USA > Iowa > Page County > History of Page County, Iowa : also biographical sketches of some prominent citizens of the county, Vol. II > Part 59
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In 1854 Mr. Journey was married to Miss Samara Keyser, who was born in Miami county, Ohio, but was reared in Mercer county, that state, spend- ing her girlhood days in the home of her father, Jesse Keyser. In 1869 she accompanied her husband on the removal to this county, where she died October 22, 1878. The children of that marriage were five in number : Martha Ann, now the wife of John D. Couch, of Phillipsburg, Kansas ; Benoni B., a farmer residing in Shambaugh; Viola, the wife of A. W. Good, of Curtis, Nebraska ; Pearl, the wife of James Stewart, of Clarinda ; and Jesse F., who was drowned.
Politically Mr. Journey has long been a stanch republican, joining the party on its organization and never faltering in his allegiance thereto. He has filled some minor positions but lias always preferred to leave office holding to others. He has been a Mason since 1868, at which time he was initiated into the order in Salina, Ohio, and he is now a member of Noda- way Lodge, No. 140, A. F. & A. M., of Clarinda. While not identified with any church, he has been a close student of the Bible for forty years and his life has been in strict conformity to its moral teachings. He has always endeavored to do unto others as he would have them do unto him,
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is just and fair in business, kindly and considerate in manner. Those who know him esteem him for his genuine worth and he has a wide acquain- tance in the county where he has now lived for four decades.
MRS. ANNA TAYLOR.
Mrs. Anna Taylor, now well known as the proprietor of the Henshaw House of Clarinda, was born in Erie county, New York, January 7, 1853. her parents being Oscar F. and Clara M. (Brown) Henshaw, natives of St. Lawrence county, New York, and Erie county, New York, respectively. The ancestry of the family is traced back to a very early day. In the year 1844 a member of the family obtained from the Herald's College at London a pedigree of the family and progenitors. It was signed by G. W. Collen, Pursuivant at arms of the Herald's College, London, and commences with Henry III, king of England, whose son Edward I succeeded him to the throne. Then followed Edward HI and Edward III, whose fourth son, John of Gaunt, duke of Lancaster, had a daughter who married the earl of Westmoreland, Ralph Neville. Their son Richard Neville married the countess of Salisbury and took her title. Their daughter Elanor Neville, sister of the great carl of Warwick, the king maker so called. married Sir Thomas Stanley, afterward created earl of Derby. His second wife was Margaret of Lancaster, duchess of Richmond and mother of Henry VII, king of England. Thomas Stanley's son was held hostage for the fidelity of his father by Richard III who was killed in the battle of Bosworth and Ilenry of Richmond was proclaimed. on the battlefield by his father-in-law, Sir Thomas Stanley, as Henry VII. George Stanley died before his father. He left two sons : Thomas, who succeeded his grandfather as second earl of Derby; and James who was created a baronet and lived at Crosshall, county of Lancashire, England. He had four sons but the three eldest died without issue. Henry, the youngest, succeeded to and inherited the large estate of his father. He married Margaret, daughter of Peter Stanley, of Rickerstaff. Henry Stanley had seven sons and daughters. His daughter Margaret Stanley was married in 1595 to Richard Houghton of Wavertree IFall near Liverpool. They had an only son and seven daughters. ITis son, Evan Iloughton, was his heir and married Ellen Parker of Bridge Hall, in the county of Lancashire. They had a daughter. an only child named Catherine, who became the wife of William Henshaw, son of Thomas Henshaw of Paxteth Park, near Liverpool and they lived with her father at Wavertree Hall. William Henshaw and his father-in-law Evan Hough- ton were both killed June 20, 1644, at the storming of Liverpool by Prince Rupert. They were fighting on the side of parliament and against King Charles 1. William Ilenshaw died leaving two sons, Joshua. aged about nine years and David, about eighteen months old. In 1653 the executor of the estate pretended to send these boys to London to attend school and re- ported afterward that they both died of plague. In reality he had sent them
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to New England and placed them in the family of Rev. Richard Mather, an eminent divine of Dorchester, who educated them with money forwarded for that purpose. Their property to a large amount was appropriated by the executor to his own use or rather that part which came from the Hough- ton family. That part which came from Henry Stanley by marriage settle- ment upon his daughter Margaret probably went back into the family of Stanley.
