USA > Iowa > Chickasaw County > History of Chickasaw and Howard Counties, Iowa > Part 43
USA > Iowa > Howard County > History of Chickasaw and Howard Counties, Iowa > Part 43
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47
John Steinman, farmer, P. O. Cresco, is a native of Ohio, and was born in 1840, he is the second son, of Adam and Rebecca Steinman, who, in his childhood, moved to 'Ill., and after a res- idence there of seven years, went to Winnesheik county, Iowa where he remained until 1872, then came to Howard county. Mr. S. owns 240 acres of land in section 9, valued at $35 per acre. He has filled the offices of town clerk and secretary of school board, and has been indentified with the Howard county, agricultural society, for several years, having been secretary three terms. He
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was married in 1874 to Mary James, and has three children, Elsie M., Leah H. and Jessie.
J. G. Upton, farmer, section 5, 13 & 24, P. O. Cresco; owns 400- acres of land, valued at $50 per acre, was born in Hillsborough county, New Hampshire, in 1814, is the second son of John and Phoebe Upton. When five years old his parents removed to Ver- mont; when thirty-five years of age he left Vermont, and went to Chicago, Ill. After a residence of some years there, he removed to Alamakee county, Iowa, where he remained until 1855. He then moved to Howard county, Iowa, and has resided there since. He was married in 1850, to Miss Sarah A. Miles, a native of Maine, and has six children, Emma B., James H., Ada M., Clark C., Alena: and Abe L.
John I. Sturgis, dealer in groceries and provisions, was born in Rochester, N. Y., in 1816, is a son of John and Susan Sturgis, both natives of New York; in '36 he went to New York city, and learn- ed the trade of type founder and machinest, where he remained until 1855, when he removed to Iowa, locating in this. county, in 1856. His occupation has been farming, and for a number of years a dealer in hardware, at New Oregon; in 1882 he came to Cresco and engaged in business, as above. His wife was Eliza Hope, of Pittsburg, Penn.
E. I. Barker, dealer in hardware, stoves, and tinware, was born in Richmond, Wayne, county, Indiana, in 1836; he is a son of Jeremiah and Jane Barker. In 1857 he came to Howard county, and located one and a half miles east of where Cresco now stands.
In 1862 he enlisted in Co. D, 38th Ia. Inft, and served two years, being discharged as secund lieutenant, He continued farm- ing until 1869, when he established his present business. He was married to Jane Brow a native of Ills. they have six children, Mal'nda J .¿ Ulysses S., George S., Josephene, Kate Eleanor and Philip S.
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Charles Byrnes, farmer, P. O. Cresco; owns 120 acres of land in section 32 and 35. Mr. B. was born in Ireland, in 1835, and is the son of John F. and Ann Byrnes. In 1849 he immigrated to the United States, with his parents, and settled first in New York, remaining three years, then moved to Dodge county, Wis., where he lived twenty eight years; then came to Iowa, settling first in Buchanan county, then to, Howard county. He was married in 1857, to Miss Ann Madden, also a native of Ireland, and has eight children, Julia, John, Mary T., Margaret E., Lucy A., Chas. E . Liz- zie and Anna, all of whom are now living.
John G. Stradley, real estate, loan and insurance agent, ( stab -- lished business in 1873.
Joseph Richards, retired farmer, P. O. Cresco; born in Pa., inA 1818, and is the tenth son of Martin and Catherine M. Ricl ards. In 1854 he moved to Minnesota remaining eight years, then came to Howard county. He was married in 1846, to Miss Rebecca. J. McBride, a native of Pa. Their children are Wm. L., Thomas B., Catherine M. and Mary J. He served during the late war, in the sixth Ia. cavalry, serving one year and eight months under Col. Wil- son; he received honorable discharge, on account of wounds re- ceived at the battle of Stone river, in Sept., 1863.
