History of Buchanan County, Iowa, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 94

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 94

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).

E. W. Wellman was born in Geauga county, Ohio, in 1853. At about the age of three, he moved with his father, Obed Wellman, to Indiana, where he lived till he was twenty years of age, which was in the year 1853, when he came to Iowa, and located on the farm where he now lives, in Fairbank township. He bought it of the Government, there being eighty acres in the piece. He built a good house in 1878. He has the farm all under good cultivation, and makes farming his principal bus- iness. He was married, in 1872, to Miss Phoebe A. Webster, of this county. They have two children: Edith Myrtle, aged seven; and Adelbart E., aged three- a couple of bright little children. Mr. Wellman is one of Buchanan's substantial farmers, and one of the Na- tion's good, sound Republicans.

HAZLETON.

This township was granted an independent organization by the county judge in April, 1853, under the name of Superior, with thirty-six sections, and bounded on the north by Fayette county. On the first day of August, 1853, the people had their first election, and the follow- ing were elected township officers: James Huntington and Samuel Sufficool, justices of the peace; Nathan Ped- dycord, E. P. Spear, and John Kint, trustees. The name of the township was changed to Hazleton about 1862. The officers of Hazleton township for 1881 were as fol- lows: John Kiefer, B. H. Miller, and Patrick O'Brien, trustees; O. M. Bunce, clerk; Wayne Nelson, assessor, S. O. Hillman and William Bunce, justices of the peace; Peter Putnam and Charles Morton, constables.

The surface of the township is generally rolling. The soil is a light loam, though some portions are sandy; yet

the larger part is good and productive land. The timber is white, red, and burr oak, butternut, walnut, and hick- ory. Nearly one-fourth of the township is in timber. The streams are the Otter in the west, Little Otter in the northeast, South creek in the east, and Phillips' creek in the west.

SETTLEMENT.

Samuel Sufficool and 1). C. Greeley made the first permanent settlement here February 21, 1847, in the northwest part of the township. They were natives of Ohio, and had emigrated to Iowa the year before, stop- ping at Marion, Linn county, from whence they came here with ox teams. They came to the county the sum- mer before and put up some hay in Buffalo township. They built a shanty, passed the time until spring came hunting, cutting wood and splitting rails, with no com-

3.38

HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY, IOWA.

panions but the Indians and wolves, for at this time their nearest neighbors were seven miles away. In the spring they built a log house, this being the first house in the township, and soon after its completion Calvin Tuttle and wife came and moved into it, with whom Sufficool and Greeley lived. That season they broke sixty acres of land, and raised a little sod corn.

No further settlers came until September, 1847, when William Bunce, wife and child, arrived and built. a log house near Sufficool and Greeley. The child who came with Bunce and wife is now O. W. Bunce, clerk of the township, and a hardware merchant of Hazleton village. John Kint and family, consisting of a wife and four chil- dren, settled here August 17, 1848, on section two, the land he afterwards entered and now owns and lives on. With Kint came Gilman Greeley and wife and his two sons, W. H. Greeley and Stephen L. Greeley, and built a log house near the others.

In June, 1848, Isaac Sufficool, the father of S. Suffi- cool, and family came, and on their arrival moved into the house of Sufficool and Greeley. Orlando Sufficool the same year settled in the southwest part of the town- ship, upon land which he had entered in 1847 and now owns and lives on. He was then quite a young man ; now he is married and the father of four children, and the owner of a good farm of two hundred and fifty acres. He was born in Stark county, Ohio, in 1824. Of the early settlers Samuel Sufficool still resides in the township, the owner of eight hundred acres of land, and has a wife and two grown daughters.

D. C. Greeley died October 4, 1854, leaving a widow.

John Kint was born April 8, 1815, in Pennsylvania. When young he learned the cooper's trade. In 1836 he went to Ohio, and there married, March 25, 1837, a sis- ter of D. C. Greeley. They had five children-Daniel, George H., Betsey Ann, Florence Ellen, and W. H. Kint. Betsey A. married Thomas M. Sparks, who vol- unteered in our late war, where he lost his life. She afterwards married Peter Young, with whom she is now living in Hazleton. Daniel married Sarah Buchart, and resides on section two. He has four children. George married Eliza Sparks, by whom he has seven children, and lives in Fayette county. W. H. Kint married Anna Graves, and has four children, residing in Knox county, Nebraska. Florence Ellen married Jacob Hasbrook, and has four children, and lives near John Kint's.

Gilman Greeley and wife are dead. The whereabouts of W. H. Greeley are not known. Quite a number of years ago he mysteriously disappeared, and nothing has been known of him since. Stephen I .. Greeley is in Ne- braska.

