USA > Iowa > Pottawattamie County > History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa. Containing a history from the earliest settlement to the present time biographical sketches; portraits of some of the early settlers, prominent men, etc. > Part 48
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JOHN BENNETT, County Treasurer, Coun- cil Bluffs, is one of that class of citizens of Pottawattamie County whose name is familiar to almost every citizen in the county, and who is very frequently spoken of as one of the first settlers, and the assertion is a true one, as in 1-53. when Council Bluff's was but a small fron- tier trading or outfitting point, he, with his nn-
cle, John Keller, became residents of the place. None, not even the most enthusiastic in their predictions, ever supposed that a quarter of a century could make so much difference as to change the rough frontier town to the city of to day. Equally important and progress- ive have been the changes in the lives of some of the first comers to the town, and of this number, the life of Mr. Bennett, is perhaps as remarkable as any. Born in Allegheny City, Penn., in July, 1832, he was left an orphan at six years of age in care of his uncle, John Keller, his father dying when he was two years old, and his mother when he was six. His unele becoming a resident of Cincinnati. Ohio, the most of his early life was spent and his education received in that city. In 1853, as before stated, he became a resi- dent of Council Bulffs. He spent about three years as clerk in a store, and then engaged in the lumber trade, at which he continued until 1862; from that date until 1867, he was a salesman in the store of J. M. Philips. The following three years he spent in the grocery trade on his own account, and only quit it to accept the office of Auditor of the County, an offiee which he filled with so much eredit as to be re-elected to the same position for five con- secutive terms of two years each. As a further honor, in October, 1881, he was elected to the office of Treasurer of the county, for a two years' term, and is now engaged in the dis- charge of his duties. He has been dependent almost wholly upon his own resources, and though he labored under many disadvantages when young, he now stands among the sub- stantial citizens of the county, financially, and and by an honorable career, he has builded for himself a reputation for which he may be al- lowed a pardonable pride.
JOIIN BENO, of John Beno & Co., mer- chants, Council Bluffs, came to Council Bluffs in the spring of 1861, with his brother, and lived with him one year: when his brother
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moved away, he then lived with Mr. W. D. Turner during the latter part of 1861 and all of 1862, during which time he attended the public schools of Council Bluffs, and in 1863 lived with Mr. H. C. Nult, working in an ex- press office, and then entered the store of J. L. Foreman as salesman, and held that position until the spring of 1866, Mr. Foreman going out of the business at that time. Mr. Beno then engaged as salesman with Johnson, Sprat- lan & Co., with whom he stayed until July of that year, when he formed a partnership with Mr. Foreman, the firm being Foreman & Beno. He remained in partnership with Mr. Foreman until August, 1879, when Mr. Beno withdrew from the firm, and he then took a vacation and went on a visit to his parents at Portland, Ore- gon. He returned to Council Bluffs, and in the fall of 1880 opened up a general merchan- dise store at 18th Main and 17th Pearl streets, Council Bluffs, length of store-room 102 feet, width twenty feet. The stock of general goods is on ground floor, and the store-room and clothing department in upper story, the build- ing being two stories high. Mr. Beno was born in Alsace, France (now Germany), in 1845, and at seven years of age came to America. He first lived in St. Louis six years, then removed to St. Joseph, Mo .; lived there three years and then came to Council Bluffs. He married in 1872, Elizabeth M. Robertson, of Little Sioux, Iowa, formerly of Council Bluffs. Mr. Beno has associated with him in business his two nephews, A. F. Beno and Charles Beno, two estimable young gentle- menl.
