USA > Iowa > Shelby County > Biographical history of Shelby and Audubon counties, Iowa. Containing portraits of all the presidents of the United States from Washington to Harrison, with accompanying biographies of each; portraits and biographies of the governors of the state; engravings of prominent citizens in Shelby and Audubon counties, with personal histories of many of the early settlers and leading families. A concise history of the counties, and the cities and townships > Part 30
USA > Iowa > Audubon County > Biographical history of Shelby and Audubon counties, Iowa. Containing portraits of all the presidents of the United States from Washington to Harrison, with accompanying biographies of each; portraits and biographies of the governors of the state; engravings of prominent citizens in Shelby and Audubon counties, with personal histories of many of the early settlers and leading families. A concise history of the counties, and the cities and townships > Part 30
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occupation, they left their ranch and took up their residence in Miller, Hand Connty. Here was an organization of the W. C. T. U., with which Mrs. Winters immediately united. She edited a temperance department of the Hand County Republican, and organized and superintended a Band of Hope. During the local option campaign of 1887, Mrs. Winters and a Mrs. Williams, of Miller, were em- ployed by the County Temperance Alliance to canvass the county in the interests of pro- hibition. Their meetings were successful; besides the regulation campaign speeches, Mrs. Winters gave temperance chalk-talks. Mrs. Williams was a fine vocalist, and this accomplishment added greatly to the interest of the meetings. Soon after Mrs. Winters was appointed lecturer and organizer for the W. C. T. U., a position of more honor than pay. Mr. and Mrs. Winters, having no chil- dren, have adopted two children, a son and a daughter, and have given them all the ad- vantages possible. Mr. Winters' health con- tinning poor, they were advised to seek a milder clime, so they went to the Ozark region in western Missouri. In 1888 Mrs. Winters gave some temperance lectures and chalk-talks in Shelby County. At present she divides her time between the care of her husband and evangelistic work, hoping that at the last it may be said of her, "She hath done what she could."
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try, and the mother was a native of New York and of Welsh descent. Dr. Cobb was only six years old when his parents moved to Sandusky County, Ohio, where his youth was spent in working on the farm and in attend- ing school. At the breaking out of the late war he enlisted in the Fifty-fifth Ohio Vol- unteer Infantry, Company A, going south with his regiment. He participated in many hard-fought battles; among the more promi- nent were McDowell, Cross Keys, Cedar Mountain, Second Bull Run, Antietam, Fred- ericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Lookout Mountain, Charge of Resaca under General Benjamin Harrison, Burnt Hickory, or Pumpkin-vine Creek, Marietta, Peachtree Creek, and at the evacuation of Atlanta. He served his country faithfully until the close of the war, when he was honorably discharged in the spring of 1865. After the war he returned to his Ohio home and began the study of medicine under the teaching of Dr. Jolın B. Rice, of Fremont, Ohio, as preceptor. Ile attended lectures at Ann Arbor, Michigan, and graduated from Charity Hospital Medical College, Cleveland, Ohio, in 1868. Dr. Cobb then began practicing at Kingston, Illinois, where he remained one year; then he removed to Richmond, Washington County, Iowa, and remained there until 1878, when he entered Bellevue Hospital Medical College, New York. He graduated from this institution in 1879, and then came to Harlan, where he has built up a large and successful practice. He is a member of the Shelby County Medi- cal Society, the Iowa State Medical Society, and the American Medical Society. Dr. Cobb
was first married in 1872, to Miss Martha Foster, a native of Ohio. By this union one child was born -- Clyda B. The mother died January 7, 1874. Dr. Cobb was again married, in 1883, to Miss Nettie E. Cunningham, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. By this union three
children were born, only one of whom still survives; this child is named Elliott C., the other two died in infancy. The Doctor is a member of the A. F. & A. M., Richmond Lodge, No. 96. Politically he is a Democrat.
