Memorial and biographical record of Iowa, Part 31

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

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Mr. Fritz was married in Stuart, May II, 1877, to Miss Delia Birdsall, who was born in Erie county, New York, December 29, 1847, and coming to Iowa to visit relatives in 1870 was taken prisoner for life by the old soldier. They had three children, but Minnie May, born April 21, 1882, died June 17, 1887; Frederick B., born June 24, 1874, married Miss Nellie McKnight, and resides in Winterset, Iowa, where he is engaged in the insurance business; Blaine Chandler, born August 15, 1878, is still attending school.

Mr. Fritz is a member of Maxwell Post, No. 14, Grand Army Republic, has served as its Commander, and has been zealous in its work from the time of its organization, in 1880. He also served for several years as Ad- jutant. He is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and the Iowa Legion of Honor, and has represented both orders in the Grand Lodges of the State for the past twelve years. In politics he is a straight and uncom- promising Republican, and has served seven

years as City Clerk of Stuart, and as a member of the Board of Education for a number of years. He and his family are members of the Congregational Church.

S TEPHEN MONAHAN. - The gentle- man whose name heads this review is one of the prominent Irish-Americans who are worthy of representation in a work of this character. · Beginning life at the foot of the great social and financial lad- der, he has, by dint of persistent labor attained a degree of prominence seldom achieved with- out financial aid.

He was born in county Clare, Ireland, on the 24th of December. 1844. In early child- hood he was bereft of a father's tender care and counsel, and when seven years of age ac- companied his widowed mother to America. They first located in St. Albans, Vermont, whence they removed to Canada, after return- ing to Maine, thence to Salmon Falls, New Hampshire. While the maternal home was in New England our subject learned the ma- chinist's trade at North Andover, Massachu- setts, and this was his life work for many years.

Being engaged principally in railway ma- chine shops Mr. Monahan was necessarily obliged to seek employment at railway centers. This for some years necessitated much travel and frequent change of location. He worked in Detroit, Michigan, for sixteen months; spent two years in Manchester, New Hampshire; was in Adrian, Michigan, for six months, and in Elkhart, Indiana, for six months. In 1871 he came to Stuart, Iowa, and entered the em- ploy of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad Company, with which he continued for the long period of eighteen consecutive years. This continued service was certainly a high testimonial to his skill and ability and to his devotion to his company's interests. He was very successful in his special line of me- chanics and was considered safe counsel in matters pertaining to the machinist's trade.

Mr. Monahan has been twice married, his

Rev. P. f. Carroll.

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first wife being Miss Mary Flynn, whom he wedded in Lawrence, Massachusetts. After a happy married life of five years she died, leav- ing three children, two of whom have joined their mother in the spirit world, the remaining son being Patrick, who is now a student in the law department of the Iowa State University. Mr. Monahan afterward wedded Miss Mary Drury, the marriage being celebrated at Sal- mon Falls, New Hampshire. The lady is a native of the Emerald Isle and came to this country in her youth. Three children bless this union,-Mary, Charles and Stephen, and all are yet under the parental roof.

While employed at mechanical pursuits Mr. Monahan was industrious and frugal, de- voting his leisure to study and careful reading. He therefore became not only generally well informed but especially bright and clear- headed upon political topics, in which he has always taken a great interest. For five con- secutive years he has been employed by the Re- publican State Central Committee as a cam- paign speaker, and for more than ten years he has taken an active part with that party in po- litical discussions. He is therefore a gentleman widely known throughout his Congressional district as a fluent and able expounder of the doctrines of Republicanism. He is a promi- nent and active member of the Roman Catho- lic Church in Stuart, and is public-spirited and enterprising, giving freely of his means to the support of all worthy religious or charitable interests. He is also one of the Irish-Ameri- cans who cannot forget the distress of his countrymen across the water and he cheer- fully lends them assistance in their dire neces- sities. He is prominently identified with the Ancient Order of Hibernians, and in all the relations of life is an esteemed gentleman whom to know is to honor.

