USA > Iowa > Butler County > History of Butler County, Iowa: a record of settlement., Volume 2 > Part 23
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30
HERMAN JOHNSON.
Herman Johnson, a highly respected and enterprising farmer of West Point township, living on section 13, was born in Ost Friesland, Hanover, Germany, February 16, 1853. His parents were John and Grace (Hagemeyer) Johnson, also natives of Hanover. Their last days, however, were spent on this side of the water, the father passing away in Ogle county, Illinois, in 1880, when fifty-six years of age, while his wife died at the home of her son, Herman, December 26, 1890, at the age of sixty-five years. Their family numbered six children: Herman; Jennie, the deceased wife of Charles Rolfs; A. W., mentioned elsewhere in this volume; Frank H., whose home is in Terril, Iowa; Henry, living in Minnesota ; and John A., of Lake Park, Dickinson county, Iowa.
Herman Johnson spent the first eighteen years of his life in his native land and attended school until fifteen years of age, after which time he worked as a laborer in Germany until he came to the United States in 1871. Making his way into the interior of the country he settled at Rochelle, Illinois, and sought immediate
Digitized by Google
301
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
employment, for he brought no capital with him. He worked as a farm hand for four years and during that period sent back such favorable reports concerning America, its conditions and its oppor- tunities, that his father and the family came in 1873. Herman Johnson began farming in connection with his father in Ogle county, Illinois, in 1876, the business association being maintained for four years. In 1880, however, Herman Johnson was married and began farming on his own account, following agricultural pursuits in Ogle county through the succeeding decade. He arrived in Iowa in 1890 and purchased his present farm of two hundred acres, for which he paid thirty dollars per acre. He immediately began its development and has placed upon it all of its present improvements which include fine buildings a commo- dious and attractive modern home and substantial barns. A good grove had been set out and an orchard had been planted by I. M. Fisher, the former owner. He makes a specialty of stock raising, feeds all of the grain which he raises and also buys some.
The place is called the Ash Lane Farm, its name being taken from the fact that there is a lane leading to the house bordered on each side by a row of fine ash trees. There is also an evergreen growth surrounding the home and upon the place are fruit trees of all kinds for the family use. The farm is now splendidly equipped with all modern conveniences and accessories and pro- gressive methods are followed by Mr. Johnson in raising and handling stock, so that his labors are crowned with a very gratify- ing measure of success.
In 1880 Mr. Johnson was united in marriage to Miss Kate Rippentrop, who was born in Hanover, Germany, near the birth- place of her husband, on the 25th of February, 1860, and in 1864 was taken to Illinois by her parents, John and Minnie (Dutcher) Rippentrop, who now reside north of Rochelle, Illinois. They are a most venerable couple, the father having reached the age of ninety-three while the mother is eighty-six years of age. Although now so far advanced in years, they live alone on the old homestead on which they first located in 1874. Mr. and Mrs. John- son have three children: George H., of Portland, Oregon ; Minnie Grace, also living in that city ; and Genevieve, at home.
In his political views Mr. Johnson was a stalwart republican for many years and is now identified with the progressive party. He never fears to announce and support his honest convictions and seeks ever the welfare of the community. He has served as township trustee and also in road and school offices. He belongs
Digitized by Google
1
302
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
to the Masonic fraternity, exemplifying in his life its teachings concerning mutual helpfulness and brotherly kindness. He is also a consistent member of the Congregational church. Whatever success he has achieved is attributable entirely to his own efforts. He reached Chicago on the Sunday following the great fire which broke out on the 9th of October, 1871. He made his way into the interior of Illinois and empty-handed started out in life there, possessing no capital save determination and ambition. He has made good use of his time and opportunities and the labors which he has wrought have given him place among the prosperous farmers of West Point township.
D. A. McGREGOR.
D. A. McGregor follows farming on section 2, Jefferson town- ship. It was upon this place that his birth occurred, September 1, 1867, his parents being Duncan and Janette (Stewart) Mc- Gregor, both of whom were natives of Perthshire, Scotland. The former was a son of James and Christiana (McCowan) McGregor. The grandmother died in her native land but the grandfather came to America and passed away at the home of a daughter in March, 1865, at the age of sixty-three years. He had four children by his first marriage and two by his second, namely: James, a venerable citizen of Butler county ; John, who died in Kentucky ; Peter, who died in Australia; Duncan; a daughter who died in childhood; and Christina, who became the wife of Noble Thompson and passed away in this county.
