USA > Iowa > Black Hawk County > Historical and biographical record of Black Hawk County, Iowa > Part 33
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HISTORY OF BLACK HAWK COUNTY.
gaged in teaching school for some time. He was united in marriage August 19, 1855, to Cynthia E. Davis, a daughter of John and Ellen Davis, natives of New Bruns- wick and Prince Edward's Island respec- tively, and carly settlers of Winnebago County, Ilinois. Her grandfather, Thomas Davis, was a native of Virginia, and was a soldier in the Revolutionary war. Three of the four children born to Mr. and Mrs. Felmley are living-Alice, Albert E. and Mabel, two of whom are engaged in teach- ing in the public schools. Mr. Felmley re- mained in Winnebago County till 1864, when he came to Black Hawk County, Towa, and in 1875 settled on his present farm in Cedar Falls Township. His home farm consists of 120 acres of choice land un- der a high state of cultivation, with good residence and farm buildings. In politics Mr. Felmley affiliates with the Republican party. He has served one term as town- ship assessor with credit to himself and satisfaction to his constituents. He and his family are members of the Methodist Epis- copal church at Cedar Falls of which he is at present one of the stewards. He has also served as superintendent of the Sabbath- school for one year. He takes an active in- terest in the cause of temperance, and in all matters pertaining to the good of his township. Mr. Felmley is a great reader, and keeps himself well informed on general topics. He has accumulated a fine library, consisting of standard publications.
ERBERT W. CLEVELAND, farmer and stock-raiser, Cedar Falls Township, has been a resi- dent of Black Hawk County since the spring of 1882, when he located on his present farm, on section 25. Mr. Cleveland is a native of the State of Illinois, born in Winnebago County, August 8, 1860,
and is the second son of William and Jane Cleveland, his parents being natives of New York State. He was reared and cd- ucated in the schools of Illinois, remaining in that State till he made his home in Black Hawk County, lowa. He was united in marriage December 30, 1880, to Miss Roxanna Moon, daughter of Robert and Hannah Moon, of Winnebago County, Illinois. This union has been blessed with two children-Lloyd R., born October 4, 1881, and Ethel L., born December 16, 1884. Mr. Cleveland is classed among the prosper- ous and enterprising young farmers of Ce- dar Falls Township, where he is the owner of a fine farm, containing eighty acres of land. In politics he casts his suffrage with the Republican party.
EWIS M. HAWVER was born in Walworth County, Wisconsin, April 23, 1850, the eldest son of George W. and Elizabeth Hawver. His father was a native of New York State, and an early settler of Wisconsin, and was the first to introduce a reaping- machine into that State. He remained there till December, 1864, since which time he has made his home in Waterloo, Black Hawk County, Iowa. Lewis M. was about fourteen years old when his father settled at Waterloo, and in the schools of that city he received most of his education, remain- ing there till he was nineteen years of age. He then began life for himself, engaging in general farming. In March, 1881, he began dairying on a small scale, buying at first two cows for which he gave his note for $50. Shortly afterward he gave his note for four more cows, and the milk of his six cows he disposed of to the Fow- ler Company, of Waterloo, manufacturers of cheese. In November, 1882, he com- menced selling his milk on the street, and
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during the past two years he has disposed of most of his milk in the same way. He is now the principal dairyman of the county, and is now milking fifty cows, the milk from these averaging about 40,500 gallons annually. His dairy, to which he now de- votes his entire time, is conducted on the farm of M. W. Taylor, of East Waterloo Township. Mr. Hawver was married in 1875 to Miss Alice Minor, of Linn County, Iowa, and to this union have been born four children-Lizzie M., Ruby D., Luther M. and Mack Ross.
LREY L. JANES, the eldest of six children of Dr. G. and Laura (Richardson) Janes, was born in Du Page County, Illinois, May 12, 1836. His father was born in Catta- raugus County, New York, in 1813, and there he grew to manhood, living there a year or two after his marriage when he went to Chicago for a few months. He then went to Du Page County where he bought a farm, which he subsequently sold and removed to Will County, Illinois, re- siding there on a farm till 1854, and in the fall of that year he came with his family to Black Hawk County, Iowa, making the journey by team. The father died in this township in 1870 aged fitty-seven years, his widow surviving till 1878, when she died at the age of sixty-four years. Elrey L., our subject, came with his parents to this county in 1854 where he has since been engaged in agricultural pursuits. He is now the owner of 190 acres of land in this township, located on sections 21 and 28. July 3, 1856, he was married to Lucy A. Bovee, daughter of Philip and Ruth (Shep- herd) Bovee. To this union have been born five children of whom four are living -Alice M., born February 11, 1861, mar- ried Frank Knapp, a resident of Union
Township, October 12, 1882; Ida E., born June 5, 1863, married John Benham, of Union Township, August 1, 1881; Addie E., born May 26, 1866, living at home, and Eva M., born May 16, 1870, attending school at Iowa State Normal. The eldest child, Alfred E., died in 1860 aged two years. Politically Mr. Janes is a Republican. He has held the office of township trustee for many years. Mrs. Janes' father came to this county with our subject's father in the spring of 1854, Mr. Janes returning for his family in the fall of that year, and while he was gone Mr. Bovee died at Cedar Falls, in 1854. His widow with her family of four children finally settled in Union Township, this county, where she died in 1856, aged fifty-seven years.
