USA > Iowa > Pottawattamie County > Biographical history of Pottawattamie County, Iowa > Part 58
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J. JAMESON .- The Jameson fam- ily finds its origin in Scotland, the founders of the family name in this country being Nathaniel and Mary Jameson, who came to America about the year 1825, locating in Carlton County, New Brunswick. They remained there a short time, and then crossed the line to Aroostook County, Maine, where the father died, in 1868, at about the age of eighty-five years; his wife died in 1847, at the age of forty five years. They had a family of six children, all of whom are deceased but one, C. S., the father of our sub- ject. He was born in Scotland in 1820, and came to this country with his parents. He is and has been a farmer all his life, and was always a quiet and unassuming man. He was married in 1846 to Miss Jane McIntyre, a native of New Brunswick, born in 1825, and is still living. They had six children, five boys and one girl: William J., the eldest, born August 23, 1847; Mary J., wife of George E. Tracy, of Carlton County, New Brunswick, was born March 24, 1850; Henry N., a resident of New Brunswick, was born July, 1853; Jolin H., also a resident of New Brunswick, was born January 28, 1855; Charles O., born March 7, 1858, is a resident of Council Bluffs; Dr. G. L. S., a resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was born August 25, 1861. The mother's family originated
in Ireland, her parents being Patrick and Jane (Scott) MeIntyre, the latter a sister of General Winfield Scott. Mr. and Mrs. Mc- Intyre came to America in 1890, locating in New Brunswick, where they still reside, at the advanced age of ninety-four and ninety- one years respectively. They had a family of thirteen children, all of whom are living but two, and all are residents of New Bruns- wick and Maine except one, who resides in Montana. They were farmers by vocation.
William Jameson, our subject, was reared in New Brunswick until he was twenty-one years of age, and his education was received by dint of hard labor and close application. When he was a small boy the bears were 80 thick that it was dangerous to venture out alone, and he was therefore deprived of much of his early schooling. In 1870 he came West to Creston, Iowa, where he remained eighteen years, and while there was employed on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Rail- road, after which he came to Council Bluffs. In January, 1888, he took the position of Secretary and Treasurer of the largest Masonic Association in the world that confines its membership to the fraternity. This organ- ization was incorporated in 1884, but com- menced business in 1886, and in four years has written up over 10,000 applications. December 1, 1888, the assets on hand were $84,238.55; income during the year 1888, $161,686.21; total during 1889, $139,346.75; total assets on hand December 31, 1889, $106,578.01; assets December 31, 1890, $129,311.61; total amount of death losses paid since organization, $300,772.22; total amount of actual insurance in force, $22,000,- 000. The annual report of the association is verified by the Iowa State Commission of Insurance. This association was founded by the exertions of our subject, William Jameson, and it is through his efforts that the associa-
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tion stands where it does to-day. During the first two years of its existence, he could give it but a small part of his attention, as he was still in the employ of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, but in 1888 he turned his whole attention to the same, and his presence is wonderfully felt. The Board of Directors are: Hon. Joseph R. Reed, President; W. O. Wirt, Vice-Presi- dent; William J. Jameson, Secretary and Treasurer; T. B. Lacy, Medical Director; Fred. H. Brown, Manager of Agencies, and a resident of Chicago, Illinois. The office is located in rooms two and three, Masonic Temple, Council Bluffs, Iowa.
He is a member of the A. F. & A. M., No. 71; Bluff City Royal Arch Chapter, No. 77; of Ivanhoe Commandery, No. 17; El Kahir Temple, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; of the Mys- tic Shrine; of the I. O. O. F .; of the K. of P .; also of the I. O. of R. M., Pottawattamie Tribe, No. 21, and also Chicago Nest, No. 9, I. I. O. of Owls.
Politically he affiliates with the Demno- eratic party. He was married in 1873 to Hattie M. Wing, of East Saginaw, Michigan, and they had a family of three children: Charles P., Guy B. and Gertrude Jane. Tlie mother died in February, 1884, and Mr. Jameson was married to Miss Ella A. Glass in 1885, a native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She was born in 1860, and they have one child, Vesta E.