The executor of William Henshaw's estate was Peter Ambrose, a man much employed by the parliamentary sequestrating committee, from 1644 until 1650. The youngest of the abducted boys died without issue. The elder, Joshua, married Elizabeth Sumner of Massachusetts, daughter of William Sumner of Dorchester. After arriving at the age of forty years or more he returned to England and prosecuted his claim for the recovery of his property for many years and finally died in London in 1719.
IIis son, Joshua, born about 1670, was a distiller and merchant of Bos- ton and had seven sons. He died in 1747 and his wife Mary (Webster) Henshaw died the same year. His sons were Daniel, born in 1701 ; Joshua, born in 1703; Samuel ; James ; William; Jolin ; and Thomas. Of this family Daniel Henshaw was a distiller and lived in Boston where all of his children were born. The year after his father died he removed to Leicester, of which place his father had been one of the four original proprietors. Joshua Hen- shaw was a very wealthy merchant of Boston and died in 1776. He was for many years the first magistrate of the city, a member of the governor's council and an intimate associate and coworker with Otis Hancock and Samuel and John Adams in promoting the resolution which led to the out- break of the Revolutionary war.
Daniel Henshaw, before spoken of, died at Leicester in 1781. He left children as follows: Daniel, unmarried; Joseph, who married a daughter of Joshua Henshaw, who died in Shrewsbury, Wooster county, in 1795 ; Ben- jamin, who settled in Middletown, Connecticut, and died about 1788 : Joshua, who settled at Middletown, Connecticut; William, a colonel of the Revolu- tionary war, who was at the battle of Long Island and commanded the regi- ment under Washington at the battle of Princeton. He died at Leicester in 1820 at the age of eighty-five years.
David Henshaw, the younger son of Daniel Henshaw, died at Leicester in 1808, aged sixty-four years. He was captain of a company of artillery in the Army of the Revolution and was in the service about three years. Daniel Henshaw also left three daughters: Elizabeth, wife of Colonel Samuel Deering; Mary Belcher, wife of Amos Wheeler; and Hannah, wife of John Jap. Elizabeth and Mary Belcher settled at Leicester where lived many of their descendants, while Hannah Henshaw removed to west- ern New York and left a family of sons and daughters.
The coat-of-arms of the Henshaw family consisted of a hen with a brood of chickens in a grain field, probably representing a numerous family with surroundings of plenty.
The Henshaw family have made creditable records in connection with various wars of the country. William Henshaw, whose commission as an
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officer of the American army is still in existence, lived in New Milford, Litchfield county, Connecticut, and there still exists a receipt for the pay- ment of money made in William Henshaw's hand writing and dated New Milford, Connecticut, December 28, 1781. William Henshaw was a lieu- tenant in the Second Connecticut Regiment as stated in the original com- mission. The commission reads :
"UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED. "To William Henshawy,
"Gentleman-We, reposing a special trust and confidence in your pa- triotism, valor, conduct and fidelity, do by these presents, constitute and appoint you to a lieutenant in the Second Connecticut Regiment in the Army of the United States, to take rank as such from the 20th day of July, 1780. You are, therefore, carefully and diligently to discharge the duty of a lieu- tenant, by doing and performing all manner of things thereunto belonging and we do strictly charge and require all officers and soldiers under your command to be obedient to your orders as lieutenant, and you are to ob- serve and follow such orders and directions from time to time as you shall receive from this or a future congress of the United States or committee of congress for that purpose appointed, a committee of the states or com- mander-in-chief for the time of the Army of the United States or any other of your superior officers according to the rules and discipline of war, in pursuance of the trust reposed in you. This commission to continue in force until revoked by this or a future congress, a committee of congress before mentioned or a committee of the states."
The paternal grandfather of Mrs. Taylor was John Brace Henshaw, who was born September 2, 1803. He conducted a wagon-making shop in West Falls, New York, for a number of years. His wife, Cynthia Hen- shaw, was born January 7, 1807. Their children were: Oscar F., who was born April 24, 1826; William, who was born July 30, 1828, and died June 11, 1860; Abigail, who was born December 25, 1830, and died April 17, 1835; Laura Ann, who was born June 13, 1833 ; Theodore, who was born July 15, 1835, and died June 11, 1860 ; Benjamin, who was born November 26, 1838, and died February 2, 1854 ; Edwin, born February 26, 18440; Henry, who was born September 3, 1842, and died January 4, 1885: George, who was born March 28, 1845, and died July 3, 1870; and Cordelia C., born August 16, 1847.
