USA > Iowa > Carroll County > History of Carroll County, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume II > Part 28
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ABRAHAM MOORHOUSE.
The commercial interests of Glidden are very ably represented in the person of Abraham Moorhouse, who has been successfully identified with the grain and lumber business for over twenty years. He was born in Orange. New Jersey, on the 30th of December. 1840, and is a son of Henry and Mary (Booth) Moorhouse, natives of England. The paternal
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great-grandparents, Stephen and Mary Moorhouse, were the parents of three sons : Stephen, Isaac and Benjamin. The youngest son, Benjamin, whose natal day was the 17th of February, 1780, and his wife Hannah were the parents of seven children, whose births were as follows: Henry, who was born in Leeds, Yorkshire, on the 11th of October, 1804; Sally, who was born on the 2d of December, 1807; Isaac, born on the 10th of November, 1809; Benjamin, born on the 15th of January, 1812; Joseph, born on the 25th of February, 1814; Stephen, born on the 3d of August, 1817; and Thomas, born on the 9th of February, 1821. Benjamin Moorhouse, the paternal grandfather, was a large woolen manufacturer in England, and at the age of about twenty years his son Henry came to America in the interests of the woolen industry. After residing here about three years he returned to the mother country, where he was married on the 10th of July, 1830, to Miss Mary Booth. Two years thereafter he and his bride returned to the United States, five weeks being required for the journey which was made in a sailing vessel. Upon their arrival here they located in Dutchess county, New York, where their children were reared. After their sons were grown they moved to Wisconsin, locating in Elkhorn. where Mr. Moorhouse passed away on the 12th of July, 1887, at the venerable age of eighty-three. Nine children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Moorhouse, the order of their birth being as follows: Hannah, who was born on the 27th of February, 1832; William H., born on the 6th of Feb- ruary, 1834; Isaac, born on the 23d of March, 1835; Stephen, born on the 23d of April, 1837; Isaac, born on the 24th of November, 1838; Abraham, our subject; Stephen, born on the 18th of December, 1842; Edward, born on the 7th of December, 1843; and Thomas, born on the 8th of December. 1847.
Abraham Moorhouse was reared on the old homestead in Dutchess county, acquiring his education in the common schools which he attended until he had attained the age of seventeen years. In 1857 accompanied by his brother Isaac, he came to Wisconsin where they purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land in the cultivation of which they engaged. They were followed by the mother and another brother and sister, and three years later the father joined them. He had remained in New York to dispose of his interest in the woolen business, wishing to withdraw from this industry before changing his location. In 1861 Mr. Moorhouse re- sponded to his country's call and enlisted in the Twelfth Wisconsin Regi- mental Band, with which he went to the front, where he remained for a year. At the expiration of that period he returned to the farm where he remained until about 1865. During this time he supplemented the education he had obtained in the common schools by a commercial course which he pursued in the Eastman Commercial College of Chicago, thus acquiring a more practical knowledge of business methods. When he left the farm he went to Elkhorn, where he clerked for a time and later en- gaged in the hardware business, continuing to be identified with the latter enterprise until 1876. He subsequently removed to Iowa, locating in Jef- ferson where he engaged in the lumber and grain business for thirteen
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years. Disposing of his interests at the expiration of that period he came to Glidden, engaging in the same business which he has ever since followed. Mr. Moorhouse has met with gratifying returns from his ventures and is regarded as one of the successful and substantial citizens of the town.
On the 30th of October, 1873, Mr. Moorhouse was united in marriage to Miss Mary Elizabeth Bogart, a daughter of Orlando and Katherine Bo- gart, natives of New York, where the father was a broker and banker. The first three years of their domestic life Mr. and Mrs. Moorhouse spent in Elkhorn. Three children have been born to them: Julia B., whose birth occurred on the 21st of July, 1874; Henry, born on the 21st of February, 1880, and who died on the 16th of May, 1890; and Orlando, born on the 23d of September, 1881, who is now engaged in business with his father.
The family are all earnest and active members of the Presbyterian church. His political support Mr. Moorhouse accords the republican party, although not being an office seeker he never prominently participates in civic affairs. He and his family are highly regarded in the community, and take a prominent part in the social life of the town, graciously extend- ing the hospitality of their beautiful home to their many friends.
FRANK KIDNEY.