In 1889 Mr. Monahan left the work bench and the turning lathe and directed his attention to buying and selling real estate, loaning money, and to general insurance. His inti- mate and favorable acquaintance throughout the country enabled him to develop at once a

fine business. It is said that his real-estate sales exceed all other business in that line in the city. His offices are admirably located and well fitted up and he devotes his time to his business as assiduously as he did when his daily bread depended upon his prompt re- sponse to the whistle that called all employees to work. As a reward for industry and fru- gality he has accumulated valuable property interests in Stuart and vicinity, and is to-day one of the substantial citizens of this section of Iowa.

R EV. PATRICK J. CARROLL, pas- tor of St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church of Tama, Iowa, is a native of Georgia, his birth having occurred near Macon, on the 29th of November, 1857. At the age of nine years he accompanied his parents to Jackson county, Iowa, where he was reared to manhood, his early life being spent on his father's farm and in attendance at the public schools. At the age of fifteen he en- tered St. Joseph's College at Dubuque, Iowa, where he pursued and completed a classical course, graduating on the 28th of May, 1882. The same year he was ordained to the priest -. hood by Bishop (now Archbishop) Hennessy. His first pastoral duties were in the capacity of assistant priest at Fort Dodge.

Father Carroll remained at that place, how- ever, but two months, when he was assigned to the mission of Fonda, which he organized, building there two churches,-St. Mary's and St. Patrick's, -and also erecting a parochial residence, leaving no indebtedness upon any of the church property. For six years he labored in the Fonda mission, which included the greater part of three counties. This was a broad field, and the results achieved show that Father Carroll is a man of energy and Chris- tian fortitude. In 1877 he was transferred to the Tama mission, which embraces two out- lying missions, -those of Belle Plaine and Garwin, -the pulpits being supplied by him. The Tama church was organized about 1872

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and was in a very weak condition both as to membership and finances. It now includes about one hundred families of well-to-do peo- ple and isa prosperous church. The organiza- tion at Belle Plaine numbers thirty families and has a good house of worship. Father Carroll also erected a neat church building at Garwin, in 1894, at a cost of about $3,000. This church numbers a membership of about twelve families, and services are held at Belle Plaine and Garwin once each month. In 1893 Father Carroll erected a fine school building in Tama, with accommodations for 125 children. This is under the supervision of the Franciscan Sisters of Clinton, and six teachers are now employed. The buildings, grounds and fur- niture cost about $7, 500, and the school is a credit to the energy of those having the matter in charge.

Father Carroll is very zealous in attendance upon the spiritual wants of his people, and the sick find in him a friend. He ranks high in the community both in the regard of Protestants and Catholics. For eight years he has lived among the people of Tama, where he is well known. In manner he is hospitable and com- panionable, easy of approach by the most hum- ble citizen. He is devoted to both the spiritual and material welfare of his parishioners, is a man of kindly impulses and generosity and through his untiring efforts has done much for the cause of his church in this locality.

ILLIAM COBB, one of the most valued and influential residents of Taylor county, Iowa, now holding the responsible position of County Treasurer, was born in Parke county, Indi- ana, November 17, 1839. His father, Thomas Cobb, was born in Owen county, Kentucky, February 20, 1812, and the grandfather was a native of North Carolina. He emigrated to the " blue-grass region" of Kentucky at an early day, and in 1820 went with his family to Indiana, locating in Parke county. There Thomas Cobb grew to manhood, continuing his

residence there until 1845, when he came to Keokuk county, thence to Delaware county, thence to Taylor, Iowa. In 1877 he went to Kansas, where he made his home until some six months prior to his death, when he re- turned to Taylor county. Here he passed away July 9, 1891, respected by all who knew him. He was a man of great energy and per- severance, devoted to his business interests, and with a resolute purpose accomplished any- thing which he undertook, winning success in the enterprise. For a number of years he served as a member of the Board of Super- visors of Taylor county, and labored earnestly for the development and upbuilding of this section of the State. From early boyhood he was religiously inclined and was long a consistent and faithful member of the Chris- tian Church. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Elizabeth M. Lambert, was born in Kentucky, and died in Taylor county, July 25, 1892. Their living children are: Sarah A., wife of John Brewer, of Andrew county, Mis- souri; Rev. William; Nancy, wife of J. J. Foreman, of Bedford, Iowa; A. L. Cobb, of Bedford; Helen, wife of J. W. Coon, also of Bedford; and Thomas B., of Taylor county,

William Cobb acquired a meager education in the common schools, for his services were needed upon the home farm, and the schools in this locality at an early day were not of a superior quality, but through experience and observation he has become a well informed man.

