USA > Iowa > Clay County > History of Clay County, Iowa, from its earliest settlement to 1909 > Part 52
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In 1904 he wedded Miss Hepsie Baker. a native of Clay county, and a daugh- ter of Nathaniel and Rosa E. (O'Grady) Baker, and they have one daughter, Bertha E. Mr. and Mrs. Hurt are faithful in the fulfillment of their religious obligations, being members of the Congregational church in which they are active workers. Mr. Hurt is numbered among the up-to-date men of the com- munity and through his industry and perseverance has acquired a high standing in commercial circles.
R. S. WATSON.
R. S. Watson, who a number of years ago turned his attention to the unde- veloped prairie lands of this state and who has since by his unfaltering industry succeeded in becoming one of the foremost farmers of Douglas township, this county, is a native of the state of Illinois, his birth having occurred in Sandwich, July 26, 1862. He had little or nothing when he began agricultural life, but through his constant application and unremitting energy he has been able from year to year to so cultivate the soil that now he owns one of the finest farms in this county. Mr. Watson's parents were Albert and Eleanor (Vanderhoff) Wat- son. His father, who was born in the state of New York, near Venice, traveled westward when a young man and located near Aurora, Illinois, where he remained actively engaged in agricultural pursuits for a time. Subsequently he settled in Sandwich, De Kalb county, Illinois, where he remained until his son, R. S. Wat- son, was about six years of age, and then removed to La Salle county, in the same state, where he engaged in farming for several years. Finally he removed to Santa Clara county, California, where he departed this life in 1902. His wife, whom he married in Illinois and who was a native of the Keystone state, departed this life in the year 1895 in Santa Clara county, California. Their family con- sisted of seven children, namely: Sylvester and Adelaide, deceased ; Thomas Burnett, who is engaged in carpentering in Santa Clara county, California : Cora, who became the wife of Charles Townsend, who also resides in that place ; Leroy, a carpenter in Santa Clara county, California : Jennie L., deceased ; and R. S.
In La Salle county, Illinois, R. S. Watson spent his boyhood days, working on the farm during the summer months and attending the district school during
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the winter seasons. He remained on the home farm until he was twenty years of age, at which time, becoming, ambitious to launch out in life for himself, he bought a number of acres of wild prairie land in Douglas township and at once began to apply his energy in putting it into a cultivatable state. By hard work he succeeded and now his property, which was once barren and unfruitful land, presents the appearance of a succession of fine fields from which from year to year he has reaped large crops, bringing him his present prosperity. While to some extent he engages in stock breeding, having a number of fine horses, cat- tle, sheep and hogs, yet he devotes most of his attention to producing hay and the various grains, and the attention which he has given the soil enables him to produce the maximum yield per acre. He owns two hundred acres on sections 2 and 10, and two hundred and thirty-seven and a half acres in Weakley county, Tennessee.
In 1887 Mr. Watson wedded Miss Mary Elizabeth Williams, a resident of this county, to whom were born three children, namely: Howard A., whose birth occurred October 21, 1889. and who attends school at Sioux Rapids ; Eleanor P., who was born January 4, 1892, and who also attends school in Sioux Rapids ; and Ruth A., whose birth occurred July 11, 1899. Mr. Watson gives his political support to the republican party, and while he is not an active politician nor desires to hold. public office, he takes an interest in his party during campaigns and does all he can by his vote and influence to secure the election of its candidates. Both he and his wife belong to the Methodist Episcopal church, of which they are liberal supporters, and Mr. Watson is a member of the board of trustees. The tenor of his life is such that he is numbered among the most valued citizens and entertains the respect and confidence of the entire community.
J. W. FRENCH.
J. W. French, who is of English extraction, and a well-to-do farmer of Peter- son township, this county, an ardent temperance worker and a strong supporter of the prohibition movement, is a native of Licking county, Ohio, where he was born May 23, 1846, a son of Bethuel and Sarah (Sinkey) French. His father was a native of the Keystone state and removed to Ohio when a boy, where he remained until the fall of 1846, when he located in Jones and Jackson counties, Iowa. In 1872 he placed his family and effects in covered wagons and removed to Clay county, where he followed agriculture and was held in excellent repute. He died in 1903. The mother was a native of Ohio, where she was united in marriage, after which she removed to this county with her husband and re- mained until she departed this life. She was laid to rest in Peterson cemetery beside her husband. They were the parents of: James, of this place: J. W .; Ann, wife of William Johnson, of Sioux township, where he is proprietor of a large farm; Sarah, who married J. W. Lemaster, an agriculturist of this coun- ty ; Mary, deceased ; and A. C., a Peterson township farmer.
