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 61
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111 | Part 112 | Part 113 | Part 114 | Part 115 | Part 116 | Part 117 | Part 118 | Part 119 | Part 120 | Part 121 | Part 122
Our subject was united in marriage February 16, 1859, to Ellen Mc Williams, the daughter of William and Polly A. (Marsh) McWilliams, natives of Ohio, who were the parents of eight children- John W., Ellen, Thomas B., Leonidas, Mary I., David B. (deceased), William T. (deceased), and Kate K. (deceased).
Our subject and his wife are the parents of eight children, all of whom are living. They were born in the following order : Thomas, July 12, 1860; William T., April 24, 1862; Anna J., December 6, 1863; Fred, July 11, 1866; Mary D., June 22, 1868; Eugene L., January 2, 1872; Edwin C., February 3, 1875; and Leonteen, June 6, 1880.
Our subject is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and is a member of Little Sioux Lodge, No. 382. Politically he is in sympathy with the Republican party, and has assessed his township several times, and also took the census enumera- tion in 1880.
His wife is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and no family in the township is more highly respected than they.
n ED M. ATHEY, a farmer residing on section 23, of Jackson Township came to Harrison County, in the autumn of 1874, and first located at Mis- souri Valley, and worked out by the month, in St. John's Township. He came to the county a poor man, and was compelled to work for others by the month for four years. At the end of which time he bought him a team, and rented land for two years, and then bought eighty acres of land in St. John's Township. A part of this land was im- proved, and he paid $25 per acre for it. After residing on this place four years, he sold out and bought the farm he now oc- cupies, consisting of one hundred and twenty acres of partly improved land. He at once set about making substantial improvements and alterations on the premises. He now has eighty acres un- der cultivation, while the balance is in timber and pasture land, all surrounded by a good fence. He also has an orchard of fifty trees.
Concerning our subject's early life, it may be said he was born in January, 1851, and is the son of James L. and Elizabeth Athey, who were natives of Indiana, as
554
HARRISON COUNTY.
was our subject. In his parents' family there were eight children, he being the third child. The children were as follows : Sarah M., deceased; Mary J., deceased ; Ned M .; Nancy C .; William, deceased; Rachel L., and Martha E., (twins), and James L.
Our subject remained in the Hoosier State with his parents until twenty-two years of age, at which time he came to Harrison County, Iowa.
He was united in marriage, March 8, 1881, to Nettie Cox, daughter of Henry B. and Caroline Cox, natives of Indiana, who were the parents of ten children, five of whom grew to maturity, and are now all residents of Harrison County.
Our subject and his wife are the parents of five children, born in the following order : Bruce C., July 1, 1882; Henry L., January 21, 1884; William E. (deceased), born April 16, 1837; Florence, August 9, 1889, and Jolin W., April 10, 1891.
Politically, our subject is identified with the Democratic party.
ETER R. MULLEN, a farmer re- siding on section 15, of LaGrange Township, came to Harrison Coun- ty in the autumn of 1874, and set- tled on the farin he now occupies. He purchased two hundred and seventy-nine acres of land, two hundred and forty of which was farm land, and the remainder was timber. There were seventy acres of breaking on the place, and a small story and a half house, when he bought the property. He has built an addition to the house, erected two substantial barns, graneries, machine house, corn cribs, and
is now building additional cribs and a barn, together. He has added to his farm until he now possesses three hundred and fifty-nine acres, one hundred and thirty- five of which are under the plow. The whole premises show him to be a man of thrift and enterprise.
Our subject was born in Dubuque Coun- ty, Iowa, February 21, 1852. He remain- ed there on the farm with his parents, un- til he came to Harrison County.
He was married in Harrison County, February 2, 1875, to Miss Ellen M. O'- Rourke, and they are the parents of nine children : John F., James P., Peter W., Mary A., Charles M., Ellen M., Catherine B., Martha G. and Cecelia J.
Mrs. Ellen (O'Rourke) Mullen was born in Dubuque County, January 8, 1850, and accompanied her parents to Harrison County, in June, 1873, and remained at home until the date of her marriage to Mr. Mullen.
The father of Peter Mullen was born in Ireland, in 1821, and died in Dubuque County, Iowa, May, 1882. He came to America, with his mother and the re- mainder of the family, when he was ten years of age, and they first settled in Maryland, and from there moved to Penn- sylvania, and in 1837, came to Jackson County, Iowa, took up a homestead, was among the pioneers of that section of Iowa, and in 1849 sold out, and went to California during the gold excitement. He was there two years, and then came to Dubuque County, and took up a home- stead, and in 1852, again went to Californ- ia, and remained until 1854, then returned to Dubuque County. His wife, the moth- er of our subject, whose maiden name was Margaret Thornton, was born in Ireland, and in March, 1821, came with her par- ents to America, coming direct to Dubu-
557
HARRISON COUNTY.
que County, Iowa, where she remained until the date of her marriage.
