USA > Iowa > Story County > History of Story County, Iowa; a record of organization, progress and achievement, Volume II > Part 15
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ANNA C. RINGGENBERG.
Anna C. Ringgenberg is a native of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, and a daughter of Gerhardt and Minnie (Carstans) Bierhaus, both natives of Germany, who came to the United States with their parents when they were children. The father was a contractor by trade and followed that business during the greater part of his life. During his last years, how- ever, he lived retired on a farm. Ile was a member of the Reformed church, being identified with that denomination up to the time of his de- mise in 1897. Mrs. Bierhaus is still living and makes her home in Camp- bell county, Nebraska. Ten children were born to them, eight of whom survived, Mrs. Ringgenberg being the oklest of those living. Mr. Bier- haus was an estimable citizen, his high standards of life and loyalty to the principles of his adopted country making him a credit to any community where he lived.
In 1883 Miss Anna C. Bierhaus gave her hand in marriage to Henry Adolph Ringgenberg, a native of Switzerland and a son of Peter and Anna Ringgenberg. By this union there were born three children, as follows : Franklin, who died at the age of five years ; and Calvin and Carl, at home. Mr. Ringgenberg was a native of the Buckeye state, born in Holmes county, where he lived until he had reached the age of nine years, at which time he migrated with his parents to Polk county. Iowa. He resided in the latter
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place until 1900, when he removed to Jamaica, Iowa, but after residing there for three years he decided to become a resident of Story county and so located in Ames in 1903, where he continued to live up to the time of his death in 1909, at the age of fifty-one years. He left a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Boone county and one hundred and fifty-five acres in Story county.
Mr. Ringgenberg united with the Methodist Episcopal church nine years before his death and continued to hold membership in that denomination at the time of his demise. He was an ever ready and stanch defender of the principles of temperance and therefore always cast his vote for the candidates of the prohibition party, feeling that its policy is best adapted to improve and strengthen the moral status of the nation. He was a man of sound principles, high standards of citizenship and incorruptible integ- rity and upon these he founded his life as well as his business. He was born and reared on a farm and followed agricultural pursuits until his re- tirement from active labor nine years before his death. He was a suc- cessful man and left his family a competence which assures Mrs. Ringgen- berg of always having sufficient to provide her with all of the necessities and some of the luxuries of life.
WINFIELD SCOTT SMITH.
The Buckeye state has contributed many stalwart sons who have assisted in the upbuilding of Iowa and among them may be named Winfield S. Smith, well known in Story county as one of its most energetic and pro- gressive citizens. He was born at Mount Vernon, Knox county, Ohio, October 26, 1850, a son of Aaron and Sarah ( Paddock) Smith. The father was born in Franklin county, Ohio, and came of Dutch ancestry, the early members of the family in America arriving during the colonial period. The great-grandfather on the paternal side served in the Revolu- tionary war from New Jersey. The Smiths came to Ohio about 1810 and entered land in Franklin county, having the opportunity at that time, had they so desired, to take up the tract now occupied by the capitol building. Aaron Smith began his business career as a farmer but later learned the iron molder's trade and subsequently maintained a foundry at different times at Mount Vernon, Westerville and Marion, Ohio, also manufacturing plows, corn shellers and iron for railroad uses at the last named place. While at Westerville he enlisted in the Civil war in the spring of 1864 as a member of Company B, One Hundred and Thirty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry, serving until the close of the conflict. He was one of a family of eight brothers, all of whom were valiant soldiers for the cause of the Union. Two of the brothers were wounded in battle and one of them was taken prisoner at the battle of Shiloh. Seven of the brothers returned
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home, one having given up his life on the field of battle. In the fall of 1868 Aaron Smith came to Story county, Iowa, and purchased one hun- dred and sixty acres in Milford township, where he spent the remainder of his days. He died in 1885 at the age of sixty-seven years, having been born on the 8th of March, 1818. While in Ohio he was an active member of the United Brethren church. He was identified with the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows and also with the Grand Army of the Republic. Originally he was an old line whig but after the organization of the republican party he gave to it his earnest support. The mother of our subject was born in New Jersey on the 13th of September. 1823, and traced her ancestry to Holland. Her grandfather Paddock served in a New Jersey regiment at the time of the Revolutionary war. Ile and his brother were taken prisoners by the British but they made their escape after a short confinement and reached the Continental army in safety. Mrs. Smith was a woman of many excellent qualities and a consistent member of the United Brethren church. She was the mother of five chil- dren, the eldest of whom died in infancy. The other members of the family were: Levi H., now living at Central Point. Oregon ; Winfield Scott, our subject : Eugene, a successful fruit and vegetable grower of Franklin township. Story county; and Daniel P., now engaged in fruit growing in the Hood river district of Oregon.
