History of Kossuth and Humbolt counties, Iowa : together with sketches of their cities, villages, and townships, educational, civil, military, and political history, portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens, Part 54

Author:
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Springfield, Ill. : Union Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 898

USA > Iowa > Humboldt County > History of Kossuth and Humbolt counties, Iowa : together with sketches of their cities, villages, and townships, educational, civil, military, and political history, portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens > Part 54

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

C. A. Stow was born, in 1856, in Wyom- ing, Ill., and came with his parents to Iowa in 1866, settling on section 24, Al- gona township. His father died Jan. 2, 1879, but his mother still lives at the old home. Mr. Stow has purchased the north- east quarter of the northeast quarter of section 13, and is one of the enterprising young farmers, successful and respected by all who know him. He was married Nov. 4, 1882, to Hattie Godden, of Clay- ton, Iowa. They have one child-Oliver P.

Norman Hartwell, a native of Vermont, was born Aug. 19, 1829. When about two years old he went with his parents to Lower Canada, and lixed there until 1856, when he moved to DeKalb Co., Ill. He remained there nearly one year and re- turned to Canada and lived there about one year. In 1858 he went to Fillmore Co., Minn., and followed farming. In 1864 he enlisted in the 6th Minnesota In- fantry, company K. He was in the battles

of Fort Blakely, Spanish Fort, and numer- ous skirmishes. He served until the close of the war. Mr. Hartwell came to Kossuth county in 1866 and homesteaded eighty acres of land on section 8, town- ship 96, range 29, where he now lives. He has since bought eighty acres on sec- tion 5. He has about seventy-five acres under cultivation. Mr. Hartwell was married June 18, 1849, to Sarah Gustin, born Feb. 12, 1833, a native of Stemstead, Canada East. They have had seven children-James W., Susan, (now deceas- ed, was the wife of David Wade); Eliza A., wife of Henry Haines; Francelia, wife of William Martin; Levi N., Sallie M. and Lewis H. Mr. Hartwell is a green- backer, politically. He is one of the best respected men in the county.

Albert B. Frink was born Nov. 17, 1822, in Waterbury, Vt. His father was a na- tive of Springfield, Mass .; his mother was a native of Connecticut. When twenty- one years of age he went to Ohio, where he remained one year, then returned to his old home. He remained home three years then went to northern New York, and after a year's residence there went to Columbus, Wis., where he lived three years. In 1851 he moved to McGregor, Clayton Co., Iowa, where he engaged in the real estate business and afterwards in the mercantile business. In 1868 he came to Kossuth county, settling on the south- west quarter of section 10, township 96, range 29, Algona township, where he now resides. Mr. Frink is among the largest land owners, and one of the most enter- prising farmers in the county, now own- ing 814 acres of land in Kossuth county. Hle was married April 29, 1858, to Bath-

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sheba A. Wagner, born May 1, 1836. Her parents were natives of New York. Mr. and Mrs. Frink have been blessed with three children-George A., and Katie and Cora, twins.

O. E. Palmer was born, in 1825, in Mid- dlesex Co., Conn. He was brought up to the trade of a tanner, and received a liberal education, following his trade for a number of years. In 1848 he married Abby A. Cawdrey. They have five chil- dren-Loran, Richard, Willie, Fred and Charley. Mr. Palmer, in 1869, was ap- pointed agent for the McGregor & Mis- souri railroad lands, in northern Iowa, which brought him to Algona. At first he had charge of the engineering com- pany, which caused him to travel exten- sively over this section of the county, so that probably no man in this part of the State is better posted than he, in its sur- roundings. Mr. Palmer is a member of the free and accepted Masons, Blue Lodge. Previons to coming west, he took an active part in politics, and represented his dis- trict in the Legislature, was also one of the board of selectmen and has held other local offices.

