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 59
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ILAN F. BRINK, one of the prominent and most extensive farmers in the town of West Fork, has his residence on section 21, which is surrounded by his fine farm of two hundred and thirty-four aeros. About ninety-five aeres of this latter are brought under cultivation, the balance being devoted to pastur- age and hay raising, he giving much attention to stock.
Mr. Brink is a native of the State of lowa, born in Jones County, September 3, 1849, and is the son of James S. and Mary A. (Ayers) Brink. His father was born in Bradford County, Pa., and his mother, the daughter of Richard Ayers, in Ohio. Ile re- ceived his education in the county of his birth and in Linn County, this State, to which he removed with his parents when he was about eleven years of age. At the early age of fifteen years he eom- menced hfe on his own account, going to Stark County, Ill., where he worked one summer on a farm. The next two years were spent in the same employment in Jones and Cedar Counties, this State. After his marriage, in the fall of 1868, for two years he made his home in Bertram, Linn County, and then removed to a farm four miles south of Cedar Rapids, which he rented. From September, 1870, until the fall of 1873 he made his home in Cedar Rapids, and from there 1
removed to Boone County, in which he purchased a farm and entered upon its cultivation. In the spring of 1877 he removed to Greene County, where he had purchased some land and carried on agriculture until March, 1880, when he came to Monona County and settled in Grant Township. For several years be carried on agriculture in the latter locality, on rented farms, but in March, 1884, he removed to the place where he now lives. The first season there he broke about seventy acres. twenty-five of which he planted with corn.
Our subject was united in marriage September 21, 1868, with Delilah M. Roberts, an adopted daughter of Jessie and Jane McClure, who died September 17, 1870. May 9, 1875, he again en- tered into matrimony, this time with Miss Maggie M. Shuey, the daughter of Barney and Sarah (Brown) Shuey. They are the parents of five chil- dren : Emma C., who was born April 3, 1876 ; Ira W., September 30, 1877 ; Francis M., February 21, 1879; Roy, July 20, 1883, and Orris, January 24, 1888.
Barney Shuey, the father of Mrs. Brink, was the son of Jacob Shuey, and was born in Pennsylvania in 1829. Sarah Shuey, nee Brown, his wife, was a native of Virginia, born in 1830, and was the daughter of William Brown.
OIIN IIUFF, a representative citizen of Lake Township, residing on section 32, is engaged in general farming and stock-raising. Ile came to Monona County in September, 1869. and was the first settler in the Lake Circle. He brought with him, at the time, a sawmill which he set up here and ran for about ten years, the abun- dant timber of the neighborhood furnishing him plenty of material. At the end of that time he purchased land and essayed its cultivation and, although it was covered with heavy timber, has cleared it up and brought it to a high state of tiltlı. He added to his original investment a piece of land on the prairie which he had also improved in a great degree.
Mr. 1Inff was born in Morgan County, Va .. Oc-
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tober 2, 1821. me ie a son of Andrew and Nancy Ambrows ) Huff. His father dying when our sub- jeet was a child, he remained with his mother until he had attained his seventeenth year, after which he removed to Uniontown Pa., and there found employment at which he continued for about twelve months. The balance of the time between that and the period when he came to Monona County, was passed in farming in Wabash County, Indiana. While in the latter place he bought and cleared up two different farms, both of which were in the timber and necessitated hard work.
October 15. 1840, Mr. ITuff was united in mar- riage, in Grant County, Ind .. to Miss Mary Briggs, the danghter of Benjamin and Sarah Briggs, and who died in June, 1883, in Lake Township. having been the mother of the following nine children : John W., Sarah E., Helen R., Melissa D., Tressa, Mary A .. Clarinda, Chares Il., and Warren. Mr. luff was married the sceond time, in Monona County in September, 1885. espousing Mrs. Joanna Girardot nee Rodgers. By this union they have had three children -- Emma M. and two that died in infancy.
LE E. STRAND is one of the representative Scandinavians of Monona County. He came to America with but little means, but by per- severanee and self-reliance has gathered about him many of the comforts which pertam to this life, and is one of the leading citizens in the town of Soldier.
