USA > Iowa > Howard County > History of Chickasaw and Howard counties, Iowa, Volume II > Part 22
USA > Iowa > Chickasaw County > History of Chickasaw and Howard counties, Iowa, Volume II > Part 22
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In Davenport, Iowa, Mr. McArthur was married in 1861 to Miss Missouri Jane Moore and to them were born four children: Ann Elizabeth, Milton H., James and John. The wife and mother passed away and in 1899 Mr. McArthur was married to Miss Ada C. Brown, of Cresco.
Politically Mr. McArthur is a republican and is the present town clerk of Cresco, a position which he has most capably and ably filled for the past five years. He belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church and his life has ever been guided by high and honor- able principles, making him a man whom to know is to esteem and honor. His course has ever measured up to high standards and his splendid qualities are attested in the strong friendships which are his.
JOSEPH JINDERLEE.
Joseph Jinderlee is numbered among those men who have made Howard county a great agricultural center. He follows farming on section 21, Howard township, and still gives his personal attention to the development and improvement of his land. As the years have passed he has added to his holdings until his possessions now comprise six hundred acres. Mr. Jinderlee is a native of Bohemia. He was born March 13, 1842, of the marriage of Martin and Anna Jinderlee, who spent their entire lives in Bohemia.
In the public schools the son acquired his education and in 1866, in order to evade the Prussian-Austrian war, he fled the land of his birth and came to the United States, first making his way to La Crosse, Wisconsin, where he obtained work on a steamboat plying between St. Louis and Minneapolis. He spent five or six years on the river, working in that way during the fall seasons, while in the spring and summer months he was employed in a brickyard in La Crosse. The winter months were passed in the lumber camps and thus his life was one of industry and ceaseless toil. When he first went to Minneapolis he could have purchased an entire block of ground on what is today the main business thoroughfare of that city for fifty dollars and the most farsighted could scarcely have dreamed of the rapid strides which would be made in the develop- ment of the west.
In 1871 Mr. Jinderlee came to Iowa in search of land as an investment. He traveled over the Milwaukee Railroad westward to its terminus at Algona, but not liking the country there, he returned east to Charles City and bought land in Floyd county, ten miles southwest of Charles City. He then began the development and improvement of that place and farmed thereon for a period of twenty-eight years. In 1899 he disposed
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of his lands in Floyd county and removed to Howard county, where ten years before he had purchased two hundred and forty acres of his present holdings. Since then he has added to his possessions from time to time until his landed interests in Howard county comprise six hundred acres. He is today numbered among the substantial resi- dents of the county and, moreover, he is a self-made man who by persistent effort and straightforward dealing has gained his prosperity. While he is now in the seventy- eighth year of his age, he is still able to make a hand in the harvest field.
In 1873 Mr. Jinderlee was married to Miss Mary Kubesh, of Winneshiek county, who was born on the ocean while her parents were coming from Bohemia to the United States. In the family of Mr. and Mrs. Jinderlee are the following children: J. W., a practicing physician of Cresco, Iowa; William and Frank, who operate the home farm; Charles F., a ranchman residing near Spokane, Washington; John, who follows farm- ing and makes his his home at Little Falls, Minnesota. The parents are members of the Catholic church. During the period of their residence in Howard county they have won many friends and enjoy the high regard and esteem of those with whom they have been associated.
L. F. GORDON, D. V. S.
Dr. L. F. Gordon, engaged in the practice of veterinary surgery at New Hampton, was born in Postville, Iowa, April 28, 1890, a son of James and Susan (McGreevy) Gordon, the former a native of Allamakee county, Iowa, born near Postville, while the latter was born in Fayette county, Iowa. The father was a butter maker by trade and conducted the Postville Creamery for nineteen years and the creamery at Preston, Iowa, for six years. He was there stationed at the time of his death, which occurred on the 30th of September, 1918. The mother survives and now makes her home with her son L. F.
