Des Moines, the pioneer of municipal progress and reform of the middle West, together with the history of Polk County, Iowa, the largest, most populous and most prosperous county in the state of Iowa; Volume II, Part 113

Author: Brigham, Johnson, 1846-1936; Clarke (S.J.) Publishing Company, Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Chicago, The S. J. Clarke publishing company
Number of Pages: 1464

USA > Iowa > Polk County > Des Moines > Des Moines, the pioneer of municipal progress and reform of the middle West, together with the history of Polk County, Iowa, the largest, most populous and most prosperous county in the state of Iowa; Volume II > Part 113

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).

964

CITY OF DES MOINES AND POLK COUNTY

and his companion were placed on guard duty at Schofield barracks and after two weeks were sent on a similar service to Iron Mountain, Missouri. Later they went to Arkansas on a scouting expedition. Returning to Iron Mountain, the regiment went into camp until spring and then was sent to Millikens Bend, Louisiana, where an army was being organized for the Vicksburg campaign under General Grant. The next movement was southward as far as Magnolia Hill, where a severe engagement took place with the rebels under General John- ston. The fight continued for twenty-four hours and many of the Twenty-third Iowa men were killed or wounded, Gardner Webb, a comrade standing at the side of private Swift, being shot down. The regiment next started for Jackson, Mississippi, but while en route found that the rebels were in its rear and, facing about, a battle was fought at Champion's Hill, the enemy being forced to retreat. The following morning the battle was resumed and the Union forces were victorious, capturing fifteen hundred prisoners while the main body of the army closed up around Vicksburg. The prisoners were marched to Young's Point and later taken to Memphis and placed in charge of other troops and conveyed northward. The next battle was a hand-to-hand fight at Millikens Bend, in which many were killed and wounded. Then followed the siege and capture of Vicksburg, after which the regiment was ordered to New Orleans and boarded a vessel bound for St. Joseph Island, Texas. A great snowstorm was encountered which lasted five days and nights and the regiment was in the gravest danger, but through a change of wind arrived at land in safety. . March- ing to Matagorda Island, the Union forces besieged and captured Fort Esper- anza and in May, 1864, returned to New Orleans. The next important battle was at Spanish Fort, Alabama, the regiment subsequently going into camp at Mobile. Private Swift was soon afterwards ordered again to Texas to assist in the parole of prisoners, and the war coming to an end, he was honorably mustered out of service at Davenport, Iowa, July 26, 1865. Although often exposed to great danger, he passed through the entire ordeal uninjured. At one time he was reported as wounded, but the ball passed through his cartridge belt, this being one of his narrow escapes. He was always at his post and was a brave and true soldier. The Twenty-third Iowa took great pride in a faithful dog named "Doc" that accompanied the regiment in its various movements and was present at every battle in which the command took part, often standing upon the breastworks while the bullets were flying thick and fast. He was known to every man in the Twenty-third and was brought north when the regi- ment returned from the war. The picture of this faithful canine is one of the prized possessions of Mrs. Swift.

After laying aside the uniform and accoutrements of war Mr. Swift lived at Mitchellville and worked for Mr. Mitchell until 1867. In 1868 he took up his home upon a farm of one hundred acres which he had purchased on section 3, Beaver township, northwest of Mitchellville, and to which he later added a tract of forty acres. Here he continued during the remainder of his life, attain- ing a prosperity in his calling which was the result of well directed labor.

