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 65
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Mr. Bean was united in marriage in July, 1878, to Esther V. Dick, the dauglı- ter of William H. and Eleanor Dick, whose children were, Amos W. K., Alletta and Esther. Our subject and his wife are the parents of three children-Frederick V., born May 11.1879; Frank W., February 16, 1885, and Francis F., September 6, 1886. Mr. and Mrs. Bean are acceptable mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and he belongs to Lodge No. 283, I. O. O.F. at Little Sioux.
G OODWIN M. GOODRICH, painter and decorator at Missouri Valley, was born in Knox County, Ohio, January 8, 1841. He is a son of Goodwin and Keziah (Lloyd) Goodrich. His father was of English ancestry, quite a detailed genealogy of which appears in this work, in the sketch of L. N. Goodrich.
After our subject left school he began the study of medicine and continued for four years, and in October, 1864, located at Magnolia and there remained until
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1868, when he went to Missouri Valley, where he has lived ever since, with the exception of a short time in Nebraska. He was united in marriage, June 16, 1870, at Council Bluffs, to Miss Addie A. Ovaitt, a native of Enosburg, Vt., who came West about 1865. Her father still lives in Ver- mont and is an active gentleman of eighty- five years. Mr. and Mrs. Goodrich are the parents of two children-Frank W., born May 28,1871 ; he is a graduate of the Mis- souri Valley High School. His brother, Louis Goodwin, was born September 29, 1877, and is at home attending school.
Our subject and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, he having been quite prominently identified with the organization of that church. He and the first minister, Rev. Mr. Blodgett, called upon John I. Blair, the great rail- road king, and he in person granted them them the lot upon which the church build- ing was erected. He was also the first Superintendent of the Methodist Sabbath school at Missouri Valley, and was also assistant Superintendent in the Presby- terian school in the absence of Dr. Coit, this school being the first in the place. Politically, Mr. Goodrich is a very radical Republican.
OSEPH ERIXON, a resident of sec- tion 23, Raglan Township, came to Harrison County in the autumn of 1876, and located on section 14, of the township in which he now lives. He remained there three years and then bought his present farm, which consisted of sixty-five acres of partly improved land. Here he built a story and a half house, 16x28 feet, with an addition, 12x14 feet.
He also provided his place with a good barn, granery, cribs and set out an orchard of one hundred trees. His present farm comprises one hundred and fifty-five acres, sixty acres of which is under the plow, while the remainder is in timber and pas- ture land.
Mr. Erixon was born in September 1846, in that beautiful portion of Northern Europe, known as Sweden. He is a son of Erick and Catherine Olson, natives of Sweden, who had a family of five children : Joseph, Erick, Christena, (deceased) ; Pe- ter and Lewis. Three of these children live in America, as do also the father and mother. Our subject was twenty-three years of age when he came to America. From New York City he went to Eau Claire, Wis., where he remained one year employed in a sawmill. From this point with covered wagon and ox-teams he went to Baker County, Minn., took up a home- stead, remained two years upon Uncle Sam's gift, and then abandoned it. We next find him in Dakota, working upon the Northern Pacific Railroad at Bismark. A year later he went to Benton, where he followed steamboating on the Missouri River, and fron there went to Yankton, near which place he worked on a farm for one year. The next season he worked on a farm by the month in Nebraska, after which we find him living in Raglan Town- ship. He came to the county poor, and while living in Minnesota it was his ill fortune to suffer from both cold and hun- ger, almost beyond description. But pos- sessing the 'traits of character so promi- nent in the people of his nationality, he has overcome every obstacle and now is in the possession of a comfortable home.
February 14, 1877, he was united in marriage to Ellen Weeks, the daughter of Charles and Mary Weeks, natives of
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Pennsylvania, who were the parents of the following children : Ellen, William, (deceased) ; Mary, (deceased); Susan, Elizabeth.
Mr. Erixon was Ellen Weeks' third husband. Her first husband's name was Welch, who lived but a short time after their marriage. D. N. Folett was her second husband. They came to Council Bluffs together, and remained one winter, at a time when there was not a frame house in that place. This was in the winter of 1850-51. They then came to Harrison County and rented land one year; then bought one hundred and sixty acres of land. This was while the Indians were yet skulking about this portion of Iowa.
Our subject and his wife have one child, David, born January 9, 1878. Both he and his wife are members of the Latter Day Saints Church.
