USA > Iowa > Fayette County > Past and present of Fayette County, Iowa, Volume II > Part 13
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WILL H. PAYNE
A resident' of Smithfield, Fayette county, who is known among his neighbors as an honest, straightforward man in all of his dealings, conscien- tious in his work as a farmer and citizen, is Will H. Payne, and it is with no misgivings that this brief tribute to his worth as a factor in the affairs of this locality is given place in this volume. He was born on the farm he now occupies, on October 5, 1868, and he received his education in the local schools, and also spent one year in the Upper Iowa University at Fayette and two years at the Iowa State Agricultural College, having made splendid records in each. He is the son of William Harvey and Laura (Clark) Payne, the father a native of Batavia, Genesee county, New York, born November 15. 1828, and he is still living in Fayette county, Iowa. He is the son of Stephen and Wealthy (Miner) Payne, natives of Vermont. During the war of 1812, Stephen Payne was captain of a sloop on Lake Champlain, in the service of the United States. Later in life he moved to Genesee county, New York, and thence to Cattaraugus county, that state, where he died in 1868; he was a zealous Whig and an active member of the Methodist church.
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His wife died in 1873; to them five sons and three daughters were born, Wil- liam H. being the sixth child in order of birth. During his boyhood days he attended subscription schools in winter and worked on his father's farm in crop seasons; he also worked out awhile as a farm hand. In 1851 he mar- ried and lived on a farm until the spring of 1861, when he brought his family to Fayette county, Iowa. About May Ist he purchased one hundred and seventy-six acres with the crops on the place, etc., paying eleven dollars per acre for it; the land was located in section 7, Smithfield township, where he still resides, having remained on the same farm half a century, during which time he has noted and taken part in many great changes in this com- munity. When he took possession of the place there was a log house on it, but in due course of time this was replaced by a modern frame structure. He made a specialty of raising Norman horses and Holstein cattle. Po- litically, he was a Whig and when a boy took part in the campaign of Gen. William Henry Harrison, with the exception of drinking the hard cider which, he remembers, flowed freely at that time; later he became a Republi- can. It is indeed interesting as well as instructive to listen to his reminis- cences of the early days, which he delights to talk of. When a lad of only eight or nine years he joined the old Washington Temperance Society and has never broken the pledge, and no doubt his long life has been due in no small degree to this fact. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, but his wife belonged to the United Brethren church. When the Prohibitory amendment was presented to the people of Iowa for their con- sideration, Mr. Payne labored untiringly in its behalf. He was for some time a member of the "Recholites," a temperance organization of the Meth- odist church. He cast his first vote for Gen. Zachary Taylor; he had the distinction of being one of the organizers of the Republican party in New York, and he voted for General Fremont in 1856 and he has remained loyal to the party since that time; he has never held other than minor township offices.
On September 15, 1851, was solemnized Mr. Payne's union with Laura Clark, who was born in Genesee county, New York, in 1838, the daughter of Hubbard Clark, of Vermont, who served in the war of 1812 as a musi- cian, having been present at the battles of Lundy's Lane, Ft. Erie and others of lesser note. Five children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Payne, namely : Mrs. Alice Gilmer, of Center township, Fayette county, was born October 18,1854; Hannah, who was the wife of David Miner, of Missouri, was born on November 28, 1856, and died January 22, 1909: Mrs. Ada Odekirk, of Center township, was born January 3, 1864; William H., of this review ; Mrs. Laura Ranney, of Bismark, North Dakota, was born March 5. 1871. These
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children were all well educated, having first passed through the common schools, then taken a course in the Upper Iowa University at Fayette.
Will H. Payne has always made his home with his father on the farm here and he has been very successful as a general farmer and stock raiser. On December 1, 1896, he married Amy I. Shepard, who was born in Lima, Fayette county, April 11, 1877, the daughter of Andrew and Re- becca R. (Elston) Shepard, both natives of Kentucky, who located in Iowa about 1867, not long after their marriage. To Mr. and Mrs. Payne seven daughters have been born, namely: Thelma M., born September 28, 1897; Phila L., born June 8, 1899; Carol V., born September 4, 1903; Elizabeth H., born August 14, 1905; Gwenda L., born August 15, 1908; Frances S., born January 22, 1910.
