Historical and biographical record of Black Hawk County, Iowa, Part 39

Author: Inter-state Publishing Company (Chicago, Ill.) cn
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Chicago : Inter-state publishing company
Number of Pages: 640


USA > Iowa > Black Hawk County > Historical and biographical record of Black Hawk County, Iowa > Part 39


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and now resides at Estherville, Iowa. Mr. Whitaker was Waterloo's first mayor, fill- ing that office, by re-election, for five years. He was also a member of the school board eighteen years, serving as president of the board several years. He was secretary of the Black Hawk County Agricultural So- ciety twenty-one years. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and has served as presiding officer for several terms in each of the local lodges, chapter and com. mandery.


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BEL H. JOYNER, one of the act- ive farmers of East Waterloo Township, was born in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, March II, 1821, the youngest son of Seymour and Lois (Abott) Joyner, both of whom died in Massachusetts. Abel H. was reared on a farm, his father being a farmer by occupation. In his youth he attended the district schools, completing his educa- tion at an academy, after which he taught school for two terms, when he engaged in agricultural pursuits. He learned the car- penter and joiner's trade at which he work- ed several years. In the spring of 1869 he came to Black Hawk County, Iowa, and settled on the farm which is now occupied by C. L. Dean, where he resided till 1885. He then removed to his present farm which contains sixty acres of choice land, where he is engaged in farming and stock-raising. Mr. Joyner has been three times married, his first two wives dying in Massachusetts. He was married in 1869 to his present wife, whose maiden name was Emily Patterson, she being a native of Massachusetts. They have seven children -- Bert S., Charles H., Nelson, Fanny A., Fred, Bertha and Min- nie. Mr. Joyner has filled the office of secretary of the Board of Township School Trustees about fifteen years. He was


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elected assessor of East Waterloo Town- ship in 1874, and served as such for five years, and in the fall of 1885 he was again elected to the same office. He has also served as road supervisor, and for two years was school director. He is a mem- ber of the Baptist church of Waterloo. In politics he affiliates with the Republican party.


AMES HARVEY WASHBURN, of the mercantile firm of Wash- burn & Brooks, of the village of Hudson, is one of the pioneers of Black Hawk County, he having set- tled here as carly as 1856. Mr. Washburn was born in Potsdam, St. Law- rence County, New York, April 30, 1837, a son of Harvey and Janette (Bradshaw) Washburn. In his youth he received care- ful training and good educational advan- tages. His mother's death occurring when he was sixteen years old, he not long after that began to do for himself. In the latter part of 1855 he left his native county, and went to Walworth County, Wisconsin, where he spent the following winter, and in the spring of 1856 he came to Black Hawk County. He passed a few weeks at Waterloo, and was employed part of the time scoring timber for the court-house, then being erected. Returning to Wiscon- sın, he remained in Walworth County until fall, when he became a permanent resident of Black Hawk County, where he worked at the carpenter's trade till his marriage. He helped to build the first church erected in Waterloo, and drove nails on the first board placed on that building. He also assisted in the building of the second church of that city. December 2, 1862, he was married to Miss Margie E. Sergeant, a native of Indiana, and daughter of Albert Sergeant. Her parents were also pioneers of Black Hawk County, settling here in


the year 1854, where both died. Mr. and Mrs. Washburn have two sons-Frank, who was born November 4, 1864, and Guy, born August 6, 1874. After his marriage Mr. Washburn engaged in farming, which avocation he followed till he made his home in Hudson in September, 1881, since which he has been engaged in the general mercan- tile trade. He has been very successful in his business, which has steadily increased from year to year, and his genial and accommodating manners have made him popular with all classes. Soon after establish- ing himself in Hudson he was made post- master, which office he resigned in January, 1886. In February, 1886, he became asso- ciated with L. L. Brooks, and with increased facilities the new firm look with confidence to the future for a prosperous business. In politics, like his father, he affiliates with the Republican party, having cast his first presi- dential vote for Abraham Lincoln. Mr. Washburn has served as magistrate faith- fully for twelve years, and it may be said to his credit that no case appealed from his docket to a higher court was ever re- versed. He also served several years as assessor of his township, and held the office of township clerk for one term.