A. Belt settled here in 1852. He came from Indiana, being a native of Ohio. He resided in the township for some years, and now lives in Byron township with his son, E. C. Belt. He has been a member of the Meth- odist Episcopal church for forty years. The first religious services held in the township were at his house. He had six children, all of whom are now living.

Isaac Sufficool and wife died in 1866 in this township. James Girton came in 1851. He settled near Coy-

town, and now lives on the same farm where he first set- tled. He had a large family of children, and is now seventy-four years of age.

Fayette Gillet, a native of New York, settled in the west part of the township in 1854. At that time he en- tered the land upon which he now lives. He has three children.

W. C. Nelson, a native of Pennsylvania, a German by descent, settled here in 1853, at old Hazleton, which was for a long time the only village in the township. He was the pioneer physician. The village was fortu- nate, for at this early day even, they had the honor of having a doctor of their own. In those days, in the sparsely settled country, the doctor made long and te- dious rides on horseback to visit his patients, frequently away weeks at a time, travelling among the sick. He also taught the first school established at the village above mentioned; and also was township clerk for a number of years. He died here in 1862, leaving a wid- ow and four children: George, Thomas, Wayne A. W. and Catharine. His widow afterwards married General S. Bell, and is now living in the village of Hazleton.

E. W. Tenney settled here September 28, 1853-a native of Sutton, Massachusetts. He was the son of a physician, and by profession a railway engineer. On his arrival here, he opened a store at the old village of Hazleton, he being the second one to make the venture in the township. He continued in business until about 1873, when he retired for a time. In about 1875, he married a Miss Haines, by whom he has one child-a girl. In the fall of ISSo, he again embarked in busi- ness, becoming a member of the firm of Miller & Os- mer, dealers in lumber, the style of the firm being Mil- ler, Tenney & Co. He is one of the directors of the People's bank, at Independence.

L. D. Engle settled here with his family in 1851. He had seven children, only two of whom are now living; his wife is also dead. He was born in Ontario county, New York, in 1805, and when twelve years of age he went with his father's family to Ohio, where he remained until twenty-two years of age. Then he returned to New York and resided there six years, during which time he married and soon left with his bride for Ohio. After he had lived in Iowa twenty years, he made a trip to Cali- fornia, where he remained some four years. He has re- turned and is now living in the township, having retired from business, and is now passing his life in peace and quiet.

W. W. Gilbert, a native of Ohio, settled in the town- ship in the spring of 1854. At that time he was not a married man, but in 1857 he married and settled down to housekeeping in this township. He has two children, a boy and a girl, Ella and Fred. In 1870 he bought a place about one-half mile east of Independence, where he now resides. He has been quite a hunter, keeping a fine pack of trained dogs; and even now he takes down occasionally the old gun that has, in his hands, killed many a swift-footed deer, calls the dogs together, and starts for the timber for a hunt and a day's sport. If a skulk- ing wolf comes lurking about, then the fire and enthu-

339

HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY, IOWA.

siasm of early years kindles up, and he starts in pursuit. Mr. Gilbert has about his place many trophies of his hunts in the days that are passed, such as horns of the deer, skins of animals he has killed-reminders of nar- row escapes from the sharp claws and teeth of the lynx, and the feet and horns of the dying stag.

VILLAGES.

In 1852 a store and post office were started near where Sufficool and Greeley made the first settlement in 1841. The store was started by Allen Coy, who was also post- master; but the store was soon purchased by Edward Hutchins. The building where the first store and post office were, is now occupied by J. L. Biglow as a resi- dence ; and the place is called Coytown. All that is left of this first village is a few farm houses.

In 1853 E. W. Tenney opened a store two and a half miles south of the former one, and a post office was established there and called Hazleton, Tenney being appointed to the office of postmaster. C. Weistman also opened a store here in 1856, and this place was the centre of business for the township until September, 1873, when the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern railroad was built through, about one mile west from the village. Then the shops, stores and, in fact, nearly all the dwelling houses, were moved to the new village called Hazleton.

