History of Johnson County, Iowa, containing a history of the county, and its townships, cities and villages from 1836 to 1882, Part 106

Author: Johnson Co., Ia. History. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Iowa City, Iowa.
Number of Pages: 980

USA > Iowa > Johnson County > History of Johnson County, Iowa, containing a history of the county, and its townships, cities and villages from 1836 to 1882 > Part 106

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JOSEPH SLEZAK, a resident of Iowa City, and proprietor of the National Hall hotel, and general grocery store on the corner of Linn and Bloomington streets; was born Feb. 19, 1847, in Bohemia, Austria. Came to America in 1855, and to Iowa City in 1870, and opened his hotel the same year, and his general grocery store in 1877. He was married March 31, 1870, to Miss Eva Lit, of Iowa City. They have six children: Annie, Frank W., George, Willie, Matilda and Bertha. The family are members of the St. Mary Roman Catholic Church of Iowa City. He is a democrat in politics. His hotel is the recognized headquarters for his nationality and Joe is very popular with his people.

MRS. SARAH A. SMITH, was born in Lancashire, England, in 1824, a daughter of James and Mary Stoll. Came to America June 1, 1848, and landed in New York. She was married to James Smith, of England, in 1848. They lived in Philadelphia, Pa., from 1848 to 1852, and then moved to Salem, Ohio, and in 1853, came to Johnson county, Iowa, and settled in Newport, (now Graham township), June 11, 1853. Her husband died May 4, 1868, and was one of the first buried in the Oasis cemetery. They have five children, two sons and three daughters.

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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.

DEXTER P. SMITH, D. D., a resident of Iowa City; was born December 16, 1810, in Tully, Oneida county, New York. He was edu- cated and graduated from Madison University, at Hamilton, New York, in 1835, and received the degree of D. D. from the same college iu 1837. He was married July 11, 1837, to Miss Hannah Borland. They have four children : D. Edson, residing in Santa Anna, California; Carey R., near Iowa City; George W., a minister at Sandusky, Ohio, and Flora S., wife of Dr. J. C. Glasson, of Waterloo, Iowa. She graduated from the Homeopathic Medical Department of the State University in March, 1882. He came to Iowa May, 1845, as the representative of the American Bap- tist Home Missionary Society, and found a small missionary society in existence. He preached for them a while and went east and collected money and returned to Iowa City and built the brick church in which the Baptists now worship, on the corner of Clinton and Burlington streets, and preached for that congregation until 1859, when he was compelled to resign on account of poor health. He afterward accepted a work in behalf of the American Sunday School Union. He labored twelve years for the " Iowa Baptist Union for Ministerial Education," and is a minis- ter of the Baptist denomination, and continues to preach the word of God. He was educated for the foreign missionary work, and designed going to China, but poor health compelled him to remain in his native land. He preached six years for a congregation at Strikersville, Wyoming county, New York, previous to coming to Iowa City. He preached previous to that in Vermont, and in all of his religious work he has been successful, and feels that Providence has directed him in all of his ministerial labors, and his faithful wife has been a helpmate in every respect.

FRANK H. SMITH, M. D., a resident at Frank Pierce post-office, in Washington township, Johnson county, Iowa, engaged in the practice of medicine and surgery; was born September 25, 1849; came to Iowa in 1870. He began the practice of medicine in 1878, and graduated from the Medical Department of the State University in March, 1882. He was married April 2, 1879, to Miss Ella Wright, of Aledo, Illinois. He taught school five years before he began the practice of medicine, and for two years was principal of the public school at Dallas, Illinois. He is a mem- ber of the Masonic Lodge at Dayton, No. 149, and an I. O. O. F., with his membership at Dallas, Illinois. He is a democrat in politics. He has a splendid practice, and enjoys the confidence of the people of the com- munity in which he is located. He has been exceedingly successful in his profession, and has an ambition for a larger field of labor in the medi- cal profession, and most certainly is deserving.

