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 81
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In the fall of 1855, Mrs. Margaret Mor- ton also a native of the empire State eame with her family from Lee county, Illinois, over land with ox teams, crossing the Mississippi river at Fulton. They were eleven days on the road and settled on the southeast quarter of section 14.
Mrs. Margaret Morton, one of the first settlers of Crystal township, is a daughter of Jonathan and Dorotha ( Smith ) Peter_ son, and was born January 11, 1817, in Cortland county, New York. September 1, 1836, she was joined in wedlock with John Morton, who was born in Tompkins county, New York, May 2, 1815. He was reared on a farm in his native county, and when a young man, learned the trade of wagon making. The same year in which he was married, he opened a wagon shop in Allegany county, and continued in bus- iness there until 1842, when he removed to Lee county, Illinois. There he was em- ployed in farming for a while, and then opened a wagon and plow shop, which busi- ness he followed until the time of his death, October 6, 1854. He left a wife and seven children to mourn his loss; two of those children have sinee followed him to that " brighter shore." The five now living are Persis, Ann N., Luceba, Newman W.
J. J. Frunsere
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and Almeda. In the fall of 1855, Mrs. Morton started, with her family, for the west .Upon reaching Iowa, she proceeded to this county, where she had previously purchased land in the southeast quarter of section 14, Crystal township, and where she has ever since made her home.
IIer oldest son, Jonathan Morton, was born in Allegany county, New York, Feb- ruary 4, 1838. He made his home with his mother until January of 1864, when he enlisted in Company A, 14th Iowa Volun- teers. Ilis regiment joined General Banks' command and participated in the Red River expedition, in which campaign, at the battle of Pleasant Hill, he was wound- ed. Ile was in several other engage- ments, remaining in the service until the spring of. 1865, when he was taken sick, from exposure, and never recovered. He was discharged in June, of that year, and returned home, where, after many weary months of pain and sickness, he died on the 24th day of Feb- ruary, 1866. Her daughter, Persis, is now the wife of M. C. Felter. Ann N., former- ly a teacher in the public schools of this county, is now deputy postmaster of Crys- tal post office, and is also Secretary of the School Board. She has a general store on the northeast quarter of section 14, Crystal township. Luceba was married to George W. Buchanan, July 3, 1864, and is now re- siding with her family in Union county, Oregon.
Newman W., the only son now living, is a native of Lee county, Illinois, where he was born October 18, 1848. He was seven years of age when his mother settled in Iowa. His education was received in Crystal township. He was married at |
Beaver City, Furnas county, Nebraska, on the 31st of January, 1880, to Miss Laura E. Evans, a native of Bureau county, Illi- nois. They have one son-Claude Henry. Mr. Morton now occupies the old home- stead.
Almeda was married December 25, 1876, to John Estle, who died May 12, 1882, leaving his wife and two children, Tony Ray and Anna Mable, to mourn his un- timely death.
West Wilson a native of Scotland came here from Connecticut in 1854, and entered land on sections 12 and 13, after which he returned to Connecticut. In 1856 he moved here with his family and has since made this his home.
West Wilson was born in Ayreshire, Scotland, September 19, 1820. IIe was reared on a farm and attended the public schools of his native parish, completing his education under the tutorage of Mr. Lang, Professor of Greek and Hebrew, in Edinburg University. After completing his education, he engaged in farming until 1846, when he came to America, and set- tled in New London county, Connecticut, where he rented a farm and engaged in the vegetable and dairy business. In 1854, he came to Tama county, and entered land in township 85, range 15, now known as Crystal township. He then returned to Connecticut and continued his former business until 1856, when he again came to Iowa and settled on his land. Ile has improved his farm and erected a good set of buildinge. In 1874, he engaged in the grain business in Traer, and in 1879, he opened up a branch business in Morrison, and again in 1882, engaged in the same business in Reinbeck. Mr. Wilson was
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married in 1845 to Margaret Drynan, a native of Ayreshire, Scotland. She died in 1860, leaving nine children, eight of whom are now living-Janet, Jane, Mar- garet, James, Agnes, William, Henry and Catherine. Grace died when three years of age. His second wife, to whom he was married in 1863, was Barbara Kennedy, a native of Ayreshire. Four children bless this union-Sarah, John W., Christiana and Dallon K. In 1880, Mr. Wilson made a visit to his native land, and his friends in Tama county had the privilege of reading, in the Traer Clipper, many interesting letters written by him during his travels. Mr. Wilson was the first to introduce shorthorn cattle in northern Tama. He has engaged quite extensively in raising this breed of cattle, and in the fall of 1882 sold ninety-five head. Mr. Wilson was also one of the instigators of the Toledo Agricultural Society, and of the Northern Tama Agricultural Society. He has al- ways been on the alert to do anything for the good of his county, and it was mainly through his influence that most of the Seotch and English settled here. Mr. Wil- son is possessed of excellent business quali- fications, and has been sueeessful in acen- mulating a competency. He is known and respected all over the county.