On April 16, 1867, Mr. Swift was united in marriage to Miss Henrietta Mattern, a daughter of David and Barbara (Parks) Mattern, the former of whom was a native of Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania. The father was of Swiss and the mother of Scotch descent. He was a blacksmith by trade, but being attracted to the west, journeyed with his family to Indiana in 1856 and in the following year started with his wife and eight children for Polk county, Iowa, driving with horses and a covered wagon. There were men in the party who carried tents in which they slept at night, the women and children sleeping in the wagon. Mr. Mattern had conscientious objections against traveling on Sunday and they went into camp on that day. The trip required four weeks and was one of interest and excitement. Arriving near the present site of Mitchellville, the head of the family erected the first house in what became the

965

CITY OF DES MOINES AND POLK COUNTY

old town of Mitchellville. It is a frame building and is now standing opposite Moses Brown's residence, being used as a dwelling house. Accommodations were scarce and Mr. Mattern and his wife kept boarders, supplying food and lodging to twenty-four persons during the first season. Mrs. Swift has a vivid remembrance of many incidents of this period and recollects that provisions were very scarce and butter was brought in firkins from Vermont and cost fifty cents a pound. Settlers rapidly arrived and soon there was a thriving com- munity. Among other enterprises a tannery was established which was con- ducted by Jonathan Blyler and James Craig. There were nine children in the family of Mr. and Mrs. Mattern, five of whom are now living: Jacob, of Shenandoah, Iowa; Scott, of Berwell, Nebraska, who was a soldier of the Civil war and a prisoner in Andersonville prison for nine months; Irvana, now Mrs. William J. Wooton, of El Reno, Oklahoma; Carrie, the widow of Thomas Mitchell, now residing with her daughter Maude, who is the wife of Dr. William Gidney, of West Texas; and Henrietta, who married Jeremiah Swift. Three sons of the family, William H. and Miles D., entered the army during the Civil war and gave their lives for their country, the former dying at New Orleans, and the latter at Helena, Arkansas, while David died of diphtheria before he went to the front. The mother of this family died at Mitchellville in 1870 and the father was called away twenty years later. They were buried in the cemetery at Mitchellville. Two children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Swift: Carrie, now Mrs. William T. Haines; and La Forest E. Both families live upon the home farm.

Jeremiah Swift was called from earthly scenes May 24, 1898, and his body was deposited by his old army comrades in the cemetery at Mitchellville. He was a man of sterling character who attracted many friends and was greatly . respected by all with whom he came into contact. He was a loving husband and a kind father and one of his greatest incentives was to provide a competency for his family, an ambition he lived to see accomplished. He was a valued member of Grand Army Post No. 17, at Mitchellville, and from the time of casting his first ballot, in 1861, was a supporter of the republican party. Mrs. Swift has in recent years made many improvements upon the home farm, remodeling the resi- dence and other buildings, tiling the land, etc., so that it is now one of the most productive places in the township. In religious faith she adheres to the Univer- salist church. She is now seventy years of age and has been a resident of this section since the pioneer days. She has been closely identified with its growth and no person in the community possesses in a higher degree the sincere regard of the people.

BENJAMIN F. BRUBAKER. :

As a valiant soldier of the Civil war Benjamin F. Brubaker performed his duty in defense of the Union and as a private citizen has been equally loyal to his ideals. He is today one of the esteemed citizens of Polk county and has been identified with its development for more than forty-five years. He was born in Preble county, Ohio, in March, 1843, the son of George and Anna (Banty) Brubaker, the former of whom was born in Virginia and the latter in Ohio. The father in his youth removed from Virginia with his parents to Ohio and grew to manhood in that state. After his marriage he bought eighty acres of land upon which he established his home, continuing there during the remainder of his life. He invested in Iowa land but never visited this state. His death occurred March 14, 1903, the mother having been called away on the 26th day of January, 1885.

Benjamin F. Brubaker was reared in the Buckeye state and received his education in the district schools. He remained at home until after the breaking

966

CITY OF DES MOINES AND POLK COUNTY

out of the Civil war and then, in response to the call of President Lincoln, enlisted in 1861 in Company C, Seventy-fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served for three years, participating in many of the most important battles and movements of the war. He enlisted in Preble county, Ohio, and from there went to Camp McLean, near Cincinnati, and later to Virginia, crossing the mountains into the eastern part of that state. He participated in the second battle of Bull Run under General Polk and was there wounded. He was with the Army of the Potomac from 1862 until 1863, taking part in the battle of Gettysburg, where he was again wounded. Later he went with his command to South Carolina and from there to Jacksonville, Florida, in the summer of 1864. He was always found at his post of duty and at the close of the war, in the spring of 1865, returned to Columbus, Ohio, where he was honorably discharged and mustered out.

