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 70

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 70

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).

Ulysses Joyce settled upon his present farm in section 8, of Pymosa township, in the spring of 1878, purchasing his land of Moses Kitchen. It was first settled by John R. Kitchen, the father of Moses Kitchen. Mr. Joyce's original purchase in section 8 was eighty acres. He has since bought eighty acres of D. R. and H. J. Love. He came to Cass county in 1870, and his first farm was located in At- lantic township. Ulysses Joyce was born

566

HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.

in Bedfordshire, England, in 1847. He came to the United States with his brother, J. S. Joyce, in 1868. They set- tled in McLean county, Illinois, from whence they came to this county. Their parents, Thomas and Mary Joyce, are still living in Bedfordshire, England, upon the farm where they have lived for fifty years. The subject of this sketch was married to Miss Maggie Barnwell, a sister of Dr. Barnwell, of Atlantic. They have six children: Mary E., Hattie E., William P., Thomas A., Lilly Rose and Frank.

Joseph A. Brown (deceased) came to Pymosa township in 1874, and purchased a farm of J. McDaniel, located on sections 28 and 33. This is one of the large farms of the township. Mr. Brown was born in Monroe county, Pennsylvania, June 2, 1817, and was there reared to mercantile pursuits. May 16, 1839, he was married in his native county, to Rachel Shaw, a native of that county. About 1841 he removed to Janesville, Wisconsin, and purchased land and engaged in farming. He afterward removed to Clayton county, Iowa, and bought a farm, on which he re- mained a short time, then removed to the town of Clayton and engaged in the mill- ing, mercantile and grain business. He resided in Clayton county until he came to Cass county, in 1874. Here he engaged in buying grain. He was a successful business man, and at his decease left a large property. His death occurred at his home in Pymosa, May 16, 1884. He was sixty-seven years of age. His wife and seven children survive him. The chil- dren are: Mrs. Josephine Hodges, of Boonesborough, Iowa; Theodore H., liv- ing at Griswold, Cass county; Joseph S.,

in Brighton township; Mrs. Jennie R. Dawson, in this county; Timothy P., liv- ing at the homestead; Mrs. Libbie B. Nichols, of Atlantic, and Frank L., living at Griswold.

W. P. Bolton resides upon a farm in section 34, which he purchased of Joseph Everett, and settled upon in 1876. Mr. Bolton was born in Indiana in October, 1804. In 1855 he emigrated from that State, to Jones county, Iowa, where he improved a farm and lived until 1870. In that year he came to Cass county. W. W. Bolton, a son of W. P. Bolton, was born in Fayette county, Indiana, Novem- ber 14, 1840, and came to Iowa with his father in 1855. He enlisted August 6, 1862, in company A, of the Sixth Minne- sota Volunteer Infantry, and served more than three years. For about eighteen months after his enlistment,the regiment served under General Sibley, operating against the Sioux Indians in Minnesota and Dakota. During the time, he partici- pated in several hard fought battles with the Indians. He was at what is known as the battle of Birch Couler, September 7, 1862. In this fight they were surrounded by about eight hundred savages of the Sioux tribe. The command of troops. at this battle consisted of only one hundred and forty-two men, one hundred of whom were killed before reinforcements arrived, and the Indians were repulsed. He was at the battle of Wood Lake on the 22d of the same month, and the battle of Big Hill, July 23, 1863. Two days later, he was in the battle of Buffalo Lake, where he was wounded. The battle of Stone Lake was fought on the 27th of the same month At the close of Sibley's campaign

567

HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.

he was transferred with his regiment to the seat of war, and placed under com- mand of General A. J. Smith, of the Six- teenth Army Corps. He took part in several severe campaigns and battles, in- cluding the siege of Mobile, Spanish Fort · and Fort Blakely. The regiment was afterwards sent to Montgomery, Alabama, and in August, 1865, was returned to St. Paul, and discharged. A brother of the subject of this sketch, E. W. Bolton, was a member of the Twenty-first Iowa Infan- try, and died in the service March 22, 1862.

