USA > Iowa > Black Hawk County > Historical and biographical record of Black Hawk County, Iowa > Part 21
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is now living with her youngest son, David, in Applington, Iowa. She was born in Meredith, Delaware County, New York, about 1808. Samuel Bisbee's Grandfather Bisbee was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, serving through fifteen hard-fought battles without receiving a scratch.
RANK R. HOLLIS was born in Rensselaer County, New York, April 9, 1842, a son of Harlin S. and Jane Hollis, the father born in Covington, Massachusetts, February 15, 1819, and the mother a native of Rensselaer County, born April 6, 1819. They were married in Rensselaer County, the father having lived there from his thirteenth year, and in that county their five children were born-Caroline Saxsby, still living in Rensselaer County ; Frank R., our subject; George, of Black Hawk Township; Stephen, in Rensselaer County, and Mrs. Lavantia Wait, in Colorado. Frank R. Hollis and his father both en- listed in the cause of the Union, in Com- pany E, One Hundred and Twenty-Fifth New York Infantry, at Troy, the date of their enlistment being August 27, 1862. They were in the engagement at Bolivar Heights, September 14, 1862, at Harper's Ferry, and the next day were treacher- ously surrendered by General Miles to the rebel .General Jackson. The two months following, they were in the parole camp at Chicago. November 25, an ex- change having been effected, they joined General Hancock's corps, when the father was placed on detached duty as division wagon-master. Our subject participated in the battle of Gettysburg, and the other fiercely contested battles of his corps, and was in the campaign against Lee's army which culminated in the surrender at Ap- pomattox. Both father and son received an honorable discharge in June, 1865, and
returned to their peaceful farm life in Rensselaer County. September 26, 1865, Frank R. Hollis went to Monroe County, New York, and the day following was married to Miss Nellie S. Bly, who was born in Rensselaer County, April 23, 1845. Nine children have been born to them, all living at home-Charles, Harlin, Iola, Ed- ward, John, Rienzi, Lettie, Arthur and Jennie. Immediately after his marriage Mr. Hollis went to La Salle, Illinois, re- maining there till January, 1866, when he came to Black Hawk County, Iowa, where he farmed rented land for three years. He then bought eighty acres on section 16, Black Hawk Township, where he lived till 1881, since which he has resided on his present farm, on section 22. Mr. Hol- lis has prospered through life, owing to his persevering industry and good manage- ment, and now owns a fine farm of 560 acres. Mr. and Mrs. Hollis are members of the Free-Will Baptist church. The parents of Mr. Hollis left their old home in New York, in August, 1882, and now make their home with him. Both father and son are identified with the Republican party.
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ILLIAM N. SWITZER was born in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, June 12, 1842, a son of David and Barbara Switzer natives of the same county, and there his father died October 6, 1861, aged fifty years, and his mother makes his house her home. Six of her sons and one daughter-Josias D., Amos D., William N., John N., Peter D., Cornelius D., and Mrs. Lydia Speicher -- live in Black Hawk County, and one daughter, Mrs. Joanna Baxter, lives in Grundy County, Iowa. William N. Switzer was reared to the life of a farmer, and the practical lessons learned in his youth in the old State of Pennsyl-
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vania, have been of lasting value to him on the prairies of Iowa. He was the first of the family to come to Iowa, becoming a resident of Black Hawk County, April 18, 1861. For a year or two he worked for others, but not being satisfied with merely earning wages, he rented a farm in Orange Township, where he lived till Sep- tember, 1868, when he bought his present farm on sections 3 and 10, Lincoln Township. He immediately began improving it, and built a residence into which he moved the following spring. Mr. Switzer is a thor- oughly practical farmer as is shown by the evident care, thrift and enterprise of the owner of his 320 acres of choice land. His building improvements are notably fine, being excelled by none in the town- ship. Fully realizing that it is not good for man to live alone, in 1873 he returned to his native county, and was there united in marriage, January 29, to Susan A. Engle. To Mr. and Mrs. Switzer have been born four children-Edna, Ora, Herbert Ray and Pearl. They have been for several years members of the Brethren church. In politics Mr. Switzer casts his suffrage with the Republican party.
