USA > Iowa > Pottawattamie County > History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, from the earliest historic times to 1907, Vol. I > Part 49
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Frank B. Hahn was educated in the public schools of Missouri Valley, to which place he removed with his mother. The father dicd when the son was but an infant, and after he had acquired a public school education he devoted his time and attention to various lines of business. In 1886 he ro- moved to Council Bluffs, where he entered the employ of Harry Inman, with whom he remained for a few years, and then started in business on his own account, having in the meantime saved from his earnings a sum sufficient to enable him to open a store of his own. He established a saloon at No. 545 West Broadway and there continued in the retail liquor business throughout his remaining days, his death occurring July 22, 1907, after he had been in ill health for about two years.
Mr. ITahn was married in Council Bluffs to Miss Anna Sutton, a native of Missouri Valley, Iowa, and a daughter of George and Nellic (Marshall) Sutton, the latter a native of England and the former of Germany. The father, on cmigrating to the United States, became one of the early residents of Iowa, settling at Missouri Valley. In pioneer times he was engaged in run- ning a stage coach between that place and Onawa. He was killed by accident
FRANK B. HAHN.
THE NEW' YO PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOR, LENOX AND TILO N FOUNDATIONS.
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at Missouri Valley when his daughter, Mrs. Hahn, was an infant. Mrs. Sut- ton died at Missouri Valley when the daughter was but five years of age.
In his political views Mr. Hahn was a democrat and greatly interested in the work and success of the party and recognized in his community as one of its local leaders. Fraternally he was connected with the Red Men and with the Eagles, and passed all of the chairs in the local lodge of the former or- ganization. He possessed a genial manner and cordial disposition that won him many friends. Mrs. Hahn still owns the business left by her husband. but expects to dispose of this soon, although she will still retain the ownership of the business block for rental purposes. She owns a nice residence at No. 315 East Washington avenue, where she has resided for eleven years.
JOHN W. CROW.
Judge John Crow, for so he is familiarly known in his home locality, needs no introduction to the readers of this volume, having for more than a quarter of a century been one of the public-spirited and leading citizens of Min- den. The circle of his friends embraces nearly all of the townspeople and includes many others in different parts of the county.
Here he has lived since 1877 and his residence in Iowa dates from 1856. At the time of his arrival in this state he was a lad of only about seven years, his birth having occurred in Mercer county, Ohio, November 16, 1849. The father settled in Cerro Gordo county, where he reared his family, and when John W. Crow had reached adult age he looked back upon a boyhood largely devoted to farm labor interspersed with some little attendance at the country schools. He is largely self-educated, however, and has added greatly to his knowledge through reading, observation and experience. Through the prac- tical affairs of life he has learned many valuable lessons. After arriving at years of maturity he worked on a farm by the month and later when his labors had brought him sufficient capital he purchased a traet of land in Hancock county, Iowa, and was there engaged in general agricultural pursuits.
Coming to Pottawattamie county in 1877, Mr. Crow settled in the village of Minden and here became identified with commercial interests, opening a store and carrying on a dry-goods business for eighteen years. Later he en- gaged in the real-estate, insurance and collection business, in which he still continues, and in this direction he has a liberal clientage. At different times he has been called to serve in various offices of public honor and trust and has left the impress of his individuality upon the city's growth and its municipal development. He has served as mayor of the town at different times, also been a member of the town board and a member of the city council. In these dif- ferent positions he has closely studied municipal needs and possibilities and has labored along effective lines for the welfare and progress of the community. For the past fifteen years he has been secretary of the independent school board and was elected and served as justice of the peace for ten or twelve years. His decisions were strictly fair and impartial, so that he thereby "won golden
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opinions from all sorts of people." In the discharge of his official duties he has ever been found thoroughly trustworthy and he is regarded as one of the foremost representatives of the democracy in Minden and this part of the county. Ile cast his first presidential ballot for Horace Greeley in 1872 and has since voted for each nominee at the head of the democratic ticket since that time, never missing a single election. He has served as a delegate to numerous county and state conventions. He is well acquainted with many of the demo- cratic leaders of the state and his opinions are not without considerable weight in the party councils.
