USA > Iowa > Page County > Biographical history of Page County, Iowa, containing portraits of all the presidents of the United States from Washington to Harrison, 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 Page County, with personal histories of many of the early settlers and leading families; and a concise history of the county, the cities, and the townships > Part 48
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ORGAN BURWELL, who resides on section 26, Nodaway Township, has been a highly respected citizen and representative farmer of Page County since 1867. He was born in Crawford County, Ohio, March 16, 1838, and is a son of Will- iam Burwell, a well known pioneer of Noda- way Township, whose sketch will be found on following pages.
Morgan Burwell was reared on a farm and attended the common schools of Crawford County, Ohio, where he grew to man's estate. He was married June 2, 1857, to Miss Ma- tilda Eby, who was born and reared in the same connty as her husband. Her parents were Peter and Rebecca (Guisinger) Eby. Mr. and Mrs. Burwell remained in their native State until 1866, when they came to Linn County, Iowa; there they remained one year, and in May, 1867, they came to Page County and located on their present farm; it was then
wild and uncultivated, but it has been brought to an advanced state of development.
Mr. Burwell was among the early settlers in his neighborhood; he built a house of na- tive logs, which still stands as a land-mark of those long-ago days. In 1883 he erected his present residence, a large, comfortable house of a modern style of architecture, costing about $1,600. A fine apple orchard adds to the valne and beauty of the place, and all the surroundings display taste and culture. Both grain and stock raising are carried on success- fully in keeping with the present times. Truly, Mr. Burwell was fortunate in locating in so goodly a place.
Mr. and Mrs. Burwell are the parents of six children: Rilda L., wife of F. Pfander; William H., Alice J., wife of G. W. Hos- kins; James M., Nellie V. and Alverdo. Three children have passed to the other life: Zella I. died when five months old; Edna M. at the age of three years, and Myrtle V. at the age of twenty years.
Politically Mr. Burwell is a Democrat; he has served as a member of the school board. Although past fifty years of age lie is well preserved, proving that a temperate and moral life is the most profitable one to live. In his business and social relations no inan stands higher in the estimation of the people than he of whom we have written this short notice.
William Burwell is known as one of the early settlers who came to Page County when it was in a wild, uncultivated state, as the red man had left it, and he claims our respect, almost our reverence, as only those brave souls do who have braved the dangers and the vi- cissitudes of pioneer life. He was born in Belmont County, Ohio, Angust 12, 1812, and is a son of Job Burwell, a native of Pennsylvania; his mother was Katie Ouster Burwell. There were nine children in the family, of whom William was the fifth. He
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HISTORY OF PAGE COUNTY.
was reared to the life of a farmer, and received a limited education. He was married in Har- rison County, Ohio, at the age of twenty years, to Nancy Morris, and by this union nine children were born, four of whom are living: Mary Ann Brokaw, Joseph, Morgan, and Elizabeth Warden.
Mrs. Nancy Burwell died in Linn County, Iowa, in 1866, and in October, 1868, Mr. Burwell was again married to Mrs. Esther Pinkley Bullyer, a native of Knox County, Ohio.
Mr. Burwell owns forty acres of land in Nodaway Township, on section 26, and has a comfortable home. He has done his share towards the development of the county, and has the esteein and respect of all who know him.
H. FULTON, one of the present Board of County Supervisors, is justly enti- tled to a place in the biographical history of the county with which he has been closely identified since 1872.
To acquaint the reader with a part of his personal career not generelly known, it may be stated that he is a native of the good old " Keystone " State, Pennsylvania. He was born in Indiana County July 8, 1845, and is the son of Silas and Ann (Horbinson) Fulton. The father was of Scotch descent, but was born in Pennsylvania, and the mother was also a native of the same State, although of Scotch-Irish extraction; they reared a family of seven children, three sons and four daugli- ters, of whom R. H. was the fourth child. The father was a farmer by occupation, and the son followed the calling of the father.
During the civil war our esteemed sub- ject enlisted, July 17, 1863, becoming a mem-
ber of Company D, Two Hundred and Sixth Pennsylvania ~ Volunteer Infantry, holding the position of fife sergeant. He was mus- tered ont at Richmond, Virginia, June 28, 1865. His regiment was the first to enter the city after the surrender of Lee; he as- assisted in putting out the fires, and was on provost guard for three months afterward.
