USA > Iowa > Black Hawk County > Historical and biographical record of Black Hawk County, Iowa > Part 42
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York City. The family came to Black Hawk County, Iowa, and settled in Mount Vernon Township about the spring of 1855. Mr. Brown subsequently moved to Wa- verly, Bremer County, Iowa, where he still makes his home. His wife died in Bremer County, January 6, 1877. Mr. and Mrs. Brown were the parents of the following children-Jacob and Charles died in in- fancy ; William J., engaged in the mercan- tile business in Denver, Colorado; Mar- garet A., wife of R. Morehouse, of Denver, Colorado; Joseph, of Mt. Vernon Township; Eliza, who died in infancy, and Sarah E., wife of our subject. Mr. Brown was mar- ried in 1879, to Mrs. Dr. (Woodruff) Clarke, with whom he now lives. To Mr. and Mrs. Sunderlin have been born three children- Frank R., born November 26, 1876; George, born January 14, 1879, and Grace, born April 12, 1882. Mr. Sunderlin served as a soldier in the late war, enlisting October 21, 1861, in Company E, Twelfth Iowa In- fantry, participating in the battles of Fort Henry, Donelson and Shiloh. He was mus- tered out in the spring of 1863 on account of disability. In politics Mr. Sunderlin af- filiates with the Republican party. Will- iam Sunderlin, father of our subject, was born March 26, 1808, and was reared from boyhood in Cortland County, New York. After attaining manhood he went to Cay- uga County, New York, and engaged in the mercantile business which he followed through life. He was married in October 1834, to Elizabeth Rundles, who was born in Cortland County, New York, April 29, 18II, and to this union were born seven children-James W., died August 24, 1882, aged forty-seven years; Elizabeth L., died February 28, 1855, aged eighteen years; Myron G., died July 28, 1867, at the age of twenty-eight years; M. V., our subject ; Mary J., died March 7, 1853, aged eleven years ; Augusta M., died December 7, 1852, aged eight years, and Emeline, died Octo-
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HISTORY OF BLACK HAWK COUNTY.
ber 10, 1864, aged about seventeen years. William Sunderlin was three times married. He came to this county in December, 1856, and first settled with his family on section 5. Mount Vernon Township, and lived here till his death with the exception of a few years in New York City. He died May 6, 1877, and is buried in Mount Ver- non. Elizabeth, wife of William Sunder- lin, mother of our subject, died December 4, 1856.
B. FOX, farmer and stock-dealer, residing on section 31, Big Creek Township, Black Hawk County, was born in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, November 26, 1831, his parents, Enoch and Christiana (Sechler) Fox, also being natives of Penn- sylvania, and of German and Scotch de- scent, they residing in their native State till their death. His father being a farmer, our subject was reared to the same avoca- tion, which he has followed thus far through life with the exception of a few years when he was engaged in carpentering and con- tracting. In 1855 he removed to Oglc County, Illinois, remaining there till 1857, when he came to Black Hawk County, Iowa, where he entered land and com- menced improving the same. He was one of the first settlers of La Porte City, where he resided till 1862 when he settled on his present farm. He was married in Gene- seo, Livingston County, New York, Octo- ber 3, 1852, to Matilda Krusen, who was born February 13, 1833, a daughter of John and Prudence (Mead) Krusen, natives of the New England States. This union has been blessed with eleven children-Enoch, born January 4, 1854, a stockman of Kansas ; John F., born September 3, 1855, engaged in the coal business in Kansas ; William V., born August 1, 1857; Lovenia, born Sep- tember 2, 1862, wife of C. H. Saunders;
D. E., born January 13, 1867 ; May A., born March 19, 1869; Burt Z., born June 15, 1871 ; Helen K., born July 30, 1873 ; M. C., born April 1, 1875 ; Benjamin M., born Sep- tember 12, 1884; Royal A., deceased. Mr. Fox is a self-made man, having commenced life for himself entirely without means, and by his untiring industry, enterprise and en- ergy he has acquired a large property, and is now classed among the well-to-do farmers of Black Hawk County. He makes a spe- cialty of raising mules, in which he has been very successful. He is one of the influen- tial citizens of Big Creek Township, and takes an active interest in all enterprises which are for its good. He has served his township as assessor for four terms, and has also been road supervisor and school direc- tor .. Politically he is a Democrat.
