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 107
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Politically Mr. Hulburd is identified with the Republican party. Commencing at the bottom of the ladder, he has carefully and gradually advanced and to-day is in the possession of a fertile farm and a com- fortable home.
ILLIAM H. BOURN, a represen- tative farmer of Clay Township, residing on section 24, came to Harrison County in the spring of 1855, and worked in a sawmill for Thomas A. Dennis, remaining with him most of the time up to the spring of 1858. Part of the time he worked at Florence, Neb., in a mill. In the spring of 1858 he bought eighty acres of county swamp land. In the spring of 1859, in company with four others, of whom one was Fred T. Evans, now proprietor of the Hot Springs, at Buffalo Gap, S. Dak., they started with ox-teams to Pike's Peak. At Ft. Kear- ney, Neb., they met parties returning from that section disgusted with the prospects. This party was not of that stripe, so they pressed boldly on and shortly after fell into company with an emigrant train going to Oregon, so they concluded to journey with them. The whole party stopped in the Walla Walla Valley, where our subject, and two others, went to work at the carpenter trade for the Government. It took them four months to make their trip. In the spring of 1860 they bought some ponies, (num- bering about two hundred head) and drove them back with them. Upon his arrival in Iowa, from Oregon, Mr. Bourn com- menced improving his place, upon which
he built a small frame house. It was at this time that the Civil War cloud was darkening the national heavens, and se- cession threatened the life of this Union.
In August, 1862 he enlisted as a member of Company C, Twenty-ninth Iowa In- fantry, went South and took part in the following engagements: Helena, Ark., July 4, 1863; Little Rock, and from there went to Camden to support Gen. Banks, on his Red River expedition and also at Jenkin's Ferry. Mr. Bourn was sick at this time and John W. Stocker, of Logan, who was their Quartermaster, let Mr. . Bourn ride his horse. The above engagement lasted from daylight until 2 o'clock p. m. From there they went back to Little Rock, where they did provost and prison duty until February, 1865. They were then sent to Mobile, Ala., and took part in the battles of Spanish Fort and Ft. Blakely, and from there went to Mt. Vernon, Ala., were there a short time and took ship for the mouth of Rio Grande River, Tex. They remained in that vi- cinity one month, came back to New Or- leans via Galveston, and on account of sickness Mr. Bourn was discharged at New Orleans July 29, 1865, one month before the remainder of his regiment was dis- charged. Upon his return from the army he came back to Harrison County, and re- sumed his farm labors.
To acquaint the reader with his earlier career, let it be said that he was born in Lancashire, England, August 1, 1839, and in about 1850, accompanied his parents to America, and located at Vincennes, Ind. He remained at that point with his par- ents until he was fourteen years of age and then came west to Council Bluffs. When he left home he ran as a cabin boy on the Mississippi, Ohio, Illinois and Missouri Rivers. He followed this for
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about one year, coming to Council Bluffs in 1854. He worked at hauling brick from Council Bluffs across the river to a claim north of where Omaha now stands. When Mr. Bourn came to Clay Township, there were only eight or nine families in the township, all of which have long since moved away, except Chambers Hester, who was a boy at the time living with his parents.
Our subject was united in marriage in Clay Township, December 8, 1861 to Miss Rebecca Parcell, the daughter of Theodore and Catherine (Blackburn) Parcell. As a result of this union, ten children were born: William H., February 21, 1863; Emma A., June 29, 1866; Mary A., Janu- ary 12, 1868; John J., August 22, 1870; Eliza J., December 19, 1872; Thomas T., June 26, 1874; Albert, April 25, 1877; baby girl born April 17, 1880; Nettie July 27, 1881; Clara December 31, 1883. Of these children, Eliza J. died July 20, 1873; baby girl April 27, 1890 and Mary A., (Mrs. Jewell) February 20, 1887.
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Rebecca (Parcell) Bourn was born in Pennsylvania, July 3,1845. When she was a small girl her parents removed to Ohio, and in 1860, came to Harrison County, Iowa, and settled in Clay Township, where she remained until the date of her mar- riage.
Thomas Bourn, the father of our sub- ject was a native of England and died in Vincennes, Ind .; the mother Sarah (Faulkner) Bourn was also a native of England and died at Springfield, Ill., and was buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery. They were members of the Episcopal Church. Their family consisted of two children : William H., and Mary B. (Mills) deceased, who was buried at Oak Ridge Cemetery.
Mr. Bourn is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, belonging to Boyd
Post at Modale. Politically, heis a stanch supporter of the Republican party, and has held numerous local offices, including that of Assessor and Township Clerk.
