USA > Iowa > Monona County > History of Monona County, Iowa; containing full-page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county > Part 49
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Mr. Fessenden was born in Gerry, Chautanqua County, N. Y., June 29, 1832, and is a son of Solomon and Clarissa (Shepardson) Fessenden, both of whom were natives of Brattboro, Vt. His father, who was born about 1787, grew to manhood in his native State, and after his marriage removed to New York, in 1808, and engaged in farming. In 1854, with his family, he removed to Washing- ton Township, Green County, Wis., where he re- sided until his death, in 1872. The mother of our subject was born October 7, 1794, and was a daughter of Jared and Ruth Shepardson, both of whom were natives of Vermont. Mr. Shepardson born July 8, 1763, died July 5, 1809, and Mrs. Shepardson born September 29, 1770, died August 9, 1850.
The subject of this biography grew to manhood in the Empire State upon his father's farm, avail . ing himself of all the facilities for acquiring an education. In 1853, taking Tlorace Greeley's ad- viee, he came West and located in Green County, Wis., where he engaged in farming. During the late Civil War he enlisted in Company D, Thir- tieth Wisconsin Infantry, and served with his regiment on detached service, principally, in Ken- tucky, until his discharge in 1865, at Louisville, when he returned to his home in Wisconsin. Pre- vious to this, in 1859, he had gone to Pike's Peak, where he engaged in mining until the fall of 1863, when he returned to Wisconsin. At the time of the Black Ilills excitement he made a trip to that region, where he prospected for some eight months.
Mr. Fessenden was married in Green County, April 5, 1863, to Miss llarriet A. Becker, a native of Jefferson County, N. Y., who was born Feb. quary 3, 1837, and is a daughter of Barney and TTepsibab (Richardson) Beeker. Her father was born in Montgomery County, New York, in 1808, and her mother in Cheshire, N. IL., October 14, 1808. Her parents were married in Jefferson
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County, N. Y., in October, 1833, and were the parents of six chiklren. They emigrated to Green County, Wis., in 1847, and engaged in farming. In later years they removed into the village of Mon- roe, where the father died in April, 1871.
Mr. and Mrs. Fessenden are the parents of five children-Martin A., born December 31, 1863; Ilelen B., April 28, 1866: Lueile A., October 28, 1868, who died March 6, 1870; Ralph S., August 20, 1871, and Allie M., August 10, 1873. Mr. Fessenden is a member of Vesper Lodge. No. 223, A. F. & A. M., and of ITanseom Post. No. 97, G. A. R.
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ANIEL T. CUTLER, one of the oldest settlers of Lincoln Township, is engaged in farming and stock-raising on section 10, 84, 46, which he took up under the homestead law, in August, 1866, when he first came to Monona County. On his arrival here he went down to look at a piece of land on section 26. Sherman Township, that his father had bought, but found that it was under water at that time. Ile made up his mind to go further west into Kan- sas, in search of a place on which to locate. but was prevailed upon by Charles H. Holbrook, to remain, that gentleman engaging to find some Government land in this county, which he did a few days later, and Mr. Cutler filing his claim, has lived here ever sinee.
Our subject is a native of Ashtabula County, Ohio, and the son of Elijah and Maria ( Walworth) Cutler. His birth took place December 5, 1840. He remained at home with his parents, enjoying all the facilities for acquiring an education, and as- sisted in carrying on the homestead until the spring of 1862. when he came west to Walworth County, Wis., where he remained until August 12. Recruiting for the army in the field, then oc- cupying the public mind, on that day he enlisted in Company D, Twenty-second Wisconsin Infan- try, and being forwarded to Kentucky, participated in the memorable chase after the rebel Gen. John Morgan, through Indiana and Ohio. In the winter he was transferred with the regiment to Nashville.
Tenn., and on the 5th of March, following, in the battle of Thompson Station, the brigade, of which he was a member. was nearly all captured. lle escaped at that time, but a few days afterward, was taken by the rebels and sent to Libby Prison, at Richmond. Va. His prison experience was but a short one, for two months later he was sent into the union lines. and exchanged, and sent to his home on sick leave. Rejoining his regiment, he participated in the battles of Chickamauga, Chatta- nooga, and in all the campaigns and engagements that led to the capture of Atlanta, his regiment being the first to enter the latter city. When Gen. Sherman marched to the sea with his invincible host, the Twenty-second with Mr. Cutler in its ranks, marched with his column. After the great review at Washington, Mr. Cutler was mustered out of service and received his final discharge at Madison, Wis., May 20, 1865, and returned to his home in Walworth County, where he remained until coming here.
