Memorial and biographical record of Iowa, Part 79

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

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Politically Mr. Rodgers is a Republican, and while he has never sought official preferment he has been honored with local office and has served acceptably as Township Trustee and as a member of the School Board. He affiliates with Lacona Post, No. 309, G. A. R., and with the Methodist Episcopal Church. In the

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latter he for years served as Treasurer. Thus is briefly reviewed the life of one of Lacona's worthy citizens.

p ROFESSOR ALEXANDER AL-

BERT TAYLOR, County Super- intendent of Schools of Adair coun- ty, has the honor of being a native of Iowa, his birth having occurred in Polk county, on the 9th of June, 1861. The family is of English origin and was founded in Amer- ica by Thomas O. Taylor, the grandfather of our subject, who crossed the Atlantic to the New World when a young man of seventeen years. He first located in Virginia, whence he afterward went to Ohio. His wife, Margaret, was a native of Ireland. The family was rep- resented in the war of 1812 and three of the uncles of our subject were engaged in the Civil war. Paul Taylor, the father of Frofessor Taylor, is a native of Coshocton county, Ohio, born in 1830, and by trade was a carpenter and builder, having followed that pursuit through the greater part of his life. He mar- ried Miss Eliza Kerrick, who was born in Greensburg, Shelby county, Indiana, in 1837, and they became the parents of a family of four sons and one daughter, of whom Professor Taylor is the eldest. The others are Joseph W., an employ of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad Company, who is mar- ried and resides at Valley Junction, Iowa; George W., an employ of the same company, who is married and lives in Stuart; Eleanor, wife of Robert Harvey, a dealer in farm imple- ments at Bradleyville, Iowa; Oscar C., who graduated at the Greenfield high school, and then took a course in pharmacy in Chicago, but is now temporarily engaged at the machin- ist's trade in Valley Junction, although he ex- pects soon to take up a course in medicine. The parents are now residing in Greenfield, and the family is one of prominence and re- spectability.

Professor Taylor of this review removed with his parents to Adair county, Iowa, when

a lad of thirteen years, and there grew to man- hood. After living for three years in the city of Greenfield, he removed to a farm and during the months of vacation he learned the carpen- ter's trade under his father's direction. He early manifested a keen desire to obtain a good education. His early opportunities in this direction were confined to the privileges afforded by the common schools. At the age of eighteen he enrolled himself among those in attendance at the Teacher's Normal Institute, and taught two terms of school, whereby he procured the means with which to pay his tuition for one term in the Iowa City Academy. Subsequently he worked on a farm during the summer vaca- tion and in the fall entered Simpson College, where he pursued his studies one year, this course being followed by five years of teaching in the country schools of Iowa. He was then elected principal of the second-ward school building in Greenfield, and aside from the gen- eral supervision of the school taught in the gramınar department.

Professor Taylor was then re-elected to the same position, but declined to serve, for he wished to further perfect himself for his chosen calling, and went to Iowa City, where he spent a year as a regular student in the State Uni- versity. During that time the principalship of the Clermont schools was tendered hirn by the president of the Board of Education of that place, and in the fall of 1887 he entered upon his duties there, serving with satisfaction for four years, when he declined another re- election, for a better position had been offered him in Greenfield. He came here to accept the principalship of the schools of this city, and creditably filled that position for two years, being re-elected for a third term. In that year, however, he was selected as the Republican candidate for the office of County Superintend- ent of Schools of Adair county. He was elected in the fall of 1893, and on the Ist of January, 1894, left the school-room to enter upon his duties in that capacity, and has filled the office to the satisfaction of the general public and with credit to himself. In 1895 he was re-

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nominated by acclamation, no dissenting vote being cast, and continues in the position to which he was called by the will of the people, earnestly laboring for their interests. He has raised the standard of education and Adair county schools are now a commendable insti- tution.

In June, 1893, was celebrated the marriage. of Professor Taylor and Miss Georgie E. Gil- bert, who at the time of their marriage was a teacher in the public schools of Greenfield. She was born in Adair county, and is the eldest daughter of H. A. Gilbert, an early settler. One child graces their union, Alex A., who was born September 19, 1894.

