USA > Iowa > Black Hawk County > Historical and biographical record of Black Hawk County, Iowa > Part 23
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discharge, June 15, 1865, he returned to his home in Jefferson County, Wisconsin. In March, 1866, in company with his brother- in-law, James E. Barrett, he came to Black Hawk County, Iowa, each buying a home on section 20, Lincoln Township, and here his wife died June 15, 1874, at the age of thirty years. April 25, 1876, Mr. Stevens was married to Miss Olive Hoag, born May 16, 1848, in Freeport, Illinois, where her father, John Hoag, still resides. Of the four chil- dren born to them only two survive- Harry and Floyd. Alma and Margaret are deceased. Mr. Stevens began improving his present farm in 1866, and from the raw prairie he has made one of the best farms in Lincoln Township. It contains 120 acres of land, all under a high state of cultiva- tion. Mr. Stevens is one of Lincoln's active and public-spirited citizens, and has served in many positions of trust since coming to the township, holding the offices of trustee, constable, road supervisor and school di- rector. In politics he is a staunch Repub- lican. He is a member of Reinbeck Lodge, No. 386, I. O. O. F., of which he is at pres- ent Vice-Grand.
ESSE M. HELFER was born in White County, Indiana, October 8, 1850, a son of Jacob and Sarah (Graver) Helfer, his father born in Rowan County, North Carolina, June 26, 1813, and the mother a na- tive of Coshocton County, Ohio, born November 3, 1819. The father was reared from his sixth till his twenty-first year in Shelby County, Indiana, when he went to Tippecanoe County, Indiana, and was there married May 12, 1837, his wife coming from her native county to Tippecanoe County at the age of fifteen years. They had three children born to them-William Henry, born May 12, 1838, died August
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HISTORY OF BLACK HAWK COUNTY.
30, 1841 : Jacob M., born February 14, 1848, died in his fourth year, and Jesse M., our subject. About nine years after their marriage the parents moved to White County, Indiana, locating on a timbered farm which they cleared, living there about twelve years, and in July, 1855, came to this county with our subject. They first located on the farm which is yet occupied by Jesse M. and his widowed mother, his father having died here September 1, 1879. When they settled here but thirty acres had been broken, on which was built a small two-room house. There is now a good substantial frame house, with two good barns and other farm buildings, all in fine condition, and his land is well-im- proved, and fenced, partly with rails and partly with wire. The homestead contains about 313 acres, located on sections 26, 27, 34, 35 and 36. Jesse M. Helfer was mar- ried November 17, 1867, to Hannah A. Crawford, who was born May 13, 1851, in Sullivan County, New York, and when she was three years old her parents, William H. and Lettie J. (Hendricks) Crawford, moved to Elkhart County, Indiana, where she was reared. Her father was a native of New York State, living there till he came to Elkhart County, Indiana. He came to Black Hawk County, Iowa, in March, 1866, with his wife and five children, of whom, Mrs. Helfer is the third child. Mr. Craw- ford died in this county June 27, 1866. Mr. and Mrs. Helfer have four children- Jacob M., born January 8, 1869; Harrison C., born March 18, 1871 ; Mary F., born March 12, 1878, and Luella M., born May 23, 1882. Mr. Helfer was elected township trustee in 1882, and served in that capacity for two years. In politics he casts his suf- frage with the Republican party. He is a member of the Christian church. Our sub- ject's parents had an adopted son, Henry Derduff, whom they reared from his thir- teenth year. He was born October 3, 1844.
He enlisted in the Union army, and was with Sherman in his march to the sea, and at the grand review at Washington. While in the army he contracted disease, from the effects of which he died August 28, 1866.
Sap'i'nde OM IRAM M. BAILEY came to this county October 27, 1857, when he bought eighty acres of land on sec- tion 26, Mt. Vernon Township, living there two years. He then sold his land and bought 120 acres in the same township, and two years later sold this land, and went to Kane County, Illinois, and a year later returned to Black Hawk County and spent the summer at Waterloo. He then sold his town property, and in the fall of 1867 bought his present farm on section 35, which contains 120 acres of land. When Mr. Bailey bought this place, but forty acres had been broken, and no buildings had been erected. Mr. Bailey has made all the improvements here, has a comfortable house, a good frame barn, and other farm buildings, and his land under cultivation. He was born in Petersburg, Rensselaer County, New York, April 26, 1832, a son of Henry and Sarah (Dill) Bailey. His father was born in Vermont in 1782, and died March 7, 1875, and his mother was al- so a native of Vermont, her death taking place in Petersburg, New York, January 3, 1859, at the age of seventy-three years. Mr. Bailey was married August 27, 1854, to Mary E. Williams, who was born in Nassau, Rensselaer County, New York, November 9, 1837. She was a daughter of Walton W. and Rebecca (Reynolds) Williams, her father dying in Nassau, New York, in March, 1879, and her mother dying Novem- ber 2, 1861, at the age of sixty-two years. Mrs. Bailey was reared in Rensselaer Coun- ty, and there received a common-school ed- ucation, living there till after her marriage.