W. H. Roche, blacksmith, P. O. Cresco; was born in 1847, in Ireland; his parents came to America, in his infancy, and settled. at Aurora, Ill .; he remained there, until 1856, when he canse to. Howard county. He was married in 1871, to Margaret Brady; the children are Wm. W., Katie E., Charles J., Mary E. and Maggie A. Mr. R. owns eighty acres of land, valued at $20 per acre, and has filled the offices of town clerk, assessor and councilman.
A. Rivers, farmer, P. O. Cresco; was born in Canada, in 1820, and is the fifth son of Edward and Mary Rivers; when seventeen years of age he went to N. Y., remaining one and one-half years, then spent a few months in Pa., and went to Wis., where he re- mained until 1858. He then came west, and located in Howard county; where he now owns, 315 acres of land, valued at $30, per
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acre. He has filled many offices in the township. He was mar- : ried in 1845, to Agnes Stenhouse; their children are Mary E., William T., Edward, Alac and Lincoln.
Wm. Rumsey, farmer, P. O. Cresco; born in 1812, in the state " of N. Y., and is the third son of David and Lydia Rumsey. He remained in N. Y., about twenty-four years, then lived in Ill. four years, and in Wis. twenty-three years, then spent one year, in Ill., and came to Howard county, Ia., in 1854; he only remained four years, then spent six years in Wis., and returned to this county, · and state. He owns 320 acres in sec. 24 and 25. He has filled the · offices of prosecuting attorney, and justice of the peace. He was married in 1856, to Miss Francis A. Dunn, their children are Lydia M., Wm., James, Kate and Roberta E. Mr. Rumsey, also : owns sixty acres of land in Orleans township, Winnesheik county, Iowa.
Joseph Archer, farmer, P. O. Cresco; owns eighty acres, in sec- tion 16, valued at $60, per acre. Was born in N. Y. in 1832, and is the third son of John and Sarah Archer. He came west in 1866, and after a residence of seven years in Lime Springs, he moved to Vernon Springs township. He enlisted in 1861, in the fourteenth N. Y. infantry under Col. McQuade, and participated in the first 7 battle of Bull Run. He was married in 1857, to Miss Mary 1 Edsall, a native of N. Y., by whom he has two children, Edward . A. and Frederick W.
Hor ce Bishop, a retired farmer, and resident of Cresco, was born in 1831, in the state of N. Y., and is the eldest son of Wm. and Almira Bishop. His parents moved to Indiana where he was five years of age. In 1850 he went to California and Australia, remaining five years, then returned to Indiana, when he remained fifteen years; he then came to this county and state. He now .owns a farm of 160 acres in section 18, in Vernon Springs township, " valued at $20 per acre. Mr. B. has filled the office of justice of the
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peace several years. He was married in 1855, to Miss Mary M. Stover, a native of La Porte, Ind., and their children are, Hattie M., Orpha M., Nellie and Albert V.
Wm. Brierley, farmer, P. O. Cresco; owns 160 acres in section 29, valued at $30 per acre; born in England, 1825. He came to the U. S., when twenty-two years of age, and lived twenty-one years in Philadelphia. In 1870, he came to Iowa, and located, where he now resides. He was married in 1851, to Miss Ann Bates, and their children are, Elizabeth, Martha, Mary, Willie, Ben, Jennie, and John.
C. L. Bents, farmer, P. O. Cresco; owns 240 acres in sec. 12, valued at $30, per acre; born in the state of Ohio, in 1847, and is the- eldest son, of Henry and Amanda Bents, his parents moved in his. infancy to Indiana, and soon after to Iowa, locating in Howard county. Mr. B. has been in the employ of the American, and. other sewing machine Co's. for five years as traveling salesman. He was married in 1882 to Miss Hattie Goodrich, of Fayette county, Iowa.