Mr. Brubaker then came to Iowa and began working by the month at Indianola as a farm hand. After two years he began farming for himself upon rented land and two years later purchased forty acres in Bloomfield township which he cultivated for two years and then sold. Having acquired sufficient capital, he bought sixty acres of good land in Bloomfield township and applied himself with such diligence that he now owns one hundred and seventy-five acres which is probably as productive as any land in the state of Iowa. He has greatly improved his farm, erecting a handsome residence, substantial barns and other buildings, and the air of neatness to be observed everywhere about the place indicates that he gives it constant and intelligent supervision. He cultivates the cereals, raises a good grade of stock and is justly numbered among the most prosperous farmers of the township.

On the 9th day of February, 1871, Mr. Brubaker was united in marriage to Miss Nettie Knostman, a daughter of Rudolph and Elizabeth (Miller) Knost- man, the former born in Germany and the latter in Virginia. They located upon a farm in Jasper county, Iowa, and here they continued during the remainder of their lives, the father passing away February 28, 1888, while the mother's death occurred six years previous, on the 10th of March, 1882. Six children came to bless the union of Mr. and Mrs. Brubaker, namely: Perry A., who lives at St. Joseph, Missouri; George R., who is married and is now living at Los Angeles, California ; Estella, who is married and lives in South Dakota; Bertha M., who is also married and makes her home in Warren county, Iowa; and Cora and Eva, twins, who were born in 1886 and are now living at home.

The beloved wife and mother was called from earthly scenes April 15, 1893. She was a woman of many attractive qualities and her death was deeply regretted by the entire community. Mr. Brubaker and his children are earnest members of the Methodist church of which he is a liberal supporter. In political views he is in sympathy with the republican party and although he has never sought the emoluments of office he has served for several terms as township trustee. Fra- ternally he is identified with the Grand Army Post at Norwalk. A useful, pro- gressive and upright citizen, he is greatly esteemed by all who know him on account of his generous qualities of heart and mind.

JAMES W. MILLS.

James W. Mills, a retired agriculturist residing at No. 1434 Court avenue in Des Moines, was successfully identified with general farming interests throughout his active business career and its still the owner of one hundred and thirty-one acres of land on section 18, Lee township. His birth occurred in Hancock county, Indiana, on the 25th of April, 1840, his parents being J. S. and Elizabeth Mills, the former born in the year 1812 and the latter in 1815.

MR. AND MRS. J. W. MILLS

969

CITY OF DES MOINES AND POLK COUNTY

The father was a native of Kentucky, while the mother's birth occurred in White Water, Wayne county, Indiana. They were married in the Hoosier State and in 1849 removed to Albia, Monroe county, Iowa, while in the spring of 1850 they came to Polk county, locating about two miles southeast of Rising Sun. In the fall of 1852 the family home was established in Allen township, J. S. Mills there erecting a residence. The brothers and sisters of our subject were as follows: Harrison P., who died in Indiana when about seventeen years old; John E., who died as the result of wounds received at Altoona Pass while defending the Union in the Civil war; Sarah J., who is the wife of Randall Carter and resides in Polk county; and Mary E., who is the wife of David Hargis and lives in West Des Moines.

