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 50
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 50
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF
fidence of all who knew them. All the family belong to the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Mr. Jewett held several township offices and was Treasurer for many years. He chopped the first log for a cabin in Colony township.
A. ST. CLAIR, one of the well-known and enterprising citizens of section 3,
6 Red Oak township, came here in 1854, where he lias since resided and made his home. He is a native of Jackson county, Ohio, born October 25, 1852, a son of David St. Clair, who was one of the Montgomery county's first settlers. He was a native of Ohio. The mother was Caroline M. (John- son) St. Clair, now the wife of Judge Low, of Montgomery county. B. A. St. Clair was one of four children, of whom three sons are now living, and our subject is the eldest of the boys. He was but two years of age when he came to Montgomery county, where he grew to manhood, and was but eight or nine years old when his father died. He was reared a farmer and received his education in the public and district schools of this county. Mr. St. Clair is now located on the old home- stead, which consists of ninety acres of land. He has a good frame house, sitnated on a natural building site, also stables, yards, feed lots and other farm improvements.
He was twice married, first, in 1875, to Miss Mary F. Weatherly, of this county, the daughter of Alfred and Emily (McComb) Weatherly. By this union there were five children, three of whom are living, viz .: Clara M., Mary S. and Ernest L. The two deceased are Arthur D. and an infant son. Mrs. Mary F. St. Clair died July 3, 1887, and Mr. St. Clair was again married, October 27, 1889, to Mrs. Jessie C. Wolf, of Buena Vista county, Iowa. She had one
child by a former marriage, Iva May. . Mr. St. Clair is politically a Democrat, and a wheel-horse of the party. He is the present township Assessor, and has served on the School Board nine years, has served as Road Supervisor five years, serving with credit to himself and to the best interests of the public. He is president of the Farmers' Alliance, No. 1981. Mr. St. Clair is a man yet in the prime of life, frank and cordial in hiis inanner and address, and is one of the popular men of Red Oak township.
HOMAS CLELLAND resides in Colony township, on section 4. He was born in Scotland, March 26, 1820, and emigrated to America in 1851, settling in the State of New York, in Genesee county ; he remained there four years and then went to Wisconsin where he lived from 1855 to April, 1867, when he came to Iowa; he resided in Des Moines several years and followed his occupation of engineer; lie came to Adams county in 1871 and settled where he now resides.
His father's name was Peter Clelland, and was of an old Scotch family. His mother's name was Agnes Cummings. His wife's name before marriage was Mary Gilmour; she was born in Scotland in Inverness, March 17, 1827.
Mr. and Mrs. Clelland were married in Genesee county, New York, September 4, 1852. They have had two children, one of whom is living-Agnes Clelland, who is now the wife of S. P. Moore, who also resides in Colony township, on section 4.
Mr. Clelland has eighty-eight acres of land, about 100 trees, small fruit, quite an exten- sive artificial grove, containing something like 200 walnut trees which have been grow-
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ing more than thirty years. The house is 18 x 24 feet, one and a half stories high, and the barn and outhouses are substantially built. Mr. Clelland has a herd of graded short-horns and other stock. He has been township Trustee several terms; in politics he is a Republican. He has beautiful surround- ings and is living in ease and comfort. He is one of the well-known and respected citi- zens of the township and has done his part in advancing every enterprise that tended to the uplifting of the county in which he has lived and enjoys the respect of all his neighbors.
RS. HANNAH PENN, of Red Oak, is the widow of William H. H. Penn, who was one of Montgomery's earliest and best known pioneers, coming here in 1865. He was born in Scotland county, Missouri. a son of Harwood Penn, who was a native of Pennsylvania and one of the first settlers in that part of Missouri. Mr. William H. H. Penn was reared in Missouri, and went to Warren county, Iowa, where lie married, in January, 1865, Miss Hannah Osborn, a lady of intelligence and a worthy companion through life for her husband. She was born in Wells county, Indiana, the daughter of Larkin Osborn, who also was born in that State, in Union connty, a son of William Osborn. A brother namned James Osborn, was a Senator. Mrs. Penn's mother's maiden name was Rachel Mingle, and she was born at New Castle, Henry county, Indi- ana, a danghter of John Mingle, a native of Germany, who was five years of age when his parents emigrated to this country. He mar- ried Mary Ritchie, who was born in Buffalo, New York, of French parentage. Hannah Osborn was a young child when her parents
moved with her to Scotland county, Missouri, where she grew up and was educated. Intend- ing to go to California they sold out, bnt changed their minds and remained here. Mrs. Penn's father now lives in southern Missouri, while her mother at present is with her. Mr. and Mrs. Penn came to Red Oak shortly after their marriage, with but very little means, but he was a successful man and accumulated a valuable property, some of which consists of choice land in Nebraska The home farm comprises 160 acres, and there are forty acres on section 10 belonging to the estate. The house, thirty-two feet square, is a good dwelling, two stories high and sur- rounded with the nsual farm buildings, trees, groves, etc., all of which are kept in good condition; there are also good springs on the place.
