History of Buchanan County, Iowa, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 100

Author: Williams bros., Cleveland, pub. [from old catalog]; Riddle, A. G. (Albert Gallatin), 1816-1902
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Cleveland, Williams brothers
Number of Pages: 574

USA > Iowa > Buchanan County > History of Buchanan County, Iowa, with illustrations and biographical sketches > Part 100

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).

Samuel J. Manning was born in upper Canada, January 23, 1850. He was a son of Daniel and Sarah Manning -his mother being a daughter of William Prout. He made his home with his father until he was twenty-seven years of age, when he was married and made a home for himself. Mr. Manning and his father's family, consist- ing of three sisters and two brothers, moved to the State of Ohio in 1869, where they remained about one year. They came to Iowa in 1870, locating, for one year, in In. dependence, when his father purchased a farm in Buffalo township, and he farmed for him until the year 1873, when he purchased the farm of eighty acres where he still resides. Mr. Manning was married, March 25, 1876, to Miss Sarah Mclaughlin, who was born in Upper

Canada, March 28, 1850. She was a daughter of John and Ann Mclaughlin. Mrs. McLaughlin's maiden name was Ray. Mr. and Mrs. Manning have two chil- dren: Sarah Ann, born April 4, 1877; and Effie Ada, born January 25, 1880. Mr. Manning is a member of the United Presbyterian church. They are a pleasant family and have a nice farm and home, and everything around seems to have a home-like air.

William Ingamells was born in England May 30, 1850. When about two and a half years old he came to the United States with his father, John Ingamells, there be- ing a family of twelve children, eight boys and four girls. Their first location was in the State of New York, where they lived about eleven years. They then moved to Wisconsin and purchased the farm upon which his father still resides. At the age of nineteen William In- gamells came to Iowa and engaged in teaming, farming, etc., residing in Black Hawk, Grundy and Tama coun- ties. January 1, 1880, he purchased the farm of one hundred and twenty-nine acres where he resides, in Buf- falo township. Mr. Ingamells was married July 21, 1876, to Miss Aggie Philp, who was born in Canada, October 29, 1858. They have one child, Chancy Fran- cis, born January 23, 1877. Mr. Ingamells has made his property by his own exertions, and is now one of the sound farmers of the county.

Rev. A. C. Zabriskie was born in Valparaiso, Indiana, November 17, 1836. He was a son of George L. and Mary J. Zabriskie, who raised a family of five children: A. C., the subject of this sketch; George W., who died in August, 1863, at the age of twenty-one; Jennie M., who married George Stocking, a resident of Iowa; L. O., born February 5, 1851, also a resident of Iowa; Mary Annette, born November 5, 1853, single, and making her home with her mother in Fayette county. Mr. A. C. Zabriskie's early life was spent at home with his father, and attending school, until he was nineteen years of age, when he commenced to work for himself by leading a general, active business life, till the spring of 1862, when he enlisted in company K, Thirty-second Iowa volunteer infantry. Though not wounded or taken prisoner during his three years' service, he was an inmate of the hospital at several different times, his energy, however, keeping him out of it far more than his health really permitted. During the whole time, he was in act- ive service, participating in some of the severest battles in the Rebellion and many engagements where life was equally unsafe. Soon after his return from the army, he came to Iowa and married. Purchasing a farm in Dela- ware county, he farmed about a year and a half, then exchanged the farm for one farther north. In 1869 he purchased the farm of one hundred and twenty acres where he now resides, in Buffalo township. In 1870 he turned his attention to preaching and preached frequent- ly without giving up his farming. About the year 1875 he gave up farming entirely and now gives his time to preaching. Rev. Zabriskie was married April 18, 1866, to Mary C. Clute, who was born in Livingston county, New York, August 20, 1862. She was a member of a family of eleven children, seven of whom are living-

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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY, IOWA.