James Barnes, farmer, P. O. Cresco; is a native of Ireland, and was born in the year 1820, he is the second son of James and Margaret Barnes; they came to America, when Jas. was ten years of age, settled first in Canada, and lived part of the time in N. Y., previous to coming west in 1856, they then located, where he now resides, and owns eighty acres of land, valued at $25 per acre. Married in 1839, to Miss Mary O'Connor, they have five children, Sylvester, Margaret, Michael, James, Daniel, Jerry and Mary Jane.
Hon. Frank Sayre, ex-mayor, and attorney at law, was born in Peoria, Ill., in 1853; is a son of Perry, O., and. Annie Sayre; his father died when he was in infancy, and his mother soon after came to Iowa, and located at Johnsontown, Jones county. In 1860, the subject of this sketch, went to St. Louis, and remained until 1866, when he returned to Jones county, and grew to man-
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hood; he graduated in the law department of the State University, in the class of '75; and in the same year came to Cresco, and en- gaged in practice. Was married to Ollie Rafferty in 1875; they have one child.
John Mc Cook, of the law firm of McCartie & McCook, attorneys at law, Cresco; was born in Burks county, Penn., in 1855, is a son of Thomas, and Euphema McCook. When he was two years of age his parents removed to this county, where they have since re- sided. The subject of this sketch was raised on a farm, and re- ceived his education at the common schools, and the Decorah institute. He read law with Mr. McCartie, and was admitted to practice, in April, 1881, and has been a member of the firm of Mc- Cartie & McCook, since February, 1882.
John Farnsworth, banker; was born, in Muscatine, Ia., in 1839, a is son of Azel and Ann Farnsworth, of Vermont. He remained . in Muscatine, until the breaking out of the rebellion, when he entered the pay master's department, which position he filled for three and one-half years. He married Mary C. Mason, a native of Indiana, and they have five children, Emma, Edwin P., Clinton E., Mary and Asa A. In 1869, Mr. F. came to Cresco, and en- gaged in the banking business, which he still continues.
Thompson & Johnson Bros., dealers in general merchandise, which business was established in 1876. R. Thompson, senior member of the above firm, is a native of Norway, born in 1852, and came to America, in 1871. He first located on a farm in Hesper town- ship, Winnesheik county. Then came to Cresco, and was em- ployed ås clerk, until he established his present business. He married Mary Ulrickson, a native of Winnesheik county, Ia., and has three daughters.
- A. Norton, of the firm of Norton Bros., liverymen, established business in 1873, at Cresco; was born in Courtland county, New York, in 1840, and is the son of S. G. and Margaret Norton, who in 1853, came west, locating in White Water, Wis. He came to Howard county, in 1865, and engaged in farming, and in 1873,
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went into his present business. He was married to Lura Dow, a native of the state of New York, and their children are-Alva and Alta.
C. J. Webber, druggist, Cresco, Ia .; was born in Germany, in 1851, and came to America, in 1867; he first located in Chicago, where he remained until 1874, when he came to Cresco, and en- gaged in business as above. He married Carrie J. Tuttle a native of Sweeden, and their children are, J. T. and Parepa.
Lawson T. Woodcock, agent for the C., M. and St. P. R. R. at Cresco, Ia .; was born in Worcester county, Mass., in 1825, and is the son of Tisdale and Patty Baker Woodcock. He lived in that county until 1853, aud was in business in Waterville, Mass., about one year. He then came to Iowa, locating at Waukon. In 1866, he moved to Cresco, and took charge of the railroad office. He married Francis Maria . Tuel, a native of Westmoreland county, N. H.
R. J. McHugh, dealer in agricultural implements; business estab- lished, 1880; was born at Lindsay, Ont., in 1852, and is the son of Patrick and Ann McHugh, natives of Ireland. He left Canada in 1870, and located in Omaha, remaining one year, then returned to Canada. In 1878, he agai i left Canada, and traveled two years, in Oregon. In 1880, he located here and established business. He was married in December, 1880, to Agnes Kirby. of Lawler, and they have one child, Mary E.