Mrs. Penn has had eleven children: Har- wood Major resides in Lancaster county, Nebraska; Mary Jane was educated at Tabor and Shenandoah, Iowa, and is now the wife of Frank Jefferson, Lancaster county, Nebraska; Millard F. is a graduate of Des Moines Busi- ness College; Ruel Taylor is married and also resides in Lancaster county, Nebraska; Anna Belle is a student at Shenandoah College; William H. H., Jr., was drowned in in 1890, at the age of eleven years; the remaining tour are, Francis M., Lucy M., Alına Amelia, and John M.
Mr. Peun died in 1882. Politically he affiliated with the Democratic party; he was a member of the Masonic fraternity, but had taken only two degrees, as a protracted illness prevented his attending the lodge. He was a kind husband and father, was highly respected by all his neighbors, and was one of the most useful citizens of the community. His mother's maiden name was Amelia Daggs, a daughter of Ruel Daggs, a native of Vir- ginia; his father and relatives residing in
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF
Missouri were owners of slaves until they were set free in the late war.
EON H. HUMBERT, importer and dealer in Percheron and Suffolk horses, was born in St. Pranche, France, Can- ton De Mirconst, Department Des Vorges, October 30, 1832. He is the oldest child of John and Mary (Aubry) Humbert, an ex- tended notice of whom will be found on an- other page of this work. He was reared on a farm in his native county, and in the year 1850, in company with his father, brothers and sisters, emigrated to America, sailing from Havre, May 9, in the ship Orlando. After a voyage of fifty-eight days they landed in New Orleans, and proceeded thience to Nauvoo, Illinois, and after a residence there of four years, they came to Adams county ; they settled on a tract of wild land, which Leon H. assisted his father to improve. He was united in marriage December 4, 1855, to Mademoiselle Liegerot, a native of France, who had emigrated with her parents to Adams county in 1855. After his marriage Mr. Humbert resided on his father's farm until July, 1857, when he moved to Sonora, Hancock county, Illinois .; he was engaged in farming there for a period of eleven years, and then returned to Adams county, pur- chasing a tract of 160 acres of wild, unim- proved land; he at once set about placing this under cultivation, and making a home for himself and family; by close attention to his business, and wise management, he has succeeded almost beyond his anticipations; he has now a landed estate of 500 acres, with many modern improvements, well stocked with high-grade cattle, hogs and horses.
In 1882 Mr. Humbert sent his son, Charles E., to France to purchase some pure-bred
horses; the son was then a lad of seventeen years; he made the trip in safety, bought three horses, in which a large amount of money was invested, and returned home, having made the initial purchase of what has since grown to be a large and profitable business. Mr. Humbert has a large herd of full-blood horses, his reputation as a dealer having spread throughout the State; he also does a large business in raising cattle and hogs.
Mr. and Mrs. Humbert are the parents of six children, three of whom have died: Alice H., aged four years, Isabelle, aged two years, and Leon, aged six months, all died of croup within a few days of each other; Mattie is the wife of G. W. Morris, of this township; Charles E. resides in Cloverdale, California, and Ernest L. is at home.
Mr. Humbert is a member of Lodge No. 275, A. F. & A. M., and his wife is a mem- ber of the Eastern Star. Politically he affili- ates with the Democratic party.
ILLIAM A. WILLIAMSON, who resides on section 8, Colony town- slip (Nevinville postoffice), is an old settler. He was born in Scotland, June 22, 1852, and was brought to America in 1855; he went to Pennsylvania, to the oil region, before the oil business was developed, and lived there until 1870. He camne West then and located in the neighborhood of his pres- ent home.
