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 98
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The first shoemaker to locate in HIum- boldt and look after the soles of the people, was a Swede or Dane, named Rasmus Jonson, who made his appearance in 1865. Weist & Smith now represent that branch of business in the town.
The first to do cabinet making was C. A. Lorbeer. in 1863. For some years he did all in that line that was required in the infant settlement.
In 1859 G. A. Smith opened the first regular shop for the transaction of this line of trade, Mr. Lorbeer having had his work room in his dwelling house. After a short time Mr. Smith sold out to H. L. Joiner, and; he to Mr. Lorbeer who man- aged the business for many years, until it bad grown under his care to one of the largest furniture stores in this part of the State. This line of trade is now repre- sented by Phelps & Sterns, who are the successors of C. A. Lorbeer, and Marvin & Combs.
C. A. Lorbeer, one of the prominent business men of Humboldt, was born in the province of Saxony in Germany, Feb. 4, 1831. His father, Gottlob Lorbeer, be- ing head shepherd on the estate of the
Baron Von Heldorf. He received such education as his native village afforded, until, at the age of fourteen, he was ap- prenticed to learn the cabinet maker's trade, where he served for two years. In 1847 he came with his parents, three sis- ters and two brothers to America, crossing the ocean in a sailing vessel, making a tedions trip of twenty-three days. They landed at Quebec, Canada, and were sent by way of Oswego and Rome to Lewis Co., N. Y., where his father purchased land and commenced farming. He passed two years more as apprentice, in the em- ploy of Richard Gallagher, in Carthage, Jefferson Co., N. Y., and afterward fol- lowed his trade industriously, meanwhile assisting his parents in developing their home in Naumburg, N. Y. He attended two terms of school at Lowville, N. Y., and being a lover of books, spent his leis- ure time in reading, and becoming famil- iar with American institutions. In 1854 Mr. Lorbeer went to Fulton, Whiteside Co., Ill., where he worked at both carpen- ter and joiner work and cabinet mak- ing, at good wages, for five years. In 1855 Charles A. Lorbeer was married to Aurelia E. Wickes, eldest daughter of Rev. Lewis A. Wickes, an evangelist well known in northern New York, who went to Illinois in company with her uncle's family, and taught school near Fulton, where they resided until the fall of 1859, during which time three sons were born, the two eldest dying in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Lorbeer returned to Lewis Co., N. Y., in the autumn of 1859, and re- mained there until May, 1863, when they joined the colony that came to Humboldt county, being the first to occupy the lands
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granted to the colony. Mr. Lorbeer en- gaged in building for a time, doing the early cabinet work of the settlement in his own house, the first one erected on the village plat of the present town of Humboldt. He put up the building now ocenpied by P. II. Pope as a dry goods .store, in 1873, and opened a general fur- niture store. Afterwards in company with his younger brother, L. K. Lorbeer, the building known as Lorbeer's block was built of the stone from his own quarry, in 1879, and he continned the business there, supplying the country for many miles, until, in 1882, he sold his stock to Phelps & Sterns, who occupy the building at present. He is at present engaged in the stone busi- ness, being the owner of one of the most extensive stone quarries in this section of the country. He is also opening a fruit farm in the town of Pomona, Cal., under the supervision of his eldest son Mr. Lorbeer has taken his turn in holding the offices of justice of the peace, township trustee, school director and treasurer, dea- con and Sabbath school superintendent, and for the last eight years has been teacher of an adult Bible class in the Sabbath school connected with the Con- gregational Church, having at an early age given his heart to the Lord Jesus. He has always taken a deep interest in the anti-slavery and temperance move- ments, and all the reforms of the day, and having been identified with Humboldt from its earliest growth, he has always lent a helping hand in all public improv- ments of the town. Probably there is no other woman in the city who has done inore to promote the interest and welfare of Sabbath schools than Mrs. Lorbeer,
having been known throughout the old 9th congressional district, as the secre- tary for the district, for the State Sabbath School Association, for three years, assist- ing in organizing them for work until twelve of the thirteen counties were in working order, and making prompt re- ports to the State association, both sta- tistical and financial. She is known also in the W. C. T. U. and Bible society, and as well as her other duties have allowed has been a teacher in Sabbath school since fourteen years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Lorbeer have been the parents of twelve children, two little daughters hav- ing been buried in Iowa. Eight are still living-Charles I., a graduate of Iowa Agricultural College, at Ames, as well as his wife, formerly Mary Hellen Coe, of Clarence, Cedar Co., now residing at Pomona, Los Angeles Co., Cal .; Alvan G., married to Eva M. Gardner, living at Al- gona; Minnie S., wife of D. Parker, pho- tographer of Humboldt; Carrie E., Harry A., Sara Frances, Melvin W. and Emma Cornelia. During the last twenty-five years they have been particularly interested in praying and laboring in hope of the day when the present unfortunate sectarian competition shall give place to a realiza- tion of Christian co-operation in answer to the "Oneness" for which the Savior prayed.