Mr. Strand came to Monona County in 1867, in company with his brother Haivor, James Severson and E. Thoreson, and made his home with the first mentioned in Spring Valley Township, until early in 1869, when he settled upon the farm where he now lives, on section 29. Hle purchased there some forty acres of land, and moved into a "dug-out" which was already constructed upon it. He lived in this for about a year, and then built a frame building. 16x24, in which he made his residence until it was destroyed by fire, July 2, 1878. Hc then erected another dwelling to which he has made some addition, and still resides in it. He is now one
of the most extensive farmers in the township, and by his energy and industry. has placed himself high among the well-to do agriculturists of this section of the county.
Mr. Strand was born in Norway, August 8, 1845, and is the son of Erick and Rachel ( Ilalver- son) Strand. In the spring of 1856, in company with his parents, he crossed the sea to the United States, and proceeded at once to La Crosse County, Wis .. which locality they reached September 6. They had left their home in Norway about May 15. Our subject remained with his parents until he was thirteen years of age, after which he worked out by the day or month, thus supporting himself. February 25, 1864, be enlisted in Company I, Fourteenth Wisconsin Infantry, and being for- warded to the front, the regiment of which he was a member, marched until they overtook the army under Gen. Sherman, near the Kenesaw Mountains in Georgia. In all the battles around and about Atlanta, and in the siege and capture of that city, he participated with his noble regiment, and re- mained in that vicinity until November 11, when the regiment was ordered back to Nashville. In December of that year he participated in the bloody battle at the latter city, where was totally routed and dispersed the army of Gen. Hood. From there, with the regiment, he went to New Orleans and to Mobile Bay, and was present at the siege and capture of Spanish Fort, which the rebels evac- uated April 9, 1865. After marching across the country to Montgomery, Ala., where they remained a few weeks, they were sent back to Mobile, where October 9, 1865, Mr. Strand was mustered out and discharged. From there he returned to La Crosse, Wis., and there made his home until coming to Monona County, as above stated.
Mr. Strand, April 23, t870, was united in mar- riage with Miss Nettie Thoreson, daughter of Thor and Anna Thoreson, who died October 27. 1879. having had five children: Nettie, Anna, and three that died in infancy. Mr. Strand was again mar- ried August 7. 1880, at Onawa, to Miss Alice Brader, the daughter of Isaac G. and Johannah (Burke) Brader, who has been the parent of four children-Ella, Amy, Walter and Herbert.
Mrs. Strand was born in Oneida County, N. Y.,
THE NEW YORK FUBIR
ASTE TILDE
DAS.
W.W. ORDWAY, M.D.
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May 17, 1853, and when about two years of age, removed with her parents to Dane County, Wis. In 1876 she came to Monona County to visit her two sisters, Mrs. John Rea, and Mrs. Henry Ash, and has made her residence here ever since.
Mr. Strand was the first Postmaster at Soldier, holding the office from July, 1871, until September. 1878. Ile started the first store in that village in November 1877, and continued in business until July 1878, as related in the history of that village.
ILLIAM W. ORDWAY, M. D. Perhaps in Western lowa there is no individual more widely or better known than Dr. Ordway, one of the oldest settlers of Monona County, who located here in August, 1855. At that early date he entered twelve hundred and eighty acres of land in Ashton Township, and there being but limited accommodation in the county, and having no house built, went to the little village of Smithland, Woodbury County, where he passed the winter, making his home with O. B. Smith most of the time. The following spring he located in this county and has made it his residence ever since.
Dr. Ordway is a native of Lewis County, N. Y., and was born March 2, 1830. His father, Stephen Ordway, the son of Stephen Ordway, Sr., was born in New Hampshire about 1792, and died Septem- ber 22, 1882. William W. attended the district school at Turin, in his native county, until he was about fifteen years of age. He then left home and attended an academy at Plymouth, N. 11., and later, one at Romney, in the same State, and in the latter prepared the way for the study of medicine. His uncle, Aaron Ordway, with whom he afterward studied for the profession. and his grandfather, seeing his abilities and studious habits, furnished the means for his tuition. He resided with his unele until he was about nineteen years of age, at which time he took up a different branch of the science under Dr. Goodrich, of Plymouth, N. H., with whom he remained about six months, having in the interim devoted some attention to dentistry
with a Dr. Kelly. Having grounded himself suf- ficiently in the medical science and in dental sur- gery, and accumulating a small capital by the pratice of the latter, supplemented by a loan from his sister, he started for California on the breaking out of the gold excitement in that region, in com- pany with Dr. Kelly. They took out with them about $500 worth of drugs, and practiced medicine in partnership in San Francisco, during the winter of 1849-50, and made considerable money. In the spring they divided their stock, and Dr. Ord- way removed to Klingman's Point, in the northern part of the State, where he practiced medicine, run- ning a store for the sale of miners' supplies, and a boarding-house at the same time. He continued in these several businesses for about four years, at the end of which time he removed to Chips' Flat, and engaged in the same lines for a year. While there he invested about $1,000 in a gold mine, and after operating it for a year, sold one half of his inter- est for $2,550, and the other half shortly after for $1,500. Ile then returned to New York for a visit and remained about six months, then went back to California and purchased his old business, and ran it about eighteen months, and in the sum- mer of 1855 came to Iowa. It was not his inten- tion at that time to locate here, but to settle his sister and invest his money, he having about $12,- 000. which he had made during his stay in Califor- nia. In the spring of 1856 the sister and her husband, Barnabas Martin, came to the county and settled on one of the Doctor's farms, where she died the following August. In the winter her hus- band went to Colorado. They had one child, which the Doctor took to rear, but during the winter of the deep snow, it took a severe cold and died De- cember 4, 1856.
