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 98
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HISTORY OF TAMA COUNTY.
and came to Iowa, by way of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. Ile took passage on board the steamer, went down the Ohio river to St. Louis, then up the Mississippi to Keokuk, and thence, by stage, to Van Buren county, where he stopped until fall. He then came to Tama county and entered and purchased land on sections 2 and 3, town 85, range 14, now known as Perry township. In 1852, he was united in mar- riage to Miss Elizabeth, daughter of John and Jane (Vantilburg) Stoakes, of Wells- ville, Ohio. Nine children have been born unto them, eight of whom are now living- Etta, James, Ella, John S., Willis, Azelia, Wallace and Denver. Mattie was born December 11, 1860; died March 26, 1882. Mr. Gaston has been very successful and is reckoned one of the solid farmers of the county. He has held many offices of trust in the town, and has always shown himself a worthy man. lle has 460 acres of improved land, and has good buildings thereon.
William and IIenry Stoakes also came back that fall and put up some hay and log cabins on their land, and returned again to Ohio and remained until the fol- lowing February, when they came back. Their father, a younger brother named George, and sisters came with them. Wil- liam, settled on his land on section 1, where he now lives. Henry settled on his land on "section 2, where he lived until March, 1883, when he sold out and moved to O'Brien county, where he had bought a large tract of land. The father, whose name was John, settled on section 2, on part of the land the son had pre- viously entered, where he lived until the time of his death, February 11, 1880.
Ilis youngest son George, who always made his home with his father, now occu- pies the old homestead. His son Eleazor first settled in Perry township, on section 2, and now lives in Geneseo township.
' John Stoakes, second son of William and Anna Stoakes, was a native of Eng- land, was born in the county of Surrey, August 1, 1792. His parents were mem- bers of the Society of Friends, and emi- grated to America, when John was but seven years of age. They settled in Jef- ferson county, Ohio, where they were pio- neer settlers. His father bought some timbered land, cleared a farm, and lived there until the time of his death. The subject of this sketch was married in Ohio, November 3, 1818, to Miss Jane Van- tilburg, a native of Jefferson county, Ohio. He made his home with his parents for some time after marrying, then settled on a farm by himself. In 1849 he went to Columbiana county, where he engaged in mercantile business. In 1851, he came to lowa and settled in Van Buren county, where he lived until 1855. During this year he again made a change of location by coming to Tama county and entering land on section 2, of range 14, now known as Perry township. He lived here until the time of his death which occurred February 11, 1880. His wife died January 17, 1873. They were the parents of eleven children, ten of whom are now living. William M., their oldest son, was born in Jefferson county, Ohio, December 28, 1822, and was there reared on a farm. Ile took advantage of every opportunity afforded to acquire knowledge, and by applying him- self to study, succeeded in becoming a fairly educated man. He was wedded to
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HISTORY OF TAMA COUNTY.
Miss Carolina Householder, of Jefferson county, Ohio, on the 27th day of May, 1847. He settled on a farm in his native county and lived there till 1851, when he eame to lowa and bought land in Van Buren county. Remaining there three years, he came to Tama county to look for land. After looking over the ground to find a suitable location, he finally en- tered land on the northeast quarter of section 1, in township 86, range 14, now known as Perry township, after which he returned to Van Buren county, where he remained until the following spring. He then came back to this county and settled on his land. Ile erected a log house, 14x18 feet, in which the family lived until 1861, when he built the frame house in which he now lives. Mr. Stoakes has made great improvements, has taken a lively interest in local affairs, and has been elected to offices of trust in the town. Mr. Stoakes has ten children liv- ing,-Mathias, John N., William Il., Jen- nie M., Arabella, Walter C., Mason C., Bennett R., Eddie R. and Carrie S. Ann Eliza was born November 21, 1851 ; died June 5, 1861. Benjamin Franklin was born April 29, 1855 ; died November 15, 1870. Charlie was born September 21, 1859 ; died November 5, 1876.
George, the youngest son of John and Jane (Vantilburg) Stoakes, was born in Jefferson county, Ohio, September 4, 1843. Ile was eight years of age when his parents came to Iowa. George at- tended the first term of school ever taught in Perry township. He made his home with his parents until the time of their death and now occupies the old homestead on seetion 2. Jannary 11, 1866, he wed-
ded Miss Alice, daughter of Dryden and Jane (Wilcox) Barbour. They have had eight children born unto them: Martha, Dryden, Ilenry, Rawlin, Maude, Minnie, Lizzie, who died in 1881, aged four years; Jay and Esther.
