USA > Iowa > Butler County > History of Butler County, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume II > Part 7
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EUGENE OWEN.
On the roster of county officials appears the name of Eugene Owen, of Allison, who is now serving as county auditor, in which connection he is making a creditable record. He was born in Dayton township, Butler county, August 24, 1875, and is a son of William R. and Paulina V. (McNames) Owen, the former born in Wisconsin, January 1, 1849, and the latter in Michigan, No- vember 5, 1851. They came with their respective parents to But- ler county and were married here. Mrs. Owen died upon the home farm January 31, 1907, and Mr. Owen still resides upon the farm, being numbered among the worthy and representative agri- culturists of the community. His political indorsement is given Vol. 11-5
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to the republican party. He and his wife became the parents of two children, the elder being Jennie F., now the wife of Thomas J. Shafer, sheriff of Butler county.
Eugene Owen was reared in the usual manner of farm lads and remained on the old homestead with his parents until he attained his majority. He attended the district schools and afterward the Clarksville high school and business college. Upon starting out in life on his own account he took up the occupation to which he had been reared and continued to engage in farming until elected to the office of county auditor on the 5th of November, 1912. He entered upon the duties of this position on the 1st of January fol- lowing and has made a record creditable to himself, to the repub- lican party which elected him and to the county at large. He had previously served as clerk of Dayton township for two terms and while living in that township he was elected chairman of the republican county central committee. He is still the owner of one hundred and twenty acres of land on sections 14 and 24, Day- ton township, and from his farm derives a gratifying and sub- stantial income. In 1896 occurred the marriage of Mr. Owen to Miss Lydia E. Ransom, who was born in Jackson township, March 11, 1877, a daughter of C. M. and Ruth Ellen (Beetle) Ransom. The mother is now deceased but the father still resides on the old home place in Jackson township. Mr. and Mrs. Owen have one child, Gail M. Mr. Owen belongs to the Knights of Pythias fra- ternity. He has been a lifelong resident of the county and that his record is a creditable one is indicated by his extensive circle of friends. He is now proving himself an efficient officer and one to whom the county may safely look for the careful protection of its interests.
AARON MOSS.
Aaron Moss, one of the few surviving veterans of the Civil war and a resident of Butler county since 1855, was born in Carroll county, Indiana, August 2, 1842. He is a son of Rev. Phillip Moss, who was minister of a church in Indiana for a number of years. In 1855 he moved with his family to Iowa, settling on a farm in Coldwater township near Greene. He was afterward active in church work here, preaching over a large district and becoming well known as a zealous and conscientious minister. He died upon
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his farm in 1859 and was survived by his wife only a short time. They were the parents of a large family of children, seven of whom grew to maturity.
Aaron Moss was reared in Coldwater township and acquired his education in the common schools. On the 3d of February, 1862, he enlisted, becoming a member of Company A, Twenty-first Iowa Volunteer Infantry. He participated in many of the most important engagements of the Civil war, including that of Harts- ville, Missouri, and Vicksburg, and he commanded the company for some time. He was present at the engagements at Spanish Fort and Fort Blakely and he later joined Banks expedition up the Red river to Shreveport. He became first sergeant. Upon the close of the war he received his honorable discharge and returned to Iowa, where he afterward engaged in farming for a few years. When he abandoned this line of occupation he turned his attention to the general merchandising business and some years later began buying and shipping stock. He was, however, a brick and stone mason by trade, and eventually he concentrated his attention upon this work, following it for many years thereafter. He took up his residence in Greene and assisted in the construction of most of the brick business houses in the town and a number of the more impor- tant residences. In his early days he was a well known vocalist and taught a singing school for a number of years. He was, be- sides, a member of the church choir and its leader for some time.
In Greene, on the 24th of December, 1865, Mr. Moss married Miss Margaret A. Sturtz, a native of Pennsylvania, who moved to Iowa. She passed away in October, 1902, leaving six children : Elmer; Fred; Dr. Solomon, a dentist in Sheffield; William; Mrs. Edward Barth of Greene; and Mrs. Maud Runyon of Council Bluffs, Iowa. On the 20th of October, 1904, Mr. Moss was again married, his second wife being Mrs. Sarah Shepard, who was born in Pennsylvania. When she was ten years of age she moved with her parents to Illinois and later came to Iowa. She had three sons by her former marriage: William, of Kansas City, Missouri; David, of Osage, Iowa; and Charles, of Clarksville, Iowa.