L. G., J. W., Emma, R. S. H., S. J., Charles, Frank, all residing in Delaware county except Emma, who mar- ried Henry Hardman, and lives in Floyd county. Mr. and Mrs. Zabriskie have four children living and one deceased: Rier S., born March 16, 1868; George I., born September 23, 1870; Mary Jane, born December 4, 1876; Amos Roy, born October 1, 1878.

John D. Damge was born in the village of Batter- court, Belgium, in the year 1839. At the age of fifteen Mr. Damge came with his father's family to America, settling first in Wisconsin, where for one year he helped his father on the farm, after which he started out for himself. He worked principally on the farms in his

neighborhood until the year 1855, when he came to Bu- chanan county, locating on the same farm where he now lives, and began breaking the prairie without a house in sight. In 1862 Mr. Damge was married to Miss Bar- bara Casper, of Racine, Wisconsin. In the fall of 1863 was drafted, but furnished a substitute rather than leave his family in such a new country. He has a happy fam- ily of six children: Katie L., Peter F., Fred G., Wil- liam H., Gertrude M., and Anna E., aged respectively, seventeen, fifteen, eleven, nine, five and four years. Mr. Damge is one of our foremost farmers and cattle rais- ers, and is well thought of by all of our citizens. Both he and his wife are members of the Catholic church.

MADISON.

This township is located in the northeast part of the county. It was set apart as a separate and independent township on the eleventh day of March, 1857, as shown by the order of the county judge, which is as follows:

STATE OF IOWA, }ss. BUCHANAN COUNTY. S

And now, March 11, 1857, it is ordered by this court that township ninety, north of range seven, be set apart and organized as a separate precinct, to be called Madison precinct ; and that an election be holden in said precinct, at the house of Charles Richmond, in said township, on the first Monday in April next, for the election of township officers, district judge, county assessor, and such State officers as arc to be elected by law at that election. It is further ordered that that portion of town eighty-nine, range 7, heretofore belonging to Buffalo precinct, be attached to Prairie precinct, and the west one-half of township ninety, range eight, be detached from Superior precinct and attached to Buffalo precinct. C. H. P. ROSZELL, County Judge.

The first election in the township, pursuant to above order, was held at the residence of Charles Richmond, April 6, 1857, and the following township officers were elected: John Marsell, Silas Ross and A. D. Bradley, trustees; Charles Bennett and J. B. Ward, justices; Seth Paxon and S. M. Eddy, constables; D. M. Brown, clerk. There were at this election thirty-six votes cast. The present township officers are: Simon Cole, D. M. Whit- ney, and George Anderson, trustees; A. M. Bogue, as- sessor; C. N. Bennett and A. Whitney, justices ; E. S. Ticknor, clerk; G. H. Jakway and George Foster, con- stables.

SETTLEMENT.

The first settlement in the township was made by Sey- mour Whitney, in the fall of 1852, locating in the east part of the township, near a place known as Ward's Cor- ners. His family came with him. He remained here for about fifteen years, and then moved to Missouri, where, after stopping ten years, he again comes back to his first love. While in Missouri his wife died. He was again

married in the winter of 1880 to Ida Ward, daughter of L. R. Ward, and is living in Clayton county. He has four children living. He was the first clerk of the town- ship.

J. B. Ward settled here in the fall of 1853, just one year after Whitney, and in the eastern part. He entered some land and opened up a farm. He also went into the mill business, starting the first saw mill in the township, and is now interested in two feed mills there. He had five children-James, who is married and lives in Ne- braska; Dayton, married and also in Nebraska; Daniel, is a Sunday-school missionary in Dakota ; Mark, married and lives in Nebraska; Cyrena, married and lives in Ne- braska. Mr. Ward is now living in Clayton county, lowa, and in the mill business there.

Silas Ross settled here on the twenty-eighth day of March, 1853. He, the year before, in September, se- cured the land upon which he still remains. He is a native of Vermont.

