Memorial and biographical record of Iowa, Part 65

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

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RANCIS NEWELL, one of the noted stock-raisers and farmers of this great State, is a descendant of sturdy old New England stock, the family trac- ing their ancestral line to the early Colonial days in the old Bay State. Francis was born in Palmer, Massachusetts, December 17, 1834, a son of Jacob and Thankful (Fuller) Newell. Of their six children only two are now living, - Milton, of Montana, and our subject. Jacob Newell, the father, was born in Palmer, Mas- sachusetts, July 4, 1796, and his entire life was spent there, his death occurring in 1869, at the age of seventy-three years. He was a typical New Englander, shrewd, enterprising and public-spirited, and was recognized as one of the influential men of his day. Grand- father Newell was also a native of Massachu- setts, born near Boston in the Colonial times. His father was born in England, and emigrated to this country in an early day, making one of the old Massachusetts Bay Colony, long be- fore the days of the Revolution. The mother of our subject, nee Thankful Fuller, was a native of old Connecticut, descended from one

of the early families of that State, and she lived to a great age, dying upon her ninetieth birthday.

Francis Newell, the subject of this sketch, attended the schools of his native State during his boyhood days, and worked on the farm until twenty-five years of age, when he started out in life for himself. Coming West he lo- cated for a time in Dallas county, Iowa, but soon afterward, being imbued with the spirit of adventure, he went to Colorado, and for four years was a miner in that State, meeting with fair success. In 1865, however, Mr. Newell returned to Iowa, settling in Warren county, which has since been his home. In 1870 he purchased a farm of 105 acres of unbroken prairie land, and he at once set energetically to work to subdue and develop this tract, and, successful from the first, he from time to time added to his original purchase until at the present he owns a splendid farm of 430 acres. The homestead and a portion of the farm is located in Jefferson township, and the re- mainder lies across the road in Jackson town- ship.

For many years Mr. Newell has been rec- ognized as one of the leading stock-raisers and feeders of this region. He keeps about 100 head of cattle, his steers of 1895 being a re- markably fine and thrifty lot, and at the pres- ent he has about 300 Poland-China hogs. An intelligent man, enterprising and experienced, he adopts the best methods in the care of his stock, the result being a marked success in the business year by year. Mr. Newell raises about 125 acres of corn and other crops in propor- tion, being assisted by his sons in the carrying on of the diversified work.

March 13, 1871, he was united in marriage to Catherine Haberer, a native of the province of Wurtemberg, Germany. Her father died before her birth, and when a child she came to this country with her mother and the remainder of the family, consisting of seven children, five of whom are now living, namely: Andrew, of Sterling, Illinois; John, of Boone county, Iowa; Christina, wife of Jacob Arnold, also of that

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county; and Mary, wife of Andrew Dauble, of Omaha. The mother died in 1881. Mr. and Mrs. Newell have seven children: Ira J., John W., Austin F., George L., Asa L., Stella M. and Thankful S. Mr. Newell is in the prime of life, energetic and capable, and one of the substantial, successful and popular citizens of Warren county.

3 ACOB GLASCOCK, who is engaged in the milling business in Warren county, Iowa, was born in Ohio, February 5, 1836, and is one of a family of eight children, all of whom are yet living, namely: Mary; Eli, a resident of Ohio; Jacob; Ezra, of Crawford county, Iowa; Thara, a twin of Ezra, and a resident of Chicago; Mrs. Sarah Brown, also of Ohio; Ira, whose home is in Oklahoma; and Short, who is located in Marshall county, Iowa. The parents of this family were Fred- erick and Fannie (Miller) Glascock. The father was a native of Virginia, and when about twenty years of age removed to Ohio, spending his remaining days in Highland county. During his early life he followed school-teaching, but subsequently turned his attention to agricultural pursuits, which he successfully followed. He was a consistent Christian man, faithful in his support of the gospel and held membership with the Methodist Church until the last ten years of his life, when he became an Adventist. He took no active interest in political affairs but was a strong anti-slavery man from conviction. He died in Highland county, Ohio, in 1863, respected by all who knew him. His wife was a native of Pennsylvania, and a descendant of one of the early Dutch families. Her father, Jacob Miller, was one of the early settlers of the Keystone State and his father had crossed the Atlantic to this country at an early day, coming under contract and working for some time after he arrived in the United States to pay for his passage. Mrs. Glascock is still living in Ohio at the advanced age of eighty-

seven years. The paternal grandfather of our subject, Eli Glascock, was a native of Virginia, and in pioneer days removed to Ohio, where he died when well advanced in years. His wife also was a native of the same State. The family, however, is of English origin. The great-grandfather of our subject was born in England and came to America in Colonial days, locating in Virginia, where he died at an ad- vanced age.

