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 84
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their new home, and immediately began making improvements. In 1861 he erected his present stone residence. His first wife, who was a native of New York State, died in 1863. He was married to his present wife, Miss Charlotte Hum- phrey, of Utica, New York, in August of 1866. They have two children, Mattie and Mamie.
In 1855 the settlement of this part of the county was increased by the arrival of the Stoakes family. They settled mostly in Perry township, and in that connection will be found sketches of them. Geneseo, however, contains one of these pioneers-Eleazar Stoakes. Ile is the fourth son of John and Jane Stoakes, and was born in Jefferson county, Ohio, March 4, 1833. His younger days were spent in helping his father till the soil, but he was given advantages so that he obtained a good common school education. He came to Iowa with his parents and made his home with them until 1861. Fired with a zeal for the welfare of his country he enlisted in the Fourteenth Iowa Infan- try, Company G, went south with the regiment and participated in the battles of Fort Donelson and Pittsburg Landing. Ile was taken prisoner at the latter battle, on the 6th of April, 1862. He was paroled at Macon, Georgia, in June following, and returned home. In August of that year he joined the regiment at Benton bar- racks, near St. Louis. Here he was taken sick and was honorably discharged, on ac- count of disability, the 8th of November, and returned again to his home in Perry township. As soon as his health would permit he engaged in farming his land on section 2. In 1865 he purchased the
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southwest quarter of seetion 32, in Gene- seo township, and the north half of the northwest quarter of section 5, in Clark township. He was married, March 1, 1866, to Miss Eliza, daughter of Robert and Elizabeth Granger, and settled on his land in Geneseo township. He has since improved the lard and erected several good substantial buildings. The house in which he now lives was built in 1882. They have six children-Theodore. G., George E., De Witt C., Alice V., Ella May and Belle.
Enoch Clay, a son-in-law of Varnum HIelm, came here in 1854, and entered land on seetion 13. In 1857 he sold to George Wilson and went to Black Hawk county.
Another settler in 1854 was Patrick Emmett, a native of Ireland, who came here from Dubuque county, and settled on section 30, where he may still be found.
Phineas L. Sherman, a native of New York State, arrived here in 1855, and set- tled on section 10, where he built a log house which he covered with hay. Ile afterward made great improvements and built a good and commodious frame house. Ile died in 1875 at Iowa Falls while on a visit to his son. His widow died a few years later at Waterloo. They were both buried at Vinton. Their son, Buren R. Sherman, was elected Governor of Iowa in 1881.
Sylvester Zea, formerly from New York State, came here in 1855 and selected a home on section 28, where he lived a few years and then went to Crawford county. A few years later he came back and lived on section 20, until 1859, when he returned to Crawford county.
David Lefler, a native of Canada, ar- rived in 1855, and settled on section 29. Hle died a few years later. Ilis family now live in Salt Lake city.
Jonathan HIall, who was quite a young man at that time, came with Mr. Lefler and afterward married his daughter and set- tled on seetion 20. Ile is now in Ne- braska.
S. B. Secoy, a native of New York, ar- rived from Michigan, in 1856, and lived with Harvey Wager until fall, when he moved to a log house which he had built on section 10. In 1862 he erected a house on section 11 where he lived until the time of his death, in 1876. IIis widow is now in Michigan.
Edward Brennan, of Ireland, came here from Quebec, in 1856, and made a claim on section 1.
Luther and N. Wheeler, natives of Wash- ington county, New York, came here from Illinois, in 1867, and settled on section 26, where they still live.
George Wilson, formerly from Pennsyl- vania, came from Michigan, in 1867, and bought land on section 13. By profession he was a preacher, a cabinet maker by trade, and a man much respected by all. He died at an early day and the family are now seattered.
George Meinger, of Baden, Germany, came here at an early day, and settled on section 29, where he improved the land and .lived until 1874, when death called him away. Ilis widow now lives in Kossuth county, and his son Charles lives on the claim.
Charles Meinger, a son of George and Rosa Meinger, was born in Baden, Ger- many, September 5, 1845. Five years af-
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HISTORY OF TAMA COUNTY.
ter his birth, his parents emigrated to America, settling at Racine, Wisconsin, where they lived ten years, and then re- moved to Stephenson county, Illinois. Two years later, they came to Iowa, reaching Black Hawk county, their home until 1865, when they came to Geneseo township, of Tama county, and located on Elijah Guernsey's farm. There they lived two years, and then purchased land on seetion 25 and settled on it. Charles made his home with his parents until his marriage, which took place on the 4th of November, 1869. His wife was Miss Bertha Harch. They have been blessed with four child- ren, three of whom are now living- Charlie II., Minnie and Dora. Mr. Mein- ger now occupies the farm on seetion 25, formerly owned by his father.
