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 68

Author: Lewis and Dunbar, Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis & Dunbar
Number of Pages: 946

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 68

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Mr. Sutherland was united in marriage in 1862, to Miss Margaret J. Johnson, a native of West Middlesex, Pennsylvania. Her people settled in Jones County, Iowa, and later came to Page County; both parents are deceased; one brother is the United States District Attorney for Alaska Territory, hav- ing his home at Sitka.

Two children have been born to Mr. Suth- erland and wife: one is deceased and one is now twenty-six years old, and is a prominent

attorney of Smith County, Kansas. Both Mr. and Mrs. Sutherland are members of the Presbyterian Church. In politics he is an avowed Republican. His business is now breeding fast horses of Hambletonian stock. His barns are in the incorporation of Clarinda.

- HOMAS PROSSER .-- The small coun- try of Wales as well as larger and more pretentious nations has contributed her share to the settlement and development of America. The subject of this notice was born in Wales, February 15, 1831, and is a son of Thomas and Margaret (Powles) Pros- ser. He was reared in his native country, and when at the age of eight years he was put to work in a woolen factory where he re- mained until he was sixteen years old. He then went to the mountains and was engaged in stripping iron ore for a period of twelve or thirteen years. He next turned his atten- tion to agriculture, which he followed for three years, after which he sailed for America. He located at a small place in Meigs County, Ohio, where he remained twelve months, and then decided to push on farther west. We next find him at Bevier, Macon County, Mis- souri, where for four years he was employed in the coal mines; Kansas City wa sthe next place of abode, where he was for ten months, employed in railroad work. During the fol- lowing summer he was engaged on the Fort Scott & Galveston road in Kansas. In the fall of 1869 he came to Page County, Iowa, and for nine months was employed in the coal mines liere, for other parties; and then he purchased a coal mine, which he himself conducted for ten years, employing in the winter time from fifteen to twenty men; and since that time he has leased the mine to other parties, who employ from twelve to

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HISTORY OF PAGE COUNTY.

fifteen inen each winter. For farming pur- poses, he purchased ten acres of land in East River Township, to which he has added at various times until he now owns eighty-two and a half acres. He has made many excel- lent improvements on this land in the way of erecting buildings and cultivating the soil. For four or five years he was employed in the coal mines of Page County, and then pur- chased a mine which he now operates; he em- ploys from ten to twenty-five men, and is doing a successful business. Thrown upon his own resources in childliood, and working his way to his present position of financial inde- pendence, he certainly is deserving of un- bounded credit. His first wages amounted to twelve cents a week and board himself. Since coming to this country he has been unfortunate in one or two business ventures, but he has had enough clear, hard grit to push allead in spite of obstacles, and has made a most decided success of life.

Mr. Prosser was married in 1876 to Miss Nancy Pierson, a native of Virginia. Polit- ically he is an active supporter of the issues of the Republican party. He is a member of Clarinda Lodge, No. 109, I. O. O. F. He is a man who has done much toward the im- proving and developing of the community, and by his honesty and integrity of character lias made many friends in Page County.

OHN M. LOUDON, a resident of section 33, Tarkio Township, has been identified with the interests of Page County since 1867. Mr. Loudon was born in Juniata County, Pennsylvania, April 23, 1825. IIis father, Solomon Loudon, was a native of the north of Ireland, and emigrated to America at the age of eighteen years: he married Eliza Barton, also a native of Ireland, who

came to America at the age of twelve years. They reared a family of twelve children, five sons and seven daughters. John M. was reared on a farm and received a limited ed- ucation in the common schools. When he had arrived at man's estate he left the farm and spent three years as a salesman in a manufacturing house.

November 15, 1854, occurred the marriage of John M. Loudon and Mary Jane McKee. Mrs. Loudon was born in Juniata County, Pennsylvania, and is a daughter of David and Elizabeth (Boggs) McKee. After his mar- riage, our subject lived three years in Alle- gliany County, Pennsylvania, and removed thence to Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, from which locality he came to Iowa in 1869. He purchased 160 acres of land, and was among the earlier settlers in Tarkio Town- ship. He has made excellent improvements, including a fine residence erected in 1887 after a modern style of architecture; there is a good barn, and a bearing orchard provides an abundance of fruit. It is one of the most desirable farms in the township, and one of which the owner may well be proud.