The gentleman whose name heads this re- view lived in Ohio until nineteen years of age, and in 1855 started out in life for himself. working by the month as a farm hand in In- diana for a year. On the expiration of that period he went to Illinois, where he remained for several years, and in the autumn of 1856 he arrived in Iowa, locating in what was then Washington township, Warren county, but is now section 7, of Lincoln township. He pur- chased a sawmill upon the place, and has since been engaged in the operation of a sawmill and gristmill. For some years his patronage came from a territory extending thirty miles in each direction. His mill is one of the landmarks of this region, one of the few reminders of pioneer days that yet remain. He has an extensive trade in the sawmill, and in connection with his interests in this line he owns a valuable farm, located conveniently near. He is now quite largely engaged in stock-raising, his river-bottom land being specially adapted to this purpose, and his endeavors in this direc- tion have been uniformly successful and profit- able.

In the fall of 1860 Mr. Glascock married Miss Annie M. Gise, a native of Germany, coming with her family from that country to America during her early days. She was born in Hesse Darinstadt, and lived in Illinois on first coming to America. Mr. and Mrs. Glas- cock have a family of eight children, as fol- lows: Rose, wife of Dore Sarchette, of Jackson township, Warren county; Fanny, wife of Will- iam McIntyre, of Spring Hill, Iowa; Henry, who is living on his father's farm; Charles, a resident of Des Moines; Sadie, at home; Will-

Robert B. Pearson MID.

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iam, who is married and resides at home; Catherine and Daisy, who complete the family.

In politics Mr. Glascock is a Republican, and has long stanchly advocated the principles of this party, yet has never been a politician in the sense of office-seeking. He is one of the honored pioneer settlers of Warren county, and from an early day in its history has identi- fied himself with its best interests. He is a courteous, genial gentleman, and is very popu- lar throughout this section of the country. He has won success in life through honest dealing and earnest efforts, and with pleasure we pre- sent to our readers the record of his life.

R OBERT B. PEARSON, M. D .-- He to whose life history we now turn at- tention is a man of high intellectual and professional attainments, and has gained recognition as one of the able and honored medical practitioners of Van Buren county, retaining his residence in the attract- ive village of Bonaparte. The annals of the Colonial and Revolutionary days bear witness to the prominent part the ancestors of our sub- ject played in that formative and transition stage of American history, while through the succeeding generations the nation has had through this source men and women of noble character. Our subject himself has rendered the valiant service of a loyal and patriotic soldier, and in the times of peace has proved himself a useful citizen and a man of earnest purpose.

A native of the famous and historical old sea-girt town of Plymouth, Massachusetts, Dr. Pearson was born on the 18th of February, 1844, being the son of William and Elizabeth (Burgess) Pearson, the latter of whom died while her son, our subject, was yet in early boyhood. The father followed that line of vocation which had given Plymouth an indus- trial prosperity and importance for many years, having been a ship-builder and con- tractor. He was a man of inflexible principle and was an influential citizen in the com- 26

munity where he lived. He lived to attain a venerable age, being eighty years old at the time of his death, which occurred in the old Bay State, in 1879. His father was William Pearson, who was an active participant in the war of the Revolution. His father, who also bore the Christian name of William, was the original American ancestor, having come from England and identified himself with the col- onies here as early as 1630. The Burgess family was also of English extraction and dates its association with American history back to the early part of the seventeenth cen- tury. The renowned Rev. John Burgess is a lineal descendant in the same ancestral line as is our subject on the maternal side. The mother of the Doctor was the daughter of Na- than Burgess, and she was a native of Massa- chusetts. Of the four children of William and Elizabeth Pearson our subject was the second in order of birth, the others having been Will- iam, Ezra F. and Elizabeth.