R. DICKEY came to Black Hawk County, Iowa, in the spring of 1857, and first settled on section 12, buying from the Government a quarter-section of land. To his first purchase he has added from time to time till his farm now contains 240 acres, and he also owns a farm of 160 acres in Lester Township, this county, making in all 400 acres, and this land he has converted from raw prairie to a fairly improved farm. Mr. Dickey was born in Steubenville, Jef- ferson County, Ohio, April 24, 1825, a son of Samuel and Esther (Simonton) Dickey, natives of Pennsylvania, the father born in Washington County, and the mother in Northumberland County. The father served as a soldier in the war of 1812, and his father served for seven years in the war of the Revolution. Our subject's parents moved to Stephenson County, Illi- nois, in the spring of 1845, with a family of five children. A. R. Dickey built the first steamer on the Pecatonica River, which he ran to Winslow, Wisconsin, for seven years,
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HISTORY OF BLACK HAWK COUNTY.
when he sold his steamboat and came to Black Hawk County in 1857. After reach- ing his majority he engaged in farming in Stephenson County with his father for a few years. His father lived in that county till his death in April, 1857, at the age of seventy-one years. Mr. Dickey was mar- ried December 27, 1854, to Phobe C. Van Brocklin, daughter of Conrad and Harriet (Searl) Van Brocklin, natives of Mont- gomery County, New York, and Massa- chusetts respectively, the mother born near Boston, December 13, 1803. They came to Stephenson County, Illinois, in 1835, where the father died in November, 1877, aged seventy-four years. The mother is still living in Stephenson County. To Mr. and Mrs. Dickey have been born fourteen chil- dren-Harriet E., born September 22, 1856, wife of John W. Knepper, of this township ; George E., born November 27, 1857, living at home; William A., born April 27, 1859, in Bennington Township, this county, mar- ricd Lucinda C. Rhodes; Charles O., born December 18, 1860, living in Butler County, lowa; James A., born April 23, 1862, liv- ing at home ; Elmer C., born May 29, 1864, living at home; Carrie M., born February 21, 1866, married Arthur M. Perry, Novem- ber 5, 1885, now living in Bremer County, Iowa; Clarence A., born September 15, 1867, living at home ; Adrian A., born May 20, 1869; Alvin H., born November 27, 1870; Orton L., born March 11, 1872, died August 11, 1874; Arthur J., born August 17, 1873, died June 12, 1876; Leota M., born May 6, 1877, died October 14, 1879; Livonia C., born December 8, 1878, living at home. Mr. Dickey is a member of the Presbyterian church. In politics he affili- ates with the Republican party. He has served as township assessor for one year, and as justice of the peace cight or nine years, and was again elected to that office in the fall of 1885. He has also served as township trustee. Mr. Dickey is of Irish
and Scotch descent. His wife's ancestors were Dutch and Irish. Her paternal grand- father was a soldier in the war of 1812.
ZRA W. FISH was born in Rich- field Township, Otsego County, New York, May 31, 1825. His father, Abraham Fish, was also a na- tive of Otsego County, and lived to the advanced age of eighty-seven ycars, dying in Detroit, Michigan, Feb- ruary 15, 1884. His mother died in Junc, 1825, aged twenty-two years. His father was a Methodist Episcopal clergyman, and his youth was spent in various towns in the New York Conference. When fifteen years. of age he accompanied his stepmother's brother-in-law, Daniel Clark, to Oswego, New York. In June, 1842, he went to Rochester, New York, where his sister Ruth was living, working his passage on the lake. He worked during the summer for. Charles A. Jones, a brother of his sis- ter's husband, and in September went with his uncle, Silas R. Thornton, to Hemlock Lake, Livingston County, remaining with him till March, 1843, attending school in the winter. In March, 1843, he returned to Rochester, and worked for Dr. D. M. Shipman five months. Hc then worked for a hatter by the name of Divoll through the winter, and in the spring began work- ing for Post & Willis, druggists. A year later he began working at the carpenter and joiner's trade, which he followed till 1853, when, in September, he came to Iowa, and lived in Janesville twelve years. He then bought the farm on section 2, Wash- ington Township, which he still owns. He established a blacksmith shop in Janesville, which he conducted six years before buy- ing his farm, and then followed agricultural pursuits six years, and four years of the time ran a blacksmith shop on his farm.
