Memorial and biographical record of Iowa, Part 168

Author:
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1360

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Politically, Mr. Holmes was until recently identified with the Republican party, but on becoming intensely interested in the temper- ance question gave his support to the Prohibi- tion party, for the success of which he now earnestly labors. For a long time he has been president of the County Temperance Alliance. He has never been an office-seeker, nor has he ever held elective office, but was for twelve consecutive terms appointed United States Commissioner, which position he filled most acceptably, his last term expiring in 1880. Religiously, his creed is that of the Presby- terians, and both in church and Sabbath-school he is an active worker. He contributes liber- ally to religious and educational institutions. For ten years he has been a trustee of Tabor College, and is also a life member of the American Sunday-school Union.

Mr. Holmes is a son of James Holmes, who was born near Manchester, England. The latter was a silk-weaver by trade, emigrated to the United States in 1839, and took up his abode in Putnam county, Illinois, and thirteen years later removed to La Salle county, settling twelve miles south of Peru, where he improved a farm of 320 acres. He died in 1879, at the age of seventy-three years. He and his wife, whose maiden name was Hannah Mort, were the parents of two children: Thomas, a resi- dent of Los Angeles, California; and Samuel. Also they had an adopted son, John Holmes,

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who is now a resident of Page county, Iowa. The mother died in 1863.

Samuel Holmes was married in 1864 to Miss Sarah B. Hewitt; daughter of David Hewitt, a pioneer of Illinois, who had moved to that State from near Pittsburg, Pennsyl- vania. The children of this union are as fol- lows: A. Lincoln, born in 1865; William T., 1870; Mary E., 1872; Jesse G., 1876; Samuel Arthur, 1884; and Sarah M., 1886.

RS. LAURA C. CREIGHTON, Iowa State Librarian, is a de- servedly popular lady and one in every way fitted for the important position she holds.

Mrs. Creighton is a native of Wright county, Missouri, her birthplace being near the town of Hartville. Her parents were Alexan- der McF. and Sarah J. (Young) Hudson, who were natives respectively of Delaware and Mississippi. In their family were five children, four daughters and a son, of whom four are now living, namely: Laura C., whose name heads this article; Helena S., wife of Dr. G. W. Williams, of Pittsburg, Kansas; Lulu E., wife of Harvey Benner, also of Pittsburg, Kansas; and Alexander C. Florabelle, their third born, died at the age of three years. Mr. Hudson was a practicing lawyer of Lebanon, Missouri, and was also the editor of a paper at that place, the only Republican paper then issued in southwest Missouri. He was a strong Republican, and was a personal friend of President Lincoln, and was the only man in Laclede county who voted for Lincoln. He was fearless in contending for his convictions and therby incurred the enmity of those who differed from him politically. He was mur- dered in 1863 by bushwhackers, at the time of his death being forty-three years of age. His widow survived him seven years, her death oc- curring at the age of forty-two. Both were deeply pious and were members of the Meth- odist Church. William Wilson Hudson, the paternal grandfather of Mrs. Creighton, was a

descendant of Henry Hudson, the explorer of the Hudson river. He lived in Delaware many years, from there mnoved to Maryland, and about 1858 came west, intending to settle in Missouri, but died shortly after his arrival there. He was married three times and was the father of a large family. He was a de- voted Christian and a member of the Method- ist Church. Mrs. Creighton's maternal grand- father was James Young. He married a Miss Evelyn Young, who, however, was not related to himn. She was the daughter of Peter and Sarah Young, was a native of Ireland, and was kidnapped and brought from the Emerald Isle to America when about fifteen years old. James Young was a native of Scotland. On coming to this country he located in Missis- sippi where he became a wealthy planter and owned a large number of slaves. Personally, he was a man of fine physique and strong con- victions, and was often appealed to for the arbitration of disputes among his neighbors, his decisions ever being regarded as good as law. While paring peaches he received a slight cut from his knife, which resulted in blood poison and caused his death when he was aged sixty- five years. His religion was that of the Baptists.

Mrs. Creighton was raised in Laclede county, Missouri, and received her education in the Laclede County Academy. She was married April 14, 1868, to Colonel James Hewitt Creighton, son of James and Elizabeth (Sidell) Creighton, his birthplace being near Canton, Ohio. Seven children were born to them, two daughters and five sons, namely: Carl Hudson, Abilena, Harold Sidell, Hugh McMahon, Pansy, James Edwin, and one, a twin of Abilena, that died at birth. Carl Hud- son died about the time he attained his major- ity, and little Pansy was called home at the early age of ten months.

