USA > Iowa > Fayette County > Past and present of Fayette County, Iowa, Volume II > Part 16
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The Smith brothers are scions of honorable parentage. Their father, Samuel Smith, was born near Keighley, Yorkshire; England, in 1838, and was the son of Richard and Martha (Hanson) Smith. He married Hannah Park, a daughter of Thomas and Sarah Park, of Pateley Bridge, Yorkshire, England, and they became the parents of six children, namely: Alice, the wife of Ed- ward E. Day, a well-known citizen of Oelwein, who is mentioned elsewhere in this work; Thomas, of Oelwein; Jane, the wife of G. A. Schneider, a farmer north of Oelwein; Sarah M. A., the wife of W. S. Huntington, an expert draughtsman and successful foundryman ; Richard H., of Oelwein ; Mary Ellen, the wife of F. H. Martin, a contractor and builder at Oelwein. Samuel Smith was a machinist by trade and was part owner of a tool manufacturing plant in Keighley. In 1869 he came to Fayette county, followed in 1870 by his family, then consisting of wife and three children. For a year he lived with his uncle, Thomas Hanson. On June 1, 1870, they came to what later became Oelwein, he buying a farm located one and a half miles north and one-fourth mile west of where the city now is. He entered at once upon the cultivation of this farm, which he brought up to a high standard of agricultural excellence, and on which he resided until February, 1892. He then moved into Oelwein. and on November 14th, of the same year, he died, at the age of fifty-four years. His wife died July 21, 1901, at the age of sixty-six years.
Of this family, the two sons, Thomas and Richard H., were reared on the home farm and received their education in the common schools of their neigh- borhood. In 1902 Thomas bought a quarter section of land in Dickinson county, and soon afterwards Thomas and Richard together bought another quarter section nearby, where they lived for a few months, returning to the city in December of that year. Richard was then for a time in the employ of the Oelwein creamery, after which he entered the employ of W. H. Meyer & Company. In 1897 the two brothers formed a partnership and went into the grocery business in Oelwein, locating on the east side of Frederick street, be- tween First and Charles streets. In July of the same year they moved across the street to No. 10 South Frederick street, where they remained until Decem- ber 16, 1902, when they installed their business in a new building next door
THOMAS SMITH.
RICHARD H. SMITH.
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south, the new store having been built especially for them. They were pros- perous in their business and conducted it successfully until June 8, 1904, when they sold out. In 1878 their father, Samuel Smith, had bought forty acres of land from William Niblock, lying north of Charles street and west of Sixth avenue North, now included in Oelwein. After their father's death, the broth- ers platted this ground, making four successive additions, and after retiring from the grocery business Thomas built several residences there during the summer of 1904. In January, 1905, Thomas and Richard Smith formed a partnership and went into the real estate business, in which they have con- tinued ever since. Besides their residence properties, they own a large interest in the Syndicate block, which is owned in the name of the Oelwein Building and Investment Company and was built in 1907. It is a splendid property, being one of the best blocks in the city, the ground floor being devoted to business rooms and the upper part of the building being divided into flats. Thomas Smith is secretary of the company. Both of the subjects are notaries public and in addition to their real estate business, they also examine abstracts and take charge of rentals. Thomas Smith is a stockholder in the First National Bank and the Aetna State Bank, both of Oelwein, and Richard is interested in the Aetna State Bank and the Iowa Savings Bank at Oelwein, while both are stock- holders in the Oran Savings Bank, at Oran, this state. They are also the owners of much farm land in Minnesota and the Dakotas, as well as in their home state. Progressive and energetic, and yet wisely conservative, they have always given their support to every movement which has promised to benefit the community or contribute to the development and upbuilding of the city in which they reside.
Politically both of the Smith brothers are affiliated with the Prohibition party, in the success of which they are deeply interested. Religiously, Thomas is a member of the Christian church, in which he holds official relations, being treasurer, trustee and deacon ; Richard is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and is a member of the board of trustees. Both are earnest in their support of the churches, being liberal contributors to their support.
Both of the Smith brothers are married, Thomas having wedded Aura C. Hadley, the daughter of B. H. Hadley, of Iowa Falls. Richard married Maud E. Sackville, the daughter of J. O. and Alice E. (Day) Sackville, the former a native of Canada and the latter of St. Lawrence county, New York. They have one child, a daughter, Dorothy Maude. The subjects of this sketch are genial in their social relations and enjoy a large acquaintance throughout the county, among whom they are held in the highest esteem.
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MARTIN MALONEY.
In the respect that is accorded to men who have fought their own way to success through unfavorable environment and circumstances we find an un- conscious recognition of the intrinsic worth of a character which can not only endure so rough a test, but gain strength through the discipline. The gentle- man whose name introduces this sketch has, in spite of obstacles, succeeded in his life's work to a satisfactory degree and has also earned and retains the regard and high esteem of all with whom he is acquainted, standing today as one of the representative men of the community in which he resides. As the mayor of the thriving city of Fayette he is making a record highly complimen- tary to himself and entirely satisfactory to the citizens.
