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 63
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had received from her sons through their aunt in Vermont. Laura. the daughter, then made herself known to her father and brothers, and, soon after this, the father and youngest brother went to see her, and soon afterward she came to her father's, but did not live there long till she was married to John Kel- ley, of Jasper County, Iowa, and is now liv- ing there. Thus the family circle was broken up on account of religious beliefs; on all other subjects, there was perfect harmony. But Mr. Heywood's father thought it his duty to follow the church in its varied changes, while his mother could not think the same. His father was afterward cut off from the church because he called Taylor a rascal, so he did not follow them to Salt Lake. The family came here about 1847. (It was in the fall, after the first Mormon emigration in the spring.) They settled on land which Mr. Heywood's father now owns. In the settle- ment, there were about eighty families, on as Inany acres. All the houses were log huts, and they called it Springville. They had their schools and churches, but, when the Mormons moved to Salt Lake, the Heywood family was all that was left in the place. The first year they had to live mostly on corn-meal and game. Everything cost a high price, and there was no money and no work; but, after the first crop, which was good, they got along without any trouble. With a few exceptions, Mr. Heywood is as old a settler as is in the county. He was married, in 1857. to Miss Martha J. Allen, daughter of Russell and Sarah (Ray) Allen; she was born in Indiana: parents both dead. They have three sons and seven daughters. Mr. Heywood has not as large a farm as many, but there are few farms in Hardin Township which show more care than his does. He has been on his present place for twelve years; has an apple orchard of 250 trees in bearing,
besides various other kinds of fruits. His orchards and shade trees have been ont ten years, and some of them measure in diame- ter as much as eighteen inches.
V. R. J. MORRIS, farmer, P. O. Weston, was born in Des Moines County, this State, March 3, 1840, son of William and Catha- rine (Cothran) Morris, she a widow, he a na- tive of New York; was a farmer, and one of the pioneers of Iowa, coming in 1836; he died in 1867, at the age of eighty-four years. The mother died in 1843. Our subject was their only child, but he had a half-brother and a half-sister, the result, of his father's subsequent marriage. Our subject received a common-school education in this State, and started in life as a farmer. He was married in his native county, April 13, 1861, to Isa- bella Allison, born in Ireland March 17, 1840, daughter of John and Elizabeth (Barr) Allison, natives also of Ireland, he still liv- ing: she died June 30, 1865. Mr. and Mrs. Morris have had five children-Sarah Jane, Elizabeth Catharine (deceased). William Leslie, Elbert Garner and Van Rensselaer. Our subject enlisted, in 1864, in the Fif- teenth Iowa Infantry, and served till the close of the war. He served on detached duty with Sherman in his march to the sea, and was mustered out at Louisville, Ky, He came to his present place in 1873. previous to which. however, he had traveled for somne two years in Missouri and elsewhere. He purchased 160 acres of unimproved land, on which he lived for two years, when he moved to Coun- cil Bluffs on account of family sickness, there being no physicians in the surrounding coun - try at that time. He remained in the latter city for three years, and then returned to his farm, on which he has since remained. He has formerly raised grain principally, but is now giving extensive attention to stock. Mr. Morris has held several township and school
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offices. In politics, he is a Republican, and a member of the Masonic fraternity.
CHARLES C. PLATNER, farmer and stock-raiser, P. O. Council Bluffs, born in Council Bluffs, this State, February 3, 1856, son of Ira and Elizabeth (Blair) Platner, both still living in Council Bluffs, he born in New York, she in this State. Subject has one full brother, two half-brothers and one half-sister; was educated in Council Bluffs; commenced life as a farmer in 1878; married, in Council Bluffs, September 21, 1881, Miss Anna B. Smith, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, daughter of H. A. and Maria (Kistler) Smith. Subject came to his mother's farm of 320 acres in 1878, and has since been farming and stock-raising, dealing in cattle and thoroughbred horses; has Lottie Moon, four of her colts, and other thoroughbred horses. He has improved the farm, which is one of the finest in the township.