Winfield S. Smith removed with his parents to Lee county, Illinois, and in 1868 to Story county, Iowa. As he grew up he assisted his father upon the home farm and attended the district school in winter. In the spring of 1876 he went to Kansas and preempted a timber claim upon which he located, expecting to make it his permanent home. The first two seasons were prosperous, but during the next two years a drought prevailed over that portion of the state and in 1880 Mr. Smith returned to Milford town- ship. Story county, fully convinced that conditions were much more favor- able here than in certain parts of the Sunflower state. He purchased land, which he cultivated diligently and with very satisfactory results until 1896, when he took up his residence in Nevada. He has since devoted his attention largely to the general oversight of his farm and to the real-estate and insurance business.
On March 3. 1878, Mr. Smith was united in marriage to Miss Laura II. Huckel, who was born in Black Hawk county, Iowa, June 23. 1860. and is a daughter of Joseph and Lizzie ( Roberts) Huckel. The parents came to lowa from Pennsylvania about 1850 and located in Black Hawk county. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Smith five children have been born: Aaron L., now a railroad engineer of Sioux City, lowa; Harry W., who is con- nected with the railroad business at Kansas City. Missouri; Lulu L., who married John Shirk, an expert creamery man, of San Luis Obispo, Cali- fornia, and is the mother of two children: Edna R., a teacher in the public schools of Nevada ; and Laura V., now acting as bookkeeper in the Journal office at Nevada.
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Mr. Smith is not a member of any religious denomination but his wife and daughters are connected with the Lutheran church. He is identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and is a supporter of the republican party. He served for a number of years as a member of the city council and in 1906 was elected justice of the peace and is now enter- ing upon his third term in that office. In the discharge of his various duties, both public and private, he has displayed a fairness and ability that have met the approval of the entire community and today no man stands higher in the respect of the people of Nevada than the gentleman whose name introduces this review.
J. A. CAMPBELL.
In the enterprising city of Ames J. A. Campbell occupies a leading position in business circles, being proprietor of a coal and feed yard. What- ever success he has achieved in life is attributable entirely to his own efforts and he deserves much credit for what he has accomplished. He was born in Milford township, July 25, 1858, a son of James and Anna (Eccles) Campbell, both of whom were natives of northern Ireland. The father, who was born February 23, 1808, came alone to America when eighteen years of age, landing at New York, where he resided until his removal to the middle west in August, 1855, at which time he took up his abode in Milford township, Story county, Iowa. This was then largely an unimproved and unsettled district and he entered eighty acres from the government on the southeast quarter of section 27. There he spent his remaining days, having the usual experiences of frontier life and meeting with the usual difficulties in transforming wild prairie into productive fields. The journey westward had been made by railroad to Iowa City, which was then the terminus of the line, and from that point by team. He continued a worthy and valued resident of the county until his death, which occurred February 3, 1881. His wife, who was born in northern Ireland, June 13, 1825, sailed for New York with her brother and was married in that city. She died at the home of her daughter in Marshalltown, Iowa, at the age of seventy-three years. The father had been previously married. After first coming to the United States he returned to his native land, was there ·married and brought his bride to the new world, but her death occurred in New York city, where he afterward wedded Anna Eccles. There were two children by his first marriage: Robert J., of Hollenberg, Kansas; and Mrs. Martha Cressler, living at Berkeley, California. The children of the second marriage are: William J., who died near Baton Rouge, Louisiana ; Bell, who is the wife of W. W. Gossard and resides at Colorado Springs, Colorado; Charles E., who is living upon the old home place which his father entered from the government; and Sadie, the wife of M. W. Gossard, of Marshalltown, Iowa.