In the public schools of Postville, Dr. Gordon began his education. passing through consecutive grades to his graduation from the high school as a member of the class of 1908. During the succeeding five years he devoted his attention to clerking, spending one year in a general store in Postville, while for four years he was employed as a sales- man in a clothing store in Preston. In 1913 he took up the study of veterinary surgery, entering the Chicago Veterinary College, from which he was graduated as an alumnus of 1916. Following the completion of his course there he made his way at once to New Hampton, where he entered upon the active work of his profession, and in the inter- vening period of three years he has built up a large and lucrative practice. It is a recog- nized fact that he is thoroughly familiar with the latest scientific methods of veterinary surgery and his work has been productive of excellent results.
In 1912 Dr. Gordon was united in marriage to Miss Blanche Milar, of Preston, Iowa, and in the social circles of the city they have made many warm friends. They are members of St. Mary's Roman Catholic church, and fraternally Dr. Gordon is also a member of the Modern Woodmen of America. In politics he maintains an independent course, supporting men and measures rather than party. He is a young man who in professional circles has already won a creditable position and by reason of his thorough- ness and efficiency is destined to gain still further success.
JOHN E. DAVIS.
John E. Davis, who is busily engaged in farming on section 24, Forest City town- ship, Howard county, was born upon the farm which he is now operating, his natal day being February 26, 1889. His parents, Richard E. and Mary E. (Hughes) Davis, were natives of Wales and had reached adult age when they came to the new world. They made the trip with their brothers and sisters, their respective parents having died in their native land. Richard E. Davis first settled in Wisconsin after coming to the United
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States and there was employed for several years at farm work. About 1870 he removed westward to Iowa and for some time worked on the construction of the Union Pacific Railroad through Nebraska. He afterward came to Howard county and about 1884 was married. He then settled on a part of the present home farm, having acquired eighty acres of land through holding a mortgage on the property. Later he added to his original tract until his farm comprised one hundred and eighty acres. upon which he resided to the time of his death, which occurred February 26, 1907. His widow survives and yet occupies the old home place.
John E. Davis of this review was educated in the district schools while spending his youthful days under the parental roof. In the winter seasons he mastered the branches of learning which constituted the public school curriculum and in the summer months he aided more or less in the work of the home farm until his father's death, which occurred when the son was eighteen years of age. Upon his young shoulders then devolved the care of the farm, which he has since cultivated and which is now owned by himself and his sister, Jessie M. Davis.
In his political views Mr. Davis is an earnest republican, believing firmly in the principles of the party, and he has served as a delegate to its county conventions, while at the last election he was chosen to the office of township assessor. On account of being alone upon the farm, however, he could not serve as it would require too much of his time. He is well known as an exemplary member of Howard Lodge, No. 214, A. F. & A. M., and also of the Modern Woodmen of America and is equally faithful as a mem- ber of the Methodist Episcopal church. He is regarded as one of the progressive young men and successful farmers of Howard county and enjoys the respect of all with whom he has been brought in contact.
JOHN J. PECHOTA.
John J. Pechota, engaged in farming on section 12, Utica township, Chickasaw county, is a native of Illinois, his birth having occurred in Chicago, December 28, 1881, his parents being Frank and Mary Pechota, who are mentioned in connection with the sketch of their son, Wenzel A. Pechota, on another page of this work. With the removal of the family to Iowa, John J. Pechota became a pupil in the district schools of Chicka- saw county and through the period of his youth aided in the cultivation of his father's farm. Following his marriage he located upon the place where he now resides-a tract of one hundred acres which his father deeded to him. The sons had assisted materially in the development of the old homestead and in the acquirement of their father's prop- erty, and he recognized their assistance in substantial gifts of land at the time the sons were married.
On the 1st of May, 1906, John J. Pechota wedded Miss Catherine M. Panos, a daughter of Albert Panos, who is spoken of at length in connection with the sketch of his son, James L. Panos, in this work. Mr. and Mrs. Pechota have two interesting children, Eugene and Dora.
The religious belief of the parents is that of the Catholic church and in the exercise of his right of franchise Mr. Pechota supports the democratic party. He is above all, however, a successful farmer who, working diligently and persistently along the line which he has always followed, has gained a place among the representative agriculturists of Chickasaw county.