His father is James M. Williamson, Sr., who is still living with one of his sons in Colony township. He was born in Scotland, in 1820. Mr. Williamson's mother was Margaret Kitchen, also a native of Scotland. She was born in 1818, and died July 8, 1888. The father of our subject was an
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MONTGOMERY AND ADAMS COUNTIES.
educated man of strong literary tasks and has written a volume of Scotch poems. He has always been a farmer. He and his wife had eight children, six of whom are living. William and J. M. are twins.
Mr. Williamson was married in February, 1878, to Miss Agnes Krisinger, wlio was born in Austria. They have had two chil- dren, one boy and one girl: George James and Florence May. Mr. Williamson has eighty acres of well-improved land, adapted to general farming and stock-raising. His house is 16 x 28 feet, beautifully located and surrounded by groves. He keeps good graded stock and is a progressive farmer. He has lield several township offices. In politics he is Independent. He is identified with the intelligent, enterprising citizens. He is like all the Scotch-frank and open in his man- ner, hospitable in his home, and commands the respect of those with whom he mingles.
OHN H. LANDERS resides on section 26, where lie has a farm of 160 acres, comprising the northwest quarter of this section. He has owned this land since the spring of 1883, and has been a resident of the county since the fall of 1882, at which time he settled in Corning. He was born in Adams county, Illinois, in 1840, but grew to manhood in La Salle and Bureau counties. His father was John Landers, who emigrated from Canada with teams, in 1839, and set- tled in Adams county, Illinois. The follow- ing spring he removed to Knox county, where the family resided seven years, and after other moves finally settled near the present city of Rochelle, in 1853. There he located on Government land, and made a home for himself and family, and there lived till 1867, when he removed to Montgomery
county, Iowa, and now resides at Lamoni, Iowa. He has attained the advanced age of ninety-seven years, having been born in 1794. His father, the paternal grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was a resident of the colony of New York when the Revo- lutionary war began. He enlisted in the Continental army and served seven years in that struggle. After the war he settled in Canada. John Landers was a resident of Canada when the war of 1812 broke out, and was drafted into the British army; but all his sympathies were on the side of the Amer- icans, his father having fought for liberty in the war of the Revolution. He therefore deserted the British army, and served in the pioneer corps in the United States service, in which he received a severe gunshot wound. After the war he returned to Canada and was arrested as a deserter; but in considera- tion of his youth and the fact that the war was over, he was spared the extreme penalty of the law for desertion, and sentenced to seven years in the British service; but owing to an order for the decrease of the Canadian army, his regiment was disbanded at St. Johns, New Brunswiek.
He married in Nova Scotia a Miss Griffin, by whom he had two children, a son and a daughter. The former was killed after he had attained manhood by falling from the mast-head of a vessel at sea. The latter is now a resident of Harrison county, Iowa, the wife of Wm. Small.
Mr. Landers, Sr., was married the second time near Prescott, Canada. This union was blessed with nine children, only three of whoni are living, among them the subject of this notice. In order of birth they are: Catherine, wife of Charles Stedman; Alex- ander, a resident of Washington county, Kansas, the subject of this notice being the youngest of the three survivers. All of the
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF
family but two attained to mature years. The mother is still living, being eleven years the junior of her husband. Henry, the youngest son, served in Battery G, Second Illinois Artillery, and died after the war from disease contracted in the service. His parents have received a pension for his ser- vices in the cause of the Union.
John H. enlisted in Company H, One Hundred and Fortieth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and served 130 days in Tennessee, Alabama and Missouri. He returned to Illinois, where he resided until spring, 1869, when he came to Montgomery county and purchased land in Pilot Grove township, which he improved and on which he lived five years. He purchased and improved a farm of 160 acres near Red Oak. He tlien removed to Villisca, where he purchased a hotel, which he ran for a time, when he en- gaged in the livery and stock business. He then bought a farm in West township, Mont- gomery county, of 160 acres, which he sold. He next purchased a farm in the northern part of Page county and came to Corning in the fall of 1880. Mr. Landers is engaged in general stock business, buying, breeding and shipping.
He was inarried in Rochelle, Illinois, in June, 1867, to Miss Margaret Ann Swartz, a native of Canada. Her parents are William and Eunice Swartz. They have nine children, five sons and four daughters. They lost their oldest at the age of six years.
