USA > Iowa > Madison County > History of Madison County, Iowa, and its people, Volume II > Part 42
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duties of civil life he came back to Madison county and worked as a hired hand in Scott township until he had accumulated sufficient capital to enable him to rent land. Several years later, or in 1881, he removed to a farm in Walnut township, which he operated until 1891. In that year he located upon the farm where he now lives and he has a half interest in sixty acres of land, which con- stitutes his home place, and seventy acres of ridge and timber land. In partner- ship with his sons he carries on a general farming and stock-raising business and his labors are effective and yield him a gratifying yearly profit.
In 1866 Mr. Jesse married Miss Martha E. Eskew, a daughter of John and Sally Eskew, both natives of Kentucky. The father, who was a farmer, continued to follow that occupation in Scott township after the removal of the family to this county, where both he and his wife passed away. Mr. and Mrs. Jesse have become the parents of five children: Edgar M., who was born on the 14th of February, 1867, and is upon the home farm; Ellen, now Mrs. Clyde Church, of Boulder, Colorado: C. A. and John W., both in partnership with their father; and Jane, who died when two years of age. Mr. Jesse has taken his sons into partnership and all work together in the cultivation of his land, and as they have a part in the business they have always been content to remain upon the farm, finding the work congenial and profitable.
Mr. Jesse has been a lifelong supporter of the republican party and is thor- oughly convinced of the wisdom of its policies. His wife holds membership in the United Brethren church and he is interested in its work and in all move- ments that seek the enrichment of the moral life of the community. As a young man his indignation was aroused by the wrongs of the negro and it was because of his attitude upon the slavery question that he was compelled to leave Kentucky. When the seceding states refused to again consider themselves a part of the Union he felt it to be his duty to do all in his power to compel them to do so and also felt that an opportunity was offered to strike a blow against slavery. His physical courage equalled his moral stamina, and when he was shot in the hand he dressed it himself, refused to go to the hospital or to leave his command and was back in line in thirty days. Determination and a conscientious adherence to the right as he sees it have always characterized him and to those qualities is due much of the respect in which he is uniformly held.
J. G. GILBERT.
J. G. Gilbert, well known in Penn township as a successful farmer, was born in Berrien county, Michigan, in September, 1851, a son of John and Annie (Swartz) Gilbert, natives of Pennsylvania, who were among the early settlers of the Wolverine state. The father was farming at the outbreak of the Civil war, but put aside all business interests and entered the Union army. Three months after he went to the front he was killed in action. His widow was left with seven children, the oldest of whom was fourteen years old and the youngest an infant of one year. She bravely kept the family together and gave the children a good education, manifesting courage and determination of a high order. She
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also proved an excellent business woman and farmed the homestead until her de- mise, which occurred on the 11th of February, 1909.
J. G. Gilbert was reared and educated in Michigan and remained with his mother until he was twelve years of age. He then started out to earn his own living and thus relieve his mother of the necessity of providing for his support. He worked as a farm hand for twelve years in Michigan and then came to Iowa, where he continued in that occupation for a year. In 1876 he arrived in Madison county and rented land, which he operated for five years. At the end of that time his industry and thrift had enabled him to save enough to buy eighty acres of land, and, removing to his farm, devoted his attention to its cultivation. He bought more land and is now the owner of two hundred and forty acres on sections II, 12 and 13, Penn township, which is known as Hickory Grove Farm. He has made many improvements upon the place, which has two sets of buildings. He is a wide-awake, progressive and very successful farmer, and has accumulated more than a competence.
Mr. Gilbert married Miss Elizabeth Housewerth, who was born on the 17th of September, 1863, a daughter of John and Elizabeth ( Arbagast ) Housewerth, natives of Pennsylvania. Her father farmed in Michigan for seven years, but in 1873 came to this county, buying the land now in possession of our subject, and he farmed that place until his death, which occurred in 1898. He had sur- vived his wife for a number of years, as her demise occurred in 1886. Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert have three children: Frank, who is farming land belonging to his father ; Ray, at home; and Loyal, also operating land belonging to his father.
