USA > Iowa > Story County > History of Story County, Iowa; a record of organization, progress and achievement, Volume II > Part 33
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MATHEW ELLIS McMICHAEL.
Mathew Ellis MeMichael occupies an attractive home at No. 1007 Douglas avenue and is now partially living retired but for many years was closely associated with agricultural interests and draying. lle was born at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, March 20, 1839. His parents, Robert and Jane ( Cairns) McMichael, were both natives of Ireland, where they were reared and married. The year 1819 witnessed their arrival in Pennsylvania, at which time they took up their abode near Philadelphia, and later removed to Pittsburg. After a year in the latter city they went to Lisbon, Columbiana county, Ohio, where Mathew E. McMichael remained until his enlistment for service in the Union army in May, 1802. Both of his parents spent their last days in Lisbon, the mother passing away March 19, 1855. while the father's death occurred on the 19th of February, 1866. He was a weaver and followed that trade throughout his life. He was also an expert at sowing grain and stacking it and did
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considerable work of that kind but aside from that did not engage in farming. He had developed a knack at that work while a boy and he also became quite efficient in weaving.
Mathew E. McMichael is the youngest and the only survivor in a family of eleven children, nine of whom reached adult age. His brother John, in response to the last call, served for three months with the One Hundred and Forty-third Volunteer Infantry during the Civil war. The members of the family are: James, who was a farmer, thresher and teamster and died at Alliance, Ohio; Eliza Jane, who became the wife of David Kimball and died in Ohio; William, who was a carpenter and died in Ames; Margaret May, who died in infancy; Robert Hayes, who was a builder and contractor and passed away in Ohio: Isabella, who became the wife of Wesley Kimball and died in the Buckeye state; John, who was a laborer and died in Ohio; David, who was proprietor of a livery stable at Lisbon, Ohio, for many years and there passed away; Margaret, who married Robert Morrow and died in Ohio; Anna, who died in infancy ; and Mathew Ellis.
Mathew E. McMichael devoted his youth to the acquirement of an education and assisted his father in different lines of work. He was about twenty-three years of age when in May, 1862, he offered his services to the government and joined Company F, of the Eighty-seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which he served for five months, after which he was taken prisoner at Harper's Ferry in the fall of 1862. Being paroled, he returned home, where he suffered an attack of typhoid fever. He enlisted a second time, in 1864, as a member of Company F, One Hundred and Forty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which he served for three months. He participated in the battle of Harper's Ferry and many minor engagements and assisted in the capture of Morgan when the Confederate general made his raid into Ohio. After the war Mr. McMichael worked as a farm laborer and later as a teamster until he came to Iowa in 1868. Making his way to Story county, he settled in Franklin township about five miles north of Ames and there rented land until July, 1870, when he took charge of the county poor farm. He was the first superintendent of the Story county farm and filled the position for twenty-two months. He then came to Ames, where he engaged in the draying business for a number of years, after which he resumed farming on a place a mile south of Ames. He rented and cultivated that land for six years, when he returned to Ames and was again engaged in teaming for a number of years. Later he went to Grundy county, where he engaged in farming in the vicinity of Conrad for six years, after which he returned to Ames and has since partially lived retired. In 1909 he built his present fine home at No. 1007 Douglas avenue.
Mr. McMichael has been married three times. In 1865 he wedded Miss Elizabeth Orr, a native of Elkton, Ohio, who died in 1866. In Janti- ary, 1868, he married Samantha Evans, who was born in Illinois and died
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in 1874. They had three children. Jennie, the eldest. is the wife of John Mckay, of Saskatchewan, Canada. Charles Edgar, who served for three years in the regular army with the rank of sergeant, was born in Story county, October 28, 1872, and at the time of the Spanish-American war enlisted for service in the volunteer army and died in Cuba in 1898. Myrtle Belle, of Portland, Oregon, lost her mother when but two years of age and was adopted by Edward Lockwood, whose name she now bears. On the 29th of January, 1880, Mr. MeMichael was again married, his third union being with Sarah Long, who was born in Stark county, Ohio, in 1847. They have one child, Kate, who is now the wife of L. J. Cole, and resides with her father.
In his political views Mr. MeMichael has always been a stalwart demo- crat but has never sought or desired office. He belongs to the Grand Army of the Republic and thus keeps in touch with those who were his comrades when he followed the old flag upon southern battlefields. He has now passed the seventy-second milestone on life's journey and though still engaged in business to some extent is also living partially retired. enjoying a rest which he has truly earned and richly merits.