Of this family Oscar F. Henshaw, the eldest, was the father of Mrs. Taylor. He succeeded his father as the owner of the wagonmaking enterprise at West Falls, New York, where he conducted business for a number of years. He there made his home until after his mar- riage but when his eldest child, Mrs. Taylor, was but three years of age, removed with his family from the Empire state to Adams county, Iowa, the journey being made from Buffalo to Chicago on the lakes and by rail from the latter point to Mount Pleasant, Iowa, and thence by wagon to Adams county. Oscar F. Henshaw purchased land in Taylor county, becom- ing owner of an unimproved tract of two hundred acres which he at once began to cultivate and develop. He lived there for ten years. The family
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were first domiciled in the home of a neighbor until the house could be made ready for their occupancy. They also used their neighbor's stove and both boiled potatoes in the same pot, one family cutting the ends off the tubers to distinguish them from the potatoes of the other family. At length Mr. Henshaw sold his farm and removed to Bedford, the county seat of Taylor county, where he engaged in the wagon-making business. He had lived there for three years when he sold out and in February, 1866, first came to Clarinda. He was afterward employed by D. C. Chamberlain as wood-worker and wagon-maker, with whom he continued for about nine years. Before entering Mr. Chamberlain's employ, however, he would at the beginning of each week walk twenty-two miles to his work, returning in the same way at the week's end, and he walked seventy-five miles to Council Bluffs to pay his taxes. After leaving the employ of Mr. Cham- berlain he engaged in carriage and interior fine painting. Much of his work still stands as evidence of his skill. He continued in that line until he turned his attention to the hotel business, establishing the Henshaw House in 1881. It at first had but six boarders but the patronage continually increased and the Henshaw House is today one of the leading hostelries of Page county. The death of Oscar F. Henshaw occurred November 9, 1907, when he had reached the very venerable age of eighty-one years and his wife, Mrs. Clarissa M. Henshaw, who was born January 20, 1831, passed away in September, 1901. They were the parents of the following named : Anna M. : Hattie E., who was born November 15, 1855, and died Septem- ber 24, 1859: Beattie J., who was born January 10, 1857. and died on the 17th of September of the same year ; Horace S., born July 13. 1859; Hoyt B., who was born September 1, 1861, and died December 6, 1866; Henry C., who was born March 2, 1864, and died on the 27th of August, following ; Annetta, born November 2, 1866; Eva M., who was born April 27, 1870, and died April 5, 1871 ; Effie L., the twin sister of Eva, who died March 5, 1871 ; and Edwin M., who was born May 1, 1872, and died January 21, 1872.
As previously stated Mrs. Taylor was only three years of age when the family came to Iowa and in the district schools of Taylor county she pur- sued her education, while later she continued her studies in the public schools of Clarinda. She has been married twice. On Christmas day of 1869 she became the wife of Emery Dunn, of Clarinda, a native of Indiana, and unto them were born three children: Ada, who was born October 12, 1870, and died October 30. 1872; Della, who was born December 20, 1873, and is the wife of Gilbert A. Boyer, then of Falls City, Nebraska, but now a business man of Clarinda ; and Mabel, who was born August 23, 1875, and died August 11, 1876. After the death of Mr. Dunn his widow became the wife of G. W. Taylor, a native of Ohio, who is engaged in evangelistic work for the Methodist church. This marriage was celebrated in 1800. Mrs. Taylor also belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church and both are earnest advocates of the cause of temperance, Mr. Taylor giving his political support to the prohibition party. After the death of Mrs. Tay- lor's mother the Henshaw Hotel was sold to G. W. Koons who conducted it until Mrs. Taylor assumed charge in 1905, since which time she has been
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the proprietor. It is located on Lincoln avenue between Fifteenth and Six- teenth streets in Clarinda, has fifty-four guest chambers and two dining rooms accommodating altogether about one hundred and thirty guests. The hotel is a popular resort with the traveling public and the patronage enjoyed is very extensive.
WILLIAM ANNAN.
William Annan is leading a busy and useful life in the cultivation and improvement of three hundred and seventy-two acres of land in Harlan township. His home is situated on section 22 and his place is a well im- proved property. Here he is extensively engaged in the breeding and raising of stock and the success which he has achieved in this business enables him to speak authoritatively concerning the best methods to be followed in stock- raising ventures.