Our subject's father built the first jail that was built in Jackson County, and was also prominent in the fight with the horse thieves.
Our subject and his wife are both mem- bers of the Roman Catholic Church, and politically, he is identified with the Deni- ocratic party.
LMOR STERN, of the firm of Stern & Milliman, at Logan, will form the subject of this notice. He was born in Chester County, Pa., April 21, 1854, and is the son of Jacob T. and Millicent B. Stern. a sketch of whom ap- pears elsewhere in this work.
He accompanied his parents from the Keystone State to Harrison County, when he was but three years of age, arriving here in the month of April, 1857, coming from Philadelphia to St. Louis by rail, and from the last-named place they took a boat up the Missouri river to Florence, Neb., and the following week came to Harrison County, where our subject has spent the greater portion of his life. While yet a mere lad, he looked out upon the fertile valleys and broad expanse of prairie-land, little dreaming that, before he was forty years old, this wilderness-like domain would be the garden-spot of the Missouri Slope, with scarcely a tract of wild land to be seen, but on the contrary, a fully de- veloped county, with all that this term im- plies, including her well-tilled farms, her railways, her towns, cities, schools and churches. His early years were spent in assisting his father, who was one of the most systematic agriculturists the county has ever known, and who lived at Harris
Grove, and whose farm is still known as the "Linnwood Farm." Here our subject remained until the October election of 1878, at which time he was elected County Auditor, to fill the vacancy occasioned by the death of W. H. Eaton. Mr. Stern held this office until January 1; 1884, and after retiring he established himself in his present business, which was commenced in December, 1883.
He was married December 15, 1880, to Laura A. Mann, the daughter of Calvin and Silvia Mann, of Blair, Neb. She is a native of Washington County, N. Y., born July 6, 1854. Her father was of Eng- lish descent and the mother of Welsh ex- traction.
Mr. and Mrs. Stern have had their home blessed by the birth of three children- Fred W., born November 16, 1881; Cyrus A., born August 2, 1883; Jacob T., Jr., born July 26, 1889.
Politically, our subject is a stanch sup- porter of the principles as laid down by the Republican party.
He is a member of Chrysolite Lodge, No. 420, of the Masonic order. He joined March 29, 1882, and is now Master of the lodge. He is also a member of Logan Lodge, No. 355, of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
Having been "reared in the way that he should go," he, not unlike his parents (who are still residents of the county, liv- ing a retired life at Logan), is held in high esteem by every citizen within Harrison County.
6 HOMAS J. BRYCESON, one of the representative farmers of Jackson Township, located on section 22, has been a resident of the county since
42
558
HARRISON COUNTY.
the spring of 1873, when he bought the place he now occupies, which at the time contained sixty-three acres, and was part- ly improved, with a small frame house upon it, and about ten acres broken, the same costing $10 per acre. He broke the remainder of his land out, built a house 16x30 feet, with a wing 14x20 feet, built sheds, cribbing, etc., and now has forty acres under the plow, and the balance in timber and pasture land. He also pro- vided his place with a good orchard and a natural grove.
He was born in England, October 3, 1829, and is a son of William and Mary Bryceson, who are natives of England, and had a family of seventeen children, our subject being the seventh child. Eleven of these children are living in England, the remainder are deceased ex- cept Thomas and Ann, who live in this country. Our subject remained in Eng- land with his parents until he arrived at his majority. When he came to America, he landed at New Orleans, came up the Mississippi River a far as St. Louis, where he was engaged one year as sign painter and grainer. He went from St. Louis to Salt Lake City, where he con- tinued to work at his trade. While there he painted Brigham Young's house, and for which services he has not yet received his pay. He remained in Salt Lake City four years, then went back to New Orleans, where he followed painting for five years. We next find him in Coles County, Ill., where he remained one year, and then came to Monona County, Iowa, bought a farm, and remained twelve years. He next came to Harrison County.
He was united in marriage, March 20, 1853, to Mary Shiner, the daughter of Christopher D., and Frances Shiner, natives of Scotland, who reared a family"
of thirteen children. Mr. and Mrs. Bryceson are the parents of nine children, born in the following order-Mary, Sep- tember 1, 1855; Frederick W., August 28, 1857; Edwin W., June 25, 1859; Arthur (deceased), June 5, 1861; Albert A., October 18, 1864; Fannie R., September 29, 1866; Elizabeth A., December 14, 1868; Frank E., June 5, 1871; Nellie (de- ceased), October 24, 1873.
