USA > Iowa > Carroll County > History of Carroll County, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume II > Part 8
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A highly successful teacher and a minister greatly beloved by the mem- bers of his flock and respected by the entire community, Father Kuemper is performing a noble work in behalf of the upbuilding of the community and the peace and happiness of men. He is justly accorded a position in the esti- mation of his friends and all who know him as one of the most able and efficient ministers of the gospel in central Iowa.
SAMUEL BINGHAM.
Samuel Bingham, the owner of five hundred and fifty acres of valuable land on sections 29, 30 and 32, Warren township, is numbered among the pioneer settlers of Carroll county and has long been one of the best known stockmen of the state. The Sunnyside Stock Farm, on which he resides, has been his place of abode for the past thirty-five years, though since 1907 he has lived retired. His birth occurred in County Antrim, Ireland, on the 15th of June, 1832, his parents being John and Margaret (Hawthorn) Bing- ham, the former of English and the latter of Scotch descent. The father was a hosier by trade and a weaver of stockings and underwear, owning and operating a knitting shop in County Antrim, Ireland. It was there that his demise occurred in 1849. His wife had passed away during the childhood of their son Samuel. Their children were as follows: David and Robert, who died in Ireland; John, whose death occurred in Illinois;
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Mrs. Mary Fullerton, Mrs. Margaret Piercy and Mrs. Ann Piercy, all of whom are deceased; Samuel, who died at the age of ten years; and Sam- uel, the second of the name, who is the subject of this review.
The last named crossed the Atlantic to the United States after the death of his father, in 1849, locating in New York city, where he learned the carpenter's trade, working at that occupation for eight years. Removing to New Jersey, he spent a year in that state and then went to Fulton county, Illinois, where he followed his trade for a time and later purchased a farm. After a residence of eight years in Illinois he came to Iowa in 1876, locat- ing on the farm which has remained his place of abode to the present time. He is numbered among the pioneer settlers of Carroll county, coming to Warren township before Manning was laid out. He hauled hogs by wagon to Carroll, a distance of twenty-five miles, and did his trading at West Side, Iowa. All lumber for his house and barns was hauled from the latter town, sixteen miles away, while his nearest neighbor was three miles distant. He first came into possession of a tract of two hundred acres and has since augmented his holdings by additional purchase until they now embrace five hundred and fifty acres of rich and productive land. In 1907 he put aside the active work of the fields and has since leased the home farm to his son Oliver, who has charge thereof. Another of the sons, Samuel C., also rents and cultivates a part of his father's land. The property of Samuel Bing- ham is known as the Sunnyside Stock Farm, and registered Hereford cattle are raised in connection with general farming. Our subject was the first man to bring Hereford cattle into Carroll county, paying five thousand dollars for a bull and two hundred and twenty-five dollars for a cow im- ported from England and purchased from George McPherson, of Menlo, Iowa. He has always maintained the high standard of his herd and is one of the best known stockmen of the state.
On the 7th of November, 1859, Mr. Bingham was united in marriage to Miss Jane A. Callison, a daughter of Isaac and Hulda (Hickman) Cal- lison, who at that time were residents of Fulton county, Illinois. Both were natives of Virginia. They removed to Fulton county, Illinois, in the early '50s, Isaac Callison there operating a farm until called to his final rest in 1880. His widow spent the remainder of her life in the home of our subject, passing away in 1888. They were the parents of the follow- ing children : Cyrus, whose demise occurred in Warren county, Iowa, in 1909; Josephus, who passed away in Kansas; Mrs. Mary Golden, who is deceased ; Woods, an agriculturist residing near Winterset, Madison county, Iowa; Mrs. Bingham; Victor, a retired farmer living near Winterset, Mad- ison county, Iowa; Rufus, who served in the Civil war for three years and died at the close of hostilities; and Mrs. Minda Bond, of Abingdon, Illi- nois. Woods and Victor Callison were also soldiers of the Union army in the Civil war for three years. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Bingham were born eleven children, two of whom have passed away. George, a farmer of Kansas, wedded Miss Fannie Patterson, of Manning, Iowa, by whom he has six children, namely : Lloyd; Clara, who is married and has a daughter, Ruth; Paul; Ross; Lee; and Orin. Isaac, a retired agriculturist of Hart-
