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 68
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After having been engaged in freighting to Sioux City and Council Bluffs. he came to Monona County in 1867, arriving at Onawa August 18. and shortly after removed to the place where he now
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resides, which he has made his home ever since. Hle was united in marriage in 1852, with Miss Louisa Miller, at Oswego, N. Y. The lady was a native of Canada and became the mother of five children-Arvilla, Theresa, Ella, Eva and Eugene, all living but the latter, who died at Cedar Falls. Mrs. Blanchard died February 28, 1886, and our subject entered into a second matrimonial alliance, wedding, October 3, 1886, Miss Ella Cary, a resi- dent of Atlantic, Cass County, Iowa, and a native of Ohio.
E PHRAIM A. STAPLETON, an early settler in the Soldier Valley, is now a resident of St. Clair Township, his residence being on section 27. within half a mile of the West Soldier River. He came to Monona County in July, t869, and purchased a piece of land, upon which he now resides, but, as his entire worldly possessions con- sisted of one horse. one cow, and $5 in money, he was unable to do much toward its cultivation or improvement. Building a small dug-out be man- aged to live therein for about four years, working in the winter time at the sawmill south of Onawa, moving over there in the fall and back in the spring. About 1872, when he had by great effort raised a little grain. threshing out about fifty bushels and had cut and stacked some hay. a prairie fire swept in and burned it all, together with his stable, etc. In 1875 he built the frame house in which he lived for some years and which forms a part of his present res- idence. lle is now in comfortable circumstances. having tided over those days that tried his patience and perseverance, and is now enjoying his reward.
Mr. Stapleton is a native of Perry County, Ind., and was born August 5, 1844, and when about seven years of age was brought by his parents, Lemuel and Lucretia Stapleton, to lowa, and set- tled in Appanoose County. He remained beneath the parental roof, drawing bis education from the district schools of that locality, until August, 1861, when being a member of the Home Guard, and the sonthern portion of lowa being open to the attacks of bushwhackers, he, with his company, was called into service and passed about thirty days in camp
at Chillicothe, Mo. August 20, 1862, he enlisted in Company C, Thirty-sixth Iowa Infantry and went into eamp with them at Keokuk. Here the regi- ment suffered much from sickness, measles and smallpox sweeping off more than one hundred of them, and among those who suffered from the dread disease was our subject, who was discharged Janu- ary 7, 1863, and removed to Wapello County. There he placed himself under the hands of an unele who was practicing medicine there. March, 1863, he returned to his home and resided with his parents until his marriage, which took place March 13, 1864. The bride upon that occasion was Miss Rhoda A. Groom. The young couple removed to Monroe County, where for two years they lived upon a rented farm and then returned to Appan- oose County. Our subject was employed in the latter, working in a sawmill until 1869, when, in company with his brother-in-law, F. M. Dyson, he started for this county. Mr. and Mrs. Stapleton are the parents of five interesting children: Maria .J., Ulysses G., Lottie A., Tracy and Lucretia.
HOMAS M. CRAWFORD came to Monona County in the fall of 1873 and settled upon section 4, 14, 46, Lincoln Township, where he has since resided. At the time of his location upon it it contained a small log cabin abont 14x22 feet in size, which was used as a stable, and a small house built of cottonwood lumber. About fifteen aeres of the land was broken, but he now has the most of his place under eultivtaion and well im- proved.
Mr. Crawford was born in Kent County, Ontario, Dominion of Canada, December 27, 1831. He re- mained at home with his parents, Thomas and Cynthia Crawford, receiving his education in his youth until he attained his majority. Coming to the United States he passed the next five years upon a farm in Whiteside County, Ill., and then moving across the river took up his residence in Clinton County, Iowa.
Being imbued with a love for his adopted coun- try, in response to a call from the general Gov-
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ernment for more mer to suppress the unholy rebellion waged by traitorous hands against the I'nion, he enlisted in Company D, First, lowa Cav- alry. He was mustered into service at Davenport and, after remaining some two months at St. Louis under instruction, was forwarded to Prairie Grove, Mo .. in time to take part in the battle at that place, which occurred December 7, 1862. In the cam- paign and battle of Little Rock, Ark., and the en- gagement at Canden, in the same State, he bore a gallant part and remained with the famous regi- ment until November, 1864, when he returned to his home on a furlough. being disabled for service on account of a wound received from a bush- whacker. lle was inustered out and discharged August 30, 1865, at Clinton, and returned to the peaceful avocations of a farmer's life and made his home in Clinton County until May, 1872, when he removed to JJewell City, Kan., whence he came 10 Monona County.