B. BOREN, a farmer of Ilazel Dell Township, was born in Union County, Illinois, April 6, 1817, a son of Israel and Susannah Boren, natives of Tennessee. They came to Illinois in an early day, where the mother died, in Nauvoo, in 1842, and the father died in Madison County, Ten-
nessee, in 1825. He was a farmer by oecn- pation, and was a soldier in the war of 1812. Our subject was reared in his native State until his seventh year, when he went to Ten- nessee with his parents, and remained until he was twelve years of age. He then re- turned with his mother and stepfather to Illinois, where he was reared to farm life. He remained at home until he was in his twenty-third year when he started out for himself. Ile remained in that State until May 3, 1846, when he came to Davis County, Iowa, and spent one winter, and in 1847 came to Pottawattamie County, which was at that time inhabited by In- dians, wolves, deer, etc. He first located on his present farm, section 18 of what is now Ilazel Dell Township, where he has since made his home. He erected at that time a small log cabin about 200 yards south of where his, present residence now stands, and in which he made his home for a number of years. This was erected on the primitive plan, with puncheon floor, clapboard roof and door, and an old stick chimney. Here they started to make a home in the new 'conntry, and here they faced all the hardships incident to pioneer life, but faced them bravely. Their next residence was a hewed-log house on the more modern plan, with brick chimney aud plank floor, and in this he made his home for a number of years, or until 1870, when he erected his present comfortable home, 26 x 38 feet, and one and a half stories high. Ile has accu- inulated in real estate until he now owns 320 acres in one body, sections 18 and 19, Hazel Dell Township; eighty acres in section 23, Crescent Township; 100 acres in section 22, and also eight residence lots in Crescent City. He has made all of the inany improvements on his land, and has done much toward build- ing up this part of the county. He was
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OF POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY.
formerly an old-time Whig, but is now a Democrat. He has held the offices of Trus- tee. Justice of the Peace, a member of the School Board, etc. He has always devoted himself to farming and stock-raising, and was also one of the first to engage in the bee business in this county.
Mr. Boren was married in Illinois, Sep- tember 25, 1840, to Nancy McIntosh, who was born December 2, 1810, and who died in Iottawattamie County, April 12, 1868. They were the parents of five children: Is- rael, a resident of Crescent Township; Jane, deceased; Permelia, wife of Philip Ballard, a resident of Idaho; Cornelius, a resident of Hazel Dell Township; Laura, wife of James McMullen, a resident of Crescent Township. Mr. Boren was again married, October 1, 1868, to Mrs. Agnes Brownell, daughter of Matthew and Jennett Hutchinson, natives of Ayrshire and Glasgow, Scotland. They were married in that country, and came to Amer- ica about the year 1841, locating in Provi- dence, Rhode Island, where they both died. Agnes was born May 8, 1837, was reared in Providence, and on account of the death of her parents was thrown upon her own re- sources at the age of twelve years. She had two children by her first marriage: Engene, a resident of Crescent City, and Mabel, de- ceased, the wife of John MeMiller, also de- eeased. They left three children: Annie, Gracie and Edward; the two former make their home with their grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Boren.
EXTER M. BRIGGS, a substantial farmer of Knox Township, is a native of the State of Vermont. His grand- father on the maternal side was in the Revo- Intionary war, and was at the battle of
Plattsburg, New York. Royal Briggs, his grandfather on the paternal side, was from an old Puritan family who settled in Boston, There were three brothers of that name who came from England. Royal Briggs was a sea captain, sailing from Boston. His son, also named Royal, the father of our subject, was born in that city, learned the trade of blacksmith, and settled in the town of Hines- burg, Vermont. He was married in Leices- ter, same State, to Fannie Dow, daughter of Moses and Rebecca Dow, natives of France. The father was born in Germany and later was a Vermont farmer. Mr. and Mrs. Briggs were the parents of ten children who lived to maturity : Murray, Dexter M., Nelson, Byron, Cummings, Royal, Amelia, Leticia, Calfer- nia and Julia A. The father lived in Ver- mont nearly all his life, having come from Boston at the age of sixteen years. He was in the war of 1812, and drove a team from Plattsburg to Sackett's Harbor. Both he and his wife were members of the Free-Will Bap- tist Church. Mr. Briggs held the office of Justice of the Peace, and was one of the Board of Selectmen of his town. He lived to the age of sixty-five years, and was an up- right and honorable man
Dexter M., the subject of this sketch, was born February 3, 1822, in Hinesburg, Ver- mont, and received a common-school educa- tion. He drove a stage sixteen years from Burlington, Vermont, to Montpelier. He was also engaged in the stock business, buy- ing eattle for the Boston market eight years, but in the financial panic of 1857 lost all his property. In 1866 he went to Omaha, Ne- braska, and after six months moved to Coun- cil Bluffs, where he resided two years. He then came to Avoca, where he was a check- man of the railroad, checking the baggage and passengers across the Missouri River from Council Bluffs to Omaha. In 1871 he
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bought his present farm, and has also inter- ested himselt in pure-bred Scotch collie dogs.