Another prominent settler of 1857 was Michael Casey, who came here from Ver- mont, and settled on section 29, where he lived seven years. and then moved to see- tion 13, where he now resides. He is one of the largest land owners in the county. Michael was born in county Clare, Ireland, in 1819. His early life was spent in tilling the soil of his native country. In 1840 he was married to Miss Margaret Buckley, who bore him two children-James and Mary. In 1845 they emigrated to America. Af- ter remaining in Quebec (their landing place) three weeks, they crossed over to the States and settled in Boston, Mass- achusetts, where, a few months later, his wife died. During 1849, he removed to Vermont, where he was employed on the Burlington & Rutland railroad. While there, Mr. Casey was married, in 1850, to Miss Loraine Madison, of Windsor county, that State. Four children have been born
to them-George (who was born in Ver- mont), Oscar, Henry and Alma, born in Io- wa. In 1851, Mr. Casey went south, where he spent five years and five months, and then returned to Vermont. In 1857 he came to Tama county, Iowa, and settled on section 29, Geneseo township, where he had purchased 80 acres of land. Ile lived there until 1864, when he sold the farm, removed to section 13, where he bought land and erected the frame house in which he now lives. At the present time he has a large barn and other buildings for stock and grain on his farm, and is now making preparations to ereet a new residence dur- ing the summer of 1883. Former'y, Mr. Casey devoted his many aeres to the eulti- vation of grain, extensively, raising 7,000 bushels per year, but of late years he has turned his attention to stoek raising. Ilis farm now consists of nearly 1,300 aeres. His eldest daughter, Mary, died in Black Hawk county, Iowa, April 23, 1882, leav- ing a husband and eight children to mourn her death.
Edward Brennan was an early settler of Tama county, coming to Geneseo town- ship in 1856. He first entered the east half of the southeast quarter of section 1; but was afterward notified that the rail- road company had entered it previously ; so he was obliged to purchase it, paying $5 per acre. He first erected a log cabin, in which he lived until 1868. Dur- ing that year he built the frame house in which he now lives. Mr. Brennan is a na- tive of county Kilkenny, Ireland, born in 1811. In 1849, he left his native land and came to the United States, landing at Boston. From there he went to Bolton where he engaged in farming for a few
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months, then made another change, going to Brunswick, Maine, where he followed railroading, thence he went to Vermont, where he followed the same business at Ludlow. In 1852, Mr. Brennan went to Qnebee, where he served on the police foree for four years, and in 1856, came to T'ama county, as stated. Mr. Brennan was married in 1847, to Miss Margaret Casey. They have been blessed with seven chil- dren, four of whom are now living : Pat- rick, Edward, James and John. Thomas, born October 27, 1851, died January 27, 1875, of heart disease. Ile had gone into the timber for a load of wood, and a mo- ment before his death, had been talking with his companions. When he was taken with the disease he fell over and expired instantly. Mary, a married daughter, was born March 24, 1848, died May 4, 1874, leaving.two little children, one of whom soon followed her mother, the other is now living with her grandmother, Mrs. Bren- nan. Bridget, another daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Brennan, was born in 1850, died in 1854.
Jared Cheasboro came here from Illi- nois in 1857, and settled on section 26. Ilere he erected a stone house in which he lived nntil the time of his death
Andrew Mellhinney, a native of Ireland, settled on section 20, in 1859, on land he had entered a few years previously and on which he had built a house the year before. In this house he now lives.
After this the settlers came in more rapidly and it would be impossible in this connection to trace them with any degree of regularity. However, among those who came in since that time and are now prominent citizens, may be mentioned
the following, as representing the class of Geneseo's inhabitants : William Peverill, Silas H. Horton, Isaac W. White, S. Newell West, Benjamin Bisel, Benjamin MeKay, John Life, Samuel P. Maynard, Charles Jameyson, Gilbert J. Monroe, George A. Edwards, George M. Life, Ro- manzo Nutt, John Huey, David Taylor, T. C. Temple, Robert N. Riggs, F. L. Les- lie, R. S. Anderson, C. A. Williams, G. H. Grover, G. M. Tedford, Jacob Sirine, D. F. Campbell, Robert Speer, Theodore J. Merritt, Theodore Moore, Benjamin Bruner, Daniel MeIntire and others.