Mr. Gilbert is an adherent of the republican party and has served acceptably as school director of his district. A member of the Evangelical church, he con- forms his life to the teachings of Christianity and does all in his power to pro- mote the moral betterment of his community. Hickory Grove Farm is one of the excellently improved places in the county, and Mr. Gilbert takes just pride in his prosperity, because it has come as a reward of assiduous and well managed labor.
CHARLES EDWARD HIRCOCK.
Charles Edward Hircock, a farmer residing on section 35, Jackson township, on two hundred and forty acres of land, was born in Ohio on the 14th of July, 1866. Mention is made of his parents in the sketch of W. F. Hircock, of Lincoln township, which appears elsewhere in this work. Our subject is the sixth in order of birth in a family of seven children, and the educational opportunities which he enjoyed were those afforded by the Lincoln school in Scott township. By the time that he was grown he was familiar with all phases of agricultural work, and when twenty-two years of age began farming in connection with his brothers. For one year he lived upon the Rippey farm in Lincoln township, but in 1898 he purchased land in Webster township, where for four years he resided. In 1902 he removed to his present farm in Jackson township, and now gives his attention to the cultivation of the soil, the production of grains and the raising of high grade stock. His land is naturally fertile and as he uses the best methods
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of cultivation his labors are rewarded by excellent crops, the sale of which bring him a good income, which is supplemented by the profits of his stock-raising.
In 1893 Mr. Hircock married Miss Alma A. Orris, who is a native of Wash- ington county, lowa, and is a daughter of Reuben and Olive (Bowden) Orris, the former born in Pennsylvania in 1839, and the latter born in Iowa in 1849. Both are still living in Winterset. The father learned the carpenter's trade in his youth and worked at that and at wagon-making for a number of years. He came to Iowa before the Civil war, and in 1861 enlisted in an Iowa regiment of volunteer infantry, serving for four years. Upon removing to Madison county he settled first in Webster township, but later took up his residence in Lincoln township, where he farmed until his retirement from active life. He is a re- publican and keeps well informed as to the trend of events in our national life. To him and his wife were born four children, Mrs. Hircock being the eldest. She is the mother of a son, Everett A., who was born March 13, 1894, and is still with his parents.
Although without political aspirations, Mr. Hircock exercises his right of franchise, believing it a citizen's duty to do so, and supports the republican party. He does not desire to be in the public eye in any connection, being content to concentrate his energies upon the work of his farm and thus contribute to the agricultural development of the county.
WESLEY COCHRAN.
Wesley Cochran gained an unusual measure of success as an agriculturist. accumulating nineteen hundred and twenty-five acres of land in a body. He was born in Perry county, Ohio, on the 14th of November, 1834, and when but a child was left an orphan. In 1851, when a youth of seventeen, he accompanied his uncle, M. D. Martin, to Madison county and in that year entered eighty acres of land in Grand River township. He then returned to Illinois and worked for two years, carefully saving his money. He then came again to Madison county and purchased a piece of timber land, after which he went back to Illinois and worked there in order to earn money with which to improve his land. As soon as he had saved sufficient capital he returned to Madison county and established his permanent home here. His first residence was a log cabin, which remained the family home for nine years. At the end of that time he purchased an adjoin- ing eighty acres, on which was a frame house. He removed the building to the site of his original residence and nine years later built the commodious frame house which still stands. Although the land which he originally purchased was totally unimproved when he settled thereon, it was not long before he had it under cultivation and from the first he found farming a profitable occupation. From time to time he bought other land and eventually held title to nineteen hundred and twenty-five acres of fine land all in a body. Although he was such an exten- sive landowner, he never purchased land to speculate on, but only for the use of his family. Before his death he gave each of his children a good farm and they are well known and prosperous agriculturists of this county.