Mr. Crow was married in Minden. February 27, 1889, to Mrs. Sophia Led- erer, a native of Germany, who was there reared. There is only one son of this marriage, John L. By her former marriage Mrs. Crow had a daughter, Lilly, who grew to mature years, became the wife of Ilarry Peters and died in 1904. Mr. Crow is a member of the Knights of Pythias lodge at Council Bluffs and also of the Woodmen of the World. He possesses good business ability, is attentive and diligent, neglecting no opportunity nor duty. He is well known as one whose integrity stands as an unquestioned fact in his busi- ness career and whose personal worth has won him the confidence and friend- ship of many with whom he has been brought in contact.
JOHN F. MCAANENEY.
John F. MeAneney, auditor of Council Bluffs, was born in Piqua, Ohio. on the 11th of February, 1850, and there lived to the age of ten years, when he became a resident of Pottawattamie county, Iowa, the family settling upon a farm in Wright township, where he was engaged in farming and stock- raising up to the year of 1888. During this time he taught school for a num- ber of years, proving a capable educator.
In 1888 he went on the road as traveling salesman for D. M. Osborne & Company of Auburn, New York, and has since that date followed the vocation of commercial traveler up to November, 1905, when through an accident he lost his left arm. This necessitated his retirement from the road and in March, 1903, he was elected to his present office of auditor of Council Bluffs for a term of two years. In April, 1907. he was given a vote of thanks by the city council for the splendid report which he made before that body and which was highly complimented by the mayor, who is a democrat, while Mr. MeAneney is a republican. As a traveling salesman he was very popular in the territory in which he traveled. possessing not only the alert. enterprising spirit so necessary to the sale of goods but also a genial and courteous manner which won him the warm friendship and regard of the great majority of those with whom he came in contact.
In 1884, in Atlantic, Iowa, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. MeAneney and Miss Joanna M. Graham, a daughter of Christopher Graham. They now have four daughters, two of whom are teachers and two are students. The family is well known in Council Bluffs and the hospitality of many of the
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best homes is freely accorded them. Mr. McAneney is proving a trustworthy and capable officer, discharging his duties with a sense of conscientious obli- gation that has won him high encomiums.
JOHN N. FRUM.
John N. Frum owns and cultivates an excellent farm of two hundred and twenty acres in Pleasant township, and in addition to the tilling of the soil annually feeds and ships two carloads of cattle. He was born in Monongalia county, West Virginia, on the 7th of January, 1849, his parents being Joseph and Mary J. (Boyd) Frum. The father, also a native of Monongalia county, was born in 1818, and the mother's birth occurred there in the same year. Having reached adult age, they were married, and to provide for his family the father engaged in farming. In 1868 he brought his wife and children to Iowa, locating first in Poweshiek county, and in the spring of 1872 he came to Pottawattamie county, settling in Pleasant township, where he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land on section 17. There he resided up to the time of his death. His political allegiance was given to the republican party. For about ten years after her husband's death Mrs. Frum continued to culti- vate and manage the farm, after which she removed to Shelby, where she made her home until called to her final rest on the 12th of July, 1907. In their family were nine children, of whom eight are yet living: Samuel B., of Shelby, Iowa; Catherine, the wife of Thomas Brown, of Dixon, South Dakota; John N. and Joseph E., twins, the latter of Shelby, Iowa; Vian, the wife of L. M. Ostrom, of Council Bluffs, Iowa; Christopher C., of Homer, Nebraska ; Anna, the wife of A. M. Scott, of Pleasant township, this county ; and George, of Dixon, South Dakota.
John N. Frum was reared on the home farm and in the district schools acquired his education. In early manhood he became a partner of his father in agricultural pursuits and on coming to Pottawattamie county the father and his sons acquired a body of land in partnership, securing then over one thousand acres, which was divided soon after the marriage of John N. Frum, who thus acquired his present homestead of two hundred and twenty acres, upon which he has since lived. Here he has been engaged in the raising of cattle for a number of years and he annually feeds about two carloads each win- ter. In this he has been very successful and is one of the best known cattle- men of this section of the state.