At the age of twenty he began farming in his own interest, but the pursuits of civil life were soon interrupted by his army service. Prompted by a spirit of patriotism, on the 9th of August, 1862, he joined Company F of the Twenty-ninth Iowa Infantry, and was mus- tered in at Council Bluffs. The regiment was ordered to St. Louis, and immediately after- ward to Columbus, Kentucky, across into Arkansas, then up the White river and back to Helena, where occurred a hotly contested engagement on the 4th of July. They next participated in the capture of Little Rock, and

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the following spring started on the Red river expedition, where after much skirmishing they were forced to retreat. On the 30th of April, 1864, they took part in the battle of Jenkins' Ferry, thence returned to Little Rock, where they remained until February, 1865. At that date the troops embarked for New Orleans and formed a part of the expedition against Mobile, being engaged in the siege for thirteen days. They then went to the Government arsenal at Mount Vernon, some forty miles into the country, and three weeks later embarked at . Mobile for Rio Grande, Texas, where they re- mained until the Ist of August, when the order came to return to New Orleans. The regi- ment was .then discharged, and on reaching Davenport was mustered out of the service. Mr. Cobb had been at the front for just three years, and was one of the thirty-four men that came back to Bedford and disbanded on the same ground on which they first formed a com- pany of one hundred and ten original members. In the service he never sought promotion to a higher rank, but was only desirous of discharg- ing his duty faithfully as a defender of the Gov- ernment and the flag.

Since his return from the army, Mr. Cobb has been mostly engaged in farming, and is now the owner of a valuable and well im- proved tract of land of 120 acres, pleasantly located a mile from Bedford. He also owns a quarter section in Cloud county, Kansas, and a quarter section in Lawrence county, Mis- souri, and a fine residence in Bedford. He manages his interests on systematic business principles, and his close attention to details, en- terprise and capable management has brought to him a good property. In addition to his other work he has also engaged in ministerial labor in the Christian Church, his efforts be- ing largely confined to the field of southwestern Iowa and northwestern Missouri, although he has also been called to other States. From a biographical sketch of him we clip the follow- ing: "So zealous and earnest have been his ministerial labors that it has become proverbial of him that he will respond to more calls, go

farther, work harder, endure more, receive less remuneration and do less complaining than any man in southwest Iowa."

On the 5th of November, 1859, Mr. Cobb was united in marriage with Miss Malinda. Agler, a daughter of Daniel Agler, formerly of Indiana. To them have been born four sons: Charles S., now thirty-three years of age, mar- ried Eva J. Florea, and is engaged in farming in Ringgold county, Iowa; Thomas E., twenty- five years of age, was married November 27, 1894, to Edna A. Perkins, and is Deputy County Treasurer; Floyd M., aged fourteen, and Leslie R., aged twelve, are still living with their parents.

Mr. Cobb is quite prominent in the circles of the Odd Fellow Society, being connected with the subordinate and Rebekah lodges and the encampment. He is also Past Com- mander of Sedgwick Post, G. A. R. In poli- tics he is a stalwart Republican, having given his support to that party since its organization. In 1891 he was elected Treasurer of the county, over the man who was then holding the office, receiving a majority of 280 votes. So capably did he fill that position that in 1893 he was elected by more than 700 votes, and is now efficiently serving in that capacity. He has been identified with Iowa from Territorial days, has witnessed almost its entire development and has ever faithfully done his duty as a man and an official. He is as true to his duties in pri- vate life as he was on the field of battle when he followed the stars and stripes. His career is unshadowed by wrong, and the history of southwestern Iowa would be incomplete with- out the record of his life.

J AMES McMAINS, Derby, Iowa, is a well-known early settler and wealthy and influential farmer of Lucas county, Iowa. He first came to Iowa long be- fore it was a State, traveled throughout various portions of the far West, and after a sojourn on the Pacific coast returned to Iowa, and

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finally, in the spring of 1855, located in Union township, Lucas county, with which place he has since been identified. Without more than a passing mention of his life this work would be incomplete, and we here take pleasure in presenting the following facts relating to him.