'The pioneer wagon maker of Humboldt was a party bearing the name of Gokis- worthy. This line of trade is followed now by the Spear Bros., who came here in the spring of 1883.
A worthy son of Vulcan, J. Starbuck, was the first blacksmith in the town, and the fire in his forge was lit about 1865.
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The ringing of iron and steel in contact, from the present shops of T. B. Nickson and Smith & Smith, show that these gen- tlemen are the worthy successors in the same guild.
T. B. Nickson, son of William and Ann (Dugmore) Nickson, was born in Staf- fordshire, England, Dec. 1, 1841. Ile came to America with his parents in 1853 and lo- cated at Kingston, Canada, where he was engaged as clerk in a boot and shoe store, and attended school for two years. He then worked on the Grand Trunk Railway, for about two years, but meeting with an accident which disabled him for a time he was compelled to leave the road. He then went to school for a year, after which he was apprenticed to a blacksmith, and worked one year in Canada, and then fol- lowed the Star of Empire westward, to Grant Co., Wis., and there finished learn- ing the trade. He soon afterward went to Nevada and worked in the silver mines of that territory, and voted for her con- stitutions, and admission as a State into the Union. After two years work in Ne- vada he moved to California, engaging in the saw-milling business for three years, in the summer season, and traveled and prospected in the winter season. Return- ing to Wisconsin in 1868, he was married April 8, 1869, to Flora Bridges, daughter of Dudly C. and Nancy Bridges, of Platte- ville, Wis. The same year he moved to Humboldt county and worked at his trade nearly three years. He then moved on a homestead, which he worked two years, the grasshoppers destroying the crops both years. He again turned his atten- tions to the shop. He purchased a business at Rolfe, Pocahontas county, and worked
two years there. He again moved to Humboldt, where he has since remained, working at his trade. They have had six children-John D., Flora E., Alice Irena, Thomas E., Naomi A. and William. They are all alive except Naomi A., who was born Feb. 11, 1880, died Nov. 8, 1883, and was buried in Union Cemetery, Humboldt. Mr. and Mrs Nickson are members of the Unitarian Church. Mr. Nickson has been a member of the school board. He belongs to and always voted with the republican party, casting his first Presi- dential vote for A. Lincoln.
Joseph Berkhimer established the first harness shop in 1868, and is yet engaged in the same business.
R. E. Jones has the honor of instituting the pioneer livery business, and which is now carried on by D. R. Miles, the genial sheriff, and E. P. Fuller.
A. B. King for some two years kept a book store, but meeting with little success he removed away.
The Humboldt flouring mill, of which mention has been made, remained in the hands of the original proprietors, in full operation until the spring of 1881, wlien the high water cut around the dam and de- stroyed a part of that necessary adjunct. It now lay in idleness until the spring of 1883, when it passed into the hands . of Mr. Rickard, the present proprietor, who devoted the summer and fall of that year to the repairs on the mill, and in putting in a good stone crib dam. In Decem- ber, 1883, the mill commenced to run again to the satisfaction of all.
The pioneer carpenters were Charles and Louis Lorbeer, and the craft has a full representation at present, in the fol-
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lowing parties; William Quick, D. G. Pinney, A. J. Colson, Daniel Harvey, A. C. Nopens, William Gay, E. Etherton, Mr. Young, Mr. White, and others.
