USA > Iowa > Tama County > History of Tama County, Iowa, together with sketches of their towns, villages and townships, educational, civil, military and political history, portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens > Part 44
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N. C. Rice of Dysart, was born in Buffalo, New York, on the - day of November, 1824. His early life was spent in his na- tive place, where he received an academic education, and studied law to some extent with his father, who was of that profes- sion ; and also afterwards with an uncle. During the first years of his manhood he removed to the State of Michigan, where he made a short stay, and in 1855, came to Tama county, Iowa, and settled on a farm near Traer. While tilling the soil, Mr. Rice employed his leisure time by read- ing law, and, in 1876, was admitted to the
bar. During 1878, he came to Dysart and opened his present law office. In politics he was a Republican, until Horace Gree- ley's nomination for the Presidency, when he changed and voted for Mr. Greeley. He is now an Independent. Mr. Rice has always taken an active part in county poli- ties ; he was elected first Mayor of Dy- sart, and was Justice of the Peace four years. His marriage with Miss Sarah Dodge occurred in 1846. She bore him five children, all of whom are living, and died in 1862. He was married the second time in 1863, and chose for a helpmeet, Rachael Wood, of Perry township. She died December 20, 1882.
F. C. Wood, of Dysart, is a native of Bureau county, Illinois, born January 11, 1859. Subsequently bis father and family moved to Benton county, lowa, where the subject of this sketch received a common school education. During 1878, he began the study of law with D. E. Voris, of Vin- ton, and March 1, 1881, was admitted to the bar before Judge Shane, at Toledo, Tama county. Mr. Wood began the practice of his profession at Dysart, in June, 1881. In the spring of 1882, W. II. Wood became a partner, and the firm continued F. C. and W. II. Wood, until April 1, 1883, when W. II. Wood retired. F. C. Wood still conduets the business. lle was married to Miss Della T. Short, April 1, 1882.
W. HI. Wood, of Dysart, was born in Wayne county, Ohio, April 13, 1853. Two years after his birth, the family removed to Bureau county, Illinois, and thence, nine years later, to Benton county, Iowa. W. H. received a good education in the
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common schools, and in 1878, began the study of law in the office of Nichols & Cooper, of Vinton. He was admitted to . the bar of Benton county, March 10, 1880, before Judge Shane. Early in the spring of 1882, he associated himself with his brother, in Dysart, under the firm name of F. C. & W. II. Wood. In April, 1883, this partnership was dissolved, W. II. Wood retiring.
The first lawyer at Gladbrook was Geo. L. Wilbur; the second was E. II. Bene- diet. Both are still representing the legal profession at that place.
George L. Wilbur was born February 23, 1835, in Randolph, Norfolk county, Mass. He was the eldest son of Lockhart and Sarah (Spear) Wilbur. He received his education at Stetson high school in Randolph, from which institution he grad- uated in 1854, and became an assistant teacher in the school for one year, when he entered the law office of A. B. Berry, intending preparation for the bar. Before completing his studies he came to Tama county, Iowa, in March, 1857, and settled on land bought by his father the year previous, in what is now known as Lincoln township, and pursued the calling of a farm- er until 1862, when he enlisted as a pri- vate in Capt. Woodburg's company "K" 23d lowa Infantry. While in rendezvous at Des Moines he was placed on detatehed service as elerk in the Adjutant's office. While in Missouri he was appointed Di- vision Ordnance Sergeant on the recom- mendation on Col. Kinsman ; remained in that position until relieved by General Davidson, commanding United States forces in Southwest Missouri; re-appointed
to the Adjutant's office as clerk ; was pres- ent at the battle of Black river ; was by the side of the gallant Kinsman when his young life was given up on that bl ody field ; participated in the succeeding siege of Vicksburg ; reported as clerk at head- quarters 13th "A. C." by order of General Ord; remained at those headquarters un- til the corps was abolished by General Grant; and was then ordered to report to the headquarters military division of West Mississippi, Maj .- Gen. E. R. S. Canby commanding ; on Canby's recommenda- tion was appointed captain in the U. S. col- ored infantry, which was declined ; ap- pointed second lieutenant headquarters troops of the Gulf ; detatched and placed on staff of General Canby as acting as- sistant Adjutant General, serving in this capacity until June 24, 1865, when he was discharged from the service on surgeon's certificate of disability ; returned to Iowa and settled in Marshall county, and en- gaged in farming until 1875, when he re- sumed the study of the law and was ad- mitted to the bar. Ile opened a law office at Traer, in partnership with S. P. Shef- field, under the firm name of Sheffield & Wilbur. On the dissolution of the part- nership, he removed to Gladbrook, where he still continues in his profession. Po- litically, Mr. Wilbur is a radical republi- can casting his first vote for President, for Abraham Lincoln. He was married Sep- tember 10, 1858, to Miss Adella W. Mon- lux, daughter of George and Martha (Bailey) Monlux. They have had eight children-Nellie A., wife of William B. Artz ; Otis A., George, Jessie, Sadie, An- nie, Ilent and Ada. Nellie A., was the first child born in Lincoln township, Tama
yours Queenly R.W. Ceecer
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county, Iowa. Mr. Wilbur is a member of the Masonic fraternity, Legion of Honor and V. A. S. fraternity.
