USA > Iowa > Jackson County > History of Jackson County, Iowa; Volume II > Part 35
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Politically Mr. Cliff affiliates with the republican party, believing firmly in its doctrines, and though not a man to seek office selfishly he has not begrudged his time to the people when they have called upon him to fill the position of road supervisor, a thing he did acceptably for eight years, and that. of secretary of the Pleasant Ridge school district, which he holds at present. He has always been a stanch friend of education and the twenty-nine years of his service on the school board have been marked by earnest efforts in the cause of progress. Fraternally he is identified with the Legion of Honor and the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows and is prominent in both organizations, for he is financial secretary of Prudence Lodge of the Legion of Honor, and is conspicuously active in the work of Strangers Refuge, No. 252, I. O. O. F., of Preston. He is, indeed, a man who, having as a youth set high standards of achievement, has lived up to his ideals and sought to attain his ambitions, and is now universally accorded the respect and esteem which the world pays to genuine personal worth.
JOHN P. DRESCH.
John P. Dresch, owning and operating a well improved and productive farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Jackson township, was born in Luxemburg, Germany, on the 25th of December, 1851. His parents, John and Magdalena Dresch, were likewise natives of that country. In 1864 they crossed the Atlantic to the United States and took up their abode in Jackson county, Iowa, John Dresch here devoting his attention to general agricultural pursuits as a means of livelihood. Following the death of his wife in 1871 he removed to the southwestern part of the state and subsequently went to Butler county, Nebraska, where he made his home until he passed away in 1891, being killed by lightning. He was twice married and had seven children by his first wife, namely: John P., of this review; Charles and Mary, both of whom are deceased; Catherine, who is the widow of Louis Niess and resides in Fremont county, Iowa; Frank, living in Lincoln, Nebraska; Josephine, who is the wife of George Markley, of Nebraska ; and Margaret, the wife of Frank Tebbo. By his second wife Mr. Dresch had one son, Charles, who makes his home in Nebraska.
John P. Dresch attended the common schools in the acquirement of an edu- cation and remained under the parental roof until he had attained the age of
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twenty years. After starting out in life on his own account he was engaged in well drilling for a period of seven years and then purchased a farm in Jackson township, operating the same for two years. At the end of that time he again turned his attention to well drilling and was thus engaged for thirteen years. He then bought his present farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Jackson township and has since devoted his time and energies to its further cultivation and im- provement with excellent success, the well tilled fields annually yielding golden harvests as a reward for the care and labor which he bestows upon them.
On the 9th of January, 1877, Mr. Dresch was united in marriage to Miss Margaret Budde, whose birth occurred in a log cabin in Jackson township on the 2d of May, 1857. her parents being Anton and Elizabeth (Creckmeier) Budde. They were natives of Germany but were married in St. Louis, Missouri, hav- ing emigrated to the United States when eighteen years of age. They came to this county in the early '50s, purchased land and here continued to reside until called to their final rest. Their children were nine in number. Mr. and Mrs. Dresch also became the parents of nine children, as follows: Anna S., who is the wife of Christ Sturm, of Jackson township; Henry J. and Melchior F., both of whom make their home in South Dakota; Rupert F., living in Springbrook, Iowa ; Mary M., the wife of N. M. Scheckel, of South Dakota; Clara E. and Ray- mond J., both at home; Esther M., who is deceased; and Werner A., who is also still under the parental roof.
Since age conferred upon him the right of franchise Mr. Dresch has given his political allegiance to the men and measures of the democracy. He served as assessor of Jackson township for fourteen years and was likewise a capable incum- bent in the office of school treasurer. Both he and his wife are faithful communi- cants of the Catholic church and are well known and highly esteemed throughout the community as people of genuine personal worth and upright, honorable lives.
JOHN F. RITTER, M. D.
It has been entirely through, his own efforts that Dr. John F. Ritter has attained to the highly respected position he holds as a medical practitioner in Maquoketa. One of the native sons of Iowa, he was born in Jones county, April 27, 1869. His parents, Jared and Margaret (Kissinger) Ritter, were both of Pennsylvanian birth, the former born in 1827 and the latter in 1829. Jared Ritter came to Iowa in 1851, settling in Jones county, where he worked at his trade of a stone mason. The greater part of his life was spent in that section of Iowa but during his later years he resided with his son John F. Ritter in Maquoketa, but his death occurred December 28, 1905, at Clear Lake, Iowa, at his daughter's, Mrs. J. K. Aitchison.