In the quaint and picturesque old city of his nativity Robert B. Pearson passed his boy- hood and early youth, attending the public schools and preparing himself for a collegiate course by attending the high school. He was next preparing for Harvard College, until his intrinsically loyal nature was roused to the dis- charge of a higher duty as the disaffected States of the Union resorted to armed rebellion and precipitated the great civil war. Dr. Pearson showed the consistency of his patriot- ism by enlisting in a Massachusetts battery, with which he proceeded to the front, being soon afterward promoted to the position of Hospital Steward and later acting Assistant Surgeon, serving under Dr. William G. David, who was Medical Director of the northern division of Louisiana, with headquarters at Port Hudson. Our subject served in this ca- pacity until the expiration of, his term of en- listment, which extended until the close of the war, and he was mustered out in June, 1865.

Having thus assisted in upholding the Union and defending the eternal spirit of right and justice, he returned to his home in Mass-

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achusetts, where he devoted his time to school teaching and to the reading of medicine, hav- ing determined to make the medical profession his life work. In 1875 he came to the West and entered the College of Physicians and Sur- geons at Keokuk, where he was graduated in the Centennial year, 1876, at the head of the class. He initiated the active practice of his profes- sion in Bentonsport, Van Buren county, where he remained three years, after which, in 1879, he located in Bonaparte, where he has since continued his professional endeavors with a high degree of success, having gained the re- spect and confidence of all classes by reason of his culture, unvarying courtesy, integrity and high professional ability.

In politics the Doctor supports the Repub- lican party, and fraternally he is a member of Elias M. Ware Post, No. 516, Grand Army of the Republic, being at the present time the in- cumbent as Adjutant of his post.

In September, 1878, Dr. Pearson led to the hymeneal altar Miss Alicia F. White, a native of the State of. Wisconsin and the daugh- ter of Nathan and Juliet (Smith) White, who were formerly residents of Genesee county, New York.

OSS A. NOBLE, a prosperous farmer and stock-raiser of Lincoln township, Warren county, Iowa, is a native of this State. He was born in Hardin county, December 24, 1859, one of the family of four children of William and Jane (Ross) Noble, the others being as follows: Anna B., wife of Andrew McPherson, Lincoln township, Warren county; Scott, a resident of Indianola, Iowa; and William, of Lincoln township. The father was a Scotchman. He was born in the year 1827, and after attaining his ma- jority emigrated to America and settled first in the State of Ohio. There he made his home from 1848 to 1858, in the latter year removed to Hardin county, Iowa, and in 1867 came from there to Warren county, settling in what

was then Washington township, now Lincoln, and here the rest of his active life was passed. He was a farmer by occupation, was indus- trious and enterprising, and made a success in life. At the time of his location in Warren county this part of the country was nearly all in its wild state, and as one of its pioneer set- tlers he did his part toward bringing about the present development. He improved a fine farm and made his home on it until 1892, when, on account of old age, he retired from active life and removed to Indianola, but was taken sick and died within six months, his death oc- curring in the fall of that year. For years he served as Township Trustee, and also as School Director and Treasurer. He was a deeply pious man and was actively identified with the Presbyterian Church nearly the whole of his life. His wife, nec Jane Ross, was a native of Ohio and a daughter of Peter and Anna Ross.

Ross A. Noble spent the first eight years of his life in his native county, then came with his parents to Warren county, and here he has lived ever since. While he assisted in the work on the home farm until he was twenty-eight years old, it may be said that he began for himself when he was twenty-one, for from that time he had an interest in the crops. He now owns a fine farm of 160 acres, well improved with the best of farm buildings, and devoted to general farming and stock-raising. In his operations he has met with uniform success and is recognized as one of the most enter- prising young farmers of this region, and as a successful stock man he is well known all over Warren county.

Mr. Noble was married December 29, 1887, to Miss Delia Fisk, a native of Indianola, Iowa, and a daughter of Hezekiah and Effie (Cooper) Fisk, her parents being natives of Indiana. During the Civil war her father was an officer in the Union army and in the en- gagement at Atlanta lost his life. Mr. and Mrs. Noble have three children living,- Bessie, Bruce and Effie Jane.

In public affairs and in political matters

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Mr. Noble takes a commendable and active interest, and has always affiliated with the Re- publican party.

