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 62
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his son, at Charter Oak, in a general store.
Politically, like most of his countrymen who come to our shores, he is a stanch Republican, and always takes an active part in the political campaigns. He is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and also of the legion of Honor.
He was united in marriage, at Buffalo, N. Y., to Elizabeth Vorbeck, a native of New York. They are the parents of three children-Walter, a resident of Boone, Iowa, a time-keeper for the Northwestern Railroad Company ; Matilda, wife of Thomas Kelley, a bookkeeper at Des Moines, Iowa; and Francis, a resident of Boone.
For his second wife Mr. Reiher married Melissa Richard. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church, although he was reared a Quaker. The parents of our sub- ject died in Boone, Iowa, the mother in 1887, and the father prior to that time. They both lived to the advanced age of eighty-seven years.
OHN H. FENSLER, an industrious farmer of La Grange Township, came to Harrison County Septem- ber, 1870, and settled in Missouri Valley, where he worked at the black- smith trade for a year, and then bought one hundred and twenty acres of wild prairie land on the bottom in St. John's Township, which he improved. His sons ran the farm and he continued to work in Missouri Valley until 1882, during which year his dwelling house on the farm was destroyed by fire as well as its contents. He then sold his farm and purchased a quarter section where he now lives. The
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improvements on this place consisted of eighty. acres of plow land, and an old frame house which was one of the first built in this part of the county. This building served them for two years, when our subject erected a new one, 16x22 feet, two stories high, and an edition fourteen feet square. Mr. Fensler has sold a half interest in this farm to his son, John F., and they have since bought eighty acres more land. In 1889 he built another house on the place 22x24 feet. The farm is kept well stocked with high grade Short-horn cattle. After coming to this farm Mr. Fensler put up a blacksmith shop and worked at his trade for some time, but now only does occasional jobs for his neighbors.
He was born in Lebanon County, Pa., September 22, 1826, and about 1834 his parents moved to Wayne County, Ohio, remained six years, then moved to Rich- land County, Ohio, where our subject helped his father clear up a farm from the big woods, and remained there until 1844, at which time he left home and learned the blacksmithing trade. He worked at this until 1850, and then moved to Allen County, Ohio, and worked at his trade in the village of Bluffton until the autumn of 1870, when he came to Harri- son County, Iowa. He brought his family and tools with him, and gave $100 for a shop, and went to Council Bluffs, where lie purchased a small stock of iron, after which he had only fifteen cents left.
He was united in marriage in Putnam County, Ohio, May 16, 1851, to Miss Christina Koley, of Allen County, Ohio. They are the parents of nine children -- William H., Catherine A., John F., Orillia, Anna M., Francis M., Wilson C., Albert S. and Charles N.
Christina (Koley) Fensler was born in Medina County, Ohio, December 16, 1832, and when a child her parents moved to Holmes County, Ohio, where they re- mained until 1844, then moved to Putnam County, and in 1850 to Allen County.
Emanuel Fensler, father of our subject, was born in Virginia in 1803, his fore- fathers being pioneers in the old Domin- ion State. He remained in Virginia until he had reached the estate of man, and then went to Pennsylvania, and died in Putnam County, Ohio, in 1874. His wife, Catherine (Staley) Fensler, was born in Berlin, Germany, in 1808. Her parents came to Reading, Pa., when she was a small girl, and where she grew to woman- hood. She died in Allen County, Ohio, in August, 1869.
The father of Mrs. Fensler, Christian Koley, was born in Switzerland in 1808, and in 1824, with his parents, emigrated to America, locating in Holmes County, Ohio; they also lived in Wayne and Allen Counties, coming to the latter in 1844, and died there four years later. His wife, whose maiden name was Peggy Barkey, was born in Pennsylvania, her parents coming to Wayne County, Ohio, where she remained until the date of her marriage.
John F. Fensler, the son of our subject, and his wife were born in Allen County, Ohio, March 4, 1855. He remained with his father's family until 1879, when he rented a farm for two years, and at the end of that period engaged in the grocery business in partnership with his brother, William H., which co-partnership existed until 1886, when he sold his interest to William H. and purchased an interest in his father's farm. He was married in 1879 to Miss Amelia West, and they are the parents of five children-Etha, Edna, Ertha, Bula, and a boy baby.
