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 133

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 133

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).

JOHN L. WRIGHT.

Widely and favorably known, John L. Wright occupies a prominent position in social circles in Des Moines, formerly conducting a haberdashery store, while at the present time he is engaged in the manufacture of shirts and underwear. He was born August 6, 1858, in Newark, Ohio, and is descended from Edwin C. Wright, who became a resident of Massachusetts in an early day and belonged to the band of Puritans. His father, Spencer J. Wright, was born February 4, 1829, in Granville, Ohio, and died in Lancaster, Ohio, February. 26, 1902. For many years he was a well known pioneer but at the time of his death had retired from business. In early manhood he had wedded Sarah L. Lang, who was born in New Hampshire, June 5, 1823, and died in Lancaster, Ohio, May 17, 1905.

John L. Wright acquired a public-school education, after which he entered the First National Bank, of Newark, Ohio, thus receiving his business training. He spent seven years in that institution and in 1882 came to Des Moines, where he invested his capital in a stock of hats and haberdashery, opening a store at No. 215 Fifth street. Later he removed to the Kirkwood House, at No. 204 Walnut street, where he remained from 1883 until 1904. He then turned his

JOHN L. WRIGHT

1133

CITY OF DES MOINES AND POLK COUNTY

attention to his present business, beginning the manufacture of shirts and under- wear at No. 201 Century building. He has become very well known in Des Moines and elsewhere, a large percentage of his trade being drawn from outside sources. He now employs a number of people in the conduct of the business and finds a ready sale for his output. He is a man of determined purpose, carry- ing forward to successful completion whatever he undertakes.

On the 15th of October, 1885, Mr. Wright was united in marriage to Miss Anna Chambers, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who was born in Bogota, South America, December 24, 1864, and died in Des Moines, May 21, 1909. Her par- ents were Dr. William and Martha J. Chambers. Her father was a well known dentist in the American colony of Bogota and died in Los Angeles, California, in 1903. Mr. and Mrs. Wright became the parents of one son, Spencer C., who was born September 24, 1893, and is pursuing a general high-school course in Des Moines.

Mr. Wright is a member of the Country and Hyperion Clubs and has many friends in their membership. He is well known in golf and athletic circles and is an enthusiastic advocate of golf. In fact he is fond of all manly outdoor sports and exercises and finds delight in society as well as in literature and art. A constantly broadening mind and social disposition have rendered him popular and he is well known among the best and most influential people of Des Moines, who entertain for him warm personal regard, which is always given genuine worth.

SILAS PHELPS OLDFIELD.

Silas Phelps Oldfield, president of the Citizens State Bank of Mitchellville, comes of a family which is well known in Polk county and is one of the most prominent citizens of Mitchellville. When the country was in danger he per- formed his duty on the field of battle and in business and private life he has maintained a standard which has made his name respected throughout a wide section of the state.

He was born in Richland county, Ohio, May 23, 1844, a son of Richard and Elmina (Phelps) Oldfield. The father was born in New York in 1801 and the mother in New Hampshire in 1805. Richard Oldfield grew to manhood in Pickaway county, Ohio, and then took up his residence in Richland county, where he was married to Miss Elmina Phelps. He became prominent as a farmer and so continued until his death which occurred in 1873. He was an old time whig in politics and upon the organization of the republican party became a supporter of its principles. He held a number of local official positions and was for many years a leader in his county. The paternal side of the family was of Scotch-Irish and the maternal side of English ancestry.

There were eleven children in the family of Richard and Elmina Oldfield, namely: David P., of Mitchellville, a record of whom appears elsewhere in this work; Annie, now the wife of Lyman Andrews, of Bellville, Ohio; Matilda, now Mrs. Daniel Garber; James T., who served in the Civil war and later died in Ohio; Cordelia, the wife of Daniel Loose, of Butler, Ohio; Reuben, who died in Ohio at the age of seventeen years; Elizabeth, who married a Mr. Sappington and is now living with her children; Martha, who married Jasper Gaddis, of Butler, Ohio; William, who served in the Thirty-second Ohio Volunteer Infantry and is now deceased, being buried in the National cemetery near Marietta, Georgia ; Silas Phelps and Mary, twins, the former of whom is the subject of this review, while the latter is the wife of Aaron B. Leedy, of Richland county, Ohio.

