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 98
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Mr. Niece was born in Wallern Hausen Germany, March, 28, 1827, and is a son of Conrad and Catherine (Bautai) Niece. The father was a farmer of the good old German stripe, and was accidently killed in 1842, while quarrying stone; the moth- er dying after she came to America. George attended school, in his native country, summer and winter for eight years, and remained at home until the spring of 1847, when with several others,he sailed for the American shores, landing at Baltimore, in the vicinity of which city he worked for about six months. Then. moved to Lancaster County Penn., and there worked about ten years receiving from $6.50 to $13 per month.
Catherine Hanneman became his wife in the month of October, 1853, in Lancas- ter County, Penn. She was a native of Hessitt, Germany, and was born October 17, 1835, the daughter of Henry and Cath- erine (Geith) Hanneman, and was the youngest of a family of five children. InMarch 1852, she with two sisters and one brother came to America, and land- ed at New York, but now lives in Harrison County Iowa. Her mother died in the Fatherland when she was but six months old, and her father, when she was thirteen years old.
Mr. and Mrs. Niece are the parents of seven children, born as follows-Eliza, July 22, 1855; John, April 9, 1859; Henry August 2, 1862, died April 5, 1868; Georgia April 6, 1865; died January 1, 1869; Mary
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July, 18, 1867; Katie, January 22, 1870; and Charlie April 28, 1873.
Politically, Mr. Niece is in sympathy with the Democratic party, and in relig- ious matters he and his estimable wife are members of the Evangelical Church.
None but those who have been bereft of their parents at an early age, can begin to appreciate the kind and tender watch-care of a father and mother. As will be seen by the above sketch, our subject and his wife were left fatherless, at an very early age in their old German home, where it was harder for poor people to rise in the scale, but upon coming to this country, they determine to achieve something for themselves, and make the most of life. Hard work with good constitutions and a good degree of native intelligence have brought them from childhood, on down through their married life, until to-day they may well count the days of their pilgrimage more of a success than that of ordinary mortals.
AMES A. ROBERTS, now a resi- dent of section 32, Lincoln Town- ship, came to Harrison County in the spring of 1872. He commenced farming on the place he now occupies, consisting of three hundred and twenty- seven acres, a part of which was im- proved. He commenced work there by breaking, building barns, sheds and crib- bing, also dug a well and erected a wind engine. He has been successful in his farm labors, and has added to his original tract until he now has five hundred and sixty-seven acres, all under cultivation, and all in one body. But this is not all of his possessions, for he also owns five
hundred and seventy acres more on sec- tions 16, 20, and 21. This is all enclosed by a good fence, and.three hundred acres under the plow, and is all located on the borders of Willow Creek, which affords one of the richest farming sections in all Harrison County. The most of these lands he has acquired through his own good management since coming to Harri- son County.
He was born in Vermont, and hails from good old English stock which seems to improve by allowing one generation to mature, in the Old Green Mountain State ! The date of his birth was March 19, 1831. His parents were Edward and Mary (Newell) Roberts, natives of England and Vermont respectively. They reared a family of eleven children, our subject be- ing next to the-oldest child. His brothers and sisters were as follows-Eliza, Jane, Margaret, Hyrum, John, Henry, Elmer, Ann, Adalaide, and two who died in in- fancy.
Our subject remained in Vermont until he was thirteen years of age, enjoying the sports of youth, as only a New England lad can. From that time on he "paddled his own canoe," drifting to New Hamp- shire, where he worked on a farm, at- tended school and learned the carpenter trade. He followed this business until 1849, and worked at the same in Boston about seven years, and then came to Burlington, Iowa, having bid farewell to Boston, the day on which President James Buchanan was elected. He still continued to shove the jack-plane after coming to the Hawkeye State, contract- ing and building, until the spring of 1861, when he received a commission from Gov. Kirkwood as Second Lieutenant, and as- sisted in getting up a regiment, but before leaving for the front was stabbed, his
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lung being penetrated, and his life was des- paired of, so he resigned. His regiment was commanded by Col. Fitz Henry War- ren. He received this wound in May 1861, and did not recover until the spring of 1862, when he started for what is now known as Idaho where he remained until 1869, when he came to Council Bluffs, and there lived until 1872, when he came to Harrison County.
