USA > Iowa > Wapello County > History of Wapello County, Iowa, and representative citizens > Part 33
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GEORGE D. LOTTRIDGE.
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.A. L. Dickerson, and died twenty-five years ago: Sarah, wife of G. W. Walker, of Ottum- wa: Mary Ellen, who died thirty-eight years ago at Lancaster, Missouri : C. H. : and W. F .. a stone-mason, residing in Ottumwa.
Thomas J. Hamersley learned his trade. that of boiler-making, at an early age. serving an apprenticeship with Peter Hershaw, who conducted a shop in Ottumwa. He helped build the first boiler made in Ottumwa, and for a time worked in the shops of Drake & Spivey. He entered the employ of the Chicago, Bur- lington & Quincy Railroad Company, in 1879, as boiler-maker, at the Ottumwa roundhouse. He was foreman of the repair gang and had charge of the shops some four or five years. He continued with this company until the strike of 1896, when he went to work in the shops of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Company. For the past ten years he has done a large amount of contract work in the employ of that road, and also at the plant of the Fair-Williams Company. of Ottumwa. He is a mechanic of great skill and has been very successful in his work.
Mr. Hamersley was united in marriage with Ida L. Vest, who was born at Boone. Iowa, forty-two years ago, and is a daughter of J. J. Vest, who has lived here since 1865. She is one of several children, namely: Ada Louise, wife of Stephen McBride, a blacksmith of South Ottumwa: Alice, wife of Captain Ogle, who is now with a Nebraska regiment in the Philippines: Charles, who is a stock- man of Plum Creek, Nebraska: William, de- ·ceased. a former partner of Charles ; James
William; C. B .; Thomas N .; and A. L., and James, a stone-mason of Ottumwa. Mr. Hamersley and his wife are the parents of four children: James William, aged twenty- three years, is a boiler-maker by trade, and is now in the employ of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Company; he married Stella Ross, of Laddsdale, lowa, and resides in South Ottumwa. C. B., aged twenty years, is also a boiler-maker and works with his fa- ther: he married Cora Ross, and resides at the home of his father, the two brothers hay- ing had a double wedding Thomas N. and .i. L. are serving their time as boiler-maker apprentices. Mr. Hamersley has spent a great deal of his time in looking up and gath- ering curios from the Des Moines River and vicinity, and has a very fine collection.
EORGE D. LOTTRIDGE, one of the pioneer settlers of Center township. Wapello county, Iowa, whose por- trait is shown on the opposite page, was born in Athens county, Ohio. April 23. 1838, and is a son of Thomas and Catherine ( Donahugh) Lottridge, and a grandson of Bernardus B. and Abigail ( Bull) Lottridge.
Bernardus B. Lottridge was born in New York. He went from there to Athens county, Ohio, and was one of the first settlers in that part of Ohio. He entered some land and built a rude log cabin, which had no door. He had one bed, and a trundle bed, in which the chil- dren slept. At one side of the room was an
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old-fashioned fire-place; one night a panther entered the room, and after lying down at the fire-place for a short time, got up. walked over to the trundle bed and. after sniffing at the sleeping children, started to leave the room. By this time, Mr. Lottridge was thoroughly awakened, and snatching a fire brand, he hurled it at the panther's head. The aim was not amiss, and the panther, with a howl of rage. leaped from the room, and out into the dark- ness of the night. Mr. Lottridge married Abi- gail Bull, and both died in Athens county, Ohio, in the early "forties."
Thomas Lottridge was born in Carthage township, Athens county, Ohio. He was reared on his father's farm. He removed to Hocking county, and located near Logan, where he com- menced farming for himself. In 1855, he re- moved to Polk township, Wapello county, Iowa, where he had entered a farm, in 1849. and there he spent the remainder of his days. His death took place in 1880. He married Catherine Donahugh. To them were born the following children: Esther (Green) of Mis- souri : Leander, who died in Center township in 1803: George D., the subject of this sketch : William, who was in the government service as a wagon master, and died at Nebraska City. while freighting across the plains: John, who is a railroad man: B. B .. who died in June. 1901: Eliza ( Barrows). of Missouri : and W. D., of Ottumwa, who is engaged in a meat market. .