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ERBERT L. PRESTON, son of W. T. and A. E. Preston, whose sketches appear elsewhere in this volume, was born in Holyoke, Mass., October 23, 1867, and came to Harrison County in 1868 with his parents, where he has since made his home, aside from the time he was attending the Agricul- tural College at Ames, which covered a period of three years, with six months at Elliott's Business College at Burlington, from which institution he was graduated in 1887.
-He was reared to farm-life, and in 1887, after he had been graduated, he entered the Exchange Bank of Dunlap, with which concern he was associated until its sus- pension, in 1889, when he at once opened a lumber-yard, or rather, purchased one belonging to A. I. McMartin, which busi- ness had been established in 1869 by Dan- iel R. Smith, but was subsequently owned by William D. Davis and E. G. Perkins. then by William D. Davis alone, then passing into the hands of the Olmstead Brothers, who were succeeded by Ben. Jackson and A. I. McMartin. Ben. Jack- son succeeded this firm, and he in turn gave way to Pierce & Wells, who were succeeded by A. I. McMartin, and he by our subject. It is also stated that L. T. Coldren was the first owner. The stock consisted of about $3,500 worth of build- ing material, coal, etc., the annual sales of which amount to $12,000. Mr. Pres- ton also manufactures lath and wire fence. The buildings consist of a general ware- house, finishing-sheds, coal-sheds, good stabling for patrons of the yard, and a neat office.
In 1889 Mr. Preston purchased the old Northwestern Hotel property, which ad- joined his lumber-yard. Wishing to oc- cupy the ground upon which it was built,
he tore the old structure away and built other buildings upon the lot.
Perhaps the most important event of his life occurred March 10, 1887, for it was upon that day that he was united in mar- riage to Miss Lou J. Jackson, a native of Clinton County, Iowa, who is the daugh- ter of I. A. and Mary Jackson, who are early settlers. She was born May 21, 1869. One child has been born to Mr. and Mrs. Preston-Perry J., December 20, 1889. Mrs. Preston is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Dunlap.
Politically, our subject is a supporter of the Democratic party. He belongs to the Masonic fraternity, being a member of Hospitable Lodge No. 244, A. F. & A. M., of which he is now the Junior Warden; he is also a member of Ark Chapter. No. 89.
Although yet a young man, Mr. Pres- ton has made for himself a clean, almost enviable record. He is an intelligent, well-educated, energetic young business man, who, if life and health are spared him, is almost certain to take high rank among his fellow-men. It may be added in this connection, that both he and his estimable wife taught school for several terms.
G
LEXANDER B. M. ELLIS, of Missouri Valley, came to Harrison County, in the autumn of 1854, and settled in Jackson Township, remained two years and then moved to Little Sioux Township, where he pur- chased a farm, remaining until 1870, when he moved to Morgan Township, lived four years and returned to Little Sioux Town- ship, where he remained until he moved
43
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to Missouri Valley in 1881, at the same time disposing of his farm property.
Mr. Ellis is a native of the Buckeye State, and was born October 12, 1833, in Brown County, Ohio. He is a son of John and Hannah (Martin) Ellis. His mother was born in Kentucky, and re- moved to Ohio, when quite young. The father was born in Ohio, and died in 1849. The mother died in May, 1891. They reared a family of ten sons and three daughters, of whom our subject was the seventh child, and of this number eight are living-one brother in Omaha and the remainder in this county. One sister is the wife of James Cooper, of Little Sioux Township and the older sister is Mrs .. M. Murray, of Little Sioux. The father was a farmer by occupation, and as a matter of family record, it should here be recorded that the father was buried in Brown County, Ohio, and that the mother was eighty-six years, six months and twenty days of age at the time of her death, and was buried in Soldier Valley Cemetery, while the father was forty-nine years of age at the time of his death.
Our subject's education was received in the common schools of Ohio. In 1851, one of his brothers came to Pottawattamie County, Iowa, and two years later was followed by another. Our subject came to Harrison County, and August 18, 1862, in the dark days of the Rebellion. when the sisterhood of States was in jeopardy, our subject enlisted in Company C, Twenty-ninth Iowa Infantry. Was mus- tered out August 10, 1865, and dis- charged fifteen days later at Davenport, Iowa. He was in the Southwestern Divi- sion, and later in the Gulf Division, of the Union Army. He took part in the battles of Spanish Fort, Ft. Blakely, and Saline River. After the close of the war, he re-
turned to Iowa, followed farming and worked at the carpenter's trade.