Martin Maloney is a native of Savannah, Illinois, where he first saw the light of day on March 2, 1858. He is the son of John and Mary (Hulbert) Maloney, who were well known and highly respected residents of that city. The subject received his education in the schools of his native place, graduat- ing from the high school at the age of sixteen years. In the fall of 1874 he accompanied his parents on their removal to Sabula, Iowa, and there he entered the telegraph office of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad as a student of telegraphy. He rapidly acquired proficiency and in the follow- ing fall he was given a position as telegraph operator on the same road. In 1877 he was transferred by the company to Dubuque, Iowa, a much better position. He retained this position until the fall of 1882, when his eyesight failed to such an extent that he was incapacitated for duty, being hardly able to get around without assistance. He resigned his position and during the following two years did no work, devoting himself entirely to the treatment and care of his eyes, which steadily improved. In the spring of 1885 Mr. Maloney returned to the railroad and was given a position at Bellevue, Iowa, where he remained until the spring of 1892, when he was promoted to the position of train dispatcher, with headquarters at Marion, Iowa. He per- formed the responsible duties of this position to the entire satisfaction of the railroad company and in February, 1899, he received another substantial pro- motion, being transferred to Fayette and placed in entire charge of the com . pany's business at this place. His duties are multitudinous here, for be- sides being agent for the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad Company, he is also agent for the Wells, Fargo & Company Express and local manager for the Western Union Telegraph Company. He is a busy man, but is sys- tematic and energetic and handles his work easily and in a manner that has at all times won the approval of his superiors. He is accommodating and
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courteous in his relations with the public and is well liked by all who have dealings with him.
Mr. Maloney has always taken a keen and intelligent interest in local public affairs. He was originally allied with the Democratic party, but in the political upheaval and new alignments of the parties in 1896 he found the principles of the Republican party to be most nearly in harmony with his own ideas, and he chose to be true to his own honest convictions rather than longer cling to a party that did not represent his views. Since 1896 he has been actively identified with the Republican party. He has not been a seeker after political honors, but in 1908, under rather peculiar conditions that prevailed in Fayette, he was induced to accept the nomination for mayor on the Inde- pendent ticket. He made the race, and, although the city is normally strong- ly Republican, he was elected by the handsome majority of eighty votes. He has given an honest and faithful attention to the duties of the position and is giving the city a good businesslike administration.
On December II, 1879, Mr. Maloney was united in marriage with Eva Confere, a daughter of David and Caroline (Long) Confere, highly respected residents of Lyons, Iowa, where the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Maloney oc- curred. To this union has been born one daughter, Cora Irene, who is a graduate of the Upper Iowa University and is now assistant principal of the schools at Strawberry Point, Iowa. Religiously Mr. Maloney is a member of the Congregational church, to which he gives an earnest and liberal support. Fraternally he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Modern Woodmen of America. He is a man of many estimable qualities and his friends are in number as are his acquaintances, his popularity being attributed to his sterling worth and genial disposition.
FRANK GILMER.
It is proper to judge the success and the status of a man's life by the estimation in which he is held by his fellow citizens. They see him at his work, in his family circle, in his church, at his devotions, hear his views on public questions, observe the outcome of his code of morals, witness how he conducts himself in all the relations of society and civilization and thus be- come competent to judge of his merits and demerits. Judged by such stand- ards, the life of Frank Gilmer, a farmer of Center township, Fayette county, has been led along proper channels and he therefore enjoys the confidence
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and respect of his neighbors and acquaintances. He is a Canadian by birth, having first seen the light of day in the province of Toronto, September 6, 1854, and he is the son of Francis and Nancy N. (Soper) Gilmer, the father born in Scotland and the mother in Canada. His maternal grandfather, Tim- othy and Martha (Mask) Soper, were both born in Bowmanville, Canada, the grandfather being the first white child born in that township, and there he lived and died. The paternal grandparents came to Canada in an early day. Francis Gilmer, father of Frank, was born in March, 1817, and he came to Canada when young and engaged in the lumber business, and there married. In 1855 he came to Iowa and bought from George Seaton one hun- dred acres in the northeast corner of section 30, Smithfield township, Fay- ette county. The land was unimproved, and he erected, first, a log cabin and stable, and in 1863 built a frame house ; he improved the place and remained on it until 1869, then moved one and one-half miles south of Fayette, buying there one hundred and ten acres of wild land. He improved this and made his home there until 1875, when he moved to Sumner county, Kansas, where his death occurred in November, 1884. He owned eighty acres there, and he was always a farmer. His family consisted of nine children, five of whom are still living. He was a Republican in politics, but he took little part in public affairs, giving his entire attention to agrcultural pursuits. Before coming to "the States" he engaged very extensively in the lumber business. He was fairly successful in all his operations and was a man whom everybody re- spected.