Mr. Cutler was married January 1, 1867, in Lin- coln Township, to Miss Myra P. Dudley, the daughter of Guilford and Drexie (Shorey ) Dudley, a native of Kennebec County, Me. Of this union there have been born nine children, to whom have been given the following names: Lola, Rose, Hattie, Edith, Wendell, Charles, Marcia E., Wilbur D. and Bern.
G EORGE W. PIXLER, a farmer of Lake Township, residing on section 26, came to Monona County, February 22, 1865, and rented a farm in West Fork Township. He had bought some land in the neighborhood the year previous. Two years later he removed to Lake Town- ship, on to a farm which he purchased, commencing its improvement in the fall of 1868. During the following winter he got out rails enough to enclose eighty aeres of it with an old-fashioned stake and rider fence which he built around the place. Ile remained on that place until 1876, and then on a farm in the Lake cirele until 1880, in the latter year moving to the place where he now lives.
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIP AV
ASTOR, _E' TILJEN FU . ATUL.
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HON. ADDISON OLIVER.
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Mı. Pixler is a native of Ross County, Ohio, born July 27, 1820, and is a son of John and Annie Pixler. When he was but eight years of age he was so unfortunate as to lose his mother by death, and he went to live with a Scotchman by the name of Steele. He remained with the latter gentleman until he was some eighteen years of age, and then went to work for a son of that party. On attain- taining his majority, he followed Horace Greeley's advice and came West. This was in the fall of 1851. He located in Sangamon County, Ill., and went to work on a farm, feeding cattle that win- ter. He remained there until the spring of 1853, between which, and the fall of 1857, he was em ployed in Logan County in the same State, From there he went to Clinton County, Mo. In the spring of 1859, hearing of the fertile plains of Dakota, then but little known, and less sought after, he moved to that Territory settling about a hundred miles north west of Sioux City, on the Missouri River in what is now known as Bon Homme County. This was before there were any county organizations in that part of the Territory. There he remained until the fall of 1861, at which time he removed to Sioux City, Iowa, whence he came in 1865 to Monona County as noted above. During the win- ter of 1859-60,which he spent in Dakota, Mr. Pix- ler says that he used a coffee-mill to grind corn for the family meal,and this primitive mill furnished all their bread stuff for that winter. It is still in use and in good running order in the possession of S. G. Irish of this county.
Mr. Pixler was united in marriage May 14, 1853, in Logan County, Ill., with Miss Ellen Arnel, daughter of James and Hannah Arnel, natives of Massachusetts. By this union there are four children-John IT., Charles G., Hannah J. and Mary E .- all of whom are living in Monona County with the exception of llannah, who moved to Washing- tou Territory in the spring of 1889.
1833.
ON. ADDISON OLIVER, who has long been one of the most prominent citizens of Western Iowa, and a resident of Onawa, was born in Washington County, l'a .. July 21, Ilis grandfather, David Oliver, settled in
that county about the close of the Revolutionary War, and there the father of our subject, John M. Oliver, was born. The latter was a well-known farmer and stock-raiser of that region. The mother of Addison, Mary Springer (Hughes) Oliver, was a native of New Jersey.
The subject of this epitome passed his early days upon a farm. flis mother died when he was quite young, and he grew up without a mother's care. At an early age he was entrusted with the sale of apples, etc., at Washington, the county town, and sometimes in going or returning thence was thrown in contact with the rough boys of the vil- lage, who had little regard for the rights of prop- erty or person or life. He thus early learned the lessons of independence and self reliance that are so characteristic in his later days. At the age of twelve years, his father having married again, and he having mastered the " three R's" in the district school, young Oliver was sent to the West Alexan .. dria Academy, at Alexandria, in his native State, then under the charge of the Rev. John McClus- key, D. D., an eminent divine and educator, In 1847 he entered Washington College, from which he was graduated in 1850, at the age of seventeen years, sharing the honors of the class with some of the older students.
The next two years were spent by young Oliver in teaching and in traveling in the South, and re- turning to his home in the spring of 1853, he be- gan the study of law with Hon. William Mont- gomery, afterward member of Congress from that district. In 1857, having been admitted to the bar, be came to Western Iowa, crossing the State on horseback, diagonally from Keokuk to Sioux ('ity, in order that he might know definitely the character of the State to which he proposed to tie his life.