James W. Mills, who was a lad of ten years when he came to Polk county with his parents, has resided within its borders continuously since. At the time of the Civil war he went to the front as a member of Company B, Thirty-ninth Iowa Volunteer Infantry. He was captured by the enemy at Shady Grove, was exchanged in September and was wounded May 16, 1864, at Resaca, Georgia, while with Sherman on his march to the sea. His brother John, who was also a member of Company B and was with Sherman, was wounded October 5, 1864, at Altoona Pass and died at Nashville, Tennessee. James W. Mills was honor- ably discharged at Keokuk, Iowa, on the IIth of January, 1865, on account of disability caused by a gunshot wound. On returning home he once more be- came identified with general agricultural pursuits, operating the farm of one hundred and thirty-one acres on section 18, Lee township, which is still in his possession. The improvements thereon include a modern residence and sub- stantial barns. In 1891 Mr. Mills put aside the active work of the fields and on the 4th of June of that year took up his abode in Des Moines, where he has since resided in an attractive home at No. 1434 Court avenue. He is now spend- ing the evening of life in honorable retirement, having won a competence which supplies him with all of the comforts and many of the luxuries of life.

On the 19th of August, 1862, Mr. Mills was united in marriage to Miss Anna Newcomer, who was born May 29, 1845, in Polk county. She was the second white child born in the county and the first died in infancy, but she is still living and continues to reside here. Her parents, Peter and Rosanna Newcomer, were natives of Maryland and Wayne county, Indiana, respectively. William Lamb, the maternal grandfather of Mrs. Mills, came from Wayne county, In- diana, to Polk county, Iowa, in 1843, entering four hundred acres of land on the present site of the starch works and packing house in Des Moines. The parents of Mrs. Mills were married in Fairfield, Iowa, and came to this county in 1843, Peter Newcomer securing a permit from the government and settling on a half section of land. His natal year was 1812 and he lived to attain the age of seventy-nine years, passing away in the state of Louisiana. His wife, who was born in the year 1822, was called to her final rest on the 3d of February, 1904, her demise occurring at Stockton, California. Mrs. Mills has a sister, Catherine, who is the wife of Fred Hardy and makes her home in Los Angeles, California.

Mr. and Mrs. Mills became the parents of five children: James S., born June 20, 1863, married Ida Keeling, by whom he has one son, John C., and they live on a farm in this county. Cassie, born April 25, 1866, married Raymond Meyers, who died August 12, 1887, and their only child, Frank M., died at the age of twenty years. Mrs. Meyers resides in Des Moines. Carrie, born July 29, 1869, married Francis Meyers, of Des Moines, and they have two children, Ula and Ida. Vinella, born July 6, 1871, is the wife of William Bartz, of Des Moines, and they have three children, Mamie, Jennie and Harry. Eunice, born December 30, 1875, is the wife of W. Wilkins, of Des Moines.

In politics Mr. Mills is a republican, being a stanch supporter of the party which was the defense of the Union during the dark days of the Civil war.

970

CITY OF DES MOINES AND POLK COUNTY

Fraternally he is identified with the Masons, belonging to Lodge No. 110 and Temple Commandery, No. 4, K. T. He is also a member of the Keokuk Tribe of Red Men and of Central Star Lodge, No. 588, I. O. O. F. He like- wise belongs to the Grand Army of the Republic, thus still maintaining pleasant relations with his old war comrades. The period of his residence in Polk county now covers more than six decades and he enjoys an extensive and favor- able acquaintance within its borders.

DANIEL O'DONNELL.

One of the progressive and public-spirited citizens of Grimes who has been prominently identified with the town's commercial development is Daniel O'Donnell, the present postmaster and cashier of the Farmers Savings Bank. He was born in East Des Moines on the IIth of March, 1875, his parents being Thomas and Mary (Donnelly) O'Donnell, natives of Ireland. The father emigrated to the United States with his parents when a child, locating in Lewiston, Illinois, in the public schools of which town he was educated. When old enough to assume the heavier responsibilities of life he laid aside his school books and fitted himself to accept a position as stationary engineer. Coming to Polk county in 1868 he located in Des Moines, where he obtained a position as engineer in the Eagle Iron Works, remaining in the employ of that company until 1880. While identified with that firm, by close economy and careful management he was able to buy four hundred acres of land in Jefferson township, upon which he located after resigning his position. He effected many improvements in his homestead during his occupancy and had brought the land to a high state of cultivation at the time of his demise, on the 8th of November, 1905. Mrs. O'Donnell still survives her husband at the age of sixty-five years and con- tinues to reside on the farm.

