Memorial and biographical record of Iowa, Part 40

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

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S. G. Burkhead.

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RECORD OF IOWA.

whether it be one of calm but consecutive en- deavor or one of meteoric accomplishment, must ever serve as both lesson and incentive.

The gentleman whose name introduces this brief article, Mr. M. V. Adams, of Benton township, Lucas county, Iowa, is one who has honored and been honored by the noble art of husbandry, and one in whose life history is incorporated an honorable war record. His genealogy also we find of very interesting order. Going back to William Adams, the grandfather of our subject, we find that he was born in the Old Dominion and descended from Irish and German people who were among the earliest settlers of Virginia. His son George, the father of M. V., was born in Loudoun county, Virginia, in the year 1788, and was during the war of 1812 on patrol duty. As early as 1816 he sought a home on the West- ern Reserve, and in Ohio he spent the rest of his life, dying there at the good old age of eighty-five years. In his political views he was Democratic and his religious faith was that of the Lutherans. In Virginia he was married to Christena Werts, a native of Loudoun coun- ty and daughter of Peter Werts, a Virginian. She died at the age of seventy-seven years. Her life was characterized by many Christian graces and she was beloved by all who knew her. They reared a family of eleven children, namely: Helen, Susan, William, Matilda, Betsey, George, Mary, John, Sarah, M. V., and Margaret.

M. V. Adams was born in Muskingum county, Ohio, March 24, 1837; was reared on his father's farm and received his education in one of the log school-houses of that period. He was quietly engaged in farming when the Civil war broke out. As the bloody struggle continued more men were needed in the ranks, and when President Lincoln made a call for " 300,000 more" young Adams enlisted in Company A, Tenth Ohio Cavalry, and until the close of the war acted the part of a brave, true soldier. He followed the fortunes of his regiment with General Sherman from Atlanta to the sea, taking part in many of the battles 16

and skirmishes of that famous march; thence to the Carolinas, to Richmond and to Washington. At Washington he participated in the grand review of the victorious army; was honorably discharged July 24, 1865, and returned home.

Mr. Adams continued to reside in Ohio un- til 1869, when he came west to Iowa, making the journey by rail and taking up his abode near Nevada, in Story county, on a farm which he purchased. Five years later he sold out and removed to his present location on sec- tion 14, Benton township, Lucas county, where he has 147 acres of fine land, ranked with the leading farms of the country. His attractive cottage home is located on a natural building site, is surrounded with lawn, grove and orchard, the orchard containing two acres, and everything about the place has an air of thrift. The barn is 42 x 72 feet in dimensions and has a basement, the land is well fenced, the fields are nicely cultivated, and in his fine pastures is found the best of stock, including Clydesdale horses, shorthorn catte and Poland- China hogs.

At the age of twenty-eight years Mr. Adams was married in Ohio to Miss Zelpha Bagley, a most estimable and accomplished lady, a native of Ohio. Their children are as follows: Omer, at home; Lula B., wife of Joseph Gookin, Wayne county, Iowa; George, a barber of Chariton, Iowa; Emma Maud, at home; Bruce, in Nebraska; and Minta B., at home. They had one child that died in infancy.

Personally, Mr. Adams is a man of strong physique and is in the prime of life. In his business dealings he is all that is square and fair, honorable and upright, and his genial, social nature makes him popular with all who have the pleasure of his acquaintance. Po- litically, he is a Democrat.

State.

AMUEL GORDON BURKHEAD, A. M., superintendent of the city schools of Independence, Iowa, is num- bered among the able educators of the His paternal great-grandfather emigra-

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ted from Germany to America in Colonial days and aided in the struggle for independence. The Professor's father, Thomas Burkhead, was a native of Maryland, and served in the Mexican war under General Zachary Taylor. He was also a soldier in the Civil war, and was killed at the battle of Poplar Grove Church, in Vir- ginia, September 30, 1864, while aiding in the defense of the Union, which his ancestors had assisted in establishing. He was a Whig until the Republican party was organized, when he became one of its supporters. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Sarah Ann Gordon, was a native of Ohio, but her father was born in Ireland. Her mother was an Archibald, a first cousin of General W. H. Harrison and General Zachary Taylor.