ATHIAS MILLER, one of the early settlers of Orange Town- ship, was born in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, July 5, 1822, the second of thirteen chil- dren of William and Mary (Walker) Miller, both natives of the Keystone State, of German descent. His father was born in 1797, and died in June, 1850. He was a man of sterling worth and character, im- parting much of his energy and habits of thrift to his children. Mathias Miller was reared to the life of a farmer, his youth being spent in assisting his father. He ob- tained a fair education, attending the dis- trict schools in the winter. He remained with his parents till nearly twenty-seven years of age, when, March 5, 1849, he was married to Mary Berkley, a native of Som- erset County. He remained in Pennsyl- vania, engaged in farming, until the spring of 1858, when, in obedience to a well-con- sidered project for bettering his condition, he immigrated to the beautiful prairies of
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Iowa. For two years he lived in Waterloo, engaged in teaming, and in 1860 bought 120 acres of wild prairie land on section 22, Orange Township. He came to Iowa with but little capital but with a strong deter- mination to make for himself and family a home, and with this object in view he was industrious and frugal and his efforts have not been unrewarded. He now owns one of the best homes in the township, his farm at one time containing 440 acres. Of this he has given each of his three children eighty acres and now has 200 acres for his own use. His buildings were all erected with an eye to convenience and comfort. Mr. Miller is a prominent citizen of his township and is held in high esteem by all who know him. He was one of the found- ers of the German Baptist church of Orange Township and contributed liberally toward building the church edifice. His entire family are members of the church of which he has long been one of the deacons. A son of Mr. Miller, Silas B., met his death under peculiarly distressing circumstances. While a student at Waterloo he attempted to board a train in motion, and fell under the wheels, and was instantly killed. Mr. Miller's other children are-Sarah, wife of Hiram J. Lichty; William H. and Elias.
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FACOB G. SCHMIDT, editor and proprietor of Der Deutsch Amerikaner, published at Water- loo, is a son of Paul and Louisa (Ko- penhoefer) Schmidt, natives of Wur- temberg, Germany. They came to this country when young, and were mar- ried in Erie County, New York. In 1854 they came to Iowa, locating in Jackson County. The father died in 1869. Mrs. Schmidt is now living in Waterloo. Ja- cob G. was born at Bellevue, Jackson County, February 12, 1860, and lived with 40
his parents until fifteen years of age. He then went to Mason City to work on the Cerro Gordo Republican, having previ- ously learned the printer's trade at Water- loo. He was employed eight months at Mason City, and after spending the en- suing winter at Waterloo he went in the spring to the Black Hills. January I, 1877, he returned to Waterloo, where he was employed in a grocery all of that year. The year following he passed in the far West again, in Montana. He then resumed his work in the grocery at Water- loo until the spring of 1883, since which time he has devoted his time to the journal he now publishes. He was married May 2, 1882, to Emma Fressle, of Waterloo, and has one daughter-Louisa Wilhelmina, born April 1, 1885. Mr. Schmidt is a member of the Lutheran church.
RANK L. PAGE, one of the enter- prising farmers and stock-raisers of Big Creek Township, Black Hawk County, was born in Franklin County, Maine, in 1848, a son of William E. and Perwilla B. (Dyer) Page, of Scotch and English descent. His parents were among the pioneers of Black Hawk County, coming here as early as 1854, when they settled in Black Hawk Township. In 1865 they removed to Wa- terloo and in 1867 removed to Big Creek Township where they still reside, making their home with their son Frank. They are the parents of six children-Alva W., Charles E., Frank L., Lendall J., Susan D. and Rosa D. When William E. Page came to Black Hawk County in 1854 the few set- tlers who were here in the county hauled their lumber and provisions from Daven- port and Dubuque with teams. W. E. Page cut down the trees and cut the logs that made the lumber that was used in
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HISTORY OF BLACK HAWK COUNTY.
