Memorial and biographical record of Iowa, Part 5

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

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RECORD OF IOWA.

of Iowa's statesmen. We honor him for what he has been and for what he is."

Then turning to Governor Jones, Colonel Dungan continued: " My dear, venerable Sir: Not only venerable in years but rich in all that should accompany old age, as 'honor, love, obedience, troops of friends,' we bid you thrice welcome to these legislative halls. As you have seen the beginning of years of the nine- teenth century, may God in his infinite good- ness spare your life to see the opening doors of the twentieth century before calling you to your final reward."

In 1893 Colonel Dungan was elected to the office of Lieutenant Governor of Iowa. As the second officer in the State he has been president of the Senate, and presided with a dignity and faithfulness that has brought honor to the office and credit to himself. It is said that no Lieutenant Governor has discharged his duties more intelligently or with greater satisfaction to the public. Well versed in law, an excellent parliamentarian and an hon- est and conscientious officer, his rulings have been consistent and his decisions free and im- partial. Some of the newspapers have spoken of him in connection with the office of Gov- ernor, but he has manifested no desire for the office; yet should he be placed in that position the affairs of the State would be ably man- aged, and he would add new luster to Iowa's history and his own name. His party has made him its standard-bearer on various occa- sions. He was chosen a delegate to the na- tional convention in Philadelphia in 1872, when General Grant was nominated for the presidency, and was Presidential Elector from the Seventh district. for the same year. He usually attends the State conventions of his party and is generally chairman of the Lucas county delegation.

Colonel Dungan was chairman of the Iowa Scotch-Irish society for the year 1895. He is an active advocate of temperance and sobriety, and his eloquent voice is often heard in defense of these principles. He was a worthy member of the Sons of Temperance, also of the Temple

of Honor, and recently he was elected a mem- ber of the order of the "Sons of the Revolu- tion " on the service of his grandfather, William McFarren, who was an Ensign in Northamp- ton county (Pennsylvania) militia in the war of the Revolution.

Busy and eventful as has been his life he yet finds time to devote to those holier duties which men often neglect in the rush and hurry of the work-a-day world, and for many years he has been a leading Elder in the Presbyterian Church. He has been three times chosen as delegate to the General Assembly of the church. His public and his private life are alike above reproach. While in office a digni- fied statesman, on the rostrum an eloquent orator, in business devoted entirely to his work, in his leisure hours he will throw all these aside and become a companionable friend, a pleasant, social gentleman, who is touched by a tale of sorrow or distress and ready to lend a helping hand.

R EV. EDWIN STODDARD HILL, D. D., founder and pastor of the Congregational Church, at Atlantic, Iowa, is well known and highly es- teemed for his good word and work through- out the entire State. He came to Atlantic in 1869, and organized the Congregational Church at this place with a membership of only eight persons. The first meetings were held in a little old building in which four other denominations have since started. It is yet standing, on Sixth street, and within its walls are clustered many hallowed memories. Un- der the pastorate of Dr. Hill, the Congrega- tional Church of Atlantic has gradually in- creased in membership until it now enrolls about 350 communicants, and the church edifice is a fine building, erected at a cost of $15,000.

Dr. Hill was born in Wakeman, Huron county, Ohio, December 2, 1837. His grand- father, Isaac Hill, was a native of Connecti- cut, of English descent, and a farmer and blacksmith by occupation. His son, Lev-

IIISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL

erett Hill, the father of our subject, was also a native of Connecticut, born in 1797, and was reared in his native State and was also by occupation a farmer. In an early day he re- moved to Wakeman, Huron county, Ohio, and there met Esther Strong, a native of Woodbury, Connecticut, with whom he was united in marriage. Her father, Ariel Strong, was also born in Woodbury, Connecticut, where he was engaged in farming and was also interested in a woolen-manufacturing busi- ness in that place. The Strongs were also of English descent. Lieutenant John Strong, an uncle of Mrs. Esther Hill, was a Revolutionary hero, having faithfully served his country dur- ing its struggle for independence. After their marriage Leverett and Esther Hill located on a farm in Huron county, Ohio, where the hus- band and father died in 1851. Later, the mother removed to Tabor, Iowa, where she died, at the age of ninety-four years. Her people were all long-lived, three of the family living to be over ninety-four years of age. They were the parents of seven children, one of whom died in infancy. Leverett B., who was a farmer by occupation, died in 1892; Edgar S. now resides in Indianola, Nebraska, where he is engaged in merchandising; Eliza- beth E. is now the wife of L. E. Webb, of Tabor, Iowa; Edwin S. is the subject of this sketch; Isaac C. is a Justice of the Peace at Agency, Iowa; and Julius M. is a teacher at Tabor, Iowa.

