History of Cass County, Iowa; together with sketches of its towns, villages, and townships; educational, civil, military, and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of old settlers and representative citizens. History of Iowa, embracing accounts of the pre-historic races, and a brief review of its civil, political, and military history, Part 69

Author: Continental Historical Company, Springfield, Ill
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Springfield, Ill. : Continental Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 918

USA > Iowa > Cass County > History of Cass County, Iowa; together with sketches of its towns, villages, and townships; educational, civil, military, and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of old settlers and representative citizens. History of Iowa, embracing accounts of the pre-historic races, and a brief review of its civil, political, and military history > Part 69

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Another pioneer of Pymosa, Samuel Knepper, entered land on section 2, in the spring of 1854. IIe was a native of Penn- sylvania, coming from Ohio to this place. He remained in the township about two years, when he removed to Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie county, and engaged in the drug business. lle died there about twelve or fifteen years ago.

James Brinkerhoff, a native of Penn- sylvania, settled on section 11 in the fall

558

HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.

of 1854, coming from Ohio. He remained until the summer of 1861, when he re- moved to Colorado, and afterward died in that State. When a resident of this town- ship, he had a family of five or six chil- dren, and was considered a kind and good neighbor and citizen.

Francis Everett came in the fall of 1854, and improved a farm on section 23, com- · ing from Indiana. He remained in the township until 1879, when he removed to Colorado, where he still resides.

William Howard came to Pymosa in the summer of 1855, settling on section 1. He came from Illinois to this township, but was a native of New York State. About the year 1876 his death occurred. He was a quiet, peaceable citizen, and a man who always attended strictly to his own business. His widow, who still re- sides upon the old homestead, has since been married to N. B. Morris.

Nelson Bonaparte Morris came to Cass county in. 1855. In 1857, he entered a quarter section of land in Bear Grove township. He kept this land until 1882, when he sold it to Henry R. Lee, without improvement. In March, 1858, Mr. Morris entered one hundred and twenty acres of land in Sherman township, Monona county, where he located in 1860, and resided until 1882. He then returned to Cass county. His son, Jason H. Morris, now owns the farm which he occupied in Monroe county. Nelson B. Morris was born in Madison county, New York, in 1811. He was reared in his native county upon a farm, and remained there till 1855. In his youth he learned the carpenter's trade, but on account of an accident which ren-

dered him unable to follow that trade, he learned the trade of shoe-making, which he followed about twelve years. Mr. Morris has been twice married. His first wife was Polly Neely, a native of Onon- daga county, New York, where she died in 1864. She was of German descent. His present wife was Mrs. William W. Howard, formerly, Mary C. McMurphy. Her father, Solomon McMurphy, was a native of New England. He died while she was an infant. She went to Rock Island county, Illinois, with her grand- father, about 1833, where she was reared and married to William W. Howard, who was a native of Jefferson county, New York, and who removed to Rock Island county when a boy, with his parents. Mrs. Morris came to Cass county with her husband, Mr. Howard, in June, 1855, and settled where Mr. and Mrs. Morris now live, on section 1. The farm, however, was on section 12, adjoining the forty acres on which the house was built. Mr. Howard lived upon this place until his death which occurred May 3, 1876. His widow was married to Mr. Morris, Sep- tember 6, 1882, who has one son by his first wife, Jason.H. Mrs. Morris has seven children-George V. Howard, Mrs. Cy- linda Gingery, Seneca S. Howard, Mrs. Marietta Green, Samuel R. Howard, Mrs. Amanda M. Bidleman, and Mrs. Emily Kelly. She has lost four children-Daniel O., died December 5, 1882, leaving a fam- ily; the other three were Loretta L., William and Turner, all of whom died in infancy. Mary C. Morris, formerly Mary C. Howard, was born in Pike county, Illi- nois, on the 25th day of December, 1827,

559

HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.

and was married to W. W. Howard, Sep- tember 1, 1843.

