a property of Rev. A. G. Kirk, for $800; $50 cash, $100 in three months, $150 in six months; balance in two equal yearly payments with interest. He gave his mother the free use of this property whilst she remained a widow and with the assistance of a brother and sister provided for her and the younger children.
He was married, November 25, 1852, to Miss Elizabeth H. Shafer, a native of Law- rence county, Pennsylvania, and daughter of Michael Shafer, a soldier of the war of 1812. In 1853 he rented a farm in Lawrence county, Pennsylvania, and farmed in the summer and sold books in the winter. In 1855 he removed to Seneca county, Ohio, and for $10 per acre he purchased 240 acres of land in a branch of the Black swamp; the land was considered worthless by the citizens; he ditched a portion of it and put it in a good state of cultivation and divided it into four lots, and in 1860 sold the same at a price ranging from $20 to $30 per acre and moved to Marshall county, Indiana, where he con- tinued to farm until 1872.
In the last year of the civil war he served the Government in the capacity of a detective. When our Government was at war with Mex- ico he was a member of the Jefferson Grays, and with the company offered his services to the Government, which received orders to be ready on notice to go, but the war coming to an end they were not called for. He also served as a detective and broke up a gang of thieves headed by John Mauler, in the vicin- ity of Tyner City, Indiana. In 1872 he re-
moved to Adams county, Iowa, purchased 240 acres of raw land- and improved it.
He and his wife were the parents of eight children: Lawrence H., Andrew V., Arthur S., Olive O., Michael T., James M., Bertha I. and Clara E. His wife died in October, 1881. Lawrence and Bertha are also dead. He was again married in August, 1883, to Mrs. Mary A. Mitchell, a native of Brown county, Ohio; by this union they had one child, born in November, 1887, and died in March, 1888. March 17, 1886, his house and household goods and barn and farming utensils were destroyed by fire; they were partly covered by insurance in the Ætna and it was promptly paid to a cent; he rebuilt in good shape; here he lives and intends to stay and enjoy all he can of life.
M. KING, a member of the Board of Supervisors of Adams county, Iowa, was born in Sandridge township, Men- ard county, Illinois, April 28, 1841. His father, N. M. King, Sr., was born in Virginia in 1802, and his great-grandfather, Daniel King, was a soldier in the Revolutionary war. The King family came from England and were among the first settlers in Virginia. N. M. King, Sr., located in Illinois in 1821, at the age of nineteen. He and Abraham Lincoln worked by the day together, bothi enlisted in the same company in the Black Hawk war, and were warm friends all their lives. Mr. King married Jane Runnels, daughter of John Runnels, who was born in North Carolina and when eleven years of age was taken to Kentucky where she was reared. They lived in Illinois until 1865, when they moved to Madison county, Iowa, where Mr. King died February 15, 1883, in his eighty-first year. His wife was past eighty-one wlien
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she died. He was a farmer all his life; in politics a Whig and later a Republican; and in religion, a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Of their ten children, nine reached adult age.
The subject of our sketch was reared on his father's farm and educated in the common schools of his native county. When the war came on he was among the first to offer his services to his country. November 28, 1861, he enlisted in Company M, Second Illinois Cavalry, that regiment which so grandly dis- tinguished itself. He participated in many important engagements, and at the close of the war was mustered out at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, being Quartermaster Sergeant at that time.
Returning to Illinois after the war, he re- mained in that State two months, thence to Madison comity, Iowa, where he lived until December 13, 1870, when he settled on wild land in Adams county. He now owns 295 acres of rich land in section 21, Douglas township, this county, and forty acres in Madison county. The " King farm," as it is known, is one of the best in the township A good modern residence was built in 1891 and is surrounded by a grove and orchard. A substantial barn, 30 x 40 feet, and all the farm improvements, broad meadows and well cultivated fields, indicate the enterprise of the owner and the prosperity which has at- tended him. This farm is all bottom land except 120 acres located on the hill side. Mr. · King has given much attention to stock- raising, and has been eminently successful in his various operations.