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ington, Nebraska, wedded Miss Mary Woodward, of Manning, lowa. by whom he has three children: Merritt, who is now married; Vera; and Alice. Belle gave her hand in marriage to Lou Babcock, of Manning, and is the mother of eight children, as follows: Mrs. Glennie Hessler, who has a daughter, Darline; Chester, who married Marie Trecker ; Hazel, the wife of Harry Freetley ; Agnes; Sarah; Maude; Samuel ; and Marie. Ilulda is the wife of Deward Rogers, a farmer of Hartington, Nebraska, and has the following children : Louise, who is married and has one daughter. Mary ; Hugh ; Gertrude; Vivian ; Raymond; and Elburn. John, of Hartington, Nebraska, wedded Lenora McConnell, of Botna, lowa, by whom he has four children, Cuba, Hugh, Deward and Maude. Maggie married John Smith, of Manning, but is now living in Red Oak, Iowa. They have two children, Mary and Gertrude. Samuel C., an agriculturist of Warren town- ship, lives on the home place near his father's residence. He married Miss Alla Shepard, of Manning, and has three children : Louis, Jay and Irene. David, a farmer of Warren township, married Miss Mattie Heyde, of Persia, Iowa, and has two children, Harry and Lowell. Oliver, living on the home place, wedded Miss Alvina Jans, of Audubon county, Iowa. Their four children are as follows: Velma, Bernice, Maude and Olive. Two daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Bingham are deceased, namely : Mrs. Mary Mc- Williams, whose demise occurred in 1887; and Maude, who died at the age of seventeen years. Our subject and his wife celebrated their golden wedding on the 7th of November, 1909, and rejoiced in the presence of fifty children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Mr. Bingham is a stanch republican in his political views and for twenty years served as director of school district No. 9 in Warren township. His religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Methodist Episcopal church of Manning, to which his wife also belongs. He has now passed the seventy-ninth milestone on this earthly pilgrimage and is spending the evening of life in well earned ease, happy in the regard and esteem of all who know him.
JOSEPH C. ARTS.
Joseph C. Arts is a prominent factor in financial circles in Carroll county as the vice president of the German-American Bank at Carroll. His birth occurred in Carroll, Iowa, on the 17th of September. 1878, his parents being William and Christine (Manemann) Arts. He was reared to man- hood in his native city and attended the parochial and public schools in the acquirement of an education. Following his attendance at the high school he entered the German-American Bank in the capacity of assistant cashier. while in October, 1910. he became the vice president of the institution. in which connection his efforts have since proven a factor in its successful control. He was also engaged in the furniture and undertaking business in association with his brother, William A. Arts, until they sold out in October,
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1910. Mr. Arts of this review is likewise one of the trustees of the Car- roll Times, of which company his father was the president.
On the 27th of April, 1904, Mr. Arts was joined in wedlock to Miss Carrie Meyers, a native of Roselle township, Carroll county, Iowa, and a daughter of Henry and Nellie (Rosauer) Meyers, both of whom were born in Illinois. They took up their abode among the early settlers of this county and have lived in Carroll for the past three years, coming here from Templeton, Iowa. Their children are six in number, namely : Joseph, Frank, Carrie, Addie, Harry and Ollie. Mr. and Mrs. Arts have three children : Baldwin, Bernadetta and Louise Christine.
Mr. Arts gives his political allegiance to the democracy, while frater- nally he is identified with the Knights of Columbus, the Catholic Order of Foresters and the Modern Woodmen of America. For a period of fifteen years he was connected with the fire department. Both he and his wife are Catholics in religious faith and are faithful communicants of that church. They have always lived in Carroll county and are widely and favorably known within its borders.
CAPTAIN OLIVER HORTON.
Among Carroll county's distinguished veterans of the Civil war must be numbered Captain Oliver Horton, who has also been prominently identi- fied with the political life of the county. He was born at Bedford, Penn- sylvania, on the 12th of October, 1829. His father was also a native of the Keystone state but descended from the Hortons of Long Island, New York, while the mother, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Hamilton, was of Irish extraction. The father was for many years identified with the agri- cultural interests of Pennsylvania, but he also engaged in the hotel busi- ness.
