USA > Iowa > Floyd County > History of Floyd County, Iowa : together with sketches of its cities, villages and townships, educational, religious, civil, military, and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens > Part 79
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Edgar M. Joslyn was born in Judah, Green County, Wis., in 1852. His parents, who moved from Worcester County, Mass., are Marsena and Mary A. Joslyn. They have always taken an active part in the promotion of all religious movements. Their early married life was amid the noise and unhealthy odors of an Eastern cotton-mill, to escape which they came West, moving from Green County to Floyd, in 1865, thus being residents before it was an organized township, separate from Union and River- ton. In other portions of this township history will be found an account of Mr. Marseña Joslyn, as having been Leader of the first class, and Superintendent of the first Sabbath-school in the town- ship. He is a public-spirited citizen, and is always to be found on the side where justice reigns. Of late years he has moved to (freene, his son Edgar running the farm. The log cabin yet standing on the home place was the first one they built, an old-fashioned pioneer's cabin. Edgar M. Joslyn married Zilpha S. Robinson, of Hampton, Ia., in January, 1881. Mr. Joslyn has also been useful to his fellow townsmen as a teacher of their schools for several terms. And while the "old folks" are enjoying the
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quiet of a retired life in so pleasant a village as Greene, it must be a comfort to know that the "old place" is still running on in the hands of the family. Mr. Joslyn's sister, Mary E., is the wife of Lewis Forthun, a neighbor, and the present incumbent of the Chairman of the Board of County Supervisors.
George F. Lambert was born in Dover, Piscataquis County, Me., June 7, 1838; was a son of Paul and Maribah (Fish) Lam- bert. Their family consisted of eight children-Lanson, Hiram F., Samantha, Nancy, Julia, Ruby, George F., and Prudence F., all having passed to the better land but Hiram F. (now living in St. Charles Township) and George F. He lived at home during his minority and until his twenty-fourth year, when, in August, 1862, he enlisted in Company I, Twenty-second Maine Volunteer Infantry, Colonel Girard commanding. Went into camp at Bangor abont five weeks; breaking camp, they went via rail to Washington, camping in the heights; was in camp there about one week. From here the regiment went to Newport News; was there until the 25th of November. Then went via steamer "S. R. Spaulding" to Baton Rouge, and was put under Gen. N. P. Banks in his expedition against Baton Rouge. While at Baton Rouge he was taken sick with the dumb ague, as many thousands were, and went into the hospital, being off duty about three weeks. Then in March was taken with the measles. Abont 100 of the men were sick with them at the same time, and all were unable to do duty until after their discharge in August. In August, 1863, were mustered out at Camp Pope, Bangor. Mr. Lambert had a very narrow escape from dropsy. After his return he went back to farming, and lived there until his thirty-eighth year. Was married in Dover, Sept. 15, 1861, to Mary E. Page, daughter of Samuel J. and Susan H. (Goss) Page. In 1876 they sold out in Maine, and moved to Pleasant Grove Township, northeast section 29, buying of his brother, H. F. Lambert. The grove about his home was set in 1877 and 1878. We find Mr. Lambert's home typical of the comfortable New England home-the pleasantest of any in the world, especially to us Yankees. Mrs. Lambert was in the first movement toward the furthering of the cause of temperance, being the first Secretary of the W. C. T. U. of this township, auxiliary to the county; and has been Vice President for two years. Three children have been born to them-Laura M., born in Dover Me., Aug. 15, 1862; Guy C., born in Dover, Me., Jan. 21, 1868; and Bessie A., born in Pleasant Grove Township, April 28, 1879. Mr. Lambert crops
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nearly his whole farm; oats, thirty acres; corn, ninety-three acres; wheat, eight acres; tame grass, fifteen acres. He has five cattle, five horses, and 200 hogs, the largest number in the township. Mr. and Mrs. Lambert and eldest daughter are members of the Bap- tist church at South Dover, they having been members for twenty- five years. Mrs. Lambert, mother of George F., came West with Mr. Lambert and lived here four years in her son's home.
