USA > Iowa > Decatur County > History of Decatur County, Iowa, and its people, Volume II > Part 36
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WILLIAM E. A. SCOTT.
William E. A. Scott, commonly known as Ed Scott, owns and operates four hundred acres of land near Tuskeega, in Bloomington township. He was born in Ringgold county, near the Decatur county line, November 5, 1870, a son of John and Ann (Jackson) Scott. The father was born near Waverly, Illinois, but was married at Tuskeega, Decatur county, Iowa. He secured considerable land in
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this county, which he improved and cultivated for many years, and passed away upon his farm on the 7th of March, 1899, when sixty- four years of age, and his demise was the occasion of much regret, as he was well and favorably known. His political belief was that of the republican party and he served in various township offices. Fraternally he belonged to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and both he and his wife held membership in the Methodist Episcopal church. She was born near Kokomo, Indiana, but in her girlhood accompanied her parents on their removal to this county. Her father, Edward Jackson, homesteaded a farm near the present site of Tus- keega, which is now owned by our subject. The Jacksons were among the early settlers of this county, as they arrived in 1840. Mrs. Scott passed away August 28, 1898, when sixty-six years of age. On the paternal side our subject is descended from Scotch-Irish ancestors and on the maternal from English stock. He is one of four children, the others being: J. P., who is residing upon the home farm; Mrs. W. W. Danner, a resident of New Mexico; and Mrs. E. H. Baker, of Des Moines.
William E. A. Scott was reared under the parental roof and is indebted to the public-school system for his education. During his boyhood days he assisted his father with the work of the home farm and when he arrived at years of maturity decided to follow the occu- pation of farming. He has been very successful and now owns four hundred acres of excellent land in Bloomington township which adjoins the town of Tuskeega on three sides. He raises the usual crops and also engages in stock-raising quite extensively. Both phases of his business are well conducted and are proving very profitable
In August, 1893, occurred the marriage of Mr. Scott and Miss Eva Barrett, who was born in Story county, Iowa, near Nevada, October 5, 1870, of the marriage of A. C. and Ellen (Dickinson) Barrett, early settlers of this state. They were born respectively in Ohio and in the vicinity of Kokomo, Indiana, but were married in Iowa. Mr. Barrett, who was a farmer by occupation, passed away in February, 1908, at the age of sixty years, in the faith of the Chris- tian church. His wife, who is living at Estherville, Iowa, is sixty- three years old. They were the parents of two sons and three daugh- ters, the brothers and sisters of Mrs. Scott being: James, of Balboa Heights, Panama, who is in the United States government employ ; Mrs. Mayme Wood, of Kellerton, Iowa: Jesse, of Omaha, Nebraska; and Mrs. J. S. Coffin, of Estherville, Iowa. Mrs. Scott received a good education, including a thorough business course, and taught school for some time. She was also a stenographer and was employed
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in Chicago at the time of her marriage. She has become the mother of six children, one of whom died in infancy, the others being: Roth- mer, who is attending the Iowa State University; Dale, who is a mem- ber of the class of 1915 of the Lamoni high school; Ardis, who is attending high school; Kenneth, a student in the grades; and Vivian.
Mr. Scott is a democrat and has served acceptably in various town- ship offices. Fraternally he belongs to the Masonic order, and both he and his wife hold membership in the Christian church of Kellerton, associations which indicate much concerning the principles which gov- ern his life. He has been very successful, not only gaining financial independence but also winning the sincere respect and esteem of those who come in contact with him.
ROY H. GAMMON.
Roy H. Gammon, who owns and operates an excellent tract of land on section 2, Eden township, was born in that township on the Ist of July, 1868, a son of William and Caroline (Jenkins) Gam- mon, natives respectively of Tennessee and Indiana. In 1851 the father came to Decatur county, Iowa, and entered one hundred and sixty acres in Eden township, which he at once began clearing and improving. He soon had his place under cultivation and continued to devote his time to farming until 1909, when he felt that he had accumulated sufficient of this world's goods and retired to Leon, where he is still residing. His wife also survives.
