USA > Iowa > Taylor County > History of Taylor County, Iowa; from the earliest historic times to 1910, biographical sketches of some prominent citizens > Part 52
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HOMER W. SICKELS.
Homer W. Sickels, meeting with success through his well directed efforts in general farming and stock raising, is now one of the prosperous residents of Jefferson township. He makes his home on section 21 and is the owner of five hundred and seventy acres of valuable land in three well improved farms. For a long period he has been identified with the growth and development of this part of the state, being numbered among the pioneer settlers of Taylor county, where he has lived since 1860. He was only about seven years of age at the time of his arrival and upon his boyish memory were impressed many pictures of the district into which the family came as well as the tale of events which marked the progress of early times. He was born in Calhoun county, Michigan, March 23, 1853.
His father, James Sickels, was a native of New Jersey, where he was reared and married. On his removal from the east he became a resident of Calhoun county, Michigan, where he resided for several years, and his children were mostly born there. Thinking perhaps to enjoy better advantages in Iowa and attain success more quickly, he came to this state in 1860, settling first at Platt- ville, where he engaged in farming. Later he bought one hundred and twenty acres of land, which was entirely devoid of improvements but he at once under- took the task of overturning the first furrows and the breaking plow soon left its mark across the virgin prairie. Upon the farm which he there developed and improved he reared his family, continuing his residence in this county up to the time of his death. His wife survived him for a few years, when she, too, passed away.
The usual experiences of frontier life came to Homer W. Sickels in his boyhood and youth for he shared with the family in all of the hardships and trials incident to the establishment of a home amid pioneer surroundings. As his age and strength permitted he assisted in the task of clearing away the brush and of open- ing up the farm, carrying on the work until the wild prairie grasses were replaced by fields of waving grain. He continued with his father until he attained his ma- jority and soon afterward was married, the wedding being celebrated in Worth county, Missouri, in 1874, when Miss Susan R. Sleeth became his wife. She was born in Andrew county, Missouri, but was reared in Taylor county, her parents
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being David and Margaret ( Kauble) Sleeth, both now deceased. Her father was born in West Virginia.
The young couple began their domestic life upon the old home farm which Mr. Sickels cultivated for four years. They then removed to Rooks county, Kan- sas, where he homesteaded a claim and proved it up. For six years he carried on farming there and then returned to Taylor county, where he has since lived. Here he purchased eighty acres, upon which he now makes his home, the place at that time having but slight improvements upon it, including a small house. He recog- nized its possibilities, however, and at once began diligently to till the soil and carry on the work of general advancement along the lines of progressive farming. From time to time he has added to his holdings as his financial resources have permitted and now has three farms with good improvements upon them. On two of these he has erected large and commodious barns and has otherwise kept up the work of general progress. He tills the soil in the cultivation of grain and he also raises and feeds stock, fattening from two to three carloads of cattle and two to three carloads of hogs each year. On his home place he has erected a substan- tial two-story residence in modern architectural style, has also built a good barn, a double crib and a wagon house. He has likewise set out an orchard and made the farm one of the most attractive features in the landscape.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Sickels have been born eleven children : E. G .. who is mar- ried and follows farming in Worth county, Missouri; Guy, who is married and cultivates one of his father's farms ; John, who is married and is also operating a tract of land belonging to his father; Frank, who is married and lives with his father on the home place; Challie and Glen, both at home; Gertie, the wife of C. E. Rusco, a farmer of Jefferson township; Alice, the wife of John Gold, also an agriculturist ; Clara, the wife of O. T. Campbell, a resident farmer of Taylor county ; Ina, the wife of Arthur Wisdom, also a farmer; and Maggie, at home.
While Mr. Sickels usually votes the republican ticket and is loyal to the inter- ests of the party, he casts an independent ballot at local elections, where no party issue is involved. He is a member of the Odd Fellows lodge at Athelstan and of the Modern Woodmen camp. Almost his entire life has been spent in this county and he has aided in its development as one of its active men and progressive citi- zens. The secret of his own success is found in his earnest and indefatigable labor and his example may well serve to encourage others who must depend upon their own resources. In this land where advancement is not hampered by caste or class progress eventually follows persistent purpose and intelligently directed industry and it has been through those means that Homer W. Sickels has become one of the men of affairs in his part of the county.