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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
To Mr. and Mrs. Bailey were born two children-Emma S., born in Kane County, Illinois, March 28, 1857, and now the wife of Clemance Leeper, and Charles E., born July 2, 1863, in Mount Vernon Township, this county. In politics Mr. Bailey was a Republican. Mrs. Bailey was bereaved by the death of her husband, September 10, 1883. He had been a sufferer from rheu -. matism for many years, and for two years previous to his death he had been unable to work, the last year being entirely con- fined to the house. He served his town- ship for two terms as supervisor. He was a respected citizen of the township, and left behind him many friends to mourn his loss.
SAAC D. GILKEY was born Feb- ruary 24, 1825, in Orange County, Vermont, a son of Silas and Almira Gilkey, his father being of Scotch and his mother being of Eng- lish ancestry. When he was ten years of age his parents removed to Orleans County, Vermont, and there he was reared to mercantile pursuits, his father being a mer- chant. At the age of twenty years he went to Holliston, Massachusetts, where he was employed in a boot and shoe manufactory for two years. From Holliston he went to Boston, where for a short time he was en- gaged in clerking in a mercantile establish- ment. He subsequently traveled for the mercantile firm of A. C. Denison & Co., selling goods through Maine, New Hamp- shire and Vermont for five years. He then located at Island Pond, Essex County, Ver- mont, where he carried on the mercantile business with his brother, S. N. Gilkey, for several years, and for a time previous to his removal from that place he had an interest in a hotel there. Mr. Gilkey came to Black Hawk County, Iowa, during the fall of 1856, locating on a farm in Union
Township, where he resided ten years. In 1866 he removed with his family to Cedar Falls, where he has since made his home. For his wife he married Abby M. Parsons, and of the three children born to them only one, Henry S., is living.
OEL PROUTY, bridge-builder, re- siding at. Cedar Falls, is a na- tive of Bangor, Maine, where he was born January 24, 1815, a son of Aaron and Hepsibath (Crosby) Prouty. His paternal grandfather was a native of England, and was one of of the Puritans who left that country in the " Mayflower," and landed at Plymouth Rock. Joel Prouty was reared to manhood in his native State, his father being a farmer by occupation, owning a farm on the Penobscot River. At the age of eighteen he began learning bridge-building under skilled and practical workmen, and at the age of thirty began contracting on his own account, which he still continues, and to-day he ranks among the prominent bridge- builders of Black Hawk County. Mr. Prouty was married in August, 1843, to Miss Lucy Moore, of Maine, and of the five children born to bless this union only two are now living-Wellington M. and Orlando K. For his second wife he married Mrs. Ann J. Warren, of Black Hawk County. He has been a resident of this county since 1858, in which year he left Maine and made his home in Cedar Falls. Both Mr. Prouty and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, of which he is at present one of the trustees. In politics he affiliates with the Prohibition party. His son, Wellington M., was a sol- dier in the late war, enlisting in Company K, Third Iowa Infantry. He served his country three years, and during this time participated in many of the important bat- tles of the war.
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HISTORY OF BLACK HAWK COUNTY.
LEMANCE LEEPER, farmer, sec- tion 26, Mount Vernon Township, is a son of Jacob W. and Matilda (Ford) Leeper. He was born in Mt. Vernon Township on section 25, Au- gust 28, 1855, and was here reared and educated in the common schools. December 27, 1880, he was married to Emma S. Bailey, born in Sugar Grove, near Kaneville, Illi- nois, in 1858, a daughter of Hiram M. and Mary E. ( Williams) Bailey. To this union has been born one child-Freddie Ansel, born September 29, 18SI. In his political views Mr. Leeper affiliates with the Green- back party. Mr. Leeper is one of the sub- stantial farmers of this township, where he owns a fine farm containing 120 acres.
