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 34
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At the time he was a resident of Shelby he was a member of the Odd Fellows Lodge No. 360.
Beginning without means, this man has gradually accumulated means, until he is now in possession of a handsome property.
LBERT WILSON, a farmer of section 19, of Washington Town- ship, came to Harrison County in December, 1882, and rented a farm on section 8, of Washington Town- ship, having bought a farm of one hun- dred and sixty acres, which was then wild land. He commenced to improve it in the spring of 1883, and moved to the same in the fall of 1884. His present farm is well improved; has one hundred and fifty-five acres of plow land, while every- thing about the premises gives evidence of intelligent workmanship.
Mr. Wilson was born in Harrison County, Ohio, May 7, 1840. and in the spring of 1845 his parents removed to Noble County, that State, where he re- mained until the autumn of 1863, when he moved on a farm on his own account, con-
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tinuing there until the spring of 1865. Then he sold out and came to Iowa County, Iowa, where he bought an im- proved farm, which he operated until February, 1869, and then traded that farm for another in the same county. Here he farmed until 1882, at which time he sold and came to Harrison County.
He was united in marriage, in Noble County, Ohio, October 1, 1863, to Miss Rachel Steen, a native of Noble County, Ohio, born February 8, 1840.
Mr. and Mrs. Wilson have been blessed by the following children, eleven in num- ber: Mary V., Joseph E., John S., Ida E., deceased, Frank N., Clara J., William C., Florence, deceased, Rauleigh R., Elmer O., and a child who died in infancy.
Politically, our subject is identified with the Democratic party.
I SAAC F. BEDSAUL, a farmer living on section 29, township 80, range 43, within Magnolia Civil Township, came to Harrison County with his parents in the spring of 1854. They settled at the village of Magnolia just after the town was platted. The father brought a general stock of groceries from Indiana, and con- tinued to sell goods until 1857, when he 'sold out and bought a tract of wild land on section 28, the same consisting of one hundred and sixty acres. Our subject re- mained at home until August, 1862, when he enlisted in Company C, Twenty-ninth Iowa Infantry and was mustered into service at Council Bluffs in October of that year, and in a short time was found at St. Louis, and a little later at Helena, Arkansas. He took part in eleven battles and skirmishes, including Shell Mound,
Miss., in February, 1863, Helena, July 4, 1863, where he was taken sick and sent to Keokuk, Iowa, where he remained five months and then returned to his regi- ment. . In 1864 he went with Gen. Stelle, under Gen. Banks on his Red River ex- pedition, and was in the last battle that was fought-the Siege of Mobile. He was discharged at Jefferson Barracks, Mo., September 18, 1865, after which he re- turned to Harrison County, Iowa. Soon after coming out of the service he bought a farm on section 23, township 80, range 43, of Magnolia Township, which he im- proved and lived upon until 1870, and then moved to Magnolia, and for four years ran the mail route to Logan. For one year after leaving the stage line, he lived on his farm and then sold out, lived one year on his father's farm, after which he formed a partnership with S. L. Berkley, and con- structed a steam flouring mill. A year later he sold to his partner and bought the farm he now resides upon; the same being one of the oldest and best improved farms in the county, one which William Cooper, an early pioneer had entered.
Mr. Bedsaul was born in Marion, Grant County, Ind., November 25,.1840. When a small boy his parents moved to Wabash County, of that State and remained until 1854, and then came to Iowa stopping for a short time in Council Bluffs, where they were just building the first brick house in the place. The family soon moved to Magnolia.
Our subject was married July 28, 1867, to Miss Minerva Akers and they were the parents of two children-Bertha W. and Frank H. The mother died December 3, 1870, and in 1872 Mr. Bedsaul married Miss Ada Stebbins, by which marriage union Lewis R., was born. His mother died Jannary 22, 1875. September 18, 1888,
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our subject married his present wife, whose maiden name was Ida M. LaFere, and they are the parents of two children, Gracie L. and Oliver Pern.
Politically Mr. Bedsaul is identified with the Republican party.