Mr. Annan is one of Page county's native sons, his birth having occurred in Nodaway township on the 23d of April, 1869. His parents, John and Sophia (Myers) Annan, are now residents of Clarinda. They have a family of four children: Lewis and Henry, both of whom are mentioned else- where in this volume: George, who is living in Nodaway township; and William.
Upon the old homestead farm in Nodaway township William Annan re- mained up to the time of his marriage and his boyhood days were spent in the usual manner of farin lads who divide their time between the duties of the fields, the work of the schoolroom, and in such sports as farm boys usually indulge. With a sense of increasing responsibility as he advanced in years he looked over the field of business but no line of activity proved more attractive to him than that to which he had been reared and at the time of his marriage he rented his grandfather's farm near the home place and continued its cultivation for nine years. He then came to his present home and is now successfully conducting three hundred and thirty-two acres belonging to his father and forty acres belonging to himself. This property is located on section 22, Harlan township, and is well improved with good buildings which were erected by Mr. Annan. He has large barns and outbuildings for the shelter of stock and grain and farm machinery, and he makes a specialty of breeding and raising full-blooded, English Shire horses and shorthorn cattle. In the winter of 1908-09 he sold a pair of mares for one thousand dollars. He now has upon his place twenty head of horses and fourteen head of thoroughbred cows, and in addition he is feeding twenty-three head of cattle. His is particularly a stock-farm and all the grain he raises is fed to his stock while in addition he has expended six thousand dollars in a single winter for feed for his live stock. He be- longs to the American-English Shire Horse Association and has thoroughly informed himself concerning the best methods of raising and caring for stock, so that his opinions are largely received as authority in this community.
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On the 10th of December, 1888, Mr. Annan was married to Miss Flor- ence M. Edmonds, who was born in Nodaway township, December 23, 1868, and is a daughter of Thomas A. and Sarah (Wallace) Edmonds. The father now resides in Nodaway township but the mother died at the age of thirty- eight years. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Annan have been born two children: Eva May, the wife of J. P. Blair, who resides on a neighboring farm ; and Boyd, fourteen years of age. Mr. Annan gives his political allegiance to the de- mocracy and in his fraternal relations he is connected with the Odd Fellows and the Yeomen of Clarinda. Having always lived in this county he has a wide acquaintance and the fact that many of his stanchest friends are those who have known him from his boyhood to the present time is an indication of an honorable, upright life and of well directed business ac- tivity.
GEORGE LEANDER DUNN.
George Leander Dunn, who owns and operates a farm of two hundred and twenty acres on section 25, Valley township, is one of the progressive and prosperous farmers of this vicinity. He was born in Knox county, Ohio, May 20, 1845, a son of Nathan and Lidy (Orme) Dunn, natives of Belmont county, Ohio, and Maryland, respectively. The father arrived in Page county, Iowa, in the year 1860 and here purchased land, upon which he resided until his death. In the family of Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Dunn were six children who are yet living, namely: Samuel, residing in Mont- gomery county, Iowa; Mary, the wife of Jesse Swallow, of Valley town- ship ; J. W., making his home in Taylor county ; H. M., a resident of Kan- sas; Nathan, of Colorado; and George Leander of this review. Jesse O., Charles and Oscar are deceased.
George Leander Dunn attended the common schools of his native state in the acquirement of a good education and when about fifteen years of age accompanied his parents on their removal to Iowa and he has since continued to make his home in Page county with the exception of a short tine. He assisted his father in the operation of the home farm until twenty- one years of age when he entered business on his own account. Wisely choosing as a life work the occupation to which he had been reared he obtained employment as a farin hand, in which capacity he remained for two years. In the meantime he was ambitious to own a farm and consequently carefully saved his earnings unutil he had accumulated sufficient money with which to purchase eighty acres. This tract formed the nucleus of his present farm. He at once bent his energies toward the further improvement and development of the place. He brought his fields under a high state of cultivation and as he gathered good harvests, for which he found a ready sale on the market and his financial resources were thus increased, he added to his farm from time to time until he now owns two hundred and twenty acres, all situated on section 25, Valley township. He is up-to-date and
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progressive in his methods and through his close application and untiring industry he is making fine progress on the highway to success and prosperity.
