USA > Iowa > Boone County > History of Boone County, Iowa, Volume II > Part 5
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66
44
HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY
was born April 18, 1876, in the city in which he still makes his home, his parents being J. R. and Jessie (West ) Crary. The family comes of Scotch-Irish ancestry and was founded in America about one hundred years prior to the Revolutionary war. In the struggle for independence was Colonel Archibald Crary. after whom Dr. Crary is named.
After mastering the branches of learning taught in the public schools Dr. A. W. Crary entered Cornell College and won the Bachelor of Science degree upon graduation with the class of 1897. The following year he enlisted for service in the Spanish-American war, becoming a private of Company I, of the Fifty-second Iowa Infantry Volunteers. He continued in connection with the mili- tary organization of the state and in 1910 was elected to the rank of first lieutenant of the Fifty-sixth Regiment of the Iowa National Guard. In the meantime he continued his studies in preparation for a professional career and upon the completion of a medical course in the State University of Iowa won his M. D. degree in 1906. During the last two years of his medical course he acted as clinical assistant in the State University Hospital for twenty hours a week and after graduation was appointed to a position upon the faculty of the State University, with the title of clinical assistant in ophthalmology, rhinology and laryngology and occupied this position for one year, meanwhile assisting Dr. L. W. Dean, ex-president of the state medical association, in his work at the Vinton School of the Blind and in all his operative work. In 1907 he received the degree of Master of Science and in 1908 a special degree in ophthalmology, otology and laryngology. Since his graduation in 1906 he has continued in the practice of medicine and in his special field has shown marked efficiency.
On the 22d of June, 1910, Dr. Crary was united in marriage in Emmetsburg, Iowa, to Miss Ida May Johnson, who was republican candidate for county superintendent of schools of Palo Alto county in 1909. Their home and grounds at the corner of Fourth and Linn streets are a monument to the artistic tastes of Dr. Crary's father, and there they gladly entertain all true friends and neighbors. The Doctor is well known in fraternal circles, belonging to the Knights of Pythias, the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and the Masons.
JOSIAH B. PATTERSON.
Josiah B. Patterson, proprietor of a well appointed and well stocked grocery store in Boone, conducted under the name of the Patterson Grocery Company, has for more than a half century been identified with business and public inter- ests in this section of the state. He arrived in the county in 1856, locating at Belle Point, in the northeastern corner of Douglas township, upon a farm which his father had purchased in 1854. Since that time the family name has figured in connection with events of public importance and with the material develop- ment of the community.
Josiah B. Patterson was born in Morgan county, Ohio, August 28, 1842, a son of William and Sarah (Cadwallader) Patterson. The father's birth oc- curred in Harrison county, Ohio, November 20, 1819. He was a son of Jeremiah
45
HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY
Patterson, of North Carolina, and a grandson of Captain William Patterson, who was a Scotchman by parentage, although born in the north of Ireland. He became a sea captain, devoting his entire life to that calling. Jeremiah Patter- son made farming his life work. He removed from North Carolina to Ohio and his death occurred in the latter state. His son, William Patterson, born and reared in Harrison county, Ohio, brought his family to Iowa in 1856 and settled upon a farm which he had previously purchased in 1854. With character- istic energy he began the development and cultivation of his land, which he converted into richly tilled fields, making his home thereon until his death. He was reared in the faith of the Society of Friends but afterward joined the Methodist Episcopal church. His wife was a native of Belmont county, Ohio, born February 27, 1821, and her death occurred in Boone county, July 12, 1906. She was a daughter of David Cadwallader, a native of North Carolina, although his father was a native of Wales and the founder of the family in the new world. It was in Morgan county, Ohio, in October, 1841, that William Patter- son and Sarah Cadwallader were united in marriage. They became the parents of four children, of whom Josiah B. and two sisters are yet living, these being : Mrs. Rachel Reichenbach, the wife of Frederick Reichenbach, a resident of ยท Colfax township; and Mrs. Edith Johnson, a widow, also residing in Colfax township. The other sister was Mrs. Sarah Voutrees, who was the wife of George Voutrees and who died in December. 1910.
