Memorial and biographical record of Iowa, Part 43

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

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George E. Silcott, the subject of this sketch, has spent his entire life, with the ex- ception of four years in Kansas, in this State. In his boyhood days he attended the common

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schools, and later the Gem City Business Col- lege at Quincy, Illinois, graduating at that in- stitution in 1889. At the age of nineteen years he started out in life for himself. He now owns a good farm of 175 acres in the gar- den spot of Iowa, where he is extensively en- gaged in farming and stock-raising, and has built up an enviable reputation among the young farmers of Warren county. He aver- ages handling about a car-load of cattle per week. Although young in years, Mr. Silcott has always been interested in the best interests of this region. In 1893 he was appointed Township Clerk, to fill an unexpired term of the Township Trustee, and in the fall of the same year he was elected to that office for a term of two years, Always interested in politics, he has acted as delegate to conventions, and is ever ready to do his full part in carrying on the best interests of the party.

December 12, 1890, at the age of twenty- one years, Mr. Silcott was united in marriage with Miss Rosa Martin, a native of Marion county, Iowa, and a daughter of Isaac Mar- tin. The Martin ancestry were from Pennsyl- vania, near Pittsburg. Mr. and Mrs. Silcott have three children, -Mary J., Robert F. and Loran E.

HILES F. MOORMAN, one of the well-known and progressive men of Jefferson township, Warren county, Iowa, is a native of Highland county, Ohio, where he was born March 8, 1846, one of the six children of John T. and Mary (Van Pelt) Moorman. Of the members of this fam- ily now living, Charles E. is in Arizona, Will- iam H. in Kansas, and Chiles F. in Iowa.

John T. Moorman, the father, was born in Campbell county, Virginia, February 22, 1810, and in 1820 accompanied his parents and the rest of the family to Highland county, Ohio. That county continued to be his home until 1849, when he came out to Iowa and settled in Richland township, Warren county, among its earliest pioneers. There he lived until

1854; from 1854 until 1861 near Sandyville, in Union township; from 1861 until 1882 in Bel- inont township; and in the last named year returned to Union township, where he died December 25, 1883, at the age of seventy- three years. He was by birth and early asso- ciation an old-fashioned Quaker, and adhered strictly to the faith of that sect all through his life. An earnest Whig in the early days, he became one of the most earnest of the leaders in the movement for the abolition of slavery, and in this work was associated with the noted John Brown. The so called "underground railroad " had one of its stations located on his place, in Richland township, where many a fugitive slave found protection and assistance. Indeed, Mr. Moorman's whole life was spent in the endeavor to uplift humanity, to relieve the suffering and to make men better. His wife, nec Mary Van Pelt, was a native of Bel- mont county, Ohio, and a daughter of Isaac and Sarah (Ellis) Van Pelt. Isaac, the father, was born in Pennsylvania. In early life he moved out to Ohio, and on the frontier spent the rest of his days, and died there at the ad- vanced age of ninety. His wife was a native of Virginia, a descendant of one of the first families of the Old Dominion, and at the time of her death was past seventy. Mrs. Moor- man died in 1866, at the age of fifty-five years.

Mr. Moorman's grandfather, Reuben Moor- man, was a Virginian by birth. Some of his remote ancestors were among the first settlers of Virginia. They were of Scotch origin. His wife, whose maiden name was Lydie Johnson, was likewise of Virginia birth, her people hav- ing long resided in the South. She lived to extreme old age, while he died in middle life.

Chiles F. Moorman, the subject of this sketch, was not yet four years old when his parents removed to Iowa, and here he was reared and has since lived. He remained on the home farm until he was twenty-three years of age, when he started out in life on his own responsibility. Farming claimed his attention until 1889, when he removed to Indianola for the purpose of educating his daughters, and he

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remained there until 1891. That year he pur- chased his present farm on section 35 of Jef- ferson township, and here he has since been engaged in general farming and stock-raising, making a specialty of the latter. He takes a pride in keeping the best of thoroughbred stock and on his farm has some fine specimens of the same.