HIaving now no one to look after his interests in this locality, the Doctor was compelled to make his stay a permanent one. He entered into the prac- tice of medicine, which assumed large proportions, extending from Sergent's Bluff to Little Sioux and Magnolia, and from Ida Grove to the Missouri River. Having a large amount of mens at his disposal, he has been engaged largely in the loan- ing of money, and like many others engaged in that business, has made some enemies, but at the
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same time has won many friends. In his professional duties, he is largely spoken of as a conscientious and faithful physician, never leaving a patient while in danger, and although his favorite pills and doses of other medicines were large, they usually had the effect that he desired to produce. On the night of January 2, 1885, an attempt was made to mur- der the Doctor for the sake of robbery, as is de- tailed in the history of Kennebec Township. in which he was severely wounded, and while he was confined to his bed, was the recipient of kind at- tentions from many friends, which were duly ap- preciated, for no man holds in higher estimation the value of a friend than does W. W. Ordway.
The Doctor was united in marriage, March 2. 1863, with Mary E. Wood, a native of Wis- consin, born January 26, 1844, who died April 22, 1874, having had a family of six children, of which the following is a record: William W., born Janu- ary 26, 1864; Ada A., November 10, 1865, died February 22, 1866; Frances, born February 7, 1867, died September 22, 1868; Frank, born[January 15. 1869; Mary L., February 19, 1871, died August 30, 1871; and Jolin S., born September 5, 1872.
The Doctor has had most eminent success in this county, from a financial point of view, and is rated among the wealthiest men of Western Iowa, and is the largest land-owner in Monona County, if not in the northwestern part of the State. In spite of his many business : cares, he has never divorced himself from his chosen profession, and still is en- gaged in practice, although increasing years have confined his efforts principally to office work.
When the Doctor came to this locality he brought with him a large" amount of gold, the most of which he carried in his trunk. When starting from O. B. Smith's residence, near Smithland, having something like $1,200 worth of money about his person, he left a small satchel, containing some $3,000, with Mrs. Smith, who was not aware of its valuable contents and threw it under her bed. Feel- ing curious, on account of its great weight, she spoke about it, and a man and his wife, who were staying there, manifested the same curiosity. Af- ter Smith and his wife retired to their bed at night, the couple, who lay on the floor near by, talked about it to themselves. The next morning Mrs.
Smith missed the satchel quite early, and her hus- band rising, followed some tracks from his door to some hollow trees near the bank of the river, and then to the stream, and plunging into the water the fish spear he had in his hand, drew out the va- lise, empty of its valnable contents. The man who was staying with him, who claimed he had lost his pants and 8112, was placed under survelliance, and the cabin searched, while a man was sent for Dr. Ordway who had gone down to Belvidere. After some search the whole amount of the money, including the $112 of the suspected party, was found in two hollow trees near the Sioux River, and on Ordway's return was returned to him. The man was sent to Council Bluffs and lodged in jail, but through the negligence of the jailor, and the machinations of his alleged wife, escaped, and was never brought to justice for his crime.
As one of the old pioneers and representative citizens of this county, a portrait of Mr. Ordway is worthy a place in this volume, and it is herewith presented on another page.
