History of Hardin county, Iowa, together with sketches of its towns, villages and townships, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens, Part 49

Author:
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Springfield IL : Union Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1002

USA > Iowa > Hardin County > History of Hardin county, Iowa, together with sketches of its towns, villages and townships, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens > Part 49

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P. J. Cowan, County Treasurer of Har- din county, was born January 24, 1846, in Stephenson county, Illinois, and is a son of John E. and Maria S. (Judson) Cowan. His father was born in New Hampshire and his mother in Connecticut. His father, when only a child, was moved to New York, where he resided until be moved

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HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.

West in 1843, when he located in Stephen- son county, Illinois, where they still reside.

The subject of this sketch received only a common-school education in the schools of his native town, attending one term at the graded school at Freeport, Ill. He was, principally, brought up on a farm, and at 17 years of age he enlisted in Com- pany F, 17th Illinois Cavalry, under Col. John L. Beveridge, and served two and one-half years, after which he was dis- charged. He then returned home, where he remained for one year. He then went to Kingston, Colwell county, Mo., where he was engaged in the Clerk's office for nine months. He then returned to Illinois, and in February, 1868, came to Hardin county, Iowa, locating at Iowa Fails, where he kept books for Pierce & Cowan one year and a half. He then engaged in the grain and agricultural business, and con- tinued in the same up to September, 1869, when he was elected to the office of County Treasurer, which office he now holds, being elected to the second term. He was mar- ried October, 1869, to Miss Eliza M. Welty. She was the daughter of Daniel and Cathe- rine (Slothwer) Welty. His family con- sists of two children-Perry C. and Lillian. In politics, he has always been a supporter of the Republican party.

COUNTY AUDITOR.

The office of County Auditor was cre- ated by the General Assembly at its session in the winter of 1867-8.

A. E. Arnold was the first Auditor of Hardin county. He was elected in the fall of 1868, and entered upon the discharge of his duties January 1, 1869. He was re- elected in 1871, and served two terms.

M. Frisbie was the successor of Mr. Arnold, and served one term.

Morris Frisbie is a native of Tioga county, Pennsylvania, where he was born in 1829, but removed, when an infant, to Canton, in Bradford county, Pa., where he remained till 1853, Mr. Frisbie learned the trade of jeweler with his father, and followed that business for ten years. He came to Iowa in 1853, and located at Cedar Falls. He came to Eldora in 1855. He was engaged in the jewelry business here for two years. In 1857 he removed to the town of Jackson, and engaged in farming. He engaged in farming and school-teaching till the fall of 1873, when he was elected County Auditor of Hardin county, and re- turned to the village, where he has since resided. Mrs. Frisbie was formerly Miss Arlette Griffin. She was born in Pennsyl- vania. Mr. and Mrs. Frisbie have six children, viz: Morris J., Fred. S., Mary A., Carrie R., Bertha R. and Sarah L. The parents of Mr. Frisbie came to Har- din county in 1864. His father died in the spring of 1874, and his mother in 1877.

D. B. Morse succeeded Mr. Frisbie, and served one term.

Stephen Whited was first elected in 1877, and re-elected in 1879 and 1881.

Stephen Whited, the present County Auditor, is a native of Michigan, having been born in Cass county, in that State, August 17, 1829. In 1855 he came to Iowa, and located in Wright county, where he remained about two years, and from whence he came to Hardin county, settling in Alden in February, 1857, and locating in that township. Much of his earlier life, after reaching manhood, Mr. Whited devoted to teaching, part of that time

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alternating farming and teaching in sum- mer and winter. He has taught many terms in Hardin county, and was principal of the Alden school when the graded sys- tem was adopted in that town. In 1877 he received the Republican nomination for County Auditor, to which position he was elected, and re-elected in 1879 and 1881. He is a thoroughly competent and popular officer, a cultured and intelligent man. When first elected County Auditor, he gave the books of the office a thorough examination, together with the receipts and vouchers on file, and in so doing dis- covered the defalcation of his predecessor. In so doing he received the thanks of the whole people of Hardin county.