building the first frame house erected in Waterloo, the county scat of this county. This was in the summer of 1854. The building is now a part of the Central House. Frank L. Page has been a resident of Black Hawk County since about six years of age, coming here with his parents in 1854. His home is on section 25, where he is successfully engaged in farming and stock-raising, his home farm containing 159 acres of choice land under cultivation. He has witnessed the many changes which have taken place in the county during the past thirty years, and is always interested in any enterprise which tends to the further de- velopment of his township and county. Mr. Page's paternal great-grandfather served as a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and his grandfather was in the war of 1812. His brother, Alva W., served in the war of the Rebellion.
B V. FOSS is a farmer, residing in Big Creek Township, Black Hawk County, on section 26, where he has a farm of eighty acres of choice land, valued at $50 per acre. He isa native of Grafton, New Hamp- shirc, where he was born July 29, 1824, a son of Eben and Mary (Webster) Foss, both of whom are deceased. The mother died in New Hampshire, and the father subsequently removed with his family to Illinois, where he died in Kane County. B. V., our subject, came to Black Hawk County, Iowa in 1855, being among the early settlers. After remaining in this county three years he returned to Illinois, where he continued to reside till 1872. He then came again to Black Hawk County and settled on the farm where he has since made his home. Mr. Foss has been twice married, taking for his first wife Miss Eliz- abeth Gray, who was born in New Bruns- wick in 1831, a daughter of John and Mar-
garet Gray. They were married in Kanc County, Illinois, in 1852. She died in 1854, leaving one son, Elwin B. Foss, of Big Creek Township. Elwin married Ida P. Finch, and to this union have been born four children-Clyde, Amy, Ray and Della, of whom Della is deceased. Mr. Foss was again married in Kane County, Illinois, in 1855, to Miss Catharine Quackenbush, a na- tive of Otsego County, New York, born March 30, 1826. They have three children -Elizabeth A., Emma J. and Marvin E. Elizabeth married James Morris, of Sioux County, Iowa, and has a family of four children-Lewis, Harry, Frank and Bessie. Emma J. married William H. Solomon, of Benton County, Iowa.
P. COOPER, a pioneer of Black S Hawk County, Iowa, residing on section 35, Big Creek Township, is a native of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, where he was born June 10, 1819. His parents, Denis and Bulia Cooper, were both natives of Connecticut. They immigrated to Ohio, in 1814, where the father died at the age of fifty-five years. The mother died in Illinois, her death oc- curring at the age of sixty-two years. S. P. Cooper was married in Will County, Illinois, April 16, 1843, to Lucy Bonnell, a daughter of Aaron and Jane (Johnson) Bonnell, and of Scotch descent. Both of her parents are deceased, the father dying at the age of seventy-six years, and the mother at the age of fifty-two. To Mr. and Mrs. Cooper have been born three children-Clement E., Wirt and Ward. Clement E. cnlisted in Company D, Thirty- first Iowa Infantry, and died in the service of his country at the hospital at Memphis, Tennessee, in March, 1863, from sickness contracted from exposure in the army. Wirt married Effie Moon, and has two
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children-Ray D. and Jannette. He resides with his family in Big Creek Township. Mr. Cooper is classed among the prosper- ous farmers of his township, where he has a fine farm containing 190 acres of well- cultivated land, which is valued at $40 per acre. He came to Black Hawk County in 1854 when he settled on the farm where he has since made his home, entering 160 acres from the Government, and purchasing the remainder of his land for $7 per acre. He has been a school director for many years, and for two years held the office of justice of the peace, serving with credit to him- self and satisfaction to his constituents. Both he and his wife are much esteemed citizens of the township, having made a host of friends since coming to this county. In their religious views both are Universal- ists. Mrs. Cooper has a very fine collec- tion of geological specimens, among which are some very rare ones, which were gath- ered in Black Hawk County.
