History of Buchanan County, Iowa, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 83

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 83

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George Harter was born in Summit county, Ohio, near the village of Manchester, December 29, 1823. He made his home with his father, Andrew Harter, till he was twenty-five years of age. A part of the year teach- ing school in connection with farming. At the age of twenty-five he attended Allegheny college, at Meadville, Pennsylvania, two years, and then joined his brother, Mathias, at Cleveland university, where he spent the winter in study. But on account of the sudden de- cline of that institution they went to Ann Arbor, Michi- gan, and there entered the university. Here they at- tended till the year 1855, when they graduated in the

scientific department. He and his brother being the first graduates in that department of the institution. In the ensuing fall he came to Iowa, spending the first winter in Cedar Falls, teaching. In the spring of 1856 he came to Independence, where he commenced improv- ing his farm where he still resides, about a half mile north of the city. This farm was purchased by Mr. Harter and brother in the year 1853, there being one hundred and ninety-five acres. Mr. Harter taught school during the winters and farmed in the summers for about six years. Since that time he has turned his attention entirely to farming and gardening. He finds ready sale for all his vegetables in the city of Independence. Mr. Harter was married in February, 1860, to Miss Jennie Simons, who was born in Sterling, Wayne county, Penn- sylvania, December 22, 1832. They have two children : Haven, born February 5, 1861, a namesake of Bishop Haven, an old preceptor of Mr. Harter's at Ann Arbor; May S., born November 24, 1862; both single and at home attending school. - Haven recently honored his friends with a creditable opening speech at the city school oratorical contest. Mr. Harter's education has taught him its value, and he purposes providing his chil- dren with the best educational advantages. Both Mr. and Mrs. Harter are members of the Methodist Episco- pal church.

Simeon Hale was born in York county, Maine, on the twenty-fourth day of January, 1817. He resided in his native State until he was thirty-three years of age, engaged in carriage-making from the time he was twen- ty-two. In the spring of 1850 he moved to Lowell, Massachusetts, where he made patterns for the Boston & Lowell railroad company for two years. He moved then to East Cambridge, and continued the same avoca- tion for the same railroad company two years longer. At the expiration of this time he moved to Williams- ville, a suburb town of Buffalo, where he engaged in the carriage business four years. He then moved to the city of Buffalo and engaged in the dairying business, furnishing milk. He was postmaster at a point called Buffalo Plains about two years. In the year 1862 he came to Iowa, landing in Independence the latter part of April. It took him nine days to come from Buffalo to Chicago, the ice impeding his progress considerably. Mr. Hale's first two years in Independence were spent at his trade. In the year 1867 he purchased his farm of an hundred and thirty-six acres where he still resides, in the northwest corner of the city. He has since added by purchase until now he owns one hundred and fifty acres. His farm is beautifully situated, on the corpora- tion line and in full view of the railroad. Mr. Hale was married in 1839 to Miss Julia Ann Davis, born in the State of Maine, June 28, 1820. They have had a fami- ly of seven children, only four of whom are living. Mamie, the oldest living, is now the wife of W. H. H. Morse, a merchant in Independence. John P., born October 22, 1851, married Miss Delia A. Stevens on the twenty-fourth day of January, 1877; they have one child, Roy Stewart; born January 4, 1878. Mr. John P. is interested with his father in farming and stock raising.

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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY, IOWA.

Nettie B. married Harry A. Wolcott, conductor on the B. C. R. & A. railroad, and resides at Albert Lea, Min- nesota ; they have one child, Morse Albert, now two years old. The youngest child, Fannie R., is single and at home. She is cultivating a natural gift she has for painting, and all who have had the pleasure of seeing any of her work can prophesy a good degree of success for her in her art in the future. Mr. Hale is a man of wide experience, and he, his sons, and all their connections are good, sound Republicans.