J. BALL, a resident of section 16, Colony township (postoffice Nevin- ville), was born February 11, 1844, at Ledyard, Connecticut. Fred. Ball, his father, was born at Ledyard, Connecticut: the moth- er's name was Susan A. Appley before ınar-
riage, and she was born at Canterbury, Con- necticut; she is now seventy-six years old, and is living with Fred. Ball, of Colony township.
H. J. Ball was the fourth child of his par- ents. He removed to Adams county from Connecticut in April, 1869, and settled where he now resides. He was married No- vember 25, 1879, to Miss R. M. Rowland, and they have three children, two girls and one boy: Alice W., Jesse S. and Florence L.
In politics Mr. Ball is a Republican; he is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. During the late war he enlisted in Company D, Twenty-sixth Connecticut Vol- unteer Infantry, and was at the siege of Port Hudson; he took sick and was discharged by reason of disability. He has 100 acres of fine land, adapted to general farming and stock-raising. His house, granary, stables and sheds are substantially built; he has an orchard of 100 trees and a fine artificial grove. He has been very successful in his farming operations, and is numbered among the most reliable and prosperous agricult- urists of the community.
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M ARTIN REILY, a farmer and stock- raiser, section 15, Mercer township, Adams county, since the spring of 1868, was born in Germany in 1830, a son of Eve (Klink) Reily. The father was killed by an accident before Martin was born, and the mother was subsequently married to Michael Gates. The son was taken in charge by his grandfather Klink, who in turn died in a few years, and the boy was then taken care of by an uncle until he was of age. He was married in 1853, to Miss Eve Fairbank, a native of Wittenburg, Germany, and a daughter of Michael and Catharina (Kabler)
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MONTGOMERY AND ADAMS COUNTIES.
Fairbank. In 1853 they emigrated to Amer- ica, coming on the sailing vessel Antwerp, and landing at New York after a voyage of eight weeks. He resided in Columbiana coun- ty, Ohio, until he came to Adamns county in the year mentioned, and purchased 160 acres of wild land, and he has since made it a fine farm, one of the best in the township. He also has eighty acres of improved land on section 22, in a high state of cultivation. Mr. Reily is a Democrat in his general poli- tics, and he and his wife are church mem- bers. They are the parents of seven chil- dren, as follows: John and Martin, residing in the same township; William H .; Melissa, now the wife of James Waller, of Prescott township; and Frank, Charles and Lewis.
EINHOLDT T. SCHOLZ, a merchant of Corning, was born in Breslau, Ger- many, 1854, and in early youth came to America. After a brief season in the public schools here he began his life as a clerk in Racine, Wisconsin, and the greater proportion of life has been spent behind counters as a salesman, and there are none better. He opened business in Chicago and suffered loss from the great fire of 1871. In 1879 he came to Corning and became a member of the firm of Scholz Bros., which was dissolved in 1883. His present business was estab- lished in 1890, and its remarkable growth attests his popularity as a business man, and his untiring industry. In the Methodist Epis- copal Church and in society he is a power. Re- ligion, including temperance, or rather total abstinence from intoxicating liquors, enlists his enthusiasm. As president of the Blue Ribbon League he is recognized as one of the most successful leaders in the State. Under his management the organizations in Adams
county have multiplied and grown in strength until the county has become known as a re- liable temperance county. He is also a Royal Arch Mason.
He was married in Racine, Wisconsin, to Miss Catherine M. Hogley. They have two children: Clinton R. and Nellie M. Mrs. Scholz died December 9, 1889, after a long and painful illness. She has been a member of the Methodist Church for many years.
W. BURKETT, one of the aged, prominent citizens of Washington
6 township, section 25 (Mt. Etna post- office), was born in Butler county, Ohio, Jan- uary 10, 1813, a son of George and Char- lotte (Freehart) Burkett, the father a native of Virginia and the mother of Pennsyl- vania: Her ancestors can be traced back to the Mayflower through the name of Craig. The father was a farmer and stock-raiser. He came from Virginia to Maryland, thence to Pennsylvania, thence to Ohio, and thence to Jackson county, Indiana, where he died about 1844 at more than eighty years of age.
The mother died in 1836 about forty years of age. She was a devout member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. These parents had eight children, our subject being the only one now living so far as known. He began business at the age of nineteen years; he worked at the carpenter's trade, did team- ing and farmed. Farming and carpentering have been his chief occupation, and he lias given some attention to fruit-growing. He came to his farm in 1889. Before that he had lived at Quincy. He came to this State in 1848 and settled in Polk county, where he was one of the pioneers. He enlisted in 1846 in Company A, Second Regiment of Missouri Mounted Volunteers. At this time
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he lived in Buchanan county, Missouri, and served abont fourteen months. He took part in one battle, the regiment being stationed in New Mexico. He had good health while in the army and was discharged about Sep- tember 14, 1847.
