USA > Iowa > Davis County > History of Davis County, Iowa, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, etc. > Part 64
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ALLENDER, D. R., dentist, is a native of Iowa, born September 29, 1845, in Jefferson county. He commenced the study of dentistry in 1868, at Knoxville; after studying two years, he came to Bloomfield, and eommeneed practieing, which he has sinee continued. He was married in April 1872, to Miss Anna Clark of this city, and they have three children, May, Fred Clark, and Almy Mand. Mr. A. is a mason, and a zealous member of the M. E. Church.
AWALT, JACOB, blacksmith, Bloomfield, was born October 2, 1822, in Bartholomew county, Indiana, where he lived until 1849. lle was raised a farmer, and at seventeen learned blacksmithing with William M. Hobbs, of Columbus Indiana, where he remained three years, then worked for himself till 1847, and then, after two years farming, he came to this county, and settled in Union township, where he worked at his trade till 1860. In the spring of that year he went to Pike's Peak, where he remained abont cighi- teen months engaged in mining, then returned home and commenced work- ing at his trade in Bloomfield, tour years later going to Moulton, for seven years, in the hotel business. He then returned to Bloomfield, where he has since resided. He was married June 20, 1841, to Elizabeth Mick es, of Columbus Indiana, and they have nine children, all living. Mary J., P. M., Nanny E., Abby, Mattie M., Amanda M., William, Ella and Ida. Mr. A. does a large business at his trade, and is highly respected by the entire community.
BOYER, J., express agent and ex-post-master, Bloomfield; was born in Maryland, April 20, 1821. When quite yonng his father, Martin, moved to Franklin county, Pennsylvania, and at the age of seven his father died, and his mother moved to Cumberland county. In 1832 they moved to Perry county, Ohio, where he spent his youth, receiving his education in the common schools. At the age of sixteen he commenced to learn tailoring, as appren- tiee with Richard Collum, at Zanesville, Ohio, about five years; then work- ing at different places. In 1848 he started for Iowa. spending the winter in Van Buren county, the next summer in Fairfield, and in Angust, 1849, came to this county where he has since lived, working at tailoring till 1861, when, on May 6, he was appointed post-master of this city, and served till Feb- ruary 12, 1879. In the winter of 1862 he was appointed express agent at this eity, and has held it ever since, showing . the confidence the company have in him. He was married in December 1843 to Miss Sarah Lisk, of Dankins Falls, Ohio, and they have had two children, Benjamin F. and Syl- vester J. For the last forty years he has been an active worker in the canse of temperanee, being onee a member of the Grand Lodge of Good Templars.
BAER, FRANKLIN P., foreman in the elothing department for Hill, Herr & Co., Bloomfield; was born in Soap Creek township, in this county,
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Angust 30, 1852, a son of David and Clarisa B., who still live on the old home farm. Mr. B. spent his early youth in agricultural pursuits, and at the age of nineteen entered the normal school at Troy, where he studied two years, then taught school for three years and in 1876 visited the Pacific coast with L. C. Baer, who was traveling for his health. Remained, there one year then returned to this county and elerked eighteen months for John Blackmore at Drakeville, and accepted the position he now holds, in Feb- ruary, 1880. He was married at Drakeville December 25, 1879, to Miss Mary J., daughter of James L. Dysart, of this county. They have one child, Cleora, born March 14, 1881. Mr. B. is a member of the Odd Fellows lodge at Drakeville.
BROOK, ALLEN, foreman of the boot and shoe department, for Hill, Herr & Co., of Bloomfield, was born in Yorkshire, England, a son of Geo. and Eliza B. Ilis parents dying when he was a small child, he was raised by his unele, William Haywood. He came to America in 1878 with Ebb Hill, and was at onee employed by the above firm. He was raised a leather currier, and received a good common school educaton. IIe was married here in 1878, to Miss Angusta Rochlitz, a native of Germany, and they had one child, Clara, who died July 11, 1881. Mr. Brook is one of the finest salesmen in southern Iowa, and has built up a steadily increasing trade for his employers.