G ILBERT E. ERICKSON, who is engaged in the general merchandise trade and is the present Postmaster at Moorhead, first opened his eyes at the home of his parents, Erick and Bertha (Rossum) Erickson, June 15, 1857, in Nor- way. In his youth he received the common school education obligatory upon every child of that country, and also attended a High School some eighteen months. Ile there grew to manhood, and in early life entered a store in his native country as clerk and salesman, in which capacity he re- mained until 1878, when, with a natural desire to
extend his efforts and better his condition, he started July 26, and crossing the stormy Atlantic landed in the city of New York, August 11. Pro- cceding at once to Monroe, Green County, Wis., where not finding an opening suitable, he remained but a short time, he then removed to Lafayette County, in the same State and, after attending the
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district sehools and acquiring a knowledge of the English tongue, entered the employ of L. A. Ross- ing, a merchant at Argyle, as clerk. Behind the counter in the store of that gentleman he remained faithful to all trusts until July, 1881, when he came to Monona County and accepted a place in a store at Moorhead and has followed mercantile life there ever since.
In October 1886, Mr. Erickson purchased a half interest in the business of his employer, G. P. Benjamin, and they, under the firm name of Benjamin & Erickson, carried on the business until April 1, 1889, when he bought out his partner. He added to the storeroom by building an addition to the building shortly after, and increased his stock, and now carries a large and varied assortment of goods and has a large and luerative trade. Ile was appointed Postmaster January 16, 1888 and has re- tained the office since.
Mr. Erickson was married May 25, 1887, at Woodbine, Harrison County, Iowa, to Miss Wilma Eades, a native of Missouri, who was born Febru- ary 27, 1863, and is the daughter of Embrose and Martha Eades, By this union he is the parent of one child, George Elmer, who was born June 10, 1889. Mr. Erickson is a zealous and consistent member of the Lutheran Church, in which faith he was reared, while his wife draws spiritual consola- tion from the ministrations of the Presbyterian communion.
ILLIAM T. DAY, the enterprising young merchant of Castana and a member of the firm of W. T. Day & Co., was born in Monona County, May 8, 1865, and is the son of Joseph B. P. and Sophia E. (Thomas) Day. In the common district schools of his native county he sought the true foundation of practical educa- tion until the fall of 1878, when he went to Maple- ton and was in attendance at its graded school until January 13, 1879. At the latter date he began mercantile life as a member of the firm of F. A.
Day & Co., and in 1883, in company with his father, purchased the business and carried it on in Old Castana until the laying ont of the new town and then removed it thither. With their large and complete stock and a numerous acquaintance throughout an extended scope of country they at once assumed their present position as leaders in the business life of the village. Feeling the want of a commercial education, Will T., from January until July, 1884, attended a course at the Com- mercial College of Bloomfield, Iowa.
W. T. Day was married August 15, 1888, to Miss Helen Hanson, a native of Norway, born July 23, 1865, who had come to America with her parents when an infant. Her father and mother both died in this county in 1884, leaving three children, Helen, Charles T. and Louise.
One of the finest residences in the village of Castana is that of Mr. Day, and was erected in 1888. They have had born to them one child, Sophia Isabel, whose birth took place August 6, 1889.
FG REDERICK BUTCHTER, an enterprising farmer of Franklin township, living on section 34, was born in Schoolcraft, Kala- mazoo County, Mich., December 28, 1858, and is the son of Edmund and Mary (O'Leary) Butcher, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in the pages of this volume. He came to Monona County in 1866, with his parents, and since that time has made his home in Franklin Township, with the exception of three years spent at Sioux City. Ile received his education in the common schools of the county, and, being a natural born mechanic, has followed carpentering from his youth up, carrying it on in connection with farming. The last three years he has devoted his attention en- tirely to agriculture. In the fall of 1883, Mr. Butcher purchased the farm where he now resides which at that time was entirely wild land, for which he paid $10 per acre. The whole one hun- dred and sixty acres of it is now thoroughly well improved and most of it is brought into cultiva- tion and has a present value of over $30 per acre.
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Ile is also the owner of forty acres of land on section 14. Maple Township. Ile remained upon this place carrying on farming until the spring of 1885, when he went to Sioux City and engaged at his trade, as above noted, but returned here in the fall of 1888, and is now giving his attention to its cultivation. Mr. Butcher is a progressive man and has the interest of the working man at heart. Formerly he affiliated with the Republican party but now gives his support and hearty concurrence to the National Labor Union Party. He is a mem ber of both Carpenter's I'nion and Knights of Labor organizations of Sioux City and takes great interest in the working of the same. He cares little for political preferment, although he holds the office of Justice of the Peace at the present time.