F. A. BURKE, City Auditor, Council Bluffs, became a resident of Pottawattamie County as early as 1856. lle first settled in that part of the county now known as Washington Town- ship, and was the second settler there. He re- mained there for about three years and then came to Council Bluffs. IIe was filling the office of Justice of the Peace when he came to |
the town, Kane Township at that time em- bracing the territory of which Washington Township was a part. He removed to Council Bluffs in 1869, and continued to hold the office of Justice by re-election, until 1879. In 1869, he was also elected to the office of City Re- corder, and was retained in that office by re- election by the Republican party until 1879. He was then out for one year, but was again elected to the same office, holding it until the spring of 1882, when the charter was abolished and the Superior Court established, when he was elected City Auditor, which office he is now filling. During the war of the rebellion he was appointed Assistant United States Assessor, and held that office until 1869. His life, spent in Council Bluffs, has been such as to reflect only credit upon himself. He is a native of Washington County, Penn., where he was born July 17, 1815. For about ten years prior to his moving West he had resided in Wheeling, W. Va. In social circles he has taken quite an active part. He is a charter member of Twin Brother Encampment, No. 42, I. O. O. F., and since the organization of the Odd Fellows Pro- tective Association on December 5, 1870, he has been its President. His first marriage was to Miss Eliza J. Smith, a native of Fayette County, Penn. His two sons, William S. and Hugh M., were born of this marriage. They were both in the Federal army during the re- bellion, the former holding the office of Lieu- tenant. William S. was also the first publisher of the Daily Nonpareil of Council Bluffs. He is now at Alberqurque, N. M., and Hugh M. is in San Francisco. Mr. Burke's second marriage was while he was a resident of Wheeling, W. Va., to Miss Margaret McMillen, who was also born in Pennsylvania. There are five sons and one daughter living who were born of this mar- riage. The elder sons have already distinguished themselves as members of the legal profession, and the younger bid fair to occupy an equally honorable position in the community.
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JOHN F. BOYD, Superintendent of the Transfer Stock Yards, Conncil Bluffs, was born in Worcester County, Mass., in 1845, and in 1865 came to Council Bluffs, where he engaged in the stock business, in the interest of which he spent four years in Texas. In January 1880, he was appointed to his present position, Superintendent of the Transfer Stock Yards at Council Bluffs, which he ably fills, having un- der his direction about twenty-three men. Mr. Boyd was married in Massachusetts in 1874, and has three children-Leon Lovell. aged six years; Mable A., aged three years, and Lulu, eight months old.
C. A. BEEBE, of C. A. Beebe & Co., dealers in furniture and crockery, Council Bluffs, was born in Caldwell County, Mo., in 1836. He came with his parents in 1838 to Iowa, soon af- ter went to Lima, Ill .; returned here in 1848, and followed farming for fourteen years. He began business here in 1867; built his present business house in 1880, and is doing a good trade, carrying a stock of about $15,000, em- ploying two assistants, and doing an annual business of from $35,000 to $40,000. He keeps a fine stock of furniture, crockery and glass- ware; he also does an extensive jobbing busi- ness. He was married in 1857, and has a fam- ily of four daughters and one son. The latter who is twenty-four years of age, has an inter- est in the business. His family are all at home.
M. P. BREWER, attorney, Council Bluffs, has been a resident of Council Bluffs since 1867. He is a native of O veida County, N. Y., where he graduated from Hamilton College of Clinton. He subsequently graduated from the law department of the Michigan University, of Ann Arbor, after which he came to Council Bluffs, and spent one year in the law office of Judge Caleb Baldwin. In the spring of 1868, he began practice with Mr. Hart, under the firm name of Hart & Brewer. In one year's time the firm again changed, and became Clinton, Hart & Brewer. Business was done by this
firm until May, 1882, when Mr. . Hart changed his residence to Minneapolis, Minn., and Mr. Clinton retired from business. Mr. Brewer has since continued in practice at the old office, in the Officer & Pusey bank building.
E. BURHORN, jeweler, Council Bluff's, was born in Germany in 1840; in 1866, came to the United States, and in 1869 to Council Bluffs. Ile worked six months for C. B. Jacquimin & Co., and in 1870 commenced business on his own account. He has been successful in his business, which is constantly increasing; he carries a $7,000 stock, and employs an assist- ant. In 1878, he married Miss Mollie L. Woods, of Council Bluffs, and they have one child- Frank, aged three and a half years.
