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 99
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A. D. Bicknell is one of the popular pioneers and solid citizens of Humboldt. He is engaged in the practice of the law, and is highly esteemed all over the county for his reliable attention to all matters entrusted to his care, and for the prompt and satisfactory manner in which he trans- acts his professional business. He makes a specialty of collections and general office business, and his yearly income therefrom is quite large and steadily in- creasing. Mr. Bicknell came here from Rutland, Iowa, where he had been eu- gaged in farming. He is quite an exten- sive owner of real estate, having a fine farm about a mile and a half from Rut- land, a quarter section in Lake township in this county,and $5,000 invested in prop- erty in this city. Mr. Bicknell is one of the most influential men in this commu- nity, and exceedingly active in doing any and every thing that will advance the best interests of Humboldt.
Among other enterprising businesses in Humboldt is that of the photographer, D. Parker. He established his business in this city in August, 1880, and being a thorough artist, gives satisfaction to all.
D. Parker, son of Harvey and Phebe (Lathrop) Parker, is a native of Indiana, born at Shelbyville, Feb. 18, 1859. In . 1862 his father having volunteered in the 68th Indiana regiment, he lived with his mother and grandparents at Napoleon. His father, after three years service,seven months of that time being confined in the rebel prison at Richmond, returned home, and the family removed to Indianapolis, where he attended the public school, com- ploting the grammar course in 1870. He removed with his parents to Brandon,
Fond du Lac Co., Wis., in the fall of 1870. Ilere, after attendance at school for some time, he served an apprenticeship as clerk in a general store, where he remained two years. In 1875 he entered a photographic studio, and studied under the best photog- raphers of Oshkosh and Ripon, Wis. In 1877, at the age of eighteen, he estab- lished himself as a photographer at Bran- don, being favored with varied success. In the spring of 1880 he sold his business at Brandon and worked for awhile at Chicago and Morris, Ill., and finally lo- cated and opened a studio at Humboldt in August, 1880, being the first photographer in the county, where he is now doing a successful business. Mr. Parker was married in November, 1888, to Minnie Lor- beer, daughter of Charles Lorbeer of Humboldt. Mr. Parker is a republican politically, and ranks high in his chosen profession.
Among the other businesses carried on here are the following:
Washing machine manufacturers- Thomas & Devenport.
Clothing merchant-C. A. Wright.
Millinery -- Mrs. J. B. Simmons, Mrs. J.
F. Graves and Mrs. B. H. Harkness. Dress-makers-Mrs. Harkins & Co.
Stone quarrymen-C. A. Lorbeer, A. B. Snyder and Thomas Shere.
Photographic artist -D. Parker.
Draymen-E. P. Hewlett, A. R. Beebee, Henry Watkins and R. M. Lyle.
Feed Store-E. K. Lord and A. Daven- port.
Elevator-O. F. Avery.
Among other prominent citizens of Humboldt who are deserving of special mention in this work are: HI. A.Knowles,
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I. K. Lorbeer, Mrs Cynthia Wickes, Wal- ter Thomas, J. F Graves, J. Johnston, Dr. G. Bogart and G. W. Dyer.
Henry A. Knowles, one of the pioneers of Humboldt county, was born on what is known as Gov. Sprague's property, in South Kingston, R. I., Feb. 21, 1811. His par- ents, Henry and Susan(Anthony) Knowles, were the parents of nine children, four sons and five daughters. In 1819 they emigrated to Oneida Co., N. Y., and two years later removed to Chenango county. Henry remained with them until eighteen years old. Ile then left home and learned the harness maker's trade. In 1831 he was married, in Chenango county, to Mary Collins. In 1835 he went to Michigan and took a government claim. In 1856 he left Michigan with teams for Iowa, camp- ing out on the way, and crossing the Mis- sissippi at Dubuque, which was then a small town. At that time the streams were not bridged on this side of Inde- pendence, and they were compelled to ford. He pre-empted land on the north- east quarter of section 20, Humboldt town- ship, where he built a log cabin. Mr. and Mrs. Knowles are the parents of five children, four of whom are living -Shef- field C., Abram II., Nathan H. and Lucy L., widow of Eber Stone, who settled in this county in 1855, and now resides on section 16, of Humboldt township. Mr. and Mrs Stone have had three children, two of whom are living-Henry S and Charles E. Mr. Stone died in 1875. He was a man highly respected in the com- munity where he lived, honest and up- right, and a thorough business man. He was elected to the office of superintend- ent of the public schools of the county. !
