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 53
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NDREW T. DAILEY, a leading and in- fluential farmer of Lake Township, has his house on section 22. lle is a native of Gentry County, Mo., born December 27. 1849 and is the son of Andrew and Jemima Dailey. In the fall of 1852 he was taken by his parents to Mills County, Iowa, where he grew to manhood. Hle received his education in the dis- triet schools and was acquainted from early life with the business of carrying on the farm. Ile re- mained with his parents until February 6, 1871, at which time he was united in marriage with Miss Mary J. Armstrong, the daughter of Richard and Elizabeth Armstrong.
By this union there were two children added to his family : Jemima E., who was born September 13, 1872 died August 17, 1874, and Emma, born November 6, 1874.
Immediately after his marriage he settled down to housekeeping on a rented farm and tilled the soil there for two years. In the fall of 1872 he removed to Polk County, this State, but not being satisfied there. the spring following located at Carlisle, Warren County. In the latter place he learned the blacksmith's trade and followed that line of business in that village until the spring of 1875 when he came to Monona County. On the 17th of March of that year he settled at Maple Landing, Lincoln Township where he rented a farm house and barn for $2 per month and on the 25th of April, following, began the business of blacksmithing in the above mentioned barn and
worked in that buikling until the fall of 1877 by which time he had erected a blacksmith shop and dwelling of his own, and moved into the same on December 10th and 11th of that year. By this time he had added to his business that of wagon- making. He did not live in the new honse but a short time before he lost his wife, she dying June 3, 1878 and shortly after S. L. Willets, who was then working in the shop, married and kept house for him. On May 1, 1881, Mr. Dailey was again married, this time to Miss Lavonia C. Pock, the daughter of W. J. and Mary Pock and a native of Holt County, Mo. He and his wife resided at Maple Landing until the spring of 1882, when he removed to his farm on section 7, Lincoln Town- ship, which he purchased in August, 1880, and here their child. Cyrus E. was born February 5, 1883. December 10, 1884, Mr. Dailey again moved, locating upon section 22, Lake Township where he now lives. This was unbroken prairie without a sign of cultivation and his first efforts were ex- pended in the erection of a house in which to shel- ter his family. The same summer he broke up about sixty acres of the land. He is now the owner of the entire south half of the section, making one of the finest farms in the township. llere another son, Newell E. was born December 10, 1885.
R OBERT LINDLEY, Sr., deceased, one of the pioneers of Monona County, and one of its most prosperons farmers, was born in Lineolnshire, England, in September, 1819. lle was reared at home and at the age of twenty- six years came to America, landing in New York. For three years he was engaged in keeping a milk dairy in the latter city, after which he removed to Long Island and entered into the market gardening business. Some three years later he removed to Wisconsin, locating on the shores of Lake Michigan, where he made his residence for about twelve months, and then removed to Iowa. Spending a short time in Marengo. Iowa County, he went on a farm in that neighborhood, where he remained
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until coming to this county, in 1855. Ilaving brought considerable means with him. he entered large quantities of land in this locality at $1.25 an arre. lle was largely identified with the history of the community and the development of the county. and success attended all his investments. HIe be- came one of the wealthier men of the county.
July 27. 1886, after a life of usefulness, Mr. Lindley passed to his rest in the land beyond the grave. He had been married in New York City, to Miss Sarah Grant, a native of County Tipperary, Ireland, who died here August 10, 1872. They had a family of nine children : Richard G., George P., Robert E., William A., John IJ., Mary E., Sarah C., deceased. Samuel M. and Thomas L .. deceased.
IRAM E. NEFF, a resident of Kennebec Township, living on section 14, is engaged in farming and stock raising. He first came to Monona County in the fall of 1873 from Calhoun County, Mich., and for seven months was in the employ of Socrates Smith. The next year lie was engaged at farm labor on the place of J. B. P. Day, when he found that A. J. Hathaway re- quired his services, and with the latter gentleman remained about two years. He then removed to Pennsylvania, but after eighteen months residence in that State, returner to Monona County, and was employed in various places until the fall of 1880, when he purchased a small farm of forty acres, to which he has since added forty more, making Lis present farm of eighty acres, and settled down to its cultivation.