Wesley Cochran
Elizabeth Cochran
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Mrs. Cochran still lives upon the homestead, which is excellently improved. Not only are the buildings commodious and well adapted to their respective uses, but there are also a good orchard and a beautiful grove, which add both to the value and beauty of the place, while the fields are inclosed with strong, durable fencing. She has resided there for more than fifty-three years and takes a per- sonal pride in the farm, as it was but a tract of wild prairie land when she and her husband first located on it and as its development was accomplished by their work and planning. Although she endured many hardships in the early days, she is still in good health and takes a keen interest in all that is going on. When she and Mr. Cochran came to this county a half century ago the conveniences that are now taken as a matter of course were unthought of and it was necessary to work long hours and to endure many discomforts. However, there were compensa- tions. as the wild prairie land was rich and productive and when brought under cultivation yielded bountiful crops, and the early settlers had the satisfaction of knowing that they were not only developing properties that would insure them of material prosperity but that they were also contributing to the progress of the state as a whole.
On the 14th of November, 1861, Mr. Cochran married Miss Elizabeth Hamb- lin, who was born in Tuscarawas county, Ohio, on the 20th of March, 1842, of the marriage of Simeon and Eleanor Hamblin, who in 1854 became residents of Monroe township, Madison county. Both passed away in that township. To Mr. and Mrs. Cochran were born nine children. Kate became the wife of J. T. Steele and died August 26, 1896, leaving two sons, Jay and Ed, the younger but an infant. They have made their home with their grandmother since their mother's demise. J. H. married Estelle Polk and resides in Winterset. William is a banker of Lorimor, Iowa, and Frank, the next in order of birth, died when twenty-one years of age, October 29, 1892. Walter L., Forrest Lee and Fred are represented elsewhere in this volume. F. W. is the next in order of birth, and Mattie, the youngest of the family, is the wife of J. Ira Tucker.
In his early manhood Mr. Cochran was a member of the Methodist church, but at length his sincerity and honesty revolted against what he believed to be hypocrisy and he withdrew his membership. His conduct always measured up to high standards of morality and he never took advantage of a fellowman or cheated anyone out of even the smallest amount. His political belief was that of the democratic party and he took a commendable interest in the public welfare. His demise, which occurred on the 15th of March, 1912, was sincerely regretted by many and his memory is still cherished by those who knew him intimately.
LEVI T. TOWNSEND.
Levi T. Townsend, who is an important factor in the life of Macksburg, Madison county, and who was for many years a general merchant, was born in Logan county, Ohio, September 30, 1845, of the marriage of Eli and Abigail (Woods) Townsend. The family history has been traced back to the year 1275 and it has been found that the patronymic Townsend came into use at a consid- erably later date, the family name being originally Woodville. Representatives Vol. II-21
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of the family settled in London, at the end of the town, and they gradually be- came known as town's end people. Men of the family were knighted, and we find that the family seal, which was originally given Sir Richard Townsend, of Ranheim, Norfolk, England, is that of a stag being chased by hounds, with a crown of purple and gold and a Latin inscription meaning, "By their fidelity they conquer." In 1620 a Townsend emigrated to America and located at Lynn, in the colony of Massachusetts.
When the land beyond the Alleghenies began to be settled members of the family made their way westward, and Eli Townsend, father of our subject, was born in Harrison county, Ohio, in 1823. He learned the carpenter and builder's trade, which he followed in the Buckeye state until 1863, in which year he came west, taking up his residence in Warren county, Iowa. He bought two hundred and forty acres of land, to the cultivation of which he devoted the remainder of his life. His residence was one of the finest country homes in his district and his farm was splendidly improved, while he was rightly considered one of the most progressive agriculturists of that county. He was financially inde- pendent and in addition to owning his excellent farm was a director in the Bank of Indianola. For many years he served as justice of the peace and was also county supervisor. His religious faith was that of the Quaker church. He was active in the Grange and was prominent in the management of the elevator be- longing to that organization. He did all in his power to place farming upon a more scientific and more businesslike basis and was notably successful not only in the cultivation of crops but in the feeding of cattle and hogs, his labors yield- ing him a handsome return yearly. His wife, who was in her maidenhood Miss Abigail Woods, was born in Mount Gilead, Ohio, in 1821 and died when eighty- nine years of age. He was but fifty-six years of age when he was called to his reward in 1879. To their union were born eight children, of whom our subject is the second in order of birth.
