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 37

Author: National Publishing Company (Chicago, Ill.)
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Chicago, National Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1150

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 37

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Mr. Cadwell came to Harrison County, October 6, 1854, locating on section 36, of Magnolia Township, where he purchased in that and adjoining sections three hun- and sixty acres of land to which he has added at different times until he now has in one body an even one thousand acres.

He has owned at one time as high as seventeen hundred acres which have been mostly divided among his children. In March, 1881, he removed to his present

place on section 13, one half mile north of Logan, where he has erected a fine farm house, surrounded by beautiful grounds kept in the best manner, which, with a fine bearing orchard of four hundred trees, provides him with one of the best homes in Harrison County. In 1874, our subject and George W. Fiske, started what was know as Cadwell's Bank, operat- ing at Logan and Woodbine.

Politically Mr. Cadwell is a Republican and in the fall of 1871, was elected to a seat in the Legislature, which position he held with credit to himself and his constituents. While in the Legislature he served upon important committees, including that of Agriculture. In January, 1861, he was elected a Director of the State Agricul- tural Society and was a member of that organization for twenty years; was also president of the Harrison County Agricul- tural Society for the same length of time.

Religiously Mr. Cadwell entertains the faith and doctrinal belief of the Latter Day Saints, and is a member of the Re- organized Church of Jesus Christ of Lat- ter Day Saints, uniting with that sect in the spring of 1870. He was president of the Magnolia Branch of this church for seventeen years and one year at Logan. In April, 1883, Mr. Cadwell, Joseph Smith and W. W. Blair were at Richmond, Mo., and viewed the original manuscripts of the Book of Mormon, which was taken from the plates and translated by Joseph Smith. At the time of the breaking up of the Mormon sect at Nauvoo, Ill., the manuscript fell into the hands of Oliver Cowdery and later into the hands of David Whitmer, who was one of the witnesses to the Book of Mormon, and though a poor man, once refused $2,000 for the manuscripts, the offer being made by Or-

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son Pratt and another prominent elder from Utah.

Mrs. Cadwell was our subject's faithful companion all these years until September 1, 1891, when, after an illness of one year, she was released from her sufferings by the Angel of Death. She had been a devout Christian and belonged to the Baptist Church for fifty-five years. In her death our subject found the greatest bereave- ment of his eventful life.

M ARION ELLIS, who has been a resident of Harrison County since March, 1875, is now a resident of section 34, Union Township. When he came to the county he rented a farm in Harrison Grove, of Benjamin Pugh. The following year he moved to a farm near Neola, Pottawattamie County, where he remained one year and then moved back to Union Township, renting a farm of Mr. Whittinger for three years. From there he moved to the "forty " on which he now lives, renting it one year before he pur- chased it. The place had a small log house upon it, but otherwise was well im- proved. The price paid per acre, was $20. After a few years he purchased eighty acres, to the east of this, for which he paid $15 per acre. This he broke up, built a story and a half house 16x24 feet, dug one well for use at the house and another for stock purposes, provided the place with numerous outbuildings, set out an orchard of one hundred trees, besides a large amount of shade trees.

Our subject was born December 28, 1851, in Davis County Mo., and is a son of Phillip and Mary Ann Ellis, natives of

Virginia, who reared a family of five chil- dren, our subject being the youngest. The family were born in the following order : John N., Nancy E., Owen, one who died in infancy, and Marion.

Mr. Ellis was married November 25, 1869, to Nancy (Deem) Ellis, daughter of Jefferson and Rebecca Deem, who were the parents of nine children.

Our subject and his wife are the parents of eleven children; J., born September 22, 1870; Cora M., January 21, 1872, Re- becca A., June 20, 1874, Eddie S., February 20, 1876, Orvil, June 24, 1878, Marion J., February 24, 1880, Mary S., December 19, 1882, Lovinia M., June 5, 1883; Grover C., February 18, 1885; Christopher, December 19, 1887; Lillie L., April 27, 1888.

Of these the following are deceased : Grover C. and Lillie L.

Politically, Mr. Ellis is identified with the Democratic party.

Viewing the life of this man, one finds he has passed through many vicissitudes, had done a great amount of hard labor. Upon coming to the county his only pos- sessions were his horses, harness and wag- on, and $18 in money, and from this small start he has made for himself a comfortable. home, and has the respect of all those within the radius of his ac- quaintance.