Mark Whitney is another old pioneer, settling here in 1853. He also settled near Seymour Whitney. He, at the time he came, entered the land upon which he has lived since that time. He was born in Massachusetts, October 15, 1815. When quite young he immigrated to the State of New York with his father's family. In the spring of 1836, being then twenty-one years of age, he walked to Illinois, excepting from Buffalo to Detroit. Married in Illinois in 1838; came to Iowa in the spring of 1853. He has had eleven children, five of whom are now living, whose names are: Angeline, married to Russel Whitman, and lives in Ward's Corners ; D. M. Whitney, married and lives in the township; Caroline, married to Carlos Neelis; Eva, married to C. Strong, and lives in Fremont township ; Emily F., a young lady, now at home. Mr. Whitney is one of the pioneer Bap-

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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY, IOWA.

tists here, assisting in organizing the first Free-Will Baptist church in this locality.

Alden Whitney settled here in February, 1854, on sec- tion twenty-four, entering the land which he settled. He is a native of New York, married in Illinois. Went to Illinois when but six years of age. Upon being married he came at once to Iowa. He has nine children-Rachel M., married to Isaiah Harrington and lives in the town- ship; Sarah M., married to Albert Ward, now living in Wis- consin ; Orril, Seymour A., John S., Alma Horace, Frank, Willard, Mark, and Herman M. are all young, and are still with their parents. Mr. Whitney has filled the office of county supervisor ; was one of the first magistrates in the township ; township trustee for eighteen years in suc- cession, and is now filling that lucrative position.

E. R. Jenks became a settler in the township in June, 1853. He came to the county in 1851, and lived for a time with A. J. Eddy, in Buffalo. He first built and lived in a log house, a picture of which was shown us; the primitive home is there very clearly set forth. The house has been moved to another part of the township, and is now occupied by a Mr. Frye as a residence, and is yet in a good condition. Mr. Jenks, when he first com- menced here, had but one hundred and twenty acres of land; but, by industry and close attention to business, is now the proud and happy owner of a farm of four hun- dred and forty-five acres, all well stocked and supplied with good buildings, and with the modern improvements for farming.

The Mequoketa passes through the northeast part, and its general course through the township is south. Buffalo creek is on the west end. There are a few small streams here, tributary to the Mequoketa, and also some fine springs along its banks.

In the summer of 1853 Silas Ross, Mark Whitney and J. B. Ward built a log school-house, and the next winter a school was taught there by Mrs. Getty Riley. There were at this term probably thirty students, coming from all directions, some as far as five or six miles away. A school was taught in the same house for two successive winters by the same teacher. It was supported by sub- scriptions of the people, all giving freely for that purpose. The next school-house we hear of was built at Ward's Corners, and a third one at Buffalo Grove. Among the early teachers were Lucy Ticknor, Jane Bennett, Melu- sia Davies and Julia Whitney. The teachers of those early days received for their services ten dollars per month. The first teacher, Mrs. Riley, received for her services one dollar and fifty cents per week and board. This township has eight schools and all in good condi- tion, with convenient school-houses-the primitive school having passed away with the settlement of the township.

They have a tri-weekly mail coming from Manchester. There are in the township three cemeteries. The first one was established at Buffalo Grove, in the southwest- ern part of the township, in about 1857. A second one was located at Ward's Corners in 1858. A third in the northeast, near the Free-Will Baptist church. There is in these cemeteries a large number of graves, and some

fine tombstones and expensive monuments. Here lie in peace many of the early and brave pioneers whose acts of heroism and bravery will live on through all time.

