USA > Iowa > Buchanan County > History of Buchanan County, Iowa, with illustrations and biographical sketches > Part 95
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J. R. Cowell was born in New York, in 1835. At the age of twenty-one he went to Wisconsin, where he re- sided eight months, and returned to New York State and engaged in farming about eighteen months. He came to Jowa in 1858 and spent about two years, and feneed and improved forty acres of land, it being a part of eighteen hundred aeres his father, C. R. Cowell, had purchased at government price about the year 1854. He then rented his farm and went back to New York, and stayed two years. Returned in 1862 and moved upon his land, where he still resides in Hazleton township. Owns in all one hundred and sixty. Mr. Cowell was married in 1861 to Miss Marcia Morse, who died in 1868, leaving three children : E. E., aged eighteen ; C. W., aged sixteen ; F. A., aged fourteen. Mr. Crowell was married a second time in 1874, to Miss Fannie House, who died in June, 1878, leaving two children : F. M., aged four; C. J., aged two. Mr. Cowell is a member of the Baptist church, and, politically, is a good Republican.
J. W. Barr, was born in Buchanan county, Washington township, lowa, in 1848. Has, with the exception of some travelling, always made his home here, engaged in farming principally. He owns a farm of two hundred acres where he resides in section thirty-three Hazleton township, the forty where the buildings stood was bought from the Goverment by his father, Thomas Barr, in the year 1855. Mr. Barr was married in 1874 to Miss
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Elizabeth I. Curley, who was born in Holmes county, Ohio, in 1854. They have two children, Galileo C., age five; Clara F., age three. We are pleased to meet such a man as Mr. Barr. He is one of the very first men who helped lay the foundation of Buchanan county. He remembers well when his neighbors were more of the red than the white. When deer and other wild game inhabited the groves and prairies and the conveniences of life were scarce. But he has a property that well pays him for his many privations.
Orin Harrington, was born in Canada in 1833, and came to the United States in 1853, stopping two years in Illinois, working on the farm as a hand. Came to Iowa in 1855, spent about two years as a hired hand when he purchased eighty acres in section twenty, Hazleton township, where he resided fourteen years, when he moved to Independence and their lived two years. work- ing at the carpenter's trade, and improved some lots he owned there. In the spring of 1873 he purchased the farm of two hundred and forty acres where he now resides, in Hazleton township. Has splendid buildings and his admirably, farm under good improvement. His farm lies one hundred and twenty acres on each side of the road. On the west side of the road he has a natural grove of one hundred and twenty acres. He has a great facility in feeding stock. He has barns and sheds well arrranged for this avocation, which he takes quite an interest in along with his farming. He sells about twenty-three hundred dollars worth of stock a year, besides his hay and grain. He owns seven hundred and eighty and one-half acres of land, all told. Mr. Harrington was married about the year 1855, to Miss Sarah S. Long, born in New York in 1839. They have seven children living, and three deceased. Eva, age twenty-three, mar- ried Webster Smale, and lives in Lamars Plymouth county ; O. Chester died, June 19 1880, at the age of nineteen; Walter, age seventeen; Ellen, age fifteen ; Amos, age eleven; Fred, age seven; Penn, age five; Arthur, age three. The single children are all living and constitute a wide-awake bright family. Mr. and Mrs. Harrington are members of the Presbyterian church. Mr. Harrington is one of Buchanan's early settlers, and is one of its successful business farmers to-day. He is one of the substantial men of the county, and one of the driving-wheels of the community. And he is among those sound-headed men, who are satisfied with the present condition of the country, and means to vote to keep it the same.
Albertus Gillet, was born in Courtland county, New York, in the year 1832; commenced to work for himself at the age of fifteen. At the age of twenty-two he came to Iowa and purchased the farm of three hundred and twenty acres where he now resides in Hazleton town- ship. Moved onto it in 1856, commenced breaking and built his house. He has made many additional improve- ments, besides having his farm under a fine state of cul- tivation, has shade and fruit trees and every convenience of a good home. Has since made some changes in buying and selling, so that now he owns two hundred and eighty acres all in one body. East of the house there is
a natural grove of forty acres that surpasses in beauty anything of the kind we have ever seen in the west. It is a natural sloping mound. Mr. Gillet was married July 4, 1859, to Miss Emma L. Parish, who was born on Long Island, New York, April, 1842. They have two children-Edward M., aged nineteen, and Cora L., aged twelve years. Mrs. Gillet's grandfather, on the mother's side, was a brother of the noted Colonel (afterwards Gen- eral) Miller, who was asked by General Scott, at the bat- tle of Lundy Lane, if he could take a battery which was the key to the enemy's position. His famous reply was, "I will try, sir." He tried, succeeded, and the fight was won. Mrs. Gillet has a brother residing in Nagasaki, Japan, engaged in furnishing ship supplies and groceries to the American and German navies. Mr. Gillet sends him all his butter -- even during the hottest weather. We had the pleasure of seeing some exquisite presents sent by this brother to his sister, containing views of his place of business and his residence. Never before, to our comprehension, were the east and west brought so near together.