J ASPER N. HARGIS, Superintendent of the Warren county poor farm, has occupied this responsible position for six years, and in this time has proved himself to be the right man in the right place. Mr. Hargis was born in the State of Missouri, July 18, 1845, one of the twelve children of Thomas and Naomi (Barnes) Hargis, and is one of the four of this number that are now living. His father, Thomas Hargis, was a na- tive of Kentucky, born in the year 1791, and in that State made his home until 1829, when he moved to Illinois. He was a soldier in the war of 1812 and a participant in the battle of New Orleans. After living in Illinois one year he moved to Shelby county, Indiana, at which place he made his home until 1836, when he again changed his location, this time removing to Missouri. In Missouri he spent the residue of his life, his death occurring there in 1846, at the age of fifty-five years. The whole of his active life was spent in agricultural pursuits. His wife, whose maiden name was Naomi Barnes, was born in Kentucky in 1798, daugh- ter of Richard and Tabitha Jane (Preston) Barnes, prominent people of that State, where they resided for many years. Richard Barnes was a Baptist minister and was for sixty years engaged in the work of the Master, the most of his service being given to his native State. In many respects he was a remarkable man, and few, if any, of the pioneer ministers of Kentucky wielded a more powerful influence for good than did Richard Barnes. In early life he rendered valiant service as a Revolutionary soldier. He died at the age of eighty-five. His daughter, Mrs. Hargis, died in 1857.

John Hargis, the grandfather of Jasper N., was a Virginian by birth. When a young man he went to Kentucky with the noted Daniel Boone, and for many years shared with him

the dangers and privations of life on the frontier. He was in many an Indian fight and had many thrilling adventures and narrow escapes. His wife, whose maiden name was Jane Pyrent, was also a native of Virginia. Tracing the his- tory of the Hargis family still further back, we find that they originated in Wales, and at an early day had representatives in the colony of Virginia, the family for many years figuring prominently in the Old Dominion.

From this brief glance at his ancestry we turn now to a review of the life of our imme- diate subject, Jasper N. Hargis. The first four years of his life were spent in his native State, after which, in 1849, he came with the rest of the family to Iowa and settled in War- ren county, they being among the earliest of its pioneers. Here his youthful days were spent and here he was quietly working on the farm at the time the great Civil war broke out. July 1, 1861, he enlisted as a member of Company E, Fourth Iowa Infantry, one of the first Iowa regiments to go to the front, it being under command of Colonel G. M. Dodge. They went down the Mississippi to St. Louis, Missouri, and the first regular engagement in which they participated was that of Pea Ridge, Arkansas, in which the regiment suffered a heavy loss. Later they became a part of the Fifteenth Army Corps and took part in the first Vicksburg campaign. At Chickasaw Bayou Mr. Hargis's company and regiment lost one-half their number in killed and wounded within the brief space of thirty minutes! He was at Jackson, Mississippi, at Port Gibson and at the siege of Vicksburg. After the capture of Vicksburg the Fifteenth Army Corps started out after Johnston and followed his army to Meridian, Mississippi, from which point they retraced their way to Vicksburg, where they were given a thirty- days furlough. At this time Mr. Hargis re- turned home and when his furlough had ex- pired he rejoined his command at Memphis, and went with it to Corinth and Decatur. In the spring of 1864 he re-enlisted at Woodville, Alabama, and immediately after came home

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on a veteran furlough; rejoined Sherman's army, and was at Chattanooga, Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge, Taylor's Ridge, Resaca, Dalton, Kenesaw mountain, all through the Atlanta campaign, and up through the Carolinas. The last pitched battle in which he participated was that of Goldsboro, just be- fore the surrender of Johnston. Then he went on to Washington and took part in the grand review, and July 24, 1865, was mustered out of the ranks, after an honorable service which covered a period of four years and twenty days.

Soon after his return from the war Mr. Hargis was united in marriage to Miss Mahala Van Brunt, their union being consummated October 1, 1865. Mrs. Hargis is a native of Ohio and a daughter of Samuel and Malvina (Brown) Van Brunt. Her father was born in New Jersey July 31, 1801, son of Hedrick Van Brunt, a representative of one of the first families of New Jersey. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Hargis has been blessed in the birth of seven children, three of whom are deceased, those surviving being John C., Arthur C., Merton and Anah, -all of whom are living in Lincoln township, Warren county.