George D. Lottridge was reared and schooled in Athens and Hocking counties, Ohio. When he was seventeen years old. his
parents removed to Wapello county, where he learned the trade of a carpenter. This he fol- lowed, in connection with farming, all his life. In April. 1861. he enlisted in an Iowa regiment, but as this was the first call for volunteers, the regiment was full, and he was obliged to wait for the second call, when he enlisted for three years in Company K. Second Regiment Iowa Volunteer Infantry, at Keokuk, Iowa. He was in the Army of the Tennessee, and took part in the battles of Shiloh, Donelson, and other engagements up to the evacuation of Corinth. lle also served three months in the Invalid Corps, and had some very narrow escapes dur- ing his career as a soldier. He was mustered out at Davenport, Iowa, in June, 1864, after which he returned to Ottumwa.
Mr. Lottridge bought a farm of forty-one acres, in Center township. in 1873. There he has carried on farming ever since. He has been engaged in raising poultry, and has also been interested in bee culture. He is a con- scientious farmer, and is identified with all the prominent enterprises which have been under- taken in Wapello county.
Mr. Lottridge was united in marriage with Josephine Dunkle. in Columbia township. in 1866. She was born in Ohio and was a daugh- ter of Benjamin and Rachel Dunkle. They were natives of Vinton county, Ohio, and set- tled in Columbia township. Wapello county, Towa, and later moved to Blue Springs, Ne- braska, where the mother died. May 9. 1901. The father still lives in Nebraska. Mr. and Mrs. Lottridge have been the parents of nine children, namely : Anna ( Roberts), of Wood-
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burn, Oregon; Philetta, who married J. Stan- cer, of Ottumwa; Sarah ( Baucus), of Ottum- wa; George; Thomas; Charles; Bertha May, wife of W. H. Israel, of Des Moines, Iowa; Lillian M. ; and Maurice.
Mr. Lottridge is a Republican, in politics, and takes an active interest in local politics. He served as trustee of his township for a period of twelve years. He has been a member of Cloutman Post, No. 69, G. A. R., of Ottum- wa. He is a member of the Methodist church on Willard street, in South Ottumwa. There is no man in Wapello county who is held in higher esteem than Mr. Lottridge, and his friends in the county are legion.
R )BERT PORTER, who has been lo- cated at Ottumwa, lowa, since 1857. is a member of the firm .of Porter Brothers & Hackworth, wholesale and retail harness dealers, who manufacture their own goods. This establishment is one of the oldest business houses in the city, and is in ex- cellent financial condition,
Nir. Porter was born near Connellsville, Fayette county. Pennsylvania, in 1834, and at the age of twenty years had completed his ap- prenticeship as a harnessmaker. He then went to Virginia, where he spent three years prior to locating in Ottumwa. Here he followed his trade in the employ of different parties, and in 1859 started a retail store for himself on the second lot east of his present location. Some years later, he located on the corner of Main
and Market streets, where the Ottumwa Na- tional Bank now stands. His establishment was burned in 1867, and in 1868 he erected his present building at No. 104 East Main street ; it is 140 by 125 feet, in dimensions, consists of three stories and basement, and was one of the first buildings of brick built in the city. The firm did business under the style of Cope & Porter, and was dissolved in 1872. The firm of Porter Brothers & Hackworth was then formed, with Robert Porter as manager. They manufacture harness and make a specialty of collars (on which Mr. Porter has a valuable patent )-particularly, high grade buggy har- ness collars, some run in price as high as $65 per pair. From 25 to 40 men work in the plant and four traveling representatives are em- ployed, covering a large territory, including Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Ne- braska, the Dakotas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and lowa. Mr. Porter has also shipped some patent collars to Alaska. He has several other valuable patents on harness, and the firm carries by far the heaviest stock of any firm in the county, rang- ing from $100,000 to $185,000. Mr. Porter also has a medicine which he guarantees as a positive cure for diabetes. or kidney trouble. It has had an extensive sale, and first-class testi- monials have been received from over all the country.
Mr. Porter was united in marriage with Mary J. Hackworth, and they have five chil- dren: Clarence, who is in the store, married Miss Smith, and has two children : George E., who travels, married Miss Kirkpatrick, a
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daughter of Samuel Kirkpatrick: Lettie M. : Edith S., and Worth. Politically, Mr. Porter is a Republican. lle is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. He has a very pleasant home at No. 506 West Fifth street.
L. KING is superintendent of the King Horseshoeing Company and is engaged in developing and per- fecting a cushion horseshoe, which bids fair to revolutionize the horseshoe busi- ness. He has followed this line of work all his life, and has met with much success. He was born in Wales, April 20. 1861, and is a son of J. L. and Ann King, who at the time of his birth resided in a town called Black Woods, in Wales.