Daniel Harvey, one of the early settlers of Humboldt county, was born in Deer- field, Herkimer Co., N. Y., March 16, 1822. He is the son of Solomon and Lydia (De Groff) Harvey, who were the parents of thirteen children, eleven of whom attained an adult age. Solomon Harvey died about 1838 in Cortland Co., N. Y. His wife died in Lewis county, of the same State. She was a member of the Presbyterian Church. The subject of this sketch was reared upon a farm, and received his education in the pioneer school house of an early day, in which the benches were made of slabs, and the desks for writing were arranged by bore- ing a hole in the logs and driving in pins on which slabs were laid. After the death of his father he went to Ithaca, N. Y., where he worked four years as ship- builder. From there he went to Lewis Co., N. Y., purchased a blacksmith shop, and engaged in blacksmithing. He was married in Tompkins county, near Ithaca, to Arminda Wilkin, a daughter of Wil- liam Wilkin. They have four children- Horace T., who is married and living at Humboldt; Frank L., who graduated in the first class at the Iowa Agricultural College, and who now occupies the chair of biology in the Arkansas Industrial University; Edwin D., who graduated at the same school in the class of 1880, and remained two years after graduation as assistant chemist; and Ida A., wife of James C. Stebbins, now living at Blunt, Dakota Territory. In 1864 he emigrated
to Humboldt Co., Iowa, and purchased land on section 12, of Springvale town- ship, now included in the incorporated town of Humboldt. He then commenced farming, also worked as a carpenter. At the time of his coming to the county there was but one frame building in Hun- boldt, and that was owned and occupied by C. A. Lorbeer. He helped to build the first mill and many of the first dwell- ings. Mr. Harvey has been a resident of the county for nineteen years, and has seen the country transformed from wild, unoccupied prairies into beautiful and highly cultivated farms, and commodious and comfortable dwellings fill the place of the rude log cabins of the pioneers. Mr. and Mrs. Harvey are members of the M. E. Church.
A. C. Nopens was born in Kleina, Ger- many, Feb. 7, 1845. When eight years of age his parents emigrated to America and located in Lewis Co., N. Y. In 1861 his father was killed in a well, and A. C. was forced to work out on farms to sup- port the family. In 1864 he came to Hum- boldt, where he was first employed on the mill-race by S. H. Taft. Hle afterward was employed by C. A. Lorbeer in his furniture shop for many years. In the fall of 1878 he engaged in the grocery business in company with L. E. Willey, as the firm of Willey & Nopens, and con- tinued until July, 1883. In April, 1873, he was married to Henrietta Kux. They have three children living-Delta M., Charlie and Minnie. Mr. Nopens is one of the honest and upright business men of the city.
Of course in a country where so much stone is to be had, the mason's trade
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would flourish, and while Hugh McKin- stry, D. Martin and William Leland, were the first to commence that business, they were by no means all to follow the trade. At the present we find the following ma- sons at work in Humboldt : Mckinstry & Joiner, William Leland & Sons, E. Grandon & Son, E. C. Belcher, W. Germin- der, E. Dickey, George Clarke, Mr. Myers and Zill & Brown.
William B. Leland was born in Chester Co., Vt., Aug. 29, 1832, and is the son of Lymau and Irene (Perry) Leland, who emigrated to London, Canada West, in 1839. In 1849, they removed to Maquo- keta, Jackson Co., Iowa, purchased land, and engaged in farming. Maqnoketa was then a mere hamlet, containing one log store building. The subject of this sketch, in his youth, learned the trade of mason with his father. He was married Aug. 14, 1853, to Henrietta Parsons, a daughter of Bushrod and Charlotte E. Parsons, who emigrated to Jefferson Co., Wis., and in 1665 came to this county. Mr. and Mrs. Leland have had five children, four of whom are living-Franklin E., Lyman W., Al- bert G. and Willie. George M. is de- ceased. Mr. Leland has been a resident of Humboldt county since July, 1865. IIe built some of the most prominent build- ings in the town, aud laid the first stone of lInmboldt College.
In September, 1881, J. M. Pike estab. lished the coal business of Humboldt, and in the following year he added the flour trade. He handles abont 250 car loads of these two commodities during the year. The Minnesota flour is his specialty, and he sold, in 1883, about 100 car loads.
J. M. Pike, coal and flour dealer, at Min- neapolis & St Louis Railroad depot, was born in Windham Co., Vt., Sept. 25, 1838. He is a son of Jonathan and Annie (Reed) Pike. The subject of this sketch was reared upon a farm in the hills of Ver- mont. When sixteen years of age he learned the trade of cabinet maker. In 1861 he enlisted in the Ist New Hamp- shire Volunteer Infantry, and served three months. After being discharged, he was ou recruiting service for some time. The following December he again eulisted in the 8th Vermont Volunteer Infantry, as sergeant. He was shortly afterward pro- moted to captain, and participated in the battle of Port Hudson, where he was wounded in the arm, causing amputation above the elhow. Also at about the same time he was struck in the breast with a spent ball, which, striking a rib, passed around under the skin. After leaving the army he went to Iroquois Co., Ill., where he engaged in farming. Two years later he went to Gardner, Worcester Co., Mass., where he was employed in the chair shops. In the fall of 1872 he removed to De Witt, Clinton Co., Iowa. In March, 1880, he came to Humboldt county. He was married in 1864 to Laura Irish, by whom he has had three children, two of whom are living- Lora and Emma F. Mr. Pike is a member of the G. A. R.