September 10, 1868, Mr. Moorman was united in marriage to Miss Olivia C. Gillaspie, a native of Parke county, Indiana, and a daughter of David and Mary F. Gillaspie, she being one of their family of six children. Her father was a native of Rockbridge county, Virginia, and is now deceased, while her mother, a native of Kentucky, is still living. Mr. and Mrs. Moorman have two daughters, Busha and Josephine, the former being now the wife of Charles Collins, of Des Moines, Iowa.

Mr. Moorman is an active, progressive man in the prime of life, and one of the representa- tive farmers of Jefferson township. He is, by appointment of the Secretary of Agriculture at Washington, Statistician for the region in which he lives, and makes monthly reports to the Department of Agriculture. He is Justice of the Peace for his township, a strong Repub- lican in politics, and is actively interested in all that goes to promote the growth of Warren county.

J OHN WESLEY MORRIS, of Palmyra, Iowa, is one of the leading stock farm- ers of this section of the State. He was born September 15, 1853, in a little log cabin near the farm on which he now lives, he being among the first white children born in this vicinity. His parents, John and Elizabeth (Whipple) Morris, had eight children, and he is one of the four of that number who survive, the other three being Mary, Samuel W. and Ruth A.

John Morris, his father,-" Uncle John," as he is known far and wide, -was born on the banks of the Potomac river, February 9, 181I,

one of the two children of Thomas and Mary (Levick) Morris. Thomas Morris was a native of Delaware, born in the year 1780, was a sol- dier in the war of 1812, and was killed during the fight at Washington. His wife lived to the advanced age of ninety years, dying in 1883, at the home of her son in Palmyra. The Morrises are of German origin and have been noted for their longevity and patriotism. Great-grand- father Morris was a soldier in the Revolution, serving all through that war, and coming out with the rank of Sergeant. He died at Har- per's Ferry, at the extreme old age of 110 years. " Uncle John " Morris left Virginia in 1823 and came West as far as Parke county, Indiana, which was then on the frontier and inhabited chiefly by Indians, and there he lived until 1852, when he again sought a pioneer home further West, Warren county, Iowa, at this time being his objective point; and on the spot he then made settlement he has since maintained his home. This part of the coun- try was then nearly all in its wild state, there being but one house between Mr. Morris's and Indianola. The log cabin he built on coming here served as his residence for several years, and it was long before the deer, turkeys and prairie chickens disappeared from this vicinity. With the passing years marvelous changes have been wrought, and Mr. Morris has not only been an eye-witness to this development, but also has done his part toward bringing it about. To-day there is not a finer or better agricultural region in Warren county than the one in which the Morrises live. During his early life in Indiana John Morris was for years engaged in flatboating on the Wabash river. While there and thus occupied he was married, March 28, 1839, to Miss Elizabeth Whipple, a native of Butler county, Ohio, and a descend- ant of one of the early New England families. She was born in 1818 and died July 22, 1888. Mr. Morris is now eighty-four years old, is hale and hearty, and seemingly takes the same in- terest in public affairs that he did years ago. He is spending the evening of life on the old farm where he has lived and labored so long,

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and is happy in the society of his children and hosts of friends. For sixty-five years he has been a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

John Wesley Morris grew up amid the try- ing scenes incident to life on the frontier and received his education in the primitive log school-house of the neighborhood. When only seventeen he started out in life on his own re- sponsibility, not, however, leaving home, but instead, renting the home place, and for seven years thereafter having charge of it. He was married September 21, 1873, to Miss Laura E. Bartholomew, daughter of George M. and Mary (Flesher) Bartholomew, of Palmyra. Honorable mention of the Bartholomew family will be found on another page of this work. Mr. and Mrs. Morris have two sons: Claud M., a merchant of Palmyra; and Joseph A., at home.

In 1875 Mr. Morris moved to his present farm, which he had purchased some time be- fore and which adjoins the old homestead. By subsequent purchases he has added to his orig- inal tract until now his magnificent farm com- prises 880 acres, all in one body, watered by South river which runs through it. It is well adapted and utilized both for farming and grazing; and besides the river water it is sup- plied with twelve wells, and these together with its numerous shade trees form an ideal place for the best care of his fine stock. The same year he moved to this farm he became largely interested in the cattle business, has ever since given to it considerable attention, and has most of the time kept an average of from 200 to 250 head. At this writing he keeps twenty head of work horses, and now cultivates about 220 acres in corn. He has a large barn, 100x53 feet in dimensions, exten- sive cattle sheds, ice-house, and everything conveniently arranged for carrying on his busi- ness in the most approved manner. His res- idence, built in 1892, is, as regards style, convenience and furnishings, a credit to the county. From his back door a fine view of nearly the whole of his broad acres is obtained. As a broad-gauge, public-spirited and popular

young man, John Wesley Morris has few equals in southern Iowa. In politics he is a strong and steadfast Republican, and fraternally he is associated with the A. O. U. W. and Col- lege Camp of the Modern Woodmen.