Silas P. Oldfield received his education in the district schools of Richland county. He remained upon the home farm until eighteen years of age and

1134

CITY OF DES MOINES AND POLK COUNTY

then, in 1862, in response to the call of President Lincoln, enlisted as a private in Company E, One Hundred and Second Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He par- ticipated in a number of engagements and was present at the battle of Nash- ville and also during the Atlanta campaign. At the end of three years' faithful service he received his honorable discharge in July, 1865, and returned home, where he resumed farming. In 1870 he removed with his family to Elmwood, Peoria county, Illinois, and for six years was identified with the railroad hotel business. He then sold out and went sight-seeing with his wife, visiting the battlefields in the south and points of interest in the east, including the Centennial Exposition at Philadelphia. In January, 1877, he arrived at Mitchellville, Polk county, Iowa, and purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land on section 9, Beaver township, which he cultivated successfully until 1891. He then entered the service of the Ohio Cultivator Company at Bellevue, Ohio, and traveled for this firm as state agent for twelve years. In 1903 he retired from the road, disposed of his farm and settled at Mitchellville, two years later accepting his present position as president of the Citizens State Bank.

On the 3d of February, 1867, Mr. Oldfield was united in marriage to Miss Samantha Traxler, a daughter of Philip and Prudence Traxler, of New York state. His wife died in 1903 and in 1905 Mr. Oldfield was married to Jessie Rae, a native of Scotland. She is a lady of many attractive characteristics and is prominent in the social circles of Mitchellville.

Mr. Oldfield was made a Mason at Bellville, Ohio, in 1866 and is past master of that lodge. He is now a member of Crystal Lodge, No. 313, A. F. & A. M., of Mitchellville, and also holds membership in the chapter at Colfax. By virtue of having been a soldier for the Union, he is a valued member of Warr Post, No. 17, G. A. R., of Mitchellville. He has been a prominent worker in fraternal organizations and was one of ten leading members of the Farmers Alliance who were selected to revise and amend the by-laws of the organiza- tion. Politically he gives his support to the republican party. He has at various times assisted materially at county and state conventions in promoting its success and in 1878 was nominated for the Iowa house of representatives against Albert B. Cummins, now United States senator from Iowa. Mr. Old- field spends his summers at his cottage at Lake Okoboji, where he is a member of the Okoboji Protective Association, of which he is a director, and he also takes great pleasure in his new automobile, in which he takes frequent trips. Thor- oughly competent in business affairs, he has attained a gratifying degree of success and as the evening of life approaches he enjoys the rewards of many years of wisely directed effort and also the sincere respect of a large and growing circle of friends.

FREDERICK CHRISTIAN HECKMANN.

Jefferson township, Polk county, numbers among her citizens many success- ful and enterprising agriculturists and among them must be numbered Frederick Christian Heckmann. He was born in Germany in May, 1851, and is a son of George and Dora (Knerrem) Heckmann, who spent their entire lives in that country where the father engaged in agricultural pursuits.

The first sixteen years of the life of Frederick C. Heckmann were spent in the fatherland, in whose common schools he acquired his education. At the expiration of that time, in 1867, he determined to become a citizen of the United States, believing that he would find better opportunities for advancement here than were afforded in his native land, so he took passage for America. Upon his arrival in this country he made his way westward to Polk county, Iowa, where he worked as a farm hand for ten years, during which time he carefully set aside a portion of his meager wages until he had acquired enough to enable

1135

CITY OF DES MOINES AND POLK COUNTY

him to farm as a renter. He leased a farm in Keokuk county, which he culti- vated for three years, and then returned to Polk county, where he again rented for three years. In 1883 he bought eighty acres of land in Lincoln township for seven hundred dollars and after improving and cultivating that place for four years he sold it for fourteen hundred dollars. He subsequently came to Jefferson township, where he bought one hundred acres of land, which he has improved almost beyond recognition during the period of his residence. He has since acquired an additional eighty acres, making his holdings one hundred and eighty acres, all in that township. Mr. Heckmann had the misfortune to be one of the sufferers from the cyclone which swept through his section of the county in 1890, at which time all of his buildings were destroyed and his house- hold effects and farming implements scattered broadcast, a picture which hung in his home being found eight miles distant. He engages in general farming, in addition to which he raises about one hundred head of hogs per year and keeps about twenty cattle and twelve head of horses. He has met with more than average success in his business and in addition to his fine homestead owns a nice residence property in Des Moines.