J. S. Townsend, a native of Westmore- land county, Pennsylvania, came in 1854, and entered the northwest quarter of see- tion 27. After entering his land he re- turned to Pennsylvania. In 1856, he re- turned with his family, coming on the cars as far as Iowa City. There he hired a team to take him to Linn eounty, where he had friends. Ile there bought a pair of horses and drove to his new home.
He has made great improvements and is one of the largest farmers in the town- ship.
C. L. Davis, a native of Conneetieut, came here from St. Joseph county, Miehi- gan, in 1856, and bought land on sections 29 and 30. He bought a board shanty of Mr. Hoag, and lived in that until fall. In the meantime he had cut some trees and hauled the logs to Bruner's mill, on Deer creek, and had them sawed. He built a frame house, 16x24 feet, with a lean-to, in which he lived until 1868, when he built the house in which he now lives.
Washington Brown, a step-son of Valen- tine Shalbz, eame here with him and en- tered the east half of the northwest quar- ter of section 32. Ile remained in the country until 1864, when he went to Diek- erson county, Kan., where he is now en- gaged in farming.
Robert Wylie came in 1854, and en- tered land on section 24, after which he returned to Cedar county. In 1855 he came back to his land, did some breaking and built a house, but spent the winter in Cedar county. In the spring of 1856 he again returned, bringing his family.
Robert Wylie was born in Westmore- land county, Pennsylvania, Feb. 8, 1807. He was reared on a farm. May 30, 1830, he was joined in marriage with Miss Isabella Ralston, who bore him nine ehil- dren, six of whom are now living, Margaret J., John B., Mary, Isabella, Sarah and Matthew. Mr. Wylie made his home in his native State until the fall of 1854, when he came to Iowa for the purpose of finding a good location for settlement. Ile left his family at Tipton, Iowa, and came on to Tama county, where he soon
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entered 320 acres of land in sections 27 and 28 of what is now Crystal township. He then returned to Tipton, but the fol- lowing spring made another trip to this county, and while here made arrange- ment to have broken several acres of his land and also erected a house. In the spring 1856 he removed his family here, since which time they have been promi- nent residents of the county. During the year of 1872 his dwelling was destroyed by fire, and he immediately after ards erected the large frame house, in which he lived until the time of his death-June 6, 1876. His widow, two daughters and a son now live on the homestead. When quite young Mr. Wylie joined the Pres- byterian church in his native state. Sub- sequently he was one of the first elders of the Salem Presbyterian church, of which he was one of the original members. He enjoyed the respect and confidence of the people and filled many offices of trust in the township. Two of his sons now live in the township. His son, John B. Wylie, was born Feb. 19, 1834. He made his home with his parents until the fall of 1866, when he was married to Miss Mar- garet MeQuilkin, a native of West More- land county, Penn., where she was born Ang. 3, 1843. She bore him six children, four of whom are now living-Lillie Beele, Robert 11., Mary E. and William Orr -and died in Crystal township, Feb. 8, 1881. Mr. Wylie is an elder in the Salem church, of which he has been a member since its organization. At the first town meeting he was elected an ofli- cer of the same, and he has been kept in some responsible position of trust most of the time since.
Orin Burright, a native of the "Buckeye" State, came here from Illinois in 1856, and first settled on section 3, where he built a house and lived a short time and then moved to the northwest quarter of section 15. In 1865, he moved to Toledo, where he now lives.
„John Buchanan, a "Hoosier" by birth, came here in 1856 and settled on the east half of the northwest quarter of section 23. Afterward he sold and moved to Indian Village. He now lives in Oregon.
William Guilford, a native of the old "Bay" State, came here from Vermont in 1856, and located on the northwest quarter of section 30. In : 864, he went to Howard township, and afterward went to Toledo where he engaged in the hardware business. le now lives at Storm Lake.