Benton Green is a son of Thomas Green, one of the pioneers of Jones county, Iowa. Thomas Green was born in Orange county, New York, in 1811, and at the age of six years, removed with his parents to Ohio. From Ohio, the family moved to Warren county, Indiana, where he grew to man- hood, and was married in 1831, to Effie Stingley, who was born in Ohio in 1814. In June, 1840, Mr. Green removed with his family, consisting of a wife and four children, to the State of Iowa, and settled in what is now Rome township, at a place called Walnut Grove. There he pur- chased a claim and improved a farm, upon which he lived about six years, then exchanged it for unimproved land in the same township. In the spring of 1852, he sold this land and bought a partially im- proved farm, where he lived till the spring of 1876. He then came to Cass county and bought property in Atlantic. In 1879 he purchased an improved farm of one hundred and sixty acres, of Judge Lorah, located on section 14, of Pymosa town- ship. Here he resided until his decease, July 28, 1883. Thomas Green enlisted in

1862, in the Twenty-fourth Iowa Volun- teer Infantry, and served ten months, then on account of ill health resigned his commission as first lieutenant, and re- turned home. He was in the siege of Vicksburg, and several preceding battles. He began life poor, but at the time of his decease, was one of the wealthiest men of Cass county. He left, at his death, a widow and thirteen children. The chil- dren are-Polly Ann, born in 1832; Ben- ton, born in 1834; Elizabeth, born in 1836; John H., born in 1840; Rebecca, born in 1843; Sarah J., born in 1845; Martha, born in 1847; Caroline, born in 1849; George W., born in 1852; Armelda, born in 1854; Loraine, born in 1856; Etna A., born in 1857; and Owen L., born in 1861. One daughter, Emily, born in 1838, is dead. The mother now makes her home with her children, three of whom are residents of this county. Benton Green was born in Indiana. In 1861 he enlisted in Jones county, Iowa, in the Ninth Iowa Infantry, company B. He served five and a half months and was then discharged on ac- count of disability. He was married to Louisa Green, daughter of Erving Green, and a native of Ohio. They have three children-Thomas, Grace and Levi. Mr. Green has a fine farm of one hundred and sixty-five acres, located in the best part of Pymosa township.

Albert T. Harris resides on the north half of the northwest quarter of sec- tion 20, Pymosa township, which he pur- chased of L. W. Gaddis in the spring of 1883. This land was entered by William Nesbit in March, 1858. The first im- provements upon it were made by Job E. Card, Jr., who broke a few acres and sold

568

HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.

it to Joseph M. Scott. Mr. Scott sold it to S. T. McFadden, and the latter to Mr. Gaddis. Mr. Scott erected the first build- ings. Mr. Harris, since purchasing the the place, has made some improvements, including the finishing of the house and the building of a barn at a cost of three hundred dollars. The land is all un- der improvement. He has an orchard containing one hundred and thirty trees, one hundred of which were planted by him in 1883. Mr. Harris first came to Cass county in the fall of 1856, but did not locate here permanently until 1860. In 1857 he pre-empted a piece of land in Brighton township, and bought twenty acres on section 27, of Pymosa, land now owned by J. W. Lamb. In 1861 Mr. Harris sold this land and bought a quarter section in Pymosa township, comprising the north half of the southeast quarter, and the south half of the northeast quar- ter of section 18, which he improved and resided upon until he moved to his pres- ent residence. He still owns the above farm. Albert T. Harris was born in Green county Ohio, in September 1835. He removed when a child, to Indiana, with his parents. His home was in that State until he came to Cass county, with the exception of two years, during which he attended' school in Clermont county, Ohio. His father, Benjamin Harris, was born October 29, 1788, and died in In- diana in 1863. His mother, Susan Harris, died in March, 1877, in the eighty-fourth year of her age. They had a large family of children, six of whom have been resi- dents of this county, but only two, Albert T. and James A., are now living here. Charles W. Harris was the first one of

the brothers who came to this township. He is now deceased. His family still live here. The subject of this sketch was married to Maria Butler, daughter of Ed- ward Butler. She was born in Indiana in 1842. Mr. and Mrs. Harris have five children: Edward E., Henry F., Alice L., Mary L. and James A., all of whom were born here except the eldest, who was born in Indiana. Mr. Harris has always been a Republican, politically. Both he and his wife are members of the M. E church of this town. Mr. Harris enlisted in Octo- ber, 1864, in company D, of the Elev- enth Iowa Infantry, and served till the close of the war.

George W. Howard's farm is located on section 12. It was first settled by Joseph Doner, whose widow sold it to Mr. Howard about 1873. The latter came to the county in 1869. Mr. Howard was born in Pike county, Illinois- His parents, Daniel W. and Thankful Howard, removed from the State of New York to Pike county, Illi- nois. When George was about eighteen months old they removed to Rock Island county, of the same State, where he grew to manhood, and resided until he came to this county. He is a brother of William W. Howard, deceased. George W. How- ard was married to Parmelia Snider, a na- tive of Pennsylvania, and by this union there are two children : Mary E. and Amanda M., both of whom were born in Pymosa township. Mr. Howard's farm contains four hundred and seventy acres of valuable land.