Mr. Heckmann was united in marriage on· the 28th of February, 1878, to Miss Barbara Abel, a daughter of George Henry and Elizabeth Abel, natives of Germany, from which country they emigrated to the United States, locating in Keokuk county, Iowa, in a very early day. They acquired a farm there, in the cultivation of which the father was engaged at the time of his death. Three children were born unto Mr. and Mrs. Heckmann, as follows: George Henry, who is a farmer in Jefferson township; Jelana Belle, who is at home; and Emma Dora, who married C. E. Page but resides with her father. The wife and mother passed away on the 2d of January, 1898, after an illness of about two years.

The daughters are affiliated with the Christian and Methodist Episcopal churches. Mr. Heckmann gives his political support to the prohibition party, thus voicing his views on the temperance question. He has never actively par- ticipated in township affairs but has served as a member of the school board in Jefferson township. To Mr. Heckmann much credit should be given for hav- ing attained the position he holds among the agriculturists of Polk county, as he came to this country with practically no capital and at an age when the majority of youths are practically dependent upon their parents for support. He knew little about the language and less regarding the customs of the country but his seemingly inexhaustible supply of energy and determination enabled him to forge ahead until he is today known as one of the substantial farmers of his community.

NATHAN WARE.

Nathan Ware, who was a well known farmer of Camp township and one whose labors met with deserved success died on the 25th of June, 1911. He was a native of Indiana, born February 14, 1842, a son of Joshua and Eliza Jane (Fisher) Ware. The father was born in Kentucky and the mother in In- diana. Joshua Ware came to Iowa with his family in 1848 and after farming on rented land in Mahaska county removed to Monroe and purchased land, which he improved and sold at the end of two years. He then returned to Ma- haska county and bought another farm, which he also sold, then taking up his residence on a farm in Poweshiek county. After three years he disposed of that place and bought a farm in Madison county, upon which he and his family lived for five years. He then sold out and removed to Des Moines, continuing there until his death, which occurred in April, 1863. His wife survived him twenty-six years, passing away in 1889.

1136

CITY OF DES MOINES AND POLK COUNTY

Nathan Ware accompanied his father on his various removals and received his early education in the district schools of this state. He continued with his father until twenty-two years of age and then went to work as a teamster in Des Moines. There being no railroad in those days, he hauled freight across the country from Grinnell, Ottumwa and Oskaloosa to Des Moines and con- tinued in that business for two years. He then rented a farm in Delaware township, Polk county, which he cultivated to good advantage for ten years, and at the end of that time he purchased a small place near Adel in Dallas county. After three years he disposed of that property and spent one year in Kansas. He then returned to Marion county, Iowa, and cultivated land which he pur- chased for two years, but was once more attracted to Polk county and came to Delaware township, where he rented land for five years. He next removed to Camp township, renting land for five years longer and then, having acquired sufficient capital, he purchased one hundred and eighteen acres of good land, which he developed into a highly productive farm.

On the 14th of March, 1865, Mr. Ware was married to Miss Sarah Coffeen, a daughter of John and Anna (St. John) Coffeen, both of whom were born in Ohio. Mr. Coffeen came west to Des Moines and later resided for about two years in Oskaloosa. He returned to Des Moines but subsequently went to Illi- nois and purchased a farm, upon which he established his home. He died in 1858, his wife having passed away ten years earlier. Ten children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Ware, namely : Anna, who is married and lives in Des Moines ; Emery, a farmer of Camp township; Viola, who died in 1871; Eldora, who married J. M. Beck and lives at Des Moines; Frank, who died in 1895; Ida, who married C. C. Fuller and lives in Des Moines; Charles, now engaged in farming near Polk City; Ernest, who is farming near Ames, Iowa; Cora, who became the wife of John Rosborough, a farmer of Polk county; and Grover, who died in 1883.

Mr. Ware was a member of the Church of Christ at Camp Center, his wife also being a member of that organization. Politically he adhered to the demo- cratic party, taking the interest of a patriotic citizen in the success of his party, whose principles he believed to be highly important in contributing to the prog- ress of the republic. He was industrious and enterprising and made a record as a farmer and business man of which his family may justly be proud.