E. II. Benedict is a native of Linn county, Iowa, born in 1856. Ilis parents were L. D. and Sarapta (Minter) Benedict, the former a native of New York ; the lat- ter of Ohio. His father died in 1877, in Linn county, this State, where he had spent a part of his life. The subject of this sketch received his education at Lenox Collegiate Institute at Hopkinton, Iowa, and afterward took a course of law at the Iowa State University, where he graduated in 1882. IIe then came to Gladbrook, this county, in the fall of that year and opened a law office, doing a general law and col- lecting business. Mr. Benedict is a straight republican and has always trained with that party. Ilis wife was Miss Ada M. Fay, a daughter of John II. and Isabella (Ward) Fay.
C. Il. Roberts, who represents the legal fraternity at Montour, was born in Man- chester, Indiana, in 1840, his parents being Samuel and Maria (Clark) Roberts, both natives of New England. In 1842 the family moved west and settled at Fort Madison, Iowa. C. II. received a good education, and in 1869 went to Tama City, where he remained until December, 1870, when he removed to his present location, and has since devoted his attention to the practice of his profession. Ile was admit- ted to the bar at Marion, Linn county.
Richard Fitzgerald, Esq., of Carlton township, is a native of Dupage county, Ill., born in 1845. Ile is the son of P. II. and Mary (Barry) Fitzgerald, natives of Ireland, who emigrated to America about the year
1838, settling in New York State, there re- maining until 1843, when they moved to Dupage county, Ill. They raised a family of eleven children, Richard P'., the subject of this sketch, being the fourth. In May, 1864, Richard enlisted as a private in Com- pany A, 140th Ills. Vol. Infty. for 100 days, and was discharged in November of that year. On February 18, 1865, he re- enlisted in Co. G, 156th Ills. Vol. Inf'ty.,to serve for one year. June 9, 1865, he was promoted to the position of Ist sergeant of his company, and soon after was recom- mended for a Lieutenantcy; but, owing to the close of the war, he only had charge of his company for a short time before he was mustered out of service, in October, 1865. Mr. Fitzgerald was educated in the common schools of Whiteside county, Ills. After his discharge from the service, he returned to Illinois, and from there went to Lyons, this state, where he attended school. In May, 1866, he came to Tama connty, settling in Carlton township, where he now resides. Mr. Fitzgerald, since his youth, has had a desire to become a member of the bar, and has for years improved his leisure time by reading the works of eminent authors, and for a num- ber of years has fpracticed in the lower courts of the county. The event of his life occurred on February 26, 1883, when he was admitted to the bar at the regular term of the district court, over which Judge James D. Giffins presided. Mr. F. was married on the 24th day of Septem- ber, 1866, to Miss Elizabeth L. Welton, who was born in Moultrie county, Ill., in 1843. By this union there have been two children-Charles E. (deceased) and Ella
14
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HISTORY OF TAMA COUNTY.
E. Mrs. Fitzgerald is a member of the M. E. Church. Mr. F. was formerly a Re- publican, but at present is an anti-monop- olist. .