In 1880 Mr. Frum was united in marriage to Miss Emma E. Nippert, of Pleasant township, and they have since become the parents of seven children : William E. and Mable G .. both at home; Ida, the wife of Lloyd W. Longa- necker, of Shelby, Iowa; George H., Joseph M., Corwin J. and Mary Cecil, all yet under the parental roof. With the exception of the two youngest all of the children have attended the Shelby high school.
Mr. Frum has always been a stalwart champion of the cause of education and has done effective service in behalf of the schools as a member of the
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board. In politics he is an earnest republican and has served for several years as township trustee. He belongs to Silencia lodge, No. 371, A. F. & A. M., to Raboni chapter, R. A. M., and he and his wife, together with one son and daughter, are members of the Eastern Star. His religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Presbyterian church and throughout his entire life he has been a man whom to know is to esteem and honor, for he has never been known to take advantage of the necessities of others in business transac- tions but on the contrary has been straightforward and honorable.
IRAD T. SPANGLER.
Irad T. Spangler is the oldest grain merchant in years of continuous con- nection with the trade on the line of the Rock Island in western Iowa, and his business career has at all times been such as to merit the confidence and trust of his associates in the commercial world. He is a native of Pennsylvania, his birth having occurred in Lebanon county on the 16th of May, 1844. His father, Levi S. Spangler, was born in Myerstown, Pennsylvania, of German ancestry, our subject, however, being of the fifth generation of the family in this country. The father was reared in the place of his nativity and in early manhood engaged in the grain business there. He afterward removed to Schuylkill county, where he was engaged in dealing in hard coal, and later he took up his abode in Lawrence county, Pennsylvania, where he operated in bituminous coal-fields for some years. Subsequently he returned to Myers- town, where the last years of his life were passed. He was a believer in repub- lican principles, stalwart in support of the party and an influential factor in its local councils but never an aspirant for political preferment. The German Reformed church found in him an active and devoted member and he died in that faith in February, 1876, at the age of fifty-seven years. In early man- hood he had wedded Leah Tice, and to them were born nine children. of whom seven are yet living, as follows: Priscilla C., the wife of Ilenry Haak. of Myerstown, Pennsylvania; Irad T .; Melinda, the wife of Harry James. of Myerstown; Jerome C., who is a miller of Walnut, Iowa; Monroe L., also of Walnut; Levi T., of Atlantic, Iowa; and Emma M., of Myerstown, Pennsyl- vania.
In the family home in Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, Irad T. Spangler received that training which works for honorable manhood and good citizen- ship. He was educated in the public schools and when eighteen years of age. aroused by a spirit of patriotism, he offered his services to the government, en- listing on the 15th of Angust, 1862, as a member of Company C, One Hun- dred and Forty-ninth Pennsylvania Infantry, known as the Bucktail Regi- ment. His military experience is that of that famous regiment, as he partici- pated in all of the principal engagements of the war. He was present at the battle of Gettysburg, the regiment going into action with four hundred and eighty-four enlisted men and coming out with only one hundred and thirty- four. such was the carnage on that field of battle, where the contesting armies
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advanced and retreated again and again until finally the Union forces were able to meet their opposition on the third day, and thus one of the most im- portant engagements was brought to a successful close for the northern troops. Mr. Spangler was slightly wounded in the battle of Cold Harbor but was not incapacitated for service and following the surrender of Lee was honorably dis- charged on the 25th of June, 1865. He had never faltered in the perform- ance of any duty, whether on the firing line or on the lonely picket line and his military record is altogether a most creditable one.