W. E. TORNEY.
An excellent farm property of one hundred and fifty-one acres situated on section 7, Saratoga township, Howard county, pays tribute to the care and labor bestowed upon the place by the owner, W. E. Torney, who is classed with the representative agricul- turists of that community. He was born August 8, 1856, in Canada, a son of Thomas and
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Marguerite (McDowell) Torney, who about 1870 left Canada and came with their family to Howard county, Iowa. At that time the father purchased what is now the home farm of W. E. Torney and concentrated his efforts and attention upon its further development and improvement until the time of his death, which occurred April 17, 1899. For five years he had survived his wife, who died March 27, 1894.
W. E. Torney was a lad of but fourteen years at the time the family home was established in Howard county and his youthful experiences were those of the farm-bred boy who attends the public schools and works in the fields through vacation periods. He had begun his education in Canada and he continued his studies in Mitchell county, Iowa, when the parents came to this state. Since his father's death he lias assumed the management and operation of the old home farm and now has one hundred and fifty-one acres of excellent land from which he derives a substantial annual income, for his methods of cultivating his fields are most practical and resultant.
On the 25th of June, 1895, Mr. Torney was married to Miss Emma Gertrude Mason, a daughter of Patrick James and Marguerite (Covey) Mason. Mrs. Torney was born in Canada and her people never came to Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Torney have no children of their own but are rearing an adopted daughter, Nellie Marie, who is now attending the public school.
In political belief Mr. Torney is a republican but has never been an office seeker. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, belonging to Lodge No. 211, and also has membership with the Modern Woodmen of America and with the Eastern Star. He is now occupying the position of township trustee for the first term. He and his family attend the Congregational church and their sterling worth has gained for them a circle of friends almost coextensive with the circle of their acquaintance.
FRANK KOBLISKA.
Frank Kobliska is numbered among those who have transformed Chickasaw county from an undeveloped tract into one of the garden spots of Iowa, beautiful in the development and improvement of its farming land. He makes his home on sec- tion 32, Deerfield township, and is surrounded by highly cultivated fields, from which he annually gathers substantial harvests. He was born in Bohemia in September, 1858, a son of Wensel and Eleanora Kobliska. He came to the United States when a lad of twelve years in company with his parents, the family home being first established near Spillville, in Winneshiek county, Iowa, where the father purchased a farm and continued to carry on general agricultural pursuits for nine- teen years. He then removed to Deerfield township, Chickasaw county, and settled on a tract of one hundred and sixty acres, which remained his place of residence until his life's labors were ended in death in 1881. The mother survives and yet occupies the original old home place near Spillville, having returned to that farm after the death of her husband, taking her family with her. Her son, Matt Kobliska, is now conducting the farm.
Frank Kobliska was educated in the public schools of Spillville and at the time of his father's death, which occurred when he was twenty-three years of age, he inherited eighty acres of land in Deerfield township. A year later he was married to Miss Barbara Hernecek, the wedding being celebrated on the 20th of November, 1882. She is a daughter of Frank and Anna Hernecek, both of whom were natives of Bohemia. Following his marriage Mr. Kobliska took his bride to the farm which he had inherited and for eight years he devoted his attention to its further development and improvement. He then sold that property and bought his present place in 1891, becoming the owner of two hundred acres of land. He has since extended the boundaries of his place and in addition to his farm in Deerfield town- ship, which now comprises two hundred and forty-nine acres, he owns three hundred and twenty acres in North Dakota. His success has been attained through per- sistent effort, intelligently directed. He has worked long and earnestly and by reason of his careful management and straightforward dealings has gained a
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measure of prosperity that now classes him with the prosperous and representative farmers of his section of the state. He is also a stockholder in the Farmers Lumber Company of Alta Vista and in the Farmers Elevator at Coalville and he is a member of the Farmers Equity Association of Alta Vista.