James P. Lockwood, one of the honored veterans of the late war, was born of good New England blood. His father, Seth Lock- wood, whose interesting sketch appears here, and as will be seen was a native of staid old Connecticut. James P. was born in Greene County, Nov. 19, 1816, being second son of Seth and Diantha Lockwood. He lived with his parents until in his four- teenth year, when he turned to the state of manhood-" looking out for himself." Between this period and that of his coming West he followed various avocations that would bring him an honest penny. At first he worked on the Croton Water-works about New York City; then in the lumber business, and also learned the joiner's trade, working at it at different times, until his mov- ing to Floyd County, in Syracuse and Rochester for several years. He helped to build the propeller "Indian Chief," after the com- pletion of which he went up through the Welland Canal, just com- pleted, and so on to Milwaukee, Wis., in which State he remained for several years, and from which he enlisted. While on the lake the propeller struck a ledge of rocks, giving him a touch of old ocean experience-his first and last. He lived in Detroit a few weeks only ; and a year or longer in Milwaukee. He helped to build the depots along the route of the Prairie du Chien Railroad-that road, the civil engineers of which made but one important mistake, as the story went those days. When asked by the President their opinion of the road replied " that it was all right only they might have got one more curve in it as well as not." From railroad work he went to Menasha (Sweet Water), Northern Wisconsin, at the out- let of Lake Winnebago, where he was in season to help build the first frame house in that town. He also helped to build two saw- mills, dam and flumes, and ran each a year or so. His experiences in this town were not of a profitable nature, working there at the hardest kind of pioneer labor for five years, and not having scarcely money enough to get fairly out of the town with. His next residence was at Union, Wis .; from there to McGregor's Landing, where he built the dry docks; from McGregor's he moved to Racine, work-
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ing in the works of the J. I. Case Threshing Machine Company. It was while at Racine he enlisted in the Twenty-second Wisconsin Infantry, being in service two years, or nutil his health failed him. He was detailed as hospital nurse, and afterward given full charge of a hospital from that time out. These duties are always very arduous. Some incidents connected with the duties made them extremely so. For one instance among many, we relate that while at Danville, Ky., at a rumor that Gen. John Morgan's fiends were on a raid in that locality, the whole force, 15,000 strong, broke camp in search for them, leaving Mr. Lockwood for four days in sole charge of 150 sick men. This is what ruined his health; and awhile afterward he returned to Wisconsin, bringing with him all the sick he could, landing them at Chicago. After regaining his health he threw up a pension and re-enlisted in the 100 days' enlistment, going into Company F., Thirty-ninth Wisconsin Regiment, and for which he holds a certificate of the President's thanks for honorable service. After his discharge he was foreman of Racine & Missis- sippi Railroad ; from this work he moved to Pleasant Grove in 1866, where he has since resided. Mr. Lockwood is a man of good judgment, out-spoken, but of honorable intentions and purposes. He was married in Menasha, Wis., in 1847, to Eliza Atwood. She died in 1857, in Chickasaw County, Iowa, leaving four chil- dren. In 1860 Mr. Lockwood was married in Racine, Wis., to Candace M. Salisbury, a native of Delaware County, N. Y., as were also her parents, April 29, 1870. Mrs. Lockwood died in Pleasant Grove, leaving a son, two years of age-Charles Erskine, who is residing with his father.
J. C. Lockwood was born in Smithfield, Madison County, N. Y., May 15, 1828. Lived there until nine years of age, when his parents moved to Hinsdale, Cattaraugus County, N. Y. While living there he was engaged in railroading, canaling and farming. Was engaged in the civil engineer corps in the construction of the Erie Railroad, and in railroading in general for seven years on the Canada, Great Western & Detroit. Was married to Mary L. Far- well, of Hinsdale. Seven children have been born to them, five of whom are now living-Alice M., Anna Katharine, Carrie M., Edith M., and Mattie. He moved to Pleasant Grove Township in November, 1868, buying 200 acres. Mr. Lockwood is at present Justice of the Peace, and was elected County Supervisor in 1874.
Sith Lockwood, one of the oldest citizens in the county, was born in Goshen, Litchfield County, Ct., May 7, 1793. At two
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years of age his father moved to Windham, N. Y., now Lexington, Greene County. Lived there until 1820. Was married there to Diantha Thompson, the 6th day of May, 1813, who died in Madison County, July 17, 1824, leaving four children. In November, 1814, he cast his first vote for Governor; in 1817 his first vote for Presi- dent, James Monroe being the candidate. Mr. Lockwood has never missed a vote since his first of 1814. Married Hepsy Boyden, of Smithfield, Madison County, in 1825, who bore him three chil- dren; she died in 1871. From Greene County he removed to Madison, Feb. 28, 1820, living there till 1837; then moved to Hinsdale, Cattaraugus County, May 21, 1837, and lived there thirty years, removing to Floyd County in November. 1868. The children by his first wife were-Eli T., James P., George M., Sa- rah Ann; by his second wife-Mary F., J. C., and F. E. Of the four children of first wife but one is living-James P., of Pleas- ant Grove Township. In 1825 Mr. L. read law with Huntington & Palmer, of Peterborough, N. Y., for three years, and practiced until the new code of New York went into effect in 1842. He was justice of the sessions for two terms in Cattaraugus County. For reminiscences, Mr. Lockwood distinctly remembers the extraordi- nary eclipse of June 6, 1809, when for about two hours fowls went to roost. He has seen the ground and fences white with snow the 4th of July. Mr. Lockwood has always taken an active interest in the political issues of the country; voted the Democratic ticket until 1856-or the Kansas question-when, according to his views, the Democrat party receding from true Democracy, he voted the Republican ticket, when John C. Fremont was candidate. Any one being acquainted with that question will remember the cause for change.