Mr. and Mrs. Loudon have been blessed with seven children: Martha, wife of W. J. Clark; Jennie, wife of W. H. Dutton; Re- becca, wife of J. H. Linder; Solomon, David B., Samuel B. and John M. Politically Mr. Loudon is a Democrat. He has served his township as Justice of the Peace, and has also been a inember of the school board and trustee, filling these positions with credit to himself and to the satisfaction of the public. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church at Norwich, of which he has been an elder. He has served in the Sabbath-school both as superintendent and as a teacher, and has ever taken an active interest in religious matters. Believing in the power of education he has given his children liberal opportunities, and

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HISTORY OF PAGE COUNTY.

has fitted them well for the various duties to which they have been called. Although he has almost attained his three score years and ten, he bears his years lightly, having always lived a life of temperate habits. In his manner he is frank and candid, and by cor- rect living he has gained an enviable reputa- tion in the community.

HARLES B. SHOEMAKER, deceased, was a native of Pennsylvania, born February 13, 1832, his parents being Samuel G. and Mary (Potts) Shoemaker of Ger- man ancestry. Samuel G. was born December 1, 1791, and died April 27, 1873; and his wife, born August 27, 1797, died Angust 14, 1880; they were married May 22, 1817. The an- cestors of the Shoemaker family came from Germany and settled in Berks County, Penn- sylvania, and the ancestors of the Potts fam- ily came from Holland, but originally from England. They founded the city of Potts- ville, Pennsylvania, engaging there in the iron business. In the family there were ten children, two of whoni died when young. George Washington Shoemaker died at the age of twenty-three years, of consumption. Charles B. had three younger brothers, name- ly, Matthew, Fleming and Melissa. He was the fourth in a family of eight children and his early years were spent in assisting his father on a farm and in attending school. In 1849-'52 he learned the printer's trade, then left Murray for Venango County, Pennsyl- vania, when the town was called Agnew's Mills. He next came to Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, in 1855, and in 1858 he removed to Sidney, Fremont County, where he published the IIerald. After one year he removed to Cla- rinda and established the Clarinda IIerald, which he conducted three years.

In September, 1862, Mr. Shoemaker enlisted in the Twenty-ninth Iowa Volunteer Infan- try, and received the commission of Major. He remained in the service until February 1, 1865, when he was honorably discharged. After leaving the army he located in New York, where he embarked in the coal trade. In 1874 he engaged in mining in New Jer- sey, and two years later he returned to Cla- rinda and assumed charge of the Herald, which he had founded in 1859. He contin- ued in this business until his death, which occurred October 23, 1877.

Mr. Shoemaker was united in marriage August 10, 1857, to Miss Mary Haas, a na- tive of Pennsylvania and one of a family of five children. Four children have been born of this union, three of whom are living. Our subject was at the time of his death a member of Henry Ward Beecher's Church. His widow belongs to the Presbyterian Church at Clarinda. Politically he was a radical Republican and took an active part in politics. He was also foremost in all edu- cational matters. He was an honored mem- ber of the I. O. O. F., the A. F. & A. M., and of the A. O. U. W. He and his family stood high in social circles at Clarinda, and his death was mourned by a wide circle of friends and acquaintances.

RANK A. BOWER is the manager for Charles V. Mount, dealer in jewelry, watches, clocks and optical goods. This fine stock, comprising everything in the trade and invoicing upwards of $3,000, is land- somely and artistically displayed in show cases and wall cabinets in Mr. Mount's store; lie owns the building and the rooms are adınir- ably adapted to the trade.

The proprietor of this establishment is

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HISTORY OF PAGE COUNTY.

Charles V. Mount, who is now giving his per- sonal attention to another stock of goods at Guthrie, Oklohoma, the phenomenal city of the Southwest. Mr. Mount is a native of New Jersey and was born abont forty-seven years ago. He learned the jeweler's trade at Cedar Rapids, Iowa, when a boy, and has had an experience extending over thirty years. He is an old soldier, having served his coun- try faithfully in the Eleventh Iowa for four years. His military education was recognized by the members of Company E, Iowa Na- tional Guard of Shenandoah, who elected him Captain soon after he took up his residence in Shenandoah; he has filled the position with inuch credit to himself and to the entire sat- isfaction of the command, and still retains the office although absent from the place.

Frank Bower, the genial and industrious manager of the business, was born in Henry County, Iowa, January 13, 1863, and is a son of T. S. and Lucinda (Bower) Bower. The family settled in Shenandoah in 1879, and the parents are still residents of the place, the father being the well-known dealer in coal and wood. Probably in October, 1885, Frank entered the shop of Mr. Palmatier, who was in the jewelry business at that time, to learn his trade. Mr. Palmatier removed to Oberlin, Kansas. and Mr. Bower followed him and completely mastered his trade.