J. L. King came to this country and lo- cated at Peoria. Illinois, where he entered the boot and shoe business in 1866. He later en- gaged in the manufacture of shoes and em- ployed some 15 or 20 workmen. Owing to failing health, however, he removed to Fair- field. Iowa, in 1880, where he also conducted a boot and shoe business for several years. In 1887. while on a visit to Benkleman, Ne- braska. he was taken sick and died at the age of sixty-seven years. He was a Republican in politics, and served in some minor offices, such as justice of the peace. His widow now resides at Peoria, Illinois. They reared two sons, George L., a business man of Benkelman,
Nebraska: and W. 1 ... the subject of this bi- ography.
W. L. King attended the schools of Peoria and helped his father some in the shop, and at the age of fifteen years left home and spent some years in travel. He had learned the blacksmith and horseshoeing trade when very young, and as a journeyman followed it dur- ing his travels, which extended over a large number of the Western States. At Florence, Nebraska, he had charge of a shop in railroad work, for one year, but ow- ing to an accident, which did not re- sult in any serious injury to him, he started for home. The train on which he was a pas- senger was wrecked at Agency, Wapello coun- ty. Iowa, causing a long delay, so he rode to Ottumwa on a switch engine. He arrived here at 10 o'clock in the morning, began work at noon, and has since made his home in this city. He first worked for Keister & Bowers, and later, for Mr. Keister in his shop near the river. For the past ten or twelve years, he has been engaged in business for himself. He first opened a shop where the Y. M. C. A. building now stands, on Second street, and was in partnership with W. A. Welk for two years. He next opened a shoeing shop on Green street, from which he moved to the corner of Main and Wapello streets, where he bought the shop of Henry Williams. After conducting this establishment about a year, he was burned out and purchased another shop in the vicinity, which he soon after sold to Charles Aldrich, and quit the business for a
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time. He next had charge of the Belmont shoeing shop for several years, after which he moved to his present location at 219 South Jefferson street. Since 1895, he has worked hard in devising and perfecting a cushion horseshoe, and some months since organized a company under the name of the King Horse- shoeing Company, to develop the invention. It is well covered with patents and, when com- pletely developed and provided with noiseless corks, bids fair to revolutionize horseshoeing. He has also a patent material to be used for corks which will be more serviceable and less expensive than rubber. The shop, 66 by 24 feet in dimensions, is built of brick. Mr. King has expended much time and labor on this in- vention, and feels that success will reward his efforts in the near future. It is a very ingen- ions device. the felt padding fitting the grooves in the shoe. and coming in direct contact with the hoof, thus forming a cushion and pre- venting horses from becoming footsore or be- ing troubled with corns. The officers of the company are Dr. L. J. Baker, president ; Dr. M. Bannister, treasurer ; R. E. Hull, secretary ; and W. L. King, superintendent.
Mr. King was united in marriage with Elizabeth Johnson, who was born in Wapello county, Iowa, and is a daughter of William and Hannah Johnson. They are the parents of three children: John L., Clarence L. and Lucy. Fraternally, Mr. King is a member of the Woodmen of the World, and the Knights of the Maccabees. Religiously, he is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
E. FORD, who comes of a promi- nent old family of Wapello county, Iowa, is engaged in the harness-mak- ing business at Ottumwa, in partner- ship with W. H. Boston. He was born in this county, November 19, 1850, and is a son of John and Hannah (Leonard) Ford.
John Ford was born in Onondaga county, New York, August 30, 1817, and was a son of Ephraim Ford. The latter was born in 1779 and was of Scotch parentage. He was a farm- er by occupation and followed that calling all his life, acquiring a fine estate which he wrested from an unbroken wilderness. He died Febru- ary 17, 1831, and his widow died in July of the same year. In ISI0. he was united in marriage with Jane Lyons in Onondaga county, New York. She was of Dutch extraction and was born in New York state. in 1783. They reared and schooled the fol- lowing children: Martha, who married Morgan Hnelett; Lucinda, wife of Wyman Huelett ; Ephraim, who married Lucinda Rich, all of New York state; John, father of C. E .; Jeremiah, who died at the age of eleven years : Betsey, wife of Charles Bishop. of New York state ; Harley, who married Catherine Bennett, of Michigan; Merritt, who married Margaret MeNett, of Iowa : and Juliet, who married Syl- vester Warner and lived near Ottumwa, Iowa. In political views, Ephraim Ford was a Jeffer- sonian Democrat ; he cast his first vote in 1808. and his last for Jackson. in 1828.