His present residence was built in 1873. In 1884 he erected a barn 48x51 feet. He now owns three hundred and twenty acres of land in Clay Township and one hun- dred and twenty acres in Jackson. In conclusion let it be said no man stands higher in the county than does he for whom this sketch is written.
W. HENDERSON, was born in Ohio in February, 1817 and is the son of James and Mary (White) Henderson, who came to Greene County, Ill., in 1818. Our subject em- barked in life for himself in March, 1842, he being married at that time to Miss Elizabeth M. Peters, by whom twelve children were born. There has never been a death under his roof although two daughters have died since growing to womanhood, away from home. Our sub- ject at an early day was a great hunter and noted for his good marksmanship.
R ICHARD CHATBURN, was born in Lancashire, England, August 3, 1823, about 1864 came with his fam- , ily to America, to Harrison County, where his brother, Jonas Chatburn, was then living. The first year our subject was here, he rented land of his brother Jonas ; he had been an engineer in the Old Country, but two years prior to coming | here, his health failed him and he lived on
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a farm. He now owns two hundred and ten acres of land in Harrison County, which is operated by his son, Thomas.
Our subject was married in England, August 31, 1844 to Miss Mary Duxberry, and they are the parents of ten children : John, Richard, Jonas, William, Ellen, Margaret, Elizabeth, Mary, Jane and Thomas. Richard, William, Elizabeth and Mary are deceased.
Our subject's wife was born in Lanca- shire, June 19, 1825, and died in Magnolia Township, September 29, 1874. Mr. and Mrs. Chatburn are both members of the Latter Day Saints Church.
P ETER C. HENDERSON, became a pioneer of Harrison County in April, 1853, accompanying his par- ents to this county, and at first set- tled on section 24, in Jefferson Township, buying a little Mormon hut and entering land on sections 24 and 25, remaining there about one year, then removed to section 25, near where his father now lives.
He was born in Illinois January 3, 1843; his parents were James W., and Elizabeth M. (Peters) Henderson. Our subject is the eldest child in a family of twelve. He attended school in Illinois, also in Harri- son County, and was married May 12, 1872 to Amanda Billeter, a native of In- diana and the daughter of William and Mary Ann (Wells) Billeter, she being the eldest of a family of nine children. Our subject and his wife are the parents of nine children.
Our subject remained at his parents' home until he had reached the years of his majority and then commenced work- ing out by the month, on a farm, but
being convinced that there was a more rapid road to financial success than by this farm labor, he began buying calves and the second year he commenced farming for himself, and in 1869 bought land on section 13, of Jefferson Township, which he held three years and then exchanged the same for a part of his present place ; he moved into the latter in 1874. where he has made substantial improvements pro- viding his place with a fine growing or- chard, etc.
In 1869 he went to Saunders County, Neb., and there pre-empted a piece of land, remaining there two years. traded his land to an old soldier, simply getting pay for the improvements he had put on the same.
J. W. Henderson, the father of our sub- ject, was born in Ohio February 10, 1817, and was the son of James and Mary (White) Henderson who came to Greene County, Ill. He started for himself when he was married, March 30, 1842, his wife being Elizabeth M. Peters, by whom twelve children were born. There has never been a death under this family's roof but two daughters died away from home after growing to womanhood.
OHN W. BROWNRIGG (deceased) was born in Morgan County, Ohio, February 26, 1825, and was married in Noble County, Ohio, June 10, 1847, to Miss Sarepta J. Marquis, the daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth (Tim- berlake) Marquis.
Of this marriage union nine children were born-William J., Mary E., Samuel, Leila A., Henry L., Sarah Leona, Charles E., Francis M., Eleanor, Marion, John
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and Luellen. The deceased are Mary E., Samuel, Henry L., Francis M. and Eleanor.
The family came to Harrison County in May, 1860, and located near Parrish City, on the river, and Mr. Brownrigg kept the ferry which crossed over to De Soto, Neb. He also took a homestead on the river, which, however, all washed away soon after he got his deed. He died in Harrison County, December 28, 1881.
His wife was born in Harrison County, Ohio, February 15, 1832, and remained at home until her marriage. She now makes .it her home with her son-in-law, John Dickinson.
W ILLIAM HOWARD has been a resident of Jefferson Township since the autumn of 1851. He was born in North Carolina about 1819, and came from there to Illinois, and from there to this county, where he endured the hardships of pioneer days.