William Peverill is a native of England, and was born in Nottingham, Notting- hamshire, February 17, 1827. When four- teen years of age he was bound ont to a starch-maker to learn the trade, but after three years ran away and engaged as to- ker on board a man-of-war in Her Majes- ty's service. After seven months had elapsed, he was discovered by his master, who proenred his discharge, and took him back to his forsaken trade. Upon serv- ing his full time, he went to Scotland and worked at his rade for two years in Pais- ley, a town near Glasgow. He then re- turned to England, and opened a factory at Baseford, near Nottingham, which estab- lishment he operated ten months, and then made a trip to America. He located at Cincinnati, where he worked at his trade five months, then returned to Eng- land, and about ten months later, again came to the United States. After spend- ing some time in the city of Cincinnati again, he went to Chillicothe, Ohio, where he was foreman in a starch factory one year. From there he removed to Rockford, Illinois, where he was also fore-
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HISTORY OF TAMA COUNTY.
man in a factory, until August, 1862, when he enlisted in company E, 74th Illinois Volunteers. He participated in the bat- tles of Perryville, Kentucky, and Stone River, Tennessee, being taken prisoner in the latter engagement, but in less than an hour was re-taken by the Union troops. At Murfreesboro, Tennessee, he was taken sick, and in February, 1863, honorably discharged on account of disability. A sear can still be seen on the top of his head, where was hit by a ball at the battle of Stone River, and the probability is, that if he had been one inch taller, his life would have ended then and there. Upon receiving his dismissal from service, Mr. Peverill returned to Rockford; and the sune year, traded some property there for land on section 2, of Geneseo town- ship, this county, and removed here with his family. In 1869 he sold his farm and removed to Missouri ; but after some time it fell back to him, and he therefore re- turned in 1871. Ile now owns 380 acres of land, and lives on the southwest quarter of section 2. In 1848 he was united in marriage with Miss Emma Williamson, of Old Radford, near Nottingham, Eng- land, who died at Chillicothe, Ohio, Octo- ber 31, 1855, leaving her husband and three children-Christopher, Henry and Emma-to mourn her death. Ilis present wife was Mary MeVicker, widow of David Kern. They have been blessed with seven children, five of whom are now living : Sarah L., Albert L., William J., Alexan- der W. and Hugh G., the three last named were born in Geneseo township.
Silas HI. Ilorton settled in Geneseo township of Tama county in 1863. Ile is a native of Tioga county, New York,
where he was born January 23, 1821. Ile was reared a farmer and spent most of the years previous to his settlement in lowa in his native county; however, two years were spent at Oxford, in Chenango county; and another two years at Corning, in Che- mung county. The first land owned by him in this county was a number of acres on section 3, of Geneseo township, for which he traded property in New York State. Since his settlement here Mr. Horton has added many acres to his origi- mał farm, now owning 480 acres. He was united in marriage in 1847 with Miss Sally Brundage, a native of New York city. They are blessed with eight children- Esther, Eunice, Jotham, Emily, Marshall, Nathan, Mary and Adie. The family make their home on section 2.
Isaac W. White, son of John and Sarah White, is a native of Carroll county, Ohio, where he was born November 21, 1832. In 1849 his parents emigrated to Iowa and settled at Shellsburg, Benton county, where they were among the first settlers. His father is still living there on the original claim, and is now in his eighty- sixth year. Isaac made his home with his parents until 1858, when he was married to Miss Nancy E. Miskimen, whose parents were also early settlers of Benton county. After marriage Mr. White rented his father's farm, on which he continued to live for six years, and then removed to Geneseo township, of Tama county, and there settled on section 29, on land which he had entered in 1855. Subsequently he purchased eighty acres adjoining his lands, and at the present time owns 250 acres, the most of which is improved.
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HISTORY OF TAMA COUNTY.
They have five children-James II., Amelia, Almer, Clementine and Sarah A. S. Newell West made his first settle- ment in this county in 1863. It was in Clark township, and there he lived until 1865, when he came to Geneseo township, settling on section 33, where he resided until 1882, when he sold his farm there and purchased land on section 32. In July of the same year he began the erection of the house in which he now lives. Ile was born in Warren county, New York, April 22, 1833. One year after his birth his parents removed to Chautauqua county, where they resided until 1839, and then settled in Erie county, Pennsylvania, near the town of Erie. The subject of this sketch spent his early life in school and on the farm. When twenty-two years old he removed to Kane county, Illinois, where he lived one year and then went to Wisconsin. He spent the first winter in the pineries of Clark county, and the fol- lowing spring located in Jackson county, where he was employed in a sawmill near Black River Falls. During the fall of 1857 he returned to his home in Pennsyl- vania, and there engaged in farming until his removal to Tama county, Iowa. Janu- ary 28, 1862, he was joined in wedlock with Miss Abbie Sherwin, of Erie county, Pennsylvania. They have been blessed with five children-John Sherwin, George Markham, William W., Royal A. and Ilattie. The last named, their only daugh" ter, was born Febuary 17, 1872, and died October 30, 1873.