Levi T. Townsend attended the district schools in and near Mount Gilead. Ohio, but when fourteen years of age left home and entered the employ of a doctor who had a sawmill. Mr. Townsend was an energetic and capable boy and was soon doing a man's work in the mill. After returning home he was employed in sawmills until November, 1863, when he went to the defense of his country, enlisting in Company K, Ninth Ohio Volunteer Cavalry. He joined that command at Mount Gilead and was sent to Camp Denison. That winter was spent in drill at Cincinnati but in February of 1864 the regiment left for the front by way of Louisville and Nashville. In the vicinity of the latter city they were employed on forage duty for some time, after which they were ordered south to Athens, Alabama. Mr. Townsend was taken sick and was for a time unfit for active duty at the front. He was therefore detailed as guard from his regiment and assigned to the work of accompanying drafted men to the front to follow Sherman's army. He made twelve trips while serving in that capacity. He was popular with his comrades and with his captain, and on the 28th of November, 1864, was appointed clerk to Brigadier General A. J. Slemmer, president of the board of examiners for sick officers. Mr. Townsend is an excellent penman and his ability in that line was of value to him in his capacity as clerk. He still has in his possession orders for "Report for duty," "Leave of absence," etc., which are signed by Brigadier General Slemmer. On
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the 12th of June, 1865, Mr. Townsend was mustered out at Cincinnati and after receiving his discharge went to Delaware, Ohio, and applied for work in a sash and door factory. He was wearing his soldier's uniform at that time and this aided him in securing the desired position. However, his health failed and he was compelled to leave that place. In August, 1865, he came to Iowa, but after farming for a time with his father in Warren county he returned to Delaware, Ohio, and was made foreman of the sash and door factory. In 1867 he again came to Iowa, locating in Des Moines and entering the employ of Gilchrist Brothers, who owned and operated a sash and door factory. Their factory burned and he had to go to work in another factory. Subsequently he leased the factory owned by B. F. Allen. He later leased the factory of A. E. Roberts and S. E. Rankin, then state treasurer. He built up an enviable repu- tation for excellent work and filled the orders of the best contractors of that city. The factory burned and he lost every dollar he had. After he was burned out he decided to turn his attention to other interests, and in October, 1877, left Des Moines and came to Macksburg.
At that time there was no railroad in the town and it required much faith in the development of the western country to foresee the increase in popula- tion and wealth that the intervening years have brought. Mr. Townsend believed in the growth of the country and engaged in the mercantile business in Macks- burg. He conducted a general store for twenty-nine years and was accorded a liberal patronage by the people of this town and its vicinity. He invested heavily in real estate and became the owner of about a thousand acres of fine farming land, in the development of which he contributed largely to the agricultural prog- ress of the county. He was also connected with its financial development, as he was one of the organizers of the Macksburg National Bank and was its second president, although he has now disposed of his interests in that institution. He owns considerable property in Des Moines, and has important interests in Macks- burg and Madison county. He is not only one of the wealthy men of his locality but is also one of the most highly esteemed and best liked, as his success has been won by constructive methods and has not depended upon the defeat of his fellowmen.
In 1866 Mr. Townsend married Miss Lois L. Thompson, who was born in Delaware county, Ohio, in 1847 and who died at Macksburg at the age of fifty- one years, eight months and eleven days. Her father was a tailor of Delaware county and was well known there. Mr. and Mrs. Townsend became the parents of the following children: Edwin L., a grocer of University avenue, Des Moines, who married Artie B. Mack, by whom he has two children, Mack L. and Fern; Ada M., the wife of J. B. Callison, a real-estate dealer of Macks- burg; Burton L., who passed away leaving two children, Dee E. and Bessie; and Jennie L., the widow of J. L. Canning, who was a farmer residing at Macks- burg, by whom she has two children, Louise and Armadene. On the 3d of October, 1900, Mr. Townsend married Mrs. Estelle E. Elton. Her parents were both natives of New York and continued to reside there during their entire lives. Her father was a farmer and sheep raiser and was highly re- spected as a citizen. Mrs. Townsend was born in New York but later removed to Des Moines, Iowa. She is active in social, club and church circles of Macks- burg, and also takes a keen interest in the work of the Woman's Relief Corps.