During the year of 1855, Joseph Doner, a Canadian Frenchman, came from Indi- ana and settled upon section 12. He re- mained here until his death, which oc- curred in January, 1864. His widowed wife now lives in Atlantic. One of his daughters also resides in that place, and is the wife of George Conrad, who is one of the pioneers of Cass county. Some of the family still reside in this township.

Joseph Turner came to Pymosa town- ship in 1855, and entered a quarter section of land, although he did not settle there until 1858. In 1862 he removed to Frank- lin township, and is a resident of Wiota at the present.

Charles W. Harris (deceased) was an early settler of Pymosa township. He came here in the spring of 1856, accom- panied by his family, William Fox and J. M. Lamb, and their families, all com- ing from Indiana. Mr. Harris and Mr. Fox lived for some time at what is known as "Five-Mile Grove." Mr. Harris set- tled on section 18, where his family now live, in 1858. He was born in Campbell county, Virginia, in 1832. He removed with his parents to Ohio, thence to Indi- ana, where he was married to Sarah A. Fox, his present widow. She was born in Warren county, Iowa, in 1835. Her father, William Fox, was born in Virginia in 1805. He was reared and married in his native State. On coming to Cass county, he settled, as before stated, at Five-Mile Grove, where he resided until his death. Mrs. Fox now lives with his daughter, Mrs. Harris. Mr. Harris died in 1859, leaving a widow and three children-Ed-

win F., born in Indiana in 1854; Thomas N., born in Pymosa township in 1857; and Charles, born here, in 1859.

James Mayhew settled on section 22, in the spring of 1856. His death" occurred here in the winter of 1865. His wife still remains in the township, making her home with her daughter, who is the wife of Isaac Jansen. Mr. Mayhew, who was a native of New Jersey, came from Indi- ana to Pymosa township.

William S. Everett, in company with his brother, John Everett came to Py- mosa township, in May, 1857, and in Jan- uary, 1862, they purchased eighty acres of land, which is included in Wil- liam Everett's present farm of one hun- dred and twenty-one acres. He owns, also,four hundred acres in sections 9,10,13 and 15. July 23, 1862, William Everett enlisted in company I, Twenty-third Iowa Infantry, and served till the close of the war. He was at Port Gibson, where his regiment was at the front and opened the engagement May 1, 1863. On the 16th of the same month, he was in the battle at Champion Hill, and at Black River Bridge, on the 17th, where the Twenty- third again led the charge. He was severely wounded ¿in this battle. In the fall of 1863, he campaigned in Texas, win- tering on Matagorda Island. In the spring of 1864 he went to New Orleans, and was ordered to report to General Banks, on the Red river, but on account of the Confederate blockade, was unable to do so, but joined Banks on his retreat. In the spring of 1865, he participated in the siege of Spanish Fort, which occupied thirteen days. He was in the hospital during the siege of Vicksburg; and. at

560

HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.

the time of Lee's surrender was in Alabama, but immediately after- wards was ordered to Texas. After the war he went to Ohio, and re- mained nntil the spring of 1870, when he returned to Cass county, and set- tled on his farm. Mr. Everett has never fully recovered from the effects of the hardships he endured while in the ser- vice. He was born in Erie county, Ohio, on July 4, 1836. His early life was spent in "his native State. He was there mar- ried to Sarah Leppo, a native of the same State, and daughter of James Leppo. Mr. and Mrs. Everett have four children- James E., Mary E., Martha R. and Lida O., all of whom were born at the home- stead in Pymosa.

John W. Lamb lives on section 27, upon the farm where his father, Jonathan M. Lamb, settled in 1856. It contained originally eighty-five acres, but now con- tains one hundred and twenty-five. Jona- than M. Lamb was born in the State of Virginia, January 28, 1831, and removed to Indiana, with his grand-parents, when about eight years old. He there grew to manhood, and was married at Spring Hill, Darke county, Ohio, to Susan Chenoweth, who was born in Darke county, July 1, 1831. He was reared to the occupation of farming. He moved to Darke county, Ohio, in 1853, where he resided till he came to Cass county, and settled in Py- mosa township, where he bought and im- proved a farm, on which he resided nntil his decease, February 6, 1868. He had been in declining health for a year or more previous to his death. He left a widow and one son, John W. The latter was born in Darke county, Ohio, January