Mrs. Whited was formerly Helen M. Pritchard, born in the State of New York, but reared in Michigan, to which State her parents removed when she was but a small child. Mr. and Mrs. Whited are the parents of five children-Alice, born in 1854; Willie, born in 1858; Harry L., Myra E. and Bertha. Their two oldest children are graduates of the Agricultural College at Ames, Iowa. Willie is a ma- chinist, and resides in New York City.

SHERIFFS.

Thomas Bennett, an early settler of Pleasant township, was the first Sheriff of Hardin county. He was re-elected in 1855, but resigned in about one year.

Henry Fiddler, on the resignation of Mr. Bennett, in 1856, was elected to fill the vacancy, and was re-elected in 1857, and served until 1859.

Henry Fiddler a native of Pennsylvania, was born on the 23d day of November,

1823. · His parents were Abraham and Susan (Keller) Fiddler:

In 1838 the family removed to Richland county, Ohio, where, in 1846, Henry Fid- dler married Francis George, daughter of Jacob George, and with the George family, in 1853, came to Iowa, stopping for the winter in Muscatine county.

On the 1st day of March, 1854, Mr. Fid- dler started with his family for Hardin county, and on the the 11th inst. located \ on section 29, Hardin Township, which land had been entered by Jacob George. March 24th he started for DesMoines to pre-empt 120 acres of land on section [29. He only had one dollar in money, and this was just enough to pay the fee at the land office, he therefore subsisted on the charity of the pioneer settlers along his route. But on his return trip, he had three pas- sengers who paid him one dollar and fifty cents each, and paid his expenses, and he therefore felt himself in good financial circumstances when he returned home. Mr. Fiddler then improved his land, and in 1855 resumed his trade-that of carpen- ter-and continued the same at Eldora, where he erected the third frame dwelling in that place. At the election of 1856 he was elected Sheriff of the county, and served in that capacity for four years. In 1859 he took the first prisoner, Eli Osbourn (who was convicted for stealing bacon), to Ft. Madison. The trip required one month, which was a sixth part of the length of the sentence.

In 1856 when J. F. Brown and Robt. Porter were arrested for an attempt on the life of Mr. Marryweather, Sheriff Fiddler took them to DesMoines, at which place was the nearest jail, and in August of the

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HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.

same year he took another prisoner, Wm. P. Richardson, to the same place. He being arrested for stealing four hundred dollars at Hazel Green. Thus it can be seen that Mr. Fiddler is a conspicuous character in the pioneer history of Hardin county. He now resides on the 120 acres of land which caused his trip to DesMoines, and his home is supplied with all the necessaries of the best farm life.

Of the ten children, eight are now living; Jonathan, William, Jacob Y. and Mattie A., now Mrs. Jonas Simpson; Mary S., now Mrs. T. J. Belknap, Eldora E., Walter and Frances.

J. G. Yearick was elected to succeed Mr. Fiddler, and served eight years. He made a very good officer. After the ex- piration of his term, he left the county, and died in September, 1882.

Nelson Gibbs was the successor of Mr. Yearick. He was first elected in 1867, and was twice re-elected, serving three terms or six years.

Allen E. Webb was elected Sheriff in 1873, and served one term. He made an efficient and popular officer. Allen E. Webb was born in Hamilton county, Ohio, March 15, 1837. He removed with his parents to Michigan, and in 1852 to Bloom- ington, Illinois. On the 23d day of Sep- tember, 1853, he arrived at Eldora, and for twenty years followed the Mason's trade. After serving his term in the Sheriff's office, he embarked in the agri- cultural implement and lumber trade at Eldora, and subsequently in the hardware- trade. In 1880, in company with J. M. Christy, he opened a hardware store at Hubbard. In January, 1881, he formed a partership with J. S. Hadley, and is at

present a member of the firm of Hadley & Webb, hardware dealers, of Hubbard. In 1861 he enlisted in Company A. 12th Iowa Infantry, as a private; was elected Lieutenant by the Company on its organi- zation, and was promoted Captain at the battle of Shiloh. He was wounded at the battle of Corinth, October, 1862, and was honorably discharged at Washington, D. C., May 22, 1863. In 1868 he was mar- ried to Miss H. E. Bailey, a native of Ohio, by whom he has had eight children, six of whom are now living. He was an excellent soldier, and an excellent civil officer.