WILLIAM F. PLUNKET, farmer, P. O. Council Bluffs. In the fall of 1870, when Mr. William F. Plunket became a resident of Hardin Township, the country was settled by but a few farmers and stock men. Choosing one of the finest locations in the township, Mr. Plunket has devoted his time and energy to the development of a fine farm, and he has succeeded admirably. He first bought 200 acres. but has since added forty acres to liis original purchase, and now has what is gen- erally conceded to be the finest farm in Har. din Township. For four years after purchas- ing the farm, he lived in a small hut. occu- pied by the original owner, Mr. E. A. Hu- ber. He then erected his present residence, the main part of which is 16x26 feet and two stories, with a sixteen-foot post. The L, or wing, is 14x16 feet. A fine cellar, walled with brick. is under the main building. His barn, which is the finest in the township, is an old-fashioned frame, and is solid and sub-
stantial. This he built in the spring of 1882. It is 36x50 feet, with sixteen-foot posts. Both buildings cost him $3,000. Hardin Township doos not boast a finer orchard than is to be found on the farm of Mr. Plun- ket. It consists of nearly six hundred fine trees, all of which have been reared by him- self. Mr. Plunket is a native of Mason County, Ill., where he was born in 1838. His parents moved from there to Henry County, Iowa, while there were plenty of In- dians to be had for neighbors, if they so de- sired. There the early life of William F. was spent. In 1854, he went to Colorado, where he remained for three years, mining and prospecting. Returning to Iowa. he bought a farm in Henry County, and resided there until he sold out and came to his pres- ent home. In 1858, he married Miss Nancy Coy, of Henry County, Iowa. Her people became residents of that county as early as 1855. Six boys have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Plunket, but no girls have blessed their union. Politically, Mr. Plunket is a Demo- crat, though he is governed more by princi- ple than party ties when casting his vote.
REES D. PRICE, farmer, P. O. Snapp. The oldest settler now in Hardin Township is Rees D. P'rice, who was born in Wales in 1813, and is the son of Daniel and Mary (Hopkins) Price. His father was a mason, and died in 1835, and buried on Christmas Day; his mother died in 1827. In the fam- ily there were five sons and four daughters, of whom Mr. Rees D. Price is the only one now living. Mr. Price was educated in Wales, in his native language. He started in life as a miner, and continued in the same till he came to America, and has since fol- lowed farming most of the time. Was first married in 1834, and had one daughter by first wife, who is now living in Omaha, Neb. In 1839, his wife died. but Mr. Price was
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married a second time, in 1840, to Miss Jane Jones, of Wales. They have had nine chil- dren, seven of whom are still alive. Febru- ary 13, 1849, Mr. Price and family left Wales and went to Liverpool: from there they em- barked about March 1. After seven weeks and two days on the ocean, they arrived at New Orleans, and there took a boat on the Mississippi River to St. Louis. A little son, who had taken sick on the ocean, died at landing in St. Louis; they buried him there, and took a boat for Council Bluffs, Iowa, at
which place they landed May 17, 1849. Dur- ing the trip from St. Louis to Council Bluffs, the cholera had been raging on board, and out of the 240 Welsh emigrante on board, forty-seven died, besides many others of dif- ferent nationality. They remained that year at Council Point, where they landed. The fall of 1849. there being no work to be done here. Mr. Price went to St. Louis on the last boat from Upper Missouri; worked at St. Louis till, in the winter, word came that one of his children was sick, and, as there was no other way of traveling, he, with two of his friends, walked all the distance from St. Louis to Council Bluffs, making the trip in twenty days. June S, 1850, Mr. Price moved 1
with his family to Hardin Township, buying a claim and settling in what was called Log City. it being a colony of Mormons, and in the city there were thirteen log huts. This was on Section 28, and on Section 32 there was another settlement of eleven huts. Be- sides these two settlements, there were only two more huts in the township in 1850, and. in the summer of this year, mo-t all of the Mormons moved to Salt Lake, and Mr. Price's family was the only one remaining in the township. In the year 1854, Mr. Price moved to his present farm, one mile south of his first place. Here he entered 200 acres of Government land at that time. In 1863, he
went to Pike's Peak, but remained but a short time, when he returned home, and has been on the farm ever since. Mr. Price came here with a Mormon colony, but, after getting here, he found that their practices were dif- ferent from what they preached in Wales, so he forsook them, and, when they went to Salt Lake, he remained behind. Mrs. Price has two brothers still living-one in Wales, while the other, John E. Jones, is now in Rosedale, Kan. In 1879, he paid his sister a visit, it being the first time he had seen her for over thirty-three years, and her other brother she has never seen since leaving Wales. John E. Jones had been in Scotland for several years before his sister came to America, but he came to America about 1863, and has since lived in Chicago, Ill., Pittsburgh, Penn., Topeka and Rosedale, Kan., being in rolling-mills. Mr. Price's daughters are all married, but none of the sons. The oldest son, Evan J., lives at Fort Benton, Mon., and is in the stock business. The second, John A .. was the first child born in Hardin Township. and is now Township Assessor, and owns the land on which he was born. the old log city. Rees A., the third, is now in Denver, Colo., but has a farm in Hardin Township. William E. is the youngest, and is farming at home. Together. Mr. Price and sons have 480 acres or land. and are farming and stock-raising. When Mr. Price came to Pottawattamie County, Indians were of common occurrence, although they had been removed over the river the year before: and the best house at Council Bluffs was made of logs. When first coming here, Mr. Price had no hogs, or nothing of any kind to make meat of, so they had to depend upon game, but prairie chickens were so thick that it was not much trouble to trap them; catching more than they could use at the time. they salted and dried the breasts for use in the