Dr. John F. Ritter received his early education in the schools of Cascade, Dubuque county, and at the age of eighteen spent one year at Hopkinton, Iowa. For the next three years he worked in creameries at different places in this state, but always with the intention of pursuing his studies at some higher institution of learning. He then attended the university at Iowa City for one year, doing
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work in preparation for a degree in medicine. For several months he read un- der the direction of Dr. A. D. Hunter, of Zwingle, and in the fall of 1891 entered the University of Michigan, from which he was graduated in 1895 with the degree of M. D. Thereupon he began practice at Worthington, Dubuque county, continuing there for three years. In 1898 he went to Chicago to take a special course in eye, ear, nose and throat diseases and upon the com- pletion of these studies came to Maquoketa in November of that year. This city has since been his place of residence and the scene of his active work in his pro- fession. During the years he was a student, Dr. Ritter defrayed all the expenses of his education. To this end he made it a practice to take down in shorthand all of the addresses given by the professors and later transcribe all the lectures upon the typewriter, selling them to his classmates. This ready utilization of opportunities gave him a keenness in his profession which has stood him in good stead. It also was the means of affording him a broader education than that which may be derived from books so that his sympathy with men and women and their trials is the deeper and more helpful. While he engages in general practice in Maquoketa, he is particularly skillful in the treatment of nervous diseases and is also an able surgeon. This phase of medical work has profited in large measure through his talents and to him is indebted for the perfecting of a material to be used after operations which prevents adhesions.
On the 9th of October, 1895, Dr. Ritter was united in marriage to Miss Cynthia C. Cort, a daughter of Albert Cort, of Zwingle, Iowa. The couple have been blessed with two children: Ella M., who is twelve years old; and Merlin N., who is ten years of age. Dr. Ritter is a member of the Knights of Pythias and of the Dramatic Order Knights of Khorrassan, of Maquoketa. The interest which he has always manifested in the welfare of the county secured for him the election to the office of coroner of the county, a position he held for two years. In his religious faith he gives adherence to the Reformed church. With few resources save his own ability and his determination to succeed Dr. Ritter has attained to a respected and honorable position among the citizens of the county for he has ever been guided by the upright principles of manhood, both in his private and professional life.
ABRAHAM S. HERSHBERGER.
From the pioneer days in the development of Jackson county Abraham S. Hershberger has resided within its borders, and the span of his life covers the period of the great transformation that was wrought in the appearance of the country. He was three months old when, in 1846, his parents came to Iowa by wagon, was seven years old when he assisted in breaking the fields of the farm, and since that time he has been continuously engaged in cultivat- ing the rich soil of this county. A large measure of success has attended his efforts and he is now one of the extensive landowners of Monmouth township.
