Memorial and biographical record of Iowa, Part 52

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

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RECORD OF IOWA.

county, that State. Her father, Daniel Mussel- man, was a native of Kentucky, and a soldier in the war of 1812, being a participant in the battle in which the noted Tecumseh was killed; was one of the pioneers of Lucas county, Iowa, and his last resting place is in the old cemetery in White Breast township, this county.

In 1853 W. W. Baker emigrated with his family to Iowa and settled in Lucas county, on a farm near Chariton. Here for some time he dealt in lands and also did a loan business, and in 1865, in company with his son, J. C., he engaged in the mercantile busi- ness, carrying on the same successfully. In 1 886 he moved out to California and took up his abode in a pretty home in Santa Ana, Orange county, where he is spending the evening of his active and useful life, now being eighty-one years of age. For fifty-seven years he and his good wife have journeyed along life's path- way together. She was born October 1, 1822, and is now seventy-three years of age. Fifteen children were born by this union, their names being as follows : Hon. D. M., for years one of Lucas county's prominent men, and the only Democrat ever elected to the State Legislature from this county, has been a resident of California since 1884 and is now proprietor of the Santa Ana Standard; J. Clark, the subject of this article; Mary, wife of M. V. Lovering, Fullerton, Orange county, California; M. P., engaged in the real-estate business in Chicago, Illinois; Eliza, widow of L. D. Rankin, Santa Ana, California; E. S., Lacona, Iowa; Clara, residing in California with her parents; Charles W., Westminster, California; the rest are deceased, namely: Naaman, at the age of eleven years; Flora, at the age of eighteen months; Sarah J., wife of T. J. Allen, died in Lucas, Iowa, at the age of twenty-six years, leaving three children, Carrie L., W. E. and W. W .; Tobitha, wife of H. N. Chamberlain, died at the age of twenty-six; Louisa, at the age of eighteen years; W. L., for many years a prominent man of Lucas county, died recently in California, at the age fifty; and V. G., a real estate-dealer of Los

Angeles, California, died at the age of thirty- two years.

We come now to the immediate subject of this sketch, J. C. Baker. He was ten years old at the time of the removal of the family to Iowa. Until he was sixteen he attended the public schools, making the best of his oppor- tunities, and then accepting a position as clerk for William Boyd, whose store was located on the northeast corner of the public square in Chariton. Later he clerked for Mr. W. A. Brown. After the death of Mr. Brown, W. W. Baker purchased his stock of goods and put his son, J. C., in the store as manager, the lat- ter also being a partner. After ten years of successful business in Chariton, they sold out and J. C. Baker came to Lucas. Here for twenty years he has been a leading business man. He has done much in various ways to promote the material growth and development of the town. In 1886 he established the Farmers' and Miners' Bank, of Lucas, of which he is still the pro- prietor, this being one of the most substantial banking institutions in the county. It is now under the efficient management of Mr. Baker's son, Norman F., one of the bright and prom- ising young business men of the town. Mr. Baker has also for years been extensively en- gaged in farming and stock-raising, owning no less than 700 acres of fine land in Liberty and White Breast townships, located about four miles distant from Lucas. About 500 acres of this land are under cultivation. In 1891 he built his commodious and attractive residence in Lucas, it being erected at a cost of $3,000 and having all the modern conveniences. It is, indeed, a model home.

August 19, 1869, Mr. Baker was married in Clarke county, Iowa, to Miss Mattie Steffy, a member of one of the best families of that county and a lady who has proved herself a worthy helpmate. She was born in Burling- ton, Iowa, daughter of William and Hannah (Ream) Steffy, natives of Johnstown, Pennsyl- vania, and of German descent. Her father was one of the early settlers of Burlington, Iowa, where he died leaving a widow and four

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children, namely: Matilda Keeves, Arkansas City, Kansas; Ellen Keeves, deceased; Samuel, who died at the age of ten years; and Mrs. Baker. Of the children of Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Baker, we record that their names are N. F., who has charge of the bank above referred to; Albert L., a merchant of Lucas; Lora G., who recently completed her education at Highland Park; J. C., Jr., at Ames College ; and Blanche.