In the spring of 1858, Mr. Oliver came to On- awa from Sergeant's Bluff, where he had passed the winter, and entered upon the practice of law. His attention having been drawn toward politics on the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Bill, about the time he attained his majority, he espoused the cause of freedom, and took an active part in the exciting campaign in Pennsylvania which precede;l the election of President Buchanan. In the brilliant
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campaign of 1860, Mr. Oliver took a promi- neut part, and in conjunction with other young men held meetings in every schoolhouse in Monona County, contributing largely to carrying it for Abraham Lincoln and placing it for the first time in the Republican columns.
In 1861 our subject was elected to the office of County Supervisor, and in 1863 was chosen by this district, then composed of four counties, to rep- resent it in the lower house of the State Legislature. In 1864 he was selected by the Republican State Committee as one of the delegates to the Baltimore Convention, which re-nominated Lincoln. In 1865 he was elected to the State Senate from a district composed of fifteen counties, and served in the general assembly of 1866. In 1868, before the expiration of his term as Senator, he was elected Circuit Judge, to which office he was subsequently re-elected. At that time he hekl court in some twenty-two counties in Northwestern lowa. In 1871, while still upon the beneh, he was nominated by the Republican Convention of the " Big Ninth" lowa distriet, comprising some twenty-six counties, a> their candidate for Congress, and was elected to fill that office. He was re-elected to the same posi- tion in 1876, and served in the Forty-fourth and Forty-fifth Congresses. In 1878, notwithstanding that he had positively declined a renomination, he received the nomination of the Greenback party for Congressman, which his fealty to the Republi- can party would not allow him to accept, although he could have had the endorsement of his own party ; but having no desire for further honors, retired to private life. Since then he has devoted Inmself to farming and the management of his landed interests, having some five thousand acres, four thousand of which are in one farm.
Mr. Oliver takes an active interest in all public enterprises and is the present Mayor of Onawa, a member of its Board of Education, President of the Onawa Creamery Company, Vice President of the Onawa State Bank, and President of the Onawa Improvement Company.
Previous to coming to Iowa, January 1. 1854, Mr. Oliver was united in marriage with Miss Han- nah Towne, the daughter of Elijah and Elizabeth ( Martin) Towne, whom he had known from in-
fancy, both attending the same country school. Ten children were born of this marriage: John M .. George A .. Calvin E., Belle M., Mrs. R. L. Hawkins; Mary E., Mrs. F. M. Pelletier; Jennie R., who died September 14, 1889; Cyrus G., Annie A., David M. and Jo II. B.
As one of the leading representative citizens of the county and one of the most prominent old settlers, a portrait of Judge Oliver is given in this walk
OIIN F. MADDEN, an active, energetic and progressive agriculturist, of West Fork Township, residing on section 1, is a native of New Brunswick, and was born December 15, 1857. He is the son of Patrick and Ann (Mc- Ginnis) Madden, natives of Ireland, who came to the United States in 1868, and settled in Wood- bury County, lowa. Hle remained at home with his parents engaged in acquiring an education and assisting his father in the ardnous toil of carrying on the farm, until the spring of 1887, when, having been married, he started out for himself, coming to Monona County, and setting up his family altar on the place where he now lives. He had purchased this land the year previous, and broken up about twenty-five acres of land, for it was totally unim- proved, and put up a dwelling house. This latter he replaced by a handsomer and more commodious one, in the spring of 1887, in which he now re- sides. lle is engaged in general farming, paying some attention to stock raising, and is ranked among the most intelligent, enterprising and sue- cessful tillers of the soil of that section o. the county. Although a young man in years, his natural ability, prudence and economy, have placed him on the high road to wealth, and he and his fam- ily enjoy the regard and esteem of their friends and neighbors to the highest degree. Mr. Madden was married February 22, 1887, to Miss Sarah L. Myers. a native of Blue Earth County, Minn., who was born April 25, 1862, and is the daughter of Michael and Bridget (Flynn) Myers. The lady
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was reared in Woodbury County, this State, her parents having moved to Sioux City when she was a baby, and made their home at that point for about thirteen years. From there they removed to Willow Township, that county, where she was living at the time of her marriage.
Mr. and Mrs. Madden have been the parents of three children : Ernest P. and Earl M., born Nov- ember 22, 1887, who died, the former June 30, and the latter June 27, 1888; and Francis John, who was born October 17, 1888.
