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 92
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
paign. He was severely wounded at the battle of Cedar Creek, October 19, 1864, " with Sheridan twenty miles away;" discharged on account of wounds, and returned to his home in Iowa county in 1865. Was nomin- ated for representative by his soldier friends and declined, to become the regular republican nominee. Removed to Nebraska in 1866, and served as county surveyor one year in Johnson county, Nebraska, and taught school three years in Hillsdale, Nebraska. Returned to Iowa in 1871, and engaged in teaching and farming till 1876; then taught in Davenport township, Scott county, three years. Returned to Oxford in 1879, and located on the old Cook homestead. He has been for many years a con- tributor to the press, giving special attention to educational matters and the temperance cause; wrote the " Annals of Oxford " in 1881, for publi- cation in the Oxford fournal. His educational advantages consisted of the common school training in the public schools of Ohio till twelve years of age, and four months in the schools of Iowa subsequently, with a course in a normal school for soldiers, at the hospital in Philadelphia, while being treated for the wound received at Cedar Creek. The two circumstances of his life which he regards as most creditable are his ser- vices as a soldier and his advocacy of the cause of temperance in the campaign of 1882, which gave to Iowa the prohibitory amendment.
MARK CORRIGAN, farmer, post-office, Solon; was born in Jeffer- son county, N. Y., November 11, 1847. Is a son of Patrick and Ann Corrigan, natives of Ireland. Mr. Corrigan spent the first twenty-one years of his life in New York, and came to Iowa and settled in Big Grove township, near Solon, in 1869, where he now resides.
WM. H. COTTER, farmer, post-office, Oxford; was born in Oneida county, N. Y., October 10, 1824, where he spent his early life and fol- lowed the manufacture of wooden-ware. In 1852 he went to Massa- chusetts, where he lived three years, and then came to Oxford township in the spring of 1855, and bought 160 acres of land, which he how owns. Since coming here he has been engaged in tilling the soil, and was the first assessor in Oxford township, being elected in 1856, and has since filled the offices of township clerk and assessor, and is one of Oxford's best citizens. He was married April 25, 1850, to Emmarilda Harrington, of Oxford, N. Y .; she dying June 29, 1872, leaving five children: Willie D., now living in Emerson, this state; Ida M., Earl G. and Ernest H., and one child deceased, Freddie. It was Freddie who named this township. The papers all being filled out but the name, the question came up what the new township would be called-this being at Mr. Cotter's house. They wrote several names each on a slip of paper and put them in a hat and told Freddie, then only three years of age, to take out one piece, and he drew the one upon which Oxford was written, it being decided that the name he drew should be the name of the township. Mr. Cotter is a member of Canopy Lodge No. 290, A. F. and A. M.
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
J. COWGILL, a farmer, residing in Graham township, in section 26, post-office, Oasis; was born in 1820, in Ohio; came to Iowa and settled in Graham township in 1860. He was married in 1848 to Miss Amanda Mead, daughter of Samuel Mead. They have seven children; three daughters married, one living in Wheeling, Va., one in Colorado and one in Iowa City.
AARON COX, a farmer and stock raiser, residing in Union township, on section 30; was born August 4, 1860, in that township. His father was from Washington county, Pa., and his mother from Ohio; they both reside in Union township. He was married January 26, 1882, to Miss Mary Omsler, daughter of Phillip Omsler, of Washington township, Johnson county. Mr. Cox is a republican in politics. His parents were among the first settlers in Union township, where they engaged in farm- ing.
THOMAS J. COX, a resident of Iowa City, engaged in loaning money and insurance business, office in Odd Fellows building; was born September 15, 1827, in Ashland county, Ohio; came to Iowa City in 1854, and was a deputy in the United States land office, under Clark, until 1856, when he engaged in the banking business. He was cashier in the Iowa State Bank branch at Iowa City until the U. S. National Banking Laws were passed, and the Iowa City National Bank was organized, when he became the cashier of that bank. He was clerk of the court from 1862 to 1864, elected by over 700 majority over his opponent, H. E. Brown. He was married August 4, 1856, to Miss Cordella Crogan. He is a democrat in politics, and enjoys the confidence of the business men of Iowa City. His twenty-six years of business life in Iowa City have been marked with success.
J. R. COZINE, physician and surgeon, post-office, Morse; was born in Johnson county, in 1856, is the son of Samuel Cozine, who was one of the first settlers in Graham township. He entered the Medical College in the State University in 1879, and graduated there in 1881. He then went to Chicago and practiced pharmacy there for one year, and then came to Morse station and began the practice of medicine. He now has a good practice and also owns and runs a drug store. In 1880 he became a member of the Methodist Church.
