USA > Iowa > Harrison County > History of Harrison County, Iowa. Containing full-page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county. Together with portraits and biographies of all the governors of Iowa, and of the presidents of the United States > Part 104
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Company E, of the Thirteenth Iowa In- fantry, and served in the Army of the Tennessee under Gen. "Pap" Thomas in his campaign with Hood. From about the last of November until December 19, when Hood commenced to retreat, and for the next month they were trying to cut Hood off. They finally returned to Nashville, Tenn., and there took boat for Jeffersonville, Ind., from which point they were conveyed by train to Cincin- nati; remained over night and on to Ohio to Pittsburg, from there to Annapolis, Md., where they took the transport "Ar- gyle" to Moorhead, N. C., arriving at that point February 8, 1865, and marched from there to Newbern, N. C., where where tkey remained a month, thence to Wise's Forks, where they had an engage- ment, after which they went Kingston, and from there to Goldsboro, and joined Gen. Sherman's command. On the re- turn "march from the sea" they went to Greensboro, where Johnson surrendered without an engagement. From this. point they came to Raleigh and went into camp,remained three weeks, tlien marched to Richmond, and thence to Washington, D. C., and took part in the greatest mili- tary reunion the world has ever wit- nessed-the Grand Review. After about a week's sojourn in Washington, our sub- ject, with his company, went to Louis- ville, Ky., where they remained until they they were mustered out of service, July 28, 1865, and then went to Davenport, Iowa, where he received his final dis- charge August 28, 1865, and on Septem- ber 20 reached Harrison County, and at once engaged in farming.
He was married to Miss Carrie M. Ack- ley April 10, 1866, by whom six children -Eliza M., Herbert A., Jesse W., Eva P., Amy M. and Lewellyn R. Eva P.
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and Lewellyn R. are deceased. Carrie M. (Ackley) Burkholder died April 17, 1889. She was born in Alleghany County, N. Y., August 11, 1839, where she re- mained until May, 1865, at which time she came to Harrison County, Iowa, for the purpose of teaching school. Eliza M., daughter of our subject, was united in marriage with William Yager, now a resi- dent of Douglas Township.
Mr. Burkholder affiliates with the Inde- pendent party, and is a member of Eaton Post, No. 86, G. A. R., at Woodbine.
In considering this man's checkered and eventful life, his army record and other sacrifices made and then reflect that he is but one of the vast army of men who went forth in defense of liberty and the union of States, and by whose bravery and endurance our present "Land of the Free and Home of the Brave" has an existence, we are led to conclude that his has not been an aimless life.
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P ETER CROGHAN, who is a resi- dent of section 25, Douglas Town- ship, came to Harrison County in fall of 1873, in company with his parents, who settled in the same town- ship in which our subject now resides, and will form the subject of this biographical notice.
He was born in Ireland, but came to America when three years of age. His parents landed in New York Harbor, and from there went to Mississippi and lived about the same length of time. His father was a blacksmith by trade, and went from Mississippi to Illinois, where he worked at his trade three years, and then came to Clinton County, Iowa, where he farmed
prior to coming to Harrison County. His name was Owen Croghan, and he married Mary Tiernan, who was also a native of Ireland.
Our subject was married July 4, 1881, to Eliza Hawn, daughter of William H. and Catherine Hawn, natives of Canada, who had a family of eight children, of whom our subject's wife was the third child. They were named as follows: Peter Mc- Ginn, Simeon, Eliza E., John H., Will- iam, Mary, James P. and S. Anna.
In our subject's father's family there were ten children : Catherine, Peter, Mar- garet, Celia, John, Luke, Maria, Owen, Thomas and Delia. Mr. and Mrs. Cro- ghan are the parents of three children- Delia V., Francis O. and Willie T.
Our subject is a member of the Roman Catholic Church, and votes the Demo- cratic ticket, rejoicing in the present vic- tory. He remained at home until nearly twenty-four years of age, when he re- ceived from his father a good team and wagon and forty acres of land upon which the first payment had been made; the same was railroad land. July 22, 1881 he removed to his own farm, where he has made many improvements. During the past two years he has erected a good barn and an addition to his house. His build- ings are surrounded by a fine grove of four acres planted out by his own hands. He now owns three hundred acres of land and stock enough on hand if sold, to pay all his indebtedness.
Concerning some of the members of this family it may be added that Peter McGinn is Mrs. Hawn's son by a former marriage to James McGinn,now deceased. He died when Peter was one year of age. Peter now has a wife and five sons, and resides near Defiance, Shelby County, Iowa, where he owns a fine farm-home.