R RANK P. HAMMON, a farmer of Jef- ferson township, Warren county, was born in Allegany county, Maryland, February 5, 1856, a son of Levi and Elizabeth (Stoyer) Hammon. Of their ten children, six are now living, namely: Marga- ret, wife of James Acres, of this county; Lydia, wife of John Baker, of Missouri; Elizabeth, wife of George Conrad, of Warren county; Ada, now Mrs. Jacob Todd, of Oklahoma; Clara, wife of Charles Tousey, also of Okla- homa; and Frank P., the subject of this sketch. Levi Hammon, the father, was born in Maryland, in 1824. He resided there until 1840, when he went with his family to Ohio, subsequently returned to Maryland for a time, and in 1859 settled permanently in Iowa. On coming here he at first settled in White Oak township, later in life moved to Greenfield township, and in 1889 located in Des Moines, where he died in 1891, at the age of sixty- seven years. In political matters, he was a Democrat of the old school, strong in his con- victions, although not in any sense a politician. He was well informed on general topics, quiet and unassuming in his manner, but commanded the respect of all who knew him for his sturdy qualities. The mother of our subject, nce Elizabeth Stoyer, was born in Maryland, in 1824, a daughter of John Stoyer, natives also of that State. The ancestors were of German descent, and located in this country in an early day. Mrs. Haminon is still living. The an- cestry of the Hammon family were Pennsyl- vania Dutch for generations.

Frank P. Hammon, the subject of this sketch, was but three years of age when he left his native State for Iowa, and, with the exception of one year spent in Polk county, his life from that time to the present has been

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spent in Warren county. At the age of twenty- three years he started out in life for himself as a farmer, spending the first fourteen years in Jackson township, and in the spring of 1894 he purchased the farm where he now lives in Jefferson township. Mr. Hammon owns 200 acres of land, and is successfully engaged in farming and stock-raising, owning about 50 head of cattle and 125 hogs. He is one of the enterprising, energetic and public-spirited young men of this region, respected and es- teemed by all who know him. In politics he is a Democrat, active within the party lines, but not an aspirant for office. In local mat- ters Mr. Hammon is always in favor of any enterprise tending to advance the best interests of Warren county. He has served the public as Township Trustee.

In the fall of 1879 our subject was united in marriage with Miss Eva Arnold, a native of Ohio, and a daughter of Joseph and Susan (Willis) Arnold. Mrs. Hammon was one of five children, namely: Charles, Joseph, David and Ida. The parents were natives of Ohio, where they spent many years of their life, sub- sequently removing to Indiana, and afterward came to Iowa, where they still reside. Mr. and Mrs. Hammon have four children, -Curtis, Cora, Hallie and Susan.

J OHN M. OWENS is a prominent factor in business, social and church circles in Des Moines, actively interested in all that tends to promote the material, ed- ucational or moral welfare of the community, a man whose honorable, upright life has won him the highest esteem and whose circle of friends is limited only by his circle of ac- quaintances. He is president of the Iowa Loan & Trust Company, with which he has been connected since its organization.