He has retired from active business and is taking comfort, the reward of his past diligence and industry. Mr. Knowles is living, at present, in Humboldt City, near his youngest son, Nathan H., who does quite a successful business as jeweler.
Louis K. Lorbeer, the youngest in the family of three brothers and three sisters, was born in St. Ulrich, Prussia, Oct. 24, 1839, and came with his parents and fam- ily to America, in 1847, settling in Lewis Co., N. Y. While a boy, he was known among his mates by his sunshiny dispo- sition. When twenty years old, be en- gaged to work at carpenter work with Lewis Fultz, of Lowville, which he did for two years. He then worked with his older brother, C. A. Lorbeer, until remov- ing to, and settling in Humboldt Co., Towa, which he did in March, 1863, with Fred Herman and Balser Linnestruth, be- ing the "advance gnard" of the colony of fifty persons, who came during the spring, and for whom he made such preparations as he was able. In the fall of 1864, he was drafted into the United States service, and "marched with Sherman to the sea;" was at the burning of Columbia, S. C., and at an engagement near Raleigh. After passing the grand review at Washington, before President Johnson, he was mustered out and returned to Iowa. Having built a neat little home on the bank of the Des Moines, he went back to New York and escorted his parents to lowa, and then assist- ed them in opening a prairie home on sec- tion 13, township 91 north, range 29, they being the last of the family to come, ex- cept one sister, who still resides in New York. Hle soon after, on Dec. 13, 1868, was married to Ophelia Jenks, one of the
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school teachers of the county, and sister of Mrs. Russell H. Norton, one of the original colonists. He immediately built a house on his farm and became a very successful small fruit farmer. In 1879 in company with his brother, Charles, they erected the fine stone building on Sumner avenue, known as Lorbeer block. In 1881 his wife's health failing, he sold out and removed to Los Angeles, Cal., where he now resides in comfortable circumstances. Both himself and wife are consistent Christian people, taking decided stand on the side of temperance and all reformatory measures, though never allowing creeds to separate them from fellow Christians. They have one little girl-Daisy May, born Feb. 23, 1871.
Mrs. Cynthia Wickes, or as more com- monly known, " Mother Wickes," was largely the center of the colony circle. She was born Feb. 3, 1804, on Stow's Square, Lewis Co., N. Y., of parents who were the pioneers of that county. Being of a very intellectual and religious turn of mind, she became a member of the Pres- byterian Church at twelve years of age, and in 1822 assisted in forming the first Sabbath school in that town, since which time she has ever been devoted to that work. Engaging in school teaching, she became attached to the young,and ever felt a deep interest in them, and the plans for their advancement in purity of life, knowledge and social culture. Those who know her best confide in her most. Married June 18, 1833, to Rev. Lewis A. Wickes, a well known and devoted evan- gelist of northern New York, she warmly seconded his labors, and in consequence was, with others, suspended from Church
fellowship for her anti-slavery and tem- perance sentiments. The society which did so survived but five years, while she lived to hold temperance meetings and Sabbath schools in their deserted church building for nearly ten years, when it was taken down and moved away. She soon after became satisfied that while all Chris- tians were the children of God, no vote of a part could make the others better or worse, and that the Church of Christ was one body, the individuals being the branches of the living vine, Christ Jesus. She was left a widow May 19, 1850, her husband falling at his post, being stricken while in the pulpit, and lingering in much suffering two weeks, breathing his last while the church bells were calling to the house of God. With her three young daughters she lived on, doing what she could to make her influence felt in the community for good, but being taught by experience the failure of the civil law to protect the widow and orphaned, she became a thorough believer in equal suf- frage for all. Having been compelled by the "patlunaster" to turn out and "work on the highway," aggravated by it being on a hillside directly in front of where her lisband lay buried, although, as a minister, by the law of New York, he was not liable to road or property tax, with all her children and their families, six- teen in all, she came to Humboldt county, in May, 1863,and for the first three weeks, occupied the old log house on section 14, on the west side of the DesMoines river. She occupied one half of the first house on the site where Humboldt now stands, from November, 1863, till Septem- ber, 1868, when she occupicd her own
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new house near the bridge. Being a good nurse, and studying the laws of physical life, her services were of much avail, es- pecially to the mothers of the community, and at least forty infants were first dressed by her careful hands, and many invalids owed their restoration, under God, to her skillful nursing. She has worn the Ameri- can costume for the last twenty-five years, believing it best adapted to the healthful comfort of women. Although afflicted with deafness from childhood, in conse- quence of scarlet fever, and suffering with erysipelas for years, she, although naturally of a fragile build, has been noted for her spryness and ability to accomplish much. Always of a cheerful and patient disposi- tion she has ever been staunch where con- science was involved. She, with others, has ever maintained evangelical worship and the prayer meeting was lonely when feebleness prevented her longer from at- tendance. She is now living with her youngest daughter, Mrs. Bowen, on the old "Father Lorbeer" place, three miles south of town, suffering with a cancer, and saying, "And now Lord what wait I for, my hope is in Thee."