MRS. SUSAN F. SMITH, a resident of Iowa City, the eldest daugh- ter of Governor Lucas by his second wife; was born April 25, 1823, in Piketown, Pike county, Ohio. She came to Burlington, Iowa, with her father in May, 1840. She was married at Muscatine, October 17, 1842, to

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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.

Dr. William L. Smith of Baltimore, Maryland. He died August 31, 1844. This union is blessed with one child, a daughter, born August 15, 1843, and named Florence A., now the wife of A. L. Clark of Iowa City. Her mother is a direct descendant from the celebrated Sumner family of Massa- chusetts. She is a member of the Presbyterian Church of Iowa City, and has been a faithful and consistent member of the church since she was twenty-seven years of age.

HARRY C. SMITH was born in Henderson county, Illinois, Septem ber 19, 1844. He came to Iowa in 1855, and settled in Iowa City in 1864. He enlisted in the Union army in the Tenth Kansas Infantry, Company K, and served as a private three years and twenty days. He was married in Iowa City August 12, 1868, to Miss Catharine Boarts. They have six children: Hattie, William, Ida, Harry, Clara and Maude. He has held the office of alderman of Iowa City. He had the contract and built the City Hall in Iowa City. He is a member of the Legion of Honor of Iowa City. He is a republican in politics, and voted for the prohibitory constitutional amendment.

GEORGE E. SMITH, farmer, post-office, Lone Tree; was born in Bennington county, Vermont, March 18, 1835, where he spent his boy- hood days, and got a common school education. He came to Iowa the fall of 1856, and settled in Fremont township, on the farm he now lives on, this then being an open prairie. He now owns 125 acres of fine land. He was married October 31, 1865, to Miss Martha E. Dinwiddie, daugh- ter of Dr. Wm. Dinwiddie of this county, who is now eighty-six years of age. She was born in Indiana November 18, 1832. They have ten chil- dren, eight now living, viz: Maria, born August 16, 1866; Frank A., born April 30, 1869; Dora D., born April 30, 1871; Charles Lee, born Novem- ber 15, 1874; Bertha Ames, born December 1, 1876; Fred Emerson, born March 13, 1878; Wm. Burnside, born July 3, 1879; Robert Alden, born March 25, 1881; and Willie and Celia, deceased.

WILLIAM. F. SMITH, a farmer residing in Washington township, post-office address, Frank Pierce; was born March 15, 1818, in Pendleton county, West Virginia. He left there in 1844, and settled near Jonesburg, Washington county, Tennessee, and in the fall of 1845 settled in Iowa City. In the spring of 1848 he made a claim of 160 acres of land, the farm upon which he now resides, on Smith's run, one mile from Old Man's creek, on section 12, township 78 north, range 8 west. He was married in October, 1839, to Miss Leannah Propts, of Franklin, West Virginia .. She died in August, 1845. They had two children: Jacob W., still living. He was married again to Miss Sarah Maklin, and they had two children: Leannah is still living, and wife of Louis Doup of Knox county, Ohio. His wife died in 1847, and he married Nancy G. Sehorn. They have nine children, six boys and three girls: Martha E., Mary E., Albert

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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.

B., Henry M., Laban, Wallert, Wilbert M., Charles R., and Ida May. He is a republican in politics, and has held the office of treasurer of the school board of Washington township for twenty years. "Old Uncle Billey," as he is familiarly known, is a true-blooded Virginian of the old style, and the ruling principle of his life has been to always have something to eat, and to keep the latch-string always hanging out.

Z. SMITH, farmer and stock-raiser, post-office, Oasis; born in Eng- land in 1825; came to Philadelphia in 1848, and while there he mareied, in 1850, Miss Anna Harrison. He went from there to Salem, Ohio, and in November, 1854, he came to Iowa and settled in Graham township, where he now lives. Mr. Smith has eight children living, his oldest mar- ried and living in Cedar county, and a daughter married and living in Cass county, lowa.