Of our subject's father it may be said that he was born in Grayson County, Va., December 24, 1799, and when a small boy his parents removed to Panther Springs, Tenn. From this point his father, in company with two other gentlemen, started for a trip into Western Tennessee, and were both killed by the Indians, and his wife died near Panther Springs, when Isaac Bedsaul, father of our subject was eight years old. He was bound out to a man by the name of Jones, who was a great slave owner, and when Indiana came into the Union, he went to that State, but as it was declared a free State, Jones returned to Tennessee, taking young Bed- saul with him. But the next year, which was 1816, he in company with two other young men, ran away and came to Henry County, Ind., where he worked at clearing up timber land and was one of the first to enter the wilds of that county. He went to Indianapolis, when it was first platted as a town, and took a claim near there, but on account of sickness, he left his claim and returned to Henry County, and peddled among the Indians, continuing for three years. He built one of the first houses in New Castle, and went into the general merchandising business. When he first opened up his stock, three clap- boards would hold all of his goods. Coon skins were the general legal tender of that day. He prospered in his business, and at one time owned twenty-one hundred acres of land, his whole property amounting to" $97,000. He moved to Marion to Lagro, on the Wabash and Erie canal, where he
built a large pork packing establishment, which did not prove a success, and in consequence of which he failed. This was in 1849 and a year later, he took ten men with twenty-one head of ponies, and packed across the plains to California, his eldest son, Oliver, accompanying him. They built a sawmill, which they finally sold, and bought a provision store, ran that awhile and then came back to La gro, Wabash County, Ind., arriving in the spring of 1853, and in 1854, came to Council Bluffs and took a claim near where the Union depot is now situated. But be- ing convinced that Magnolia was a better country for stock purposes, he located there and died in 1886. The mother of our subject, Mary (Cary) Bedsaul, was born in Springfield, Ohio, in 1807, and her parents moved to New Castle, where she lived until the date of her marriage. Her father was in the Revolutionary War, and also in the War of 1812. Hergrandfather was also in the Revolutionary War, and Mr. Bedsaul's great-grandfather, on the father's side, was one of Gen. Brad- dock's soldiers.
Isaac Bedsaul, our subject, is a member of the Masonic and Grand Army of the Republic orders, and is a member of the Congregational Church, while his wife be- longs to the Methodist Episcopal Church.
S AMUEL L. FRAZIER, of Calhoun Township, and living on section 22, came to Harrison County with his parents, March 12, 1855. They came to Pottawattamie County, in October, 1854. His father, John Frazier, settled in St. John's Township, on section 1, remaining there until his death, May 26, 1881. He
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was of Scotch descent, and was born in Tennessee, November 3, 1821. His father was a farmer, and John always followed this. He came to Indiana with his par- ents when a boy of nine years, and lived in Putman County, until he came West, bringing him $1,000. Upon coming to this county, he moved into a log cabin, built by some of the early Mormon fami- lies. At the time of his death, he had five hundred and ten acres of well-improved land in Harrison County. He was mar- ried in Putnam County, Ind., in 1844, to Minerva C. Hibbs, a native of Kentucky, who was born, February 4, 1826. They reared a family of eight children-George N., Samuel L., our subject; Mary J., John T., Andrew F., Ada E., Jacob E. and Mary E. Four of these children are living, three in Harrison County, and Mary E., now Mrs. George Sutter, living in Sarpy County, Neb.
When the Frazier family came to this county, Council Bluffs was their nearest post-office and nearest trading point.
Samuel L. was born in Putnam County, Ind., June 1, 1849, and with his parents came to Harrison County, helping his father and attending the district school. When he was twenty-one years of age, his father gave himself and and brother, George N., eighty acres-forty each-on sections 6 and 7, of St. John's Township, with a part of the tract in Calhoun, to which our sub- ject moved in August, 1873, and erected a frame house, sixteen feet square. He now owns two hundred and thirty-four acres, one half of which is under the plow, and forty-five acres in timber land.
He was married, February 24, 1870, to Angeline Murphy, a native of Indiana, the daughter of John and Zilpha . A. Murphy, and born, October 14, 1853. By this marriage union, six children were
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born-Dora M., December 5, 1871 ; Estella, January 12, 1874; Albert, March 31, 1876; Inez, November 2, 1878; Florence Effie, July 13, 1881 and Herald R., September 22, 1884. .
Mr. and Mrs. Frazier are members of the Christian Church, and in his politics Mr. Frazier is a supporter of the Republi- can party.