Walter Thomas was born in Washing- ton Co., N. Y., Aug. 23, 1813, and is the son of David and Hannah (Ward) 'Thomas. His father was a farmer by occupation, and was in the United States army during the War of 1812, serving as Ist lieuten- ant. In 1855 the subject of this sketch went to Cayuga Co., N. Y., and remained one year upon a farm, then removed to Fox Lake, Dodge Co., Wis., where he did a prosperous business, keeping a boarding house one year, being patronized by civil engineers and railroad men. He then
came to this county and Dec. 15, 1857, opened a hotel at Dakota City, which business he continued four years, then re- moved to a farm, which, being railroad land, be lost, and moved back to Dakota City. In 1870 he went to Topeka, Kan., returning in 1874 to Humboldt county, and has since resided in Humboldt City, with the exception of one year in Fort Dodge. He worked four and a half years in a livery stable and drove stage between Humboldt and Fort Dodge one year. He is now engaged in the horse farrier busi- ness, in which, having had some years of experience, he is very successful. He was married March 17, 1836, to Mary McDougall, daughter of John I. and Mar- garet DeDougall, of Washington Co., N. Y. They have eight children-James W., David, Margaret E., Jaue H., Jobn M., Luther L., Mary and Charlie. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas have been consistent mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church for forty years and are highly respected throughout the community. Mr. Thomas has held the offices of justice of the peace and assessor. He casts his vote with the democratic party.
J. F. Graves was born in Berkshire Co., Mass., March 12, 1834. He grew to man- hood among the rugged hills of his na- tive State. In early life he learned the trade of blacksmith in his father's shop. He afterwards took up carpentering. In 1858 he was married to Rmeline E. Clark, and they had one child-Tola C. In 1862 Mr. Graves enlisted in the 144th New York Volunteer Infantry, company I, and went with the regiment to Washington. In 1863 they were sent to the department of the south. In October, 1864, he was
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commissioned as 2d lieutenant of the 21st regiment of United States Colored In- fantry, and promoted to Ist lieutenant, March 1, 1865. He was appointed assist- ant provost marshal in Charleston, S. C., in 1865, and served in that capacity one year. He was discharged in May, 1866, at Charleston, S. C. At the close of the war he went to Chenango Co., N. Y., and en- gaged in the mercantile business. In 1878 he went to Dakota Territory, and in De- cember, 1879, came to Humboldt. Mr. Graves is a member of the Presbyterian Church, also of the A. O. U. W. and G. A. R.