ROBERT A. SMITH, farmer and stock-raiser, post office Lone Tree; was born in Bennington county, Vermont, February 12, 1833, where he spent his early life and attended seminary. In the fall of 1854 he went to Grant county, Wisconsin, where he remained about one year; then came to Jasper county, this state, and to Johnson county the fall of 1856, and settled on the farm he now lives on in section 4, Fremont township, this then being an open prairie. He built a house, and has made all the improvements on the same, and now owns 160 acres of fine land and enclosed with hedge fence, and has a very pleasant home. He was mar- ried November 28, 1855, to Miss Eudora Dinwiddie, a native of Evans- ville, Indiana, and a daughter of Dr. Wm. Dinwiddie, now of Oxford, this county. She is a sister of Lieut. Wm. Dinwiddie of Wasington, D. C. They have five children, viz .: Charles C., born May 7, 1857, married October 6, 1881, to Miss Jessie F. Fisher of Princeton, Illinois, now mail agent on the C., R. I. & P. railroad; Hattie M., born January 1, 1859; W. Burr, born October 24, 1860; Helen M., born November 26, 1862; and Fred B., born December 24, 1864. In 1875 Mr. Smith moved to Muscatine, where he remained five years, to give his children an education. The two girls are now engaged in teaching. Mr. Smith has held several township offices, and is a member of the A. O. U. W., and also of the Congrega- tional Church.

FATHER PATRICK SMYTH, the resident priest of St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church in Iowa City; was born in November, 1848, in County Cavan, Ireland. He was ordained at All Hallow's Foreign Mis- sionary Seminary in Dublin, Ireland, and was sent to the Dubuque, Iowa, Mission, and remained there until January, 1874, at which time he was sent to Madison county, Iowa, to the Irish settlement, and finally superseded Father Martin Rice, in Iowa City, in April 9, 1876; he soon saw the importance of having a building for his people, and set himself to work to secure one; he purchased a lot from Mrs. O. E. Dondelson, on the corner

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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.

of Court and Linn streets, and erected the present beautiful brick edifice, the attraction and admiration of all observers of architects; he has been faithful in his labors, self-sacrificing in his devotion to his church, and enjoys the full confidence of his congregation. He has taken great interest in the educational interest of his people as well as their spiritual affairs, and the result is he has fine schools in connection with his church supported solely by his congregation. He is highly respected and very popular with all classes of people.

MICHAEL T. SNAVELY, (deceased); was born February 15, 1810, in Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, and died in Penn township, Johnson county, November 15, 1854. He was married October 20, 1830, in Cum- berland county, Pennsylvania; settled in Penn township, Johnson county, in 1848. This union was blessed with ten children, all living: John lives in Madison township, Michael F. lives in Penn township, Catharine is the wife of Jacob Zeller, in Penn township, and Isabella is living with her mother in Madison; the other children are married and settled in life in various localities. His widow married James Chamberlain of Madison township, May 24, 1867; she is a member of the United Brethren Church at the cross roads in Madison township.

CORBLY SNIDER, farmer, residing on section 36, in Washington township; was born July 18, 1825, in Monongahela county, Virginia; came to Iowa in 1844, and finally settled in Johnson county in 1848, after making his home in Washington county four years. He was married October 1, 1848, to Miss Louisa J. Simonton, of Johnson county. They have eight children, all living: F. Marion, Amyntha L., Annie, wife of Charles Deerdorf, Grant U. S., Decora, Olive, Ella and Sherman C. He began life a poor boy, but is now one of Washington township's most successful farmers, with 600 acres of land, well improved, good buildings, a brick barn 32x72 feet, and orchard of 300 apple trees, and plenty of small fruit. His specialties are good cattle and horses, and plenty of them. His farm is nearly all in grass. He begun with pioneer life and has lived to see the wild prairie upon which he first came for a home to be trans- formed into a grand agricultural paradise, all settled up with good citizens and industrious farmers, and has accumulated for himself and family a goodly portion of this world's wealth, to make himself comfortable in old age.