J. J. BROWN, railroad contractor, Conneil Bluffs, is a native of Ireland; was born in 1833, and in 1845 came to the United States with his parents, who settled in Springfield, Mass. He came to Chicago in the spring of 1849, thence to Dubuque, Iowa, in 1853, and in 1865 came to Council Bluffs, where he engaged as a con- tractor on the Chicago & North-Western Rail- road. In Council Bluffs, in 1867, he married Miss Ryan, and by this union they have one daughter-Nora M., aged twelve years, now at- tending school in South Bend, Ind. In 1868, he engaged in the hardware business under the firm name of Brown & Ryan, in which he con- tinued for three years, then sold out, and in 1870 went to Texas, where he built 200 miles of the International Railroad, now the Texas Pacific. In 1862, he enlisted in the Twelfth Iowa Infantry; in 1863, was transferred into the Sixth Iowa Cavalry, in which he held the rank of First Lieutenant. In 1865, he enlisted in the regular army as Captain of the Com- missionary department, and the same year left the service, being in the army in all four years and six months. He is a supporter of the Dem- ocratie party.
VINCENT BATTIN, carpenter, Council Bluffs, was born in Ohio in 1833; left home in
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1853, and went to Indiana, where he stayed four years. He has traveled quite extensively; has been in Kansas, Colorado and Idaho, and was married in the latter place in 1866. He moved to Council Bluffs from Idaho in 1867; opened a carpenter shop on Broadway, and has lately erected his present building; he does a business averaging $15,000 annually, and gives employment to eight men; he superintended the rebuilding of the Ogden House, and also built the Everett Block, on the corner of Broad- way and Pearl streets. His mother is living in Davis County, Iowa, and is seventy years of age; his father died in Davis County, Iowa. Mr. Battin is a stanch Republican, and takes a deep interest in political affairs.
JAMES M. BARSTOW, physician, Council Bluff's, was born in Peoria County, Ill., in 1854 His parents moved to a point in Mills County, this State, called New Bethlehem, and in 1865, returned to Illinois, where, after staying two years, they came to this county. Our subject was educated at the Keokuk College of Phar- macy and Surgery, from which institution he graduated in March. 1880. He took special courses in Obstetrics, Surgery and Analytical Chemistry; he has one of the finest medical libraries in the city; he was married in Sep- tember, 1881, to Miss Lizzia Knabe, of Council Bluff. Mrs. Barstow died June 6 of the fol- lowing year; she was well known and greatly beloved by the people of this community, be- ing a popular and respected teacher in our pub- lic sehools.
CHARLES J. BECKMAN, harness-maker, Council Bluffs, was born in Bavaria in 1840. He arrived in New York December 26, 1856, and started at once for Chicago, where he worked at his trade of harness-making. In March, 1861, he went to Naperville, Ill., where, in the following May, he enlisted in the Thir- teenth Illinois Infantry, and served till Novem- ber 29, 1863; he was at the battle of Ringgold, Ga., and afterward, under Gen. Grant, at Look-
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ont Mountain and Mission Ridge, where he lost his right arm. He was discharged in March, 1864, at Hospital No. 19, in Nashville, Tenn .; he returned to Naperville, Ill., where he remained until May 1, 1870, at which time he came to Council Bluffs and opened in business; he moved to his present location January 1, 1877, and furnishes employment to six men. Our subject is of a family of ten children; his mother is still living with him, at the age of seventy-four; his father died in Naperville, Ill., aged seventy-two. Mr. Beckman was married, in Couneil Bluffs, July 19, 1874, to Paulina W. Vogeler. Her parents live in Oak Township. Mills County, this State.