GILBERT H. DUCKETT.
The agricultural interests of Taylor county find a worthy representative in Gilbert H. Duckett, who has devoted his entire life to that line of activity and in the tilling of the soil is meeting with most gratifying success. Born near Bur- lington. Racine county. Wisconsin, on the 27th of October, 1866, he is a son of
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Noah and Amelia (Heath) Duckett, the former of whom is now deceased. The mother was born and reared in Somersetshire, England, her birth occurring in 1837, and on coming to the United States she located in Wisconsin, where she gave her hand in marriage to Noah Duckett. There the eldest children were born and the family continued to make their home in that state until 1876, in which year they came to Iowa, locating in Taylor county, where the father purchased a tract of wild land, to the transformation and development of which he devoted the remainder of his life. His wife still survives and makes her home upon that farm. She is the mother of two sons and four daughters, the brother of our sub- ject being Fred Duckett, a resident of Canada. The sisters are as follows : Anna, the wife of Charles Boydon, a farmer of Grove township; Jessie, who wedded Dwight Parks, of Oregon City, Oregon; Susie, the wife of Roy Goodlaxson. who engages in farming in Gay township ; and May, who resides on the old homestead with her mother and brother.
Gilbert H. Duckett, whose name introduces this review, was a little lad of ten years when he came with his parents to Taylor county, and was here reared to manhood, acquiring his education in the district schools near his home. Amid the busy activities of rural life he spent the period of his boyhood and youth, as- sisting his father in the arduous task of opening up a new farm, and as the years passed and his strength increased he aided more and more largely in the work of development, the lessons which he learned concerning the value of industry, en- ergy and integrity, and the thorough and practical experience which he gained forming an excellent foundation upon which to rear the superstructure of future success.
Upon attaining his majority Mr. Duckett took up the management of the home farm, which had been left to his widowed mother, and has since devoted himself to the conduct of her business affairs. The homestead, consisting of one hundred and twenty acres of land, located on section 20, Grove township, had already been brought under a good state of cultivation through the well-directed efforts of his father, and under his wise and careful management has now become one of the valuable and desirable farming properties of the township. He has been most successful in his agricultural pursuits, and as he has prospered has been able to invest in more land, being now the owner of another farm of one hundred and sixty acres located on section 29, near the old home. This has been well fenced and tiled and has become a highly improved property, and is a source of gratify- ing profit to its owner. He carries on general farming, and in this connection also engages extensively in the stock business, raising and feeding a large quantity of cattle, hogs and sheep annually, for which he receives excellent prices in the market. Progressive and up-to-date in his methods, he has displayed fine business ability in the conduct of his various affairs and is numbered among the successful. substantial and representative business men of the community.
Politically Mr. Duckett gives his allegiance to the democratic party, but the honors and emoluments of office have had no attraction for him as he prefers to concentrate his energies upon the conduct of his business interests. He has never been unmindful. however, of his duties as a citizen but is most public-spirited and thoroughly appreciates his obligations to his fellowmen. A man of exemplary habits, his unquestioned integrity, honorable principles and upright manhood have
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won for him the confidence, esteem and admiration of all with whom he has been brought in contact, and Grove township numbers him among her most valued and respected citizens.
JOHN J. KNOX.
John J. Knox, a prominent and successful farmer and stock raiser of Grant township, extensively known throughout Taylor county as the proprietor of the Hog Branch Stock Farm, is also entitled to mention in this volume because of his activity in community affairs and also because of the fact that as a soldier he rendered valuable aid to the Union during the dark days of the Civil war. A native of Pennsylvania, his birth occurred in Juniata county on the 22d of March, 1843, a son of Thomas L. and Sophia H. (Leonard) Knox, natives of New York and Pennsylvania, respectively. The father, however, was reared and married in the latter state, and later removed to Illinois, locating upon a farm in Bureau county.