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Mr. Townsend is a republican in politics and has had much to do with the direction of public affairs in Macksburg. He held the position of justice of the peace for many years and then declined to serve any longer, feeling that his other interests demanded his undivided attention. He also served as mayor of the town and under his administration the affairs of the municipality were managed in a business-like manner and there was never the slightest question as to his absolute honesty and integrity. He is connected with the Masonic order, belonging to the local blue lodge, and the tenets of that organization find expression in his relations with his fellows. He was one of the organizers of J. D. Craven Post, G. A. R., of Macksburg, and was prominent in its councils until it ceased to exist. His has been a successful life from every point of view, as he has won prominence as a business man, has done his share in pro- moting the moral and civic development of his community, has gained the warm regard of many loyal friends and the sincere respect of all who know him, and has proven his willingness to serve his country, even to the extent of laying down his life if need be.
On the 21st of March, 1915, Mr. Townsend was converted at a revival meeting held in Macksburg, and both he and his wife have been baptized and joined the Methodist Episcopal church, though she was formerly connected with the Episcopal church. By birthright he was a Quaker, but when the country became involved in civil war he entered the army and thus for- feited his membership in the Friends church, as it is against the religion of that denomination to engage in warfare. His life, however, has always been upright and honorable and he has ever followed Christian principles.
STEPHEN C. POPE.
Stephen C. Pope, who is living retired with his son in Jackson township, having earned a period of rest by unremitting and efficient labor in earlier life, is a native of Oneida county, New York, born on the 6th of January, 1842. His father, Stephen Pope, was born in England in July, 1809, and passed away when seventy-nine years of age, in the early part of 1889. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Elizabeth Eygabroad, was born in New York in 1814. and died when eighty-three years of age, in 1897. The father emigrated to the United States in 1835, when a young man, and began farming in the state of New York, but nine years later he removed to Stephenson county, Illinois, with his family, the journey being made by water. In 1857 they came to Webster township, Madison county, Iowa, where the father acquired title to two hundred and forty acres of land, and he resided thereon until his death. He was a democrat and his advice was often sought on matters affecting the public wel- fare, although he was not an office seeker and was rather retiring in disposition. The Evangelical church found in him a faithful and consistent member. To him and his wife were born ten children, of whom Stephen C. Pope is the eldest.
The last named acquired his elementary education in a log schoolhouse in Stephenson county, Illinois, but much of his time during his boyhood and youth was devoted to farm work, and when twenty-one years of age he became a
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farm hand in Madison county. In 1870 his financial resources were in such a condition that he was able to begin farming for himself and he has since been numbered among the well-to-do agriculturists of the county. As the years passed his capital increased and he at one time owned five hundred and thirty acres, all in this county. He carried on both general farming and stock-raising, believing that by so doing he secured the greatest profit and eliminated waste to the greatest extent. However, he specialized in feeding hogs and found that branch of his activities especially profitable. He has now put aside the cares of active life and is living retired with his son in Jackson township.
In 1868 Mr. Pope married Miss Nancy J. Moore, who was born in Kendall county, Illinois, on the 21st of October, 1847, and died on the 28th of February, 1911. Her parents were Peter and Mahala ( Smith) Moore. The father, who was born in Indiana, was a farmer by occupation and was a pioneer of Madison county, arriving here when white settlers were just beginning to reclaim the land from the wilderness. To Mr. and Mrs. Pope were born three children. John H. married Miss Mary E. Wilson, a native of Iowa county, Iowa, whose father was a blacksmith there and served in the Civil war, enlisting from Knox county, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. John H. Pope have had five children : Alpha May : Ona Violet, who was born in 1891, and died in 1910; Eva P .; Charles E .; and Harry L. The other children of our subject are Jemina May and Minnie Etta.
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