Josiah B. Patterson spent the first fourteen years of his life in his native state and then accompanied his parents to Iowa. His educational opportunities were somewhat limited, but his training at farm labor was not meager. At the time of the Civil war, however, he put aside all business interests and personal considerations in order to respond to the country's call for aid, enlisting on the IIth of August, 1862, as a member of Company D. Thirty-second Iowa Infan- try, with which he remained until mustered out on the 24th of August, 1865. He participated in a number of hotly contested engagements, but was never wounded, although he was often in the thickest of the fight.
When the war was over Mr. Patterson returned to Boone county and re- sumed farming, in which he engaged until 1888. He was then appointed deputy sheriff under Samuel Zenor, and the following year was elected to the office of sheriff, in which position he served for two terms, or four years, retiring from that position on the Ist of January, 1894. He was again called to public office in 1897 when appointed postmaster of Boonesboro, in which position he continued until 1902. In January of the latter year he was again made deputy sheriff and continued in that position for five years. Since September, 1908, he has been interested in the grocery trade and has divided his attention between his com- mercial and agricultural interests, for he still supervises his farm. He has an attractive store in which he carries a large and well selected line of staple and fancy groceries, and his success has placed him with the leading merchants of the city.
In March, 1862, Mr. Patterson was united in marriage, when but nineteen and a half years of age, to Miss Mary Hull, who was born in Licking county, Ohio, and when eight years of age came to Boone county with her father's fam- ily. This was in the year 1852. She was a daughter of Uriah and Rachel (Sigler) Hull, residents of Licking county, where they resided until coming
46
HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY
west to Iowa. The mother died in 1875 and the father passed away in 1888, when nearly ninety years of age. Their daughter, Mrs. Patterson, was called to her final rest November 27, 1907, and her death was deeply regretted by many friends as well as by her immediate family. By her marriage she had be- come the mother of seven children, all of whom survive. Charles H., is operat- ing the home farm near Luther, Boone county. Mrs. Elizabeth Jenkins is living in Denver, Colorado. Emma is at home. Wilkie C. is a jeweler of Aurora, Illi- nois. Webb is engaged in the grocery business in Boonesboro. Sarah and Gertrude are at home, and the latter is employed in the Boone postoffice.
Politically Mr. Patterson has always been a stalwart republican. He has filled nearly all of the township and other local offices, and the record which he has made as a public officer is a creditable one, being characterized at all times by promptness, fidelity and loyalty. Socially he is connected with the Benevol- ent Protective Order of Elks and the Knights of Pythias. He is also a member of J. G. Miller Post, No. 69, G. A. R., and is as true and loyal to his country today as when he followed the old flag upon the battlefields of the south. The success which had come to him in a business way is the direct and merited reward of his own labors. Starting out in life with little capital, he has worked his way upward, and his energy and enterprise place him among the substantial citizens of his adopted county.
.
LLOYD A. TILLSON.
Lloyd A. Tillson, of Boone, is a member of the well known plumbing and heating firm of T. E. Nelson & Company. He is the outside representative for this business and has done much toward establishing it upon a profitable basis. He was born in Boone, November 4, 1880, and is a son of Josiah P. Tillson, who was born in Otsego, New York.
Lloyd A. Tillson was educated in the public schools of Boone, graduating with the class of 1898. He received his first lessons under Miss Adelaide Skliba and graduated from high school under Professor Miller. He then for two years pursued a course of mechanical engineering in the Iowa State College at Ames. At the end of that time he entered the employ of Sutherin & Company, working for four years in their plumbing shop, and there he laid the foundation for the valuable knowledge which he now uses in promoting his own interests. In 1905 he became connected with C. B. Sherman in the plumbing business, the head- quarters of the firm being at No. 618 Story street, and he continued in that partnership until 1908, selling his interest to Mr. Sherman in that year and establishing business alone at No. 1009 Story street. He there remained for two years, disposing of his interests at the end of that time and acquiring a half share in the firm of T. E. Nelson & Company. Mr. Tillson has since given his sole attention toward the upbuilding of the business, and the firm enjoys the highest reputation, being engaged in sanitary plumbing and the installation of steam and hot water heating. Not only is he an expert in his particular trade but an excellent business man, the success of the firm being founded upon efficiency,
47
HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY
thoroughness and honesty. The honorable principles which influence all his actions have become the policy of the firm.