Upon his father's farm in Illinois John J. Knox was reared to manhood, acquiring his education in the district schools near his home and during the periods of vacation devoting his time to the work of the fields. He early be- came familiar with the tasks that fall to the lot of the country lad and remained under the parental roof, giving his father the benefit of his assistance, until the year 1863, when he responded to his country's call for aid and enlisted in Com- pany I, Ninety-third Illinois Volunteer Infantry. With this regiment he went south and joined Sherman, under whom he participated in the engagements at Dalton, Georgia ; Altoona Pass; Savannah, Columbia and Bentonville, and later took part in the Atlanta campaign. He served until the close of the war and then marched north through Richmond and on to Washington, where he participated in the grand review, the greatest military pageant ever held in this country. He was then sent to Parkersburg, West Virginia, and thence to Louisville, Kentucky, doing guard duty, and subsequently returned to Spring- field, Illinois, where he was honorably discharged in August, 1865. During his term of enlistment, he was a brave and fearless soldier and lost but little time through sickness.
When his country no longer needed his services, Mr. Knox returned home, where he remained for a time, and later took a trip to Iowa to look over some land which an uncle had previously entered. His stay in the Hawkeye State, however, was brief and upon his return to Illinois he took up agriculturai pur- suits in Bureau county, being thus engaged for about two years. In 1868, in company with his parents, he again came to Iowa, where he has since continued to reside and where his father and mother both spent their remaining days. He purchased a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Grant township, Taylor county, which he at once began to break and convert into productive fields. The soil was naturally rich and fertile and in the course of time w. 's brought under a high state of cultivation, annually yielding abundant harvests which proved a source of most gratifying revenue to him. As he prospered in his
1,
JOHN J. KNOX
MRS. JOHN J. KNOX
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undertaking he was able to add to his original purchase from time to time until today. he is one of the extensive landowners of the township. His home farm, which is known as the Hog Branch Stock Farm, consists of four hundred acres, all well improved, constituting one of the finest farming properties in the dis- trict. He has built good fences, set out a large orchard and grove, and has equipped the place with all modern conveniences and accessories for facilitating labor. In the midst of the farm he has erected a beautiful up-to-date dwelling and in the rear are substantial barns and outbuildings, all of which stand as monuments to his enterprise and thrift. He also owns three other farms, one of one hundred and twenty acres, another eighty acres and another forty acres in Grant township, which are also highly cultivated, and owns a half interest in a one hundred and sixty acre farm in Kansas. He carries on general agri- cultural pursuits and in addition does an extensive business in raising and feed- ing horses, cattle and hogs, making a specialty of heavy draft horses. His stock is all of very high grade and is known throughout Taylor county, commanding ready sales and excellent prices on the market. His annual receipts amount to a very handsome figure inasmuch as both branches of his business-his farming and his stock-raising interests-are proving very remunerative.
In 1870, after he had thoroughly established himself in business, Mr. Knox returned to Bureau county, Illinois, where, on the 30th of December of that year, he was united in marriage to Miss Lucy E. Sargent, a native of Enfield, New Hampshire, who was reared in Illinois. Unto that union have been born three sons and four daughters, who are as follows: Elbert P., a farmer of Grant township; Howard L., also engaged in agricultural pursuits in this town- ship; John C., who resides at home; Clara, who is also at home with her father ; Blanche, the wife of Daniel Bruner, a resident farmer of Grant township; Dora, who married G. L. Harvey, of the same township; and Nellie, still under the parental roof. In March, 1905, the wife and mother was called to her final rest, her remains being interred in Clearfield Cemetery. Her death was the occa- sion of deep grief not only to the bereaved family but also to a number of warm friends, for she was a lady of excellent traits of character, who commanded the respect of all with whom she came in contact. She was an earnest Christian woman and throughout her residence in this locality held membership in the Methodist Episcopal church, to which all of her children also belong with the exception of one.