The Hershberger family has been identified with America since colonial days, some of the name having been members of William Penn's company at
A. S. HERSHBERGER
MRS. A. S. HERSHBERGER
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the time he made the treaty with the Indians. John Hershberger, the grand- father of A. S. Hershberger, was born in Pennsylvania and in Lancaster county, that state, his son, Jacob K. Hershberger, the father of our subject, was born, February 1, 1814. In 1844 he went to Camden, Illinois, where he built a mill, and the next year returned to the east to get his wife and children. In 1846, in the hope of profiting by the opportunities afforded by the prairies of Iowa, he put his household effects upon a wagon and with his family, came to Jackson county, locating upon the farm in Monmouth township on which his son Abraham S. is now living. He entered forty acres of land, which had been claimed by a man named Foust, who traded the relinquishment for two sheep to Joshua Beard, who gave him the title to his claim because Mr. Hersh- berger had a wife and children. Mrs. Hershberger was the first white woman to come to this locality. Mr. Hershberger worked in the mill at Bellevue to obtain the money with which to pay for his land but later devoted himself exclusively to farming. He did a great deal of breaking in his day, and the soil he prepared for cultivation proved very fertile. As he was able he added to his property until he owned six hundred and thirty acres in Jackson county at the time of his death, which occurred February 20, 1873. He was too old to enlist during the Civil war, but after the battle of Pittsburg Landing he said he was going to the front with supplies and alleviate the sufferings of the wounded if he could. He reached Savannah a week after the battle and on one day, from sunup to sundown he dressed the wounds and changed the clothes of one hundred and fourteen soldiers, some of whom had been shot five times. As this task was undertaken upon his own responsibility, it shows the character of the man, who sought this means of expressing his loyalty to the Union. The following morning he went to Pittsburg Landing, where he met some acquaintances, and being taken ill was sent home. Another act of importance which he performed was the breaking up of a gang of coun- terfeiters, who were engaged in their nefarious business on a portion of the land now in A. S. Hershberger's possession. Of strong physique he was very fond of hunting and was acknowledged as an excellent marksman, for it was no unusual achievement for him to bring down a deer on the run, and on one occasion he brought down two on the run with one shot. In politics he was a whig and later a republican, and he always took an active interest in the affairs of Monmouth township, having held most of the local offices. He was also a member of the county board, represented Jackson county in the general assembly in 1856, and was invested with the powers of notary public. In religion he was faithful to the teachings of the Evangelical church, in which he had been reared. He was, in truth, one of the exemplary men of the community, temperate in all his habits and for ten years prior to his death never used tea, coffee, tobacco nor intoxicating drinks. He was a man devoted to the public welfare and generous in his support of every worthy measure. He had come to Jackson county in pioneer days, and this locality was the better for his having lived herein, not only for the work he accomplished to- ward developing the country but also by reason of his influence.
In Pennsylvania Jacob K. Hershberger wedded Miss Susanna Shirk, who like himself was a native of the Keystone state. She survived him about
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twenty-one years, her death occurring in 1893, and was laid to rest in the family lot on section 16, Monmouth township. Unto them were born five sons. Jacob went to California and was murdered in that state for gold nug- gets. David died in Ephrata, Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. John was a member of Company G, Second California Cavalry during the war of the Re-, bellion and is now a retired miner living in Salida, Colorado. Isaac enlisted in Company I, Twenty-fourth Iowa Volunteer Infantry and was killed at the battle of Champion's Hill. The youngest is the subject of this sketch.
Abraham S. Hershberger, who is of the sixth generation since the family was established on this side of the Atlantic, was born March 5, 1846, in Cam- den, Illinois, and, as before stated, was three months of age when his parents came to Iowa. He grew up amid pioneer surroundings and participated in the work of those early days, for even as a child of seven he drove seven yoke of oxen to break the sod with a twenty-two inch plow. The hazel brush then was frequently fifteen feet high and many a shoot was as large as a man's leg There were few educational advantages at that time and because of the press of other work, Mr. Hershberger went to school only on rainy days. Later, however, he managed to attend the Northwestern College, at Plainfield, Illi- nois, for fourteen weeks. He has spent his entire life in Monmouth township, save for the two and a half years he was in Codington county, South Dakota, where he had some land, two hundred acres of which he broke, and he has devoted his time to general farming and to stock raising, feeding and shipping on an extensive scale. That he has been successful in his undertakings is manifest in the fact that he owns eight hundred and fifty-five acres in Mon- mouth township, including the first forty entered by his father, and has five shares of stock in the Baldwin Savings Bank. His residence is on section 9 of that township, and there he is enjoying the results of his former years of toil, for the management of the farm has in large measure devolved upon the younger shoulders of his sons.
On February 21, 1875, Mr. Hershberger wedded Miss Emeline Rockstraw, and they have become the parents of ten children. Thomas, who was born May II, 1876, died in 1901. Hattie was born January 5, 1878, and died on the 17th of September of that year. William H., who was born September II, 1879, is living with his father. Jacob Harry was born November II, 1881, and is also at home. Emma, who was born November 5, 1883, became the wife of Austin T. Allen, a farmer of Jones county, Iowa, and they have a son, John Abraham. Lea M., born November 15, 1885, is the wife of F. F. Lewis, a grain dealer of Morris, Minnesota, and they have a daughter, Eva Emeline. Le Roy, born January II, 1888, is at home. Elizabeth, born August 21, 1890; is also at home, as are Abraham R. and Charles, who were born January 17, 1893, and August 15, 1897, respectively.