Unlike most of the large land owners, of this section of Iowa, this man is a stranger to married life, but is however a highly respected resident of the county. He belongs to the Masonic fraternity, and is a member of the Council Bluffs Lodge No. 75.
M ATILDA P. RATLIFF, a resident of section 36, Calhoun Township, is justly entitled to space in this connection, as she is one of the brave women who found their way to Harrison County, in the spring of 1855. She took a claim and has remained here ever since. It was not her good fortune to roll into the county on a fast flying train, and be escorted to a first-class hotel, for that was thirty-six years ago, and before a locomo- tive had ever crossed the Mississippi river. The conveyance which brought her here was a wagon drawn by two yoke of oxen. She hired a man to drive through Jefferson County, Iowa. She lived near Calhonn, and kept house for William McDonald, from 1871, until his death, April 11, 1886.
Our subject was born in Green Coun- ty Ky., October 31, 1813, and is the daugh- ter of John and Prudence (Hardin) Ruth- erford, and when nine years of age her
people moved to Morgan County, Ill., where her father died the same year, leav- ing a family of nine children. After eight years, the mother married again, and moved to Hancock County, and later to Missouri, where she died. While in Hancock County our subject married John Ratliff, and two years later moved to Jefferson County Iowa, and twelve years later her husband died, leaving four children, two of whom are still living- Lucy Ann, Sarah Prudence, who came to Harrison County with their mother.
Her grand-daughter Emma Hall, lives with her on the farm, and assists her in keeping the place in order. She was born in Calhoun Township, January, 27, 1869, and is the daughter of Richard and Lucy (Ratliff) Hall, and is the fourth in a fami- ly of eight children; her parents live at Missouri Valley.
This venerable lady, now nearly eighty years of age, has lived contemporary with the greater part of the history of our Re- public, and has seen her share of the vicis- situdes and trials, which in a providential way, seem to be sent to wean humanity from all earthly scenes.
W ILLIAM McDONALD, (deceased) was born in Ohio about 1813, of Scotch ancestry. He came West with his mother in 1854. She was a Mor- mon, and went to Salt Lake City, Utah, but he refused to go, and settled in Harri- son County, where he lived a single man the remainder of his days. He accumu- lated a large property, generally valued at $50,000; he was a highly respected citi- zen, and stood high in point of honor, and integrity by all who knew him. After his
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death, which occurred in April 1886, his land was sold at auction, the proceeds go- | ing to his relatives. Thus lived and died William McDonald.
0 SCAR L. SMITH, whose pleasant farm-house may be found on section 31 of Lincoln Township, near the waters of the Willow River, will form the subject of this notice :
He was born in Joliet, Ill., in 1855, and is the son of Martin G. and Margaret E. (Johnston) Smith, natives of New York, who were the parents of four children- Albert S., Adelbert, Oscar L., and Frank M. The father was a machinist, and worked for the McCormack Reaper Com- pany, and finally removed to Stearns County, Minn., and in fighting the In . dians, he overworked in building a fortifi- cation, and caught cold which terminated in death.
Our subject worked on a farm until six- teen years of age in Delaware County, N. Y., then at blacksmithing in Broome County, N. Y., from which State he came . to Iowa, in 1881, and settled at Wood- bine, where he wielded the sledge, and fanned the forge until he came to Lin- coln Township.
He was united in marriage, October 24, 1880, to Miss Mary M. Owen, daughter of James K. and Mary M. Owen, natives of New York. Mr. and Mrs. Smith are the parents of one child-Myrta R., born February 24, 1889. The parents are mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Upon coming to Harrison County, our subject was in his own language "seventy- five dollars worse off than nothing." His good wife taught school for five years in
Woodbine while he pounded at the forge. They bought a lot, built a house and shop and paid for it, and continued to work at Woodbine for eight years, and then purchased eighty acres of land in Lincoln Township, upon which he now lives. He did considerable building, fenced his farm, set out one hundred and and thirty fruit trees, and has followed farming and blacksmithing ever since. To one who succeeds through the role of industry, midst smoking forge and clank- ing anvil, there must be ascribed much credit, and it will also be remembered, that this man's companion, true to her marriage vows, has ever been a faithful helpmate.