John Boban was born in Ireland in 1821. His father Patrick Bohan, died when he was but three years of age. He made his home with his mother and stepfather till he was fifteen years old, when he commenced life for himself and alone. He worked at farming till he was thirty-one years of age, when he came to America, in 1852. He spent his first four years in Witt county, Illi- nois, where he rented a farm, and farmed and raised stock on shares. In the month of May, 1856, he came to Buchanan county, Iowa, locating first in Jefferson township, where he entered eighty acres of school land, with the understanding that he was to pay two dollars and a half per acre; but afterwards found it was to be sold to the highest bidder. This unsatisfactory state of affairs caused him to remove the house he had built up- on the land, to another piece of forty-six acres he had purchased from private parties, in the same neighbor- hood. Here he lived about seven years, when he sold it. In the fall of 1864, he purchased the farm of one hundred and twenty acres where he still resides, in Washington township. He now owns. a fine farm of two hundred and ten acres, for some of which he paid forty and fifty dollars per acre. He built himself a nice residence in 1872, and has his farm under a fine state of cultivation. At present he is extensively engaged in dairying and stock raising. Mr. Bohan was married in 1848 to Miss Mary Hickey, born in Ireland in 1820. They have a family of eight children living and three deceased. The names of the living children, in rotation are: P. F., an agent for the Cedar Rapids insurance company; W. C., manager of a teaming firm in Colora- do; Mary Ann, a teacher; Emma, also a teacher; El- la, attending school; Edwin, a business-like little fel- low; Dannie, a school-boy of considerable promise, and Agnes, a school-girl. Mr. Bohan certainly de- serves great praise for his undaunted energy. Starting, as he did, a poor boy, facing alone the world with all its stern realities and difficulties, he has won by the hard hand of toil a splendid farm and home, beside rearing and educating such a family as would do credit to any man.

William Bowen was born in Ireland in 1826. Here he made his home till the year 1847, the time of the great famine there, when he came to America, stopping the first eight years near Richmond, Vermont, work- ing about six years for one man. When he moved to Rutland and engaged in hauling marble from the quarry to the cars with a three ox-team. This he continued till the year 1854, when he went to New York, and spent about eight months, and where he married Miss Cathar-

ine Devlin, born in Ireland in 1830. They have never had any family. In the spring of 1856 they moved to Buchanan county, Iowa, locating first in what is now known as Westburgh township. Here he took one-third section of land. The winter following proved to be a very severe one, often raining hard, it immediately turn- ing in severely cold, frequently freezing stock to death. During this winter and the following he lost many fine cattle, which he had only a short time previous paid a fine price for in gold. The same winter the snow fell to a considerable depth and drifted fearfully, often covering their houses and stacks completely up. It had such a smooth crust over it that it made it impossible to travel on foot without sharp brads in the boots. Fre- quently, before the crust came, Mr. Bowen has caught wild deer in his arms and a-foot, while they were floun- dering in the deep snow, seeking flight. These hard winters cost him nearly all his property, and but for his undaunted spirit he would have folded his arms and given up in despair. But he was not that kind of a man. He traded a team of mares for forty acres of land in Homer township, and went hard at it again. From this second start he has gone on working and planning and saving, till now he owns one of the best farms in the county. In 1878 he purchased his present farm of one hundred and sixty acres, where he now resides in Washington township. "Bad luck" could not strike him hard enough to discourage him; but with admirable per- severance and determined purpose he has overcome all obstacles, and is now settled upon his own farm and in his own home, and is to-day one of the well-to-do and prominent citizens of the county.

John Burns was born in Armagh county, Ireland, in 1844. Came with his father, James Burns, to America when fourteen years of age, it being in the year 1858. In the year 1868 he purchased eighty acres of land in section twelve, Washington township. This land he worked, and boarded with a neighbor till the year 1877, when, April 3d, he married Miss Mary J. Glynn, and moved upon his place, where they have since made their home. His wife was born in Hartford, Connecticut, October 6, 1857. They have two children: Mary Ellen, born May 7, 1878; James Patrick, born November 18, 1879. Mr. Burns is a man of clear grit and stout heart, and has won by his own exertions a splendid farm and good home, and has commenced life in earnest.