ARREN BALDWIN, a pioneer of Black Hawk Township, was born in Whiting, Addison Coun- ty, Vermont, in the year 181I. When about eighteen years of age he removed with his parents to Craw- ford County, Pennsylvania, in which county he was married in 1835, to Miss Lucy Woodard, a native of Vermont. Of the eight children born to this union seven are living-Allen T., of Black Hawk Town- ship ; Mrs. Lovina McDowell and Mrs. Sallie Ohler, of Waterloo; Orrin M. and Perry O., of Webster City, Iowa ; Andrew M., of Black Hawk Township, and Mrs. Mary Ferris is of Hamilton County, Ne- braska. The family settled in Black Hawk Township in November, 1854, locating on section 24, where the father bought land and converted the same into a good farm.
In 1881 he sold his property to his son,' Al- len T., with whom he and his wife are now living on the old homestead in the fiftieth year of their married life.
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HARLES ASQUITH, a promi- nent citizen of Black Hawk County, is a native of Yorkshire, England, and was born May 16, 1823. His father was a miner, and at the age of eight years Charles be- gan to be employed at light work in the mines, and from that tender age his youth was spent in labor, his educational advan- tages being limited to attendance a short time at night schools. Work in the mines in and near his native shire became the oc- cupation of his manhood, but nature had intended him for a higher life, and had endowed him with an ambition that reached out after a more extended knowledge of the world and its doings, and every oppor- tunity to improve his mind and acquire learning was embraced. When twenty- four years of age, in 1847, he married Mary Stead, a native of Yorkshire. Three chil- dren were born to them, of whom but one is living-Mary A., now Mrs. Shaw, of Black Hawk County. In 1851 Mrs. As- quith died, and in 1852 Mr. Asquith mar- ried Miss Mary A. Sutcliff. In 1853, in obedience to a long-cherished desire and with a view of making a better home for himself and family, he came to the United States and for several years worked in the iron and coal mines in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. In 1859 he removed to Ohio, returning to Pennsylvania, however, in 1861. The war to perpetuate slavery and overthrow our glorious Union called him out in the defense of his adopted coun- try, and .in the spring of 1863 he enlisted in Company C, Seventy-eighth Pennsylva- nia Infantry, in which he did meritorious
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HISTORY OF BLACK HAWK COUNTY.
service, participating in four hard-fought battles, besides several minor engagements. He was honorably discharged after the surrender at Appommatox in 1865, and re- turned home. In 18 he came to Iowa and located in Black Hawk County, and bought the farm on section 16, Black Hawk Township, where he now lives. That he is a thrifty and careful farmer his well-ordered home, pleasant residence and comfortable buildings bear ample testimony. He pays special attention to stock-raising, of which he has the best grades. His son, Robert C., the only child by his second marriage, has attained manhood and now has largely the care and management of the farm. Mr. Asquith has held several positions of trust in Black Hawk County, the more im- portant being trustee and supervisor and school director. He is a leading member of the German Baptist church, and in 1876 was set apart for the ministry in his denom- ination, and has had charge of the church located on section 22.