Thomas H. Lantry, agent for the Chi- cago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad at Algona, is a native of St. Lawrence Co., N. Y., born July 24, 1838. When thir- teen years of age, he accompanied his par- ents to Canada West, where he remained three years. He then removed to Madi- son, Wis., where he remained seven years, during which time he served an appren- tireship of three years to the carpenter's trade, and made a visit to Pike's Peak in 1857. In 1861 he went to Prairie du Chien, Wis., and entered the service of the Chi-

cago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad Company, in the mechanical department, and there remained until January, 1864, when he was sworn into the Government service, and went with Sherman's army as far as Atlanta, where he was honora- bly discharged, and returned home to Prairie du Chien. He again entered the service of the railroad company, and where he has stayed ever since, coming to Algona on the first train that was run to that village. He has had charge of the company's repair shops at Algona and discharged the duties faithfully until June, 1883, when he was appointed agent for the company at Algona. Mr. Lan- try was married Dec. 20, 1861, to Kate McGlynn. They have six children- Hannah, Mary, Harry, Eva, Katie and Marie. Mr. and Mrs. Lantry are mem- bers of the Roman Catholic Church. Mr. Lantry has been a member of the city council for five years; he is also a member of the village school board.

Charles C. Smith was born Ang. 25, 1850, in Germany, and came with his par- ents to America when quite young, set- tling in New York State. Soon after both parents died, leaving him an orphan among strangers in a strange land. He went to the village of Dexter, Washtenaw Co., Mich., and in 1869 moved to Ohio, where he lived until 1881, when he came to Kossuth county, and bought eighty acres of land on section 26, in its primi- tive State, but now has fifty acres under cultivation. He was married Dec. 25, 1878, to Saralı Abel of Ravenna, Portage Co., Ohio. They have one child-Fred N. Mr. Smith is an Odd Fellow. In politics a republican.

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Eli Ferris was born Nov. 26, 1819, in Blakley, Luzerne Co., Penn. In 1858 he made a trip west, and laid a claim on part of section 14, township 96, range 29, went to Illinois, and was married to Nancy Jane Fitch, born March 14, 1839, in Knox Co., Ill. After living in Illinois one year, he moved back to Pennsylvania, where he remained five years, then removed again to Illinois and spent six years. He then came back to his claim in Iowa where 'he still lives. While he was making his claim, he, with John Callender, kept bachelor hall, in a log shanty. They killed a wild goose, and after cooking it three weeks, threw part of it away, too tough to eat. At one time when all the men were out of the neighborhood except Messrs. Ferris and Callender, the prairies took fire, and they had to fight two days and two nights to save the houses in the neighborhood. Mr. and Mrs. Ferris have five children-Isaac J., Silas M., James M., Jennie and Bert B. Both are members of the Baptist Church, and belong to the Grange.

Joseph Zanke is a native of Prussia, born Nov. 2, 1835. He followed milling in the old country. In 1869 he emigrated to America, locating in Whitewater, Wis., where he remained one year, working in a mill. In 1870 he removed to Algona township, this county. He purchased eighty acres of land on section 35, and has since bought 160 acres of wild prairie land on section 34. He now has build- ings on the latter, which costover $2,000. Mr. Zanke was married May 5, 1870, to Helen Hulburt, a native of Germany. They have had four children-Joseph N., Mary, Emuma and George. Mr. Zanke is

a member of the Catholic Church. Politi- cally, he is a democrat. Mr. Zanke stands in the front ranks of the enterprising and go-ahead farmers of Kossuth county.

George Simpkins came with his parents from England to America when seven years of age, settling in Dane Co., Wis., where his father still lives. During the passage they were shipwrecked, on Lake Ontario, and lost all they owned. The disaster was caused by a drunken captain. The first winter in Wisconsin, the chil- dren, of whom there were seven, went without shoes, and had very little cloth- ing. George worked on a farm, with a threshing machine, when quite yonng. In oiling a machine, when fourteen years old, his clothing caught in some of the ma- chinery, drawing him on to it, and cutting off his left arın above the elbow. In 1872 he came to Kossuth Co., Iowa, bought a claim on section 20, township 96, range 29, where he now resides, owning 400 acres of land, 300 acres of which is under cultivation. He is now turning his atten- tion to the raising of fine cattle. In 1873, the first year on his farm, he had seventy acres in wheat; the grasshoppers took all but fifty bushels, and the next year they took the whole crop, which was very dis- couraging for a beginner, yet he is now one of the enterprising and successful farmers of his township. He was mar- ried July 4, 1864, to Hulda Peck, born April 4, 1844. They have three children -Henry, Nellie and Nettie. Hle is an Odd Fellow, also a member of the Bap- tist Church.