At the close of the strife Mr. Fulton re- turned to his home, and November 25, 1866, he was united in marriage to Miss Agnes Doughitt, a daughter of Nathan and Saralı (Beaty) Donghitt. He remained in his native State until 1872, and then removed to Page County, Iowa, first settling four miles north- west of Clarinda. He purchased his present farm ome time later; it was then wild land, but ne lias lived to see it subdued and culti- vated; tlie place contains eighty acres of Page County's best tilled and richest soil; the im- provements are good, consisting of a com- fortable house, barns and shedding.
Mr. and Mrs. Fulton are the parents of four children: Harry W., Charley M., William D. and Anna. The father is a staunch but independent Republican, not voting for par- ty's sake but for principles. He was elected to the responsible position of County Super- visor in 1886, and after faithfully serving his county a term of three years he was re-elected in the fall of 1889, showing how highly he was appreciated by his constituents. He is an honored member of the G. A. R., Warren Post, No. 11, and of the United Workmen, Union Lodge, No. 38. He is a firm believer in the teaching of the Christian religion, and is an active and consistent member of the Presbyterian Church, as is also Mrs. Fulton. He is a man in the prime of life, intelligent and frank, and highly respected by all who know him. His name should be preserved in this record if for no other reason than that he was a member of the County Board of
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HISTORY OF PAGE COUNTY.
Supervisors at the time the new court-house was contracted for at $71,000.
P. BARR, a resident of Nodaway Town- ship and one of the most stirring and enterprising agrienltnrists of the neigh- borhood, claims more than passing mention in this connection. He is a native of Ken- tucky, born in Breckenridge County, Decem- ber 6, 1852, and is a son of Elias Barr, a native of Kentucky. During the Revolution- ary war the grandsire of our subject entered the armny at the age of eighteen years, and served as a teamster until the declaration of peace. The mother of F. P. Barr was Sally Beauchamp, a native of Lexington, Ken- tucky, whose father was a Frenchman and a statesman of note, and whose mother was one of Scotland's fair daughters. Mr. Barr is the sixth son and eleventh child of a family of twelve, eleven of whom grew to maturity. At the age of seven years he was taken to Illinois by his parents, and there he grew to manhood in Hancock County. His father was a farmer, and he was early inured to hard labor. During the winter season he at- tended the common schools, where he received a fair education, afterward attending for a time the academy at La Harpe, Illinois, finishing his education at Carthage College.
February 8, 1880, he was married to Miss Flora M. Painter, a daughter of Henry R. and Jane (Dawson) Painter. The father was a native of Pennsylvania, and the mother, of Kentucky. Shortly after the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Barr they came to Page Coun- ty, Iowa, and purchased 142 acres of land of John Turner; forty acres had been broken out, and a log house had been built on the place. By hard and unremitting toil Mr. Barr has subdued the wild land and has
made one of Page County's most valuable farms. In 1881 he bought thirty-three acres adjoining his place on the soutlı, mnak- ing 175 acres in all. He built a good residence in 1880, costing $1,200. It is situated on an eminence, froni which one views a wide sweep of country, one of the most beautiful districts of the State. The improvements about the farm are of an excellent kind, including sub- stantial buildings, an apple orchard of 150 trees and a lialf acre of sinall fruits. Mr. Barr makes a specialty of stock-raising, find- ing it a profitable branch of farming. He raises horses, mostly Clydesdale and English draft, with some Norman stock. He has already sold inany valnable animals. In cattle he handles the best grades and also keeps an excellent breed of swine.
Mr. and Mrs. Barr are the parents of two children: Henry Elias born November 8, 1880, and Francis Edwin, born February 2, 1888. In his political belief Mr. Barr is a stanch Republican. Both he and his wife are acceptable members of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Clarinda.
ILLIAM D. STITT, of section 31, Nodaway Township, is among the men who moved into the" Kingdom of Page " in 1870, arriving Saturday, February 18, and has since been one of the substantial men of the county. He was born in Frank- lin County, Pennsylvania, June 16, 1838, and is a son of William Stitt. The Stitt family were early settlers of Franklin County. The grandsire, James Stitt, served as a soldier in the Revolution; he was of Scotch-Irish extraction. The mother of our subject was Margaret (Harmanni) Stitt, who was also a native of Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Her grandfather also participated in the war
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HISTORY OF PAGE COUNTY.
of the Revolution; he was of English-Ger- man extraction
The parents of William D. reared a family of nine children, four sons, of whom he was the third, and five daughters. The father was a farmer by occupation, and naturally the son was trained in the same calling among the hills of the old " Keystone" State; there he received a limited education, and was taught the lessons of virtue and integrity which have characterized his whole life.
