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 54
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From early boyhood he has been a student of books and newspapers, aiming to keep posted on all current topics of the day. His home is always well supplied with books and newspapers and he knows what they contain. Upon all subjects he hears all sides and forms his own conclusions and acts upon his own convictions of right.
u RIANI U. COMFORT, a prominent farmer of Franklin Township, living on section 32, was born in Canisteo, Steuben County, N Y., April 14, 1827, and is a son of Thomas M., and Cynthia ( Upson) Comfort. Ilis father was a na- tive of Orange County, N. Y., born June 30, 1801.
and removed to Tioga County, Pa., with his par- ents in his youth. At the age of eighteen he re- moved to Canisteo, where he was married in March, 1824, to Cynthia Upson, who was born at that place September 18, 1808. She was the daughter of U'riah and Maria (Pritchard) Upson, the former a native of Ilolland. the latter of Connecticut. Mrs Uriah I'pson, the grandmother of our subjeet, was the only one that escaped alive at the time of the famous.Wyoming massacre, in Pennsylvania, she hiding in the brush.
Edward Comfort, the father of Thomas M., and grandfather of Uriah, was born at Old Point Comfort, Va., where his father, in company with two brothers, hind settled on coming from their home in Baden, Germany, where their parents died. Edward Comfort. who was a shoemaker by trade, married Miss Lavinia McDonald, a native of Seot- land, who became the mother of nine children, three girls and six boys. The family moved to New Jersey and from there to Pennsylvania, and in the latter State they both died, the former in 1838, and the latter in 1841.
Uriah U. Comfort, who was the eldest in a fam- ily of eight children, born to his parents, was reared upon a farm in his native county, receiving his education in the district schools of that locality. On attaining manhood he struck out for himself and, after a few years employed in farm labor, en_ gaged in the meat market business in the village of Canisteo, which he carried on from 1853 to 1856. From there he proceeded to Saginaw, Mich., and for three years was engaged in lumbering. In 1859, after a short visit paid to his old home, he came to Monona County, and purchasing the farm where he now lives, settled upon it and commenced its in- provement. At first he bought one hundred aeres paying for it about $4.00 per aere to which he has since added from time to time. until he now owns some three hundred and fifteen acres, lying in Frank- lin and Sherman Townships, and one hundred and sixty acres of this is in the home farm.
May 3, 1853. Mr. Comfort was united in mar- riage with Miss Julia Bennett, a native of Steuben County, N. Y., who was born September 18, 1836. She is a daughter of Isaac and Lydia (Rathburn) Bennett, natives of Orange County, N. Y .. and Con-
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necticut respectively. who were the parents of four children of whom Mrs. Comfort was the youngest.
William Rathburn, the grandfather of Mrs. Com- fort, was of English ancestry and was born at sea on the vessel in which his parents were coming to this country. Early in life he adopted a seafaring life and rose to the command of a vessel. During the Revolutionary War, in an engagement with the British, he lost his vessel, after which he set- tled in New York, where he owned a large tract of land.
Mr. and Mrs. Uriah Comfort are the parents of three children: Dorr, who was born February 4. 1855; Thomas M., who was born April 24, 1864; and Willis I., whose birth took place September 21. 1868
B. P. DAY, one of the old pioneers of Mo- nona County, a representative citizen of Kennebec Township, and at present a mem- ber of the mercantile firm of W. T. Day & Co., of Castana, is the second son of Franklin A. and Harriet P. Day, and was born in Hallowell, Me., May 31, 1834. He attended the district schools until he was fourteen, when he entered the Ilallowell Academy for two years. At sixteen he engaged as clerk for a lumber firm for a year, and the next two years was in the grocery business with his brother, Frank, in Bath, Me. In the fall of 1853 he followed his father's family to Middle- field, Conn., where he was employed as overseer of a mill and as clerk for a mill and factory close by. In February, 1855, young Day went to Perth Amboy. N. I., where his father was then located, and in July followed the advice Horace Greeley was then giving and came West, via Hudson River, New York Central, Lake Erie & Detroit to Chicago and thence to St. Charles, Ill.
In August and September Mr. Day made a pio- neer trip to Sioux City with T. Elliott and J. E. Morrison, at which time they purchased a timber claim on section 8, on the Sioux River, and re- turned to St. Charles. In October. F. A. Day, Frank 1 .. Day and wife, and Preston Day, came to St. Charles, and the party drove through to Mo-
nona County that fall, going into camp on the west side of the Sioux in the "bend" just northeast of the Kennebec bridge, in the middle of December, living that severe winter in tents, and building a cabin into which they moved February, 27, 1856.