The following is a correct statement of the present business men, etc., of the new village of Hazleton :

Physicians-B. M. Corbin and W. E. Baker. Grain dealers-D. A. Daus and John Kiefer. Station agent of the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern railroad- W. S. Hogue. Dry goods and groceries-Pret. King and George W. Phillips. Blacksmiths-T. H. Under- wood, F. S. Bertrand and G. R. Kayes. Hardware- Miquett, Long & Co. Saloons-A. Nellis and C. Weist- man. Dealers in lumber-Miller, Tenney & Co. Car- penters-General S. Bell, William Truax and M. S. Wheaton. Hotel-Henry O'Neil. Harness shop- Birch & Farley. Shoe shop-Ephraim Walker. Meat market-Moses Urkhart. Watch and clock repairer- Henry Fourtner. Creamery-Adam Kiefer; established in the spring of 1880, and represented as doing a profit- able business. A public school, employing two teachers, the present ones being Mrs. D. Osmer and Julia Bunce. Stephen Paul Sheffield represents the legal profession. W. Bunce and S. O. Hilman are justices of the peace.

An opera house was erected in the spring of 1881 by Pret. King, and called King's opera house. It is eighty feet long and forty feet wide. Murphy & Hunter and B. H. Miller are stock dealers. The Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern railroad passes through the centre of the township from south to north.

EARLY EVENTS.

The first wedding was in 1848, W. H. Greeley to Mary Ellen Sufficool, at the residence of the bride's father; D. C. Greeley, esq., tying the knot; and the wedding oc- curred near where the first settlement was made. They had two children-a boy and a girl: Gilman and Kesiah. The boy is in Nevada, and the girl now the

wife of Nelson Clough, and still lives in Hazleton. Wallace S. Sufficool was the first white child born in the township, January 21, 1849. The first wheat was raised by Samuel Sufficool in 1848. Allen Coy was the first postmaster. The first and only saw-mill was built in 1854, by John Moorehouse, on Otter creek; but before it was completed he sold it to Isaac Sufficool, who fin- ished and operated it for a number of years. The first physician was W. C. Nelson, who settled there in 1853. A tannery was started here in 1862, by E. W. Tenney, WV. A. Nelson, and S. Faulkner, which was the only one ever established here. It remained for four years. William Bunce made the first entry of land here, June, 1847, on section ten-D. C. Greeley, W. H. Greeley, and Orlando Sufficool, made entries at the same time. In the early days, the nearest grist-mill was at Quasqueton. Most of their supplies came from Marion, Linn county. Samuel Sufficool and D. C. Greeley attended the first election ever had in Buchanan county, August, 1843, which was held two miles east of Independence, in what was called "Centre precint." Each was honored with an office --- D. C. Greeley being elected county surveyor, and Sufficool county judge. In 1848, good mess pork sold for two dollars per hundred, and slow sale at that price. The timber was full of hogs. In the early years, the inhabitants received their mail at Quasqueton, about twenty-five miles away. Allen Coy was the first post- master, and was succeeded by E. W. Tenney, and the of- fice was moved two and one-half miles south from where it was first established. Tenney was appointed in 1856 or 1857, by James Buchanan. The next was O. C. Searls; then E. W. Tenney again; after them Thomas Morton, C. Weitman, and W. S. Wheaton, the present incumbent.

ANCIENT ORDER OF UNITED WORKMEN.

On the twentieth day of November, 1877, the Ancient Order of United Workmen was established here. It was instituted by W. H. Buford, D. D. G. M., of Iowa, and called Good Will Lodge, No. 139. It had, on the night of its institution, a list of twenty-eight mem- bers. The first officers were as follows: R. G. Merrill, P. M .; S. H. Coon, master; J. B. Bennett, financier; O. M. Bunce, foreman; E. D. Thomas, overseer; J. A. Spear, recorder; and Peter Young, receiver. There is now a membership of twenty-five, and it is in a good, healthy financial condition. The present officers are, William J. Darling, P. M .; Peter Young, master; G. M. Miller, financier; O. Hunter, foreman; E. C. Lawrence, overseer; J. S. Girton, recorder; and A. G. Merrill, re- ceiver. This, in fact, is an insurance order, taking none but good, sound members, who are able to pass a critical, medical examination. At the death of a member his estate gets two thousand dollars.

CEMETERIES.

The first cemetery here was established in the fall of 1849, in the northeast part of the township, near where the first settlement was made. Here lie the remains of its very first settlers, D. C. Greeley, whose sterling worth of character will lie in the minds of those who knew

340

HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY, IOWA.

him, and never be forgotten by the old settlers. A

second one was established in 1855, in the centre of the township, which is now quite well filled with graves.

RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES.

The Methodists had the first religious organization, as early as 1852. It was formed at the house of A. Belt, and among the first members were, A. Belt and wife, Nathan Peddycord and wife, C. S. Belt, and Mr. Russell and wife. The first sermon preached was by Rev. Mr. Shippen, the stationed preacher at Independence. The society had occasional services at school-houses, private houses and halls. In May, 1879, they built a house of worship. Rev. H. Bailey is the present pastor.