OIIN A. McINTOSHI, a native of Logan, now Todd, County, Kentucky, was born April 14, 1806, and is the son of Cor- nelins and Sarah (Montgomery) McIntosh, natives of North Carolina. Until he attained his seventeenth year he resided in his native county. Ile then emigrated to southern Illinois, and thence went to Tennessee, re- maining there three years, in Gibson County, where he met and associated with Davy Crockett. There, in 1826, he was married to Miss Susan Boran, a native of Robinson County, Tennessee. After six years she died, leaving three children, one of whom still sur- vives-Cornelius G. About the year 1840 Mr. McIntosh was married to Miss Nancy Mc- Intosh, who was born in West Tennessee. She died in 1846, leaving two children, one of whom survives-Malinda. In 1852 Mr. McIntosh married his third wife, Miss Ma- linda Hunt, who was born in Kentucky, March 8, 1830. By this marriage teu chil- dren were born-Jolın, William (deceased), Jennie, David, Douglas, Virginia (deceased), Emma (deceased), Fannie, Minnie, Maggie. Mr. McIntosh was reared to farm life, and educated in the common schools. When about fifteen years old he joined the Baptist church, and when he had reached his thirty- second year he united with the church of the Latter Day Saints, being baptized, confirmned and ordained. He immediately entered the ministry, and has since devoted his time and attention to this work. He has traveled through Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas,
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Kentucky, Tennessee and Nebraska in the interests of the church, and his earnest and zealous labors have been crowned with snc- cess. He came to Shelby County in 1857 and located in Grove Township, on seventy aeres of land; there he made his home and reared his family. He organized the society of the Latter Day Saints in Grove Township in 1859 with a small membership, but the church now numbers over 200 members. He has organized several churches in this conn try, having done more in that direction than any other minister now in the society. Mr. McIntosh has done mneh to elevate the morals of the community in which he lives, and is a man who is honored and beloved by people far and near; everybody has a kind word for " Uncle Jolin," as he is familiarly called. He has figured very prominently in the politieal history of the county, having held the offices of county supervisor and justice of the peace for eight or ten years; he also served on the school board, and has filled other minor offices. Ile has always been a staunch Democrat.
HOMAS McDONALD .-- Foreign eoun- tries have beqneathed to America some of her best and most brilliant eiti- zens, and the Emerald Isle has not been behind in the quality of her contribu- tion to the strong and vigorous growth of this country. To her Shelby County is in- debted for her greatest benefactor and best beloved citizen, Thomas MeDonald, now at rest, the rest won by a life of tireless activity in the interests and welfare of those whose lives tonehed his; and these were not few, as will be attested by numbers of citizens of western Jowa. Thomas MeDonald was a most remarkable man; to meet him was to be at- traeted to him; to know him was to be won
as a fast friend, and hearty admirer. He was kind and obliging, and possessed the faculty of adapting himself to all sorts and condi- tions of men, who always found in him the satisfaction of their pressing needs. He had within him a strong publie spirit, ever will- ing to sacrifice his own interests to those of the majority. In his home he was all that a wife and children could desire, and only those who have been blessed by the association of snch a beautifully rounded and perfect char- acter can know the loss of the family in his death. Thomas MeDonald was born in Ban- don, twenty miles sonthwest of the city of Cork, Ireland, July 20, 1843. His parents came to America when he was four years old. They settled in Massachusetts, but remained there only a year; they then went to La Salle, Illinois, where Thomas resided with his parents until he was nineteen years old, when he enlisted in the army, pledged to defend the flag of his adopted country; he joined the Ninetieth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, of which he was Sergeant. Major. He served through the entire war and was honorably discharged at its close. After the close of the war he joined the famous detective service of Allen Pinkerton, of Chicago; he spent most of his time when in Pinkerton's employ in eastern eities, and gave eminent satisfae- tion. Ile quit the service upon his marriage, April 24, 1867, in Chicago, to Miss Mary T. Corley, of Arlington, Burean County, Illinois. Ile then came to Iowa and settled in Dunlap, Harrison County, where he resided six years; he then settled on his farm of 600 aeres, six miles south of Ilarlan, and lived there until his death. During his residence in the county he filled various offices of honor and trust. Ile was elected county treasurer in 1875, and re-elected in 1877. It was due to his untiring energy and good management that the A. H. & N. R. R. was seenred to Harlan;
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he was president of the company. He laid out the village of Corley, his wife's maiden name, in 1873. His death occurred at his residence in Corley, December 16, 1881. Mrs. Mc Donald was born in Rochester, New York, and edueated in St. Vincent's Academy, La- Salle, Illinois. She is a daughter of Martin and Sarah (Bigelow) Corley. She and four children survive Mr. MeDonald. The chil- dren are-Agnes D. Brewer, wife of George D. Brewer; Martin E., Thomas C., and Mar- tina V.
