USA > Iowa > Wapello County > History of Wapello County, Iowa, and representative citizens > Part 30
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ticed in the two last named towns since 1885. and has a very lucrative patronage. He has a thorough understanding of medical science, and his years of practice and careful prepara- tion for the profession have given him the qualifications which make a good physician and surgeon and a safe counselor. Ilis social and intellectual attainments are of the highest ; he is genial, kind and loving.
Dr. Davis was first married to Miss Ida MeKnight, of Orangeville, Ohio. She died in 1891, and for his second wife he led to the altar .Ada A. Koons, of Luzerne county, Penn- sylvania, a daughter of David S. Koons, who is a prominent attorney of Pittston. Luzerne county. Pennsylvania. Dr. Davis is a mem- ber of the G. A. R. and Modern Woodmen of America. He is also a member of the Wapello County Medical Society, Des Moines Valley Medical Society, Iowa State Medical Society and the Association of the University and Bellevue Hospital Medical College Society.
AMES ROY BAKER, who comes of a prominent old family of Ottumwa, Iowa, resides on the old Baker home- stead just out of the city and is at the present time engaged in gardening. For some years he was engaged in the furniture business and expects to reenter that field of business as soon as a suitable opportunity presents itself. He was born December 3, 1868, in Fort Branch, Indiana, while his mother was on a visit, and is a son of J. J. McCoy and Anna E. ( Burns) Baker.
IHISTORY OF WAPELLO COUNTY
J. J. McCoy Baker was born in Boonville, Warrick county, Indiana, January 29. 1840. and was four years of age when, in 1844, his parents moved to this county, locating on a claim about seven miles north of Ottumwa. There he lived until 1860, then located in the city of Ottumwa, where his father, John G. Baker, conducted the hotel called the Ottumwa House. It soon became a popular resort, es- pecially during the Civil war, when John G. Baker expended time and money for the bene- fit of the soldiers. It was through his instru- mentality that the railroad companies cut rates for the sick and invalid soldiers, and, when they would arrive home from the battlefields or hospitals, he wouldl secure them cheap liv- ery and never charge them for stopping at his hotel. Ile was greatly assisted in this good work by his boys, who entered heart and soul into the work, and J. J. McCoy Baker never during his entire life forgot the lessons taught him by his father. All through life, John G. Baker was known as a charitable man, and was a member of the Methodist church. He helped to form the firm of Gray, Baker & Madison, who contracted to furnish the Chicago, Bur- lington & Quincy Railroad with all the ties they could use in the construction of their new railroad. They conceived the idea of building a wagon and foot bridge across the Des Moines River, con- necting North and South Ottumwa, which re- sulted in a handsome income for them during the twenty years they charged toll.
J. J. McCoy Baker was a farmer by occu- pation, although he conducted a grocery busi-
ness and a livery business for a time. He be- lieved in the fundamental truths taught in the Bible and practiced what he believed, but could not stand the different creeds which seemed to teach contradictions more than charity and deed. lle was respected by all as a man, who was sincere in what he believed and practiced. Hle was very successful in his business enter- prises and his accumulations were mainly in- vested in farm lands. At the time of his death, January 28, 1898, he owned a half interest in the Pioneer office building of Ottumwa, and three of the finest farms in the county, the one in the outskirts of Ottumwa being the one his widow and family now re- side on, and on this he erected a hand- some home which he did not live long enough to enjoy. He died full of honor and had the confidence of all the community. Al- though a member of no church, he was a great reader of the Bible and believed faithfully in it. lle married Anna E. Burns, who was born in Warrick county, Indiana, and was a dangh- ter of Ratcliffe B. Burns. The latter, who was a relative of Daniel Boone, was born near Bowling Green, Kentucky, in 1820, and in early life was a merchant, later becoming pro- prietor of a hotel in Chariton, Iowa ; he lived to reach the great old age of four score years. -his father was one of the earliest settlers of Warrick county, Indiana. Mr. and Mrs. Ba- ker became the parents of nine children, seven of whom are living, namely: James Roy, our subject : Gurley Burns, who is a furniture dealer and undertaker at Fairfield, Iowa; Hliram Ewin, a farmer who resides with his-
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J. W. HELFER.
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mother ; Queen Anne, who is single and is a clerk in the store of Mandel Brothers, at Chi- cage, Illinois; Charles C., who is at home; Jesse McCoy and Mary Dell, also at home. Those deceased are John Ratcliffe Clinton and Lucy Fransina.
