USA > Iowa > Wapello County > History of Wapello County, Iowa, and representative citizens > Part 31
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Isaac S. Riggs moved to Henry county. lowa, when a child, and received the rudi. ments of a common school education, which
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was later supplemented by a course in the pub- lic schools of Wapello county. After leaving school he spent five years in the employ of Fish & McGiniter, merchants of Eddyville. He later engaged in the grain business for two years for the above named gentlemen, and then engaged in the business as agent for a lumber company until 1875. lle then founded his present business, and has continuously engaged in the lumber business since, meeting with good success. He carries a full supply of hard and soft lumber, lath. shingles, posts, lime, cement. hair plaster, sewer pipe, sash, doors and blinds. and, in fact, everything in this line of building materials. Besides this business, he owns and operates a farm of 240 acres, which is devoted to general farming and stock-raising.
Mr. Riggs was first married to Ella Me- Williams, of Eddyville. a daughter of Nathan Ale Williams, and two children were born to them: Birdie M., widow of John Butcher, by whom she had two children .- Helen R. and Celia : and Walter, who married Grace Mills- paugh, of Burlington, lowa, and they have two children. - Aberta and Bernice. After the death of his first wife Mr. Riggs formed a sec- ond union with Nannie McMahan, of Eddy- ville, lowa, and six children were born to bless their union: Clyde A., who married Myrtle M. Myers, of Eldon, lowa, her father being one of the carly settlers of the county; Mabel M .: Benjamin 11 .: Esther J .: Grace I .; and Isaac S., Jr. In religious belief he and his family are members of the Baptist church. Politically our subject is a Republican, and has served in the town council and as a member
of the school board. In 1893 he became a member of Eddyville Lodge, No. 76, A. F. & .A. A .: and also belongs to Day Lodge, No. 26, I. O. O. F .. of which he has held all the chairs. Ile is a very prominent man in Eddy- ville, and always takes an active part in any enterprise pertaining to the welfare of the com- munity. Ile is possessed of a pleasing per- sonality and his friends are legion.
U'S APPLEGREN is the active man- ager of the Globe Tea Company, and is ably assisted in this successful en- terprise by his partner, Charles Hall- berg. They also carry a complete line of groceries, have made extensive improvements and have established a meat market. They enjoy the patronage of the best citizens of Ot- tumwa and vicinity, and cater to the highest class of trade.
Mr. Applegren was born in Middle Sweden in 1847. and is a son of Carl Applegren, who was a grocer and extensive land owner. The latter accompanied his son Gus to this country in 1865, and at the time of his death was living at Peoria, Illinois. Hle was the father of four sons and two daughters, namely: Gus; Charles and Axel. both engineers on the To- ledo, Peoria & Western Railway; John, who conducts a restaurant in Chicago; Mrs. Dr. Klingberg. of Osage City, Kansas; and Mrs. Josephine Anderson, who resides on a farm near Peoria, Illinois.
Calvin Maning €
1
EDWIN MANNING.
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Gus Applegren had excellent educational advantages, and had nearly completed a course of study in college at the time of his departure for America. He has always been engaged in the grocery business, and was a clerk at Bur- lington, Jowa, and at Chicago, Illinois. He came to Ottumwa, lowa, from Chicago, in Oc- tober. 1877. and was at once engaged to man- ag'e the store of the Globe Tea Company, which had been opened six months previously in its present quarters, owned by Mr. Boulton, one of the early residents of Ottumwa. The large double building now occupied was en- larged, and is 140 feet deep. the rear being de- voted to storing flour, feed. potatoes, etc. In the main and front portion of the store is carried what is considered as fine and com- plete a line of groceries as is to be found in the State. A line of cured meats has been car- ried for some time, and they also handle a full line of fresh meats. An especially large amount of potatoes is handled. and also Min- nesota, Nebraska and Kansas hard-wheat flour. When Mr. Applegren assumed charge of the business there was but one other person em- ployed in the store. and they hired a delivery wagon when one was necessary. . At the pres- ent time a force of 24 people are employed in caring for the heavy trade, and five double teams and two single wagons are constantly busy on the delivery. Mr. Applegren is an energetic business man. enterprising and pro- gressive, and stands high among the foremost men of the county.
The subject of this sketch is unmarried, and rooms at the home of Mr. Hallberg, board-
ing at the Ballingall Hotel. Fraternally he is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.
ALVIN MANNING, president of the Iowa National Bank, of Ottumwa, is one of the prominent financiers of Wapello county, lowa. He was born June 7, 1851, at Keosauqua, lowa, and is a son of Edwin and Sarah ( Sample) Manning. He successfully engaged in the practice of law for many years, and acquired much valuable experience, which is of great benefit to him as the executive head of this institution.