Fraternally Mr. Moss is identified with the local lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, in which he has served through all the chairs and is now past grand and past district. deputy. He was for two years president of the Regimental Asso- ciation of the Twenty-first Iowa and is now serving as vice president of that body. He was appointed as a member of the Vicksburg National Park Commission by the governor of Iowa,
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but had to decline on account of his wife's health. He has been very prominent in the affairs of the Grand Army of the Republic, both locally and nationally. He is a member of Greene Post, No. 200, G. A. R., in which he has filled all of the offices. He has been adjutant and commander of the post and is at present chaplain. He was formerly aide-de-camp on the department commander's staff and was also aide-de-camp on the staff of the commander-in- chief. He and his wife are devout members of the Presbyterian church. Mr. Moss is one of the well known men of Greene, having been identified with the growth and development of the city for many years, gaining in the course of a long, useful and honorable life the esteem and confidence of the entire community.
DR. RAYMOND S. BLAIR.
For ten years Dr. Raymond S. Blair has been one of the suc- cessful physicians of Parkersburg and he has not only attained prominence along professional lines, but also has actively partici- pated in the public life of the city, having been elected three times to the mayor's chair and now serving in that position, attaining gratifying results in the interests of his fellow citizens. Dr. Blair was born in Harrison county, Kentucky, March 28, 1877, and is a son of James C. and Elizabeth (Johnson) Blair, natives of Ken- tucky, the former born in 1840 and the latter in 1843. The father's occupation is that of a farmer. His wife passed away in 1899, leaving two children, Raymond S. and Walter B.
Until twelve years of age Raymond S. Blair attended school in Harrison county and then went to Ogden, Utah, there continu- ing his lessons for three years. At the end of that time he went to Harrison county, Iowa, taking an advanced school course. He then removed to Des Moines, Iowa, where he took up the study of osteopathy in the S. S. Still College of Osteopathy, graduating January 26, 1902. He then established himself in practice in Des Moines, there continuing for two years, and then moved to Grundy Center. In that city he remained for only two months and then came to Parkersburg, Iowa. He was successful from the start and has since been attending to an ever increasing practice.
On December 25, 1906, at Chicago, Illinois, Dr. Blair married Miss Sue Alice Goodwin, a daughter of A. H. and Isabelle Good-
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win. The former served during the Civil war as captain of Company A, One Hundred and Forty-sixth Indiana Volunteer Infantry. Dr. and Mrs. Blair have one daughter, Elizabeth Alice, born November 18, 1910.
Politically Dr. Blair is a republican and always has interested himself in the welfare of his party. He was a republican commit- teeman to the congressional convention of the Third Iowa district, held at Waterloo, Iowa. In 1908 he was elected mayor of Par- kersburg and his administration was so successful that he was reelected in 1910 and again in 1912, now serving in that important office. He has inaugurated and supported many beneficial reforms and he is leaving the impress of his progressive ideas upon the city. Dr. Blair is president of the First Twenty-two Club and has served for the past three years. Fraternally he is a Mason and belongs to the Brotherhood of American Yeomen. His religious faith is that of the Congregational church. Dr. Blair owns his residence, where both he and his wife charmingly entertain their many friends. He is widely known not only in Parkersburg but in Butler county and in professional as well as political circles enjoys great confidence and the good-will and regard of the general public.
GEORGE W. STAUFFER.
George W. Stauffer, one of the active and progressive farmers of Coldwater township, owning and operating two hundred and thirty-five acres of valuable land on section 7, has been a resident of Butler county since 1883 and during the intervening period has been closely connected with agricultural interests. He was born in Westmoreland county, near Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, December 17, 1860, and is a son of John T. Stauffer, also a native of that locality, where he was reared and educated. He married there Miss Susan Strickler, also a native of the Keystone state, and he engaged in farming in Westmoreland county for a number of years. He later moved to Butler county, this state, settling in Coldwater township, where he became a prosperous agricultur- ist.
George W. Stauffer was reared upon the home farm in West- moreland county and remained with his father until after he attained his majority. He acquired an excellent education in the
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common schools of his native county and later attended Mount Pleasant College at Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania. He after- ward engaged in teaching. He came to Butler county in 1883 and located on land owned by his father, on section 6, Coldwater town- ship. This he farmed and improved for a number of years, after which he moved to Kansas, preempting land in Rush county. When he sold this property he returned to Iowa, renting land for a few years. Afterward he purchased a portion of the property upon which he now resides and from time to time bought more land until he is now in possession of two hundred and thirty-five acres. on section 7. He owns also a farm of two hundred acres five miles north of his home, in Floyd county. Mr. Stauffer engages in general farming and is also extensively interested in stock-raising, keeping a fine herd of graded cattle and Duroc Jer- sey hogs. He also does some dairy business and is a stockholder in the Greene Cooperative Creamery Association. He is interested also in the Farmers Cooperative Elevator Company and has an excellent reputation in business circles.