JOHN F. HERROLD.

One of the model farms of Polk county is the one hundred and forty acre homestead of John F. Herrold in Jefferson township. Mr. Herrold was born in the township where he now resides on the 5th of April, 1872, and is a son of Joseph and Lavina (Hartman) Herrold. The parents, who are natives of In- diana, came to Iowa in pioneer days, locating on government land in this county, which Mr. Herrold cleared and improved and has ever since continued to cultivate.

John F. Herrold remained a member of the paternal household until he was twenty-one years of age, acquiring his education in the district schools of the locality. Having mastered the common branches, he laid aside his text-books and assisted his father in the work of the farm until 1893. He subsequently rented eighty acres of land, which he cultivated for a time, but later he rented three hundred acres, in the operation of which he continuously engaged until 1909. In the latter year he bought his present place, which was formerly the property of his father-in-law, W. A. Haskell. This farm is unusually well improved, many of the buildings having been repaired or erected during the period of Mr. Herrold's occupancy. In addition to his general farming he is

1137

CITY OF DES MOINES AND POLK COUNTY

engaged in the dairy business, keeping twenty-five milch cows all of the time. He also raises about fifty head of hogs annually and keeps four horses. An advocate of modern agricultural methods, everything about his place is indicative of excellent system and thorough supervision.

The marriage of Mr. Herrold and Miss Elizabeth A. Haskell, a daughter of William A. and Elizabeth (Aldrich) Haskell, was celebrated on the 26th of November, 1896. Her father was born in Madison, Indiana, and her mother in New York state. They came to Iowa during early days, locating in Indianola, where for several years the father was engaged in the boot and shoe business. They removed to Des Moines later, Mr. Haskell continuing to be identified with the same business until he bought his farm in Jefferson township, following which he withdrew from commercial pursuits and engaged in farming until 1909, when he sold his property to Mr. Herrold. Subsequently Mr. and Mrs. Haskell removed to Granger, Dallas county, where they are now living retired. To Mr. and Mrs. Herrold have been born five children, only four of whom are living, Joseph, the youngest member of the family, having passed away in 1907. The others are as follows: Birdie H., who is thirteen years of age; Daisy M., aged twelve; Winnie M., who is nine; and Willie H., now six.

The political views of Mr. Herrold coincide with the principles of the republi- can party, for whose candidates he casts his ballot, his only official position, however, has been that of school director. Both he and his wife are members of the Christian church, in accordance with the principles of which they have ever striven to mold their lives. A man of progressive ideas and high principles, Mr. Herrold is highly regarded as a business man and citizen in the community where he resides and has always been known.

JOHN EDMUNDSON.

John Edmundson, one of the highly respected citizens of Mitchellville, is endowed with abundant business ability and by the wise use of opportunity has become one of the reliable and successful citizens of the community. A native of Iowa, he was born in Keokuk county, October 10, 1865, and is a son of John and Ruth (Heald) Edmundson. The father, who was a farmer by occupation, is now deceased but the mother is still living and has reached the age of four score years. She continues to reside upon the old home place in Keokuk county, which her husband entered from the government in 1854.

Mr. Edmundson of this review acquired his preliminary education in the district schools of his native county and later attended the Iowa Business Col- lege of Des Moines. He was first employed as a clerk in a store in Dakota and later was identified with mercantile interests at Oskaloosa, Iowa. On coming to Mitchellville he worked in a creamery for three years and in 1905 became senior partner of the firm of Edmundson & Leach, dealers in shelf and heavy hardware, furnaces, plumbing supplies, etc. He continued in that business until the Ist of March, 1911, when he sold his interest in the store and is now giving his attention to agricultural pursuits, overseeing the operation of a farm of eight hundred and eighty acres located in Jasper and Polk counties. In addition to his other interests he is a landowner in the former county.

Mr. Edmundson has been three times married and has one child by the first union, Dallas K., born November 8, 1891. In 1898 he was united in marriage to Miss Sadie Pritchard, a daughter of William and Ellen (Walker) Pritchard, early settlers of this county. There is also one child by the second union, Nellie, who was born May 29, 1900, and is heir to a two-thirds interest in eight hun- dred acres of land in Jasper county. For his third wife Mr. Edmundson

1138

CITY OF DES MOINES AND POLK COUNTY

married Mrs. Jennie Bell, by whom he has one son, Clifford, born September 3, 1910.