The subject of this sketch was reared in his native place and there attended the public schools, engaging in teaching at the age of eighteen years. He then came with his mother and brothers to Tabor, Iowa, in 1856, and was one of the first students of the college located at that place. He continued in attend- ance at that college until 1861, when he en- listed as a private in Company A, Fourth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and served until the close of the war. With the exception of two, he was in all the battles in which his regiment participated, including the Arkansas river cam- paign, the battles of Chattanooga and Arkan-

sas Post, the siege of Vicksburg, Lookout Mountain, Ringgold, and all the battles lead- ing up to the capture of Atlanta; was with Sherman in his march to the sea, and in the grand review at Washington, at the close of the war. He had some very close calls, many bullets passing through his clothes, but he was never seriously injured. He was promoted from time to time, and was honorably dis- charged at the close of the war with the rank of Lieutenant.

On receiving his discharge Lieutenant Hill returned home and engaged in teaching at Per- cival, Iowa. He was ordained to the min- istry in 1866, and accepted the pastorate of the Congregational Church at Grove City, Iowa. As already stated, he came to Atlantic in 1869, and has since served the church at this place, being its only pastor, which position he still holds. He received the honorary de- gree of D. D. from Tabor College, of Iowa, in 1889, an honor worthily bestowed.

Dr. Hill has been twice married, his first marriage, in 1865, was.to Miss Mattie Treat, who soon died, leaving him one son, Sidney T., who died July 21, '1895, at his father's home. His second marriage was in 1870, when he wedded Miss Helen M. Jones, a native of Ver- mont, who in early life emigrated to Massa- chusetts, and who was educated in Oberlin College, at which she graduated, subsequently engaging in teaching, in which occupation she continued for several years.

In politics Dr. Hill is a Republican, and although he does not take an active interest in political matters he has an abiding faith in the principles of that party. In 1890 he spent four months traveling in Europe, visiting Eng- land, Scotland, Germany, Italy, Holland and France. His travels were beneficial to him, not alone in health but in knowledge acquired. The long pastorate of Mr. Hill attests his popu- larity in Atlantic, his church being the leading one in that city. He is an effective public speaker, a sympathizing pastor, and is loved by his congregation and by members of other churches equally as well.

RECORD OF IOWA.

ON. GEORGE McNEELEY is one of the representative citizens of Lucas county and an honored pioneer of Iowa, who has witnessed the greater part of its growth and development since its admission to the Union. His parents, Jere- miah and Drusilla (Springer) McNeeley, came to the West when this locality was on the frontier of civilization. The father located in Hillsboro, Highland county, Ohio, in 1816, at which time Cincinnati was a mere hamlet, giv- ing little promise of future development. He aided in the work of improvement and progress and continued his residence there until 1849, when he located in Henry county, Iowa, hav- ing crossed the Mississippi at Burlington on tha Ist of May. Our subject was born near Hillsboro, Ohio, October 16, 1840, in a one- room log cabin, with clapboard roof, held down with weight-poles, and with a puncheon floor and stick chimney.

Mr. McNeeley, only eight years of age at the time of his arrival in the Hawkeye State, was reared amid the wild scenes of frontier life and acquired his elementary education in the district schools of the neighborhood. His father purchased eighty acres of partially im- proved land a mile and a half from Mt. Pleas- ant, Iowa, located in the timber belt, where George aided in the arduous task of clearing and developing a farm, continuing to devote his services to that work until 1861.

It was then that he joined the army, en- listing under Captain Jones, of Mt. Pleasant, and Colonel Moore. In July the company left Mt. Pleasant, and went to Croton, Mis- souri, to intercept General Green, and after participating in a skirmish were engaged in holding in check the guerrillas who were en- gaged in their barbarous mode of warfare in that locality. . After being at the front for sixty days the command returned to the North and was mustered out at Mt. Pleasant. It was now seen that the war was to be no holiday affair, that the determined North was met by an uncompromising South; and, feeling that the country needed the services of all her loyal

citizens, Mr. McNeeley on the 14th of Sep- tember, 1861, joined Company G, of the Eleventh Iowa Infantry, and was mustered in at Davenport. On the 16th of November the command left Davenport for St. Louis, and in December was ordered to Jefferson City and thence to Fulton, Missouri, where the troops were quartered for the winter in an insane asylum. In March, 1862, they proceeded by rail to St. Louis, and then by water to Pitts- burg Landing, where they arrived on the Ist of Åpril. The regiment also took part in the bat- tle of Shiloh under General McClernand, where four of the fifty-six members of Company G were killed, while fourteen were wounded.