John Ford. father of C. E., received a com- mon school education in the old log school-
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houses characteristic of that period. In 1831 he moved with his family to Cattaraugus coun- ty. New York, on what was called the "New Holland Purchase." The father died on Feb- ruary I7, and the mother in July, shortly after locating there, leaving a large family of or- phans, only one of the children being married. John Ford was fourteen years of age when his parents died and he went to live with a gentle- man by the name of Jonathan Palmer, with whom he remained for about six years. He was treated with kindly consideration by this family, but, realizing the inability of his em- ployer to pay him the $100 agreed upon, when he should become of age, he left before it fell due. At the age of twenty years he began work- ing at the blacksmith trade, and followed it from spring until the following January. In 1837 occurred the McKinzie trouble in Can- ada. A man bearing that name, with his friends and followers, took possession of Navy Island, and the subsequent proceedings are a matter of history. Colonel Applegate, of Buf- falo, who owned a small steamer, the "Caro- line," took a few sight-seers down to the Island, tying up at Slusher for the night. That night a British officer named McCloud and a few soldiers came over from Canada and killed all on board the steamer, which they set on fire and sent over the Falls. This inhuman act created tremendous excitement, and many volunteered to take up arms against the perpetrators of the crime. About the last of December, about two thousand men gathered on the Island, equipped with 30 brass cannons, and among this number was Mr. Ford. After being there two weeks,
they disbanded with the declared intention of joining a gathering near Detroit. Mr. Ford became a member of what was called the Marching Rifle Company, composed of 150 men, which took possession of Point Pelee Island, a Canadian possession, seven miles from their shore. They were there about five days when General McKnat sent over 1,500 soldiers to effect their capture. They arrived early one Sunday morning, and the force were divided, half of it swinging to the north end of the Island and the remainder being stationed 60 rods from shore to prevent escape to Cunning- ham Island, which belonged to the United States. The Marching Rifle Company had only 12 rounds of ammunition, but every man was spoiling for a fight. They marched out in a long line, being placed some three feet apart, and when 75 or 100 yards away, the enemy opened fire on them. Dropping on one knee. the company fired their 12 rounds with amazing rapidity and accuracy, and while the fight was in progress the baggage was taken away. After the ammunition had given out they beat a hasty retreat to the point of the Island, narrowly missing the other half of the enemy's forces. They were not followed in their retreat. as the opposing force had received a severe blow, and presumably because they thought the Ameri- cans would be reinforced. Eleven of the brave members of the company, including Major Hoadley and Captain Van Rensselaer, gave up their lives in the fight, while the enemy, as after- wards ascertained, lost 100 in killed. A cir- cuitons route was pursued back to the peninsula opposite Sandusky City, where the Marching
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Rifle Company was disbanded. John Ford, ac- companied by James Scott, went to Michigan, and hired to James Stewart, who was running a country dry goods store in connection with a large farm in Hillsdale county. He was to re- ceive $15 per month for his work on the farm, and at the expiration of six months $80 was due him. There was no money with which to pay him but "red-dog" or "wildcat" money, which was good only in that state. Hle and an- other young man wished to go to Elkhart, In- diana, so the best thing to do was to spend the money for clothing. He purchased a suit, hat, boots, and underwear and started with $78.00 worth of clothing on him. He and Derial Brown, who had relatives in Elkhart, started for that city October I, at two o'clock in the morning, from a point seven miles east of Jonesville, and arrived at White Pigeon about six o'clock P. M., having walked a distance of 52 miles. They stopped at a hotel, paying therefor in "sandstone" money.
Upon arriving at Elkhart, Mr. Ford hired out on a farm at $12.50 per month, and lived at Elkhart and in the vicinity until the fall of 1842, doing farming and job work during warm weather, and chopping in winter time. Ile formed an acquaintance with James Comp- ton, whose son James was studying medicine with a Dr. Miles at Farmington, Van Buren county, Iowa. He wished to go to Iowa and see his son and Mr. Ford wished to view the "New Purchase."