J. B. P. Day lived in the "bend" until April 22, 1864, when he moved to the hill-top on his home- stead on the east half of the southeast quarter of section 24, Keneebec Township, the north forty of which is now part of the plat of Castana. Here he opened a farm and occupied the place until Decem- ber, 1878, when, in company with F. A. Day and William T. Day. he purchased the stock of goods carried by Frank T. Day at old Castana and, under the name of F. A. Day & Co., did business for four years. At the end of that time F. A. Day sold out his interest to his partner, and the firm of W. T. Day & Co. was established and remained at the old location until November, 1886, when they removed to the new town of Castana.
In earlier days Mr. Day was engaged in farming, road and bridge building, and surveying in connec- tion with a land agency. He is more intimately acquainted with the onginal surveys of Eastern Monona than all other parties combined, having seen nearly every section line in that part of the county. In 1867 he spent a year in Crawford County, building the first house at Charter Oak, and was the first occupant of town 84, range 41. The same season, with the help of A. R. Herring- ton. be built the road up the Soldier River to Dennison, having built the bridges in Monona County from Castana to and across the Middle Soldier, the year before. In 1871-72 Mr. Day worked with the Towa Pacific Railroad in locating a line and working up right of way, and the Chi- cago & Northwestern has since occupied nearly the same line for their track. The lowa Pacific was abandoned in consequence of the hard times and other roads defeating their placing of bonds for its completion. In his capacity as surveyor he has located a large share of the public roads in Eastern Monona, and has always fought hard for good thoroughfares. Ile has. like other mortals, his hob- bies, one of which is scattering blue grass seed ou the wild sod, and has advocated it so long and earnestly that he long ago earned the sobriquet of
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"Blue Grass." which he formally adopted as a nom de plume in his many sketches furnished the press in years agone.
On the 224 of November. 1861. Mr. Day married Miss Sophia E. Thomas, the daughter of John and Eliza J. Thomas, who was born near Macon, Noxu- bee County, Miss .. January 26, 181. and has been a resident of Monona since 1853. They have had five children. viz .: Wilder S. born JJune 14. 1863, who died July 27, 1863; William T., born May S. 1865 ; Annie L., born hine 17, 1868, who died Oc- tober 25, 1871 ; Ralph P., born February 18, 1871; and Elsie, October 3, 1871.
AMES M. CASE. Though peacefully fol- lowing the vocation of a farmer's life upon his splendid 200-acre farm on section 23, in Sioux Township, the subject of this sketeh has seen the hardships and endured the trials and dangers of life on the tented field. He is a native of Greene County, Ind., born July 13, 1840. and is the son of Francis C., and Mary Ann Case. A sketch of his father who was one of the pioneers of this county and one of its most prominent citizens. may be found elsewhere in the pages of this vol- ume. Ilis mother was born near Lexington, Mo., June 11, 1814 and was married in Jackson County in the same State, about 1833, and is yet alive, having had a family of eight children, of whom five are living.
When James M., the third child, was about one year old, the family removed from Indiana to Illi- hois, and in a couple of years came to this State loeating at Fort Madison. Lee County. A short time thereafter they removed to Montrose, and three years later to Keokuk. After living in the latter place about two years and in Des Moines several more, they came to Council Bluffs in 1850, and to Monona County in 1853, and located upon a farm on section 5, Franklin Township, just west of the city of Onawa. There the father died and the family was broken up. All these years James was growing to manhood and, in 1862, taking up life's burden, he went to Harrison County, where
he was engaged in farming for about a year, and then, in response to the many calls for men to sup- press the rebellion, December 27, 1863, he enlisted in Company L, Fourth lowa Cavalry and was for- warded to his regiment as a recruit, and partici- pated in the engagements at Guntown. Lexington. Mine Creek, Selma, Tupelo, White River. Osage. Lock Creek. Okalona, St. Francis River, and Co- lumibus, Ga. One of the best authorities in the State says " that the Fourth Cavalry was one of the bravest and most successful lowa regiments in the field, and its services were of the utmost value to the I'nion arms." Mr. Case was mustered out, with the regiment, at Atlanta, Ga., August 8, 1865, and received his discharge at Davenport, August 24, 1865. At once returning to the quiet life of a farmer, he took up his home in Clay Township, Harrison County, where he remained until the fall of 1881, and then removed to a farm upon which he now resides, and which he has since occupied.