Roy H. Gammon was reared under the parental roof and at the usual age entered the district schools. He supplemented the educa- tion there acquired by attending the Leon high school and a business college in Burlington. He then returned home and remained with his parents until they removed to Leon, at which time he purchased the homestead of two hundred acres on section 2, Eden township. He has made additional improvements on the property and has met with gratifying success as a farmer and stock-raiser. He raises only high grade stock and has found that branch of his business very profitable.
Mr. Gammon was married on the 12th of August, 1903, to Miss Nellie Caine, a daughter of Henry and Emily (Walton) Caine, both natives of Illinois. The father, who carried on mercantile pur- suits in that state for many years, is now operating a farm in New
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Mexico. The mother died in July, 1880. Mr. and Mrs. Gammon have one son, Lester M., who is nine years old.
Mr. Gammon is a democrat and has served as assessor of his town- ship, while he is now holding the office of trustee. A lifelong resident of Eden township, he has thoroughly identified his interests with those of his community and is known as a citizen of unusual public spirit.
E. W. TOWNSEND.
For twenty-two years E. W. Townsend has been cashier of the Citizens State Savings Bank of Decatur and during that time has had the responsibility of the management of the institution, which he aided in organizing in 1893. His birth occurred in Morrow county, Ohio, December 26, 1853. His father, Eli Townsend, was also a native of the Buckeye state but in 1863 removed with his family to Warren county, Iowa, where he engaged in farming until his demise.
E. W. Townsend was reared upon the homestead in Warren county as he was but ten years old when he accompanied his parents to this state. He assisted his father with the farm work until the latter's demise. When thirty-four years of age our subject came to Decatur county and for five years followed agricultural pursuits. In February, 1893, he was instrumental in organizing the Citizens State Savings Bank of Decatur, which, however, was then a private institution, his partner for several years being Nathan Schee, of Indianola, a boyhood friend and neighbor. In 1905, however, the bank was incorporated as the Citizens State Savings Bank and was capitalized at twenty thousand dollars. The officers are: president, James Creswell; vice president, H. T. Rauch; cashier, E. W. Town- send, who has held that position since the organization of the insti- tution in 1893; and assistant cashier, O. F. Walker. Mr. Townsend holds high rank among the financiers of Decatur county and is responsible for the growth and prosperity of the bank more than any other man, as he has directed its policy for twenty-two years. He is not only thoroughly familiar with all details of the routine business of the institution but also understands the larger questions of finance and currency.
Mr. Townsend was married in Des Moines to Miss Martha P. Burrows, whose birth occurred in Poweshiek county, this state. They are the parents of six children: C. B., engaged in the insurance busi- ness in Decatur township, who is married and has a family; F. A.,
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an insurance agent of Leon, who is also married; Blanche, the wife of V. J. Anderson, a real-estate agent of Osceola, Iowa; Sadie, who married O. F. Walker, assistant cashier of the Citizens State Savings Bank; Carrie, the wife of Dr. Paul, of Osceola; and Bruce, attending high school at Leon.
Mr. Townsend supports the republican party at the polls but has never been a seeker for official preferment. Both he and his wife are influential members of the Methodist Episcopal church and both have taught Sunday-school classes for many years. They are highly esteemed in their community and it is a recognized fact that their influence is always on the side of right and justice.
J. M. HOLLINGER.
J. M. Hollinger, of Morgan township, is well and favorably known throughout Decatur county. For almost a quarter of a cen- tury he served ably and conscientiously as county surveyor and he has for many years been closely identified with the agricultural development of his locality. He is also entitled to honor and respect as a veteran of the Civil war and in times of peace has manifested the same devotion to the public good that led him to offer his services to his country in the '60s.
Mr. Hollinger was born in Columbiana county, Ohio, November 7, 1840, a son of John and Sarah (Wollam) Hollinger. The paternal great-grandfather, John Hollinger, was a native of Virginia and fought in the Continental army during the Revolutionary war. His son Jolin was born in Virginia on the 6th of September, 1777, and married Miss Hannah March, who was also born in Virginia on the 11th of October, 1780. For some time they resided in western Penn- sylvania but in 1801 they removed to Ohio with their family, including their son John, who was born in Pennsylvania on the 14th of June, 1814. In young manhood he married Miss Sarah Wollam, who was born in Ohio on the 8th of March, 1820. They continued to reside in Ohio until called by death, the father of our subject dying on the 11th of March, 1894, and the mother on the 1st of June, 1891. The family is of German descent.