For bravery displayed at that battle Mr. McNeeley was promoted to the position of Second Sergeant, for his prompt action there had checked a flank movement of the "gray- coats" and prevented them from cutting off and capturing his regimnent. Captain McFar- land received the personal thanks of Major Abbercromba for this action, but said the thanks were due Corporal McNeeley. Our subject participated in the siege of Corinth, the battles of Iuka and Corinth, Grant's march to Qx- ford and Memphis and Vicksburg, on to Merid- ian, and up the river to Cairo and Huntsville; and at Big Shanty the command again joined the army and participated in the siege and battles of Kenesaw mountain and the Atlanta cam- paign. Mr. McNeeley was within forty yards of the late Secretary of State Gresham when he was wounded, July 2Ist. On the 22d of July, 1864, Mr. McNeeley was captured and for two months was confined in Andersonville prison, for two weeks in Charleston and for four and a half months at Florence. He escaped from Wilmington on the 21st of February, 1865, and two days later reached the Union lines. He spent some time in Annapolis, Maryland, and on account of ill health was granted a fur- lough on the Ist of April, of that year. He returned to St. Louis two months later and was mustered out at Davenport, June 15, 1865. He went through all the hardships of prison life at Andersonville, and at Florence

HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL

was obliged to live on a pint of corn meal per day. He has now in his possession a half- gallon tin measure which he used during his army service, and also a knife which was used by Professor Hamnmel, of Burlington, and him- self to cut large clubs in order to protect them- selves against the bloodhounds while making their escape from Southern prisons.

Mr. McNeeley was always a faithful and valiant soldier, true to his duty and to the old flag which now floats so proudly over the united nation. The family has furnished sev- eral representatives to the armies of the coun- try. The great-grandfather of our subject, who also bore the name of George, was the founder of the family in America. He located in Pennsylvania, and when the Colonies at- tempted to secure their independence he served for five years in the Colonial army. The grandfather, also named George, was a soldier of the war of 1812, and in 1816 removed from Kentucky to Ohio, building a log house in the midst of the wilderness on the banks of White Oak creek, where he spent his remaining days.

The father of our subject was born in Ken- tucky, November 28, 1812, and died in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, June 7, 1889. He wedded Drusilla Springer, who during her girlhood was a schoolmate of General Grant. She was born in Maryland, descending from one of three brothers who came to this country in 1580, while the ancestry of the family in Sweden can be traced back to the eleventh century. Mrs. McNeeley's father was also a soldier of the war of 1812, serving as Major in an Ohio regiment. To Jeremiah and Drusilla McNeeley were born three sons and two daughters, viz .: Nancy, who died of consumption in 1888; Uriah, who was a soldier of Company I, Fourteenth Iowa Infantry, and was captured at the battle of Shiloh. He died in a prison at Macon, Ga., August 14, 1862, and was buried in the na- tional cemetery at that place. Our subject is the next of the family. Elizabeth makes her home with her brother Flavius, who is engaged in agricultural pursuits in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa.

On the 14th of May, 1865, the gentleman

whose name heads this record wedded Miss Ann E. Neel, who was born in Wayne county, Indiana, August 23, 1840, and is a daughter of Jesse and Rebecca Neel. She accompanied her parents to this State in 1845, and by her marriage has become the mother of six chil- dren: Martha E., wife of J. L. Evans, a farmer of Adair county, Iowa; Emily O., wife of Sher- man La Follett, a farmer of Adair county; Charles F., who was born June 20, 1870, and died September 4, 1874; George H., Myrtle and Ellis B., at home.

On the 6th of April, 1871, Mr. McNeeley removed to Lucas county, locating on section 21, Washington township, where he owns a fertile and valuable farm of 315 acres. In 1889 he erected thereon a substantial resi- dence, and the other buildings are in keeping with the pleasant home. He and his family are members of the Evangelical Church, and he takes an active part in Sunday-school work and in promoting the cause of education. In politics he has been a stalwart Republican since casting his first presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln, the ballot being a grain of corn, for thus the soldiers in Florence prison were allowed to show their preference for the presi- dency. His private life and his official career are alike honorable. He has served both as Township Trustee and Assessor, and in 1891 was elected to the State Legislature, serving for two terms in a most acceptable and credit- able manner.