C LAIBORN F. JOHNSON, a repre- sentative farmer of Jefferson Town- ship, residing on section 32, came to Harrison County in the spring of 1859. He was born near Des Moines, in Polk County, Iowa, March 7, 1856, the son of

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Archy and Olive (Owens) Johnson. The father was a native of Scotland, while the mother was born in Indiana. They farmed in Polk County until the spring of 1859, and then came to Harrison County, rent- ing a place in Magnolia Township for three years, and then bought eighty acres of wild land in Jefferson Township, which he improved, and to which he added until he owned two hundred and eighty acres. The father is now living a retired life in Logan. The mother of our subject died in Harrison County, during the month of October, 1873.

Mr. Johnson remained at home, on the farm, working for liis father until he was twenty-two years old, when he went to Smith County, Kan., bought a quarter section of land, remained three years, and rented his place there and came back to Harrison County, Iowa, rented land for two years and then took charge of his father's farm, which he operated until the spring of 1886, when he bought one lun- dred and sixty acres of improved land con- stituting his present farm.

He was united in marriage at Omaha, Neb., March 9, 1882, to Miss Minnie Johnson, daughter of Peter C. and Mary (Martin) Johnson. The father is a native of Russia and the mother, of Paris, France. Our subject's wife was born in Central City, Colo., December 25, 1863, at which place she lived at the time of their mar- riage.

By this union one child has been born- Robert Bruce, August 14, 1890. He died December 25, 1890.

Mr. Johnson received his education in the common schools of Harrison County. Both he and his wife are members of the Christian Church and politically, he affili- ates with Republican party. He takes an active part in local politics and has been

Trustee of Jefferson Township three years, and has held other offices of a lo- cal nature.

Mrs. Johnson's father, Peter C. John- son, was a merchant for many years, at Central City, Colo., going there at an early day. He had extended mining stock, and was the owner of Elliot Mine, near Central City, where he died Novem- bei 23, 1884, at the age of sixty-one years. His wife died at the same place, in Janu- ary, 1867. They were the parents of seven children of whom four are still living : Tillie, Mrs. Webb, of Colorado; Robert C. and Charles J., of Colorado, who are en- gineers at the mines, and Minnie, our sub- ject's wife.

12 ARVEY JOHNSON, a representa- tive farmer of Jefferson Township, whose farm home is on section 19, was born in Harrison County, June 22, 1865, the son of Archy and Olive (Owens) Johnson. The father is a native of Scotland, while the mother was born in Indiana. Our subject was reared in Jeffer- son Township, on his father's farm, where he remained until he had reached his majority, and still lingered about the old home, but rented his father's farm, con- ducting the same until April, 1890, when he bought the place upon which he now lives, the same being ninety-eight acres of well-improved land, lying one-half mile south of Logan.

Mr. Johnson was united in marriage in Harrison County, September 26, 1888, to Miss Allie McCoid, daughter of James and Emeline (Straight) McCoid. Allie Mc- Coid was born in Harrison County, Dec- ember 9, 1865.

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Mr. and Mrs. Johnson both received their education in the common and High Schools of Logan. Mrs. Johnson was a teacher in the Primary Department at Lo- gan, four years prior to her marriage In September, 1891, she engaged with the school again, teaching the same classes in the second Primary Depart- ment.

Mr. and Mrs. Johnson are both accept- able members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He is Superintendent of the Logan Methodist Episcopal Sabbath school at this time.

Politically, he is identified with the Re- publican party, and is a man well posted in the political history of the country, and has proven himself an efficient campaign speaker, both in his own and adjoining counties.

Our subject was among the first in the county to engage in breeding registered Poland-China swine. He now has a large number and enjoys an excellent trade. By reason of his general farm enterprise, he represents his township on the Agricul- tural Board.

AMES HANER ranks among the earliest settlers of Harrison County, emigrating with his father, William Haner, arriving November 8, 1854. He located on section 3, of La Grange Township, where he rented land for one year. He traded a yoke of oxen for forty acres of land in Union Township, and on this place remained until the spring of 1857, and for two years rented land, then traded for one hundred and twenty acres of land on section 26, and a small house at

Reeder's Mills, which had belonged to Norman Squires. On this place they re- mained until William Haner died October 5, 1859, after which his property was di- vided, and of this, James received $75. Three years before his father's death, James commenced working at the black- smith's trade at Reeder's Mills, then known as"Hardscratch, " and followed that for a livelihood. In the fall of 1864 he went to Warren County, Iowa, remained two years, and then returned to Harrison County and settled at Mondamin, building the first blacksmith shop in the place, in the summer of 1867. In 1872 he returned to Reeder's Mills and resumed blacksmith- ing and the next year was made postmas- ter, and in 1874, built an addition to his blacksmith shop, and put in a stock of groceries which he still retails.