An extensive landowner and prosperous agriculturist of Carroll county is Frank Kidney, who is now serving his first term as county supervisor. He was born on his father's farm in Illinois, November 30, 1860, a son of Francis and Nancy (Eaton) Kidney.
The early years in the life of Frank Kidney did not differ particularly from those of other lads of the period and circumstances who were reared in the more sparsely settled districts of Illinois. In the acquirement of his education he attended the district schools in the vicinity of his home at such times as his assistance was not required in the work of the farm. He remained a member of the paternal household until he attained his majority, when he left home to begin his independent career as an agri- culturist. He came to Richland township, Carroll county, in the spring of 1882 and eight years later he acquired his homestead. His farm con- tains three hundred and sixty acres of land on section 15, all of which is well improved and highly cultivated. It is rated as one of the valuable properties of the township and Mr. Kidney as one of the most capable and successful agriculturists.
On February 19, 1881, Mr. Kidney was united in marriage to Miss Hattie Kern, a daughter of James W. and Caroline (Town) Kern. The latter was the first white child born in Lee county, Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Kidney have three children: Fred, Guy and Eula.
In matters of citizenship Mr. Kidney is numbered among the public- spirited and progressive citizens of the county, and at the last election was the successful candidate from his district for the position of supervisor.
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'Although he is only serving his first term Mr. Kidney is discharging the responsibilities of his office in a manner highly creditable to himself and constituency. One of the substantial farmers and stockmen of his section of the county, much of Mr. Kidney's attention has always been given to the breeding and raising of Percheron horses and highly bred sheep, which pursuits have resulted in very gratifying financial returns.
ELIJAH DIAMOND.
One of the best known and most popular business men of Coon Rapids is the genial proprietor of the Diamond Hotel, Elijah Diamond, more fa- miliarly known as "Lige" to his intimates, who is conducting one of the best hostelries in the county. He was born in De Kalb county, Illinois, on the 2d of September, 1870, being a son of William and Adeline (LaBoe) Diamond. His father was a native of Steuben county, New York, his natal day having been the 25th of February, 1832. The mother was born in France, from which country she emigrated as a child with her parents who settled in De Kalb county. There their daughter grew to woman- hood, met and subsequently married William Diamond, to whom she bore three children : William J., who is a resident of Atlantic, Iowa; Lida, the wife of Abraham Corbin, of Alva, Oklahoma; and Elijah, our subject. William Diamond, who was born and reared on a farm, was identified with agricultural pursuits during the entire period of his active career. 'At the breaking out of the Civil war he enlisted in Company D, Ninety- fifth Illinois Volunteer Infantry and went to the front where he remained for four years. He saw much active service, participating in many of the closely contested battles of the war. He was once severely wounded, be- ing shot through the body, and he was also confined for eight months in Andersonville prison. After receiving his discharge he returned to De Kalb county, Illinois, and farmed until his removal to Iowa, locating in the vicinity of Grant, Montgomery county. He resided here for about two years then removed to Griswold, Iowa, where Mrs. Diamond passed away in 1894. at the age of forty-five years. Mr. Diamond has always been a very active and energetic man and when he was seventy-five years of age he filed on six hundred and forty acres of land in Nebraska, which he proved up. He is still surviving at the venerable age of seventy-nine years and is now making his home with his son, Elijah. The paternal grandparents, Jacob and Eliza (Ives) Diamond, were natives of the state of New York, where he passed away in Oswego county. There were four sons born to them, Jacob, William, Frederick and Joshua, all but one of whom, William, served in the Civil war. Mrs. Diamond took for her sec- ond husband one Daniel Minn, and they also had four sons who were sol- diers in the Rebellion : Daniel, Isaac, Wesley and George. Mrs. Minn was living in Kirkland, Illinois, at the time of her demisc.
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Elijah Diamond, who was only a little lad when his parents came to lowa, resided on the farm in Montgomery county until he was ten years of age, attending the district schools in the acquirement of his education. At the expiration of that period he left home to begin his business career. He began working in hotels as messenger and bellboy, following which he became clerk, his first position in this capacity being in the hotel at Gris- wold, Iowa. From there he went to Clarinda, being employed at the Lin- derman, thence to Atlantic, where he remained for fourteen years, twelve of which were spent in the Pullman Hotel and two at the Park. From Atlantic he went to Shenandoah, later taking over the management of the Julien at Hamburg, Iowa. In 1905 he came to Coon Rapids and bought the hotel which he is now conducting. He is running a first-class house, the cuisine, service and accommodations being in every way commensurate with the terms. During the period of his proprietorship he has succeeded in building up an excellent patronage of a most desirable class.