Mr. Baker was initiated into the mysteries of Masonry about the time he attained his ma- jority and maintains a membership in both the chapter and the commandery; and he is also a member of the I. O. O. F. and K. of P. His son, N. F., is Master of Good Shepherd Lodge, No. 414, A. F. & A. M., and is Keeper of Seals of the K. of P., both in Lucas. The subject of our sketch is one of the largest men in the county, his weight being 300 pounds. He is a man of frank and genial nature, has a wide ac- quaintance throughout this part of Iowa, and is as popular as he is well known.

3 OSEPH FREDERICK SPIKER, one of the leading farmers of Lucas county, Iowa, residing in English township, is a native of the Buckeye State, his birth having occurred in Morgan county, Ohio, on the 25th of February, 1837. He is one of the eight children of Henry and Rachel (Hukle) Spiker, of whom six are now living, namely: Eliza, Joseph F., William, Robert, Maria and James E. The father of this family was also a native of Ohio, born in 1814, and during his active business life carried on farming. In 1841 he went with his family to Illinois and for a year resided in McDonough county. In 1842 he removed to Hancock county, and there spent his remaining days. He was one of the pioneer settlers of that locality, and dur- ing his residence there was actively interested in its development and in the welfare of the community, but after five years he died, on the 25th of February, 1847, when thirty-three years of age. He was a man of exceptional

ability, great energy and public spirit, and at the time of his death was one of the most prominent men of that period. His widow is still living on the old family homestead in Hancock county, Illinois, with some of her grandchildren. During an uncommonly long life, she has ever been guided by a strong relig- ious principle and for many years has been an earnest member of the Christian Church.

Henry Spiker, the grandfather of our sub- ject, was a native of Maryland, born about the middle of the 18th century, and the family from which he descended was early founded in this country. During his younger years he went to Ohio, where he was married and began his domestic life. Subsequently he removed to Illinois and died in Hancock county, when about eighty years of age.

When a child of four years, Joseph F. Spiker was taken by his parents on their re- moval to Illinois and resided there until 1875. When he was ten years of age his father died, and from that time on he labored diligently to support his family, for the greater part of the burden and responsibility devolved upon his. young shoulders. He worked on the old home place until eighteen years of age, reducing the wild land into a tract of rich fertility, and then purchased an ox team, after which he engaged in breaking prairie for nine years during the early summer season, while in the fall he took up threshing.

On the 28th of June, 1858, Mr. Spiker was united in marriage with Miss Adellah W. Brightwell, a native of Hancock county, Illi- nois, and a daughter of Richard and Elizabeth (Hagerty) Brightwell, the former born in Ken- tucky, and the latter in Illinois. They re- moved to Lucas county, Iowa, in 1875, where Mrs. Brightwell died in 1884, and her husband survived her until 1887, when he passed away. Eight children grace the union of our subject and his wife and the family circle yet remains unbroken by the hand of death. In order of birth they are as follows: Martha J., Henry M., Elmer G., Edgar, Richard E., Vernis U., Addison and Frederick.

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RECORD OF IOWA.

During the late war Mr. Spiker, prompted by a spirit of patriotism, responded to the President's call for troops to aid in crushing out the rebellion, and on the 14th of August, 1862, enlisted in Company G, One Hundred and Eighteenth Illinois Infantry, under Colonel John G. Fundy. He went down the Missis- sippi river to Memphis, Tennessee, and after being engaged in active field service for a few months was taken ill and lay for some months in the hospital. On account of disability he was then honorably discharged, at Keokuk, Iowa, February 28, 1863; but to this day he suffers from the effects of the hardships en- dured while in the service.

After his return to the North, Mr. Spiker resided in Hancock county, Illinois, until March 24, 1875, when he sold his. property and removed to Lucas county, Iowa, where he has since made his home. He located upon a farm which he had purchased three years before, a tract of 320 acres, in English town- ship, to which he has added from time to time as his financial resources have increased, until he now owns 1, 300 acres, nearly all in one body. For years he has been well known as one of the most extensive farmers of this re- gion, and his capable management and good business ability are indicated in the success which has crowned his efforts. From the early age of ten years he has been dependent en- tirely upon his own resources, and his pros- perity is the just reward of his labors. In March, 1893, he removed to Chariton, where he lived for about two years, when, in January, 1895, he returned to the farm, his present place of abode. For many years he has been extensively engaged in stock-raising, making a specialty of heavy-draft and general-utility horses, his stables being noted throughout the entire region for his splendid specimens of Norman, Clydesdale and English Shire breeds. He has done much to advance the standard of this stock in Lucas county, and is recognized as a most progressive agriculturist. He and his sons cultivate some 800 acres of land, and the younger representatives of the family are

numbered among the successful young agricul- turists of Lucas county.