J. M. Hollinger was reared under the parental roof and during his boyhood and youth attended the common schools in Ohio. Later he became a student in Mount Union College, that state, where he remained for two years. In August, 1862, however, he put aside
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all personal considerations and offered his services to his country, enlisting at Bucyrus in Company C, One Hundred and First Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He was at the front with that command for three years and one month and took part in many engagements, includ- ing that of Perrysville, Ohio, October 8, 1862; Knob's Gap, Decem- ber 24, 1862; and Stone river, which began December 30th of that year and continued for several days. On New Year's day, 1863, while serving under General Rosecrans in the last named battle, he received three wounds, one in the breast, one in the left shoulder and one in the right foot. This necessitated his being sent to a hospital and he remained there until August, 1863, when he was transferred to the Forty-third Company, Second Battalion, Veteran Reserve Corps, where he remained as chief clerk at the Denison United States General Hospital until mustered out at Camp Denison, near Cincin- nati, Ohio. After the close of the war he entered the employ of John Zumstein, of Cincinnati, a sutler, and in the capacity of chief clerk went to Jefferson barracks, St. Louis, where he remained for three years.
After leaving St. Louis Mr. Hollinger went to Colorado and later to California and on this trip saw a great deal of the western country. In May, 1868, he located in Decatur county, Iowa, purchas- ing forty acres of land in Morgan township. Later he bought an additional forty acres and he has long been numbered among the suc- cessful farmers of that township. With the help of his son he still · operates the place, which is well improved. He has also given a good deal of time to public service as in 1889 he was elected county surveyor on the republican ticket and held that office for twenty-three years, after which he refused to again become a candidate. He has. also served for sixteen years as clerk of Morgan township.
On December 25, 1872, Mr. Hollinger married Miss Elzina J. Shields, a daughter of Madison and Cynthia (Long) Shields, natives respectively of Virginia and of Pennsylvania. He was of Yankee stock and she of Dutch descent. They were married in Ohio and there she passed away when Mrs. Hollinger was but six years of age. Mr. Shields subsequently married Miss Mary Jane Turner, of Gallia county, Ohio. After farming in the Buckeye state for a number of years he came to Iowa in 1865 and located in Morgan township. He became the owner of land in Missouri and eventually removed to Mercer county, that state, where he died in the spring of 1907. Mr. and Mrs. Hollinger have three children. C. M., who was born August 9, 1874, married Miss May Craig and they reside in Grand Island, Nebraska, where he is car and train inspector for the
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Union Pacific shops. They have three children, Francis, Velma and Hazel. Buford, who was born October 17, 1875, is a farmer by occupation. He married Miss Mamie Duncan, of Lineville, Iowa, and they have eight children, Willard, Siebert, Gerald, Hubert, Vinetta, Ralph, Juanita and 'Alta. Harold A., whose birth occurred January 20, 1883, is farming in Morgan township. He married Maude Orey and their children are four in number, namely, Bernard, Miles, Elsie and Myrtle.
Mr. Hollinger belongs to the Masonic blue lodge at Pleasanton and to the Grand Army post of that town and is popular in both organizations. He and his wife hold membership in the Methodist Episcopal church, to the support of which they contribute and in whose work they are deeply interested. No movement whose object is the general welfare lacks his hearty cooperation and during the many years that he has resided in this county he has gained the sin- cere respect of all who have come in contact with him.
JOHN THOMAS ROBERTSON.
John Thomas Robertson, junior member of the prosperous real- estate firm of Keller & Robertson of Leon, was born in Shelby county, Illinois, January 31, 1875. His parents are representatives of old families of that section, and the father followed agricultural pursuits until he retired from active life.
John Thomas Robertson was reared in his native county and there attended the common schools. On the 8th of February, 1897, when twenty-four years of age, he removed to Decatur county, Iowa, locat- ing on a farm three and a half miles south of Davis City. He contin- ued to devote his time to the cultivation of the soil and the care of live stock until 1907, when he turned his attention to the real-estate business, becoming a partner of John Gates, a banker of Davis City. He resided at that place until four years ago, when he came to Leon and became the junior member of the present firm of Keller & Rob- ertson. The partners operate in Iowa, Colorado, Kansas and Nebraska and have the largest real-estate business in Decatur county. They handle property on commission, trade, buy and sell outright, and have negotiated many important realty transfers.