AMES COULTHARD, a farmer living on section 1, of Cincinnati Township, came to Harrison County in the spring of 1866, and rented land for two years, boarding with his brother, George. In the spring of 1866 he bought the farm he now owns, which at that time consisted of eighty acres of unimproved land upon which he made improvements. In the spring of 1871, he went to California, where he engaged in mining and teaming until the autumn of 1878, at which time he came back to Har- rison County, and that winter built a house on his place, 18x24 feet, a story and a half high; and later on provided a good barn, together with other improvements, at the same time kept adding to his land, until he now has three hundred and twenty acres; one hundred and twenty acres of land besides this tract he owns in Taylor Township, which he uses for pas- ture.
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Our subject was married in Harrison County, October 14, 1880, to Miss Emar- ine Granger, the daughter of Orvill F. and Eliza A. (Smith) Granger. By this mar- riage union three children were born- Robert O., born August 6, 1882; Lydia A., August 4, 1884; Mabel E., April 6, 1887.
Emarine (Granger) Coulthard was born in Calhoun Township, Harrison County, February 9, 1859. Her parents moved into Cincinnati Township about 1860. Mr. Coulthard is well known in Western Harrison County, but it may be well to refer to his earlier career.
He was born in Middlesex County, Canada, July 4, 1848, and remained there with his parents until the spring of 1866. His education was received at the com- mon schools, and his political belief is that of a Republican.
NDREW COULTHARD, Sheriff of Harrison County, elected in the fall of 1891, will form the subject of this sketch. He was born in Middlesex County, Canada, in the Town- ship of Mosa, September 29, 1868, and re- mained there with his parents until 1877, when the family all came to Harrison County, Iowa, and has always lived with his parents and is now carrying on the farm. He has under his control about six hundred acres, two hundred of his own and the remainder his brother's. He pays special attention to the feeding of stock, usually fattening two car-loads per season.
He received his education in the com- mon schools while yet in Canada. He was married in Harrison County, Iowa, June 23, 1883, to Miss Sarah B. Olinger.
Mrs. Coulthard was born in Armstrong County, Pa., February 14, 1867, and when a small girl came to Harrison County with her parents. She is the daughter of Reuben and Margaret (Zuver) Olinger.
n EPHI PURCELL is entitled to space in this connection, if for no other reason, from the fact of his having come to the county in the spring of 1856. He is now located on section 31, of Lincoln Township. He came to the county with his parents, being only ten years of age at the time. His father lo- cated in Boyer Township on one hundred and sixty acres of wild land, and our sub- ject remained at home until he reached the years of his majority, and like many other boys whose parents emigrated to new countries, his educational advantages were very limited.
Our subject was born in Indiana in Aug- ust, 1846, and is the son of Benjamin and Ella A. (Tyler) Purcell, natives of Ohio, who were the parents of twelve children, he being the fifth child. His brothers and sisters were born in the following order- John died in 1878; Marion Emaline; Sarah J. died in 1888; Nephi, Alma, Nancy A., Matilda, Permilia, David, Josephine and Benjamin. Ten of these children are liv- ing in Iowa. Our subject lived in Indiana, until he came to Harrison County, be- lieving as most men do, that man is not completely qualified for the duties and enjoyments of this life, without the com- panionship of another, one of the gentler sex, so he sought the hand of Isabel Jef- frey, daughter of John and Mary Jeffery, natives of Scotland, and upon March 9, 1868, she became his wife. As the result
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of this marriage nnion eight children have come to bless their home-John, born March 12, 1869; Amos, deceased, born November 22,1870; Orvil A., born June 23, 1872; Orin N., November 30, 1874; Nellie deceased, born April 29, 1877; Mary, born September 29, 1879; Lester, February 1, 1882; and Floyd E., September 13, 1884.
Politically our subject is identified with the Democratic party.
His first purchase of land in the county consisted of eighty acres, the price of which was $5 per acre, one-half of which he paid down, from money he had earned while working out. He went to work to improve this land, built a log house, stable and outbuildings. Subsequently he bought eighty acres more and kept on so doing until he now owns three hundred and twenty-seven acres, one hundred and six- ty-three acres of which are under the plow, thirty acres of timber and the remainder in meadow and pasture land. During the first years of his father's family's residence in this county they saw many hardships. Perhaps the greatest of these was during the great snow winter of 1856-57 when the snow was four feet on the level, and shut them off from the outside world. For about three months during that win- ter, the family lived on hominy and ven- ison, having to crack their own corn, and draw their wood on a hand sled.