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In Cass County, Mich., October 29, 1851, at the home of his parents, was born the subject of this narrative. Both of his parents, after residing in New York State for some years, settled in Michigan in an early day, where the father died in the fall of 1888. His mother is still living in Cass County, that State, having reached the age of seventy-three years. Hiram, at the early age of thirteen, began to earn a living for himself, working at farm labor for about a year and for the four succeeding years ! andled the baggage at the railroad station at
Dowagiae, Mich. For a short time thereafter he acted as brakeman on the Michigan Central Railway, from which he was promoted to the position of baggage master on one of their trains and remained in the latter capacity until the fall of 1873, when he came to Monona County, as above stated. June 26. 1875, he was united in marriage with Miss Fannie Smith. a native of Monona County, Iowa, who most of her life has resided in Kennebec Township, and is the parent of two children, Emma and Minnie.
R OBERT E. LINDLEY. an active, intelligent and industrious farmer of Sherman Town- ship, having his home on section 30, where he owns some two hundred and thirty-seven acres of well improved land, is the son of Robert and Sarah (Grant) Lindley, who were among the earliest pioneers of Monona County, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this volume.
Robert E. Lindley was born on Long Island, N. Y., October 6, 1851, and removed with the family to Wisconsin, locating on the shores of Lake Michigan. A year later the family removed to Iowa County, this State, and in 1855 to Monona County. where they took up their residence. Here our subject grew to manhood and drew the most of his education from the district schools of this county. In assisting his father on the family home- stead he passed his time until he had attained the age of nineteen years, when, feeling that it was time to strike out for himself, he commenced work- ing for the neighboring farmers by the month. In this manner, and on rented land which he cultivated on his own account, he continued to be employed until 1881, when, having accumulated a little capital, he purchased forty aeres of land on section 30, to which he has since added, from time to time, as means and opportunity offered, until he has now a large and highly cultivated place, the improve- ments upon which are of a good character.
Mr. Lindley was united in marriage December
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31, 1878, with Miss Emma Barcus, a native of Licking County, Ohio, and daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth Bareus. Their family fireside is now surrounded by a family of three children, to whom they have given the following names: Lurena, Irvin and Bert.
ILLIAM C. MARR, one of the proprietors of the Marr Novelty Works at Onawa, came to that city in July, 1870, and shortly after entered into partnership with J. S. Mauglilin, and engaged in carpentering, turning and other wood work. M. B. Pullen, became a member of the firm which remained in business until 1878, when it was dissolved, and the present institution established.
Mr. Marr was born in Norfolk County, Canada, February 9. 1821, and is the son of David Marr, whose father was David Marr, also. In the district schools of that locality he received the elements of an excellent education, which, with the characteris- tie intelligence of his race, for he is a descendant of the head of the clan of Mar, famous in Scottish his- tory. he has much increased by reading. He learned the trade of a worker in wood of his father in early manhood. In 1856 he came to the United States and settled in Olmstead County, Minn., where in company with his brother, John FI. Marr and S. G. Emes, he erected a sawmill. Owing to the hard times consequent upon the financial crisis of 1857, this speculation failed and he lost all his little capi- tal. He then removed to Ellorado, Fayette County, Towa, and bought a mill on Turkey River, but dis- posed of it four years afterward and moved to Dunn County, Wis. He engaged in the lumber business there but in 1868 sold out and came to Jackson County, lowa, and from the latter to this county, as stated above.
Mr. Marr is the patentee of a number of useful inventions, among the most important of which are a sulky scraper, combined bitstock, combination washer and wringer. spiral conveyors for fouring mills, parallel plyers and many others. In 1882 he was sent to the Republic of Mexico by a mining
company, to erect their stamp mills and was there a twelvemonth.
Mr. Marr is a member of the Prohibition party in politics, viewing with alarm the growth of the rum power in the Government of our country. He served as a member of the School Board and as Justice of the Peace for a number of years. Ile is a member of Vesper Lodge, No. 223, A. F. & A. M., at Onawa, having been made a Mason in 1858. at Pleasant Grove, Minn.
In 1841 Mr. Marr was united in marriage with Miss Catherine S. Emes, by whom he had two chil- dren both of whom are deceased. She died in 1854. He afterward married Mehetabel T. Emes, who was born in New Jersey, in 1825. By this union he has had two children, one of whom is now living: Nahum C., born November 21, 1859. John Odell Emes, the father of Mrs. Marr, was born in New York, December 9, 1796. When he was but six years of age his mother died and he was brought up by an uncle. Married in 1821, in 1835 he re- moved to upper Canada, where he lived until 1863 and then came to Wisconsin. He accompanied Mr. Marr to Onawa in 1870, and died here Feb. ruary 9, 1889. He joined the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1837, and retained fellowship with that denomination for forty-three years.
