USA > Iowa > Taylor County > History of Taylor County, Iowa; from the earliest historic times to 1910, biographical sketches of some prominent citizens > Part 37
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1856 witnessed his arrival in Holt township, Taylor county, Iowa, where he successfully carried on agricultural pursuits until a year prior to his death, when he removed to Worth county, Missouri. His demise occurred in 1880, when he had attained the age of sixty-two years. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Morning Ann Reed, passed away in 1890, when seventy-six years of age. They reared a large family of children. George W. Burrell, the father of our subject, was born in Ohio and was reared on a farm, early becoming famil- iar with the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist. His par- ents died when he was comparatively young and in early manhood he became a teamster in the iron mines of Ohio, while subsequently he re- moved westward to Colorado, there engaging in mining until the outbreak of the Civil war. His patriotic spirit being aroused, he enlisted as a member of the First Colorado Cavalry, serving for three years. On the expiration of that period he re-enlisted in St. Louis, becoming a member of the Ninth United States Veteran Volunteers and thus serving until after the close of hostilities. For four years, three months and four days, he had loyally defended the inter- ests of the Union as a private and when the country no longer needed his aid he returned to Taylor county with a most creditable military record. About this time he was married, the lady of his choice being Miss Luritta Baker, a native of Tennessee. The young couple established their home on a farm in Holt township, where George W. Burrell engaged in the work of the fields until 1871, when he took up his abode in Grove township, where he owned one hun- hundred and sixty acres of rich and productive land and made his home until called to his final rest. In his political views, he was a stanch republican and was prominent in the local ranks of the party, acting as justice of the peace in Holt and Grove townships and also as township clerk of Grove township for two terms. His death occurred in 1893. at the age of fifty-five years, and he is still survived by his widow, who is a devoted member of the Baptist church and makes her home in Lenox. Unto this worthy couple were born six children, three sons and three daughters, as follows: Richard T., of this review; Morn- ing Ann, the deceased wife of B. Huber; Mary Lucinda, the wife of Frank M. Severn, of Taylor county ; Elihu, an attorney-at-law of Hobart, Oklahoma; Dora, the wife of Joseph Schmitt, of Lenox, Iowa; and Fred W., a resident of Divide, Colorado.
Richard T. Burrell was reared on his father's farms in Holt and Grove town- ships and in the acquirement of an education attended the district schools and the public schools of St. Joseph, Missouri. After putting aside his text-books he devoted his attention to general farming interests in Taylor county for a period of eight years, and now owns a tract of three hundred and thirty-three acres in Phillips county, Colorado. On retiring from the work of the fields, he edited and published the Gravity Independent at Gravity, Iowa, and subsequently studied law for three years under the preceptorship of A. D. Harris, of Gravity, and Flick & Jackson, of Bedford. On the 9th of October, 1902, in Des Moines, he was admitted to the bar before the supreme court, making an average of ninety-two per cent on all questions asked. He at once began practicing in Gravity and was prominently identified with the legal interests of that town until August, 1906, when he formed a partnership with L. T. McCoun and re-
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moved to Bedford, where he has since prosecuted his profession as a member of the firm of McConn & Burrell. The zeal with which he has devoted his ener- gies to his profession, the careful regard evinced for the interests of his clients and an assiduous and unrelaxing attention to all the details of his cases, have brought him a large business and made him very successful in its conduct. He owns a commodious and attractive home in Bedford and has also invested to some extent in real estate in Gravity.
On the 14th of March, 1889, Mr. Burrell was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Pegg, a native of Bureau county, Illinois, and a daughter of John H. and Saralı (Lowe) Pegg. The parents, who were natives of England, came to the United States a few years prior to the Civil war, settling in Bureau county, where Mrs. Pegg died in comparatively early life. In 1879, John H. Pegg came to Taylor county, Iowa, and here passed away in 1905, at the age of eighty-three years. Unto him and his wife were born four sons and two daughters: William; George; Thomas; Elizabeth; John; and Annie, the wife of Charles Donaldson. Mr. and Mrs. Burrell have become the parents of three children, namely: Elsie, Beulah and Glenn.