August 1, 1860, he was united in marriage with Miss Mary E. Close, who was born and reared in the same neighborhood with him, attending the same district school. She is a daughter of George and Rebecca (Beams) Close, the former born in Licking county,
Kentucky, and the latter born in South Caro- lina and reared in Kentucky. They became early settlers of Menard county, Illinois. The father died in Madison county, Iowa, in March, 1871, aged seventy-five years; the mother is now a resident of Livingston county, Missouri, and is in her eighty-ninth year. To Mr. and Mrs. King eleven children have been born, viz .: Minerva Isabelle, wife of William Strait; Trinvilla, wife of Rufus Gooddle, of Lincoln township, this county; Mary A .. , wife of B. F. Myers, of Jasper township; Rebecca J., wife of A. A. Strait; Charles S., U. S. Grant, Fanny Frances, Guthrie N., Jolin Leonard, Ada I., and Howard W.
Mr. King was elected to his present office, county Supervisor, in the fall of 1890, receiv- ing a good majority of the votes cast. He is a man of good judgment and executive ability and is the right man in the right place. In his political relations he formerly affiliated with the Republican party, but is now an Independent. He is a member of the Meyerhoff Post, G. A. R., and both he and his wife are members of the United Brethren church,
J. PERKS, a prominent and prosperous inerchant of Carbon, Iowa, forms the subject of this biography. Mr. Perks has been in business here for several years and is well and favorably known. He carries a finely assorted stock of general merchandise, embracing dry-goods, boots and shoes, staple and fancy groceries, notions, queensware, hardware and provisions, and his establish- ment is one of the leading stores in Carbon.
Mr. Perks was born in Worcestershire, England, July 8, 1854, son of George and Mary Ann Perks, and spent his youth in his native land. At the age of seventeen he came
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF
with his father to America. After remaining two months in Pennsylvania he came West to Kewanee, Henry county, Illinois, thence to Bureau county and later to La Salle county, same State. Since 1875 lie has been a resi- dent of Carbon, Iowa. His parents now live in Camden, Missouri. For many years Mr. Perks was engaged in coal-mining. In 1885 he became connected with his present busi- ness, his father having been engaged in busi- ness liere for some time previous to that year. His store building, 23 x 36 feet, with cellar under the whole, is conveniently ar- ranged and well suited for its purpose. At the rear of this is liis dwelling, a story and a half cottage, 23 x 24 fcet, with basement kitchen, the entire premises being well cared for and in good shape.
At the age of twenty-six, at Red Oak, Iowa, Mr. Perks wedded Barbara Deck, a native of Pennsylvania and a daughter of Benjamin Deck of Quincy. Following are the children born to them: Mabel, Maud, Jessie, Walter and Olive. Mr. Perks is a man in the prime of life, is honorable and upright in all his dealings, and has the respect of all who know him. In politics he is an Independent.
AMES A. DAVID, a prominent and well- to-do early settler of Adams county, Iowa, resides in Lincoln township. Following is a brief review of his life:
James A. David was born in Richland county, Ohio, May 3. 1843. His father, Joseph David, a native of the East, died when James was five years old. His mother, nee Martha Barnett, sister of James Barnett of this county, was born in northern Ireland, and was reared and educated in Ohio. Her death occurred in Jackson county, Illinois. Mr. David was eleven years old when he went
with his mother to Illinois, and in Jackson county, that State, he grew to manhood and received his education.
In August, 1862, he enlisted in Company D, Eighty-first Illinois Infantry Volunteers, and bravely did he act his part in that san- guinary struggle. Hc received a shot through the`right hand by a minie-ball, was taken prisoner and for some time suffered untold agonies. He was subsequently exchanged, served till the close of the war, and was honorably discharged at Vicksburg, Missis- sippi. He was paid off at Chicago and from there returned to Jackson county, Illinois, where he continued to reside until 1871. That year lie came to his present location and bought eighty acres of wild land. After living on it some time he sold out and re- turned to Illinois, from there went to Kan- sas, and then back to Illinois again in 1876. Returning to Iowa, he took back the land he had sold and has lived here ever since. He now owns 280 acres of land, all in a high state of cultivation, and has a comfortable cottage liome, beautifully situated amid ever. greens and shrubs, with an orchard and grove near by. His barn, outbuildings, scales, fences, etc., are all kept in good repair. From a pond on the farin water is piped into tauks for stock purposes.