COLONEY, CHAS. E, J. P., Bloomfield, was born Oct. 29, 1830, in St. Albans, Vt. His parents eame to Aekron, O., in 1833, and at the age of fourteen he went to Indianapolis, to learn the painter's trade, with his father, and remained there about a year. Then went to Memphis, Tennes- see, for two years, then returned to Ackron, Ohio, and remained until 1854, when he went to Galena, Illinois, where he remained till 1856, and from there went to Chatfield, Minn .. as chief clerk in the Register's department of the government land office, where he remained till 1860, when he moved to Preston, Fillmore county, to make an abstract of the title of lands in that county, and the same year was the democratie candidate for Register of Deeds of the county, and was defeated by 33 votes. In 1862 he moved to Winona, Minn., where he was burnt out, and moved to St. Louis, Mo., and in the fall of that year enlisted in Co. B. 40th Missouri Infantry, where he served as telegraph clerk at Gen. Rosencrans' headquarters. Before this, in May 1860, he had been Deputy U. S. Marshal for Southern Minn. In 1862, while on duty in St. Louis, he was commissioned a 2d Lieutenant in Co. B. 5th U. S. infantry regulars, and ordered to Denver, Colorado. on Gen. Upton's staff as A. A. I. G. of Colorado. He remained there till May 21, 1866, when Gen. Upton was east, and then went to Fort Laramie, on the staff of Col. Maguadier; commanding as Provost Marshal, the district of the Platte, in which capacity he remained till June 30, 1866, when he resign- ed and went back to Ackron, Ohio, and worked at his trade until the fall of 1872, when he went to Detroit. In November 1875, he came to Milton, Van Buren Co., Iowa, where he opened a grocery store, and ran it till March, 1880, when he came to Bloonrfield, and in November, same year, was elected Justice of the Peace. He held the same office while in Minnesota. He was conversant with all the Indian tribes of the west; was at the bogus treaty of July 4, 1866, and was the officer who took the notorious Capt. Jack Curtis of the 10th Kansas Regiment to the Missouri penitentiary. Hle was mar- ried in March 1872, to Miss Elizabeth N. Brainard, of New York. They have had two children, Jesse June, and one deceased.
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. HISTORY OF DAVIS COUNTY.
CLAYTON, J. W., farmer, section 25, Bloomfield, is the owner of 410 acres, in this township, all in cultivation, and 200 acres of land in south- west Missouri. He has a splendid residence one-half mile due west of the court house. Ile was born in Shelby county, Indiana, May 28, 1828, and there grew to manhood on a farm, receiving a high school education. In February, 1865, he came to Tazewell county, Illinois, and in February, 1868, landed in this county, and settled on his present farm. He was married April 9, 1850, to Miss Martha Phelps, a native of Indiana, and by this union had three children, Flora, wife of W. H. MeAchran, and two deceased. Mrs. Clayton died in February 1858; and he was married again November 30, 1858, in Davis county to Miss Eliza J. Van Benthusen, a native of Indi- ana, and they have had ten children, Tommy J., Mary E., Henrietta S., Kate, George S., Hallie G., Mattie L., John W., and two diseased ; Wm. T., and Julia,
Mr. Clayton is the Secretary of the County Agricultural Society, which position he has held for three years. He was elected county auditor in 1873, and reëlected in 1875; being in office at the time the new court house was built. He is serving his 9th year as school director. Mr. Clayton has a very fine property, and has an abundance in store, to comfort him in his old age.