Duncan McGregor was born in Perthshire, Scotland, Septem- ber, 1836, and remained in his native country through the period of his minority but in 1857 crossed the Atlantic and made his way to Ohio, where he joined his brother, James. There they worked in a sawmill and on a farm. Duncan McGregor afterward worked in Butler county for two years for his brother, receiving payment in a tract of land of eighty acres. After seven years in the United States, he went to New York to meet his intended bride and had to wait for an entire month before the sailing vessel on which she had taken passage arrived. At length, however, the voyage was ended and the young couple met and came on to Dubuque, Iowa, where they were married. This was in 1864. They began their domestic life on the eighty-acre tract of land previously mentioned
Digitized by Google
D. A. MCGREGOR AND FAMILY
Digitized by
..
:
.
----
1 -- --
Digitized by
305
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
and as his financial resources increased he kept adding to his hold- ings until he had three hundred and twenty acres on sections 2 and 3, Jefferson township. This farm he still owns and was ac- tively engaged in agricultural pursuits until his wife's death, on the 1st of January, 1906, since which time he has spent the winter months in San Diego, California. He has led the life of an indus- trious, energetic, hard-working man and well deserves the rest which has come to him. He has ever been a great reader and has kept informed concerning the leading questions, interests and issues of the day.
He has always voted with the republican party, and his religious faith is that of the Presbyterian church. Unto him and his wife were born seven children, of whom five died in 1880 of diphtheria ; Margaret at the age of sixteen; Janette at the age of eleven; Jemima, John and Charles. The second of the family, James Mc- Gregor, is now living in Oskaloosa, Iowa, while D. A. McGregor, the third of the family yet makes his home here. They were to have a fine dairy of forty cows to milk in order to keep all the children busy and were to ship butter to Boston, this being one of the first dairy enterprises of Butler county, but the children became ill at the time of a diphtheria epidemic and one after another passed away until five graves had been made side by side in the family burial lot.
D. A. McGregor has always resided upon the old homestead farm, save for one year which he spent upon a farm of one hun- dred and sixty acres on section 11, Jefferson township, which he owned. He has chased cattle over the prairies when there were no fences here. Looking back to that period it seems that the work of development and improvement had scarcely been begun then, so many have been the changes which have since occurred. Mr. McGregor has improved the farm according to modern meth- ods and he has made a specialty of bee culture, keeping about one hundred colonies. He is the only farmer of his locality who is engaged in feeding cattle. He buys and feeds cattle on quite an extensive scale, and the business adds materially to his income.
In 1901 Mr. McGregor was married to Miss Marion Lindsay, who was born in Scotland, June 1, 1866, and in 1878 went to Bur- lington, Iowa, with her parents. After residing there for about twenty years she was married. She is a daughter of William and Agnes (Brown) Lindsay. The father died in Burlington in 1903, when seventy-four years of age, and the mother passed away at the home of Mr. and Mrs. McGregor in April, 1910, at the age of
Digitized by Google
306
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
seventy-four years. Mrs. McGregor is a graduate of the high school of Burlington, Iowa, and of the city training school for teachers. She secured a state teacher's certificate and for twelve years was a successful teacher in the Burlington city schools. Mr. McGregor attended the Breckenridge Institute in Decorah, Iowa, and both are greatly interested in education, it being their purpose to provide their children with excellent advantages in that direc- tion. They have three sons: Duncan, William Lindsay and John Stewart.
The name of McGregor has long figured in connection with the history of northern Iowa. The mother of our subject spent many lonely days here when her husband was gone to Cedar Falls, the nearest trading point and the railroad terminal. Settlements were few in those days. It was only here and there that one would come upon a pioneer home as he rode over the almost trackless prairie, but the fertility of the soil naturally won the attention of progress- ive men, who were willing to brave the privations and hardships of pioneer life in order to enjoy the advantages that could be se- cured in this rich prairie country. Duncan McGregor was of this class and the work which he instituted has been taken up and car- ried forward by his son, D. A. McGregor, who is today one of the leading and representative farmers of Jefferson township.