Mr. David was married in 1866 to Miss Frances Teal, a most estimable lady who died three years subsequent to her marriage. His present wife, formerly Miss Ellen Holt, lre wedded in 1875. She was born in Greene county, Indiana, and reared in Jackson county, Illinois, daugliter of William and Mary Ann (Spence) Holt, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of Northern Ireland. Mr. and Mrs. David have one son, Jolın A., born in April, 1879. Bothı he and his wife are members of the Methodist Epis- copal Church, He is a member of the G.
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A. R., Llewellyn Post, Corning, Iowa. Polit- ically he affiliates with the Republican party.
TEPHEN J. HORN, one of the intel- ligent, popular and well-to-do citizens of Lincoln township, has resided here since February, 1874. Following is a brief outline of his life.
Stephen J. Horn was born in Knox county, Ohio. His father, Isaac Horn, was a son of Joseph Horn, and both were born in Penn- sylvania. The mother of Stephen J. was before her marriage Miss Phoebe Ulrey. She was born in Washington county, Penn- sylvania, danghter of Stephen Ulrey. Both the Horn and Ulrey families were of German ancestry. Isaac and Phoebe Horn were mar- ried in Knox county, Ohio, where they still live. Their son, Stephen J., was reared in that county. In 1871 he came to Iowa and took up his abode in Marshall county, where he remained one year. Then he went to California, and for eighteen months was en- gaged in farming on the Pacific coast. At the end of that time he returned to Ohio. In 1874 he came to Adams county, Iowa, and bought eighty acres of land where he now lives. The land here was then all wild and he was one of the first settlers in this neigh- borhood. He has been prosperous in his various undertakings, has bought more land, and is now the owner of 200 acres. His property is well-improved with good build- ings, fences, grove, orchard, etc., and he has everything arranged for the carrying on of farming and stock-raising in the best manner. He lias a flock of 300 Black Top Merino sheep, one of the finest flocks in southwestern Iowa.
Mr. Horn was married, in Knox county, Ohio, at the age of twenty eight years, to
Miss Anna Dudgen, daughter of David and Mary (Freeman) Dudgen. They have three children : Jenny E., Rawson J. and Demus. Their last child, Ida J., is deceased.
Politically Mr. Horn affiliates with the Democratic party. He is a member of the School Board.
ILLIAM TINDALL was born in New York City in 1849. His father, George " P. Tindall, was a native of the East, and a descendant of German ancestry; was by trade a cabinet and carriage maker. His death occurred in New York City. The mother of our subject was Mary Garrison. She died when he was a small child.
Young Tindall spent his early years on the farm and received a limited education in the commnon schools. At the age of fifteen he enlisted in the service of his country; but his father, thinking him too young for the hardships of camp life and the battle field, took him out of the regiment. At eighteen he came West and located at Kewanee, Henry county, Illinois, where he subse- quently cast his first vote for General Grant. From there he moved to Stark county, same State, where he remained until 1878. That year he came to his present location, section 4, Douglas township, Adams county, Iowa. Here he purchased eighty acres of wild land which he has since improved and developed into a fine farın. His cottage home is located on a natural building site and is shaded by beautiful oak trees.
While a resident of Stark county, Illinois, Mr. Tindall was married, at Osceola, August 13, 1869, to Miss Jane Gary, a lady of in- telligence and of good family. She was born at Nesquehoning, near Mauch Chunk, Car- bon county, Pennsylvania. Her father, Daniel Gary, a native of county Cork, Ireland, came
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF
when a young man to America, and in Penn- sylvania was united in marriage to Mrs. Elizabeth Abbott, a native of Derbyshire, England, and a daughter of William and Ellen Marsden. Daniel Gary and wife had four children. He died in Pennsylvania in 1855. Mrs. Tindall received lier education at Tamaqua, Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania. The seven children born to Mr. and Mrs. Tin- dall are as follows: Sarah, Florence, Ray, Retta, Jessie, Charles and Emnina Marsden. The two oldest daughters and their parents are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Carbon. Mr. Tindall is an intelli- gent and much respected citizen. His polit- ical views are in harmony with Republican principles.
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