Politically, Mr. Payne is a Republican and in fraternal matters he be- longs to the Modern Woodmen of America. Mr. Payne is well known in this part of the county as a raiser of fine, thoroughbred Holstein cattle, hav- ing perfected the breed that his father started many years ago, and because of the high quality of his stock they find a very ready sale at all times.
CARSTEN H. PAPE.
No people that go to make up our cosmopolitan civilization have better habits of life than those who came originally from the great German empire. These people are distinguished for their qualities of thrift and honesty, and these two qualities in the inhabitants of any country will in the end alone make that country great. When with these two qualities is coupled the other qual- ity of sound sense, there are afforded such elements as will enrich any land and place it at the top of the countries of the world in the scale of elevated human- ity. Of this excellent people came the subject of this sketch. He was born in Germany on April 30, 1871, and is a son of Henry and Anna (Hinch) Pape, both of whom also were natives of Germany. They came to the United States in 1876 and came at once to Fayette county, Iowa, locating about two miles north of where the subject of this sketch now lives, buying a farm of ninety-five acres. Subsequently they moved to another and smaller farm, where the father spent his last days. He made many good improvements on the place, erecting a comfortable residence and commodious barn. He was the father of thirteen children, eight of which number are now living. He was a Lutheran in his religious belief.
C. H. Pape was educated in the public schools and remained with his par- ents until his marriage, in 1893, when he rented the Neumann homestead.
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where he now resides. After five years he purchased the place, which com- prises eighty-six acres, and on which he has successfully carried on general farming operations. He is methodical and up-to-date in his business affairs, giving careful attention to every detail of his work, and the general appearance of his place indicates him to be a man of good judgment and excellent taste, while the results attained by him testify to his industry and good manage- ment. He has given considerable attention to the raising of livestock, in which also success has attended his efforts.
In 1893, Mr. Pape was united in marriage with Bertha Neumann, a daughter of August and Lisette (Fiebelkorn) Neumann, who are mentioned personally in the sketch of H. W. Neumann, elsewhere in this work. To them have been born two children, Walter and Anna. Politically, the subject of this sketch is a Republican and he takes an active interest in the success of his party. His religious membership is with the Lutheran church, to which he renders a liberal support. Mr. Pape is a man of splendid personal qualities and his life here has been such as to win the earnest commendation and esteem of the entire community. He is a supporter of all worthy movements for the benefit of the community and at all times is found on the right side of every moral question.
Martha Pape, a sister of the subject's father, came from Germany to America in 1869, seven years prior to the emigration of her brother, of whom she was a twin sister. She was very small in stature, but was very active phy- sically and was employed at various places as a seamstress, in which work she was unusually proficient. She was a woman of gracious personality, who en- joyed the friendship and high regard of all who knew her.
JOHN SACKETT BREWER.
Of all the men whose lives have honored and blessed Fayette county, none is more deserving of mention than the late John Sackett Brewer, who was one of the sterling pioneers here and who did his full share of the work of developing the county along all lines. He was born in Lodi, Seneca county, New York, on March 18, 1818, and was the son of William S. and Hester (Jones) Brewer. The father, a native of Catskill, New York, a farmer and lumberman, was twice married, Hester Jones being his second wife; she was born in Ulysses, Tompkins county, New York, in 1784 and died in 1819, when thirty-five years of age, leaving a family of four children, one son and three daughters.
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The son, John S., of this review, was reared on a farm and served an ap- prenticeship to the wagonmaker's trade in Lodi, Seneca county, New York, at which trade he engaged at North Hector, New York. On September 18, 1840, he was married in his native town to Charlotte A. Simmons, who was born in Burdett, Tompkins county, New York, December 25, 1817, the daugh- ter of Jacob and Catherine (Meisner) Simmons. This union resulted in the birth of nine children, three sons and six daughters, namely: William Wirt, born in North Hector, New York, November 27, 1841, married Maggie ' McDonald and now resides in Omaha, Nebraska; Elizabeth A., born in North Hector, May 17, 1843, is the widow of D. J. Page, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa ; James Madison, born in New York, December 21, 1845, died in Wisconsin, December 7, 1847; Catherine, born in Rock county, Wisconsin, October 2, 1846, is the wife of N. C. Spencer, a resident of Union township, this county ; Henrietta, born September 2, 1848, is the wife of William M. Kenzie, of Union township; John Henry, born September 14, 1849, died January 9, 1876; Mary Augusta, born in Iowa, November 10, 1852, died August 27, 1854. All younger than James Madison and older than Mary Augusta were born in Wisconsin. Eva, the youngest, born in Fayette county, January 15, 1857, is the widow of E. C. Dorland, late of West Union, and one child died in infancy.
