USA > Iowa > Butler County > History of Butler County, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume II > Part 8
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In 1842 Elisha Doty was a second time married, Catharine Jones becoming his wife. They had seven children who reached adult age, and those now living are: Salina, of Charles City,
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Iowa; Angeline, of Osage City, Kansas; Mrs. Marion Stone, of Oklahoma; Erastus, of Clarksville; and Mrs. Alice Matcham, of Packard, Iowa. Those deceased were Mrs. Harriet Kellogg, of Montour, Iowa, and Mrs. Ida Ornsdorf, of Watonga, Indian Ter- ritory. There were also two children who died in early life and the mother passed away at Charles City, Iowa, September 12, 1902. Although the family experienced many of the privations of pioneer life, Elisha Doty prospered in his business affairs as the years went on. He was one of the builders of the first stone windmill at Polo and as time passed on became an active factor in milling and merchandising and in the grain and stock business. When the panic of 1857 came on he threw his possessions into the breach and prevented much financial disaster to his neighbors. In 1866 he removed to Tama county, Iowa, where his death occurred December 16, 1893, his last days being spent in Montour.
Cyrus Doty remained in Ogle county, Illinois, until the 1st of August, 1860, when he came to Butler county, Iowa, locating on the farm on which he spent his remaining days, his death occur- ring February 15, 1912. He had a good business education and made farming his principal life work. He owned three hundred and twenty acres of land, which he converted into rich and pro- ductive fields, deriving therefrom a substantial income.
On the 12th of March, 1856, Mr. Doty was united in marriage to Miss Charlotte Aplington, who was born in Sanford, Broome county, New York, July 20, 1836, and at sixteen years of age went to Polo, Ogle county, Illinois, with her parents, James and Sarah Jane (Anthony) Aplington. Her father died at Aplington, Iowa, a town which he and his brother Zenath had founded. Mrs. Doty was one of a family of eight children, four of whom are now liv- ing, and by her marriage she became the mother of twelve children : Samuel N., who died at the age of forty-six years; Wil- liam N., of this county ; Mary, at home; Edith, the wife of Mitchell McDonald, of Stillwater, Oklahoma; Charles, living in Osage, Iowa; James, who died in infancy; Nellie Marietta, the wife of Charles N. Richards, of Zion City, Illinois ; Rose, who is the widow of W. C. Guptell and lives with her mother; Simon Harvey, of Stillwater, Oklahoma; Lillian Catharine, who died at the age of thirty-eight years, six weeks after her father's death; Myrtle, the wife of Frank Davis, of this county, and Rev. Earl Isaac Doty, who spent four years in China as a missionary and is now study- ing in the Chicago University.
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In politics Mr. Doty was a democrat and took a deep interest. in the political situation, yet did not seek nor desire office. He was an active and consistent member of the United Brethren church and his life was ever upright and honorable, winning for him the high regard and good-will of all with whom he came in contact. He was familiar not only with the phases of pioneer life in Illi- nois but also in Iowa, and his efforts were an element in the ma- terial development and substantial progress of both states.
HARRY A. LEETE.
Harry A. Leete, who for the past eleven years has conducted a large furniture store and a well appointed undertaking parlor in Greene, was born in Jackson township, this county, July 22, 1875. He is a son of Allan Leete, a pioneer in Butler county and one of the first settlers in Jackson township, where he owned and oper- ated a valuable farm for a number of years. He was also well known in public life, serving as county supervisor for some time and holding various other positions of trust and responsibility. Eventually he sold his farm and moved into Clarksville, where he engaged in business for a few years and where his death occurred in April, 1913, when he was eighty-nine years of age. His wife survives him and makes her home with her daughter at Packard, this county.
Harry A. Leete was reared upon the home farm in Butler county and acquired his primary education in the district schools. He later attended high school at Clarksville and after laving aside his books became connected with his father's business enterprise there, gaining valuable practical experience in the furniture and undertaking business. This he supplemented by a course in em- balming at Grand Forks, North Dakota. He remained in his father's employ for two or three years and at the end of that time moved to Greene, where he put in a stock of furniture and under- taking goods and established himself in the business which has engaged his attention for the past eleven years. He carries a well selected stock of furniture, including pianos, organs, rugs and mirrors, and he does practically all of the undertaking for Butler county. He has met with excellent success in business and his prosperity is the direct result of his own energy and enterprise.