The first Presbyterian church was organized here in 1864, at the house of John Long, by the Rev. J. D. Caldwell. Since the building of the Methodist Episco- pal church they have worshipped there, as at present. The Rev. J. D. Caldwell is still the preacher.

An organization of the Free Will Baptists was formed here, in July, 1879. They held services in the school- house, in district No. 9, in the southwest part of the township. They have no regular preacher.

SCHOOLS.

The early schools were supported by voluntary sub- scriptions from the inhabitants. In the fall of 1852 a big log house was built in the northeast part of the township by D. C. Greeley and John Kint. A school was taught there in the winter by Elizabeth Amelia Sayles, and it had twelve scholars. The teacher, Miss Sayles, married D. C. Greeley, with whom she lived for about two years, when he died. She subsequently married John D. Max- well, of Webster City, where she now lives. This school- house was primitive in the style of its architecture, the whole being constructed of logs, including the desks and seats, which were made of hewn logs. The chimney was built of rock. An incident occurred during the con- struction of the house that seems worth relating here. Greeley and Kint had got the house up excepting the roof, when, during the night, a snow-storm came. In the morning Kint went to the house and there found Greeley standing within the walls in snow four inches deep, looking somewhat disappointed. Greeley re- marked to Kint, "that he would have a school here this winter, if he had to to do all the work himself." In a short time the house was completed and the school com- menced. Among the first school-houses were one at Coytown and one at Hazleton village. Abraham Wykoof, D. C. Greeley, Stephen L. Greeley and C. W. Lillie, a prominent citizen of Independence, were some of the early teachers. There are now ten schools in the town- ship, and the one at Hazleton village employs two teach- ers. The school-houses in the township are good ones, convenient, and mostly new.

There is in the northeast part of the township, near where the first settlement was made, a limestone quarry, covering about twenty acres of land. The stone has proved to be of a good quality, standing well the weather and storm, and answering well for building purposes. The rock lies in tiers from four to twelve inches thick,

and from six to ten in length. The stone is very white, and easily worked. In the spring of 1879 a patent lime- kiln was erected here by Bunce & Co., who are also the owners of the quarry. The kiln has the capacity of burn- ing one hundred bushels of lime in twenty-four hours. Since its establishment a good and profitable business has been done,-supplying the adjacent places with lime. In 1880, thirty-two hundred bushels were burned here. The lime is of an excellent quality, being very white and strong; and thus far its users have been well satisfied. Bunce & Co. have a fortune here, if it is properly managed.

In early days there was a large number of deer in all parts of the township, and occasionally an elk was seen, but not common. The skulking wolves were in large numbers, as now. Of fur-bearing animals, the otters were plenty, from which the principal stream in the town- ship takes its name. There were a few beavers; but now nothing is left but the mink and muskrat. William Bunce and W. W. Gilbert, in the winter of 1854-5, had, between them, a pleasant competition, to see which would kill the most deer. These Nimrods slaughtered, that winter, thirty-seven deer, and to Gilbert was given the honor of killing one the most. In those times venison was plenty and good. Since the winter of 1855-6, no deer have been seen in the township. During the winter of 1854-5 there were two or three elks killed here. There were wild-cats and lynxes. A large lynx was killed by W. W. Gilbert, with which he had an encounter; but, being mounted upon a horse, which understood him, he suc- ceeded in killing him. He tracked him to a tree, where he was found ready to leap upon his pursuers. At the discharge of the gun the horse leaped forward; and the lynx, being wounded, jumped from the tree and lighted upon the very spot where horse and rider had stood. The lynx received a second discharge, and then, with hunting- knife, was dispatched. Gilbert says, in relating the story, " that, for a moment, this was not a very pleasant place to be at." A gray fox was also killed here by this Nimrod.

The winters of 1857 and 1858 are spoken of by the old settlers as very severe indeed, being characterized by cold weather and deep snow. There was much suffering in the township, and several persons were frozen to death while travelling over the prairie.

PERSONAL MENTION.