HOMAS CODY, a representative farmer and highly respected citizen of section 34, of Calhoun Township, came to Harrison County, in the spring of 1869, locating at Missouri Valley. He was in the employ of the Northwestern Railroad Company, building water-tanks, which work he continued to do for twenty years. He resided at Missouri Valley for about ten years, and then bought his pre- -sent place, which consisted of ninety-two acres of partly improved land. He set out an orchard of one hundred and twenty- five trees, kept the place in good repair, and kept adding to the same, until he now has two hundred and sixty acres; ninety being under the plow, while the balance is in meadow, timber and pasture land. Our subject is a son of the Emerald Isle, born in Ireland, August, 1834. He is a son of John and Mary Cody, of Ireland, who had seven children, our subject being the youngest. The children were named, Michael, Edward, (deceased) ; Ann, Cath- arine, · (deceased) ; Mary, John and Thomas.
Our subject lived in Ireland, until about twenty-seven years of age, remaining at home until he had reached his majority, when he was apprenticed to learn the carpenter's trade. After serving four
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years, he worked at his trade one year and then sailed for America. He worked in New York a few months, and then went to Salamanca, N. Y., where he engaged in coopering, constructing oil barrels, which occupied his time for two years. We next find him in Warren, Penn., working at the same business one winter, and fol- lowed the same at Plummersville for a short time. He then went back to work at the carpenter's trade, which he followed until coming to Harrison County. He lived in the Keystone State, during the great oil excitement.
An important event in this man's life was his marriage April 21, 1867, to Cath- arine Ward, the daughter of Timothy and Mary Ward, natives of Ireland, who had six children -- Catharine, Maria, (deceased) ; Thomas, John, (deceased); Nellie and Frank. Our subject and his wife are the parents of ten children-Mary, Ann Ellen, (deceased) ; John, Ellen, Lizzie, (de- ceased); Jennie, Maggie, Thomas and William.
Our subject and his wife are both inem- bers of the Roman Catholic Church, and politically, he affiliates with the Republi- can party.
W ILLIAM N. FOUTS, of Missouri Valley, left Indiana from Putnam County in 1850, and emigrated to Pottawattamie County, Iowa, and en- gaged at farming in Rockford Township until the spring of 1857, and then settled in St. John's Township, and continued to farm until about 1885.
In the James Buchanan presidential campaign he was one of the nine voters in Rockford Township, and the election
returns show that Buchanan received five out of the nine votes cast. It is said that the Clerk of the Board, Joe DeFor- est, an ex-sailor, made a speech in which he said that Buchanan was elected, and regretted very much that they did not have communication with Washington by telegraph, because he knew Buchanan was elected, for as "Rockford Township went, so went the United States!"
Mr. Fouts was born May 13, 1827, one- half mile north of Manhattan, Putnam County, Ind., and is the son of Abner and Rosy (Woodrum) Fouts. The Fouts were of German descent, while the Wood- rums were of Irish extraction. The father, like most of his ancestors, followed agricultural pursuits. Of the three chil- dren born by this union, our subject is the only one living. His mother died in Indiana June 23, 1841, and in 1850 the father came to Pottawattamie. County, Iowa. In 1842 the father married for his second wife Edicy Tresner, a native of Putnam County, Ind., by which marriage union six sons and two daughters were born, of which number four sons and one daughter are living. The sons are all res- idents of Douglas County, Neb., while their sister lives in Texas. The father died in Harrison County, and was buried in Oak Grove Cemetery, St. John's Township, and his widow lives near Val- paraiso, Neb.
In the autumn of 1864 our subject en- listed in Company C. of the Thirteenth Iowa Infantry, and continued in the ser- vice of his country until August 12, 1865. He was in Sherman's Seventeenth Army Corps, and participated in the battle be- tween Thomas and Hood, and was at Nashville in the reserve and was not called out.
Politically, he has always voted the
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Bob Ross
-ads.
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Democratic ticket, except in the Greeley campaign. He has held numerous local offices in St. John's Township; was Trustee twelve years, Assessor, member of the School Board, and School Treas- urer. He was one of the charter members of the Grand Army Post at Missouri Val- ley, and belongs to Lodge No. 232 of A. F. & A. M.
Mr. Fouts was united in marriage August 2, 1855, to Miss Elizabeth C. Smith, of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, who was a native of Wayne County, Ohio. The family moved to Greene County, Ind., and followed farming until the autumn of 1854, and then came to Pottawattamie County. The father died in this county early in the '70s, and the mother survived until March, 1890. They were both buried in the Harris Grove Cemetery.