On the 18th of December. 1867. Mr. Dunn was united in marriage to Aliss Sarah J. Gillett, who was born in Cattaraugus county, New York, and is a daughter of Richard and Catherine ( Freeland ) Gillett, both of whom are now dead. Her father came to Page county in 1864 and she arrived here the following year. She was one of a family of five children, the others being: Charles M., who was a soldier in the Civil war and died in Libby prison ; Eunice, also deceased; Alvin, who was a member of the Sixty- fourth New York regiment and died in the service; and Melvin, who be- longed to the One Hundred and Eighty-fourth New York Infantry and came west with his sister, Mrs. Dunn, his death occurring here. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Dunn are: Elma, formerly the wife of William Cas- tell. residing in Osceola, Iowa: George A .; Frederick, who is deceased ; Charles M., at home ; and Jeanette and James, who have both passed away.
It was in the spring of 1868 that Mr. Dunn located upon his present farm which he had purchased the previous year. At that time this was all wild prairie and his first home was a small, one-room house in which the family lived in true pioneer style. In breaking his land he used four yoke of cattle and he underwent many of the hardships of life on the frontier. There were a great many rattlesnakes in this region when he located here and some deer, while prairie chickens were to be seen by the thousand. He has made all of the improvements upon his place. Mr. Dunn and his wife are both members of the Methodist Episcopal church, while he affiliates with the republican party. He has served as justice of the peace and was also a member of the school board for several years. He is interested in all matters pertaining to the general welfare and does all in his power to further the growth and upbuilding of the community. Since his arrival in Page county he has gained a large circle of friends, who entertain for him high regard and esteem.
L. D. STEPHENS.
L. D. Stephens, who is engaged in the plumbing business in Shenandoah as the junior partner of the firm of Cardwell & Stephens, owning a half interest in the business, was born in Blackford, Kentucky, October 15. 1888. and is a son of Richard and Nancy ( Brown) Stephens, who were also na- tives of Kentucky. The father is engaged in the real-estate business while the mother now resides with her son in Shenandoah.
Mr. Stephens of this review was reared in Blackford to the age of ten years and during that period attended the public schools. He then went to St. Louis with his mother but after a month spent there they went to Evans- ville, Indiana, where they continued for fifteen months. On the expiration of that period they came to Shenandoah and Mr. Stephens here had the benefit of instruction in the grammar and high schools of this city. He left
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school in 1905 and became assistant to J. J. Cardwell, a plumber, in whose service he had previously been employed during the periods of vacation. He had thus learned the trade and after putting aside his text-books hie turned his attention to plumbing as an employe of Mr. Cardwell. He spent the summer of 1907 at his old home in Kentucky but in the fall returned to Shenandoah and again entered the employ of Mr. Cardwell as a journeyman. On the 17th of February, 1909, he was admitted to a partnership under the firm style of Cardwell & Stephens and this relation is now maintained. They are enjoying a good business and their trade is constantly increasing because of their excellent workmanship and their earnest desire to please their patrons.
Mr. Stephens is an excellent young business man, progressive and en- terprising, who readily adapts himself to every situation and makes the best use of his opportunities. His political allegiance is given to the republican party and, while he does not seek nor desire office, he yet keeps well informed on the questions and issues of the day.
CHARLES S. HOBSON.
Charles S. Hobson, one of the forceful men in business circles in Clar- inda, controlling important financial, real-estate and agricultural interests, was born in Henry county, Iowa, on the 19th of January, 1867, and is a son of Calvin and Lydia (Brown) Hobson. The father was a merchant, who in the spring of 1881 removed with his family from Henry county to Clarinda and herc opened a confectionery store, which he conducted for some time, becoming one of the representative merchants of the city.
In the public schools of Hamburg, Iowa, Charles S. Hobson began his education, which he continued after the removal to Clarinda, being at that time fourteen years of age. He made his initial step in the business world by acting as a clerk in his father's confectionery store and there gained prac- tical. broad and valuable knowledge of business methods. In 1899 he opened a store on his own account but in the meantime had traveled for two years as a salesman, and from this experience had learned valuable lessons. It is characteristic of Mr. Hobson that he makes each experience in his life count as a gain, broadening his knowledge and bringing him a clearer vision of the opportunities for success and the demands which are made on him who would attain prosperity. For seven years he conducted his store, enjoying during that period a constantly growing and gratifying trade, but in 1906 he sold out and began buying and selling land. He has since dealt quite extensively in real estate and also handles merchandise stocks. In both branches of his business he displays keen discernment and unfaltering en- terprise and he is also identified with agricultural interests as a farmer and stock raiser, owning valuable farm property in this county, which is well stocked. He has residence properties and business houses in Clarinda and from their rental derives a substantial annual income.
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