N. C. Kuhn, the subject of this sketch, was born in Pennsylvania, July 12, 1831. lle learned the carpenter trade at Ship-

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ington, Penn., and followed that business until the year 1856, when he moved to Prairie City, McDonough Co., Ill., where he remained nine years, making building and contracting his business. In 1864 he removed to Galesburg, Ill., where he worked at his trade for the next nine years, and in 1866 he bought eighty acres of land in Kossuth Co., Iowa. In 1872 he removed to Algona, and followed his trade until the spring of 1873, when he commenced breaking and improving his farm on section 35, township 96, range 29, and for the next two successive years the grasshoppers destroyed his crops en- tirely. He was married March 16, 1852, to N. A. Bivens, who also was a native of Pennsylvania. Her parents still reside in Illinois. They have had nine children, of whom seven are living-O. B., Charlie C., William, Joseph E., George, Fred T. and Nellie. Jennie and Mary J. are de- ceased. William is married to Sarah Bowls. Mr. Kuhn at present follows car- pentering and farming. He has eighty acres under cultivation. He belongs to the M. E. Church. In politics he is a re- publican.

Rev. Dennis F. McCaffrey was born in Leitrim, Ireland, toward the close of the fall of 1846; and there, amid all the pleasures of childhood, were passed some five summers, the fond remembrances of which are still alive in memory. The loss of a father, kind but stern, together with the painful effects of those years of want, necessitated a final change of home. The change came, and came, too, for the better. And here it might be remarked that the family was the second of the race to settle in Providence, R. I. The

seventh summer finds him attending the village school, while the next spring shows the lad of not yet eight years taking early lessons in gardening from Capt. Smith, who was, perhaps, more widely known for the oddity of humanity than for the length of years. The seven or eight years that followed only speak of long summers of labor and a few months of school in the winter. During the few years that follow, he filled a position of some importance in one of the mills of Valley Falls. While thus engaged he saw the necessity of a night school for the youths who labored all day in the fac- tory. About this time an opening to at- tend the Lonsdale high school offered itself, and was readily embraced. Some nine months at this institute prepared the way for entering Holy Cross College, situated at Worcester, Mass., in Septem- ber, 1864, in company with Rev. W. Hines, pastor at East Greenwich, R. I. Six years of college life-years of hope and anxiety, were not slow to pass, leaving footprints of the happiest nature. The fall after graduating he entered the Grand Semi- nary at Montreal, Canada, and in the third year after, December, 1972, he seeks rest from study, as his health was much im- paired by the severe routine of the Grand Seminary. He spent a year and a half with his sister in Pennsylvania. In Sep- tember, 1873, he was requested to teach a class in his Alma Mater. This position he held for two years, during which time he gave his spare hours to books of no light nature. When strong again, and with the necessary means to complete his studies, he entered the Seminary of Our Lady of Angels, Suspension Bridge, N.

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Y., and there received ordination from the hands of Bishop Ryan, Dec. 23, 1873. Iowa then became his field of labor, and for about a year and a half he acted in the capacity of assistant in Ottumwa, Des Moines and Fort Dodge. Fairfax, Linn county, was his first mission, where he spent two years, when he was changed to Algona, Kossuth Co., Iowa, where he now resides.