J. J. Clemmer, M. D., Druggist, Cresco, Ia .; was born in Fay-, ette county, Penn., in 1834, and the son of Jasper and Delilah, Clemmer, who in 1850 removed to Green county, Wis., where he remained until 1856; in which year he came to this county, and state. He graduated in the class of '56, from the eclectic medical institute of Cincinnati, Ohio, and commenced the practice of med- icine in the same year, he etablished the first drug store in the county, at New Oergon, in 1860. He removed his stock to Cresco, in 1866, when the town was first located on the railroad.
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J. G. Doan, dealer in hardware, etc., business established in 1870; was born in Canada in 1829, and is the, son of Mathew and Magdaline Doan. They came to the United States, when he was two years old, and settled in Cass county, Mich., where he grew to manhood. He lived in Wis., a short time, and then came to Iowa, locating first in Fayette county. In 1870, he came to Cresco, and established business. He married Mary A. Blakesley, and their children, are, Walter E., Harriet M., Fred M. and Frank M.
Geo. Morse, dealer in agricultural implements, established busi- ness in '77. He was born in Steuben Co., N. Y., in 1817, and is the son of Charles and Sophia Morse. His parents moved, in his in- faney, to Connecticut, where he grew to manhood. In 1843, he went to Syracuse, N. Y., remaining one year, then to Cass county, Mich .; he came to Howard county, Ia., in 1856, and settled on a farm in Oregen township, remaining sixteen years. In 1872 he came to Cresco, and has been in various business enterprises, prev- ious to establishing his present business. He married Miss Dewanner Clowes; their children are Franklin, Horace G., George A. and Dewanner E.
A. A. Eddy, physican and surgeon, Cresco, Ia .; born in Ver- mont, in 1843, and is the son of J. H. and Celecta Eddy, who, when he was eleven years old, came to Iowa, and settled in Free- mont township, Winnesheik county, where he received a common. school education. He entered the Chicago medical college, and graduated with the class of '80, and immediately commenced the. practice of medicines. He married Euzetta Town, a native of Ohio; their children are S. J., W. E. and W. G.
John McNamara, retired; was born in Ballycorry, one mile from Enis, county, Clare Ireland, in March, 1814. He is the tenth son of Thomas and Mary McNarmara. He immigrated to America, when twenty-five years old, and settled in Washington connty, N. Y .; lived there four years, then removed to Saratoga county
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N. Y., and engaged in the blacksmith business. He
there six years, then went to New York city and engaged with the sixth avenue railroad company, and remained with them ten years; from there; he removevd to Philadelphia, Pa .; from there to Cincinnatti, Ohio. In '64, removed to Illinois, and lived there one year and eight months. For eight months he acted as de- livery clerk in a lumber yard; also worked in the north side roll- ing mills, for five months, In '67, moved to Decorah, Ia., and after a residence of five months, remvoved to Howard county, and has lived there ever since. He was married in '44, to Miss Mary Cullen, a native of Ireland; has had five children-Mary A., who is now Sister Mary Rose, in a convent, in Pennsylvania; Thos. P., a resident of New York; Eliza J., Susan J. and Sarah; the latter three deceased. He enlisted in '61, as a private, in the twenty- ninth Pennsylvania volunteer infantry under Col. J. K. Murphy; first saw service in the battle of Balls Bluff, also participated in the battles of Antietom, Fredericksburg, Chancelorsville and Gettysbairgh; was then transferred to the army of the Cumber- land, and participated in the battles of Lookout Mountain, Mis- sion Ridge, Pea Ridge and Taylors Ridge. He afterwards ac- companied Sherman in his memorable march to the sea, and was honorably discharged at Chattanooga, Tenn. Mr. Mc- Namara left New York and went to Philadelphia, to enlist, leaving a salary of $1,500 a year.