H. S. BOYLE; commission merchant, Coun- cil Bluffs, was born in a railroad camp in 1837. This was the Albany & Schenectady Railroad, which was the second railroad built in the United States. It is now a branch of the N. Y. C. & H. R. R. Up to the present year, our subjeet has been in the railroad business all of his life. He helped to build the first rail- road in Texas; he built the Wisconsin Central from Stevens Point to Ashland; he built the last ten miles of Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad, at the Council Bluff's end of that road, employing from 10,000 to 15,000 men; he con- tracted for and built five miles of the Wabash Railroad in Mills County, this State. July 1. 1882, he opened in this present business ; he keeps a stock of wood, coal, flour, feed, etc .. and does a general commission business. He was married at Darlington, Wis., in January, 1861, to Miss Matilda M. Durst, of Erie, Penn., a cousin of Gen. Robert E. Lee, of rebellion fame. Mr. and Mrs. Boyle have two children- Harry E., aged eighteen years, and Lelia N .. aged thirteen. Our subject's father died in Erie, Penn., in 1845, at the age of seventy. The mother died in McGregor, this State, in 1868. being seventy-six years old.
PAUL BOUQUET, livery, Council Bluffs, born in New York in 1848. From his native
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State he moved successively to Ohio, Michigan, Omaha, Neb., and finally, to Council Bluffs in 1872. He started a livery stable with eight horses. At present, he owns two livery barns, one on North Madison street, and the other on lower Broadway. He has a fine residence on Stutsman street, and also a farm in Nebraska. Mr. Bouquet is a public-spirited man; always ready to lend his aid to every legitimate en- terprise. His mother is living at Grand Island, Neb., and is sixty-five years old; his father died in Saginaw, Mich., in 1875, leaving a family of twelve children, all of whom are living ex- cept one, Martha, who died in 1880, at Flint, Mich. Our subject was married in Couneil Bluffs, in 1873. He has two children-Mabel, aged five years. and Bud, who is three years old.
JOHN CLAUSEN, grocer, Council Bluffs, was born in Germany December 25, 1832. He landed in New York City in 1853, without a single cent in his pocket. He came to Couneil Bluffs in 1856 and in 1866 opened a grocery store in a small log house on what is now the site of the Ogden House. This primitive food dispensary was called the " One-Horse Grocery," and it will be remembered by the older citizens of Council Bluffs. He now carries on a large grocery, beside keeping a full line of hardware and agricultural implements. He was married in Council Bluffs in 1856. He has seven chil- dren-two sons and five daughters, all of whom are living in Council Bluffs. The oldest daugh- ter is the wife of Mr. Allen of this city. Our subject was Treasurer of the city of Council Bluffs in 1876, and has held the same office for the past two years. He has also been a mem- ber of School Board for three years.
COOPER & McGEE, hardware and stoves, Council Bluffs. H. G. MeGee was born in Grafton, W. Va., April 26, 1858 ; he removed to Pittsburgh, Penn., with his parents when eight years of age, and was educated at West- ern University of Pittsburgh, Penn. He came , shorthand writing, and still continued that
to Council Bluffs in the spring of 1874, and engaged with Miller & Company in hardware store as salesman, and remained with that firm until forming his present partnership. He is of Irish descent. W. S. Cooper was born and raised in Council Bluffs, and educated in the publie schools of that city. After leaving school he worked for Empkie & McDoel, hard- ware dealers, as salesman, for two years. He then became bookkeeper for P. C. Devol, hard - ware merchant, and held that position un- til entering the present firm. His ancestors came to America many generations back. The firm of Cooper & McGee commenced business in Council Bluffs in March, 1882, at No. 41 Main street, their store occupying two stories seven- ty feet long by twenty-two feet in width. The lower story is occupied by the hardware and stove department ; part of the upper story is used as a tin shop, while the other part is used for storing goods. They carry from $10,000 to $15,000 in stock, and expect to increase that amount. Their annual sales, from present in dications, will run as high as $30,000. They employ two practical tinners the year round.