Our subject is prominently connected with social orders. He is a member of the Masonic and Odd Fellows' fraternities, belonging to Cru- sade Lodge, No. 386, A. F. & A. M .; and Greenfield Lodge, No. 375, I. O. O. F., of which latter he is Permanent Secretary and a Past Grand. He is also a member of En- campment No. 57, and Canton Colfax, No. 19, both of West Union. In politics he is a stalwart Republican, and his church relations are with the Methodist Episcopal society.

0 ANIEL S. GROSSMAN, M. D .- The subject of this sketch is one of Dallas county's best known phy- sicians and surgeons, who has gained success and attained prominence by strict ad- herence to his professional duties, and his pleas- ant, genial manner in the sick room. He is a native of the Keystone State, born in Marion,

Franklin county, January 15, 1849, and is a son of Samuel and Catherine (Strock) Gross- man. The father was a native of Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, and was descended from one of the name who came to the United States in 1740. The former, who was a promi- nent farmer and highly respected citizen, died in Franklin county of his native State, at the age of sixty-four years. The mother of our subject, who was a native of Lebanon county,

Pennsylvania, also passed away in Franklin county, at the age of sixty-seven. A family of eleven children were born of this union, of which the Doctor is the eighth in order of birth. One son, John, has for several years served as superintendent of the Carroll county (Illinois) schools. He is a graduate of the State Nor- mal at Bloomington, that State, and also took a course in penmanship and drawing in Chicago. Another son is a prominent stockman in north- western Illinois. The family is one of promi- nence, its members being honorable and high- ly respected citizens of the various communi- ties in which they make their homes.

Like all farmer lads, Dr. Grossman was reared to habits of industry, assisting his fa- ther in the labors of the farm, and receiving his elementary education in the district schools of the locality. At the age of eighteen years he entered the State Normal of Millersville, Pennsylvania, at which he graduated in 1873, and then taught school in different places in his native State for about two years. He then became a student in the University of Pennsyl- vania at Philadelphia, where he graduated two years later. On the completion of his course he located at Milledgeville, Carroll county, Illinois, in 1877, and began the practice of medicine.

On the Ioth of September, 1878, Dr. Grossman was united in marriage with Sue E. Zerne, their wedding being celebrated in Belle- vue, Ohio. The lady is a daughter of Rev. Jacob Zerne, an old-time minister in the Evan- gelical Church. He is a native of Pennsyl- vania, and in Lancaster, that State, is now living retired, resting after many years of toil in the Master's vineyard. He was one of the old circuit preachers and the remembrance and results of his good deeds will live long after he has passed over the dark river of death. The Zerne family is of German ancestry, and its members are active and representative men in the localities where they reside. One brother of Mrs. Grossman, Judge Jacob Zerne, is now an Associate Judge of a district in Pennsyl- vania, and was for several terms a member of

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the Legislature of that State. He graduated in the medical department of the Pennsylvania University at Philadelphia, and has now for several years engaged in practice in Layton, Pennsylvania. He is entirely a self-made man, and valiantly served his country during the Civil war.

A year after his marriage Dr. Grossman left Illinois, arriving in Dallas Center, Iowa, in March, 1879, where he continued the prac- tice of medicine for six years with good suc- cess, but at the end of that time located in Minburn, where he now has a large and lucra- tive practice. He is a close student of his profession, keeping up with all the theories and practices of the times, and in 1893 took a polyclinic course in Chicago. He holds mem- bership with the Dallas County Medical So- ciety, of which he was president in 1892, and also belongs to the Iowa State Medical So- ciety. He is connected with the Masonic fraternity and is a member of Temperance Lodge, No. 411. Among the leading temper- ance workers of the State the Doctor takes front rank, and was one of the first of this sec- tion to join in the prohibition movement. In 1894 he was nominated for Congress by the Prohibition party, and has refused to accept nomination for the high offices of the State, including that of Governor. He is one of the principal stockholders in that great temperance paper, the Iowa Commonwealth, which he helped to establish in 1894. Previous to be- coming a Prohibitionist, the Doctor gave his allegiance to the Democratic party and cast his first vote for Horace Greeley. He and his estimable wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and are active workers in both church and Sunday-school. Since com- ing to this State they have made many friends and have the love and confidence of all who know them. Besides his extensive practice the Doctor also owns a fine farm which he rents, thus adding materially to his income. He is now serving as examining surgeon for the prin- cipal insurance companies of the United States who do business in this section.

