USA > Iowa > Pottawattamie County > Biographical history of Pottawattamie County, Iowa > Part 60
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Mr. Steele was married December 31, 1864, to Miss Mary E. Houx. who was born in Champaign County, Ohio, near Urbana, May 2, 1844. They are the parents of seven children: Lney B., at home; Clara J., wife of E. L. Gladwin, a resident of Lewis Town- ship; James H., at home; William, John W., Hattic M. and Mabel B.
J. HALL, a farmer of Hazel Dell Township, was born in Crawford County, Indiana, May 20, 1817, a son of William and Anna (Copeland) Hall, natives of Virginia, and of Irish and English extraction. They were married in Grayson County, Virginia; then removed to Ken- tucky; thenec to Tennessee; in 1851 to Crawford County, Indiana; in 1824 to Ver-
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milion County, Illinois, which was at that time a wild and unsettled country, the In- dians far outnumbering the white men. They improved two farms in that State, and was also engaged extensively in stock-raising. In 1839 they removed to Bates County, Mis- souri, where the father died in the fall of 1840, at the age of sixty-three years. His widow died in Decatur County, Iowa, in 1858, at the age of seventy-two years. They had a family of eleven children, three of whom still survive, viz .: Elijah, deceased; Fielden, Mary, Eli, William, Andrew J., our subject; Ransome, Eliza J., Miles, a resident of Utah; and David, also a resident of Utah.
Andrew J., our subject, was reared to farm life, and received his education in the com- mon schools. He remained in his native State until May, 1846, when he removed to Lee County, Iowa, where he remained five years; thence to Decatur County, same State, remaining eleven years; and in 1862 he came to Pottawattamie County, locating for one year at Crescent City. In 1863 they removed to Utah, and remained until 1866, making the trip by wagon. He returned in 1866 and located a tract of land in Boomer Town- ship, this county, thirty acres of which was partially improved. In the spring of 1872 he located upon his present farm, which con- sists of 195 acres on section 14, IIazel Dell Township. Mr. Hall first erected a log cabin, 16 x 20 feet, in which they made their home until 1879, when he erected his present com- fortable home, 28 x 16 and 16 x 22. Politi- cally he is a stanch Democrat.
Mr. Hall was married in Vermilion County, Illinois, May 16, 1839, to Ellen Trimmell, a native of Kentucky, and daughter of Samp- son Trimmell. She died about two years after their marriage, leaving one child, who died a short time afterward, both dying in Missouri. Mr. Hall was again married, Feb-
ruary 12, 1843, in Bates County, Missouri, to Miss Nancy W. Hudson, who was born in Franklin County, Tennessee, December 6. 1815, the daughter of William and Sarah (Bigham) Hudson, natives of Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Hudson were the parents of eleven children, six of whom still survive: Mary A., wife of S. Ellis, a resident of Mis- sonri; Nancy, wife of our subject; Camp- bell, deceased; James and Eliza (twins), both deceased; Ewing, a resident of California; Reed, of California; Macklin, a resident of Arkansas; Vance, deceased; Margaret, de- ceased; and La Fayette, a resident of Cali- fornia. Mr. and Mrs. Hall are the parents of seven children: Elethe J., wife of Dalorma Parish, a resident of Hazel Dell Township; Mary Ann, deceased; Sarah E., wife of Mor- ris Hongh, of Hazel Dell Township; Miles, residing at home; Eliza, deceased; Ewing, of Bayard, Nebraska; and Isabella, deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Hall have assisted largely in opening up and developing this country in many ways, and have always aided any enter- prise tending to the good of the county. Their eldest son Miles is a live, energetic young man, and is among the most prosper- ons citizens of this county, owning 658 acres of land in Pottawattamie County, 239 in Hazel Dell Township, section 24, 160 acres on sections 10 and 14, fourteen acres on sec- tion 9, five acres on section 20, and 240 acres on section 5, Neola Township. Politically he is a Democrat.
EV. THOMAS J. MACKAY, the pres- ent rector of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, was born Jannary 8, 1844, in County Mayo, Ireland. Our subject was reared in his native county until his ninth year, when he came to America with his par-
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ent-, locating in western Pennsylvania. When he was sixteen years of age he engaged in the dry-goods business in Worcester, Massa- chusetts, where he remained one year. He , then enlisted in the Forty-second Massachu- setts Volunteer Infantry, serving six months, after which he again engaged in the dry- goods business in western Pennsylvania. Next he entered the St. Stephen's College, Amondale, New York, from which he entered the Cambridge Episcopal Theological School. He took his first parish in 1874, in Boston, Massachusetts, where he remained until 1877; theuce he went to Fort Worth, Texas, where he erected a church and remained one year; next he went to Central City, Colorado; thence to Leadville, Colorado, where he erected St. George's Church, having held services in the opera building two years. He remained there four years, and then came to Council Bluff's, where he has since remained.