On the 9th of April, 1883, Mr. Stauffer was united in mar- riage to Miss Lucinda Heselroad, a daughter of William Hesel- road, a native of Germany and one of the pioneers in Butler county. He was for many years a prosperous farmer of Cold- water township. Mr. and Mrs. Stauffer have become the parents of nine children : May, who married Fred Kuhn, of Floyd county, by whom she has two children: Albert, who is engaged in farming in Floyd county; Edith, the wife of Charles De Long, of Allison; Edna ; John ; Ruth ; Victor ; Ethel ; and Fern. Mr. and Mrs. Stauf- fer are members of the Greene Methodist Episcopal church and both are active Sunday-school workers. Mr. Stauffer is an indus- trious and prosperous farmer and a careful and conservative business man, and he is held in high esteem wherever he is known.
SAMUEL THOMAS.
Samuel Thomas, one of the first merchants in Greene and since 1871 prominently connected with business interests of the city, where he is now a successful dealer in real estate, was born in Canton, Bradford county, Pennsylvania, January 29, 1848. He is a son of Zenas and Maria (Carpenter) Thomas, the former a native of New York state and the latter of Pennsylvania. Zenas
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Thomas engaged in business in Canton for some years but in 1860 moved to Iowa, locating in Chickasaw county, where he turned his attention to farming, following this occupation until his death, which occurred in 1881. His wife survived him for a number of years.
Samuel Thomas accompanied his parents to Chickasaw county in 1860 and he grew up on his father's farm there, acquiring his education in the public schools and in Bradford Academy. He later removed to Floyd county, where he engaged in teaching for two years. In 1871 he moved to Greene and here Mr. Thomas of this review built a business house and put in a stock of hardware and implements, having the distinction of being the first man to sell goods over a counter in the city. For over twenty years he con- ducted the hardware and implement business and his patronage increased steadily in volume and importance as his straightfor- ward business methods and high standards became more widely known. For some years past he has given a great deal of atten- tion to dealing in real estate, handling Iowa and Dakota lands. He has valuable private holdings, for he built and owns an excellent brick business block with two large store rooms on the lower floor and offices on the upper. Mr. Thomas has developed two editions to the town of Greene called Thomas' first and second additions, and has erected a number of residences in the city. He is known as a farsighted and able business man and his success is well deserved, rewarding many years of earnest and persistent work.
In Floyd county, on the 20th of October, 1879, Mr. Thomas married Miss Armida Antoinette Pratt, who was born in Illi- nois and reared in Chickasaw county, Iowa, where she engaged in teaching for two years. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas became the par- ents of six children : Maud, the wife of L. P. Stephens, of Greene ; Mrs. Gertrude Shaw, a widow residing in Chicago; S. Z., who is engaged in farming in Wolf Point, Montana ; Dr. Alice, a gradu- ate of the State Normal School, Mount Vernon College and the medical department of the University of Illinois; Mary, who died at the age of twelve; and Merta, who passed away in early child- hood.
Mr. Thomas gives his political allegiance to the progressive wing of the republican party. In 1883 he was elected treasurer of Butler county, winning reelection at the end of his first term. He has also served as a delegate to numerous county and state conventions. He is a Master Mason and a member of the blue lodge. For the past forty-two years he has been a resident of
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Greene and during that time has been active in inaugurating and shaping the business development of the city which counts him among its most progressive and representative citizens.
OSCAR C. PERRIN.
Since 1887 Oscar C. Perrin has been connected with the First State Bank of Greene and through successive stages of progress and advancement has risen to the position of president of the insti- tution. He holds a place of distinctive precedence in financial circles of the city and has been carried forward into other im- portant relations, being connected with some of the leading cor- porate concerns of this section of the state. He was born in Butler county, near Clarksville, January 24, 1868, and is a son of Jere- miah and Anna (Hillman) Perrin, natives of England. As a young man the father emigrated to America and settled first in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, whence in 1851 he moved west to Iowa, locating in Butler county. He purchased a tract of unimproved land near Clarksville and this he improved with a good residence and substantial barns and outbuildings. From time to time he purchased more land and was a very extensive property owner at the time of his death, which occurred in 1905. He and his wife were the parents of two sons: Oscar C .. of this review : and M. J .. who resides in Waterloo, Iowa.