Since age conferred upon him the right of franchise, Mr. Knox has given stalwart allegiance to the democracy and has been called upon to fill various public positions. At different times he has been elected to the office of town- ship trustee, his first term covering eight years, while he is now serving in that capacity, his present term having continued for four years. He has served as a delegate to county and state conventions and at different times has been iden- tified with the school board, the cause of education finding in him a warm cham- pion. He belongs to the Grand Army post at Clearfield, and through his mem- bership therein keeps up pleasant relations with his old army comrades. Al- though he has passed many of his fellowmen on the highway to success, yet his prosperity has been honestly won, his integrity being above question and the methods employed being honorable at all times. During the forty years of his
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residence in Grant township he has been an interested witness to the steady and continuous growth which has been going on within its borders, and in the work of improvement and development he has done his full share, doing all in his power to further those movements which have for their object the substantial progress and upbuilding of the community.
GEORGE REECE.
A highly cultivated and well improved farm of two hundred acres, situated in Ross township, has been the home of George Reece since the fall of 1905, he having purchased the property the previous year. He is a native son of Taylor county, his birth having occurred on a farm, August 6, 1871. His father, R. M. Reece, was born in Indiana, and was a lad of eleven years when he came to Iowa, his first home in this state being in Louisa county, where he was reared and educated. He then located in Taylor county and was here married to Mar- grett Swaim. He opened up a farm here, which he cultivated until 1882, when he disposed of his interests here and went to Gentry county, Missouri, but in 1901 removed to Clay county, Illinois, where he still resides. At the time of the Civil war he enlisted for three years' service, joining Company I, of the Eleventh Iowa Regiment in Louisa county.
George Reece, whose name introduces this review, was a lad of eleven years when he was taken by his parents to Gentry county, Missouri, so that he was practically reared in that state, where he acquired his education in the common schools. He remained under the parental roof until he had reached mature years, when he started out to make his own way in the world by working on a farm for two years. He was subsequently married in Taylor county, to Miss Eva May Spencer, their marriage ceremony being celebrated February 20, 1895. Mrs. Reece was born in Missouri but was reared in Taylor county. Her father, Andrew Spencer, now makes his home in Bedford.
Following his mariage Mr. Reece located in Ross township on a rented farm, which he cultivated two and a half years. During this time, owing to his own hard labor and the assistance of his estimable wife, he saved the money which enabled him at the end of that time to purchase eighty acres. Removing to that place he farmed it for two years and then disposed of the farm and invested his money in one hundred and sixty acres in the same township. After an owner- ship of two years, he disposed of that property at a good profit, after which he rented the Beard farm in Ross township, operating the same three years, but in the meantime, he purchased and sold two farms and in this manner made a nice sum of money. In 1904, he purchased the farm upon which he now lives, but did not take up his abode thereon until the following year, in 1905. He at once undertook the task of improving the place, repaired and added to the buildings, fenced the fields, rebuilt the barn and built a granary and now has an excellent set of farm buildings. His place comprises two hundred acres situated on section I, Ross township. He is busily occupied in carrying on gen- eral farming and also breeds and deals in Aberdeen Angus cattle and Poland
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China hogs. He is watchful of every opportunity pointing to success and the fine farm property of which he is today the possessor is an evidence that his efforts have been richly rewarded.
The home of Mr. and Mrs. Reece has been blessed with two daughters and a son : Geneva Gale, Ava Agnes and John S. Politically Mr. Reece is a demo- crat and has filled some township offices including that of clerk, road commis- sioner and township trustee, in the latter of which he has served two terms, being the present incumbent. He takes great pleasure in travel, some of his more enjoyable trips being to Portland, Oregon, and to the Yellowstone National Park. He is a member of the Odd Fellows lodge at Bedford.
Starting out in life empty-handed, Mr. Reece has won creditable success, standing today among the representative farmers and progressive citizens of Taylor county, where the greater part of his life has been spent. He is there- fore well known and all have for him the utmost respect and good will.
NELSON CORNELIUS SCOTT.