In October, 1888, he entered the employ of C. V. Mount, and, proving eminently fitted for the responsibility, was left in full control when Mr. Mount decided to repair to the beautiful land of the " Oklohomas." During this time the business has increased and Mr. Bower has shown himself admirably adapted to the situation. No young man in Shenan- doalı lias thie esteem and respect of all the citizens more fully than Frank Bower. He has a most successful career before him and lias enjoyed advantages that were accorded to

few young men a quarter of a century ago. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church, and has associated himself with the A. O. U. W., Nishna Lodge, No. 249. Mr. Bower is unmarried.

R. FRANK, a prosperous farmer of Morton Township, has been a resident of Page County, Iowa, since 1869. He was born in Juniata County, Pennsylva- nia, September 30, 1842, and is the son of Henry and Elizabetlı (Snyder) Frank, natives of Pennsylvania, of German origin. Henry Frank was a blacksmith and carpenter by trade, and was also interested in farming to some extent. In 1845 he removed with his family to Peoria County, Illinois, where he entered a tract of 120 acres of Government land, which he made his home until the day of his death; this was September 15. 1881. His wife died July 3, 1888. They were associated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church.

Simon R., the subject of this sketch, is the sixth of a family of ten children. From the time lie was three years old until the opening of the Rebellion he lived on a farm in Peoria County, Illinois. He enlisted in Company C, Fifty-seventli Illinois Volunteer Infantry, December 16, 1861, and was honorably dis- charged as Corporal December 29, 1864, at Savannah, Georgia. He was wounded in the ankle with a piece of shell at the battle of Town Creek, but remained on duty. During the three years and twenty-three days that he was in the service he was off duty only two days. Among many engagements the follow- ing are the more noted: Donelson, Shiloh, Corinth, Bear Creek, Cherokee Station, Town Creek, and Sherinan's campaign to Atlanta and to the sea. On the expedition from

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HISTORY OF PAGE COUNTY.

Corinth to Lexington he in company with three others were left on a halt, having fallen asleep; on awaking the next morning and find- ing themselves alone they shouldered their guns and marched on towards Lexington, making the trip in four days. On arriving there they found the city full of rebels and that their regiment liad returned to Corinth. They put on a bold front, however, reported themselves as the advance guard of another brigade, and passed through unmolested! After peace was declared he returned to liis home in Illinois, and remained there for one year, after which he removed to Warren County, Illinois, and engaged in farming.

Mr. Frank was united in marriage October 30, 1867, to Miss Priscilla T. Stewart, a daughter of William and Sarah (Brooks) Stewart. She was born in Peoria County, Illinois, September 17, 1845. The spring following their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Frank removed to Warren County, Iowa, where they spent one year; they then removed to Page County and located at College Springs, re- moving after a few months to their present farın on section 36, Morton Township; it con- sisted of eighty acres of wild land, purchased at a cost of $6.25 per acre. The first sum- mer Mr. Frank erected a house, which lie has since remodeled and enlarged; he lias all the necessary buildings for the care of live- stock and grain, and has planted two acres of grove and two acres of orchard, which add much to the beauty and value of the place. As his means have increased he has invested in land, and now owns 240 acres in a good state of cultivation. He is the oldest settler now living in Morton Township, and during all these years lie has striven to be of benefit to the community. He is a self-made man, having risen from the bottom of the ladder entirely through his own efforts to his pre- sent position of independence. Politically

he is identified with the Republican party and is one of its strongest supporters. He has represented his township as trustee and as a inember of the School Board, and was the first Supervisor of the southern district of Morton Township. He is a member of Page Post, No. 65, G. A. R.

Mr. and Mrs. Frank had born to them a family of seven children: Ida M., Fred W., Charles S., Maud B., William W., Henry H. and Walter S.

The mother was called from earth Decem- ber 4, 1887. The family is associated with the Methodist Episcopal Church at Coin.

HARLES N. MARVIN, proprietor of the Shenandoah Sentinel, was born September 24, 1857, at East Orange, Delaware County, Ohio. In 1859 his parents removed to Johnson County, Iowa. His father enlisted in the Twenty-second Iowa Infantry, and his mother returned with him, her only child, to her parents in Ohio, to re- main there while Mr. Marvin was in the army. He was killed at Vicksburg, May 22, 1862, in one of the unsuccessful charges made on the rebel works. In 1866 Mrs. Marvin was again married, and young Charles re- mained with the family on the farm in Dela- ware County, Ohio, until eighteen years of age. He then went to school a year and a half in Ashtabula County, same State, when lie came west and worked on a farm by the month one year in Benton County, Iowa. Then he spent two years at the public high school in Marshalltown; next began teaching country school, in Marshall County, Iowa: taught in country and village schools, witlı good success, until 1884, when he married Bertha L. McCausland, of Modesha, Kansas, an old schoolmate, to whom he had been en-