Mr. Butcher on January 1, 1880, was united in marriage with Miss Laura Barnette, a native of Effingham County, Ill., who was born October 31. 1859, and is a daughter of Franklin and Maria Barnette. She came with her parents to Harrison County, Iowa, in 1865, and from there to Monona County where she was married. By this nnion have been born three children-Bert F., October, 1881; Bern P., November 27, 1883 and Blanche. Noven. - ber 15, 1885. who died October 15. 1887.
AJOR MARTIN A. FREELAND. One of the most prominent business men of Onawa and one who has been identified with every movement looking to the im- provement and development of the city and county. is the gentleman of whom this sketeh is written. Ile arrived in Onawa, in company with George F. Warner, March 16, 1867, and engaged in the sale of general merchandise, farm implements, lumber and stock, under the firm name of Warner & Free- land. In December, 1872, by the admission of Edward Chapman, the firm was changed to War- ner, Freeland & Co., but the following year a dis- solution of the partnership took place, Mr. Freeland
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reserving the lumber and agricultural implement department of the business which he has carried on ever since, part offthe time in company with John Claghorn. Our subject is largely engaged, also, in general farming and stock-raising, owning and car- rying on three farms, which will aggregate over a thousand acres, and has at present, some three hundred head of cattle.
Mr. Freeland was born in Cattaraugus County, N. Y., October 29, 1841, and is the son of Isaac and Sarah E. (Norwood) Freeland, a sketch of whom may be found elsewhere. le was reared upon a farm in the county of his birth. receiving the elements of his education in the district schools. He came to Wisconsin in 1853, and there made his home until the breaking out of the war. When "the bloody surge of rebellion swept over our land," and our martyred president called [for troops to put down the insurgents, in answer to the behests of patriotism, Mr. Freeland, May 20, 1861, enlisted in what was known as the Iludson City Guards, afterwards Company G, Fourth Wisconsin Cavalry. lle served with this regiment in Maryland, Vir- ginia and Louisana, until October 24, 1863, when he was discharged to accept the commission as First Lieutenant in Company B, Tenth United States Colored Heavy Artillery. August 12, 1865, he was promoted to the rank of Captain, and a lit- tle later breveted Major. He participated in the expedition which captured New Orleans, assisting in the battle at Ft. Jackson, and in several other engagements in the department of the Gulf, and was stationed in the fortifications around the Crescent"City. C He continued in the service un- til February 22, 1867, when he was discharged and came to Onawa as above stated.
Mr. Freeland was united in marriage June 25, 1868, with Miss Mary B. Ilolbrook, a native of Somerset County, Penn., where she was born Febru- ary 22, 1813,and was a daughter of the late Henry L. Ilolbrook, of this county. Mrs. Freeland received her education in the district and normal schools of Somerset County, Pa. She is the mother of seven children -- Bern Il., born May 4, 1869; Henry L., May 10, 1871; James, born March 13, 1874, died August 24, 1876; Mary, born January 19, 1877, died April 24, 1877: Emily Ogle, born
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September 19, 1878; Martin A., April 26, 1881; and Charles W., February 5, 1885. Mrs. Free- land is a member of the Christian Church.
Mr. Freeland is a member of Hanscom Post, No. 97, G. A. R., of which he was a charter member and assisted in the organization of Vesper Lodge, No. 223, A. F. & A. M., with which he still retains connection.
OHN J. CONYERS, one of the prominent and leading members of the farming com- munity of Sioux Township, residing on see- tion 3, was born at Nauvoo. Hancock County, IN .. August 19, 1845, and is the son of John and Priscilla ( Akes) Conyers.
John Conyers, the father of our subjeet was born in Tennessee, April 25, 1817. In 1836 he came to Iowa, and led a kind of roving life between this State and Illinois, settling for a time at Nauvoo. In 1846 he removed from the latter city to Clarke County, Iowa, where he made his home until 1851, then going to Council Bluffs. The following year he settled at Little Sioux Harrison County, where there were at the time only two or three families, and entering one hundred and sixty acres of land engaged in tilling the soil until 1863. at which date he came to Monona County. He rented the old Preparation farm for three years, but at the expi- ration of that time purchased forty acres of land, upon which he still lives. December 27, 1837, in Illinois. he was united in marriage with Miss Pris- eilla Akes, a native of that State, born December 27, 1823. They were the parents of twelve chil- dren, seven of whom are living.
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