P ATRICK MORROW, a highly-es- teemed pioneer of Raglan Township, residing on section 20, came to Har- rison County in the spring of 1856. He first located at the point where he now lives, upon a quarter-section of land with- out any improvements. He brought the
the sum of $6,000 with him, of which amount he deposited a $1,000 check in the bank at Council Bluffs for collection. Of this deposit he lost $200 by the failure of the bank. He paid $1.25 per acre for his land and at once commenced to im- prove his wild land by breaking and set- ting posts in the ground to which supports he nailed rough native boards. The lum- ber not being edged, large cracks were left, which he filled with mud. This pio- neer palace was 16x24 feet and its roof was made chiefly from prairie grass. He lived in that one year and then erected a 16x24 foot house, to which was an addition 16x20 feet. He also provided himself with a barn 26x50 feet, also a grainhouse, cribs, etc. He did not forget the thing of beauty and utility, for it is found he planted an orchard and set out many a shade tree, which served as a wind-break against the roaring northern winds in mid-winter and as a cooling shade during the heated months of the year.
As one by one the years have slipped into oblivion, he has added to his original landed estate until he now owns one thousand and twenty acres of choice land.
Mr. Morrow was born in Ireland April 26, 1808. His parents were John and Jane Morrow, also natives of the Emerald Isle. Our subject was their only child.
Mr. Morrow was married April 26, 1834, to Elizabeth Hasson, daughter of Hugh and Esther (Armor) Hasson, of Ireland, whose children were James, William, Hugh, Mary, Elizabeth and Esther. Our subject and wife are the parents of eleven children-Jane, William, Eliza, Rose Ann, Hugh P., Mary deceased; David, de- ceased; Joseph deceased; Salathiel and Matilda.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Morrow are believ-
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ers in the Roman Catholic faith. The family are highly-respected people of the county. One son, William, is one of the present board of County Supervisors, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this volume.
The man for whom this memoir was written is but one of many examples of what may be accomplished by a foreigner coming to our shores with fair means and determination to work and win. A good share of his land was secured by his dig- ing ditches for the county, to reclaim the swamp lands, he taking his pay in land.
ON. THOMAS M. C. LOGAN, of River Sioux, Iowa, forms an im- portant factor in the history of Har- rison County, with which he has been closely identified for almost a quarter of a century. While in a brief biographi- cal notice it is impossible to do a promin- ent man's career ample justice, yet in keeping with the remainder of the repre- sentative men of Harrison County, the subjoined notice may suffice. Human life is full of two kinds of history-the written and unwritten, and, not unfrequently does it occur, in fact it is the general rule, that the deeds of one's life which are of the most value to the world and the com- munity, never find their way into printed history. The following is an outline of Hon. T. M. C. Logan's life:
He is a native of Indiana, born in Rush County, on the 13th of February, 1830. He is the son of Samuel and Sarah (Snod- grass) Logan, natives of Ireland and Virginia respectively. The father was an extensive business man, who died in Cin- cinnati, Ohio during the cholera epidemic
of 1834, when our subject was but four years of age. By our subject's father's second marriage there were two sons born -T. M. C. and Jacob M., the latter, dying on the cars in 1861, near Hadley, Ill. Our subject's early life was spent in the Hoosier State, and he received his educa- tion at the district schools, and at the High School at Fairfield. His first busi- ness experience, on his own account, was in 1857, when he engaged in the stock and grain business in Richland County, Ill., continuing in the same until 1864, when he came to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he handled grain in connection with Leech Bros., and remained there until 1877, and then came to Logan, Iowa, where he em- barked in the grain and live stock trade. In 1887, he commenced operations in River Sioux, buying grain and stock there and at Blencoe, which business he is still following. During the last year, he shipped two hundred thousand bushels of grain from two points. He owns a flour- ing mill at River Sioux, which has a capa- city of sixty barrels per day, and also an elevator, having a capacity of ten thou- sand bushels, also is operating one in Onawa.