Mr. Crawford was married, in Clinton County, lowa, October 9, 1865, to Miss Sarah Rea, a daugh- ter of John B. and Mary Rea, and is the parent of three children: Mary D. William J. and lennie C.
C OLBY M. BRYANT, of Grant Township, was born in Warsaw, Wyoming County, N. Y., March 9, 1836, llis father. Asa Bryant, a native of Windsor County, Vt .. was born February 27, 1796; his father dying when Asa was but eight years of age, the latter went to live with his grandfather Sears, with whom he remained un- til he attained his seventeenth year. Returning to the place of his birth, the latter was engaged in farming until about 1828, when he went to War- saw, Wyoming County, N. Y., where he was mar- ried, March, 13, 1828, to Miss Betsey Chamberlain, a native of Windsor County, Vt., who was born July 12, 1805, and was a daughter of Elijah and Ruth (Googins) Chamberlain; and of their mar- riage were born six children-Mary, December 20, 1828, who died the same date; Mary E., born Dee- cember 22, 1829, died November 14, 1849; Amanda R., born December 25, 1831, died March
1, 1813; Spencer A., born June 15, 1834, married Miss Eunice Warren, February. 1, 1859, and died in the hospital at Memphis, Tenn., June 25, 1863, from a gun shot wound received at the battle of Champion Hills. The wound was in the knee, and death resulted from amputation: Colby M. and Gustavus 11.
While the parents of Colby M. Bryant lahored hard on their new farm in Western New York, to rear and educate their children, they always found time to extend a helping hand to any one needing aid. The father was a leader in the church, and took advanced grounds in all of the reform issues of the day. IJe was a prominent abolitionist, when that party was very unpopular, and from him his sons inherited their love of country, and strong republicanism. In 1850, Colby M., moved with his father's family to Lake Mills, Jefferson County, Wis. Ilis father died July 17, the same year, and after his mother's death, which occurred October 13, 1852, our subject returned with his brother to Warsaw, N. Y.
Mr. Bryant enlisted, July 22, 1862, at Ellicot- ville, N. Y., in Company A. One Hundred and Fifty-fourth New York Infantry. After many tire- some marches to and fro through Virginia, during the winter and early spring, he participated in the battle of Chancellorsville, May 3, 1863. There Mr. Bryant was wounded and taken prisoner, and maaelied under rebel guard to Richmond, while suffering intensely from a wound near the heart. Ile was incarcerated in the rebel prison pen on Belle Island, and was paroled in about two weeks, and taken to a camp near Washington. There he remained until exchanged, in October, 1863. lle then rejoined his regiment in the Eleventh Corps, and was transferred to the scene of hostilities in the Southwest and took part in the skirmishing and fighting in Lookout Valley, while the rebels beld Lookout Mountain. He was in the first day's battle at Missionary Ridge. In the Atlanta cam- paign his regiment belonged to the Second Brigade, Second Division, Twentieth Army Corps, the Eleventh and Twelfth Corps being consolidated into the said Twentieth. He took part in the bat- tles of Rocky Face Ridge, May 8; Resaca, May 15; Pumpkin Vine Creek, May 25, and Pine Knob,
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.Inne 15, 1861. In the latter engagement he was again severely wounded,and spent the remainder of his term of service in the hospitals; first at Nashville, Tenn., then transferred to Jeffersonville, Ind., and from the latter to the Ira Harris hospital. Albany, N. Y., and was there honorably discharged August 11, 1865. That same fall Mr. Bryant came to Jefferson County, Wis., and in the spring fol- lowing, in company with his brother, G. 11., came to Monona County, and purchased a farm in Grant Township.
Returning to Wisconsin. Colby M. Bryant was married March 27, 1867, to Miss Amelia E. Bou- telle, who was born in Aztalan, Jefferson County, Wis .. March 22, 1845, and was a daughter of Eben and Emeline (Ostrander) Boutelle, natives of New York State. Mr. and Mrs. Bryant then settled in their new lowa home, and know something of the privations incident to pioneer life. They have three children, all born in Grant Township, Mo- nona County, Iowa; Mary Winnifred, May 17. 1869, who is now taking a classical course in the Iowa College; Clarence Spencer. August 10, 1870; Eugene Gustavus, March 1, 1884.