Oscar C. Perrin was reared upon the home farm in this county and supplemented a common-school education by a course in the Clarksville high school. He began his independent career as a banker, having assisted in the organization of the Clarksville State Bank, of which he served as vice president. In 1887 he moved to Greene and immediately afterward secured a position in the First National Bank, which was later reorganized as the First State Bank of Greene. For a time Mr. Perrin served as assistant book- keeper and was advanced from this position to that of cashier, an office in which he did capable and farsighted work for a number of years. In 1903 he was elected president of the institution and in this capacity has since served. In this position his initiative spirit and organizing power have been called forth and his work has been one of the leading factors in making the bank one of the strong moneved institutions of Butler county. He gives a great deal of time to its affairs but he has also other important connec-
OSCAR C. PERRIN
THI N
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tions, being a stockholder in the lumber and implement business operated by Cave, Sproul & Company. He was a promoter of the Greene Electric Light & Power Company, in which he is still a stockholder and director, and he has large real-estate interests, owning several well improved farms in this county. He has proven himself a reliable, capable and farsighted business man and has an enviable reputation in business circles.
Mr. Perrin has been twice married. In December, 1893, he married Miss Maude Mason, a native of Ohio. Mrs. Perrin died in 1904. In Greene, in January, 1907, Mr. Perrin was again mar- ried, Miss Mary Debbin, who was born, reared and educated in this city, becoming his bride. Mr. and Mrs. Perrin reside in an attractive residence on the east side of the city and are well known in social circles. Mr. Perrin gives his political allegiance to the republican party and has served as a member of the board of aldermen and on the school board. Fraternally he is a Master Mason and he and his wife belong to the Order of the Eastern Star. Mr. Perrin is connected also with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and has served through all the chairs of the Knights of Pythias. He is a man of sterling worth and high integrity and well deserves the esteem and regard in which he is uniformly held.
THOMAS A. HOBSON, M. D.
For nearly a quarter of a century Dr. Thomas A. Hobson has practiced medicine in Parkersburg and during that time has gained an extensive and representative patronage. He was born in Poweshiek county, Iowa, February 1, 1864, and is a son of William B. and Mary (Caldwell) Hobson, the former born in Steubenville, Ohio, and the latter in Ireland. The father was a millwright and farmer. He came to Iowa about 1858 and made this state his residence until his death, which occurred about 1893. All who knew him respected and honored him and he stood high in the estimation of the general public. In the family of William B. Hobson were nine children: James C .; Rebecca ; Eliza ; Joseph C .; Benjamin F .; John W .; Abraham J .; William, who died in infancy ; and Thomas A., our subject.
Thomas A. Hobson attended school in Franklin county, con- tinuing his preparatory course at the Friends Academy at Le-
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grand, Iowa. He received his professional training at the Iowa State University, graduating from the medical department on March 6, 1889, with the degree of M. D. Shortly thereafter in the same year he opened an office in Parkersburg and has ever since been engaged in general practice, attaining a high degree of suc- cess. He conducts a private hospital, well appointed and equipped for all emergencies that may arise. He is deeply interested in his profession and keeps well in touch with the latest discoveries in scientific research. Careful in diagnosis, he is decided after reaching a conclusion and is seldom if ever at fault in applying the remedy which the case on hand may demand. Moreover, he inspires that confidence which is so necessary to effect a cure and in many families is not only the trusted physician but is consid- ered as their truest friend. Dr. Hobson is interested in any- thing that tends to bring to man the key to that complex mystery which we call life and his reading is broad and comprehensive, so that his knowledge and efficiency have continually advanced.
At Bristow, Iowa, July 2, 1889, Dr. Hobson was united in marriage to Miss Anna M. Anderson, a daughter of Benjamin and Margaret (McKernan) Anderson. Dr. and Mrs. Hobson have adopted a son, William Thomas Hobson. The Doctor and his wife reside in their own home, which is renowned for its open-hearted hospitality. In politics the Doctor is a republican but has never cared to enter the arena of active public life although he served as health officer of Albion township for one term. His religious faith is that of the Methodist church and, interested in Sunday- school work, he served for several years as superintendent. He is a trustee of his church. Fraternally he is connected with the Masons and the Modern Woodmen of America. As one of the long- established physicians of Parkersburg, Dr. Hobson enjoys the highest confidence and regard and well merits the esteem which is generally conceded him.
CYRUS DOTY.