Fred Kopke, a native of Prussia, came to this country in 1866, and located in Janesville, Wis., remaining there two and a half years. He then removed to Sank Prairie and remained there about. four and a half years. In 1873 he came to Kossuth county, purchasing the northwest quarter of section 3, township 96, range 29, where he now resides. He has since bought the southeast quarter of section 33, in Burt township. He has about 125 acres under cultivation. Mr. Kopke was united in marriage in November, 1862, in the old country, with Henrietta Bailey, born in August, 1840. They have eight children -Amelia, Bertha, Mary, Frank, Willie, Minnie, Otto and Katie. Amelia is mar- ried to Angust Darring. Mr. and Mrs. Kopke are members of the M. E Church. He is a republican, politically.

Rochus Hartman was born March 17, 1839, in Austria. He came to America in 1865, stopped awhile in Illinois, working by the day, then removed to Clayton Co., Iowa, and in 1875, bought eighty acres on section 17, township 96, range 29, where he now resides. He was married May 22, 1865, to Mary Herman, also a native of Germany. They have three children- Herman, Kresenzia and John. Mr. and

Mrs. Hartman are members of the Catho- lic Church. In politics, he is a democrat.

Joseph Osterbauer is a native of Aus- tria, born Ang. 12, 1855. When seven years of age he came to America with his mother, who was a widow. She died soon after landing in this country, and he was left an orphan. He lived around and worked on a farm until twenty-four years of age. In 1875 he came to Kossuth county, and stopped for a short time in Algona. In 1877 he purchased eighty acres of land in Algona township, section 7, and moved thereon. Hle afterwards purchased another eighty acres on the same section. Mr. Osterbaner was mar- ried to Kate Walters. This union has been blessed with three children-Mary, Tracy and Annie. It can truly be said that Mr. Osterbauer is one of the most energetic and enterprising young farmers in the county.

Christian Dau is a native of Mecklen- berg, Schwerien, Germany, born May 21, 1634. In 1866 he came to America, locat- ing in Whitewater, Wis., where he worked at wagon-making ten years. In 1876 he came to Kossuth Co., Iowa, and purchased 120 acres of land on section 23, Algona township. He afterwards added 160 acres, now owning 280 acres of land, 160 acres of which is under cultivation. Mr. Dau has erected some good buildings on his place. He married, in November, 1860, Fredericke Gease, also a native of Germany. Mr. and Mrs. Dau have eight children-Mary, August, Herman, Frank, Max, Willie, Amanda and George. Mr. and Mrs. Dau are members of the Evan- gelical Church.

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HISTORY OF KOSSUTH COUNTY. 435

Conrad Herman was born Nov. 16, 1833, in Austria. He came to America in 1864, locating in Clayton Co, Iowa, where he remained eleven years. In 1875 he bought eighty acres in this county on section 15, township 96, range 29, where he moved his family in 1876. He has since bought another eighty acres, having 130 acres of it under cultivation. He was married in the old country, Oct. 18, 1859, to Cath- rina Ilerman. They have eight children - Alexander HI., Conrad, Agatha M., Lena M., John, Ernest, Hugh and Katie. Al- exander and Lena are married. All are members of the Catholic Church. Mr. Herman was admitted as a citizen of the United States, Oct. 16, 1873, in the Dil- bnque circuit court. In politics he is a democrat.

John Kargleder, a native of Bavaria, was born March 26, 1x26. IIe was a brewer by trade. In 1862 he came to America, locating in Milwaukee, Wis, where he remained ten years. He then went to Minneapolis, Minn., where he lived two years, then moved to St. Paul, where he resided four years. He then came to Kossuth Co., Iowa, and purchased 320 acres of land in Algona township. He now has a farm of 480 acres, 225 of which are under cultivation. Mr. Kargleder was married, in 1868, to Selma Haas. They have five children- Charles, May, Ella, Arthur and Emma.

John Swanson was born Sept. 21, 1813, in Sweden. In 1869 he came with his wife Sarah (Neilson) Swanson to America, landed in Boston, went to New York city, to Tomkins' Cove, where he remained eight years, then moved to Iowa. After stopping in Algona a few weeks he rented

a farm, lived on it one year, and in 1878 bought forty acres on the northwest quar- ter of the northeast quarter of section 25, township 96, range 29, where he now re- sides. About half his farm is under cul- tivation, the rest in native timber. He was married in 1852, and has five children -Christina, wife of Nels Peterson, who resides in Red Wing, Minn .; John J., Mary C., who has taught school five terms, and also taught the first term in the new school house; Ida S, also a teacher, and Esther L. He and his wife are mem- bers of the Lutheran Church.