On June 7, 1905, Mr. Tillson was united in marriage to Miss Florence Stokes, of Boone, her parents being Isaac and Margaret (Kennedy ) Stokes. They have three children: Robert Lloyd and Howard Dow, twins; and Jack Edwin. Mr. Tillson stands high in his community as a business man and citizen, being ever ready to promote enterprises which will prove of value to the city. Although he is not politically active, he is public-spirited and is conceded to be a factor in the development of his community and county.
JOHN JENSEN.
John Jensen, engaged in the cultivation of the William Bakley farm in Amaqua township, comprising a tract of one hundred and sixty acres on sec- tion 35, was born in Denmark, October 7, 1865, and is a son of Andres and Sina Jensen, who were also natives of that country. The father made farming his life work and has always continued a resident of Denmark, where he is now living retired, making his home with a daughter. His wife passed away in 1898.
John Jensen spent his youthful days in his native country and pursued his education in its public schools. His opportunities in that direction were some- what meager, however, for when thirteen years of age he left home to earn his own living as a farm hand. He was thus employed until 1889, or until he was twenty-four years of age, when he bade adieu to friends and native land and sought a home in the new world. Landing on American shores, he pushed his way into the interior of the country, settling at Ogden, Boone county, where he began work as a farm hand, being thus employed for four years. Desiring that his labors should more directly benefit himself, he then rented the Earl farm in Beaver township, which he operated for a year. He next rented the William Bakley farm in Amaqua township and has since operated it, covering a period of nineteen years. He is now cultivating only one hundred and sixty acres, which tract is situated on section 35. At a former date, however, he engaged more largely in this work. He has extended the scope of his activities in other directions, for in October, 1913, he joined William Bakley in the conduct of a grain and coal business in Ogden under the firm style of Jensen & Company, in which connection he has already built up a big trade.
On the 30th of November, 1889, Mr. Jensen was united in marriage to Miss Mary Christensen, a daughter of Mels and Catherina (Jensen) Christensen, who were natives of Denmark. The father followed farming in his native country, where he is still living. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Jensen have been born four children : Clarence, thirteen years of age; Roy and Floyd, twins, aged eleven ; and Free- man, aged seven. The religious faith of the family is that of the Lutheran church, to which they are most loyal, and the political belief of Mr. Jensen is that of the republican party, for he feels that its platform contains the best ele- ments of good government. He is today a loyal and patriotic American citizen, having the same attachment for the land of his adoption as those who have been
48
HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY
born under the stars and stripes. He has never regretted his determination to come to the new world, for here he has found good opportunities, which he has improved, and is today one of the substantial citizens of Ogden and Amaqua township.
J. R. WHITAKER.
J. R. Whitaker, a prominent representative of the Boone county bar, holding at all times to high ideals in his profession, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsyl- vania, June 3, 1852, his parents being Charles and Catherine ( Ripka) Whitaker, who were also natives of the Keystone state. The father was born in the year 1820 and following the outbreak of the Civil war offered his services to the government, becoming colonel of the Twenty-eighth Regiment of Wisconsin Volunteers, with which he served throughout the period of hostilities. When he left Philadelphia to establish his home in the middle west, he settled in Waukesha county, Wisconsin, and there resided until 1866, when he brought his family to Iowa, settling first in Boonesboro. Subsequently he removed to Boone, where he engaged in the hardware business, and in 1868 he removed to a farm in Hamilton county, which remained his place of residence until 1881. He then established his home in Ames, Iowa, where he continued to reside until called to his final rest in December, 1892. He was twice married, his first wife being Catherine Ripka, by whom he had eight children: Catherine, J. R., J. M., Sarah, Amelia and Agnes, all of whom are yet living; and Lavinia and Ellen, deceased. The wife and mother passed away in 1862, and Mr. Whitaker afterward married Margaret Hill, whose death occurred in Hamilton county, Iowa, in December, 1894. There were several children by that marriage.