Returning to the north, Mr. Spangler located in Lawrence county, Penn- sylvania, and assisted his father in his mining operations there. He was mar- ried in that locality on the 11th of July, 1867, to Miss Sarah M. Marshall, and remained in Lawrence county until 1873, which year witnessed his arrival in Iowa. He reached Walnut, Pottawattamie county, in the early part of April and soon afterward became identified with the grain business as a member of the firm of Avery, Spangler & Company, dealers in grain, coal and agricultural implements. In 1879 he went to Shelby, Iowa, to look after the business of the firm at that point, the company having established a branch elevator there. He continued at Shelby for four years, when the branch elevator was sold and Mr. Spangler returned to Walnut, where he purchased the interests of his partners, becoming sole proprietor of the business, which he has since con- ducted alone, this enterprise making him one of the leading representatives of commercial interests in the town. He has been in business continuously for thirty-four years, and he believes therefore, that he is the oldest grain shipper in the state along the line of the Rock Island Railroad. He has always led a very busy life.
In 1887 Mr. Spangler was called upon to mourn the loss of his first wife, who died in October of that year, and in September, 1888, he wedded Miss Alice D. Depew. By his first marriage there were born five children, of whom three are yet living. Christ M., the eldest, is superintendent of the Diamond mine in Diamonetta, Niuras, Geres, Brazil. He was the superintendent of the building of the Sacramento Street Railway, prior to his twenty-first year and is a skilled mechanic and engineer by reason of the development of his natural power and his personal study. Levi is the superintendent of the Centerville division of the Bay County Electric Power Company, furnishing the power for San Francisco, Sacramento and the surrounding towns, the plant being lo- cated at Centerville. Charles R., the youngest son, is a member of the Walnut Milling Company, holding the office of treasurer. The children of the second marriage are Homer D. and Ronald T., fifteen and thirteen years respectively and now students in the public schools.
In addition to his home in Walnut, Mr. Spangler owns some extensive farm property in Layton township, besides being a leading dealer in grain, coal, farm implements and live-stock in the northeastern part of the county. His business has been developed along safe lines, bringing him a very gratify- ing measure of prosperity, his labors being directed into those channels where keen discrimination and sound judgment have led the way. In politics he is a stalwart republican and prominent in the councils of his party. He has been called to various public offices, serving as school director for seventeen
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years, as township clerk for two terms, township trustee for one term and mem- ber of the town council for six years. He has frequently been a delegate to the state and county conventions, where his opinions carry weight. He belongs to the Presbyterian church and he is one of its trustees, while socially he is con- nected with the Ancient Order of United Workmen and with John A. Dix post, G. A. R. In all the days of peace as in the days of war he has been loyal to the best interests of his country and his influence has ever been on the side of justice, improvement and progress. His friends, and they are many, speak of him in warm terms of praise and commendation, and wherever he is known he commands the fullest confidence and regard of those with whom he has been associated.
CHARLES LUNKLEY.
Charles Lunkley, who for a number of years was engaged in the under- taking business in Council Bluffs, continuing in that line of operation from the time of his arrival in the city in October. 1889, until his death, was a na- tive of Stark county, Ohio, born on the 12th of October. 1846. His parents were Francis and Margaret (Shields) Lunkley, both of whom were natives of Germany. At an early day they came to America, settling in Stark county, Ohio, where the father engaged in general farming for several years. Ile aft- erward sought a home in the middle west, taking up his abode near Ottumwa, Iowa, where he purchased a farm and carried on the work of tilling the soil throughout the remainder of his days. Both he and his wife passed away at that place, his death occurring when he had reached the age of seventy-two years.
Charles Lunkley was only a young child when his parents came to Iowa, where he was reared to farm work, and in the country schools near Ottumwa acquired his education. Lessons of industry, perseverance and diligence were early impressed upon his mind, and when he was still quite a young lad he received practical training in the work of the fields. During the period of his boyhood a Mr. Bachman was engaged in the retail furniture business and in the manufacture of furniture at Ottumwa, and when Mr. Lunkley left school he began to learn the trade of cabinet-making with Mr. Bachman. His fidelity. trustworthiness and ability soon gained him generous recognition and within a short time he was general clerk in the Bachman furniture store. For eigh- teen years he was connected with that business, being a most loyal and trusted employe.