In 1855 the family came to Henry County, Illinois, where they had the honors as well as the hardships of pioneers. The parents lived to a ripe, old age, the father dying at the age of seventy-two years, and the mother at the age of seventy-four years.
November 1, 1864, William D. was united in marriage to Miss Sarah N. Payton, a native of Delaware County, Indiana, and a daugli- ter of William and Mary Ann Payton. Her father was born in Butler County, Ohio, and her mother was a native of Kentucky. When Mrs. Stitt was about six years old her parents removed to Henry County, Illinois, where she grew to womanhood. Her father lives in Bedford, Iowa, and her mother passed away at Clarinda, Iowa, in 1885.
Mr. and Mrs. Stitt resided in Illinois until 1870, when they came to Page County and settled in Colfax Township; in 1871 they sold their land and removed to Nodaway Township, where they had a beautiful home; one of the attractive features of the place is a grove of evergreen trees, one for each year of our national independence since 1776. In 1880, Mr. Stitt sold this place to Joseph Beezly, and purchased his present farm, which then con- sisted of 369 acres; he has since disposed of 140 acres. He lias a good, substantial farm- honse one half mile from the village of York- town. Mr. Stitt has made many improve- ments, including a fine orchard and a grove
of inaple and catalpa trees, which add very much beauty to the place as well as to its value.,
Mr. and Mrs. Stitt are the parents of seven children: David DeKalb, Calvin M., Artie A., Samnel F., Harmon E., Emily M. and Inez. In the person of Mr. Stitt we find a strong supporter of the Democratic party. Like most busy farmers he has not become hungry for public office. He and his estima- ble wife are members of the Presbyterian Church at Yorktown, of which he is a trustee.
On the " shady side of fifty " our subject bears his years lightly, as do most men who have led temperate lives. He is an intelli- gent, Christian, American citizen, than which there is no higher or more honorable station.
AVID E. RIDENOUR, one of Page County's industrious and successful agriculturists, came to this section in 1871. He was born in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, April 28, 1841, and is the son of John Ridenour, a native of Pennsylvania and of German ancestry. The mother was Susan Beighitel, also a Pennsylvanian by birth They reared a large family, five sons and seven daughters, nine of whom were still living in 1889.
David E. was the sixth child, and when he was ten years old the parents removed to Illi- nois, locating in Fulton County near the present town of Canton. There they remained until 1854 when they went to Henry County, Illinois, where they were counted pioneers. The mother died there in December, 1877, and the father died in the month of May, 1885, in Kansas. David grew to man's estate in Henry County, Illinois, and obtained a com- mon-school education. During the great civil conflict he volunteered to fill the quota
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HISTORY OF PAGE COUNTY.
asked for in President Lincoln's call for 300,- 000 mnen. He became a member of Com- pany D, One Hundred and Twelfth Volunteer Infantry. His regiment was ordered to Kentucky, and was at Covington, Lexington, and thence south into East Tennessee under General Burnside; was in the siege of Knox- ville, and joined General Sherman at Rock Face, Georgia; participated in the battle of Resaca; was with General Sherman on his Atlanta campaign to Jonesborough ; then followed General Hood to Dalton, Georgia, and then went to Nashville, Tennessee. From that point they went to Pulaski and then fell back to Columbia, then on to Franklin and Nashville against General Hood, whom they followed to Columbia. Then they inarched to Clifton, Tennessee, where they took a boat down the Tennessee and up the Ohio rivers to Cincinnati; thence to Alexandria, Vir- ginia; Fort Fisher, and Fort Anderson; thence to Wilmington and Kingston. Then they marched to Goldsboro, North Carolina, and again joined General Sherinan, inarching to Rolla, North Carolina, and Greensboro. June 15, 1865, Mr. Ridenour was discharged with honors. He received his final discharge at Camp Douglas, Illinois, after which he at once returned to his old home in Henry County, Illinois.
February 15, 1866, he was married to Mary J. Payton, a daughter of William and Mary Aun (Hamilton) Payton, natives of Ohio and Kentucky respectively. Mrs. Ridenour's parents opened a hotel at Hartford City, Indiana, and she was the first child born in that place. Her family removed to Dela- ware County, Indiana, thence to Knox County, Illinois, and in 1855 settled in Henry County, Illinois. In 1881 the parents removed to Page County, Iowa, where the good mother died July 8, 1885; the father now resides at Bedford, Iowa.