James F. McRoberts was born in parish of Strathdon, county of Aberdeen, Scotland, Feb. 9, 1820. His parents were James and Ellen (Beattie) McRoberts, natives of same parish. Lived at home during minority, working on the farm of his mother, his father dying before he was a year old. Their family consisted of six chil- dren, James F. being the youngest. He then left for America, landing at Quebec in August, 1841. From there he went to Ham- ilton, Canada West. He lived there until the war closed, when he moved to Coffin's Grove, Masonville, Iowa; lived in town about two years, then moved to Pleasant Grove about 1868. He was married in Hamilton to Miss Sarah Allen, who died there. Their
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children are-Martha, Ann, John, Isabel, James H., David (de- ceased), Alexander and Elizabeth.
John Perry, who, without doubt, owns the largest number of acres in the township; who has the most convenient and complete set of farm buildings; who, undoubtedly, has the largest acreage of corn and small grain in this vicinity, and probably in Northern Iowa, and who earned it all by honest toil, was born in the town of Sempronius, Cayuga County, N. Y., in the year 1830. He was a son of hard-working parents, who, in their turn, transmitted their zeal for industry and enterprise to their son. His early life was spent on the farm. After his farm experience, he engaged with a canal company as canal boy, and followed this for some years. His parents moved from New York State to Cherry Valley, Winnebago County, Ill., thus giving him an early taste of frontier life. He married Miss Jane Toogood in 1852. Her parents' names are Sydney and Olive (Slade) Toogood, formerly of Tompkins County, N. Y. Mr. Toogood moved to Rockford over forty years ago, and helped to plat and also build the town. Is now a resident of Web- ster City, Iowa. Mr. Perry's parents' names are Oziras and Eliza (Merchant) Perry, now of Cherry Valley, Ill. Mr. Perry left Cherry Valley in January, 1855, with his family and household goods and all paraphernalia of an emigrant's equipment-a pair of cattle, a covered wagon, cooking utensils, etc., and a cow in train. behind. A year previous, however, he had been into Floyd County prospecting, and purchased 200 acres of what is now section 33, township 95 north, 15 west, a portion of it being a portion of sec- tion 16, township 94 north, 15 west, or what was set apart for the school lands. He had bought this land of David Dyas, yet living in Riverton, paying him about $5 per acre, and also some $4 bonus for the privilege of living in the timber, its protection seeming indespensable. We believe, however, that this price included the improvements (?) and the crops. It is certain that Mr. Dyas immediately bought Government land for $1.25, the price he had paid for this. The opinion of its being impossible to stand the bleakuess of an open prairie has long since exploded. Mr. Perry's journey here was one of old-fashioned pioneer experiences. Reaching the Mississippi River, they, by driving one ox over at a time, drawing the wagon by hand, and dragging the cow on her side, succeeded in passing safely over, the river breaking up the next morning. In Dubuque he bought provisions and started for Floyd via Independence, working the trip in three days; his wife
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staged it to Independence, then came in on the ox cart, as all other pioneer women had before. We think the first year in the log house must have been a lonely one, especially when her husband was gone a week to Independence or McGregor's Landing, for grist and provisions. Pork being $1.40 per hundred weight, wheat 50 cents per bushel, and it taking a full week to go and come, an idea of the profit in farming can be had. And these experiences have made Mr. Perry a firm believer in railroads and their advantages. Floyd County as he saw it at first, had the advantages of milling priv- ileges at least seventy-five miles distant. Charles City, styled Freeman Postoffice, had three log houses, one being used as the post- office and general store, the others, were occupied by John Blunt and Harvey Kellogg. It was the next spring that Joseph Kelley started a saw-mill. His neighbors were E. C. Wilcox, Sanford Ripley, Samuel Clark, John Porter and Hamilton Clark; these were the residents between his place and Nashua, though at that date Nashua was unknown. He lived there about eighteen years, selling to Charles Arthur, and moved to this township where, at different purchases, he has bought 960 acres, his present farm. This by no means indicates the acreage of his possessions in the county, nor of that in Dakota. When he bought his present home place there were no buildings thereon. To-day the best in the township are his. Not a house was in sight, and his good wife thought of a third pioneer experience. But it was not long before neighbors in this instance were welcomed. Mr. Perry is cropping on his home place about 800 acres: 560 of corn and about 200 acres of oats. To Mr. and Mrs. Perry have been born six children, named as follows: Edgar R., Leander O., Oscar J., George E., Carrie L., Edbert D., all being industrious, temperate and respected young men and women.