J AMES FRANKLIN WOODY, Clerk of the District Court, is one of the lead- ing and representative citizens of Guthrie county, Iowa, where his birth occurred on the 2d of August, 1859. His par- ents were John W. and Clarissa C. (Hender- son) Woody. The father was born in Indi- ana in 1828, and enlisted in the Second Indi- ana Infantry for the Mexican war, serving for one year under the command of General Tay- lor. After receiving his discharge he came to Iowa, in 1848, and on the 28th day of Au-

Swing A with

Joel W. Smith

RECORD OF IOWA.

. gust, 1854, married Miss Henderson, also a native of Indiana, born in 1837, who with her parents came to Iowa in 1853, locating on a farm in Jackson township, Guthrie county. They were the fourteenth couple married in the county of which they are honored pioneers, and they lived on a farm in Jackson township until within a few years, when they sold out and removed to Guthrie Center, where they now reside. On the breaking out of the Civil war, the father again offered his services, en- listing as a member of Company I, Twenty- ninth Iowa Infantry, with which he served from 1862 until the close of hostilities, being with the western army. The family consists of three sons and one daughter, of whom James F. is the eldest. Florida E. is the wife of J. R. Morris, a farmer of Brule county, South Dakota. Ulysses G., a mechanic, re- sides at home with his parents. Charles W. is married and resides at Salida, Colorado, be- ing an employee of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad Company. The parents are mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and in politics the father is a Republican. The family traces its genealogy back to Scotland, and the founders of the family in this country first located in North Carolina. The ma- ternal grandfather of our subject, James Hen- derson, was a Protestant Irishman, born in Tennessee.

In the common schools and the county high school of Guthrie county, James F. Woody received his education, and on the homestead farm was reared to manhood. He taught school for several terms, mostly in this county, though for two terms he followed the same occupation in Dakota. He devoted eight years of his life to the service of the Chi- cago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad, being bill clerk in the freight office for three years, and the remainder of the time serving as ticket and express clerk. In 1894 he became the Republican candidate for the office of Clerk of the District Court, and on being elected took possession of the office on the Ist of January, 1895. He is now acceptably

serving in that capacity, giving general satis- faction.

On the IIth of November, 1880, were united the destinies of Mr. Woody and Miss Tacy P. Morris, a sister of J. R. Morris, who married our subject's sister. The lady is a daughter of J. J. and Sarah (Reynolds) Morris, natives of Ohio and Indiana, respectively, and they now make their home in Stuart, Iowa. Eight children were born to them, six sons and two daughters. The father was one of the honored pioneers of Guthrie county. Three children grace the union of our subject and his estimable wife, namely: Ivan L., Bertha and Elsie, all now attending school.

In his social relations, Mr. Woody is prom- inently connected with the Masonic order, be- ing a member of Token Lodge, No. 304, F. & A. M .; Damascus Chapter, No. 97, R. A. M .; and Alhambra Commandery, No. 58, K. T., the last two of Stuart. He also holds mem- bership with the Knights of the Maccabees, being a charter member and Commander of Garfield Tent, No. 58; and belongs to Bower Camp, No. 1485, Modern Woodmen of America. He and his wife are faithful mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in the work of which they take an active part; while in politics he is an earnest Republican, taking a deep interest in political affairs, and being a leader in the councils of his party.

J OEL W. SMITH, M. D., who has been identified with the interests of Charles City, Iowa, ever since March, 1857,- an early period in its history, -is one of the prominent citizens of the place, and is as highly respected as he is well known.

His father, Silas Smith, was born in 1794, in West Springfield, now Feeding Hills, Mas- sachusetts, and his mother, nee Lydia Gillett, in 1801, at Hebron, Connecticut.

The Doctor was born July 23, 1824, in a primitive farm-house, at Franklin, Delaware county, New York, one of twelve children,

3-4

HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL

ten of whom are still living. It was his good fortune to spend his early years upon the farm under the training of the best of parents; he was early taught to labor, and thus is better able to appreciate the dignity of, and to sympa- thize with, honest toil. He attended the dis- trict school and later the village academy, named the Delaware Literary Institute and long recognized by the leading colleges as one of the three best schools of the kind in the United States. He was a success- ful teacher, but choosing the medical profession he directed his studies in that line, graduating in 1850 in the medical department of Yale University; and ever since that time he has assiduously followed his profession, aiming to keep pace with the great advances made by the scientific world in the healing art.