Daniel Webster Emery was born in Northampton county, Luermount, Bethel township, Pennsylvania, No- vember 6, 1854. He came west in early childhood with his father, William Emery, and after living in Illinois and Michigan for twenty years, he came to Buchanan county, Iowa, in 1875, and purchased the old Smyser farm, situate in Washington township. Mr. Emery su- perintended this farm until his death, which occurred August 5, 1878. His remains are buried at Plainfield, Will county, Illinois. His age was sixty-three. His first wife, whose maiden name was Susan Elizabeth Dietrick, died in Illinois in 1859, leaving a family of seven chil- dren : Irvin H., a resident now of this county ; Mary E., died in Michigan, January, 1875; William J., now in

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Denver City, Colorado, in the hotel business; Henry E., makes his home with Irvin; John D., Grand Rapids, Michigan; Anna M., wife of John B. Akey, now living on the old homestead; Daniel W., is also on the home- stead:

Cornelius Lane was born in New York in 1821. At the age of twenty-five he went to Illinois and rented land six years. In the spring of 1850 he came to Buchanan county, Iowa, and moved upon the farm where he still resides, in Washington. His first purchase of this farm was one hundred and sixty acres, which was made in 1849, paying only about ninety cents per acre. He has since made different purchases of land, till now he owns about six hundred acres in all, about three hundred and fifty acres of which constitutes the place where he re- sides. In 1872 he built himself one of the finest resi- dences in the county. He is largely interested in the stock business, having one hundred and seventy head of cattle, twenty head of horses, two hundred hogs, and six hundred sheep. Mr. Lane was married in New York in 1845 to Miss Elizabeth Correll, who was born in New York in 1825. They have a family of five children- Mary, born in 1857, now wife of L. C. Tifft, a farmer and resident of Washington township; George, born in 1853; Alonzo, born in 1856; John, born in 1857; Fiedie, born in 1869. The sons are all single and make their home with the father and help him carry on the place. Mr. Lane has the highest respect of the whole community. He has the honor of being one of the first settlers of the county, and one of the most solid men financially in it. He is politically a sound Republican, and is bringing his sons up in the same principles.

Thomas Peasley was born December 25, 1837. His early years were spent in Dubuque county, this State, engaged principally in farming. He commenced to do for himself at about the age of twenty by renting a farm. He came to Buchanan county in 1862 and purchased eighty acres of land in section fourteen of Albert Clark. His first payment was only eighty dollars. Mr. Clark formed such a favorable opinion of him that he gave him a deed for the land without taking a mortgage for the balance. This was promptly paid and he imme- diately bought an adjoining eighty acres, so that he owns now a clear one hundred and sixty acres without a mortgage or a lien of any kind against it-a thing many of his neighbors cannot boast of who used to put on airs with their wealth, when he in his old clothes was toiling hard for a farm. His farm is under a fine state of cultivation and ranks with the best in the county, affording him a pleasant home which he seems to be en- joying as he deserves. His industry and frugality have gained the high esteem of his neighbors, which it is his pleasure to possess, for he has fought hard against fate and has conquered. Mr. Peasley was married in 1860 to Miss Sarah Busby, of Dubuque county. They have a family of five children, one son and four daughters- Anna, born in 1861; Mary, born in 1863; William, born in 1865; Lizzie, born in 1867; Ida, born in 1870. Mary is a teacher and has the highest praise of all as a

disciplinarian. The family are still united and are a bright, intelligent one, that any man should be proud of.

Lindall J. C. Tifft was born in Rensselaer county, New York, February 3, 1848. He made his home with his father, Abram B. Tifft, till he was about twenty- five years of age. About the year 1855 he moved with his parents to Janesville, Wisconsin, where he spent his early years. In the fall of 1868 the family came to Bu- chanan county, locating two miles east of Independence. The family returned to Zanesville in March, 1873. Since this date Mr. Lindall Tifft has made this county his home and been doing for himself, engaging in farming, with the exception of about one year when he engaged in the hotel and butter business in Hazle- ton. He was married September 17, 1872, to Miss Mary E. Lane, the only daughter of C. Lane, whose lengthy sketch will be found in another portion of this history. His first enterprise after marriage was to rent eighty acres of land owned by his father-in-law. This he worked two years, at the expiration of which time he purchased eighty acres of land in section ten and another in section seventeen, in Buffalo township. He moved upon the last mentioned piece and farmed it, renting the other piece. He made this his home for about four years, when he traded the eighty acres on sec- tion ten for hotel property in Hazleton. The following October he traded the property back for the same eighty acres and purchased at the same time a full one hun- dred and sixty acres where he still resides in Wash- ington township. By more recent purchases his faim now contains two hundred acres. He has a number one farm and is largely interested in the stock business, own- ing as high as fifty head of cattle, six head of horses, and other stock. This farm is admirably calculated for the purpose to which he turns it. There are living springs upon it that in the severest winters do not close. Mr. Tifft is a young man who deserves great credit indeed for his success. With his clear business tact and unceas- ing industry he has secured one of the best farms and homes in the county. Though still a young man he is independent, and ranks among the solid men of his township.