The Iowa National Bank was organized and began business January 27, 1871, its pro- moters being L. W. Vale. Charles F. Blake and Dr. James L. Taylor, deceased. Will- iam Daggett, deceased, soon became a stock- holder, and f. B. Field was, shortly after the organization, elected cashier. December 20. 1873. Charles F. Blake having purchased the interest of L. W. Vale, was duly elected presi- dent and E. S. Sheffield was elected to succeed Mr. Field as cashier. J. W. Edgerly became a stockholder and a director, and also D. Il. Michaels, both of whom are now deceased. Mr. Blake served as president from December 20, 1873, until July 21, 1893. when he was suc- ceeded by Edwin Manning. The latter held the office until January 8, 1901, when he resigned because of his advanced age, and was succeeded by his son. Calvin Manning. October 30. 1874. J. W. Edgerly was elected cashier and
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served until January 30, 1888, when T. II. Eaton succeeded him. The latter in turn was succeeded by C. K. Blake on April 29. 1893. and Calvin Manning was elected to that office on January 9, 1804. He served in that capacity until April 12, 1900, when he accepted the vice- presidency of the bank, and was succeeded by W. R. Daggett as cashier. The officers of the bank at the present time are as follows: Calvin Manning, president : J. H. Merrill, vice-presi- dent : W. R. Daggett. cashier ; and 11. C. Cham- Lers, assistant cashier. The directors are, Calvin Manning. J. 11. Merrill, Samuel Mahon. S. 11. Harper. W. D. Tisdale, E. T. Edgerly and W. R. Daggett. J. Il. Merrill was elected June 9, 1877, and has since served continuously as a director, and for many years as vice-presi- dent, succeeding William Daggett to the last named office.
active in business life in the Des Moines val- ley. His main places of business were Keosau- qua, Ottumwa, Eddyville and Chariton. He owned many merchandise stores between Keo kuk and Des Moines, and also had heavy land and banking interests. From 1850 to 1865 he built steamboats and opened river naviga- tion from Keokuk to Des Moines, Iowa. He was appointed by Governor Kirkwood, of lowa, as a commissioner of the Des Moines River Improvement. Mr. Manning resided at his home in Keosanqua until I's death, which occurred August 16. 1951. He was first mar- ried at Fort Madison, Iowa, to Sarah Sample. who died in 1857. She was born in Washing- ton county, Pennsylvania, and lied at the age of about forty-two years, leaving three chil- dren: Anna G., who is single and lives at Grinnell, Iowa: Calvin, the gentleman whose naine heads these lines; and William S .. who was born in 1853, is single and resides at (t- tumwa. Edwin Manning formed a second mat- rimonial alliance, wedding Nannie Bryant, then a resident of Keosauqua, and an adopted daughter of Gov. Joseph A. Wright, of In-
Edwin Manning, the father of our subject. was a wonderful example of untiring activity. and met with the greatest success in all of his business ventures. He was born February 8, 1810, in South Coventry, Connecticut, 15 miles east of Hartford, and resided there until he was nineteen years of age, when he went to i diana. Five children have been born to them, as follows: Edward B. and Albert W., de-
Pennsylvania and engaged in the merchandise business with an uncle, James Manning. lle | ceased : Stanley W .: Kate W., wife of W. G. remained there for some years, and then came Barrett, of Cantril, lowa ; and Craig I. of Keo- sauqua. west to lowa, where he located and laid out the town of Keosauqua, which has since been his Calvin Manning received his intellectual training in Cornell University aad in the State University of lowa, and graduated from the law department of the latter institution, in 1872. He was then in the law office of Joy & Wright, of Sioux City, two years, and came home. He made the journey from Pennsyl- vania to Jowa in 1837, traveling on horseback, to what the Indians called the "Beautiful Land." For a period of sixty-two years, until 1899. Mr. Manning was most prominent and
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to Ottumwa in January, 1875. He practiced law for ten years, first being associated with Judge Williams and later being alone. He entered commercial life in 1888, becoming iden- tified with the lowa National Bank, as cashier. lle was subsequently elected vice-president of that concern, and is now efficiently discharging the duties of president, to which office he was elected to succeed his father.