Mr. Mackay was married September, 1878, to Georgia Coons, a native of St. Louis, Mis- souri, and they have three children: Odin C., Ralph R. and Robert M. Mr. Mackay is a member of the Ivanhoe Commandery, K. T., No. 17; Bluff City Lodge, A. F. & A. M., and the R. A. M., No. 156. He has been Eminent Commander and Prelate of Ivan- hoe Commandery, and Regent of the Royal Arcanum. In connection with this sketch we will add a short history of his present church, the St. Paul's Episcopal Church of Council Bluffs.
The parish of this church was organized April 17, 1856, through the efforts of E. W. Peet, then of Des Moines, he being the first Episcopal minister to hold services in this county. The congregation worshiped at that time in the rooms now occupied by the American Express Company, corner of Broad- way and Main streets. The first vestry was composed of the following members: J. B.
Bess, Horace Everett, W. C. James, J. P. Conady, D. C. Bloomer, A. Cochran, J. P. Treynor, Samuel Perin and G. M. Dodge. Two of these, Horace Everett and D. C. Bloomer, have always been and are still members of the same vestry.
August 1, 1857, the corner-stone of a pro- posed church building was laid by the Right Rev. Henry W. Lee, the Bishop of Iowa, assisted by the Rev. George W. Watson and the missionary in charge. A brief his- tory of the parish, the newspapers of the city, a few coins and other interesting articles were deposited in a box prepared for the pur- pose, and over this a large stone was placed. The hard times coming on, nothing further was done toward the building of the church, and the corner-stone remained undisturbed with its contents until about three years ago, when some one overturned the stone and stole the contents. A small frame edifice was erected, however, on the same lot in 1860, and this building was enlarged in 1868 by the addition of transepts, and is still standing as a place of worship, being used by the congregation of All Saints' Mission.
The first pastor was Rev. George W. Wat- son, who took charge in February, 1857, and who also had a charge in Omaha, dividing his time equally between the two. He re- mained in charge until 1862, when he was succeeded by Rev. Faber Byllesby, who re- mained from 1862 to 1865. The third rector was Rev. John Chamberlain, who resigned in 1871, and was succeeded by Rev. Theoph- ilus Brooks, who remained three years. The Rev. F. T. Webb was then elected, aud held the position until the fall of 1882, when he accepted a call in Helena, Montana, and the present rector, T. J. Mackay, was called, and entered upon his duties in January, 1883.
The present edifice, the only church in the city built of stone, was erected at a cost of
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about $50,000, and is the finest, both in in- terior and exterior, in Council Bluffs, and is surpassed by but few in the West. It was opened for services Sunday, September 5, 1886, and since that time the society has had a period of wonderful prosperity. A fine new pipe organ has been placed in the church, the services being equal if not superior to many of the old established churches. Since the aceession of the present minister, Rev. T. J. Mackay, the church has more than donbled its membership, and has now a flourishing mission church in the western part of the city, with a Sunday-school of over 100. The church building and grounds were the gift of Mrs. S. C. Key, a noble-hearted Christian, who is well known as a warm friend to all worthy objects. An- other church, Unity Mission, is organized and at work in the eastern part of the city, and the present reetor hopes soon to have three self-supporting Episcopal churches in Council Bluffs. This church has the follow- ing healthy organizations: Ladies' Aid So- ciety, Unity Guild of Unity Mission, All Saints' Guild of All Saints' Mission, Dangh- ters of the King, and Missionary Host. The present officers of the church are: Rev. T. J. Mackay, Rector; Rev. C. H. Bohn, Associ- ate Rector; D. C. Bloomer and M. Dnqnette, Wardens; John Baldwin, Horace Everett, J. F. Kimball, S. P. MeConnell, II. C. Besley, Thomas Calvin, W. J. Jameson, M. E. Smith, John T. Stewart, Vestry; J. F. Kimball, Treasurer; Charles Calvin, Secretary. The church has a membership of over 400.
ILLIAM H. TAYLOR is one of the early and best known settlers of Sil- ver Creek Township. He came to
Pottawattamie County in 1850 and has since made this place his home.