HENRY W. COSTER.
The home farm of Henry W. Coster is situated on section 10, Shell Rock township, and comprises eighty acres of rich and pro- ductive land adjoining the corporate limits of the town of Shell Rock. The place is well improved with modern equipments and presents a neat and attractive appearance, indicative of the care- ful supervision of a progressive owner. Mr. Coster is a native of McHenry county, Illinois, born November 10, 1868. The fol- lowing year he was brought to Butler county by his parents, John and Minnie (Stamer) Coster, in whose family were three chil- dren, of whom Henry W., is the eldest. At the arrival of the family in this county they took up their abode upon a farm in Jefferson township, and there Henry W. Coster remained with his parents until 1892, when he was married. He then began farming on his own account about a mile from the old homestead, cultivating that property until 1906, when he sold out and bought
Digitized by Google
1
307
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
his present farm of eighty acres adjoining Shell Rock. The place is well improved with good buildings, and the fields are carefully tilled according to modern scientific methods of farm- ing. For the past eighteen years he has made a specialty of breeding and raising Poland China hogs, which he exhibits at the local fairs, winning many premiums thereon. In addition to his farming and stock-raising interests he is president of the Hawkeye Telephone Company of Shell Rock.
In 1892 Mr. Coster was united in marriage to Miss Millie B. Echart, who was born in Butler county in 1872, a daughter of Louis and Mary (Frances) Echart. The father was a native of Germany and the mother of England, and they now reside in Shell Rock, Mr. Echart having retired from agricultural pur- suits. Mr. and Mrs. Coster have three children: Elma L., Hazel B. and Gretchen M. The eldest daughter is a graduate of the high school of Shell Rock of the class of 1912 and is now teach- ing in Jefferson township, where she first attended school and where her mother also attended school.
Mr. Coster votes with the republican party, and he served as township clerk for a number of years. He was also chairman of the township central committee for several years and has done all in his power to further the interests of the party and promote its success. He and his wife belong to the Congrega- tional church of Shell Rock, and he holds membership in the In- dependent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias and the Yeoman. Industry and determination have been the guiding points of his life, and year after year has found him in advance of the financial position which he previously occupied. He is now in comfortable circumstances, and his careful management argues well for future success.
:
A. D. SHEPARD.
A. D. Shepard, a highly respected farmer of Butler town- ship, living on section 5, was born in Rutland county, Vermont, December 2, 1852, his parents being Dexter C. and Usula Abigail (Wilder) Shepard. The father was a native of New England and in the opening year of the Civil war enlisted in the Seventh Vermont Volunteer Infantry. Going to the front, he died at New Orleans, while serving under General Butler. While a
Digitized by Google
308
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
resident of the Green Mountain state he engaged in the lumber business, operating a sawmill for many years. He was a repre- sentative of one of the old New England families of Scotch descent, and the Wilder family also of Scotch lineage, was founded in New England in colonial days. Mrs. Shepard was born in Rutland county, Vermont, and passed away in Peoria, Illinois, when her son, A. D. Shepard, was but four years of age. She had two children, the younger being Irving G., of Valley county, Nebraska.
Left orphans at a very early age, the two boys went to live with their maternal grandparents upon a farm in Rutland county, Vermont. In 1868 A. D. Shepard arrived in.Jackson township, Butler county, Iowa, with a cash capital of twenty-six dollars, which he had saved from his earnings. Here he worked for his uncle, Benjamin Priest, for five years and then returned to Ver- mont, spending a year and a half in his native state. On the expiration of that period he brought his brother back with him to Iowa, where he gathered a herd of four hundred head of cattle, which he herded on the present site of Allison and in that locality. All through his life he has embraced every opportunity for se- curing honorable advancement in a business way, and after his marriage he began farming, which he has since followed in But- ler and Jackson townships, owning now sixty acres on section 5, Butler township.
It was in December, 1875, that Mr. Shepard married Miss Alice Sill, who was born in Cattaraugus county, New York, June 17, 1857, and resided there until nine years of age, when she was brought to a farm in this county by her parents, George and Maria (Busch) Sill, who were natives of the Empire state, but spent their last days in Iowa, dying near Clarksville.