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The other child of the father's second marriage is J. A. Campbell of this review, who resided upon the old home place with his parents until he had attained his majority, pursuing his education in the common schools. At eighteen years of age he began teaching in the district schools and followed that profession for three years. He began farming on his own account in Milford township, where he resided until about fourteen years ago, when he came to Ames. Here he turned his attention to the real- estate business, which he followed until the spring of 1910, when he sold out and formed a partnership with C. R. Holdredge under the firm style of Holdredge & Campbell for the conduct of a coal and feed business. This partnership continued until January, 1911, since which time Mr. Campbell has conducted the business alone. In this he has met with suc- cess and he now has an extenisve patronage, which he well merits because his business methods are at all times honorable and reliable.
On the 9th of September, 1880, Mr. Campbell was united in marriage to Miss Ada Hall, who was born in Lafayette township, Story county, February 16, 1856, and is a daughter of Alba O. and Mary (Spaulding) Hall, the father a native of Maine and the mother of Vermont. They became pioneer residents of Story county and spent their remaining days within its borders, both passing away in Ames. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Camp- bell have been born four children: Fae; Claud V., who is editor and publisher of the Jewell Record of Jewell, Iowa ; Mabel V., who is head of the domestic science department of the Illinois Wesleyan University; and Floy B., who is in the First National Bank at Canon City, Colorado, and was formerly assistant cashier of the Ames Savings Bank. The youngest child is a graduate of the high school of Ames and Claud and Mabel are graduates of the lowa State College. Mr. Campbell owns a good resi- dence at No. 916 Dayton avenue.
He holds membership with the Masonic fraternity and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and also belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church. His life has been an active, busy and useful one and he has made a credit- able record, which has gained for him the respect, confidence and good will of his fellowmen.
NOBLE PORTER HALL.
Noble Porter Hall, one of the well known retired farmers of Story county, was born in Ross county, Ohio, on the 25th of December, 1831. He is the son of Thomas and Eliza ( Rosenbarger) Hall, both natives of Virginia, who removed to Ross county as children with their respective parents and there they were reared and married. In 1836 they located in Kosciusko county, Indiana. remaining there until the fall of 1854. when they again started westward, this time locating in Story county, Iowa. The
NOBLE P. HALL
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MRS. NOBLE P. HALL
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journey across the prairies to lowa was made in company with the family of Jacob Greider. Four wagons with two teams of horses and two yoke of oxen were required to transport the various members of the party and their household effects. The journey was made in comparative ease and with- out incident of any moment until they had reached Iowa City but very shortly thereafter cholera broke out among the party and one of their members died and was laid to rest nine miles this side of Marengo. They continued their journey, however, until within two miles of Grinnell, when they were compelled to go into camp for about three weeks and when they resumed their march they left behind them in the little cemetery Amos Hall, brother of our subject, and Mary Greider. During this time the care of the horses and stock devolved upon Mr. Hall and Thomas Edgars, a boy of the party, and they were indeed busy as well as sad days. Arriving in Story county they located in Indian Creek township, one mile northeast of Maxwell, where Thomas Hall bought two hundred acres of unimproved land, which he immediately began to cultivate. Here on the 22d of Feb- ruary, 1879, he passed away at the age of sixty-nine years, having been born on the 29th of May, 1810. Mrs. Hall survived him for four years and on the 27th day of January, 1883, she died, having passed the seventy- second milestone in the cycle of life, being born on the 11th of January, ISII. They were the parents of eight children, six of whom survive, four of them being over seventy years of age. The surviving children are as follows: Mary Jane, the widow of Augustus Berlin, of Ottawa, Kansas; John R., of Maxwell, Iowa ; James H., of Maxwell ; William C., of Golden Prairie, Wyoming; Thomas, of Bagley, Iowa; and our subject.
Mr. Hall was reared at home and living in the country in pioneer days his educational advantages were very limited ; his schooling being confined to the brief sessions of the district school, which were held in a log build- ing with puncheon floor and slab benches.