GEORGE C. COUGHENOUR.
In the list of the younger generation of well known and successful farmers of Story county must be placed the name of George C. Coughe- nour, who is also a native son, having been born in Indian Creek township on the 5th of September. 1877. The parents, Solomon and Margaret (Dunahoo) Coughenour, came to lowa with their respective parents. he from Pennsylvania and she from Virginia, when they were children and are included among the first settlers of this county. After their marriage they settled in Indian Creek township, where the father engaged in farm- ing until about 1901, at which time he retired and they moved to Nevada. where they have since continued to live.
George C. Coughenour spent his boyhood and youth under the parental roof, acquiring his education in the common schools, assisting in the work of the farm and enjoying such pastimes as do the majority of young people living in the rural districts, When he had acquired sufficient education to enable him to undertake the duties and responsibilities of life he laid aside his text-books and turned his attention to farming, having decided to fol- low that occupation as it was the one to which he had been reared and which he considered was best adapted to his powers. At the age of twenty years he relieved his father by taking over the entire charge and management of the home farm, which he still continues to cultivate. It consists of one hundred and sixty acres of land on section 1. Indian Creek township, and is considered one of the valuable properties of Story
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county. He has made a specialty of cattle feeding for several years and has been very successful in this as well as in his farming. He is one of the progressive, wide-awake, alert young agriculturists, who keeps in close touch with every advanced movement along the lines in which he is inter- ested, always ready to try any new methods which appeal to him as being practical and the efficacy of which has been demonstrated by trial.
He established a home of his own by his marriage on the 11th of October, 1900, to Miss Nellie Ray, a daughter of Jacob Ray, now a resi- dent of Nevada but for many years one of the well known pioneer farmers of Indian Creek township. Three children have been born of this union : Ray, Ralph and Rollin.
Mr. Coughenour's fraternal relations have been confined to member- ship in the Mystic Workers of the World. Ever since age conferred upon him the right of suffrage his political affiliation has been with the demo- cratic party, as he feels its policy is best adapted to protect the interest of the agriculturist. He has never been an office seeker nor aspired to political honors of any kind, but each election day finds him at the polls, where he casts his ballot for the candidates of the party of his choice. He is highly respected and esteemed in this, the county of his birth, and higher tribute could not be paid to his worth as a man and citizen.
SEVEREN O. WALD.
Among the active members of the Story county bar none occupies a more honorable place than the gentleman whose name introduces this review. He has been in the thick of the fray for fifteen years and has carried off a fair share of laurels, being known as one of the brightest lawyers in this section of the state-an attorney who never acknowledges defeat as long as he feels he is in the right and who in a remarkable num- ber of difficult cases has convinced the court or jury of the righteousness of his contention.
He was born in Polk county, Iowa, December 10, 1865, a son of Ole J. and Bertha U. (Gaard) Wald, both natives of Norway. They came to the United States before their marriage, in the early '50s, and located near Ottawa, Illinois. Mr. Wald purchased one hundred and sixty acres of prairie land in Elkhart township, Polk county, Iowa, from a man for whom he was working in Illinois, and in the spring of 1865 he and his family removed to this place. He built a log cabin and later improved his farm with modern structures, developing it into one of the valuable properties of the township. He also acquired land in Humboldt county, Iowa, taking up his residence there about 1890. Mrs. Wald passed away in 1899, her husband departing this life eight years later. They were both faithful members of the Lutheran church and active workers in behalf of
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every cause seeking to advance the permanent interests of the community. Mr. Wald possessed good business judgment and on account of his acknowl- edged reputation for integrity was a man of large influence whenever he was known.
Severen O. Wald was reared under favorable circumstances for a use- ful career. Ile acquired his education in the district schools and then took a course in the lowa Business College of Des Moines. Subsequently he matriculated in the law department of Drake University, graduating with the degree of I.L.B. in 1896. He was admitted to the bar January 22, of the same year, several months before his graduation from the university. Opening offices in Slater, he at once entered upon an active practice and has handled successfully some of the most important civil and land cases that have been tried in this section. Recently he won a land case at Clarion which involved twenty-five thousand dollars or more that had been unsuc- cessfully tried by some of the ablest lawyers in this part of the state. His clients are among the leading business men of the community and his opinions upon questions of law command respect as coming from one who has carefully considered the subject from all points of view.