Our subject is a member of the Metho- dist Episcopal Church, and stands high in the community in which he lives.
ATTHEW BLENKIRON, a bank- er and large land holder, residing at Missouri Valley came to the coun- ty, in 1870, and dealt in land and followed farming in Cincinnati Township, for ten years. He was born in Yorkshire, England, near Richmond, July 18, 1817. He is the son of William and Elizabeth Blenkiron. The father followed farming for a living and died when our subject was a mere boy ; his mother died in Harrison County, December 13, 1879, and was buri- ed in Rose Hill Cemetery. Our subject received his education in England, prior to coming to America. He came to this country in 1839 and settled in Wisconsin, at British Hollow, where he began smelt- ing, and has the honor of being the first "slag smelter" in the United States. He followed that business for three years, and then turned his attention toward mining and agricultural pursuits, for the next ten years, but. after that devoted his entire attention to the latter, until 1870, when he came to this county, and still followed farming until 1880, when he moved to Missouri Valley, and rebuilt the grist mill
559
HARRISON COUNTY.
at that point, which had been destroyed by fire. He conducted this mill for a time and then sold to L. M. Kellogg. In 1884, he became one of the principal stock hold- ers of the First National Bank, of which he is now the Vice President. Our sub- ject was united in marriage, July 13, 1846, at a place called New Diggings in Lafay- ette County, Wis., to Mary Harker, whose father was James Harker, who came from England, at the same time that Mr. Blenk- iron did, they being among a colony of seventy-five, who came to the New World. Mr. and Mrs. Blenkiron, are the parents of thirteen children-William B., born May 14, 1847; was drowned at the age of fourteen months; Matthew W., born July 23, 1849, and resides in Nebraska; Elizabeth.A., born October 3, 1851, wife of Joseph Harker, resides at Mitchell, S.D. Mary E., born April 20, 1854, wife of George Nowlin, residing in California; John C., born January 31, 1856, married and resides at Coleridge, Neb .; Isabella, born March, 25, 1858, wife of James T. Burton, from Galena, now lives in South Riverside, Cal. ; Sarah J., born, Novem- ber 15, 1859, wife of Charles Swanson, and resides at Oakland Neb. ; James Harker, born December 22, 1861, residing in Ne- braska, Joseph E., born November 27,1863, living at Bancroft, Neb., ; Ester, born November 27, 1865, married Crawford Kennedy, a mail agent and she makes her home with her parents; Emaline, born May 22, 1867, died in infancy; Leonard and Emaline (twins) born August 9, 1869.
In politics, Mr. Blenkiron, votes the straight Republican ticket. Mr. and Mrs. Blenkiron are the grandparents of twenty children, still living, and eight deceased. The wife of our subject is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, to which she has belonged eleven years,
In glancing over the sketch of this man's life one sees what good business manage- ment can accomplish for a man coming to America away back in 1839, say nothing of the advantages of to-day. Upon arriv- ing here he was only twenty-two years old with but little capital save his own hands to work with. Besides rearing and edu- cating a large family he has succeeded in gaining ownership at one time of over three thousand acres of land in Harrison and adjoining counties. At this writing, 1891, he is classed among the wealthiest citizens of Harrison County.
AFAYETTE BROWN, an attor- ney at law, practicing at Missouri Valley, came to the place in 1875, having graduated the year before, at the law department of the Iowa State Univer- sity.
He was born February 17, 1845, in Jackson County, Ohio. His parents are Samuel and Charlotte (Smith) Brown, natives of Carroll County, Ohio. The an- cestors on the father's side were very early settlers in Ohio, while on the mother's side they were from Pennsylvania. Great- grandfather William Brown, was a sold- ier in the Revolutionary War, and during one of the fierce struggles of that conflict lost an arm.
Our subject was the fourth child of a family often-six sons and four daughters. Of the ten there are five sons and one daughter living. The family came to Iowa by the way of Ohio and Mississippi rivers, landing at Centreville, Appanoose County in 1853, and entered a farm there. In 1875 they traded the farm for a grist mill in
560
HARRISON COUNTY.
Centreville, and after running this for a few years made a change, by going to Missouri. Our subject's mother died May 1, 1891, in Missouri Valley.
His early education was obtained in Appanoose County, Iowa. He assisted his father on the farm until twenty -five years of age and then attended the Normal School at Warrensburg Mo., and from there went to Iowa City, and graduated in law, in July 1874. The following winter he taught school in Appanoose County, coming to Missouri Valley the following year.