James R. Baker was the eklest son born to his parents, and he received a fine education. After completing his studies in the district school, he attended the Ottumwa High School, and later business college. He has been en- gaged in the furniture business most of his life, and has sold out a couple of times as he did not like the locations. After selling the first time, he engaged in the cigar business for a time, and then disposed of his store. He is now engaged in gardening on the old home- stead. but expects to again engage in the furni- ture business, for which he has a liking. Mr. Baker is married and has two children : Lucy. · born Angust 4. 1891 ; and Helen, born April 15. 1805. Fraternally he belongs to the K. of P .: the A. O. U. W. : and the U. B. A .. of Ot-
W. HELFER, a popular conductor on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, whose portrait accompanies this sketch, has one of the best runs in the freight service out of Ottumwa. He has been in the employ of this company almost continuously since 1879, has served the inter- ests of the company faithfully, and as a re- sult stands high in the esteem of its officials.
He was born at Osceola, Iowa, in 1858, and is a son of E. H. Helfer.
E. H. Helfer came from Montreal, Can- ada, located at Osceola, Iowa, before the day of railroads, and lived with his family one and a half miles north of that town. He died there twenty-three years ago, and his wife now re- sides at Des Moines, Jowa. They reared five children, namely: J. W., the subject of this personal history: Lydia (Brady ), of St. Paul; Mary ( Barger), of St. Joseph, Missouri; Ili- ram. a marble and stone cutter, who died in 1898; and Morton, who resides with his mother at Des Moines.
J. W. Helfer decided to make railroading his life work and came to Ottumwa as the most likely place to make a start. In 1870 he began his connection with the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad and at the present time is next to the oldest employe in the freight serv- ice. He began as brakeman over the Middle Division, on which he has principally run since. He was promoted, in AAugust, 1887. to the po- sition of conductor, which he now holds. For two years he ran from Abbia to Des Moines, and made his home at Albia a part of the time. lle now runs on the through Denver fast freight and the Omaha meat run over the Middle Division. He has been successful in his work and exceedingly fortunate in that he has never been seriously injured during his long term of service. Ile purchased his pres- ent home property, and built a comfortable house fourteen years ago, when buildings were few in Sonth Ottumwa. He has set out a large
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number of cherry, apple and shade trees and has a very pretty home and a fine family.
Mr. Helfer was united in marriage at Ot- tumwa, with Jennie Bird, a daughter of John Bird, who came from Indiana and now resides at Kansas City, Missouri. Three daughters were born to bless this union, as follows: Myrtle, Mollie and Marvel. In politics Mr. Helfer is a stanch Democrat. Fraternally he is a member of Division No. 216, O. R. C., at Ottumwa. Religiously the family are Meth- orlists.
ILLIAM REEVE, one of the pros- perors farmers of Agency town- ship, Wapello county, lowa, was born in Ohio in 1836, and is a son of William and Susan ( Murphy ) Reeve.
William Recve, the father of our subject, was born in New York State in 1797, and dur- ing his youth learned the trade of a cooper. He removed to Wapello county, lowa, in 1851. ard on March 22d of that year purchased a farm in Agency township, on which he resided w !. til his death. He married Susan Murphy. tid they reared the following children : Sarah : James . 1., deccased : Mary . \. : Lydia, deceased ; Lucretia J. : William, the subject of this sketch ; Joseph : Susanah: Caroline: and Minerva.
William Reeve, the gentleman whose name heads this sketch, lived on his father's farm un- El he reached the age of twenty-two years. After his marriage he bought a farm, and now owns a farm of 70 acres in section 19. carrying on general farming and stock-raising. He en-
listed for service in the Civil War, August 7, 1862, serving in Company E. 22d Reg., lowa Vol. Inf .. until July 25. 1865. He participated in the siege of Vicksburg and the battle of Jackson, Mississippi, under General Grant, also the battles of Champion Hills and Black River. He was then detailed teamster until the close of the war.
Mr. Reeve married Elizabeth Magee, who was born in Ohio in 1838. They have no chil- dren of their own, but raised J. C. Reeve, a s. n of William G. Smith, from the time he was two years old, and his sister. Cora E., from the time she was seven, giving them the same kindly treatment and training that they would give children of their own. In politics Mr. Reeve is a Republican, and has served on the school board of Agency township a number of years. He is a member of Agency Post. No. 107. G. A. R. Both Mr. Reeve and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church.