In politics, Mr. Spiker is a Democrat of the old Jacksonian school. He has been a member of the Masonic order since 1865, having been initiated into its mysteries in La Harpe Lodge, No. 195, A. F. & A. M., of Illinois. He is now a member of Chariton Lodge, No. 63, and is also connected with Immanuel Commandery, No. 50, K. T., of Chariton, being one of the promoters of the order in that city.

OT CURTIS. - It is now the privilege of the biographer to touch upon the life history of Lot Curtis, another one of the representative farmers of Lucas county, Iowa, his farm being located in Warren township, and Chariton his post-office address. He came here in 1860 and is there- fore classed with the pioneers of this vicinity.

Mr. Curtis was born in Belmont county, Ohio, August 23, 1822. At an early period in the history of this country three brothers, by the name of Curtis and natives of Ireland, crossed the Atlantic and settled in the Old Dominion. From one of these brothers has descended the subject of our sketch. Barna- bas Curtis; a native of Virginia, was the father of Thomas Curtis, also a native of that State and born in Loudoun county, and this Thomas Curtis was the father of Lot. He was by trade a carpenter and miller, but after settling in Ohio gave his attention to farming. His wife, nce Frances St. Clair, like himself was a native of Virginia. They became the parents of seven children, namely: Anne, Jane, Emily, Malinda, Harriet, Lot and Thomas. The daughters are all deceased and the sons are both residents of Lucas county. The father died in 1827. The mother survived him a number of years and her death occurred at the age of sixty. They were members of the Bap- tist Church and were earnest and devoted Christians.

Lot Curtis was reared on his father's farm

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in the Buckeye State and had the benefit of a public-school education only. In early life he learned the trade of miller and carpenter, which he followed for some time in Belmont county. From there, in 1860, he came West to Lucas county, Iowa, accompanied hither by his wife and six children. Three other chil- dren were added to their family after they came to this State. His first settlement here was on a farm four miles southwest of Chariton. While in Ohio he was in the milling business with Dr. Wright. The Doctor had preceded him to Iowa, had become the owner of mill property here, and had sent for Mr. Curtis to come and take charge of it, which he did. Subsequently Mr. Curtis built a mill on his own farm and ran it three years, after which he moved it to Chariton, where, in company with his two sons, William and Joseph, he ran it several years longer. After this he settled down to farming on his old farm and continued to reside on it until 1890, when he sold out to his sons, Joseph and Asbury Cottins. That same year he bought the farm upon which he has since resided and which is located on sec- tion 7, of Warren township, it being well im- proved with good buildings, orchard, etc. In addition to this farm he also owns a good property in town.

Mr. Curtis was first married August 20, 1844, in Monroe county, Ohio, to Miss Mary Chynowith, a native of Maryland and a daugh- ter of William and Bridget (Turner) Chyno- with, natives of England. Her parents came to Iowa in their old age and passed the closing years of their lives and died here. She was the second born in their family of six children, the others being Joseph, Martha, Jane, Eliza- beth and Jacob. Mrs. Mary Curtis departed this life in 1883, leaving the following named children: William, of Russell, Iowa, who was a soldier in the late war; Amanda, wife of M. A. Scoville, of Warren township, this county; Joseph and Cyrus, both of this township; Frank, of Iowa Falls; Asbury C. and Ira, both of Chariton. For his second wife Mr. Curtis married Mrs. Martha Segler, nec Tracy, a

native of Belmont county, Ohio. Her parents, Benjamin and Nancy (Nicholds) Tracy, were natives of Virginia, and both died in Lucas county, Iowa, each at the advanced age of eighty-one years. Their family was composed of eleven children, -five sons and six daugh- ters. Of Mrs. Curtis we further record that her first husband was Isaac H. Segler, a native of Ashland county, Ohio, and that their marriage occurred December 25. 1851. He died in Lucas county, Iowa, in 1880, at the age of fifty-one years. Following are the names of their children: Henry H., M. J., Nancy Jane Hedges, Elma McCollough, Min- nie Yont and William. Mrs. McCollough is deceased.

Mr. Curtis is a No. I citizen in every sense of the word. He has filled a number of offices of local importance, among which we note those of County Supervisor, Justice of the Peace and Trustee. Politically he is a Republican; religiously a Baptist.