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On the 10th of October, 1898, in Clarksville, Mr. Leete mar- ried Miss Pearl Gilbert, a native of Iowa, who was reared and edu- cated in Clarksville, where she afterward engaged in teaching. Mr. and Mrs. Leete have become the parents of a daughter, Doris. The family reside in an attractive home in the new addition to Greene. Mr. Leete is a member of the Greene lodge of the Knights of Pythias and belongs to the Elks and the Modern Woodmen of America. He and his wife are well known in Greene and hold the respect and esteem of a large circle of friends.
HENRY ATKINSON.
No history of pioneer times in Butler county would be com- plete without mention of Henry Atkinson, now deceased, who arrived here during the early period in the development of this part of the state. He was born in Yorkshire, England, October 3, 1831, a son of George and Margaret (Jackson) Atkinson, who spent their entire lives in their native land. Their family num- bered three sons and three daughters, of whom three came to the United States. The brother of Henry Atkinson died, however, soon after his arrival in the new world and the sister became a resident of Kansas.
Henry Atkinson spent his boyhood and youth in England to the age of nineteen years, when he came with an uncle to America in 1850. A location was made at Niagara county, New York, where he worked for his uncle for a few years, before securing a home in the new but growing west. He arrived in Clarksville December, 1855, and spent the remaining days of his life in this county. He became the owner of two hundred and forty acres of rich and productive land six miles east of the town, which is still in possession of the family and for a long period he energetically and successfully carried on farming.
It was in 1860 that Mr. Atkinson was united in marriage to Miss Sophia Cloukey, who was born in Ontario, Canada, October 15, 1833. Her parents removed to Vermont and she was reared in the Green Mountain state, living there until 1857, when the family home was established in Butler county. The journey west was made by train to Dubuque, where they had to hire teams to bring them to their destination, as there were then no railroads through this part of the country. Many conditions of pioneer
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life still existed, and at the time of their arrival prairie fires were burning and things did not look very inviting. However, with courageous spirit they began the establishment of a home. The father entered land in Bennezette township, Butler county, and in this county Augustus and Mary Ann Cloukey, parents of Mrs. Atkinson and natives of Canada, spent their remaining days. passing away in Clarksville. Their family numbered seven chil- dren, two sons and five daughters.
Mr. and Mrs. Atkinson also had seven children: Viola, the wife of Arthur Downing of Kansas; May, at home; Francis, liv- ing in Battle Creek, Michigan; Lester, the principal of the schools at Kesley, Butler county, Iowa; George, whose home is in South Dakota; Mrs. Clara Clock, deceased; and Hon. William I. Atkin- son, of whom mention is made on another page of this work.
The death of Mr. Atkinson occurred June 10, 1889. His widow made her home in Clarksville. In politics he was a republican, but never sought nor desired office. He held membership in the Metho- dist Episcopal church and his religious faith was manifest in all of the relations of life. As a pioneer he lived to see some remark- able changes as the wild prairie land was converted into rich fields, as the log cabins were replaced by substantial and commodi- ous modern residences and as the work of development and improvement was carried steadily forward, bringing about the prosperity and progress of the present day.
SAMUEL L. PATTERSON.
Samuel L. Patterson occupies a leading position in financial circles of Austinville as cashier of the Austinville Savings Bank, and he has besides various other business connections the im- portance of which places him among the substantial and repre- sentative men of the community. His prosperity is due entirely to his own efforts and demonstrates the value of perseverance. industry and integrity as elements in a successful career. He was born near Belfast, Ireland, April 28, 1870, a son of Samuel L. and Jane (Lawson) Patterson, also natives of the Emerald isle, the former born in 1842 and the latter in 1844. The father was a farmer and stock dealer, following these occupations in Ireland until his death in 1910. His wife survives him and makes her home in her native country. Thirteen children were born to their
MR. AND MRS. SAMUEL L. PATTERSON
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union, David, Maggie, Hugh, Lizzie, Samuel L., Sarah J., Essie, Robert, William J., Joseph, Martha, John, and a child who died in infancy.