Mr. Case was married April 19, 1866, to Miss Dorinda Martin, a native of West Virginia, and slaughter of Benjamin and Rebecca Martin, and by this union had a family of eleven children, as fol- lows: Friend, William F., Ida, Herbert, Emma, Oscar, Mary, deceased, Martin M., an infant that died unnamed; Bern and Ettie A.
W ILLIAM TOWNLY JR., an old resident of Monona County, settled in Sioux Township, on section 12, in 1870. He was born in Gloucestershire, England, February 14, 1828, and is the son of William Sr. and Esther (Daney) Townly. His father was born in the same shire about 1789, and there, in 1814. was married. Ile came to the l'nited States in 1834, and engaged in farming in New York State, where he died in 1859. his wife having died in England in 1847. They had a family of seven children: Mary Ann, de- ceased; John, Richard, Phoebe, Samuel, William, and Michael, deceased.
William Jr. grew to manhood in Barrington, England, and came to the United States in 1865, landing at New York City. From there he went
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to Utah Territory, near Echo City, where he was engaged in work on the Union Pacific Railroad. For four years he remained there after which he came back East, and for the succeeding four years was engaged in farming in Belvidere Township, this county. Being seized with the " western fever," in the spring of 1875. he returned to Utah and spent the summer in the mines about forty miles west of Salt Lake City, and then came back to Monona County, and located on the farm where he now lives and owns one hundred and sixty acres of land. Ilis place is all improved and under fence and the buildings upon it of an excellent character.
Mr. Townly was married in England, June 3, 1850, to Miss Harriet Folks, a native of that coun- try, who died September 19, 1865, having had no children but adopting one, Amelia Folks, born April 15, 1858, when she was but a year old. Mrs. TownĊy died in this country while crossing the plains to Utah. Again January 15, 1868, Mr. Townly entered into a matrimonial alliance, wed ding Miss A. M. Festerson at Echo City, Utah She is a native of Denmark, born October 18, 1835, and is the daughter of S. and Margaret Hansen Festerson. By this union has been born a family of six children; William, born November 1. 1868, died December 4, 1868; Ilarry, born Novem- ber 29, 1869, died January 18, 1871; Joseph, born December 7, 1870; Harriet. November 8, 1872; Esther, July 10, 1874; and John W., De- cember 27, 1876.
Woodbury County, but, in the fall of 1881, pur- chased a farm in the latter county. where he lived about two years. After selling out there, he went to Ilolt County Mo., but. in August 1883, returned here and settled where he now lives.
Mr. Inman was born in Rock County, Wis., October 15, 1846, and is the son of Richard S., and Delila (Applegate) Inman, natives of Pennsyl- vania and New Jersey, respectively. When he was about eight years of age, his parents removed from Rock County, Wis., to Sauk County, in the same State, and in the latter he was reared to man- hood. He laid the foundation of his education in the district schools of his native State, finishing by an attendance at the Baraboo Collegiate Insti- tute. Ile remained at home until May, 1871, when he started for Nebraska and the following July took a pre-emption claim in Holt County. The survey was in progress at the time and he was com- pelled to wait two years before he could file his papers. While residing there he, in common with the other people of a large section of country, suffered from the devastation of the grasshoppers, and in September 1871, came to Iowa as above stated.
Mr. Inman was married October 8, 1876, to Miss Mary E. Kenworthy, daughter of Kennard and Catherine (Brade) Kenworthy. The young lady was a native of Philadelphia, born May 17, 1850, and removed with her parents to Sauk County, Wis., in 1855, where she was reared and educated. She is the mother of three children : Guy R., born August 15, 1877; Agnes G. July 26, 1880 and Ellsworth K., December 24, 1882. Mrs. Inman, a lady of culture and ability was for some six years previous to her marriage engaged in teaching school in Sauk County, Wis .. and took a high rank among the educators of that region.