Michael Many was born in Ireland in 1836, came to America in 1853, and to Buchanan county in 1857. He was married in this county in 1863 to a lady of Irish birth. They have two children living and two deceased, the former two daughters, Ann and Margaret. Mr. Many owns eighty acres of land, earned by his own exer- tions, showing what stamina there is in the Irish people. They came here hard-working and honest; have helped to make this one of the best nations of the earth, and nothing can be more pleasing than to see them enjoying good homes in their adopted country. Fate and fortune have struck hard against Mr. Many. Sickness and doc- tors' bills and accompanying ills have attended him in bad fortune-resulting in many losses. Had he been only saved these troubles he could have been one of the rich men of the county. But, in spite of all this bad luck, he is to-day independent and well-to do.

LIBERTY.

This township corresponds to the Congressional town- ship, eighty-eight north and range eight west of fifth prin- cipal meridian. It is, therefore, six miles square; and, as it is laid out in regular sections, and these regularly numbered, there is not the difficulty experienced in lo- cating tracts of land that there is in the irregular surveys of the Eastern States. The method by which the western States were laid out in regular squares and numbered will be explained in its proper place.

In 1847 the county was divided into precincts, of which there were three-Washington, Spring or Centre, and Liberty. The last then embraced the south half of Mid- dlefield, the south half of Liberty except sections 19, 20, 21, 30, 31, and 32, all of Cono except section 6, and sec- tions 12, 13, 24, 25, and 36 of Newton.

The north half of Liberty then comprised a part of Spring precinct. Quasqueton was the voting-place of Liberty precinct, as it had been at one time for the entire county.

On September 5, 1859, Liberty township was reduced to its present size and form.

SURFACE.

The greater portion of this township lies in a fine loca- tion, with hills and valleys, the former of no great height and with gentle slopes; between these, especially on the prairies, are belts of slightly depressed land, with gentle slopes toward the water-courses, covered with a thick, tough sward which precludes washing. Such places are called "sloughs." There being no gullies in these to carry off the water, and the rains from the surrounding hills passing but slowly through the luxuriant growth of grass which grows upon the sloughs, these places are usu- ally very moist. This characteristic may be aggravated by certain physical causes which will be explained in an- other chapter.

The hills become relatively higher in the vicinity of the river and the larger creeks, and have more abrupt slopes and narrow valleys; hence the land is of less agricultural value than that more remote. There are scattered along by the river frequent low and level lands, sometimes of considerable extent, known as "second bottoms," which are very productive. Though some of these "bottoms," either from peculiarities of subsoil or surroundings, or from the slight elevation above the river, are too wet for purposes of tillage.

SOIL.

The soil varies considerably in the different localities of the township. There are three distinct soils, each pe- culiar to the prairie, timber and bottom lands; and these, variously blended together and mingled with sand, con-

stitute a great variety, whose value, agriculturally, depends upon the amount of the sand and the depth of the mixture, and also very considerably upon the kind of subsoil; for this materially affects the drainage. The difference in the productiveness of these several soils is a result of the de- gree of fineness or coarsencss, and the kind of rocks, whether quartz or limestone, out of whose comminution they were formed, and of the amount of humus or organic matter contained. These peculiar differences and their causes will be explained at length in the geological de- partment.

The soil of the prairies is an arenaceous loam, usually quite deep, very durable and productive. The sloughs often have even a greater depth of soil, are richer, heavier, having received valuable additions in the washings from the hills and from the decay of the rich vegetable matter which has grown in them, the dampness not permitting the annual fires to destroy this growth. In this way a deep vegetable mould is formed. Even when the sloughs are not fit for plough lands -- though they frequently would be if properly drained -- they constitute one of the most valuable parts of the prairie farm for grass-growing purposes. The native grass growing upon them is often cut twice, and these lands produce two large crops of ex- cellent hay. Timothy will grow first rate on the dryer ones, and red-top grows most luxuriantly when once started upon them.