J OHN PETERSON, of Derby, a highly respected and prosperous citizen, has .been a resident of Lucas county for a quarter of a century, and is therefore well-known in his· community. Even his na- tionality, Sweden, vouches to a great extent for the best elements of his character, namely, industry, honesty and judicious management.

He was born December 16, 1827, his par- ents being Peter Jonson and Stina Karey Pe- terson. His father died in Sweden, his native land, at the age of seventy-eight years, and his mother in Aurora, Illinois, at the age of sixty- nine years. Their children, whom they brought up, comprised three sons and nine daughters, constituting a family which demonstrated the health, vigor and inherited longevity of their parents. Their names are Joanna, John, So- phia, Alfred, Charlotte, Josephine, Cornelius (who was a soldier in the last war and was killed in Arkansas), Erma Holteen (of Lucas county), Carlinie, Clara Dujina, and two who died in in- fancy.

your Friend

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RECORD OF IOWA.

Mr. John Peterson, who is the subject proper of this sketch, was reared in his native coun- try, attending school until he reached the age of fifteen years, and receiving a good educa- tion, as he had a good intellect and good moral habits. He continued to reside with his par- ents, assisting them on the farm until he was twenty-one years of age, when he emigrated to the New World for greater opportunity. His first position in this country was as a farm hand for Solomon Dunham, the father of the noted Mark Dunham, the importer of fine- grade horses at Wayne, Illinois. Mr. Peter- son was in the employ of Mr. Dunham, in Kane county, Illinois, for the long period of fifteen years, a fact which argues favorably for both himself and his employer.

August 24, 1861, Mr. Peterson enlisted in the defense of his adopted government, becom- ing a member of Company K, Thirty-sixth Illi- nois Volunteer Infantry, the regiment com- manded by Colonel Grierson and Lieutenant Colonel Ed Joslyn; and the captain of his com- pany was J. Q. Adams. Mr. Peterson, with his fellow soldiers, participated in the battle of Pea Ridge, in Arkansas; of Pittsburg Landing, Corinth, Perryville and Stone River, -all severe engagements. In the last mentioned he was severely wounded in the left hip by a minie ball, and he was confined in the hospital at Nashville and at Camp Dennison, Ohio. On re- covery he was transferred to the Eighty-seventh Regiment, Second Battalion, of the Invalid Corps, October 31, 1863, and was stationed at Camp Dennison. Faithfully serving until De- cember 15, 1864, he was honorably discharged, after having served in the army for a period of three years and four months, making a gallant record as a soldier.

Returning to Kane county, Illinois, he con- tinued to reside there for five years; then, in 1870, he moved to Wayne county, Iowa, and a year afterward to Lucas county, two and a half miles south of Chariton. Subsequently he purchased a farm in Warren township, which he kept and cultivated until 1891 : he then removed to Derby, where he now has a fine residence.

He was married in Sweden, at the age of twenty-one years, just before he sailed for the New World, to Christina Monson, a lady of excellent qualities as wife, mother, neighbor and member of society. Mr. and Mrs. Peter- son have had nine children, of whom cight are still living, namely ; Sophie Brown, of Chase county, Nebraska; James R., of Monroe coun- ty, Iowa; Emma Anderson, living in Benton township; Frank, a resident of Nebraska; Mrs. Tina Viser, of Derby; Alfred, also in Nebraska; Ed, a railroad-bridge builder in Nebraska; and Charles, also engaged in building railroad bridges in Nebraska; besides a babe who died unnamed. The living children are an honor to their parents.

J OHN W. YOUNG, M. D., belongs to a profession which has made rapid strides in advancement during the past few dec- ades, and which is ably represented in the prosperous town of Bloomfield, Iowa, he being ranked among the foremost of its leading members. As such it is particularly consistent that his life history be placed on record in a work which has to do with the representative people among whom he has lived and attained his success.

Dr. Young first saw the light of day in Columbus, Bartholomew county, Indiana, July 21, 1841, and is descended from the Scotch and French through his paternal and maternal ancestors respectively. Wesley Young, the Doctor's father, was born in Augusta county, Virginia, son of William Young, also a native of that county. The latter's mother, Rachel Young, was born in Scotland. Wesley Young married Miss Eliza Young, daughter of Samuel Young, a native of Kentucky and of French descent. They became the parents of two sons and three daughters, all of whom are living. By occupation the father was a farmer. In 1843, accompanied by his wife and children, he left Indiana and came to Iowa, locating on a farm in Perry township, Davis county, where he resided for many years and where his wife

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died in 1860. Subsequently he came to Bloom- field, where, March 4, 1893, his useful and active life done, he quietly passed away.