Samuel L. Patterson attended school in Ireland until he was sixteen years of age and then secured a position as a farm laborer, working for two years for twenty-five cents a day. After he came to America he settled in Illinois, working as a farm hand in Kane county for two and one-half years at a salary of twenty-three dol- lars a month. In 1891 he moved to Aplington, this county, and worked as a butter maker for four years, after which he came to Austinville as manager and butter maker for the Austinville Creamery, of which he is now half owner. He retained this posi- tion until 1910, when he became connected with financial interests as cashier of the Austinville Savings Bank, in which he is a stock- holder and director. He is also a stockholder in the Farmers Sav- ings Bank of Aplington, half owner of the Austinville Creamery and has valuable property interests, including an excellent resi- dence in the city.
In Washington township, on the 25th of September, 1899, Mr. Patterson married Miss Alice E. Austin, a daughter of Henry Austin, a prominent and wealthy farmer and stock breeder of that locality, who met death by accident in Waterloo in 1911. Mr. and Mrs. Patterson have two children, Clarence A. and Mildred A. Mr. Patterson is an elder in the Presbyterian church and is a member of the Masonic fraternity. He gives his political alle- giance to the republican party and has served as chairman of Washington township and as secretary of the school board. He occupies a position of prominence and importance in business circles of this locality, and his success has been well earned and worthily used.
OWEN W. HARDMAN.
Owen W. Hardman, a prominent and well known farmer and stock-raiser of Dayton township, is a native son of Butler county, born in Coldwater township, August 22, 1866. His father, Aaron Hardman, was one of the early settlers in this state, settling in Coldwater township, Butler county, Iowa. His death occurred June 5, 1878.
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Owen W. Hardman was reared upon his father's farm and acquired his education in the public schools of Greene. After the death of his father he worked as a monthly laborer for several years and then rented land which he operated for some time. In 1906 he purchased eighty acres in Dayton township and upon this property he has since resided, carrying forward the work of its development in a practical and progressive way. He repaired the buildings which were upon the property when it came into his possession, remodeled the house and erected a substantial barn and granary, a wagon shed and corn cribs. He has fenced and cross fenced his fields and put out a grove of orchard and orna- mental trees and today the entire place reflects his careful and well directed labor. In addition to general farming he engages extensively in stock-raising, keeping a good grade of Durham cattle, Duroc Jersey hogs and heavy work horses. He is one of the directors and adjusters in the Farmers Fire Insurance Com- pany of Butler county and is recognized as a man of excellent business ability.
In Coldwater township, April 3, 1889, Mr. Hardman mar- ried Miss Etta Keister, who was born and reared in Bennezette township. They have three children: Glen, who is assisting in the operation of his father's farm; Homer H .; and Helen Gertrude. The parents are members of the Methodist Episcopal church of Packard and are known as people of exemplary character.
Mr. Hardman is a member of the Greene lodge of Odd Fel- lows, in which he has held all of the chairs, and is now a past grand. His wife is a noble grand of the Daughters of Rebekah and well known in the affairs of that organization. Mr. Hard- man's political allegiance is given to the republican party and for a number of years he served as street supervisor of Greene. He never neglects the duties of citizenship but concentrates his atten- tion principally upon the conduct of his farm, in which he is meet- ing with gratifying and well deserved success.
LAMBERT J. ROGERS.
During the period of the Civil war Lambert J. Rogers with patriotic spirit responded to the call for troops and since the close of hostilities he has been equally loyal to the stars and stripes, standing at all times for the best interests of the country. He has
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made a creditable record in public office in Butler county and is now numbered among the substantial business men of Allison, where he is engaged in buying stock. His birth occurred in Wash- ington county, New York, April 8, 1843, a son of Clark and Lovisa (Herron) Rogers, both natives of the Empire state. They spent the greater part of their lives in Washington county, New York, and in 1853 removed westward to Wisconsin, settling in Walworth county, where their remaining days were passed. The father died in July, 1856, at the age of fifty-three years, and the mother passed away in January, 1869, when sixty-five years of age. He had always followed milling in support of his family, which numbered five sons and three daughters, but one of the daughters died in early girlhood. The only ones now living are Lambert J. and John Rogers, the latter a resident of Sharon, Wisconsin.