John McDonald was born in Dundee, Huntington Co., Canada, May 1, 1850. His parents died when he was a child. In 1869 he went to Illinois, remained there one year, then came to Kossuth Co., Iowa, and purchased sixty-seven acres of land, which he afterwards sold. In 1879 he bought the south half of section 8, and afterwards eighty acres on section 1, Al- gona township. He is a very successful farmer. Mr. McDonald was married April 20, 1880, to Anna Hay, a native of Ohio. They have one child-Mary Catharine. Mr. and Mrs. McDonald are members of the Catholic Church.

Ernest Krueger is a native of Germany. When nineteen years of age he was drafted in the Prussian army, serving three years. He and his brother was in Prince Freder- ick's Army Corps, participating in nine battles. He was at the battle of Metz on the 16th, 17th, and 18th of August, 1870. He was also in the battle at Paris for four days. After he left the army he followed his parents, who had preceded him in 1869, to America. His parents settled in Ozankee Co., Wis., where they now re-

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side. He stopped in Wisconsin three years, then went to Carroll Co., III, re- maining there three years. In February, 1879, he removed to Kossuth Co., Iowa. On Oct. 31, 1879, he was united in mar- riage with Louisa Steinbach, a native of Stephenson Co., Ill., born Oct. 24, 1858. Her parentsare natives of Germany. The result of this union was three children- Emma M., Minnie E. and Clara A. Mrs. Krueger is a member of the M. E. Church. Mr. Krueger is a democrat, politically. He is an enterprising farmer, and enjoys the respect of his fellow men.

J. B. Hofius was born in Mercer Co., Penn., Feb. 28, 1854. His father, a native of Mercer county, was born March 16, 1801. His mother was a native of New York, born July 23, 1823. His father was married twice. First, to Mary Du. gan, Sept. 23, 1828 ; and the second time to Maria Bearss, Feb. 17, 1846. The subject of this sketch lived with his par- ents until of age. He has traveled quite extensively throughout the west. In 1876 he came to Iowa on a visit. In 1877 he was married to Mary Thompson. He re- turned to Pennsylvania, where he resided about five years. In May, 1882, he re- turned to Iowa and bought 160 acres of land on section 35, Algona township. He erected a good honse and barn on his farm. Ile is a member of the Baptist Church. Politically Mr. Hofius is a democrat. Mr. and Mrs. Hofius have two children-Henry, born Oct. 14, 1878, and died Dec. 2, 1881; Frank, born Nov. 2, 1882. By industry and hard work Mr.

Hofius has succeeded in amassing a nice competence, and will in his old age be able to enjoy life comfortably. He is one of the most highly respected and influen- tial men in the county.

Swen P. Peterson was born Dec. 5, 1837, in Sweden. Con ing to America in 1854, he landed in Boston, Mass., and went at once to Galesburg, Knox Co., III., where he remained four years. From here he went to California and worked in the mines six years, after which time he returned to Galesburg. After living there two years, he moved to Henry Co., Ill., and followed farming seventeen years, owning eighty acres of land, which he sold for $3,600, and then came to Kossuth Co., Iowa, where he bought 160 acres of good land on section 36, township 96, range 28, of James Roan, for which he paid $40 per acre. He cultivates grain of all kinds, and makes a specialty of thor- oughbred Poland China hogs. Mr. Peter- son was one of Illinois' best. farmers, and Iowa may well be proud of his coming in her midst. He owns forty or fifty acres of fine timber, lying on the East Fork of the Des Moines river, and he can get from $5 to $6 a cord for all the wood he chooses to bring into Algona, a distance of a mile and a half. He was married Aug. 26, 1866, to Emma Christina Run- beck, born in Sweden. They have five living children-Edah R., Ella A., Esther L., Edwin P. and Alfred L. He and his family are members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Politically, he is a republican.