Mr. and Mrs. Fouts are the parents of three sons and five daughters; Alma, de- ceased at the age of twenty-one years and five months, and was buried in Oak Grove Cemetery; John W., who lives in Mis- souri Valley, and is a carpenter; William A. is in the Missouri Valley Carriage Fac- tory; Rosa L., wife of Daniel Griffith, a farmer for many years of Illinois, but now in the restaurant and candy trade; Ida J., wife of M. E. Brundidge, living in Missouri Valley; Hattie, living at home; Clara Eliza, at home, and Marvin Earl, at home.
OB ROSS (deceased), came to Har- rison County in the autumn of 1854, and settled on section 25, of Clay Township, and filed on three hun- dred and twenty acres of swamp land, and built a hewed log house 18x22 feet, which is now in use as a crib. He lived in that
house four years and then built a frame building 18x36 feet, and two stories high, with an upper and lower porch the entire length of the house. The family lived in this house until 1881, when he built a new house 20x30 feet, with an ell sixteen feet square. In 1877 Mr. Ross removed to the village of Modale and engaged in the hardware business in partnership with F. H. Ludwig. This continued for about two years when Ross bought Ludwig out and continued in the business until 1881, when he put in a general stock in connec- tion with hardware. About 1883 the stock was burned and since that time he has not been actively engaged in business.
Mr. Ross was born October 14, 1831, in Peoria, Ill. He was the son of George and Hannah (Hughes) Ross. In 1851 the family started for Oregon and when one hundred and fifty miles west of Omaha their stock was taken from them by the Indians as well as their provisions. There were twenty-one wagons in the train. They were attacked twice. The first time by about fourteen hundred Indians, but finally made a treaty with them by giving them $100 worth of provisions and three head of cattle for beef. The savages agreed not to molest them again, but alas for the honesty of poor Lo! When they had gone about fifty miles further on their journey westward they came upon them in the night time and stampeded and se- cured one hundred and sixty-five head of cattle as well as some of the horses. They recovered the latter, however, but suffered the loss of their cattle and most of their provisions. This was too much for the emigrants, for it will be remem- bered this was in 1851, ten years before the breaking out of the Rebellion, when all west of the Mississippi River was yet wild. They turned back and returned to
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Peoria, Ill., believing themselves fortu- nate to escape with their lives, as twenty- two men and boys stood no show with fourteen hundred Indians in a hand to hand encounter. The Captain of the whites got them out and and drew them up in line; the Indians charged twice but did not fire or come closer than twenty feet. The second time the Captain asked if there was any who could talk English, when one of them and the Captain had a talk and agreed if they would give them a a yoke of cattle and $100 worth of provis- ions they would let them go on. At that time our subject was seventeen years old. The company got back to Peoria late in the fall of 1851, and in August, 1854, our subject's people again started West, not knowing where they would finally settle but came through the south- ern tier of counties of Iowa to Council Bluff-then called Kanesville-which was a mere hamlet made up principally of Mormons. They intended to remain there all winter, but after about a month they met a man who had been up into Harrison County and gave a glowing de- scription of the country, so they came up in time to put up their winter's hay. They bought a claim with a house upon it and remained in the country. They had twenty head of cattle which lived largely on the hay they had cut and also off the rush beds. Mr. Ross, however, put quite an amount of hay up each year and hence did not suffer the loss that many of the settlers did during the hard winter of 1856-57, when very many of the cattle died. Everything had to be bought at Kanesville, even to a pound of coffee. In making their trips to that point in hot weather with ox-teams they had to cross the big bottoms in the night time on ac- count of "green heads" (flies). They re-
mained here six years before they had any schools. At that time a few of the neighbors held a meeting and agreed to build a schoolhouse. So they hauled cot- tonwood logs to the mill and from this rough lumber erected a school building, the first term of school being taught in the fall of 1858 or 59. This schoolhouse stood on our subject's land, and the first teacher was Miss Hillis, who afterward was a missionary to the Island of Ceylon and where through exposure and self-sacrifice she died in 1889.
Our subject was married in Harrison County, Iowa, in October, 1862, to Miss Nancy West, by whom two children were born-Luella M., deceased; baby boy died in infancy. Mrs. Nancy (West) Ross died in the fall of 1867. She was the daughter of Edwin and Susan (Record) West, and was born in Marietta, Ohio, and when a small girl her parents came to Harrison County, Iowa, where she remained until the date of her death.