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OAH MORGAN, one of the most prosperous farmers of Washing- ton Township, came to Black Hawk County in September, 1854, and entered two forty-acre tracts of Government land. He remained one month, and then returned to Mexico, Wy- andot County, Ohio, but in March, 1857, came again to this county, and until the fall of 1858 worked by the month for farm- ers. He then again returned to Ohio, and was there married, December 22, 1859, to Ellen N. Bell. In August, 1861, they came to Iowa and first settled a mile south of where they now live, and lived there dur- ing the winter; then rented a farm two miles north, where they lived till the fall of 1863, when they moved to their present residence, which Mr. Morgan had built the
previous summer. His original eighty acres he has sold, but now owns 463 acres of land in Washington Township, 120 acres being on section 24, 120 acres on section 23, fifteen acres on section 22, ninety-eight acres on section 27, ten acres on section 16, and 100 acres on section 15, the greater part being under cultivation. His resi- dence, located on section 24, is a large frame building, neatly and comfortably finished. His barn, the only stone building of the kind in the county, is 30 x 51 feet in size, with an addition 13 x 26 feet. He is a thoroughly practical farmer, and also makes a specialty of stock-raising, his farm being well adapted to the latter industry. Mr. Morgan was born in Fairfield County, Ohio, near Lancaster, November. 21, 1831, but in his infancy his father moved to Wy- andot County, Ohio, and there he grew to manhood. His parents, Jesse and Chris- tena (Brentz) Morgan, were natives re- spectively of Virginia and Pennsylvania, the former born August 9, 1803, and the latter June 19, 1808. They were married in Fairfield County, Ohio, October 18, 1829, and in September, 1832, moved to Wyandot County, Iowa, and bought eighty acres of land. This they sold in 1864, and moved to Black Hawk County, and bought 160 acres of prairie and sixty-five acres of timber land of John and Samuel Knapp, all but twenty acres of which is now owned by their children. The mother died March 16, 1872, and the father April 5, following, and both are buried in Washington Chapel Cemetery, located on the southeast quarter of section 15, town 90, range 14, Black Hawk County. They were members of the United Brethren church, and the father had voted with the Republican party since the nomination of James Buchanan to the presidency. Their family of five children were-Noah; Susanna, born July 25, 1833, widow of Ed. Reynolds, who was born May 16, 1834, and died December 30, 1883;
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Mary A., born February 21, 1837, married H. Reynolds November 25, 1860. He was born July 13, 1832, and was killed at the battle of New Market, Virginia, May 15, 1864, leaving one daughter-Ida Ellen, born August 23, 1861, died May 22, 1880. She is now the wife of Henry Watrous. Conrad B., born January 26, 1839, resides at Fort Worth, Texas. Mrs. Morgan was born near Allamuchy, New Jersey, January 10, 1837, a daughter of Samuel and Sarah (Wilson) Bell. She is the third of four children. One sister, Mary J., is the wife of George Repp, of Dallas County, Iowa ; another, Catherine, is the wife of J. Riker, of Wright County, Iowa, and a brother lives in Michigan. Her mother died in New Jersey, and when she was about fifteen years of age her father and family moved to Wyandot County, Ohio, and in 1866 he came to Black Hawk County, Iowa, and now makes his home with Mrs. Morgan. He was born in New Jersey, October 16, 1798, and is now in the eighty-eighth year of his age. Mr. and Mrs. Morgan have a family of four children-Jesse S., born November 30, 1861 ; William H., May 29, 1864; Ida M., April 12, 1870; David C., March 17, 1875. In politics Mr. Morgan is a Republican and Prohibitionist.
HARLES E. ASHLEY, a promi- nent farmer and stock-raiser of Spring Creek Township, resides on section 16, where he owns 153 acres of choice land, under a good state of cultivation. He was born July 16, 1850, in the State of New York, a son of Nathan and Elmina M. Ashley. His parents were among the pioneers of Black Hawk County, Iowa, and are still residents of Spring Creek Township. They had a large family, of whom but four are living
-- Charles E., Hugh M., Florence L., and Edgar R. Charles E. was reared a farmer, and in his youth attended the district schools. When twenty-two years of age he entered the Iowa State University, at Iowa City, which he attended two years. He subsequently taught in the schools of Black Hawk County five terms, and was a very successful teacher. He was married Sep- tember 13, 1877, to Elizabeth L. Banister, daughter of A. G. Banister, a prominent pioneer of Spring Creek Township. Mr. Ashley was elected township clerk in 1878, and in 1878 was elected justice of the peace, and is now serving his second term. He is meeting with success in his business, and is among the prosperous and progressive young men of Black Hawk County.