Mr. and Mrs. Marr are zealous members of the Methodist Church, with which they united about 1842, and are foremost in all religious and educa- tional work in the community.
2 AHIUM C. MARR, one of the leading me- chanies of Onawa, was born in Olmstead County, Minn., November 24, 1859, and is the son of William C. and Mehitabel ( Emes) Marr, of whom a sketch appears elsewhere in this work. Ile received the elements of an excellent educa- tion in the district schools and, of his father, learned the trade of a carpenter and cabinet-maker. He came to Onowa with his parents in 1870, since which time he has made his residence there. He was united in marriage May 18, 1882, with Miss Lillie I). Mummey, a native of Clinton County, Iowa, who
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was born February 17, 1859, and was a daughter of Alexander and Lucinda Mummey, the former of whom died January 4, 1878. By this union there have been two elrildren.
ASHINGTON VAN DORN, senior partner in the firm of Van Dorn & Son, dealers in general merchandise at the village of Rod- ney, is a representative of one of the early pioneer families of Monona County. locating here with his father in 1855.
Smithland, but only continued in it some six months, again taking up farming, moving to his farm, which has been his residence ever since. In the fall of 1887, he erected a building in the new town of Rodney, in which, in the spring of 1888, in company with his son Arthur Virgil, he opened up a general stock of merchandise, and is still en- gaged in that business. The second floor of the building he occupies, which is 22x50 feet in size, is known as Van Dorn Hall, and is used for all public purposes.
Mr. Van Dorn was married at Smithland, Wood- bury County, Iowa. November 2, 1858, to Miss Anna M. Van Zant. a native of Knox County, Ohio, who was born April 3, 1835, and is a daugh- ter of Jacob and Saralı (Hutton) Van Zant, both of whom are deceased, dying in Woodbury County. By this union there have been born three children : Alice Ada, August 8, 1859, who died February 16. 1864; Florence May, born May 3, 1865; and Arthur V., born January 10, 1868.
Our subject was born in Washington Township, Richland County, Ohio, March 6. 1830, and is the fifth son of Cornelius and Mary (Wilkinson) Van Dorn, a history of whom appears elsewhere. He received his education in the common schools of his native county, but on attaining his manhood spent some time at a select school in Belleville. From the time he was fifteen years of age, he had been accustomed to earn his own living, and upon finishing his education, went to work in a sawmill in the eastern part of Ohio, as an engineer, and continued in that capacity for about a year. Re. OHN CROSSLEY, who is engaged in general farming and stock-raising, on section 19, Lake Township, was born November 8, 1856. in Cheshire. England, and is the son of John and Caroline Crossley, both of whom are natives of the same kingdom. In 1861, the family came to the United States and located at Burling- ton, Iowa, where the father was employed in the distillery for a time, afterwards adopting farming on land in that vicinity. At a later date he re- moved to Lonisa County, in this State, where he is now living. turning to Riehland County to assist his father in settling up his business, as the family was about to remove to the West, in 1854 he came with his father to Iowa, and located with him in Fayette County. The two, in partnership, rented a tract of land near West Union, upon which they made their home from October, 1851, until a year from that date, and then, packing up, came to Monona County and settled in Grant Township, the second family to take up their residence therein. After remaining with his father some two years, Wash- ington removed to his own farm on section 3, and The subject of this personal biography was reared mostly upon a farm. receiving his education in the district schools provided by our noble young State. lle remained at home until the spring of 1878, when, having leased a farm in Des Moines County, he entered upon its cultivation, and commenced life on his own account. In the fall of 1882 he made a tour of investigation to Monona County, and, being pleased with the appearance of things. engaged in agricultural pursuits until 1860, when. having acquired some land in Woodbury County, he removed thither. In 1863, he purchased an in- terest in a steam sawmill at Smithland, Woodbury County, with J. C. Watts, but a year later removed it to the outlet of Blue Lake, west of Onawa. Two years later he sold out his interest therein. and re- turned to the farm. In the fall of 1866, he entered into the mercantile business with D. P. Dillings, at v and having a high idea of the prospects of the
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County. he purchased the eighty veres of land that represents his present farm. He returned to Burl- ington, and there, February 13, 1883. he was united in marriage with Miss Laura Gulick, a native of that city, and daughter of John and Susannah (Shuck ) Guhek, born, the former in Virginia, and the latter in lowa. In March, 1884, chartering a car, into which he loaded his housebold belongings, he removed to this county and settled upon his farm where he has since made his home. He broke some forty acres of land the first season, it being totally unimproved up to that period. and has erected a neat and tasty cottage, 12x24 feet in size, with a wing 10x18, and has put up a barn 20x24 feet in dimensions.