It was during his residence in Ottumwa that Mr. Lunkley was married to Miss Amanda Konantz, a native of Crawford, Indiana, and a daughter of An- ton and Catherine (Wolfe) Konantz, both of whom were natives of Germany. On bidding adieu to the fatherland and crossing the Atlantic to the new world. they settled in Crawford, Indiana, where they resided for a few years. On the expiration of that period they removed to the west and Mr. Konantz purchased a farm near Ottumwa, where he carried on general agricultural pursuits
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throughout his remaining days. He worked diligently and persistently and as the years passed, acquired a comfortable competence for his family. His wife died when on a visit in Illinois. There were four children born unto Mr. and Mrs. Lunkley, of whom two are living. Cora, the elder, is the wife of Henry C. Scheidle, and with their daughter, Gertrude May, they reside at No. 208 South First street with her mother. May is the wife of John B. Hendricks, a resident of Cheyenne, Wyoming, who is connected with the Union Pacific Coal Company. Those deccased are Joseph Francis and Hattie. The son married Annie Johnson and died in 1896, leaving one child, Clarence.
It was subsequent to his marriage that Mr. Lunkley came to the west, set- tling in Holdridge, Nebraska, where he established a furniture and undertak- ing business, which he conducted for three years. He then came to Council Bluffs in October, 1889, and here opened an undertaking establishment, pur- chasing his stock from Mr. Field, at No. 322 Broadway. He engaged in busi- ness at different places on Broadway and finally located at No. 226, where he remained in business until called to his final rest. He built up an excellent trade and the liberal patronage accorded him made him one of the successful merchants of Council Bluffs.
For three years prior to his death Mr. Lunkley was in ill health and spent much of his time away from home in the hope that he might be benefited by the change but all to no avail, and on the 11th of April, 1905, he passed away. He had given his political allegiance to the democracy and was well known as a valued member of the Knights of Pythias fraternity, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Woodmen of the World. He was also a communicant of St. Francis Catholic church in Council Bluffs, to which his wife yet belongs. During the dark days of the Civil war he enlisted in April, 1863, as a private in Company A, Seventh Iowa Cavalry and was discharged November 6, 1865, on account of disability. His life was in many respects uneventful and yet he displayed those sterling traits of character which work for good citizenship and for hon- esty in business and in private life. Ile therefore left to his family an un- tarnished name and his memory is yet cherished by the many friends whom he gained during the years of his residence in Council Bluffs. His widow still resides here, being located in a pleasant home at No. 624 Sixth avenue.
FRANK T. TRUE.
Among the most loyal of Council Bluffs' citizens is Frank T. True, who was born in North Stratford, New Hampshire, on December 8, 1861. He left there at the early age of six and went with his parents to Norway, Maine. Upon the old farm and under the parental roof Mr. True was reared, and in the free- dom of the outdoor life developed a reliant spirit and force of character that has marked his entire career. He attended the schools of the neighborhood until eighteen years of age but could no longer contentedly remain at home, for the business world was attractive and he was eager to enter its field. He
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was first employed as bookkeeper for a lumber company in North Stratford and did his work so carefully and accurately that he remained with them for four years, returning at the end of that time to Norway, Maine, where for two years he was engaged in the grocery business. In 1886 he was elected treas- urer of his native city but resigned in October of the following year to come to Council Bluffs. He entered at once into work in the office of city clerk and has been in the city's employ ever since, either by appointment or election. In April, 1900, he was elected city treasurer on the republican ticket and is now serving his fourth term, which speaks well for his popularity among his constituents as well as his efficiency in the duties of his office.
On January 27, 1892, in Ashland, Nebraska, occurred the marriage of Frank T. True and Anna J. Chamberlin, a daughter of Dr. W. E. Chamber- lin. Mr. True is a Shriner, a Knight Templar. a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Elks, and because of his religious beliefs has joined the Universalist church. His record is that of a man who by his own unaided efforts has worked his way to his present position. His life has been one of industry and perseverance and the systematic and honorable methods which he has followed have won him the support and confidence of his con- stituents. Without the aid of influence or wealth he has risen to a position of prominence in the city and his native genius and acquired ability are the step- ping-stones on which he has mounted.
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