In June, 1899, Mr. Wald was united in marriage to Miss Minnie John- son, of Des Moines, and of this union six children were born, five of whom are now living, namely: Curtis M., Lowell M., Roscoe E., Bonnie V. and an infant daughter.
Mr. Wald gives his support to the republican party and has been fre- quently requested to allow his name to be proposed for the state legislature, but his extensive and growing practice has prevented his acceptance of this honor. He has served as a member of the town council and fraternally is connected with Slater Lodge. No. 384, I. O. O. F., and the local camp of the Modern Woodmen of America. Hle and his wife are valued members of the Methodist church. Both as a pleader and counselor he has attained high standing in his profession, and as he is a man of studious habits who thor- oughly prepares for every case in which he is interested, he apparently has before him many years of increasing responsibility and usefulness.
JOHN V. KALSEM.
John V. Kalsem, who has been living retired at Huxley for nine years past, and attained a competence through years of wisely applied labor, was born in Norway, May 20, 1839. He is a son of Valentine and Sarah Kalsem. both of whom were natives of Norway and continued in that country dur- ing their entire lives. Mr. Kalsem of this review was reared under the parental roof and acquired his education in the public schools of Norway, subsequently attending the schools of Mahaska county, Iowa, for a short time. In the spring of 1859, being then twenty years of age, he arrived in
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the United States, having decided to make for himself a home and a for- tune under the sheltering protection of the republic. He stopped for a short time in Henry county. Iowa, where he worked on a farm for five dollars a month and board, but he soon removed to Mahaska county, where he spent two or three years. In 1862, having in the meantime selected a life com- panion, he brought his bride to Story county and took up his home on eighty acres of land in Palestine township, where he began farming on his own account. He worked industriously and with good judgment and as he pros- pered from year to year he purchased more land until at one time he was the owner of five hundred acres in Story county. About 1902 he retired from active labor and removed to Huxley, where he is now living in the enjoyment of comfort and ease. He has divided his land among his children but is sure of a liberal income during the remainder of his life, being also a stockholder in the Farmers Savings bank.
On the 17th of May, 1862, at Oskaloosa, Iowa, Mr. Kalsem was united in marriage to Miss Martha Cleveland, a native of Norway, a daughter of Ole and Martha Knutzen, and of this union nine children were born, five of whom are now living, namely: Severt J., a farmer of Palestine township ; Ole, also a farmer of Palestine township ; Martha, the wife of Ole B. Olson, of the same township; Mary A., now Mrs. Knute Nelson, of Polk county ; and John F., who is living at home.
Mr. Kalsem is essentially a self-made man, having acquired a fortune almost entirely through his own efforts. His total cash capital upon arriving in America was ten dollars, and although he was among strangers and in a strange land, he bravely set to work to win a responsible position among his fellowmen. This he accomplished and no name is more highly respected in Huxley and vicinity than that of John V. Kalsem. He has been for many years an active worker in the republican party and has served most accept- ably as township trustee and member of the school board. He and his estim- able wife are connected with the Lutheran church and are earnest workers in its behalf.
AMOS C. HANSON.
Amos C. Hanson, one of the well known business men of McCalls- burg, who has been a resident of Story county for over thirty years, was born in La Salle county, Illinois, on the 3d of September, 1870. his par- ents being Peter C. and Martha (Anderson) Hanson. The father was born in Norway on the 9th of September. 1844, but at the age of eighteen years he decided that the United States offered better advantages to young men of limited means and he emigrated. He went to Chicago in 1861, remaining there but a short time, however, as he was engaged by the government to build barracks for two years. At the end of that period
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he returned to Chicago and continued to reside there until 1877 and in the fall of that year he came to Story county, lowa, and engaged in farm- ing. He followed this for nine years and in 1886 he removed to Washing- ton territory, but at the end of one and one-half years residence in the latter place once more located in Story county and resumed farming. In 1896 he embarked in the grain and lumber business in McCallsburg, in which line he continued up to the time of his death in July, 1909. His wife was a native of La Salle county, Illinois, and a daughter of Erner Anderson, who was a native of Norway and emigrated to New York state when a young man. After living there for a time he went to Chicago, Illinois, making the journey on foot, and from Chicago he went to La Salle county, Illinois, where he entered a tract of government land, upon which he was living at the time of his death in 1900, at the age of eighty-one years. He married Miss Margaret Gunderson, also a native of Norway, and they became the parents of ten children, MIrs. Hanson being the sec- ond in order of birth.