Mr. and Mis. Bryant are much interested in Sun- (lay-school work, and have been since first coming to Iowa.
Although Mr. Bryant's wounds have much of the time, been very painful, and disable him for manual labor, he has never regretted that he res- pondled to his country's call, and faithfully per- formed his duty.
NTON SOLIEN, a young and active farmer of Fairview Township, engaged in farming on the land of his father-in-law, John Amunson, is a native of Norway and the son of O. A. and Helen (Solberg) Solien and was born August 2, 1859. lle came to Monona County in the summer of 1878 and settled in Fairview Township on the 23d of July. For some years he was engaged in agricultural labor for the farmers in this vicinity, but is at present carrying on a farm which he rents of Mr. Amunson. 1Ie is active
and energetic and bids fair to achieve an independ- once, and no doubt will rank, some day, among the wealthy citizens of this part of the county.
Mr. Solien was united in marriage .Iune 19, 1886, with Miss Emma Amunson, a native of Monona County, and the youngest daughter of John and Mattie (Christorferson) Amunson of this township. The lady was born in Fairview Township, April 6, 1867, and is the mother of two children : Julius ()., and lIelen Matilda.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Solien are communicant members of the Lutheran Church, and are quite regular in their attendance upon and active in the interests of the services of the society of that de- nomination on section II.
E DMOND BUTCHER is successfully engaged in carrying on farming on sections 26 and 35, Franklin Township, where he has a compact farm of one hundred and twenty acres of excellent arable land. Hle made his first appear- ance in Monona County, February 17, 1856, and settled on a farm on section 32, where he lived un- til August, 1873. Ile then removed to section 26, in the same township, where he has since made his home.
Mr. Butcher was born in Cambridgeshire, Eng- land. June 25. 1835, and was reared and was edu- cated in his native land. In October. 1853, he crossed the ocean to America, landing at New York City, from whence he proceeded to Orleans County, N. Y., where he remained three years. Kalamazoo County, Mich .. was the next place of Lis residence, and there. April 9, 1855, he was united in marriage with Miss Mary O'Leary, a na- tive of the Emerald Isle, and the next year re- moved to Monona County, among its carly pio- neers. While a resident of Michigan, in 1854, he made a trip to the neighborhood of St. Paul, Minn., to look up some land, but not finding what he wanted, returned to his home. After his settlement in this county, he went into Kansas on the same errand, but with the same result, and returned to this section. He also
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made one trip to the neighborhood of Luverne, Min., but found nothing in the locality that pleased him as much as his place here.
Having separated from his wife. as detailed in her sketch in connection with that of Edward Monk in this volume, Mr. Butcher was again married June 18 .1877, to Miss Angelina Wright, a native also of England, who was born Jane 7, 1855, and is the daughter of George Il. and Jane Wright. By this union they have had six children-Grant E., born August 1, 1874; Jonathan, January 1, 1877; De- lia, June 5.1879; Garfield, June 6, 1881; Samuel, June 28, 1886; Tionettie, June 8, 1889. Mr. and Mrs. Butcher were christened and confirmed in the established Church of England, otherwise known as the Episcopal Church, with which denomination they still hold connection.
NUD THORESON, an extensive farmer and large stock-raiser and feeder of Spring Val- ley Township, of which he is a member of the Board of Trustees, has his neat and tasty home upon section 12. A large portion of his faim he has under cultivation and the buildings upon it are of a superior character. lle came to Monona County in September, 1867, and com- menced his life here upon one hundred and twenty acres of unimproved land for which he paid some $5 an acre. From this beginning he has wrought out his present easy and alfluent circumstances.
Mr. Thoreson was born in Norway, September 16, 1844, and is the son of Thore and Carrie (Knudson) Nelson, both of whom were natives of the same kingdom. Ilis father died in that coun- try in 1851 and with her family the mother of our subject crossed the ocean and located in Ozaukee County, Wis. There they made their home until 1860, when they removed to La Crosse County in the same State. In the latter county our subject was reared to manhood receiving his education in its common schools.
On February 6, 1865, with a love for his adopted country, Mr. Thoreson enlisted in Company K, Forty-sixth Wisconsin Infantry, and with his regi-
ment served in Alabama for some eight months, re- ceiving his discharge at Nashville, Tenn. In September 1867, in company with his mother, our subject came to Monona County and settled as above. The latter, who was born May 15, 1817. died at his home, February 20, 1888, having been the mother of four children, of whom Knud was the ellest.