Mr. and Mrs. Shepard became the parents of ten children: George Earl, living in Conrad, Iowa; Ernest Dexter of Marshall county ; Winfred Clyde, who is mentioned elsewhere in this vol- ume; Benjamin Howard, a resident farmer of Fremont town- ship; Eber Clarence, whose home is in Bremer county; Isadore Alice, who is in the telephone office at Greene; Edna Gertrude Ivers A., Addie U., and Forrest Eugene, all at home. The son, Benjamin, born in Jackson township, April 15, 1882, began farm- ing on his own account at the age of twenty-one years and now owns seventy-five acres in Dayton township, beside cultivating a rented farm of two hundred acres in Fremont township, where he resides. He was married in 1903 to Anna Ransom, a native
Digitized by Google
309
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
of this county and a daughter of C. M. Ransom of Jackson town- ship. They now have two sons, Lester Albro and Burr Alonzo. Mr. Shepard is a republican, stalwart in support of the party, and he has held a number of township offices in Butler township. His religious faith is that of the Baptist church. Those who know him esteem him for his sterling worth, for his integrity and his upright life. They recognize in him a self-made man, whose suc- cess is attributable entirely to his own labors.
AREND ESSMAN.
Among the representative and valued citizens of Madison township is numbered Arend Essman, who dates his residence in Butler county from 1879 and who during the intervening period has been an active factor in the agricultural, business and politi- cal life of the community. He was born in Oldenburg, Germany, May 9, 1847, and grew to manhood there, acquiring his educa- tion in the public schools. In December, 1865, he emigrated to America and after his arrival in this country went immediately to Illinois, where he joined his brother Frederick, becoming a farm laborer. At the end of five or six years he rented land and engaged in farming there until 1879, when he came west to Iowa, where he also followed agricultural pursuits upon a rented farm. However, before the expiration of one year he purchased two hundred and forty acres upon which was a small house. Most of this land had been broken and Mr. Essman steadily carried forward the work of its further improvement, making it in time one of the valuable and productive farms in the locality. He later purchased more land and is now the owner of another farm of two hundred and twenty-five acres on section 31, Madison township. He has added to and remodeled the house and has now a large, two-story residence, modern and well furnished in every particular. There is almost a village of buildings upon his prop- erty, for in addition to his house he has two large barns, a gran- ary, a hog house, a cattle shed and a machine shop. The fields are fenced and cross fenced and he has set out a grove of forest, fruit and evergreen trees, which adds greatly to the appearance and value of the place. In addition to general farming Mr. Ess- man engages also in raising and feeding cattle and hogs, and his stock-raising interests are extensive and important. He was one
Digitized by Google
.
310
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
of the promoters of the Butler County Telephone Company and of the Farmers Cooperative Elevator Company of Dumont, and he is also a stockholder in the Dumont State Bank.
In Ogle county, Illinois, March 6, 1873, Mr. Essman was united in marriage to Miss Minnie Nolte, a native of Germany, who came to the United States when she was fifteen years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Essman have become the parents of four sons: John H., a prominent farmer of Madison township; Henry F., who owns three hundred and twenty acres of land in Noble county, Minnesota; and Fred W. and Herman B., assisting in the opera- tion of the home farm.
Mr. Essman votes the democratic ticket on national issues, but in local affairs supports the men whom he considers best fitted for office. On different occasions he has been elected a trustee of Madison township and served in all sixteen years in this position. He has also been active in educational work, serv- ing as township school treasurer for four years, and he has been a delegate to numerous county conventions and served on the petit jury. He and his family are members of the German Reformed church and are known throughout the township as people of the highest respectability. Throughout the long period of his residence here Mr. Essman has been a valuable factor in promoting community development along many lines, and his individual success places him among the prominent and leading citizens of the community
FARLEN B. MINER.