Mr. Taylor was born in Clark County, Illinois, March 5, 1842. llis father, Pleas- ant Taylor, a prominent eitizen and pioneer of that county, was born in Smith County, West Tennessee, and his mother, nee Jane Alison, was born in Pennsylvania. They were married in Indiana and subsequently removed to Barry County, Missouri, settling near the Ozark Mountains. From that place they went to Clark Connty, Illinois, and from there, in 1843, to Wapello County, Iowa. Seven years later they came to Pottawattamie County and settled in Silver Creek Township. Pleasant Taylor was the first Gentile to set- tle among the Mormons here. He bought a claim of Mr. D. Jacobs for which he paid $450. This was before the land here was put upon the market. For several years Mr. Taylor kept the stage station, the proprietors of the stage line between Des Moines and Conneil Bluffs at that time being Frink & Walker. Mr. Taylor is now eighty years of age and resides in Washington Township. His wife died in 1868, leaving three children living, namely: James A., of Washington Township; Mary A. Gorton, of Oklahoma, and William H., the subject of this sketch. The latter was reared on his father's frontier farm and received his education in a log school-house with a board against the wall for a writing-desk and wooden benches for seats, free-sehools not being common those days. In 1864 he made a trip to Montana, Virginia City and Helena, and was engaged in mining.
In the fall of 1865 Mr. Taylor returned to Pottawattamie County. He came down the Missouri River from Fort Benton to Omaha on a steamboat named Twilight. September 28, that year, he was united in marriage to Miss Mary E. Bratton, a native of Guernsey
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OF POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY.
County, Ohio, and a daughter of John and Rebecca (Harris) Bratton, who was born No- vember 22, 1845. Her father is a native of Pennsylvania and her mother of Tuscarawas County, Ohio. They removed to Mills County, Iowa, in 1855, and are now residents of Sil- ver City, that county. Mr. Bratton has been a carpenter and a farmer, a County Judge and a minister. Religiously he is a Meth- odist. Mrs. Taylor was reared and educated in Mills County. After his marriage Mr. Taylor resided on Silver Creek two years and then removed to York Township. In 1869 le came to his present location. He is the owner of a one-fourth section of rich bottom land on Silver Creek. This is well improved and is one of the best stock and grain farms in the township. Mr. Taylor has a good frame house, a fine grove and orchard, stables, cattle-sheds, and a corn-crib made of logs that were hewed by the Mormons forty-three years ago.
Mr. and Mrs. Taylor have three children: George P., at home; M. R. J., wife of F. M. Smith, of Silver Creek Township; and Emma L., at home. Mr. Taylor is a gentle- man in the prime of life, is broad and pro- gressive in his views on general topics, and is regarded by all who know him as an np- right man and a popular citizen. His polit- ical views are in accordance with Democratic principles.
ILLIAM STEVENSON, one of the pioneer settlers of Valley Township, came from Ohio in March, 1870, and settled on his present farm. It was then wild land, but by dint of industry and per- severance he has converted it into a fine, fer- tile farm. William Stevenson, his grandfather, was born in Virginia, near what is now known
as the Cow Pens. His father came from Ire- land, and was a Scotch-Irishman. He was a soldier in the war of the Revolution, and was the father of a large family of children. He had two wives, his first being Rachel Wilkins, by whom he had eight children: Robert, John, William, Charles, Samuel, Elizabeth, Polly and Jennie. This wife died and he married a widow by the name of Scott, who had a large family of children by her first husband. By this marriage Mr. Stevenson had five children: James, Daniel, Homer, Preston and Rachel. The father lived on a farm in Virginia for some time, and then moved to Kentucky, and next to Tennessee, where his eldest son, Robert, was born, July 4, 1788. In 1796 he moved to Ohio, settling on the banks of Massie's Creek, in what was then Greene County. After a short residence at this place, Mr. Stevenson moved to the Little Miami, near Clifton, where he was among the early pioneers, and where he lived until he was a very old man. He was a member of the Presbyterian Church, a soldier in the war with Indians, and a typical pioneer of the American wil- derness. He had held the office of Justice of the Peace.
Robert Stevenson, a son of the above and the fatber of our subject, was born in Tennessee, July 4, 1788, and was eight years of age when he went with his father to Ohio, and was brought up in Greene County. He was married to Sarah, daughter of William and Sarah Cohagan. The father was a native of Maryland, and was a prominent farmer of Greene County, Ohio. To Mr. and Mrs. Stevenson were born eleven children, viz .: William, Caroline, John, Thomas P., Charles W., Samuel, James, Robert, David, Henry H. and Eliza. The father lived in Greene County all his life, was a substantial farmer, and a soldier in the war of 1812, serving
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under General Harrison. He was afterward a Lieutenant in the militia, and both he and his wife were members of the Presbyterian Church. He sold his farin and moved to Xenia, Ohio, where he lived for fifteen years, dying at the age of eighty.