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spring. There being a mill near Council Bluffs, their grain was taken to it to be ground, but it had been built for the In- dians, so, if a white man had his grist in grinding, and an Indian brought his, the mill had to stop, and the corn taken out of the hopper, and give the Indian the preference. One time, after high waters, and what bridges there were were washed away, their meal gave out, and they resorted to grinding corn in a coffee-mill, and found that it could be done quite well, at least fast enough to keep off hunger. At Mr. Price's we find two old rel- ics, one, a hand-board, or waiter, used in the time of Queen Elizabeth, is made of solid mahogany, and is about cighteen inches in diameter; the other, a Welsh Bible, “ Pub- lished in London by Jolin Bill, Christopher Barker, Thomas Newcomb and Henry Hills, printers to His Royal Highness the King, and sold by John Hancock, under the sign of the three Bibles, in Pope-Head alley, in Cornhill, 1678." This Bible contained the prayers and all the ceremonies of the Church of England at that time.
NATHAN SHERWOOD, farmer, P. O. Weston, was born in Delaware County, Ohio, June 6, 1837, son of Lewis and Lockey (Ad- ams) Sherwood, natives of New Haven Coun- ty, Conn., he. a farmer. burn November 1, 1794, and is still living with his only daugh- ter, Sarah, in Clinton County, this State; she. born December 13, 1798, and died September 15, 1867. They were the parents of nine chil- dren-seven sons and two daughters-of whom six are living. Our subject received a common school education in his native State, and has followed farming all of his life. In 1857, he came to Clinton County, this State, where he lived for seventeen years, after which he moved to Harrison County, this State, living in that county for four and a half years, when he came to this county and
settled in Norwalk Township, where he' stayed until 1880, in which year he purchased his present farm of 160 acres of improved land, on which he has since remained. He was married, in his native county in Ohio, April 4, 1865, to Isabella E. Johnson, born in the same county August 3, 1843, daughter of Harvey and Julia Jane (Haskins) John - son, natives also of Delaware County, Ohio, he born October 27, 1810, and is still living in his native county; she born in 1813, and died October 21, 1845. Mr. and Mrs. Sher- wood have four children-Dellie C., Jennie O., Sarah H. and Harvey Lewis. The Sher- wood family are descendants from three brothers who came to this country about one hundred years ago. Our subject's father was one of the earliest settlers in Berlin Town- ship. Clinton County, this State, at which time he entered land at $1.25 per acre. He was in the war of 1812, and now draws a pension. Although eigthy-nine years old, his life has been one of hard work. Our sub- ject is a member of the Methodist Church. and his wife of the Baptist Church. He is a strong Republican, and a member of the Masonic fraternity.
HERBERT M. THOMAS, farmer, Coun- cil Bluffs, was born February 24, 1847, at Jacksonville, Vt., and is the son of R C. and Mary Ann (Bassett) Thomas. He had three brothers and three sisters. Coming to Har- din Township while quite young, most of his education was obtained in the common schools of Hardin Township. His whole life has been spent on a farm. In 1857, he moved with his parents from their home in Vermont to Pottawattamie County, Iowa. his father settling on the farm where he has lived ever since. Mr. Thomas lived on the old farm till in November, 1869, when he was married to Mary L. Smith, the daughter of John Godfrey and Johanna Christina Smith. Her parents
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moved from Germany to Indiana; from there moved to Iowa, and are still living, and follow farming. After getting married, Mr. Thom- as moved to his present home, where he has a farm of 240 acres, made by his own indus- try. He also has three sons. Mr. Thomas is. as his father, a Republican in politics. The father of Herbert M. Thomas, R. C. Thomas, is one of the oldest citizens in Har- din Township, being born in Wilmington, Vt., in 1809, and is the son of Nathaniel and Hannah (Cummings) Thomas. His father was born in Salem, Mass., and mother in Vermont. Mr. R. C. Thomas, when only nine year sold, was sent from his home in Vermont back to Massachusetts, where he learned the boot and shoe trade. He re-
mained there till he was twenty-one years old, when he returned to Vermont and worked at his trade there till he came to Pottawatta- mie County, Iowa, in 1857, and has been on the place he first improved ever since. In the year 1844 or 1845, he was married to Mary Ann Bassett, daughter of Jonathan and Amy (Moore) Bassett, and was born in Vermont. Their family consisted of four sons and three daughters, of whom two sons and one daughter are still living; also his wife is still alive. When they first settled in Hardin Township, there were only one or two houses between Keg Creek and Council Bluffs, a distance of about twelve miles, ex- cept now and then a log hut along some of the streams, belonging to the Mormons.