John Johnston, one of the pioneers of Humboldt county, was born in Alleghany Co. Penn.,Sept. 26, 1828. His parents were Robert and Martha (Scott) Johnston. They were the parents of eight children, four sons and four daughters. He was a farmer by occupation and lived upon one place eighty years. Mrs. Johnston is still living on the old homestead, at the advanced age of eighty-two years. The subject of this sketch was brought up on his father's farm. Feb. 12, 1852, he was married to Jane Porter. Four children were born to them-John L., born Dec. 5, 1852, and died March 19, 1875; Robert J., born Jan. 13, 1856; Maggie J., born May 9, 1858, and Willie G., born Sep. 27, 1872. In the spring of 1856 Mr. Johnston emigrat- ed to Iowa, and settled on section 2. On their arrival, they moved into a cabin with John Means, which was without a floor. At that time there was but one house between them and Fort Dodge, the county being a vast wilderness over which the Indians roamed. His first provisions
were hauled from Des Moines. In the winter of 1856 he made a trip to Iowa City for more provisions, and it took eighteen days to make the trip, and cost $80 for traveling expenses. He owned the first team of horses in the county, which he brought from Pennsylvania with him. During the winter of 1856-7, known as the cold winter, Mr. Johnston with many of the pioneers endured much suffer- ing. He purchased the place where he now lives in 1862, on section 1, now in the incorporated town of Humboldt. He came to the county in limited circum- stances, but by energy, industry and jndic- ious management, has accumulated a large and valnable property, and ranks with the first among the substantial and well-to-do farmers of the connty. He has 950 acres of land, which he devotes to farming and stock raising; a good dwelling house, and one of the first barns built in the county. The barn is 40x64 feet in size, and built at a cost of $2,500. Mr. Johnston has been identified with the county for more than a quarter of a century, and has wit- nexsed the many changes which have taken place. Ile was chairman of the board of supervisors for three years, and held sev- eral local offices. His present dwelling house was built in 1866. The pine Inm. ber was hanled at a cost of $80 per thou- sand. The lumber had to be ferried over the river in a small boat, fastened to a rope and carried up the binff, as the river was not fordable that spring. The first winter he spent in the cabin he would frequently have to get up and shake the snow off the bed so that it would not get too heavy, for it would blow in wherever it could get a chance.
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Gilbert Bogart, M. D.,a native of Wyom- ing, Livingston Co., N. Y., was born March 25, 1833. He is a son of Dr. Gil- bert Bogart, Sr., a graduate of Genessee Medical College, and was a constant prac- titioner for more than fifty-two years. His mother's maiden name was Catharine Vorhees. Mr. and Mrs. Bogart were the parents of eight children, four sons and four daughters. Mr. Bogart gave two sons to the service of his country in the late Rebellion-Gilbert and Nelson. Gil- bert, the subject of this sketch, was com- missioned as first assistant surgeon in the 23d Michigan Volunteer Infantry, serving in the 23d army corps. Their first rendezvous was at East Saginaw, and he was sent from there to Bowling Green, Ky., and while there participated in Mor- gan's raid. They laid at Cincinnati for a short time, and crossed the Cumberland mountains into Tennessee, where they were pitted against Longstreet, being driven back to Knoxville. Here he had charge of Bell Hospital. Soon after he took sick and resigned, and was brought home on a bed. After gaining his health the doctor went to Kewanee, where he
was surgeon of the copper mines for three years. From there he returned to New York, where he took charge of his father's practice for a couple of years. He then went to LaPorte, Black Hawk county, where he followed the practice of medi- cine up to 1881, when he located in Hum- boldt. He attended lectures at the Uni- versity of New York in 1859, and graduat- ed in 1861. The doctor was married in 1857 to Esther O'Brien. By this union there are two daughters-Mertie A., now the wife of A. G. Prince, cashier of the St. Paul Life Insurance Company; and Katie E. The doctor is a Royal Arch Mason and a member of the G. A R.
George W. Dyer, a native of Cape Eliz- abeth, Maine, was børn Nov. 17, 1808. In 1838 he was married to Martha Eldridge, by whom he had three children, two of whom are living-Henrietta and Amanda. In 1858 Mr. Dyer left his home in Maine, came west and settled in Jefferson Co., Wis. In 1866 he came to Humboldt county. Mr. and Mrs. Dyer have always been hard working people, and by hard work and economy have accumulated a competency to live on in their old age.
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CHAPTER XXVI.
HUMBOLDT TOWNSHIP.
This is, agriculturally, one of the best townships in Humboldt county, lying in the northern tier, and comprises all of congressional township 93, range 28 west. It lies upon both sides of the East Fork of the Des Moines river, which enters the the county on the north line at the junc. tion of this and Delana township, and traversing Humboldt, with many a crook and many a bend, meandering hither and yon, it flows on ward in a general southerly course, passing into Grove township on the south line of section 33. Lott's creek enters the township at the south west cor- ner of section 18, and flows in a northeast- erly course, emptying into the Des Moines near the south line of section 8. Niver's and Hinton's creeks, other affluents of this branch of the Des Moines, together with Bloody Run, also traverse a portion of this township, each adding their share of humidity to the soil, that makes this the paradise of the agriculturist. For the origin of the names of these streams, the reader is referred to the chapter on early settlement.