Mr. Haner was married in Harrison County January 1, 1860, to Sarah M. Loss, a native of the State of New York, born December 7, 1843, and the daughter of Benjamin B., and Almira (Reynolds) Loss. Mr. and Mrs. Haner are the parents of seven children-William B., born Novem- ber 13, 1860; Almira J., December 25, 1862; and died October 16, 1864; Mary A., born February 20, 1865 and died June 5, 1884; Charles A., born August 22, 1867 ; Anna September 26, 1869; Inez E., June 27, 1871; and Warren W., November 1, 1873, Our subject was born in McLean County, Ill., January 18, 1836, and is the youngest son of a family of seven children. He is the son of William and Mary (Steele) Haner.

At an early day when this family of whom we now write were pioneering, their nearest trading point was Council Bluffs, to which point they went fifty-six times, fifty times of which were made with ox- teams. Our subject's father had two yoke

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of oxen and a horse team. Like most of the early settlers in this portion of Iowa, this family passed through many hard- ships. Soon after coming to the county, Mr. Haner entered eighty acres of land, and as the "Club Law" was in effect at that time, members of the club called upon Mr. Haner and told him that he must re- linquish his claim, and they threatened to come blackened, to which he replied as there were no negroes in the country that if they came to molest him he had three guns in the house, and he would find out who three of their number were. They afterward called upon him with a rope to hang him, so he finally made the deed for the land.

Politically Mr. Haner affiliates with the Democratic party, having voted with them since arriving at his majority. He has held the office of School Director and Treasurer for many years, retiring five years ago as Director but was Treasurer until September 21, 1891. In 1872 he was made postmaster at Reeder's Mills, under a Republican administration, and has held the office ever since, with the exception of three months. In connection with his store and post-office, he still follows the blacksmithing trade to some extent.

Both he and his wife have been mem- bers of the Latter Day Saints church (the Logan branch) since July, 1878.

HOMAS F. JEFFERSON, a native

of Boyer Township, Harrison County, Iowa, was born August 13, 1859, and remained at the home of his parents until twenty-five years of age, ex- cept eighteen months, during which time

he attended the Cornell College, at Mt. Vernon, Iowa, in 1880-81.

After his return from school he remained at home four years, and then took a trip West, spending most of the time in Cali- fornia, making that country his home for about three years. He returned in March, 1888, and at that time took charge of his father's farm where he has remained ever since.

Our subject is a son of Luke and Mary A. (Farnsworth) Jefferson, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this work.

In his political choice Mr. Jefferson is a. supporter of the Republican party.

AMES L. ARMSTRONG, a resi- dent of section 24, Jefferson Town- ship, came to the county in the fall of 1856, to become a permanent set- tler ; he had been in the county about six weeks in 1854. He and his brother, H. V. Armstrong, came to the county to- gether, settling on section 25, where they put up a log house, 12x14 feet, and re- mained until 1858. In the fall of 1858, he built a log house on section 23.

Our subject enlisted in Company C, Twenty ninth Iowa Infantry, August 18, 1862. He served three years in the ser- vice of his country, participating in the battles of Helena, Ark., July 4, 1863 and battle of Spanish Fort, which lasted four- teen days and also Jenkins Ferry. He re- ceived his discharge at New Orleans, Aug- ust 17, 1865 and returned home.

Our subject was born in Scioto County, Ohio, January 20, 1832, and is a son of Andrew B. and Hannah (Ray) Armstrong, and is the seventh of a family of twelve

IRBaller

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children. He remained at home until nineteen years of age, when he com- menced working out by the month, which he followed until he came to Harrison County. Upon his arrival, he possessed $200 and one horse and, by economy and good management he now owns two hun- dred and forty acres of land and usually keeps about thirty head of cattle and two teams.

Mr. Armstrong has been twice married -first in September, 1866 to Emora Jane Henderson, to whom were born four chil- dren-Martha Ann, June 26, 1867; Nora Grace, March 1, 1869; Elizabeth Ray, March 15, 1870 and Joseph C., in January, 1872. Mrs. Armstrong died and for his second wife he married Ruhana J. Frazier, daughter of Champan and Mary Frazier. By this union, one child was born-James Bertram, August 20, 1874.