G
ARVEY H. CHAMPNEY, located on section 35, in Raglan Township, in the month of April, 1867, pur- chasing a farm of one hundred and twenty acres, the same having some im- provements, including a dilapidated frame house, in which he lived until January, 1868, and then moved to Magnolia, where he has lived ever since. He built a new house on his farm, rented it twelve years, and in August, 1880, sold it, at which time it consisted of two hundred and forty acres. Since that time he has lived a re- tired life. He has held numerous local offices, and been Township Trustee two terms, being elected in the fall of 1886, serving two years; at the same time was elected Justice of the Peace and served
four years, and was appointed to this office again in the spring of 1891; has acted as Constable or Deputy Sheriff for several years since he came to Magnolia.
Our subject was born in Oswego County, N. Y., March 9, 1817, and remained there with his parents until the spring of 1838, and the following summer worked out by the month, and attended school in the winter, attending the academy at Mexico, that county, from which institution he graduated in the spring of 1840. He had taught one term of school before he grad- uated. After leaving school he farmed and taught until the spring of 1842, when he formed a partnership with his father- in-law (S. Erskine) in the manufacture of furniture at Holmesville, Oswego County, N. Y., and continued in this until 1852, when he went to California in the mining region, near Sonora, where he worked for eighteen months, and then re- turned to Oswego County, N. Y., bought a tract of land and went to farming. He remained at that until the time of his coming to Harrison County, Iowa.
He was married in Oswego County, N. Y., October 8, 1810, to Miss Phebe Erskine, by whom two children were born-Caroline A., January 2, 1842, and Adelaide A., December 29, 1843. Caro- line A. died in Magnolia January 18, 1880. Adelaide A. married Delos R. Frary, and now lives at Mapleton, Monona County, Iowa.
Phebe (Erskine) Champney was born in Otsego County, N. Y., August 9, 1817, and when twelve years of age her parents moved to Oswego County, N. Y., where she remained until the date of her mar- riage. Mr. and Mrs. Champney are mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church, he having united in 1833, and his wife in 1842.
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Hira Champney, father of our subject, was born in Massachusetts March 30, 1786, and when six years of age his parents moved to Oneida County, N. Y., where he lived until he was a man grown, and then moved to Oswego County, where he re- mained until his death, December 12, 1853.
He was married in Oneida County, De- cember 28, 1806, to Miss Bedy A. Hin- man, who was born in Rhode Island Jan- uary 17, 1786, and moved with her parents to Oneida County. She died in Oswego County March 9. 1817. They were the parents of five children, our subject being the youngest. For his second wife our subject's father married Miss Eunice War- ner, and by this union eight children were born.
AMES W. REED, an extensive farmer and stock-grower of Jefferson Township, residing in Logan, will form the subject of the subjoined notice.
Agriculture is as old as the human race. All nations, kindred and tribes have sub- sisted upon the products (directly or indi- rectly) of the earth. Again, agriculture and stock-raising are so closely connected that the success of the one depends upon the success of the otlier. The cereals and vegetables, together with the meats fur- nished by the "cattle on the thousand hills," make up the general diet of man- kind, and they who are engaged in the pro- duction of these life-sustaining substan- ces are indeed benefactors to their race, and hold an honorable position among their fellow-men.
To be an intelligent farmer, with all
that this term implies, means much. It is a profession by itself, and can only be ex- celled in through years of careful train- ing and experiences, sometimes not so pleasing.
It is said that Daniel Webster was never more happy than when arrayed in the garb of his rural costume, feeding his herd of cattle, upon a New England hillside, by his own hands.
To fully understand what our subject has gone through with in life, in order to become the thorough farmer that we now find him, it may be well to review his earl- ier career, commencing at his birth, which occurred in the old Buckeye State-Ash- tabula County, Ohio, September 21, 1825.
His father was William Reed, a native of Massachusetts, born December 30, 1794. He was a farmer of the good old Yankee stripe, and early inculcated the principles of thoroughness into our sub- ject's mind which have enabled him to suc- ceed in life. Not being able to carry out the broad-minded views of agriculture he entertained in .the New England States, our subject's father removed to Ashtabula County, Ohio, in 1812, where he died De- cember 23, 1867, and was buried Christ- mas day, after a long and well-spent life. His wife, the mother of our subject, was Maria (Adams) Reed, the daughter of Col- onel Adams, who was a native of the Bay State, and died when our subject was eight years old, and when she was but thirty-three years of age.