Henry, the second son of John and Jane Stoakes, was born in Jefferson county, Ohio, May 3, 1825. Ile lived there until 1847, when he moved to Columbiana county, and remaining there until 1852, he went to Carthage, lived there one year and then came to Iowa, locating for one year on a farm in Van Buren county. In 1854, he came to Tama county, entered land on section 2, township 85, range 14, and returned to Van Buren county, where he spent the ensuing winter. But in the spring of 1855, he came back and settled on his land in Perry township. He was united in marriage to Miss Armilda Hough, January 3, 1860. They have been blessed with eleven children: Cora, John, Marion, Robert, Sherman, May, Inez, Harry, Ralph, Roy and Benjamin F. In the spring of 1883, Mr. Stoakes sold his farm and moved to O'Brien county.
A man named Baker came in 1854 and claimed the south-east quarter of section 30, on which was a small grove. He sold out in 1855 to L. B. Collins, and went west to seek new fields of speculation. This neighborhood has always been called Baker's Grove.
Another arrival in 1854, was John Wil- son from Connecticut, a native of Scotland. He entered land on sections 7 and 18, then went back to Connecticut and remained until the spring of 1855, when he returned with his family. Ile built a house on section 18 and lived there until 1881, when
G
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HISTORY OF TAMA COUNTY.
he removed to Traer. His son James set- tled on section 18, where he still lives. He has served two terms in Congress and has been elected for a third. His son Peter is a successful farmer and resides also on section 18. Ilis son Allen is a stock dealer and resides in Traer. West W., another son, has been a prominent citizen of Traer for a number of years.
John Wilson was born in the parish of Girvan, in 1811, in Ayrshire, Scotland, and in 1842 moved to Wigtownshire, where he lived until 1851, then came to America with his family and settled in Norwich, Connecticut. He came to this county in September, 1854, and entered land on sec- tion 17, Perry township, where he settled in the spring of the following year. Mr. Wilson's first wife was Jean McCosh, who died May 16, 1881. She was born in Ayrshire, Scotland, March 7, 1815. They had nine children when they came to America, all of whom were under sixteen years of age. They have had five chil- dren since coming to this county, and of their family of fourteen children, six sons and five daughters are still living. Two sons, Peter and John served in the Union Army during the rebellion. The former belonged to the 14th Regiment Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and the latter to the 1st Iowa Cavalry. Mr. Wilson's present wife's maiden name was Martha J. Stoakes, born in Ohio, where she was married to J. P. Hopkins, who died at Wellsville, Ohio. She was again married to L. S. Cope, with whom she came to Tama county in the fall of 1854. Mr. Cope entered land in Perry township, and there resided for ten years, then removed to Waterloo, Black Hawk county, where
he died October 9, 1873. Mrs. Wilson has one son by her first marriage-John S. Hopkins-now a resident of Clark township. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson were married August 8, 1882. Mr. Wilson's family is one of the best known and influential in Tama county. They are members of the Presbyterian Church.
Lyman Cody, of Wyandotte county, Ohio, a carpenter by trade, came in 1855, and made his claim on section 29, where he yet remains. Mr. Cody was born in Portage county, Ohio, May 23, 1828. When eight years of age his father bought a large track of land in Crawford county, Pennsylvania, and moved there with his family. He lived but one year in Pennsyl- vania, then returned to Ohio and kept tavern near Cleveland for one year, and again pulled up stakes and moved to Wyandotte county, where he kept tavern for three years in Little Sandusky. He then moved to Carey, where he died two years later. The subject of this sketch when twelve years of age engaged with a carpenter to learn the trade. He worked at his trade in Ohio, until 1850, when he started for California by way of New York and the Isthmus. Ile engaged in mining in Sierra county the most of the time for three years, and then returned to Ohio. He worked at his trade in Carey, until 1855, when he came to Iowa to seek a home. He entered land on section 29, township 85, range 14, now known as Perry township. He hauled lumber from Musca- tine, 120 miles distant, and built a house in which he lived until 1868, when he built the house in which he now lives. He has been a successful farmer, and now has 200 acres of well improved land. He
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IIISTORY OF TAMA COUNTY.
was married on the 15th of May, 1854, to Miss Elizabeth Groswell, who was a native of Pennsylvania. They have six children: Benjamin, Franklin, Serena M., Fred, Walter L., Lyman and Lura May.