It is actually a pleasure as well as a benefit to see an establishment run in the systematic manner and upon the sound basis of Mr. Prouty's law and real estate office. This gentleman has been estab- lished in Humboldt since 1869, at which time he came here from Freeport, Ill. This makes his agency the oldest in the
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county, and it is undoubtedly one of the largest and best managed in the State. Mr. Prouty has a competent man in charge of every department of his busi- ness, who devotes his entire time and every energy to that branch to which he is allotted. He does a general law and collection business, forecloses mortgages, perfects titles, pays taxes for non-resi- dents, furnishes abstracts and deals in real estate. He has a very large list of lands for sale, and is pushing this depart- ment of his business with vigor, doing all in his power to make known the attrac- tions of this favored section of the coun- try. He issues a neat county map, show- ing the location of all towns and railroads, and will send a copy to any one on appli- cation. Ile will also cheerfully answer correspondence in relation to lands, and from his long experience is enabled to give accurate information for the guid- ance of the home seeker.
An inestimable aid to him in his large business, and without which he could not begin to transact one-half of the great amount which comes to him, are his vari- ous authentic records, and the orderly system of arrangement which he has in- troduced into his office. He has a com- plete set of abstracts of titles to all lands and town lots in Humboldt county. These abstracts have cost him over $2,000, and he has introduced several features not usually found-some of which origi- nated with him-which greatly facili- tate the tracings of titles. He has the only set of certified plats of the govern- ment survey in the county; also copies of the county surveyors' records of town plats, of grantors, and lien indexes, of
probate proceedings, in short, everything pertaining to titles, all of which are in charge of a competent man who devotes his time exclusively to this department. His office, which he built expressly for the purpose, is a fine, two story stone and brick structure,. 21x52 feet, with plate glass front, and finished throughout with Venetian blinds. He ocenpies the entire first floor. The main office is richly fin- ished in white walnut, and has a fire proof vault equal to the best bank vault. lle has in this vanlt, and in his office, a place for every book and paper arranged on such an excellent system, and kept in such perfect order, that he is enabled to lay his hand on any book or paper almost instantly. Mr. Prouty is justly proud of the many conveniences and the elegance of his well arranged office and business, and withal is as hearty and genial a per- son as one would care to meet with. Dur- ing his long residence in Humboldt he has always evinced the most lively inter- est in everything pertaining to the welfare of the place. He is a large stockholder and one of the directors of the People's Bank of this place, and is considered one of the soundest men financially, as well as one of the most enterprising and public spirited of Humboldt's citizens.
In September, 1882, A. R. Starrett, after a residence of some fourteen or fifteen years in Tipton, in this State, came to Humboldt and opened a law office, adding to the general practice of his profession transactions in real estate and other mat- ters. The brief space of one year estab- lished a good and profitable business. He is now dealing quite extensively in farms and wild lands in Webster county, and
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improved farms in Humboldt county, and is also doing considerable business in real estate in this place. There is, perhaps, no man more familiar with the quality and value of land, generally, in that sec- tion of country, and all parties, local or foreign, desiring to consult a lawyer, or to buy or sell land in that part of Iowa, will find it for their interest to call upon him. They will find him a genial gentle- man, whom it is both pleasant and profit- able to know.
l'. 11. Pope, formerly one of Chicago's enterprising tradesmen, seeing the un- bounded possibilities of business adven- ture in the peerless Hawkeye State, left the "Garden City" of the lakes in the fall of 1881, and established himself in Hlum- holdt with a general assortment of boots, shoes, hats, caps, dry goods, gents' fur- nishing goods, notions, groceries, and everything usually kept in a stock of that kind, all of which he well knows how to handle to the best advantage of his cus- tomers and himself. He occupies a pleas- ant and commodious building of two sto- ries, the area of his store proper being 22x70 feet. In this he carries an exceed- ingly fine and well selected stock of 86,000 in valne, and his sales of last year aggregated $12,000. By fair dealing and striet attention to business, Mr. Pope has won the confidence of the people, and es- tablished an excellent trade.