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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
He then gave up that shop and bought back the shop in Janesville, which he has since conducted, a year of the time in com- pany with Joseph Mitchell. Mr. Fish was married December 25, 1845, to Elizabeth M. Predmon, who died November 4, 1846, leaving an infant daughter-Elizabeth, who is now the wife of Adelbert Wood, of Cass County, Michigan. May 1, 1852, Mr. Fish married Lorilla Taber, a native of Erie County, Pennsylvania, born June 19, 1827, daughter of John Taber. They have five children -- Harvey E., born April 15, 1853, married Annie Huckins in 1874; Horace G., born April 19, 1855, married Erie Les- lie in 1880; Alice C., born January 1, 1857, is the wife of William H. Cobb, of Aurora, Indiana ; Annette L., born August 10, 1862, and Bertha A., born March 10, 1866. Mr. Fish is a member of Equity Lodge, No. 131, F. & A. M. He has been trustee, clerk, justice of the peace and school direc- tor of Washington Township. He is an ardent Republican, and during the war was a strong Union man. A man name Beebe was employed on the toll bridge being built by J. A. Taylor about 1862, who, knowing that Mr. Fish had said no " Cop- perhead" could live in Janesville, made a pin from an old fashioned copper cent and wore it, taking care to have Mr. Fish in- formed of the fact. Meeting him one day Mr. Fish told him he understood he was wearing a pin that was obnoxious to all Union-loving citizens, and requested him to take it off. Beebe replied that the pin was given him by a lady, and that he would defend it with his life. No sooner were the words spoken than Mr. Fish caught the bosom of his shirt where the pin was and tore the whole out. Then came a tussle, Mr. Beebe tried to get at Mr. Fish's eyes, but instead got his finger in his mouth, when Mr. Fish closed his jaws and thus held him. William Ellingworth was stand- ing by to see fair play, and thinking Beebe 32
had Fish by the throat, pulled them apart, and in so doing the flesh was torn from Beebe's thumb. Mr. Fish started for him again, but he turned and ran, and immedi- ately left the town. Mr. Fish is one of the enterprising farmers of Black Hawk County, and has been successful in his pursuits, owning beside his fine farm of sixty-five acres the lot and shop in Janes- ville, where he carries on the blacksmith and wagon-making business, and also three fine residence lots. He is a member of no religious denomination, but is a liberal sup- porter of all enterprises that tend toward the advancement of his town, materially or socially.
OBERT H. CLARK, dentist, La Porte City, Iowa, was born in Livingston County, New York, January 4, 1835, a son of Calvin E. and Harriet C. Clark, who were of English descent. He was reared and educated in his native State, his early life having been spent in various pursuits. He has been twice married, taking for his first wife, Mary A. Gilmore, a daughter of Dr. James Gilmore, of Springbrook, Erie County, New York. She died leaving two children-William G. and Emma L. Mr. Clark was subsequently married to Mrs. Sallie A. (Woodley) Kennedy, a daughter of Abraham W. and Rhoda Woodley of La Porte City. Mrs. Clark has been a resi- dent of Black Hawk County for many years. She was formerly married to the late A. C. Kennedy who was an early set- tler of this county, and to this union were born three children-Estella I., Orra A. and Olive M. In August, 1862, Mr. Clark enlisted in Company B, One Hundred and Thirty-sixth New York Infantry. He par- ticipated in the battle of Chancellorsville, but the Eleventh Army Corps, of which he was a member, was principally held in re-
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HISTORY OF BLACK HAWK COUNTY.
serve by General Sigel. He was shortly afterward taken sick with typhoid fever and confined in the hospitals of Philadel- phia for four months. He was honorably discharged in August, 1863. He began to practice dentistry in 1865 which he fol- lowed successfully for a time in Michigan, and also in Danville, New York. He came to Black Hawk County, Iowa, in 1873, lo- cating at La Porte City, where he has since built up a large and lucrative practice, and has established an excellent professional reputation, being the leading dentist of this city. He is a member of the Masonic fra- ternity, and a comrade of the Grand Army post. Politically he is a Republican.