To Mr. and Mrs. Kobliska have been born twelve children: Frank W. and Joseph, both of whom are married; Mrs. Christina Bouska; Louis, who is also mar- ried; and Barbara, Anna, Mary, Carrie, Charles, John, Cecelia and Leonora, all yet at home. Mr. Kobliska and his wife are members of St. Cecelia's Catholic church of Afton township, Howard county, and in that faith have reared their family. He has never been an aspirant for public office and in fact has always declined to serve in positions of public trust. His attention has been concentrated upon his agricul- tural interests and he has developed his business affairs along lines which have led to gratifying success and have won for him as well the respect and confidence of his fellowmen.
WILLIAM WILSON.
William Wilson, who is living on section 11, Paris township, Howard county, and has gained recognition as one of the progressive and alert farmers of the district, was born in Howard county on the 5th of October, 1875. His parents were William and Helen Wilson, the former a native of the state of New York, whence he removed west- ward to Iowa at the age of eighteen years in company with his parents. The family homesteaded in Howard county, being among the first people to take up land within its borders. They shared in all the hardships and privations of pioneer life and lived in a log cabin in the early days, while they had to haul their produce to McGregor, it requiring from two weeks to a month to make the round trip. Not a furrow had been turned nor an improvement made upon their land when it came into their possession and the arduous task of developing a new farm confronted them; but the work was diligently accomplished by Mr. Wilson, who converted the place into rich and fertile fields.
After the death of the father the farm was rented until William Wilson was twenty- one years of age, when he took over the property and began farming on his own account. All of the modern improvements upon the place have been put there by him and he now has an excellent farm property of one hundred and sixty acres on which are substantial buildings, the latest improved farm machinery and all up-to-date equipments.
On the 1st of May, 1900, Mr. Wilson was married to Miss Julia Woods, a daughter of Patrick and Ann Woods, of Howard county. They have become parents of three children: William Emmett, Floyd James and Gertrude L. The elder son has completed the public school course in his home neighborhood and is now attending high school in Cresco.
The family are communicants of the Assumption Catholic Church of Cresco and fraternally Mr. Wilson is connected with the Modern Woodmen of America, with which he has been identified for four years. His political endorsement is given to the repub- lican party and he has held several local offices, including that of school director. His entire life has been devoted to agricultural interests and by reason of his thoroughness, his persistency of purpose and his laudable ambition he has made steady progress in his chosen life work.
MICHAEL NOSBISCH.
Michael Nosbisch is now living retired at New Hampton after many years of active connection with farming interests in this section of Iowa. He was born in Germany, June 9, 1849, a son of John and Margaret Nosbisch. In 1865 he came to the United States with his parents and first settled in Jesup, Iowa, where the father
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purchased a tract of land of eighty acres which he farmed for three or four years. He then sold that property and removed to a farm near Gilbertville, Iowa, investing in another eighty acre tract of land, which he successfully cultivated to the time of his retirement from active business life. He then established his home in Gilbert- ville, where he remained to the time of his death, and his wife also passed away in that town.
Michael Nosbisch was educated in the parochial schools of Germany. In Decem- ber, 1874, he married Katherine Spaden, a daughter of John and Margaretta Spaden, and following his marriage he located upon a farm in Washington township, Chicka- saw county, upon which he resided until 1913, when he retired and took up his resi- dence in New Hampton. Through all the intervening years he was numbered with the progressive and enterprising agriculturists of the district. Year after year he carefully tilled his fields and kept in touch with advanced agricultural methods. As a result of his untiring labor and perseverance he gathered good crops and as time passed added materially to his annual income. He is still the owner of two hundred and eighty acres of land and from this property he derives a very substantial annual income.
In 1903 Mr. Nosbisch was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who passed away on the 10th of October of that year. They were the parents of fourteen chil- dren, all of whom survive, namely: Mrs. Jacob Hoffman; John, who married Susie Zeyen; Carl, who married Lena Kuehn; Mrs. Chris Gebel; Nick, who married Susie Hentges; Peter, who married Veronica Ries; George, who wedded Martha Zimmer; Mrs. Joe Pannworth; Mrs. Louis Streit; Michael, Jr., who married Christina Brost; Mrs. Edward Ries; Henry; Mrs. George Nehl; and Clara, who is acting as her father's housekeeper.