AMES I. CARR, farmer, residing on section 33, Waterloo Town- ship, is a native of New York State, born June 6, 1836, a son of Jarvis and Sally (Corbin) Carr, who were also natives of New York, the father of Irish and the mother of German descent. The parents came West with their family in 1852, and settled in Ogle County, Illinois, where they remained till 1859. They then lived in Fayette County, Iowa, till 1866, when they came to Black Hawk County, Iowa, where the father died in 1877, aged seventy-five years. The mother is still living, making her home with our sub-


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ject, and is now aged seventy-eight years. Of the six children born to them five are living-Ervilla, wife of Cyrus Blenis, of Black Hawk County; Salome, widow of William Lanfear; Lovina, wife of Edward Wells, of Ogle County, Illinois; Sarah, wife of William King, of California, and James I., our subject. The latter .was reared on a farm, and after completing his education he engaged in teaching school, which he has followed both in Illinois and Iowa about seventeen terms. He now de- votes his attention to farming and dairying, milking twenty-five cows. Mr. Carr is a self- made man, he having acquired a valuable property by his own industry and perse- verance, his present farm containing 166 acres of highly cultivated land. Mr. Carr was married in Black Hawk County, Sep- tember 18, 1860, to Elizabeth S. Hill, who was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Feb- ruary 27, 1840. They have two children --- Minnie L., born August 23, 1861, and Willie L., born September 24, 1869.


AMES VAUGHAN, one of Lin- coln Township's leading agricult- urists, has been a resident of this county since 1869. In that year he settled on the farm where he still makes his home, and which he has con- verted from the naked prairie land into one of the largest and best improved farms in this part of Black Hawk County. It contains 820 acres of land all in one body, 182 acres being located on section 7, Eagle Township, and the rest on section 12, Lin- coln Township. Mr. Vaughan was born in Monmouthshire, Wales November 6, 1831, he being the seventh of a family of ten children of James and Catherine Vaughan. He left his native country at the age of eighteen years, coming to Amer- ica. He first went to Philadelphia, thence


to Hamilton County, Ohio, where he was employed as a farm laborer for three years. In 1850 his parents immigrated to America with their children, they locating in Ham- ilton County, Ohio, where the father died of cholera two weeks after reaching their destination. The mother survived her husband until 1871, when she died in Hen- derson County, Illinois. Of their children Mary, the eldest, died in Wales; Catherine lives in Wales; Rachel died in infancy; Rachel, named after her deceased sister, is living in Indiana; George died in Waterloo this county, in 1883; Matthew, Charles and Rhoda live in Henderson County, Illinois; Jane died in Henderson County, Illinois. James Vaughan, our subject, was married in Henderson County, Illinois, April 19, 1855, to Miss Emily P. Redman, a native of that county, born May 23, 1836. They have had nine children born to them- Mary M., wife of Richard Holmes, of Waterloo City; James R., of Waterloo; Jennie C., wife of Clinton Petrie, of Lin- coln Township; Ellsworth died aged nearly two years; Lizzie, wife of James Loonan; Nora M., Matthew C., Arthur C. and Willie G., at home. After his marriage Mr. Vaughan resided on a farm in Henderson County, Illinois, where he made his home until March, 1869. He then settled in Black Hawk County, Iowa, bringing with him to this county a capital of $8,000, which enabled him to build a fine home and im- prove his real estate rapidly. His farm is well stocked, and his farm buildings are among the best in his township, where he is ranked among its wealthiest citizens. In politics Mr. Vaughan has always affili- ated with the Republican party, casting his first presidential vote for John C. Fremont, his last for James G. Blaine. Mrs. Vaughan's father, Colonel Reason Redman, served in the war of 1812, having command of a reg- iment under General Harrison. He was one of the pioneers of Burlington, lowa,


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and was the first postmaster of that place. He also established a steam ferry there in an early day. He was a prominent man wherever he resided. His death occurred at Burlington, June 15, 1837. Mrs. Vaughan's mother, Mrs. Nancy P. Red- man, died in Henderson County, Illinois, December 15, 1861.


OSEPH BRUNER, one of the representative farmers of Lincoln Township, residing on section 24, was born in Essex County, Prov- ince of Ontario, Canada, September 7, 1832, his parents, Philip and Mary Ann (Munger) Bruner, being born and reared in that county, his father of German and his mother of Irish and French an- cestry. Of the twelve children born to the parents Joseph was the eldest. The second child, William, died, aged ten years, in 1844. Their daughter, Mrs. Julia Ann Hyer, re- sides in Rockford, Illinois ; Malcolm is also a resident of Rockford ; Augustus lives in Indianapolis; Mrs. Melinda Sweezy re- sides in Winnebago County, Illinois ; Or- lando is in Boone County, Illinois ; Anderson lives in Indianapolis ; Myron is in Rockford; Irenus, in Winnebago County, and Frank and Walter, in Rockford. The family located in Winnebago County, Illi- nois, in September, 1848, and in that county our subject grew to manhood. He was reared on a farm, and has always fol- lowed agricultural pursuits, with the exception of the time spent in defense of the Union. In September, 1864, he enlisted in Company B, Eighth Illinois Cavalry, and served in the Army of the Potomac till the close of the war, when he returned to Winnebago County. September 30, 1857, Mr. Bruner married Miss Emily Chase, who was born January 20, 1840, in Franklin County, Maine, a daughter of Job and