Colonel Creighton is a graduate of Mt. Union College, class of 1859, and of the Ohio State Union Law School, class of 1861. Even before the school closed he enlisted as a pri- vate and served in the army until the close of

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the war, and was mustered out as Lieutenant Colonel, at Springfield, Missouri, where he im- mediately entered upon the practice of law. He declined a commission as Judge tendered him by Governor Fletcher for the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, but accepted the office of Cir- cuit Attorney of the Fourteenth Circuit. He was Mayor of the city of Springfield two terms, was a delegate to the national Republican con- vention at Chicago in 1868, and held the dele- gation to Ben Wade for vice president with but one exception to the last. Declining health and loss of eyesight have greatly retarded his success and progress in life for the last twenty years. He was the choice of his county for State Senator in 1883, and still takes an active interest in politics and the cause of temperance and education.

Mrs. Creighton is a woman of more than ordinary business ability. In her early life, while residing at Lebanon, Missouri, she served two years as Postmistress. In 1892, she hav- ing been elected State Treasurer of the Wom- an's Relief Corps of Iowa, the family removed to Des Moines, where they have since main- tained their residence, their home being at No. 627 West Third street. May 1, 1894, Mrs. Creighton received an appointment to the of- fice of State Librarian from Governor Jackson, and June I of the same year entered upon the duties of this position, the termi being two years. Here, as in other positions which she has filled, her services are characterized by promptness and fidelity, and she has gained a wide popularity.

LEXANDER JOHN, a prominent farmer and stock-raiser of Taylor county, Iowa, was born in Clinton county, Indiana, May 4, 1841. His father, Samuel P. John, was born in 1801, and was a pioneer in Indiana, his death occur- ring in that State in 1847. He was united in marriage with Sarah Yount, and their surviv- ing children are: Mrs. H. W. Jones, of Taylor county; Mrs. W. A. Smith, of Rossville, Indi-

ana; Alexander, the subject of this sketch; and Mrs. C. C. Mohler, also of this county.

Alexander John located in Clayton town- ship, Taylor county, Iowa, in 1855, and from that time until 187 1 followed agricultural pur- suits, barring the three years he was in the army. In 1862 he joined Company F, Twenty- ninth Iowa Infantry, as a private, under Colonel Thomas H. Benton, and was mustered into service at Council Bluffs. The regiment went to St. Louis and Helena, Arkansas, participa- ting in the battle at the latter place July 4, and was then in and around Little Rock until the last year of the war, when it took part in two engagements in Alabaına. Mr. John went thence to Texas, at the mouth of the Rio Grande, returned to New Orleans, and a few months later was mustered out at Davenport, in the fall of 1865.

He now owns a quarter section of well im- proved land adjoining the city limits, where he is enjoying the comforts of life. In 1873 he became interested in the grain business, with A. C. Shoemaker as the active partner, and they continued in that trade four years. Mr. John is now, and has been for fifteen years, actively engaged in breeding short-horn cattle and Poland-China swine.

In the fall of 1870 Mr. John was elected on the Republican ticket as Clerk of the Court, taking charge of the office in January, 1871. In the fall of 1873 he was elected County Treas- urer, on the " Granger " ticket, was re-elected in 1875, and in 1884 was elected to fill a vacancy in that office, caused by the suspen- sion of Treasurer King. In 1884 Mr. John be- came identified with the Democratic party, and is now the nominee of his party for Repre- sentative.

In Henderson county, Illinois, in 1866, Mr. John was. united in marriage with Miss E. J. Shoemaker. To this union have been born the following children: Mrs. E. C. Dowlin, of Bedford; Mrs. John F. Kieffer; Frank, who married Miss Zetta Kieffer; and Grace and Sue. Mr. John is a member of the Baptist Church.

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a C. NESSELROAD, whose post- office address is Wichita, Iowa, is one of the prominent farmers of Guthrie county, where he has resided for nearly forty years.