He was married May 20, 1858, to Lois A. Pratt, at Magnolia, Iowa. She was a native of Vermont, and came to this county with her brother in the autumn of 1856. Her brother still resides in Little Sioux Township. Her sister was married to S. J. Smith, (now deceased). They came to the County in 1854. Our subject and his wife are the parents of four chil- dren-Flora, born August 21, 1859; Elmer M., March 18, 1862, and died February 18, 1864; Mortie S., born September 28, 1866, and Arthur, August 7, 1875.
Politically, Mr. Ellis is an all the year around Republican. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, Belden Post, No. 59, at Missouri Valley, while he and his estimable wife are both members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and bear the respect of the community in which they live.
S ILAS S. BONER, living at Missouri Valley, came to Harrison County in the spring of 1877, and located at Missouri Valley, and ever since that date has taken an active part in the business interests of Harrison County. He was born on the 15th of February, 1820, in Northumberland County, Pa. The parents were Sebastian and Abigal (Siminson) Boner. The former was a native of New Jersey, and the Grandfather Boner was in the War of 1812, as was also his son, the father of our subject, he being stationed at Black Rock, N. Y., for some time. The family consisted of two sons and four daughters, our subject being the third child. Four of the children are still living. The brother is a resident of Michigan ; one
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sister, the widow of Samuel Snyder, living at Kansas City; and the other sister the widow of C. Folmer of Pennsylvania. Both the father and mother are deceased. The father died at the age of ninety years, and both he and his companion were buried at a little hamlet six miles east of Sunbury, Pa., called Snyder Town. Our subject attended the common school of the Keystone State for two winters, and had very limited opportunities for obtaining an education. The school which he attended only taught the three "R's" -reading, 'riting and 'rithmetic-so that the most information he obtained was by actual contact with the world. At the age of fourteen he began working on the Pennsylvania Canal, and soon after en- gaged in a store, where he continued about twenty-five years ; and came to Iowa in 1851, locating at Mt. Rose, just above Keokuk, where he remained eight years engaged in mercantile business, and the next two years engaged with a man at Farmington, Van Buren County, where he remained ten years. He was a mer- chant at Farmington in 1871, and went to Keokuk where he bought out two hard- ware stores, and ran a wholesale and retail hardware store ; for a short time prior to his coming to this county, was engaged in the lumber business. Our subject and his son-in-law, Fred Sims, are running a farm of sixteen hundred and forty acres, seven hundred and forty acres of which they own. They are extensive dealers in stock, and feed several hundred head each winter.
Mr. Boner was united in marriage October 30, 1841, at Paxinos, Northum- berland County, Pa., to Mary Dicus, a native of Schuylkill County, Pa. Her father died when she was a small child, and her mother died afterwards at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Boner are
the parents of four children-Christie, wife of Fred Sims, of Missouri Valley; Alice, at home; Clara, wife of H. C. Camp, of Omaha, Neb., who are the parents of one daughter-Mary, born in 1876; Frances, wife of P. E. Robinson, contracting agent for the Blue Line and Canada Southern, located at Omaha, Neb.
Politically, our subject is identified with the Republican party. He has ever sought to be a man of uprightness and integrity, and may well be termed a self- made man. During all of his extended business life he has never been sued nor had the ordinary difficulties which fall to the business man. When we remember how few there are who live a wedded life long enough to celebrate their golden wedding anniversary, those who are so favored have reason to be doubly thankful.
The following appeared in the Missouri Valley Times, October 31, 1891, and is very appropriate in this connection :- "Fifty years ago yesterday a young man in Northumberland County, Pa., about three o'clock in the afternoon took his best girl and walked out into the country about two miles to the home of one of his friends who was a justice of the peace, and there the young couple were married, and started out upon the sea of life hand in hand to do battle with the world. The young man was S. S. Boner, and the young lady was Miss Mary Dicus, and after the ceremony was performed Mr. Boner gave the justice of the peace a two dollar bill for the marriage fee, all the money he had. For fifty years this worthy couple have enjoyed the pleasures and sorrows of this life together, and now on the fiftieth anniversary of their marriage they feel that they have lived a well-spent life, and are going down the hill of time together, with a competency of this world's goods, and surrounded by their children and grandchildren. The baby of the family, Mrs. P. E. Robinson, gave a supper to her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Boner, in honor of
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the golden anniversary of their marriage at which the parents and all their children sat down together, there never having been a death in the family in all those fifty years of married life. Mr. Boner is hale and hearty on his golden wedding day, and says, if he has his way about it he will live to celebrate half a dozen more golden weddings."
