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 38
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In 1885 our subject was appointed by Gov. Sherman, as a delegate to represent the Ninth Congressional District in the Northwestern Waterway Convention, he making a stirring speech at Kansas City upon that occasion where he acted as President of the convention.
While Mr. Bolter is a stanch Demo- crat he has always been so fortunate as to represent a strong Republican district.
In the Sixteenth General Assembly, which was strongly Republican, he was made temporary Speaker of the House, a com- pliment to him, which has never been du- plicated in any General Assembly.
Mr. Bolter's family consists of a wife and three children -- Charles R., a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this volume ; Carroll A. and Florence M., wife of Dr. I. C. Wood, of Logan, Iowa. . The well- known law firm of L. R. Bolter & Sons, consists of our subject, Charles R. and Carroll A. Bolter.
Unlike the man who has slipped noise- lessly through life, existing, but with no special aim in view, our subject has been busy all his days. Every branch and avenue of commerce, politics and society within the radius of his home circle, es- pecially the vicinity known as the Mis- souri Slope has felt his power and general influence. His legal mind has left its im- pression upon the bar of the State. His literary tastes and ability may be traced through the daily and weekly newspaper files, now grown yellow with the passing years, while the effect of his hundreds of rousing political speeches has swayed party platform planks and molded more wholesome laws for the government of the people, he has had so frequently the honor to represent in the Legislative halls of- this State. His keen perceptive faculties, the gift of nature, together with an almost iron constitution physically, which boon has been transmitted to him through a long line of sturdy, Scotch lineage, has fitted and carried him on a useful ca- reer.
His intellectual possession, coupled with his pleasing, happy manner of speech and general manner of address, has made him a popular factor in the great world around him. As an evidence of his popularity as
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a public speaker it only needs to be added that he has been called upon to deliver twenty-eight Fourth of July (National Independence Day) orations, covering one-fourth of the period embraced in our national history.
In the year 1891 he addressed the larg- est assembly ever convened at Iowa City on a similar occasion, this celebration be- ing an American Bohemian · gathering held July 4, at which the most prominent men of the West were present.
Not only regular hours of study and re- search through the days of this man's life, have given him the great store-house of knowledge from which to draw, but the midnight lamp was his companion for many years. Well might any young man pattern after the system of reaching suc- cess among men, as it is found in this brief review of Senator Bolter's life.
R ICHARD JEFFERSON, a pros- perous farmer living on section 24, of Boyer Township, has been a resi- dent of Harrison County since April 1, 1858, when he settled upon the place, upon which he now lives. He pur- chased two hundred and twenty acres of land, which has been provided with a small frame house and a ditch fence, on two sides of one forty-acre piece, while the other sides were fenced with poles. The enclosure contained about fifteen acres of breaking. He lived in the house above referred to until 1868, when he built the brick house in which he now lives. It is 26x46 feet, in the main part, with various angles and additions.
In 1887, he built an excellent barn, but
prior to this time had used the well-known Iowa "straw shed" stable.
Mr. Jefferson was born in England, February 22, 1830. And when a mere youth emigrated with his parents to America, and lived in New York State, about three years, after which they moved to Marion County, Ohio, where his father died in a short time. Our subject lived with his mother on a farm until the fall of 1852, and then came to Marshall County, Iowa, remained a few days and returned to the "Buckeye State" and on to New York City, where he took ship for Aspin- wall. reaching there after a voyage of eight days, landing in January, 1853. Started over the Isthmus New Year's day, and from Aspinwall to Panama went part of the way by rail, and part of the way they poled up Chagres River as- sisted by the natives and were then twen- ty two miles from Panama, which point they wanted to reach, in order to take ship on the Pacific Ocean.
It was at their option whether they paid $32 and ride a mule or walk this twenty- two miles, but our subject concluded to walk. After arriving there he took the steamboat "Golden Gate." He left Panama on March 12, arrived at San Francisco on the 28th and reached Sacra- mento the last day of the month. From Sacramento they went to Eldorado County, Cal., to Uniontown, a mining place, arriv- ing April 1, 1853. He walked from Sacra- mento City, reaching Uniontown the same day, covering a distance of fifty miles.