On the 18th of October, 1897, Mr. Diamond was united in marriage to Miss Fannie Parr, a daughter of Alexander and Julia ( Abrams) Parr, the father a native of Kentucky and the mother of Ohio. They were among the early settlers of De Soto, where Mrs. Diamond was born and her parents passed away, the mother at the age of forty-two and the father at seventy. They were the parents of five sons and seven daugh- ters: Joseph; Ina; Ellen; Alice; Charlotte; Fannie; Elizabeth; William, who is deceased; Bessie; Andrew ; Charles ; and George. To Mr. and Mrs. Diamond there has been born one daughter, Ruby Evelyn.
Mr. Diamond is one of the public-spirited and enterprising citizens of the town who during the six years of his residence here has made many friends, who hold him in high regard.
GEORGE M. CRETSINGER.
George M. Cretsinger, who for a number of years has been success- fully engaged in the insurance and real-estate business at Coon Rapids, was born in Putnam county, Ohio, on the 18th of May, 1851. His parents, Jacob and Delilah (Harris) Cretsinger, were natives of Virginia and Ohio respectively. His paternal grandfather, a gentleman of Holland Dutch descent, lived in Virginia and later removed to Ohio. He was a shoe- maker by trade and attained a ripe old age. The maternal grandfather of our subject spent his entire life in the Buckeye state.
Jacob Cretsinger, the father of George M. Cretsinger, was reared in Virginia, removed to Ohio in 1837 and in 1856 canie to Carroll county. Iowa, settling in Union township, where he purchased a farm of one hun- dred and sixty acres. He turned his attention to the further cultivation and improvement of the property and thereon reared his family. He spent a few years in Guthrie county but passed away in Carroll county in 1890, when he had attained the age of seventy-eight years. 'At one time he held
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the office of county treasurer. Both he and his wife were Methodists in religious belief, the latter passing away in the faith of that church in 1861 at the age of forty-two years. They were the parents of six children, three sons and three daughters, namely: John M., who is deceased; Mary Ann, the wife of J. M. Gilbert, of Creighton, Nebraska; Minerva J., who is the wife of John Minnich and resides in Guthrie county, Iowa; George M., of this review ; Isaac M., living in Guthrie county, lowa; and Sarah E.
George M. Cretsinger was a little lad of five years when he accom- panied his parents on their removal to Carroll county. Eight years later the family home was established in Guthrie county, where he grew to manhood. He was reared on a farm and attended the district schools in the acquirement of an education. In 1878 he left the parental roof, rented a tract of land in Guthrie county from his father and cultivated it for several years. Subsequently he went to South Dakota, where for two years, in 1878 and 1879, he followed freighting from Sidney, Nebraska, and old Fort Pierre to Rapid City and Deadwood in the Black Hills. He hauled two loads of material from Fort Pierre to Lead City for the first one hundred and twenty stamp mill at that city in the Black Hills. Later he preempted one hundred and sixty acres of land in Pennington county, South Dakota, improved the property and then sold it. In 1882 he came to Coon Rapids, Iowa, which town has since remained his place of resi- dence. He owns and leases a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Union township and also has property in Guthrie. For a number of years he has been identified with insurance and real-estate interests and has built up an extensive and gratifying patronage in these connections. Many sales and purchases of property have been entrusted to him, for he has made it his purpose to fully acquaint himself with realty values.
Since age conferred upon him the right of franchise Mr. Cretsinger has supported the men and measures of the democracy. Fraternally he is connected with the Masons, belonging to Charity Lodge. He enjoys a wide acquaintance throughout the community and has won uniform trust and good will by reason of a life which in all of its phases has been straightforward and honorable. In business circles he has been well known for his alert and enterprising spirit and his salient qualities and charac- teristics are such as win an honorable success.
GEORGE C. HILL.