Another settler of 1855 was Dexter Hig- gins, a native of York State, who located on section 23, and in 1857 sold out and bought land in West Union, where a few years later he died. Christopher Ilester eame the same season and bought land of Ira Taylor on section 11. Ile was a man of considerable enterprise and in 1856, laid out a town on his land which he named West Union. In 1858, he sold his inter- est and went to Kansas.
Peter Greenlee, a native of Pennsyl- vania came also in 1855, and settled on section 15. n 1862 he enlisted in the army, came home on a furlough in 1863, and died that fall. His widow was married again and now lives at Toledo.
J. W. Southwick, a native of the same State and from Crawford county, came this season and entered land on section 27. In 1857 he moved a house from West Union to this land. In 1868 he sold out and went to Waterloo. Ile now lives in Dal- las county, Missouri, where he has a flour- ing mill.
Henry Beatty another native of Penn- sylvania came here from York State in 1855, making the journey on the cars as far as Dunleith, thence with a team. He settled on section 23, where he made his home until the time of his death, in 1874. The widow now lives on the old homestead. Mr Beatty was born in the town of North- east Erie, Erie county, Pennsylvania, July 21, 1809. He was married December 26, 1833, to Miss Lydia Yale, who was born in
Guilford, Chenango county, New York, May 12, 1814. They lived in Erie county, where he was employed in a distillery until 1841, when he moved to Chautauqua county, New York, and there purchased a farm in Ilanover township. In 1855, he sold out, came to Iowa, settled in Tama county, entering land on section 23, township 85, range 14, now known as Perry township. Ile made this his home until the time of his death, which occurred March 27, 1874. Mr. Beatty was an. homest man and en- joyed the respect and confidence of the people, being much missed by the com- munity where he lived. His widow now lives with her daughter, Mrs. Anson Loop. Eight children were born to them, four of whom are now living: Mary E., William WV., Ruth A., Harriet D., Sydney A., Henry N. and Henry O. Henry N. died when two years of age. Mary E. was born December 26, 1835; died December 21, 1856. William W. was born on No- vember 18, 1839. He enlisted in August, 1862, in the 24th Regiment, Iowa Volun- teers, Company I, and died while in the service, at Keokuk, November 12, 1862. One child, not named, died in infancy.
Sydney Adelbert, second son of Henry and Lydia (Yale) Beatty, was born in Chautauqua county, New York, June 11, 1846. He came to Iowa with his parents, when he was nine years of age. He was joined in marriage February 6, 1873, to Mrs. M, widow of Edwin Hunnieutt, and daughter of Washington and Susanna Endicott, natives of Belmont county, Ohio, where their daughter was born. The parents were members of the Society of Friends. Mr. Beatty has a family of three children-William W., Lydia G. and
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HISTORY OF TAMA COUNTY.
Bertha L. After his marriage he settled on the northwest quarter of section 23, a part of his father's homestead. He now resides there.
Gorham Greenleaf, a native of Mass- achusetts, came also in 1855 and pre- empted a quarter on section 22, where he improved the land, and remained until 1867, when he sold out and went to Water- loo and engaged in the business of manu- facturing soap a few years, and afterward removed to Providence, Rhode Island, where he now lives. A carpenter by the name of George Sloss, a native of Scotland, eame here from Chicago that year and settled on section 7, where he yet remains, and in company with his son owns and operates the flouring mill at Traer
Another native of Scotland, Gilbert McDowell, came the year following and located on section 18. He improved his land and remained there until recently. Ile now makes his home with his children -John B. and Gilbert, who are prosper- ous farmers of this township.
M. L. Seamans, of Erie county, New York, came from McHenry county, Illinois, in 1855, and entered the northeast quarter of section 21, then returned to Illinois and spent the winter. The following spring he returned and settled at West Union. In 1857 he settled on his land, where he still resides. Mr. Seamans was born in Erie county, New York, February 23, 1831. 1Ie was reared on a farm and was given advantages, so that he acquired a good common school education. It 1852 he commenced teach- ing in his native county, and in 1854 went to Illinois and engaged in teaching in Algonquin, Mellenry county. until in Jan-
uary, 1855, when he came to Iowa and entered land on section 21, Perry town- ship. He returned to Illinois and re- mained until 1856, when he moved here with his family. He bought lots in the growing town of West Union and built a house, which he sold in 1857. He has taught in Iowa for a number of years, and among the places where he has tried his skill in teaching the young idea how to shoot, we find the names of Eden, Benton county, West Union, Buckingham and Baker's Grove. Of late he has devoted his time to farming. In 1854 he was united in wedlock to Miss Kate Il. Evans, of Chautauqua county, New York, and they have three children respectively named Willie L., Charles H. and Erwin D .; another, named Susan Celestia, died in infaney.