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Dr. F. M. Spayde, x skillful and reliable dentist, came to Humboldt from Indiana in 1882, and in June of the same year purchased the business of Dr. Cole, and has continued since in doing all kinds of work known to the art of his profession. He has his office in Cole's block, and not-
withstanding the short time he has been here, he is already doing a fine business, and has many friends and patrons. Ile has been practicing dentistry for over five years, and his practice is large and rapidly increasing. Though a genial gentleman, his genial manner and pleasant ways would go but little distance were it not for the skill and able artistic work with which he consummates every move in the exercise of his profession. He is a native of Indiana. He spent his time on a farm and in school until twenty years of age, when he took up the study of dentistry. Hle is a grad- uate of the dental department of Michi- gan University, at Ann Arbor. In 1882 he came to Humboldt and engaged in the practice of dentistry.
Henry S. Wells came here from Ohio in 1868, and immediately established him- self as a real estate, abstracting and in- surance agent, and is now located oppo- site the People's Bank, in the office with A. R. Starrett. He is agent for the sale of a large amount of wild and improved lands in Humboldt and adjoining counties, and all his many transactions in real es- tate for the eleven years since he has been in the business have given eminent satisfaction to all concerned. Ile fur- nishes abstracts that are also perfectly re- liable, pays taxes for non-residents, and represents some of the best life and fire insurance companies of the country. He is a genial, whole-sonled man, with lots of friends throughout this section of the country, who all esteem him highly.
Henry S. Wells, real estate and insur. ance agent of Ilumboldt City, is a native of Medina Co., Ohio, born Dec. 23, 1834.
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He is a son of Henry and Sarah (Gaylord) Wells, the latter a native of Hartford, Conn., the former of Albany N. Y. They went to Ohio about 1832, when that State was mostly a wild wilderness, and were pio- neers in Medina county. Mr. Wells was a wagon and carriage maker by trade, but at the time of his settlement in Ohio there was not much demand for that kind of work, and he turned his hand to carpen- tering, assisting in the erection of many of the first houses in Medina county. In after years he invented a machine for moving buildings, and followed that oc- cupation for many years. They were the parents of two children. The subject of this sketch received a liberal education, and before he was of age commenced teaching school. In 1869 he went to Tama Co., Iowa., and followed teaching. There he was married to Lizzie F. C'on- nell, a daughter of Daniel Connell, one of the early settlers of that county. Tw. children blessed this union-Henrietta and Martha Josephine. In 1872 he came to Humboldt and engaged in his present business. Mr. and Mrs. Wells are meui- bers of the Congregational Church. He is a strong republican and a prominent, active man in that party. On the 14th of August, 1863, he enlisted in the 79th bat- talion, Ohio National Guards, and was mustered into the United States service in May, 1864, under the call for "100 day men." In 1865 he enlisted in the 166th Ohio National Guards in the 100 days' service, and was stationed at Arlington Heights and around Washing- ton. fle was mustered out at Cleveland in September, 1865.
G. H. Shellenberger came here from Mansfield, Ohio, in 1876, and was one of
the editors and proprietors of the Kosmos, until November, 1879. He then entered the law department of the State Univer- sity at Iowa City, and was admitted to practice in June, 1881. He then opened a law office in Humboldt, and has since been doing well, both in law and in the other branches of business which he car- ries on, those of land and loan agent. Mr. Shellenberger's ambition, however, is in his profession. He aims to stand at the head of it in this part of the State. His enterprise and ability have already secured him a large and satisfactory prac- tice, and his continual efforts are con- stantly increasing it.
A very flourishing grocery and dry goods business is being conducted by I. E. Willey, and by industry, prudent manage- ment, and keeping a first-class and varied assortment of all the different kinds of merchandise in the two branches of his industry he has built up a large and steadily increasing trade. He intends to give his exclusive attention to the grocery business in a very short time. As it is he handles poultry quite extensively, and makes large shipments to eastern points. Hisstore is 20x46 feet, well appointed and conveniently arranged for business. Mr. Willey came from Vermont in 1872, en- . gaged in farming until 1876, purchased the stock and good will of Il. L. Joiner in November, 1880, in connection with Mr. Ward, and afterwards he as- sumed the sole proprietorship. He owns a fine residence and two desirable build- ing lots in Humboldt, and is in every way a worthy member of the commercial and s cial community.
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