His son, William D., was born in Ma- son County, Ill., January 31, 1849, and was two years old upon coming to Har- rison County, and as soon as he was old enough became the mainstay of the fam- ily. At the age of seventeen years he commenced working out by the month, following this for two years, when he married Minerva Wood November 24, 1868, the daughter of Samuel and Mary (Merrill) Wood. He lived upon a rented farm two years, and then bought his pres- ent place, eighty acres of which cost him $2.50 per acre. He built a house from lumber hauled from Council Bluffs, which cost him $30 per thousand feet. He has since added to his farm.until it contains
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two hundred and eighty acres, one half of which is under the plow. The hardest times our subject ever experienced were from 1878 to 1880, during the grasshopper raid.
Mr. and Mrs. Howard have a family of eight children-William S., Henry F., George W., Minnie E., David, Fred A., Mary L. and Charles.
W ILLIAM A. PLATH was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in August, 1860, and remained at home with his mother until he was fifteen years old, and then came to Harrison County, Iowa, to his uncle, Charles Dahn, and worked for him and for others until the spring of 1891, when he went to work for himself. Our subject was married in Magnolia Township, in January, 1891, to Miss Anna Menshing, who was born in Minnesota in 1873, and came to Harrison County with her parents in 1877. Mr. and Mrs. Plath are members of the German Lutheran Church.
LBERT E. SELLECK was born in La Salle County, Ill., June 14, 1851, and he accompanied his par- ents to Harrison County in 1855. He remained at home until 1872, and then moved to his own place on sec- tion 11, Boyer Township, the same hav- ing been given him by his father when he became of age. His home place con- sists of one hundred and twenty acres. After eight years he bought a farm on sec- tion 33, of Lincoln Township, consisting
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of four hundred and five acres. In April, 1889 he moved back to his old place in Boyer Township.
Mr. Selleck was married to Miss Ella Edgerton, of Woodbine, Iowa, October 9, 1872, by whom four children were born- Ray M., born July 31, 1873: Carrie E., October 4, 1877; Nellie M., January 25, 1879; and Maude B., October 27, 1882.
Mrs. Sellek was born in Onondaga County, N. Y., November 14, 1851. She remained with her parents until 1870, when they removed to Woodbine, Iowa.
OHN VALENTINE WALKER, a native of Indiana, born in Franklin County, April 10, 1829, came to Har- rison County in 1868. He is the son of Albert and Elizabeth (Malone) Walker, both deceased. Our subject's parents had nine children. His early life was spent in the Hoosier State and was educated in the common-schools, and be- gan farming for himself in 1850. He was a soldier of the Civil War, a member of Company E, Twelfth Indiana Infantry, and was assigned to the Army of Tennes- see. He was under Gen. John A. Logan, and after the war returned to Indiana and resumed farming. When he came to Har- rison County he located in Magnolia Township and remained there until 1883, then moved to Allen Township, remained three years, and then moved to his pres- ent home on section 25, of Little Sioux Township, where he owns six hundred and ninety-five acres of land.
Our subject was married in Indiana in September, 1851, to Miss Rachel White- lock. Our subject and his wife are the parents of two children now living and
two who died in infancy. The living are Ozias and Viola, now Mrs. Smith of Mis- souri. Mr. Walker is a Republican, "vot- ing as he shot." He is a member of Mag- nolia Masonic Lodge.
ACOB S. VANDERHOOF, a farmer living on section 3, of La Grange Township, came to Harrison County in the autumn of 1854 and located in La Grange Township, where he worked by the month for one year and then went to Crawford County, and worked for Judge Dow until the spring of 1846, when he bought one hundred and twenty acres of land on section 11, of La Grange Town- ship. He improved the same, held it three years, sold out and bought on section 5, This place consisted of two hundred and forty acres. He never lived upon this tract however, and afterward sold it to Mr. Longman. Our subject then bought two hundred and forty acres of his present farm, built a house in which they lived for fifteen years, and then erected his present residence. He has a fine orchard of eight acres, a part of which he planted in 1864 and during the present year, 1891, he will harvest two thousand bushels of apples.
Our subject was born in Cass County, Mich., November 20, 1831, and, when four- teen years of age, he had neither father nor mother, and had to shift for himself. He came from Cass County, Mich., to this county without means and has made a complete success of life.
He was married in La Grange Township March 23, 1856, to Miss Jane Jewell, and they are the parents of two children-
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Chloe A. and Martha. Mrs. Vanderhoof was born in Cass County, Mich., in No- vember, 1838, and came to Harrison County with her parents in 1852.