Nelson Cornelius Scott, one of the successful farmers of Holt township, was born on the farm on which he now lives, April 2, 1856. His father, Cornelius Nelson Scott, was born in Ohio but reared in Indiana, and in 1852, came to Taylor county, Iowa, where he entered forty acres of government land. On this he commenced farming and improved the place and as the years brought rich returns for his toils he added to it until he owned two hundred acres at the time of his death. He was one of the first settlers of the county and struggled through many hardships which might have been discouraging to others. He was a repub- lican in his political views and played an important part in the councils of his party and in the public life of his community. When he died in 1891, in his sixty-ninth year, the conditions he had known when he came to this locality had entirely passed away, and he had the satisfaction of feeling that the progress was in no small measure due to his efforts. His wife, who had been Miss Elizabeth Dunkin in her maidenhood, was born in Indiana, where they were married, and she died in 1881 at the age of fifty-two. She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and was the mother of nine children, only three of whom are now living: Nelson Cornelius, of this sketch; Mrs. Hodge, of Holt township; and Mrs. Morrison, of Washington township.
Nelson Cornelius Scott was reared on his present farm, which has always been his home and under the guidance of his parents received those invaluable lessons for life which amply supplemented the instruction he obtained in the little district school. Reared to the pursuits of an agriculturist, he chose that vocation for his own when the time came that he should assume the responsibili- ties of his own life. He has seen his industrious toil rewarded richly and to the two hundred acres which he inherited from his father has been able to add eighty more, so that his is a tract of good size and high value. On it he pursues a general line of agriculture, employing up-to-date methods in his work and spar-
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ing no effort to attain to the success which he believes to be his birthright and in- deed that of everyone who it willing to work for it.
On the 25th of March, 1878, Mr. Scott was united in marriage with Miss Laura Combs, a native of Mound City, Missouri, and a daughter of John and Sarah Combs, both deceased. Mrs. Scott died March 9, 1909, and is survived by six of her seven children. They are: Dora, deceased, who was the wife of Frank Chapell; Myrtie, the wife of Jule Demangue, a farmer of Nebraska; Theresa, who is the widow of Oliver Landers, and makes her home with her father ; Esther, who is the wife of Arthur Welch and they also live with Mr. Scott; William, who married Miss Rose Still and lives on his father's farm; Walter, who wedded Miss Vina Nott and is an agriculturist of Holt township; and Fannie, who is at home.
The family are members of the Christian church, with which. Mr. Scott is officially connected. He is a stanch supporter of the republican party and has not been inconspicuous in local affairs, for he is serving his second term as township trustee and for nine years has been one of the school directors. Fra- ternally he is connected with the Masons and the Modern Woodmen and attends the meetings of these lodges in Gravity. Successful in his own private affairs and careful in the execution of the duties placed upon him by his fellow citizens, he is a man of whom account must be taken in appraising the power of the farming community of Holt township.
OSCAR G. BROWN.
Oscar G. Brown, a successful farmer and stock-raiser of Mason township, has resided on his present farm of eighty acres since the Ist of March, 1906. He was born in Van Buren county, Iowa, on the 16th of October, 1868, a son of Francis M. and Susan E. (Schiveley) Brown. William Brown, the paternal grandfather of our subject, was born in 1812 and came to Taylor county in 1869 as one of its pioneer settlers. In early manhood he wedded Miss Emily Malone, by whom he had the following children: Mrs. Williams, Benjamin, Robert D., William, Francis M., Mrs. C. H. Harriman, Stephen and Wise. Four of the number were soldiers of the Civil war, including the father of our sub- ject. Benjamin, who was a member of the One Hundred and Twelfth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, was killed in battle; Robert D., who was a member of the Seventeenth Iowa Regiment, was held a prisoner by the rebels for several months ; and William died in a hospital. The maternal grandparents of our subject had seven children, namely: Susan E., John, Charles, Mary, Kate, Annie and Lizzie.
Francis M. Brown, the father of Oscar G., was a stalwart defender of the Union, being a member of Company A, Nineteenth Regiment of Iowa Volunteer Infantry. He likewise came to this county in 1869 as one of its early settlers and has been successfully engaged in general agricultural pursuits throughout his active business career. He makes his home in Mason township and his upright and honorable life has won him the confidence and esteem of all with whom he has been associated.
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