Dexter Higgins, a native of York State, also came here in 1855, and located on section 23. Ile sold out in 1857 and moved to West Union, where a few years later he died.
The following year Andrew Collins, a native of Indiana, located on the north- east quarter of section 31. In .1861 he removed to Illinois remained until 1868, when he returned to his farm and now lives there. Mr. Collins was born in Washington county, Indiana, August 26, . 1823. His marriage to Miss Clementine Parr, of Johnson county, Indiana, took place March 16, 1852. Ile then settled on a farm that he had previously purchased in Washington county. After coming to Iowa in 1856 and purchasing land, he built a house, but only remained nntil 1861, when he returned to Indiana and rented land in Johnson county. He stayed
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HISTORY OF TAMA COUNTY.
in that place until 1868, and then came to Iowa and settled on his farm. He has since made Perry township his home. Ile bas nine children: Cornelius, Harry C., Alonzo, Byron and Verna (twins), William, Amanda, Elba and Isabella. This family remains unbroken, no death having yet occurred.
Mrs. Ibby ( Harris ) Kile was also one of the early settlers of Perry township. She came in 1855 and settled with her family on section 4. Mrs. Kile was born in Virginia, September 15, 1803. · When she was quite young, her parents removed to Knox county, Ohio, where they were among the early settlers. She was married there, July 20, 1820, to Nicholas Kile, a native of Maryland, where he was born Deeem- ber 10, 1781. He died in Knox county, December 27, 1841, leaving his widow and seven children to mourn his loss. Those horn to them were: Amos, Sylvester, Naney, Elizabeth, Lemuel, Freeman and Philinda; two of whom-Nancy and Freeman-are now living. In November of 1854, Mrs. Kile came to lowa with her family. She spent the winter in Benton county and the following spring came to . this county and located' on seetion 4, of what is now Perry township. During 1856 she bought land on section 6, and settled npon it. Her marriage with Dex- ter Higgins took place November 27, 1859. lle departed this life March 2, 1864. She was married to her third hus- band, Joseph Crowshaw, June 11, 1868. December 26, 1880, he died, leaving her again a widow. She now makes her home with her son, in Traer, and daughter, in Laporte. Her only son, Freeman B. Kile, was born in Ohio, on the 26th of August,
1837. He came to Iowa with his mother, and continued to live with her until 1859, at which time he began working by the month for a neighboring farmer. He was married May 30, 1865, to Miss Mary E. Haugh, a native of Indiana, and soon after, rented a farm on section 14, of Perry township. Two years later, he pur- chased a farm on the same section, and there continued to live until 1877, when he sold it, and bought land in Traer, and immediately erected on it his present dwelling. Since his settlement in town, Mr. Kile has been engaged in earpentering. He has but one child-Estella.
Allen S. Fowler, a natives of Kentucky, came from Indiana in 1855, and made a selection on section 30, where he yet re- mains. Mr. Fowler was born in Shelby county, Kentucky, September 19, 1819, and was there reared, on a farm. When he was nineteen years old he emigrated to Indiana, where he was engaged in farming. He was married Marel 9, 1843, to Miss Belinda Collins, of Washington county, Indiana. She was born on the 10th of August, 1827. Allen bought a farm in Washington county and remained there until 1855, when he came to lowa in search of a home. He came overland with a pair of horses, crossing the Mississippi at Rock Island. He was sixteen days on the road. He entered land on section 30, Perry town- ship, and moved into a dirt and log house in Baker's Grove. In 1856 he drew lum- ber from Davenport and built a house, into which the family moved in the fall of that year. This house, with a part of its con- tents, was destroyed by fire on the 2d of December, 1875. He immediately com- meneed building the house in which he
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HISTORY OF TAMA COUNTY.
now lives. The first day of January fol- lowing the fire, his house was ready for occupancy, and the family at once moved into it. Ile now has 225 acres of im- proved land. He has had eight children, seven of whom are now living-Emarine, John A., Frank W., Euphremia, Albert R., George D. and Oscar W. Carolina S. was born April 2, 1857, died May 8, 1880.
L. B. Collins, of Indiana, came also in 1855, and purchased Baker's claim on sec- tion 30. He improved the place and lived there until 1865, when he moved to Ne- braska where he now lives.