ILLIAM O.FAIRBAIRN,farmer, section 34, Waterloo Township, was born in England, April 12, 1840, the eldest of a family of ten children of W. R. and Ellen M. (Richards) Fairbairn, who were also natives of England. His parents immi- grated to America in 1842, and settled in Stephenson County, Illinois, remaining there till the father's death at the age of sixty-seven years. William O. was reared to manhood on a farm, and has always fol- lowed agricultural pursuits. He came to Black Hawk County, Iowa, in May, 1865, locating at once in Eagle Township. He
owns eight and a half acres of land where he resides, and has a half section of valu- able land in Tama County, and a 160-acre valuable farm in Wright County. Mr. Fairbairn was married in Black Hawk County, Iowa, in 1870, to Miss Susan Tur- ner, a native of Pennsylvania, where she was born in 1836. She died in 1883, and Mr. Fairbairn was again married February 22, 1884, taking for his second wife Rosa L. Jaqua. She was born in the State of Michigan in 1865, and was a daughter of Josiah Jaqua. This union has been blessed with one child-Edna M., born February 13, 1885. Mr. Fairbairn belongs to no church but is liberal in his religious views. In politics he casts his suffrage with the Republican party, and is a highly respected citizen of this community.
W. GILBERT, merchant of ...... Waterloo, is a native of Tioga County, New York, born July IO, 1833, the second son of Levi and Betsey (Watkins) Gilbert. His par- ents were both natives of Massachu- setts, and were early settlers of New York State, living there till their death. G. W. attended school until he reached the age of seventeen years, when he entered the store of his father who was a boot and shoe merchant. At the age of nineteen he formed a partnership with his elder brother, Dan. B. Gilbert, of Waverly, with whom he continued four years. In the fall of 1855 he came to Iowa and stopped at Fort Dodge two years, in which place he pre- empted land. He then returned to New York in the fall of 1857, and in April, 1858, he was married to Sarah M. Jenks, of Owego, New York. Immediately after his marriage he came to Waterloo, where he has since resided. Soon after coming here he embarked in the mercantile busi-
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ness in partnership with J. R. Millard, with whom he was associated one year. He then sold his interest to his partner, and shortly after purchased a new store which he stocked with dry-goods, and has since carried on the business alone. His store is centrally located at No. 66 Commercial street, and is well stocked with a full as- sortment of everything in his line. For two years he was associated with George A. Loring in the grain business, their ele- vator being on the Burlington, Cedar Rap- ids & Northern Railroad. Mr. Gilbert was one of the stockholders of the First National Bank of Waterloo, which was organized in 1863. Both he and his wife are members of the Congregational church of Waterloo, and he has served in the ca- pacity of trustee about four years.
OSHUA P. CHURCHILL, a farm- er of Union Township, fourth child of Randal and Catherine J. Churchill, was born May 8, 1844, in St. Joseph County, Michigan, com- ing to Black Hawk County with his parents when ten years of age, and remain- ing with them until his majority. He learned the art of photography, and prac- ticed it until after the death of his father. He went to Colorado in 1866, and engaged in mining until 1868, when he returned and took charge of the homestead, where he has lived ever since, with the exception of two years spent in Colorado in the hope of benefiting his wife's health. He assisted his brother, Loren E., to get an education, and was his quiet helper in all his enter- prises. He provided and cared for his mother until her death, which occurred May 26, 1881. Mr. Churchill was married March 16, 1879, to Miss Martha T. Stamp, who was born in Cass County, Michigan, July 7, 1846. Mr. and Mrs. Churchill have
two children-Ralph L., born April 7, 1880, and Grace L., born June S, 1883. In poli- tics he casts his suffrage with the Republi- can party, but has always avoided official position ; but has frequently been sent as a delegate from his township to county con- ventions, and was one of the delegates representing Black Hawk County in the Republican State Convention at - Des Moines, in 1885, when Wm. Larrabee was nominated for Governor. He and his wife are both members of the Methodist Epis- copal church, and earnest advocates of temperance. He has attained quite a reputation as a writer for the local press.
LBERT J. EDWARDS, Clerk of the District and Circuit Court, was born in Walworth County, Wisconsin, January 22, 1847, his par- ents, Jonathan and Adeline (Paine) Edwards, being natives of Massa- chusetts. His parents left their native State about 1840, coming West to Wiscon- sin, but returned East about the year 1851, the father dying in Thomaston, Connecti- cut, in 1853, and the mother in the fall of 1867. Albert J. was about five years of age when his father died. He remained with his mother till 1855, when he and his younger brother, Luther H., returned to Wisconsin. In the spring of 1857 he came to Black Hawk County, Iowa, with his un- cle, Charles Marsh, where he attended the public schools at Waterloo in the win- ters, and worked on his uncle's farm during the summer months till he grew to man- hood. He remained on the farm till the winter of 1868 and 1869, when he went to the pineries of Wisconsin where he ran a stationary engine. He returned to Black Hawk County the following spring, when he engaged in the mercantile business as a clerk at Waterloo, Iowa. In the winter of
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HISTORY OF BLACK HAWK COUNTY.