CARRUTHERS, S. S., attorney, Bloomfield, was born Angust 20, 1837, in Wheeling, Virginia. In 1844, his parents moved to New Madrid Co., Missouri, now Pemiscot Co. And in 1847, they moved to Shelbyville. Indiana, and returned to Wheeling, Virginia, in 1853; and in July 1854. Mr. Carrothers came to Iowa, and located in Bloomfield. With a common school education, he commenced studying law with Trimble & Baker, in 1857; and in September 1860, was admitted to the bar, at Keosauqua, by Judge Townsend. He then began the practice, and in 1861, succeeded to the business of Trimble & Baker, they both having gone into the army. Baker, as Colonel of Second Iowa Infantry and Trimble, as Lient. Colonel of the Third Iowa Cavalry. Mr. Carruthers continued to attend to this large business until January, 1867, when Judge Trimble retired from the bench, and they formed the firm of Trimble & Carruthers, which has con- tinued to the present. In 1876, Palmer, a son of Judge Trimble, was ad- mitted to the firm. They are the attorneys for the Wabash, St. Louis and Pacific Railroad Company, the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific, and Bur- lington and Southwestern, and have done the leading business in the county, which is evidenced by the large estates which they have accumulated. Mr. Carruthers has always been a staunch democrat, but never had inclination for office. He is now chairman of the democratic county committee. IIe was married Oct. 29, 1871, to Miss Lucretia Ann Kenaga, a native of Urbana, Ohio, and they have three children, Belle, W. K. and Iowa.
COFFEY, N. F. & J. H., grain elevators, Bloomfield. Mr. N. F. Coffey was born in Pike county, Illinois, August 31, 1848, where he grew to man- hood, receiving his education at Griggsville, Illinois. He came to Bloom- field in 1871, and was married October 14, 1876, to Miss Ellen Martin, of this city, and they have two children, Anna E., and Earl. Mr. C. is a member of the Baptist church. lle has a nice residence, and is surrounded with every comfort.
The firm have shipped in the last twelve months, from Bloomfield station, oats, 120,000 bushels; eorn, 75,000 bushels; rye, 5,000 bushels; wheat, 1,000 bushels; timothy seed, 1,800 bushels; Hungarian seed, 1,000 bushels; hay, 300 tons. From West Grove they have shipped: oats, 33,000 bushels;
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corn, 13,000 bushels; rye, 1,000 bushels; wheat 500 bushels; timothy sced, 1,200 bushels; Hungarian seed, 600 bushels; hay, 150 tons. From Belknap they have shipped: oats, 15,000 bushels; corn, 5,000 bushels; rye, 1,500 bushels; hay 50 tons. This firm started in business in 1871. Since then they have rebuilt, and their trade has been increasing at the rate of 75 per cent: They draw their trade from all the surrounding country, from Van Buren county, and from Missouri. They are energetic men-the kind of men who always sneeeed.
DAVIS, C. F., editor and proprietor of the Legal Tender Greenback, Bloomfield; was born January 20, 1854, in Iroquois county, Illinois. [Ie came to this county with his parents, J. R. and B. J. Davis, when he was eighteen months old, they locating on a farm in Perry township, where he lived for about seven years, coming then to Bloomfield, where he has lived ever since. He obtained his education in the Bloomfield common schools; when thirteen years old he commenced teaming between Ottumwa and Bloomfield until the railroad was built. After working in the post-office here for awhile, in 1872 he learned telegraphing, and entered the Wabash depot as assis ant agent and operator, where he remained about a year. HIe then learned the printer's trade in the offices of the Granger's Advocate, The Commonwealth, the Republican, and Democrat, being only a short time in each, and then for awhile in the Odd Fellows' Banner office. In the spring of 1877, he began studying law with M. H. Jones, and the next winter taught school in Lick Creek, and the following April was admitted to the bar. In June of the same year be established the Legal- Tender Greenback, the organ of the Greenback party in southern Iowa, having pur- chased the material of the defunct Commonwealth. His paper has grown wonderfully, has now a circulation of over 2,000. He was married March 31. 1880. to Miss Mamie Hagan, a native of this city, daughter of Leroy and J. A. Hagan. They have had one child, Vallie M., born February 14, 1881, and deceased Angust 3. 1881. Mr. and Mrs. Davis are members of the M. E. church, and he is an Odd Fellow and Good Templar. He was township clerk in 1877; was a delegate to the Pomeroy National Conven- tion, held at St. Louis, March 4, ISSO; was Secretary of the State Green- back Editorial Association for 1879, and 1880, and has attended all the State conventions of his party as a delegate. Ile obtained the county printing when his paper was six months old, and the first day he ever solicited sub- seribers he obtained 48. He possesses the prime attributes of success, and wields a powerful influence.