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C APT. CHESTER M. HAMILTON, a resident of Morgan Township, is a native of Ohio, and came to Har- rison County, in 1852. He was born Feb- ruary 4, 1820, and was the son of Jacob and Saralı (Malony) Hamilton, of Ver- mont and Massachusetts respectively. The father's father was Jacob Hamilton, who was a brother to Alexander Hamilton, of Revolutionary fame, and was a Captain in the French and Indian War, and was in the Revolutionary struggle with the "Green Mountain Boys." Our subject's early life was spent in the Buckeye State, and his education obtained in Ohio and Wisconsin. The family came to Iowa in 1833, and was among the first settlers to locate on the strip of land known as the Blackhawk purchase. The family re- mained near Dubuque until 1848. In the spring of 1849 Mr. Hamilton crossed tlie plains to Colorado, and was six months en route. He went to work in the gold mines in California, remained eighteen months, and made a financial success. He returned to Dubuque, and in 1852 came to what is now Harrison County, and was one of the Commissioners ap- pointed by the Governor to locate the county seat at Magnolia. He first lo- cated in Raglan Township, on section 25, and remained until 1855. He was elected the first Sheriff of Harrison County, hav- ing for an opposing candidate Richard Johnson. He was also a member of the Board of Supervisors and a Justice of the
Peace several terms. He was a soldier in the Mexican War, and was with old Gen. Taylor at Buena Vista ; and at the time of the Indian war in Nebraska, he raised a company and was made Captain, and helped quell the raids, under Gen. Harney in Missouri.
He was married at Dubuque in May, 1845, to Emmentine Jinks, and reared a family of seven children-Marshall, Charles, Jennie, Emily, Alexander, Isaac, and Clarence. His wife died in 1874.
Politically, he is a Democrat. He stands well in his community as a man of honor.
OHN M. ERVIN, a farmer, living on section 32, of Calhoun Township, came to Harrison County in No- vember, 1856, and at first located at the town of Magnolia, where he re- mained through that never to be forgotten "hard winter," and well remembers going to Galland's Grove in company with Michael Rogers after corn, when the thermometer was forty degrees below zero; and if it had not been for Mr. Rogers, he would have perished, as he had to be kept awake by slapping him on the cheek. In the spring of 1857 our subject moved on the Boyer, in Boyer Township, where he rented land one year, and then moved to Magnolia, rented land three years, and then started for Texas, and got as far as Holt County, Mo., but could go no further, on account of the army, so he rented land there for four years, during which time he saw many a man shot down by the enemies of the Union. Our sub- ject returned to Harrison County in the autumn of 1865 and located in Jefferson
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Township, but bought his present place in the spring of 1856. Our subject was born in Virginia, in the Shenandoah Val- ley, February 24, 1828, and is the son of John and Elizabeth (Moorhead) Ervin, who are of Irish descent. In the summer of 1856 his father and family of five chil- dren started overland for Iowa, being sixty days on the road. They first located at Harris Grove, where the father died in 1863, and the mother about five years later. Our subject was first married to Sarah Early, a native of Virginia, and by this marriage had two children-Lucy and Ellen. The mother of these children died, and for his second wife our subject married Mary Highthbathom, by whom eight children were born-Gideon T., John L., James L., Amia, Mary, Edward, William, and Minnie.
EROME SEELEY, a farmer living on section 7, of Magnolia Township, has been a resident of Harrison County, since 1858; locating at Mag- nolia in the autumn of that year. He drove stage from Magnolia, to where Blair now stands in Nebraska, for one year and then followed teaming and work- ing by the month for Judge Hardy, and other odd work and with the money thus earned bought eighty acres of wild land, being his start in real estate. He was a single man at the time and did not live upon his land, but in 1873, improved the same. He also bought land in 1866, when he got back from a trip across the plains, driving a freight wagon. He followed railroad grading work for one year, return- ed to Magnolia and worked for John Ray- mond over a year, and then went to farm-
ing on his own land. He was married in Magnolia Township, in March 1874, to Miss Rosetta Patch, and they are the par- ents of one child-Eva E., born Decem- ber 1879.
Rosetta (Patch) Seeley, died in Mag- nolia Township, April 5, 1887. Our sub- ject was again married in Magnolia Town- ship, in April 1891, to Miss Orra Stebbins who was born in Minnesota, and came to Harrison County, with her parents in 1868.
The father of our subject, Daniel See- ley, was born in Vermont at the foot of the Green Mountains, in 1803, and accom- panied his parents when a small boy to Pennsylvania, and grew to manhood in Erie County. In 1840 he moved to Knox County, Ohio, and afterwards moved to Michigan where he died February 1885.