James Dowling was born in Scotland in 1834. He lived with his father, Samuel Dowling, assisting at his trade in weaving until he was sixteen years of age, when he enlisted in the British service, where he remained two and a half years, fighting through the Crimean war. He was at the taking of the great Redan. He came to America in 1858, and staying a few months at New York and a short time in Chicago, he finally went to Rankakee City, Illinois, where he engaged in farming for three months, the first time he had ever served in that capaci- ty. He bought a ditching machine, which he was han- dling very successfully, when his adopted country called, and he joined the noble force that squelched the Rebel- lion. He enlisted in company A, One Hundredth Illi- nois volunteer infantry, and served the country three

Frillyman King

341

HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY, IOWA.

years. He was in twenty engagements, and was wound- ed by a gunshot in the battle of Chickamauga. Mr. Dow- ling was never taken prisoner, nor off duty one hour ex- cept when wounded, and then he joined his regiment before he was fully recovered. Returned home in 1865 and entered a piece of land and purchased forty aeres joining the same. In the spring of 1866 he was married to Miss Margaret Victoria Murphy, of Wayne county, Illinois, who was born March 16, 1851. Here he leased his mother-in-law's farm during her life, which proved to be ten years. In 1876 he came to Iowa and bought the farm of eighty acres where he now resides, south of Hazleton, and has since purchased seventy acres. Mr. Dowling has a nice little family of five children: Nettie, aged thirteen ; James, aged ten ; John aged eight; George Washington, aged five; Charles W., aged three. Mr. Dowling and his wife are members of the Methodist church, and Mr. Dowling has always fought for, and voted the Republican ticket.

Alexander Bass was born in Scotland February 4, 1837. At the age of twenty-one he came to America with his father, Andrew Bass, loeating in Wisconsin, where Mr. Alexander Bass resided about five years, when he went to Minnesota and farmed till the year 1867. He then returned to Wisconsin and remained nearly two years. In the spring of 1869 he came to lowa and purchased the farm of eighty acres where he still resides, in section twenty-five, Hazleton township. Mr. Bass was married June 1, 1871, to Miss Margaret Edgar, who died Janu- ary 2, 1880, at the age of forty-three years. She was born in Scotland June 2, 1837. Mr. Bass has two chil- dren living and one deceased: Jennie Helen, aged eight ; Maggie E., aged six; Mabel A., born October 11, 1877, died August 27, 1879.

Prettyman King was born in Defiance county, Ohio, in the year 1841. Attended the Ohio Wesleyan univer- sity at Delaware, Ohio, in the year 1860. Enlisted in the three months' service, after the expiration of which he again attended sehool three months ; then enlisted in the Fifth battalion for six months, and at the expiration of the time, he enlisted at Camp Garrett, Kentucky, in the Thirteenth Ohio volunteer cavalry for three years, or dur- ing the war. The regiment was organized at Camp Chase, and entered the service in Virginia. Served his country over three years, entering the army as a private, was promoted to orderly sergeant, then to sergeant major, then to second lieutenant, then to first lieutenant. Afterwards was appointed adjutant, and then captain of his company. Captain King was in the front ranks at the surrender of Lee, April 9, 1865. Afterwards ordered to City Point, and turned over ordnances and horses. Went then to Columbus, Ohio, and was discharged. Was in three open-field sabre charges, and had two horses shot from under him. At four different battles supported field artillery. Was in twenty-four battles- the first and last battles of the Rebellion. Under the command of General Burnside he lay thirty days in the rifle pits in front of Petersburgh, and helped blow up the rebel fort, using eight tons of powder. Was in the Ninth corps which made the charge and carried three

lines of the rebels' works, and held their position till 5 o'clock P. M., when they were ordered back to their own lines in wild retreat. Lost five thousand men killed in the charge. Military tactics required the following up of the left wing; the centre was already broken. General Burnside went to the commander, General Mead, and urged this movement, stating that his men " were melt- ing away like snow," but, on account of jealousy, it was not granted, and this terrible loss of life was the result, prolonging the war at least a year, and leaving a bitter feeling in the heart of every surviving soldier toward General Mead.

After Mr. King's return home from the war he at- tended commercial school in Ohio. Mr. King was married to Miss Mattie Demorst, of Delaware, Ohio. Returned home to assist his father two years in the hotel, mililnery and mercantile business. Mrs. King died of hemorrhage while on a visit home in the year 1868, after which Mr. King came to Iowa, and engaged in the dry goods business with Mr. J. F. Hodges, of In- dependence, for two years. Returned to Ohio on a visit of one year, came baek to Independence in 1872, and married Miss Amelia Manz. Have three children : Wyatt, aged seven ; William, aged five ; Maud A., aged six months. Engaged in the mercantile business with Keifer Brothers, of Hazleton, in March, 1877, where he is still in business, but no longer in partnership. Mr. King is a man of rare experience. His affability and gentlemanly bearing gives him rare advantages as a business man. Among his many other excellent qualities we may state the fact that he is a good, sound Repub- lican.

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.

History of Buchanan County, Iowa, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 94

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