Mr. Nesselroad dates his birth in Morgan county, Ohio, February 10, 1832, son of John Nesselroad and grandson of Christopher Nes- selroad, the former a native of Ohio and the latter of Virginia, their remote ancestry being among the nobility of Russia. John Nessel- road was reared in Morgan and Washington counties, Ohio, and in the former county was united in marriage to Miss Jane Grimes, a na- tive of Ohio and a daughter of Matthew Grines, who was a son of Irish parents. John and Jane Nesselroad became the parents of the following named children: David, Mat- thew, C. C., Lawrence, John C., Jasper, Mar- garet, Newton, Washington, John and Mar- tha J. Of this number Lawrence, John C. and Martha J. are deceased. Jasper has at- tained prominence as an educator. The mother died in Noble county, Ohio, at the age of seventy-four years, and the father passed away at the same place when in his eighty- ninth year. Both were members of the Pres- byterian Church, and his political affiliations were with the Democratic party.

We come now to the immediate subject of this sketch, C. C. Nesselroad. He was reared on his father's farm in Noble county, Ohio, attending the district schools in winter and working on the farm in summer, and remain- ing a member of the home circle until 1857. That year he removed to Iowa and located in Guthrie county, settling upon a tract of wild land, to the cultivation and improvement of which he devoted his energies. On this land he built a little cottage, 18 x20 feet in dimen- sions, which is now used as a Methodist Epis- copal parsonage. As he was prospered in his operations he acquired other lands until now his farm comprises 340 acres, which is well improved with good buildings, fences, etc. His present residence, 28 x30 feet, and two stories, is pleasantly located and surrounded

by orchard and grove of ten acres. He has two large barns, each 28 x 40 feet in dimen- sions, thus affording ample capacity for the storage of his grain and the shelter of his stock, among the latter being the best breeds of shorthorn cattle and Poland-China hogs.

Mr. Nesselroad was married May 18, 1859, to Miss Lavinia Ivers, a native of Muskingum county, Ohio, and a daughter of Eli D. Ivers, who was born in Muskingum county, Ohio, and who came with his family to Iowa in 1857, settling in Seeley township, Guthrie county. He was by trade a carpenter and millwright, and soon after his arrival here he built a saw- mill on South Coon creek. He died in 1859. Mrs. Nesselroad's mother was before her mar- riage Miss Martha Grimes. She was born in Maryland, and died in Iowa, at the age of sixty-nine years. Following are the members composing the Ivers family: Mathew, de- ceased; William, a teacher and merchant of Casey, Iowa; Lawrence, Lavinia, Alvira, John, Ann, James and Jane. Both Mr. and Mrs. Ivers were active and consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. and Mrs. Nesselroad have had the following named chil- dren: Jennie, who is married; E. S., Post- master of Guthrie Center, Iowa; Lawrence, at home; George W., who died at the age of thirteen years; Clara Belle, wife of Isaac Mann, Postmaster of Wichita, Iowa; John W., Guth- rie Center; and Charles W., who died in in- fancy. All have had good educational advan- tages and two have been engaged in teaching.

During his residence here Mr. Nesselroad has at different times filled several local offices. He has been Postmaster, Justice of the Peace, and for nine years served as a member of the High School Board. Both he and his wife are active members of the Methodist Episcopal Church and are among its leading supporters. He is also identified with Orange Lodge, of Guthrie Center. During the Civil war Mr. Nesselroad entered the Union ranks and made an honorable record as a brave, true soldier. He enlisted in December, 1863, in Company I, Twenty-ninth Iowa Infantry, joined his regi-

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ment at Little Rock, Arkansas, and was a participant in the following named battles: Prarie de Ann, Saline river, Little Rock, Spanish Fort and Fort Blakely and Jenkins' Ferry; and at the close of the war he received an honorable discharge, at New Orleans. His political affiliations have ever since been with the Republican party.

ILLIAM CHAMBERLAIN is the senior member of the firm of Cham- berlain & Roland, proprietors of the largest general mercantile establish- ment in Dexter. England's historian has said that the history of a community is best told in the lives of its citizens, and the business record of Dexter will certainly be incomplete without the mention of this gentleman. He was born on the 23d of July, 1841, in Salisbury, Massa- chusetts, and was the youngest of seven chil- dren born to Schuyler and Eliza (Scott) Cham- berlain, who were natives of the Green Moun- tain State. His father was bound out at the early age of six years, and when old enough was apprenticed to a saddler, learning the trade. He then opened a shop; but, soon feel- ing that his services were needed in the work of the ministry, he prepared himself for that work while yet a young man. As a preacher of the Methodist Church he filled various pul- pits in New Hampshire, Vermont and Massa- chusetts, devoting his entire life to the aid of his fellow men. He passed away in 1862, and his death was widely mourned, for he had made many warm friends in the communities in which he lived.