December 28, 1868, Mr. Thoreson was unite] in marriage with Miss Emma Severson, who was born in Norway, May 10, 1848. She had come to the United States in 1856 with her parents. Sever and Aster (Jensen) Halverson, the former born in Norway. August 3, 1803, and the latter February 2, 1810. Her parents settled in La Crosse County, Wis., whence, in 1869. they came to Monona County and located on a farm in Willow Town- ship, where her father died April 3, 1882. Her mother died at Independence, lowa. April 3, 1889.
Mr. and Mrs. Thoreson are the parents of ten children, born upon the following dates: Theodore S., September 28, 1869; Adolph C., August 16. 1871, who died Angust 4, 1873; Clara A., born October 20, 1873; Ida J., August 16, 1875, who died October 22, 1878; Bertha R., born March 27, 1877 ; Adolph C., April 22, 1879; Oscar E., Febru- ary 14, 1881, who died February 27, 1881; John W., born May 2, 1882; Alla L., January 27, 1885, and Nellie J., May 3, 1887. All the family were reared in the Lutheran faith and still hold close connection with that communion. In politics Mr. Thoreson is a Republican, and has served for sev- eral terms in his present position of Township Trustee.
C HARLES W. COPE, who is engaged in the practice of dental surgery at Onawa. was born in Muscatine County, Iowa, November 1, 1863, and is a son of John and Margaret (Pec- den) Cope, natives of Ohio and Pennsylvania, re- spectively, who settled in Muscatine County about 1857, where they are still living and carrying on agricultural pursuits. Our subject remained at home upon the farm, grounding his education in the excellent district schools of his native county,
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and finished his classical course at the Iowa City Academy. October 6, 1886, he entered the dental department of the Iowa State University at lowa City, and after a severe course of study was grad- uated from that institution, March 5, 1888. In April, of the same year, he came to Monona County and settled at Onawa, and engaging in the practice of his profession has built up a large and growing patronage.
OSEPH R. BOUSLAUGH, an old settler of the county and one of its most prominent citizens in an early day, is now a resident of Center Township. He was born in that part of Huntingdon County now forming the county of Blair, Pa., January 16, 1805. Hle is the son of Sebastian Bouslaugh, Jr., a native of Switzerland, and the grandson of Sebastian Bouslaugh, Sr., who was born in the same Republic. About the year 1764 Sebastian, Jr., left his home amid the Alps and sailed for the Colonies of America, being then about nineteen years of age. He settled in Penn- sylvania, where he married Miss Esther Rench by whom he had eight children: Joseph, who died in infancy; Jacob, who died about 1840; Elizabeth, Catherine, Margaret, Susan, Sarab and Joseph R. Ile removed to Indiana in an early day and died in Prairie Township, Henry County, November 28, 1841. Ile was a millwright by trade and followed that business in his younger days, but in later years devoted his attention to farming. Joseph R. Bouslaugh was reared in his native State, and came West in about 1837, and located in Ohio. From there he removed to Indiana and settled in Wayne County but, two years later, removed to Henry County in the same State. A short time afterward he returned to Ohio where he made his home for four years, and in the spring of 1846 came to Illinois and located in llancock County. Nine years later he removed to Polk County, Iowa, and in 1859 to Monona County. In September of the latter year he entered a tract of about eighty acres of land on sections 8 and 9, Center Township, which he com- menced to improve. To this he subsequently added
1
about one hundred acres, of which he retains sixty and upon which he still resides. Mr. Bouslaugh was prominently identified with the official life of the county in its early days, and at the October election in 1861 was chosen to fill the office of County Judge. He held it for one term, serving at the same time as Chairman of the board of su- pervisors of the county and representative of the town of Maple. Ile retained this position on the county board until 1869, and was prominently identified with all the legislation during that period. most of the time filling the office of chairman.
Judge Bouslangh was united in marrrage. May 4. 1826, with Miss Margaret Thomas, a native of Washington County, Md., born November 7, 1808, and is the parent of eight children-Theodore T., Elissiff L., Lovina T., Josephine T., JJasper, New- ton and Marion.
Among the portraits of some of the most valued and representative citizens and pioneers of Monona County given in this volume anay be found that of Judge Bouslaugh, given on another page.