The mother of our subject, Sophia (Hart) Seeley, was born in New York State and died in Michigan. They were the parents of seven children, of whom- our subject was the third. He was born in Erie County Pa., March 1837, and re- mained with his parents until 1858, and then came West.
LBERT M. SMITH, of St John's Township, was among the settlers who found their way to Harrison County, in the autumn of 1856. He came from Putnam County, Ind., in a covered wagon, requiring twenty-one days for the trip. He was a single man at the time and made his home with his brother J. M., who came the year before. He worked at various things including the herding of cattle, in this county and in Pottawattamie. In 1858 he rented a farm in the last named county, and remained
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there about three years. In 1864, he bought forty acres of wild land of John Jenkins in St. John's Township, and has since added forty acres more land to -his place. He was born in 1838, in Tennessee. He is one of a family of nine children. His father was Andrew Smith, a native of Tennessee, who married Lucinda Walker.
Our subject was married to Martha McIntosh, daughter of M. B. and Eliza- beth McIntosh, in St. John's Township, February 12, 1860. Her parents came to Harrison County, in 1856 and located where Missouri Valley now stands. Our ·subject and his wife are the parents of two children-Robert Boone, born June 1861, and died in 1863, and Max, born October 31, 1864, now living in Oklahoma, Millie E., born October 17, 1868.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith, are members of the Baptist Church at Loveland.
Le UCIUS D. WILLETT came to Harrison County in September, 1868, and settled on Allen Creek, in Magnolia Township, where he bought a piece of wild land, consisting of one hun- dred and sixty acres. He improved and lived upon this until the spring of 1877, when he sold and went to Nebraska, re- mained a short time, but sold, and came back to Harrison County, and bought the place on which he now lives, on section 33, of Boyer Township.
Mr. Willett hails from the old Green Mountain State, and was born in Franklin County, Vt., May 28, 1845, when seven- teen years of age, went to Malone, N. Y., where he remained a year, and then en- listed in Company A, Third Vermont In- fantry. This was under the last call of
President Lincoln for troops to subdue the Rebellion. He served six months and was discharged at Burlington, Vt., after which he soon drifted West.
He was married to Miss Frances Hillis in Magnolia, March 14, 1871, and by this union six children were born-Abbie L., Sarah S., Harry C., Pansy M., Frederick E. and Samuel N.
Mrs. Willett was born in Jones County, Iowa, January 6, 1846, and when but a small child accompanied her parents to Harrison County, where she has lived ever since, with the exception of the time she was attending the college at Grinnell, of which school she is a graduate. Both Mr. and Mrs. Willett are members of tlie Presbyterian Church.
J AMES McCOID, proprietor of Rock Bottom Roller Mills at Logan, lo- cated at Jeddo in 1856, when he bought the general store of Thorpe & Kirby, and operated the same for four years, when he sold out and moved to a piece of land on section 23, of Jefferson Township, wliere lie remained until 1868, when he purchased Henry Reel's flouring mill at Logan. In the autumn of 1889, Mr. McCoid built his present roller mill, which has a sixty-barrel capacity per day.
He was born in Blue Rock Township, Muskingum County, Ohio, in July, 1828, and is the son of Nathaniel and Mary (Sarchett) McCoid. The father was a na- tive of Ireland, but came to this county when he was two years old. Our subject's mother was born on the Isle of Guernsey, France, and died in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, as did her husband.
James started in life for himself, when
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eighteen years of age, by working on a farm at $6.50 per month in Indiana. He was married in August, 1861, to Emeline Striker, a native of Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. McCoid are the parents of twelve children, ten of whom are living-Mary, Geneva M., Allie, Effie, Berta, James V., Thomas, Lee, Winnie and Harry.
OSIAH B. GUMP, a resident of Calhoun Township, was born in Bedford County, Pa., October 25, 1828, and when twenty years of age removed with his parents to Miami County, Ohio, and a year later to Indiana, where his mother died. Our subject left the Hoosier State in 1851, and went to St. Paul, Minn., where he was engaged in the employ of the North American Fur Company, and he helped survey what is now the Northern Pacific Railroad Line, from St. Paul to Puget Sound, and came down the Missouri River to Council Bluffs in the autumn of 1853 and worked at the carpenter's trade until he came to Harrison County.
He was married July 4, 1855, to Rachel Earnest, by whom four children were born, two living in HarrisonCounty, Iowa, one in Chadron, Neb., and one in Dead- wood, S. Dak.
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