In 1845 Mr. Brewer moved to Rock county, Wisconsin, and located in the town of Porter, where he carried on wagonmaking and farming until June, 1852, when he emigrated with his family to Iowa and located in West Union, where he opened a wagon shop and was engaged in the manufacture of wagons and carriages for nine years. In September, 1862, he proved his patriotism by enlisting in the Union army, Company C, Sixth Iowa Cavalry, and on April 7, 1863, was transferred to Company F, Seventh Iowa Cavalry, with a recruiting commission. He assisted in recruiting Company F, of the latter regiment, of which he was commissioned first lieutenant on June 3d following. His regiment was assigned to the Department of the West and was engaged in operations against the Indians in Nebraska, Wyoming and Colorado, Mr. Brewer taking part in the battle of Julesburg, Nebraska, and Rosebud, Wyoming, besides numerous skirmishes. His horse was shot from under him at the battle of Julesburg and he was wounded in the fall. After the close of the war, he resigned, November 3, 1865.
Mr. Brewer engaged in farming near West Union, after his army experi- ence, and made his home in West Union almost continuously after coming here, and he was identified with many of the city's leading interests. He was one of the stockholders of the Bank of West Union, also was stockholder and
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director of the Fayette County National Bank of this place. He was one of the incorporators of the First National Bank of Sheridan, Wyoming, and was for many years prominently identified with the financial affairs of Fayette county. He was a fine type of our sterling, self-made American manhood, self-reliant, progressive, and a man of sound business judgment, and during his residence here of nearly forty years he played a very important role in all circles here. His course was uniformly upright and honorable and he was highly esteemed as a citizen. He was always a Democrat, and he was liberal in his religious views, having more faith in good deeds than in man-made creeds. He was a member of West Union Lodge No. 69, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, having united with the Masons on the organization of that lodge.
The death of this prominent citizen and highly esteemed neighbor and friend occurred in 1891, and he was followed to the grave in 1902 by his faithful life companion.
ALEXANDER NELSON GOODRICH.
A venerable and highly honored citizen of Fayette county is Alexander Nelson Goodrich, a man who, during a long stretch of years, has so ordered his life as to win and retain the confidence and esteem of all with whom he has come in contact, and while he has labored for his own advancement he has not neglected to do what he deemed his duty at all times in fostering the up- building of the community at large, having lived to see and take part in the great development that has characterized Fayette county, whose interests he has ever had at heart. He was born at the town of Brooklyn in Susquehanna county, Pennsylvania, on August 2, 1829, and he is the son of Eli Butler and Cynthia (Tiffany) Goodrich, the Tiffany family being of British origin and distant relatives of the noted New York jewelers. The Goodrich family came to America in early colonial days. Eli B. Goodrich was born in 1802 at New Berlin, New York. He was the son of David Goodrich, who was a Jew of the strict orthodox type. He came from Connecticut to Chenango county, New York, when Eli B. Goodrich was a small baby. The subject's mother. Lucy Miller Tiffany, was born in Brooklyn, Pennsylvania, in 1806, and was the daughter of Alfred and Lucy ( Miller) Tiffany. Alfred Tiffany was born at Attleboro, Massachusetts, in 1781. He was the eldest son of Thomas Tiffany, who, with his family, joined the "Nine Partner Settlement" of Hart-
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ALEXANDER N. GOODRICH.
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MRS. ELIZABETH GOODRICH.
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ford, Pennsylvania, in the fall of 1794, when Alfred Tiffany was thirteen years of ago.