ATHAN B. CHOATE, farmer and stock-raiser, section 10, Benning- ton Township, was born in Port Hope, Canada, June 10, 1832, a son of Nathan and Charlotte (Bedford) Choatc. His father was born near Coburg, Canada, March 9, 1805, his parents having been among the early settlers of Canada. When he was about four years old his parents moved to Port Hope, where his father still resides at the advanced age of eighty years. His parents came from New Hampshire to Canada. They afterward raised corn and wheat which they took to Kingston to mill. Nathan, our subiect, was reared in Port Hope till he was of age. ยท He spent almost a year at Brockport, New York, completing his education at the Brockport Academy. In November, 1854, he came to Ogle County, Illinois, entering his land there in the spring of 1855. In the fall of that year he went to Wisconsin, where he was engaged in hauling supplies for the Maine Lumber Company, and the following spring returned to Ogle County, and after spending a few days there he went
to Jacksonville, Illinois, visiting Jacob Strawn, who was then the cattle king of the West. He bought four yoke of oxen, and commenced breaking his land. He built a log cabin on his land in the fall of 1856, which was completed December 1, and the day following he started for Ogle County to be married. When a short dis- tance from his home he was overtaken by a blizzard, and he had to remain at the Prairie House, about three miles distant, for three days before the storm ccased. When he arrived at Dubuque he aban- doned his team, and completed the journey by rail. He was married December 10, 1856, his wife, Ellen P., being a daughter of Horace and Alice (Fisk) Leffingwell. After his marriage he returned to Water- loo, arriving at his log cabin January 3, 1857. The winter of 1856-'57 was a very severe one, and they endured many hard- ships and privations. More than half the cattle of their neighborhood died during that winter. Mr. Choate's first crop of wheat did not realize 50 cents in cash. The next year he planted ninety acres of wheat from which he never realized a pint. The second winter he went with his wife to Canada, returning in April following, spending the summer on the farm, and in the fall of 1859 went to Ogle County, Illi- nois, remaining there till March, 1863, when they returned to the farm. In the fall of 1869 they removed to Waterloo, and lived there four years, after which they spent two years on their farm in this town- ship. They then returned to Waterloo, remaining there one and a half years, and in 1878 returned to the farm where they have since resided. Mr. Choate has one of. the best improved farms in the township, and his residence is one of the finest in the neighborhood. Mr. and Mrs. Choate have two children-Charles S., at present serv- ing as clerk of his township, and Charlotte A., a school teacher, both living at home.
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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
Mr. Choate has served as township assessor and tax collector. He has served as school director in Waterloo, and also in his own district for several years. Mr. Choate makes a specialty of stock-raising, having a fine herd of registered Devon- shire cattle, and Poland-China and Chester white hogs. Mrs. Choate's father was a native of Vermont, born June 26, 1802, where he was reared, and was married at Swanton, Vermont. When she was six years old her parents moved to Ogle County, Illinois, where the father died three years later, in 1848, of typhoid fever. Mrs. Choate's mother was born at Barre, Vermont, June 15, 1802, and died January 5, 1877, at Oregon, Illinois.
C. GILCHRIST, A. M., Princi- pal of Iowa State Normal School, Cedar Falls, Iowa, was born in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania, May 20, 1831. His parents were Scotch, having immigrated to America about 1820 and settled at Pittsburg. In 1836 the family removed to a farm situated in Coitsville, Mahoning County, Ohio, and on this farm the boy, James, labored until he was nineteen years old. During his youth he received only such an education as could be obtained in the district schools of that time.
On December 3, 1849, he became a stu- dent of Mahoning Institute, Poland, Ohio, then an academy of reputation, and still prosperous with collegiate powers. He attended this school until July, 1853, inter- rupted, however, by his going out several terms to teach and to work. He was wholly dependent on himself for means to sustain his studentship, and he hesitated not to go to the harvest fields in vacations, to do janitor work in the buildings, to teach occasional classes of the academy, that he might add to his earnings of regular teach-
ing in the common schools. From home, he could only expect encouragement, and this was never wanting. His father died in 1854.