ANDREW CRAWFORD, farmer and importer of thoroughbred stock; post-office, Lone Tree; was born in Kircubrightshire, Scotland, May 11, 1838, and when quite young his parents, Hugh and Jennette Crawford, emigrated to Canada, and lived near Toronto some thirteen years, and the fall of 1854 came to Iowa City. During early life the sub- ject of this sketch followed farm work, and in May, 1866, he purchased a half section of land where he now lives, in Fremont township, then being wild prairie. He now has one of the best improved farms in the town-
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
ship, of 385 acres. He pays special attention to importing and raising thoroughbred horses, cattle and sheep. He imported the first English pure-bred Clydesdale mare in 1877 that ever came to Iowa, at a cost of $900, when fifteen months old. In 1865 he imported from Canada the first Canada bred horse brought to this county. Since then he has imported from Canada six head of Canada bred Clydesdale horses and mares. He now has seven head that are recorded in the Clydesdale stock book. In January, 1870, he bought a pair of thoroughbred Short-horn calves six months old, of A. G. Dunlap, Galesburg, Illinois, and brought them home in a wagon, these being the first brought to this county. He has now a herd of forty head. He also has some fine Cotswold sheep from Canada bred. He was married January 8, 1867, to Jennette Alli- son, a native of Canada. This union has been blessed with five children, four now living: William, Jessie, Thomas and Walter.
JERRY CRAY, farmer and stock raiser, post-office, Lone Tree; was born in Summerset county, New Jersey, October 1, 1851, and came to Johnson county with his parents, Christopher and Precilla, in 1856, and has spent his life here on a farm. He now owns 320 acres of land. He was married February 19, 1875, to Sarah Hiler, a native of this State. They have three children: John H., Rora E. and Albert B.
JOHN H. CRAY, farmer and stock-raiser, post-office, Lone Tree; was born in Summerset county, New Jersey, June 20, 1840, and came to Iowa April, 1856, with his parents, Christopher and Precilla Cray, and settled in section 5, Fremont township. His father died March 19, 1857. Mrs. Cray is still living at the age of seventy-two. There are seven chil- dren living, of which the subject of this sketch is next to the oldest. In the spring of 1865 he went to Colorado, and returned the summer of 1866. With that exception he has always lived in this county. In 1866 he settled in section 32, Pleasant Valley township, where he owns 190 acres of well improved land, and has erected very fine and commodious buildings, and has a fine location, which makes his one of the most pleas- ant farm-homes in the county. He gives his attention to farming and feeding stock. He was married April 16, 1871, to Sylvia Knapp, a native of this State, and a daughter of Stephen A. and Huldah (Cosley) Knapp, who came to this State from Pennsylvania about 1849. They have four children: Carrie M., born February 19, 1872; Rosa R., born January 24, 1874; Ethel L., born May 14, 1878, and Lizzie B., born May 4, 1880.
NATHANIEL CROW, farmer and raiser of fine stock, post-office, Windham; born in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, February 14, 1835, and is of German descent. Is a son of Michael and Sarah Crow, who are still living in Pennsylvania. He spent his early life in his native county on a farm, and in 1855 came to Iowa and bought land in Hardin township, where he now owns 415 acres of fine land, all well improved, and gives
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
his attention to farming and raising thoroughbred stock. He now has 90 head of cattle, part of them fine thoroughbred Short-horns. He is one of the most enterprising farmers in Johnson county. He was married September 1, 1859, to Miss Louisa Schleiter, a native of Ohio, and came to Johnson county in the spring of 1854. They have five children, all still living: John G., Louisa, Minnie C., Charles S. and Frankie H.
DAVID CROZIER (deceased), was born in February, 1800, in Fay- ette county, Pennsylvania; learned the trade of carpenter; came to Man- chester, Ohio, where he followed his trade. There, on the 29th day of November, 1821, he was married to Miss Margaret Means. They had ten children: John, Nancy, Jane, William M., James, Eliza, Francis M., Sarah, Amand, and Thomas, six of this number are living: Thomas and Amand are residents of this township. From Manchester Mr. Crozier came to Illinois, and helped lay off the town of Paris; from there he went to Chicago, and then to Joliet, working at his trade. In 1840 he came to Iowa, and settled in Johnson county, where he remained up to his death, March 19, 1876. His first wife died October 12, 1869. In the fall of 1870 he was married to Mrs. Roxena Linderman, of Iowa City. Mr. Crozier was captain of a company in the Black Hawk war. He was a good citizen, loved and respected by all who knew him.