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Peter Kieffer, a young man worthy of note, has been employed by Mr. Croghan since August, 1888, and in March, 1892 will begin farming for himself. He will be of age in February, 1892. He was left an orphan, the father died when he was six years old, and the mother when he was eight. They left three sons-Matt, Peter and Nick, who will share in a farm in Keokuk County when the youngest son is of age.
W ILLIAM HUSTON BRANSON, a representative farmer of St. John's Township, came to Harrison County, with the vanguard of civiliza- tion, arriving in October, 1853, in com- pany with three others: John Latham John Mostiller and Harvey Mostiller. They came with horse team and covered wagon, and one single horse, with no other companions, save their guns, which they bought in Terre Haute, Ind. ; they started West with the object of hunting. Janu- ary 1, 1854, Mr. Branson in company with Peter Deal, started back to Indiana, re- turning to Iowa the following March, and shortly after his arrival here bought forty acres of land in Calhoun Township, with a land warrant, and later purchased eighty acres on section 6, of St. John's Township. During the summer of. 1854, our subject was unable to accomplish much on oc- count of sickness. The following season he worked by the month. During the winter of 1855-56 he worked for Andrew Cox.
March 2, 1856, marked a new era in this pioneer's life, for it was upon that day that he married Nancy Case, a native of In- diana, the ceremony being performed by
H. B. Cox. Mrs. Branson was born April 17, 1839, and was the daughter of John and Sarah Case. The father was born July 15, 1798, and the mother October 20, 1800. The summer after our subject's marriage, he worked the Jewell farm at Harris Grove, and the next season worked land belonging to Henry Reel, Jr. In the fall of 1857, he traded with Joseph Moss and got his present farm, moving to the place in February, 1858. The original tract comprised forty acres, to which he has added, until he has two hundred acres.
Our subject was born in Parke County, Ind., May 23, 1831, and is the son of Jon- athan and Melinda (Moore) Branson. The father was a native of Tennessee, born February 23, 1802, and came West about 1860 and settled in Pottawattamie County, where he died in 1882. The mother of our subject was born in Kentucky, and died in Indiana. They reared a family of ten chil- dren, four sons and six daughters, our sub- ject being the eldest. His education was acquired at the district schools, common to the Hoosier State at that day, and he remained at home until coming to Harri- son County. His father always followed farming for a livelihood, and trained his sons to be successful tillers of the soil.
Our subject met with the first great loss of his life-time March 17, 1884, when his wife passed from earth. They were the parents of twelve children: Sarah M., born May 17, 1857; Samantha, December 28, 1858; Isaialı Jacob, May 5, 1861; Jona- than, born January 23, 1863, (deceased) ; William H. born December 17, 1864; Jesse September 11, 1866, (deceased) ; John G., born August 22, 1868; James M., August 17, 1870; Nancy J. August 8, 1872; Viola, January 6, 1874, (deceased) ; Marian L., born April 18, 1876, (deceased) ; Melvin M., born January 7, 1878, (deceased).
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Politically, our subject affiliates with the Democratic party, and he has always sought to work for the best interests of Harrison County, which has been his home for the last thirty-eight years, dur- ing which time he has always had "plenty and to spare," with the exception of times of sickness.
Among the early incidents this pioneer relates to the historian, is that how the day after he arrived in Harrison County, he was chosen to help drive the thieving Indians away from the settlement, as they had been taking the liberty of digging the settlers' potatoes and appropriating their swine to their own use. Suffice to say the work was done effectually, and without bloodshed. Mr. Branson also speaks of the great abundance of game he found upon his arrival in the county. He being a "good shot," many a nimble-footed deer ebbed its life away at the crack of his rifle.
AMUEL MEFFERD, a resident of section 30, Douglas Township, was born in Muhlenburg County, Ky., October 8, 1842, and when a child moved with his parents to Butler County, the same State, where they remained until 1850. In the spring of that year the family started with ox-teams for the West. They first halted in Pottawattamie Coun- ty, Iowa, where they remained one month and then located in Jefferson Township, Harrison County. In 1853 they left that place and moved to their present home on section 30, of Douglas Township. When they moved to the township but few settlers had taken up land; one or two families had made a short residence,
but soon went on to Utah. There was a cabin on the land taken by his father. He built another log house, which has since been weather-boarded and is still used as a residence.