He early adopted the sanitary view that prevention is better than cure; that preventive measures are preferable to drugs; and that good health can be secured only by correct liv- ing; and consequently he has used drugs but sparingly. This feature of his practice has rendered him somewhat less popular among a certain class of people, who were in the ma- jority a number of years ago, and who encour- aged practitioners who used drug treatment more freely, or "heroically;" but upon this, as upon all other subjects, he would rather be right than popular, even if his patronage. be diminished thereby. He served as examining surgeon during the war of the rebellion, and since then has been examining surgeon for pen- sions. He is a member of the local medical societies, the Iowa State Medical Society, the American Medical Association, and of the Iowa and American Public Health Associations, for the prevention of disease. He was a member of the international medical congress at Phila- delphia in 1876, and of that at Washington in 1887.

In political action the Doctor allied himself with the Republican party at its organization, in Delaware county, New York; and while he has all these years supported most of the party ineasures his abhorrence of the use of alcoholic

drinks and other artificial stimulants has made him a practical prohibitionist.

The first public office he filled in Charles City was that of Secretary of the school dis- trict, then the most important office. That was in 1858; and for years after he was a Director and President of the School Board. He has taken a deep interest in educational matters and done much in the way of advance- ment in this line. After his experience as teacher, parent and school officer, he advocates manual training as a part of the school course, especially for these two reasons: First, to se- cure the more harmonious development of body. and mind of some pupils; and, second, to make hand-work equally respected with mind or brain work. He believes in free schools in connection with compulsory education.

In 1861 he was appointed Postmaster of Charles City, under President Lincoln, and acceptably filled the office for a period of nearly nine years, -which was much longer than he wished. He has also filled other local offices of prominence and trust, and is exam- iner for several of the leading life-insurance companies. Both as a physician and business man he has been reasonably successful during his long residence in this city. A leading trait even in his early life was to aim at excellence, -to see how well anything could be done; and this, with industry, is one of the leading les- sons of his life.

He is opposed to monopolies, either of land, business or trusts; abhors shams and frauds in government, politics, religion, busi- ness and indeed every means by which the rich are made richer and the poor poorer. In the case of all great public evils, as with indi- vidual ones, he believes that prevention should be the chief aim. He has given considerable attention to public interests, but has not been an office-seeker.

He is a ready writer, a fair public talker and a good fighter upon questions that demand it, and a frequent contributor to the news- paper press and to medical and other journals upon the more important issues of the times.

RECORD OF IOWA.

Among the great reforms which he advocates is that of woman suffrage. He is a lover of scientific pursuits, and as to general informa- tion, especially upon the great questions of the age, he ranks among the best informed men of the State.

In his religious views he is liberal orthodox, not regarding denominationalism as Christian- ity; is wholly unsectarian, and is usually an attendant of the Congregational Church, chiefly, he thinks, from the force of education. He has not given much attention to secret societies, feeling it best to spend most of his leisure time with his family.

He comes from long-lived stock, and is much younger in mind and body than he is in years.

April 4, 1850, Dr. Smith married Miss Susan M. Wheat, born at East Franklin, now Treadwell post-office, Delaware county, New York, whose life has been blended with his for forty-five years and who is still by his side. Her parents were William Wheat, Esq., and Altamira, nee Wolcott, the former born at Marl- borough, Connecticut, in 1796, and the latter at Southampton, Massachusetts. They have had six children, namely: Irving Wheat, born March 1, 1851, was a young man of more than ordinary attainments, practiced medicine with his father several years, and from 1893 to 1895 was a professor and the physician of the State Agricultural College: in the prime of life he was a victim of overwork and disease, and died October 29, 1895, at Cottonwood, Cali- fornia, whither he had gone in search of health; Ida E. is the wife of La Verne W. Noyes, pres- ident of the Aermotor Windmill Company of Chicago; Alta died in 1859, aged four years; William T. and Charles F., twins: the former is a photographer and music teacher of Charles City, and the latter is a pharmacist of Kansas City, Kansas; and Fred E., the youngest, has charge of the New York branch of the Aermo- tor Company.

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Memorial and biographical record of Iowa, Part 5

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