M. V. Dooley, lawyer and insurance agent, living in Spring Creek township, was born on the 8th of August, 1851, at La Salle, Ills., a son of P. L. and Anna (Green) Dooley. He received his ednea- tion at the Polytechnic Institute, St. Louis, and graduated a Bachelor of Arts at St. Vincents College of Cape Girardeau, Mo. He was principal of publie instruction at La Salle Ills., for four years, until 1878, and was admitted to the bar at Ottawa, Ills. In 1879 he removed to Cedar Rapids and
took up life insurance as his profession. Ile is now general agent of the Iowa Mu- tual Benefit Association, of Tole lo, Iowa. In polities he is a Democrat, casting his first vote for President for Horace Gree- ley. He is a Roman Catholic in faith. On the 27th of December, 1881, he was married to Miss Kate M. Cole, daughter of T. M. and Mrs. Julia (Duncan) Cole, a graduate of St. Mary's Academy, of La Salle, Ills., who has been principal of the intermediate department of the public schools of La Salle for five years. By this union there is one daughter, Mary Anna, born on the 27th of January, 1883.
CHAPTER X. 1
THE PRESS.
Tama county has had an abundant op- portunity to test the value of newspapers as aids in building up business centers and making known its resources to the outer world, while its civilizing influence has been almost unlimited ; and, as a general thing, its citizens have always manifested a lib- eral spirit or purpose towards the various journalistic enterprises that have been in- angurated in their midst. It must be truth- fully said, that in dispensing their patron- age to the press, they have been tolerant and magnanimous, as they have been rea- sonably generous to journals of all parties. It may be difficult to correctly estimate the advantages derived by Tama county, in a
business point of view, from the influence of the press; which at various times has called into requisition respectable, if not eminent, talent in the advocacy of local interests, which has had a tendency to inspire its citizens, as well as friends, far and near, with a hope and confidence in its prosperity.
In every community there are shriveled souls; whose participation in the benefits of enterprise is greater than their efforts to promote the public welfare. These are the men who will never subscribe for a newspaper, but will always be on the alert to secure, gratuitously, the first perusal of their neighbors' papers. These are the
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croakers who predict evil and disparage enterprise. But, with very few excep- tions, the press of this region, or the community through which they circulate, has never been cursed with such drones. On the contrary, as patrons of the press, Tama county citizens have established a good name. As records of current history, the local press should be preserved by town and county governments in their archives for reference, as these papers are the repositories wherein are stored the facts and the events, the deeds and the sayings, the undertakings and the achieve- ments that go to make final history. One by one these things are gathered and placed in type ; one by one the papers are issued ; one by one these papers are gathered to- gether and bound, and another volume of local, general and individual history is laid away imperishable. The volumes thus collected are sifted by the historian, and the book for the library is ready.
There should be some means devised by which press records might be preserved and made accessible. This, of course, is attempted in all offices, but, as a general thing, files are sadly deficient ; still by diligent search and much inquiry, enough data has been gleaned to supply a toler- ably accurate record of the county press ; but if any inaccuracies or omissions are noticeable, they may be attributed to the absence of completeness in the files.
THE TOLEDO TRIBUNE.
This was the first newspaper established in Tama county. It came to public light through its first issue on April 21, 1856. M. V. B. Kenton was the editor. The avowed principles of the paper were inde- pendent, although in practice it was re-
publican. Its size was a six column folio, all home print, and started out with a fair advertising patronage considering the con- dition of the country at this time. The files for the first year have all been lost. Sometime during the year Mr. Kenton sold the office to H. T. Baldy, and returned to Ohio, his native State.
Mr. Baldy was a physician by profes- sion, and a man of good ability, but he knew comparatively nothing of the news- paper business. He was a good writer, however, and was full of push and energy.
In the Tribune's issue on April 22, 1857, Mr. Baldy says :
"Fellow citizens of Tama county: As the first volume of the Tribune is about to close, we wish to say a few words in rela- tion to our paper, and to the course we in- tend to pursue in the future.
" As an inducement to you, fellow citi- zens, to continue your subscriptions for the next year, and to make it satisfactory to all parties and creeds, we will commence with the second volume to publish an Independent paper. We think this is the best means to allay party excitement and restore harmony, now that the presidential election has passed by, and party polities about ceased. We hope this will meet the approbation of all.
* * *
*
Fellow citizens, will you sustain your county paper ? We think we shall have your approving smile and generous aid. The press is certainly the index of your intelligence, and will be the exponent of your views. We have labored under many disadvantages ; first, we are no prin- er ; in the next place we have had a very
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cold « ffice to work in during the winter, so that our paper at times, has not presented as good an appearance as we could have wished.
It has been uphill business thus far, but our motto is " Go Ahead. "
The inscription which he placed at the mast-head was: "A Family Journal- Devoted to Truth, Justice, Humanity and the news of the Day."