AMES GRAHAM, deceased. Among the highly educated and gifted people, resident in Monona County, there is probably none who occupied a higher position than the gentleman whose name heads this sketch. He was a prominent and popular resident of the town of Spring Valley, living on section 30, where he had a magnificent farm of some four hundred acres, de- voted to the raising of cereals and of cattle. Here he settled in the fall of 1867. He was a represen- tative of that well-known race, commonly called the Scotch Irish, the descendants of the hardy Scotchmen, who, rather than endure persecution in their native land, fled to the northern part of the neighboring island of Ireland, where they have pre- served their faith and race peculiarities to the present time.
Mr. Graham was born in County Down, Ireland, March 10, 1820, and was the son of John and Sarah (Foley) Graham. natives of the same county. His father was a farmer and merchant, and came to
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America with part of his family in 1852, and set- tled at Newburgh, Orange County, N. Y., where he died of paralysis about 1872. The mother died in 1836. They were both members of the Presby- terian Church, and excellent Christian people.
,James Graham grew to manhood in his native county, and received his early education in its ex- coHent schools, and completed his classic course in the Dublin University. one of the most noted in. stitutions of learning in the world, and there re- mained for four years. Previous to graduation from that institution he was elected by Archbishop Whatley as one of the three candidates from the I'niversity, at the special request of an old friend, John Stuart Mill, the noted English writer and statesman, then chairman of the board of directors of the Honorable East India Company, Leadenall Street, London, to fill an educational appointment in the Bombay Presidency of the British Govern- ment in llindoostan. On reaching the city of Bombay, in 1848, he entered the Elphistane Insti- tute, where he remained about two years until he could pass the requisite interpretership examina- tion in the two provincial dialects of the Presi- dency, viz .: Marrattie and Gujerati. Thence he was transferred to Surat to take charge of the head school at that place, and in addition to his other du- ties made translator of scientific works for use in the vernacular, or native schools, and was made Super- intendent of both English and native schools in the province. Failing health, the curse of those who sought in that country "to shake the pagoda tree," caused him to send in his resignation and return to England, and thence, in 1857. to come to the United States. Hle purchased a farm in New York State, and entered upon its cultivation, and there resided until coming to this county. He had been out here a short time previous to look after land, and purchased the place upon which he now lives. In politics he was a stanch Republican, casting his first vote for Abraham Lincoln, for President, in 1860, and for every Republican since. Although there was no church within the county of the faith in which he was raised, he still clung warmly to the tenets that were instilled into him in his youth. He was married, and was one of the most unassuming men, and held a very high place in the estimation
of the entire community. January 31, 1890. he was found dead in his bed. He had been suffering from the disease known as la grippe, and the day before was in Onawa, and it supposed caught cold and died from a congestive chill.
ON. CHARLES E. WHITING. No man in Monona County enjoys a more wide spread and merited reputation than the old pioneer of Monona County whose name heads this sketch, and a condensed epitome of whose life it is our honor to present for the persual of the rising generation. Coming to this county in its infaney in 1855. Judge Whiting has seen this county progress from an absolute wilderness to a prosperous and fertile land. covered with a numerous population, and has been a very import- ant factor in its growth and development. After holding some of the more important offices in the gift of the people of the county, at the convention held by the State delegates in the summer of 1885. he received the nomination of Democratic candi- date for Governor of the State, and willingly ac- cepted the unthankful, unremunerative and almost desperate duty of acting as standard bearer of a party largely in the minority in lowa. Notwith- standing this or his defeat, he can proudly point to the fact that although his own county is largely Republican, still his majority herein was almost one hundred over his more fortunate opponent, and that he reduced the majority against the party from 79,000 in 1880 to 5,349, coming the nearest to success of any of the candidates who preceded lím.
Judge Whiting, as he is familiarly called, was born in Otsego County, N. Y., January 17, 1821, d. D 569 MONONA COUNTY. buccolic life, as he has all his life, he remained with his parents until April 13, 1813. Having enjoyed excellent facilities for acquiring an education, of which he freely availed himself, he took up the 1 the district, carried his home county, where they both lived, by some sixty- three majority, In 1883 the Judge again met his old opponent, Judge Oliver, in the political field, and from him, this time, captured the office of State Senator, and served the district in that capacity for four years. Of his candidacy for Governor, we have already spoken. Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.