4, 1854, and was but two and a half years of age when his parents came to this county. He was brought up on the home- stead which he now owns. He was mar- ried, December 8, 1875, to Margaret J. Leppo, at Spring Mills, Richland county, Ohio. They have four children living- Susan D., Alphronia B., Myrtle S., May H. and Albert. Myrtle S. departed this life May 26, 1881. Mr. Lamb's mother, the widow of Jonathan M. Lamb, was married to William H. Crouch,' June 25, 1871. Mr. Crouch went to Virginia in 1882, and died at Lynchburg, that State, March 30, 1883. The widow now lives with her son.

Franklin C. Smith settled in 1860, on the southwest quarter of section 5, of Py- mosa township, where he still resides. He purchased at that time, eighty acres of unimproved land. He now has two hun- dred and twenty-six acres, under good .cultivation and well improved. Mr. Smith was born in Butler county, Ohio in 1846. In 1859, he removed with his parents, Andrew J., and Eleanor Smith, to Ran- dolph county, Indiana, which was his home till he came to Cass county. Dur- ing the war of the rebellion Mr. Smith was in the employ of the government at Hamilton, Ohio. His parents still reside in Randolph county. He was married in Indiana, to Mary E. Butler, daughter of Edward Butler, now a resident of this township. They have two children- Mary Eleanor and Daisy A. Mr. Smith is a Republican, politically.

MENTION OF OTHER RESIDENTS.

In order that those who have labored to advance the interests of the townships

561

HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.

inay be represented, the following men- tion .of the more prominent citizens is given:

Robert B. Butler, a pioneer of Cass county, settled where he now resides, on the east half of the south west quarter of sec- tion 17, of Pymosa township, in 1873. He purchased his land which was then unim- proved, of the railroad company in 1870. The country in this vicinity, was at that time, very sparsely populated. Mr. Butler was born in Randolph county, Indiana, in 1840, and is a son of Edward Butler, of this township. He was reared to the occupa- tion of farming, In August, 1862, he en- listed in the Sixty-ninth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and served about one year. He was then discharged for disability. He was in the battle of Richmond, Kentucky, where he was taken prisoner, but was soon after, paroled. Mr. Butler came to Cass county first in 1860, for the purpose of viewing the country, and returned to In- diana. He came here in 1863, becoming then, a permanent resident. He moved his family here from Indiana with a team, driving the entire distance, spending about four weeks on the route. He was married in Indiana to Susan Collins, a sister of John A. Collins of Brighton township. Mrs. Butler was born in Vir- ginia and removed to Indiana with her brother. Her father, James B. Collins, subsequently returned to Virginia where he died. Mr. and Mrs. Butler have three children-Morton H., Cora E., and Mar- tha L. of whom the eldest was born in Indiana and the others here.

Byron B. Campbell resides on the north- west quarter of section 25, Pymosa town- ship, land which he has owned since Sep-

tember 1872. He has altogether, three hundred and twenty acres, eighty of which is in section 24. He was born in Jamesville, Onondaga county, New York, November 6, 1832, and was reared upon a farm. In 1852, his father, William Camp- bell, went to La Salle county, Illinois, to purchase land for his sons, but died soon after he reached Illinois. Byron B. went to La Salle county in December following his father's death and lived there one year. In 1853 he bought one hundred and sixty acres of land near Geneseo, Illinois, which he soon after sold, and returned to La Salle county, thence again, to the State of New York. In 1854, he came to Iowa and engaged in farming in Scott county, where he remained until he came to At- lantic, Cass county, in the spring of 1868. The same season he bought two hundred acres of land in Benton township which he improved. He sold this farm to Jacob Walkey and began improving his present farm. A brother-in-law law of Mr. Campbell, C. R. Marks, came to Cass county with him. Mr. Marks is now living in Los Angelos, California. Mr. Campbell was married in Syracuse, New York, to Electa C. Knapp, a native of Onondaga county, born May 11, 1836, in the same house in which his father, Milo K. Knapp, was born, twenty-three years before. Her mother was Susan C. (Crosby) Knapp. Her father died when Mrs. Campbell was sixteen years old. Her mother is still living in Onondaga county. Mr. and Mrs. Campbell have one son- Harry B., born March 9, 1874. Mr. Camp- bell is one of the most enterprising and prosperous farmers of Pymosa township. His residence and surroundings are beau-