Shortly after the death of our subject's mother, and when he was yet a small boy, he went to live with his uncle, James M. Adams, of Andover, Ohio, and there re- mained until about thirteen years old, working, and attending the district schools common to that State. Upon leaving his uncle, he engaged at farm labor during
46
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the summer time and attended school through the winter, thereby acquiring an education sufficient to enable him to teach school himself. He also attended school at Kingsville Academy four or five terms, and was at Alleghany College one year. Farm life having a peculiar charm for him he commenced for himself in 1848, and September 18, 1850, he was united in mar- riage to Martha A. Hardy, a native of Ohio, born January 21, 1826. Her father was John Hardy, a native of Pennsylva- nia, who lived to the advanced age of eighty-two years, dying in July, 1880. Her mother was Esther (Chapin) Hardy, a na- tive of Massachusetts, who died in her sixty-fourth year, on March 5, 1858.
After our subject's marriage he pur- chased about eighty acres of land, and to this kept adding until he had three hun- dred and sixty acres, and a timber lot of eighty acres, upon which was located a sawmill, and for about five years he oper- ated this in connection with his farm work.
He then built a steam sawmill on the south part of his farm, at a point called Monroe Centre, marketing his lumber at Buffalo, principally.
He was also very extensively engaged in dairying and stock-raising, employing from eight to twenty men. In these busi- ness relations he was quite successful; even this far in his life he had had quite an experience. The highest price of wages he had ever received, either at farming or teaching, was fourteen dollars per month. Upon the death of his father he fell heir to the old homestead, valued at about $5,000, and consisting of two hundred and ten acres, upon which there was some indebtedness. He cleared this up and dis- posed of the place in 1884.
He came to Harrison County in Novem-
ber, 1877, and purchased land on section 8, of Jefferson Township, to which he added the same season, which made in all seven hundred and forty acres, which he sold in 1880. He did a large stock busi- ness in this place, feeding from two to three hundred head of cattle and four hundred head of hogs.
His landed estate in Harrison County now amounts to fifteen hundred acres of choice improved land, which embraces some of the most fertile soil of the Boyer Valley. His son, Roland H., is on one of the farms containing five hundred and fifty acres, which he runs in company with his father, while the remainder are rented.
At this writing, August, 1891, he has on hand three hundred head of cattle. He generally feeds the year around, buying, feeding and shipping all the time.
Mr. and Mrs. Reed are the parents of two children-Roland H., born June 23, 1851, and May, born May, 25, 1858.
Politically, Mr. Reed is independent in his beliefs.
In religious matters, his wife is a mem- ber of the Congregational Church.
The history of our subject's life should be a study for the youth into whose hands this book may fall, giving a record, as it does, of how success at farm life has been achieved by one of New England's sons who was left an orphan boy at the age of eight years.
C HRIST S. HOAR, an enterprising groceryman doing business at Mis- souri Valley, came to this place in June, 1878, and being one of the represent- ative business men of the county most naturally finds a place in this connection,
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for all history is made of the individual lives of men.
Our subject was born June 15,1851,in Lan- caster County, Pennsylvania. He is a son of Jonathan and Christina (Seaber) Hoar. The mother was from Germany and came to this country when quite young. The father was an Englishman, but born in Pennsylvania, in 1804, and died in 1860 and was buried in Mifflin County. The mother died in Missouri Valley, Iowa, in 1885, aged seventy-nine years. The father was a blacksmith by trade, and he and his good wife were the parents of fourteen children, and the mother had three chiil- dren by an earlier marriage. The father had also been married the second time and reared five children, by that marriage, making him the father of nineteen chil- dren.
Our subject, C. S., was the youngest of the fourteen above named. Of the total number of twenty-two children there are only eight living at this time, and only four of the family to which our subject belonged. His education was received in the common schools of Pennsylvania, and afterward learned the carpenter's trade, at which he worked for fifteen years. He worked at this for five or six years after coming to Missouri Valley, and January 8, 1884. he embarked in the grocery bus- iness, continuing until January 1, 1886, when Mathias T. Weston purchased an interest in the business and Mr. Hoar continued the business under the name of C. S. Hoar & Co.
Our subject was married October 4, 1883, to Annie Noy, a native of Pennsylvania whose parents came to Iowa soon after the war and are both deceased. They were residents of Benton County. Mr. and Mrs. Hoar are the parents of two children
-Sarah who died in infancy, and Grace, born in 1887.