1870 he was appointed deputy sheriff under W. F. Brown, serving in that capacity till January, 1873, when he was appointed dep- uty clerk under J. C. Gates, holding that position till January, 1881. In the fall of 1880 he was elected to his present position and is filling the office very acceptably. Mr. Edwards was married in 1873 to Amanda F. Hall, daughter of Samuel Hall, of Waterloo, and to this union have been born four daughters. Mr. Edwards was ad- mitted to the bar June 19, 1884.
ORCESTER F. BROWN is a na- tive of Kennebec County, Maine, born in the town of Albion, June 19, 1823, the third son of a family of nine children. He passed his youth on a farm, and received the benefit of a common-school education. At the age of sixteen years he began learning the trade of a millwright and machinist which he followed till reaching maturity. He was married in 1850 to Cyntha E. Rich, of Winterport, Maine, who died December 9, 1882. Of the eight children born to this union, four survive-Ella R. (a widow), Eleanor E., Walter E. and Iola A. Soon after his marriage Mr. Brown removed to Philadelphia, where he and a brother were engaged in manufacturing flooring for a few years. He was then engaged, by a company from Boston, in the Southern States till the fall of 1855, when he came to Waterloo, Iowa, which at that time was a mere village. After coming here he was variously engaged for a time, when he spent two years in Dubuque County, where he lost his right hand by having it caught in a saw. He then returned to Waterloo, and in 1861 he was elected sheriff of Black Hawk County, assuming the duties of his office in January, 1862, serving in that capac- ity six terms of two years cach, with credit
to himself and to his constituents. He has also held the office of school director five years, and that of assessor two years. Hc served for two years as Deputy United States Marshal for Black Hawk County un- der George W. Clark, and during this time he was connected with the grain business in which he was engaged till June, 1885. In 1883 he engaged in the creamery busi- ness, and now owns a creamery in Orange Township and also rents one at Hudson, this county, where he carries on a successful trade. Mr. Brown's parents, John I. and Mary (Warren) Brown, had a family of seven sons and three daughters, of whom six children survive. The father was a na- tive of New Hampshire, and was a soldier in the war of 1812. He died in 1867 aged seventy-six years. His widow survived till January 14, 1885, dying at the advanced age of eighty-seven years.
LFRED GRUNDY, attorney at law, of Cedar Falls, was born 100 December 3, 1852, in Bureau County, Illinois, his parents, Henry and Henrietta Ruth Grundy, being natives of England. They immi- grated to America about the year 1850, when they settled in Bureau County. Our subject was reared in his native county, re- ceiving his primary education in the dis- trict schools. In the fall of 1876 he entered the Iowa State Normal School at Cedar Falls, being one of its first students. He attended that institution two years, and graduated in June, 1879. He taught one year in Christian County, Illinois, and dur- ing 1879 and 1880 he taught in the graded schools at Brooklyn, Iowa. During the summer of 1880 he taught in the teachers' institute held at Montezuma, Iowa, and in September of the same year he accepted the principalship of the Dyersville public
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schools, which position he filled acceptably for three years, and in the summer of 1882, was one of the instructors in the teachers' institute held at Dubuque, Iowa. In the fall of 1883 he entered the Iowa State Uni- versity at Iowa City, graduating in the law class of June, 1884. He then formed his present partnership with the Hon. H. C. Hemenway, with whom he has since been engaged in the practice of law under the firm name of Hemenway & Grundy. July II, 1881, Mr. Grundy was united in mar- riage to Miss Florence M. Sargent, a daugh- ter of Thomas and Louisa Sargent, of Grinnell, Iowa. A son, Eugene A., was born to this union February 7, 1885. In politics Mr. Grundy affiliates with the Re- publican party. He is identified with both the Masonic and Odd Fellows lodges of Cedar Falls.