After leaving the academy in 1853, he taught one term at Lenox, Ashtabula County, and four more at Hubbard, Trum- bull County. In April, 1855, he entered Antioch College, Yellow Springs, Ohio, of which Horace Mann was president. He was a student of Antioch several terms, but financial fortune was against him, and his course of study was never completed at college.
His experience in teaching is quite ex- tensive, he having been identified with schools of nearly all grades and in many places. His first teaching was a common school in Coitsville, during the winter of 1851 and 1852, then the Lenox Academy and the Hubbard public school just mentioned. During his college life he was, for one school year of nine months, superintendent of the schools of Republic, Seneca County, Ohio. After another period of attendance at Antioch he accepted the principalship of the Union Schools of Marlboro, Stark County, Ohio, and remained there two years. In 1858 he married Miss Hannah Cramer, a teacher in the public schools of Warren, Ohio. After a year of educational work, the leading part of which was with a boarding school for boys, he was chosen city superintendent of the schools of New Brighton, Pennsylvania. In the fall of 1860, he took charge of California Seminary, Washington County, Pennsylvania. In 1865 he projected the enterprise of convert- ing the seminary into a State Normal . School, under the laws of Pennsylvania. On him fell the chief burden of the under- taking. He raised much of the necessary money required of the community, visited the Legislature at Harrisburg and secured needed appropriations, planned the build- ings, superintended the construction of
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HISTORY OF BLACK HAWK COUNTY.
them and brought the school to the stand- ard required for State recognition.
During his labors in this direction, which occupied six years, he was county super- intendent of the public schools of Wash- ington County, from 1865 to 1869. To his administration is accredited an educational revival in that county. His institutes had a quickening power; and the students of the newly founded Normal School carried a knowledge of better methods of teaching throughout the county. In the fall of 1870 he was tendered the principalship of West Virginia State Normal School at Fair- mount, which position he accepted. He remained here but one year, owing to a po- litical change in party power of that State. The dominant party believed it best to put new men at the head of the State institu- tions. No other year of Prof. Gilchrist's history advanced his reputation so much as this one spent at Fairmount, for the school grew and established itself firmly in the favor of the people.
In obedience to a long entertained incli- nation to remove West, he now, in 1871, came to Iowa and resided at Cedar Rap- ids. He engaged in Institute work largely for one or two years, and in the spring of 1873 he was proffered the superintendency of the public schools of Mason City, Iowa. The schools were organized by him, an en- thusiastic educational spirit arose among the people, and a beautiful building was erected. In 1876 he was elected principal of Iowa State Normal School, an institution which had just been founded by the Six- teenth General Assembly. His long and successful administration of this school bears record to his ability and to the appre- ciation of the Board of Directors who have retained his services for ten years.
Prof. Gilchrist has occasionally contrib- uted an article on an educational subject to some paper or magazine; but he has been too busy with practical affairs for much
writing. His official public reports have discussed many of the leading questions of the times and, in some instances, have excited attention. He has, however, been a public speaker on educational themes at all times. He has often appeared on the lecture platform of several States during his thirty-three years of an educational ca- reer. A special field of his labor has been Teachers' Institutes, the number of such bodies before which he has appeared reach- ing the hundreds, perhaps. One of the forms of improvement in which he has taken much pleasure and from which he has derived much profit is educational as- sociations, County, State and National. He has been a member of such organizations in Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Iowa. He has attended a goodly number of the meetings of the National Educational Association, of which he is a life member. He was president of the Normal School Department at the Chautauqua meeting, 1881. He has read several papers before these bodies from time to time.
Allegheny College, Meadville, Pennsyl- vania, conferred on him the honorary de- grce of Master of Arts in 1868.
Thus far this sketch relates to Prof. Gil- christ's school-life as student and teacher. There is not much else left ; but this would not be a fair presentation of his work, were no reference made to other fields that have engaged somewhat of his thought and ac- tion, especially that pertaining to the Church and to the Nation.
Joining the Methodist Episcopal church in 1863, he was licensed to preach in 1866, and was ordained 1878 in Deacon's orders. He has preached continuously for twenty years. His discourses are liberal and frec from sectarianism. Their general type and characteristic is that of ethical and philo- sophical discussion, but always confirma- tory of the central truths of revelation. He never was in charge of a congregation,
.
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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
never was paid a dollar for preaching; and he preaches because he believes that, in so doing, he adheres closely to his one and sole life-work, that of a teacher and an educa- tor.