R EV. JOSEPH CALHOUN, pastor of the United Presbyterian Church in Indianola, was born in Hookstown, Beaver county, Pennsylvania, No- vember 27, 1842, a son of Johnston and Isa- bella (Davis) Calhoun, natives also of that county. The father, a farmer by occupation, was born in 1812, and died in his native place in 1892. The mother was born in 1814, and died in 1862. They were the parents of eleven children, namely: Jane, wife of Isaac D. Sib- ley, formerly of Massachusetts, but now a resi- dent of Longmont, Colorado; Mary, wife of John Gillespie, of Boulder, that State; Isabel, wife of S. D. Fleck; Joseph, the subject of this sketch; Eliza, who served about fifteen years as a missionary to India, is now the wife of Rev. M. M. Carlton, of the Lodiana mis- sion, north India; Henry D., a lumber and coal merchant, of Loveland, Colorado; John, who has been an invalid all his life, now re- sides in Colorado; Johnston, pastor of the United Presbyterian Church at Viola, Illinois; George, telegraph operator and station agent at Latah, Washington; Emma, wife of An- drew Hunter, of Longmont, Colorado; and Samuel, deceased at the age of thirteen years. The family is of Scotch-Irish descent, and was established in Beaver county, Pennsylvania, by Johnston Calhoun, great-grandfather of our subject, who entered the land from the Gov- ernment. The grandfather of our subject and John C. Calhoun, the noted Southern states- man, were cousins.

Joseph Calhoun, the subject of this sketch, enlisted for service in the late war at the age of nineteen years, entering Company H, One Hundred and Fortieth Pennsylvania Infantry, which became a part of the First Brigade, First Division of the Second Army Corps. Mr. Calhoun served under General W. S. Han- cock, as First Division Commander, and later as the Corps Commander. He was assigned to duty with the Ariny of the Potomac, and participated in many of the sanguinary battles of the war, among which may be mentioned Chancellorsville, where he received a wound

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which prevented his joining his regiment until after the Gettysburg campaign. After spend- ing a short time in the hospital at Point Look- out, he was transferred to a hospital at Phila- delphia. Mr. Calhoun rejoined his regiment at Stevensburg, Virginia, in the fall of 1863, but was soon afterward prostrated with meas- les, which prevented his joining in the Wilder- ness campaign. Joining his regiment in front of Petersburg, he was wounded in the battle of Hatcher's Run, December 10, 1864, and the wound being a serious one relieved him of further active duty. He was mustered out in June, 1865, and discharged at Pittsburg. He passed the examination as First Lieutenant, but his second wound prevented his accept- ance, and he was discharged as a non-com- missioned officer.

Returning to his parental home, Mr. Cal- houn entered Hookstown Academy, and next became a student in Westminster College at Wilmington, Pennsylvania, completing a clas- sical course there in 1869. He next took a three years' course in the Xenia (Ohio) Theo- logical School, and November 23, 1873, he was ordained and installed as pastor of the church at Indianola, where he has since remained. Dr. Calhoun found the church with 135 members, but during his pastorate large accessions have been made, and the mem- bership is now 250. In 1889 the fine church edifice, the finest in the city, was erected under his pastorate, at a cost of over $20, 000. The auditorium has a seating capacity of about 500, with a basement fitted for a Sunday- school, church societies, pastor's study, etc. Dr. Calhoun has been financial agent or super- intendent of missions ever since his connection with the Des Moines Presbytery, and has served as Moderator of that body. The degree of Doctor of Divinity was conferred upon him by Monmouth College in 1893.

Dr. Calhoun was married in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, August 11, 1874, to Miss Emma Speer, a native of Allegheny county, Pennsyl- vania. To this union have been born the fol- lowing children : Lulu Belle, in the junior

year in Simpson College; Warren, attending the same college; Johnston, Edith, Joseph, Dwight, Paul, attending the public schools; and Vera and Vern. In his political relations Dr. Calhoun affiliates with the Republican party. He is an able advocate of temperance and sobriety, and is a minister beloved by his people with whom he has long been con- nected, -nearly a quarter of a century,-and is daily growing in strength and efficiency.

LBERT JEFFERSON HOISING- TON, a venerable citizen long resi- dent of Iowa, and for many years of Madison county, -his home being on section 15, Union township, -is a native of Jefferson county, New York, born September 16, 1816.