William Stevenson, the subject of this sketeh, was born on his father's farm in Greene County, Ohio, November 17, 1814, and learned farming in early life. He re- mained in his native county until March, 1870, when he came to this county, where he has since resided. Politically he is a stanel Republican, and has taken an active interest in the schools of his township, having been sehool director for many years. He is a self- made man, and stands high as a citizen whose word is as good as his bond. The family is from an old American stoek of pioneers and soldiers, and their histories should deseend to the most remote generations.
Mr. Stevenson was married in Greene Connty, to Catherine Mills, daughter of Jacob and Elizabethi (Webb) Mills. The father was an American, and a farmer of Greene County, and his wife was an Amer- iean of Welsh descent. Mr. and Mrs. Ste- venson have one child, Catherine Owens. The mother died, and Mr. Stevenson married Emily Goldthwaite, daughter of Thomas and Abigail H. (Skinner) Goldthwaite. The father was from Massachusetts, a descendant from an old American family. He enlisted in the civil war, in the Forty-fourth Ohio Volunteer Monnted Infantry, as the Fifth Ohio Cavalry, and served under General Thomas. He was killed in one of the skirmishes preceding the battle of Shiloh. He was born in 1800, in Northbridge, Massachusetts, and was over sixty years of age when he enlisted. He was very patriotic, having a very great desire to serve his country, and made several efforts before he was accepted. He was the father
of six living children: Franklin, Emily, Sa- rah, Jeanette, Freeman and Maria L. Mr. and Mrs. Stevenson were the parents of four children: Benjamin J., William R., Mary A. and James F.
W. REYNOLDS, contractor and builder, has his residence at No. 419 º North Eighth street, and his office at the corner of Sixteenth street and Eighth avenue.
Mr. Reynolds was born in Brighton, North - minberland County, Canada, in May, 1840, son of Silas and Maria (Potter) Reynolds, of English extraction and natives of New York State. Both are deceased. Mr. Reynolds lived in Canada until he was seventeen. IIe was reared on a farm, and at the age of four- teen entered upon an apprenticeship to the carpenter's trade. In 1857 he went to New York, and soon afterward, as first mate of a vessel, he sailed on the lakes, remaining thus employed for six years. From 1863 until 1868 he was in Saginaw, Michigan, engaged in the lumbering and earpentering business. In 1868 he came to Council Bluffs and eon- tinned work at his trade. The next year he began to take contracts and since then has been engaged in contraeting and building. He has also been interested in other enter- prises. From 1872 until 1877 he dealt largely in lumber. He afterward erected buildings and placed a plant for sash, doors, blinds, etc., the establishment located on E avenne, between Seventh and Eighth streets. This he conducted some three years. Mr. Reynolds has erected a number of buildings in Council Bluffs, Omaha and vieinity, and has furnished a vast amount of employment for others, at some times having as many as seventy men in his employ. He is also an
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OF POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY.
architect and drafts many of the buildings he construets. In addition to seeing after the many details of his various enterprises, Mr. Reynolds also finds time to devote to jour- nalistie work. He is a regular correspondent of the St. Louis Trade Journal, and occa- sionally writes for other papers. His politi- eal views are in harmony with Republican principles. He is a member of the V. A. S.
Mr. Reynolds was married in April, 1868, to Ellen I. Hollenbeck, who was born in Jackson County, Michigan, in 1846. They have had seven children: John H., Edith E., May, Arthur C., Wilbur G., Ethel L. and Warren W. May and Warren W. are de- ceased. The other children are at home. The family are associated with the First Baptist Church.
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settled here and raised a family. Some of his descendants became wealthy people. Some time subsequent to his marriage Larkin De Hart moved from Kentucky to Indiana, and from there to Warren County, Illinois. He remained in the latter place until 1874, when he came to Pottawattamie County, Iowa, and located on the land where his son, F. A., now resides. To Larkin De IIart and Sarah, his wife, sixteen children were born, nine of whom are now living, four sons and five daughters, viz .: Verleny, wife of G. Raw- lins, Guthrie County, lowa; Elisha F., Allen County, Kansas; Elizabeth, wite of W. T. Johnson, Saunders County, Nebraska; Mary, wife of Ben Conklin, Ringgold County, Iowa; James, Saunders County, Nebraska; Asa, an old soldier, resides at Los Angeles, California; Miranda, wife of John Chapman, Allen County, Kansas; Ellen, wife of Clark- son Godfrey, Waveland Township, Pottawat- tamie County, lowa; and Francis Asbury. Mrs. Godfrey was a successful teacher before her marriage. For many years Larkin De Hart was a local preacher in the Methodist Episcopal Church, doing munch toward ad- vaneing the cause of his Master. Later in life he was a Baptist. His wife was a Meth- odist all her life, her father having been a local Methodist minister for years.