W ILLIAM W. MILLIMAN, of the firm of Stern & Milliman, real es- tate, loan and abstracting, was born in Saratoga County, N. Y., Decem- ber 11, 1844, and is a son of Francis and Sally E. (Hunt) Milliman, and is the sixth child in a family of seven children, five sons and two daughters. The father was a molder by trade and was also Dep- uty Sheriff and Constable of his home county for many years. He emigrated with his family, except our subject, to Harrison County in 1865.
William W. attended the district shools of the old Empire State, where he re- ceived a good business education. When nine years of age he left home, and lived with his, uncle Arden Fraker,a farmer, with whom he remained until he enlisted as a member of Company D, Seventy- Seventh New York Volunteer Infantry, enlisting November 8, 1861, and served three years, one month and five days, re- ceiving an honorable discharge at Sara- toga Springs, N. Y., December 13, 1864. During his service he participated in the battles of Yorktown, Williamsburg, Va., was in the seven days' fight in front of Richmond, the second battle of Bull Run, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellors- ville, Gettysburg, battle of the Wilder- ness, Spottsylvania Court House, Cold
Harbor, was in front of Petersburg, and was transferred under Sheridan to the Shenandoah Valley, and was at Winches- ter September 19, 1864, where he received a wound in the left hip, which laid him up for about one month ; he was also at the battle of Cedar Creek, one month after he had been wounded, which was the last en- gagement which he was in. This com- pletes an army record of which the chil- dren who shall come after him will look back upon with admiration and pride, knowing as they will, by the reading of this sketch, that their sire took part in many of the greatest battles of the Rebel- lion.
After coming out of the service he re- turned to his home in New York, and for one year followed agricultural pursuits, working by the month until November, 1865, when he entered Fastman's Com- mercial College at Poughkeepsie, N. Y:, and took a course, graduating in Febru- ary, 1866, after which in a short time he went to Jackson, Mich., where he was en- gaged in a hardware store, remaining two years, and in March, 1868, we find him in Harrison County, Iowa. Having some means at the time, he bought stock, but finding that the climate did not agree with his rheumatic troubles, he returned to Michigan, resuming his old position in the hardware store. October 5, 1870, he was united in marriage to Mary A. Rus- sell, a native of the Wolverine State, born December 9, 1849, and the daughter of Charles P. and Eunice B. (Benham) Rus- sell, who is the youngest child of a fam- ily of seven.children. Her father was born in Dutchess County, N. Y., and died in Michigan, December 3, 1879. The mother was born October 26, 1809, in Dutchess County, N. Y., and is still living.
After our subject was married he fol-
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low the occupation of book-keeping for twelve years in Jackson, Mich., in the employ of the Withington & Cooley Man- ufacturing Company. He returned to Harrison County, July 25, 1884, and im- mediately entered upon his duty in the office in which he is now engaged.
While in Jackson, Mich., he represented the Fifth Ward as Alderman for four years, and since living in Harrison County has been Treasurer of the incor -. poration of Logan, five years, being the present incumbent, as well as President of the School Board, of which he has been a member for five years.
Our subject belongs to Fuller Post, No. . 38, G. A. R., of which he is now Adju- tant. He is a member of No. 50, A. F. & A. M. and Chapter No. 3, and Com- mandery No. 9 of the Masonic order at Jackson, Mich.
Mr. and Mrs. Milliman are the parents of six children, three sons and three daugh- ters, all living-Ina E., born February 7, 1872; Ella L., January 9, 1874; Walter R., March 6, 1876; Mabel H., October 14, 1878; William W., Jr., July 18, 1882; and James C., Jr., April 11, 1885.
Politically, Mr. Milliman is an out- spoken Republican, believing as he does, that prior to, and after the Civil War, in- cluding that great struggle, that this party proved itself of the best type ever known in American politics.
Mr. and Mrs. Milliman attend the Bap- tist Church, of which she has been a mem- berfor over twenty years.
In reviewing this man's life, one scarcely knows what course to pursue, to recount in brief detail his checkered and eventful career. Considering that he is less than forty seven years of age, his per- sonal history is one replete with events of more than ordinary interest. Having
been bereft of his mother, the best friend a boy ever has, at so young and tender an age. in consequence of which he was thrown out on his own resources, to map out his future, unaided by the kind coun- sel of a mother, it is evident that he pos- sessed sterling qualities, or he would not be the honorable and successful man he is to-day. He well remembers how hard he worked when a slender boy, at peeling hemlock bark and hauling the same to the tan yard in New York State, as well as hauling logs at the age of fifteen, the year before he threw his young patriotism, out of the regular course of events, found his way into the Union Army, where he wore the loyal blue, and was known to be the youngest soldier in his regiment, being Sergeant of his company. Notwithstanding his age he was never sick a day during the three years or more of his army life, except the time when he was wounded.