Politically, Mr. Hoar is a Republican, deep dyed, and to the back bone. Both he and his wife are members of the Meth- odist Church. He is a member of the Ma- sonic fraternity, belonging to Valley Lodge No. 232, at Missouri Valley, and also to Triune Chapter No. 81. As a business man and a good citizen there are none more highly respected than our subject.
L ORENZO B. PROSE, owner of the Lusk House, at Logan, has been a resident of Harrison County for the last decade. He is a native of the Buck- eye State, born in Gallia County, Ohio, December 21, 1834. He is a son of Jehu W. and Jane (Wiseman) Prose, natives of West Virginia, who died in Illinois, to which State they removed in 1858. The father was a tanner by trade but followed farming a good share of his life. They reared a family of seven children, six of whom still survive, our subject being the oldest. He was reared in Lawrence County, Ohio, principally surrounded by the scenes of pioneer farm life. After he had attained the years of his majority, he commenced to do for himself, and was for many years engaged in milling, operating both flour and saw mills aswell as doing factory work as a machinist. In 1857 he removed to Illinois, spent three years and then returned to Ohio, where he engaged in the milling business.
Four months after Fort Sumter had been fired upon by those who rebelled against our form of government, and five months after President Lincoln had taken his seat, our subject offered his services
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to his country by enlisting July 16, in Captain J. S. George's Independent Cav- alry Company, which was attached to Gen. Cox's Brigade in the Big Kanawha Valley, W. Va., and served sixty-five days, when the company was discharged, their time having expired. After his ser- vice in 1862, he returned to Illinois and remained there until 1866, when he once more returned to Ohio and engaged in the milling business, and in 1867-68 helped build and start a furniture factory in Gal- lipolis, Ohio, which he operated for a short time and then disposed of it, after which he divided his time for several years between Ohio and West Virginia, cutting vast quantities of lumber, and being thoroughly conversant with thatline of business, he made a decided success of the same.
In the spring of 1881, in company with several families besides his own, number- ing fifteen persons in all, he came by team to Harrison County, Iowa, and located upon a farm on section 7, of Lincoln Township, for which he had traded; the same consisting of two hundred and forty acres of unimproved land. He at once set about making substantial improve- ments and succeeded in making one of the finest farms in that part of Harrison County, the first year erecting a good frame residence. He was among the first to locate in that vicinity, which was then one vast expanse of unimproved prairie land. He went to work with a good will and a determination to subdue the prairie sod. Upon coming to the county he pos- sessed but a small amount of money, which he had saved by frugality and the exercise of good judgment in Illinois and Ohio, thus succeeding more than some of his less fortunate neighbors, who at times almost manifested a jealous disposition,
because of his success. In the year 1882 the community in which he lived secured the location of a post office, known as Olympus, and our subject received the ap- pointment of the first Postmaster, which position he held eight years, until he moved to Woodbine. At one time Mr. Prose was the only Republican postmaster in Harrison County. While on the farm he devoted his attention principally to stock raising, moving to Woodbine in 1888, in order to give his children the ben- efits of the "Woodbine Normal School." February, 1891, he traded his farm to James Lusk for the "Lusk House" at Logan, which he leased until October 1, and then took possession himself and op- erated this until December 1, of the same year, and again leased it.
Mr. Prose is a man of more than ordi- nary ability, having contributed to the local journals of the county in which he has lived, including Harrison, and through an article which he prepared for the Woodbine Twiner, June 17, 1883, he was the means of inducing several families to emigrate to Harrison County, many of whom are prosperous farmers to-day.
Politically, he is a firm believer in the principles and general administration of the Republican party. He acted as Jus- tice of the Peace for four years, being the first one appointed to such a position in Lincoln Township. He is a member of Eaton Post No. 86 G. A. R. at Wood- bine.
January 7, 1856 marked a new era in this man's life, for it was upon this day that he was united in marriage to Miss Verlinda Hannan, who was born in Gal- lipolis, Ohio, May, 1837. The fruit of this union was seven children-Thomas W., who has been a resident of Gallipolis, Ohio, where he has been a practicing phy-
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sician and engaged in trade, but has re- cently sold his business and at this date is taking a special course of lectures on the eye and ear, in New York City. Will- iam H., a resident of Hammond, Rock County, Neb., following farming; Arius H. and Elmie F., twins, both reside in Woodbine, the former traveling in the interest of Charles Reed with medicines, and the latter is the wife of John H. Mc- Daniel; Linna E., wife of C. M. New- land of Allen Township; Mary J., wife of Traverse Thompson, of Bay View, Wash. and one who died in infancy.