Abraham Quinn, a native of Pennsyl- vania, came from Illinois in 1855, with a team bringing his family and driving through some cattle. lle left his family in Monroe county while he came and entered the east half of the southeast quarter of section 2. In September, he moved his family here and made this his home until 1877, when he moved to Oregon. His oldest son Peter, now occupies the old place. Abraham Quinn was born in Penn- sylvania, in 1809. When a young man his parents moved to Ohio and settled in Franklin county, where they were among the first settlers. Abraham assisted his father in clearing up the farm, which was in a heavily wooded country. In 1835, Mr. Quinn was married to Miss Sarah Ann Hartsock, a native of Pennsylvania. They settled on a farm in Plain township, Franklin county, and made that their home until 1855, then came to Iowa, locat-
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ing in Tama county, in what is now Crys- tal township. Ile purchased 120 acres of prairie land on sections 1 and 2, and some timbered land on seetion 3. Ile built the first frame house and lived in the town- ship until 1877, when he moved to Oregon, where he now lives a resident of East Portland. Mrs. Quinn was born in Penn- sylvania in 1812, and died in Crystal town- ship, Tama county, September 17, 1864. Mr. and Mrs. Quinn were the parents of five children: Peter, Elizabeth A., Jane Ellen, Mark Leroy and John W. The daughters are both living in Grant town- ship of this county. John W. is married and lives in Oregon, and Mark L., died in infancy.
The oldest son, Peter Quinn, was born in Franklin county, Ohio, March 15, 1837. He attended the public schools in Ohio and Illinois, making his home with his parents until 1864. On August 31, 1864, he enlisted in the 1st Iowa Cavalry, Com- pany C, and was soon transferred to Com- pany M. Ile joined the command at Little Rock, Arkansas, and was with the regi- ment until the close of the war, being hon- orably discharged June 13, 1865. He re- turned to Crystal township, Tama county, and November 30, 1865, was married to Miss Agnes, daughter of Gilbert and Sarah Mc Millan, of the same township. Mr. and Mrs. Quinn have been blessed with seven children: Sheridan G., Wilson A., David W., James M., Freddie J., Maggie M. and Peter R. On his return from the war, Mr. Quinn settled on the southeast quarter of section 2, where he has since lived. Mr. Quinn is the proprietor of the Crystal Creamery, which he established in 1880.
Another man who came here to seek a home in 1855 was Gilbert McMillan, a Scotchman, who had come from the old country but a few months previous, and had made a short stop in Connecticut. Hle selected 120 acres on section 2, then went to Buckingham and lived until the spring of 1857, when he settled on his land and now makesthis his home. Probably no man in the country is more fond of a joke than he, and it takes a good man to "get ahead " of him. Itis said that J. Vertrees is the only person that ever did, and it happened in this way: Mr. McMillan had " considerable many hogs," and very little corn or feed of any description for them, and Mr. Ver- trees had corn in abundance, but of hogs none. Meat was scarce in the neighbor- hood, and, in consideration of the hard work to be done, a necessity. In order to secure a supply, or make provision for the future, something must be done. There were the hogs and here the corn, a plan to get the two together would make pork. So Vertrees made a proposition to MeMil- lan to take some of the shoats and feed them for one-half the pork. To this Mc- Millan readily assented and Vertrees drove home the "porkers." In a few days he killed one of them, and wishing everything fair, called in Solomon Walls to divide it, which he did as carefully as possible, splitting exactly in the centre from the end of the nose to the tip of the tail. It was thin enough for a lantern, and without fat enough to cook it in. Vertrees carried MeMillan's half to him, when it suddenly dawned upon McMillan that there was something wrong about that contract, but notwithstanding his loss
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of hogs, he was not the man to " squeal " and enjoyed the joke as well as anybody. One day his neighbor, Chapman, was at his house when he was feeding his stock and said to him, "You have more stock than you need." "Mae" replied " yes, that is true, " and pointing out two steers said, " You may have those two for all I care. " Chapman knew well the propen- sity of his neighbor for joking, and know- ing of course that McMillan would not think for a moment that he would actually take the cattle and drive them away, he concluded to play a joke by taking him at his word. It was a hot day in August, and he started the steers. They ran ont on the prairie, and continued to run, with Chapman after them, until man and beast were both exhausted and mad. But final- ly, after much trouble and vexation, he succeeded in getting them well on the road toward home. When passing a neighbor's house, the man came out and asked, " what he was doing with those steers. " He replied, "I am driving them home from McMillan's. " "But, " said the man, "they are my steers." Then Chapman saw "where the joke came in, " and went home a very tired, but a wiser man.