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HISTORY OF PAGE COUNTY.

gaged for nine years. He then devoted his time and attention for two years exclusively to the publication of the Iowa Teacher at Marshalltown, a losing enterprise, like all western school journals. After its demise Mr. Marvin served for a few months on the editorial staff of the Marshalltown Times-Re- publican, and then leased the Union Star, of Union, Iowa. He conducted this paper suc- cessfully for eigliteen months and saved a little money. He then came to Shenandoalı, Iowa, purchased a new outfit of type and November 25, 1887, began the publication of the Shenandoah Sentinel, which is in a very flourishing condition, and has recently been made one of the two official papers of Page County.

LIZUR KENT BAILEY, A. M., M. D. -No profession offers the openings and opportunities and advancement socially and financially in Iowa as does that of medi- cine. Few even among medical practition- ers have advanced more rapidly or attained more prominence in a comparatively short time than lias the gentleman whose career is under consideration. His practice, which which was begun in Clarinda twelve years ago, has been an eminently successful one; and the advice and counsel of no inan has more weight with his colleagues.

Dr. Bailey was born at Palatine, Cook County, Illinois, June 3, 1848, the fifthi of a family of eleven children, four of whom have taken ministerial orders. His parents, Ban- croft and Almeda (Kent) Bailey, were na- tives of New Hampshire and New York respectively. They were pioneers of Illinois, settling there in 1833, and now reside in Chicago. The oldest son gave his life in

defense of the Union, dying from the effects of wounds received before Vicksburg.

When Elizur was fifteen years old the fam- ily removed to Wheaton, Illinois, where he attended Wheaton College for a short time. After leaving school he engaged in teaching, but having an inclination for a more active life he studied telegraphy and passed his first sea- son'as an operator at Fond du Lac, Wisconsin; in 1867 he was given the office at Chester, sanie State, where he remained one year, and then went to Palatine, Illinois; thence he went to Council Bluffs, in the fall of 1869, where he was in the Western Union employ for one year. He now resolved to complete his academical studies, and again entered Wheat- on College; there he pursued the collegiate course of study and was graduated in a class of eleven, in 1875, receiving the degree of Bachelor of Arts. He had determined upon entering the medical profession and immedi- ately became a student of the Chicago Medi- cal College, from which he graduated in 1877. Southwestern Iowa presented an inviting field to him; so he came to Clarinda, where he remained one year; he then removed to Shenandoah. His progress has been even and 'uninterrupted, and as a citizen he is inter- ested in every work of public good.

Dr. Bailey and Miss Mattie B. V. My- ers were united in the bonds of matrimony June 1, 1876, at Clarinda, Iowa. Mrs. Bai- ley is a daughter of the Rev. Jacob and Susan Reece (Barrett) Myers. The father was an influential minister in the Methodist Epis- copal Church. The mother is a sister of Dr. Barrett, of Clarinda, and of Sarah T. Bolton, a gifted poetess of Indianapolis, Indiana. Mrs. Bailey was graduated in the same class with her husband, being the first woinan to pursue the classical course at Wheaton Col- lege, and with her husband, in 1878, received the degree of Master of Arts from her alma

L.R. H Calip

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HISTORY OF PAGE COUNTY.

inater. Since living in Page County she lias been prominently identified with the Sabbatlı- school work, and for eight years was secre- tary of the Page County Association. She is the present State secretary of the Sunday- school Association, and is also connected with the Iowa W. C. T. U., in which she has attained a national reputation. She is the department superintendent of the Sabbath- school work of the W. C. T. U., and is pres- ident of the Conncil Bluffs Presbyterial Wo- man's Board of Home Missions. Her varions duties require much travel and public speak- ing, in which she is a brilliant success.

The Doctor and his wife have taken into their home two daughters, who, although not connected by family ties are very dear to them; they are Mary W. and Susan E.