R. JESSE OREN was born Sep- tember 22, 1824, the eldest son of John and Lydia Oren. John Oren was born November 18, 1792, and died March 5, 1872, and was the son of Joseph Oren, who died at the age of eighty-four years in the year 1838. Joseph Oren was the son of John Oren, who had a hard lot dur- ing the Revolutionary war, having his house torn down in mid-winter by the op- posing party, and ten children sought shel- ter in the barn from the snow and cold. About this time a noted chase occurred after Dr. Oren's maternal great-grand- father, Jacob Keller. All his ancestors on both sides were born and reared in York County, Pennsylvania, and owned farms adjoining each other. These farms were near the Susquehanna River-on the south side of the river opposite Mid- dletown. Just below Middletown are the rapids in the river, and it is considered very dangerous to attempt a passage by any ordinary boat. Middletown is situated at the junction of Sweet Arrow Creek with the river. Jacob Keller had gone
across the river and was attacked and pur- sued to the mouth of this creek. Ice was thick in both river and creek and just grinding along prior to closing up for the winter. It seemed to be only a choice as to the manner of dying! Jacob Keller chose death by ice and water rather than to be captured. He rushed in among the ice, succeeding after a time in getting on top of a large cake of it, and went over the falls safely and landed on an island about three miles below the falls! On this uninhabited island of about five acres of ground he remained nearly three days before the river closed and he was able to cross to the shore on the ice. The island has ever since been called " Kel- ler's Island," although no living person ex- cept Dr. Oren, we presume, could give the origin of its name. As an item of his- tory in the Revolutionary struggle, and of some local interest, it is here recorded. Dr. Jesse Oren was born in York County, Pennsylvania, and grew up on the home- stead among the stones and briars, trained to economy by the very necessity of the soil on which he grew. Where there is noth- ing to waste, nothing can be wasted. Pick- ing and hauling stone off the fields, waltz- ing behind a shovel plow, among roots and rocks, formed an important part of his preparatory training. It was important to him, but by no means in accord with his tastes. He wanted scholastic training much more than his humble surroundings seemed able to supply. He left home at the age of sixteen, a most important epoch in most boys' lives, and went to Church- town, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, and here indentured himself to the harness business; was to remain three years with Mr. P., who was to send him to school. This he failed to do. Not only this, but he took away his grammar and denied him books and all proper facilities for progress. He had made arrangements with Mr.
Jesse Vien M.D.
M.A. S.Open!
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
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Hinkle, principal of the village school, to be heard a grammar lesson after 9 o'clock at night, when the shop had closed busi- ness. This was offensive to Mr. P. and he became oppressive. He determined to leave him ; went to Lancaster, Ohio, where he had a bachelor uncle living, hoping to find favor with him, which he did in every- thing except in the way he most desired. Left him and went to Plainfield Academy, Mr. Williams, principal, and was taken as a pupil without a ready dollar to give him. Here he remained for three months, at the end of which time he felt able to try his powers in a school-room. To this end he went back to Pennsylvania, to Johnstown, where he also had an uncle living. Here he obtained a school and taught during the winter of 1842 and 1843. In the spring of 1843 he determined to go to Oberlin Col- lege, Ohio, and there, by means of labor and the pittance of money left over from the wages of the school, put in as much time at school as possible. On his way to Oberlin he passed through Richmond, Ohio, where there was a new college just opening. On passing up the street, heavily laden with books and the little clothing he possessed, he was accosted by William Lorimer, D. D., one of the directors of the new insti- tution, as also pastor of the Presbyterian church of Richmond. Dr. Lorimer inter- ested himself at once and then insisted that he should go home with him. He did so. He proved to be just what Jesse Oren needed-the right friend at the right time. Under his training he became a member of the Presbyterian church of Richmond, and afterward transferred the membership by letter to the Second Presbyterian Church of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, which membership has never been changed, and is still recog- nized in that church. Here he remained three years, all the time at study. At the end · of five months Dr. Lorimer gave him a cer- tificate of character and sent him to Judge
Mccullough, who lived at the mouth of Yellow Creek, about three miles from Wellsville, Ohio. Here he- obtained a school at good wages, but soon learned that William McCullough, son of the judge (and at the present time superintendent of a railroad, with headquarters at Wellsville, Ohio,) and John and William Hammond (now, and since, and during the civil war, John made his figure as an eminent physi- cian) these three boys were to commence the study of algebra and geometry. As Mr. Oren had not studied geometry at all, he felt embarrassed, but nevertheless assigned them a lesson and then went home to study it himself. As his school was but ten miles from Richmond, where it was well known that he was unbooked in geometry, and as he felt the situation was a bad one, he deter- mined to fortify himself by always hearing the lessons of the boys without having the book in his hand. In five months the boys passed through six books of Legendre without a miss or a fault. This will be news to Dr. John Hammond should he see this in print.