CAPT. ALFRED B. CREE, a resident of Iowa City, was born Feb- ruary 22, 1831, in Perry county, Pennsylvania. He is a cabinet-maker by trade. He came to Iowa in 1855, and settled in Iowa City in 1856. He enlisted August 7, 1862, and was commissioned captain of Company F, Twenty-second Regiment Iowa Volunteer Infantry, August 10, 1862. He was wounded in the right shoulder September 19, 1864, at Winchester, Virginia, and wounded in the right leg severely, October 19, 1864, at Cedar Creek, Virginia. He was mustered out of the service July 25, 1865, at Savannah, Georgia, and returned to Iowa City, and entered the store of Mr. Nixon, and remained there until 1881, when he became a member of the firm of Hohenschub, Cree & Lee, furniture dealers and undertakers. He was elected trustee of first ward March, 1869; again, in March, 1875, and again in March, 1877, and was chief of the fire department four years. He was elected vice-president of the State Fire- men's Association in 1880, and re-elected in 1881. He was married September 5, 1860, to Miss Hattie Smith of Iowa City. He is a democrat in politics, and takes a lively interest in the interests of his party.
ALONZO B. CUSTER, a farmer living on section 19, in Union township; was born February 11, 1826, in Herkimer county, New York; lived in the same house he was born in for 31 years, and came to Iowa City, January 28, 1857, and has resided here ever since. He was married June 28, 1849, to Miss Margaret C. Bellinger, of Herkimer county, New
51
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
York. They have seven children: Martha, born in 1851, now Mrs. L. Bowton of Mills county, Iowa; Lela, born 1855, now residing in Potta- wattamie county; Minnie, born 1857, now Mrs. Wm. Christy, of Mills county, Iowa; Grace, born 1859; Earle, born, 1861; Maggie, born 1864; and Sophia, born 1879. They have lost two sons, one at eight years, of age, and one at four years. His father died in July 1831, and his mother in April, 1861. On December 17, 1879, he was driving a threshing machine, and got caught in the horse-power, his left hip thrown out of joint; abdomen torn open eleven and one half inches; right leg broken above the ankle; was bedfast four months, but fully recovered, and is now rugged and hearty, with no lameness. His wife was sick during his affliction, and died April 28, 1880; age 50 years. He was raised a whig; helped to make the republican party in 1856, and been with them ever since; does not belong to any church, and voted against the prohibitory amendment
JOHN DANZELL, farmer, post-office, Windham; was born in Cum- berland county, Pennsylvania, May 21, 1820. He spent the greater part of his early life in Washington county, Pennsylvania; followed wagoning for a number of years-this being before the railroads, and all produce had to be hauled to market, sometimes hundreds of miles, and goods brought back in exchange. In 1840 his parents, George and Mary Dan- zell, came to Burlington, but did not like the country, and returned to Pennsylvania. He was a wagoner in the war of 1812. In 1854 they came to Johnson county, and settled on the farm now owned by John, the subject of our sketch, and for a number of years kept a hotel known as " The Farmers' Home." Mr. Danzell remained a bachelor and lived with his parents, until their death, then was married November 12, 1868, to Mrs. M. A. D. Armington, her maiden name being Myers, a native of Knox county, Ohio, and a daughter of Peter Myers, who came to Iowa county November, 1853. She was first married July 5, 1861, to Joseph Armington, who was killed by the explosion of gas in an oil-can July 29, 1862. Mr. Danzell has a fine farm of 178 acres and a fine farm residence, and give his attention to farming and raising stock.
JOHN DAVIS, farmer, Union township, post-office, Iowa City; was born in 1816, at Wells' Park, England; came to America in 1823; landed in New York, and moved to Utica, New York; remained there 12 years, then came to Johnson county, and settled in Union township. He was married in 1852 to Miss Anna Griffith; has five children living: Peter D., Thomas D., David, Dewey, Ella May, and Elizabeth B., 7 years; Wil- liam, 5 years; Eliza H., 6 years; and John, age 9 years, are dead. In poli- tics he is a republican.
THOMAS D. DAVIS, farmer residing in Sharon township, post-office Iowa City; was born Nov. 20, 1842, in Cambria county, Pennsylvania. Came to Iowa and settled in Sharon township in 1845. He was married
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
March 31, 1869, to Miss Maggie Roberts of Pennsylvania. They have six children: Hattie, Emma, Lizzie, Irene, Mattie, Maggie. Member of the Congregational (Welch) church in Sharon township. Member of the A. O. U. W. of Iowa City. Republican in politics and has held several township office, and has been elected the third time for justice of the peace for Sharon township. He is president of the stock company that owns the Sharon cheese factory, and one of its directors. He has a good farm well stocked, and is a successful business man.