Gilbert McMillan was born in the par- ish of Colmonel, Ayreshire, Scotland, June 16, 1816. His father was a farmer and stock-raiser. Gilbert received his education in the public school at Barr llill, and continued to make his home with his parents until twenty-six years of age, when he was united in marriage with Miss Sarah Wilson, daughter of James and Jane (Lusk) Wilson. They have eight children : Agnes, Jennie, Maggie,
David, James, Janet, Peter and Grace. At the time of his marriage the subject of our sketch rented a farm in the parish of Colonel, and there lived until 1855, when he left his native land and came to America. He landed at New York city on the 24th of February, and immediately proceeded to Connecticut, where he visited friends until the following June, when he came to Tama county, Iowa, for the pur- pose of settlement. He entered 120 acres of land in the northeast quarter of section 2, of what is now Crystal township, but spent the first year on a rented farm in Buckingham township. In the fall of 1856 he purchased 40 acres of land ad- joining his farm, upon which he moved a small frame house that he had purchased in Buckingham township. After living here for some time he built an addition, and continued to occupy the house until 1880, when it was destroyed by fire. Ile then erected the frame house in which he now resides. Mr. McMillan now owns 260 acres of improved land and 70 acres of timber land.
Charles Lee Davis made his settlement in Crystal township, in the spring of 1856. Ile bought land on sections 29 and 30, and also purchased a little shanty to live in until he could get a more substantial house erected. He cut logs, hauled them to the saw mill on Deer creek, and that fall built a frame house, 16x24 feet, with a lean-to attached. In this house he lived until 1868, when he erected his present dwell- ing. Ile was born in Windham county, Connecticut, August 27, 1813, and is a son of Thomas and Prudence (Denison) Davis. When he was but three years old, his parents removed to Genesee county, New
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York, where the subject of our sketch was reared on a farm. He received his education at the Pine Hill school, at Elba, that county. When he was twenty-four years of age his father died. In 1841 Mr. Davis was united in marriage with Miss Polly Ann Thorpe, daughter of John and Polly (Skidmore) Thorpe, of Otsego county, New York. The young couple continued to make their home in that State until 1845, when they removed to St. Jo- seph county, Michigan. There Mr. Davis purchased land which he improved and lived upon until his settlement in this county. Their children living are-Mary E., IFelen P., John Russell, Henry M., Sheldon F ., Lewis W., Eva A., Hattie A. and Frederick E. Their oldest son, Charles, was born December 12, 1842. He made his home with his parents until September 5, 1861, at which time he en- listed in the 10th Iowa. Infantry Regiment, went south and joined Pope's command. While in service he was taken sick, re- turned home, and died two weeks after his arrival-on the 12th day of May 1862.
John S. Townsend is a settler of 1856. He is a native of Westmoreland county, Penn., where he was born Aug. 10, 1822. Ile is the third son of John and Elizabeth Townsend, natives of Pennsylvania. lis father died in his native State in 1867, and two years later the wife and mother also passed away. The subject of this sketch was reared on a farm and received his education in the common schools of his native county. He made his home with his parents until his twentieth year, at which time he was united in marriage with Susan Dickey, a native of that
county and daughter of David and Eliza- beth (McLellan) Dickey. In 1846 Mr. Townsend purchased a farm in his native township, erected a brick house, and con- tinned to reside there until 1856, when he sold his place and came to Tama county, Iowa, where in November, 1854, he had en- tered land on section 28 of what is now Crystal township. He made this his home until 1857, when he purchased a quarter section of land in Deer creek timber, In- dian Village township, and moved on it. He eleared and improved fifty acres of it, and at the end of four and a half years re- turned to his farm in Crystal township, where he has since resided, with the excep- tion of six months spent in Toledo, Iowa, and three months spent in visiting friends and relatives in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Since coming to Tama county Mr. Town- send had bought large tracts of land, 1,000 acres of which he has improved and fenced. He has six children living- Mary E., wife of Robert Cowen, living on section 21 of Crystal township; Craig II., now engaged in the lumber trade in Greene county; Dan D., now clerking in a railroad office at Cedar Rapids ; Edmund K., engaged in farming on section 21 of Crystal township; Cordia L., wife of W. Muirhead, who lives on section 20 of Crys- tal township; Charles, the youngest, is at home with his parents. Their eldest son, William Shields, was born Feb. 11, 1845, and made his home with his parents until December of 1863, when he enlisted in Company G, Fourteenth Iowa, and went South. Ile was taken a prisoner of war in the battle at Pleasant Hill, La., and died Sept. 1, 1864, in the rebel prison at Tyler, Texas. David A. was born March
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18, 1853, and died Oct. 24, 1865. Ann Eliza, the eldest daughter, was born Jan. 30, 1843, and died Oet. 29, 1865. Marga- ret L. was born March 10, 1847, and died Nov. 1, 1865. John M. was born March 20, 1851, and died Nov. 1, 1865.