Mr. Manning was joined in matrimony in September, 1877, with Juliet K. Blake, who was born and reared at Ottumwa, and is a daughter of Charles F. Blake. They became the parents of the following children : Maude, who died in 1880: Mary B .; Edwin C., who is connected with the lowa National Bank ; and Louise, who died in infancy. Mr. Manning erected a handsome home at No. 616 East Second street, the grounds having a frontage of 132 feet. In politics he has been a stanch Republican, and served as city solicitor for four years and as a member of the city coun- cil four years,-representing the second ward. He was a delgate to the Republican national convention which nominated James G. Blaine in 1884, and was also a delegate to the St. Louis convention of the party, which nominated William McKinley, in 1896. He was appointed by President Mckinley ( the appointment be- ing confirmed by the senate ), a member of the United States national commission to the Paris Exposition in 1900, and spent six months in Paris.
Portraits of Edwin and Calvin Manning accompany this sketch, being presented on a preceding page.
OSEPH PROCTOR. This gentleman has been identified with the growth and development of Wapello county. lowa, for a number of years. Hle re- sides in Adams township, on a farm of 200 acres, in section 23. township 71. range 15. He was born in England, in 1848.
Joseph Proctor obtained his early mental training by working in the day time, and at- tending night school three evenings during the weck. He was determined in his efforts to gain knowledge, and he has been interested in educational matters all his life. When he was twenty-one years old, he left England for America. Upon his arrival in New York City. he had but $10.37 in his possession. Hle very generously loaned Sio to a friend, who failed to return the amount, and this left Mr. Proctor with but 37 cents with which to make a start in the new country. He soon found employ- ment, and managed to save a part of his wages each month. Ile went to Ohio, where he be- gan buying small tracts of land, and selling them at a profit. He continued this for eight years, when he started west, and, reaching Wapello county, settled on his present farm.
Hle purchased 85 acres of land from J. R. Prector, and fifteen years ago purchased an- other 80 acres. He afterward added 40 acres, making a farm of 200 acres of well improved land. Mr. Proctor has now accumulated this world's goods to such an extent that he is thinking of shortly moving to Ottumwa. in order that he may be able to give his children better educational advantages. It has always been a custom of Mr. Proctor's to keep ac-
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count of all the profits and losses made in the different branches of farming, and in this way he has been able to guard against losses and to push those things which brought him the greatest profit. He is a man of much business ability, and is self made in the truest sense of the word.
Mr. Proctor married Mary Spangler, a daughter of Sammel Spangler and a sister of L. Spangler, a resident of Green township. Two children have resulted from this union. namely: Ethd, born August 28, 1885; and Rena Blanche, born July 30. 1801. Laura F. Spangler, Mr. Proctor's sister-in-law. also makes her home with the family.
Mr. Proctor has been a life-long Democrat. Ile was elected to represent his township in the county board for two terms, and also served two terms as one of the directors of the school board. No public enterprise has been complete without his assistance, and he is looked upon as one of the best citizens of the county.
D. FERREE, a gentleman prominent in the circles of finance in Wapello county, lowa, is president of the Fidel- ity Loan and Building AAssociation. He is also well known by reason of his system. known as the Ferree system of reducing pay- ments and loaning money in a manner advan- tageous to his patrons and to the company he represents. He was born near Hillsboro, Illi- nois, in 1838, and is a son of Thomas Ferree. who died at St. Louis, Missouri, in 1849. His mother is also deceased.
J. D. Ferree was reared on a farm, and afterward taught school in Illinois. Subse- quently, in 1865. he was engaged in the life insurance business. Having been left without a father when ten years of age, he has been obliged to support himself since that time, and has won his own way in the worldl. He came from Keokuk to Ottumwa, lowa, March 17. 18-8, and at once entered business. He or- ganized the Ottumwa Loan and Building As- sociation, of which he became secretary. Dr. Williams acted as vice-president and treasurer. They are at the present time gradually closing up the business of the company, as the various series issued fall due. The company has pros- pered. and its patrons have also reaped their full share of the benefits. In May, 1888. Mr. Ferree organized the Wapello County Loan and Building Association, of which he was made secretary; its business is also being closed up. In 1893 he organized the Fidelity Loan and Building Association, a State com- pany, of which he served as secretary until re- cently, when he was elected president. Ilis son-in-law. C. F. Collison, is secretary, and Calvin Manning is treasurer. The company is engaged in active business at the present time. and has excellent office rooms in the Hoffman Building. In 1896 Mr. Ferree organized the Ottumwa Loan. Building and Savings Asso- ciation, of which he is president ; Mr. Collison is secretary and Mr. Manning treasurer. The two first named manage all the company's busi- ness. Mr. Ferree's daughter, Miss S. F. Fer- ree. is located in the same office with her fa- ther, and represents nine of the best insurance
COL. DWIGHT BANNISTER.