Under the parental roof William Chamber- lain was reared, continuing at home until after the breaking out of the Civil war. When his country became imperiled and called for the support of all her loyal sons, he responded, and on the IIth of August, 1862, enrolled his name among the members of Company I, First Vermont Cavalry. He served as bugler of the company for a time and later was made Quar- termaster Sergeant. For three years he was

in active service, under the command of Gen- erals Sheridan, Kilpatrick and Custer, and was only one day in the hospital, and that after the war was over. He loyally followed the old flag until hostilities had ceased, when on the 21st of June, 1865, he was mustered out in Burlington, Vermont.

On receiving his discharge Mr. Chamber- lain joined his brother Charles on the home farm in Craftsbury, Vermont, which had been cleared from the forest by their father.

January 1, 1867, he married Miss Eliza C. Hastings, oldest daughter of William J. Hast- ings, one of the early settlers of Craftsbury.

Mr. Chamberlain soon bought Mr. Hast- ings' home farm in Black river valley, where he remained until 1876, when he rented his farm and entered a store as clerk at Craftsbury village. In 1879 he moved with his family to Des Moines, Iowa, where he was employed as clerk by Osgood, Harris & Company. In 1881 he moved to Dexter and entered the general merchandise business on his own account, where he still remains. Here he buried his wife, December 14, 1882, who died leaving one child, Fred H. The son has since graduated as a civil engineer at the State University at Iowa City, and also at the theological school at Evanston, Illinois. He is now an ordained minister, residing in the State of Washington.

Mr. Chamberlain was married the second time July 30, 1884, to Miss Flora G. Williams, by whom he has one daughter, Julia M., born April 9, 1886.

In politics Mr. Chamberlain has always been a Republican, and in religion a Methodist, taking an active interest in all church work.

B RYNILD ANUNDSEN .- In her life of Theodore Fliedner, founder of Kaiserswerth, Eleonora Kinnicutt says: "The story of a human life, of small beginnings and great achievements, often possesses a charm greater than fiction. The real, when it includes the ideal, not only accomplishes its own purpose, but creates pur-

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pose in others; and especially to men and women struggling toward difficult goals does the story of a successful life-successful in the sense of aims attained-give encouragement and cheer." Such a life pre-eminently is that of the subject of this sketch.

Brynild Anundsen was born in the suburbs of the city of Skien, Norway, December 29, 1844, his parents being Anund and Maren (Amundsen) Brynildsen. The accident of his birth just without the city limits deprived him of the advantages to be derived from the schools of Skien. His father, not being able to purchase city school privileges, was obliged to send his son two miles or more into the country to attend a semi-religious school, which was held by turns at the neighbors' houses. This was all the schooling Mr. Anund- sen obtained, and the knowledge received amounted to little more than learning to read and write.

The father of our subject was both a shoe- maker and a stone-mason, but gave the most of his time to the latter trade, and during his youth the son worked with the father. When not in school or helping his father, the boy Anundsen was working in a cigar factory, or about sawmills and at whatever he could find to do.

An epoch in the life of our subject oc- curred in 1859, when he entered the printing department of the " Correspondenten," a paper published at Skien, Norway, and there learned the trade of compositor. In the summers of 1862 and 1863, he worked as a sailor on board a vessel which plied between Norway and England; but this life was entirely foreign to his tastes, and after the two seasons he abandoned it.

America, as a land where superior advan- tages were offered to the ambitious and indus- trious man, had always occupied a prominent place in Mr. Anundsen's plan of life from boy- hood, and he looked longingly forward to the time when he could make his home in this country. It finally came in 1864, when, in June of that year, he landed in Quebec. Up

to this time in the life of our subject all his earnings had gone to his father, and now the father paid the passage from Norway to Que- bec, but could provide his son with no extra money. On landing at Quebec Mr. Anundsen found that his cash amounted to just "two big copper cents," as he expresses it. He ob- tained work at once in helping to load the vessel on which he came over, for the return voyage, and this gave him cash enough to pay his way to Milwaukee. There he accepted work on one of the lake boats, but, his old dislike for the water arising, he held the job for three days only. He then went to Rolling Prairie, Dodge county, Wisconsin, and spent two months working on a farm. August I, 1864, he began work as a compositor on the Faedrelandet (Fatherland), a Norwegian paper published at La Crosse, Wisconsin.

In January, 1865, Mr. Anundsen enlisted in Company A, Twenty-second Wisconsin Vol- unteer Infantry, was sent to Madison, Wiscon- sin, where he did guard duty till the close of the war, and was mustered out July 3, 1865.