FRANCIS ASBURY DE HART is the name of one of the enterprising citi- zens of Waveland Township, who has made his home in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, since 1874. He is a son of the late Larkin De Hart, a well- known and higlily es- teemed early settler of Waveland Township, who was born in Tennessee, a son of John and Letta De Hart, both natives of Tennes- see. Larkin De Hart was married in Ken- F. A. De Hart was the youngest child of his parents' numerons family. He was reared at farm work in Warren County, Illinois, and received his education in the public schools. At the age of sixteen he came to Pottawatta- mie County, Iowa. In April, 1875, he mar- ried Miss Rosa M. Blaney, daughter of Will- iamı and Catherine (Nogle) Blaney. Mrs. De Hart was born in New York city, in 1856. Her father, a worthy citizen of Grove Township, settled in this county many years ago. Mr. and Mrs. De Hart have five chil- tueky, to Sarah Collett, daughter of William Collett, a Kentuckian. The De Harts are of French extraction. The great grandfather on the maternal side was an Englishman, the son of an English lord by the name of Toli- son; but, being a spendthrift in his school days, he became involved in debt; and being ashamed to face his parents he contracted with a man to act as valet to get across the water to America; twice he took passage to visit his father, but each time was ship- wrecked. This so discouraged him that he dren: Charles Frederick, Clarence L., Lillian
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May, Maud Ethel and Larkin Ewall. Julia Irene died at the age of eight months.
Mr. De Hart's farm consists of 120 aeres and is located in seetion 7. It has good build- ings, orchard, grove and wind-pump, all being kept in first-class condition. On December 16, 1890, his house burned to the ground, with about all its contents. The ashes were cleared away, and with the help of his neigh- bors a new house was soon raised, in every way superior to the old one, and on January 23, 1891, the family moved into their new home. Mr. De Ilart is a member of the Masonie fraternity, Cass Lodge, No. 412, Griswold, Iowa. He easts his vote and in- fluence with the Democratie party.
ETER BRADEN, section 12, Silver Creek Township, ranks among the en- terprising and well-known citizens of his community. He was born in Riebland County, Ohio, March 11. 1837. His father, Samuel Braden, a native of Washington County, that State, was a son of Jolin Bra den. The Bradens were of German ancestry. The mother of our subjeet, Margaret (Gates) Braden, was born in New Jersey, daughter of Peter Gates. When they were children Sam- nel Braden and his wife came to Ohio with their parents. They grew up and were mar- ried in that State. The Braden family was one of the first to settle among the Indians in Ohio. Samuel Braden lived in Richland County until 1849, when he came West and settled in Macon County, Illinois. His wife died in Ohio when her son Peter, the subject of this sketch, was abont ten years old. By her Mr. Braden had five children, and after her death he was twice married. He died in Iowa, at the age of seventy-eight years. He was a farmer all his life; was a member of
the Lutheran Church, and affiliated with the Democratie party.
Peter Braden was about twelve years of age when he went to Macon County, Illinois, with his father. There he was reared on a farm and was educated in the common schools. He was married at that place in August, 1864, to Miss Sarah A. Poole. She was born in Henry County, Illinois, daughter of Simeon and Elizabeth (Parmeter) Poole, and was left an orphan at the early age of four years. Mr. Braden lived in Illinois until 1866, when he removed to Otoe County, Ne- braska, where he lived nine years, at the end of that time coming to Pottawattamie County. He settled near Macedonia, where he resided until he purchased his present farm of eighty aeres in Silver Creek Township. It was then wild land, and with the enterprise and push which characterized the western pioneers he went to work to improve his farm. He now has a good frame residence, a grove, orchard, stables, feed lots, and everything about the place shows the thrift of the owner. Ile is engaged in general farming and stock- raising.
Mr. and Mrs. Braden have seven children, namely: Belle, wife of John Harburt, of Carson Township, this county; Elmer E., of Macedonia, is a painter; Ida, wife of A. E. Seaburg, of Silver Creek Township; Willic, Gracie, Claude and Archie. They had three children who died in childhood. Mr. Bra- den has always been a Democrat, but has never aspired to public office.
ENRY II. SPETMAN, a resident of Lewis Township, Pottawattamie County, was born in Holstein, Germany, April 21, 1825, a son of G. H. and Ann H. (Ellis) Spetman. They had a family of nine ehil .
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