As he was but two years of age when his parents removed to their country home Daniel O'Donnell obtained the greater portion of his education in the district schools of Polk county. At the age of sixteen, however, he entered the Iowa Business College at Des Moines, where he remained for one year, while later he pursued four short courses in agriculture at the Iowa State College at Ames. When he had finished his school work he returned to the home farm, which he has ever since been operating. Not being the type of man who could be content in directing all his energies in one channel after locating upon the farm he began investing in land on speculation and at one time owned thirty-five hundred acres in Canada, Utah and Texas.

Mr. O'Donnell is a man who succeeds because he is always looking for opportunities and possesses the faculty of recognizing them when found. In 1906 he helped organize the Farmers Savings Bank of Grimes, with a capital stock of fifteen thousand dollars. At the time of the organization he was elected one of the directors and chairman of the loan committee, and in 1910 he was elected cashier and manager of the land department, which they conduct in connection with their banking, being reelected to the same offices on the 14th of January, 19II. The bank is located in a very attractive and substantially constructed building, equipped with fire-proof vaults and safes, while the furnishings are in good taste and well adapted to the uses for which they were designed. Although it has been organized but five years the business discharged by this institution has most gratifyingly exceeded the expectations of the stockholders and is con- stantly increasing. Among its depositors are to be found some of the most suc- cessful and affluent agriculturists and business men in Webster and Jefferson townships and the surrounding territory as well as Des Moines people.

971

CITY OF DES MOINES AND POLK COUNTY

In addition to his agricultural and banking interests Mr. O'Donnell is a stockholder in the Cunningham Glove Company of Des Moines and a stockholder and director of the Farmers Cooperative Elevator Company, which was organized in 1906. In 1911 he was appointed general agent of the Star Land Company, with headquarters in Des Moines. On the 15th of April, 1910, he was appointed postmaster, the duties of which office he continues to discharge despite his many other responsibilities. In 1908 he served as a member of the grand jury.

Fraternally Mr. O'Donnell is a member of Lodge No. 479, I. O. O. F., at Grimes ; Beaver Lodge, No. 235, Daughters of Rebekah; and Lodge No. 1687, Modern Woodmen of America, and he is also affiliated with Fraternal Club, No. 22, of Grimes, is a charter member of the Home Social Club, and a member of the Iowa State Traveling Men's Association. It is very largely due to his per- sonal efforts that the Odd Fellows of Grimes erected the beautiful two story building which they now occupy.

Mr. O'Donnell is the type of successful man who in advancing his private interests never loses sight of his duties as a public citizen and has always taken a prominent part in the political activities of his community. He always gives his support to the candidates of the republican party, which nominated him as supervisor on the last county ticket, but he was defeated by twenty votes. His religious faith conforms to that of the Catholic denomination. Never having married Mr. O'Donnell continues to live with his mother upon the old home- stead. He is one of the well known and highly respected men not only of Webster township but of Polk county, whose future if gauged by his past promises to be a most prosperous one.

BUFFON S. WALKER.