After acquiring his education in the district schools of Jones county J. W. French remained with his parents and engaged in the daily routine of the farm until 1880. During this time he had laid by considerable of his earnings, which
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he invested in a timber claim in Clay county and, in addition to this in the year 1880, he purchased a tract of land from the railroad company, and now owns one- half of sections 8 and 9, part of which he cultivates and the remainder he has planted in flourishing groves. His farm is highly improved. and aside from hav- ing an excellent dwelling house it is provided with all the buildings, machinery, and other conveniences necessary to carry on the occupation in hand. He en- gages in general farming, raising hay and various kinds of grain, giving some attention to stock-breeding and. on the whole, by a strict attention to business and employing modern methods, his farm is one of the best paying propositions in the county.
In the year 1880 he was united in marriage to Miss Cary Larm, a native of Sweden, who came to the United States in 1868 with her parents. This family first went to Canada, thence to Illinois, and thence to Clay county. Mr. and Mrs. French have the following family: A. L. ; Guy E., a general delivery clerk in the postoffice at Des Moines : Gertrude, deceased : Harry ; and Mary. Mr. French is a strong agitator of temperance and being desirous of doing all he can to abolish the liquor traffic and thereby benefit the country at large he has allied himself with the prohibition movement, in behalf of which he is an untiring and enthusi- astic worker. He is an efficient member of the school board and attends divine services at the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. French is a man of high morals and it has been a salient feature of his life to devote as much of his time and energy as possible to enhance the moral standing of his fellowmen, and his noble aims, honesty and industry, have won him the respect and confidence of his fellow citizens.
JOHN KRUSE.
Among the younger generation of men who are making their mark in agri- cultural circles in the state is John Kruse, who was born in Iowa county, Iowa, March 17, 1871, and is conducting large farming interests in Clay township. He is a son of Frederick and Sophie ( Jacobs) Kruse. His father, born in Germany, located in the United States after the war, immediately going to Iowa county where he engaged in farming for thirty years, at the expiration of which time he removed to Clay county, where he departed this life in 1897. his remains having: been interred in the cemetery of Clay township. In his native land he was a laborer and upon coming to this country he hired out for a period of one year, after which he purchased forty acres of land on which he worked and met with such success as to be able to add to his acreage from time to time, until at his death he owned two hundred and forty acres of the finest land to be found in the vicinity. His wife, also a native of Germany, where they were married, is still living in Hartley, this state. They had the following children: Sophia, the wife of Lew Kline, who operates a large farm in Iowa county, this state ; Henry, a farmer of this county; Emma, who became the wife of John Bobzein, an agri- culturist of Hartley, Iowa ; Charley, who is engaged in agricultural pursuits in O'Brien county, Iowa ; Frederick. deceased ; and John, of this review.
NUA ONE
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MRS. JOHN KRUSE
THE NEW ONE PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOR LFNIX TILDEN FOUNDATIONS
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MRS. JOHN KRUSE
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In the common schools of his native village John Kruse acquired his educa- tion, in the meantime engaging in the daily routine of the farm, and after com- pleting his studies he remained at home until he was twenty-three years of age, when he conducted a farm for himself in Iowa county for a period of three years. In 1895 he came to this county, where he bought one hundred and sixty acres of land, to which he perseveringly devoted his energies and from which he derived substantial harvests which finally enabled him to add to his holdings, until he now possesses four hundred and sixty acres of the most highly cultivated land in the county, four hundred acres of which is situated in Clay township and is very valuable property. In addition to tilling the fields he also pays considerable attention to stock-raising and keeps on hand quite a number of head of fine cattle and sheep, which he feeds for the market. His farms are highly improved, being provided with every convenience : roomy barns, outbuildings and an elegant resi- dence of nine rooms, together with machinery and everything requisite to make farming a paying proposition. His fields are very productive and the attention which he has paid to his place has won for it the reputation of being one of the finest farms in Clay county.