Politically, Mr. Logan is a stanch sup- porter of the Republican party, believing as he does that under its administration, this country is the most prosperous. In 1881, was nominated at Denison, for State Senator, on the Republican ticket, in the thirty-fourth Senatorial district, the candidate for Governor of Iowa in 1891, H. C. Wheeler being an opposing candi- date in the convention. The district was then composed of Harrison, Monona, Crawford, Ida and Sac Counties, and our subject was elected by a majority of one hundred and ten, holding the position four years, and serving with much credit,
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to himself as well as his constituents. In 1879, he was elected as a member of the Board of Supervisors in Harrison County, and has always been active in educational matters, as well as espousing the cause of temperance, and let it here be remarked that the thousands of loyal, party workers, who believe in temperance, have been the redeeming feature and saving power, of the Republican party in Iowa.
At the time our subject took his seat as a Supervisor in Harrison County, county warrants were at twenty and twenty-five per cent. discount, but through his efforts and others, the debt was bonded and the credit of the county brought up to par. Again the law of Iowa requires that in order to hold a bondsman, funds must be called in and counted at regular specified times, and through our subject's persistency in requiring this to be done, he saved the county several thousand dollars.
As to Mr. Logan's domestic relations, it may be said that he was first married at La Porte, Ind., in February, 1851, to Miss Charlotte Snodgrass, a daughter of John and Matilda (Steward) Snodgrass. By this marriage union, there were two chil- dren born-Rueben and Charlotte. Reuben was born in Bush County, Ind., July 1, 1853 and Lottie, in Linn County, Iowa, January 18, 1865. The mother of these children was called from earth in 1866.
For his second wife our subject married Miss Harriet Herbert at Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She is the daughter of Samuel and Dehelia Herbert. By this marriage union, nine children were born-Louise S., born January 29, 1868; William E., September 30, 1869; Merritt J., May 1, 1872; Ernest A., January 3, 1874; Mabel M., November 21, 1875; Maude A., Decem- ber 10, 1877; T. M. C., Jr., August 8,
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1880; Nita E., September 25, 1884; Har- rison G., May 8, 1886; all born in Harri- son County, Iowa.
Like many of the representative men of Harrison County, our subject is identified with various civic societies, which have for their object, the upbuilding and main- tenance of good society. He belongs to Masonic Lodge, No. 220, A. F. & A. M .; Missouri Valley Chapter, and Ivanhoe Commandery of Knights Templar at Coun- cil Bluffs, and is also an honored member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Logan.
In reviewing the life of such an one as our subject, one is impressed with the value of intelligence and uprightness of character as found in his daily walk. In political circles, he has always been classed as one of the leaders and not unfrequently do you hear the remark that certainly one can learn more from Mr. Logan in one evening than from many others in life- time. He keeps himself well posted in this line as well as others and therefore is always able to explain the position he takes by facts and figures which never cease to be interesting. He has one of the best political libraries in the country among which is Young's Political history, Tom Benton's Thirty years in the Senate (two volumes) ; Cooper's Political history ; Blaine's Twenty Years in Congress; also the American Brittanica and Johnson's Encyclopædia.
UGH P. MORROW, a farmer resid- ing on section 12, of Allen Town- ship, came to Harrison County in the spring of 1856, in company with his parents, who first located in Raglan
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Township, purchasing about five hundred acres of wild land, which his father com- menced breaking and generally improving. They built a house by setting posts in the ground and thatched the roof, and built stables and shedding in the same way. The sides of the house were made of sawed unedged boards, while the cracks between them were filled with chopped hay and mud.
Our subject was born in Toronto, Can- ada, March 17, 1844, and remained with his parents until he was twenty years of age, when he went to Colorado and en- listed in Company M, Third Colorado Cavalry. He was mustered in at Denver, and was in the frontier service one hun- dred and ten days, when he was taken sick and discharged. He returned to Iowa and worked on his father's farm one year and a half and then went to St. Louis, to the Academy of Christian Brothers, remaining there six months, after which he returned to Iowa and went railroading. He was in a supply store and worked in Nebraska, Iowa and Texas, re- maining with the company about seven years. His father had given him a quar- ter section of wild land, three miles south of the town of Little Sioux, and he re- turned to this land, which was on the Missouri Bottom, and improved it, re- maining there one year, after which he bought the farm he now occupies, dispos- ing of the other in forty-acre lots as he could. His present farm, which con- sists of three hundred and twenty acres of prairie land, had no improvements, so he at once set about to subdue it from its wild state. He broke, fenced and set out a grove, and built a house 18x26 feet, with a wing 16x20 feet, together with numer- ous outbuildings, and a good well utilized by means of wind power.
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