Rigging up a team and a light, covered wagon, they started for Iowa in October. 1842. and arrived at Farmington, on the Des Moines '
River, just fourteen days later. Dr. James Compton, Jr., wished to take a claim in the "New Purchase," and the three men established headquarters at Bonaparte, where they sold the team, as there were no roads and it could not be used. The United States government was to pay $1,000,000 to the Indians for the right and title to this land, and in the contract the Indians were given the right to remain until the fall of 1843; but the white settlers took possession May 1, 1843. As the Indians were too shiftless and lazy to hunt, they as well as the white men had to depend upon the Old Purchase for provisions. MIr. Ford and his companions concluded to build a keel-boat, load it with provisions for themselves, and others who wished to buy, as there remained five months before the opening. The boat con- structed was 36 feet long and eight feet in the bulge, having a capacity of about 10 tons. Mr. Ford established a claim, in April, two and a half miles above the present city of Ottumwa, in a timber bottom on the south bank of the Des Moines River, James Compton, Sr., tak- ing the claim adjoining on the west, and Dr. Compton, the claim that afterwards became the John Overman farm. He built a cabin and had it completed by the first of May, then blazed and staked out the claim. as the law re- quired. He then with his companions built a raft and returned to the starting point, loading the boat with 25 barrels of flour. 40 bushels of corn-meal, 1,000 pounds of bacon, two caddies of tobacco, and a few bolts of prints. They started for the new Eldorado with cleated run- ning boards and two poles, on each side. They
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crept up the river at the rate of from 15 to 20 miles per day, and at a little town called Phila- delphia took on Paul C. Jeffries and his family, landing them at the mouth of Sugar Creek, at the Ewing trading post. Mr. Jeffries after- wards became the proprietor of the property included in the original site of Ottumwa. The main channel of the river then ran on the south side of Appanoose Island, there being only nar- row rapids where the main channel is now. The place where Ottumwa now stands was a scattered timber tract with a wilderness of undergrowth and grass, and it looked like any- ' thing but a town site. The boat was landed at Mr. Ford's cabin on May 24, and by June 1, everything was in good order. Where the cabin was located, the Indians had for years camp. One of them had 10 or 12 scalps tied to his belt, two of these being exceedingly fresh, and looking as if they had been "lifted" within a week. They had been at war with the Sioux tribe for years, but were not strong enough to seek a general battle, and so killed each other as the opportunity was offered. The Indians had a strange and novel mode of burial. The dead was buried close to the surface of the ground, in which pickets were stuck about the grave, and tied together at the top by grape vines. The chiefs and braves had a post placed at the head of the graves, with rings painted around it, each ring to denote a man killed. In coming up the river. Mr. Ford saw a dead Indian in a sitting posture between the roots of a cottonwood tree, apparently looking out had their winter camping ground, and had cut , over the river. In another instance, a child down most of the small timber on a few acres, was put into a trough, a lid being tied on with bark, and placed in a tree about 30 feet from the ground. Hundreds were buried where the town of Richmond now stands. and many on the river near Mr. Ford's claim, at a point on Bear Creek, near the Overman place. After the flood of 1851. Mr. Ford found 10 skulls that had been washed on his claim and lodged in a drift. Ile picked up a jaw and thigh bone, which must have belonged to a giant equal in size to one of those mentioned in the Scrip- tures. lle could easily slip the jaw-bone over his own. the inside measuring more than the outside of his jaw. The thigh-bone, from hip to knee, was three or four inches longer than that of an ordinary large man. Mr. Ford has also found many interesting Indian curios, one of which, a medal about the size of a to browse their ponies, and it was only neces- sary to burn off the underbrush and deaden the large trees, to plant a crop. After June 1, Mr. Ford cleared about two acres, unassisted, and then made rails and fenced the land, which he planted to corn. Dr. Compton had broken five acres of his claim, but had to go to Elkhart. Indiana, on business, and lost his claim. The Indians, being more numerous than the whites at that time, were Mr. Ford's best customers, and came in crowds for provisions. Chief Ap- panoose and two of Black Hawk's nephews also came; they were large, dark Indians, six feet three inches tall. One day in July, two Indians came to the cabin, having come down the river in a bark canoe, which they presented to Mr. Ford, as they wished to join those in
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saucer and as thick as a silver dollar, was plowed up. The figure of a bear was carved on it, and it was made of a metal which, when rubbed, became as bright as silver. Game of most kinds was very plentiful, including deer. turkeys, chickens. timber and prairie wolves, wild cats and, now and then, a panther. Mr. Ford's dog, at one time, struck the trail of three wild cats, and he followed them up and shot all of them. Like the black bear, they could he treed by any dog, although they could have killed the dog without an effort. Mr. Compton's health began to fail in the sum- mer, and by October he was unable to do any work on his claim, which he turned over 10 Jink Vassar, the owner of the present site of Richmond. Mr. Vassar took Mr. Compton on October 10 to Farmington, lowa. and placed him with a nephew living there, in or- der that he might get better medical attention. but it proved of no avail, and he died the fol- l wing winter.
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