Mr. Ridenour resided in Henry County, Illinois, nntil 1871, when he came to Page County and purchased eighty acres of wild land in Nodaway Township. He has made many valuable improvements, developing one of the finest farms in the township. He has devoted his time to farining excepting eight- een months spent in Yorktown in mercantile business. Politically he is a Union Labor Republican. He and his wife are active members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, taking a deep interest in the class and Sab- bath-school.
One child has been born to Mr. and Mrs. Ridenour, Rella, who is now living; one child died at the age of nine years-Orpha A.
RANK PATTERSON, the subject of this brief biography, has come to be well known in Page Connty, and espe- cially in Nodaway Township, where he has lived since 1881. He was born in Columbia County, New York, April 23, 1833, and is the son of Henry A. Patterson. His grand- father was Andrew Patterson, a native of Massachusetts, of Scotch ancestry. His inother's maiden name was Phylinda Smith, and she was born in Bethlehem, Massachu- . setts. She died March 13, 1877, aged seventy- eight years ; her husband died August 10, 1869, aged seventy-seven years, They reared a family of seven children, five sons and two daughters. Frank grew to manhood in his native county, attending the common schools during the winter seasons and assisting his father on the farm in the summer. In 1855, when he was twenty-two years of age, he went to Henry County, Illinois, where he re- inained until he came to Page County.
Mr. Patterson was married in Henry County, Illinois, March 1, 1860, to Misz
.
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HISTORY OF PAGE COUNTY.
Elizabethı Stitt, a daughter of William and Margaret (Harmanni) Stitt, natives of Frank- lin Connty, Pennsylvania. As before stated Mr. Patterson removed to Page County in 1881, and settled on his present farm, which he has brought to an advanced state of cultiva- tion. His fields are well tilled, his buildings are of a most substantial character, and a fine, growing orchard and a beautiful grove sur- round his attractive residence. He devotes his time to the care of his farm, and is one of the successful agriculturists of the county.
To Mr. and Mrs. Patterson have been born ten children: Ellen M., wife of Samuel Cox; Sarah J., wife of Harvey E. Bearce; Alice N., wife of Allen L. Kennedy Jerome L., Olive, wife of L. L. Johnson; Cynthia, wife of Rob- ert Shearer; Frank A., Orson H., Jessie C. and Etta E.
The greatest loss of Mr. Patterson's life was in the death of his wife, which occurred February 26, 1882. They had been compan- ions for twenty-two years, a comfort, a help, and a solace to each other. Mrs. Patterson was born September 12, 1841; she was a con- sistent Christian woman, and an acceptable member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
In politics Mr. Patterson is a believer in the Prohibition platform. He is a devont inember and class-leader in the Methodist Episcopal Church in the village of Yorktown. Page County has many good citizens, and without flattery it may be recorded that none stand in a higher rank for honor and integrity than Mr. Patterson.
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OHN F. FREED, a representative of the highest type of his countrymen, is justly entitled to a prominent space in this con- nection. It is with a good degree of national pride that we, as A'nericans, can point to
such characters as Mr. Freed, in illustrating what free America can do for those who come from the Old World to our shores to make for themselves homes and become true, loyal subjects of our form of government. Our worthy subject, who resides on a well-tilled farm of his own earning, has become an adopted citizen of this country. To find out something of his early life the reader should allow his thoughts to go over the deep, blue sea to that charming country in Europe, Swe- den, and there, among the evergreen mount- ains and pleasant valleys we find the birth- place of John F. Freed, the date recorded in the old family Bible being September 10, 1848. His parents were Andrew and Anna Freed, natives of Sweden. He was reared in his native land, and there obtained a good education in his mother-tongue. When he was nineteen years old he began to have dreams of the goodly land beyond the sea, America, and after a time decided to emigrate; le came via Guttemburg, Liverpool and New York city to Galesburg, Illinois, where he remained one year; thence he removed to Henry County, Illinois, and engaged in farm- ing. He lived there until 1874, when he re- solved to try his fortunes in Page County, Iowa; on arriving in the county he purchased eighty acres of land, the south part of his present farm of 140 acres; there was much wild land and he made an admirable selection ; he at once began to improve his land, and there he "stuck and hung," and by frugal management he has built up for himself and family a splendid home. He has a comfort- able farm residence, ample barns for stock and grain, and all the surroundings show good taste and excellent judgment.
Mr. Freed was nnited in marriage April 12, 1877, in Douglas Township, Page County, to Miss Lonisa Hull, who was born in Sweden. She is a daughter of J. P. and Hellen Hull,
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HISTORY OF PAGE COUNTY.
and when she was sixteen years of age she emigrated to America.