James McMains was born in Woodford county, Kentucky, the State noted for brave men, pretty women, fine horses and blue-grass, the date. of his birth being April 11, 1820. Andrew McMains, his father, was born in Greenbrier county, Virginia, son of Robert McMains, a native of Pennsylvania, his ances- tors being Scotch-Irish Presbyterians who set- tled in this country during its early history and who figured prominently both in times of peace and war. Andrew McMains married Miss Sarah Hadden, who was of Kentucky birth and Scotch blood, her parents having moved out to Kentucky from Pennsylvania. She died in Lawrence county, Indiana, leaving six children : Robert, William, Abram, Steele, John and James. James is now the only survivor of the family. In 1822, after his mother's death, his father moved with the children up into Put- nam county, Indiana, locating south of Green- castle, where he passed the remainder of his life and where he died, at the age of seventy- eight years. His whole life was devoted to agricultural pursuits, and he was in politics a Democrat and in religion a member of the Christian Church.

We come now to the immediate subject of our sketch, James McMains. He was only two years old at the time the family removed to Indiana, and on a frontier farm in the "Hoosier " State his boyhood days were spent. He was educated in one of the primitive log school-houses which have so often been de- scribed in connection with the pioneer history of Ohio and Indiana. In 1837, in company with his brother John, and with one horse for both of them to ride, he came west to the Ter- ritory of Iowa, landing here nine years before Iowa was a State. On this memorable trip the brothers took turns in riding the horse and had many amusing experiences before reaching

their destination. Arrived here, they selected Lee county as a desirable location, and in this county spent four years. During that time they met Black Hawk, Keokuk and other prominent Indian chiefs. In 1841 our subject moved to Jefferson county, where he spent the following ten years. In 1851 we find him among the throng that went overland to Cali- fornia, the long and tedious trip across the plains being made with an ox team and wagon and six months being consumed in making the trip. After a sojourn of two years and a half in the mining districts of Oregon and Califor- nia, he returned by way of the isthmus of Pan- ama to Jefferson county, Iowa. In the spring of 1855 he came to Union township, Lucas county, and purchased 200 acres of land on section 30, and here he has since lived and prospered, by subsequent purchase having ac- quired other lands until he is now the owner of 420 acres, one of the most valuable farms in the county. The improvements on this place are all of the first class, and the land is adapted for both stock and grain. For years Mr. Mc- Mains made a specialty of the stock business, in which he was very successful, and he is re- garded as an excellent judge of stock.

Mr. McMains was married in 1844, in Jef- ferson county, Iowa, to Miss Catherine Sears, a native of Monroe county, Indiana, and a daughter of David and Catherine (Crumb) Sears, her father a native of North Carolina. The Sears family are of German origin. To Mr. and Mrs. McMains were born three chil- dren, two of whom are living, -Malissa A., wife of David Wertfall, of this township; and D. A., a well-known citizen of Derby, who married Lydia Oehlmann. Both received a good education and were for some time en- gaged in teaching. The name of their daugh- ter that died was Manerva. The great loss which came to the life of Mr. McMains was in the death of his most estimable wife, which sad event occurred January 14, 1884, after they had traveled life's pathway together for over forty years. Mrs. McMains was a woman in praise of whom too much cannot be said.

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Her noble Christian life was an inspiration to all who knew her.

Mr. McMains has long co-operated with the Democratic party. Of a bright and hope- ful disposition and genial and social nature, he has many friends in the community in which he has so long resided.

ILLIAM KNIGHT BOARDMAN, Iowa State Dairy Commissioner and a representative of one of the honored families of the Hawkeye State, resides in Nevada, Story county, but has an office in the State capitol. A native of Vermont, he was born in Troy, on the 22d of June, 1852, and is a son of the late Hon. Norman Boardman, who was born in Morris- town, Vermont, April 30, 1813. His mother bore the maiden name of Lois Knight. The ancestry of the family can be traced back to 1639, when the representatives of the name crossed the Atlantic from England and located on the outskirts of civilization, purchasing of the Indians a large tract of land near where the town of Wethersfield, Connecticut, now stands. The grandfather of our subject, Ozias Boardman, true to the pioneer instincts of the family, in the year 1793 emigrated to what is now Morristown, Vermont, where he built a home, developed a farm and surrounded himself with a happy family numbering twelve children.