The Professor was the eldest in a family of seven children. In a little log school-house he began his education, when four years of age, learning the A, B, C's in Webster's spelling- book, the teacher pointing to the letters with a bright, pearl-handled pen-knife, going down the column and up again. This constituted about all the instruction the youngest children received. Most of their time was spent in silent observation of what the older scholars were doing, the while sitting on hard benches, with feet dangling in air somewhere between the bench and the floor. Our young student was greatly delighted when, having mastered the alphabet, he began to learn syllables, be- ginning "a, b, ab." In the higher spelling classes it was the custom for teachers to give prizes for "leaving off head " most frequently. He generally received the prizes of his class as he passed up through the higher grades, and some of these are yet in his possession.

When Professor Burkhead was eleven years of age his father took up a quarter section of heavily timbered land in the forest near the capital of Michigan. Neighbors were distant, schools were few, and work on the new farm plentiful; so for two or three years the lad studied but little. He had, however, learned to write, and was stimulated to further efforts by a stu- dent uncle whose letters he received and

answered quite frequently. At about sixteen years of age he went to an older settlement where he worked for his board evenings and on Saturdays, while in the daytime he continued his studies. After attending Charlotte Acad- emy and the Olivet Institute, now Olivet Col- lege, he began teaching, being at that time about eighteen years of age. For a number of years following he engaged in teaching through the winter season, while in the spring and fall he attended school and in the summer vacations worked on the farm. Having chosen the teacher's calling for his life work, he sought the State Normal School at Ypsilanti, and in due time was graduated at that institution. Previously, however, he had acted as principal of the Union City graded school. After grad- uating at the State Normal and while in charge of the schools at Lawrence and Decatur he resumed the classical course of study at Ober- lin College. At that time the college held a summer term, which enabled him to review and be examined with the resident students in the studies that had been pursued through the year. He also took private examinations and in this way completed about half of the college course. In the fall of 1878 he removed to Oberlin, and in 1880 received from the college, in regular class, the degree of Bachelor of Arts.

Professor Burkhead then returned to Mich- igan, and up to the time of his removal to Iowa acted in turn as superintendent of the schools of Saginaw, Traverse City, Hillsdale, etc. In 1883 the degree of Master of Arts was conferred upon him by Oberlin College. For more than five years past he has been en- gaged as superintendent of the public schools of Independence, Iowa, and his present en- gagement will cover the three following years. He has been connected with school work as teacher and superintendent for twenty-eight years, and has recently received a life diploma from the State Board of Education of Iowa. He is an indefatigable worker, has spent part of his vacations in institute work, and is a progressive educator, who is constantly im- proving upon his own and others' methods and

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gaining inspiration for his future work from the faithful performance of each day's duties.

We cannot better tell of Professor Burk- head's standing in educational circles than by quoting what has been said of him at various times. In a paper published in Lawrence, Michigan, in the summer of 1895, occurred the following: "S. G. Burkhead, superintendent of the city schools of Independence, Iowa, will be remembered as the gentleman who organ- ized and graded our union school, thereafter teaching ten very successful terms and leaving the school with a record second to none in the State, the number of foreign students then being 103. The Professor has many warm friends in Lawrence and vicinity, from whom he will always receive a cordial welcome."

W. C. Hili, superintendent of the schools of Battle Creek, Michigan, wrote of him: "You will always find Mr. Burkhead scholarly. He is a student by taste and instinct. I have, however, known him best as a school principal and superintendent. I think few men in the same number of years have attained so happy a record. His great source of strength is his capacity for organizing, for holding before him at once all the details of his work. Nothing seems ever to escape him. He is very success- ful also in institute work, and in the harmonious relations with subordinate teachers. I never knew a teacher in one of his schools who dis- liked him. I regard him as one of the rising educators of Michigan."

Under date of July 6, 1887, Hon. Theodore Nelson, formerly Superintendent of Public In- struction of Michigan, wrote: " I take pleasure in saying that Superintendent S. G. Burkhead is in the front rank of successful educators in the State of Michigan. He has the enthusiasm of his profession, is a good organizer, shows tact in government, is a finished scholar and accom- plished gentleman. He has taught many years in Michigan with increasing reputation and eminent success."