Jonathan Du Bois lives on section 35, where he purchased a farm of one hun- dred and sixty acres in 1867. He now owns eighty-five acres. He was the first

Lung D'Hondnoky

571

HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.

occupant of his farm. He was born in Ulster county, New York, in 1816, and lived there until thirty-five years of age. He was there married to Anna E. Dicker- son, a native of that State. Mr. Du Bois removed with his family to Virginia, where they lived about five years, thence to Illinois. They improved a farm in Stark county, and remained in that State until they came to Cass county, in 1867. He began making improvements on his land the same year, breaking about sixty acres, and building his present residence. Mr. and Mrs. Du Bois have six children- Mathusalem, William H., Alice M., Cath- erine J., Jonathan C. and Thomas C. The children were all born before the family removed to this county. Mr. Du Bois is a Democrat politically. He is a descend- ant of Louis Du Bois, who emigrated from France to New York in 1760.

John Brewster resides on section 35 of Pymosa township. He owns a farm of one hundred and eighty acres, forty acres of which is on section 36, and the remain- der on section 35. He settled thereon in the spring of 1868, purchasing the land of A. C. Thorp. It was entirely unim- proved. Mr. Brewster broke about thirty- five acres during the season of 1868, and built his house the following year. He was born in Geauga county, Ohio, in June, 1840, and there spent his early life. His parents were Jesse and Anna Brewster, natives of the State of New York. His mother died when he was four years old, and his father in 1863. In August, 1861, Mr. Brewster enlisted in the Second Ohio Cavalry, and re-enlisted in January, 1863, serving altogether four years and one month, nearly the entire period of the

war. The first year he was on the Kansas frontier. In 1863 he served in Kentucky and Tennessee, and in 1864 was with the Army of the Potomac. He was under command of General Sheridan during the last year of the war. He participated in the battle at Cedar Creek, where Sheridan saved the day after Early had broken the ranks of the Union army, and witnessed the surrender of General Lee at Appa- mattox. He was twice slightly wounded. After the war he returned to Ohio, re- maining there until he came to Cass county. He was married to Clara A. Brooks, who was born in Van Buren county, Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Brewster have five children-Jessie, Mary, Maud, Paul and Bradley. They lost an infant daughter, Stella, in 1871.

Stephen Nichols was born in Lorain county, Ohio, June 12, 1843. He was reared upon a farm, and for ten years was engaged in getting out timber in the wooded regions of Lorain county. In April, 1866, he came to Iowa, and stopped at Cedar Rapids until September of the same year. In 1867 he raised a crop of grain on the site of the present city of Atlantic. He bought his present farm in 1868, of Jeremiah Sample. It is located on sections 35 and 36 of Pymosa town- ship, and contains one hundred and forty acres in all. It was unimproved at the time of his purchase. He settled on this place in April, 1868, making his first im- provements in that year. He drew the lumber for his first house, which is a part of his present residence, from Council Bluffs. His farm is now all under im- provement. Mr. Nichols was married in Marion, Linn county, Iowa, to Flora C.

572

HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.

Codding, a native of Ohio. They have two sons and two daughters-Burt, Flor- ence, Roy and an infant daughter.

Smith Stevens was born in Litchfield county, Connecticut, in 1820. His father was born in the same county in 1792. Mt. Stevens was brought up on a farm in his native State, but was engaged in mer- cantile trade for many years. He came west to Iowa in 1855, and settled on a farm, where he lived until 1882, at which time he came to Pymosa township, and settled where he now resides, on section 17. His wife was formerly Eliza Day, and was born in Litchfield county, Con- necticut, in 1824. They have three chil- dren-Frank, living in this township; Ella, wife of Israel Painter; and Belle, wife of Michael Spelltich, of Scott county.

John Moeller, who resides on section 9, purchased his farm of Nelson Anderson, in February, 1884. He was born in 1842, in Germany, and came to the United States with his parents in 1852. His father, Fred. Moeller, settled in that year in Scott county, Iowa. Fred. Moeller was a carpenter by trade, and huilt the first brewery in the city of Davenport. He afterwards settled on a farm in that county, where he remained till 1872, when he moved to Atlantic, Cass county. He now keeps a grocery and shoe store in the city of Atlantic. A brother of John Moeller keeps the Commercial House in Atlantic. The subject of this sketch came to this county in 1870, and bought a farm near the town of Griswold. He run a meat market in Atlantic six years. He was married to Lizzie Binger, a native of

Germany, and they have four children- Fred F., Henry, John and Emma.