L. DAVIS, a resident of Tiffin, was born Oct. 26, 1823, in Windham county, Connecticut. He came to Johnson county, and settled in Clear Creek township, in the fall of 1855. He was married June 18, 1843, to Miss Elizabeth Ewers, of Knox county, Ohio. She died in June, 1848, in Lucas county. His second marriage was Sept. 27, 1848, to Miss Mary Smith of Williams county, Ohio. He was a soldier in the Federal army, in Co. F., 14th Regiment Iowa Infantry, and was taken prisoner at Shiloh, Tennessee. He is a member of the Christian Church in Tiffin. He has had charge of Plymesser & Douglass' grain elevator and lumber business at Tiffin for four years. Is a republican in politics; he has held the office of township trustee and justice of the peace for two years.
JOHN DAVIS, Coralville; was born in Franklin county, Massachu- setts, Sept. 25, 1834. In 1841, he emigrated with his parents to Putman county, Illinois, where he spent his early life and learned the machinist trade. He was in the Government employ at Cairo, Illinois, during the war. He came to Johnson county in 1864 and engaged with Borland & Clark, afterwards with the Iowa City Bale Rope Manufacturing Co. In 1869 he built the planing mill at Coralville and in 1871 the saw mill, which he still owns. He was married twice; first Dec. 25, 1856, to Miss Martha A. Stilley, a native of Illinois, and the second time to Mary A. Stilley, July 4, 1865. There are three children by the first marriage: John, William and Alice; and four by the last: Emma, Leora, Otis and Harry. He is a member of No. 14, I. O. O. F.
ISAAC V. DENNIS, a farmer residing in West Lucas township, post- office, Iowa City; was born Nov. 11, 1822, at Batavia, Clermont county, Ohio. . He left there and settled in Iowa with his mother and family in 1838, May the 1st, where he now lives on section six. When they crossed the Iowa river they took the wagon apart and shipped it over in a canoe and swam the oxen. His residence was for two years the farthest west of any building in Johnson county, the very picket outpost of civilization. In 1840 William Dunn brought some printing material to Iowa City and Mr. Dennis did the first type setting ever done in Johnson county, and got out a paper called the Iowa City 'Standard, of whig politics; this was some time early in 1840, and the Iowa City Republican of to-day is the continuation of that first paper. Later in the same year Mr. Dennis
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
started the Iowa City Argus, a democratic paper. Afterwards worked some years at type setting on State work (see chapter on newspapers of the county.) He was married Dec. 31, 1843, to Miss Elizabeth Fellows of what was then called Iowa City township. They have six children: Emily, George, Lucien I., William Delos, Samuel Kirkwood and Grant. He built the first frame house in Iowa City.
J. B. DENISON, farmer, post-office, North Liberty; the oldest resi- dent of this township; was born Dec. 1, 1815, in Muskingdon county, Ohio. His parents, Gerdon and Etherlinda Denison, were natives of Mas- sachusetts. They moved to Ohio where J. B. was born and raised on a farm. At the age of twenty-three he left Ohio to come to Illinois, where he had two brothers. [See History.] He was then a single man. After arriving here he entered 320 acres of land in section one, where he still resides. He boarded with his brother G. S., and followed braking prairie for a number of years, renting his farm. On the 10th day of. April, 1853, he was married to Miss Elizabeth Diggins of this county, formerly from Pennsylvania. To them were born five children, four living: Mariah, Julia A., Matilda P. and David Ely. His wife died Nov. 5, 1875. By his industry, he has accumulated considerable property; he owns 540 acres of land. He has long been a member of the M. E. Church, a republican in politics, and temperance man in every sense of the term.
ISAAC N. DESELLEM, farmer, Pleasant Valley township, post-office, Iowa City; was born in Jefferson county, Ohio, February 7, 1820. Came to Johnson county and settled on a farm in Pleasant Valley in 1854. He was married Oct. 29, 1846, to Miss Margaret J. Mahan, of Jefferson county, Ohio. They are the parents of the following children: Hannah E., George B. and John L., who died in 1859, aged eight years. He is a republican in politics, and voted for the prohibitory constitutional amend- ment. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Church. He was a soldier in the late civil war, in company I, 22d Iowa Infantry; entered in the summer of 1862, and was discharged at Vicksburg on account of disability in 1863. He died in September, 1882, since this sketch was written.