Cyrus Doty was one of the venerable, worthy and highly respected residents of Butler county, his home being not far from Clarksville, on section 14, Jackson township. He was the first white child born in Ogle county, Illinois, his natal day being September 4, 1834. His parents were Elisha and Hannah (Reed)
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Doty. The father was born in Pennsylvania, September 7, 1806, and was a son of Cornelius Doty, who was born in New Jersey in 1779. He was married in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, to Catherine Sutton and they had two sons, Elisha and James. The mother died soon after the birth of the younger and Cornelius Doty married again and had quite a large family, including Cor- nelius, who was born in Athens county, Ohio, July 25, 1824, and was a soldier of the Mexican war, enlisting in Company A, Six- teenth Illinois Regiment, and afterward reenlisting May 25, 1861, for service in the Civil war as a member of Company I, Seven- teenth Illinois Regiment. He was married in 1848, reared a large family and died at Columbus Grove, Ohio, May 4, 1893. Another son of the second marriage, Samuel Doty, was also a soldier of the Civil war, after which he went to California, where his remain- ing days were spent. The Doty family removed westward, became pioneer settlers of Illinois and soon after the Black Hawk war Cornelius Doty, Sr., removed to Texas, traveling across the coun- try with wagons. He did not remain long, however, but returned to Peoria, where he died in 1842, at the age of sixty-three years.
Elisha Doty, the father of Cyrus Doty, was but an infant when his parents removed westward from Pennsylvania to Peoria, Illi- nois. When in young manhood he went to Ogle county, where he became interested in milling and merchandising and in the grain and live-stock business. He went through all of the experi- ences of pioneer life. In 1824 he and another young man walked from Peoria to the lead mines near Galena with a view of finding work, hiring Indians to ferry them across Rock river. Neither were experienced in mining so did not long remain, but returned to Peoria, where Elisha Doty took up the occupation of farming. In 1828 he married Hannah Reed, who was born in New York, October 10, 1808. They became the parents of six children, two of whom were born at Peoria: Samuel, in 1830; James, July 10, 1832 ; Cyrus, September 4, 1834; Aaron, January 8, 1836; Louisa, May 12, 1837; and Lavina. In the summer of 1832 Elisha Doty made his way to Buffalo Grove, Ogle county, with a view of estab- lishing his home there. The Indians, however, were so threaten- ing that he remained but a short time, deeming it best to return to Peoria. The Black Hawk war was soon declared and was continued until 1833. In the spring of 1834 Mr. Doty made a second attempt to secure a home at Buffalo Grove. He did not enlist for service but was drafted and remained in readiness at
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Peoria to go to the front if the call came. His brother, James, who joined the army, was killed at the battle of Stillman's Run.
When peace was restored Elisha Doty brought his family to Ogle county, where they underwent many of the hardships and privations common to pioneer life. They had experiences with prairie fires, with the Indians and with wild animals. Mr. Doty found a bee tree, which he was carefully guarding for his own use. On one occasion he found that the Indians were near it, but as they saw Mr. Doty approach they ran away. He discovered that they had cut down the bee tree and had the honey done up in a deer skin, beside which were two guns. He took one of the guns and retreated a little distance. Soon the Indians came back and missed their gun. Mr. Doty motioned them to come to him, but they took the honey on two ponies and made their escape. He sent them word to come and pay for the honey and get their gun, but they never did so. In the early days the settlers were troubled with a large gray wolf that proved so destructive that they all agreed together to pay ten dollars each to the man who would kill the wolf. For some time Mr. Doty had a trap set, but with- out avail. At length he placed his trap at a point where beef had been butchered. It was securely tied to a poll ten feet long and a cow bell tied to the other end. About ten o'clock Mrs. Doty heard the bell ringing and Mr. Doty, calling two men to his assistance, went for the wolf, which had dragged the poll and bell twenty- five rods. The animal was soon dispatched and placed in a wagon and the next morning Mr. Doty drove around among the neigh- bors showing that he had killed the wolf and most of them paid the ten dollar bounty. Mrs. Doty became ill and sent her son Cyrus to call her husband, who was at work hauling wood. Mr. Doty went for Dr. Benton, two miles away, and he bled her in the arm according to the methods of the time, but she grew worse and the next day Elisha Doty started for Dixon to call Dr. Everts. He reached the Rock river just at night and was told the ice was unsafe for a horse, but attempted to lead his horse across. He proceeded only a short distance when the horse went through the ice, but help soon came and the animal was saved. Mr. Doty then walked across the river, found Dr. Everts and with him returned to his home, but the mother's condition was such that she could not be saved.
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