Frank Gilmer first attended school in a log school-house on the banks of the Volga, the first in that community of Fayette county, later he attended the Fayette high school. Afer leaving school he devoted his attention to farming and has continued in this line of work, beginning for himself near Fayette. In the fall of 1876 he moved to Kansas and in 1880 returned to Fayette county and rented land for several years, thereby getting a good start. In 1902 he bought one hundred and twenty acres west of Randalia, Center township, and soon afterwards, having closed the deal in September of that year, he moved on the place and has remained on the same, devoting his at- tention to general farming and stock raising, and his labors in these lines have been crowned by success. He has a neat and comfortable home and good out- buildings, orchard, garden, and everything that makes a country place desir- able and complete.
Mr. Gilmer was married on May 5, 1875, to Alice Paine, who was born in Cattaraugus county, New York, in 1854. She is the daughter of Harvey and Laura (Clark) Paine. They came to Iowa in 1864 and settled in sec-
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tion 7, Smithfield township, where they bought two hundred acres of land from Deleishe Demott, who had homesteaded the land, and have lived on the place ever since. Mrs. Laura Paine died December I, 1903, and was buried at the Fayette cemetery. In 1864, when ten years old, Alice Paine accom- panied her parents to Fayette county, Iowa, and near the town of Fayette they located on a farm and became well established there. To Mr. and Mrs. Gilmer the following children have been born: Alta, born April 4, 1876; Eugene, born March 9, 1879; Frank, born August 20, 1881 ; Earl, born No- vember 10, 1884, died December II, 1887; Edith, born September 3, 1887, died October 8, 1889; Stella, born March 14, 1890; Madge, born February 22, 1894.
Politically, Mr. Gilmer is a Republican and fraternally a Yeoman. He has been trustee of his township and has held other minor local offices, always doing his full share in the work of public improvement and fostering prin- ciples calculated to result in general good to his township and county, and is therefore rated as a valued and substantial citizen.
JAMES J. McNAUL.
In this sketch it is a pleasure to record the history of a family whose men are the kind who count for something, strong men, of Scotch descent, of hardi- hood and courage sufficient for all the vicissitudes of life --- such men as go to make a nation powerful.
James McNaul was born in Scotland March 25, 1787, and came to this country as a boy of five with his father, who settled in Pennsylvania and farmed. He was reared on the Center county farm and married Isabella Swanzey, who was born in the same county March 12, 1793. They were the parents of ten children : William, Sarah, Isabella, Thaddeus, James F., John, Jesse, Lebbeus, Lusk and Esther Ann. James McNaul died July 20, 1853. William McNaul was born January 17, 1817, grew up on the farm, and in 1844 married Elizabeth Riley, who was born January II, 1818. In 1856 they came west, bringing three children, accompanied by his brother Thaddeus, and located in Westfield township, one mile south of Fayette, but remained there only during the winter and then removed six miles south in this county where William lived until his death, farming during his active life. The old farm contained about eighty acres. William was a strong Republican and held many township offices, among them clerk and trustee. He and his wife
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FAYETTE COUNTY, IOWA.
were Methodists, very active in church work, and noted about the neighbor- hood on account of their hospitality. They raised to maturity four of seven children born to them. James F., William's brother, came to Fayette county in 1865, after serving two years in Company I, Thirtieth Wisconsin In- fantry, and has lived here since. Thaddeus remained here until his death.
James J. McNaul was born in Clarion county, Pennsylvania, February 14, 1847, the son of William and Elizabeth McNaul. His maternal grand- parents were Thomas F. Riley, born August 11, 1793, and Susanna (Mc- Bride) McNaul, born September 1, 1796, pioneers of Clarion county who had opened up timber land and died on the homestead. He was a man very much respected and of great influence. In the early forties he joined the Methodist church and was afterwards very active. He lived to the age of ninety-six and when ninety-three walked nearly a mile to the election, his great physical endurance holding out to the end of his life. When young, he used to clear land all day and then do a day's work in his blacksmith shop at night. J. J. McNaul was educated in the common schools, began work on the farm at a very early age and remained on the farm until his parents died. On July 4, 1871, he was married to Mary Howard, and continued farming until 1891, when he went on the road for the J. R. Watkins Medical Com- pany of Winona, Minnesota, the largest corncern of its kind in the world, during which time he lived at Vinton, Benton county. In this time he had many interesting experiences, and has witnessed the development of the county into its present prosperity. He retired in the fall of 1907, and in 1908 came to live at Randalia. He has retained the old farm, about two miles west of Randalia, containing one hundred and sixty acres, which his only living son now farms. They make a specialty of Duroc-Jersey hogs, and have raised very high grade individuals of that breed. Mrs. McNaul was born in Union county, Indiana, the daughter of John and Margaret (Hill) Howard. He was the son of James Howard, and was born in New York, while she was probably born in Indiana. Her maternal grandparents were Jacob and Eliza (Smith) Hill, early settlers near South Bend, Indiana, and the parents of a large family. They came to Arlington, Fayette county, Iowa, when the county was new, locating on government land. Jacob Hill was a soldier in the Mohawk war, and Mrs. McNaul had two uncles in the Civil war. Her father first farmed in Delaware county and moved to Ran- dalia about 1860. He was the father of twelve children by two marriages. Since 1891 he has lived in Arlington, and is still, as formerly, very active in the Sunday school and church work of the Christian denomination. Mr. and Mrs. J. J. McNaul are the parents of four children : Margaret Elizabeth,
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FAYETTE COUNTY, IOWA.