562

HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.

tiful, and are evidence of the culture and good taste of their owner.

George W. Gingery, son of Daniel and Helena Gingery, was born in Stark county, Ohio, in 1842. The family are of German descent, the parents being natives of Ger- many, who came to the United States in 1831, settling then in Somerset county. Pennsylvania. Daniel Gingery was a soldier in the war with Mexico, and died in the service at Pueblo, in 1848. In 1834, Daniel Gingery and wife left Penn- sylvania, and came to Ohio, where they remained until 1860, when Mrs. Gingery came to this county, accompanied by her two youngest children, her older children having come here previous to that time, with the exception of John Gingery, who came shortly after. Three of the brothers, Edward, John and George, are residents of this township; William Gingery resides in Benton township. The subject of this sketch was one of the younger children of the family, and came here with his mother in 1860. He settled upon his present farm, on section 34, in 1872. He was married to Virginia Goodale, daughter of Almon Goodale. They have six children -Helena E., Charles, Grace, Cora, Elmer and Lizzie. One daughter, Edith, died in infancy. Mr. Gingery is engaged in gar- dening and fruit-growing, in which busi- ness his brother John is also engaged. Edward Gingery was the first one of the family who came to Cass county, having come here in 1854, and located on sections 22 and 27, of this township, where he still lives.

O. R. Ballard is a son of Dr. S. M. Ballard, one of the earliest settlers of this part of Iowa. Dr. Ballard was born

in Virginia in January, 1810. His father died when he was a child, and he removed with his mother to Ohio. He studied medicine, and graduated at Cincinnati, having taught school for some time, thereby obtaining funds to pursue and complete his education. He began the practice of his profession in Ohio, and in 1840 removed to Iowa City, where he continued practice, and published the .Iowa City Republican for years. He came to western Iowa, locating at Council Bluffs, as early as 1850, and there opened the first land office in that place. He en- tered a large amount of land in Audubon county in 1852, including a large portion of what is now known as Oakfield town- ship. He had a government contract for surveying land, and surveyed several of the townships in that county. Later, he purchased large tracts of land in Pymesa and other townships of Cass county. At the time of his decease, in May, 1883, he owned thirty-four hundred acres in one tract in Audubon county, also a large amount of land in Pymosa township. He continued the practice of medicine until about fifteen years previous to his death. His widow, formerly Sarah Johnson, a native of Ohio, is now living at Council Bluffs. They had nine children, only two of whom survive-O. R. and Virginia E. (Robinson). O. R. Ballard resides upon section 22 of Pymosa township. He was born in Warren county, Ohio, in 1838, and came west with his father. He was married to Sarah L. Lorah, a daughter of Judge Lorah, of this township, and a native of Wayne county, Ohio. They have a family of four sons and three daughters.

563

HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.

Edward Butler, a resident of Pymosa township, was born in Campbell county, Virginia, in 1816. He grew to manhood in his native State and was there married to Mary F. Johnson, also a native of Campbell county. Mr. Butler has always followed farming. He removed in 1838, from Virginia to Randolph county, Indi- ana, where he cleared a timbered farm, which he resided upon for a period of thirty-one years. He came from thence to Cass county, in 1869, and settled on his present farm, which is located on sections 7 and 18. His residence is on 7. He owns two hundred acres, upon which he has made all of the improvements. His wife died here, October 27, 1882, aged sixty-two years. They had a family of five children -John N., Robert B., Mrs. Maria Harris, Mrs. Mary E. Smith and Marion A. Politically, Mr. Butler was originally a whig but has been a Repub- lican since the organization of that party. He has been a member of the M. E. Church for fifty years. Mr. Butler is an old citizen and well merits the high de- gree of respect in which he is held by all.