Lucy F. (Butterfield) Chase, both of whom are deceased, her father dying in Rock County, Wisconsin, in October, 1860, aged fifty-eight years, and her mother in Octo- ber, 1866, at the age of sixty-two years. Of the ten children born to Mr. and Mrs. Bru- ner, nine are living-Albert E., of Rock- ford, Illinois ; Celia, wife of Walter E. Van Buren, of Harper County, Kansas ; George A., of Rockford; Grant, Ida M., Charles W., Annie, Harry, Ralph E., all at home. The third child died in infancy. Mr. Bru- ner visited Black Hawk County, Iowa, in 1854, buying at that time eighty acres of land in Mount Vernon Township, and later bought 130 acres in the same township, but during the war he sold these lands. He has been actively identified with this county since the spring of 1869, when he settled on the place where he still resides. He is a successful agriculturist, and is the owner of a fine farm of 200 acres, under a high state of cultivation. He has a very fine residence, furnished with all that makes home pleasant, and his farm buildings are among the best in his neighborhood. In politics he is an ardent Republican. He has served efficiently as magistrate, and has held other public offices. He has always taken an active interest in school matters, and is giving his children the best educa- tional advantages attainable, feeling that knowledge is power. His family are con- nected with the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Bruner's parents moved to Boone County, Illinois, in 1867, where the mother died in March, 1885, at the age of seventy-one years. The father is still living, aged seventy-eight years. No- vember 1, 1881, they celebrated their golden wedding, and their hearts were made glad by having their eleven chil- dren present. At the mother's funeral all the children were again united, six of the sons acting as pall-bearers. Mrs. Bru- ner's brothers and sisters were-Mrs. Lucy


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A. Hardy, who died in Rockford, Illinois ; Mrs. Lydia B. Blackington, of California ; Mrs. Sarah McDaniels, of Kansas; Mrs. Olive S. Dow, of Minneapolis, Minnesota ; Mary F., who died at Rockford, aged nine- teen years; James died, aged six years ; Mrs. Antoinette Stokes, of Rock County, Wisconsin ; Mrs. Eudora Appleby, of Rock County, Wisconsin, and Gideon R., of Da- kota, and two sisters who died in infancy.


IMEON L. SMITH has been a res- ident of Black Hawk County, Iowa, since 1863, his home being on section 8, Lincoln Township. Mr. Smith was born in Franklin County, New York, April 21, 1835, his parents, Thomas W. and Abigail Smith, being born and reared in the same State. They settled in La Salle County, Illinois, in 1853, from which county our subject en- listed in the late war, August 13, 1861, as a member of Company F, Thirty-sixth Ill- inois Infantry. The most of his term of service he was in the Southwest. He par- ticipated in the battles of Pea Ridge, Per- ryville, Stone River. He was wounded in the right knee at Perryville, and at Stone River was slightly wounded in the head, and later in the day was badly wounded by a shell, his collar-bone and one of his arms being broken and his shoulder dislocated. These wounds ended his career as a soldier, and he is now receiving a pension of $6 per month for his service to his country. He came with his parents to Black Hawk County, making his present residence his home in the spring of 1863. There his mother died in 1871, his father dying in the same township in December, 1876, aged seventy-six years. Mr. Smith was married December, 1863, to Miss Elizabeth Pitcher, he returning to La Salle County, Illinois, for his bride. She was born in Dutchess County,


New York, but came to La Salle County, Illinois, with her father where she lived till her marriage. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Smith-Ernest Owen, John, Minnie I. and Rhoda. Mr. Smith is a practical and enterprising farmer, and is the owner of a fine farm of 240 acres which he devotes to stock-raising and dairying. He is in all respects a good citizen, and is much respected by all who come in contact with him. In politics he is identified with the Republican party. Mr. Smith has one brother, Joel, living in California, and two sisters, Mrs. Ruth Brayton, of Floyd County, Iowa, and Mrs. Sarah Baker; of Butler County, Iowa. Mrs. Smith's father died in La Salle County in 1872. Her mother is still a resident of that county.