Alexander N. Goodrich, of this review, grew to maturity on a farm at Brooklyn, Pennsylvania, where he worked until reaching his majority; then he worked at farming for four additional years in Pennsylvania and New York. In 1854 he came to Iowa, landing in West Union, October 20th of that year. He drove to Buffalo, a distance of seventy miles from his old home, with one horse and a "sulky," then came by water to Chicago; then, with the same horse and vehicle with which he started, he continued his jour- ney across Illinois, crossed the Mississippi river at Savannah on a ferry-boat, which was propelled by a mule on a tread-mill. Mr. Goodrich drove nearly tivo hundred miles more in Iowa, stopping at Orben, where he spent the winter, this being five miles from West Union. He worked there in a saw-mill, and in the spring of 1855 he became acquainted with John A. Griffith, a well known contractor of the early days here, with whom he came to Fayette, as- sisting in erecting what proved to be the first house in this city after the town had been laid out. He also drove the first stake in the construction of Upper Iowa University, Mr. Goodrich having learned something of surveying from his father, who had done some surveying in the state of New York, and he staked off the ground for the several buildings. He stayed in Fayette until Christmas day, 1855, when he started back to Erie county, Pennsylvania, where he had lived for some time prior to coming West, and while there he became engaged to Elizabeth Ann Janes. On the last day of December, 1856, they were married; soon afterward he brought his bride to Fayette, Iowa, and has remained ever since, having continued at the carpenter's trade from that time to this, and he has built more houses, business blocks and outbuild- ings than any other man in the city. Even at his advanced age he still does some work. His services have always been in great demand, owing to his skill as a workman and his honesty in his dealings with his fellow men. Dur- ing his fifty-four years' residence here he has worked on nearly every house in the town.
One daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. Goodrich, named Hattie Evaline, born in 1857; she married Cyrus Lane Bentz in 1882, and two children were born to them, Arthur Henry, whose birth occurred September 15, 1883, and Fred Leonard, born May 22, 1885; the former lives at Hazleton, and the lat- ter, who formerly traveled for one of the large jewelry houses, selling dia- monds, is now in business for himself selling jewelry and diamonds,
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Arthur Henry Bentz was married on December 22, 1909, to Agnes Myer, and they reside in Fayette.
Mrs. Alexander N. Goodrich was called to her rest January 12, 1905. She and her husband were popular with a large circle of friends and acquaint- ances, having always been known as jolly, congenial, cheerful in social gather- ings and at home. Mrs. Goodrich was known as one of the best attendants upon the sick in Fayette and many deeds of kindness are attributed to her.
Mr. Goodrich has long taken an interest in whatever tended to the gen- eral welfare of Fayette,-in fact, he has done his full share in the work of de- velopment. Three terms he served in the city council, two terms on the school board, besides other minor offices ; he is a Democrat, but not a politician. He was thrown on his own resources early in life, but he manfully took up life's duties and has succeeded, his wife being of great assistance in all his affairs. He resolved when a young man to let whisky and tobacco alone and work faithfully, and he now has a good, comfortable home, owns stock in the First National Bank of Fayette, and owns an excellent farm of one hundred and thirty acres, one mile south of Fayette, and although well provided for in his old age, having laid by quite a competency, he still does some work to keep him in good health and spirits.
Mr. Goodrich has belonged to the Masonic lodge, taking the degrees up to Knight Templar. He joined the Odd Fellows in 1851. while living in Penn- sylvania, and he is now noble grand of the lodge at Fayette. He is a con- spicuous and highly esteemed character throughout the county and is a man whom everybody likes.
Cyrus Lane Bentz, who married Hattie Evaline Goodrich, was born near Columbus, Ohio, on January 10, 1847, and was a son of Henry and Amanda Bentz. These parents, in 1860, came to Iowa and settled on a farm in How- ard county, near Cresco, and there Cyrus L. was reared to manhood and at- tended the public schools. Subsequently he entered the Upper Iowa Univer- sity at Fayette, where he graduated in the commercial course. Upon the com- pletion of his education he took up the vocation of a traveling salesman. His marriage to Hattie Goodrich occurred on September 6, 1882, and his death occurred on January 23, 1885. A man of sterling qualities of character, he enjoyed the universal respect of the community and his friends were in number as his acquaintances. Fraternally, he was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, while his political creed was that of the Republican party, to which he gave a loyal support. He was, as his name indicates, of German antecedents and in his veins flowed noble blood, his great-grandfather having married the daughter of a German nobleman, while the paternal grandfather lived in a castle on the Rhine.
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THOMAS M. WHITE.