Orlando Powers, a gentleman of keen discernment and practi- cal worth in any community, and who by hard labor has to-day a fine fame with necessary requirements by which farming is made profitable, was born in La Chute, Canada, Aug. 7, 1846. He lived with his parents until about his eighteenth year when he came West and into the States. His parents' names were Orlando and Lydia (Hutchins) Powers, both natives of La Chute. Mr. Powers first came to Black Earth County, and moved from there to Iowa in 1870. Was married in 1869, to Mrs. Lucretia Angel. Their children are Edwin, Alice and Annie. His step-children are Charles and Lizzie Angel. Mr. Powers has a farm of 320 acres; is
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cropping about 125 acres, divided somewhat as follows: Sixty-five acres of oat-, twenty acres of tame gras, and the greater portion of the remainder of corn. Since the failure of wheat, he has taken the practical view of the situation, which was to raise more hay and keep more live stock, consequently he owns 110 head of cattle, ten horses and 100 hogs. We bespeak for Mr. Powers a successful future.
George Pringle was born July 3, 1853, near Detroit, Mich. His parents. William and Elizabeth Pringle, moved from there to Butler County, Ia., in 1855, and bought eighty acres of land from the Government. This was when that section was new, with but few settlers, and very few improvements. He and his brothers. Robert and James, lived at home until their mother died, when the family broke up, and he looked about for himself, moving into Pleasant Grove and working for I. P. Dean by the month. He bought eighty acres on section 28, and married Georgie A. Smith, daughter of H. W. Smith, Pleasant Grove. Their children are George N., who died in infancy, and Allen J.
David Reams, one of Pleasant Grove's most practical farmers, was born in Starr County, Ohio, June 7, 1836. His parents were George and Margaret Reams, both natives of Pennsylvania. Mr. Reams was reared on a farm, and has always been an industrious and hard-working man. He lived at home until his marriage, at the age of twenty-seven. He then moved to Fillmore County, Minn. From there he moved to Pleasant Grove Township. In 1862 he married his present wife, to whom he owes much of his present prosperous condition, she being a practical farmer in every sense of the word, and one who will always be a help-mate, a woman whose advice is sound, and who has health and strength to follow up what she advises by a willing and helping hand. Such women are not to be found in the crowded and fashionable marts, but where pluck and common sense is the capital in trade. Mrs. Reams's maiden name was Mary A. Brisco. Mr. Reams is farni- ing at present fifty-five acres upon his own land, and sixty-five acres on land adjacent.
Henry W. Smith was born in what was called No. II, in Somer- set County, Maine, Oct. 28, 1831. He was a son of William J. and Susan ( Foster) Smith, both natives of Maine. Their family consisted of five children, three boys and two girls, of which Henry A. was the eldest. He lived at home until his twenty-second year, and in his twenty-third year he purchased a farm in Sebec, Piscat- a quis County, and farmed it about four years. About this time
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he married Plooma Cushing, of Atkinson, same county, her parents being James and Nancy Cushing; their family con- sisted of nine daughters and two sons. Mr. Smith, after selling his farm in Sebec, owned several others and a mill, and in Novem- ber, 1865, came to Iowa and bought a farm of Charles Bowman, the farm he has since resided on, it being the northeast of section 28. The next June he moved his family out, consisting of wife and two children-Georgie A. and Hattie A. When he arrived it was as nature had made it. Taking it from the wild prairie, he at first built a board shanty on the center of the north lines, in which he lived two years. It was in this that the first meeting of the township was held, conducted by a man named Swan, a local preacher of Waverly, having services off and on for six months. After this, in 1867, Geo. R. Edmunds, a local preacher from Charles City, preached every two or three weeks, until School-house No. 5 was built, when the meetings were held there. It was through the efforts of Mr. Smith and a Mr. Gilman, each of them pledging $25, and raising the same amount, that Elder Lee, of the Upper Iowa Conference, in- cluded them in the Rockford work, supplying them with regular services through Rockford's preacher, Rev. Mr. Rowen. Thus to Mr. Smith we give the credit of establishing regular gospel ser- vices in Pleasant Grove Township. Mr. Smith made the first assessment in the township, being Assessor the first two years. Has held several other offices in the township. Is a member of the order of A. F. & A. M., being charter member of Alpha Lodge, of Greene. We find Mr. Smith with fine stock and a practical idea of farming. He has erected a large and commodious New England- like barn, has the best pumping-milling apparatus in the township, the well being seventy-five feet deep, and contemplates putting up a new house the coming year. His first wife died Dec. 17, 1874. He married Miss E. J. Brisco, a daughter of John Brisco (see sketch), an early pioneer, Dec. 25, 1876. To Mr. Smith we are in- debted for many facts of interest pertaining to Floyd County. He has on his home place sixty acres of corn, thirty of oats, nine of wheat, and will have about fifty tons of hay. He has fifteen cows, thirty-two young stock, eight horses and seventy-five hogs.