MMON FRY. This gentleman was numbered among the pioneer band, who wended their way to Harrison County in 1853, and here sought out a home in a land undeveloped and wild. He accompanied his parents and settled on section 30, of Boyer Township, in the lower part of Bigler's Grove, where he remained until the fall of 1855, and then bought a tract of land on section 7, Jefferson Township, where he improved and lived upon until the autumn of 1866, when he bought his father's farm, where he now lives. Upon coming to the coun- try, his father pre-empted this one hun- dred and sixty acres, and held it until July, 1855, when he entered the same, as it had not then come into market. At that time there were but five families in Boyer Township, west of the Boyer River: David Fry and family; John Mc- Intire and family, and John Holeton and his family came in at the same time of Mr. Fry's settlement, all taking land in Boyer Township. Mr. McIntire moved to Monona County; Mr. Holeton died in Magnolia Township, and David Fry died November 11, 1875, in Boyer Township, at the age of seventy-six years.
Our subject has added to his farm until it now contains an area of two hundred and forty-nine acres.
He was born in Greene County, Ind., August 13, 1834,, and three years later his parents removed to Missouri, lived two
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years and returned to Illinois and there remained until 1840, at which time they came to Lee County, Iowa, lived there eight years and removed to Appanoose County, and lived until 1850, during which year they moved to Mills County, lived three years and came to Harrison County.
Mr. Fry was married January 22, 1864, to Mary A. Mckenzie, of Crawford County, by whom eleven children have been born -William U., Mary 10, 1865; Isabel, Au- gust 7, 1866; Nora and Dora, (twins) January 13, 1868; Minnie I., July 24, 1869; Lillie, July 20, 1871; Anna, May 10, 1873; Joseph, May 9, 1874; Bert E., March 6, 1875; Edgar C., March 14, 1877; Fred A., August 13, 1878.
The following are deceased - Nora, June, 1869; Dora, March 18, 1868; Will- iam U., October 2, 1865; Anna, May 10, 1873; Joseph, May 9, 1874 and Millie, September, 1873.
Mrs. Mary A. (Mckenzie) Fry was born in Birmingham, England, November 9, 1841; her father died in England, before which her mother and the family came to the United States, arriving in April, 1851, coming directly to St. Louis, where the mother died July 4, 1851. The remainder of the family stayed there until 1855, and then went to Crawford County, Iowa, where Mrs. Fry made her home until the date of her marriage. Her parents were Alexander and Mary (Boaden) Mckenzie, who was the youngest of a family of nine children. The father was born in Scot- land, in 1813, and died in England, in 1863.
David Fry, father of our subject, was born in Rowan County, N. C., October 27, 1799, and left there in 1822, coming to Greene County, Ind., where he remained until 1837. His wife, the mother of our subject, Dorothy (Stewart) Fry, was born
in Kentucky, August 29, 1800, and her parents removed to Greene County, Ind., about 1822. She was the mother of ten children, Ammon of whom we write being the sixth child. David Fry was always on the frontier, coming to Indiana when it was yet a wilderness, and to Missouri and Iowa, when there was but little settle- ment made. He was very fond of hunt- ing and found plenty of sport in that direction, in all of these new counties, in- cluding Harrison County, Iowa.
Ammon and his brother, Joseph, sawed lumber for the first house in Magnolia, executing the same with a whip-saw.
Politically, Mr. Fry votes with the Democratic party, and is a member of the Latter Day Saints Church.
ONATHAN HOLETON, a resident of section 8, in Boyer Township, was born in Muskingum County, Ohio, November 4, 1850, and when he was one year old, his parents removed to Illinois, and remained there until 1852, then went to Iowa City, Iowa, then the Capitol of the State. But three years later they removed to Harrison County, arriving in Boyer Township in the autumn of 1855.
Our subject remained at home until 1870, when he bought a farm on section 8, which was wild land, upon which he built a log house 14x16 feet, to which he added a frame 10x16 feet in 1876, and another addition in 1884; this building served un- til 1888, when he built the house he now occupies, the same being 16x30 feet, in one part, and 14x16 feet in another part, and an addition 10x20 feet, the main build- ing being two stories high. He erected a
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barn in 1886, 16x32 feet. He has added to his original farm, which consisted of forty acres, until he now has a half-section, and ten acres of timber.