J. M. Boyd was elected to succeed Mr. Webb. He was re-elected in 1877 and in 1879, and served until January, 1882.

W. V. Wilcox was elected in the fall of 1881, and is the present Sheriff.

William Vance Wilcox was born in Franklin county, Ohio, December, 1846 .. His father is Edmond Wilcox, born in the State of New York, but went to Ohio at an early age, and came to Iowa with his family in the spring of 1854, and located in Big Grove Township, Johnston county, where he bought a hotelknown as the Half- Way House, which was the stage station between Iowa City and Cedar Rapids; and at the same time was engaged in farming and the stock business. He sold out in 1865, and removed to Iowa City. He now resides in Eldora.

Sheriff Wilcox came to Eldora in 1868. He served in the army during the rebel- lion, enlisting August, 1863, in the 8th lowa Cavalry, and served till the close of the war. On coming here in 1868, he engaged as clerk for Mr. J. C. Moorman, with whom he continued one year. He

.6. Moir.

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HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.

then engaged in a general mercantile busi- ness, in the firm name of C. Wilcox & Sons; continued in the mercantile business and grain trade for several years. He then engaged in the insurance business, which he followed until he was elected Sheriff in the fall of 1879, and again in the fall of 1881. Mr. Wilcox is an active, energetic business man, and is not disheartened by reverses, of which he has not been al- together exempt. He also makes a popu- lar and efficient Sheriff. His wife was Mrs. Frank Reed, formerly Miss Annie E. Parks.

They have four children, three daughters and an adopted son.

SURVEYORS.

John Shepherd was the first Surveyor of Hardin county. He served until 1856, when he resigned the office.

John Shepherd, the first Surveyor of Hardin county, is a Kentuckian by birth, first seeing the light of day in Brecken- ridge county, in that State, on the 25th day of November, 1802. His parents, John and Lucretia (Patterson) Shepherd, were both natives of Kentucky. Mr. Shepherd died when John was a small boy, and his mother married James Jones, and removed to Indiana, where she subsequently died. John left Kentucky in 1827, when he was twenty-five years of age, and went to Indi- ana, where he remained a short time, and then went to the lead mines in Wisconsin, near Galena, Illinois. In July, 1831, he married Tennessee Macomas, who was born in Lawrence county, Ohio, November 14, 1817. By this union there were nine children, five of whom are living-Ben- jamin, Lydia, Jane, Mary and Juliet. In

the fall of 1851 Mr. Shepherd brought his family to Hardin county, where he bought a claim on section 7, Union township, where he resided until 1875, when he re- moved to the town of Union, where he now resides. At the first election, in March, 1853, he was elected County Surveyor, and re-elected at the expiration of his term, serving two terms. The first cabin erected by Mr. Shepherd was of logs, with greased paper for window-lights, and was fourteen feet square. Here lived his family of seven, and often did they entertain travelers who desired a night's lodging, making beds upon the floor for as many as could not be accommodated upon the bedsteads. His was truly a pioneer life, and honors heaped upon him and those who toiled with him in the early days are worthily bestowed. In politics Mr. Shepherd was originally an old line Whig, but on the formation of the Republican party he cast his lot with it, and has since affiliated with it. Mr. and Mrs. Shepherd are both members of the Chris- tian Church, and live honorable and con- sistent Christian lives. They have lived to celebrate their golden wedding, and see the rich fruits of their labor spread out all around them.