In 1896 Mr. Kruse was united in marriage to Miss Louisa Kuch, a native of Iowa county, and a daughter of John and Catherine (Coller) Kuch. Her father, a native of Germany, came to the United States when he was twenty years of age, being, one of the pioneer settlers of Iowa county, where he spent his life in agri- cultural pursuits and passed away in 1906. He reared the following children : John, a farmer in Iowa county ; William, Jacob and Louis, all of whom are agri- culturists of Iowa county; Katie, who became the wife of Philip Vaught, a resi- dent farmer of Iowa county; and Louisa, the wife of John Kruse. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Kruse have been born Esther, Ida, Ivan, Bernice, Archie and Floyd, all of whom reside with their parents.
In politics Mr. Kruse gives his allegiance to the republican party and being quite prominent in the community in which he lives, he has for several years served as a member of the school board. In company with his wife he attends divine services in the Lutheran church of which they are members. Mr. Kruse inherits the industrial qualities, together with the honesty, of his German ancestry, and aside from being numbered among the substantial farmers of the community, he is also acknowledged to be one of the representative citizens of the township.
J. T. GOLDSWORTHY.
J. T. Goldsworthy is one of the active and progressive farmers and stock- breeders of Clay county, making his home on section 8, Riverton township, where he is now engaged in raising and feeding shorthorn cattle. His farm is a well improved property of two hundred and forty acres and the fact that it is located within four miles of Spencer makes it easy for him to obtain all of the advan- tages of city life and at the same time enjoy the opportunities of a rural exist- ence. Almost a third of a century has come and gone since he arrived in Clay county and during this period he has witnessed great changes here, for the county
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has put off all the evidences of frontier life and taken on all of the improvements of modern civilization. Mr. Goldsworthy is a native of Wisconsin. His birth occurred in Kenosha county on the 15th of February, 1860. There he was reared to the age of seventeen years and in the district schools he obtained his prelimi- nary education, while later he attended the high school at Racine and the Oshkosh (Wis.) Normal. He afterward engaged in teaching in Racine, Wisconsin, for three years and in 1877, when a young man of but seventeen years, arrived in Clay county to become a factor in its substantial growth and development as the years have gone by. Here he has raised and fed stock for a number of years, be- coming well known as a dealer in shorthorn cattle. He is an excellent judge of stock, so that he is able to make judicious purchases and profitable sales. In the cultivation of his crops, too, he has displayed keen business judgment, and as the years have gone by he has become the owner of valuable property. At one time he owned four hundred and eighty acres of rich land in Summit township, and it was upon that farm that he began his domestic life. He broke the sod, fenced the fields. erected good buildings and continued the work of improving his farm for six years. Later he bought the place upon which he now resides and, subse- quently, he sold his original farm and took up his abode on his present place. It presents a pleasing appearance with its commodious two story residence, in the rear of which stands a very large barn with substantial corn cribs and other evi- dences of his progressive spirit. He has planted a grove, put out some fruit and has divided the farm into fields of convenient size by well kept fences. He today has one of the best improved properties of Riverton township. He uses the latest inventions in farm machinery for tilling his fields and caring for the crops, and none of the accessories of the model farm of the twentieth century are lacking. All these years he has been raising, feeding and fattening stock and now makes a specialty of hogs. Prosperity has attended his efforts as the years have gone by, and as his financial resources have permitted he has invested in land in Minnesota and Dakota. His life has, indeed, been a very active and useful one. Putting forth his efforts in financial fields he established a bank at Ruthven, which he conducted for five years, residing in the town during that time.
Prior to his marriage, Mr. Goldsworthy went west and spent a year in Mon- tana, largely engaged in hunting. During that time he killed a great many buf- faloes, antelopes, deer and three bears, having now one of the bear skins, which he uses as a laprobe and which is, perhaps, the only one in the county and, un- doubtedly. the only one which was taken from the animal by the present possessor.