S. M. Willman, farmer, P. O. Cresco; was born in '19, at Litch- field, Conn., and is the second son of Joseph and Deborah Wild- man. His parents moved to Genesee county, N. Y., when he was four years old, and lived there twenty-two years; moved to Rock. county, Wis. After a residence of twenty-seven years in that state, he removed to Howard county, Ia., where he owns 100 acres of land in the above township, valued at $50 per acre. Mr. W. has been a member of the county board of supervisors; he has also held other offices in the township and county. He was mar-
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ried in '48, to Miss Adeline Wheeler, of N. Y. Their children are, Egbert B., Albert M., Wilber A., Clara and Fred. 1
John B. Stevens, farmer, P. O. Cresco; was born in Belgium in 1822, and in '59 he came to the United States. After a residence of thirteen years in Wis., he went to St. Louis, Mo., and then to New Orleans, La., afterwards returning to Milwaukee, Wis., and finaly to Howard county, Ia., in '58. He was married in the fol- lowing year, to Miss Mary Price; their children, are, Adolph, Al- bert, William, Theodore, John, Frank, Sophia and Ada. Mr. Stevens owns eighty acres of land in section 3, valued at $25 per acre.
Ransom White, farmer, P. O. Cresco, born in Franklin county, N. Y., in 1854, and is the fifth son of Alexis and Emily White. His parents moved in his infancy to Fayette county Ia., and after residing there one year, they moved to Lime Springs in this county, remaining four years, then to Vernon Springs township, where he now resides, and owns 160 acres of land in sections 18 and 19, valued at $20 per acre. He was married in '79, to Miss Alice Eldridge, they have one child-Edna.
J. Salisbury, Miller, P. O. Cresco; operates and is part owner of the Vernon Springs flouring mills, was born in Vermont, in 1816, is the sixth son of Reuben and Mariam Salisbury. When he was six years old, his parents left Vermont, and moved to Oswego county, N. Y., he lived there, and in Jefferson county in the same state, until 1857, then went to Dubuque, Ia., and lived there and in Deleware counties until '71, when he came to Howard county, and purchased the above named mills of J. I. Case, of Racine, Wis. Mr. Salisbury was married in '39, to Miss Margaret Ding- man, a native of New York; has five children, Adeline, Henry C., Dewitt L., Imogene and Fred. He enlisted at Dubuque, in '64, in the forty-sixth Iowa infantry, Col. Henderson commanding, and was stationed at Collinsville; was discharged September, '64.
Lathrop E. Smith, editor, Cresco; born in 1837, in Upper Can ada; moved with his parents, to Beloit, Wis., in '46. Learned the
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printer's trade and a attended the public schools and college, at Beloit; was married in 1863, to Minerva Noble, of that place. Since his school days, excepting about four years spent on a farm, for health, he has been continually in the newspaper business. While in college he was one of the editors of the College Monthly. He stepped from that to an editorial and proprietary interest in the Beloit Journal, the office in which he learned his trade. Dur- in the war at the solicitation of members of the Union League, he established the Standard, a radical republican paper, in the strongly democratic town of Burlington, Wis. Mr. Smith moved to Cresco, Iowa, in April, '73, since which time he has been sole editor and proprietor of the Howard County Times. Mr. Smith was one of early republicans, and all of his papers have been exponents of the party, liberal and progressive. He has always taken especial interest in educational matters, and is now serving his fourth term as president of the Cresco school board. He is actively identified with temperance and other reformatory works; and has pros- pered in all his business enterprises.