UGHI BROWN. an esteemed citizen of Ottumwa, lowa, was for many years engaged in farming in Richland township, Wapello county. He was born in County Derry, Ireland, January 25, 1818, and is a son of Samuel Brown.
The Brown family is of French descent. Samuel Brown was born in Ireland, and fol- lowed the trade of a miller and farmer. He married Miss L. Cannon, who is related to Lord Cannon, and they became parents of II children, of whom but two are now living.
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namely : Hugh and Thomas,-the latter being located at Kirkville, lowa.
l lugh Brown came to the United States at the age of fifteen years, landing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he resided for three years. Hle then lived in Ohio until 1841. and during his early days followed farming, shoemaking and carpentering. Hle came to Wapello coun- ty. lowa, in September, 1843. and purchased a claim of 160 acres in Richland township, and also 40 acres of timber land where the city of Ottumwa is now located. There were then but two houses in what is now Ottumwa. Hle built a cabin, 12 by 14 feet in size, without a chimney, and resided in it one year, when he built another cabin, 12 by 12 feet in dimen- sions. lle made improvements on his claim. which he entered, and farmed there until 1851. when he moved to Ottumwa, having been elected clerk of the district court. He filled that office two successive terms, and in 1855 returned to his farm, and carried on general farming until 1870. He has since made his home in Ottumwa. where he has been one of the most enterprising and public-spirited citi- zens. He takes an earnest interest in all that pertains to the welfare of the city and county, and by his just dealings and fairness to every one has won the respect of his fellow men. Ile i‹ a Democrat in politics, and has served in various responsible positions with credit. He was county supervisor two years, justice of the peace in Richland township a number of years. trustee of Richland township. president of the school board, and a member of the city council of Ottumwa for two years.
April 25, 1843. Mr. Brown was united in marriage with Martha II. Thurman, who was born in Tennessee, in 1811, and died in March, 1897. They reared the following children : Mary L .: Margaret E. : Martha J .: S. Hugh ; William AA. C .; Nellie T .; and George D., all of whom are living. Religiously Mr. Brown is a member of the Church of Christ, and has helped to build several churches in Ottumwa during his long residence here. Hle has for a long time been an elder of the church.
ARSHAAL WASHINGTON STRICKLAND. a representative farmer of Wapello county, lowa, is located in Washington township. where he has a farm of 160 acres in sections 2. II and 12. He was born in Greene county. Illinois, on June 22. 1836, and is a son of R. and Phoebe ( Lakins) Strickland.
R. Strickland, father of our subject, was born in Eastern Tennessee and served in the War of 1812 under General Jackson as fife major. He was a farmer by occupation, and traded with the Indians at Chicago at an early day. He married Phoebe Lakins, who was born in Georgia, and they reared the following children : William: Elizabeth : Catherine ; John: Mary Jane: L. M .: Francis M. : Mar- shal W. : Harvey M. : George R. : and Winfield Scott. deceased.
Marshal W. Strickland resided in Illinois until seven years of age, and in 1844 moved to Wapello county, accompanying his brother
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William. The latter located in Washington township, section 10, one mile north of AAsh- land, and later sold his farm of 170 acres for $7,000 and moved to Missouri, where he died. Marshal W. Strickland lived with his brother until 1851, and then went to Agency City, where he learned the trade of a blacksmith, fol- lowing it for a period of three years. In 1854 he returned to Washington township, where he has since resided. He located on his pres- ent farm in r8cy, and has 160 acres in sections 2, It and 12. The farm is under a high state of cultivation, well fenced and equipped with good, substantial farm buildings. He has a comfortable two-story house of nine rooms.
Mr. Strickland was united in marriage with Margaret Goff, who was born in Pennsylvania in 1837, and they are parents of six children, as follows : Charles F., of Fremont, Nebraska ; John 11 .. of Alaska: Anna: Margaret; Will- iam: and Dora Jane, deceased. Politically the subject of this sketch is a Republican. In re- ligious attachments he is a member of the Mis- sionary Baptist church.
CORGE W. FRIEND, a well-known journalist of Wapello county, Iowa, is proprietor of the Forum, which is published at Eldon and has a wide circulation in the vicinity. He is a man of public spirit, and through the medium of his publication has always given his support to all worthy enterprises calculated to benefit the town and county. He was born in Van Buren
county, lowa, in 1870, and is a son of Charles Friend, and grandson of George W. Friend.