In part of the woodlands the soil is very similar to that of the prairie, and has perhaps a greater amount of veg- etable matter. It is a deep, sandy mould, of great pro- ductiveness and durability, and is considered to be some- what quicker than the prairie soil. However, in differ- ent parts of the timber region, the quality of the soil varies considerably, depending much upon conditions mentioned before. In some places it is clayey, at others it is sandy ; this variableness is noticed in the prairie regions, espe- cially in those parts near the river. Where the white oak timber grew or is growing especially abundant, the soil is invariably found to be thin and poor.

The "butternut" or "second bottoms " have long been prized and recognized as the best of soils. These are of diluvial origin, having been deposited during the Cham- plane epoch, when the bed of the river was the entire ex- tent of its bottom lands. Some of these are devoid of trees; others have been encroached upon by the forests of the adjacent hills.

The prairie is recognized, on the whole, as being the best for corn, and the timber and "bottoms" unrivaled for the production of wheat ; for on these this grain is not so likely to "smut" or " blast," and has the advantage of the "quickness." As a whole, the soils are admirably

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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY, IOWA.

adapted for the growth of cereals, grasses, and northern fruits.

TIMBER.

Almost one-half of this township was, at the advent of the settlers, denselv forested. This region embraces all or the greater part of sections 5, 8, 9, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, 29, 30, 32, and 33, and fractions of others.

The native trees are the white oak, bur oak, red oak, black oak, white (or soft) maple, sugar (or hard) maple, white elm, red (or slippery) elm, linden (or basswood) walnut, butternut, hackberry, poplar, aspen, cotton wood, shagbark, bitter-nut, ash, and water-birch, But few evergreens appear; red cedar and white pine were formerly found in considerable numbers on the cliffs of the rivers and creeks. Among the shrubs and smaller trees are the wild plum, crab-apple, hawthorn, black-haw, willow, Virginia creeper, wild grape and other vines, The hard maples were once so numerous in the sugar bottoms, that not a little sugar were made from them. Large trees being quite numerous till comparatively recent times, the manufacture of hard-wood lumber was an important industry; but now there are but few valua- ble trees left and the others are being rapidly taken from this region for fuel. If the present rate of destruction continues, there must, within a few years, be a dearth of wood fuel.

Timber, without the land, has been sold as high as sixty dollars per acre. This shows the value of the wood.

STREAMS.

The general undulatory character of the surface, gen- tly sloping toward the creeks and to the river, causes the township to have an excellent drainage system, which is further effected by the numerous streams which flow in and through it. The Wapsipinicon, familiarly known as Wapsie, flows through the southwestern part of the town- ship, entering it on the east, one and a-half miles from the southern boundary, continuing with large deflections in an almost easterly course to the vicinity of Cedar Rock, three-quarters of a mile north of Quasqueton, when its course is changed to the southeast, and, pur_ suing this direction it enters Cono, two and one-fourth miles from the eastern boundary line; whence it flows in the same direction through Cono and the southwest corner of Newton into Linn county. Pine, Nash, Hal- stead, and Blank creeks are the principal tributaries of the Wapsie in the township. Pine creek, which receives its name from scattered pine trees which formerly grew upon the bordering cliffs, and of which only a few re- main, rises in Byron, and, after entering this township, follows a semicircle course, in a southerly direction, through the west central part of the township into the Wapsie, less than two miles, as the crow flies, from Quasqueton. The two confluent branches of Halstead creek rise at a considerable distance apart in the town- ship to the north, and flow in a southerly and southwest- erly direction till within a mile of the river, when they come together and empty into it a short distance from the mouth of Pine creek. Before their branches unite, the larger and more eastern one is called Merrill's creek,

and the other Dry run, and the stream formed by the two is usually called by the name given above. Nash creek rises within the township, flows to the southwest, and drains a considerable area. The last named creek flows through the southeast corner of the region de- scribed.

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History of Buchanan County, Iowa, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 83

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