W. E. Parker, County Superintendent of Schools of Buchanan county, Iowa, writes: "I hereby certify that I am well acquainted

with S. G. Burkhead and his school work. He has been superintendent of the schools of In- dependence for five consecutive years, and he still holds his position. The schools are well graded, the teaching in them is excellent, the government is strong and rational and the management is wise; in short, the schools of Independence, under the superintendence of Professor Burkhead are in a sound and flour- ishing condition. I can cheerfully recommend S. G. Burkhead and heartily commend his work."

The Professor was united in marriage with Miss H. M. Hale, daughter of Calvin and Eleanor Hale, both of whom were born in Vermont and were members of prominent old New England families. Her mother died at the age of seventy-seven years, and her father, who is now eighty-four years of age, resides in Orange, California. Mrs. Burkhead was born and reared in Eaton Rapids, Michigan, where she received her preliminary education, com- pleting the same in the Michigan State Normal School. For several years she was successfully engaged in teaching. She is an accomplished, cultured woman of exceptionally pleasing pres- ence, well informed and an entertaining con- versationalist. The Professor and his wife have a son and daughter. The latter has graduated in the Independence high school, in the Latin and English courses, and is now a student in the Throop Polytechnic Institute, of Pasadena, California, where she will graduate with the class of 1896. The son, only nine years of age (1896), is in the home public school. The family belong to the Presbyterian Church, of which Mr. Burkhead is an Elder.

e DWARD ARNOLD is entitled to dis- tinction as an old settler of Benton township, Lucas county, Iowa, and to honor as a veteran of the Civil

war.

Mr. Arnold is a native of Ohio, a State which has produced many of the enterprising and influential men throughout the West. He

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was born near the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, in Guernsey county, August 6, 1832, and be- longs to a family in which he has every reason to take pride. His father, David Arnold, was a native of Herkimer county, New York, of blue Yankee blood, and was a soldier in the war of 1812. He was married in New York to Miss Alpha Seward, a relative of the Hon. William H. Seward, and also a native of the Empire State. After their marriage they moved to Guernsey county, Ohio, where they maintained their home for forty years, remov- ing thence to Marion county, Iowa. He died in Marion county, on his farm, at the advanced age of eighty-five years. He had been a miller in Ohio, but the latter part of his life was devoted to agricultural pursuits. In his polit- ical views he was first a Whig and later a Re- publican. His wife died in Chariton, Iowa, at the age of eighty-six years, a true Christian and a devoted member of the Baptist Church. They had eight children, viz .: Lucy Parker, Omaha, Nebraska; Samuel, Perry county, Ohio; Lovina, Rosenburg, Oregon; David, Winterset, Iowa; Stephen, Chariton, Iowa; Edward, whose name initiates this article; Mary Bonebreak, Rosenburg, Oregon; and Phœbe Combstock, deceased, formerly of Bur- lington, Iowa.

The subject of our sketch was reared on a farm in Ohio, and much of his youth was spent in his father's mill. His education was re- ceived during the winter months in one of the log school-houses of that period, which was fur- nished with slab seats and a wide fire-place. In 1856, with a team and wagon, Mr. Arnold came west to Iowa and settled in Dallas town- ship, Marion county, where he engaged in farm- ing, and where he was living when the great war cloud gathered and burst upon the country. When the war was getting under full headway and more men were needed to protect the old flag, President Lincoln made a call for " 300, - 000 more," and it was at this time that Mr. Arnold tendered his services to his country, enlisting August 15, 1862, in Company G, For- tieth Iowa Infantry, for a term of three years.

He was in a number of prominent engagements, among which were the siege of Vicksburg, and in Arkansas the battles of Helena, Little Rock, Fort Smith and Fort Gibson. At Saline river, in Arkansas, he had his cartridge belt cut by a bullet. The war over, he was honorably dis- charged, in August, 1865, at Davenport, Iowa, and returned home, coming out of the service as Quartermaster Sergeant.

In 1872 Mr. Arnold removed from Marion county to Lucas county, first settling in Liberty township, and in 1875 removing to his present farın in section 26, Benton township. Here he has 490 acres of excellent land, his farm being among the best in the county. He has a pretty cottage home, near which is a grove of four acres and an orchard of three, and everything about the premises-from the house and its surroundings to the well tilled fields, the broad pastures, the fine stock, in- cluding horses, cattle, and hogs-gives evi- dence of the prosperity which has rewarded the earnest efforts of the owner.