He left San Francisco, June 16, 1857, for New York, coming the same route he had gone. Upon his arrival in Union- town he borrowed $80, to go out gold prospecting with and mined on his own account. He secured enough gold dust,
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which he had minted at Philadelphia, to amount to $3,000. He arrived at his home in Ohio in August, 1857, remained a short time and then came to Page County, Iowa, where he purchased a quarter sec- tion of land about six miles from Clarinda, which land he lost on account of a defective title, and in December of that year, re- turned to Ohio, spent the winter and in March, 1858, came to Harrison County.
He was married in Marion County, Ohio, to Miss Caroline Jacobs, March 7, 1858, and by this union eleven children were born -- Phebe, Oscar, Rosetta, Eve, William, C., Laura D., Della, Henry H., Lillie M., Emma V. and Fred.
Mrs. Jefferson was born in Crawford County, Ohio, June 19, 1842, and re- mained in that county with her mother until the date of her marriage.
The father of our subject was William Jefferson, who was born in England, and died in Ohio, about 1838. The mother, Phœbe (Dan) Jefferson, was also a native of England and died in Harrison County, Iowa, in 1866, at the age of sixty-five years. Mr. and Mrs. William Jefferson were the parents of five children, of which our subject was the third.
Politically, Mr. Jefferson affiliates with the Republican party and in religious matters is a member of no church but believes that God is what the Bible rep- resents him to be and believes in Christ his son and that the Bible does not teach that man will ever have life eternal, un- less he obeys and lives a holy life ; if so, then God will at the resurrection give him life eternal but the sinner will he destroy.
Before closing this sketch it should be related that Mr. Jefferson visited Cali- fornia in 1875-not as he did in the '50s -but he left Woodbine, June 30, traveled by the Union Pacific Railway, arriving at
Sacramento City in ten days. From that he went to Tulare County, where he re- mained until August, putting in his time at visiting, planting corn, hoeing sorghum, pickling beans and harvesting. On a jour- ney in the mountains, in August, he made snow-balls, which to him, seemed very odd. After a pleasant trip to the Golden State, he arrived home at Woodbine, August 30, 1875, having only been to an expense of $150.
In reviewing this man's life, one finds it full of events of interest, coming as he did from the Old World when a youth and being one of the earliest gold miners in California, braving the dangers co-inci- dent with the long journey, to and from the Golden State, and the hardships en- dured within the mining district, together with his having been a pioneer farmer in Harrison County, all contributes, to make his a life replete with interest and thril- ling events.
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E LIAS G. HAIGHT, a farmer, of sec- tion 26, St. John's Township, came to Harrison County, in 1867, locat- ing on the site of his present farm. Ever since he came to the county, he has been adding to his land, until he now has three hundred acres, all fenced and one hundred and twenty acres under cultivation.
He traces his ancestry back to his father, Elias Haight, who was born in West- chester County, N. Y., and was of Eng- lish descent. He was a farmer by occupa- tion, and married Esther Hull, of South Salem, N. Y. By this union four chil- dren were born-Warren, (deceased) ; Webster, living in Westchester County, N. Y .; Mary, (deceased) and Elias G., our
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subject, who was born, December 24, 1824, in Westchester County, N. Y. His early life was passed on his father's farm in the Empire State, where he attended the common schools, and began farming for himself on his father's farm, in 1845, con- tinuing until he came to Iowa. He now carries on general farming, raises, buys and sells live stock.
Mr. Haight was married July 2, 1857, to Miss Katie H. Reynolds, the daughter of Silas Reynolds, of Westchester County, N. Y. By this union nine children were born-Warren E., May 13, 1858; Webster H., September 21, 1859; John J., born October 18, 1860 died December 2, 1860; Mary Augusta and Silas Augustus, born October 3, 1861; Mary Augusta died May 14, 1868; Abram Lewis born, Nov- ember 8, 1863; Charles Edwin, May 31, 1865; Sarah E., October 5,1866 and Jessie, October 15, 1869.
These children were all born in West- chester County, N. Y. except Jessie who was born in St. John's, this county, The second and fourth child are married and reside in Harrison County. Webster H. married Almedia Chambers, March 18, 1885. Silas A. was married February 18, 1890, to Jennie McIntosh.
Politically, Mr. Haight is an active worker in the Republican party, and es- pecially in his part of the county.