R OBERT W. COOPER, an intelligent and active agriculturist of the town of Frank- lin, who is engaged in general farming, on section 36, came to Monona County in the fall of 1867, and purchased eighty aeres of land on section 21. The following spring he went back to his former home in Michigan, where he remained until the fall of 1871, when he re- turned to Monona County and settled on his place. There he remained until 1882, when having bought the land that forms his present farm, he made a removal and has since that time made his home there. He has a fine estate of three hundred and twenty acres, embracing the north half of section 36, a small proportion of which is highly eulti- vated.
Mr. Cooper was born in the county of Norfolk, England. July 25, 1848, and is the son of Robert and Ann (Butcher) Cooper also natives of that kingdom. About 1853, while he was yet a small child he was brought by his parents to the United States. The family settled in Kalamazoo County, Mich., where the father engaged in farming, which he has followed ever since.
Like many of the emigrants who seek in this country the chance for advancement denied them at home, Mr. Cooper's parents were considerably oppressed by poverty, and the consequence was that their children could avail themselves of but a limited portion of the educational facilities ac- corded, having to earn their own living early in life. Robert at the age of eleven years went out
to work upon the neighboring farms, adopting a course which he followed until the fall of 1867, when, having saved by rigid economy about $200, he came to Monona County to invest it. From this small capital, by energy, ability and thrift, coupled with the economy of himself and wife, he has wrought out his present competence.
Mr. Cooper was united in marriage at Prepara- tion, this county, at the residence of C. C. Perrin, December 30. 1874, with Miss Jennie L. Mend- ham. The lady was born in Norfolk, England, December 12, 1856, and is the daughter of John and Mary (Butcher) Mendham, natives of old England. In the spring of 1871, she came to the United States with her widowed mother and settled in Kalamazoo County, Mich., and with her came to Monona County in the spring of 1872. In , June, 1874. Mrs. Mendham was married to C. C. Perrin, one of the old settlers of Monona County, and still makes her home here.
Mr. and Mrs. Cooper are the parents of four children : Peter F., who was born January 6. 1877; an infant boy, born September 24, 1878, who died the same day ; an infant daughter, born November 18, and died December 12, 1879; and Brick Ernest, born January 14, 1883. In his political views Mr. . Cooper coincides with the Democrats, and has held several local township offices.
ANS OLSON. a resident of the village of Whiting, who is engaged in agricultural pursuits upon his farm on section 26, Lake Township. was born in Norway, August 3, 1854,and is the son of Ole Hanson and his wife Eliza. Ile was reared at home, and, the laws of his native country requiring him to go to school from live years of age to sixteen. he acquired a good educa- tion in his native country. In the spring of 1872, at the age of eighteen, he crossed the ocean to America and settled in Clinton County. Iowa, where he was employed upon a farm and in working on the railroad until 1875. In September of the latter year he came to Monona County. and taking up his residence at Whiting. found employment as
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a section hand, on the railroad. From there he , twenty-five aeres of his land under cultivation. went to Dodge County, Neb., to take charge of a The Fairview herd of Short-horns is recognized as one of the best in the State. section, from which place, July 30, 1877, he returned to Whiting. and being appointed foreman of section hands at that place, remained in the employ of the railroad company until September 1.1887. Resigning the position on that date he removed to Sioux City to take charge of a gang of men in bridge construc- tion, but again. March 1. 1888, returned to Whit- ing. and engaged in farming. Ilis residence in the village he erected in the fall of 1883.
Mr. Olson, December 23, 1874, in Clinton County, Iowa, was married to Miss Brithe Monsen. a native of Norway, and the daughter of Monsen and Aune Monsen. Their home has been brightened and their joys increased, by the advent of three interesting children at their family fireside, to whom they have given the names of Meel O., Eliza A. and Burth II. Mr. Olson is an honest, industri- ons and energetic man, and possesses the confidence and esteem of all with whom he comes in contact, as is shown by his long service in a responsible position.