W. R. Mead, editor, Cresco. The subject of thissketch was born in the town of Mayfield, Montgomery county, N. Y., July 22, 1824. When eight years of age, he removed to Chautauqua county, N. Y., with his parents, residing there until the fall of '53. At the time of their settlement in Chautauqua county, it was nearly one unbroken wilderness, without roads, inhabitants or school houses, and at no time, during the minority of the subject of this sketch, did he reside nearer than within three miles of a public school. These years, were nearly all spent upon the farm of his father in the town of Busti, now owned and occupied by two of his brothers. All his early opportunities for an education were ob- tained from the instruction of his father, and from access to a neighboring library, of choice selected works. At the age or seven- teen years, he began the duties of a pedagougue, in a district school, in Warren county, Penn. In this role, several years suc- ceeding were occupied, with intervals each fall at the village acad-
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emy, in Jamestown. The period occupied in teaching, much of which was in one particular school, his evenings were occupied in reading law, and in conducting the editorial columns of the north- ern citizen, a newspaper conducted in the interest of Hon. Reuben E. Fenton, before he had that prefix, and which vocation he con- tinued until after the democrats had elected Mr. Fenton to con- gress, in 1852. At about this time he was admitted as an attorney and counselor at law. In 1853 he removed to Beloit, Wis., and in 1854, to Dubuque, Iowa, where, until the fall of 1857, he was a writer on the Daily North West. In November of that year he changed his residence to Howard county, locating at New Oregon, and engaging in the practice of law. At about this time he was admitted to practice in the supreme court of the state. In 1859, in company with his brother, F. J. Mead, he became a proprietor in, and editor of, the Iowa Plain Dealer, at New Oregon, removing to Cresco with his business in 1867, and still continuing as editor and joint proprieter in the Plain Dealer. In 1872 he sold out his law business and library, confining his time, and attention, solely to the newspaper business. He has never held any public office; never sought one, and has uniformly declined proffers of personal and political friends in that direction.
Hon. John McHugh, the subject of this sketch is the eldest son of P. McHugh and Anna Walker. He was born near Lindsay, Ontario-then Upper Canada-December 23, 1842. He was born on the farm upon which his mother grew to womanhood, and in the same neighborhood where his father spent his boyhood days. In early life, Mr. McHugh, shared all the toil and hardships in- cidental to farm life, and was equally at home at the handles of the plow, swinging an axe, grain cradle, or tending stock. In July, 1863, he married Miss Margaret Falvey, and the November following he left the farm, to accept the position of governor of the county gaol, obtained through the influence of his father, who was then warden of the county. In 1866 he was smitten with the western fever, and resigned his position, to come west. In June, 1867,
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having rented his farm property, which he still owns, he bade good-bye to Canada, and started for Dubuque, where he remained a few months, an not finding a position to suit him, he moved up to McGregor, and soon after entered the employ of W. & J. Flemming, of lumber fame. He spent one year as foreman of their extensive yard, when the firm, recognizing his value, sent him to take charge of their interests at Lawler. in the adjoining county of Chickasaw. This was in the spring of 1870, and during the next five years Mr. McHugh filled the various offices of town- ship trustee, school director, recorder, and mayor. In the fall of 1875 the republican party of Chickasaw county, anxious to redeem the legislative wing of their ticket from the democrats, who had controlled it for the two preceeding terms, nominated Mr. McHugh, who was elected by over 400 majority, notwithstanding the rest of the republican ticket was defeated by an average majority of about 400. The same fall he started the bank of Lawler, in company with D. R. Kerby, who still conducts it. In November, 1877, he opened the Howard county bank, at Cresco, which he still con- tinues to operate. He is also the proprietor of the celebrated Kendallville roller mills, where he keeps a herd of short horn cattle, that have a reputation among stock men throughout north- eastern Iowa. He is an enthusiastic stock man, and is credited with knowing much more about the business than men in his business usually do. In religion Mr. McHugh is a strict Roman Cathotic, though exceedingly liberal toward other denominations, as might be expected from a gentleman of culture and reading. In temperance he is a most exemplary follower of Father Mathew, and believes in the "taste not, touch not, handle not" doctrine, of the world renowned apostle, yet Mr. McHugh is not a "legal" temperance man, and took decided grounds against the constitu- tional amendment. In politics he is a firm believer in republican principles, and has voted with the party since he cast his first ballot. He is not so partizan a politician, however, as to close his
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