George W. Friend, the grandfather, was born in Canada in 1830, and was a minister the latter part of his life. During his early days he followed the trade of a cooper. He was a member of the M. E. church, and was living in Washington county, lowa, at the time of his death. Charles Friend, father of our subject, was born in Indiana, April 3. 1843. and came to lowa with his father in 1855. lo- cating in Washington county. He came to Wapello county in 187y with his son, George W., making the trip in a wagon, and located at Eldon. He married Susan . A. Jamison, who was born in Pennsylvania in 1849, and they be- came parents of six children, as follows: Will- iam W .: George W .: Lora; Zulah : Edmond; and Audrey. Mr. Friend has been employed by the Chicago. Rock Island & Pacific Railway Company since 1879. He is a Republican in politics.
George W. Friend first attended the public schools of Selma and later those of Eldon. Ile commenced to learn the trade of a printer at the age of twelve years, and then worked for Rev. Mr. St. John on a monthly paper. He was later identified with the Eldon Reviews and the Eldon Journal, after which he held a po- sition as bookkeeper for the Bradley Bank of Eldon for nine months. In 1891, in partner- ship with M. P. Duffield, he started the Eldon Graphic, a weekly newspaper, which they con- ducted one year and then leased for a year. Mr. Friend then bought the paper and named it the Forum, and has published it continuously
Walter J. Hall.
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since. He is an able writer, and his paper sprang into popularity at its inception, and has had a growing circulation since.
Mr. Friend was united in marriage on July 27, 1892, with Carrie Furtney, who was born in Lee county, lowa. April 18, 1872, and they have a son, Royal, born March 31, 1896. In polities he is active in his support of the Re- publican party. He is a member of Eldon Lodge, No. 127. Knights of Pythias.
ALTER T. HALL, who has been one of the prominent business men of Ottumwa since locating here in 1879, is a member of the whole- sale candy firm of Walter T. Hall & Company, located at No. 113-117 East Third street. They conduct the only candy manufacturing estab- lishment in the city and make large sales throughout lowa and adjoining states. The concern occupies three stories and the base- ment of the Phoenix block. Mr. Hall was born near Ottumwa, Wapello county, lowa, in 1857, and is a son of James and Louisa ( Worley) Hall.
James llall was an Ohioan by birth and fol- lowed agricultural pursuits. He and his young wife came to lowa about 1853, and here he died when his son was about one year old. He and his wife had four children, namely: Walter T .: Mrs. Andrew Burnaugh, who resided in Ottumwa until her death in 1883; Caroline, wife of Shelby Byers, of Huntington, Oregon ; and Mrs. Connelly, with whom her mother re- sides at Agency City.
When thirteen years of age Walter T. Hall rentoved with his mother to Quincy, Illinois, and there engaged in his first work in the bak- ing powder and spice factory of F. H. Mason & Company, with whom he remained for three years after completing his schooling. He came to Ottumwa in 1879 and formed a partnership with Mr. Cockerell, dealing and jobbing in teas, spices and confectionery under the firm name of Cockerell & Hall. They located on South Market street, and the partnership continued for five years, when Mr. Hall purchased his partner's interest and continued in the business alone until 1893. From 1884 until 1892 he also engaged in the manufacture of candies, employing from 15 to 20 workmen. In 1893 William Vinson and J. W. Coen purchased an interest in the firm and the firm name was changed to Walter T. Hall & Company, the plant being located on East Third street, ad- joining the J. W. Edgerly Drug Company. After the lapse of two years Mr. Coen retired from the business and the two remaining part- ners have since conducted it. The plant has been gradually and steadily enlarged under clever management, and they now have from 60 to 80 employes. The dimensions of the Phoenix building, in which they occupy three stories and the basement, are 80 by 66 fect. The basement is used for storage and for the boiler and engine rooms. It contains a boiler of 60 horse-power, which supplies the power for running the machinery. There is a gen- cral superintendent and foreman for each de- partment, and the work is systematized in an excellent manner. The concern manufactures a
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complete line of candies of every description, and has developed a large jobbing trade on certain specialties, besides selling goods direct to the retail grocery and confectionery trade. In jobbing, the firm sells goods from New Or- leans to St. Paul, and from the Mississippi Val- ley to the Pacific coast, and has the only factory of its kind in Ottumwa. Seven traveling men call upon the retail trade, covering a large ter- ritory, which includes all of Iowa, northern Missouri and western Ilinois. Another visits the wholesale firms from the Mississippi Valley to the Pacific coast. In 1898 Mr. Hall built a fine home in Ottumwa at No. 575 West Fourth street.