Thomas G. Smith, a respected citizen of Pymosa township, settled upon his present farm, in section 6, in 1876. He purchased his land, which was then unim- proved, of P. Gaston. He has one hun- dred and forty acres, all of which is im- proved and fenced. He has an orchard of one hundred trees. Mr. Smith was born in Butler county, Ohio, in 1831. At the age of ten years he went to Indiana, in which State he resided until he came to Cass county, in 1876. He was married in March, 1872, to Addie Franklin, a native of Indiana. They have four children, two sons and two daughters-Robbie,Shel- don, Mabel and Herbert. Mr. Smith is politically a Republican.

Thomas V. Kinsey, the present teacher in district No. 1, of Pymosa township, is a son of Thomas J. and Catharine (Vaughn) Kinsey. He was born in South Wales, in- 1843, and came to the United States with his parents, who settled in Illyria town ship, Fayette county, Iowa. Thomas V. Kinsey came to Cass county about 1870, and purchased a farm in section 20, of Pymosa township. He purchased his present farm in 1880, of Clarkson Broth- ers. It is located on section 8, of the same township. The first improvements upon this land were made by Absalom Lynch. Mr. Kinsey was married to Stella Hopley, a daughter of John Hopley of Atlantic township. They have one son-Harry V., born September 10, 1878. Mr. Kinsey is a teacher by profession, in which he is very successful. He has taught seventeen terms. His parents, after coming to lowa, lived in Illyria township, Fayette county,

573

HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.

until their death. They had a family of eight children, four of whom are now liv- ing. Mrs. Mary Ann Stevens, living in Fayette county, Mrs. Jane White, living in Valley county, Nebraska, William, in Fayette county. and Thomas V.

Richard Barry resides on the southeast quarter of section 16, where he settled February 5, 1873. He purchased his farm of Mrs. Mary A. Terry. It consisted of one hundred acres of unimproved land. This he has converted into his present highly improved and beautiful farm. His house which stands near the center of the farm, was erected in 1881 at a cost of thirteen hundred dollars. His barn was built the following year and cost four hundred dollars. Mr. Barry is one of the successful farmers and stock raisers of Cass county. He was born in Scott county, Iowa, July 5, 1838. His father, David Barry, was a native of Scotland and one of the pioneers of Scott county. He set- tled on a farm in that county on which he resided until his death. Richard wa- reared a farmer but since the age of twenty-one years, has been generally en- gaged in the stock business. He was mar- ried to Harriet Winfield, a daughter of Edward Winfield, and a native of Scott county, born September 22, 1838. Her father was one of the pioneers of Scott county, where he died in 1881. Her mother died the following year. Mr. and Mrs. Barry have three children-Nancy, born in Scott county, Freddie, born in Cedar county, and Fanny, born in Cass county.

Frank C. Goodale. of Pymosa township, is a son of Thomas Jefferson Goodale, one of the pioneers of Cass county. The lat-

ter came here July 17, 1853. He entered during that year, land in section 6, of Benton township, and from that time until 1856, entered a large amount of land, com- prising not less than fifteen hundred acres in the townships of Benton and Py- mosa. In addition to this he entered a large tracts of land for other parties, both in Cass and Audubon counties. The home- stead on which he settled and resided till his death, was on the northwest quarter of the southwest quarter of section 6, of Benton township. He owned at one time the whole of that section. Thomas Jeffer- son Goodale was born in Connecticut, in 1802, but was reared upon a farm in Ver- mont. When a young man he went to Ohio, where he was married to Almira Pattee, his present widow. She was born in Canada but went to New York when quite young, thence to Ohio. Several years after his marriage; Mr. Goodale re- moved to Allen county, Indiana, where le improved a farm of timbered land, and ived for eighteen years, or until the sum- mer of 1853. Ile was prominent among the pioneers of this region and perhaps the name of no old settler is more inti- mately connected with the history of Cass county, than that of Jefferson Goodale. His death occurred at the homestead in Benton township, October 2, 1882. He lacked only a few weeks of reaching the advanced age of eighty years. His wid- ow still lives at the homestead. Mr. and Mrs. Goodale had a family of eleven children, of whom seven are now living -Almon, in Nebraska; Mrs. Mary A. Iloyt, in Colorado, Mrs. Elizabethi B. Ev- erett, also in Colorado; Mrs. Harriet M. Campbell, in Pymosa; Mrs. Hannah A.

574

HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.

Johnson, in Atlantic; Frank C. and Mrs. Sarah J. Case, of Atlantic. Frank C. Goodale was born in Indiana in 1842. He came here with his father in 1853, being then eleven years old, just the proper age to retain a vivid recollection of the pio- neer times of Cass county. He was mar- ried to Isabel Tatlow, daughter of Thomas W. Tatlow, an early settler in Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Frank C. Goodale have six children-William E, Dora, George W., Ira B., Mabel and Beecher. Mr. Good- ale resides on the south half of the north- east quarter of section 11, which was in- cluded in the entries made by his father.