Joab Hoisington, the father of our subject, was born and reared in Vermont, and when a young man removed with his parents from the Green Mountain State to New York. His father, Verlina Hoisington, was of French de- scent and was born in Boston, Massachusetts. When fourteen years of age Verlina went with his father, as a waiter, to enter the army for service in the Revolution, leaving Boston en route to Quebec, Canada; but his father died on the way, and the boy returned to Boston, where he joined the "Green Mountain Ran- gers," serving with them one year. Then he again went back to Boston, and this time went on board a private vessel, upon which he re- mained until the close of the war. After this he made settlement on a farm in Vermont, subsequently removed to Jefferson county, New York, thence some time later to Wayne coun- ty, same State, and finally left New York and went to Washtenaw county, Michigan, where he died at the age of eighty-nine years. This was our subject's grandfather. His father, Joab Hoisington, was married in Jefferson county, New York, and in 1818 he removed to Wayne county, same State, and made that place his home until 1837, when he moved to Wash-

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tenaw county, Michigan. He died there at the age of fifty-four years.

Mr. Hoisington's mother, Mrs. Hulda Hois- ington, nec Boomer, was born in Rhode Island, and removed with her parents from that State to Jefferson county, New York, at an early day. Her father, Joshua Boomer, was a na- tive of England, who came to America when a young man. She died at the age of thirty-six years.

A. J. Hoisington was the third born and eldest son of the ten children born to his parents, and was eighteen months old at the time his father moved to Wayne county, New York, where he was reared and where he remained until his twenty-third year. His educational advantages were confined to the common schools. In the year 1839 he, too, removed to Michigan, making settlement in the southwestern part of Washtenaw county, where he was engaged in farming until 1843, having bought and improved land. In the last named year he sold out and moved to Quincy, Illinois, rented a farm seven miles east of that city, and remained there until 1848, when he purchased a farm two miles east of Hillsboro, Montgom- ery county, that State, and moved to it. For six years he resided on that farm. But again the spirit of emigration seized him and he sold out and came to Iowa, his first location here being in Greene county, where he entered 240 acres of land, improved the same and made it his home for four years. He then traded this land for a farm in Madison county, -350 acres in Crawford township, -- which he owned and occupied until 1869, that year selling out and purchasing property in Union township, his present location. Here he owns 524 acres, a portion of which is improved and under culti- vation.

Mr. Hoisington was married December 19, 1845, to Miss Elizabeth Limb, a native of Long Sutton, Lincolnshire, England, born De- cember 21, 1829, daughter of James and Han- nah (Todd) Limb, both natives of England, her father of Yorkshire and her mother of Lincolnshire. Mrs. Hoisington was eight years

old when she came with her parents to America and settled in Adams county, Illinois, near Quincy, where she was reared and mar- ried. They are the parents of the following named children: Isaac D., who died in in- fancy; Andrew J., who married Miss Mary Smith, lives in Great Bend, Barton county, Kansas; Mary, wife of Samuel Rhodes, resides in Keya Paha, Nebraska; John, deceased; Victoria, wife of Samuel B. Johnson, of Madi- son county, Iowa; Elizabeth, wife of James Echison, of Crawford township, Madison county; Albert Lincoln married Edith Hamil- ton and is a resident of Union township, Madi- son county; and James L., who lives with his father, married Miss Lilian Smith.

Mr. Hoisinger voted for that great and good man, Abraham Lincoln, and has ever since maintained his allegiance to the Republican party, not, however, being active in politics. His church relation is with the Methodists. Earlier in life he took a prominent part in church work, and served as Class-leader and Steward.