The land slopes from each way, to the principal stream, and has a rolling ten- dency, especially in the vicinity of the water-courses. The land is a rich sandy loam, of the finest quality, underlain by a sulrsoil of the clay of the sub-carbonifer-
ons strata, developing in many places, an excellent quality of potter's clay. Build- ing stone of good quality is found along the Des Moines, as elsewhere throughout the county. Timber, to a considerable extent, is found along the streams and crecks, and in scattered mottes, or groves, which dot the prairie. One of these, Stone's grove, is said to contain some of the finest timber in the county. These contain trees of red oak, burr oak, black walnut, butterunt, hickory, maple, elm, hackberry and basswood or linn. Quite a number of artificial groves are also found within the limits of the township, promi- nent among which is the evergreen grove of A. H. Knowles, of six acres in extent, which is one of the finest in the northern part of Iowa. There are more miles of railroad in this township than in any other in the county, it being on the line of one branch of the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern, and of the main line of the Minneapolis & St. Louis. Humboldt is peopled by an enterprising, thrifty class of settlers, many of whom are early pioneers and old residents, and whose farms and buildings would docredit to much older counties.
Henry Lott was the first to settle in the township. He located upon section 16, ou what is now known as the W. W. B'anch-
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ard farm, where he built the first log cabin in the county, and broke the ground for a garden, in the grove, ignoring the rich prairie that lay in virgin fertility at his very door.
The first settler who came here, how- ever, with the determination to secure a permanent home was a man by the name of J. B. McCormick, who, in March, 1855, located upon a portion of section 6. He broke some land for a farm, but grew dis- satisfied, and selling out to George Ellis in July of the same year, removed to Har- din county, where he at present resides. He was a native of Indiana, having been born in Decatur county, that State, in September, 1835.
The previous year, in the fall, Thomas Scurlock, Michael and John Johnson, came into this township and took up claims. The Johnsons, who were young men, on section 16, Scurlock on 21, near the month of Lott's creek. They did little bnt pnt up some hay, when they went to Fort Dodge to spend the approaching winter, so their settlement does not date from that year, although worthy of mention.
With the coming of spring, however, these three returned, bringing with them companions. These were Harlow Miner and David H. Niver. These struck the township and made their claims upon the 4th day of April, 1855.
Harlow Miner located a farm of 160 acres on section 16, and proceeded to open up a farm. Here he lived until 1879, when he removed to Dakota City, where he at present resides, the veritable "oldest inhabitant" of the county, yet living therein. Mr. Miner was the centennial auditor of the county, and has held many
other offices in the county, and is looked up to, and respected by all. He yet owns a farm in this township, on sections 32 and 33.
Thomas Scurlock was a native of Ohio, a representative of the pioneer class, and a good hospitable man. He remained here until 1860, when he moved to Chero- kee county.
The Johnson boys were sons of Hugh Johnson, of which more is found further on.
David H. Niver took np a claim on sec -. tion 9, but went to Dakota City to live for a time. Hle was the first sheriff of the county, and was a native of the State of New York. In 1860 he left this county, going to Philadelphia, Penn.
Hugh Johnson, with his family, con- sisting of four boys, Frank, Michael, John and William, came at the same time. The two boys, John and Michael, had been here the year previons, as has been men- tioned, and taken up a farm on section 16. Here then the family settled down, intent ou making a home in the then wilderness. IIngh died in the fall of the following year, and in 1861 the widow and her sons removed to the land of gold, California, where they still live.
George and William Basham about this time made theirappearance here, and in con- junction with Frank and Michael Johnson, built a saw mill upon section 33. It was erected during the summer of 1856, on the cast bank of that fork of the Des Moines, and was the first mill in the county in which the motive power was supplied by water. In a few months the Bashams sold out their interest to the Johnsons, and went back to their former
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home in Hardin county. The Johnsons ran the mill until 1861, when, having de- termined to emigrate to the Pacific slope, they disposed of it to George C. Mc- Cauley, who put in a corn-cracker, and otherwise improved it. Under his man- agement it was operated nntil the spring of 1865, when it was sold to Aikens & Adams, two young men from Vermont, who ran it about a year, when it took fire and burned down. It was shortly after partially rebuilt by Ezekiel Hinton, but .never covered. Mr. Ilinton operated it about a year, when he died, and the mill went to pieces, and was eventually torn down. This establishment proved an im- portant factor in the development of the county, in supplying the needs of the peo- ple with building material. It had a ca- pacity of turning out some 2,000 feet of lumber per day.
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