In the district and high schools the subject of our sketch received his education, and was on the threshold of manhood at the time the great Civil war burst upon the country. In the first year of the war, in August, 1861, he en- listed his service for the Union cause and be- came a member of Company A, Third Iowa Cavalry, with which he served as a private one year, and two years with the rank of Sergeant, making an excellent war record and receiving an honorable discharge in August, 1864. On his return from the army he located near Bloomfield, where he engaged in the profession of teaching and was thus occupied for several years. In 1868 he was elected to the position of County Superintendent of Schools, which responsible office he filled two years. He, however, did not enter the educational ranks with the intention of making that his life work, but only as a stepping stone to another pro- fession, and during the last year he served as County Superintendent he took up the study of medicine. Afterward he studied in the office of Dr. D. C. Greenleaf, of Bloomfield, and still later under the instructions of Dr. J. C. Hughes, of Keokuk. Next, he entered the College of Physicians and Surgeons, of Keokuk, where he graduated February 23, 1871. Im- mediately after his graduation, Dr. Young re- turned to Bloomfield and became a partner in practice with his former preceptor, Dr. Green- leaf, with whom he was associated the follow- ing five years. Since the retirement of Dr. Greenleaf from the firm, Dr. Young has con- tinued alone, maintaining the large and lucrative practice which he early established.

Dr. Young was married March 9, 1865, to Miss Eliza A. Ferguson, of Davis county and a daughter of Hon. David Ferguson, a promi- nent farmer of the county and an ex-Senator of the Iowa State Legislature. The Doctor and his wife have three children, namely: Lill - ian B., born February 6, 1866, is the wife of Dr. J. C. Stewart, of Hutchinson, Kansas;

Henry C., born July 11, 1869, is a graduate of the Chicago School of Dentistry with the class of 1889 and of the Keokuk Medical Col- lege in March, 1891, and has recently become associated in practice with his father; and John Wray, born March, 1879, is attending school.

Ever since adopting the medical profession, Dr. Young has given to it his closest attention and takes pride in keeping himself well posted and in every respect abreast with the times. He is identified with and takes a deep interest in the following medical organizations: Des Moines Valley Medical Society, American Med- ical Association, National Association of Rail- way Surgeons, Iowa State Medical Society, and the Western Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Also he is local surgeon for the Wabash Railroad and the Chicago, Burlington & Kansas City Railroad, in which capacity he has served for a number of years. As a writer he has attained considerable note, frequently contributing to the medical journals in both the East and West, his articles being much sought after and widely read; and not only does Dr. Young take high rank as a phy- sician and surgeon and among his profession, but also as a worthy citizen is he held in high esteem.

C. YOUNG, M. D., D. D. S., Bloom- field, was born in Davis county, Iowa, July 11, 1869, educated at the schools in Bloomfield, studied dentistry under Dr. D. R. Allender, of the same place, and graduated at the American College of Dental Surgery at Chicago, Illinois, March 25, 1889. He at once opened an office in Bloomfield and began the practice of his profession and in the meantime read medicine under his father, Dr. J. W. Young (whose biographical sketch ap- pears in another place in this work), graduated at the Keokuk Medical College, March 10, 1891, and at once he formed a partnership with his father at Bloomfield. He is a young man of ability and has a bright future before him. He was married November 25, 1891, to Miss

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RECORD OF IOWA.

Alma Taylor, of Bloomfield, daughter of Sena- tor W. H. Taylor. One child has been born to this union, Miriam, January 4, 1894.

He is a member of the Iowa State Medical Society, also the Tri-State Medical Society of Iowa, Illinois and Missouri, the Des Moines Valley Medical Society and the Davis County Medical Society; is a surgeon for the Chicago Burlington & Kansas City Railroad.

He is a member of the Masonic order, being a Royal Arch Mason and a member of Franklin lodge, No. 14, A. F. & A. M. ; Bloom- field Chapter, No. 25, R. A. M .; Knights of Pythias, Calanthe Lodge, No. 26, -- all at Bloomfield. The Doctor is also a member of the Rathbone Sisters, his wife being also a member of the last named order.

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Memorial and biographical record of Iowa, Part 52

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