Mr. Arnold is a man of family. He was married in Marion county, Iowa, April 17, 1857, to Sophia Barnhart, who was born in Clearfield county, Pennsylvania, daughter of Andrew and Catherine (Bickley) Barnhart, both natives of the Keystone State. Her father died in Marion county, Iowa, and her mother in Harrison county, Missouri. She is one of a family of fourteen children, is a most estimable woman, and in every sense of the word has all these years been a true helpmate to her husband. They have eight children living and two deceased. The former are as follows: Mandaville, Morris, Mary, wife of W. H. Holmes, all of Benton township; Hatty, wife of George D. Redlingshafer, Des Moines, Iowa; Stella, wife of George Smith, Warren town- ship, Lucas county; Augusta, wife of Greer Redlingshafer, Benton township; and Della and James W., at home. The two deceased are Mortimer and Kitty.

Personally, Mr. Arnold is a man of fine physique, is of a generous and jovial nature, and is one who is held in high esteem by his

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fellow citizens. A veteran of the great Civil war, he is, of course, identified with the G. A. R., being a charter member of the Iseminger Post, No. 18. His political views are in har- mony with the principles advocated by the Republican party and in this party he has for years been an active and effective worker. Mrs. Arnold is a member of the Evangelical Church.

J OSEPH W. SPROTT, who has resided in Lucas county, Iowa, since 1858, is one of the most prominent and highly esteemed citizens of the county. He was born in Lawrence county, Pennsylvania, July 30, 1826.

His father, Thomas Sprott, also a native of Lawrence county, Pennsylvania, was born in 1 802, and on the same farm on which his son was born. The paternal grandfather of our subject, Samuel Sprott, was a native of the Emerald Isle and a son of Scotch-Irish parents. He came to this country at an early day, and he and his descendants have been ranked with the leading citizens of the various communi- ties in which they have lived. He was a sol- dier under General Anthony Wayne, and for services thus rendered received from the Gov- ernment title to 560 acres of land, which tract he developed into a valuable farm. On this farm he died in 1832. He was the father of six sons and six daughters, each of whom lived to be over sixty years of age, and only one of the number is now living,-Joseph, a promi- nent citizen residing near Cleveland, Ohio. Thomas Sprott grew up on the above men- tioned farm in Pennsylvania, and in that State was married, in 1824, to Miss Elizabeth Dill- worth, a native of Westmoreland county, Penn- sylvania. Her father, Joseph Dillworth, like her husband's father, was a soldier under Gen- eral Wayne. He was born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, and was of Scotch de- scent. As early as 1845, Thomas Sprott and his family removed from Pennsylvania to what was then the Territory of Iowa and settled

near Keokuk, at a little place in Lee county called Summitville. He was among the lead- ing citizens of that town and served for several years as Postmaster. In 1854 he removed to Van Buren county, this State, where the rest of his life was passed and where he died in 1877, at the age of seventy-five years. His wife died in 1868. . In their family were seven children, three sons and four daughters, namely: Joseph W., the subject of this sketch; Emeline Hendricks, who died in California; Samuel J., who resides on the old farm in Van Buren county; Lucinda, wife of Charles Chris- tian, Chariton, Iowa; Elizabeth, who died at the age of seven years; Thomas, who died at the age of five years; and Gertrude, wife of A. Christian, Bonaparte, Iowa. 1. The father of this family was a successful business man. He was a leading Democrat, and filled various offices of local importance.

Coming now to the immediate subject of this article, Joseph W. Sprott, we find that he was reared in his native State, and received his education there in the public schools and at Darlington Academy. At the age of eighteen he commenced teaching school. When he was nineteen he came out to Iowa. It was only a few years after this when gold was discovered in California, and news of the discovery spread like wildfire all over the country. In every town and city parties were being made up to start for the gold fields, and young Sprott was among the number who decided to seek their fortunes among the mines. Accordingly, April 24, 1850, accompanied by his brother, Samuel J., and with four yoke of oxen and a suitable outfit, he started overland for the Pacific coast, and September 7, 1850, landed at "Hang- town," now Placerville, California. For two years he was engaged in placer mining and saw- milling in that State, and in 1852 came back to Iowa, making the return trip by way of the isthmus of Panama.