Oliver Horton was reared on the family homestead and in the acquire- ment of his education attended the district schools. Early trained to assist in the work of the fields, when he laid aside his text-books he worked as a farm hand in the vicinity of his home until he was eighteen. In 1847 he apprenticed himself to the iron worker's trade, continuing to follow that occupation for about fifteen years. When the call came for more troops in 1862 he responded and enlisted as a private in the One Hundred and Thirty- eighth Pennsylvania Volunteers. Amenable to military discipline, he early showed himself to be a leader and was promoted from first sergeant to second lieutenant, then to first lieutenant and was finally made captain, with which rank he was mustered out. He saw a great deal of active service, participating in all of the engagements of Sickle's Sixth Corps, to which his regiment belonged. After the close of hostilities he came to Iowa, in Octo- ber, 1865, and settled in Jackson county. In the spring of 1869 he located on a farm south of Carrollton in Carroll county and in 1876 purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land on section 20, Richland township, where
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OLIVER HORTON
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HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY
he has ever since resided. In connection with the cultivation of his fields, which are almost entirely planted to corn and oats, Captain Horton raises hogs and some cattle. He is one of the successful and substantial agricul- turists of the township, and the owner of a well improved and highly culti- vated farm.
In 1849 Captain Horton and Miss Louisa Grove were united in mar- riage, and by this union there have been born six sons and five daughters : Joseph G., Andrew J., William H., James A., Robert A., George E. and Elizabeth, who died in childhood; Lucinda, who died in infancy ; Mary Jane, the wife of H. J. Coppock, living in Le Mars, Iowa; Iola W., at home; and Anna L., the wife of Lawrence Zenner, of Wentworth, South Dakota.
In matters of religion the family were reared in the faith of the United Brethren church, in which the parents hold membership, and fraternally Captain Horton is affiliated with Glidden Lodge, No. 93, I. O. O. F., in which he has passed through all of the chairs, and he has taken the degrees of the Grand Lodge. His political allegiance he has always given to the democratic party, and represented his district in both the twenty-second and twenty-third sessions of the state legislature. He has always taken a prominent and helpful interest in political affairs and for six years was a member of the board of supervisors, while he also has the distinction of having been secretary of the school board of Richland township for twenty- four successive years. That he is a man who can be depended upon to safeguard the interests of the people, ever proving loyal to his trust, and faithfully and conscientiously fulfilling his duties as he sees them, is at- tested by the long period of his public service.
ALFRED BEDFORD.
Alfred Bedford, of the firm of A. Bedford & Son, has for the past five years been successfully engaged in business as a live stock and real-estate dealer of Carroll. His birth occurred in Yorkshire, England, on the 10th of December, 1851, his parents being Charles and Elizabeth (Knowles) Bedford, who were likewise natives of that country. His paternal grand- father, George Bedford, was a Quaker and followed contracting through- out his active business career. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Anna Todd, was blind for four or five years prior to her demise. Both lived to attain a ripe old age and passed away in England. Their children were six in number, namely: Thomas, George, William, Charles and two daughters who died in early life. William Knowles, the maternal grand- father of our subject, was a landowner and English gentleman. He owned a large estate but lost most of it through the falseness of business partners and died of a broken heart. Unto him and his wife, who bore the maiden name of Elizabeth Barker, were born quite a number of children, some of whom are now living in Africa. Vol. II .- 5.
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Charles Bedford, the father of Alfred Bedford, was a contractor and builder by trade. He crossed the Atlantic to the United States in 1870, arriving in Bureau county, Illinois, on the 20th of March of that year. On the 24th of May following he purchased a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Pleasant Valley township, Carroll county, Iowa, and improved the property, continuing to reside thereon throughout the remainder of his life. Both he and his wife were about seventy-five years of age when called to their final rest, passing away in the faith of the Methodist church. Charles Bedford was a local preacher of that denomination, having begun preach- ing when but fourteen years of age. Unto him and his wife were born seven children, as follows: Charles, who died in Carroll, Iowa; Anna, who passed away in England; William, who is a resident of Carroll, Iowa; Al- fred, of this review; Mary Jane, the wife of Joseph Annear, of Coon Rap- ids; Thomas, of Pleasant Valley township; and Arthur, who died in Eng- land.