Politically, Mr. Armstrong is in har- mony with the People's party. In his re- ligious convictions he is an Episcopal Methodist.

ON. LEMUEL R. BOLTER, at- torney and State Senator, residing at Logan is justly entitled to a bio- graphical notice in this connection having been a resident, and pre-eminent in both public and private life, in Harrison County since 1863.

All have a part to perform in the great drama of life. The race is made, the out- come determined, our destinies decided, just in proportion to our opportunities, endurance and ability. These are the marks that inevitably distinguish the suc- cessful man from the one who fails in life's

conflict. We write now of a man thor- oughly and favorably known, not alone in his own county but in the great common- wealth of Iowa, and in general through- out the western country where he has lived and labored for more than a quarter of a century.

But before reviewing his life-work, his labors and achievements here and else- where, it is best to acquaint the reader with his ancestry and something concern- ing his earlier years before he became ac- quainted with this section of the West.

Mr. Bolter was born July 27, 1834, in Richland County, Ohio. His parents were Alexander and Nancy (Shivel) Bolter. The Bolter family are of Scotch descent and trace their family history back to Edinboro, where Leonard Bolter Sr., was born in 1678, and in 1715 emigrated witlı his brother, Benjamin, to America and settled on the coast of Maine where he engaged in trade with the West Indies. Leonard Bolter had a son named after him and this son, Leonard Jr., was great- grandfather to the subject of this sketch. He was born in Maine in 1720, and he also followed trading with the West Indies. He shipped hay of their own raising and brought back fruit. He married Jane Flood and by such union three sons were born-Lemuel, Benjamin and John. Lem- uel was born in Cumberland County, Me., in 1760, and was a soldier in the Revolu- tionary War, enlisting when sixteen years of age, and was wounded at the battle of Brandywine.

At that period one bullet and three buckshot were employed with which to load muskets; the former missed but the latter took effect in his knee and were never removed. He finally settled in Cass County, Mich., where he died in 1841, and was buried in Shavehead Ceme-

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tery, Porter Township, of the above named county. Our subject. erected a fine monument to his memory in 1890, on which may be seen the following inscrip- tion :

" No drafts were made Our services were proffered No back pensions were paid No bounties were offered."

The deceased, Lemuel Bolter, married Sarah Jane Rose in 1784, and they had but one child-Alexander F., who was the father of our subject.

Alexander F. Bolter was born February 14, 1807, and followed farming throughout his days. He was married in 1831, to Nancy Shivel. Lemuel R., of whom we write, was the only child, the date of his birth being July 27, 1834, in Richland County, Ohio. When one year of age he removed to Cass County, Mich., where our subject passed his youthful days, en- joying the sports and pleasures as only boyhood can. He attended the district school and later the graded schools at Mottville, in St. Joseph County; also at Hillsdale College. He received an excel- lent business education, his favorite study being mathematics. After leaving school he taught one term in Cass County, Mich., and March 21, 1852, he left Mott- ville in company with John Everhart (who subsequently proved to be friend in- deed), Sheridan and Mark Lane. Their outfit consisted of a wagon and three yoke of oxen, while their objective point was the newly discovered gold fields of Cali- fornia. These four young, ambitious men wended their way over broad, unsettled prairies, through dense forests and un- bridged angry streams, with nothing to pilot them through the vast wildness save their own good judgment and each others' counsel. At last Council Bluffs was

reached (then known as Kanesville). After leaving this place they were in com- pany with various overland trains headed for the same region in the far away West. Some days the train had three and other days thirty teams. Crossing the Great American Desert at that day with ox- teams was quite different in point of ro- mance and hardships than when one to- day boards the "Overland Flyer" upon the Union Pacific rail route.

During their entire trip across the plains and through the mountain passes, the young, daring fortune seekers en- countered war-like Indians, but at last reached Ragtown on the Carson River, at which point they sold their teams and "packed" across the mountains. The first day after commencing their march Mr. Bolter was stricken with mountain fever and for two weeks (which time seemed to him an age) he lay stretched out with nothing but the canopy of heaven and the shade of a cedar tree to shield him from the changeable elements. The Lanes-his Michigan comrades-pushed on, but Ev- erhart's noble impulses caused him to re- main saying, "I will stay with you, 'Lem,' until you are better or dead, and do what I can for you." In due time Bolter and Everhart arrived at Volcano, the first set- tlement, October 14, 1852. They then went toMokelumne Hill, Calaveras County, where, while walking upon the streets the first day, they were accosted by John J. Clark, who wanted the services of a young man competent to do business where much figuring and clerical work was needed. He asked Everhart if he knew where he could find such a man, where- upon Everhart answered quickly, "yes by G-d, I do," and pointed to Bolter, who, after being questioned and cross- questioned, engaged with the man to en-

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ter the office of the Wells-Fargo Express Company at $300 per month, which was full $270 more than Mr. Bolter expected the wages would be.