In politics Mr. Hershberger is a republican and has held many of the minor township offices. Having enjoyed little schooling, he has always been a stanch friend of educational interests and was the first man in Jackson county to urge consolidating the school districts. Fraternally he is associated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Masons, the Sons of Temperance, the Good Templars, the Modern Woodmen of America and others, while his
JACOB K. HERSHBERGER
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religious adherence is given to the Evangelical church. He was converted at Plainfield, Illinois, and has since had a deep and abiding faith, the tenor of his life evincing the practical value of his religion. The period of his life covers that of great development in Iowa, and as he looks back upon the past he is aware of the vastness of the transformation that has taken place, for not only is the character of the country changed but conditions are much less hard and comforts not dreamed of are enjoyed. At present a good price is obtained for farm produce transported by railroad facilities, whereas in the past Mr. Hershberger received thirty-five cents a bushel for wheat he hauled to Dubuque, and now rural free delivery brings the mail to his home, while formerly Dubuque and Bellevue were the nearest postoffices. Although he has passed his sixty-third year, he is still active in supervising his farm. He has known many hardships and has spent many hours in exhausting toil, but labor brings its own reward and he is not without his share. He has always lived in accordance with a high standard of upright and honorable manhood.
DOUGLAS B. STAGGS, M. D.
There is perhaps no one better known in Monmouth and vicinity than Dr. Douglas B. Staggs, despite the fact that it is only eleven years since he com- menced the practice of medicine in this town, for he has closely identified him- self with local matters and many phases of public life have benefited by his ability and influence, ever exerted toward progress and improvement. He is now serving as mayor and in this capacity is proving himself an able official, worthy of general support.
A native of Iowa, Dr. Staggs was born in Dewitt, Clinton county, Jan- uary 23, 1872, a son of George and Maria (Fuller) Staggs. The father was born in Canton, Ohio, in 1837 and was about eleven years of age when he came to Iowa. He lived in this state until his death, which occurred in August, 1899, and was actively identified with the farming and stock interests of Clinton county. He was successful in his undertakings and achieved no slight reputa- tion for the Poland China hogs and the shorthorn cattle he raised. In politics he was a democrat and a factor in the councils of the party, having been a member of the county board for some time, while fraternally he was connected with the Masons. Of the eleven children born to him and his wife, eight are now living: William A., a physician, who makes a specialty of diseases of the eye, ear, nose and throat and resides in Estherville, Iowa; George E., who is engaged in farming in Clinton county ; Julia, who is unmarried; Douglas B., the subject of this sketch; Charlotte, who is the wife of J. H. Filbert, a farmer of McCausland, Scott county, Iowa; Pearl, who is the wife of John Gannon, of Dewitt, Iowa; Cecil H., a druggist at Grand Mound, Iowa; and Edith, a school teacher at Dewitt. Three children have passed away: one who died in infancy, and James and Jessie. The maternal grandmother of Dr. Staggs was a cousin of Mrs. McKinley and belonged to the Saxton family, many of whose meinbers were soldiers.
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In the public schools of his birthplace Dr. Staggs began his education, and, after completing the high school course in 1893, he entered upon his medical studies at Hahnemann College, Chicago, Illinois. In the spring of 1896 he received his degree of M. D. from that institution and immediately engaged in ยท practice in Low Moor, Iowa, remaining there until 1898. In that year he came to Monmouth, which has since been the scene of his labors. He is en- gaged in general practice and each year has marked a substantial progress for him in his chosen profession, for he has ever held to a high standard of service and has performed every duty with a sense of conscientious obligation.
The size of Dr. Staggs' clientele is a visible evidence of his skill as a phys- ician and his financial success is manifest in the fact that he owns a house and lot in Monmouth and is identified with one of its important business enter- prises, but a more adequate idea of the regard in which he is held by his fellow citizens is gained by the several honors they have conferred upon him. They elected him to the school board, of which he acted as president for a time, made him a member of the city council, and finally chose him as their chief executive. In each capacity he exercised his prerogatives in support of measures for the public good and has left upon each aspect of the city's affairs a tangible proof of his loyalty and progressive citizenship. For the past five years he has been president of the Keystone Monmouth Telephone Company.