Mr. and Mrs. Peter C. Hanson were the parents of the following chil- dren: Amos C .; Milton C .; David, deceased; Carrie, deceased; Carrie. who married Howard Billings; David; Minnie; and Frank. The father held membership in the Masonic fraternity and voted the republican ticket. He was a very public-spirited man and was held in high esteem in the community where he lived, being elected to many of the minor offices in Warren township and during his residence in McCallsburg being a mem- ber of the city council. He was a most capable and successful business man and succeeded in acquiring five hundred and twenty acres of land, as well as other property, at the time of his death.
Amos C. Hanson spent his early years in the unvaried routine of study, work and play, and only at rare intervals did anything occur of sufficient interest to relieve the monotony. When he had completed the course in the district schools of Story county he matriculated at Ellsworth Col- lege, Iowa Falls, Iowa, where he pursued a more advanced course, thus obtaining a better education than is acquired by the average young man living in the country. On reaching his majority he followed farming for one year but on the 2d of January, 1892, he went to MeCallsburg to work for his father, who was at that time engaged in the grain and lumber business. At the end of four years he was admitted to partnership, the firm thereafter being P. C. Hanson & Son, and upon the death of his father three years later he became senior member of the company, the business continuing under the same name, however.
Mr. Hanson established a home for himself by his marriage to Miss Louisa Lura. a daughter of K. O. Lura, of Hardin county, lowa, and they have become the parents of the following children : Mabel, Clarence, Peter Lloyd. Beatrice M. and Albert Lawrence.
Mr. Hanson's fraternal relations are confined to membership in the Modern Woodmen of America and he is at present acting as clerk of the
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McCallsburg Camp, No. 2999. Ever since he was granted the right of suffrage Mr. Hanson has cast his ballot for the republican party. He has always taken an active interest in local politics, having been a mem- ber of the McCallsburg council from the time the town was incorporated . in 1902 until 1908, and he is now serving on the school board.
DAVID HANSON.
David Hanson, the junior member of the firm of P. C. Hanson & Son, was born in Warren township, Story county, Iowa, on the 24th of March, 1885, being a son of Peter C. and Martha ( Anderson) Hanson, the father a native of Norway and the mother of Illinois. He has spent his entire life in the county of his nativity, and after completing the work in the district schools of Warren township, he entered the high school at Mc- Callsburg, Iowa. When he left school he worked for his father until the latter's death in July, 1909, when he became the junior member of the firm, of which his brother Amos C. is the head but which continues under the original name of P. C. Hanson & Son.
Mr. Hanson is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America, his local affiliation being with McCallsburg Camp, No. 2999. Ever since he attained his majority he has voted for the candidates of the republican party and although he has never taken an active interest in local politics he is always at the polls on election day. He is one of the highly esteemed young business men of McCallsburg, where the name of Hanson is well known and has always been accorded the greatest respect.
SEVERT J. KALSEM.
The second generation of the Kalsem family in Story county is ably represented by Severt J. Kalsem, whose name is synonymous with integrity and honor. He lives upon a well improved farm in Palestine township, whose appearance indicates that its owner is wide-awake and fully capable of keeping abreast of the times. He was born in the school district in which he now lives, October 4, 1866, a son of John V. Kalsem, a record of whom appears elsewhere in this work.
Severt J. Kalsem was reared at home and acquired his preliminary edu- cation in the district schools, later attending the Iowa State Business College at Des Moines, where he gained a practical knowledge that has been of special benefit to him as a man of affairs. He continued with his father and assisted in cultivating the farm until twenty-three years of age, when he began farming on his own account, locating upon land which he had pre-
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viously purchased from his father. He now owns one hundred and ninety acres on section 22. Palestine township, and has one of the desirable places of the county, having made many improvements adding greatly to its original value. Hle is a stockholder of the Farmers Savings bank and also of the Farmers Elevator company and the Farmers Cooperative Creamery Com -. pany, all of Huxley, and as a business man and citizen stands very high in the estimation of the people.
On the 14th of February, 1895, Mr. Kalsem was united in marriage to Miss Carrie R. Nelson, a daughter of Andrew Nelson, a wealthy farmer of Polk county. Four children blessed this union : Mabel V., Martha C .. Joseph N. and Agnes M.