'Alfred Bedford, who obtained his education in England, was a youth of nineteen when he accompanied his parents on their emigration to the new world. During the intervening period, covering four decades, he has made his home in Carroll county. At the time of his arrival here he began work- ing on the Kansas & St. Joseph Railroad, while subsequently he was em- ployed by the Northwestern Railroad Company for four years. On the ex- piration of that period he purchased forty acres of land and six months later bought another tract of similar size, devoting his attention to the cul- tivation of his land. He was married in 1876 and the following year pur- chased another eighty-acre tract, while about 1880 he bought yet another tract of the same size. Two years later he purchased forty acres more and in 1884 bought one hundred acres additional. There was also a forty-acre tract that he had left in his father's name, so that his property holdings embrace four hundred and twenty acres altogether. He continued farming until March, 1906, when he abandoned general agricultural pursuits and took up his abode in Carroll, where he has since been actively engaged in business as a live-stock and real-estate dealer under the firm style of A. Bedford & Son. The prosperity which he enjoys is attributable to his close application, unwearied industry and capable management.
On the 17th of August, 1876, Mr. Bedford was united in marriage to Miss Charlotte Jane Willey, a native of Grant county, Wisconsin, and a daughter of Josiah and Christine (Thomas) Willey, who were born in Cornwall and took up their abode in Wisconsin at an early day. Mr. Wil- ley passed away in Carroll, Iowa, while the demise of his wife occurred in Shullsburg, Wisconsin. Her parents were James and Grace Thomas, of Cornwall, England. Mr. and Mrs. Willey had seven children, namely : John, Abram, Grace, Charlotte, Joe, Mary and Addie.
Mr. and Mrs. Bedford are the parents of four children. Josiah Charles, who resides on the home farm, wedded Miss Mary Keeler, by whom he has two children, Marie and Clarence. William Alfred, who is in partnership with his father, married Miss Grace Laudenback and has two children. Uvern and Alfred. Thomas Melvin, who follows general agricultural pur-
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suits on the home place, married Miss Pearl Cuthbertson and has one son, Lloyd. John Abram, who also farms the old home place, wedded Miss Emma Feld and has one child, Catherine.
Since age conferred upon him the right of franchise Mr. Bedford has loyally supported the men and measures of the republican party. He has served in the capacity of constable and trustee and also held the office of justice of the peace for more than seven years, his decisions being ever strictly fair and impartial. Fraternally he is identified with the Masons, belonging to Signet Lodge, No. 264, A. F. & A. M .; and Copestone Chapter, No. 78, R. A. M. He acts as steward in the Methodist church, of which his wife is also a devoted and consistent member. No breath of suspicion has ever assailed his good name and on the contrary he stands as a splendid type of the honorable, reliable, successful man, the public-spirited citizen and the trustworthy friend.
CHARLES A. EASTERLY, D. D. S.
Dr. Charles A. Easterly, who is for eight years engaged in the practice of his profession in Manning, was born in Lisbon, Lynn county, Iowa, on the 10th of May, 1873. He is the younger son of Samuel A. and Sarah (Laufler) Easterly, both of whom are natives of Ohio. The father, who was born in 1848, enlisted as a private in Company F., Thirteenth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, going to the front in 1863, where he remained until the close of hostilities, participating in Sherman's campaign. 'After receiv- ing his discharge he returned to Lisbon where for several years he con- tinued to follow his trade, which was that of carpentry. He subsequently accepted a position as foreman of the carpentry gang on the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad from Boone to Council Bluffs, which position he retained for about twenty-five years. In 1885 he removed to Carroll where he later established a marble business which he conducted for two or three years. In 1902 Mr. Easterly and his wife removed to Sedalia, Missouri, where he is now living retired. To them were born two sons: David L., who is a resident of Tulsa, Oklahoma ; and Charles A., the subject of this sketch. The family always attended the Presbyterian church in which the parents hold membership, while fraternally Mr. Easterly was identified with the Masons and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He main- tains relations with his old comrades of the field through the G. A. R., and his political support he gives to the republicans.
The school days of Charles A. Easterly began in his native town of Lisbon, his education being completed in the grammar and high schools of Carroll. Having decided that he would adopt the profession of dentistry for his life vocation, after the completion of his preliminary education, he entered the Chicago Dental College, Chicago, where he pursued his pro- fessional studies, being awarded the degree of D. D. S. with the class of 1901. After being graduated he returned to Manning where he estab-
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lished an office which he maintained for eight years, meeting with very good success in his practice. Upon his appointment as postmaster on the Ist of December, 1910, however, he abandoned his profession and has ever since given his entire attention to the discharge of his official responsibilities.