He left the parental roof at the age of nineteen years in order to estab- lish a home for himself, having been united in marriage on the 29th of No- vember, 1855, to Miss Margaret Felkner, of Kosciusko county, Indiana. For fifteen years he farmed as a renter but in 1862 he removed to Indiana, locating on the farm of his uncle in Kosciusko county, where he remained until the fall of 1868. He then returned to Story county and purchased eighty acres of land on section 23. Indian Creek township, on which he located in 1871. Later he added to his holdings, forty acres at one time and ten at another, until his farm contained one hundred and thirty acres. The land was unimproved when he bought it but in 1871 he erected a house on it and added other improvements until at the time of his retirement, twenty years later, it was one of the best farms in that section. In 1891 Mr. and Mrs. Hall removed to Maxwell, where they still reside, and the following year they sold the farm to their son-in-law, Charles Porter.
Five children were born to them. Nancy E. is the wife of Charles Por- ter, of Indian Creek township. Rosetta is the wife of Samuel Miller, of Vol. II-9
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Maxwell, Amy C. is the wife of 11. J. Garlock, a banker of Maxwell. Mrs. Garlock is a graduate of the Maxwell high school and also took a normal course at Nevada, lowa. Lulu is the wife of Charles Woods, of Waterloo. lowa, who was educated at a young ladies seminary at Lebanon, Tennessee. Mildred, the wife of George H1. Ilay, a farmer in Polk county, Jowa, was educated at the Cumberland Presbyterian College at Lincoln, Illinois. All of their daughters were teachers in the public school prior to their mar- riage Both Mr. and Mrs. Hall are members of the Presbyterian church.
Mr. Hall is a veteran of the Civil war, having enlisted on the 17th of February, 1865. in Company B. One Hundred and Fifty-second Indiana Volunteer Infantry. Ile was assigned to both garrison and detached duty during his service, which was terminated by discharge granted on the 30th of August, 1865. He holds membership in the James Ewing Post. G. A. R. Hle votes the democratic ticket, feeling that the basic principles of that party are best adapted to subserve the interests of the majority. He is one of he highly esteemed and respected men of this district. where more than forty years residence has proven him well worthy of such regard.
ELIAS W. SHEARER.
The Civil war was a great school out of which came many of the noblest characters the republic has known. Thousands of young men gained their first lessons in the realities of life in the tremendous conflict and lived to put into practical application the principles of courage, self- denial and persistence learned while faithfully serving in the army. Of this number is Elias W. Shearer, now postmaster of Collins.
He was born in Marion county, Indiana, January 3. 1844, a son of Michael and Catherine (McCord) Shearer, the former of whom was a native of Maryland and the latter probably of Ohio. The father was first married in Pennsylvania and subsequently removed to Indiana, where his wife died. He subsequently married Miss Catherine McCord. In 1847 he removed to Wapello county, Iowa, locating near Ottumwa, where he entered government land, which he was industriously developing when he met his death in an accident while trying to corral a cow. The animal jumped on a pole which was resting on one of his shoulders and he was crushed under the weight, leaving a widow with six children, all of whom were sons. Mrs. Shearer bravely assumed the responsibility and reared the sons to manhood. Later she married Andrew Shearer, a brother of her first husband. This faithful wife and mother passed away in June. 1876.
Elias W. Shearer was reared as a boy upon the home farm and at the early age of fourteen years began to work for wages among the farmers of
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the neighborhood. On the 10th of March, 1862, being then eighteen years of age, he enlisted in Company E, Seventeenth lowa Infantry, and was soon sent to the front, participating in many of the great battles and cam- paigns of the war. He was present at the battles of Iuka and Corinth, the siege of Vicksburg and the battles in the neighborhood of that city, being sent after the surrender of Vicksburg to east Tennessee, where he par- ticipated in the battle of Missionary Ridge. The regiment was then or- dered to assist in the relief of Knoxville and later took part in the Atlanta campaign. Mr. Shearer was never in camp from March 1, 1863, until January 1, 1864, being almost constantly upon the move. At eleven o'clock at night in October, 1864, the regiment was sent to guard a bridge at Til- ton, Hood's army being then in motion in that immediate vicinity. About daybreak the pickets began firing and part of the regiment was thrown forward to guard the picket post, the subject of this review being one of the number. By nine o'clock they were completely surrounded but con- tinued to fight until their ammunition was exhausted and at four o'clock in the afternoon surrendered to General Stewart, commanding one of the corps of Hood's army. After being deprived of their arms the men were marched to Cahaba, Alabama, and after a short stop were sent to An- dersonville prison, in which the subject of this review was incarcerated for six and one-half months. On the day of his capture he had nothing to eat and for three days afterward the only rations received by the men of the regiment was one ear of raw corn. In Andersonville he underwent great suffering but he survived the awful ordeal and after the surrender of General Lee was paroled April 28, 1865, at Lake City, Florida. He and his companions marched to Jacksonville, that state, and from that place returned home, being discharged at Davenport, June 1, 1865.