For his second wife our subject mar- Mary Mc Daniel, February 22, 1871. She was born October 13, 1837, in Gallia County, Ohio. By this union four chil- dren were born-Margaret E., Ruth U., Anna G. and Joseph R., all residing at home.
The family are associated with the Methodist Episcopal Church. In relig- ious matters Mr. Prose reaches out after all that can be obtained in the Christian life, and may be termed a liberal thinker. Other matters concerning his pioneer days in Harrison County, will be found in the Lincoln Township history.
W ILLIAM NEAL, a farmer located on section 6, of Allen Township, came to Harrison County, in the spring of 1885. The first four years he lived on the George Pugsley place in Lin- coln Township. He then bought eighty acres of unimproved land, constituting his present farm. Mr. Neal was born in June, 1857, in Piatt County, Ill. He is the son of John and Amelia Neal, natives of Ohio, who were the parents of eleven children,
named as follows: Samuel and George deceased; Anna, William, Charles, Ellen, Martha, Eliza, deceased; John, Emma and Elizabeth.
Our subject came to Iowa when a small boy, with his parents, who settled in Linn County, and remained with them until he had reached his majority. He then went to Page County, where he worked at farm labor for two years, leasing land. He then removed to Taylor County, Iowa, where he rented land for eighteen years, after which he removed to Monona County, re- mained two years on rented land, and then came to this county. Thus far in life our subject has lived the life of single blessed- ness. However, he is fortunate, in that his mother and sister keep house for him.
8 AMUEL S. NUZUM, one of the enterprising farmers of Allen Town- ship, living on section 13, came to Harrison County, in 1884, and first located on forty acres of partly improved land which he purchased. He built a house 14x20 feet, one story and one-half high; built a stable, cribs, shedding, dug a well and set out an orchard of one hun- dred and fifty trees. He came to the county a poor man, but is now sur- rounded with a comfortable home. His farm now comprises one hundred and sixty acres, seventy acres of which are un- der cultivation and the balance in pasture and meadow land.
Our subject was born in Delaware County, Iowa, in November, 1858. He is the son of George and Eliza Nuzum, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the
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latter of Virginia. They reared a family of seven children, who were born in the following order: Linzy G., John W., Madison, (deceased), Thomas J., .Caleb M., Samuel S., Willis, (deceased). The father was a farmer and Samuel S. lived with him until he reached his majority, his educational advantages being quite limited. He went from Delaware County, with the family to Pennsylvania and then to Warren County, Iowa, from there to Council Bluffs, in the vicinity of which he worked out for four years and then came to Harrison County.
Mr. Nuzum, was married in January, 1883, to Rachel E. Carter, the daughter of Zachariah and Rachel Carter, the father being a native of Illinois and the mother of Ohio. They had a family of six children, our subject's wife being next to the youngest. They were in the fol- lowing order: Jane A., Betsy E., John W., Charles E., (deceased), Rachel E., and Florence E. All of the living ones are residents of Harrison County. Our subject and his wife are the parents of three children- Walter F., William R. and Samuel S.
HOMAS MAGNET, a farmer lo- cated on section 8, of Allen Town- ship, has had a checkered career and seen more than the average amount of hardships co-incident to pioneer life. He came to Harrison County just at the breaking out of the Civil War. That the reader may have a more intelligent view of the subject of this sketch, it should be said that he was born in France, in March, 1823. His parents were Thomas and Mary Magnet, whose birthplace was
France. They had four children-John, Thomas, Catharine and Marion. Our sub- ject, Thomas, came to America when twenty years of age, landing at New Or- leans; remained there two winters, and summered in St. Louis, and was a trader with the Indians for a fur company in St. Louis. He was employed by this com- pany for two years, then spent one winter in New Orleans, and then came to Harri- son County. He was married in 1861, at New Orleans, to Caroline Moshnel, the daughter of Jolin and Ann Moshnel, of France, who were the parents of four children -- Celestine, Josephine, Odel and Caroline. Mrs. Magnet's father was a soldier under Bonaparte for fourteen years.
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