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R. EV. LEWIS S. SNYDER, of Mis- souri Valley, has been a resident of Harrison County for thirty-five years, making his settlement in these parts in 1856. He opened up the first tin-shop at Magnolia and remained
at that village until 1865, when he settled on a farm in St. John's Township, where he now resides, having been there ever since, with the exception of two years spent in Salt Lake and the western min- ing country, where he went for his health.
Our subject was born in Fayette County, Pa., near Connellsville, October 20, 1821. He is the son of John and Eliza (Shaffer) Snyder. The father was of Ger- man descent, but born in Pennsylvania. The great-grandfather was born in Ger- many, and our subject's uncle, Jacob Snyder, served in the Revolutionary war. The parents of our subject reared a family of six sons and four daughters, of whom our subject was the second child. Of this number seven still survive. All farmers except Jacob. who is a Bishop of the Ger- man Baptist Brethren Church, in Brook- lyn, Poweshiek County, Iowa. The father died at the age of seventy-three years, at the above named place, while the mother, at the extreme old age of ninety-one years, still survives, and is living at Brook- lyn, Iowa, and can see to read ordinary printed matter, without the aid of her glasses.
Our subject's early education was re- ceived in the common schools of Pennsyl- vania, and he came to Iowa in 1855, prior to which time he had been engaged as a tinsmith.
Our subject was united in marriage May 11, 1842, to Miss Mary Zysing, a native of Pennsylvania, who was born in Union- town, Fayette County. By this marriage union seven children were born, J. G. Snyder, a resident of Adel, Iowa, a farmer ; Margaret, wife of Addison McIntosh, a resident farmer of St. John's Township; J. J., a farmer near Woodbine; J. S., in St. John's Township, near Missouri Val- ley; Eliza, wife of Martin Frick, died
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in March, 1885, at Missouri Valley ; George W., a farmer near Woodbine, and David S., still at home with his father.
June 16, 1885, our subject's wife passed from the scenes of lier earthly career, and was buried in Rose Hill Cemetery, at Missouri Valley. For his second wife our subject married in March, 1887, the widow of Dr. Coles, of Woodbine.
In 1891 the Brethren church erected a neat edifice, at the head of McGavren street, and our subject was the moving spirit of such work, as well as the heaviest contributor to the work. The cost of this chapel was $590. It is a frame building with a seating capacity of two hundred. Mr. Snyder is the pastor, and although the congregation is small, much good is being accomplished.
Our subject, although a man of seventy years, is very active and much stronger than many of the young men of to-day.
Concerning our subject's business ca- reer it may be said that he was early tanght the way of industry and economy. His father was a tin-smith by trade, and in his early life followed farming-working by the montli at that in summer, and at his trade during the winter, keeping up a stock for the retail and jobbing trade. This was near Connellsville, Pa. When our subject attained his eighteenth year, he commenced to learn the tinner's trade. As soon as he had mastered it his father retired to the farm and L. S. and his brother Jacob, carried on the business and added a general "country store" stock, which they continued to operate until coming to Tama County, Iowa, locating near Brooklyn, where he remained two years in the same business at the village of Eureka. From that point he came to Harrison County, settling at Magnolia with about $3,000, as the result of his own
labor. Outside of his mercantile business at Magnolia, he became a heavy dealer in lands. He being a careful figurer, and possessed of good business sagacity, succeeded in accumulating nearly $100, 000 out of which sum he has given each of lıis,seven children a good farm.
RANCIS M. HOWARD, one of the men who found their way to Harri- son county during the month of February, 1879, and now owns a farm on section 34, of Union Township, will form the subject of this sketch.
He was born in Greene County, Ill., in April, 1845, and remained under the pater- nal roof until he had reached the years of majority, passing his youthful days on the farm. After he was of age, he worked by · the month for one year and then bought a team and worked his father's farm on shares until he came to Iowa.
His father was John Howard, and his mother, Margery Ann (Bell) Howard. The father was a native of Tennessee and the mother of Illinois. They had six children : Francis M., William H., Thomas B., John A., Elizabeth A. and a baby, deceased.
Our subject was married in March, 1871, to Melissa J. Teeple, daughter of Bryant and Mahaley Teeple, who reared a family of eight children: George, Rachel A., Mattie M., James T., Melissa, William A., Charles and Frederick W. The father was a native of New Jersey and the mother of Tennessee.