J. H. CLARK, Reporter for Circuit Court of Thirteenth Judicial Distriet, Council Bluffs, was born August 6, 1840, in Brown County, Ill .; he was raised and educated there, and in 1856, came with his parents to Jefferson, Greene Co., Iowa. He entered the army at Jefferson. Iowa, August 10, 1861, as a private, in the Tenth Iowa Volunteer Infantry ; was promoted to First Sergeant in 1862, and to Captain of Company H-same company in which he had enlisted- August 11, 1863. Ile held that position until discharged, January 15, 1865, at Savannah. Ga. He was wounded four times, one, a se- vere wound in the shoulder. He returned to Jefferson, Iowa, and engaged in merchandising, and during the years 1869-70-71 and 72, was mail agent on Des Moines Valley Railroad during 1873 ; meanwhile he had been studying
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study, and in 1875, was appointed to the posi- tion of Reporter for Circuit Court of Thirteenth Judicial District of Iowa, and still holds that position. In August, 1880, he came to Coun- cil Bluffs to reside. He is of English descent.
COUNCIL BLUFFS SAVINGS BANK, general banking, Council Bluffs, was organized November 1, 1870, N. P. Dodge being elected President and A. W. Street Cashier. At a meeting of the stockholders, held in June, 1882, N. P. Dodge was elected President ; J. Bere- shen Vice President, and Charles E. Dix Cash- ier. Capital, $50,000. Surplus, $20,000. C. E. Dix was connected with bank as Assistant Cashier from May 1, 1875, till June, 1882, when he was elected Cashier. The bank does a general banking business .. All the railroads running into Council Bluffs transact their bus- iness with this bank.
J. W. CHAFFIN, Council Bluffs, editor of the Council Bluffs Advance, part pro- prietor of that paper and of the steam job printing and book-binding establishment of S. T. Walker & Co. Born in Chillicothe, Ohio, July 17, 1824. Received his early education at Germantown and Bellbrook, Ohio. The honorary degree of Master of Arts was con- ferred by the Adrian College, Michigan, 1868, receiving an invitation to deliver the annual lecture before the Star Literary So- ciety of Adrian, which is considered quite an honor. Taught school for awhile after leav- ing school. In 1848, entered the ministry of the Wesleyan Church. During years 1861-62 -63, held position of President of the Miami Conference ; during time in the ministry, he was associated either as editor or correspond- ent of several religious weeklies. In 1850, he launched forth the Herald of Freedom, an anti-slavery paper devoted to reform and tem- perance. Was nominated, in 1853, by the Free Soilers, for Treasurer of State. In 1858, en- gaged in the pork-packing business in Cincin- nati, in which business he was unsuccessful.
In 1863, was Chaplain of the Fifty-ninth Ohio Volunteers ; at end of same year, was mus- tered out on account of ill health. Then accept- ed position in Secretary's office of United States Treasury. Returned to Ohio in 1865 ; from there to Richmond, Ind., in a short time ; same year entered the ministry of the M. E. Church at West Liberty, Iowa, in which he re- mained until 1877, at which time he resigned his charge and went to Clarinda, and engaged in printing the Herald. He is the author of two volumes (one poetical), The Golden Urn, and the second a Theological work, The Battle of Calvary. Came to Council Bluffs, January 1882, and during the summer of this year, or- ganized and set on foot the Council Bluffs Advance, an Independent Republican weekly newspaper, which bids fair to be a success in every sense of the word. Mr. Chaffin was mar- ried to Miss Lizzie Grant, of Burlington. Ohio, in 1850 ; after her decease in 1860, he married Miss Bell Shriver, in 1862.
J. L. COHOUN, Cashier for Christian Straub, Council Bluffs, was born in Elizabeth City, N. C., January 13, 1861. Resided with his par- ents there for eleven years. Then came to Council Bluffs. He was educated in Council Bluffs, and in September, 1880, left that city to join the American Contingent of the Peruvian Navy, at Halifax, N. S. He first went to Bal- timore, Md., where he passed a thorough and rigid examination. He was accepted and pre- sented with a commission of Fourth Lieuten- ant, and took 160 American seamen from Bal- timore to Halifax to man the new Peruvian iron-elad, Guadaloupe, which was laden with arms and ammunition. The expedition was for the relief of Callao, Peru. Mr. Cohoun continued in the Peruvian service seven months. The Guadaloupe encountered a severe storm while on her voyage, making her almost a wreck, and injuring many of the officers and crew. Among the unfortunate was Mr Cohoun, who was accordingly left at the Marine Hos.