Mr. Briggs was married in Vermont to Emily Brown, daughter of John and Betsey (Grow) Brown. The father was an old set- tler of that State, and participated in the war of 1812. Ilis father, also named John Brown, was a Captain in the Revolutionary war. To Mr. and Mrs. Briggs were born two children: Frank, who married Rebecca Davis, and is now a farmer of Knox Town- ship, and Clotilda, now the wite of Seth Hunt, a merchant of Burlington, Kansas. Mr. Briggs' first wife died in Brattleboro, Vermont, and he was married to Alma Tracy, daughter of Harry and Catherine (Reynolds) Tracy. The father was a prominent mer- chant at Barre, Vermont, and his father was in the Revolutionary war. To Mr. and Mrs. Briggs were born three children, viz .: Emma, Charlie and William. Emma married David Gates, of Council Bluffs, a conductor on the Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad.
ACKSON LEWIS, one of the enterpris- ing and well-known citizens of Washing- ton Township, has been a resident of this county since 1878, in which year he came from Fremont County, Iowa. He was born in Hocking County, Ohio, March 27, 1848, the son of Samnel James and Rebecca (Hardin) Lewis, the former a native of New Jersey, and of Puritan ancestry, and the lat- ter of Pennsylvania, of Pennsylvania Dutch ancestry. The parents were married in Perry County, Ohio, and afterward removed to Hocking County, Ohio, where the father died when Jackson was four or five years of age. He was a farmer and blacksmith by trade. Politically he was a Democrat, and religiously was a member of the Old-School Baptist
Church. The mother died August 9, 1888, in Lucas County, Iowa, at the age of eighty years. They were the parents of eleven chil- dren, two of whom died in childhood, but four sons and five daughters grew to matu- rity. Two of the sons served in the late war: Ben, who served in the Thirty-fourth Iowa Infantry, died in Lucas County, lowa, in 1882; Amini, who served in the same regi- ment, now resides in Colorado. Jackson was a lad of cleven years when his mother and family moved to Clark County, Iowa, and they afterward returned to Hocking County, Ohio, where they remained for a time, and then returned to Iowa.
Our subject grew to manhood on a farm in Clark County, Iowa, and in 1871 removed to Fremont County, where he lived seven years. He then came to Pottawattamie County, Iowa, first settling on eighty acres two miles south of where he now lives. In 1885 he bought his present farm of Chancey Serry, which consists of 160 acres of well improved land. It is watered by the Little Silver flowing through it, and everything abont the farm shows the thrift and prosper- ity of its owner. He is engaged in general farming and stock-raising.
Mr. Lewis was married May 1, 1870, in Clark County, Illinois, to Isabelle Beal, a woman of intelligence and education, who was born in Washington, Tazewell County, Illinois, the daughter of John Beal, a native of Beaver County, Pennsylvania. Ile was a son of George Beal, a native of England. John Beal was County Judge of Blackford County, Indiana, many years, and died in Decatur County, Iowa, when seventy-two years of age. The mother of Mrs. Lewis was Ruth (Prichard) Beal, who was born in Vir- ginia and died in Clark County, Iowa, in 1853. She was a daughterof Rev. John Prich- ard, who was a predestinarian or old-school
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OF POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY.
Baptist minister and baptized Alexander Campbell. Mrs. Lewis was reared and edn. cated in Clark and Decatur Counties, Iowa, and was also a successful teacher before her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis have four children, viz .: Myrtle Irene, Sarah Elizabeth, Edgar B. and Cornelius Benjamin. They lost one by death, Eva May, their second born, at the age of one year. Politically Mr. Lewis is a Democrat, and has served as Township Trustee and as a member of the School Board. Both he and his wife are members of the Evangelical Church, and both are workers in the Sabbath-school.
HARLES GREEN, of Lewis Township, a native of the Province of Schleswig- Holstein, was born September 16, 1834, the son of Jurgen and Dora (Goldstadt) Green. The father died in 1846 or 1847, in the old country, and the mother died in Pot- tawattamie County, in 1883. She came to America in the year 1866, and had a family of eleven children, of whom nine came to Mills and Pottawattamie counties, where they all reside excepting one, who resides in Seattle County, Washington Territory, and two still reside in the old country.
Charles Green, our subject, was reared in his native country until he was twenty-one years of age. He was reared to the life of a farmer, and attended the public schools until he was sixteen years of age, when he learned the cabinet-maker's trade, which he followed until October 28, 1860. After having been in the country five years he was married, in Mills County, to Julia Anna Elizabeth Bauer, who was born in Missouri, the daughter of Christian and Caroline (Plumer) Baner. After their marriage they commenced farm- ing in Mills County on a tract of eighty acres
which he pre-empted. They remained here for seven years, when he sold out and pur- chased 240 acres of improved land, where they resided until 1875. In that year they removed to Pottawattamie County, where he had purchased a farm of 280 acres, the most of which was prairie land, on section 22. There was a small frame house on the place, where they resided until 1876, when he erected a fine frame residence, 18 x 36 and 16 x 20 feet. He has also erected good barns for stock and grain, and planted groves, orchards, etc., and everything denotes thrift, energy and prosperity. He devotes his at- tention principally to farming and stock- raising.