Mr. Robertson was married in Shelby county, Illinois, to Miss Lena Scott, and they have three children, Orville Ray, Veta and Irene, all natives of this county. Mr. Robertson is a republican and
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takes the interest of a good citizen in the affairs of government, but he has never desired official preferment. Mrs. Robertson belongs to the Christian church and takes an active part in the furtherance of its work. Since removing to Leon Mr. Robertson has cooperated in movements seeking the advancement of the city and has made many warm friends here.
GEORGE G. McGUIRE.
George G. McGuire, a respected citizen and representative agri- culturist of Decatur county, has been successfully engaged in the pursuits of farming and stock-raising in Garden Grove township for about four decades. His birth occurred in Platte county, Missouri, on the 26th of March, 1844, his parents being John J. and Anna (Harman) McGuire, the former a native of Barren county, Ken- tucky, and the latter of Tazewell county, Virginia. Squire McGuire, the paternal grandfather, was a native of Ireland and a gentleman of Scotch-Irish parentage. By occupation he was a farmer, as was also his son John. The latter held the rank of assistant wagonmaster in Colonel Doniphan's regiment in the Mexican war, serving through- out the entire conflict. When hostilities had ceased he continued as wagonmaster, having charge of the trains of wagons furnishing sup- plies to the soldiers who were in the forts ready for Indian strife. He had charge of these supply wagons for a period of twelve years. When the war ended he took up his abode in Platte county, Missouri, and subsequently removed to Andrew county, that state, where he continued to reside until called to his final rest in 1877. His wife passed away in 1876. Both were devoted members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and John J. McGuire was also a worthy exemplar of the Masonic fraternity. They became the parents of eight chil- dren, as follows: George G., of this review; Mary, who is the wife of F. F. Newcomer; Squire Daniel; William H .; John; Isabella, who gave her hand in marriage to a Mr. Myrick; Elsie; and Christo- pher C. Daniel and William participated in the Civil war as mem- bers of the Twenty-fifth Missouri Infantry and both were wounded at the battle of Shiloh.
George G. McGuire acquired his education in the public schools of his native county and spent his early life on the home farm. In 1862, when a young man of eighteen years, he went to Illinois, and for seven years he remained in the service of the Alexander Cattle Com-
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pany. On the expiration of that period he removed to Nebraska, where for one year he acted as foreman of a stone quarry and then came to Iowa, residing in Lucas county until 1876. In that year he came to Decatur county and has here been actively engaged in the pursuits of general farming and stock-raising continuously since, having resided on his present place in Garden Grove township for the past twenty-two years.
On the 19th of March, 1867, Mr. McGuire was united in marriage to Miss Emma Updike, a daughter of Peter C. Updike, of Mason county, Illinois. To them were born five children, as follows: Charles S .; Elizabeth, the wife of O. E. Carlton, by whom she has four children-Harold, Hugh, Guy and Gertrude; Mary, who is the wife of Charles Kulp and has two children, Helen and Hugh; Jack, who died in 1904, when twenty-eight years of age, at Sheridan, Wyoming; and Claud, who wedded Miss Belle Morehead, by whom he had four children-Ruth, John M. (deceased), Paul and Eugene. The son Jack was a noted horseman and enjoyed the reputation of being one of the most daring and expert riders in the United States. As a trained rider he participated in contests with many of the best riders in the country and won several prizes. He rode at Denver, Colorado, when there were sixty-eight riders entered for the contest and sixty-three of these were disqualified by injuries received in being thrown from their horses. Jack McGuire was one of the five who went through the trying ordeal.
Mr. McGuire gives his political allegiance to the republican party and has served as township trustee for three years, while for fourteen years he has been a member of the school board. Fraternally he is identified with the local organization of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, in which he is a past grand. He has now exceeded the Psalmist's allotted span of threescore years and ten but is still hale and hearty and is numbered among the representative and highly respected citizens of Decatur county.
ANDERSON A. BURCHETT.