Buffon S. Walker, manager of the South Des Moines Lumber Company and also connected with the Clifton Heights Land Company for almost two decades, was born in Fort Madison, Iowa, on the 29th of May, 1857, his parents being Dr. Joel C. and Martha Maria (Stewart) Walker. The father, a physician by profession, was born in Ohio, February 14, 1812, and the mother's birth occurred at Florissant, Missouri, on the 20th of January, 1820. Six generations of the Walker family have lived at Fort Madison, Iowa, Ebenezer Davenport Ayres, the great-grandfather of our subject, locating there in 1834. Joel Walker was born in Vermont and was a participant in the Revolutionary war. The paternal grandfather of Buffon S. Walker was born in 1765 in Rockbridge county, Virginia, within six miles of the Natural Bridge. The maternal grandfather, Dr. Abraham Stewart, a native of Vermont and an officer of the regular army, participated in the war of 1812 as a surgeon. His wife, Emily Ayres, was born in the stockade at Fort Harmer, now Marietta, Ohio, in 1795, and was present at St. Louis at the time of the surrender of the territory by the Louisiana purchase in 1805 and witnessed the lowering of the Spanish flag. Unto Dr. Joel C. Walker and his wife were born six children, three of whom are yet living: Emily, the widow of the Rev. George D. Stewart, D. D., of Fort Madison, Iowa; Margaret A., also a resident of Fort Madison; and Buffon S. There is a history of the Walker family extant compiled by Mrs. J. B. White, of Kansas City, Missouri, who is a relative of our subject.

Buffon S. Walker attended the common schools of Fort Madison and the Omaha high school, from which he was graduated with the class of 1875. Sub- sequently he took up the study of law at the University of Michigan and was graduated with the class of 1881, winning the degree of Bachelor of Law. His first work was with an engineering corps in the construction of the Fort Madison & Northwestern Railroad, he being thus employed for about three years. On

972

CITY OF DES MOINES AND POLK COUNTY

the expiration of that period, in 1881, he came to Des Moines and for a time was associated with his uncle, Joseph B. Stewart, in the real-estate business, while subsequently he spent eleven years with the firm of Percival & Hatton. In 1892 he became connected with the Clifton Heights Land Company and has been identified therewith continuously since. He is likewise the manager of the South Des Moines Lumber Company. His various undertakings have been attended with a gratifying measure of prosperity and he is widely recognized as one of the substantial and representative business men of Des Moines.

On the 28th of October, 1886, Mr. Walker was married to Miss Mary E. Young, who was born at Pekin, Illinois, November 6, 1859, and is a daughter of Henry and Lucy J. (Ingalls) Young. Her father was a son of Moses Young, captain of a Mississippi steamboat in the early days. About 1836 he removed from Belchertown, Massachusetts, to Tazewell county, Illinois, with his family. On attaining his majority Henry Young turned his attention to merchandising, conducting a general store in Pekin, Illinois, until 1877, when he came to Des Moines, where he engaged in the grocery business for about ten years, and then retired. His death occurred in 1907. His wife was a representative of an old Vermont family, the ancestral home being at Rochester, Vermont. The Ingalls family is a large one and has numbered among its members several who have become prominent in public life, including Senator John J. Ingalls. The imme- diate family of Lucy J. Ingalls removed from Vermont to Tazewell county, Illinois, in the late '30s, John Ingalls, the grandfather of Mrs. Walker, settling there about 1839. Her mother was born at Tremont, Illinois, April 28, 1840, and by her marriage to Henry Young had a family of three children: Mary E., now Mrs. Walker; Frank E., living in Centerville, Iowa; and Catherine, the wife of Leland Windsor, of Des Moines. To Mr. and Mrs. Walker was born a son, Stewart Young Walker, whose birth occurred December 6, 1888, and who passed away April 18, 1902.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Des Moines, the pioneer of municipal progress and reform of the middle West, together with the history of Polk County, Iowa, the largest, most populous and most prosperous county in the state of Iowa; Volume II, Part 113

Author: Brigham, Johnson, 1846-1936; Clarke (S.J.) Publishing Company, Chicago, pub Publication date: 1911 Publisher: Chicago, The S. J. Clarke publishing company Number of Pages: 1464

Author: Brigham, Johnson, 1846-1936; Clarke (S.J.) Publishing Company, Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Chicago, The S. J. Clarke publishing company
Number of Pages: 1464