Lambert J. Rogers was a little lad of ten years when he accom- panied his parents to Wisconsin, where he remained until April, 1868, and then came to Butler county, Iowa, where he has since lived. For eleven years he engaged in farming. It was prior to his arrival in this state that he served in the army, enlisting in 1863 as a member of Company K, Second Wisconsin Cavalry, with which he served for nearly three years as a non-commissioned of- ficer. He was on active duty, scouting and raiding most of the time, and he was under General Custer in Texas. He was mus- tered out at Austin, Texas, in December, 1865, and returned to the north with a creditable military record, being only about twen- ty-two years of age when the war closed.
After following farming in this county until 1879 Mr. Rogers engaged in the live-stock business for about eight years, or until January, 1887, when he took up his abode in Allison. He served for four years as county recorder, occupying the position from January, 1887, until 1891, after which he retired from office with a creditable record. He then went upon the road as a traveling salesman, but later was appointed postmaster and filled the posi- tion for ten years under Presidents Harrison, Mckinley and Roosevelt. During the remainder of the time he has been engaged in the live-stock business, in which he is very successful, capably managing his interests so that substantial returns are obtained upon his investment.
In May, 1866, Mr. Rogers married Miss Julia P. Dodge, who was born in Genesee county, New York, March 15, 1843, and went to Wisconsin with her parents, Josiah and Julia Dodge, who spent their remaining days in that state. Mr. Rogers was called upon
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to mourn the loss of his wife in 1908, her death occurring in Wa- verly, Iowa, on the 23d of August of that year.
In his political views Mr. Rogers is a republican and keeps well informed on the questions and issues of the day. He is entitled to wear the Grand Army button, holding membership in Lieuten- ant Braden Post, No. 356, G. A. R., of Allison. He likewise be- longs to the Knights of Pythias lodge. What he has accomplished indicates the wise use he has made of his time and talents. The years have brought him a substantial measure of success and pub- lic opinion accords him a place with the representative and valued citizens of Butler county.
ORLANDO C. MINER.
Orlando C. Miner, a well known and prosperous hardware merchant of Greene, who has been closely connected with commer- cial interests of the city for the past sixteen years, was born in Green county, Wisconsin, November 15, 1867. He is one of a family of eleven children, of whom three live in Greene: Richard, a well known business man of the city: Emma, who makes her home with her brother; and Orlando C., of this review.
Orlando C. Miner came with his parents to Butler county, Iowa, when he was only one year old, and he was reared upon his father's farm in this locality. receiving a primary education in the district school and supplementing this by a few terms in high school. After reaching maturity he operated the homestead for a few years and in 1897 moved to Greene, where he purchased an established hardware business which he has since conducted. Being a progressive and able business man, he has met with most gratify- ing success in the conduct of this enterprise and has the confidence and patronage of the people of Greene and of the surrounding country districts. He carries a large and well selected stock of shelf and heavy hardware and his business is constantly increasing in volume and importance.
Mr. Miner and his sister are members of the Methodist Epis- copal church and Miss Miner is well known in the affairs of the church auxiliary societies. They reside in an attractive home in Greene and are well known in social circles of the city. Mr. Miner gives his political allegiance to the republican party and has served as a member of the board of aldermen and for two terms on the
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township board. He is a Master Mason, belonging to the blue lodge at Greene. From his infancy he has been a resident of Butler county and has therefore witnessed much of the growth of this locality, contributing in a substantial measure to the later develop- ment of the city of Greene: He is an able and progressive man of business and a public-spirited citizen, well worthy of the esteem and confidence in which he is uniformly held.
FERDINAND BECKER.
Germany has furnished her full quota of valuable citizens to Iowa, among the number being Ferdinand Becker of Butler county, formerly closely identified with agricultural interests, but now living retired in the enjoyment of a well earned rest. He was born in Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Germany, November 30, 1837, and is a son of Johann and Wilhemina (Koch) Becker. The mother died when her son Ferdinand was but a year old. The father died in Germany, where he had learned and followed the tailor's trade, making it his life work. He was twice married and had nine children by his first wife, but Ferdinand Becker was the only child of the second marriage.