T. W. Waller was born Feb. 14, 1842, in Kentucky. His par- ents were Theophilus and Nancy Waller; he was the youngest of five children. His father died four months previous to his birth, and his mother and family moved to Rock County, Wis., where they lived for fifteen years. He received a common-school education 53
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and has worked on the farm all but two years; when twenty- three years of age, he tried his fortune in the silver belt of Vir- ginia City, going there mostly for his health; he gained much experience, and from there he moved to Floyd County, about 1870, bringing his mother with him, and bought one quarter of section 22. He was married in May, 1875, to Sarah J. Jackson, of Canada, and has two children-Jessie M. and Marshall W. He has in crops about thirty acres of oats, forty-five of corn and forty of wheat. Has fifty hogs, twenty-five cattle and seven horses.
Daniel B. Wood was born in Eastern Tennessee, Monroe County, March 12, 1828. He was the youngest son of Joseph and Lydia (Norman) Woods, and of a family of thirteen children. When about twelve or fourteen years old the family moved to Callaway County, Mo., living there six years, moving into Jo Daviess County, Ill. During the latter years of his minority he worked by the month for neighboring farmers. In 1853, he married Maria Chouder, of Magoffin County, Ky., buying a farm and living there till 1855, when he moved into the territory, now section 5, Pleasant Grove Township, Ia. In 1849 he went to what is now West Union, Fayette County, before Floyd had been visited by settlers, and made claim to a quarter section of land. He erected a log house in a day and a half, Hoosier style, with neither nail nor bricks, and moved in, covering the log with a canvas until he had hay for it. He lived in that two years, when the Indian war- whoop getting too near for pleasant dreams, and safety of wife and children, he with other earlier settlers moved back to Illinois, staying there through that year. He moved back in 1859 and has since been a citizen. He has seen this country grow from a prairie to the present improved State; from driving to Waverly with grist, to grinding by the modern windmill. He has ever been a hard-working citizen, and has reared a family of thirteen children, as follows: Sarah Jane and Wm. H., born in Illinois; Mary Elizabeth, Geo. W., L. Augusta, Grace Ellen, Celestia, Viola, Jessie, Norman C., Ernest J., Archibald D., and Carrie M., born in Pleasant Grove Township. The first school ever kept in the township was in his old house, he having built a frame one. It was kept by Miss Grace Davidson, of Charles City, in 1862. She had ten scholars. School was held here three or four years. The following are some of the teachers: Misses L. Conl 'e, Nellie Conlee, and Miriam K. Bliss, of Charles City. He has 158 acres of land, fifteen or twenty cattle, eight horses and thirty hogs.
RIVERTON TOWNSHIP.
ORGANIC.
It was ordered March 2, 1857, that township 94 north, range 15 west; and the east half of township 94 north, range 16, and sec- tions 25, 26, 27, 34, 35, and 36 in township 95 north, range 15 west, be detached from St. Charles Township, and made into one town- ship. Thus was formed, and christened, Riverton. On Dec. 31, 1858, sections 28 and 33, in township 95 north, of range 15, was ordered to be detached from St. Charles Township and attached to Riverton. These two sections were set back to St. Charles Town - ship, Jan. 3, 1859, but were again attached to Riverton and detached from St. Charles, Feb. 4, 1860. At the June session, 1867, of the County Board of Supervisors, in a petition from the inhabitants of congressional township 94 N., R. 16 W., the east half of said township was detached from Riverton, forming that pro- portion of what is now Pleasant Grove Township. Thus Riverton exists to-day.
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