Among the home advertisers in this issue, were the following : T. W. Jack- son, N. C. Wieting, Appelgate & Staley, Isaac L. Allen and Timothy Brown, attor- neys ; John Connell, J. P. Wood, Isaac Butler, T. A. Graham, J. Burley and John Zehrung, real estate agents ; H. T. Baldy, and W. A. Daniels, physicians. The Tole- do advertisers were, C. G. Trusdell, gen- eral merchandise, Staley & Zehrung, C. D. Fanton and II. M. Mettkeff, gift distri- bution ; J. A. Ballard, boot and shoe ma- ker; Merchant & Davis, general merchan- dise; William Harkins & Bro., drugs ; G. G. Edwards, photographer ; Rains & Waugh, Toledo Hotel; Robert M. King, hardware ; Chinn & Cannon, cabinet ware; and C. G. Butkereit, tailor. There were also many advertisements from Muscatine and Iowa City.
Mr. Baldy in a short time, sold a share of the paper to T. W. Jackson, and in August, 1857, it was purchased by George Sower, now one of the proprietors of the Marshall Times and E. B. Bolens, a law- yer, the paper being run in the name of Mr. Bowers. In assuming control, they said :
" Politically, we shall be strictly neutral -emphatically Know Nothings."
A short time afterward, although no an- nouncement of change in proprietorship was made, the name of E. B. Bolens took the place of George Sower. In this shape matters remained until the 28th day of October, 1858, when the books, good-will and material were all sold to N. C. Wiet- ing and George Sower. The former took full control, and the name of the paper was changed to
THE IOWA TRANSCRIPT.
Mr. Bolens then retired from the edito- rial field in Tama county. In closing his connection with the paper, he published a short valedietory, in which' there creeps a vein of feeling of disappointment, say- ing :
"If we should again assume the re- sponsibility of a publisher and editor, we shall do so under true "colors " and with the flag of " Democracy and the Union, " instead of Independent.
Mr. Wieting at onee made the paper Republican, and soon enlarged and other- wise greatly improved its appearance. In taking charge, he said, among other things:
"In religion we are independent, yet ever extending a cordial invitation to the elergy of all denominations, for such con- tributions, free from the taint of sectarian- ism, as they may see fit to present. In National politics, in compliance to our own feelings and judgment, as well as, we think, to the requirements of a large majority of the citizens of our county, we are and must be a Republican."
In a short time Sower went ont of the firm and Mr. Wieting disposed of half the office to T. J. Staley. The paper was run with good success for several years,
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HISTORY OF TAMA COUNTY.
part of the time J. F. Farley being inter- ested in it, Staley having retired. Mr. Wieting had full control during the bal- anec of the time. In November, 1866, the office was moved to Belle Plaine, Iowa, where the material has since been used on the Belle Plaine Union.
TAMA COUNTY REPUBLICAN.
This paper was established in the winter of 1866-67, the first issue making its ap- pearanee early in January, 1867. J. T. Rice was the founder. He was lately from Mount Vernon, where he had been in attendance at the Cornell College. In a short time J. T. Stewart purchased an interest, but did not, however, remain con- nected with the Republican very long. Ile sold to M. B. C. True, who, in a few months, purchased the entire office. Rice went to Denver, Colorado, but soon re- turned to Tama county.
During M. B. C. True's management the name of the paper was changed to
"THE TOLEDO CHRONICLE," under which caption it still runs. le was from Jones county, and came to Toledo in 1868. Mr. True was a man of fine educa- tion, with a great deal of natural ability. HIe was not as successful with the Chron- icle as had been hoped and expected by his friends, from the fact that he was too apt in his articles to overshoot the intelli- gence of the average reader of a country paper. On finance, political economy, or any of the great subjects, he could write telling and forcible articles; but he could not come down to plain, local work. He continued publishing the paper until 1873, when it was leased to Warren Harman, and he removed to Lincoln, Nebraska.
Soon after his arrival in Nebraska he was admitted to the bar, and began to practice law; being also for a time interested in a daily paper at Lincoln. A few years ago he removed to Crete, in that State, and is again running a weekly paper. He has become a prominent man in Nebraska pol- ities, and has served one term in the Gen- eral Assembly of that State. During Mr. True's residence in Toledo he made many warm friends; he was firm and positive in his convictions; pleasant, though rather retired, and a man of honor and integrity.