On the 24th of January, 1904, Dr. Easterly was united in marriage to Miss Elsa K. Studeman, a daughter of Ernst Studeman, a native of Ger- many but a resident of Manning. The union of Dr. and Mrs. Easterly has been blessed by the birth of two sons: Robert W., who was born on the 2Ist of February, 1906; and Samuel E., who was born on the 30th of No- vember, 1909.
Fraternally Dr. Easterly holds membership in the Masonic order. Ever since attaining his majority he has given his political support to the men and measures of the republican party, but he has never prominently par- ticipated in municipal activities. During the period of his service in his present capacity he has discharged his duties in a manner entirely satis- factory to the citizens.
GEORGE KLINE.
Among the sons of the fatherland whose industry and sturdy qualities have added much to the financial worth and civilization of Carroll county, and whose well directed efforts along agricultural lines in former years now make it possible for them to rest from further labor, is numbered George Kline. His birth occurred in Hamburg, Germany, on the 10th of August, 1848, his parents being Christian and Katharine (Everhard) Kline, both natives of Germany. The father was one of two sons born unto his parents, who were lifelong residents of the fatherland and whose record, has now been lost. The maternal grandfather, - Everhard, passed
away in Germany, while his wife, who later came to the United States, died in Wisconsin. In their family were six daughters, as follows: Caroline, who married Adam Zimbeck; Christine, the wife of Everhard; Margaret, who married Peter Mater, of Wisconsin; Sophia, who married George Kline of Walworth county, Wisconsin; Magda- lena, the wife of Adam Peters, of Sharon, Wisconsin; and Katharine, the mother of our subject. Christian Kline, who was reared and educated in his native country, was a cooper by trade and there followed that occupation for a time. He served in the French army at the time of the African war for seven years, and in 1852 sought a home in the new world, locating in Walworth county, Wisconsin. After his arrival in this country he gave his attention to agricultural pursuits and at one time owned two hundred acres of land in that state. Shortly before his death, however, he sold the one hundred and twenty acres which remained of that property to his son, Philip. He passed away at the ripe old age of eighty-two years. His wife's death occurred on the 22d of February, 1889, when she had reached the age of seventy-four years and six months. Both passed away in the faith
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of the German Evangelical church, of which they had been devoted and ex- emplary members. By a former marriage to a brother of Mr. Kline his wife had two children, Christian and Nicholas, while by her marriage with Chris- tian Kline she became the mother of five children, namely : Christina, the de- ceased wife of Barney Huber ; George, of this review : Leopold, of Glidden township: Caroline, who married Albert Barth, of Sharon township. Wal- worth county, Wisconsin ; and Philip, of Sharon, Wisconsin.
George Kline was a little lad of four years when brought to America by his parents, and in Walworth county, Wisconsin, he grew to manhood, at- tending the district schools of that locality in the acquirement of his educa- tion. When not busy with his text-books he assisted in the work of the home farm and under his father's direction early became familiar with the best methods of tilling the soil and caring for the crops. He remained at home until seventeen years of age when, in spite of his youth, he enlisted for ser- vice, in 1865, as a member of Company A, Thirty-seventh Wisconsin Vol- unteer Infantry, with which command he served throughout the remainder of the war, taking part in many important skirmishes, including the battle of Petersburg. After the close of hostilities he returned home and there re- mained until his marriage, after which he began farming independently, rent- ing a tract of land in Walworth county for two or three years. On the 1st of April, 1876, he came to Carroll county, Iowa, and for about three years operated rented land here. He then invested in a farm of his own, purchas- ing eighty acres in Glidden township, which he yet owns and to which he added, as his financial resources increased, until it is now a fine property of two hundred and thirty acres. That farm remained his home for more than twenty years, and in the meantime he carefully cultivated his fields, from which he reaped abundant harvests from year to year that enabled him to place himself in comfortable circumstances. In 1902 the competency which he had accumulated made it possible for him to withdraw from active life and in that year he took up his abode in Glidden. Here he purchased two and five-eighths acres of land in the north part of the town, upon which he has erected an attractive dwelling and where he is now living in happy con- tentment, enjoying in well earned rest the fruits of his many years of earnest labor.
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