He is now nicely located near the Quincy & Carl Railroad; has a large orchard of ten acres, and raises small fruit. He lives two and one-half iniles southeast of Mt. Etna, and has a nice home.
Mr. Burkett was married in 1832 to Miss Nancy Wheeler, of Hamilton county, Indi- ana. Two children have been born to them: John J., who is married to Catherine Whet- stone; they have nine children: he is a broom-maker and farmer of this county. Willliam H., a farmer and carpenter of War- ren county, Iowa, is married to Jane Mc- Clintic; they have eight children. Mrs. Burkett died in 1837. She was a member of the Christian Church. Mr. Burkett is a member of the Masonic Order. In politics he is an Independent.
OSIAH P. LATIMER, one of the promi. nent farmers of section 14, Lincoln township, Adams county (Carbon post- office), was born in Jefferson county, Ohio, November 7, 1831. His parents were James and Catherine Latimer, both natives of Ohio. The father was a farmer by occupation. He moved from Jefferson to Harrison county, Ohio, in 1832, and settled on a farm. He lived there until 1855 when he came to Washington county, Iowa, and settled on land a large portion of which he improved. From there he moved to Whiteside county, Illinois, in 1869, and lived there until his death June 3, 1870, at the age of sixty-six years, one month and twenty-one days. He was a
member of the Presbyterian Church and an elder in the same. His wife died in 1885, aged eighty-three years. Slie also was a member of the Presbyterian Church.
Our subject is the second in a family of five boys and two girls; he was educated in the public schools of Ohio and began for himself at about the age of eighteen years, at which time he went to learn the harness maker's trade; he worked at that trade for three years, then farmed until the war opened. During the war he worked on Government contracts in the harness business in Pitts- burg and Allegheny City. This he contin- ued until 1864, when he came to Iowa and worked in the shop at Burlington for two years; then he went to Whiteside county, Illinois, and settled on a farm. He followed this occupation for seven years before coming to Iowa. He came to Adams county in 1875 and settled on the farm where he now resides. It was wild land then, and he first owned eighty acres, to which he has since added another eighty acres. He now has a beautiful farm of Adams county's rich soil. His farm is well adapted both to stock and grain; the land is well improved and divied off into fields of convenient size. He has a nice grove of maple and willow trees and an orchard. His house is 18 x 26, one and a half stories, and an L 16 x 22 feet, also one and half stories high. He has a new and convenient barn and sheds for the shelter of stock.
Mr. Latimer was married December 31, 1868, to Miss Mary Wycoff, dangliter of Abram Wycoff of Des Moines county, Iowa.
The home of our subject and wife has been cheered in the birth of four children, viz .: William F., Nicholas P., Stewart E. and Lydia Pearl. The parents are members of the United Brethren Church.
In politics our subject is Republican. He
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is an honored citizen and worthy of the esteem in which he is held.
DAM KRAUT, one of the old and re- spected German farmers of Washington township, Adams county (Mt. Etna postoffice), was born in Kurhessen, Germany, October 4, 1826. His parents were Henry and Cathrina (Simon) Krants, both natives of Germany. The father came to this country in 1851, and settled in Germantown, Peun- sylvania. He came to Iowa in the early fif- ties, and settled on a farm of 160 acres in Cass county, where he died in 1853. He was a member of the Reform German Church. His wife died in Germany at the age of fifty- eight years. He died about the same age. They were the parents of three children; our subject is the oldest of the family. John, a brother, lives in Iowa City, Johnson county. Mr. Kraut has been a farmer all his life. He came to America when he was twenty-eight years of age and settled in Johnson county, Iowa. He owned a farm there of forty acres, which he sold in the fifties and then bought a farm near the place on which he now re- sides. Mrs. Coleman owns that farm now. He bought his present farm in 1880; there are eighty acres in the farm; it is nicely located near the section road in the midst of an excellent and fertile country. He raises corn, oats and potatoes, and in fact almost anything that can be grown in the county. He is one of the good and substantial Ger- man farmers who understand agriculture.
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