ILLIAM HOWLETT, SR., of Fair- view Township, is one of the old set- lers, having come to the county in
1859. He was born in Norfolk County, England, April 28, 1802. He is a son of Samuel and Charlotte (Patterson) Howlett. William was the eldest of twelve children, seven of whom are living. He was reared on a farm, and worked at brieklaying and plas- tering-occupations his father had followed. Ile was married in October, 1844, to Miss Susan Egelstone, and sailed for America April 27, 1855. They arrived in New York May 29, 1855. They settled in Chicago, Illinois, for a time, where Mr. Howlett worked at his trade. His wife died August 22, 1855, and one ehild, August 24, 1855. Mr. Howlett moved to Augusta, Illinois, in 1857, and worked at his trade until he eame to Shelby County, Iowa. Ile moved with a team and wagon, and was thirteen days on the road. The first months were spent in Adams County, and the seasons of 1860 and 1861 were spent in Audubon Connty, farming. In 1862 he came to his pres- ent farm, where he has since lived, first in a log honse, and later in a good frame house. He has worked a good deal at his
trade, being an expert and experienced work- man. llis farm contains ninety-three and a half acres of good land, a portion of it being in timber. There are good buildings for stock and grain. Mr. Howlett was married the second time, in October, 1860, to Miss Myra Chambers, who was born and reared in Tennessee. By the first marriage three sons were born-Samuel, William, Jr., and Lam- bert. The second wife died July 17, 1874. No children were born by the second mar- riage. Ile was married to his present wife February 17, 1876; she was Mrs. Ruth Peterson, whose husband was Samnel Peter- son; her parents are Hngh and Rebecca (Negley) Leslie. She was born and reared in Alleghany County, Pennsylvania. She came to Davenport, Iowa, when she was fif- teen years of age. By this last marriage one ehild was born-Phillis Gertrude, who died when one year old. Mr. Howlett is a Dem- ocrat, and has served as township treasurer, road supervisor, and on the school board. He and his wife are worthy members of the Methodist Episcopal church. He is a re- spee ted and valued eitizen of the county.
NDREW PETERSON is one of the well-known citizens of Harlan, his res- idenee there having begun in 1876. He was born in Denmark, February 14, 1830, and is a son of Peter and Anna Maria (Chris- tianson) Anderson. He was given the oppor- tunity to attend school until he was fourteen years old, and at the age of sixteen he went to learn the tailor's trade, which he has followed the most of his life. Mr. Peterson was married December 26, 1855, to Miss Hansine Nelson, who died in 1872. In 1873 Mr. Peterson emigrated to America, sailing from Copenhagen, via Liverpool, to New
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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.
York. Mr. and Mrs. Peterson are the par- ents of two children. Nels Peter was born September 14, 1856. He was sixteen years of age when he came to America. Before coming to this country he had received a good common-school education, and after arriving here he attended school in Council Bluff's. For a time he was located in Harlan, and was a popular young business man. At present he is in business in Onawa, Monona County, Iowa. He was married in Harlan to Maria Rasmus. The second child of Mr. Peterson is Anna L., born August 27, 1862. She is the wife of J. B. Brock, whose history appears on another page of this volume.