J. K. SNYDER, a bee-keeper at Tiffin; was born June 24, 1849, in Huntington county, Pennsylvania; came to Johnson county and settled about one mile north of Tiffin, in October, 1865. He began selling goods in Tiffin and kept at that business for seven years, and in 1879 he began the bee business; had a few swarms in 1878; in 1879 he began making Roots, lawn or chaff hive; in 1880 he had twenty-four swarms; during the winter he lost eighteen swarms, so that in the spring of 1881 he only had

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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.

six hives of bees, that fall he had thirty-nine hives, in the spring he lost two of them, leaving him thirty-seven, and in August, 1882, he had seventy- five hives .. He received from them during 1882 to August 1st, 3,200 lbs .; he worked seven hives on the shares, and got from them 800 lbs., making to August 1st, about 4,000 lbs. of honey taken, and a splendid chance of taking a large amount more before the season is over. Is a republican in politics, and a member of the M. E. Church at Tiffin.

ALEXANDER SORTER, was born in Cuyahoga, county, Ohio, December, 1842. He has been three times elected to the office of county recorder, in 1875, 1877 and 1879. He resigned in 1882 and went into the grain business in South English. When the war broke out he enlisted in the Fitty-fourth Indiana regiment, Company I, and served six months. He went to Ohio and enlisted in the Second Ohio Artillery, where he served until the close of the war. He settled in Iowa in 1865, and worked on his father's farm for three years. Then bought a farm of his own and farmed two years and then engaged in the grocery business in Iowa City, until 1875, he went to buying grain in Oxford. In the fall of that year the democratic party placed him in nomination for recorder, and he was elected and held the office for nearly three terms. He is a good business man, and his efforts in life have brought him success in every thing he has ' undertaken. He is engaged in the grocery business on Dubuque street.

J. O. SPENCER, a resident of Sharon township, post-office, Iowa City, was born Sept. 1, 1828, in York State. He came to Iowa in 1869. He was married Nov. 10, 1850, to Miss Lydia A. Morse of Oneida county, New York. They have one daughter, Florence, a young lady engaged in teaching music. He has been engaged in the butter and cheese business a great many years. He with his wife has charge of the Sharon Cheese and Butter Factory. They took charge of this factory in May, 1881, and made the first cheese for the company; the business is run on the co-oporative plan. His wife is a Methodist. He is independent in politics and works hard and faithfully to make an honest living. He has proved beyond a doubt that a cheese factory in Sharon township is a success.

SAMUEL SPINDEN, a farmer and stock raiser residing on sec- tion eight, Graham township, post-office address, Morse; was born Dec. 2, 1832, in Switzerland, son of Ulerick and Annie Spinden. Came to Amertca with his parents when but six months old and settled in Monroe county, Ohio, in 1833. They left there and settled in Iowa City in the spring of 1847. He finally settled in Newport (now Graham) township, in 1861. He was married in 1861 to Miss Louisa Albright of Newport township. They have ten children, seven of whom are living, four boy s and three girls. The family are members of the German Methodist Church.

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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.

A. W. STALEY, farmer and stock dealer, post-office, Solon; was born in Muskingum county, Ohio, Oct. 10, 1842, and emigrated to Iowa in 1851 and settled in Big Grove township with his parents, Jacob and Phœbe; here he has since resided, with the exception of four years, he was in the Lake Superior regions in the copper mines. He now owns 100 acres of land and for the past nine years has been engaged in buying and feeding stock. He was married Sept. 9, 1861, to Ruth Payn, daughter of James Payn of Solon. By this union there are twelve children as follows: Mary E., Lucy E., William W., Charles E. and Martha J., twins, Clara C., Edward E., Joseph E., Sophronia A., Clay F., Lulu A. and Gracie May.

RUDOLPH STARTZER, farmer, post-office, Ely, Linn county; was born in Germany, March 7, 1823, and in 1839 emigrated to America, and settled in section 5, Big Grove township in 1841. He followed hunting for a number of years, being one of the most successful hunters in the country ; he and his brother-in-law, David Miller, in one fall killing sixty- three wolves. He now owns 365 acres of land; his home farm of 200 acres being well improved, and has a fine vineyard, and an orchard of 500 fruit trees. He was married in September, 1847, to Mary A. Fackler, daughter of Valentine Fackler; she dying in 1850. Two children of this marriage are living: Jacob and Emma. He was again married in 1851 to Sarah Fackler, a sister of his first wife, by whom he has had nineteen children, twelve now living: George, Samuel, Lydia, Valentine, Melinda, Francis, Peter, Ella, Rudolph, Sarah, Maggie and Nettie.