Mr. Shearer spent the remainder of the summer recuperating with his mother in Wapello county. As his education had been interfered with by the war, he attended school for three winters, working at various occu- pations during the summer months, and in 1868 came to Story county, locating soon afterward upon eighty acres in Collins township for which he had traded. Subsequently he purchased forty acres adjoining. upon which there was a farm residence, and here he lived until his removal to Collins in 1906. He became the owner of three hundred and sixty acres. forty acres of which he sold. He also owns one hundred and sixty acres in Kossuth county, Iowa. Since October 15, 1908, he has filled the office of postmaster at Collins.
In 1869 Mr. Shearer was united in marriage to Miss Eliza Shenkle, of Collins township, a daughter of Benjamin Shenkle, who located in that township in 1854 and was one of its most valued citizens. The following children blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Shearer, namely : Anna Alice. now deceased, who married E. B. Weese and became the mother of one child, Florence, who was reared by Mr. and Mrs. Shearer and is now as- sistant postmaster of Collins; Jennie, the wife of Elmer Bence, of Collins
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township; Charles P., of Cumberland, Iowa; George N., of Tama, this state ; John L., of Kanawha, lowa; and Edith May. now the wife of Brad- ford Stevens, who is in charge of the old homestead of Mr. and Mrs. Shearer.
Mr. Shearer has ever since arriving at voting age given his support to the republican party and has served in a number of township offices, in- cluding those of trustee, assessor and township clerk. He has discharged the duties of postmaster in a way that meets with the general approval of the people. Being of a genial disposition, his friends may truly be said to include every man, woman and child of the community. He is a mem- ber of James Ewing Post, G. A. R., of Maxwell, and he and his wife are supporters of the United Brethren church, by their example demonstrating the sincerity of their faith as followers of the great Master.
WILLIAM MARION GAMBLE.
The Gamble homestead is one of the best known places in Story county. It originally comprised a large portion of section 28, Indian Creek town- ship, but it has recently been divided into two farms. It was here on the 25th of February. 1875. that William Marion Gamble, the son of John D. and Elizabeth (Mullen) Gamble, was born. The father was from Ten- nessee. in which state he was born on the 7th of May, 1830, but when he was seven years of age his parents removed to Indiana, and it was there he met and married Elizabeth Mullen, who was born in Indiana on the 8th of June. 1835. They migrated to Iowa in 1856, locating in Story county, where they procured, direct from the government, a portion of the present home farm. Mr. Gamble was the type of man who makes perseverance spell success. By his own energy, unflinching purpose and firm determination he became one of the men of affluence in this section of the state. He broke the prairie, cleared away the forest and brought to a high state of cultivation every aere of his farm. His was. no easy task. for farming implements of those days were crude indeed compared to those of the present ; then, too, much of the work performed by machines now at that time was done by hand and days were consumed in the per- formance of a task which now requires hours. Nevertheless, he steadily persevered until he had acquired six hundred acres of as good farming land as can be procured in the state. Mr. Gamble never retired but con- tinned to cultivate his farm up to the time of his death on the 27th of June, 1893.
llis political allegiance was given to the democratic party and his party fealty rewarded by his fellow citizens bestowing upon him various town- ship offices, in each and all of which he most faithfully discharged his duties to the universal satisfaction of the community. Mrs. Gamble sur-
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