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 94
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W T. HOWARD, Clerk of the Courts of Harrison County, is a native of Pennsylvania, born February, 1847, in Mercer County, and came to Harrison County in 1870. He is the son of Samuel and Jane Howard, natives of the Keystone State, now living at Forest City, Iowa. Our subject's early life was spent in Iowa, receiving his education in the common schools, and at the Upper Iowa University. In 1870 he established a harness business at Dunlap, which he continued to operate for twenty-one years, and while a resident of that place served as Mayor four years, President of the School Board, and in the autumn of 1890, at the general election was elected to the office of Clerk of the Courts, by a majority of two hundred and eighty-eight, he being the Democratic nominee, and ran sixty-six votes ahead of his ticket.
Mr. Howard was united in marriage in October, 1870, at Denison, Iowa, to Mary E. Eaton. Mr. and Mrs. Howard are the parents of two children-Nellie L. born in 1877, and Edwin E., in 1887.
P RANCIS H. LUDWIG, a promi- nent business man at Modale, will form the subject of this sketch. When men move from one section to an- other, they do so for the purpose of better- ing their condition, and usually the men in the prime of their young manhood who left some one of the Eastern or Middle States and cast their lot with the pioneers of the Mississippi or Missouri Valley, made a good exchange. Not that all men pros- per, even in the great and growing West, but they are offered better opportunities, and men of ability to achieve something in life worthy of note, most generally suc- ceed better in a new country. But work, hard work, must be the lot of every man, whether it be in the gaining of wealth or knowledge. It may be said that our sub- ject came from Ohio in December in 1869, with no means save a pair of strong arms and a determination to win in the great conflict of life. The express purpose for which he came to these parts, was to en- gage in chopping wood on the Missouri bottoms.
Mr. Ludwig was born in Columbia County, Pa., July 14, 1847. He is the son of Eli and Hannah (Boies) Ludwig, both natives of the Keystone State. The father was born in Columbia County, and the mother in Burks County. Our sub- ject was born at Bloomsburgh, the county seat. Eli Ludwig, the father, was a car-
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penter by trade, and when Francis H. was eight years of age, removed to a farm in Hancock County, Ohio. He received his education in Pennsylvania and Ohio. His father died in Ohio in 1863. In 1869, our subject came to Boone, Iowa, remained a short time, and came on to Modale in De- cember, and was compelled to walk from Missouri Valley to Modale, as he had run short of funds. He followed chopping wood and working by the month on a farm until the spring of 1870, and then went to Tay- lor and Fremont Counties, where he worked that summer. In the spring of 1871 he rented a farm in Clay Township, of Ethan Cole, and remained there until 1872, when he bought two hundred and eighty acres of land on sections 25 and 36, in Clay Township, having previously pur- chased forty acres on section 26, of the township. He remained on the farm ull- til the fall of 1873, when he engaged in the warehouse and grain business at Modale, where he followed that with farming and merchandising, first one and then the other until 1886, when he removed to Mo- dale to remain permanently, having sold his land, which amounted to over seven- teen hundred acres. Since living at Mo- dale, he has been the business partner of Al Purcell, under the firm of F. H. Lud- wig & Co., W. M. Sharpnack and W. A. Sharpnack, and was also a member of the firm of F. A. Simms & Co., and finally succeeded W. A. Sharpnack & Co. as sole proprietor of the business. At various times he has been engaged in lumber, grain, hardware and general merchandis- ing.
He was united in marriage in 1876, to Elizabeth Anderson, daughter of J. J. and Sarah (Long) Anderson, who came to the county in November, 1866. Mr. and Mrs. Ludwig are the parents of one child, T.
O. M. Ludwig, born August 26, 1877. Our subject is a Republican in his politi- cal views, but had never aspired to any office, preferring at any time to attend to his own business pursuits. During the days of the Iowa State Grange he belonged to that organization, which is the only society to which he has ever belonged. Through business foresight and untiring energy, he has accumulated a handsome competency, at the present time owning lands in various parts of the county, as well as in other States, and unlike many a well-to-do man has neverreceived but about $300 from any source outside of his own business exertion and labor. He stands high in the community in which he lives, for his square dealings and honor-his word being as good as a bond. In addition to his merchandising house, he is proprietor of the grain elevator and roller mill at Modale, as well as being a lumber and coal dealer. He also publishes a local trade journal called the Pride. The history of Modale proper contains much concerning Mr. Ludwig.