John Desmond is a native of Henry county, Illinois, born in 1845. He re- moved to Rock Island county in the same State, and then to Linn county, Iowa. He came here from the latter place in 1874. In May of that year he purchased a farm of eighty acres in section 34. This he improved and lived upon until 1883. He then bought of F. H. Whitney, adjoining land in the same section to which he re- moved. He now has one hundred acres of land, all of which has been improved by himself, and is a valuable and highly desirable place. Mr."Desmond was mar- ried to Ellen Dugan, a native of Illinois. They have six children-William, Mary, John, Margaret, Catharine and Francis. .

M. F. Desmond settled in the spring of 1878, on the east half of the northwest quarter of section 35. He purchased this farm of John B. Strator, who made the improvements upon it. Mr. Desmond was born in McHenry county, Illinois, in 1846. He was there reared to the occu- pation of farming. He removed to Rock Island county with his father, Cornelius

Desmond, about 1862. The latter, in the fall of the following year, returned to McHenry county where he resided until his decease in 1869. M. F. Desmond went to Chicago in 1873 and for three years was a member of the police force of that city. He then came to Cass county. Mr. Desmond was married to Mary Calahan, daughter of Bartholomew Calahan. John Desmond, a brother of M. F. Desmond, resides in Pymosa town- ship, where he owns a farm of eighty acres.

EDUCATIONAL.

The first school taught within the boundaries of the territory which Pymosa now comprises, was during the summer of 1856, at the dwelling of S. L. Lorah, on section 14, by Tamar E. Lorah, a daughter of the Judge. She now resides in DesMoines and is the wife of P. D. Ankeny, clerk of court. The house in which this term of school was taught is now owned by the heirs of Thomas Greene, and occupied by N. P. Harris.

School district No. 1 includes the ter- ritory of sections 1, 2, 11 and 12. In the fall of 1864 the first school house was erected in this district at a cost of about $300, and was 18x24 in dimensions. This building was used until 1875 when the present house was erected on the north- west quarter of section 12 at a cost of about $700. F. E. Crawford was the pio- neer teacher in this building. J. H. Lep- per is the present director of the district.

District No. 2 .- The building for this district was erected in the fall of 1872, at a cost of $550. It is situated on the northwest corner of section 10. Rosa

575

HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.

Lewis was the first teacher. G. C. Camp- bell is the present sub-director.

District No. 3 .- The first school house built in this district was erected in the fall of 1864 on the southeast quarter of section 7. The first teacher in this build- ing was Melinda Norton. The present school building was erected in 1875, at a cost of $700. It is located on the south- east corner of section 6. Horace Lynch was the first teacher in this building. The present teacher is Miss Benton, and the sub-director is Ulysses Joyce.

District No. 4 .- The school house of this district is situated on the southeast corner of section 18, in 1872."Prior to this, school was taught in a log cabin on sec- tion 19, by Emma J. Harris, now the wife of H. C. Herbert, of Audubon. The pre- sent school building cost $550. Horace Lynch was the first teacher in this build- ing, and Julia Grant is the present teach- erl T. W. Gaddis is the sub-director.

District No. 5 .- The first school in this district was taught in the summer of 1860, by Sarah Rush at the dwelling of James Brinkerhoff. The first school building in the district was crected in 1864, and Miss Emeline Lorah was the first to teach within its walls. This building was used for school purposes until 1875, when the present structure was erected, on the southeast corner of section 16, at a cost of about $700. The first teacher in this building was W. H. Miles. The present sub-director is J. S. Andrews.

District No. 6 .- The school house in this district was built in the fall of 1872, in the center of the southwest quarter of section 13. Its cost was $550. Jesse Harris was the first teacher. H. M.

Bourne is the present sub-director of this district.

District No. 7 .- The building for edu- cational purposes in this district was erected in 1872, at a cost of $735. The size of this building is 22x30 feet; it is located on the northeast corner of section 35. Mrs. S. E. Smith was the first teach- er in this building, and B. B. Campbell is the sub-director.

District No. 8 .- The first school in what is now this district was taught in 1863, in a log cabin on section 27, by John Ging- ery. A school house was built on section 34, in the fall of 1868, which was used un- til the present building was erected, in 1879. It is located in the center of the northwest quarter of section 34. The cost of the edifice was $500, Mary Fox was the first teacher in this building, and Irene Marifield, of Madison county, is the present teacher. The sub-director is W. S. Everett.

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