When the civil war broke out he was in charge of California Seminary, Pennsylva- nia, and his school was made up largely of young men, many of whom, at the call for troops in the summer of 1861, enlisted. He joined a company himself and went into camp, but at the urgent solicitation of friends to remain and carry on the school, and at the advice of the physician who doubted his health as sufficient at that time for a soldier's life, he did not go into active service. He continued his school, teaching the children of the absent soldiers free of tuition in many cases. He supported the Union cause by all the means he had, and not without persecution and peril. Some of his vacations were spent in recruiting companies to meet the demand for more troops. His service at home was, perhaps, better than what he might have rendered in the camp.
In the family there have been ten chil- dren born, six of whom are living, three sons and three daughters. Cleland and Charles Willard are farmers, managing what is called Lake Stock Farm, situated in Pocahontas County. Maude has been a teacher for the past three years in the Normal School, and has accepted a posi- tion in Wellesley College, Massachusetts, as Assistant Professor in the Department of Botany. Fred C. is yet a student ; and the two little girls, Grace and Norma, are attending the Model School.
The above is a brief record of a man whose busy life has been devoted to the benefit of his race. He has had excellent health generally; and feeling yet the vigor of early manhood, he is ambitious to go forward with unabated energy in whatever path duty calls him.
ERRY CASTEEL, section 34, Ben- nington Township, was born in Coshocton County, Ohio, Feb- ruary 9, 1830, a son of Thomas and Dorcas (Dickerson) Casteel, who were natives of Bedford County, Pennsylvania. When he was about seven years old his mother died, after which he went to live with an uncle, but after his father's second marriage he returned home, remaining there till his father's death, which occurred in Coshocton County in 1844, at the age of forty-seven years, leaving a family of nine children, who were taken by neighbors and relatives. Thomas Casteel served in the war of 1812, enlisting at the age of about sixteen years, going instead of his father. Perry Casteel received but a limited edu- cation in the common schools. At the age of fourteen years he was thrown on his own resources by the death of his father. He came to Black Hawk County, Iowa, May 12, 1855, and the following June bought land from the Government, re- maining here till the fall of 1858, when he was taken sick and returned to Knox County, Ohio. He was married there November 11, 1858, to Emeline Harrod and continued to reside there till 1861, when he returned to this county with his wife and two children, coming by team. Mr. Casteel commenced life for himself with no capital but a pair of willing hands and a determination to succeed, and by his energy and industry he has accumulated a competency for himself and family. He has a good house and barn with other farm buildings, and an excellent farm of 160 acres, which is well adapted to stock-rais- ing. Mr. and Mrs. Casteel have a family of eight children-Frank W., born August 21, 1859; Cora A., May 7, 1861 ; Bertha M., January 25, 1863 ; Minnie E., January 25, 1865 ; Kitty E., May 22, 1867; Thomas L., October 15, 1869; Walter P., December 20,
HISTORY OF BLACK HAWK COUNTY.
1872, and Dora B., March 19, 1874, all the children born in this county but the two eldest. In politics Mr. Casteel is a Demo- crat. He is a member of the Christian church. He has served his township as assessor one term, was highway commis- sioner several terms, and has also served as township trustee and school director. Mrs. Casteel's parents, Levi and Dorcas (Lc- fever) Harrod, were natives of Pennsyl- vania, but reared in Ohio. They came to this county in 1863, and lived in Fox Town- ship till the fall of 1881, when they moved to Waterloo, where they had one of the best farms in this county. Both parents dicd here, the father October 22, 1884, in his eighty-first year, and the mother March 17, 1883, at the age of seventy four years.
ILLIAM HALLIDAY, of Water- loo, was born in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, September 7, 1 823, his parents, Samuel and Susan (Clark) Halliday, being na- tives of Ireland The father came to America in 1816, stopping first in Con- necticut. He subsequently came to Ohio, where he was married, living in that State till his death. William was reared to ma- turity on his father's farm, and in his youth received a limited common-school educa- tion. He commenced life for himself as a farmer. He was married in 1851 to Miss L. Howey, of Lorain County, Ohio, and of the three children born to this union two are living-Willie J. and Charles B. A daughter died in infancy. After his mar- riage Mr. Halliday settled on a farm on which he resided till 1862, when he re- moved with his family to Waterloo, living on a farm about one mile east of the city for four years. He then moved to Barclay Township, where he bought the Pilot Grove farm, which consists of 403 acres,
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