R EV. KIRTLAND CARD, (deceased) was among the first men who effected a settlement in Harrison County, locating in Cass Township in 1863. He was born in Portage County, Ohio, in 1828, of Scotch descent, and was the son of Bostwick and Hannah (Black- burn) Card, natives of Connecticut and Pennsylvania, respectively. He received his education at the common schools in the Buckeye State, and began preaching in 1859 and continued until 1864, as a minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church. At this time he was compelled to
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quit the ministry on account of ill health. He was married September 10, 1847, to Polly Calvin. By this marriage nine chil- dren were born, six of whom are still liv- ing: John B., Amelia, Sylvester K., Mary, Luella and William.
Mr. Card proclaimed the Gospel at many points in Western Iowa, in pioneer days, and during the Civil War. He was a man highly respected for his manliness, and Christian graces. He passed from the scenes of this life, in the spring of 1891. The widow lives at the home left her by the deceased, with the two youngest chil- dren.
G EORGE O. CURTIS, recently pro- prietor of a livery, feed and sale stable at Logan, will form the sub- ject of this notice. He was born in Wal- worth County, Wis., January 10, 1856, and remained with his parents on the farm ur til 1886, and then established his livery business. At first he operated the Lusk House barn, beginning April 3, 1886, and changed to his present location in March, 1888.
He was married in Burlington, Racine County, Wis., January 6, 1880 to Miss Rilla Gaylord, and they are the parents of one child, Cora, born November 22, 1883. Mrs. Curtis was born in Spring Prairie, Walworth County, Wis., July 24, 1859 and in 1878, with her parents removed to Burlington, that State, where she re- mained until the date of her marriage. His father, Harvey M. Curtis, was born in Bridgewater, Oneida County, N. Y., Oc- tober 17, 1818, and in 1839, he located in Milwaukee, Wis., where he clerked in the general store of L. Ward & Co., one year
and was then Deputy Sheriff of Milwau- kee County one year, and subsequently removed to Mineral Point, Greene County where he bought lead for L. Ward & Co. After one year in tliat capacity, returned to Milwaukee, and engaged in the lumber business. At the time he was at Mineral Point, lead ore was all carted to Milwau- kee. After remaining in the lumber busi- ness at Milwaukee for two years, he went to Walworth County, and purchased wild land, which he improved and cultivated until the time of his death, which oc- curred April 29, 1890.
His wife Eliza A .. (Smith) Curtis, was born in Jefferson County, N. Y., March 10, 1825, and she remained at home with her parents until married, and after her husband's death came to Logan, Iowa, and is now making it her home with her son George O. They were the parents of three children : Harvey W., born January 15, 1852; George O., January 10, 1856; Anna L., born January 11, 1858, died August 23, 1868.
E BURR WILLIAMS, editor and proprietor of the Dunlap Reporter was born in Essex, Vt., December 25, 1868, and is the son of Lyman S. and Mary (Gorton) Williams, who had a fam- ily of three children, of whom our subject was the second child. He attended his first term of school at Estherville, Iowa, to which point his parents moved when he was three years of age. Subsequently he attended school at Essex, Vt., and com- pleted his education at Columbus Junc- tion, Iowa. When thirteen years of age he commenced working in a newspaper office, and has followed that line, gener- ally speaking, ever since, the art preserv-
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ative having been a special hobby of his life. In March, 1891, he came from Es- therville to Dunlap and purchased the Reporter.
His parents still reside at Estherville, Iowa, where his father is Postinaster at present, but is a contractor and builder and has also followed farming. He served from 1861 to 1865 in Company I, Sixth Vermont Infantry, enlisting as a private and coming out as a Captain.
See history of Dunlap for detailed his- tory of Reporter.
M ARQUIS LAFAYETTE DAKAN, Superintendent of public schools for Harrison County, residing at Logan, has been a resident of the' county since August 4, 1868, at which time he settled in Union Township and will form the subject of this biographical notice.