In the issue of January 16, 1873, M. B. (. True retired from the management, say- ing in his announcement of the fact:
* How long the re- tirement will continue is uncertain. For the year 1873 Mr. Warren Ilarman will publish and edit the Chronicle. Ile is fully competent and is commended to the good people of Tama county. It may be proper to remark here that the ownership of the Chronicle is now vested in a joint stock company, named and styled, The Chronicle Company, in which the under- signed is a stockholder.
In vacating the editorial chair which he has occupied for the last four years and a half, he regretfully ceases his weekly com- munication with his many personal friends all over the county-a communication that has become a daily pleasure.
M. B. C. TRUE."
Mr. Harman was better calculated for a local writer than Mr. True. He came from Mount Vernon, and had also been in attendance at Cornell College. After re- · tiring from the paper he removed to Ce- dar Rapids, where he still remains en
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gaged in the real estate business and the practice of law. He was a single man; genial, pleasant, good-hearted and well liked.
With the issue of December 25, 1873, Warren llarman retired from the editor- ship of the Chronicle, the office having been sold to James B. Hedges, who in a short time enlarged and otherwise greatly improved its appearance. In assuming control, Mr. Hedges presented the follow- ing terse article as his " salutatory," in the issue of January 1, 1874:
"It is customary for persons taking charge of a newspaper to commence his editorial career with some kind of salu- tatory or greeting, we presume you will expect something of the kind at the pres- ent time and hope you will bear with us while we try to tell you something of our plans and purposes for the coming year, and in fact as long as we have control of this paper.
" And in the first place we would state that we have bought the office and moved here, and expect to stay here as long as we receive a fair degree of support from the citizens of Toledo and Tama county.
" Having come here to stay and east our interests in with yours, we shall do all in our power to assist in the upbuilding and advancement of our town and county in every respect. It will be our constant aim to make The Chronicle one of the best local papers in central lowa, and we shall try to make each number an improvement on the preceeding one, and to this end we invite the assistance of every resident of the county-in furnishing us items and sending us communications on matters of
general interest.
Politically, The Chronicle will continue to advocate the views and doctrines of the Republican party, believing that to be the great party of progress and reform. We will ever be found fighting against mo- nopolies of every kind, and defending the interests of the farmers and mechanics and laborers.
" As soon as we can make all necessary arrangements, we intend putting an entire new dress on the paper and just as soon as our patronage will warrant it, we will en- large to an eight column sheet. When we get our new dress we propose making The Chronicle one of the handsomest pa- pers in the State, and it only remains with the business men to say whether we shall enlarge it or not. It is also our intention to put into the office a first class job de- partment with which we will be enabled to do all kinds of job printing such as cards, cirenlars, letter heads, bill heads, state- ments &c. &e., in as good style as is done anywhere East or West, and at Chicago prices.
"Trusting that we may merit and re- ceive a generous and hearty support the en- suing year, and that it may be one of pros- perity and happiness to us all, we close by wishing you each and every one a happy New Year. J. B. HEDGE. January Ist, 1874.
Mr. Iledge still owns and publishes The Chronicle. When he assumed the control the circulation was about 300, which he has increased to 1,000. The paper is a nine column folio, all printed at home. It is neatly gotten up, well printed and edited, and contains more original matter than any paper in the county. Mr. Hedge
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is a thorough newspaper man, well edu- cated ; a man of extensive reading and an easy and forcible writer.
James B. Hedge was born in Jackson county, Iowa, on the 19th of March, 1849. His parents were of English descent, al- though both were born in America ; and were lineal descendants and indirect heirs of the IIedge's of England who left such vast estates, which are now in htigation. His father was a carpenter and cabinet maker. James B. was brought up at school and in 1858 commenced learning the printer's trade. At nine years of age he began attending Cornell College, and, irregularly attended for over three years In 1873 he came to Toledo and in Septem- ber purchased the Toledo Chronicle, taking charge in the following January. Mr. Hedge was married January 25, 1872, to Nellie C. Palmer, of Marshalltown, for- merly of New York City. They have three children-John Garnett, James B Jr., and George R.
THE PRESS AT MONTOUR.
The various papers which have in the past been published at Montour are all de- funet, and as no files of them are to be found, a full history cannot be obtained. The first paper published in the town was founded by W. W. Yarham in 1867 and was known as the Oxford Leuder. Mr. Yarham furnished the people with weekly news for about eighteen months, when he sold the paper to W. M. Patrick and soon after- ward to M. B. C. True, who removed the material to Toledo.
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