Fayette Gillet was born in the State of New York in 1824. He resided at home with his father, Nathan Gil- let, and attended school until he was twenty-one years of age, when he commenced life for himself by engaging in farming. When twenty-six years of age he married and moved into an adjoining county and resided until the year 1854, when he came to lowa and purchased the farm where he now resides, in Hazleton township. He owns one hundred and twenty acres, and built a fine stone house in the year 1868. His farm is under good culture, with trees bearing fruit, and the farm bears the appearance of a pleasant home, Mr. Gillet was married in March, 1850, to Miss Eunice Amanda Eldridge, who was born in Chenango county, New York, in 1830. They have three children living and one deceased: Mary Lucinda, twenty-nine, married H. E. Merrill, resides in this township ; Frank H., twenty-seven, married Maggie Ann Spragg, and resides in Montana; Ada Malvina, died August 5, 1865, at the age of five years ; C. Leon F., nine. Mr. and Mrs. Gillet are good neighbors, and Mr. Gillet is a good, sound Republican.
Rollin Miller was born in Wyoming county, New York, in 1843. At the age of six he moved, with his father, Adam Miller, to Illinois, where they remained about three years, when they came to Iowa, locating in this county, Washington precinct. He farmed his fath- er's place and lived at home till he was twenty-three years of age, when he was married and moved to his own home. He purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land, where he now resides, in Hazleton township, in 1867.
He built his house the same season, and now owns in all three hundred and sixty acres of excellent land. The editor finds the canvasser's notes so obscure in regard to the children of Mr. and Mrs. Miller (both, as it would seem, having been previously married), that he feels compelled to leave out their names altogether. Mr. Miller was an abolitionist previous to President Lin- coln's emancipation proclamation, and ever since a Re- publican. He is a man who enjoys life and the society
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of his friends, and has the respect and good wishes of all his neighbors.
Thomas Morton was born in Spencer county, Indi- ana, August 7, 1813. At the age of sixteen he moved, with his father, Francis Morton, to Wabash, Indiana, where he resided four years, when they moved into IHli- nois, where Mr. Francis Morton died in 1842. In the year 1839 Mr. Thomas Morton went to Wisconsin and lived about twenty-eight years, engaged in farming. He came to lowa in the spring of 1867, locating in "Old Hazleton," where they made their home about five years, engaging in the hotel business. He purchased the farm of eighty acres where he resides, in the east edge, at Hazleton station, in the year 1872. He has put up fine improvements, both in buildings and shade and fruit trees, besides putting his farm in a fine state of cul- tivation. When the railroad came he laid forty acres off in town lots. Mr. Morton was married in 1835 to Miss Susan Kelly, who died in 1845, at the age of thirty, leaving a family of five children-four sons and one daughter-all of whom are married and doing for them- selves. He was married the second time in 1844 to Miss Frances A. Brown, who was born in Highland county, Ohio, June 15, 1826. They have five children living and one deceased: Sanford B., who died Septem- ber 7, 1846, at the age of two years ; Sarah C., born No- vember 14, 1846, married Wallace Sadler, and resides in Hazleton township, on a farm ; Mary C., born November 9, 1848, married William Sadler, and resides in the vil- lage of Hazleton ; Thomas J., born April 4, 1852, mar- ried Mary Ann Haghwood, and resides in Hazleton ; John F., born June 28, 1854, married Carrie Benette, and also resides in Hazleton ; Stephen A. Douglas, born October 18, 1860. Mr. and Mrs. Morton are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Politically, Mr. Morton is a greenbacker.