Mr. Nosbisch is a member of St. Mary's Catholic church of New Hampton. His political endorsement is given to the democratic party and he served as township trustee of Washington township for several years. He was also supervisor at the same time. His attention has been chiefly given to his farming interests, however, and he still retains two hundred and eighty acres of his original four hundred and twenty acre tract. He has lived an active and busy life and his success is the direct outcome of his labors.
BENJAMIN HUNTTING.
Benjamin Huntting was a representative business man of Cresco and his worth in commercial and personal connections caused his death to be the occasion of deep and widespread regret to all who knew him. For a long period he was engaged in the grain trade and the integrity of his methods as well as his enterprise brought to him a substantial measure of prosperity. He was born in Southampton, Long Island, on the 4th of December, 1833, and was a son of William and Ann (Foster) Huntting. After acquiring a public school education he became a sailor on a whaling vessel and afterward returned to Long Island. From there he went to California and eventually became a resident of McGregor, Iowa. Following the outbreak of the Civil war his patriotic spirit was aroused, so that he could no longer content himself to remain at home and, eager to aid in the defense of the Union, he joined the army as a member of Company C, of the Third lowa Infantry. With the "boys in blue" he then went to the front and served until wounded at the battle of Blue Mills in Mis- souri, suffering the loss of an arm. This incapacitated him for duty and he returned to McGregor, where later, as a member of the firm of Bassett & Huntting he entered the grain trade and as the Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad was extended through the country he moved from point to point along the line, living for a time at Postville and afterward at Conover. From the latter place he came to Cresco, where he built a warehouse in the fall of 1866. He then began buying grain at this point and re- mained in the same business for thirty years. He prospered in his undertakings here and remained a prominent figure in the grain trade of northern Iowa for many years.
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In fact his name became a synonym for enterprise and progressiveness among the grain merchants of this section of the state.
In 1866 Mr. Huntting was united in marriage to Miss Mary Thomas, a daughter of Ebenezer and Isabel (DeWolf) Thomas and a native of Eagle, Waukesha county, Wisconsin. To Mr. and Mrs. Huntting were born two children: William, who is now engaged in the grain business at the old location where his father so long re- mained; and Frank, living in Fairmont, Minnesota.
The year 1877 marked the big wheat crop in this vicinity and Mr. Huntting handled a tremendous volume of business in the elevator. He was a man of keen business discernment and enterprise whose plans were always carefully formulated, and his energy and determination brought to him a measure of success that was most gratifying. Moreover, the integrity of his business methods was never called into question, so that he left to his family the priceless heritage of an untarnished name when in July, 1896, he passed away. His political support was given to the democratic party and he always stood for that which is progressive in citizenship. His widow died in 1918, aged seventy-seven years, at Cresco. As a pioneer resident of Iowa, Mr. Huntting was well known and the value of his activities as a factor in the world's work was widely acknowledged in the community in which he resided.
M. B. DAVIS.
M. B. Davis, manager of the interests of the Huntting Elevator Company at Lime Springs, was born December 13, 1870, in the town in which he still lives. He is a son of John M. and Ann (Thomas) Davis, both of whom were natives of Wales, where they were reared and married. Soon afterward they came to the United States, cross- ing the Atlantic about 1868 or 1869 and making their way direct to Howard county, Iowa. They settled in Lime Springs, where the father engaged in the hardware bust- ness and later followed various commercial enterprises. Both he and his wife have passed away. The family of this name is not connected with the other Davis families here.
M. B. Davis was reared at Lime Springs, where he has always made his home. In the pursuit of his education he passed through consecutive grades to the high school. After reaching manhood he became identified with farming, which he fol- lowed for a number of years, and later devoted four years to work in a lumberyard in Lime Springs. For the past twenty-two or twenty-three years he has looked after the interests of the Huntting Elevator Company, having in charge their grain busi- ness at Lime Springs. His capability, faithfulness and business enterprise are mani- fest in the fact that he has so long been retained in the service of this company.
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