Public schools of his native country furnished Ferdinand Becker his educational opportunities. He remained in the father- land until nineteen years of age, and then, attracted by the reports which he had heard concerning the opportunities and advantages of the new world, he came to America in 1857, settling first at Guttenberg, Clayton county, Iowa, where he began working by the year as a farm hand, receiving one hundred and thirty-three dollars per annum during the two years spent in that way. He afterward operated a threshing machine for about seven seasons and through the remainder of the year engaged in farming. In 1862 he went to South Dakota and secured a claim, but after work- ing there for a short time with oxen he returned to Iowa. In 1866 he came to Butler county, settling five miles northeast of Clarks- ville in Butler township, where he purchased eighty acres of land and added thereto from time to time until he had one hundred and sixty acres. Year after year he carefully tilled his fields and har- vested his crops until he retired to Clarksville about seven years ago. He still owns the farm, which is a well improved tract of prairie land and which returns to him a gratifying annual income.
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On the 25th of March, 1863, Mr. Becker was united in marriage to Miss Louisa Buchholz, who was born in Hanover, Germany, August 30, 1844, a daughter of Henry and Caroline (Kalla) Buch- holz, and went to Clinton county, Iowa, in 1854, with her mother.
Her father died in New York soon after his arrival on this side of the water, but the mother passed away in Butler county. Mr. and Mrs. Becker have become the parents of nine children: Wil- liam, who is living on his father's farm in Butler township; Car- oline, the wife of Herman Schmadeke; Louise, who died at the age of fifteen months; Augusta, who is the wife of F. W. Meyer and makes her home with her father; Bertha, the wife of F. Fahshold of North Dakota; Anna, the wife of Henry Miller of Clarksville; Gesina, the deceased wife of Ed Klinemeyer; Ferdinand of North Dakota; and Rosa, the wife of Henry Bushing of North Dakota.
The parents are both members of the Lutheran church, loyal to its teachings, and they are today among the most respected and venerated of the old couples of Clarksville. Mr. Becker has passed the seventy-sixth milestone on life's journey and his record proves what may be accomplished in this land, where opportunity is not hampered by caste or class, but where the road to usefulness and success is open to all.
AUSTIN C. WILCOX.
Austin C. Wilcox is now living retired in Clarksville and his rest is well earned, as it follows many years of active, persistent labor in the fields when farm work claimed his attention. He was born in Binghampton, New York, December 26, 1840, his parents being Austin C. and Hannah (Taylor) Wilcox, natives of Penn- sylvania and of New York respectively. About 1848 they removed westward to Dubuque, Iowa, by way of the river route, and the father died in that city almost immediately after his arrival there, the mother surviving for only six days. They had a family of seven children, the eldest being twenty years of age and the young- est a baby of a year or two at the time of the parents' death. The members of the family, besides our subject, were: Edward, now deceased; Gilbert, who enlisted from Des Moines and served for three years in the Civil war but has now passed away; Mrs. Lucy Petty, who has also departed this life; George, who served through the war, veteranizing as a member of an Illinois regi-
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ment, but is now deceased; Mrs. Lydia Matilda Henderson Hickel, who was married twice and is now deceased, and Mrs. Emily Hickel, who has also been called from this life.
Austin C. Wilcox was the fifth in order of birth and is the only one of the children now living. Left an orphan at the age of eight years, he went to live with strangers in Jones county, by whom he was reared to the age of sixteen years. He spent the succeeding year in Dubuque county and then made his way across the plains to the Rocky mountains, where he spent a few months in 1860. In the fall of that year, however, he came to Butler county, which was still largely a frontier district, and he began breaking the prairie with four oxen of his own. He knows all of the phases of pioneer life and the hardships and difficulties inci- dent to the development of a new farm.
Interruption to his business affairs came in the shape of mili- tary service, for on the 16th of August, 1862, he enlisted as a member of Company E, Thirty-second Iowa Volunteer Infantry, from which he was honorably discharged at Mound City, Illinois, on the 3d of April, 1864, owing to disability. He was engaged in guard duty in Missouri, Tennessee and Kentucky until taken ill.
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