One of the largest and most important industries in this township is butter making. One that is remunera- tive to the farmer, taking the place of wheat, which, on account of the uncertainty of the crop, was fast leading the farmer down to bankruptcy and financial ruin, and having a tendency to shift the real estate into the hands of a few instead of the many. Many of the farmers here have as high as thirty, forty, fifty, sixty and seventy cows each, and one party here in the season of 1880 had as high as ninety cows. And, as a consequence, cream- eries have sprung up all over the township; some of them have creameries of their own, with all the appli- ances of a first-class establishment, among whom are the following : E. K. Jenks, who built his in 1875. It is operated with horse power, has a churn with a capacity of eighty pounds, churning usually once per day. S. H. Smith in 1876 started one at his residence, churning once a day. In 1880 his butter brought him one thousand six hundred dollars, and he then milked fifty cows. M. V. Smith has one on his farm, operated by horse power, and a churn with the capacity of one hundred pounds. In 1880 he kept ninety cows, but in 1881 he had seventy-five. W. H. Durfey, in 1881, started a cream- ery on his place, having one churn, capable of making eighty pounds of butter at a time, and run by horse power. He will use the milk of sixty cows. George A. Jakway established a creamery here in May, 1879, called "Clear Spring Creamery," taking its name from a spring from which the creamery obtains its supply of pure fresh water. There are two men employed here, and three teams gathering cream from the farmers. Two churns are used to do the work, with a capacity of one hundred pounds each, and they usually churn three times each day, making six hundred pounds of butter per day. It is run by horse power. One was started at Ward's Corners, in the spring of 1874, by John Stewart, but it is now owned by G. G. Thompson. In this are twochurns, which will hold eighty pounds. The power is generated by a horse upon tread-wheels. Two men are employed in the creamery, one team collects the cream. There is also at this creamery the necessary machinery for mak- ing cheese. Most of the butter is sent to Philadelphia and New York, and thus far a good report comes back of it.

A feed-mill was built here by Whitney & Ward in 1856, on the Mequoketa. At the same time a saw-mill was built, but, not proving remunerative, was discontin- ued in 1878. The feed-mill will grind one hundred and sixty bushels per day, and proves a good investment to its owners. In 1881 a second one was built near the old site, with capacity for two hundred bushels per day.

A cane-mill was established here in 1856 by J. B. Ward, situated on the river near the feed-mill. It is now owned and operated by Alden Whitney. There is made here each year some fifteen hundred gallons of molasses. The work in the mill is all done by water-power.

A village is located here in the eastern part of the

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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY, IOWA.

township, which takes its name from one of the old set- tlers-Ward's Corners. It is on one of the branches of the Mequoketa.

The business of the place is represented as follows: A general store, including dry goods, groceries, drugs and hardware, by Quick & Hill; grocery and farm ma- chinery, by George M. Foster; shoemaker and watch repairer, Ira J. Richmond; physicians, J. H. Craig and Albert Collins; wagonmaker and repairer, Asa Canfield; one creamery; two houses of worship, the Methodist Episcopal church and the Baptist church.

Here, on the banks of this beautiful stream, with signs of prosperity and peace on every hand, no one has had yet the courage to put up a sign bearing the word "saloon." There is not one in the place nor in the township.

The timber is in the eastern part, and is situated mostly on the south fork of the Maquoketa, and there are probably two hundred acres. In the early settlement there were here a few elks, quite a large number of deer, lynxes, wild-cats, and a few otters along the streams. but none of these denisons of the forest and stream are now seen or heard. The nearest approach to those early days is the occasional yell of the lynx, a few of which still lurk about in the heavy timber.

The first white child born in the township was Hiram Whitney, a son of the first pioneer, Seymour Whitney, in 1854.

The first death was that of David Cornell, in 1854.

The pioneer blacksmith was John W. Dana, in 1857, his shop being about half a mile east of Ward's Corners. He is now living on a farm in the township, and has long since laid aside the hammer and the tongs and become a hardy tiller of the soil.

The first crop raised here was wheat, by Silas Ross, in 1854. This first crop was cut with cradles, and all the settlers (they were few) helped in the harvest. The manner of threshing it was as follows: A piece of land was cleared away, made smooth and hard; then bundles of the wheat were placed on this ground and oxen driven about upon it until the grain was all out on the ground. Of this crop Ross had twenty-eight bushels of wheat on one and a half acres of land. The year before Ross moved here, a party, whose name we could not as- certain, settled on the land Ross bought and broke some of it, so that the first year wheat could be raised. At this time the land all belonged to the United States. The people settled wherever they found a place that suited their fancy, and afterward obtained their title- unless some one had gone to the land office and made an entry before them. This was not often the case, but such things happened occasionally, and were a source of trouble among the settlers.