A stalwart republican in his political affiliation, Mr. Burrell has taken an active and helpful interest in the local work of the party and his fellow towns- men, recognizing his worth and ability, have called him to various positions of public trust. For seven years he acted as justice of the peace and for two years served as mayor of Gravity, his administration being characterized by. reform and improvement. Fraternally he is connected with the Blue Lodge of Masons at Gravity and also belongs to the Modern Woodmen of America, being clerk of the camp at Gravity, for three years. His religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Methodist church, with which his wife is also identified. His influence has ever been given on the side of truth, justice and right and he is widely recognized as a substantial and public-spirited citizen, as well as successful attorney, of his native county.
J. L. JACOBY.
The enterprising city of Lenox, Iowa, numbers among its representative business men J. L. Jacoby, who is engaged in real-estate dealings. He has also been identified with agricultural interests of Taylor county, having owned and operated a farm in Platte township and for six years he conducted a clothing store in Lenox. His diversified interests and activities have constituted him one of the leading business men of his locality. He was born in Franklin county, Pennsylvania, December 20, 1847, and is a son of David Jacoby, whose birth also occurred in Franklin county. He was reared there and after attaining his majority wedded Mary B. Wonderly, also a native of the same county. For a number of years David Jacoby followed farming there and with one exception all of their children were born in Pennsylvania. In the spring of 1852 they removed to Illinois, where Mr. Jacoby purchased a farm in La Salle county, mak- ing his home thereon throughout the remainder of his days, both he and his
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wife passing away on the old home place. He was seventy years of age when called to his final rest on the 5th of August, 1884, while his wife died June 13, 1874, at the age of fifty-six years. In their family were three sons and three daughters, all of whom reached adult age, while J. L. Jacoby and his three sis- ters are yet living.
In the spring of 1852, the subject of this review accompanied his parents to La Salle county, Illinois, and there assisted his father in opening up a new farm near Mendota although there was no town nor railroad there at the time of their arrival. J. L. Jacoby assisted in the arduous task of developing and cultivating new land. He pursued his early education in the district schools and after- ward attended the schools of Mendota, remaining with his father until twenty- seven years of age, during which period he assisted in carrying on the farm work.
On the 30th of September, 1874, in Mendota, Illinois, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Jacoby and Miss Sarah S. Corkins, who was born near Ben- nington, Vermont, and was a daughter of Henry B. and Mary (Draper) Corkins. Her parents were also natives of Bennington county and were early settlers of La Salle county, where the father opened up a farm and reared his family of three daughters. Ile afterward took up his abode in the city of Mendota, where he spent his remaining days in honorable retirement from labor. There he died Novem- ber 16, 1905. while his wife passed away August 15, 1901. Mrs. Jacoby had been brought to Illinois by her parents in 1856 and was reared and educated in La Salle county. In 1875, the young couple established their home in Bureau county, about three miles west of Mendota, where he owned and cultivated one hundred and twenty acres of land. Later he purchased eighty acres near the old home farm and thus became the owner of two hundred acres, constituting two well improved and valuable farms. He continued to carry on general agri- cultural pursuits from 1875 until 1892, when he had opportunity to sell to good advantage, after which he came to Iowa and made investment in one hundred and sixty acres of land in Taylor county, arriving here in 1893. Subsequently he bought one hundred and sixty acres more. He personally cultivated one of his farms for a year and then located in Lenox, where he purchased residence property. which he now occupies. In 1903, he established a clothing business, which he successfully conducted for about six years. He has also dealt to some extent in real estate, handling Texas and Kansas lands and his varied business interests have been so capably conducted as to bring to him substantial and gratifying success.
The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Jacoby has been blessed with two children : Lee D., who is now in the real estate business handling Dakota lands; and Gail L., who holds a responsible position in a mercantile house at Corpus Christi, Texas.