IRAM B. EIGHMEY, residing on the southwest quarter of section 4, Eagle Township, dates his birth in Saratoga County, New York, September 13, 1838. When he was eight years old he was brought by his parents, Leman and Chloe (Barrass) Eighmey, to Dubuque County, Iowa, where he was reared to manhood, and was engaged in mining at and near Dubuque. He in 1849 went to Pike's Peak, and re- mained there till war broke out, when he returned home and volunteered in defense of the Union, in October, 1861, enlisting in Company H, Sixteenth Iowa Infantry, his first engagement being at the battle of Shi- loh. The Sunday morning on which the battle opened his regiment reached the steamboat landing, and on disembarking were supplied with ammunition, and sent directly to the front of the battle, where the regiment lost very heavily. Mr. Eigh- mey participated in the siege of Corinth, and later in the battles of Corinth and Iuka, and in the siege and capture of Vicksburg.


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In the spring of 1864 he returned home on veteran furlough, re-joining his regiment at Dallas, Georgia. At Atlanta, July 22, his gallant corps commander, General Mac- pherson, was killed, and the entire regi- ment captured and sent to Andersonville Prison. After being confined there two months they were by special cartel ex- changed. Our subject then followed Sher- man on his march to the sea, and through the Carolinas, and to the nation's capitol, where he participated in the grand review of Sherman's army. He was honorably discharged as Sergeant of his regiment, at Louisville, Kentucky, in July, 1865, when he returned to his home in Dubuque, re- maining there till 1867. In that year he visited Black Hawk County, Iowa, buying the farm of 160 acres, which he still owns. He spent the winter following in Chicago, and in the spring of 1868 settled on and commenced the improvement of his farm where he has since made his home, his land being now under a high state of cultiva- tion. October 9, 1.872, he was married to Miss Lizzie Long, a native of Franklin County, Pennsylvania, born April 28, 1849, a daughter of George and Catharine Long. Her father died of cholera in Quincy, Illi- nois, in 1852, while en route with his family to Carroll County, Illinois. Mrs. Long died in Carroll County, her death occurring May 28, 1881. To Mr. and Mrs. Eighmey have been born five children-Orville E., Grace E., Clyde H., Ralph L., and Myron B. Myron died aged four years. Mrs. Eighmey is a member of the Baptist church. Mr. Eighmey is as worthy a citizen as he was a gallant soldier, and has held many positions of trust in his township, with credit to himself and satisfaction to his constituents. Among the offices held by him may be mentioned township clerk, assessor, magistrate and school director, and in 1880 he took United States census of his township. In 1876 he was elected


supervisor of the Fourth District, compris- ing Orange, Black Hawk, Lincoln and Ea- gle townships. While living in Dubuque County he served two years as Govern- ment inspector. In politics he is a staunch Republican, and does all in his power to promote the interests of his party.


OHN HETZLER, farmer and dealer in stock, section 34, Wa- terloo Township, was born in Montgomery County, Ohio, Janu- ary 21, 1819, his parents, John and Barbara (Drullinger) Hetzler, being natives of Carolina and Pennsylvania re- spectively, the father being a minister of the Free-Will Baptist church. John, our subject, was reared to the avocation of a farmer and stock-dealer, which he has al- ways followed. He went with his father to Bureau County, Illinois, and subsequently settled in Lee County, Illinois, where he en- tered 190 acres, residing there five years. In the meantime his father died, after which he returned to the old homestead in Bureau County, where he remained till 1884. He then came to Black Hawk County, Iowa, and settled on his present farm of 157 acres, for which he paid $75 per acre. Mr. Hetz- ler commenced life without means, but by his industrious habits and excellent man- agement he has met with good success in his agricultural pursuits. He was married in Illinois, January 25, 1844, to Harriet P. Richardson, a native of Vermont, born De- cember 1, 1825, a daughter of Stephen and Erepta (Wilder) Richardson, the father a native of Massachusetts and the mother of New Hampshire. Her parents now reside at the home of our subject, the father eighty-seven and the mother eighty-three years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Hetzler have four sons-John, Lewis, Howard and James. John is farming in Grundy County,


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Iowa. He married Ida Porter and has a family of four children-Hattie, Howard, Eugene and Lucy. Lewis, a farmer, now living in Adams County, Nebraska, mar- ried Mary Edwards, and has one son-Har- vey. Howard is attending school at Ann Arbor, Michigan, and James is at home. In politics Mr. Hetzler is a Republican. He is a member of the Regular Baptist church.