Judge Whitaker was a youth of fourteen years when the family came to Iowa, where for forty-eight years he has now made his home. His youth was largely passed upon his father's farm, and he supplemented his public school education by study in the Iowa State College, from which he graduated in 1874. In 1871, he was admitted to the bar, for he had determined upon the practice of law as a life work and had thoroughly qualified himself for the profession by preliminary reading. In 1878 he opened a law office in Boone in partnership with John A. Hull, Sr., the association continuing for five years, during which time Judge Whitaker made substantial progress in a profession where advancement is pro- verbially slow. At the end of that time, or in 1883, he was elected city attorney and the following year was again called to public office, being elected mayor of. Boone. He discharged the duties of that position with promptness and capa- bility for two years and in 1885 was elected to the office of county attorney, in which he continued through reelection for three terms. Judicial honors were conferred upon him in 1898, when he was elected district judge. He took his seat upon the bench, and his decisions, strictly fair and impartial, brought to him high commendation from his professional associates and the general public. At the close of his first term he was again his party's nominee and was reelected. On his retirement from the bench he resumed the private practice of law, and his clientage is now large and distinctively representative. His name is asso-
J. R. WHITAKER
51
HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY
ciated with the most important litigated interests that have been tried in the courts of the district for more than thirty-five years, and his pronounced ability has won for him his judicial honors and his gratifying success as a lawyer.
On the 5th of July, 1884, Mr. Whitaker was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Tallman, a native of New York, and they have become the parents of three children : Benjamin T., who is now a physician of Boone ; Genevieve, who died in 1887; and James R., at home. The family attend the Presbyterian church, and Mr. Whitaker holds membership with the Knights of Pythias. His political allegiance is always given to the republican party, and in office he has given indisputable proof of his public-spirited devotion to the general good.
BENJAMIN B. WILEY.
Few business men of Boone are better or more favorably known than Ben- jamin B. Wiley, the manager of the Arie Opera House. Not only is Mr. Wiley achieving individual success in that position, but he is rendering a service to the general public of his city by providing amusement and entertainment to its people.
He was born in Waterloo, Iowa, on January 15, 1864, and is a son of Tobias Wile, a native of Stuttgart, Wurtemberg, Germany. The father was an officer in the German army and participated in the great war against France. His birth occurred about 1824 and he received an excellent education, entering upon military life before he was married. He held commissioned rank for six years. At the end of that time he crossed the Atlantic to New York, whence he made his way to Cincinnati. Not too proud to earn an honest dollar by any means that were honorable and taking advantage of opportunities as they presented themselves, he peddled goods in that city in order to procure a living. He mar- ried Miss Julia Rosenstock, a native of Alsace-Lorraine, who emigrated to the United States at the age of eighteen, leaving behind her her parents, who both died in Alsace. From Cincinnati the father went after his marriage to Waterloo, Iowa, where he bought and sold stock. He often drove overland to Chicago in the pursuit of this business. Later he turned his attention to the clothing trade in Waterloo and conducted a store with great success for a number of years. The last years of his life he lived in retirement and died in 1889, in Waterloo, his widow surviving him but three months. His burial took place in Dubuque. The parents of our subject had the following children: Moses, a capitalist of Warrensburg, who married a Miss Roberts; Sarah, who is now Mrs. Edward Hopkins of Duluth; Louis, of Minneapolis, who is engaged in business in that city ; Max R., of Chicago; Benjamin B., of this review ; Fanny, who is Mrs. I. B. Myers of Memphis, Tennessee; Mayme; Sophia; and Hattie. The last three make their home in Chicago.
Benjamin B. Wiley attended the public schools of Waterloo till he was fourteen years of age. At that early age he took upon himself the responsibilities of life, becoming an employe of M. Hellman, a clothing merchant of Omaha, for whom he clerked for ten years. He spent two years at Yankton, South Dakota, for the same company and for three years was located at Grand Island. At the
1
52
HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY
end of that time, in August, 1901, Mr. Wiley with three of his sisters came to Boone and opened a racquet store. Subsequently Mr. Wiley assumed the man- agement of the old Phipps Opera House of Boone, and it may be mentioned in this connection that while in Omaha he acted as treasurer of Boyd's Opera House there, fulfilling the duties of this office during the evenings. In Boone he subsequently became a partner of James J. Kirby in the management of the opera house and the bill-posting business and successfully continued so for seven or eight years. The partnership was then dissolved and during this time the old opera house was remodeled and the name changed to the Arie Opera House, the building having been bought by B. Arie. Upon Mr. Kirby leaving the firm Mr. Wiley assumed entire charge and management, and he has since successfully conducted the establishment. He is well versed in all the details connected with the business and has proven himself an efficient manager and a farsighted business man.