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companies in the country. She has followed that business for the past nine years, and is a very successful business woman.
Mr. Ferree was united in marriage with Miss S. F. Nelson, who was born at Mount Pleasant, lowa, in 1845, and is of English an- cestry. She was reared at Keokuk, lowa. This union resulted in the following offspring : Mrs. Capt. T. P. Martin, whose husband is in the oil business at Beaumont, Texas; Mirs. Gardner, of Fort Dodge, Jowa; Miss S. F. who is in the insurance business in Ottumwa : Mrs. Mc Allister, whose husband is division superintendent of the American Transit Com- pany at Kansas City, Missouri ; Mrs. J. Frank Kericot, whose husband is in the clothing busi- ness in Ottumwa; and Mrs. C. F. Collison, whose husband came to Ottumwa frem Ken- kuk, where he was connected with the Daily Constitution,-he was a soldier in the Spanish- American war. Fraternally Mr. Ferree was made a Mason at Ottumwa, and has taken the thirty second, or Scottish Rite, degree. He is a member of the Des Moines Consistery. His wife is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. In religious views they are Episcopalians. He has a very comfort- able home in the Third Ward, Ottumwa.
OL. DWIGHT BANNISTER, de- ceased. The Ottumnova Daily Courier, of January 30, 1899, contained the following :
Col. Dwight Bannister, one of Ottumwa's
oldest, most prominent and honored citizens and pioneer business men, passed away at 8:20 o'clock this morning at his home on Col- lege street. He has been a resident of Ottum- wa since June, 1875, and throughout that period, up to the ist of January of this year, had been actively engaged in business, having been president of the Ottumwa Gas Light, Heat & Power Company for the past twenty- four years. He was for twelve years a men- ber of the Ottumwa school board, being presi- dent of that body during a large part of that period. Colonel Bannister was loved and re- spected by all who knew him. He was of a retiring disposition, adverse to notoriety of any kind. and very reserved in manner, but no more honorable or upright man ever called (t- tumwa his home.
Dwight Bannister was born in Ontario county, New York, February 3, 1833. his fa- ther being Col. Asahel Bannister, who was a soldier in the War of 1812. In early man- hood he left New York State and went to Co- lumbus, Ohio, and was for several years agent for the Illinois Central Railroad Com- pany in disposing of the area included in its land grant. He afterward became acquainted with Salmon P. Chase, then governor of Ohio, and was appointed his private secretary. He accompanied Mr. Chase on his tour during the presidential campaign of 1860, when Mr. Chase stumped the country for Lincoln. At that time he gained the friendship of many mien who afterward acted prominent parts in the great conflict then fast approaching. During this period he devoted his spare moments to the
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study of law, and was admitted to the bar in 1858, but on the outbreak of the Rebellion he answered the first call and enlisted in a battery of Ohio artillery. When Mr. Chase became secretary of the treasury, he, of his own motion, had his young friend appointed a paymaster in the army. This position he held during the rest of the war, and for many years thereafter he served in the same capacity in the regular army, on what was then the western frontier. . \1- though not a line officer he frequently volum- teered for duty on the field of battle, and was once accorded special commendation by General Lander for gallantry in action. May 26, 1864, he was married to Livinia Murdoch, of Ur- bana. Ohio. Ile resigned from the army on account of having a serious illness, which ren- dered him unable to longer withstand the ex- posure his duties required. He went back to Ohio and commenced the practice of law at Urbana, being connected with the office of Judge Robert Fulton. Judge Fulton shortly afterward removed to Columbus, Ohio, and Colonel Bannister came to Ottumwa. His life here is well known to the people of our city. He was an upright Christian gentleman, just and honorable in all his dealings and was well beloved by all who knew him. He was a great lover of horticulture and had spent much time and labor in trying to find what varieties of fruit and flowers could be made to thrive in our rigorous climate. The results of this work will be of permanent value. He leaves a wife and four children, Amy ( who died in Ottumwa several years ago), Edith, M. Chase, a physi- cian, and Robert J., all residing in Ottumwa.