Our subject's career as a publisher began in October, 1866, when he started the Ved Arnen (By the Fireside) at La Crosse, Wiscon- sin. This was the first Norwegian literary publication in the United States. It is issued monthly, sold at $1 per annum, and publishes "novels, stories, poems, etc., by the best authors." The first few issues appeared from the Faedrelandet office, Mr. Anundsen work- ing at the case in this office in the daytime and doing the work on Ved Arnen at night. He soon threw up his job with the Faedre- landet and started an office of his own, buying a second-hand Army press of Mons Anderson, of La Crosse. The paper was small, but the Army press was so much smaller that but two pages could be printed at an impression, there- by making four impressions necessary to every sheet. The printing office was in the garret of the two-room house in which Mr. Anundsen lived. and the garret was so small that the publisher of the Ved Arnen could stand upright only under the gable! Here the type was set

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in the daytime, but the printing had to be done at night, because the garret was so warm that the rollers melted and could be used only after the sun went down ! During these months of struggle the printer's faithful wife aided in keeping the wolf from the door by knitting and selling babies' jackets, and the money so ob- tained was often used in buying blank paper.

At the end of the first year there was a sub- scription list of about 700, but the subscribers paying up were not numerous. Mr. Anundsen now advertised that the paper would be greatly enlarged and improved, and in order to get cash for purchasing new type for borders and a few fancy type, he worked two weeks on the public highway, as a laborer, receiving $18 cash for his services. The paper came out as promised, and was published at La Crosse till December, 1867, when the plant was moved to Decorah, Iowa. The removal of Mr. Anundsen to Decorah was occasioned by the fact that he had secured the contract for the church printing of the Norwegian Lutheran Synod, including the publication of the Kirke- lig Maanedstidende, the official organ of the church, formerly published at Madison, Wis- consin. He also conducted a book bindery in this connection, but discontinued it in 1871. He continued to do the printing for the church until it established a plant of its own in 1875. The Ved Arnen had never been a paying in- vestment, and was kept alive by the proprietor more from a sense of pride than for any other reason. Mr. Anundsen found it impossible to do this indefinitely, however, and the publi- cation was discontinued in December, 1870.

In the same year the Fra Fjae-ent og Naer was started, but shortly afterward abandoned. For the next three years Mr. Anundsen gave his entire attention to the church printing.

We now come to another epoch in Mr. Anundsen's career, the starting of the Decorah Posten, the most widely read Norwegian paper in the world. When the first issue of the Posten appeared, September 18, 1874, the en- tire worldly possessions of our subject did not amount to over $500. It was printed on a

power press, which was purchased on the in- stallment plan, the first payment not having yet been made. It was a five-column, four- page sheet, 12x18 inches; was issued weekly and sold for. 50 cents per annum. It was started as a local publication, but at the end of the first month the subscription reached 1,200, and it was seen that it was destined to have something more than a home circula- tion. At the end of the year the paper was increased to a six-column sheet, 22x32 inches, and the price raised to $1 per annumn. In 1876 it increased to 24x36 inches, in 1877 to 24x38, and in 1878 to 29x40 inches, the sub- scription remaining the same. December 4, 1894, it began to be issued semi-weekly, and

is now an eight-column, eight-page sheet, 20x24 inches, and is published Tuesdays and Fridays.

In 1882 Ved Arnen was revived. It is now published every Tuesday and sent as a supple- ment to the Posten, the price of the two being $1.25. In addition to this, a premium book is issued in the fall of each year and sent gratis to subscribers. Mr. Anundsen moved into his present quarters in January, 1888, having pur- chased the building, a large two-story brick, of Henry Paine. The paper is printed on a Scott Perfecting press, with a capacity of 11,000 eight-page copies per hour, the motive power being steam. In addition to.this, the plant consists of book and job presses, a Mergen- thaler linotype machine, and a full comple- ment of the very best machinery used by the printing trade.

Mr. Anundsen has fitted up another build- ing near his residence with a fast press, type, etc., to be used in case of accident to the regu- lar plant. By this precaution the readers of the Posten are assured that the unforeseen would not prevent the prompt appearance of their favorite paper. Thirty people are em- ployed in the publication of the Posten, and the plant is one of the best in the country, be- ing modern throughout and exhaustively equipped. The increase in the subscription list of the Posten has been something remark-

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Memorial and biographical record of Iowa, Part 168

Author: Publication date: 1896 Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1360

Author:
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1360