CHARLES W. STALEY, post-office, Oxford; was born in Roanoke county, Virginia, March 8, 1847, where he spent his boyhood days, and came to Johnson county, and this township in 1860, and has since been engaged in farming, and is now building a brick hotel in Oxford. He was married January 1, 1871, to Miss Susan P. Scott, a native of Ohio, and now have three children: Eva A., John B. and Charles S. He is a member of the A. O. U. W. lodge at Oxford.

OLIVER STARTSMAN, a resident of Iowa City, a practical watch- maker and silver-smith; was born June 16, 1827; came to Iowa City in May, 1854, and began the silver-smith business, and has continued in it ever since, and is the only business man in Iowa City that has been in busi- ness as long as he has that has not changed his business. He was mar- ried May 30, 1862, to Miss Fannie O. Fracker, of Iowa City, daughter of George Fracker. This union is blessed with four children: Minnie J., Nellie M., Harry F. and Charles W. He is a republican in politics. A prominent member of the Masonic bodies of Iowa City; also of the I. O. O. F., and other secret benevolent organizations. His store is on the south side of Washington street, near Clinton street, is a model of neatness, and contains everything that is known to be kept in his line of goods.

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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.

JOSEPH J. STACH, a resident of Iowa City; was born July 5, 1849, in Pilsen, Austria; came to America in 1856, and settled in Johnson county in 1867. Mr. Stack is a cooper by trade, but worked at farming with Alexander Sorter. He was married February 18, 1874, to Miss Theresa Pohler, of Newport township. This union is blessed with three children: Mary, Philip and Joseph. His wife is a daughter of George Pohler, of Newport township. They are members of the St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church of Iowa City. He is a democrat in politics, and voted against the prohibitory constitutional amendment.

JOHN W. STEEL, farmer, post-office Shoo Fly; was born in York county Pa., Dec. 2, 1825, where he spent his boyhood days, and in 1845, moved to Mansfield, Ohio. In 1846 he enlisted in the Mexican war for one year, and served about fourteen months. He then returned to Ohio and came to Iowa in 1848, and located land in the north part of Louisa county, on his land warrant. He now lives in section 23, Fremont town- ship, and owns 173 acres where he moved in 1851, and has a very fine improved farm and fine buildings, and pays his attention to farming and raising stock. He was married March 13, 1862, to Miss Jane Morris, a native of Ohio, Columbiana county. They are members of the Church of God.

JOSEPH STEELE, the only physician in Tiffin, Iowa; was born Nov. 10, 1856, in Boston, Mass. His parents moved to and settled in Delaware county, Iowa, in 1858. He graduated from the medical department of State University of Iowa, in March, 1881, and began practice in Tiffin in October, 1881. He is a minister of the M. E. Church at Tiffin. Is a republican in politics.

JACOB STONEBARGER, deceased; was born in Cumberland county, Pa., Dec. 15, 1821, where he spent his early life. He then moved to Clark county, Ohio. He there learned the carpenter and cabinet maker's trade, and built two large furniture factories, which were both burned, he losing heavily. He emigrated to Iowa the spring of 1856, and settled in section three, Fremont township, when he bought 160 acres of land; this then being wild prairie. He built a house and commenced to improve, and year by year added more to his original purchase, and at the time of his death Nov. 27, 1867, he owned 640 acres, and had his home farm of 320 acres well improved. He was married in Ohio, March 11, 1852, to Miss Mary Peoples, a native of Lancaster county, Pa; born Dec. 31, 1830, and came to Ohio when eight years of age. She is now living on the home farm. They have five children: Frank A., born May 2, 1854; Albert J., born May 30, 1856; George W., born March 3, 1858, and married to Miss Lucy Oglevee; Sarah J., born June 8, 1860, now Mrs. E. C. Lee; Jacob Elmer, born Dec. 20, 1866. The Stonebar- ger Brothers now farm 720 acres of land, and are dealing in fine blooded