The first store here was kept by Rev. W. Durfey, at Ward's Corners.

No hotel was kept here until 1880, when one was opened by Alfred Bush, who is now its proprietor.

RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES.

The Free-Will Baptist society was organized here June 27, 1857, with seven members, viz: l'eter Halleck and

wife, Mark Whitney, Cyrus Bailey and wife, and N. R. Whitney and wife. The first meetings were held at the house of Cyrus Bailey. The first preacher was Rev. S. Hutchinson. They are now the owners of a house of worship with an organ, and their whole property is valued at twelve hundred dollars. They have a membership of fifty-eight. The present pastor is Charles A. Baker. The first church organized after a time divided, and those living near Buffalo Grove withdrew and formed a society there.

The old school Baptists organized here somewhat later. At the time it was first organized there were but ten members, whose names were as follows: John Merrill and wife, J. B. Ward and wife, Charles Richmond and wife, Amanda Braman, and Orrin Ross. The first preacher was Rev. George Scott. For the first six years they held services in a log school-house. They built a house of worship in 1871, which they now own and have a pleas- ant parsonage. The whole property is valued at seven- teen hundred dollars. The present pastor is Rev. R. H. Shaftoe, and they have a membership of thirty-five per- sons. They have also a flourishing Sunday-school of some fifty.

There is also a Methodist Episcopal society here, but we have not been able to obtain its early history. The present preacher is R. N. Jones, and it has a member- ship of about thirty persons. They are the owners of a house of worship built in 1879. W. Quick, of Ward's Corners, where the church is located, donated to the society the lot upon which the church stands.

PERSONAL MENTION.

William Sneath was born in England in 1832. He came to the United States in 1853, and became a citizen of Buchanan county September 8, 1865. His first two years in the county were spent in Madison township, where he purchased a farm. He purchased the farm of sixty-five acres where he now resides, in section twenty, Madison township, in the month of April, 1879. Mr. Sneath was married January 4, 1856, to Mrs. Christina Halter, who was born in England in 1819, and married Mr. Halter in 1839. Mr. and Mrs. Sncath have two sons: William Robert, married, and lives in Floyd coun- ty, Iowa; John Thomas, single, and is farming in Kan- sas. Mr. Sneath and wife are pleasant and intelligent people, worthy to be numbered among Buchanan coun- ty's best citizens.

Charles Nelson Bennett was born in Cataragus coun- ty, New York, in 1840. He came to Iowa June 25, 1855. His first purchase of land was made in 1862, consisting of one hundred and six acres, situated in sec- tion seventeen, Madison. He purchased the piece where he now resides in 1872. These pieces join each other, and, in connection with another piece he has since pur- chased, make a fine farm of two hundred and twenty acres. Mr. Bennett is engaged in dairying and stock raising principally. Mr. Bennett was married Novem- ber 15, 1866, to Miss Sarah M. Preble, who was born in Orwell, Adison county, Vermont, April 3, 1845. They have a family of three children: Harlan P., born Janu- ary 6, 1871; Minnie L., born January 20, 1875; Alice

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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY, IOWA.

Garfield, born September 18, 1880. Mr. and Mrs. Ben- nett are both members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and are not only among the first in the county in point of settlement, but in point of social standing. Mr. Bennett enlisted August 12, 1861, in company C, Ninth lowa infantry, and served his country four years. His first year was under the command of Curtis, in Mis- souri and Arkansas. The balance of the term he was in the Sixteenth army corps, under the command of Gen- eral Sherman. He participated in twenty-seven general engagements, and was under fire during this time four hundred and sixty-five days; and yet was never wounded, though his wearing apparel was perforated at different times with the missils of death. He and Mr. D. Bel- lows were the only two of his company who had the good fortune to pass through without a scratch. Since Mr. Bennett's return from the army he has been almost con- stantly connected with the public interests of the county. He has been township trustee nearly ten years, and he is a man of ability and good principles and a good, sound Republican.