Mr. Green served in Company C, Thir- tieth Iowa Infantry, serving nine months. Politically he is a stanch Democrat. Mr. and Mrs. Green have a family of seven children: Maria Cornelia, born August 30, 1861, wife of B. Brandt, residing in Mills County; John A., born November 25, 1863, is a resident of Lancaster County, Nebraska; lienry F., born June 12, 1865; Christopher F., born March 25, 1870; Martha, born March 16, 1873; Julius, born October 25, 1875; and Ella, born June 3, 1880. They are members of the German Lutheran Church.
ICHOLAS LERETTE, a prominent farmer of Pottawattamie County, was born in Canada, the son of Lewis Le- rette, who was born in Lower Canada. He was married to Eliza Delill, of French and Pennsylvania-German descent. In the fam. ily of Lewis Lerette were five children who lived to maturity, namely: Catherine, Mar- garet, Nicholas, Mary and Matilda. In 1852 Mr. Lerette came to Will County, Illinois, where he lived until his death, which oc-
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curred in 1859, at the age of fifty-two years. He was a devout Catholic, and a hard-work- ing and industrious man.
Nicholas Lerette, our subject, was but three years of age when his parents went to Illinois, and after his father's death he re- turned to Canada with the other children to live with his grandfather Delill. He re- mained with him one year, and then went to Will County, Illinois, his mother having married a man by the name of Gilbo in Canada, where they now live. Young Nich- olas received but little education, and learned farming in early life. He remained in Will County until 1877, when he came to Potta- wattamie County, and settled on his present farm, which was then wild land. By indns- try and perseverance he has converted this into a fine, fertile farm.
Mr. Lerette was married September 3, 1874, in Will County, Illinois, to Mattie Lasure, daughter of Wilson D. Lasure, who was born in Ross County, Ohio, and is of Pennsylvania-German descent. He was mar- ried to Mary Bell, and they were the parents of ten children, viz .: Mattie, John, Newton, Jane, Alura, Nelson, Carrie, Benjamin, Eli- sha, Clara and Guy Raymond. After mar- riage Mr. Lasure went to Illinois, settling on a farm in Will County, where he is now a substantial farmer, and an upright and hou- orable citizen. In his political opinions Mr. Lerette is a Republican, and both he and his wife are members of the Methodist Church.
ILLIAM LEWIS, of Lewis Township was born in Monroe County, Michi- gan, November 28, 1834. His father, Silas Lewis, was a native of Onondaga County, New York, born in 1792, and in 1808 came to Monroe, Michigan, with his parents. In
his youth he learned the shoemakers' and tanners' trades, which he followed a number of years. He then engaged in farming until his death, which occurred in 1852, at the age of sixty years, in Monroe, Michigan. Ile was married in Michigan, to Lydia Chilson, who was born in Delaware County, New York, in 1799. She had moved to Michigan in an early day, and died January 15, 1890, at the home of her son William, in Lewis Township, Pottawattamie County. They had a family of ten children, of whom all are living except three: Shubael, a retired farmer of Kansas; Samuel B., a nurseryman of Monroe, Michigan; Silas, deceased; Chilson, a farmer of Pottawattamie County; James, residing in Colorado; William, of Lewis Township, Pottawattamie County; Nelson, a dairyman of Pottawattamie County; George, a nurseryman of Monroe, Michigan. The father served in the war of 1812, under Gen- eral Hull. They were members of the Meth- odist Episcopal Church.
William Lewis, our subject, was reared to farm life, and received his education in the public and private schools. He remained at home until he was twenty years of age, and then came to Iowa, stopping at various points until he finally landed in Pottawattamie County, where he located. He engaged at work by the month for a couple of years; the first man he worked for was D. B. Clark, of Council Bluffs. He then commenced farming for himself, renting for a few years, and in 1861 he purchased a traet of forty acres on section 9, Lewis Township, which had been broken. Here he erected a resi- dence and spent one year, when he sold out and purchased 200 acres of J. P. Casady, of Council Bluffs, on sections 10 and 15, Lewis Township, which was partially improved. The farmn contained a small house, in which they lived for some time, and in 1885 they
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OF POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY.
erected a fine two-story frame residence, 40 x 40 feet, which is one of the finest in this part of the county. He has also good barns for stock and grain, and three or four acres of grove. Ile has added to his first purchase 120 acres, making a total of 320 acres, all of which he has under good culti- vation. It lies on sections 10, 11 and 15, Lewis Township. He devotes his attention mostly to farming and stock-raising, and takes an interest in all better grades of stock. IIe feeds quite a number of cattle each year for the market, and is one of the live, ener- getic business men of his township. Politi- cally he is a staneh Republican. He is a lover of law and order, and strives to pro- mote the best interests of his county.