D. FORD, third child of Hampton W. and Anna (Combs) Ford, was born in Wyandotte County, Ohio, September 8, 1846. He came to Black Hawk County, Iowa, with his parents in April, 1856, and is a resi- dent of Washington Township. He is suc- cessfully engaged in agricultural pursuits, owning in this township 250 acres, located on sections 23, 14 and 10. He has made his home in this county since coming here in 1856, with the exception of nine months spent in Cherokee County, Iowa, where he improved a farm. He was married Feb- ruary 5, 1866, to Naomi L. Watrous, who was born in Rock County, Wisconsin, June 13, 1845, daughter of George H. and Eunice (Fish) Watrous, the father a native of Connecticut, born December 25, 1814, and the mother born in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, February 22, 1815. Her father is a minister of the United Brethren denomi- nation, and has been a resident of many places, and is at present living in Clayton
County, Iowa. Mrs. Ford's parents were married in Cuyahoga County, and had a family of four sons and four daughters, Mrs. Ford being the fourth child. At the age of thirteen years she came with her parents to Iowa, and when she was twenty- one years old she commenced teaching school in this county. Her mother died in Clayton County, Iowa, April 21, 1884. Mr. and Mrs. Ford have three children- George H., born January 10, 1868; Will- iam W., born August 19, 1872, and Hettie B., born November 15, 1879, all born on the homestead in Washington Township. Mrs. Ford is a member of the United Brethren church. In politics he affiliates with the Republican party. He has served his township as supervisor for two years, and is now serving his seventh year as town- ship assessor. He has also served as town- ship trustee, and has been chairman of the Board of Directors for several years. Hampton Ford, father of our subject, was born in Ross County, Ohio, July 4, 1814. When he was fifteen years old he went to Wyandotte County, where he was married, his wife being a native of that county, born August 5, 1823, and they had born to them four sons and one daughter. The father came to this county with his family in 1856, living here till his death, which occurred February 10, 1877.
W. BARTLETT, A. M., Assist- ant Principal and Professor of English Language and Litera- ture, at Iowa State Normal School, was born February 26, 1834, in Bath, New Hampshire. He entered Dart- mouth College in 1853, and graduated in 1857; came to Western College, Linn County, Iowa, the same year, where he taught for a term of ten years, mostly in ancient languages, and was president of the college for the years 1866 and 1867 ;
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then went to Denmark Academy, Lee County, as teacher for six years ; then spent three years teaching in Memphis Academy, Missouri, and in the fall of 1876 was chosen for his present position. He was president of Iowa State Teachers' Association in 1885 and 1886. He married Miss Julia Abbott July 12, 1859. She was born in October, 1836, in Bath, New Hampshire. They have had four children; three are living-Elmer E., Will A., and Mary E. Mr. and Mrs. Bartlett are members of the Congregational church.
OHN BALL, Surveyor of Black Hawk County, was born in Grafton County, New Hamp- shire, July 4, 1814, a son of Aaron and Betsey (Pillsbury) Ball, natives of Massachusetts and New Hampshire respectively. The great-grandfather of our subject, Eleazer Ball, was a native of Hollis, Massachusetts, and of English an- cestry, and on his mother's side he was of Scotch descent. He removed with his parents from his native State to Sharon, Windsor County, Vermont, where he lived many years. His parents settled in Black Hawk County, Iowa, in 1863, where they resided till their death. John Ball received his early education in the schools of his neighborhood, and later attended a mili- tary academy at Norwich, Vermont. At the age of twenty-one years he went to New York and taught school in Genesee and Chautauqua counties. In 1837 he came to Keokuk, Iowa, remaining a short time in Keokuk where he was in the employ of the Government survey. He then went to Missouri and entered 120 acres of land in Lewis County, where he followed farming three years. He was married in 1839 to Juliet Pougue, a native of Scott County, Kentucky, and the youngest
of a family of ten children. Of the eight children born to this union only one, John P., is living. After his marriage Mr. Ball moved to Quincy, Illinois, thence to Du- buque, lowa, where he engaged in farming and stock-raising until the fall of 1864. He then removed with his family to Black Hawk County; Iowa, and engaged in agri- cultural pursuits on a farm two miles east of Waterloo. In 1865 Mr. Ball was elected surveyor of Black Hawk County, which position he held two years. In 1869 he was re-elected to the same office, serving this time for four years. He was again clected in 1883 and re-elected in 1885, in which capacity he still serves. While liv- ing in Dubuque Mr. Ball took Government contracts to the number of sixteen, in Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Dakota. Mr. Ball has spent the greater part of his life on the frontier, and in former years was quite familiar with the Indian chief Black Hawk.