Mr. and Mrs. Howard are the parents of three children : Neva F., born July 6, 1872, George A., May 26, 1875, and Edith M., September 29, 1881.
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Mr. Howard's first farm consisted of eighty acres, for which he paid $4.50 per acre, in the wild state. His first improvement was the breaking of forty acres of this land, and the building- of a one-story house, 20 x24 feet. He has since bought forty acres more, making one hundred and twenty in all.
Politically, our subject affiliates with the Republican party. Both he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Having only a common school education, commencing life without means, he is en- titled to much credit for the success he has achieved thus far in life.
DDISON COCHRAN, or Colonel Cochran, as he is familiarly called, is a highly respected citizen of Little Sioux Township, and is the largest land-owner in Harrison County. Came to Iowa in 1849 on an exploring ex- pedition, and became a permanent settler in 1854, when the land came into market, and in September of that year Mr. Cochran attended the land sale at Council Bluffs and assisted the settlers in securing land in this section. He entered it in his own name, and gave the settlers one year's time, they paying him forty per cent. interest (which was common at that date), and he giving them a bond for a deed. A quarter section of land at Gov- ernment price, at the end of the year, with even this high rate of interest added, only cost $280.
At this same sale Col. Cochran pur- chased a claim and located three hundred and seventeen acres at Sioux City, the
same now being owned by the stock yards company. The original cost of this land was $396.25, which, together with com- pound interest and taxes, amounted in 1887 to $8,000. He sold the tract for the handsome sum of $100,000.
Our subject has made his home here since 1883, but has always had a home at Council Bluffs, and still holds the same. Beyond question, no one man owns the amount of land in this county that Col. Cochran possesses. He has seven thous- and acres. Five hundred acres of this land are under a high state of culti- vation. His whole landed estate is sur- rounded with a fence, the total length of which (simply to enclose) is forty miles, say nothing of the many miles of sub- dividing fences running hither and yon over his land.
His home farm contains five thousand acres, all in grass. The Colonel's time and special attention is turned in the di- rection of raising, grazing and breeding stock. He has one hundred head of horses, mares and colts, and about six hundred head of cattle, together with three hundred head of Poland-China hogs.
In 1883 our subject built a bridge over the Little Sioux River, which meanders through his farm. This bridge was built for him and for his special private use. It was constructed by the Council Bluffs Bridge Company, the material being wrought iron. It is two hundred and sixty feet long by eighteen feet wide, and rests on boiler iron piers three and one- half feet in diameter, filled with cement. These go down to the hardpan. The cost of this bridge was $6,000, which is the most expensive outlay of any private bridge in the West. This bridge connects his lands on either side of the Little Sioux River.
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Of Mr. Cochran's ancestors, it may be said they were from- Scotland, and emi- grated to Lancaster County, Pa., settling at Cochransville, one hundred and fifty years ago. His grandfather emigrated to Virginia and settled in Loudon County, where our subject was born August 18, 1817, forty miles west from the city of Washington. Our subject is the second of a family of eleven children, two of whom are living.
Politically, Col. Cochran is a stanch supporter of the Democratic party. The only office he has ever allowed his name to be used for, in the West, was the office of Mayor of Council Bluffs, and during his administration and under his supervi- sion the street grade was established. He was also instrumental in having the water- works put in. Warrants at that time were only worth forty cents on a dollar, but at the end of his administration they were held at par.
He of whom this notice is written forms an important character in the history of Harrison County, where he is well and favorably known in almost every one of the twenty townships comprising the county.
He is an enthusiastic worker in his po- litical party, ever being ready to adopt any honorable means for the purpose of electing the one who, in his judgment, is the proper candidate. As an example of his loyal party zeal, it may be said that when Gov. Boies was campaigning the State prior to his election, in the autumn of 1891, he was billed for Onawa, and the Colonel, at his own expense, chartered a car from River Sioux to Onawa, swinging the doors wide open, free to all to go and hear the Governor speak, which secured him some more votes at least.
This is but one of many similar cases
wherein the true, broad-minded, liberal and enterprising spirit of Col. Cochran has been manifest, the same being an index to the secret of his success, both financially and socially.