In his political views Mr. Jacoby has always been a stalwart democrat and while living in Bureau county, Illinois, served for seven or eight years as super- visor, after which he resigned. He was several times elected to the position of tax collector in Bureau county, Illinois and in Lenox ; served one term as justice of peace and as a member of the town council. He was the president of the Mutual Insurance Company in Bureau county, Illinois, having been the incum-
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bent in the office for some years, and for several years was treasurer of the local agricultural board. During the sixteen years of his residence in this county he has been closely identified with its substantial and progressive development, giving his aid and influence to every movement for the public good, while his labors at all times are of a practical and, therefore, of a beneficial character. He is numbered among the most progressive business men of the town and along various lines in which he has operated he has won the success which always fol- lows persistent and earnest effort.
WILLIAM E. CRUM.
Honored and respected by all, there is no man who occupies a more enviable position in professional and financial circles in Taylor county than William E. Crum, an able attorney-at-law and the president of the Bedford National Bank. In his practice he holds to a high standard of professional ethics and while his devotion to his clients' interests is proverbial, he never forgets that he owes a higher allegiance to the majesty of the law. In his outside business affairs as well, he is known as a man of the utmost reliability as well as keen discernment and of unfaltering enterprise and, as the head of the Bedford National Bank, is con- trolling one of the most substantial financial concerns of this part of the state. He is one of Iowa's native sons, his birth having occurred in Muscatine county, February 22, 1845. The family comes of German lineage, and was early founded in Pennsylvania, where Peter Crum, the grandfather of William E. Crum, was born and reared. He was a farmer by occupation and removing to the west, died near Indianapolis, Indiana, when past middle life. He married a Miss Eichelberger and their son, William Crum, became the father of William E. Crum of this review. He was a native of Pennsylvania and a printer by trade. The year 1839 witnessed his arrival in what was then the territory of Iowa, for the state had not yet been admitted to the Union. He located in Bloomington, now Muscatine, and established one of the first newspapers in Iowa. When the capital was removed from there to Iowa City, he made change in his place of residence and in Iowa City published the Iowa Standard. Later he conducted only a job printing office, also giving much time to the supervision of his landed interests, for from time to time he had made judicious investments in real estate. For a number of years he was also treasurer of the Iowa State University. He left the impress of his individuality in many ways upon the growth and develop- ment of the state, his labors constituting a valuable and essential factor in the work of general improvement. He married Elvira Odell, a native of Ohio, in which state her father, the Rev. Odell was also born. He was a Methodist minister and became one of the pioneer preachers of Muscatine county, Iowa, where he died when more than sixty years of age. He married a Miss Drake who died comparatively young. They were the parents of ten children, including Mrs. Crum, who was a lady of many excellent traits of character, her life being in consistent harmony with her profession as a member of the Presbyterian church.
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The death of William Crum occurred in lowa City when he was sixty-two years of age, his wife surviving him for several years.
William E. Crum, whose name introduces this record, spent his boyhood in Iowa City, where he attended the public schools, later supplementing his early education by study in the state university. He was graduated from the law department there in 1869, and the same year was admitted to the bar. For a year he remained there and was married in Iowa City, in April, 1870. Soon afterward he came to Bedford where he has continued in practice to the present time and throughout the intervening years has been accorded by the concensus of public opinion a foremost position as a representative of the Taylor county bar. His knowledge of the law is comprehensive and exact, his application correct, his reasoning clear and cogent and his deductions logical. He has, there- fore, been accorded an extensive clientage, his ability enabling him to successfully solve intricate legal problems while with most important litigation tried in the courts of the district he has been connected
In 1871, Mr. Crum formed a partnership with J. R. Van Fleet, his father-in- law, and opened a banking business under the firm name of Crum & Van Fleet. This association was continued for a number of years when the business was reorganized under a co-partnership and conducted under the name of the Bedford Bank. A further change was made when in 1899, the Bedford National Bank was organized with a capital stock of fifty thousand dollars, to which is now added a surplus of fifty thousand dollars. Mr. Crum was its first president with F. E. Walker as vice-president and Charles E. Martin as cashier. In 1908 they erected a new bank building, the cost of which was in excess of twenty-five thousand dollars. It is supplied with a time lock and the latest modern improve- ments and equipments and its securities are such as to render it one of the safest moneyed institutions of this part of the state.