ON. WASHINGTON ROUNDY, one of the pioneers of Shelby County, was born in Onondaga County, New York, September 22, 1825. He is the son of Urialı and Polly (Lyons) Roundy, his mother being a cousin of General Lyons, of Connectiont. The father was a native of Vermont, and the . mother was born in New York. Washington was the fourth in a family of nine children, of whom three survive, a brother and sister, both residents in Iowa. When he was about nine years of age his parents came to Ohio, and settled in Cuyahoga County, remaining there one year. They afterwards lived in Clay County, Missouri; Adams County, Illi- nois, and Pike County, Illinois, remaining in the last-named place for thirteen years. Our subject received his education in the common schools, and was reared to farm life. At the age of twenty-one years he commenced life for himself, with nothing but pluck and am- bition; however, he was determined to suc- ceed; and success has been his reward. Ife was married October 31, 1848, to Alvira Williams, daughter of Isaac and Sarah (Cole-
man) Williams, natives of Kentucky, who had removed to Illinois at an early day; there they remained until death. They had a family of thirteen children, of whom Alvira was the sixth; she was born in White County, Illinois, December 5, 1832. Mr. and Mrs. Roundy are the parents of eleven children, all of whom are living-Newton, Polly A., wife of William McCole; Sarah, wife of James Addison; Adda, wife of William Major; Julia, wife of William Fonts; Rena, wife of James Fonts; Ellen, wife of David Adamson; Fannie, wife of Freeman Van- demark; John W., Mary E. and Adelbert. In the spring of 1850 Mr. Roundy, on account of ill health, attempted to make a trip to California, and pursued his journey as far as Council Bluffs; here he was dis- suaded from continuing the trip, and remained the winter in the Bluff's, then a small village. The following spring he traded one of five yoke of oxen for 160 acres of land in Grove Township; this claim had been taken out by Frank Rudd, and a rude log cabin had been erected on it. Here Mr. Roundy and family settled, intending to stay a year or two and then go on to California; they were among the very first settlers in the township, only seven other families having located there pre- vious to them. The plan to go to California was abandoned, and they have ever since made this their home. They endured all the hard- ships encountered by pioneers in those early days, and have done their share in building up Shelby County from a wild and unbroken prairie, inhabited by wolves, deer and elk, to a fine, prosperous, enlightened community. They have ever extended a hearty welcome to the cold and hungry traveler, and have always lent a helping hand to the needy. In sick- ness and distress, in joy and health, they are ever the same true friends, and they receive the affection and respect of the entire com-
W. Roundy
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munity. Mr. Roundy possesses nearly 1,000 acres of land in Shelby County, 645 of which are in his home place. At one time he owned over 1,200 acres in this county. He has made many valuable improvements, and has one of the finest homes in this part of the county; he has commodious barns for live-stock and grain, and devotes his time to general farm- ing. He is a staunch Democrat, and strongly advocates the issues of the party. In 1887 Mr. Roundy was elected a member of the Iowa Legislature, and has served with credit to himself and to the satisfaction of his con- stituency.
OBERT STEEN, a native of Beever County, Pennsylvania, born February 14, 1844, is a son of John and Nancy Steen, both natives of Pennsylvania. He was reared to farm life and received his education in the common schools. When he was but four years old, he came with his parents to Mahaska County, Iowa, where he spent his lite until March, 1879, when he came to Shelby County, Iowa. He located about five miles northeast of Kirkman, on a farmn; since that time he has resided in Douglas and Greeley townships on various farms for about seven years; then he removed to Kirkman; since locating here he has engaged in farming quite extensively. He owns and manages the only livery stable in Kirkman, and con- trols the drayage of the town. During the threshing season he follows threshing. He is one of Kirkman's live business inen, and is well calculated to fill any branch of busi- ness to which he might be called. He is a man of honor and integrity, and is one of Shelby County's most worthy citizens. He was married February 19, 1869, to Sarah A., daughter of John and Lucinda McDowell; 25
she was born in Poweshiek County, Iowa, June 18, 1852. They are the parents of seven children-Reuben R., Mattie, Lucinda, Latla, Netta, Emma and Mable. Mr. Steen is an active supporter of the Democratic principles.