Our subject was married November 24, 1870, to Miss Isabel Thompson, who was born in Boyer Township, April 13, 1853, and remained with her parents until the time of her marriage. By this marriage nine children have come to bless their home: Thomas, born in 1871; Grace E. in 1873; Mahlon in 1874; Agnes in 1876; Olive in 1878; Charles W. in 1880; Jona- than R. in 1882; Hannah E. in 1884; and Harry H. in 1890. Thomas and Mah- lon are deceased. The former died Au- gust 26, 1871, and the latter January 11, 1876.
Politically our subject adheres to the principles of the Republican party, and in his religious convictions he is in sympathy with the Methodist Episcopal Church.
RANKLIN P. FEIGLEY, livery- man at Logan, came to Harrison County, and engaged in the livery business.
He is from the Buckeye State, born in Perry County, Ohio, December 16, 1854, and is the son of Samuel and Lydia (Col- born) Feigley, who had five children, our subject being the fourth. The children were as follows-John C., David T., James D., Franklin P., Lydia A.
Our subject remained in Ohio with his parents until he was seventeen years of age, and then went to McDonough County, Ill., where he worked by the month at farming, following this for twelve years, then came to Harrison County.
The site of his livery stable is what is
known as the Lusk House livery barn, where he carries a stock of buggies, and keeps horses enough to supply the demand for livery in and about Logan.
Our subject is a single man, and a mem- ber of Chrysolite Lodge No. 170, A. F. & A. M., at Logan, Iowa.
Our subject's father was a native of Pennsylvania, and of German descent. During his early years he was engaged in the produce and commission business in Cincinnati, which he followed for about twenty years, after which he removed to Perry County, Ohio, where he still resides. For many years he followed carpentering, but is now living a retired life. His wife, the mother of our subject, is a native of Maryland. Her father was John Colborn, who was an early settler in that section.
ANIEL A. STEWART, a farmer living on section 8, Magnolia Town- ship, came to Harrison County, August 23 1871, and worked by the month on a farm, for about two years, after which his father's family came to the county, and he worked at home for the next ten years, when he bought one hundred and sixty acres of land, upon which he now lives. It was wild land at the time he purchased it, but he has im- proved it and is now in possession of a beautiful home. He built a story and a half frame house, 16x24 feet, and a barn in the fall of 1890, with sheds, outbuild- ings, etc. He now has under cultivation about seventy acres, while the balance is in pasture and meadow land. His present farm consists of two hundred and forty acres.
Our subject came from the Buckeye
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State, was born in Washington County, Ohio, April 22, 1853, and remained with his parents until he came to Harrison County, Iowa, where he was married No- vember 12, 1883, to Miss Matilda Morrow, by which marriage union five children were born : Marie, Joseph, Francis, Jane, and Hugh. Matilda (Morrow) Stewart was born in Harrison County, Iowa, Christmas Day, 1856, and remained with her parents until the date of her marriage.
The father of our subject, Hugh Stew- art, was born in the county of Antrim, Ireland, in 1816, and when a boy came to Pennsylvania, and from there to Wash- ington County, Ohio, and in the spring of 1861 went to Indiana, where he remained until the spring of 1872, and then came to Harrison County, Iowa, and laid down life's burdens, October 13, 1889. His wife, whose maiden name was Ann McBride, was also a native of Ireland, and is still a resident of this county. They were the parents of ten children, Daniel being the fourth child. They lived, as they died, consistent members of the Roman Catho- lic Church, of which our subject and his wife are also members.
R OGER WOLCOTT deceased), came to Harrison County in October, 1859, driving a team through from Lafay- ette County, Wis. He located on section 30, St. John's Township, where he took up a claim, built a small house in which he lived until September, 1860, when a new residence was built. At the time of his death he owned five hundred acres of land. He was born May 14, 1827, in Cobourg, Upper Canada, and came to Kane County, Ill., in 1840, locating in St. |
Charles, where he worked at the carpen- ter's trade with his father, and also farmed. He remained there until 1854, and then removed to Wisconsin, where he bought a small farm. He was married in August, 1853, at Elgin, Ill., to Zrina Cole, daugh- ter of Ethan and Lucretia (Gilson) Cole, by whom five children were born: Asa, Ethan, Albert, Roger, Mary Ellen.
Our subject and his wife were both members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Politically, Mr. Wolcott was a Republican. He passed from the scenes of this life June 8, 1884.