The subject of this review is a well known and honored citizen of Fay- ette county in whom the spirit of a noble and earnest purpose has been the controlling motive of his life. Enterprising and actively identified with the best interests of the community, he has made his influence a power for good among his fellow men, and he stands today in the front rank with those who add honor and dignity to the public mind. Thomas M. White is a native of Virginia and the scion of an old and esteemed family of Loudoun county, where his birth occurred on the 21st day of October, 1839. Col. John Hamilton White, his father, who also was born and reared in the county of Loudoun, was in early life a merchant and quite an extensive ship- per of grain and lumber. In 1854 he disposed of his interests in his native state and went to Ogle county, Illinois, where he purchased land, improved a farm and bore an active part in the development of the locality in which he settled. He was one of the early pioneers of the above county, but after a residence there of five years moved to Rockford, in the same state, and en- gaged in the grain and produce business, in connection with which he also dealt quite extensively in land.
Colonel White married in Loudoun county, Virginia, Malinda George, who was born near his native place, and by her had the following children : Mary E., of Stillman Valley, Illinois; James G., deceased; Annie, also a resident of Stillman Valley ; Robert J. T., of St. Louis, Missouri ; William V .. a farmer of Fayette county, Iowa; John, of Stillman, and Thomas M., of this review, who was the third in order of birth. The mother of these children, a well born, intelligent and most excellent woman, departed this life on February 16, 1890.
Colonel White was a Democrat and a politician of wide influence and from time to time was honored with public positions, having served two years in the Illinois Legislature, besides filling various minor offices. He was a large land owner, a successful business man and before leaving Vir- ginia was colonel of the Home Militia of that state. He died in Ogle county, Illinois, on the 16th day of July, 1881.
Thomas M. White received his early education in the schools of Lou- doun county, Virginia, and Ogle county, Illinois, having been a youth of fifteen when his family moved to the latter state. He also pursued his studies for some time at Rockford and later attended an educational institution of a higher grade under the auspices of the Methodist Episcopal church, at the town of Mt. Morris, Illinois. In 1865 he went to Buchanan county, Iowa,
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and rented a farm near Independence, but after a year purchased a farm in Scott township, Fayette county, which he cultivated for a period of two years. Disposing of his land at the expiration of that time, he returned to Illinois and settled at Stillman Valley, where he remained until 1869, when he went to Mexico, Missouri, near which place he purchased land and engaged in the pursuit of agriculture. After living in the latter place until 1894, he sold out and returning to Fayette which he greatly improved and on which he continued to reside until 1900, when he moved to Maynard, where four years previously he had engaged in the mercantile business. Since the year 1900 he has devoted his attention principally to the raising of fruits and vegetables on his small but beautiful little farm adjoining Maynard, his comfortable and attractive home being within the limits of the town.
Mr. White served two years as mayor of Maynard and for six years was a member of the school board. He is a Republican in politics, stands high in the councils of his party in both local and general affairs and keeps well informed on the leading public questions of the day. A close ob- server of current events and a reader and thinker. he is widely informed on many subjects and his sound, practical intelligence and varied culture make him in no small degree a moulder of opinion among those with whom he is brought into contact.
On October 17, 1862, Mr. White was united in marriage with Sarah A. Hurd, of Ogle county, Illinois, daughter of Dr. Arnold E. Hurd, of Her- kimer county, New York, a union blessed with five offspring, the oldest be- ing Walter H., who was born September 28, 1863, and is by profession a civil engineer; he married Hattie Edsell and is the father of three children, Florence C., Persis and Edsell, and Mildred E. Mary Eva, the second of the subject's family, was born October 21, 1867. She attended the public schools for her elementary education, later took a full course in the normal school at Kirksville, Missouri, and for some time was principal of the high school of Mason City, Iowa. She is now a student of the University of California, at Berkeley, from which institution she will soon be graduated. Hiram Eugene was born April 14, 1870, is engaged in the manufacture of awnings, mittens, gloves and various articles at Laughlin. Oklahoma, being one of the leading business men of that place. He married Mabel Snit- tinger and has two children, Thomas and Marion Burton. Lewis M., born January 31, 1874, is a druggist in Oklahoma and unmarried. Anna Persis, whose birth occurred on the 12th of January, 1877, is the wife of Chester Master, a druggist of Maynard, this county, Julia R., the youngest of the children, was born on September 8, 1880, and died November 26, 1883.
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