Dwight Bannister's record for bravery while a soldier in the Civil war was surpassed by that of but few men. He was major and paymaster on the staff of General Lander, and one incident in particular during his career is worthy of mention. This incident is spoken of at length in Schmucker's "History of the Civil War in the United States," and is as follows : "The long and monotonous inactivity which had characterized the Army of the Potomac near Washington during some months was agreeably broken on the 14th of February, 1862, by a bold and sudden movement of a part of the troops commanded by General Lander. That officer having ascertained that the brigade of the Confederate general, Carson, 4,000 in number, had taken a strong position at Bloomery Gap, resolved to attack them. lle ordered the 500 cavalry attached to his brigade to take the advance, and, having reached the Cacapon River, to construct a bridge for the passage of the infantry who were to follow. This order was promptly executed. Twenty wagons were placed at intervals in the river. over which planks were laid, and thus in ser- eral hours at night a bridge was constructed. 180 feet in length, which admirably answered the purpose of transportation. It was located at a point several miles distant from the Caca- pon River Railroad, and about the same dis- tance from Bloomery Gap, the contemplated scene of conflict. General Lander had intended to make the attack during the night, and, hav- ing driven the enemy through the Gap, to pur- sue them with the cavalry and to capture the officers and many of the men. But the enemy
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had already left their position, either suspicious of an attack or forewarned of General Lander's approach, so that when the Federal troops charged through the Gap they encountered no one. General Lander ordered an immediate pur- suit on the Winchester road by his cavalry, fol- lowed and supported by the Eighth Ohio and Seventh Virginia regiments. They overtook the retreating foe about two miles from the Gap. The Confederates received them with a sharp fire of musketry, under which the cavalry wavered and showed unexpected signs of cow- ardice. In vain General Lander ordered them to advance and charge. Not a man stirred. The General then exclaimed "Follow me." One private only, named John Cannon, answered the appeal. Accompanied by this solitary hero and by Major Armstrong, his adjutant, Major Bannister, and Fitz James O'Brien, members of his staff. General Lander rode forward to- ward a group of Confederate officers several hundred yards distant and ordered them to sur- render. The boldness and daring of this move- ment seemed to have paralyzed those officers. and they immediately complied. But the Con- federate infantry, posted in the adjacent woods. having commenced a brisk fire. General Lander ordered Colonel Anestanzel to attack them with his cavalry and attempt to secure their bag- gage, while the movement was to be supported by the. infantry. At first the cavalry seemed disposed to refuse obedience and General Lander, justly enraged at their cowardice, shot at one of his men without hitting him. After repeated orders the cavalry advanced and charged upon the enemy, who were then re-
treating. The pursuit was continued for eight miles under Colonel Carroll's direction, until he reached the limits of General Lander's de- partment. The result of this engagement was the capture of 18 commissioned officers and 45 non-commissioned officers and privates, to- gether with 15 baggage wagons. The loss of the Confederates was 30 killed and that of the Federals, seven killed and wounded. The rout of the enemy was complete, notwithstanding the inefficiency of the cavalry. That ineffi- ciency was attributed to the fact that several of their officers were absent, that they had never before been under fire, and that they were umaccustomed to practice with the saber."
A portrait of Col. Dwight Bannister ac- companies this sketch. being presented on a foregoing page.
ILLIAM B. WYCOFF. a progress- ive citizen of Ottumwa. Jowa, is engaged in the real estate and loan business, and has his office in the Hoffman Block. He has been located in the county since 1853, and is well known through- out this section. He was born near Coshoe- ton, Coshocton county, Ohio, May 6, 1841, and is a son of James and Rachel ( Cecil ) Wycoff.
James Wycoff was born in Pennsylvania. but moved to Ohio with his father at a very carly age. He was a contractor and built the White Woman Canal near Coshocton, from Lake Erie to the White Woman River. He engaged in contracting there until 1846, and
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then came west to Burlington, lowa, being on his way to Raccoon Forks, where Des Moines is now located. Receiving discouraging re- ports from parties returning from Central Iowa, whom they met at Waugh's Point, now the town of Hedrick, they then returned to Jef- ferson county, lowa, and settled there. Ile was soon taken ill and died at the age of sixty years. Ilis widow died about six years later. They were parents of seven children: Eliza ( Khamey ). deceased : Delilah (Good), of Ore- gon: Haziel, a soldier of the Civil War, who died in 1870; Peter. formerly in charge of a government ferry in the West, is now a resi- clent of the State of Washington,-he was also a soldier of the Civil War: James, a resident of Barron, Wisconsin, who was a soldier of the Civil War, but mainly spent his term of serv -. ice in charge of, or as assistant steward of, a hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana : William B., the subject of this personal history : and Rachel. who resided with her brother. W. B., and died at the age of about thirty years. Mrs. Wycoff formed a second union by wedding John Vin- son, of Kentucky, who brought with him to Jowa a hand corn-mill. In 185t the highest water mark ever recorded in Wapello county was reached, and people came from many miles, awaiting their turn to use this hand mill.
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