Solomon Walls, a native of Ohio, came from Ogle county, Illinois, in 1857 and set- tled on section 3, where he lived until 1859 when he moved to seetion 15, where he now lives. He was born in Knox coun- ty, Ohio, January 10, 1832. He made that county his home until 1852, when he removed to Ogle county, Illinois, where he was subsequently married to Miss Mary E. Burright, daughter of Orrin Burright During 1857 they removed to Tama eoun- ty, Iowa, and settled on section 3, of Crys- tal township. Two years later, he pur- chased land on section 15, where he has since made his home. Mr. and Mrs. Walls have six children: Laurinda, Will- iam Henry, Charles E., Milan D., Hortense E.and Cordie. Mr. Walls is a prominent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of Crystal, and has been its class leader for many years.
Joe Vertrees, a native of Illinois, eame in 1858, and settled on section 3. During the war he returned to Illinois. lle now lives in Shelby county, Iowa.
Dr. S. C. Rogers, the only practicing physician that ever settled in this town- ship, was a native of Massachusetts. Ile came here from New York in 1859, and settled on section 16. lle went to the army as surgeon, and after the war lie sold his property here and settled in the east.
S. M. Chapman, a native of Kentucky, came here in 1859, and settled on the northeast quarter of section 2. During the war, he went to the southern part of the county. Stewart Burright came here in 1859, and settled on section 3. He enlisted in the army, and upon his return settled in Shelby county.
In 1865 the Whannel family came to Tama county, and have ever since been prominent and respected citizens. In their respective townships will be found sketches of the different members of this family, and in this connection are pre- sented personal sketches of those who are residents of this township.
Peter Whannel, eldest son of John and Margaret W hannel, is a native of Ayre- shire, Scotland, where he was born Feb- ruary 3, 1833. He received his education in the public schools of his native parish (Colmonel), and afterwards eame with his father and family to the United States, settling in Knox County, Illinois, where they continued to live for a number of years. Immediately after the family were settled in their new home, the subject of our sketch hired out as a farm hand in the neighborhood of his parents home, and for the first year's labor received the small sum of $165. Subsequently he, in compa- ny with his father and three brothers, rented land which they farmed while in that State. During the time, they man- aged, by economy and unceasing toil, to save $1,500 ; however, by the failure of the bank in which it was deposited, all was lost with the exception of a paltry 20 per cent recovered by them several years afterwards. The father died August 29, 1864, and the following year the family
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came to Tama county, Iowa, buying 640 acres on sections 6, 7 and 8 of Crystal township, of which only 50 were im- proved. Mr Whannel now owns a well cultivated farm of 560 acres, on which he has crected good, substantial farm build- ings. His residence is located on section 6, and was erected in 1865. August 26, 1864, he was united in marriage with Miss Janet Young, a native of Ayreshire, Scot- land, and daughter of Samuel and Janet Young. Seven children have been born to them : Janie E., Margaret K., Samuel L., Mary II., Janet C., Thomas A. and Marion A. Mr. Whannel is also largely engaged in stock raising in connection with farming. Mr. Whannel has three brothers whose farms join his : Thomas, in Crystal township, and John and Robert in Grant township.
Thomas Whannel, the second son of John and Margaret Whannel, was born in the parish of Colmonel, Ayreshire, Scotland, April 27, 1835. He received a liberal education in the public schools of his native parish, and subsequently came, with his parents, to America. For some years after their settlement in this country, the subject of our sketch was engaged in farming in the state of Illinois ; at first working as a laborer at ten dollars per month, and later, in company with his father and brothers, farming rented land. With them he suffered hy the failure of the bank in which their hard earned money was deposited. In 1865 he came to Tama county, Iowa, with his father's famlily, and settled in Crystal township, where he now owns 480 acres of improved land ; he also owns 400 acres in Wright county of this State. February 9, 1870, he was joined
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