Mr. and Mrs. Kalsem are active members of the Lutheran church, in which he serves most creditably as trustee. Politically he gives his support to the republican party and is a stanch advocate of its principles. In 1910 he was a candidate for the office of county supervisor but failed at that time of nomi- nation. He has been identified with this section ever since his earliest recol- lection and on account of his many excellencies of character is greatly esteemed by a large circle of friends and acquaintances in his part of the county.
GEORGE W. KELLEY.
On the pages of pioneer history of Story county appears the name of George W. Kelley, who arrived here when Nevada contained but one house and when the greater part of the county was still an unclaimed and un- settled region. lle was among those who secured the wild land for the purpose of civilization and converted the prairie into productive fields. Ile relates many interesting incidents of the early days and is authority upon many events which find a place in history.
He was born in Vigo county, Indiana, on the 15th of January. 1835. his parents being Amos and Elizabeth (Jackson ) Kelley, natives of Ken- tucky and North Carolina respectively. They were married in the former state and became pioneer settlers of Indiana, where the father died when his son George was but three years of age. The mother spent her last days in Story county in the home of her son George and there passed away in 1884. She ever remained true to the memory of her husband, never marrying again. Mr. Kelley had devoted his life to farming and was a very busy and active man until death terminated his labors.
George W. Kelley was the ninth in a family of seven sons and three daughters: Sallie Ann, now the deceased wife of George P. Yocum; Ma- linda, the deceased wife of William Stafford; Amos, who has also passed away; Rebecca, the deceased wife of Isaac Jones: Samuel, who served for three years in the Tenth lowa Volunteer Infantry and then reenlisted, after
GEORGE W. KELLEY
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which he was granted a furlough and started home but died while on his way to Davenport, Iowa; William, deceased; John, who enlisted from Story county and served for a year and a half in the Civil war, his death occurring since his discharge, which was occasioned by disability ; Abram, of Bloomington, Illinois; George W .; and Hezekiah, who died in Kansas. Of the above sons William and John were twins.
George W. Kelley with his mother and younger brother, Hezekiah, went to McLean county, Illinois, in the fall of 1850 and in the fall of 1853 they came to Story county, Iowa. It was on the 22d of September of that year that George W. Kelley started from Illinois, accompanied by his mother and brother and by Samuel and Isaac Jones and their families, for Iowa. The Kelleys had two covered wagons drawn by horses. They crossed the Mississippi at Muscatine, traveled from there to Iowa City and thence to Marietta, which at that time was the county seat of Marshall county. Later they proceeded to Story county, which was then largely a wild, unsettled and undeveloped region. There was only one house upon the present site of Nevada and it is still standing-one of the old land- marks of the early days-occupied by T. E. Alderman. The Kelley family traveled on to what is now the eastern part of Boone county, where they arrived in October, remaining there until the 12th of December, at which time George W. Kelley took up his abode on section 1, Palestine town- ship, Story county. At that time there resided in Palestine township R. Balldock, Washington Thomas, George Thomas, Robert and William Hawk and E. McKinzie. There was not a house between Grove and Madrid, a distance of fifteen miles. Mr. Kelley entered one hundred and forty acres of land from the government. In the fall of 1852 he had en- tered eighty acres in Marshall county but never resided thereon. He has made his home continuously in Story county since 1853 and after locating in Palestine township he at once began the task of developing and improv- ing his land. In the fall of 1854 it became necessary for him to go to mill, and the nearest place where he could get grist ground was at Oskaloosa. about seventy-five miles away. He had to journey with an ox team and it took a week to make the round trip. Because of this he had to carry provisions with him and camp on the prairie at night. The same fall he took a load of dressed pork to Des Moines and received a dollar and a half per hundred weight therefor. On the return trip he brought home a bar- rel of salt, for which he paid twelve dollars and ten cents. At that time there was only one dry-goods store and two grocery stores in Des Moines and the state capital was at Iowa City. Deer and elk were seen in Story county in large numbers and wild turkeys were very plentiful, so that it was not difficult to supply the pioneer table with meat. The first school- house in Palestine township was built on section i in the spring of 1854. was made of round logs and had a dirt floor. A young man by the name of G. Brown was the first teacher. Mr. Kelley aided in building the school- house and has always been a friend of education and progress. He also Vol. II-19
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