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pital, at Norfolk, Va., with the First Lieuten- ant. Upon his recovery, he was assigned to the dangerous duty of recruiting seamen for the Peruvian service, which was a violation of our international law. He was engaged in the recruiting service for four months, and npon the fall of Callao, he severed his connection with Peru. He returned to Council Bluff's May 1, 1881, and engaged with W. W. Wallace, coal merchant, as book-keeper and acted in that capacity till June 1, 1882, when he accepted the position of cashier with Christian Straub, the well-known contractor and builder of Coun- cil Bluffs. Mr. Cohoun is a young man of fine business ability, and success in life is sure to crown his efforts.
F. C. CLARK, dentist, Council Bluffs, was born in Maine, in 1829, and in 1850 went to California by way of Cape Horn. He was mar- ried, in Boise City, Idaho, in 1863, and, his wife's relations residing in Iowa, he resolved to settle there, and accordingly came overland to this State. IIe came to Council Bluffs in Sep- tember, 1864, and engaged in business there in 1865. Ile has four children. He is a member of Excelsior Lodge.
mained there till 1870. Ile was married, in Chicago, in 1880, to Miss Arnold.
D. M. CONNELL, undertaker, Council Bluff's, was born in Canada in 1853, and came with his parents to the United States in 1857, and settled in New York. His father, who is sev- enty years of age, resides in Plymouth, N. II., where subject's mother died at the advanced age of seventy-seven years. Mr. Connell en- gaged in the undertaking business iu 1874, and carried it on in Plymouth, N. H., till 1881. He came to Council Bluffs September 7, 1882, and engaged in his present business, carrying $2,000 worth of stock. Ile was married, at Plymouth, N. H., in 1877.
GEORGE CARSON, attorney, Council Bluffs, is a native of Illinois. He read law under Col. Scoby, of Greenville, Ill., and grad- uated from the Law Department of the State University of Michigan, in the class of 1868. In 1869, he began practice in Council Bluffs. In 1870, he formed a partnership with Mr. S. Smith, under the firm name of Smith & Carson. In 1879. the firm again changed and became Smith, Carson & Carl. In 1877, Mr. Carson was elected by the Republican party, a member of the Seventeenth General Assembly of lowa, for the session of 1878, and in 1879 he was re-elected by the same party, and served during the Eighteenth General Assembly, in the session of 1880. His time at present is wholly devoted to his law practice in Council Bluff's.
J. T. CLARK, General Agent of Chicago & North-Western Railroad, Council Bluffs, has been in his present position since April, 1880. Previous to coming to Council Bluffs, he was in the office of the General Manager of the Chicago & North-Western Railroad, at Chicago. In 1870, he left school and went into the office of the General Manager of the Illinois Central A. J. COOK, physician, Secretary and Med- ical Director of the Mutual Benefit Association, came to Council Bluffs in April, 1881 ; located here and began the practice of medicine, mak- ing chronic diseases a specialty. He is a phy- sician of the old school. Dr. Cook is the orig- inator of the Council Bluffs Mutual Benefit Association, which was incorporated, March 14, 1882, with W. F. Sapp, President ; F. M. Gault, Vice President ; A. J. Cook. Secretary Railroad, at St. Louis, Mo. In 1873, he went to Chicago and entered the General Passenger Department of the Chicago & North-Western Railroad there. In 1875. went into the Gen- eral Superintendent's office of that road at Chicago, and afterward held a position in the General Manager's office, which he held until he came to Council Bluff's in 1880. Mr. Clark was born in Auburn. N. Y., in November, 1852. Moved to Springfield, Ill., in 1858, and re- , and Medical Director ; and Joseph Lyman,
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