He was born in Morrow County, Ohio, October 5, 1846. His parents were Ebene- zer and Charity (Wagstaff) Dakan, natives of Pennsylvania, and of English descent. His father was twice married. By his first marriage he had four children, and by the second marriage three, our subject being one of that number. The parents both died in Pennsylvania. The father was a farmer by occupation and our subject passed his early life in the Buckeye State, being educated at the common and High Schools of that State, attending [the lat- ter at Williamsport, where he graduated in 1867. Having fitted himself for a teacher he commenced in 1866 and has followed it in conjunction with farming and attend- ing to the official duties as County School Superintendent ever since. He taught seven terms of school in Ohio, before com-
ing to Iowa, and has taught forty-four terms in Iowa-an average of eleven terms in a place. The least number of terms in any one place has been four and the great- est twenty-three. This indeed speaks well for his qualifications as an instructor.
Politically, Mr. Dakan is a stanch sup- porter of the Democratic party. He served as Assessor of Union Township for eight years, and was elected Superin- tendent of Schools in 1889, and was the second person elected to this office, on the Democratic ticket in Harrison County, and had sixty majority. He was re-elected in 1891 with a majority of nine hundred and forty-seven. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and belongs to Odd Fellows Lodge No. 355, at . Logan.
Mr. Dakan was married April 1, 1869, in Ohio, to Miss Nancy E. Kelley, the daugh- ter of Caleb and Lenora (Chamberlain) Kelley, who were natives of Ohio, but whose ancestors came from Maryland at an early day. Mr. and Mrs. Dakan are the parents of five daughters : Mattie, Della, Cora, and Ella and Elsie (twins).
Our subject is pre-eminently fitted for the position he now holds, being a thor- ough-going and practical educator.
AMES OSCAR PUGSLEY has been a resident of Harrison County since 1866. He was born in Athens County, Ohio, September 15, 1844, and is a son of Oscar and Betsy (Owens) Pugsley. The father died in 1844, and the mother still resides in Ohio. Our subject was his parent's only child. His early life was spent in the Buckeye State, where he attended the common schools. He began farming for himself in 1864, and two years later located on section 26, of Morgan
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Township, where he owns four hundred acres of land, which is all enclosed by a good fence, and one hundred and sixty acres of which is under the plow, while the balance is in pasture and timber land. Mr. Pugsley devotes most of his time and attention to stock-raising.
He was united in marriage December 26, 1864, to Lodia A. Noyes, the daughter of Joseph and Matilda Noyes, natives of Ohio. By this marriage union two chil- dren were born: Clara, now Mrs. Lewis; and Nathan L. Mrs. Pugsley died March 10, 1884, and January 1, 1886, Mr. Pugs- ley married Anna E. Harding, a native of Ohio. By this marriage union one child has been born : Ruby A., June 10, 1887.
Mrs. Pugsley is a member of the Christ- ian Church and politically, he is a Repub- lican. Our subject has one of the finest farm-homes in Harrison County, and has come into possession of all his property through his own untiring labors.
S ANFORD H. COCHRAN, a most successful attorney-at-law, practis- ing at Logan, and in all the higher courts of the country, has been a resident of the county since 1874. In September of that year, he located at Missouri Val- ley, where he opened a law office and re- mained until 1881, and then removed to Logan.
Mr. Cochran was born in May 20, 1852, at Carmi, White County, Ill. He is the son of Sanford and Martha E. (Johnson) Cochran, and is the youngest son of a family of five children. The father served in the Mexican War, in Capt. Lawler's Independent Cavalry Company, and was a bugler in the same. During the Civil War he was Captain of Company B, Fifty-
sixth Illinois Infantry, serving about three years. Our subject had two brothers in the First Illinois Cavalry, who served a year and a half each during the Civil War.
Our subject commenced his schooling in Carmi, Ill., where he attended until about fourteen years of age, and then at- tended Unionburg Seminary, Southern Illinois Normal University at Carbondale, and then went to West Point Military Academy, remained one year, and then went to Iowa University, graduating from the Law Department, June 30, 1874.
Mr. Cochran was united in marriage, April 13, 1877, to Mary E. Shimmins, who was born in Darlington, Wis. She is the daughter of Phillip and Jane (Ware) Shimmins, natives of England. Our sub- ject and his wife are the parents of one child, Vernice, born May 25, 1882.
After graduating from the State Uni- versity, Mr. Cochran was upon two occa- sions put on a committee to examine the law class at the University. Every pro- fession has men within its ranks who are better fitted for some other calling; this is true in the pulpit, in the medical and legal fraternities, and then again, each one of these professions has followers, who seem in every particular just adapted to their chosen profession. That Mr. Cochran is gifted in the direction of a keen, far-seeing, brilliant legal mind, none who know him will doubt.