HARLES D. BECKER, Recorder of Black Hawk County, was born in Jefferson County, New - York, July 12, 1841, son of Lewis and Almena Becker, who were also natives of New York State. They were the parents of two children-Mary A. and our subject. The father was the owner of a farm, but made millwrighting, car- pentering and joining his principal occu- pations through life. His death occurred when our subject was but twelve years of age, his widow surviving till 1876. Charles D. Becker was rearcd on his father's farm, and attended the village school during the summers till he was thirteen years old, after which he spent the winter months at school. At the age of twenty he began his career as a teacher, which he followed for two terms. He enlisted in the Union army August 9, 1862, in the Tenth New York
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Heavy Artillery, and served almost three years, receiving an honorable discharge on July 7, 1865. He participated in the battle at Cedar Creek, after which he was trans- ferred to the commissary department where he served till his discharge. He then re- turned to New York State and engaged in agricultural pursuits until the spring of 1866. He then came West to Illinois, where he remained two years. In the fall of 1869 he came to Black Hawk County, Iowa, re- siding in the southwest part of the county till the fall of 1884. He then left his farm and moved to Waterloo to assume the du- ties of the office of recorder to which po- sition he had been elected the same fall and is still holding that position. He has also served as township treasurer for six years. He was united in marriage in 1868 to Almeda Sarvay, of Jefferson County, New York, and to them have been born four children, one son and three daughters. Mr. Becker is a member of the Masonic fraternity and has served as master of Cain Lodge, No. 394.
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AMES E. BARRETT, residing on section 20, Lincoln Township, was born in Canton, St. Lawrence County, New York, August 2, 1840, a son of Charles E. and Charlotte (Olin) Barrett, the father born in Essex, County, New York, October 8, 1811, and the mother a native of Canton, New York. The mother died in St. Lawrence County, New York, in 1844, and of her three chil- dren our subject was the second. Mary, the eldest, died in Canton aged eighteen years, and Charlotte, wife of W. H. Ste- vens, died in Lincoln Township, Black Hawk County. The father was again mar- ried in 1846 in St. Lawrence County to Charlotte V. Backus (who died April 2, 1886), and to this union five children were born, all natives of Canton-Mrs. Florence
Cole, of Minneapolis; Mrs. Frances Earl, of Jefferson County, Wisconsin ; Mrs. Jane Searles, of Milwaukee; Charles, of Man- dan, Dakota, and William, of Jefferson County, Wisconsin. In 1859 the family removed to Jefferson County, Wisconsin, where our subject resided till 1866. James E. Barrett, our subject, enlisted in defense of the Union in 1863, in Company E, Fourth Wisconsin Cavalry, his father en- listing in the same company, being then fifty-two years of age. Both father and son were efficient soldiers, serving honor- ably and faithfully in the Gulf department until their discharge in July, 1865, when they returned to Jefferson County, Wis- consin. James E. Barrett came to Black Hawk County, Iowa, in March, 1866, when he bought the farm of 160 acres where he now resides, his father making his home with him since August 8, 1885. He was married in 1862 to Miss Maryette Stevens, a native of Jefferson County, Wisconsin, who died in July, 1866, leaving one son- Merritt, who still lives with his father. Mr. Barrett was again married in 1871 in Jefferson County, Wisconsin, to Miss Mar- garet Rutherford, who was born in St. Lawrence County, New York. She died in May, 1872, also leaving one son-Charles J. Mr. Barrett married Miss Pauline Thompson October 11, 1873, she being a native of York County, Maine. Two chil- dren have blessed this union-Earl and Charlotte. Mrs. Barrett is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Bar- rett is a member of the Legion of Honor, belonging to lodge No. 90, of Reinbeck. He has served his township as trustee for several years, and is now serving his second year as township assessor. By his upright life and gentlemanly deportment Mr. Barrett has during his residence in Lin- coln Township won the confidence and es- teem of all who know him. In politics both he and his father are radical Republicans.
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ANIEL W. CROUSE, physician and surgeon, of Waterloo, is a native of Chester County, Penn- sylvania, born November 5, 1845. When he was eleven years of age his parents, Daniel and Mary (Mau- rer) Crouse, removed to Carroll County, Illinois, and there located on a farm. Dan- iel attended the Mount Carroll Seminary, and afterward went to the University of Michigan, from which institution he grad- uated in 1868. Immediately after graduating he went to New York, and attended lect- ures at the College of Physicians and Surgeons. He took a second course of lectures at Long Island College Hospital, graduating again in June, 1869. He then began the practice of medicine at Morse- ville, Jo Daviess County, Illinois, but in the fall of 1869 came to Waterloo, where he has since followed the practice of his chosen profession. December 4, 1878, he was united in marriage to Florence B. Hawley, of Westfield, New York. The Doctor is a member of the Cedar Valley Medical Asso- ciation, and is president of the Iowa State Medical Association and also belongs to the National Medical Association. He is at present Commissioner of the Insane of Black Hawk County.
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