R. FRANKLIN HASTINGS .- James P. Hastings, the grandfather of the subject of this biographical notice, was born in Sussex Connty, Delaware, May 26, 1803, and married Ruth Eckridge, who was born in the same county, September 12, 1800, and died December 2, 1885. By this marriage there are eleven sons and four daughters, all of whom lived to be grown except one daugliter, who died at the age of four years. There are now living nine sons and two daugh- ters. James P. settled in Cumberland County, Illinois, where he followed agriculture forty years. A great many years he was a Camp- bellite or Christian minister and wielded a decided influence among the old settlers and pioneers of his connty; he was a Justice of tlie Peace for thirty years, but never would receive a dollar for liis services .. He per- formed the marriage ceremony inany times, but refused to accept any fee. He is a man of active mind and marked force of character;

he is yet living, at the age of eighty-seven years, and possesess the vigor of any man of fifty years. He had several sons in the civil war: Calvin was killed at the battle of Vicksburg; Matthew and James were both wounded in the service, and James never recovered from the effects of his wound. The father lived in a community which was non-Union in sentiment, but he made speeches in favor of the Union and urged his sons to go to thie assist- ance of those brave souls fighting for the perpetuity of the Nation. Mr. Hastings is a remarkable man, physically as well as mentally and morally; he stands six feet and two inches in his stockings, and has always been very straight, retaining his strength to a remark- able degree. He belongs to the old pioneer preachers who conducted their own farms and preached the gospel and attended to many public affairs of the community in addition. Such strong, self-reliant men usually trans- mit to posterity their nobility of character, and from such ancestors have sprung many of the leading business and professional men of to-day.

Joseph Hastings, father of James P., lived to the age of seventy-two years, and died about sixty years ago. He married Eleanor Twig; they both were from England; while the grandparents, Hastings, were from Scot- land.

Lewis R. Hastings, the son of James P., was born in 1831. He received no system- atic education, as there were no schools in southern Illinois at that early day. Filled with the spirit of adventure, he ran away from home at the age of twelve years and went to Circleville, Ohio, where he was hired to drive cattle across the Alleghany Mount- ains to New York city; the method employed was that of leading an ox to entice the others to follow. This trip interested him in the

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cattle business, which he has since followed with gratifying success. He began the cattle business by working for others who were en- gaged in it, and thus gained his knowledge from their experience.

Mr. Hastings was united in marriage, De- cember 9, 1857, to Cynthia McMillin, at In- dianola, Illinois, and by this union three children were born: Franklin, Ella and Car- rie. Cynthia was born January 2, 1836, in Peoria County, Illinois. Her father, Robert Dixon McMillin, was a Scotchman, born Sep- tember 14, 1814; and her mother, nee Lu- cinda S. Fisher, was a German, born Septem- ber 25, 1813, and married Mr. McMillin March 12, 1835. Mr. Hastings was engaged in the cattle business at Indianola, Illinois, until 1860, when he removed to Chicago and went into the commission business at the old Merrick Yards, which were situated on the lake front, at a point where is now one of the finest residence portions of the city. He has continued in this business without inter- ruption ever since, and has inet with the most uniform success. He first did business under the firm name of Gregory & Hastings, and then Gregory, Cooley & Co. He is also largely interested in the raising of cattle, owning stock ranches in the Indian Territory and Texas. During all these years that he has been located in Chicago he has accumulated considerable property, and owns valuable real estate in that city. He is an honored member of the Masonic fraternity. He has recently been sent as a delegate to the Cattle Men's Convention at Fort Worth, Texas, by the Governor of the State of Illi- nois. He stands high in the business circles of Chicago, and his word is thoroughly respected. Mrs. Hastings is a member of the Presbyterian Church, as are also her two daughters; these young women were both educated at the Chicago Female College.

Dr. Franklin Hastings, the son of Lewis R. and Cynthia (McMillin) Hastings, was born October 29, 1858, in Indianola, Illinois. When he was two years of age he was taken by his parents to Chicago, where he grew to manhood; he attended the public schools of that city and graduated from the High School of Englewood; he also attended college at Racine, Wisconsin, where he graduated in 1879. He came directly after his graduation to Page Connty, Iowa, where he embarked in the cattle business. In 1880 he began col- lecting a herd of Hereford cattle in company with his father, under the firm name of L. R. Hastings & Son. In 1884 they imported a herd of Herefords, and they are also the first importers of West Highland Scotch cattle in America; their herd of this breed numbers sev- enteen, and the Hereford herd numbers seven- ty-five head, all thorongh-breds and all care- fully registered. The firm of L. R. Hastings & Son owns 800 acres of land, well situated for the purpose of a stock-farın, and one of the most favorably and pleasantly located in the county; there are many valuable improve- ments to be found on this farm, and it is one of the most desirable from many standpoints. The West Highland Scotch cattle are a very hardy breed, native to the mountains of Scot- land, and very valuable in a cold climate.

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Author: Lewis and Dunbar, Chicago, pub Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Chicago : Lewis & Dunbar Number of Pages: 946

Author: Lewis and Dunbar, Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis & Dunbar
Number of Pages: 946