DOWNING, M., Bloomfield; was born Jannary 19, 1833, in Fountain county, Indiana, and came to Davis county, Iowa, with his mother in 1848, his father having died while he was very young; they located in Salt Creek township, where he grew to manhood on the farm, being educated in the common schools. At the age of 20 he commenced teaching, and tanght during the winter for 23 years, and farmed during the summer. In 1863 he began preaching in the Christian church, continuing it for fifteen years. In 1869 he was elected County Superintendent, and held the office one term. In 1878, he came to Bloomfield and accepted the office of deputy treasurer, where he remained two years; then taught one term in the city schools, after which he clerked in stores, being now engaged with Moore, Dilliner & Co. fle was ordained a minister in the Christian church in 1863, and has performed more marriage ceremonies than any other man in the county, numbering 191; the first being February 22, 1863, Conrad Ritz to Miss-
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Ellen Bales. Mr. Downing was married May 25, 1850, to Miss Martha Robbins, a native of Indiana, and they have had six children : W. A., Angus- tus A., Elma C., O. M., and two deeeased.
DUNSHEE, DR. J., furniture dealer, of the firm of Guernsey. Lloyd & Co., Bloomfield; was born July 10, 1823, in Washington county, Pennsyl- vania. In 1832, he removed with his parents to Riehland county, Ohio, where he grew to manhood on the farm, and received his edneation in the common schools, Milan academy, and Mansfield high school. At the age of 22 he began the study of medieine with Doctor Abernethy, of Lexington, Ohio, and attended the Western Reserve Medical College, at Cleveland, and graduated with credit. He began practice in Johnsville, where he remained four years; then moved to Albion, Indiana, where he remained till 1870, when he came to Iowa, locating at Bloomfield, and retired from practice. He was married December 2, 1847, to Miss Isabel B. Richie, of Richland county, Ohio, and they have had four children: Lillie E., R. R., Anna M., and one deceased in infancy. He became a member of the firm he is now connected with. in furniture and hardware, in October, 1881, nsing his own store rooms. Dr. D. also owns a nice residence, where he lives, surrounded with every comfort.
DAVIS, JOIN R., senior member of the firm of Davis & Son, manufactur- ers of well angers, Bloomfield; was born on the north shore of Lake Ontario, Canada, May 8, 1829. When nine years old he came with his father, S. Davis, to Benton county, Indiana, where he grew to manhood, getting his education in the common schools of that time. In 1847 he removed to Chi- cago, where he lived four years, engaged in ship-carpentering. . He then re- turned to Benton county, and worked two years. In · Angust, 1855, he landed in this county, where he has since resided. He worked at carpen- tering and milling till 1863, when. April 16, he secured a patent on the American well anger. In October, 1878, he built his present shop, where he manufactures them. They are now in use from Manitoba to Texas, and from Indiana to Colorado. It is without doubt the best auger in use, the bore being from three to five feet in diameter. Two of his sons, W. S. and 1. T., are partners in the business, and they employ from six to ten men. They also take contracts for boring for coal. Mr. Davis was married in December, 1851, to Miss J. B. Crawford, of Benton connty, Indiana. They have had ten children : C. T., now editor of the Legal Tender Greenback, W. S., J. T., R. F., Jenny, Wilda, Ella D., Lorette, Mand, and Charles, deceased. Mr. D. is a mason, and in politics is a greenbaeker.