Norman Boardman was reared on the old home farm, obtained his education in the com- mon schools, and taught school through the winter season in order to earn the money to carry him through Johnson's Academy, from which he was graduated in his twentieth year. He then took an extended trip through the Western States and Territories and taught school for one winter in Missouri. Returning to his home he read law, was admitted to the bar in September, 1839, and practiced his pro- fession with marked success until 1852, when he again took a trip to the West. On the 25th of September, 1855, he located with his family

in Lyons, Iowa, where he carried on a suc- cessful real-estate business up to the time of his death, which occurred April 30, 1894. In 1845, during President Polk's ad- ministration, he was appointed Deputy Col- lector of Customs. In 1849, although his party was largely in the minority, he was elect- ed State's Attorney, for his ability and worth were largely recognized. He left the Demo- cratic party in 1854, after the passage of the Kansas and Nebraska bill, and from that time affiliated with the Republican party. He was a member of the first and second boards of Supervisors of Clayton county, Iowa, and in 1861 he was elected by a majority of 1, 100 out of a vote of 3,000 to represent his county in the State Senate, and was chairman of the committee on schools and school land and a member of the ways and means committee. In 1869 he was appointed by President Grant to the office of Internal Revenue Collector for the Second District of Iowa, and continued to serve in that capacity until 1876, when he re- signed. He was the first to discover the gi- gantic whisky frauds of 1874, which led to their exposure. He was a man prominent in public affairs, and his fidelity to the interests of those whom he represented was marked and com- mendable. He was true to every trust re- posed in him and his public and private career were alike above reproach. Of his three sons H. C. Boardman, the eldest, is State Senator of the Thirty-first District, comprised of Story and Boone counties; W. K. is State Dairy Commissioner; and C. D. has just retired from a six-years term as trustee of the Iowa Agri- cultural College.

W. K. Boardman was only three years of age when his parents located in Lyons, Iowa. There he grew to manhood attending its pub- lic schools, and afterward pursued his studies in a private school. Subsequently he returned to the East and took a two-years academic course in Franklin, Massachusetts. When he again came to Lyons he at once embarked in the mercantile business, in connection with W. W. Buell, under the firm name of Buell &

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Boardman, this connection continuing until 1877, when he removed to Nevada, Story county. There he followed the same pursuit until 1879, when he formed a partnership with his brother, H. C. Boardman, under the firm name of Boardman Brothers, wholesale dealers in butter, eggs and poultry. Later they built and operated a number of creameries in central and northwestern Iowa, and also erected a large cold-storage warehouse at Nevada, Iowa. Our subject is still connected with this business, which has become an extensive and profitable one, having business connections with all the principal markets of the county.

Mr. Boardman supports the Republican party and takes quite an active interest in State and national politics. In 1894 he was appointed Iowa State Dairy Commissioner and entered upon the duties of his office on the Ist of May. The report which he made to the Governor is very full and complete and con- tains much valuable information of interest to all parties connected with the dairy business. He has proved himself an efficient officer, a benefactor to the interest which he so intelli- gently represents for the State and people.

In 1877 Mr. Boardman was united in mar- riage with Miss Adda H. Henningsen, a daugh- ter of B. A. Henningsen, of Lyons, Iowa. They have two children: Frank M., who is now a student in the Iowa Agricultural Col- lege; and Lois K., a little daughter eight years of age.

HARLES CLINTON NOURSE, who since 1858 has been a resident of Des Moines and a prominent representa- tive of the legal profession, is a native of Maryland. He was born in Sharpsburg, Washington county, on the Ist of April, 1829, and is the third son of Charles and Susan (Cameron) Nourse. The ancestry of the fam- ily can be traced back to 1520, when John Nourse lived at Chilling Place, Oxford, Eng- land. He married Phillipa, daughter of Sir Edward Terrill. The American branch of the

Nourse family to which the subject of this review belongs descended from James Nourse and his wife Sarah, ncc Fonance, who emi- grated from London, England, in 1769, and settled at Piedmont, Jefferson county, Virginia. They were the parents of twenty-one chil- dren, including Gabriel Nourse, grandfather of Charles Clinton. He was one of the early settlers of Kentucky, but after the death of his two brothers at the hands of the Indians he returned to Virginia, where he reared his family.

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Memorial and biographical record of Iowa, Part 31

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