W. M. Shade was born in Perry county, Pennsylvania, October 28, 1832. He is a son of George Shade, also a native of Pennsylvania. The latter died in Lan- caster, near Peoria, Illinois. at the age of seventy-eight years. Mr. Shade's mother was born in Germany, and died in Ne- braska, where she was living with her daughter. At the age of twenty years W. M. Shade removed with his parents to Illinois, settling in Peoria county where he was married, August 4, 1854, to Cordelia Maticks, a native of Pennsyl- vania, and daughter of John and Martha

(Bitner) Maticks, both of whom were born in Pennsylvania. After his marri- age Mr. Shade removed to Towanda, Mc- Lean county, of the same State, bought eighty acres of land and remained there five years. He returned to Peoria county in 1861, the commencement of the war, and followed farming and was quite suc- cessful. Subsequently he purchased a farm near Greeley, in Delaware county, Iowa, and made a specialty of raising horses and cattle. In 1880, he sold his farm there and bought a farm of one hun- dred and twenty acres in Pymosa town- ship, Cass county. Eighty acres of this land lies in section 20, with the balance joining it on the north. He has a fine farm. His residence is pleasantly sur- rounded by trees, and has an orchard near by containing one hundred bearing apple trees. Mr. Shade is the owner of an im- ported Clydesdale horse, "Farmer's De- light," purchased by him of William Storm of Jones county, by whom the ani- mal was imported. Seven hundred dol- lars was the price which Mr. Shade paid for the horse. Mr. and Mrs. Shade have one son-Henry A., who is a member of the Congregational church. Mr. Shade has, since boyhood, been a consistent member of the M. E. church. Mrs. Shade is a member of the Congregational church.

Jacob Andrews resides on the southeast quarter of section 28. He owns a farm of four hundred and twenty-five acres, lying on both sides of the river. He purchased this place in 1869, of J. McDaniels. There is considerable native timber upon the land, and about half of it is best adapted for grazing. The balance is tillable.

564

HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.

This is a fine stock farm. Mr. Andrews was born in the town of Lovell, Oxford county, Maine, in 1820. He lived in that State until 1865, when he came to Iowa and opened up a farm in Audubon county. He located there with the expectation that the main line of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific railroad would be built in that vicinity, but being disappointed in that particular, he decided to sell his farm there, and did so, removing here, as before stated, in 1869. Before coming to this county, Mr. Andrews had always been en- gaged in the lumbering business. He was married to Martha P. Hamblin, a native of York county, Maine. By this union there are four children-Henry F., Charles H., Isaac S. and Sarah K., all of whom were born in Maine. Mr. Andrews' father, Isaac S. Andrews, came with him to Audubon county, where he died, De- cember 30, 1868. His mother died in Maine, in the same town where she was born. A brother and sister of Mr. An- drew's are now living in Audubon county. A brother of Mrs. Andrew's, Samuel Hamblin, came to this county in 1869, but is now living at Hot Springs, Arkan- sas. Samuel Hamblin was in the army during the war of the rebellion, serving in a Maine regiment. He entered the service a private, and come out with the rank of colonel. Mr. Andrew's eldest son, Henry F., served in the Sixteenth Maine Infantry, and was three years in the service.

Seymour Carver is a native of Cayuga connty, New York, born October 14, 1817. He was reared in his native county, and when twenty years of age, went to Kane county, Illinois, where he resided until

1855. He then went to Grant county, Wisconsin, and remained until 1872. In that year he went to Kansas, where he lived until November, 1873, at which time he came to Atlantic, Cass county. In the fall of 1882, he purchased the southwest quarter of section 35, Pymosa township, where he now lives, of Crawford and Merriman. He also owns sixty-five acres in section 2, of Atlantic township. Mr. Carver was married in Illinois, June 18, 1839, to Rebecca Allen, a native of New York, who was born June 7, 1822. She moved with her parents to Pennsylvania, when a child, thence to Michigan, thence to Illinois. Mr. Carver is a brother of Leonard Carver, of Atlantic. Mr. and Mrs. Carver have five sons and three daughters-Fidelia, Charles, George W., Orlinda, Loretta, Henry, Birney and Wil- liam. Mr. Carver has always voted with the Democratic party, but believes in vot- ing for the best men, to whatever party they may chance to belong.