At the end of the school term he re- turned to Richmond, and had made greater progress than his class. Necessity, of course, had much to do with this. Here he remained until 1846. During this time Samuel Shelly gave him a year's boarding and refused to receive a moneyed consid- eration for the same. Dr. Lorimer and Mr. Shelly are highly prized and have his con- tinued gratitude for lasting favors given at a time when most needed.
By continued hard study and close con- finement he had injured his health. His nervous system had become greatly im- paired and he had also become an asthmatic. This greatly alarmed him and he sought medical advice. Instead of receiving good advice he received drugs ; he read up every- thing mentioned by the doctor. He be- came a medical student so far as his own
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HISTORY OF BLACK HAWK COUNTY.
case was in question, and of course, like all other non-professional readers, could al- ways find his own case covered by what he read. His own mind was continually sub- ordinating his body and would have driven it out of existence had he not found a mas- ter mind in the person of Dr. Rily, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, who, after Jesse had been sent home from Ohio by the doctors to die of consumption, saw the trouble was not in the lungs, but rather in the disordered nervous system, a result of want of exercise and close study. He was restored to health, not by drugs, but by good advice and the proper control of the mind. This led him to the study of med- icine as a profession. When the depress- ing influence of the mind was removed, he was quite well in less than three months. He now entered Dickinson College, Car- lisle, Pennsylvania, and at the same time the office of Dr. G. W. Foulke as a medi- cal student, doing double work. During the winter of 1$47 and 1848 he attended a course of medical lectures at the Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia. In 1850 Dr. Oren was instrumental in opening the Ship- pingsburg Academy and Normal School, of Shippingsburg, Pennsylvania, with him- self as principal in the normal department, and Rev. Laverty as financial manager and conductor of the school. This school is still in existence and in a flourishing con- dition. In 1852 he again attended lectures in the same institution. At his first course of lectures he became greatly interested in the clinics of the city, and began the prepa- ration of what he hoped he might some day be able to publish in book form. He at- tended the clinics at the Pennsylvania Hos- pital, Blockly Hospital, Wells Hospital and the Jefferson College, and made notes on 644 important surgical and medical cases. These notes were the sayings of Doctors Wood, Mitchell, Gherard, Pepper, Stillee, Morris, Dungleson, Mütter, Pan-
coast, Gibson, Norris, Pease, Neil, H. H. Smith, Agnew and Gilbert, names of high repute in the medical profession. This work has never been printed, mainly for want of funds at the proper time. In 1852 he was married to Miss Mary A. P. Pray, daughter of Michael Pray, of Philadelphia. The poet said that in " hours of ease, wom- an was uncertain, coy and hard to please." The poet did not know Mrs. Oren, since she did not become "coy and hard to please " in times of ease, but was ever ready, whether " pain and anguish wrung the brow " or not, to act as the " minis- tering angel." The issue of this marriage was twelve children-Michael, Samuel A., Laura Mary, Emma M., Harriet J., Mamie, Caroline, Mary Ida, Viola E., Jessie B., Alice Lorimer and Florence May. Only five of these are now living- Dr. Samuel A., Emma M., Harriet J., Mary Ida and Viola E. After marriage he be- came principal of the Strasburg Academy, a school of some age and note, situated in Strasburg, eight miles southeast of Lancas- ter City. This did not prove lucrative and was sold out to Prof. Nichols, after a trial of one year. He then moved to Phil- adelphia and opened a medical office in North Eleventh street, opposite St. Mala- chi's Church, and at the same time spent all leisure time in the hospitals, and at- tending lectures. In 1854 the Penn Medi- cal University conferred the adeundem degree of M. D. upon him, and soon after this he entered the Russian medical ser- vice and went to the Crimea. He was recommended to the Russian Legation at Washington by George M. Dallas, Vice- President under Polk. In the fall and winter of 1855 he served in a large hospital in Backsisaria, situated about twelve miles north of Sebastopol. Subsequently he was sent to Cherson and served in Hospital No. 18 until the end of the war. When the. Emperor visited the Crimea in October,
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