Mr. and Mrs. Freed have a family of three sons and two daughters: Ellen, Alvin, Mabel, Gilbert and Caleb.
Upon coming to this conntry Mr. Freed studied into our form of government and chose the Republican party as best represent- ing his political opinions. He has often been honored with positions of trust and re. sponsibility, and has faithfully discharged any dnties devolving upon him. Hehas taken a deep interest in educational affairs and provides lris family withi valuable reading inatter upon all subjects. In their religious faith Mr. Freed and wife are devout Swed- ish Lutherans and belong to that church, in Douglas Township.
Mr. Freed has been foremost among those of his own nationality in promoting laudable enterprises, believing he owes his adopted land this inch in return for all that has been bestowed upon him and his family. He is classed among the best men of his neighbor- hood, and lias won this position by meritori- ons conduct ever since his residence liere.
JOHN McVITTY, of section 22, Noda- way Township, has been an enterprising citizen of Page Connty since 1878. He was born in Franklin Connty, Pennsylvania, May 12, 1852, and is the son of Edward and Mary (Burk) McVitty, natives of Pennsyl- vania. There were four children in the fam- ily, of whom John was the oldest. He was trained in the avocation of agriculture and received his education in the common schools. When a mere youth he was filled with ambi- tion to try liis fortunes in the West, and in 1876 he went to Illinois, locating in Henry County, where he lived until 1878. Conclud-
ing that there were yet better things in store for him, we went still farther west and settled in Page County, Iowa, where he has since made his home.
Mr. McVitty was united in marriage in 1878, to Miss Lizzie Kerr, a very successful and popular teaclier in Henry County, Illi- nois, where she was born, reared and educated. She is a daughter of Valentine Kerr, of Hen- ry County, Illinois. Mr. McVitty bought his farm in 1881; it was partially improved, but he has bronght it to its present advanced state of cultivation; he has built a fine resi- dence which is splendidly located, and lie lias all the necessary buildings for the care and protection of live-stock. He devotes his time exclusively to farming and stock-raising, and has been uniforinly successful in these enter- prises. Everything about the McVitty farin gives evidence of the thrift and wise manage- ment of the owner.
No American citizen is without some po- litical belief, and our worthy subject adheres to the principles of the Republican party. He has served as treasurer of the school board for several years, and his wife is secre- tary of the same body, filling the position with much ability and with satisfaction to the public.
Mr. and Mrs. McVitty had born to them two children, a son and a daughter, both of whom died in childhood.
RED SUNDERMANN, one of the thrifty agriculturists of Douglas Township, is entitled to space in this connection, as lie Iras been an honored citizen of Page County for a quarter of a century. He is a native of Hanover, Germany, born May 10, 1838, and is the son of Casper and Charlotte (Goecker) Sundermann. When he was less than two
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HISTORY OF PAGE COUNTY.
years of age his parents emigrated to America and settled in Jackson County, Indiana, where they lived the remainder of their days. Fred was reared a farmer, and also mastered the cooper's trade, receiving his education in the common schools.
Arriving at man's estate in 1862, he was married to Louisa Monning, a native of Jack- son County, Indiana, and a daughter of George and Ingel (Rolker) Monning. They remained in Jackson County three years after their marriage and then decidedto remove to Iowa. They came by rail as far as St. Joe, Missouri, and from that point by team to Page County. This was in the spring of 1865, just at the close of the Rebellion.
Mr. Sundermann had already purchased a farm of 200 acres, paying $9 per acre; about fifty-five acres had been broken up, and a log cabin adorned the premises and made it seem like a sort of a home. All was wild and new; northi and west was one vast, blank prairie, as nature had left it. Here the family have lived all these years, but not with the same surroundings. Year by year Mr. Sundermann has worked, and saved and planned; he has added to his first tract of land until he now owns 360 acres of land in Douglas Township and 240 acres in Nodaway Township, all of which is well improved. He lived in the log house until 1876, when lie erected his present commodious and comfortable residence; it cost $1,500, and is most attractively located, being surrounded by many beautiful trees. A fine orchard of 100 trees adds very mnate. rially to the value of the farm, and all the indications are that thrift and prosperity fol- low the owner's hand.
Mr. and Mrs. Sundermann havesix children : Henry F., Lewis J., Edwin A., Martha M., Joseph H. and Hannah Margaret; they have lost three children by death.
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