Born in the city of Cincinnati, Ohio, on the 12th of February, 1820, Mr. Owens is a son of John and Eunice (Meeker) Owens. The paternal grandfather, John Owens, was a native of Wales, a shoemaker by trade, and his

last days were spent in Cincinnati, where he died at about the age of seventy years. He was a small, slender man of a very jovial and kindly disposition, and his genuine worth is shown by the fact that he was beloved by all children. His own family numbered three children. His wife, Anna Owens, died in 1842. The father, who also bore the name of John, was born in Wales in 1793, and during his infancy was brought by his parents to America. He was reared in the city of New York, and on atttaining his majority accompanied his parents on their removal to Cincinnati. He was there united in marriage with Eunice Meeker, in 1818, a native of Pennsylvania. She had been . previously married, her first husband being killed in the early Indian wars of Ohio. By that union she had one daughter, Elizabeth, who lived to an advanced age. Mr. Owens engaged in shoemaking in the Buckeye State, and there made his home until 1839, when he emigrated to Iowa, settling in Davenport, where he carried on merchandising for a year. He died at the ripe old age of eighty-four, and his wife reached the very advanced age of ninety-one. They were members of the Christian Church, in which he served as Deacon for some years, and their good example and teaching left their impress upon the children. Mr. Owens was a soldier in the war of 1812, and afterward was granted a pension by the Government in recognition of his services. In the family were seven children, four sons and three daughters, of whom four are now living, nainely: John M .; James F., a resident of Warren county, Illinois; Thurston C., of Ab- ingdon, Illinois; and Mary, wife of Ira Cook.

The first named spent the days of his child- hood and youth in his parents' home, contin- uing his residence in Cincinnati, until twenty- one years of age, during which time he learned the trades of iron finisher and locksmith. He came to Iowa in 1840, locating in Davenport, where he engaged in merchandising with his father for four years. On the expiration of that period he removed to Warren county, Illinois, where he engaged in farming for six

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years. His next venture was in the mer- chandising line in Abingdon, Illinois, and eight- een months later he removed to Galesburg, where he carried on business, with good suc- cess, for a number of years. On account of failing health he then made a trip to California, but not liking that territory in the fall of I S69 he returned eastward, and located in Des Moines, where he has since made his home. In 1872, in connection with others, he assisted in the organization of what is now the Iowa Loan & Trust Company, which was capital- ized for $50,000, but the capital has since been increased to $500,000, and there is a surplus of . over $300,000 and undivided earnings. The stock is above par, being worth 162, and there is $4,000,000 loaned out. The company is now doing business in its own building, which was erected at a cost of $135,000, and stands as a monument to the enterprise of its leading members. For several years past Mr. Owens has been the honored president of the company, and its success is due in no small degree to the enterprise, good management, sagacity and superior business ability of the gentleman who is at the head. He expects, however, to re- tire from the presidency on the Ist of January, 1896, for the burden of years resting upon him makes him wish to spend his remaining days in the quiet and retirement of private life.

For almost half a century, Mr. Owens traveled life's journey with one who was indeed a helpmeet and companion to him. In April, 1844, he was united in marriage with Miss Frances M. Hopper, a daughter of William and Edith Hopper, of Warren county, Illinois. The former was born in Virginia, March 31, 1791, and when quite young removed to Ken- tucky, but becoming dissatisfied with living in a State so afflicted with the evils of slavery, and wishing to bring up his family away from its influences, he removed to Warren county, Illinois, in 1838, where he died in 1877. He was beloved by all who knew him, and no man in Warren county was better known. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Edith M. Harrison, was born in Virginia, in January,

1797, and was related to William Henry Har- rison. She died in December, 1885. Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Owens: Edith, who was married June, 1865, to Dr. J. G. Hill, of Galesburg, Illinois, and they have a daughter, Frances, commonly called Fannie; Theodosia, who was married in Des Moines to Henry S. Murdock, and they now reside in Logansport, Indiana, with their four sons, - William, Carl, John Frederick and Charles; Ella H., who was married in Des Moines to Charles Gray, in 1875, the latter en- gaged in the wholesale and retail crockery trade in the city, and an honorable, up- right man, highly respected by all; he died in 1879, leaving a son, Owen H., who has com- pleted the second year's course in the Mass- achusetts Technological School, of Boston. Mrs. Gray was again married, in Des Moines, becoming the wife of Dr. Henry F. Hoyt, who resides in St. Paul, where for several years he served as health officer and is now surgeon for several railroads. They also have a son, Terrell Hoyt. The youngest member of the family, Laura, is the wife of W. S. Hackney, a leading architect of Des Moines, who was employed on the capitol building for about ten years. He also designed the Iowa Loan & Trust building, and also many others of the finest structures in the city. He is now located in Kansas City, where he is engaged on the construction of the library building of that place. Mr. and Mrs. Hackney were married in October, 1879, and have one daughter, Frances.