DILLINER, W. H., merchant. Bloomfield, of the firm of Moore & Dil- liner, was born June 27, 1848, in Davis county, Iowa. Here he got his ed- ucation, and followed the plow until 1874, when he eame to Bloomfield and bought grain for N. F. & J. H. Coffey one year, then elerked for George Duffield about two and a half years, then for Mendenhall and Oneal, two and a half years, and in February 1880, went into business for himself, with Mr. F. D. Moore, in dry goods and groceries, in which they are now en- gaged. They are doing a thriving business, much exceeding their expecta- tions. He was married August 21, 1868, to Miss Olive L. French, a native of Indiana, and they have three children: Mary M., Lalie M., and William Ellsworth. When he commenced his married life his capital stock eon- sisted of one horse, one cow, and $20 in cash.
DUFFIELD, CAPT. J. M., jeweller, and member of the firm of Bur- gess & Duffield, was born April 15, 1835, in Jefferson county, Ohio. In
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1344 his parents came to Van Buren county, Iowa, and in 1845 came to. Liek Creek township, this county. He has lived in this county ever since, and every vote he ever east, except while in' the army, was cast here. He enlisted in April, 1861, in Company G, Second Iowa Infantry, which was the first regiment to leave the State. He was promoted second and first sergeant, and in the fall of 1861 to second lieutenant. In the fall of 1862, he was promoted to captain, and in April, 1863, resigned on account of dis- ability. He was in all the battles in which the gallant Second participated, (except Fort Donelson,) while he was in the service. In 1863, he went into mercantile business in Bloomfield with his brother, about two years, then engaged in the stock business for several years; then opened a drug store, and a few years later commeneed farming and dealing in stock. In Octo- ber, 1878, he opened his present jewelry house, which he has continued ever since. He has always been a strong republican, and a stalwart politician, always helping others, but never seeking office himself. He was married May 19, 1863, to Anna M. Findley, only daughter of Dr. William MeKay Findly, a native of Henry connty, Iowa. They have had three children : William, Findley, and Mary E., deceased.
DOOLEY J. C., A. M., county superintendent of Davis county, whose portrait appears elsewhere, was born in Wyacondah township, this county, May 3, 1860. His parents, Jesse and Mary E., settled here in 1840, and hence were among the very earliest settlers of that township. The Indian chief Keokuk then resided with his band on his grandfather's claim, now his farm. Here young Dooley was reared, taught to labor on the farm, and received the rudiments of an English education. In 1866, at the age of sixteen, he with his parents removed to Missouri, and a year later he re- turned, took charge of and conducted his grandfather's farm for several years. At the age of twenty-two he entered the North Missouri State Nor- mal School at Kirksville, leaving the farm under the immediate care of his brother, O. Dooley. He entered the school in 1872, took a complete course, besides extra studies, and taught as an assistant in the Normal every term while there. He graduated with the class of 1878. He then closed ont his interest in the farm, and went direct from Kirksville to the Iowa State Uni- versity at Iowa City, and there took a selected couse, and after graduation took an advanced course in physics, chemistry and astronomy. Ile did three years of school work in two, in the years 1879 and 1880. He then took charge of the Bloomfield schools, which he condneted for one year to the satisfaction of everybody. On account of failing health he declined a. re-election and accepted the greenback nomination for connty superintend- ent. He was elected by a majority of 143 over the republican candidate, and 224 over the democratic candidate. Although he had been a voter for ten years, this was his first experience in polities. October.20, 1881, he entered on the duties of his office, filling out the unexpired term of Mr. Anderson, and January 1, 1882, he qualified for the term for which he was elected. He was married July 29, 1880, to Miss Emma Kinman, daughter of Rev. E. Kinman, of this county. She is a member of the Baptist Church. Mr. Dooley is a member of West Grove Lodge, I. O. O. F., and also a member of the Knights of Pythias.