P REDERICK SCHWERTLEY has been a resident of Harrison County since June 1857, when he located a mile and a half north of the village of Magnolia, but at present is a successful farmer of section 24, Calhoun Township. The following is a brief review of his life, with what he has encountered and achieved :
He was born April 28, 1828, in Wurtem- burg, Germany, and is a son of Conrad and Margaret (Schmidt> Schwertley. He is the youngest of a family of sixteen children, of whom four are now living, and he being the only one in this country. The father died in Germany, April 6, 1858, aged sixty-eight years. The mother died in Germany, at the age of ninety-three years, in 1886. Believing that the New World afforded a better field of labor for the poor man than the old and densely populated German Empire, our . subject sailed for America, landing in New York, January 10, 1853. From the time he was old enough, in the old country, he fol- lowed teaming and freighting from one
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town to another, and until he was fourteen years old managed to attend the common school of his native country, where he re- ceived a fair education. Upon coming to this country he engaged with the North- Western Stage Company, at Wheeling, Va., to take care of their horses, and there he learned to speak our language, and went on to their line, coming West with them in the spring of 1855. He drove stage for them eighteen months, from Iowa City to Marengo, and then came to Calhoun, Harrison County, and drove six months for them, from Calhoun to Kirby, in Pottawattamie County, ending his services with them in the spring of 1857.
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July 2, 1857, our subject was united in marriage at Iowa City (then the Capital of the State), to Salome Brecht, a native of Baden, Germany, born October 10, 1832. She was the daughter of Philipine and Franz Brecht. Our subject and his wife are the parents of eleven children, eight of whom still survive-Francis W., Margaret, Philipine, Emma, Frederick, Ida, Catherine, Frances, Leo (died when ten years of age), and two died in infancy.
The family belong to two churches, he to the German Lutheran Church, and she and the children to the Roman Catholic. Politically, he affiliates with the Demo- cratic party.
The first year after our subject came to Harrison County to remain, he lived near Magnolia, and then bought one hundred and sixty acres of land on section 10, of Taylor Township, in 1858, and a little later, in company with Josiah Crome, fitted out a team and started on a pros- pecting trip to Pike's Peak, but only went as far as Ft. Kearney, and there met large numbers of the gold explorers re- turning home, not being successful, hence our subject and his companion also re-
turned, and in the spring of 1860 moved to his place in Taylor Township, where he built a log house 18x20 feet, with a cot- tonwood floor. He improved this farm and remained nine years and then moved to section 17, of the same township, after- wards sold that place, and in the spring of 1869 bought a prairie farm of one hundred and sixty acres, where he lived until 1887, then moved to his present place in Cal- houn Township. He now owns sixteen hundred and seventy-four acres of land in Harrison County, five hundred and fifty of which is plow land, four hundred in pasture, the balance in timber and meadow land. He also owns a house and lot in Modale. He generally keeps about one hundred head of cattle, as many swine, and about seventeen head of horses.
E DWARD COLLINS, a highly re- spected citizen of Raglan Town- ship, residing on section 16, became a resident of the county in the spring of 1857, when he commenced working out by the day and month at farm labor. He followed this for nine years and then bought the place he now occupies, which consisted of two hundred acres of wild land. For five years he rented land ad- joining his place, and improved his own land, to which he has since added until he has three hundred and sixty-six acres, two hundred acres of which are protected by a good fence. He had the forethought to plant out a beautiful grove, the branches of which now towering high, shade and ornament his place. As one looks over his well-ordered farm of to-day, they can scarcely realize that since he
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came to the county he has seen the time that he could not obtain twenty-five cents credit.
Mr. Collins was born in Ireland, in 1832. He is the son of Thomas and Cath- arine Collins, who were the parents of the following children : Mary and Nancy, deceased; Edward, Owen, deceased; Pe- ter, Catharine and Bridget. The parents are deceased. Our subject remained in Ireland until twenty years of age, and then sailed for New York. He spent seven months in New Jersey, and then went to West Virginia, where he bought a ninety-two-acre timber tract, which he still owns. After five years in West Vir- ginia he came to Harrison County. Thus far he has lived a single man.
In his religious belief he is identified with the Roman Catholic Church.
OHN T. COFFMAN, deceased, who was a resident of section 9, Raglan Township, came to Harrison County in the spring of 1865, locating upon the farm now occupied by his widow, which then consisted of abont eighty acres, upon which there had been ten acres of breaking, and a small log cabin, in which they lived for seven years. Upon coming to the county, like most of the early settlers, they were by no means wealthy. They had two span of mules with accompanying harness and wagons. The family consisted of parents and four children. Later on they built a house 18x26 feet, with a wing 16x30 feet, and a barn 30x50 feet, with numerous ontbuild- ings and a nicely-adjusted windmill, sur- mounting a never-failing well. As our
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