For his second wife Mr. Ross married Jennie Robertson, the daughter of Allen and Mary (Barnes) Robertson. She was born near Burlington, Iowa, June 5, 1859, and came to Harrison County with her parents in 1870. Her parents remained two years and then returned to Des Moines County where our subject was married, September 14, 1876. By this un- ion two children were born-Charlie, May 26, 1878; and Nettie, February 5, 1884,
Our subject's parents were both natives of Pennsylvania and were married in the city of Philadelphia, July 18, 1820. They were the parents of nine children, five daughters and four sons, of whom our subject was the third child. All are de- ceased but one brother, George A. Ross, living in Burt County, Neb. The family came to Harrison County in 1854, as
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above related. The mother died in No- vember, 1857, and the father in 1860, and were buried in the Calhoun cemetery. Three of the family died in Illinois, one in the Civil War, three in Harrison County, Iowa, and one daughter in Arkansas.
Our subject was elected at an early day, as Drainage Commissioner for Harrison County, and was elected to the office of Justice of the Peace three terms, and has held numerous other offices. At the time of his death he was Trustee of the town, as well as a member of the School Board, and Treasurer of the town of Modale.
Politically Mr. Ross was originally a Whig, but was always identified with the Republican party after its organization.
Coming to this county as he did at so early a date,he saw the county grow from what was then a vast wilderness to a land of culture and plenty.
To live in a country thirty-seven years and witness the vast changes convinces a man that he has passed through the great- est age of progress in the world's history.
Mr. Ross stood high in the community in which he lived, and for many years was the man that gave advice to any who sought it and all say invariably it was good and honest advice. He should go down in history as a man who has been a a success both financially and socially. His portrait very appropriately finds a place in this volume. Just as we go to press we learn of his death, which took place Tuesday, January 12, 1892. The whole county will mourn his loss.
W ILLIAM EVANS, of section 18, of Douglas Township, by reason of having settled in Harrison County, during the month of July, 1855, may
justly be called an early settler. He lo- cated at Twelve-Mile Grove, Boyer Town- ship, where he entered one hundred and twenty-four acres of land. They lived there until about 1864, when they rented a farm which he tilled until 1865. Dur- ing the year 1862, the war-cloud of the great Civil War appeared in all its black- ness, and the threats of secession aroused the patriotism of every loyal man. Volun- teers were called for and one of the num- ber was our subject, who became a mem- ber of Company H, of the Fifteenth Iowa Infantry. He enlisted in February, 1862, and was discharged in March, 1863, on ac- crunt of disability. He participated in the battles of Shiloh, Iuka, Miss. Corinth, Miss., at which place he met with a nar- row escape, a rebel bullet grazing his chin enough to start the blood. He came home and found his wife fast fading away with that dreaded disease, consumption, of which she died the following autumn. For two years after the death of his wife he rented land, doing his own housekeep- ing for himself and four children, after which he went to Bedford County, Pa., remained one year, and then retraced his steps to Harrison County and bought the farm he now lives upon.
Mr. Evans was born in Onondaga County, N. Y., February 7, 1826, where he lived until the fall of 1846, and then went to Michigan, staying near Detroit, Kala- mazoo, and other points until 1855, which was the date of his coming to Harrison County.
He was married to Mrs. Nancy Phillips, whose maiden name was Farnsworth. This marriage occurred in Harrison County, Iowa, in July, 1856. Three chil- dren were born by this union-James H., born June 1, 1857; John W., May 28, 1859; and Hulda A., September 15, 1862.
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He married his second wife, Miss Hester Beckley, in Bedford County, Pa. Feb- ruary 15, 1872.
Politically, our subject is a member of the Republican party, and in his religious convictions is a Methodist.
OSEPH ESYCHEEK, of Douglas Township, a resident of section 27, has been a resident of the county twenty years, coming as he did in spring of 1871. He is another example of the opportunities given to a man of in- dustry and frugality in the growing West, where caste is thrown aside to a good de- gree, and where all men work on an equal footing, and where some fail and others succeed.
When our subject came to the county he went to work as a section hand, on the railroad, which work he followed for four years, and then purchased forty acres of wild land, near Woodbine, paying $480 for the same. There were twelve acres broken upon the place at the time he bought it. He at once broke the balance, built a house and barn, and remained there about five years, and then moved to Mud Creek, where he bought eighty acres of wild land at $7 per acre. He fenced and improved this, when he sold it and bought his present farm. This was also wild land and cost him $11 per acre. Here he built a house 14x18 feet, one story and a half high. He has sixty acres under cultiva- tion.
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