The year 1866 witnessed the arrival of Farlen B. Miner in this county, where he has resided continuously since, with the exception of a period of six years spent in Nebraska. He owns a farm of one hundred and sixty acres on section 21, Shell Rock township, and, although there were no buildings upon the place when he took possession, it is now a well improved property, equipped according to the modern methods of farm development. Mr. Miner was born in Green county, Wisconsin, September 13, 1859, a son of John W. and Rebecca (Dudgeon) Miner, who were natives of Tuscarawas county, Ohio, the former born in 1821 and the latter in 1827. They were married in the Buckeye state and about 1853 removed to Wisconsin, where they resided until
Digitized by Google
ยท
311
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
1866. They then came to Butler county, settling in. Shell Rock township, where both passed away, the father dying in 1881 at the age of sixty-one years, while the mother's death occurred in 1910, when she was eighty-three years of age. Mr. Miner had devoted his entire life to farming and thus provided a comfortable living for his family. Both he and his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and for many years he was one of the church trustees at Shell Rock. The family numbered thir- teen children. Thomas, who served through the Civil war as a member of the Thirty-second Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, died in Washington. Richard is living at Greene, Iowa. Charles makes his home at Ravenna, Nebraska, where he has filled the office of postmaster for sixteen years. Beth Ann is the wife of Julius Temple and resides near Greene. John H. is living at Loop Center, Nebraska. James makes his home at Ravenna, Nebraska. Edward A. is a resident of Grand Island, Nebraska. Farlen B. is the next in the family. Emma and O. C. are also of Greene. Sadie is the wife of Walter Curtis, of Waterloo. Marion and Mary were twins. The former died at the age of twenty-one years, and at the time of his death was county recorder of Butler county and was the youngest county officer in the state of Iowa. The latter is the wife of Albert Bonwell of Idaho. The oldest son, Thomas, was wounded at the battle of Resaca and was at the hospital at the time of the close of the war. He was also held as a prisoner in Libby prison for some time.
Farlen B. Miner came with his parents to Butler county in 1866 and has always lived in this locality since that time, save for a period of six years spent in Buffalo county, Nebraska, to which he removed two years after his marriage. He has been a life- long farmer and now owns and cultivates one hundred and sixty acres of land on section 21, Shell Rock township. There were no buildings upon the place when it came into his possession, and he has since erected a substantial residence, good barns and sheds. He uses the latest improved machinery to carry on the work of the fields and is a leader rather than a follower in all that tends to promote progressive farming in this district.
In January, 1885, Mr. Miner was united in marriage to Miss Nettie L. Roberts, who was born in this county May 29, 1864, a daughter of Benjamin and Sarah Ann (Ayers) Roberts. The father, a native of Pennsylvania, died in this county in February, 1884, at the age of fifty-one years. The mother, a native of Illi- nois, died in 1868 at the age of twenty-nine years. They were
Digitized by Google
312
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
married in this county and their remaining days were here passed, Mr. Roberts following farming and carpentering. Unto him and his wife were born but two children: Helen J., the wife of J. H. Richardson of Shell Rock; and Mrs. Miner. The latter has become the mother of six children: Ward R., of Whiting, Iowa, where he is overseer of a ranch; Leland R., who is draftsman in the Iowa Dairy Separator factory of Waterloo, Iowa; J. W., a student of Ames College; Ethel, attending the State Teachers' College at Cedar Falls; Merle M., a teacher in the rural schools of Butler county ; and Earl F., at home. The children have been provided with liberal educational advantages. The two eldest sons are graduates of Ames College, Ward having completed the course in agriculture and animal husbandry, while Leland pur- sued the mechanical engineering course. The former was judge on the college team that judged the stock at the International Stock Show in Chicago in 1908. J. W. Miner is pursuing a course in veterinary surgery, and the eldest daughter is studying home economics. It will thus be seen that the family are deeply interested in education along the broadening lines which lead to improvement in those things which have to do with the every day duties of business and home life.
In his political views Mr. Miner is a republican and is now serving as township trustee. He is a Mason, belonging to Shell Rock lodge, and he is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. The family is widely and favorably known, the mem- bers of the household occupying an enviable position in social circles.
GEORGE ADAIR.
Among the pioneer settlers of Butler county George Adair is numbered. Six decades have been added to the cycle of centuries since he arrived in this section of the state. In fact no other resi- dent of Shell Rock has so long lived in this district and through- out the entire period he has played well his part as a public-spirited citizen and an honorable man. For sixteen years he has been president of the Shell Rock Creamery Company and for an ex- tended period was actively identified with farming interests. In fact he has contributed much of the agricultural development to
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.