EWIS L. DEUEL, who came to Harrison County in March, 1872, settled on his present farm, on sec- tion 8, of Douglas Township, when it was wild land, consisting of sixty acres, which he has well improved. At the time of his coming there were but about forty votes polled in the township and all looked new and wild. Great has been the transforma- tion since first he gazed out upon the fair domain of Harrison County.
Mr. Deuel was born in Saratoga County, N. Y., August 23, 1849, and remained with his parents until he was twenty years of age when he went to Washington County, of that State and stayed one year, after which he spent one year at home and then came to Harrison County.
Believing in that portion of the Scrip- ture which says that "It is not good for man to be alone," he made the acquaint- ance of Miss Adelia DeLong, of Saratoga County, N. Y., and took her hand in mar- riage, March 5, 1870, and as a result of this union the following children were born unto them -- Arthur B., Herbert S., Eu- gene L., Alice E., Freddy L. and Berta L. The angel of death appeared in the home circle, November 27, 1879 and claimed the spirit of Eugene L.
Mrs. Deuel was born September 22, 1845, in Saratoga County, N. Y., and re- mained at home until she accepted the hand of our subject.
System of Draining. MAGNOLIA, Iowa, Sept. 9, 1885.
ED. NEWS :- There is one sure method of draining the Missouri bottom land in this and the adjoining counties, and make that rich and level land-tlie gar- den spot of the state. The first advo- cate of the following method was Joel Patch, of Magnolia township, moro fa- milliary known to the older residents of the county as 'Squire Patch. His theory was as follows: That the low- estland on the Missouri bottom (ex- cepting that near the river) was along or near the foot of the bluffs which mark the edge of the bottom. If all of the streams from the Little Sioux river to the Boyer river were made to flow into the same channel through the low- est place at the foot of the bluffs, and empty into the Missouri river where the Missouri runs against the eastern bluffs below Loveland the Missouri bottom would be protected from overflow. That such a waterway is possible is proven by the course which all streams take when they reach the bottom, and if all were turned into one channel it would flow with sufficient rapidity enough to keep its channel clear from obstructions, and carry off all of the water coming from the hills. The surface water which falls on the Missouri Bottom is not what ruins it, as the surface water would soon dry away or find an outlet through the nu- merous road ditches into the lakes and river beds, through these into the Mis- souri river. Land which now is worth- less except in tlie dry season would make the finest timothy pasture and- hay land to be found in the state. The first step would be to straighten the channel of the Boyer river and give it the point spoken of. This would nec- cessiate the removal of the Loveland mill dam and no mill dams should be allowedalong the watercourse or
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of. The removal of the Loveland mill dam is a necessity and was proven last May and June by the Boyer river over- flowing its banks and drowing out thousands of acres of hay, pasture, and cultivated crop. The state law is very strict in case of this kind the owner of mill dam doing such damage is not only liable to suit for one year's dam- age, but for each year's damage that his mill dam may cause.
The next step won'd be to bring the
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remaining streams through the intended channel in their order beginning with the Willow and finishing up with Little Sioux river. Giving the Little Sioux an outlet through Saul Smith's lake where it overflowed and run into Saul Smith's lake during the past summer. The junction of all these streams would make a navigable stream many miles above its outlet. The cost of such a waterway would be small com- pared with the benefit derived from it. The land which it would cut in its way in its present condition is almost value- less and unsaleable. Thus, the right of way would not cost very much. The cost of making a channel would also be light as the water would run with suf- ficient rapidity to dig its own channel, in a straight course in the right place. Funds could be raised by issuing bonds payable in five to ten years. Bonds to be paid by taxes levied on all lands benefited by the drainage. The taxes ought to be on the rate per cent. of in- crease in the market value of all the land on the Missouri bottom, and such along the streams mentioned that is subject to over flow. A just method of assessing would be to assess all such land at its present market value and at the end of years assess it at its market value at that time. The taxes to raise the required amount levied on the amount of increase in Value not count- ing improvements. Thus land increas- ing in value twenty dollars per acre, would pay more taxes than land that only increased in value ten dollars per acre although paying the same rate and perhaps be of less market value. The possibility of such a system of drainage rests on the people of this and adjoin- ing counties to decide.
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