Politically he is a stanch Republican of the progressive type, and is familiar with the great issues that have been pending, and tested by the political parties of this country, and gives an intelligent opinion for the political policy he endorses. In 1887 he was made a candidate with four others for the office of District Judge, but Judge Ladd was the successful candidate.
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The campaign was a very animated one, yet Mr. Cochran never went outside of his own county to canvass, but received the support of the county from be- ginning to end, and received the higli- est number on at least two ballots, and defeated Judge McCullum, who was then on the Bench, and came within two ballots of receiving the nomination, but by a compromise Judge Ladd was the successful man. This showed the popu- larity of our subject, and had he not lived in another Congressional District, from which some other candidates did he would quite likely have been nominated and elected. But heis the last man to deplore the condition. He is not a candidate for office, and prefers to excel in the regular practice of his profession, than to bear the honors of any office. He has been emi- nently successful, and in a number of cases, exhibited marked ability, together with a thorough knowledge of the law. In the case of Glenn vs. Jeffrey, of Monona County, he succeeded in securing title to fifteen hundred acres of land for the set- tlers; the case being finally tried before the Supreme Court. In the Cadwell Bank case; the criminal case wherein the State of Iowa was the plaintiff, and in the de- fense of John Richardson, for murder, our subject won a good reputation for the manner in which he conducted the cases to a successful end.
Among other important cases with which Mr. Cochran has been connected, may be mentioned: the Spooner ditch tax case; the Monona County ditch tax cases; and Schofield et al vs. Board of Su- pervisors of Harrison County ; and a case in 1880, wherein he was engaged in the pros- ecution of the Western Millers' Associa- tion cases, involving the constitutionality of the "Iowa Fish Ways Laws," in which
a decree was obtained under Judge Lewis, of the District Court, holding them void. This decree virtually annulling section 3,058, of the Code as being unconstitu- tional. This case was one of much im- portance to owners of water-mill sites within Iowa, for by this decision it was determined that mill owners were not ob- liged to provide and maintain a means for fish to pass up or down a stream through a device provided for by such a law, as the one in question. But it is in the management and argument of important criminal cases and personal injury cases that the subject of this sketch greatly ex- cels. As a close reasoner and magnetic and emotional orator Sanford H. Cochran has but few equals at the bar. While he commands large fees, we are told that some of his best efforts have been in the defense of the poor, who could pay no fee. He has accumulated a competence, is thoroughly business-like, ready to assist all public enterprises and is generous to those in misfortune.
ARRISON D. MEECH, a farmer of section 31, Calhoun Township, arrived in Harrison County with his parents, September 12, 1855, and settled in Calhoun Township when his father, William S. Meech, purchased the I. G. Gates store property and engaged in the mercantile business, continuing in the same a short time, and then took his brother, Erastus W., in as a partner, when the firm was known as W. S. & E. W. Meech. This partnership continued until 1858, when the stock was sold to George Thorpe, and moved to Jeddo. In 1863 W. S. Meech operated a store, and in the spring of 1864 H. D. Meech was taken in as a partner, and this firm con-
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tinued to do business until 1874, when they went out of trade, submitting to the powers that be (the building of new rail- road towns and other causes.)
William S. Meech, the father of our subject, was born in Hinesburgh, Vt., November 19, 1814, and was the son of Erastus and Annis (Lockwood) Meech, and was of Welsh descent. Erastus was formerly a farmer near Hinesburgh, but later conducted an hotel at Cambridge, Vt., which he sold to his son, William S., in 1842, and he operated it four years, then moved to St. Alban's Bay, Vt., now famous as a summer resort, and was engaged in the hotel, stage and livery business about seven years. He was next found operating an hotel for two years, known as the St. Lawrence Exchange, at Potsdam, St. Lawrence County, and then spent several years traveling through Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa, looking for a location, and finally selected Calhoun. In the spring of 1859 he, with Mrs. Meech, fitted out three yoke of oxen and started for Pike's Peak (which at that time was all aglow with gold excitement), loading their wagon with groceries and provisions. After getting part way across the plains, they met scores and hundreds returning from that region, who gave anything but a flattering account of that much talked of land, and Mr. Meech would have re- turned from Ft. Kearney but his good wife, full of brave and daring dis- position, said : "No, let us go forward, and, if we are robbed, some one will have a good time eating up our provisions." They returned that autumn, and in the spring of 1860 they started out on a simi- lar expedition; and in the spring of 1861 his son, Harrison D., went with him and drove four yoke of oxen, covering a dis- tance of over sixteen hundred miles. His
father followed the same business in 1862, and in 1863 Harrison D. followed freight- ing.