Isaiah Shower entered land on section 24, Perry township, in 1855. He did not settle on this land, however, until 1871. Mr. Shower has built two houses, hay and cattle barns, a horse stable and granaries, and now owns 325 acres of improved land. He has also put out a large grove of forest trees, has an orchard of 325 apple trees and a variety of other fruit. Mr. Shower was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, October 28, 1829, and when quite yonng moved with his parents to Athens county, and from there to Jackson county, same State. When eighteen years of age, he engaged with a wagon maker to learn the trade. Ile served two years, then went to Franklin county and worked as journeyman for eight months, when he went to Jackson county, where he followed his trade one year. . He next went to Indiana where he remained until 1855, then worked a while in Dubuque, from whence he went to Free- port, Illinois, thenee to Jackson county, same State, where he opened a shop in com- pany with James C. Cadot. In 1862, Mr. Shower purchased his partner's interest and
continned the business alone until the elose of the war, when he sold ont to his former partner, and came to Iowa. He first loca- ted at Toledo, where he lived until 1871, in which year he settled on his farm in Perry township.
Anson and Charles Loop were also among the early settlers. Anson Loop was born in Crawford county, Pennsyl- vania. He is the third son of Charles and Sarah (Seeley) Loop. His father was engaged in the lumber business, and his younger days were spent in the lumbering regions of his native county. When he was fifteen years of age he went to Ohio, where he remained one and a half years, and then, in December, 1854, came to Iowa and made his home in Scott county. In 1857, he came to Tama county and lived with his brother, engaging in farm- ing in the neighborhood. Ile was united in marriage, in 1861, to Miss Ruth A., daughter of Henry and Lydia (Gale) Beatty. He then rented land for two years, and, in the meantime, built a house on his land on section 27. Ile finally set- tłed on his farm in 1863, but only re- mained there till 1865, when he sold out and purchased eighty acres on section 23, where he built a house and engaged in farming until 1876. He then purchased 100 acres of the Beatty homestead, and now occupies that place. Mr. Loop has been a successful farmer, and, starting ont with no capital but good health and wil- ling hands, has now a finely improved farm of 180 acres. Mr. and Mrs. Loop have four children living-Harlan Den- man, Anson Adelbert, Sarah Annettic and Enos Sylvester. Charles Henry, their first child, died when two years and four
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HISTORY OF TAMA COUNTY.
months old; Lydia DeEtte, the fourth, «lied aged two years. Charles, the second son of Charles and Sally (Seeley) Loop, was born in Crawford county, Pennsyl- vania, September 2, 1830. At thirteen years of age he commenced work in a saw mill, remaining there as a sawyer until he was twenty-two years of age, when, in 1853, he came to Iowa and located in Pleasant Valley, where he was employed to work on a farm for one year. Ile then rented a farm for a year, and in December, 1855, he started for Tama .coanty. Ile arrived at West Union on the 2d of January, 1856, with $8 in his pocket. Ile soon procured work and engaged in carpentering for some little time. In the summer of 1857, he was employed by Stephen Klingaman to work in his saw mill through the summer, after which he resumed work at his trade as carpenter, until 1860, when he moved to section 21, Perry township, where he had previously purchased forty aeres of land. He improved the land, built a house and lived there until 1868, when he sold out and bought on section 22, where he now lives. He was married in 1851, to Miss Delilah, daughter of llosea and Anna (Hatch) Southwick, of Crawford county, Pennsylvania. They have four children- Adella, Lillian, Ida and Ralph.
William Sprole resides on section 1, Perry township. He came to Iowa in 1856, and, coming at such an early day, he had an opportunity to know, by expe- rience, just what the pioneers of a country have to undergo. He was born in Saline township, Jefferson county, Ohio, March 31, 1830. He lived on a farm until he was fifteen years oldl, and then went to live
with an uncle, with whom he made his home until he was twenty-three years of age. Hle then rented a farm in Knox township until 1856, when he came to Iowa and purchased the farm on which he now lives. Ile was a single man, and boarded out while he improved his farm. In 1861, he built a frame house, and in the fall of 1863, he went back to Ohio, and was mar- ried there, on the 19th of November, same year, to Miss Margaret Watt, who was also a native of Jefferson county, Ohio. They soon after came to Perry and settled on his farm. They have had a family of seven children, four of whom are now liv- ing: Lizzie J., John N., Ina Mary and William II.
Mr. Sprole has been very successful as a farmer, commeneing with 160 aeres of wild prairie, he now has 1,100 acres of well improved land in Perry and Clark townships. In 1881, he built a house, and now has one of the finest resi- denees in Tama county.
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