Anderson.A. Burchett, who has resided in this county since 1855, is still supervising the operation of his farm of sixty-eight acres on section 3, Richland township. He was born in Hancock county, Tennessee, January 9, 1847, a son of A. F. and Leah (Anderson) Burchett, both natives of Tennessee. Their parents were from the
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southern part of New England. Mr. and Mrs. A. F. Burchett removed to Greene county, Indiana, where they remained for seven years, after which they went to Kansas but did not locate in that state. In January, 1855, they came to this county with a party con- sisting of nine families who made the journey with ox teams and brought their goods and stock with them as they were seeking homes in a newly opened western country. A. F. Burchett settled on sec- tion 3, Richland township, and his brother-in-law, Lewis Anderson, settled in Long Creek township. Mr. Burchett was a democrat and served for years as justice of the peace. He was also township assessor and county supervisor, his election to office indicating the high place which he held in the estimation of his fellow citizens. The first Sunday school in the county was held in a log house in 1855 and he served as its superintendent. He belonged to the Camden Baptist church of Richland township, in which he was a deacon, becoming a member of that organization on the 20th of November, 1858, and so continuing until his demise, November 17, 1904. He was then seventy-five years old, as he was born March 1, 1829. His wife was born September 3, 1822, and died August 2, 1907, in the faith of the Baptist church, when she had nearly reached her eighty-fifth birthday. To their union were born eight children: Anderson A .: Rachel, who died in girlhood; Franklin, a resident of Clarke county, Iowa; Marshall, of Richland township; Mary, the wife of James Wamstaff, of Clarke county; Lucinda, who married D. T. Edwards, of Carroll county, Missouri; William, of Clarke county, Iowa; and Rebecca, the wife of J. F. Clawson, of Richland township.
Anderson A. Burchett was reared in this county from the age of eight years and acquired his education in the public schools. The first school which he attended was held in a log stable and the floor was of dirt. During his boyhood and youth he experienced the hard- ships of frontier life and his reminiscences of the early days of the county are of value to the present generation who find it hard to con- ceive of conditions other than those of the present. He broke the prairie land, split rails and did whatever else needed to be done in the work of developing a farm from the virgin prairie. He has al- ways followed the occupation to which he was reared and for thirty years has resided upon the farm on section 3, Richland township, which he still owns. He has carried on general farming and his labors have yielded him a competence.
On the 4th of November, 1868, Mr. Burchett married Mrs. Nar- vesta Comstock, née Wheeles, who was born in Claiborne county, Tennessee, October 11, 1840, a daughter of Josiah and Jane (Ham-
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lin) Wheeles. Her father was born in Claiborne county, Tennessee, but removed to Davis county, Iowa, where he was killed by lightning. His wife was born in Lee county, Virginia, and passed away in Davis county, Iowa. Five of the children born to their union were living at the time of the demise of the mother but Mrs. Burchett is the only one now surviving. She removed with a brother, a sister and an uncle, William Wheeles, to Decatur county in 1853. They located in Richland township, where Mrs. Burchett has since resided. Her uncle subsequently removed to Arkansas, where his demise occurred. She was married in 1859 to George W. Comstock, who died four years later while serving at the front in the Civil war as a member of the Thirty-fourth Regiment of Iowa Volunteers. To their union were born two children: Allen B., who is residing in Bridgeport, Nebraska; and Mrs. Jane Hileman, deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Burchett are the parents of five children: Fannie L., who died in infancy; Anna, the wife of George W. Grimm, who is residing in Richland township; W. F., of that township, who married Miss Nel- lie Cole; Mollie, the wife of John Grimm, of South Dakota; and Martha, twin to Mollie, who married Mr. Greeley, an editor of Grand River. Mr. and Mrs. Burchett have twenty-eight grand- children and five great-grandchildren and Mrs. Burchett has thirty- five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Mr. Burchett is a democrat and is loyal in his support of the party but has not taken an active part in politics. He served on the jury in the Vanschaick case, which resulted from the blowing up of the old courthouse at Leon. He belongs to the Camden Baptist church, of which he is a deacon, and his wife has been a member of that organization since 1858. Both are much interested in the work of the church and contribute generously to its support. During the six decades that he has resided in this county Mr. Burchett has at all times done his full share of the work of development and improve- ment and he takes much pleasure in the great progress that the county has made in that time.
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