OSEPH L. HAGERMAN, farmer and stock-raiser, section 22, Waterloo Township, was born in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, June 23, 1827, a son of Isaiah and Rebecca Hagerman. His father was born on the same farm as our subject, and there died in 1861, aged seventy-four years, and his mother aged seventy-one years. He was of Dutch descent. They had a family of nine children, three sons and six daughters. Joseph L., whose name heads this sketch, had but 50 cents when he started out in life on his own account. He first obtained work at $120 per year, where he remained two years, at the end of which time he had saved $200. With this money he bought a Mexican soldier's land warrant with which he entered 130 acres of land in Rich- land County, Wisconsin. He then returned to Pennsylvania where he worked on shares on the same farm for ten years. During this time he had sold his land in Wisconsin for $400. He loaned the money on interest to William McKing, who failed, and Mr. Hagerman sued him and got a judg- ment for the whole amount, which he gave in part payment for fifty-five acres of land. Five years later he sold this farm for $100 per acre, and in March, 1875, came to Black Hawk County, Iowa, and purchased 125 acres where he now resides, on section 22. Mr. Hagerman now owns 400 acres of land located in Black Hawk County, Iowa, and 444 in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, all


of which he has acquired by his own per- severing energy and economy, together with his good business management. Mr. Hagerman was first married in Pennsylva- nia, March 20, 1851, to Mary Haffer, a na- tive of that State, and daughter of Daniel and Mary Haffer who were both natives of Pennsylvania. To this union were born six children-Frank L. and Asher M., farm- ers, of Nobles County, Minnesota ; George, farming in Dakota; Daniel and Ellen, in Black Hawk County ; James, at home at- tending school. Mr. Hagerman was again married in Pennsylvania, February 20, 1871, taking for his second wife Charlotte Haffer, a sister of his first wife. This union has been blessed with five children-Aleda, Edgar and Edna (twins), Maud and Rusy. In his political views Mr. Hagerman is a Democrat. He has held the office of super- visor three terms, and has been a member of the school board ever since he has been in the county. During the late Rebellion he contributed $1,000 toward the carrying on of the war.


W. KING, section 36, Mt. Ver- non Township, was born August wowvoor 8, 1847, in Buckinghamshire, England, a son of Henry and Eliz- abeth (King). He was but a year and a half old when his parents came to America, and since 1861 has been a resident of Black Hawk County, Iowa, and is living on the same section of land as his father in Mt. Vernon Township. December 31, 1878, he was married to Clara Hicks, who was born in Devon- shire, England, September 14, 1856, a daughter of William and Grace (Palmer) Hicks, the father born October 7, 1806, and the mother December 3, 1810, natives of Devonshire. They were" married in their native country, and had a family of


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HISTORY OF BLACK HAWK COUNTY.


eight children-Elizabeth, now Mrs. W. H. Palmer: William, living in this county ; John, in Dakota; Ezekiel, in Nebraska; Mary A., wife of H. E. Taylor, of Hudson, this county ; Stephen, a coal merchant of Chicago ; Thomas A., a partner of Stephen; and Clara, wife of our subject. Mr. and Mrs. King have three children-Mary E., born November 2, 1879; William H., born July 5, 1882, and Carl, born October 14, 1884. In politics he is an independent Re- publican. He has been school director several years, and is at present president of the board.


ESSE MORGAN, one of the old- est pioneers living in Cedar Falls Township, was born on Staten Island, New York, September I, 1811, a son of Joseph and Fannie Morgan. According to tradition his paternal great-grandfather and his two brothers emigrated from Wales to America prior to the Revolutionary war, in which war his paternal grandfather served as a soldier. At the age of thirteen years Jesse Morgan went with his parents to Sullivan County, New York, remaining there but a short time. He subsequently was engaged as a sailor, and for years followed the sea, visiting various parts of the world. He came to Cedar Falls, Iowa, in 1851, and for several years worked at the carpenter's trade, he having built the first house which had a claim to modern pretensions in Cedar Falls. He also entered 400 acres of land after coming here, which is located in Black Hawk County. Mr. Morgan was married December 7, 1851, to Lucinda Bozarth, who was born February 27, 1832, a daughter of Valentine and Rebecca (Hall) Bozarth, who came from Virginia to Muscatine County, Iowa, about the year 1837, where they lived till their death. To Mr. and Mrs. Morgan have been born nine children, of whom


eight survive-George C., Henry, William, Ida, Fannie, Nellie G., Mary and Kate. Mr. Morgan is always interested in educa- tional matters and has served very satisfac- torily as school director. In politics he af- filiates with the Republican party. He was formerly a member of both the Mason- ic and Odd Fellows orders.




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