George P. Griffith was elected to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Mr. Shepherd, and served one year. Mr. Grif- fith was an early settler of Hardin town- ship, and taught the first school in that township. He subsequently moved to Cerro Gordo county, and was elected County Superintendent of that county. Returning to Hardin county he located at Iowa Falls, where he engaged in the hard- ware trade. He died some years ago.

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HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.

J. Allen Spencer, born in Madison county, Vermont, Jan. 13, 1834, son of Nathaniel and Esther (Brown) Spencer. Here he received a liberal education, having at- tended an Academy in his native town.

In 1853 he came West, spending the winter in Bureau and DeKalb counties, Illinois. During the summer of 1854 he made a trip through the West, and spent that winter in Vermont. In the spring of 1855 he came to Fort Dodge, remaining there until he came to Alden in the spring of 1857, having previously located a farm on section 30, which he began to improve He afterward ran the "Spencer " House at the village. Mr. Spencer in addition to the office of County Surveyor has also been Assessor of the township a number of times. He has taken an active part in the advancement of the village of Alden, and took an active part in locating the first mail route through that place. He was married in November, 1861, to Fidelia Rogers, daughter of Jesse Rogers, of this place. They have eight children living: Frederick LeRoy, Nathaniel, Esther, Fanny E., Bertha Fidelia, Joseph Allen, Dora Agnes and Walter.

Joseph L. Barnum succeeded Mr. Spen- cer, and served one year.

George P. Griffith was then elected for the second time, and served one term.

Eleazer Andrews was elected in 1863, and was re-elected in 1865, and served two terms.

Judd Bradley was the successor of Mr. Andrews, and served one term.

J. S. Schreiber was elected in 1869, but resigned after one year's service.

C. W. Scott was elected to fill out the unexpired term of Mr. Schreiber; was re- elected in 1871, and served until 1873.

L. S. McCoy was then elected, and served one term.

G. M. Hunt succeeded Mr. McCoy in 1875, and served one term.

E. P. Stubbs was the successor of Mr. Hunt. He was first elected in 1877, and re-elected in 1879 without opposition, and served two terms.

W. A. P. Eberhart was elected as the successor of Mr. Stubbs, and is the present incumbent of the office.

Rev. W. A. P. Eberhart was born in Beaver, Beaver county, Pa., April 17, 1819. He is the grandson of John and Catherine (Mercer) Eberhart, who were, respectively, son of the Duke of Wertemberg, and daughter of the Duke of Hesse Castle. His parents were John and Sarah (Power) Eberhart, his mother being a daughter of Gen. Samuel Power, of Beaver county, Pa., who was a member of the State Senate of Pennsylvania, for seventeen successive terms. There was a family of five chil- dren. The subject of this memoir, who in early life was educated in the schools of Beaver county, when twelve years of age, was apprenticed to a tailor, where he served for over four years, buying his last year for $50. When seventeen years old, he attended the academy in Beaver, where he fitted himself for civil engineering, re- maining about eighteen months. He was then employed on the P. P. & E. R. R., where he took his initiatory step. This was the first or experimental survey of the road, this being in 1838-39. In 1840-41, he figured on the Erie extension canal.

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HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.