I C. SHUPE. - This gentleman is an- other one of the pioneers of Warren county, Iowa, and for the past eight years has lived retired in the pretty little city of Lacona. Glancing back over the past forty years, and to the time when Mr. Shupe settled here in 1856, we find that but few improvements had then been made within the borders of Warren county. Indianola, her seat of government, then contained only one store and a few houses. The site now occu- pied by Milo was then a wild country, and with no improvements thereon; even its soil had not been turned. To-day Indianola con- tains several thousand inhabitants, and is re- garded as a city of culture and refinement. Milo is fast coming to the front, and is a fair example of the progress made all over Warren county. And what of Lacona? In 1856 she boasted a store which was the property of William J. and John M. Cochran, and among

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the few families in the town were the Cleving- ers, James Polit, Samuel Meyers and J. Bryan living in small houses. At this writing Lacona has substantial business houses, fine churches and good schools, and her many beautiful residences with their pretty lawns and attract- ive surroundings are all indicative of educa- tion and refinement as well as wealth. And in the development which has been carried for- ward here during these years, Isaac C. Shupe has played no small part. Indeed, he has been a prominent factor in various ways in promot- ing the town's best interests. He has to-day, as he has had for many years, property on her market at reasonable rates, so as to encourage an increased population, and not necessarily to advance self interests alone. The beautiful acres south of the depot and many fine resi- dence lots in the heart of the city represent a part of his property here.

Born of poor parents in Allen county, Ohio, January 7, 1832, Mr. Shupe's early advantages were of a necessity limited. The little school- ing he had was obtained in one of the rude log school-houses of Ohio. His father a farmer, Isaac was reared to farm life, was early in- ured to hard work and became familiar with every detail of agricultural pursuits as carried on there in the '40s. His father was Jacob J. Shupe and his good Christian mother was before her marriage Miss Cynthia Ann Meyers. In their family were five sons and three daughters, whose names in order of birth are as follows: Elzina, who has been thrice wed and widowed as many times, resides on her farm in White Breast township, Warren county, Iowa, the names of her consorts being Enoch Brower, Nathan Miller and Jonathan Beard; Isaac C., with whose name we intro- duce this sketch, was the second; Henry was kicked by a horse and died from the effects of the accident; Emanuel is a farmer of Marion county, Kansas; Arthur is a well known resi- dent of Indianola; Jacob, for a number of years a blacksmith of Corning, Iowa, is de- ceased; Millie Jane is the wife of John Noss- man, a farmer of Marion county, Iowa; and

Elizabeth married James Poling and lives on a farm in White Breast township this county. The honored father, Jacob J. Shupe, was born and reared in Pennsylvania, and when a young man accompanied his parents from that State to Ohio, where they died some years later. Fairfield county, Ohio, was for many years the home of Jacob J. He began his career as a blacksmith apprentice, to which trade he owed his start in life, but he later settled down to farming and became the owner of land in Ohio. In 1858 he followed his son Isaac C. to Iowa, the latter having come West two years before, and on his arrival here the father purchased a farm, on which he resided until his death. He died in the sixty-eighth year of his age. His good wife, too, has passed away, and they rest side by side on land owned by their son Isaac, the spot being marked by an appropriate mon- ument.

Allen county, Ohio, was for some years, or -

until 1856, the home of our subject. At that time, as already stated, he came out to Iowa and made permanent settlement here, purchas- ing on his arrival a farm in White Breast township, where for years he carried on ex- tensive operations. In connection with his agricultural pursuits he was largely interested in buying and shipping stock, Ottumwa and Chicago being his markets, and both his crops and his stock netted him a good revenue. From time to time he carefully invested his accumu- lations, and now in his declining years he has a competency and is surrounded with all that goes to make life happy in this favored little town where he has retired.

Mr. Shupe was married March 16, 1854, to Miss Nancy Claytor, a native of Fairfield county, Ohio, and a daughter of Samuel Claytor. Their children are as follows: John W., born in Allen county, Ohio, March 10, 1856, is a resident of Lacona, and engaged in stock-buying; Samuel is . a farmer of Warren county, his location being on section 20, of White Breast township; Eliza Ann is the wife of Samuel B. McFarland, the popular landlord at Liberty Center, Iowa;

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William J. is a farmer on section 19, of White Breast township; Clement L. V. is a farmer of the same township; and Ida O. and Charles O., twins. Ida O. is the wife of Henry Davis,, a resident of Andover, Missouri; and Charles O. has tonsorial parlors in Lacona; while "the baby," Miss Sallie E., is attending the high school in Lacona.

Politically, Mr. Shupe affiliates with the Democratic party, his first presidential vote having been cast for Franklin Pierce. The family worship in the Christian Church. Though sixty-three years have passed over the head of Mr. Shupe they have left their impress but lightly on his form and he appears to be yet in the vigor and strength of manhood.

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Memorial and biographical record of Iowa, Part 79

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