The saddest hour in the life of Mr. Owens came on the 28th of December, 1890, when death claimed the companion who had walked by his side along life's journey for forty-six years, sustaining, encouraging and comforting him and sympathizing with him in all his hopes and ambitions. Her illness was of short duration. On Christmas eve she was attacked with la grippe and at once took to her bed. Christmas morning she prepared a package of presents-mementos of her affec- tion -- and sent them to Her pastor and his

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wife, accompanied by a note of Christmas cheer and greeting. It was the last of her many thoughtful remembrances of deeds of kindness. Her life was a benediction to all who knew her, a blessing to all with whom she came in contact.

Hers was a loving nature, always quick to see and appreciate the good and slow to recog- nize the faults of others. To the poor and needy her kindness, sympathy and material assistance were unlimited. She was a woman of lofty purposes, of heroic faith, rounded Christian character and stainless purity. Her home is filled with memories of her unceasing devotion to her family and her unbounding love and interest in their welfare. As was said of her, "Her life was her own best eulogy and her deeds were her most elegant epitaph."

Mr. and Mrs. Owens long held member- ship with the Christian Church, and from early manhood he served as Deacon and is now an Elder in the Central Church of Des Moines. He has contributed largely to its building and support, and also gave liberally for the erec- tion of Drake University. He gave over $5,000 to the Central Church, besides making generous donations to other churches and other branches of Christian work. He has always taken a deep interest in religion, is earnestly devoted to the cause of Christianity and his moral convictions are not only genuine but in- tense. His life is perfectly in harmony with his profession, and he is always loyal to his pastor, his church and especially to the Master. His life is above reproach, for he has earnestly endeavored to follow in the teachings of the Bible, living the practical Christian life which recognizes the brotherhood of mankind and the possibilities for good throughout the human race.

RANCIS GENESER, president of the German Savings Bank, of Des Moines, is a man who has risen from the ranks without aid from any out- side source. He came to this country in lim-

ited circumstances and by his own capability, energy, industry and commercial integrity has risen to a place among the highest. His busi- ness career and his private life have been alike characterized by integrity and uprightness, and he has earned the esteem and respect in which he is so universally held.

Mr. Geneser was born in Bavaria, Ger- many, April 2, 1829, and is a son of George Geneser. His parents spent their entire lives in the Fatherland and had a family of four sons and a daughter, of whom the eldest, Daniel, died many years ago. Susan, the only daughter, has also been dead for some years. Jacob departed this life in Germany. Joseph W. and Francis are the only ones now living, both being residents of the United States.

The subject of this review spent his boy- hood days in Germany, and there learned the mason's trade. At the age of twenty he left the Fatherland and crossed the briny deep to the New World, making the voyage in a sail- ing vessel, which reached the American port only after many long days. He took up his re- sidence in Albany, New York, where he worked at his trade until, learning through a friend of the probability of Des Moines becoming one of the leading cities of Iowa, and furnishing ample opportunity for work in his line, he took ad- vantage of the excellent inducements here offered and came to this city, in 1856. He worked at his trade for a time in the employ of others, but soon began taking contracts for the manufacture of brick, and for twenty-two years was one of the leading contractors and brick manufacturers of Des Moines. As the brick which he made was of a very superior quality he soon secured a liberal patron- age which constantly increased until he was doing an extensive business, which yielded to him a handsome income. He took many contracts for the erection of different buildings in this city and on all sides are structures which stand as monuments to his thrift and enterprise.

In connection with his other business in-

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terests, Mr. Geneser has long been connected with banking, and in 1893 aided in the organ- ization of the German Savings Bank, one of the solid financial institutions of the city. From the beginning he has served as its presi- dent, and is recognized as a safe, conservative business man, whose enterprise is tempered by sound judgment and whose progressiveness is guided by determined purpose. He now has a good residence on Fifth street in Des Moines, where he and his estimable wife have lived for some years. He is one of the oldest residents of the city, having for forty years been con- nected with its growth and progress. He is widely and favorably known, and the record of his honorable and exemplary career is one that properly belongs in a work of this char- acter.

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Memorial and biographical record of Iowa, Part 43

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