Soon after his return to Iowa, Mr. Sprott married and settled down to farming, and as the result of his years of toil and good man- agement he is to-day the owner of one of the

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best farins in Lucas county, -512 acres located in section 22, Union township. The improve- inents on this place are all of the very best. The residence, a handsome and convenient one, with bay window and veranda, was built in 1877 at a cost of $2,000. It is surrounded with a pretty lawn, flowers, shrubs and trees, and is indeed a most attractive place. Mr. Sprott has three acres in orchard, and a large quantity of small fruits, including some of the best varieties known. His land is conveniently divided into fields for cultivation and pasture, and he has large barns and sheds for storing his grain and sheltering his stock.

As already stated, Mr. Sprott was married soon after his return from California. The date of his marriage was March 24, 1853, and the lady of his choice was Miss Frances Ann Brown. She was born in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, daughter of Richard and Sarah (Gans) Brown, also natives of the " Keystone " State. The Brown family emigrated to Iowa in 1844, the year before the arrival of the Sprotts, and they settled at Eddyville, Mahaska county, and subsequently removed to Lee county, near Montrose, where the parents both died. In their family were eleven children, seven of whom reached adult years: Josiah, who died in California in 1894; Orpha; Charles; Le- roy, who died in California; Rufus, a resident of Los Angeles, California; Martha Lowe, Union township, Lucas county, Iowa; and Frances A. Mr. and Mrs. Sprott have five children living, as follows: Sarah E., wife of George Mitch- ell, Warren township, this county; Joan; wife I. Chapman, Derby, Iowa; Laura, wife of George Parkin, Union township, this county; Kate, wife of J. T. Robinson, of White Breast township, this county, was before her marriage a popular teacher; and Alice, wife of J. L. Washburn, Decatur county, Iowa. Their fifth child and only son, Thomas, died at the age of twelve years. The grandchildren in this family now number twenty-one, eleven grand- sons and ten granddaughters.

Mr. Sprott is a Democrat, and for years has been considered one of the " wheel-horses "

of the party in his township. He has served very acceptably in several local offices. Fra- ternally, he is identified with the I. O. O. F., both lodge and encampment, at Chariton. Although now sixty-nine years of age, he is in appearance much younger. His many excel- lent qualities of both mind and heart and his genial, friendly manner have gained for him many friends, and his popularity is as wide as his acquaintance.

ARRY O. PENICK is one of the most popular, prominent and honored young men of Chariton, and the record of his life is one that will interest many. A perfect specimen of physical manhood, endowed with superior mental capacity, fur- nished with the advantages that wealth can procure and social standing give, he certainly has a brilliant future before him, and with his endowments will grace any position that he may accept or to which he may be called.

He is the third son and fourth child of William C. and Martha A. (Thompson) Penick, and was born in Chariton October 8, 1869. Here his early boyhood days were passed, sur- rounded by the influences of a refined and cul- tured home. He spent his time largely in the school-room, where by close application he soon outstripped his fellows. He possessed an observing eye and retentive memory, and soon took rank among the foremost of his class- mates and was enabled to complete the curri- culum of study in the high-school of Chariton while yet in his 'teens. He then, on a com- petitive examination, carried off the prize from a number of contestants-the prize being a cadetship in the United States Military Academy at West Point. In this examination scholar- ship is not the only consideration, the physical examination being also very rigid, and in this Mr. Penick passed as perfect, a point reached by very few indeed of our most robust young men, as size, build, stature, ability, eyesight, hearing, distinction of colors and other features are taken into consideration by the board of

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examiners, comprised of medical experts with long experience and perfect knowledge. The test is perfectly impartial, being made by United States surgeons to whom the applicants are wholly unknown. In addition to the thorough physical examination the standing must be high in literary branches of study.

Having successfully won admission to the most thorough military academy, Mr. Penick entered upon the four years' course of training and study. Everything taught in our best colleges is taught in that institution, and in addition instruction is given in higher math- ematics and the sciences of engineering and navigation.« The training in these is in accord- ance with a favorite expression of the late Prof. Parker, of the schools of Boston, that we "learn to do by doing." The students' train- ing in engineering and navigation is not only theoretical, but practical as well, and the training in military tactics fits one for the army in such a manner that West Point students are recognized all over the world for their efficiency in that line. By the completion of his four- year course Mr. Penick is entitled to a position in the army with the rank of First Lieutenant, an honorable position holding for life or good behavior unless resigned.

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Memorial and biographical record of Iowa, Part 40

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