On' the 26th of April, 1870, Mr. Crum was married to Miss Harriet R. Van Fleet, a daughter of John R. and Ellen (Smith) Van Fleet. Mrs. Crum was born in Iowa City, while her father was a native of Pennsylvania and her mother of Ohio. They became early settlers of Johnson county, Iowa, where they reared a family of eight children, four of whom reached years of maturity, namely : Harriett R .; Ella V., the wife of H. M. Henly, of Davenport, Iowa; Morgan M. Van Fleet, living in Reno, Nevada; and Maud V., the wife of Charles Porter, of Oskaloosa.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Crum were born two sons and two daughters. John R., the eldest, died at the age of twenty-six years. He was graduated from the Iowa State University. On completing the collegiate and law courses, he entered upon the practice of law in Bedford but at the time of his death was residing temporarily in Des Moines. He was greatly interested in athletics during his college days, becoming especially well known as a sprinter and his geniality made him a great favorite with his fellow students. Mary L. is the wife of Hal R. Reynolds, assistant cashier of the Bedford National Bank and they have two children- Hortense and Harriet. William E., a graduate of the Orchard Lake Military Academy and of the law department of the State University of Iowa, is now practicing his profession as junior member of the firm of Crum, Jaqua & Crum. Helen V. is the wife of John M. Thompson, of Boise City, Idaho, and they have
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. a daughter Virginia. The parents are members of the Presbyterian church, in which Mr. Crum is serving as an elder. In the work of the church they are actively interested, doing all in their power to promote its growth and extend its influence. Politically Mr. Crum is a republican and served for one term as mayor of Bedford and for two terms as a member of the board of supervisors. His ambition, however, has not been in the line of office seeking yet he is remiss in no duty of citizenship nor does he withhold his support from any movement which he deems of benefit to the community. He is a strong man, strong in his ability to plan and perform, strong in his honor and in his good name. Whatever he undertakes he accomplishes and the methods that he pursues are such as will bear the closest investigation and scrutiny.
D. W. MILLER.
D. W. Miller, who carries on general farming and stock raising on section 25, Ross township, where he has made his home since 1902, is a native of Indiana, his birth having occurred in Osage county August 2, 1857. His father, Wesley Miller, was a native of Illinois and was married there to Miss Nancy Woodard. He became a resident farmer of Indiana, where he remained for some years, during which time three of his children were born. He later removed to St. Clair county, Missouri, where he also remained for a number of years, and then took up his abode in Nodaway, Missouri, about 1884.
D. W. Miller is one of the two children born unto his parents who are now living, his sister being Mrs. Lizzie Fitch, the wife of Carl Fitch of Ottawa, Kansas. D. W. Miller was but a young lad when his parents removed from Indiana to Missouri and in that state he was reared, acquiring his education in the common schools, while the periods of vacation were devoted to the work of the farm. Arriving at mature years he rented land and thus carried on farming on his own account for several years, during which time he carefully saved his earnings until his economical expenditure had enabled him to acquire a sufficient sum to purchase a farm. He made investment in land in Nodaway county, Missouri, where he carried on farming for about six years, making substantial improve- ments upon his place during that period. Later he sold the property and bought where he now resides, becoming the owner of one hundred and twenty acres of land on section 25, Ross township, Taylor county. He has recently completed a large barn here, one of the finest in this part of the county. He has also set out many apple, peach and cherry trees and has otherwise improved the place, adding all of the modern equipment and accessories of a model farm. He has always engaged in raising stock and for some eight years has made a specialty of buying and dealing in mules, in which connection he has become widely known. He is a successful farmer and business man who wisely uses his opportunities and as the result of his indefatigable energy he has gained a creditable place among the substantial agriculturists of this part of the state.