Judging by his record no man in Carroll county deserves a more per- manent place in the history of the county than George C. Hill, whose name stands at the head of this review. He was a valiant soldier for the Union when the flag was assailed, and for fifty years has been connected with the Chicago & Northwestern Railway, filling the position of locomo- tive engineer during the last thirty years. It is doubtful whether his record can be duplicated anywhere in the country.
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He was born at Billerica, Massachusetts, October 31, 1844, a son of Josiah and Mary (Carter) Hill, both of whom were natives of Massachu- setts. Joseph Hill, the paternal grandfather, was also born in Massachu- setts. He died well advanced in years and his widow, Susan Hill, subse- quently married Mr. Cole. There were three children in the family of the maternal grandfather, Mary, Harriet and George. The last named died a bachelor at the age of ninety-one years. The father of our subject, who was by trade a carpenter, came to Clinton, Iowa, in 1863, and died in September, 1883, at the age of seventy-six years. He was a member of the Methodist church. He was four times married, his first wife being Mary French, of Billerica, who died at the birth of her daughter, Mary, the wife of George Dustin, now living at 3422 Carroll avenue, Chicago. For his second wife he wedded Mary Carter, by whom he had three sons : George C., of this review; Joseph M., a resident of North Wilmington, Massachusetts; and John B., of Clinton, Iowa. Mr. Hill secured a divorce from this wife about 1854 in Massachusetts and about 1859 he married Emily Farr, of Manchester, New Hampshire, by whom he had three chil- dren : Dora Susan, now Mrs. B. B. Thornton, of Cheney, Washington ; Harriet Sophronia, the wife of James McGinnis, of Sioux City, Iowa ; and Willie J., deceased. The mother of these children died at Clinton, Iowa, in January, 1865, and the father married her sister Dorothy Farr in No- vember, 1867. They had two children: Emily, now Mrs. John L. Burke, of Fremont, Nebraska; and Olin Edgar, a druggist of Clinton, Iowa. All are now living with the exception of Willie.
George C. Hill was reared in Massachusetts until thirteen years of age and then removed with his parents to Wisconsin and attended school at Fort Atkinson. After leaving school he went to work under his father in the water department of the Wisconsin division of the Chicago & North- western Railway. In December, 1863, being then nineteen years of age, he enlisted in Company M, First Wisconsin Cavalry, in which he served as private. He participated in the battles of Franklin, Tennessee, Pulaski, West Point, Georgia, and a number of movements and skirmishes, at all times responding to the call of duty. He was mustered out August 12, 1865, and came to Iowa, settling at Clinton, where he resumed work for the Northwestern Railway Company. In August, 1872, he became a fire- man and in May, 1880, qualified as an engineer, having ever since served with the railway in that capacity. He has been a resident of Carroll for about fifteen years and is one of its most respected citizens.
On the 19th of June, 1876, Mr. Hill was united in marriage to Miss Mary Walkinshaw, a native of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, daughter of Rob- ert and Rosanna (Schoch) Walkinshaw. The father was born in Scot- land and the mother in Baden Baden, Germany. They came to this coun- try and made their home for a while at Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and later removed to Fulton, Iowa, finally settling at Clinton. The father was a soldier of the Civil war and served in the Fifty-second Illinois Volunteer Infantry. He died at the Soldiers Home in Marshalltown, Iowa, at the age of seventy-eight years, his wife passing away at Carroll at the age of
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eighty-six. In their family were five children, of whom John died at the age of two years. The others are as follows: Mary, now the wife of our subject ; Fanny; Margaret, now Mrs. J. H. Shaffer, living at Clinton, Iowa; and Elizabeth, the wife of A. Robert Woodbury, of Chattanooga. Tennessee.
Mr. Hill is an active member of the Masonic order and belongs to Sig- net Lodge, No. 264, A. F. & A. M., and to Copestone Chapter, No. 78, R. A. M., both of Carroll. Politically he gives his adherence to the repub- lican party and socially is connected with Jeff C. Davis Post, G. A. R., of Carroll. Mr. Ilill was a good soldier and not less faithful and true has he been when standing at the throttle of his engine. It is with pleasure that this sketch of this honorable gentleman is presented in a work which will be read long after the generation now living has passed from earthly scenes.
ANDREW JACKSON LOUDENBACK.