William H. Disbrow resides on section 36, where he settled in 1868, purchasing his place .of Frank Whitney. Mr. Dis- brow has been a resident of Cass county since the spring of 1857. He was born in Lorain county, Ohio, May 15, 1837. His parents, Perry and Clarissa (Lang- don) Disbrow, were natives of New York. His father was of English and Irish de- scent, and his mother's ancestors were French Huguenots. They now live at Lewis, in this county. Mr. Disbrow spent his early life in Ohio, and was there mar- ried July 4, 1856, to Cordelia Nichols. She was born in Jefferson county, New York, January 11, 1836, and removed with her parents to Lorain county, Ohio,

565

HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.

when quite young. Her parents were James and Lenora (Johnson) Nichols, the former of whom was a native of Rhode Island, and the latter of Connecticut. They died in Lorain county. Mr. and Mrs. Disbrow have four children-Willie I., was born in Lewis, June 8, 1860, and now lives in Dakota Territory; Lenora May was born in Atlantic township, on March 22, 1867; Junia Maud was born November 23, 1871, in Pymosa township, and Charles P., was born on August 22, 1874. Mr. Disbrow is a brother of Hiram Disbrow, of Atlantic; also a brother of Mrs. Benton Morrow, of Atlantic town- ship, and Mrs. B. F. Howard, of Audu- bon county. Mrs. Disbrow is a sister of Stephen Nichols and Mrs. Marinda Arch- er, both of whom reside in this township. The husband of the latter, Garrison Archer, was a member of an Ohio regi- ment during the war of the rebellion, and died in the service. Mr. Disbrow has been a Republican since the organization of that party until recently, when he has become a radical Greenbacker. He is a popular citizen and a genial and intelli- gent gentleman. His farm is well im- proved.

Joseph S. Joyce's farm comprises the east half of the northeast quarter and the north half of the southeast quarter of sec- tion 8, which he purchased of John R. Kitchen, and settled upon in 1872. Mr. Kitchen made the first improvements upon this land, breaking about thirty acres. All other improvements have been made by Mr. Joyce. He built his resi- dence in 1879, at a cost of fifteen hundred dollars. His barn was built in 1878, and cost the sum of five hundred dollars. He

has a large number of fruit trees, includ- ing four hundred apple and a number of cherry and plum trees. Mr. Joyce and his brother Ulysses, whose farm adjoins his, are extensively engaged in stock raising, for which business their farms are admir- ably adapted. Joseph S. Joyce was born in the village of Renhold, Bedfordshire, England, in 1845. He is a son of Thomas and Mary (Paine) Joyce, natives of the same shire. The former was born in 1811, and the latter in 1812. The have a fam .. ily of ten children, seven sons and three daughters. Joseph and Ulysses are the only members of the family who have come to America. They served an ap- prenticeship to the hardware business, but came to the United States for the purpose of making homes. Both have succeeded, and are now in possession of valuable farms and pleasant homes. In 1875, they went back to England on a visit, and re- turned the following year. Joseph S. Joyce was married to Fannie S. Kitchen, a daughter of J. R. Kitchen. They have five daughters: Ruth, Jennie, Nellie, Clarice and Mabel. The Joyce brothers are Republicans, politically. They are enterprising and public-spirited citizens, as well as successful farmers.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Author: Continental Historical Company, Springfield, Ill Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Springfield, Ill. : Continental Historical Co. Number of Pages: 918

Author: Continental Historical Company, Springfield, Ill
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Springfield, Ill. : Continental Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 918