A little later the company paid his board, amounting to $25 per week more. This company acted in place of a bank and bought gold dust which was shipped to New York, upon which product they realized a net profit of $3 per ounce.

After remaining in the office about four months, and observing that men came in with from $2,000 to $10,000 worth of gold dust as a result of a few weeks' work, young Bolter caught the gold fever himself, re- signed his position and started out pros- pecting, but was not as successful as many. After mining six weeks he re- turned to the town and engaged at clerk- ing in a store which position he held for two years. During his sojourn in Cali- fornia he managed to lay by an amount sufficient to buy a good farm, improve it and stock it well. He returned home to Michigan October 23, 1854, and taught school that winter. The spring following he commenced the study of law with S. C. Coffenbury, a noted legal mind of his day, living at Constantine. He remained in the law office for two years, during which time, and on March 31, 1856, he was married to Caroline J. Rinehart. a na- tive of Michigan, born April 14, 1842.

After leaving the law office our subject divided his time between teaching and the practice of law until October, 1863, when he fitted ont two wagons drawn by horse teams and started West, having been in Harrison County the June prior and purchased a farm on section 12, of Jefferson Township, where Jeddo had been platted. He arrived with the family in November, 1863, and for seven years followed farm life and the practice of law.

Not unfrequently would this man of en- ergy attend court abroad for six weeks and return to make a full hand in the har- vest field.

He was admitted to the bar before Judge Isaac Pendleton in 1865. His legal business constantly grew in magnitude until he found it necessary to devote his whole time to it. From 1868 to 1880, this portion of Iowa was developing very rap- idly and Mr. Bolter's practice became quite lucrative. He was a hard worker and this, with a thorough knowledge of the law, made him eminently successful and especially before the Supreme Courts of the State in which there are few attor- neys who have won more cases than he, some of which have been of great impor- tance.

Not alone as financier and attorney-at- law has Mr. Bolter been a successful man but in the role of a political worker he has signally distinguished himself, having represented his district as a member of the House of Representatives, as well as having been a member of the Senate. He has served more years, perhaps, than any other man in Iowa since the State was organized.

Politically he is a stanch Democrat and who can always give a reason for the faith within him concerning his political con- victions. When one reviews this busy man's eventful career and notes his ac- complishments and achievements, the wonder is how so much can be crowded one man's lifetime. But ambition and work solve the problem in this one in- stance at least.

By reference to the political history of Iowa it is found that in the autumn of 1865, Mr. Bolter was elected to a seat in the House of Representatives of Iowa- that being for the Eleventh General As-

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sembly. He also served in the same ca- pacity in the Fifteenth, Sixteenth, Nine- teenth and Twentieth General Assemblies. He proved himself a strong, unyielding worker during all these years and was elected as State Senator, serving in the Twenty-first, Twenty-second, Twenty- third and Twenty-fourth General Assem- blies,

In 1876 he was made the Democatic nominee for Congress-the eighth district then comprising thirteen counties in Southwestern Iowa. Col. W. F. Sapp, of Pottawattamie County, (now deceased) was the Republican candidate, and not unlike our subject, was gifted with native genius, had most excellent command of language, and a magnetic influence upon the people. The two political war-horses held their joint discussions each week day for thirteen weeks. The district had been going about five thousand Republi- can majority, but Mr. Bolter ran ahead of his ticket in all voting precincts except one, where he carried his full party vote. This record has probably never been beaten in the annals of American politics. In his letter of acceptance of the nomina- tion he closed by saying, " If defeated, a sufficient solace shall be found in the con- sciousness that I neither sold my friends or corruptly purchased my enemies to grat- ify my own ambition, or secure success in a just cause."

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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 37

Author: National Publishing Company (Chicago, Ill.) Publication date: 1891 Publisher: Chicago, National Publishing Company Number of Pages: 1150

Author: National Publishing Company (Chicago, Ill.)
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Chicago, National Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1150