In 1841-42, he taught school in Phillips- burg. On April 11, 1843, he was married in Steubenville, Ohio, to Miss Mary Brown- lee, a daughter of Jas. Brownlee, of Ohio. She was born in Wellsburg, Va., January 11, 1823. By this union there was one child. In the fall of 1843, went to Mercer county, Pa., where he embarked in the mercantile business with his brother. In 1847 he received an appointment under Edward Miller, assistant chief engineer of the Pa. Cent. R. R. of the Western Divi- sion, extending from Altoona to Pitts- burg, Mr. Eberhart helping to lay out the great "Horseshoe Bend." In the fall of 1848 he was elected City Surveyor and · Engineer of Alleghany City, Pa., which position he held for five and a half years. In 1853 he was appointed assistant engineer on the Northern Central Pennsylvaia Rail- road, the work being suspended in the spring of 1854. Afterward he was a'con- tractor on the C. & M. R. R., where he was successful, making $10,000, which he soon after lost in another undertaking. In the spring he was called back to the N. C. R. R. to take charge of that division, re- maining there until the following fall, when he was employed on the P. & E. R. R., when he completed a division of the same. In 1859 he became a member of the Erie conference, and while on his first circuit, buried his wife. January 3, 1860, he again married Harriet Mason. By this union there were six children, viz: Albert G., Wm. M., Frederick W., Justin A. and Henry P. In 1861-62 he was chaplain of the 1st Pennsylvania Artillery Reserve 'Corps. In 1871 he came to But- ler county, Iowa. In 1873 he came to Union, where he has since remained. In

1881 he was elected to the office of County Surveyor. Mrs. Eberhart died Novem- ber 10, 1881.

CORONERS.

James W. Miller was the first Coroner of Hardin county, and served until the fall of 1854.

Joshua Ball succeeded Mr. Miller, and served until 1857.

Richard Lynn was elected in 1857, and served one term, or two years.

O. B. Arnold was the successor of Mr. Lynn, and served one term.

Alpheus Rowley came next, and served one term.

George Pattee succeeded Mr. Rowley, and served one term.

S. B. Cunningham was the next incum- bent of the office, and served one term.

S. P. Smith was elected in 1867, and had the honor of a re-election in 1869, but resigned before the completion of his sec- ond term.

Luther Nott was elected in 1870 to fill out the unexpired term of Mr. Smith.

A. B. Harris succeeded Mr. Nott, and served one term.

M. J. Upright was the successor of Mr. Harris, and discharged the duties of the office in such a satisfactory manner that he was re-elected in 1875. Like Mr. Smith, he failed to serve out his second term.

H. E. Hollinger was elected to fill out Mr. Upright's second term.

Mr. J. Upright was again nominated in 1877, and, being an upright man, he was again elected, and served until 1879.

F. J. Kallmerten succeeded Mr. Upright in 1879, and was elected his own successor in 1881, and still serves in the office.

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HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.

COUNTY PROSECUTING ATTORNEYS.

When Hardin county was organized there was not a member of the legal fra- ternity living within her border, so the citizens were compelled to go outside of that profession for a Prosecuting Attor- ney.

Winthrop B. Dyer, a physician, who had lately settled in Jackson township,-a man of a great deal of natural and acquired

ability-was placed in nomination at the spring election of 1854, and duly elected. -

J. D. Thompson came to the county in 1854, and in the fall was elected to the office and duly qualified. He served two years.

Henry L. Huff was Mr. Thompson's successor, and served until the office was abolished by law.

CHAPTER XII.

COUNTY SEAT CONTESTS.

One of the most exciting events in the history of the various counties, not only in this State, but throughout the Nation, is that for the retention or posession of the county seat. Next to having the State capital, the posession of the county seat is considered the great desideratum. There is something peculiarly fascinating about legislative halls and courts of justice, and that town which secures one or the other is considered doubly fortunate, and thrice fortunate if it secures both. The shire town of a county is considered the hub of the county, the center of the system, around which all other towns in the county must necessarily revolve. It is not only the seat of justice, but it must necessarily be a great trading mart, and the boarding- house keeper's paradise. These being consid-

ered the facts in the case, it is not to be wondered that Hardin county should have the same trouble with reference to its county seat as other counties.

Eldora was selected as the county seat in 1853 by commissioners appointed for that purpose. At that time there was not a house on the present town plat. Settle- ments had been made along the river from Union to Iowa Falls, and Eldora was cen- trally located between the settlements. While other parts of the county had to submit to the inevitable, it must not be thought they surrendered any of their rights by acquiescing in the choice of the commissioners. They. would only bide their time, and at a convenient season they would submit to the arbitration of the people the question as to their rights in the

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case, and ask the good people to vote for a change.