Benjamin Bisel is a native of Pennsyl- vania, born in Bedford county of that State February 7, 1817. He received his education in the county of his birth, and
was there reared anagriculturist. In 1850 he bought a farm in Salt Creek township, Fayette county, that State, where he lived about two years, and then purchased another one in Bull Skin township, and removed to it. In 1854 he came west to Illinois, first locating in McLean" county, where he resided until 1857, then removed to Will county, and thence, in 1861 to Kendall county. During 1865, he came to Tama county, Iowa, and settled in the northeast quarter of section 30, Geneseo township. Ile has since improved the land and in 1882, erected the frame house in which he now resides. Mr. Bisel was married in 1844, to Miss Susanna Wonders, who has borne him ten children, seven of whom are now living : Henry, Mary E., Amanda, Alexander, Isaac, Melvina and Benjamin F. Sarah, their eldest child, was born January 11, 1845, and died De- cember 30, 1863. Catherine M. was born July 18, 1850, and died February 14, 1862. Jacob was born March 23, 1852, and died January 23, 1864.
Benjamin MeKay is a native of Onon- dago county, New York, born March 20, 1822. Ile received his education in the distriet schools of the county, and at an early age learned the carpenter trade of his father, who was a carpenter before him. At the age of seventeen, he removed with his parents to Warren county, Penn- sylvania, and continued to make his home with them, until 1857, when he went to Winnebago county, Illinois, where he bought land, commeneed to make improve- ments and in connection worked at the trade. During 1867, he sold his farm at an advanced price, and went to the State of Missouri with the intention of settling
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HISTORY OF TAMA COUNTY.
there. He found, however, upon arrival, that the country fell far short of what he had anticipated, and therefore turned his face northward again. He came to this State and purchased a tract of wild land on sec- tions 18 and 19, of Geneseo township, Tama county. Since that time he has cultivated the same, planted groves of trees upon it, and erected the house in which he now lives. In 1864 the subject of his sketch was united in marriage with Miss Mabel Hill, a native of New York. She bore him three children, two of whom -George W. and Alva D .- are now living; and died December 2, 1876. Mr. MeKay's present wife was Mrs. Caroline Marsh, widow of Joseph Marsh. She had three children by her first husband: Estella D., Lucy E. and Alice L.
John Life was born April 6, 1820. He was the second of six sons and stayed with his father until he was twenty years old. When the subject of this sketch was eighteen years old, his oldest brother, William, who was then twenty years old, started out with a determination to re- ceive an education, which left a heavier weight of care upon John. Two of his younger brothers also pursued the same course William did. llenry took a medi- cal course and is now practicing medi- cinein McEwingsville, Pennsylvania, and George, who qualified himself for the ministry, followed preaching until his health failed him. He is now occupied in farming in this county. Two of John's brothers, Samnel and Abraham, are farm- ers in Virginia. John has one sister, Annie, who also lives in Virginia. Wil- liam and his wife are at the head of the Rye Female Seminary, New York, at this
time. John, when he was eighteen years old, met with the misfortune of losing his left eye by accidently having it piereed by a twig, while in among the timber and brush clearing land on his father's farm. The inconvenience of the loss of an eye can only be known to those who experi- ence it. When twenty years of age, he learned the trade of wheelwright and cabinet maker, and after serving fourteen months, embarked in the business for himself, making spinning wheels, chairs, bedsteads, and other articles of furniture. Hle continued to work at that business until in the spring of 1862, when the late civil war was carried on to its fullest ex- tent. Ilis brother Abraham not feeling disposed to join the Southern army, left Virginia and went through the line to Pennsylvania, where he remained until the close of the war. John then took the care of his parents upon himself until the close of the war, when his brother Abra- ham returned home. In the spring . of 1862, the Union Army made their first move through Highland county, and John happened to be at the mill with a grist of two bushels of wheat, taken there on horseback. While there, a party of Union soldiers came and took all the flour that was in the mill, and among others they took John's. Ile tried to pursuade them to let him have his, but without avail they promising to pay him if he would come to their headquarters. This seemed to be a dangerous undertaking to him, but he gathered up courage and made arrange- ments with one of his neighbors to go with him ; but the following morning his neighbor declined to go. This was a try- ing time for Mr. Life, but he moved
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HISTORY OF TAMA COUNTY.