On the 3d of July, 1884, Mr. Goldsworthy was married to Miss Ella Bedford, who was born in Wisconsin but was reared in Clay county. She was liberally educated and was a teacher in her maidenhood days. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Golds- worthy have been born two daughters: Edna Blanche, who is a teacher in Albert City, Towa : and Maud Lisle, a teacher in the home school, both daughters being graduates of the Spencer high school.
Mr. Goldsworthy belongs to the Masonic lodge, at Spencer. Politically he ยท is a stalwart republican where national issues are involved, but casts an inde- pendent local ballot. He has never sought for nor would he consent to hold office and is not remiss in the duties of citizenship, but prefers to do his public service in a private capacity. Mrs. Goldsworthy belongs to the Methodist church,
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is active in its work and has been a teacher in the Sunday school. Our subject's life has been well spent and his diligence and perseverance have constituted the strong element in the succcess which he is now enjoying. He stands high in business and social circles and is well known in Clay and adjoining counties.
SAM TILLINGHAST.
Sam Tillinghast, a prominent citizen of Peterson township, whose ancestors came to the new world from England two hundred and twenty years ago, is a farmer and is known throughout the state as one of the foremost stock breed- ers and an authority on the qualities of Poland China hogs. He was born in Kent county, Rhode Island, November 4, 1857, and is the son of Ira and Julia C. (Bowen) Tillinghast. His father was a native of Connecticut and during the Civil war was a soldier in Company E of the Seventh Rhode Island Volunteer Infantry. During the service he received wounds which disabled him for the remainder of his life. His death occurred in December of the year 1883 and his remains were interred in Rhode Island. The mother of our subject was also a native of Rhode Island, where she was married and still resides. She gave birth to the following children: Emily, wife of L. S. Place, of Providence, Rhode Island; A. W., of Peterson township, this county; R. B., who lives at Woodside, Idaho; Jane A., the wife of Reuben Johnson, and residing in Providence, Rhode Island ; E. H., of Oakland Beach, that state ; Alvin, at Hill's Grove, Rhode Island ; John, deceased ; John, making. his home on the old place ; and Sam.
In the common schools of his native state Sam Tillinghast acquired his edu- cation and after completing his studies remained with his parents until seventeen * years of age, at which period of his life he secured employment, which he pur- sued for three years and then made Iowa his objective point, locating in Marshall county, that state. There he procured a tract of land which he held under cultiva- tion three years and then removed to Peterson township, Clay county, where he owns one hundred and sixty acres in section to, which he took when in a raw state and put such improvements upon it as to make it one of the finest farms in the vicinity. In addition to this tract of land he also owns one-half section in Brookings county, South Dakota. When Mr. Tillinghast began farming he de- voted his attention to producing general crops and raised large quantities of hay and grain. but in 1894. he made a specialty of stock-breeding and has since raised a number of head of Poland China hogs and in this business has become widely known throughout the state. Previous to the year . 1894 he devoted some time to this branch of farming, but on a very small scale. After that year, however, he turned his attention almost exclusively to hog-breeding and has since raised some of the finest specimens of thoroughbred Poland China hogs in the state. He has read a great deal on the subject and in the past fourteen years has spent consider- able time experimenting, until now he is acknowledged to be an authority on the various breeds of this class of animal. At present he has one hundred and thirty head of breeding stock, all thoroughbreds and include the following: Perfection Great, No. 85.127 ; Victor Price, No. 118.921 : Crows Ideal, No. 134,981 ; Long
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Prospect, No. 134,341 ; and Look On. Of the female class: Whitefooted Beauty, I Am It, I Be Perfect, Rosebud, Blackbird, Third Dina, Rhody, and Lucretia, the registration numbers of this class not being obtainable. Mr. Tillinghast breeds from all the above named, which are as fine as can be secured and devotes his time almost exclusively to this department of the farm. All of these beauties are high priced and list at upwards of one hundred dollars a head.