In 1897 Dr. Staggs wedded Miss Mary C. Vanepps, a resident of Low Moor, Iowa, and they have two sons: Melvin Earl and Douglas Harold, both of whom are at home. In political views, the Doctor is an independent republican, voting that party's ticket on questions of national importance, but in local affairs cast- ing his ballot for the candidates he believes to be most worthy of the people's support. Fraternally he is identified with the Modern Woodmen of America, with the Fraternal Bankers Reserve and with the Royal Neighbors, and in the Monmouth lodges of these societies he fills the office of physician. He is pre- eminently a man of affairs, of intense and well directed activity, whose efforts touch many interests bearing upon the welfare of the community. He is also endowed with those personal characteristics which gain for him the warm re- gard and friendship of many and in professional circles has attained a regard that comes only in recognition of real merit and ability.
W. G. NEWSOME.
W. G. Newsome, who since 1904 has filled the position of cashier in the bank of J. Hilsinger & Son, at Sabula, may well be termed a self-made man, for being left an orphan at an early age he has largely made his own way in the world until he occupies the responsible position which he now holds. Born in England, he was brought to America in infancy by his parents, John and Marian New- some, who were likewise natives of that country. The mother died shortly after coming to the new world and the father was left with the care of three small children. He was later married to Miss Rose Scarborough, who, as nearly as possible, took the mother's place, giving to the children every care and attention.
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Upon locating in Sabula, the father became an engineer on the steamboat Artimus Lamb and it was on this that he was killed by the explosion of a steam pipe when our subject was a little lad of five years. The family was left in limited financial circumstances but the stepmother gave to the children good educational advantages, their studies being completed in the Sabula high school. W. G. acted as janitor of the school building for a time and in this way helped to defray his expenses while in school and he also won the money that enabled him to pursue his studies for one term in the Northern Illinois College at Fulton, Illinois.
After completing his education, Mr. Newsome entered the mercantile estab- lishment of R. A. Schroeder, acting as clerk for six years, on the expiration of which period Mr. Schroeder disposed of his interests and Mr. Newsome then remained one year with his successor. At the end of that time he opened a general mercantile establishment in connection with W. T. Berner, thus contin- uing for two years, when he purchased his partner's interest and conducted the business alone for eleven years. He then disposed of all business interests and in June, 1904, entered the bank of J. Hilsinger & Son, as cashier and manager. His service is ever characterized by integrity, accuracy, promptness and cour- teous treatment of customers and in the few years with which he has been identified with this institution its business has more than doubled. It is recog- nized as one of the safe concerns of the kind in the county and in it the people feel a just pride.
On the 17th of June, 1892, Mr. Newsome was united in marriage to Miss Harriet E. Dickinson, a daughter of Henry and Jane Dickinson. Her father is now deceased, his death occurring November 17, 1909. Mr. Newsome gives his political support to the men and measures of the republican party and has served as councilman and as clerk of the township. He has attained high rank in Masonry, belonging to Knights Templar commandery and the Mystic Shrine. For one year he served as grand treasurer of the Grand Lodge of Iowa, A. F. & A. M., and during his incumbency the funds turned over to the treasury amounted to forty-six thousand dollars. Both he and his wife are popular in the social circles of Sabula, while in business circles he has won a reputation for strict honesty, integrity and upright dealing.
MILO W. MOULTON, M. D.
For the past ten years Dr. Milo W. Moulton has been engaged in the practice of medicine in Bellevue and during this time he has built up a large and lucrative practice. He was born on a farm in South Fork township, near Maquoketa, in Jackson county, February 8, 1874, and is the youngest in a family of four children, whose parents are E. D. and Margaret (Wolfe) Moulton, still residing near Ma- quoketa. The other members of the family are: J. R., who is engaged in mer- chandising in Lu Verne, Iowa; Nettie, the wife of Isaac Coleman, a resident of Dolliver, Iowa; and Luella, the wife of B. F. Nichols, of Estherville, this state.
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