R. WESTROPE is the proprietor of Pine Valley Stock Farm, Harlan Township, Shelby County. He is a native of Morgan County, Illinois, born Sep- tember 2, 1825, and is a son of Abner and Sallie (Ashbrook) Westrope. Ile was five years of age when his parents removed to the wilds of La Fayette County, Wisconsin; here he grew to manhood and was educated in the district school, situated four miles from his home. He was married April 8, 1848, to Miss Sarah Ann Huntsman, of La Fayette County, Wisconsin. In 1849 Mr. Westrope went to California, overland; he was five months on the road, and remained two years engaged in mining; he returned home via the Isthunus of Panama, and New Orleans, making the trip in fifty-six days; at that day this was considered rapid travel. Three years later, in 1854, he drove a large number of cattle across the plains to the Pa- cific coast, and remained in California two years. This time he came back via the Nica- rangua River, taking a steamner at Greytown for New York, and going thence to Wiscon- sin. Mr. Westrope resided in Wisconsin until 1871 occupied with farming and stock- raising. At that time he came to Iowa and settled on land in Montgomery County, which he had purchased two years previous. Here he improved 1,000 acres of land and engaged extensively in the breeding of short-horn cattle, in which he was very successful. He gave several of his sons farms in Montgom- ery County, and in 1881 he removed to Shelby
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County, and settled on Pine Valley Stoek Farm, which contains 480 acres of rich land well adapted to stoek-raising. There is a com- fortable residence, and one of the finest barns in western Iowa, with a stone basement, and stabling for ninety-six head of cattle. It is admirably arranged for the care and handling of eattle. There is also a mill for grinding and entting feed by horse-power. Pine Val- ley can show sixty-five head of registered eat- tle, seeond to no herd in western Iowa. Mr. Westrope has received his share of first pre- miums, and his many years of experience in the breeding of eattle justify his reputation as one of the best judges of eattle in western Iowa. He is known as one of the most sue- cessful and reliable short-horn cattle breeders in the northwest. Mr. and Mrs. Westrope have ten children-Maria Jane, Abner J., Perry, T. R., Jr., Orville D., Otis, John G., W. W., Almira, Norman S. Three children were lost by death-Mary Ellen died at the age of one year; George, at the age of eleven years, and Frank, at the age of twenty-three years. Mr. Westrope is a strong Republiean. Al- though on the shady side of sixty he bears his years lightly, and is as active as many a Inan of forty years. Mr. Westrope is one of Shelby County's leading citizens, and is of the type for which any community is proud.