Mr. Miller was married in Taylor county on the 22d of February, 1893, the lady of his choice being Miss Minnie Poulton. who was born and reared in this
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county and is a daughter of I. N. Poulton. Mr. and Mrs. Miller have become the parents of five children, of whom four are yet living, Ruby, Isma, Beulah and Paul. In his political views Mr. Miller has always been a democrat and while living in Nodaway served as road overseer. In Ross township he has been iden- tified with the public schools and at all times he gives earnest and loyal support to every movement calculated for the public good. He and his wife are members of the church of Christ and are much interested in its work and upbuilding, Mr. Miller serving as one of the elders of the Eagle congregation. The church is located on his farm and he contributes generously to its support. His is a well rounded character in which his different interests of life constitute well balanced features.
JAMES W. WALKER.
Farm work has always claimed and occupied the attention of James W. Walker, who, depending upon this occupation for his livelihood, has won his success by persistent, earnest and honorable effort. He lives on section 9, Jack- son township, and is numbered among its public-spirited citizens as well as progressive farmers and stock-raisers. His holdings cover one hundred acres, constituting a neat and well improved farm, the thrifty appearance of the place being a visible evidence of the well directed activity of the owner.
Mr. Walker dates his residence in Iowa from 1901. He was born in Menard county. Illinois, July 15, 1862, and was there reared to manhood upon a farm, en- joying such educational advantages as were offered by the common schools. When not busy with his text-books he assisted in the work of the fields and remained with his father until after he had attained his majority. He received no financial assistance at the outset of his career, but placed his dependence upon industry, perseverance and determination and for about ten years he was in the employ of others as a farm hand. On reaching his majority he returned home and farmed with his father, the partnership between them continuing for about five or six years.
On the 26th of March, 1890, Mr. Walker was united in marriage to Miss Abbie H. Hornback who was born and reared in Menard county, Illinois, and was a daughter of Captain Robert Hornback, an old soldier and one of the rep- resentative citizens of Illinois. Following his marriage Mr. Walker rented land and thus engaged in farming for a number of years. In 1900 he came to Iowa and with the capital which he had saved from his earnings he made in- vestment in the farm on which he now resides, becoming the owner of two hundred and eighty acres. In the spring of 1901 he removed to this place and began its further cultivation and improvement. He has repaired and remodeled the house and the barn, has fenced the land and has secured the latest improved machinery to facilitate the work of the fields. He now has a well developed property and in connection with the raising of corn, wheat and other cereals he also raises and feeds stock, handling cattle, sheep and hogs. After a time he sold one hundred acres of his farm. which he had purchased originally in con- nection with his brother-in-law. After they had disposed of a portion of this
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Mr. Walker purchased his brother-in-law's interest and is now sole proprietor. He formerly fattened about two carloads of cattle each year, but he is not carry- ing on his stock-raising interests quite so extensively at the present time. How- ever, his business affairs are capably managed and have brought to him substan- tial and gratifying success.
Mr. and Mrs. Walker are the parents of three children: Roy, who is assist- ing his father in carrying on the home farm; and Catherine and Arthur, who are also under the parental roof. The parents are members of the Forest Grove Bap- tist church, are active workers in its behalf and both are teachers in the Sunday school. Their lives are upright and honorable in every relation, meriting the confidence and good will which is so freely extended them.
Politically Mr. Walker has been a republican since age conferred upon him the right of franchise, always voting for the candidates of the party when na- tional issues are involved but at local elections, however, he frequently casts an independent ballot. He has been elected and served as assessor of his township, although he was first appointed to fill a vacancy while he later was called to the office by popular suffrage. He has also been reelected and has now filled the position for five years. He has also been school director for a number of years and is now secretary of the board. Always interested and active in support of his party he has been a delegate to its county conventions and has done not a little in locally shaping its policy. Mr. Walker is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, with which he has been identified for a quarter of a cen- tury, having joined the organization in Illinois. He was initiated on attaining his majority and while living in Menard county he filled all of the chairs in the local lodge. He is also connected with the Modern Woodmen camp. A success- ful business man, well known as a farmer and stock-raiser, his strict integrity and worth have given him firm hold on the regard of his fellow townsmen.
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