In politics Mr. Edmundson is independent and is ever ready to extend his aid to any movement which he believes will advance the public welfare. Re- ligiously he is a member of the Congregational church and fraternally is connected with the Odd Fellows. He is a wide-awake, energetic business man and possesses the laudable ambition and firm purpose that are so essential to per- manent success. During his residence in Mitchellville he has made many acquain- tances and probably no other man in the community has more warm friends.

JOHN GEORGE KOPF, JR.

One of the successful agriculturists of Washington township is John George Kopf, Jr., who was born in that township on the 6th of November, 1868. He is a son of John G. and Margaret (Little) Kopf, the former a native of Wurtem- berg, Germany, and the latter of Ohio. When a youth of twenty the father de- cided to put to the test some of the wonderful stories he had heard about the opportunities which awaited young men in America, and so he took passage for the United States. He located in Illinois upon his arrival in this country, and there he followed different occupations for two or three years. At the expira- tion of that time he went to California, where he prospected for a time, acquir- ing an interest in one of the gold mines. Returning to the agricultural districts, he located in Polk county, Iowa, and purchased eighty acres of land in Wash- ington township, which he immediately set about improving and operating. After residing there about ten years he sold his farm and bought one hundred and sixty acres in the vicinity of Farrar. He cultivated this until 1896, when he retired to Maxwell, where he continues to reside, having attained the venerable age of seventy-nine. He is the owner of four hundred acres of land. Mrs. Kopf passed away in January, 1874, while they were residing on the old homestead.

Reared on a farm, John George Kopf, Jr., attended the district schools in the vicinity of his home in the acquirement of his education, and he also pursued a business course in the Capital City Commercial College at Des Moines. . He assisted his father in the cultivation of the home farm until he was twenty-two years of age, thus obtaining a thorough and practical understanding of agricul- tural methods. After leaving the parental home he went to Wright county, Iowa, where he farmed as a renter for a year, following which he returned to Wash- ington township and became associated with his brother in the operation of the home farm. They dissolved partnership at the expiration of the third year and John George Kopf has since continued alone. He is now operating two hundred and fifty acres, which is bringing him most gratifying returns. He raises stock in connection with his general farming, placing about one hundred head of hogs on the market every year, while he always keeps about eighty head of cattle and twenty horses. Success has attended his efforts and he owns a forty acre tract near Farrar and eighty acres of timber land in Wisconsin, in addition to which he had an interest in a hardware business in Farrar.

Mr. Kopf was united in marriage on the 23d of April, 1903, to Miss Melvilla Kinny, a daughter of George and Cevilla (Lint) Kinny, both natives of Penn- sylvania. Mr. Kinny, who was a carpenter by trade, came to Iowa during the '50s and later he served as a minister of the Dunkard church until his demise, which occurred in 1890. His wife still survives and now makes her home in Des Moines. By the union of Mr. and Mrs. Kopf there have been born two children : Kenneth Clark, who is seven years of age, and Eleanor Blanche, who is two years old.

----

MR. AND MRS. JOHN GEORGE KOPF

1141

CITY OF DES MOINES AND POLK COUNTY

Both Mr. and Mrs. Kopf affiliate with the Methodist Protestant church, and fraternally he is identified with the Modern Woodmen of America. His political allegiance is given to the republican party and he has served as justice of the peace and school director of Washington township, in both of which capacities he has given very creditable service.

HENRY MARTYN ROLLINS.

In the history of those who have been factors in the industrial and commercial development of Des Moines mention must be made of Henry Martyn Rollins, who has been a resident of this city for more than half a century, during which time he has been prominently and successfully identified with some of the leading local enterprises. He was born in Lebanon Center, Maine, on the Ioth of August, 1841, a son of Richard and Elizabeth (Hayes) Rollins, also natives of that state. He takes great pride in his lineage, which can be traced back in an unbroken line to James Rawlins (old spelling), who came from England to America in 1631, locating in Massachusetts, where he continued to reside until 1644. In the latter year the family removed to New Hampshire and later to Maine, settling near Lebanon during the early childhood of the grandfather.

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 133

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