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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.

stock. Frank is dealing more especially in pure bred Clydesdale horses, having had several imported horses in the last few years; having exhibited at many county and State Fairs, and taken many first premiums for pure bred animals. He and B. H. Owens formerly owned "Scotland Glory," "Prince Charles", "Donald Devenie", and are the present owners of "Osian," all pure bred horses. They are also breeders and dealers in half and three quarter bred horses.

JERRY STOVER, a farmer and stock-raiser, residing in Liberty township, post-office, Iowa City; was born September 7, 1819, near Rich- mond, Indiana; came to Johnson county from South Bend, Indiana in 1838; quite a number of families came with their family, among them were James Magruder, William Kelso, John Kelso and William Ward. Joseph Stover, the father of the subject of this sketch, crossed the Iowa River and settled in Iowa county, east of Lyttle City, and lived there from the spring until the fall of 1840, when Jerry, his oldest son became twenty-one years of age, and he was not content with the selection his father had made, and he came down to Iowa City and selected and settled on the farm now owned by his brother, Jacob Stover, below the fair grounds. His father, Joseph Stover, died in 1875, at the advanced age of ninety-five years. His mother died in 1867. His father's family settled in Indiana in 1810. He had a family of eleven children. Those now liv- ing are Elizabeth, widow of Joseph Walker, Sarah, the widow of Joseph Wallace, who was drowned in the Iowa River opposite of David Cox's ford at Gilbert's old trading house in the year 1857; Catherine, the widow of Joseph Weaver, now living in Erie, Neosho county, Kansas; Polly, wife of Benjamin Ritter of Iowa City, the first woman married in Johnson county; Ruth, wife of James McGruder; Jacob Y., who lives on the old homestead near Iowa City; Susan- nah, wife of Isaac Smith of Iowa City, and Rachael, wife of Abra- ham Smith, died in 1858, and John Stover, died in 1858, just after his return from California. Joseph, the subject of this sketch, was mar- ried in 1856, to Miss Eliza Boos, of Pleasant Valley township. They have eleven children, eight of whom are now living: John, Joseph E., Levisa; Scott, Ephemia, Charles, Ella and Jacob. The family are mem- bers of the Christian Church in Iowa City. Mr. Stover has a fine farm of 300 acres of land in Liberty township, on Old Man's creek, about three miles from where that stream empties into the Iowa River. He settled on the farm upon which he now resides in 1856, after his return from Cali- fornia, where he went in company with Robert Hutchenson of Iowa City, in November, 1849, and landed in San Francisco in April, 1850. Mr. S. is a republican in politics, was a member of the Agricultural Society in 1857, and has served a great many years on the school board. He makes a specialty of raising Short-horn cattle and fine Clydesdale horses.

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is the owner of a fine sorrel stallion named " Burt," sixteen hands high, and weighs 1400 pounds, with a light mane and tail.

GUSTAVE STRUB, a merchant in Iowa City, on the corner of Linn and Davenport streets, in the building generally known as the old Balti- more House, built in 1855 for a hotel, and was used as such for a good many years. He was born September 28, 1828, in Baden, Germany; came to America in 1848, and finally settled In Iowa City, in 1856. He was married November 8, 1849, to Miss May A. Bush of Baden, Ger- many. They have seven children: Herman A., Kattie, wife of Hibner of Tiffin, Iowa; Albert A., Augusta G., Rosa E., Franz, Agnes M. He is a democrat in politics, and voted against the prohibitory constitutional amendment.

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History of Johnson County, Iowa, containing a history of the county, and its townships, cities and villages from 1836 to 1882, Part 106

Author: Johnson Co., Ia. History. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Iowa City, Iowa. Number of Pages: 980

Author: Johnson Co., Ia. History. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Iowa City, Iowa.
Number of Pages: 980