H. R. O'Neil was born in Ripley county, Indiana, February 20, 1854. He came to lowa, with his father, Ruel O'Neil, locating in Fairbank township, in April, 1856. Mr. O'Neil made his father's house his home un- til he was about twenty-two years of age, two years of which time he farmed the home place on shares, at the expiration of which he attended school two years at Keo- kuk. In the spring of 1877, he entered in partnership with C. Weitman, in the general mercantile business in Hazleton, which he continued about one year; then en- gaged in the stock and lumber business for another year. He then purchased the hotel in Hazleton in 1878, which he still retains. Mr. O'Neil was married August 15, 1880, to Miss Mary E. Jarrett, who was born December 28, 1854, in the State of Indiana. Mr. O'Neil took pos- session of his hotel as landlord (his wife being landlady), on the fifteenth day of January, 1881, through the ur- gent request of their fellow townsmen, and we can testi- fy to the fact that they are well calculated for the busi- ness. They keep a quiet, genteel house, set a good table, and give general satisfaction in accommodations and prices.
Peter Young was born in Germany, near the borders of France, in 1829, May 7th, and came to America when
about twelve years of age, entirely alone, making Defi- anee county his home till 1863, engaging in farming and carpentering. He came to Iowa in November, 1863, and purchased a property in Old Hazleton in January, where he made his home better than a year carrying on the carpenter's and joiner's business. In 1865 he pur- chased a property in Coytown, and resided there three years, where he engaged in the carpenter's and joiner's business, owning a farm of eighty acres in Buffalo town- ship at the same time. October 14, 1868, he purchased the farm of one hundred and twenty aeres where he re- sides, one mile west of Hazleton station He owns also ten aeres of timber in section ten, Hazleton township. He did not move upon his place till the year 1869. The same year he built his fine residence; he built his barn in 1873. He has a beautiful natural grove of about five aeres just back of his house, which not only adds beauty to his home, but comfort in both summer and winter. The natural location of Mr. Young's farm cannot be ex- celled for beauty in the county. The house stands on 'an eminence overlooking the village of Hazleton, the railroad track north and south for several miles, and the country far beyond. His improvements are of a fine character. Besides fine buildings, he has his farm un- der a perfect state of cultivation ; fruit trees, etc., planted, and every want of a nice home supplied. Mr. Young was married in 1864, December 6th, to Miss Betsy Ann Sparks, who was born in Williams county, Ohio, Oeto- ber 1, 1843. They have nine children: Stephen Elmer, born October 26, 1865; Mary Elizabeth, born June 18, 1867; Jacob Henry, born October 31, 1869; Carrie May, born October 10, 1871; Nora L., born September 17, 1873; Nettie E., born March 19, 1875; Effie E., born March 14. 1877; Mertie F., born October 24, 1878; Daniel Nelson, born January 4, 1881. They are pleasant and intelligent, and take an interest in the com- munity, and have the best wishes of all their neighbors. They take great pains in giving their children an educa- tion-a worthy example to all. Mr. Young is a member of the order of Free Masons.
G. M. Miller was born in Wyoming county, New York, in 1837. At the age of twelve he went to Illinois with his father, Adam Miller, and lived near Rockford about three years. His father was a carpenter and joiner by trade, but engaged in sheep-raising during his stay in Illi- nois, besides working at his trade. G. M. Miller came to Iowa September 13, 1852, locating in Washington town- ship. His first purchase of land in the county was in section thirty-two, Hazleton township, which was in 1853. He purchased the farm of two hundred and ten acres, where he now resides, in Hazleton township, and has since added to it, till now he owns two hundred and eighty acres in all. He built his fine residence in 1871, and his barn in 1875.
Benjamin H. Miller was born in Thompkins county, New York, in 1840. At about the age of four he moved with his father, E. Miller, to Illinois, near Rockford, where they made their home till the year 1866, when he came to lowa and purchased the farm of three hundred and forty acres of land where he still resides, in Hazle
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ton township. He enlisted in company A, Sixty-third Illinois infantry, in the three months' service, but served his country nearly five months. Mr. Miller was married in October, 1863, to Miss Lucy M. Payne, who was born in Rockford, Illinois, in July, 1844. They have six chil- dren-Gertie A., aged sixteen; Warren A., fourteen ; Mattie E., ten ; Samuel B., seven: Bennie H., five; Ul- ster S., three. Mr. Miller has one of the best farms in Buchanan county. He has one of the finest groves, of four acres, in the county. It is planted in straight rows. He has also a fine orchard, and knowing the require- ments of a fine home has supplied them. He has held positions of honor and trust several times-served as jus- tice of the peace four years, town clerk, and trustee. He is one of Buchanan's wide-awake farmers. Mr. Miller is affable, pleasant, and a solid Republican.