ETER INMAN, who is engaged in farm- ing on section 21, in West Fork Township, came to Monona County in September, 1871 and for five years was engaged in teaching school in Franklin, Lincoln, Sherman, Belvidere and Grant Townships. In the spring of 1876, he took charge of a large flock of sheep belonging to G. II. Bryant, then County Treasurer, E DWIN R. McNEILL, of the town of Ash- ton, residing on section 20, furnishes a for- cible illustration of the power of industry, ability and self-reliance, he having risen by suc- working on shares, dividing the wool and increase each year, thus accumulating some capital. He continued in this business about seven years, five in Grant Township and two in Willow Township, I cessive degrees by his own efforts. from extremely
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moderate circumstances to his present position of , October 2, 1847. and by this union they have gath- affluence. He was born in Somerset County, Pa .. ered about their family fireside ten children, viz .: Othello, Orville, Culver, Neal. Benton. Edwin, Maud. James. Earl and David. April 15, 1812, and is the son of Laughlin and Sarah ( MeClintock ) McNeill. His father was a native of Ireland, born November 5, 1785, and came to the United States when about thirteen years of age. landing at New York. From there he went to Pennsylvania, rejoining his father who had come to this country two years previous, and settled in that commonwealth. He made his home in the Key- stone State. until November 17. 1853. when he passed away in death. His wife, Sarah MeNeill. the mother of our subject, was a native of Somer- set County, Pa., born October 22, 1799, and died there December 22, 1870. She was the mother of nine children: Ano, Sarah, Neal, Mary, James, Rachel, Jane, Laughlin and Edwin R.
Edwin R. MeNeill, the youngest of his father's family. remained at home enjoying the advantages of excellent school facilities in his younger days. until the summer of 1860, when he started for the Pacific Coast, then the" promised land for a seeker after fortune. For seven years he was engaged in mining and by energy, economy and a run of good luck. managed to acenmmlate quite a small fortune with which he returned to his home in Pennsyl- vania, Being determined to seek in the West a newer locality, in which to carry on his favorite agricultural pursuits, in August, 1868, he came to Monona County and the following winter invested in two hundred and forty acres of land on section 20, Ashton Township, to which he moved the fol- lowing spring and commenced operations. To this he has added from time to time until he now owns four hundred and eighty acres of excellent arable land, two hundred and ten acres of which is under cultivation, eighty seeded to timothy and the bal- ance in meadow. Ile pays considerable attention to cattle, having. at the present, a herd of about four hundred, some of which are thoroughbred and some high grades. He has also about twenty-five head of horses, all of excellent strains.
Mr. MeNeall on returning to his native home in Somerset, Pa., being filled with the natural desire of establishing a home of his own, was united in marriage May 5, 1868, with Miss Lonisa Younkin, a native of Somerset County, Pa., who was horn
J. GINGLES, M. D .. a practicing physician and member of the drug firm of Kinney, Moad & Co .. of l'te, came to Monona County in 1882, and for six months was engaged as clerk in the drug-store of Dr. F. Grif- fin, at Mapleton. Returning to Imogene, Fremont County, this State, there and at Council Bluffs, he spent the balance of the year in drug-stores. For one year from the fall of 1883 he was again with Dr. Gritlin, of Mapleton. He then went to Louis- ville, Ky., and entered the Louisville Medical Col- lege at that place, from which, returning to Mo- nona County, he engaged in country practice for about a year, and then removed to Mapleton. After following his profession until September. 1886, at that point, he returned to his alma mater at Louisville, and resumed his studies in the Louis- ville Medical College. Having graduated from that noted institution, February, 25, 1887, he located at Imogene, engaging in practice until February, 1889, when he came to Ute, arriving the 15th of the month, and has since carried on the duties of his profession in that locality.
The Doctor was born in Rock Island County. Ill., October 19, 1861, and is the son of William T. and Elizabeth (Johnson) Gingles, the former a native of Northumberland County, Pa., who re- inoved to Mercer County, Ill., with his parents in 1838; and the latter, born in Quebec, Canada, who located in Mercer County, Ill., with her parents in 1852. His parents were married in August, 1860, in Rock Island County, and in 1876 removed to Fremont County, where they now live, and where the father carries on a large farm, an occupation he has followed all his life.
The Doctor, the eldest in a family of five chil- dren, attended school in his native county, where he laid the foundation of his education. He re- moved to Southwestern Iowa with his parents in
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1876, and in Mills and Fremont Counties taught school, but being desirous of a professional edu- cation, made every effort to attend college, and finally succeeded in obtaining his wish. He is a member of Silver Lodge, No. 221, K. of P., whose Castle HIall is located at Ute, and of which he was one of the organizers.
1
ARKER J. KIMBALL, an old settler of Monona County, now living in Franklin Township, on section 16, came here first in April, 1858, to see the country, and re- mained until the following spring. That being the year of the Pike's Peak excitement, he started for that Eldorado, but, on the way, changed his mind and went to California, and located in Shasta County. There he was engaged in mining until September 19, 1861, when he enlisted in Company C, Fourth California Infantry, and served for two years in Washington Territory, being discharged at Drumm Barracks, August 16, 1863. Abont the same time he returned to Maine, and in the spring of 1864 came back to Monona County, and pur- chasing eighty acres of land made a settlement. Ile has been engaged in agriculture here ever since, and has added to his farm from time to time until he now owns two hundred and sixty-five acres, two hundred of which is in his home farm. Ile is en- gaged in stoek-raising, and is one of the stock- holders in the Onawa Creamery.