After his marriage Mr. Hargis settled on a farm near Carlisle, in Warren county, where he continued to reside until January, 1889, at which time he was called to superintend the Warren county poor farm. Here he has faith- fully discharged the varied duties devolving upon him in a manner highly creditable to him- self and to the entire satisfaction of the people of the county.

Mr. Hargis is a Republican of pronounced views, is enthusiastic in the interests of his party, and takes an active part in everything pertaining to the welfare of his community. For nearly thirty years he has been an Odd Fellow in good standing, and has passed all the chairs in the subordinate lodge and served as District Deputy Grand Master. He has also for a number of years been identified with I. B. Sexton Post, G. A. R., of Carlisle. Few men in Warren county are better known or have more friends than has Jasper N. Hargis.

a MMETT PORTERFIELD, M. D., a successful and popular physician of Indianola, Iowa, was born in Belmont county, Ohio, November 12, 1857, the eldest of the seven children of Joseph and Agnes (Tipton) Porterfield, natives also of eastern Ohio. The father was engaged in bus- iness in that State for many years, and moved to Shenandoah, Iowa, in 1882, dying there in middle life.

The boyhood of Emmett Porterfield was spent in the State of his birth, where he at- tended the common schools, and later he re- ceived an academic course. From 1877 to 1880 he was engaged in teaching, and during that time began the study of medicine under the preceptorship of Dr. J. N. McMaster, of Demos, Ohio. He afterward entered the Co- lumbus Medical College, at Columbus, remain- ing there two years, and in 1882 he went to' New York city to enter Bellevue Hospital Med- ical College, graduating at that institution in the following year. He then engaged in the practice of his profession in Spring Hill, Iowa, up to July 1, 1895, at which time he moved to Indianola, on account of his recent appoint- ment, at the head camp of the Modern Wood- men of America, held at Madison, Wisconsin, in June, 1895, as one of the five head physi- cians of the order. The Doctor removed to Indianola, for the better means of communica- tion which that place affords. The jurisdic- tion of this great beneficial order extends from the Ohio river to Colorado and from Canada to the thirty-eighth parallel, exclusive of cities of over 200,000 population. The responsibil- ities of the office are many, it being the work of Dr. Porterfield and his associates to commission local medical examiners, and to pass upon the application of every candidate for admission into the order, to accept or reject each risk according to their best judgment.

The Doctor was married May 13, 1886, to Miss Mattie F. Thornborough, a native of Bel- mont county, Ohio, and a daughter of George Thornborough, a native of England. His family came to this country in an early day,

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locating in eastern Ohio, where the fa- ther is still living, the mother having died in 1876. Dr. and Mrs. Porterfield have four children: Herbert D., aged eight years; Lois Evaline, five years; Edmund, two years; and Doratha, aged three months (November, 1895). The Doctor is a member of the State Medical Society, of the Des Moines District Medical Society, of the Warren County Med- ical Society, is Worshipful Master of Champion Lodge, No. 233, F. & A. M., of Spring Hill, and for the past eight years has been a mem- ber of the Woodmen of America, Camp 517, of Spring Hill, Iowa. Dr. Porterfield is essen- tially a self-made man. Ambitious, able, pos- sessed of a courage which insures success, he is one of the valued citizens of Warren county.

J AMES LAVERTY, who is serving as County Surveyor of Warren county, was born in Parke county, Indiana, on the 17th of March, 1822. He was reared to manhood in the place of his nativity and received a common-school education in Parke county, and at the age of seventeen en- tered Asbury (now De Pauw) University, of Greencastle, Indiana, at which he was grad- uated in 1844 with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. Three years later the degree of Master of Arts was conferred upon him by the same institution. A young man of bright intellect, he turned his attention to the profession of teaching, which he followed in his native State.

His parents were John M. and Nancy (Mc- Nutt) Laverty, the former born in Pennsylva- nia, in 1792, and the latter in Ohio, in Febru- ary, 1803. In 1848 they removed to Warren county, Iowa, where their remaining days were passed, the mother's death occurring in 1859, while the father survived until the Ist of Jan- uary, 1872. They had several children, but all died in infancy except the gentleman whose . name heads this record. His paternal grand- parents were Isaac and Jane (Martin) Laverty, and the latter was a native of Ireland. The maternal grandparents were born in Ireland,

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Memorial and biographical record of Iowa, Part 65

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