No history of Carroll county would be complete were there failure to make mention of Andrew Jackson Loudenback, one of the old settlers of this district, now living retired in Glidden. A native of Illinois, he was born on a farm on the eastern boundary line of that state not far from Peoria, March 4, 1832, and is a son of James and Nancy (Barr) Louden- back. His parents were born in Germany but were reared and married in Kentucky and at an early day took up their abode in Illinois, being num- bered among the pioneer settlers of that state. They first located on what was known as the American bottoms but, that being a malaria infested region, they did not remain long but removed to Canton, Illinois, where the father followed the wheelwright's trade for a number of years, manu- facturing wagons, spinning wheels, etc. The mother passed away in that city in 1839. During the Indian war he enlisted but, owing to his wife's illness, sent a substitute. He remained a resident of Canton until after the Civil war and then removed to Kansas, locating thirteen miles north of Fort Scott, at Lewisburg, where his remaining days were spent. After the death of his first wife he was again married, his second union being with Miss Harrington, and after her demise he was wedded a third time. Unto his first union were born seven children but only five attained matur- ity, as follows: Lucinda, now deceased, who was twice married, her first union being with James Tatam, after whose death she wedded John Art- man; Jacob, a resident of Kansas; John; Andrew Jackson, of this review ; and David, who died in Kansas. By his second wife he had one daughter. who married and died in early womanhood.
Andrew Jackson Loudenback was reared on a farm in Fulton county, Illinois, about a mile and a half from Canton, and in early boyhood at- tended the old subscription schools of his time. His educational advan- tages were limited, however, for at the early age of ten years he began to
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earn his own livelihood, his initial step in the business world being in the capacity of farm hand. He was thus engaged for six years, and for his first year's service received board, clothing and schooling. At the end of the second year he was given a yoke of young steers for his work, after which he was paid twelve dollars per month. Carefully saving his earn- ings he purchased a horse, then rented land and began farming on his own account. For many years he was engaged in farming as a renter and two years after his marriage, which occurred in Canton, Illinois, he removed to Stark county, that state, just prior to the Civil war, where he rented a farm for a few years. Wishing to continue the healthful and independ- ent life of a farmer he purchased two tracts of land, one consisting of forty acres and the other of thirty-five acres, at a purchase price of twenty- five dollars per acre. To the development and improvement of this prop- erty he devoted his energies for the succeeding seven years, and at the expiration of that period was able to sell both farms for twice their orig- inal value, receiving fifty dollars per acre for the entire land. In 1872 he came to Iowa here investing in a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Carroll county, about seven miles northeast of Glidden, which remained his home for a number of years. He also purchased seventy-five acres in Greene county, to which he later added a tract of forty acres, and at the present time owns two hundred and seventy acres of as finely developed property as can be found in the county. He energetically and successfully carried on general farming until 1901, when he retired from active business life and removed to Glidden, where he purchased a home in which he is now spending the evening of his days, surrounded by many of the com- forts which make life worth living.
On the 14th of October, 1856, Mr. Loudenback was united in marriage to Miss Susanna Millhouse, who was born July 22, 1832, and passed to her final rest February 4, 1874, at the age of forty-one years and five months. She was the mother of seven children, as follows: William H., a farmer of Greene county, Iowa, who married Miss Sadie May, by whom he has three children, Grace, Lee and Ralph ; Charles H., who married Miss Carrie Smith, and with his six children, George, Toy, Dwight, Everett, Mildred and Ar- nold, resides near Cashmere, Washington; Mary Alice, the wife of Wood Trafford, of Glidden township, the mother of three children, Herbert, Ag- nes and Frank; Arthur L., residing at Midway, Slope county, North Da- kota, who married Miss Ida Eldred and now has two children, Esther and Albert; Frank M., residing near Bagley, Minnesota, who married Miss Emma Miskey, and after her death wedded Miss Zella Eppert; Edgar M., a resident of Greene county, who married Miss Cora Bruntlett, by whom he has a son, Wayne; and Andrew Jackson, Jr., living on the old home- stead in Glidden township, who married Miss Ethel Clark, by whom he has two daughters, Margaret and Eva. On the 19th of December, 1875, Mr. Loudenback was again married, his second union being with Mrs. Eme- line Short, the widow of William Short and a daughter of Isaac and Sarah (Anderson) Waldron. She was born in Shelby county, Ohio, September 13. 1831, and by her former marriage had two children, Clara E. and Rob-
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