HAZEL DELL TOWNSHIP.
O. I. BARRETT, Council Bluffs. was born in Delaware County, Iowa, August 3, 1848, son of Lemuel and Mary Ann (Blue) Barrett; he. born August 16, 1821, in Green Castle, Ind, died December 7, 1855, and was a farm- er by occupation; she, born in Ohio June 20, 1822, lives with our subject. The parents had ten children, seven of whom-four boys and three girls -- are living. The father of our subject left Indiana when eighteen years of age, and settled in De Kalb County, Ill., in 1839. There he followed farming with his father till after marriage, which occurred in Pontiac, Ill., February 12, 1836. He then bought a farm in Delaware County, Iowa, where he remained about five years, thence moved to Pottawattamie County and located on the farm where he died, and where our subject now lives. Mr. Barrett was educated in the common schools of this township, and
has always been a close reader. He takes pride in assisting in every good work, and is a strong temperance man. He carries on his farm in a thorough, scientific manner. having all the late appliances with which to work. His maternal grandfather was a soldier in the war of 1812, serving his time in full and being honorably discharged. Mr. Barrett was married, at Council Bluffs, Iowa. April 31, 1872, to Emma Caroline Stoffanson, born in Sweden October 19, 1851, daughter of Pe- ter and Cecelia (Strickerson) Stoffanson, na- tives of Sweden, he born November 22, 1823, she born January 8, 1827. Mr. and Mrs. Bar- rett have six children-William Oliver, Ben- jamin Franklin, Burlie Clayton, Lulu May, Isaac Everett and C. Mr. Barrett has been Road Supervisor, Constable, School Director, President of the School Board, and is now Secretary of the board, which office he has
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held three years. He belongs to the Inde- pendent Order of Good Templars, and is a Republican.
SOLOMON MOMULLEN, farmer, P. O. Crescent City, was born in Ohio June 6, 1832, son of William and Catharine (Myers) McMul- len; he, born in Virginia March 15, 1783, died October 8, 1878, was a farmer; she was born in Ohio February 10, 1776, and died November 10, 1848, in Missouri, near Spring- field; they had eleven children, six of whom were boys and five girls. When our subject was nine years of are, he removed with his parents to Lawrence County, Mo. After re maining there eleven years, they emigrated to Pottawattamie County, Iowa, in 1852. There the father died, and there our subject has since been employed in farming. Mr. McMullen has a farm of about four hundred acres, a good portion of which is timber; He grows the ordinary farm crops, and raises considerable stock. Mr. McMullen was mar- ried, in Iowa. December 2, 1852, to Ellen Dunkle, born in Ohio March 10, 1835, daugh- ter of William and Mary (McMullen) Dun- kle; he, born in Virginia January 10, 1781, died December 30, 1873; she, born in Ohio January 20, 1777, died September 20, 1831. Mr. and Mrs. McMullen have been blessed with six children -- Mary Catharine, born September 30, 1853; Amanda Jane, Decem- ber 30, IS55; John William, October 16, 1859; Daniel Boone, June 3, 1863; Anna Laura, September 18, 1867; and Reuben Lee, Jan- uary 18, 1876. Mr. McMullen is a Demo- crat, but believes in home protection.
CHARLES O. MUSSER, farmer, P. O. Council Bluffs, was born in Millwood, Knox Co., Ohio, July 17, 1842, son of John and Caroline A. (Souls) Musser, natives of Penn- sylvania; he, born May 21, 1817, in Somerset County, Ohio, was a cabinet-maker by trade, and died in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, in
October, 1868; she, born near Gettysburg April 11, 1822, is the mother of nine children. Mr. Musser came to Pottawattamie County with his parents in May, 1854, and was en- gaged in farming till twenty-one years of age, when he enlisted in Company A, Twenty-ninth Iowa Volunteers, and served till the close of the war. He was present at the battles of Helena and Little Rock, Ark .; was in the Camden campaign, and at the siege of Mo- bile; he was also actively engaged in the Ya- zoo Pass expedition. He was mustered out as Sergeant August 10, 1865, and returned home August 29. Mr. Musser was married, in this county, November 26, 1867, to Emily J. Triplett, born in Ohio April 15, 1849, daughter of Thomas and Sarah (Pollock) Triplett, he born in Virginia in 1827, she born in Pennsylvania in 1829. Mr. and Mrs. Musser have four children-John Thomas, Sarah C., Charles F. and Jessie M. Mr. Musser is engaged in general farming and fruit-growing. He has held the various offi- ces of his township, and was census-taker of 1880. He is a Presbyterian, a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, and a Re- publican.