Our subject is a native of Kennebec County, Me., born February 21, 1838, and is the son of Na- thaniel and Julia (Stone) Kimball. Ilis father was born in Maine, in 1780, and when a boy adopted a seafaring life, and rose to be Captain of the packet between the Kennebec River and Boston. He died in his native State, in 1863. The mother of our sub- ject, also a native of Maine, was born May 12. 1800, and died in September, 1876. She was the | mother of seven children, six boys and one girl. our subjeet being the sixth.
Mr. Kimball was reared in his native county . where he lived until he was sixteen years of age, at which period he removed with his parents to Bos-
ton, Mass., and there he made his home until com- ing to this county as above stated. 1le received an excellent common-school education.
Our subject has been twice married, first in Oc- tober, 1864, wedding Miss Ellen Bigelow, also a na- tive of Maine, who died in Monona County, in May, 1877, leaving three children : Julia, now the wife of G. Bentley, born October 28, 1866; Al- fred W., born September 17, 1868; and Luella, November 27, 1874. 1lis second wife was Miss Ellen M. Bigelow. to whom he was united in 1878. This lady was born in Somerset County, Me., May 10, 1839, and is the daughter of Benja- min F. and Louisa (Ilerren ) Bigelow. both of whom were also born in Somerset County. Me. Iler father was reared on a farm, and early in life followed stone-cutting at Bangor, and afterward served an apprenticeship at the mason's trade. In 1857 he moved to Bureau County, Ill., and in June, 1886, came to Monona County, and has since made Ins home with our subject. He was born De- cember 21, 1812, and his wife April 21, 1813. They were married November 3, 1836, and have had a family of three children-Ellen M., Nettie and Clara A.
Our subject and his wife are the parents of two interesting children: William F., whose birth took place September 15, 1880; and Edwin P., born February 13, 1881.
LE ENGEN, a farmer and stock-raiser, of section 22, Spring Valley Township, is a representative of the Scandinavian race, that have been so important a factor in the build- ing up and development of these Northwestern States, and who make some of our finest citizens. He was born in Norway, August 27, 1830, and is the son of O. O. Engen. In the days of his youth he received a common-school education, and was duly instructed in the catechism of the Intheran Church, and there grew to manhood. At the age of thirty-four years, April 17, 1864, he was united
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in marnage with Miss Carrie Olson, a native of the same kingdom, born February 2, 1836.
In 1866, with a natural desire to rise in the world and enjoy the freedom of more liberal insti- tutions, Mr. Engen crossed the stormy Atlantic in a sailing-vessel, and after a dreary, tedious voyage, lasting some seven weeks, landed at Quebec, Can- ada. From that port he eame directly to Chicago, where he arrived July 4, and at once proceeded to Rock County, Wis., and in the latter locality he was engaged in farming until 1871. In that year, in search of a larger field for his efforts. he came to Monona County, and settling in Willow Township remained there until 1877, when, purchasing the farm upon which he now resides, he moved thither and engaged in its cultivation. This farm com . prises one hundred acres of well-improved and highly cultivated land, and the buildings upon it are of a neat and tasty description. In his political views Mr. Engen is a Republican. although no politician,
Mr. Engen and his wife are the parents of six children, as follows: Anna Maria, born in Nor- way, December 30, 1861; Ole, born in Norway. April 1, 1866; Lena, born in Rock County. Wis .. October 28, 1869; Gustave, born in Rock County, Wis, January 6, 1871; Eddie, born in Monona County, lowa, January 25, 1875; and Clara Otilda, born August 25, 1876.
Mr. Engen came to this country in limited cir- cumstances, and it is his pride to know that his present comfortable financial condition is the re . sult of his own efforts and industry.
E DWIN PRICHARD, a well-known and rep- resentative farmer, residing on section 22, Grant Township, made a settlement in this county in March, 1865. He was born in Lorain County, Ohio. December 18, 1822, and is the son of one of the Revolutionary heroes that bore arms in our struggle for Independence. . Jared Prichard, h s father, a native of Connecticut, born in 1758, was reared upon a farm, and at the age of sixteen years entered the Continental Army, and served
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