S. J. DEVOE, farmer, Lone Tree; was born in Cortland county, New York, February 5, 1821. His father moved to Onondaga county when he was seven years of age, where the subject of our sketch spent his early life and got a common school education. He came to Iowa City January 1, 1856, on the first train that came into the city on the C., R. I. & P. R. R. The following spring he came to Fremont township, where he bought 160 acres of land, where he now lives and at present owns 240 acres, all well improved, and has a fine home. He was married, June 26, 1845, to Elvira Williams, a native of New York; she dying September 14, 1860. He was again married, September 4, 1861, to Mrs. Margaret
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Lutz (formerly Huskins), daughter of Richard Huskins, of Lone Tree; she coming to this county in 1856, from Pennsylvania. There were five children by the first marriage, four still living: Allen S., Sarah L., now Mrs. Wm. Draubaugh, Ellen E., now Mrs. Z. T. Baker, Flora E. and Mosier J., deceased; and by the second marriage they have had eight children, five now living: Richard H., Elizabeth E., George A., Charlotte H. and Maggie M., and Mary A., Juliette R. and an infant, deceased. Mrs. Devoe first married Dr. John Lutz, a native of Pennsylvania, July 9, 1851; he dying April 22, 1858, leaving four children: James C., now deceased; Georgiana, William F. and John. Mr. Devoe and family are members of the Reform Church.
STRAWDER DEVAULT, farmer, post-office, Solon; was born in Ross county, Ohio, February 4, 1818. When about eight years of age, his parents moved to the northern part of Ohio, where they lived eight years, then removed to Indiana. In 1839 the subject of our sketch emi- grated to Iowa and settled in Johnson county, and bought a claim where he now resides, paying seventy dollars therefor. In the spring of 1850 he went to California, and returned in 1851; with that exception he has always remained in this county. He now owns 750 acres of land, and is one of the most wealthy men in the northern part of the county. He was married, in July, 1848, to Hannah Stiles, a native of New York State, daughter of Warren Stiles, who came to this county in 1837; she dying June 12, 1881. They had six children: Jasper N., Stephen A., Ellen, LaFayette, Seneth and David.
JOSEPH DICKENSON, farmer and stock-raiser, Graham township; son of Joseph and Anna Dickenson, deceased; was born in 1860 in John- son county. He was married, July 4, 1881, to Miss Amelia Wentz, daughter of Paul Wentz, of Johnson county, Iowa. They have one child, a boy, named Joseph.
JOHN DILATUSH, farmer and stock raiser; post-office, Downey, Cedar county; was born November 28, 1828, in Essex county, New Jer- sey ; went to Ohio in 1838, and lived in Warren county until 1859, and then came to Johnson county and settled in Pleasant Valley in the fall of that year, now Lincoln township, and has resided there ever since. He was mar- ried November 30, 1853, to Miss Rachel Hunt, of Harveysburg, Ohio, Warren county. They have but one child, an only daughter, Mary F., wife of James S. Watson. He makes a specialty of Jersey cattle and fine horses, roadsters; he is the owner of the celebrated stallion Marshal Ney, record, 2:35. He is a Republican in politics; has held the office of justice ot the peace for sixteen years; was member of the board of supervisors for Johnson county for seven years, and was the Republican candidate for Representative in 1881, but was defeated by a small majority. Mr. D. is one of the Johnson county successful farmers.
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
L. B. DILLE, farmer and stock raiser, Scott township, in section 22; post-office, Iowa City; was born February 26, 1821, in Cuyahoga county, Ohio. At 21 years of age he began the practice of dentistry, which he followed twenty-two years. In 1846 he moved to Kent county, Michigan, remaining there ten years, and returned to his native state; he came to Johnson county in 1868. He was married in Ohio in 1846 to Miss Rohannah White, of Erie county, New York. Their family consists of four children: Ella, wife of James K. Serney, of Clinton, Iowa, and Eva are living, and Hudson and Darwin are dead. Mr. Dille has been a mem- ber of the Christain Church for forty-one years; was justice of the peace in Michigan for four years, and held the office of trustee in that State.
D. M. DIXON, farmer, Graham township; residing in section 35, post- office, Oasis; was born in Butler county, Pennsylvania, August 7, 1829; settled in Johnson county, Iowa, October 9, 1852. He was married April 13, 1854, to Miss Mary Douglass. This union has been blessed by two children: Naomi, wife of John T. Stevenson, of Atlantic, Iowa, and Miss Belle. He is a republican in politics, and a member of the Presbyterian Church at Fairview ; has been superintendent of the Sunday School fifteen years; he has been school director nearly ever since he has been in Gra- ham township, township trustee and justice of the peace for four years. Heis one of Graham township's successful farmers, and a highly respected citizen.
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