Mrs. Eunice Spragg was born in New Brunswick in 1812. She lived with her father, Moses Brundage, till she was twenty-two years of age, when she married Ed- ward Spragg, who was born in New Brunswick in 1810, and died July 11, 1878. They spent their early and best . days on the farm in New Brunswick, came to lowa in 1865; purchased the farm of one hundred and sixty acres where she now resides, in Hazleton township. They had seven children, only two of whom are now living-Cath- arine, who married Robert Alder, and died at the age of twenty-seven, leaving one child, Edward K., now eigh- teen, who makes his home with his grandmother; Moses, who died in November, 1849, at the age of thir- teen ; Sarah Matilda, who married B. Curtis, October 18, 1868, and died June 25, 1880, at the age of forty-two, leaving two children; Ezra, aged forty-one, is married and resides in Montana, and has one child; Eliza Ann, who died at the age of nine; Eunice, who died at the age of eighteen months; John, twenty-six, single, who resides in Montana. Mrs. Spragg is a very pleasant, ac- tive lady, for her years; is one of those apt persons who can calculate dates, ages, etc., very readily, and remem- bers well the story of her life. She has a nice farm, and is living in hope of reaching the better land when she takes her departure.
Antoine Menuez was born in France in 1816, and came to America, at about the age of seventeen, with his father, Henry Menuez, and located in Oswego, New York, where he remained about twenty-two years, engaged principally at the carpenter's trade. He came to Iowa in the year 1855, and purchased the farm of one hundred and ten acres where he now resides, in Hazleton township ; he has now one hundred and thirty actes. He built himself a fine residence in 1879, and a number one barn in 1874; has fruit and shade trees planted. Mr. Menuez has one of the good farms of Buchanan county, and en- gages in stock raising in connection with his farming. Mr. Menuez was married, in 1841, to Miss Pauline l'rud- homme, born in France in 1830. They have nine chil- dren-Mary Ellen, thirty-one, married Marcus Burns, and resides in Marion, Iowa; Catharine Augusta, twenty- nine, married Justine Jarder, a farmer of Hazleton town- ship; Anthony Henry, twenty-five, married Rosa Staguls, and resides in Hazleton township; John B., twenty-one,
married Jessie Sparks, and resides in Hazleton township; Francis Domnique, nineteen; Mary Frankie, seventeen; Peter Washington, fourteen; Frank, twelve; Leo, eight. All the single children are residing at home, and consti- tute a happy family. As will be seen by this sketch Mr. Menuez is one of the first settlers of Buchanan county, and has been one of its successful men. He has a fine farm and nice home. Mr. and Mrs. Menuez are meni- bers of the Catholic church. They are fine people, and we should esteem it a pleasure to be one of their neigh- bors.
L. O. Hellman was born in Clinton county, Ohio, in 1823. While still young, he went with his father, Ben- jamin Hellman, to Grant county, Indiana, where he en- gaged in farming till the year 1856, when he came to Iowa, locating in Buffalo township. Here he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of Government land, but sold eighty acres of it, and improved and lived upon the balance till 1864, when he sold it, and moved to Hazle- ton township. He purchased the farm of one hundred and twenty acres, where he still resides, and has in all two hundred and twenty acres.
Mr. Hellman was married in 1846, to Miss Elizabeth Coate, of Indiana. They have nine children living and two dead; William, thirty-three; married Mary M. Miller, and resides in Buffalo township ; Nancy, thirty-one, mar- ried A. G. Pringle, and resides in Dakota Territory; Ben- jamin, who died in 1869, at the age of nineteen; Mar- garet, twenty-eight, married R. E. Ketchem, and lives in Mainard, Fayette county ; Harriet Amanda, twenty-six, single; Isaac, twenty-three, single; Allen, twenty-one; Oscar, nineteen; Albert, seventeen; Caroline, died in 1869, at the age of two years and a half; Esther, seven. The single children all make their home with the father. Mr. and Mrs. Hellman are members of the Christian church. Mr. Hellman is well off in the world's goods, has a large and interesting family, is a good neighbor and friend, and a good and stiff Republican.