Walter T. Hall was united in marriage with Minnie Vinson, who was born in Indiana and was brought to this state when a child. They have two children, AAdine and Evelyn. In politics Mr. Hall is a Republican, as was his father. He is a member of the Modern Wood- men of America of Ottumwa, and in religious views favors the Methodist Episcopal church. Ilis portrait accompanies this sketch, being presented on a foregoing page.
AMUEL B. CARR, prominently iden- tified with the growth and develop- ment of Wapello county, lowa, has been a resident of the county since 1854. He is now practically retired from ac- tive business life, having placed the care and management of his farm in his son's hands. Ir. Carr was born in Butler county, Ohio, in 1834, a son of John and Ruth ( Bell) Carr.
John Carr, the father of our subject, was born in Kentucky. He removed to Richland township, Wapello county, Iowa, in 1854, where he engaged in farming. He died in Kansas at the advanced age of seventy years. Mr. Carr married Ruth Bell, who was born in Maryland, and they reared : Mary Ann; Will- iam: John: Josiah; Samuel B., the subject of this sketch; Jacob; Alexander and Franklin, who are twins.
Samuel B. Carr, the subject of this biog- raphy, removing from Indiana to Iowa, reached Ottumwa, October 28, 1854, and one year later settled on his present home farm, which is the eastern half of the northwest quarter of section 27, in Richland township. With the exception of three years spent in Indiana, he has lived in Wapello county ever since he first located here. Mr. Carr had a brother Josiah, who came to Wapello county in 1856, and shortly afterward located in Mahaska county, where he lived five years. He then located in Richland township, Wapello county, residing there until his death, which was in April, 1900.
Our subject has been living a retired life for a number of years, his son Douglas carry- ing on general farming and stock-raising. Mr. Cari was married in Shelby county, Indiana, in 1856, to Eliza Crow. Seven children' re- in 1856, to Eliza Crow, who was born in 1835, sulted from this union, whose names are: Jo- seph H., who is a farmer of Wapello county ; George, who is a miner in Colorado; Susan; Douglas, who conducts his father's farm; Nel- lie, who is at home; Charles; and John W.
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For a number of years Mr. Carr was en- gaged in the carpenter business, and it was he who built the first boarding house in Keb. Mr. Carr is a Democrat in politics, and has always been actively interested in the growth and development of Wapello county, and al- ways lends his support cheerfully to any public enterprise. He is well known and highly re- spected in his vicinity.
D R. J. E. McCORMICK, a progressive young physician of Wapello county, lowa, has been located at Ottumwa since 1896, and in that time has won the confidence of his fellow citizens. lle re- ceived a very careful preparation for the medi- cal profession, is skillful in diagnosing and treating the most complicated cases, and en- joys a very fine practice. He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, January 2, 1870, and is a son of James .A. and Marilla ( Emery ) Mc- Cormick.
James .A. McCormick moved from New Orleans to Saratoga. New York, and is now a stock-exchange broker of New York City. Ile has been a devotee of the turi, and has owned, and now owns, some very fine thor- oughbred running horses. During the past twenty years he has been a resident of New York City, although he has traveled very ex- tensively. He married Marilla Emery, who . be found elsewhere in this work.
was born and reared in Illinois, her father now being a retired agriculturist of Geneseo, Illi- nois. The Doctor was their only child.
Dr. McCormick was reared in New York City and attended the public schools. He de- termined to enter the medical profession in 1880. and attended lectures in the College of the City of New York, completing his course in 1804. Hle practiced in that city for two years, and then came to Ottumwa, where for two years he was associated with his uncle. Dr. Wilkinson, an old and well-known practitioner of Ottumwa. Since 1808 he has practiced alone, and has established a good general prac- tice, Ixing well pleased with the city.
Dr. McCormick was joined in matrimony with Estella Jaques, a daughter of W. 11. C. Jaques, of Ottumwa. In politics the Doctor is 6. Democrat, and was once a candidate for cor- ener. Fraternally he is a member of the Knights of Pythias. Professionally he be- longs to the Des Moines Valley Medical . Isso- ciation : the Wapello County Medical Associ- ation : and the lowa State Medical Association. lle was confirmed in the Catholic church. which he still favors.
S.A.AC S. RIGGS, a gentleman well known in Wapello county, lowa, is a prominent lumber dealer of Eddyville. He was born in Indiana, in 1854, and is a son of A. W. and Martha (Spillman) Riggs. A record of the life of his father may
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