Moses S. Durfey was born in Granville, Washington county, New York, April 19, 1823. When three years of age his father, Willis Durfey, moved to Gainesville, Wyoming county, New York, where Mr. M. S. Durfey made his home principally until the year 1870, when he came to fowa and became a citizen of this county and moved upon the farm of two hundred and forty acres, in section eighteen, Madison township, where he still re- sides. He purchased this farm in 1869, but having let each of his sons have a portion of the land, he has now only one hundred and seventy acres. He is en- gaged in the dairy business principally. This farm and home is among the best in the county. The land lays smooth, yet rolling and dry. The house stands on an elevation, affording a splendid view of the surrounding country. Mr. Durfey married his first wife March 4, 1845. Her maiden name was Sarah J. Wiseman. She was born in Gainesville, Wyoming county, New York, October 16, 1824, and died in this county November 16, 1870, leaving a family of two children, both sons: Wil- liam M., marr ed and farming in the neighborhood of his father; Willis J., married, and resides in his native town in New York. Mr. Durfey married his second wife August 15, 1872. Her maiden name was Sarah B. Carpenter; born at Trenton Falls, New York, March 16, 1837. They have one child, Jennie L., born August 25, 1873. Mr. Durfey is a practical business man, and is shrewd and knows how to make money. He has served his fellow citizens in the county several terms as justice of the peace, and held the same office in New York. He is a Republican.

George A. Jakway was born in Washington county, New York, October 7, 1819. When about five years of age he moved to the State of Vermont with his father, Thomas Jakway, where he (George A. Jakway) lived till he was about twenty-five years of age. He came to Iowa in company with his brother, Charles Jakway, in 1855. His first purchase of land was situated on the line of Buffalo and Madison townships, and consisted of

about six hundred acres. This he sold in the year fol- lowing, and has made different purchases and sales of land. His first purchase for his present farm was made in the fall of 1854, paying seventy-five cents per acre. His last purchase was made in 1874, paying ten dollars per acre. He owns at present seven hundred and twen- ty-four acres. Mr. Jakway built his fine residence in 1861. He has his premises adorned with shade and fruit trees, and every want of a home is supplied. He is at present erecting a splendid cow barn, thirty feet wide, one hun- dred and eight feet long, twenty-foot posts, with room for seventy five cows ; loft capacity, one hundred and fifty tons of hay. Mr. Jakway is extensively engaged in farming, stock-raising and dairying. He has a creamery on his farm, where he manufactures about twenty tubs of butter weekly in the winter, and averages fifty during the summer, sometimes making as high as seventy in a week. He keeps about eighty head of cows, about ninety head of young cattle, besides about fifty head of hogs and eight horses. Mr. Jakway married his first wife in the State of New York, in 1844, Miss Matilda Preble, a na- tive of New York. She died in this county in 1862, leaving a family of five sons and three daughters. He married his second wife in 1865. Her maiden name was Martha J. Smith. She married Mr. Henry Whitmarsh in 1850, who died in January, 1865, leaving two chil- dren-William and Stella. Mr. Jakway has by his second marriage one child, Martha, born in 1868. Mr. Jakway's two oldest sons, Gustavus H. and Charles W., are mar- ried and reside in the neighborhood; as also his two oldest daughters, Maria and Mary. Mary is a widow. The rest of the children-Abraham, Frederick and Frank (twins), and Emma-are single, and make their father's house their home. Mr. Jakway is not only among the first settlers of the county, but one of its first citizens.

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History of Buchanan County, Iowa, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 100

Author: Williams bros., Cleveland, pub. [from old catalog]; Riddle, A. G. (Albert Gallatin), 1816-1902 Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Cleveland, Williams brothers Number of Pages: 574

Author: Williams bros., Cleveland, pub. [from old catalog]; Riddle, A. G. (Albert Gallatin), 1816-1902
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Cleveland, Williams brothers
Number of Pages: 574