Politically he votes the straight Demo- cratic ticket and has held the office of City Attorney for one term and is the present incumbent, and has been a member of the School Board at various times and is one of the present members.
Fannie Manning became his life com- panion December 29, 1830. They were married in Wayne County Iowa, her par- ents being very early pioneers in the Hawkeye State. The father died while she was yet quite small and her mother passed from the scenes of this life, at Mis- souri Valley in 1883. Our subject and his wife are the parents of one child, Verne S., born November 30, 1883.
Of Mrs. Brown, it may be said that she is an exemplary Christian lady and a mem- ber of the Presbyterian Church at Mis- souri Valley.
Of Mr. Brown's brothers, two are in Oregon, one in North Dakota, and one in South Dakota; three are farmers and stock-raisers. A sister lives in South Dakota, the wife of John Rands; Allen L. one of the brothers living in Oregon is ex- tensively engaged in raising stock, prin- cipally horses. He was Sheriff of Baker County at one time.
When our subject came to Missouri Val-
ley, he was a poor man having used all of his early earnings, in gaining an educa- tion. But by strict attention to his busi- ness in his line, he has built up a lucrative practice, and now owns a good. business property on Erie Street, besides a good residence property in another part of Mis- souri Valley.
G UNNAR E. NORDAKER, one of the enterprising business men of Dunlap, has been a resident of the city since the spring of 1884. He is a native of Norway, born September 10, 1863. His parents were Erick and Chris- tena Nordaker, who reared a family of nine children. At the age of fourteen years our subjeot engaged as a clerk in a general store. He received his education at the High Schools of his native country, and also took a business course, prepara- tory to entering a business establishment. He followed office work in the mercantile business until he left Norway, in 1884, coming direct to Dunlap, Iowa. Upon his arrival he almost immediately engaged with Patterson, Dally & Co., in their gen- eral store, and there remained until the firm was changed to M. C. Dally & Co., and continued with the firm until Octo- ber, 1889, when he established his present business. He started in with a small stock of general merchandise, and has in- creased until he now carries one of the largest in the county. Through good business principles, he has built up a large trade throughout Harrison, Crawford, Monona and Shelby Counties. He has in his employ, five well-trained clerks, besides extra help on special occasions,
561
HARRISON COUNTY.
Mr. Nordaker may well be termed a self-made business man, who had nothing to start with in life except energy and perseverance. Politically he is a Repub- lican, yet is not a radical party man, be- lieving in the theory that the best men should hold the local offices. Like so many of the intelligent business men of Harrison County, he is a member of the Knights of Pythias Order, as well as of the Odd Fellows and Modern Woodmen of America.
He was married July 3, 1888, to Miss Ida M. Dunston, who was born in Dunlap April 4, 1870. She is the daughter of William and Jane (Keast) Dunston. The father is deceased, and the mother lives in Dunlap.
The home circle of our subject and his wife has been blessed by the birth of one child, Inger Erik, born February 27, 1890. Mrs. Nordaker is an acceptable member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
S AMUEL PROBASCO, one of the representative men of Dunlap, has been a resident of Harrison County since 1880, coming from LaSalle County, Ill., at that time. He located in Harrison Township, on a farm on section 15. which now extends into section 22, and com- prises three hundred and tour acres. Here he has made many improvements. He also has another farm in Douglas Town- ship, of one hundred and sixty acres, in which locality he formerly owned three hundred acres, but sold a part. In 1888, he came to Dunlap and engaged in the livery business, which was consumed by fire in June, 1891, He lost twelve head
of horses ; his loss amounting to $2,000. Since that time he has erected a good feed stand on the site of his former barn. He handles livery and agricultural imple- ments in connection. He is agent for the Buckeye Manufacturing Company, and is one of the leading business men in this part of the county, ever striving to pro- mote the interests of the community at large.
Mr. Probasco is a native of Hampshire County, W. Va., born in March, 1832. He is the son of Jacob and Ellen (Fra- zier) Probasco, who were natives of Virginia, and who, in 1837, when our sub- ject was about five years old, moved to Tazewell County, Ill., where the father died in 1847, at the age of forty-five years. The mother died in 1845, aged forty years. The father was a farmer and they had a family of eight children, Elizabeth. (de- ceased), wife of O. Mason; Johannah, (deceased), wife of Allen Hodgson; Sarah E., (deceased) ; Hannah, (deceased) ; Sam- uel, our subject; Nancy, wife of Michael Norman, of Dunlap; Mary, wife of Frank Halstone, of Streator, Ill., and William, deceased.