Steamboat Rock was the first town in the county to submit its claims to the people as the popular place for the county seat. Its advocates worked cheerfully and willingly to the end that it might secure a majority of the popular vote. But their efforts were without avail. At the elec- tion held in April, 1856, the question was submitted, resulting in a vote of 452 for Eldora and 100 for Steamboat Rock. Thus ended the claims of Steamboat Rock.

In February, 1857, a petition was circu- lated, and 514 signatures secured, request- ing the County Judge to order an election for the removal of the county seat to Ber- lin. The prayer of the petition was granted, and at the April election a vote was taken, resulting in favor of Eldora.

Point Pleasant was the next aspirant for the county seat, and this contest was the most exciting one probably, and required a longer time for its settlement than that of any contest in any other county in the State.

A thorough canvass of the county was made, prior to the election, by both the friends of Point Pleasant and Eldora. Every township and every school district was visited, and arrangements made to call out a full vote. The election was held, and on the first Monday in April, 1858, a can- vass of the vote was made by the board of canvassers, consisting of John W. Jones, County Judge, and Ellis Parker and Joseph Edgington, Justices of the Peace. The Board announced the result to be 540 for Point Pleasant and 521 for Eldora, thus giving the former a majority of nine- teen.

In the same month, and before any re- moval, application was made to the Dis- trict Court, after ten days' notice, by and upon the relation of John Alderson, for a writ of alternative mandamus to compel the board of canvassers to re-canvass the votes cast at the election for the re-loca- tion of the county seat, and reject a certain alleged mutilated and spurious return, which had been allowed by them, and canvassed as the return and poll -book from Pleasant Township. Isaac S. Moore and others, representing Pleasant Town- ship, were in court at the time of the appli- cation, and by their attorney made oral objection to the issuance of the writ. The Court awarded the alternative writ of mandamus, which was served on the board of canvassers.

Upon the service of the alternative writ, the Board convened and obeyed the same by making a re-canvass of the votes, reject- ing the alleged spurious poll book from Pleasant Township, declaring the results to be, that Eldora had 520 votes and Point Pleasant 440, and that Eldora was the county seat, and made their return to the writ that they had obeyed the same.

The counsel for Moore and others, resis- ted the discharge of the defendants in the writ, but the Court adjudged the return sufficient, and discharged the Board of Canvasseis. One or two days after the discharge of the Board of Canvassers, Isaac S. Moore made his affidavit of the facts, as he claimed them, in relation to the election and returns from Pleasant Town- ship, and asked that the affidavit be taken as an answer to the alternative writ, and that the former return by the Board of Canvassers be set aside, and the proceed-

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HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.

ings under it declared null. By some oversight this affidavit was not marked filed, nor was any entry made upon the record in relation to it. The Court refused the prayer of the affidavit, and afterwards made a memorandum of it upon the Judge's docket.

A day or two after the affidavit was filed, and at the same term of court, John Van- Houton, for himself and others, presented to the Court an application, setting up the election, etc., for an alternative writ of mandamus against the County Judge, to require him to remove the county offices, books, papers, etc., to Point Pleasant. By advice of his Attorney, James M. Wood, to this writ the County Judge returned that, pursuant to a mandate of the Court in an alternative writ of mandamus, a re-canvass had been made, and Eldora was declared to be, and was, the county seat, and hence he should not be required to remove the books and papers, as the law was plain and positive that the county offices should be kept at the county seat. To this answer of the County Judge, the plaintiff's attorney, H. C. Henderson, took exceptions, the exceptions being over- ruled by the District Court, and judgment was rendered for the defendant-the County Judge. From this judgment Van- Houton. appealed to the Supreme Court, and the decision of the District Court was reversed.

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History of Hardin county, Iowa, together with sketches of its towns, villages and townships, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens, Part 49

Author: Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Springfield IL : Union Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 1002

Author:
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Springfield IL : Union Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1002