A LLEN T. BALDWIN, son of Warren and Lucy (Woodard) Baldwin, was born in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, March 15, 1838. He came with his parents to this county in 1854, living with them till he enlisted in the late war, August 20, 1862, a member of Company C, Thirty-sec- ond Iowa Infantry. He participated in the battle of Pleasant Hill, Louisiana, and was with General Smith's corps in a number of skirmishes and battles of minor importance. He then did guard and scouting duty with his regiment for many months over a large extent of country, and took part in the capture of Mobile. At the termination of his services he received an honorable dis- charge June 28, 1865. He then returned to his home in Black Hawk County, and a year later bought 106 acres adjoining the home of his parents, where he commenced- making a home for himself. March 24, 1866, he was married to Marilla Sergeant, a native of Crawford County, Pennsylva- nia, and daughter of Anson Sergeant. Her
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HISTORY OF BLACK HAWK COUNTY.
parents are deceased, both dying in Craw- ford County. To Mr. and Mrs. Baldwin were born four children-Lizzie, Fred, Cora and Jay. Mr. Baldwin lost his wife by death March 16, ISSo, at the age of forty- four years, and for his second wife he mar- ried Sophia Hoover, who was born in Ohio, and to this union has been born one child-Ray. He and his wife are earnest members of the United Brethren church. Politically he casts his suffrage with the Republican party. He has served his township very efficiently both as assessor and constable. Mr. Baldwin has bought the old homestead of his parents, to which he has since removed, his parents being cared for in their declining years by him- self and wife. His farm now consists of 272 acres of valuable land in Black Hawk Township, where he is successfully en- gaged in his agricultural pursuits.
HOMAS BLAKE, northwest quar- ter, section 31, Lester Township, has a fine farm of 270 acres, 150 being in Lester and 120 in Benning- ton Township, and also owns twenty acres of timber land. He was born in Somersetshire, England, December 2, 1829, a son of Jacob and Charlotte (Westlake) Blake. His father was a blacksmith, and five sons learned the trade of him, our sub- ject being among the number. He was married March 14, 1850, to Isabella Tucker, daughter of William Tucker. Two weeks after their marriage they left their native country and came to the United States, and after a voyage of nearly seven weeks landed in New York City. He located in Waterloo, Seneca County, New York, and worked at his trade five years, when he came to Biack Hawk County, Iowa, and May 28, 1855, entered eighty acres of Gov- ernment land. He then returned to New
York, and in January, 1856, brought his family to lowa. He lived at Blakeville, which was named in honor of him and his cousin, Thomas C. Blake, two years. Thomas C. Blake settled at Blakeville in 1856, and subsequently went to Warren, Illinois, and died there. He then moved to what is now the General A. C. Fuller farm, where he lived till 1882. This farm he improved and erected good buildings, making of it one of the best farms in the township. In 1882 he exchanged his farm with General Fuller for a tract of wild land, which he at once went to work to improve. He built his residence, which is a large frame building, 30x 32 feet, with an L 28 x 32 feet, the same year, at a cost of $2,000. His large barn, used both for hay and stock, was built in 1885, at a cost of $1,000. It is 30x60 feet in size, and twenty-six feet high, and has eighteen feet of shedding. His granary will hold 2,000 bushels, and his hay loft sixty tons. In the basement he has accommodations for twelve horses and sixteen cattle. Mr. Blake is a thoroughly practical farmer, and by his good management, close attention to his business, has made a success of that in- dustry. He has always taken an interest in the public affairs of the township, and has served as trustee and school director, although he has been too deeply engrossed with his own affairs to give much attention to the duties of office. In politics he is a Republican. He is a member of the Bap- tist church. October 10, 1885, he was or- dained a minister in the denomination, and preaches every two weeks at Mount Zion Church. He also has charge of Green Grove Church, twelve miles northwest of Cedar Rapids, in Linn County, visiting this church once a month. His father was a minister of the Baptist church in Eng- land thirty years. Mr. and Mrs. Blake have had a family of eight children-Emma, born December 27, 1850, died at birth ;
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