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Mr. and Mrs. Crossley have been the parents of i three children: Julia, born January 2, 1884; an infant son unnamed, born June 14, 1885: and Maud. born July 17, 1887. A few days after the birth of the second childl. a cyclone swept across a portion of the county, and Mr. Crossley's farm being in its track, his house was instantly torn to pieces, and his wife seriously injured, their little babe being killed. The lady was under the hands of a physi- cian for several weeks, and has never fully recovered from the effects of the accident. Both Mr. Crossley and his wife are zealous members of the Christian church, and in politics he is a Republican.
E N. DELASHMUTT, an extensive farmer and stock raiser of Lincoln Township, liv- ing on section 22, made his first appearance in Monona County in the fall of 1870, but a short time after, having resided with his brother-in-law. W. G. Ballard, near Maple Landing, he returned to Mills County, Iowa. In February, 1872, he came back to this county and opened a farm on the west bank of Badger Lake, where he made his home until the following fall, and then returned to Mills County. While there he traded his place on the above lake for 120 acres of the land upon which he now lives, with his brother, and in November, 1875, came here and made a permanent settlement
the land, and only about fifty acres broken. Suc- cess having attended his efforts, he has been ena- bled to add to his farm until it is now three hun- dred and sixty acres in extent, a large portion of which is under cultivation and well improved.
Mr. Delashmutt was born in Mahaska County, lowa, February 13, 1851, and is the son of P. L. and Esther Delashmutt. When he was about eight years of age the family removed to Mills County, in which section of this State he was reared and educated, and there made his home until coming to Monona County.
In Mills County, March 7, 1875, took place the interesting ceremony that united the life and desti- nies of our subject and Miss Maggie Talliferio. The lady is a native of Worth County, Mo., and is the daughter of James and C. J. Talliferio. Around their domestic hearth clusters a family of six chil- dren that have been born in the march of time, who bear the following names: Jesse L., Clay, John W., Fanny, Elmer V. and Marcia D.
ILLIAM MCFARLANE. Among the suc- cessful business men of Monona County, is the popular and well-known banker of the village of Bleneoe, of whom this epitome is written. A native of Lanarkshire, Scotland, he was born near the city of Glasgow, June 6, 1852. Ilis parents, James and Margaret ( Picken) McFarlane, are both still living "on their native heath," and after fifty years of wedded felicity, in 1888, cele- brated their golden wedding.
William McFarlane was reared not far from the banks of the classic river Clyde, among the beauti- ful surroundings of his native county, and received an excellent education in the public and high schools of Glasgow. Preferring the practical to a collegiate education, he entered a commercial othice in that metropolis of Southwestern Scotland, and songht at the desk the mysteries of book-keeping and general commercial business. For three years he was employed as a book-keeper, after which he entered the civil service in the Board of Trade de- on the farm. There was but a small house upon | partment, where he remained about four years.
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Believing that in the Colonies his chances in life were greater than at home, in 1878 he sailed for the Indian Ocean and Australia, and, men of his stamp being sought after in that great dependeney of the British Empire, he found employment with a large mercantile firm in the city of Adelaide. Four years he spent in that southern continent, but in the spring of 1882 came to the U'nited States, and in his search for a locality in which to engage in business, came to Blencoe, and soon afterward was taken into partnership by his brother, James, in the mercantile business, and the firm of Me- Farlane & Bro. formed. They carried on this line of trade until 1888. when they disposed of their building and business to E. M. Calef. and the firm was dissolved. Mr. McFarlane was largely in- strumental in the location of the depot at this point, and in many other efforts for the benefit of the community. In 1888, feeling the necessity that the new town had for a bank, he made ar- rangements, and in August of that year opened the institution over which he presides, which is known as the Bank of Blencoe. Ile does a general bank- ing. real estate, and fire and tornado insurance business, making abstracts of titles, is a Notary Public. and is the agent for the sale of Trans- Atlantic steamship tickets.