JAMES W. OSBORN, farmer, P. O. Coun- cil Bluffs, was born in Virginia February 2, 1827, son of George and Millanda (Good- win) Osborn, natives of Virginia; he, born April 13, 1780, was a farmer by occupation, and died at his home near Winchester, Va., during the latter part of the late war, and whilst a battle was being fought near his house. Our subject's mother was born December 3, 1789, and died October 11. 1845, near Winchester, Va. The parents had seven children, five of whom are living. Mr. Osborn received his early education in the subscription schools of his native place. He is a man well posted in the general affairs of the day. He first rented the old homestead, which he farmed for five
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HAZEL DELL TOWNSHIP.
years. The farm then being sold for the benefit of the heirs, our subject removed to Missouri, and settled near St. Joe, where he remained till the spring of 1865, when he came to Pottawattamie County. He first saw his present farm the morning after the assas- sination of President Lincoln. At that time the farm was unimproved, and but one small house upon it. Mr. Osborn now owns 500 acres in this county. He was married, in Virginia, May 21, 1857, to Margaret Ester, born in Baltimore, Md., February 23, 1834, daughter of John and Susan Byard (Perkins) Ester, he, born in Ireland about 1802, died in 1864; she, born in 1802, died in 1853. Mr. and Mrs. Osborn have nine children-Olin (married), James H., Charles E., William A., Susan M., Lillian, Margetta M., George H. and Hunter. The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Os- born is a Democrat.
PERRY REEL. farmer, P. O. Honey Creek Station. William A. Reel was a na- tive of Virginia, but moved to Indiana about 1822, settling in Putnam County. In 1850. he came to Iowa, and, liking the country, purchased two claims, one for himself and one for his son-in-law, Edmond Latham. Mr. Latham and a Mr. Cox came in the fall of 1851, and then Mr. Reel in the spring of 1852, and through Mr. Reel's influence, al- most all the settlers that came from Putnam and Clay Counties, Ind., came to this part of the county. Mr. William Reel bought the mill on Pigeon Creek when first coming in 1852, and resided near the same till his death, in 1859. Mr. Reel did as much or more than any one to make this part of the county what it is-a community filled up with energetic and successful farmers. Mr. William Reel had two sons-W. R., who is now in Monta- na in the mining business; and Perry Reel, the subject of this sketch. Mr. Perry Reel
was born in Putnam County, Ind., in 1838, and came to this county with his parents in 1852, and since that time Pottawattamie County has been his home. Mr. Reel's edu- cation was obtained in the subscription schools of Indiana. When coming here, they did not have any schools, so his chances for an education depended on himself. Mr. Reel's main business has been that of farm- ing. His politics have always been those of bis father-Democratic. Previous to 1867, Mr. Reel had served five years as a member of the Board of Supervisors from his town- ship. In 1867, he was elected Sheriff of Pot- tawattamie County, and again re-elected in 1869, going out of office January, 1872. He then was on the farm till the fall of 1873; he was elected County Treasurer and served two years, and again, in 1877, he was elected Sheriff, and held the office two terms, going out January, 1882. Mr Reel's election to office so many times in a county where his support had to come from Republicans, as well as his own party, tells more of his per- sonal character and uprightness than any other words can, and he feels indebted to both parties for the honor. Mr. Reel was married, in 1862, to Miss Millie Branson, who was also born in Indiana. She came to Pottawattamie County in the spring of 1860, with her father, Jonathan Branson. They have five children living-two boys and three girls-all at home. Mr. Reel also has his fair share of this world's goods, having quite a large body of land, most of it, however, being grass land and pasture. Still, his home farm of 160 acres is well improved, fine forest groves, convenient farm buildings, fruit, etc. Mr. Reel has water works on a small scale on his farm. A wind-mill pumps water into a tank or reservoir on a bluff about seventy feet above the level of his building grounds, and from this pipes are laid below
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