The father of our.subject, W. S. Meech, died December 29, 1888. His wife's maiden name was Sylvia M. Dean, and by this marriage there were two children-Helen F., now Mrs. R. G. Fairchilds, of Mo- nona County, Iowa, and H. D., our sub- ject, who was born in Cambridge, Vt., June 4, 1843, and with his father, re- mained in hotel life, attending a select school in St. Alban's Bay, and after com- ing to Harrison County, Iowa, acquired a good business education, having been pressed into the harness when twelve years of age. He had the care of the farm, while his father was running the store, and when eighteen years of age made his first trip across the plains, all of which made his a varied business career.
He was married October 25, 1864, to Maggie Ellis, a native of Virginia, and the daughter of William and Eliza S. Ellis. She is the fourth of a family of five children, and was born July 2, 1842. By this marriage union two children were born-Frank E., October 13, 1866; and Helen F .; May 31, 1870, both at home.
Mr. Meech and his family are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, to, which he has belonged twenty-four years.
Politically our subject is a believer in the general principles of the Democratic party, but on account of their liquor plank he has left their platform and votes with the Republicans.
Mr. Meech now owns five hundred and fifty-nine acres of land, one-third of which is under the plow, twenty acres in first- class timber, and the balance in pasture land. The place is provided with a sub- stantial farmhouse.
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Frank E., son of our subject, attended the district schools in Calhoun Town- ship, Missouri Valley High School, and took a six years' course at Simpson Col- lege, at Indianola, Iowa, graduating June 21, 1888, as a classic. He has since taken the post graduate course, and the degree of A. M. was conferred upon him in June, 1891.
Helen F., only daughter of our subject, graduated from Missouri Valley High School, attended the Woodbine Normal, attended college at Decatur, Ill., and also a musical college one year, and has taught at Little Sioux and other places. She is now taking a musical course at Omaha, and also follows teaching music.
W ILLIAM T. RAYMOND, a Justice of the Peace, residing at Missouri Valley, came to Harrison County in 1855, and located about two miles and a half northwest of Magnolia, where he purchased a farm of one hundred and sixty acres, and located one hundred and twenty acres on his father's land warrant. Here our subject remained on the farm and in the hotel business, at Magnolia, until he removed to his farm in St. John's Town- ship, in 1872. He spent the year 1871, in Missouri Valley, and in March 1889, re- moved there to live permanently.
, He was born in Branford, New Haven County, Conn., about ten miles east of New Haven. His parents were Lucius T., and Hannah (Robinson) Raymond, of English ancestry, who trace their lineage back to the "Mayflower." Our subject was born March 21, 1823, and is the second of a family of four children .- His father was a carpenter by trade, and was in a New York regiment, that served in the War of
1812. He came to Harrison County, in 1857, and died in 1873, while his good wife, the mother of our subject,passed from the scenes of earth in June, 1863. Our sub- ject's early education was received in the common schools of Connecticut and he at- tended an academy for three months, which was all of the schoolroom educa- tion he ever enjoyed. He served an ap- prenticeship at shoemaking, but the last ten years that he lived in his native State he was in one of the largest hotels in New Haven, known as the Tontine Hotel.
In 1854, we find our subject in Chicago, where he chanced to meet a friend, who with him drove from Davenport to Coun- cil Bluffs, making the journey in six days. He was married at the Astor House, New York City, October 10, 1848, to Mary A. Carrington, who died December 25, 1849, as did also an infant child. For his second wife our subject married Sarah L. Patch, a native of Loraine County, Ohio, her people coming to the Western Reserve in Ohio, at a very early day. Her father was born in Massachusetts, and her mother in New York. By Mr. Raymond's second marriage, two sons and one daugh- ter were born, the latter dying when one year of age. The sons are Miles W., who resides in Atchison, Kan., in the employ of the Hartford Accident Insurance Com- pany, and Mason Hobart,the other son, in the employ of the Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley Railroad Company, at Missouri Valley. The father of Mrs. Raymond died in Harrison County, and his remains were deposited in the ceme- tery, at Magnolia. A singular co-incidence in this family history is the fact that our subject's mother and his wife's mother, were both named Hannah Robinson.
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