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CHAPTER XVI.

BURT TOWNSHIP.

This township is contained within the limits of what is known as township 97 north, range 29 west, and is bounded on the north by Greenwood, on the south by Algona, west by Fenton, and east by Portland. The surface is, as a whole, · comparatively level, the slight swells or undulations being just sufficient, as a rule, to drain the land. The East Fork of Des- Moines river flows across sections 1 and 12 in the northeast corner, while sections 29, 32 and 33 are traversed by a branch of the Black Cat creek. The township is comparatively new, only a small portion being under cultivation, the principal business of the inhabitants being stock raising, as the prairie is covered with a most luxuriant growth of native grass. This grows exceedingly thick and fine and affords a magnificent range for large herds of cattle, whose plump appearance and sleek hides show plainly its nourishing qualities. But little, if any, native tim- ber is found in this locality, but where the old settler is found, may be seen fine groves of elm, ash, cottonwood and other trees, set out and protected by their hands.

The first settler in the township was John Brown, who located here in 1864, and is still a resident of his original claim on section 36.

John Brown, son of Robert and Anna (Quin) Brown, was born in Westmore- land, Ang. 12, 1830. When twelve years of age he left home and worked for a farm- er until sixteen years of age, for 86 a month. He then worked on the Lancas- ter & Carlisle railroad, within sixteen miles of his father's home. He also car- ried picks to a blacksmith shop to be sharpened, making a little more than board. When seventeen years of age, the man for whom he was working was about to move away, 150 miles, and want- el Mr. Brown to go with him. He went home on a visit and informed his parents of his intentions. His father did not ob- ject, but his mother being very much op- posed to his going, came out and said; "John, we will never see you again." John answered, "Mother, in one year I will be back." He never saw them again. Hle was once within thirty miles of home, but being poor and having neither money nor good clothes, he was ashamed to go home, for John was sometimes in rather straightened circumstances. About this time Mr. Brown decided to come to Amer- ica, telling his employer that he would be back in a year. A singular coincidence happened. The vessel was twenty-two days making the trip, but Mr. Brown got over in twenty-one days. The examin-

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ing physician came ont to meet the boat, and Mr. Brown went in with him, thus arriving one day ahead of the vessel. Be- ing sick when he arrived, he remained in the hospital for six weeks, then hired to work on a railroad again, but worked only one and a half days. He went to New York, forty miles distant, and came across a Yankee, who gave him $6 a month during the winter. He then hired to A. Lanson Hubard, of Cortland Co., N. Y., for one year at $100. Mr. Hubard was a Church member, and with him Mr. Brown acquired steady habits He staid with Mr. Hubard three years, the last year receiving $160 dollars. Mr. Brown then married Susan Cordon, and moved to El- mira, Dodge Co., Wis., purchasing forty acres of timber land. Failing to pay for this land he sold it and removed on a farm belonging to Col. John Cochran, on which he lived one year. While on this farm they lost three sons with diphtheria. Mr. Brown lived in various localities near there one year, then moved to the pineries of Wisconsin, and, in 1862, enlisted in the 3d Wisconsin Volunteers. He was taken to Camp Randall, and failing to pass inspection returned home. Mr. Brown and his wife parted after living together eight years. They had one daughter-Emma Jane, eighteen months old, whom the mother claimed. He saw her six months after their separation, but not again for many years. His wife, however, gave Emma Jane away, as he learned afterwards, she having married again. She instructed Emma to find her father, and having come to Black Hawk Co., Iowa, and hearing of a man in Kos- anth county of her father's name, wrote

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History of Kossuth and Humbolt counties, Iowa : together with sketches of their cities, villages, and townships, educational, civil, military, and political history, portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens, Part 54

Author: Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Springfield, Ill. : Union Publishing Company Number of Pages: 898

Author:
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Springfield, Ill. : Union Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 898