Mr. MeFarlane was united in marriage, May 21, 1889, with Miss Jennie Glenn, a native of Ireland, born October 22, 1860, and who came with her parents. John and Margaret (Ferguson) Glenn, to America in the spring of 1868. A sketch of her father appears elsewhere in the pages of this book.
mineller
UINCY A. WOOSTER. The subject of this biography is widely and favorably known throughout this county, as one of its most prominent and useful citizens. He is a Western pioneer, having with his own hands opened three farms from the wild prairie, and is a life-long agri- culturist, but of late years has been devoting a large share of his attention to live stock on his beau- tiful farm of some four hundred and forty-six acres in Maple Township. The latter is well located and
nicely improved, and lies in the lovely Maple Val- ley, on the banks of the silvery Maple River. Ile came to Monona County in thespring of 1865, and settled in Cooper Township, then a part of Maple. Ile took up a claim on section G. upon which he erected a house and broke some thirty acres of land. In 1867 he sold this and bought the land and improved the farm npon which he now resides. this being the south half of section 12, Maple Township.
Mr. Wooster first saw the light of day. Septem - ber 4, 1839, in Caledonia County, Vt., and is the son of John and Fanny R. (Stebbins) Wooster, na- tives of Vermont and Connecticut, respectively. Ilis father was a Congregational minister and was somewhat engaged in agricultural callings and made his home in Vermont and New Hampshire until his death. The mother of our subject died at West Burke, Vt., February 26, 1888, aged eighty-four years.
Mr. Wooster, the third in a family of four chil- dren, received an excellent education. both in the common schools and at an academy, and remained at home with his parents until about eighteen years of age. Receiving his time from his father, he went to Maine, where he engaged in lumbering, and remained until the summer of 1860, when he came West and settling in Fillmore County, Minn., engaged in agriculture. From there, five years later, he came to Monona County.
Although formerly affiliating with the Republi- ean party, in 1872, during the Liberal Republican movement, he supported Horace Greeley for Pres- ident and in 1876 and 1880. prominently identified himself with the Greenback party, working earn- estly for the election both of Peter Cooper and James B. Weaver. Ile was a delegate to the Chi- cago convention in 1884, that nominated Benjamin F. Butler for President, and is one of the workers in the Union Labor movement in this county, at the present writing. He has been a delegate to va- rious State conventions at different times, and in the fall of 1879 received the nomination of the Greenback convention for member of the legisla- ture, and reduced the majority against that party in the district, fully 50 per cent. He has hekl the office of County Supervisor, serving as Chairman
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one or two years and has held nearly all the differ- ent offices in the township. Hle is a member of Amicable Lodge, No. 289, A. F. & A. M., at Smith- land. and of Gem City Assembly. No. 10,029 K. of L., at Mapleton.
Mr. Wooster was married October 5, 1862, to Miss Catherine M. Monroe, a native of Bradford County, Pa., born July 1. 1839, and a daughter of John M. and Roxy ( Willis) Monroe, natives of the Empire State, who were married July 28, 1833, From New York the latter removed to Bradford County, Pa .. and in the spring of 1852 settled in Fillmore County, Minn., where they still live. Eleven children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Wooster, as follows: Alfred Q., born June 11, 1863; Fremont M. May 26, 1866; Nellie M .. October 7, 1867; Levy F .. June 5, 1869; George C., March 9, 1871 ; Ida J., August 31, 1872; Fannie R., April 2, 1874; John L. February 6, 1876; Dora E., April 11, 1878; Martin E., Feb- ruary 11, 1881, and Ellen M., born May, 1, 1889. who died July 24, of the same year.
During the time of the Minnesota Indian massa- cre in 1862, Mr. Wooster served some time in a volunteer company in the neighborhood of Winne- bago City. Madelia, South Bend and Mankato, doing execlient service in the defence of the settlers. Hle was connected with the Peoples' Press, of Maple- ton. for some time. as will appear in the history of that journal. elsewhere in this volume.
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