HOMAS H. SMITHI, of the law firm of Smith & Cullison, Harlan, Iowa, was born in Appanoose County, Iowa, Sep- tember 30, 1854, and is a son of Paris S. and Naney J. Smith, of Davis County, Iowa. Paris S. Smith was a native of Ohio, and a son of Noah and Elizabeth Smith, also natives of Ohio, who removed from that State and settled in Van Buren County, Iowa, in 1848. Naney J. Smith, wife or Paris S. Smith, was
a Virginian by birth, and a daughter of Jo- seph and Mary Jones, natives of Virginia. When she was quite small her father removed from Virginia, and settled in Ross County, Iowa, remaining there until she was sixteen years old; her father then came to Iowa and settled on a farm in Davis County, within one-half mile of the place where Mrs. Smith now resides. She was married to Paris S. Smith April 1,1852, and they now reside upon the farm that has been their home for the last thirty years. They are the parents of thirteen children, ten of whom are living; all of the ehildren received a liberal education, and with one exception were teachers. Thomas H. Smith lived npon the farm with his parents until his eighteenth year, assisting with the farm work, and attended the distriet school. At the age of eighteen years he taught his first school, and continued to teach eachi win- ter thereafter, until his admission to the bar in the spring of 1878. All the education he received, aside from that obtained in the com- mon sehools, was in the Troy Academy and the Southern Iowa Normal, at Bloomfield, Ohio, in 1875-'76. Ilis present partner, G. W. Cullison, was one of his instruetors. In the spring of 1876 he began the study of law in the office of M. H. Jones, of Bloom field, Iowa, and was admitted to the bar in 1878, in Bloomfield. Immediately thereafter lie located in Harlan, and commeneed the practice of his profession. In a few weeks after eom- ing to Harlan he formed a partnership with P. C. Truman, under the firm name of Tru- man & Smith; this firm eontinned until Jannary, 1881, when G. W. Cullison sne- ceeded to the interests of P. C. Truman, under the present firm name. Smith & Collison have an extensive and lucrative practice, and a large and well-selected library. Mr. Smith has a fine farm of 295 acres adjoining Irwin, Iowa, and owns one of the finest residences in
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Harlan. Mr. Smith was married June 3, 1880, to Miss Josephine Wonn, a daughter of IIon. II. A. Wonn, of Davis County, Iowa. They have three children-Mabel, aged eight years; Orpha, aged six years; and Lois, aged eighteen months. Mr. Smith was elected county attorney of Shelby County, fowa, in the fall of 1886, and filled this position with much eredit for two years; he refused a re-nomina tion by acelamation at the expiration of his term. Mr. Smith is a close student, an un- tiring worker, and a self-made man in the true sense of the word. All that he is and lias was acquired by his own efforts.
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J. DAVIS .- Whenever a new coun- try is opened to settlement, witlı sueli attraetions of soil and elimate, such future prospects of growth and business development as to make it a promising field for the energies of young men, scores and even hundreds flock thither to take their chance in the great and untried race of life. At the start all seem to be on equal footing, but if the reader would pass that way in a quarter of a century, he would find only a few of those who started out in the vigor of their young manhood together. In this connection we do not, of course, refer to those who fell by the way-side and perished, but to those living and active, who have remained from the day of small things. The majority of sucli settlers do not tarry; a few return to their old homes, while inany press forward to other promised lands, or perehance fail of business success. But from out of the mass one will always find that a small, very small proportion have staid where they first landed and set their stakes, exhibiting the utmost manly energy and a determination to win in the great confliet of life. Each will, most likely, have earned and
saved a handsome competeney, besides ob- taining an enviable personal record and good social position in the community. Such seem to be the results in nearly every country, and the history of one is for the most part an epitome of the history of all. Abont such a proportion win the position and mneed of praise due to substantial citizens, while the greater number are seldom heard of among their fellow men. Among the vanguard of early settlers in Shelby County, few have borne a more eonspienous, useful and honorable part than W. J. Davis, who first came to the county in the month of April, 1860, and located at IIarlan, then a small village of less than a dozen houses. His first labor was that of dropping eorn for L. D. Sunderland a few days. The same season he was engaged to teach school for a term of six months, at a point northeast of Harlan; the first few weeks he taught in a log cabin, formerly used as a residence, but the remainder of the term in a sehool-house just then finished. Upon eom- pleting his school he had but $15 left; but he then tauglit a three months' school in what was known as the Custer distriet, followed by a six months' term in the Hactown distriet. He then moved to Bowman's Grove, where he purchased seventy acres of partly improved land, which he finished improving and eulti- vated for four or five years; he then sold the same and purchased a farm near Harlan, known as the long farm, consisting of 200 acres; he farmned this for several years. In 1881 he was elected clerk of the distriet court, serving for two terms and filling the position with satisfaction to all and credit to himself. So much for the history of a man who has made his own way through the pioneer years of Shelby County. Now to go back to his earlier life and learn something of his youthful days. Hle is the son of William and Jane Davis, who were natives of Wales, The
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