William Lewis was married January 2, 1862, to Miss Lydia Edwards, who was born at Mt. Clemens, Macomb County, Michigan, July 27. 1844. She is the danghter of W. A. and Lncretia (White) Edwards, natives of Genesee County, New York, and Michigan The father is a farmer during his later years, and is a resident of Appanoose County, Iowa; the mother died in 1848. They had a family of five children: Nelson, deceased; Sarah, de- ceased; Frank, residing in Lewis Township; Lydia, the wife of the subject of this sketeh; and Daniel, deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis are the parents of six children, viz .: George, born November 15, 1863, residing on his father's farm in Lewis Township; Emma, wife of John Short, residing in Council Bluffs; Edward, born February 26, 1869, is at home; William, born March 28, 1872, is employed in a ereamery in Dexter, Iowa; Elsie, born October 29, 1875; Katie, born November 24, 1877. Mr. Lewis is a self- made man, having risen from the very bottom of the financial ladder. When he landed in Council Bluffs he had but $10 to call his own, and how well he has succeeded is
demonstrated by looking at his beautiful home, surrounded by his broad acres of well cultivated land. The family are among the county's most worthy and respected citizens.
M ELVIN C. GOUDIE, section 9, Wave- land Township, has made his home in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, since the spring of 1882.
He was born in Des Moines County, Iowa, May 4, 1854, the son of Gilbert and Sarah (Harps) Goudie, natives of Scotland and New York State respectively. His parents were married in New York and subsequently came to Iowa, settling in Des Moines County. When Melvin C. was twenty years old, his father died, leaving a widow and nine chil- dren. The mother died in 1879. Eight of the children are now living, as follows: Jane, Fred, Henry, Joseph, Sarah, wife of Henry Kerr of Waveland Township, Pottawattamie Connty, Iowa; William and Melvin C., also of Wave- land Township, and Mary, wife of William Potter.
Mr. Goudie was reared on his father's farm in Des Moines County and received his education in the public schools. At Mo- line, Illinois, September 9, 1880, he, at the age of twenty-six, was united in marriage to Miss Anna E. McDevitt, aged twenty-one, who was born in Wapello County, Iowa, daughter of Benjamin and Susanna (Newby) McDevitt, the former a native of Ohio and the latter of Indiana. Mrs. Gondie's father resides with her, her mother having died when she was six years old. Mr. Goudie bought his present farm of eighty acres of S. Graham, in March, 1882. It is well im- proved with good buildings and fences. Mr. and Mrs. Goudie have one son, Ross L., who was born July 6, 1882. Their
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second son, Edgar L., died at the age of two years and four months. Mr. Gondie is a Republican. Ile and his wife are worthy members of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Walnut Valley, and both are active work- ers in the Sabbathi-school. Mr. Goudie is regarded as one of the representative citizens of Pottawattamie County.
RUCE B. DENTLER, one of the well- known citizens of Pleasant Township, has filled an important office in this county for many years. His grandfather, George Dentler, was a native of Pennsylva- mia and of German descent. Ile was the fatlier of six children: John, William, Fred- erick, Franklin, Maria and Rachel. He died in Pennsylvania in carly life. His son Franklin, the father of our subject, was born in Danphin County, Pennsylvania, October 15, 1819, and was reared to farm life. At the age of twenty-one years he went to St. Joseph County, Michigan, where he was married to Mary Cathcart, daughter of Will- iam and Mary (Burrows) Catheart, and to them were born nine children, viz .: Bruce B., William C., Frank D., James B., John E., Flora A., Luella, Nettie and Emma Lista. The father settled on a farm in St. Joseph Connty, Michigan, where he lived several years; next he went Kalamazoo County, re maining twelve years, and then returned to St. Joseph County, where he still resides. He is one of the pioneers of that county, and is a well-known citizen. His wife was born in Pennsylvania, but when ten years of age came with her parents to Michigan. Mr. and Mrs. Dentler were for many years mem- bers of the Presbyterian Church, but having no church near they united with the Meth- odist. Mr. Dentler was an elder in the
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