His business qualifications, and social qualities, have made him an efficient and popular man in the various communities in which he has lived.
ON. AUGUSTIN W. FORD, banker at Logan, and a gentleman who has been prominently identi- fied with Harrison County's history, for many years, traces his ancestry back to William Ford, who was born in Con- necticut, February 23, 1771, and came to Ohio among the first settlers, and died in that State September 15, 1823. He was married to Sarah North, December 15, 1824, by whom eleven children were born -Emily, Catharine, Julia, Joseph N.,
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HARRISON COUNTY.
Ansel B., Amon, Nelson, Lucien B., Isaiah, Romanta, and William.
Joseph N., the father of our subject, was born in Olio, March 24, 1801, and followed farming for a livelihood; he died December 16, 1861. He married Clarrissa Wheeler, December 15, 1824, and had a family of six children-Eliza, who died in infancy ; Catherine, Jiles, Henry, Lavina, and Augustin W., who was born in Wash- ington County, Ohio, December 25, 1839. He attended the district schools common to the Buckeye State at that time, and acquired a good business education. Upon the death of his father in 1861, and when he was twenty-two years of age, he took charge of the old homestead, and handled the business of the estate, which in the autumn of 1863 was closed out by the sale of the property, and in the spring of 1864 our subject started for Harrison County, Iowa, arriving April 14, his mother and wife accompanying him to the country.
He was united in marriage March 22, 1864, to Elethe Loring, who died in Mag- nolia June 4, 1864. For his second wife Mr. Ford married Fannie S. Miller, March 16, 1869. She was born in New York January 29, 1846, and is the youngest of a family of four children. Mr. and Mrs. Ford have been blessed with seven chil- dren-Annie W., born August 31, 1870; Frances M., November 29, 1872; Joseph N., August 4, 1874; Harry W., July 25, 1878; Clara L., September 26, 1880; Wil- lie H., October 17, 1882, died February 14, 1884; Margaret M., born September 8, 1889.
The first two years of his residence in the county Mr. Ford lived upon a tract of land he bought near Magnolia, but in 1866 embarked in the mercantile business in a building used as a carpenter shop, which was built by William Hefford about
1861, which he moved to the corner where Dr. Clark's drug store is now situated, and commenced business in January, 1866,con- tinuing until the following autumn, when his brother Henry bought in with him, giving the firm style H. & A. W. Ford. This firm operated until January 1, 1868, when Henry sold to A. W., when he at once formed a partnership with Dr. W. F. Clark and John Noyes, after which the firm name was Clark, Ford & Noyes, who operated at Magnolia, then the county seat, and Mondamin, under the firm name of John Noyes & Co. Thus did business run until the spring of 1870, when Noyes took the store at Mondamin, and April 1, of the same year, our subject took the store at Magnolia, and *continued until July 1, 1872, and then sold to S. L. Berk- ley.
Dr. Clark, in company with M. Hol- brook, started a bank at Magnolia about this time, and operated the same for two years, when Clark bought Holbrook's in- terest, and upon Mr. Ford's disposing of his store, he formed a partnership with Dr. Clark and went into the bank August 1, 1872, under the firm name of Clark & Ford. Dr. Clark immediately went to Boone and started the First National Bank at that place, leaving Mr. Ford to attend to the business at Magnolia. In the fall of 1876 Mr. Ford bought his part- ner out, and thereafter operated in his own name, until April 1, 1879, when he sold a half interest to Dr. S. W. Clark, and this firm are still doing business under the firm name of Clark & Ford.
April 1, 1879, our subject bought out Mr. Milliman's interest in the Harrison County Bank, and is still connected in the same with A. L. Harvey.
Politically, Mr. Ford is identified with the Republican party, and in the fall of
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1867 was elected Treasurer of Harrison County, serving two years, and in the au- tumn of 1877 was elected to a seat in the State Senate, holding a seat in that body during the Seventeenth and Eighteenth General Assemblies, in which position he proved himself a very valuable member. In the Seventeenth General Assembly he was made Chairman of the Committee on Public Lands, and the following session was made Chairman of the Committee on Banks. His district was well pleased with the record which ne made while serving as State Senator.
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