through this perilons undertaking by him- self. Ile was arrested twice on his way there and searched ; but after reaching headquarters he was kindly received by Col. McLean of the 75th Ohio Regiment, who requested him to take the oath of al- legiance to the United States, which he willingly did. He then collected pay for all the flour that had been taken. He ro- turned home in safety, and paid off his neighbors for the flour that was taken. This course he pursued throughout the en- tire war, trying to save life and aid dis- tressed families irrespective of parties.
When the war closed he made up his mind to move to Iowa, to his brother William's land on section 8, Geneseo township, Tama county. He started with his family from Highland county, Vir- ginia, on the morning of the 18th of April, 1867. Hle hired a man with a wagon and team to take him and his family and goods to the Baltimore & Ohio railroad, a dis- tance of ninety miles. Ile reached the railroad on the 22d, took the train on the 23d, and reached Waterloo, Iowa, on the 26th, which was then the nearest station to his brother's farm in Tama county. On the morning of the 27th of April he crossed Cedar river on a ferry boat; then hired a rig-and a poor one it was-to bring him and family to Tama county. At that time the country was very thinly settled be- tween Waterloo and the six-mile grove in Geneseo township. After traveling seven miles south from Waterloo they came to an open prairie, which extended ten miles with no settlers, except a man by the name of Spence, who lived midway be- tween that point and the six-mile grove settlement. Consequently, the roads were
in bad condition and Mr. Life and family did not reach their place of locality until late in the evening of the 27th of April, 1867. Having no house to move into, he and his family lived with a neighbor for three months until he could haul lumber from Waterloo to build. Before his house was fully enclosed he moved his family into it and made their beds on the floor, and on the first night a heavy rain- storm came up, dashing the rain in tor- rents all through the house, so that their beds were soaked with water. But this did not discourage him. He commenced improving his brother's farm of 320 acres and continued until it was all under culti- vation, and in the same time he bought 80 acres on section 5, on eredit, by paying 10 per cent. interest in advance for the first year, the principal being divided into three annual payments, which he met promptly. The land cost him $7.50 an acre. In the spring of 1882, he bought an improved farm on section 6, adjoining his other place, upon which he no v resides and which he intends making his per- manent home. He had a family of five children, all born in Virginia. Sarah, the oldest, was born April 19, 1846. When she was eleven years old she went to her uncle William's, whose wife was then the Principal of the Muncie Female Acad- emy, Pennsylvania, and remained with her aunt and uncle until she had finished her education. William and his wife then moved to Rye, New York, where they lo- cated and are at the head of the Rye Fe- male Seminary. While there Sarah was married to Rev. John C. Taylor, who is now located in Cuba, New York. William H., the oldest son, was born on the 18th
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HISTORY OF TAMA COUNTY.
of March, 1849. Ile stayed with his father until November, 1881, when he was mar- ried to Miss Sarah B. Rohrbaugh, a native of Grant county, West Virginia. They now live on their farm of 160 acres on section 7, Geneseo township. Henry M. was born January 10, 1855, and died No- vember 20, 1870. Mary M. was born on the 17th day of March, 1857, and stayed with her father until June 16, 1881, when she was married to 11. B. Griffin, who now resides on section 17, Geneseo town- ship. George P., the youngest son, died the 27th of October, 1870.
Another early settler in the northwest- ern part of Geneseo township, Samuel P. Maynard, came here in 1868, and pur- chased wild land on section 7, where he has since resided. His farm is now under good cultivation, and in 1871, he erected his present dwelling-house. He was born at Granville, in Washington county, New York, August 15, 1828, and received his education in the public schools of that place. In 1846, his parents removed to Walworth county, Wisconsin, and Samuel continued to make his home with them until 1852, when he, in company with his brother Nathan and several others, started across the plains to California, carrying provisions, cooking utensils, etc., with them, and camping out on the way. They left their home on the 15th of April and arrived at Hangtown, California, on the 15th of August. Mr. Maynard engaged in mining near the latter place eight months and then went north to Sierra county, where he followed the same oc- eupation five years. From there he pro- ceeded to the Santa Clare Valley, where he engaged in farming until 1865, when
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