In November, 1899, Mr. Wiley married Miss Edith Foster, who was born in Boone in 1881 and is a daughter of William and Matilda Foster. To this union the following children were born: Max, thirteen years of age; Harold, who is eleven ; Julia, nine ; Benjamin B., Jr., six ; and Marjorie, aged four. The family reside at 1324 Green street and occupy one of the largest and most handsome homes in Boone. Mr. Wiley has always been an ardent democrat and cast his first vote for Grover Cleveland. Locally, however, he is independent in his support of candidates and even in national politics he rather prefers to follow his own judgment nowadays. Mr. Wiley is a public-spirited citizen and has contributed much toward the growth and development of his city, being ever ready to give financial and moral support to all those measures which promise to be of value to the city and its inhabitants.
.
WILLIAM D. KRUSE.
William D. Kruse, a prosperous and enterprising young citizen of Boone county, is a factor in financial circles as assistant cashier of the Ogden State Bank, which position he has held for the past five years. He is a worthy native son of this county, his birth having occurred in Ogden on the 28th of August, 1887. His parents, Hans and Catherine (Retus) Kruse, were both born in Schleswig, Germany. The father took up his abode among the pioneer settlers of Boone county, Iowa, in the early '6os, and here devoted his attention to general agri- cultural pursuits throughout his active business career, winning gratifying suc- cess in his undertakings and becoming the owner of considerable property. He passed away on the 25th of April, 1911, and the community mourned the loss of one of its substantial and esteemed citizens. His widow survives and is also widely and favorably known.
William D. Kruse, reared and educated in the county of his nativity, was a youth of twelve years when in 1899 his parents established their home in Ogden, where he attended school for four years. Subsequently he spent six years as clerk in a grocery store and on the expiration of that period was made assistant cashier in the Ogden State Bank, in which capacity he has served for the past
53
HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY
five years. He is a stockholder in the institution and as an able and courteous official has contributed materially to its continued growth and success. Mr. Kruse likewise handles fire and life insurance and deals in real estate to some extent. He owns one hundred and sixty acres of valuable land in Amaqua town- ship, this county.
On the 15th of February, 1911, Mr. Kruse was united in marriage to Miss Grace Gustlin, a daughter of John Gustlin, a resident of Callender, Webster county, Iowa. Our subject and his wife have one child, Vivian, who is about two years of age.
Mr. Kruse gives his political allegiance to the democracy and now acts as treasurer of Ogden, proving an efficient incumbent in that important position. He also serves as treasurer of the Boone County Fair Association and is widely recognized as a loyal and public-spirited citizen who has the best interests of his community at heart. His religious view's are in accord with those of the Lutheran and Methodist churches. He is a young man of strong and estimable character and highly respected by all who know him.
JAMES JOHNSTONE.
There is much credit due James Johnstone for what he has achieved because he began his career in a comparatively humble position and today owns a pros- perous bakery in Boone, being numbered among the substantial business men of the city. He was born in Inverness, Scotland, December 26, 1868, and is a son of James and Margaret ( Ross) Johnstone. The grandfather, James Johnstone, was a butcher and drover and a successful man in that line of business in his day. He died in the little town of Petty, near Inverness, Scotland. The father, who was born about 1843, after attending the public schools, worked as a drover and butcher. He drove cattle through all that section of Scotland and located in Inverness, where he was married and carried on business for several years. He then moved to the little town of Ballintore, where he now resides, the town heing located on the Scotch coast, north of Inverness. He ships live stock to the London markets by the boat route and is a substantial business man of his little city. His wife died in 1898. She was a strict Presbyterian, to which faith her husband also gives his allegiance. They were the parents of the following children : Margaret, who is married and resides on a farm near Aberdeen; William, of Perth, Scotland, who is also married and is employed as an engineer on the High- land Railroad: Janet, of Tain, Scotland, who married James Sangster. a con- tractor ; James, our subject ; Christina, who is married, her husband following carpentering in Aberdeen, Scotland; Alexander, a drover of Ballintore; John, a carpenter of Boone, Iowa; George, a hotel-keeper of Johannesburg, South Africa, who is married and served with the scouts in the British army during the Boer war; and David, of Ballintore, Scotland.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.