Our subject was reared in his native State, accustomed to farm labor, and when about fifteen years of age he com- menced working by the month, and in 1854, was united in marriage to Anna Hodgson, born in Illinois in 1836. After they were married, our subject com- menced to farm for himself, in LaSalle County, where he remained until he came to Harrison County. He may well be termed a self made man, commencing life without means, but by pluck and industry has succeeded in securing a handsonie competency. Mr. and Mrs. Probasco are the parents of five children: Sarah E., wife of D. B. Elbert, of Harrison County ;
562
HARRISON COUNTY.
Jacob, a resident of Harrison Township; William, a resident of Douglas Township; Charles, a resident of Harrison Township; and Samuel, Jr., at home.
Politically, our subject is a stanch sup- porter of the Democratic party, and has held many of the local offices.
RIN L. MICKEL, a farmer residing on section 16, of Allen Township, came to Harrison County in Sep- tember 1878. He worked out by the month on a farm the first season, and taught school during the winter. He then rented land in Morgan Township one season, and again was employed as a teacher during the winter, after which he sold out his surplus grain and stock, and returned to New York State, remained there a year, and then came back to Iowa, and again engaged by the month at farm labor, and finally bought out a man's crop, teams and tools, and the following spring bought a farm near Mondamin consisting of one hundred and ninety acres of partly im- proved land. He farmed here for six years, and then bought the farm he now occupies, which consisted of eighty acres of wild land, upon which he erected a house 18x26 feet, with an addition twenty- two feet square. His farm is also pro- vided with a barn 22x34 feet, as well as
hog house, cribs, granary, etc. As the years have gone by he has added to his land until he now possesses three hundred and twenty acres, ninety of which are under the plow, while the balance is in pasture and meadow land, the whole being surrounded by a good fence.
Mr. Mickel was born in Otsego County,
N. Y., in August 1850. He is the son of Ira and Mianda Mickel, natives of New York, who were the parents of five child- ren-Emma J., Orin L., Samantha., Eliza (deceased), Anna.
Our subject lived with his parents until he was of age. He attended the common schools of the Empire State as well as one term at the High School. He was married January 1, 1879, to Nellie Gamet, the daughter of Isaac and Mary Gamet, natives of New York and Ohio respective- ly. They reared a family of seven child- ren-Nellie, Joel M., Carrie, Marcellus (deceased), Winnaford, Alma, Charles. Six of these children are living in Dakota and Iowa.
Mr. and Mrs. Mickel are the parents of two children-Ira M., born May 22, 1881; and Edith W., December 25, 1885.
Politically, our subject is identified with the Democratic party, and has held nu- merous local offices, including Assessor of Morgan Township for three years, and Township Clerk one term; and since mov- ing to Allen Township, has assessed it three times and is now Trustee and Sec- retary of the School Board, filling all these positions with credit to himself and his neighbors.
He belongs to Odd Fellows Lodge, No. 392, at Mondamin. Our subject is one of the representative intelligent men of his township, and both he and his family rank high in the community in which they live.
C HARLES REIHER, a furniture dealer at Dunlap, is a native of Prussia, having been born seven miles from Berlin, August 9, 1833. He is the son of John and Dora (Gotschalk) Reiher. In the spring of 1848 the family
563
HARRISON COUNTY.
consisting of father, mother, our subject Charles, and his sister Dora, came to America and located near Buffalo, N. Y., at East Hamburg. Here our subject re- mained until he was fifteen years of age, when he started for himself. He made two trips to New York, on the canal, and then went at the carpenter's and joiner's trade and later on entered the car-shops at Buffalo, where he spent a year and a half, and then went to Marquette, Mich., and took a position as foreman of the car- shops. This was in 1856, and after re- maining there eighteen months, he en- tered the employ of the Government, in the Signal Service Department. He en- tered into a five-year contract, but was dischanged after a service of two years and a half. He was stationed at Ft. A!i- toinette, Mich. He next took a claim at Superior City, consisting of one hundred and sixty acres, upon which now stands the great City of Duluth. This he sold to Nettleton & Cadwell, for $300, and re- turned to work on the Chicago & North- western Railroad, at Escanaba, Mich., as foreman of their shops, but after about thirteen months was transferred to Janes- ville, Wis., and was again transferred after eighteen months to Clinton, Iowa, and was there made foreman of the shops. Seven months later the railroad company sent him to Boone, Iowa, to build the railroad shops at that point. Here our subject remained twenty years, about eleven years of the time he was with the railroad company, after which he went into the butcher business for one year and then changed to the furniture business, in which he continued until 1880, and then came to Dunlap, where he has since carried on the furniture business. He also does undertaking in connection with the furniture business, and is associated. with
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.