ON. WILLIAM F. WILEY, the proprie- tor of the Fairview Stock Farm, one of the most prominent citizens of Kennebec Township and one of its largest land owners and stock-raisers, has his residence on section 36. Ile came to Monona County in the spring of 1880. from Henry County, Ill., and settled and com- menced improving the farm where he now lives. lle has now some six hundred acres in his home farm. In addition to this the Wiley Cattle Com- pany, of which he is Secretary and Treasurer. own some six hundred and seventy-five acres more, ly- ing in Kennebec and Center Townships, upon which they usually keep about one thousand head of cat- tle during the summer and three hundred head in the winter time. On his own place Mr. Wiley has about one hundred head of thorough-bred Short- horn cattle, and devoting almost his entire atten- tion to this branch of the business. and has about
Our subject was born in Peoria County, Ill., July 16, 1850. Ilis father, Daniel L. Wiley, was a native of Vermont, who was born in 1818, and emigrated to Illinois in 1840. His mother, Mary ( Billings) Wiley, was also a native of the same State, born about 1820, and died in 1851, leaving two children-Flora B., the wife of W. L. Wiley, of Mapleton Township, and William F .. of whom this sketch is written. In 1853 the father married again, wedding Miss Sarah Davis, a native also of the Green Mountain State.
Mr. Wiley attended school when about four years old for one 'symmer at Lafayette. Stark County. Ill., and next at Galva, Henry County, in the same State, whither his father had removed, and remained a pupil at the latter school until his seventeenth year. After spending one year at the Lombard University, at Galesburg, Ill., he attended Bryant & Stratton's College at Chicago, from which he was graduated in June, 1868. July 1, of the same year, he accepted a position as bookkeeper in the First National Bank of Galva, with which he re- mained until January 1, 1870. The latter date he re- moved to Monmouth, Ill., and entered into the bank- ing house of Claudius, Jones & Co., as a partner but only remained with that concern about nine months, having been elected director and enshier of the Monmonth National Bank, then just organized. Three months later he resigned this latter position and accepted a position as cashier in the First Na- tional Bank of Galva, and in this last capacity re- mained until coming to Monona County in 1880.
At the fall election in 1885, after a spirited and close contest, Mr. Wiley, the candidate of the Re- publican party, was elected Representative to the legislature from this district and ably filled that position in the Twenty-first General Assembly of the State. Ile was chairman of the committee on engrossed bills during the session, and made a sat- isfactory and honest record.
Mr. Wiley, at Galva, Ill., September 26, 1871, was united in marriage with Miss Florence E. Mun- ger, a native of Yates County, N. Y., who was born September 17, 1852, and is the daughter of
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Lyman and Martha S. Munger, who settled in Illi- nois about the year 1867. By this union there has been born a family of four children, of which the following is the record: Floyd L., born Veto- ber 21, 1874, died when a month old; Ione B., born April 22, 1877; Agnes G. June 17, 1879; and Florenee E., August 1, 1883.
LFRED QUINCY WOOSTER, the editor and proprietor of the Home Advocate, a people's paper published at Mapleton, was born in Fillmore County, Minn., June 14, 1863, and is the eldest son of Quincy A. Wooster, mentioned at length in this volume. Ile came with his parents to Monona County in the summer of 1865, and in Maple Township was reared to agri- eultural pursuits, receiving the elements of a good education in its common schools. Before he had reached the age of eighteen years he commenced teaching sehool, which profession he followed sev. eral terms, but in the fall of 1882 entered the Southern lowa Normal School and Business Col- lege at Bloomfield, and from the commercial de- partment of that institution was graduated March 22. 1883. After teaching one term of school he then started the issue of a three-column folio news- paper, worked on a job press at his father's resi- dence in the country, the first issue bearing date of October 18, 1883. January 16, 1884, he en- larged the journal to a six-column quarto, and in October, 1887, further increased it in size to a seven-column quarto. A history of this paper ap- rears elsewhere in the annals of the village of Mapleton, of which it is an important business en- terprise.
Mr. Wooster was married December 9, 1883, at the residenee of J. W. Hall, Monroe County, Iowa, to Miss Luey Cox, a native of Putnam County. Mo., born February 19, 1860, and daughter of S. G. and Clarisa (Coffern) Cox, of Moravia, Appa- noose County, Iowa, who were natives of Ken- tucky. Her parents were married in Missouri in the spring of 1857, whence they came to Monroe
County in 1864. Five years later they moved into Appanoose County.
Mrs. Wooster, the youngest in a family of seven children, laid the foundation of her education in the common schools of the county, and finished with two terms in the Southern lowa Normal School and Business College, and taught in the dis- trict schools some seven years previous to her mar- riage. She is the mother of two children: one unnamed born September 19, 1885, that died in in- fancy; and Vera Anna, born January 1, 1888.
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