John G. Classon was born in Grafton, New Hamp- shire, in 1817. He went to the State of Vermont, when he was thirteen, and resided there till he was twenty-one, when he returned to New Hampshire, and remained until 1842, when he returned to Vermont, where he resided till the year 1855, engaging in the manufacture of carriages in Thetford the whole time. In May, 1855, he came to lowa, and moved upon the farm of two hun- dred aeres, which he had previously purchased in Bremer county. Those were early days. They had to go a dis- tance of thirty-six miles for their groceries, etc., but the wave of civilization soon reached them, and neighbors and towns were near at hand. He sold his farm, and came to this county in September, 1863, and purchased a farm in Homer township, where he lived five years, and sold out to a good advantage, and purchased the farm of eighty acres, where he now resides one mile west of Hazleton. They have a beautiful home. It is protected in the winter from the cold piercing winds, and in the summer from the hot rays of the sun. Its natural location can- not be excelled in the county, close to the railroad, close to neighbors, and close to school and church. They
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have trees bearing fruit, apples, plums, grapes, berries, etc., and everything that the heart could desire, and every attraction of a western home. Mr. Classon was married September, 1841, to Miss Mary Ann Wells, who was born in Merrimack county, New Hampshire, in 1817. They have four children living, and two deceased : Ellen Louisa, thirty-eight, married Mr. Lewis Clark, who died August 7, 1868; she is still a widow, and resides at Cedar Falls. Harrison, thirty-five, married Miss Hattie Harrington, and lives near his father's. Francis A. died at the age of twenty-six, September 12, 1871, in Kansas, and married William H. Merrill. Adelaide A., thirty, married Henry Bessie, and resides in Hazleton. William E., twenty-six, single, and makes his home with his parents. Both Mr. and Mrs. Classon are members of the Presbyterian church. Mr. Classon is a Republican.
Henry Erdman was born in Hanover, Germany, in 1825. He came to America in 1840, locating in New York about six years, when he moved to Wisconsin, and engaged in blacksmithing about six years. Mr. Erdman came to Iowa in 1863, and purchased the farm of one hundred and forty acres, where he now resides in Greeley's Grove, Hazleton township. Mr. Erdman was married in 1855, to Miss Mary Ann Stevens, of New York, who died in 1870, leaving a family of four children : Frank, twenty-four; Cirena, twenty-two; Hattie, sixteen; Willy, fourteen-all living at home except Frank, who is in Dakota working for himself. Mr. Erdman was married the second time to Miss Eliza Lee, of Wisconsin. We find Mr. Erdman very comfortably. situated. He has a fine farm, a pleasant home, and an interesting family, and is one of Buchanan's solid men, and besides all this, he is enjoying the satisfaction of being a good and sound Republican.
I. L. Bigelow was born in Troy, Bradford county, Pennsylvania, in the year 1823. When still a boy he went with his father, R. D. Bigelow, to Upper Canada, where he lived about four years, when they moved to Wisconsin, where he worked at the blacksmith trade about ten years. He came to Iowa in May, 1850, where, locating in Washington township, he spent three years. Bought the place where he still resides, in Williamsburgh, in 1868. Farming and blacksmithing were his principal business. Mr. Bigelow was married in 1847, to Miss Harriet E. Varyason (fifty three years old), of Wisconsin. They have five children: Sabina E., thirty-three, single; Charlotte E., thirty, married William Scott Cushman, resides in this county; Amanda Melvina, twenty-eight, married Stephen C. Roddel, who died in 1873; John Day, twenty-seven, single; James B., twenty-two. Mr. Bigelow was one of the early pioneers. There were only two married men in Independence at the time he came. He ground the corn for his bread seven weeks, in a coffee-mill. He has passed seventeen days at a time without seeing the face of a white man. There was only one corn mill in the county, and people came for sixty miles to grind. They could grind about two bushels a day. Though they can remember some severe hardships, yet they look upon those days as being full of pleasure and happiness. True fellowship then existed.
Henry Finch was born in New York in 1839, where he resided till eighteen years of age, when he went to Wisconsin and engaged in the lumber business for about fourteen years, except the three years he spent in the army. Enlisted August 15, 1862, in company K, Twen- ty-fifth Wisconsin infantry. He was in the battle of Vicks- burgh ; under Sherman's command afterwards, and the his- tory of the war found in this work, will tell of the many hard fought battles and skirmishes Mr. Finch was engaged in. He was wounded in battle, from which he was off duty three months, and from which he has never fully recov- ered. He is still in possession of the Minnie ball which caused the wound. It is battered and disfigured, show- ing the terrible force with which it struck. He was never taken prisoner, nor off duty one hour, save when he was wounded, and was one of the Government's profitable soldiers. He came to Iowa in 1873, and moved upon the farm of two hundred and sixty acres which he had purchased in 1867, situated three miles south of Hazle- ton. Mr. Finch was married in 1868 to Miss Ida F. Howard, of New York, and they have five children : Bertha, ten; Abram, nine; Ida, six; Willie, four; Wil- bur, two. A bright, wide-awake, interesting little family of children. Mr. Finch has one of the best farms of Buchanan county for their home, and is one of the best men of the county. He is a patriot, heart and soul, and a Republican to the backbone.
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