In 1881 Mr. Tillinghast wedded Jennie Vauthrin, by whom he had four chil- dren, namely: Victor S., a farmer of Clay county; Carl, at home; Garth, de- ceased ; and Velma, who resides with her parents. He is a republican in politics and although he keeps abreast of the times as to the paramount economic issues before the country, he does not take an active interest in political affairs beyond using his vote and influence to aid the candidates of his party in securing office. He has served the township in several public offices. He belongs to Peterson Lodge, A. F. & A. M., and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. Mr. Tilling- hast is one of Clay county's enterprising men, who has contributed much toward the general welfare of the community, in which he is held in high confidence and is numbered among its substantial and representative citizens.
GUSTAF FREEBURG.
The Scandinavian peninsula has furnished to America many valuable citi- zens, including Gustaf Freeburg, who is interested in agricultural pursuits and stock-raising at Rossie, this county. His birth occurred near Guttenberg, Sweden, May 22, 1849, and he is a son of Magnus and Mary (Anderson) Johnson, his father having pursued general farming in his native land until his death in 1862, while his wife also departed this life, during the same year. In their family were the following children: Christina and Andrew, deceased ; Anna, widow of Carl Lunbeck ; John, who resides in Sweden; and Gustaf.
In the common schools of his native land Gustaf Freeburg acquired his edu- cation and upon completing his studies remained at home until he was thirteen years of age, at which period of his life he went to live with an aunt with whom he spent three years. He then secured employment on a farm, where he remained until his marriage and then rented land which he cultivated until the year 1880, when he came to the new world and visited with a brother located in Lincoln township, where he remained for ten weeks. Later he removed to Summit town- ship, where for two years he was in the employ of James Goodwin and in the year 1882 removed to the farm on which he now resides. Here he owns eleven hundred and twenty acres of excellent land, all the improvements on which he has made himself, and aside from having a comfortable dwelling he also has a commodious barn and all the necessary outbuildings together with machinery and other conveniences with which to carry on his work by modern methods. When Mr. Freeburg first took possesison of this property he owned but a single team of oxen and a lumber wagon, which conveyance he not only employed in his farm work but also utilized to take himself and family to church. At that time his barn and stable combined consisted of a building fourteen by sixteen
MR. AND MRS. GUSTAF FREEBURG
THE NEW YOK PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOR. LI NOX TILDEN FOUNDAT ONS
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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY
feet and in it he kept his provender and also his oxen and later a team of mules, when he had earned sufficient money to buy them during the first winter he engaged in farming for himself. These were his sole possessions but he was not so fortunate with them as he would have liked to have been, since one of the mules died shortly after he purchased it and he was compelled to borrow a horse from a neighbor in order to complete the team, and as he had no money with which to pay for the hire of the animal he worked it out on his neighbor's farm. In three years time he mortgaged his farm, which then consisted of eighty acres, and with the money he obtained he purchased a team. By hard work and good management he saved his earnings from year to year, until finally he increased his small farm of eighty acres to his present extensive landed possessions, includ- ing more than eleven hundred and twenty acres. He is regarded as one of the most industrious as well as one of the most prosperous agriculturists in the county. Aside from general farming in the production of hay and the various kinds of grain, he also engages in stock raising and keeps on hand a number of fine cattle and hogs, and he does a considerable shipping business.
In 1872. in his native land, Mr. Freeburg was united in marriage to Miss Catherine Peterson and to this union have been born eleven children, namely : John : Carl, who wedded Mary Anderson and resides on a farm in Lincoln town- ship; Selma MI., who became the wife of Andrew Olson, who is also an agri- culturist of Lincoln township; Clara Amelia, the wife of Gus Carlson, of Lincoln township : Martin : Albert ; Emma ; Harry; Hannah : Elizabeth, and Beda. Mr. Freeburg's political opinions have always been on the side of the republican party and, having intelligently investigated the merits of the several political platforms, he considers the principles of republicanism best suited to preserve the prosperity of the country and promote its financial interests. Consequently he is always ready with his vote and influence to secure the election of its candidates. He has filled the positions of road supervisor and school director, in which capacities he has served efficiently for a number of terms. He is a man of high moral char- acter, dutiful to his religious obligations as a member of the Swedish Lutheran church, of the Sunday school, of which he is superintendent. Mr. Freeburg is one of the most substantial farmers of the vicinity, well known throughout the township for his diligence and enterprise, and he deserves great credit for his present prosperity, which is due solely to his own exertions.
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