DAVIS, JEIIU, county sheriff, Bloomfield, was born September 4, 1836, in Monongahala county, Virginia. When about two years of age, his par- ents moved to Greene county, Pennsylvania, and there he grew to manhood, and was educated in the ancient log school house, with its słab seats, and
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greased paper window lights. At the age of seventeen he commenced learning the saddlery and harnessmaking, with Mr. J. A. Billingsley, of Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania, after a three years apprenticeship, and one year more, he started a shop himself, for about five months, then moved to Dav- istown, in same county, and a year or two later, to Taylortown. In the fall of 1863, he came to this county, and farmed one year, then moved to Pu- laski, bought a harness shop and carried on the business untill 1879. when he was elected sheriff, and moved to Bloomfield. He was married Septem- ber 4, 1860, to Miss Rebecca L. Garrison, a native of Pennsylvania; they have had seven children: Arrie B., Annie V., Sarah E., Martha G., V. J. C., Gracie, and James C. deceased.
EICHELBERGER, FRANK W., of the firm of Payne & Eichelberger, attorneys, Bloomfield, was born Angust 7, 1841, in Piqua, Ohio. In 1844 his parents moved to Springfield, Ohio, and came to Iowa in 1854, and loca- ted in Muscatine, where he grew to manhood, being educated in the com- mon schools. In 1862 he became local editor of Muscatine Journal, and continued till 1866, except a short time when he was city editor of the Mem- phis Bulletin, and army correspondent of the Chicago Tribune. In 1866 he began the study of law with Judge Williams, of Ottumwa, and was ad- mitted to the bar in 1868, by Judge Trimble, at Ottumwa, and began the practice of law. In 1870 he formed a partnership with Judge Traverse, and in 1880 formed the firm of Traverse, Payne & Eichelberger, and when Judge Traverse went on the bench, the firm became Payne & Eichelberger. He has been mayor and councilman of Bloomfield, and it was through him that the city ordinances were revised and made to hold water. He was married June 16, 1866, to Miss Ella A. Pratt, of Muscatine; they have had one child, May, deceased.
EPPLEY, SAMUEL M., connty treasurer, Bloomfield; was born in Liek- ing eounty, Ohio, February 14, 1830. In 1832, he moved with his father to„Logan county, and in 1839, to Miami county, and in 1844, to Montgom- ery county, working with his father at the millwright business. In 1846 they came to Springfield, Ohio, where he went to school, working in a gro. cery evenings and Saturdays to pay his board. In 1847 he entered the foundry of Hatch and Ferrell as apprentice. In 1849 he went to Hunting- ton county, Indiana, and assisted his father to build a saw-mill at Mt. Etna. In 1854 he moved to Keokuk, lowa, and entered the foundry of Vail and Armitage, for abont seven or eight years. In the fall of 1866 he came to this county and bought a farm near Stilesville; after meeting with many misfortunes he rented his farm, came to this city and took charge of the well anger foundry; loosing a good deal of money, and his wife being in poor health, he had a hard time to make both ends meet. In the spring of 1879 he went to work in a sawmill with J. H. Plank, only working three days when he was accidently caught on the saw, having his left arm cut off and his bowels cut open, which has disabled him for life; lying in the house for three months, during which time his wife died, which left him alone with his children. Ile was married December 3, 1850 to Miss Amanda J. Iloff- man, of Ohio, and they had twelve children, nine now living. In 1879 he was elected county treasurer on the Republican ticket, and still holds the office. He was married again April 15, 1880, to Miss Eliza Ellen Bishop, of Champaign county, Ohio, and they have one child. Mr. E. was defeated. for reelection as treasurer in 1881 by the greenback candidate by a very
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HISTORY OF DAVIS COUNTY.
small majority. He is a man of sterling honesty and leaves the office with a record to be proud of, and one that will be a heritage for his children.
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