dead; Willis, who is married and living on the home farm; his wife was formerly Jeannette Burns and they have two children, Hazel Burnie, born June 3, 1903, and Mildred M., born October 16, 1904; Willard, and Cora May, dead. The family are Methodists, and Mr. McNaul is a church worker. He is a Republican and a Knight of Pythias, and a man whose presence in the community honors it and is in every way beneficial. The record of his fore- fathers was a worthy one, and he has in all respects lived up to it.
JAMES W. ORR.
To a considerable extent the gentleman whose name forms the caption of this sketch is a creditable representative of that class of citizens who win in the battle of life by sheer force of individual characteristics and not through the efforts of others or by legacies bequeathed him by his forebears, a class which has furnished much of the bone and sinew of the country and added to the stability of our government and its institutions.
J. W. Orr was born on the farm immediately south of where he now resides in Westfield township, Fayette county, Iowa, December 22, 1870, and is the son of John and Martha J. (Douglas) Orr, the father born in Canada and the mother in Virginia, thus uniting two families of a sterling but much different type. John Orr came alone from the northern country referred to above, to Fayette county, Iowa, locating in Westfield township in 1858, and here he purchased a fine tract of land, consisting of three hundred and eighty acres, all in one body except ten acres, and, being a hard worker and a good manager, he developed the same in due course of time into an excellent place, and was one of the leading farmers of that early day. He was also the pio- neer stock man of Fayette county, for many years handling large numbers of livestock in connection with his farm, and, being a good judge of stock and always on the alert and a good observer, he did a thriving business in this connection and became widely known as a stock man, giving his entire attention to stock feeding and buying and selling and farming. He was in- fluential in the affairs of his township and a man whom everybody admired and respected. His wife came with her uncle, Thomas Douglas, to Fayette county, Iowa.
Two sons and one daughter constituted the family of Mr. and Mrs. John Orr. The father was a Democrat in his political belief, but he did not aspire to political favors, being too busy with his personal affairs.
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J. W. Orr of this review was educated in the public schools of his native community and the commercial department of the Upper Iowa University. He worked on the home farm and he has continued as a farmer and stock man and has preferred to spend his life on his native "heath," realizing that greater opportunities existed for him right here at home. He has a splendid farm here of two hundred and thirty-three acres, and eighty-six and one-half acres elsewhere. His land is well improved in every respect and ranks with the best in the township. He formerly won considerable local recognition as a breeder of Polled-Angus cattle. He has been very successful as a business man and everything about his place shows good management and thrift.
Mr. Orr was married January 9, 1895, to Dora Thomas, daughter of G. C. and Priscilla (McCannon) Thomas, the father a native of the state of New York and the mother of Pennsylvania. They grew to maturity in the East and were married there, and they came to Illinois in 1859, and in 1885 came on to Iowa, locating in Independence. They were the parents of ten children. Mr. Thomas is a veterinary surgeon, still in the active practice, now living at Clear Lake, South Dakota. The following children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Orr; Francis Donald, Lotta May and Dorothy Lavon.
Mr. Orr is a Democrat politically, and, like his honored father before him, takes an abiding interest in whatever tends to the betterment of his com- munity and county.
J. W. DWYER.
Among the leading business men of West Union, Fayette county, Iowa, none take higher rank than the gentleman whose name appears at the head of this sketch, who is successfully engaged in the real estate business. The suc- cess attained in his business enterprises has been greatly owing to his steady persistence, stern integrity and excellent judgment, qualities which cause him to take rank with the leading business men of this section of the county, be- sides winning for him the confidence and esteem of the public to a marked degree.
J. W. Dwyer was born in Georgetown, Colorado, on August 26, 1871, and is a son of Michael and Mary (Galvin) Dwyer, both of whom were natives of New York state, though of Irish parentage. The subject's paternal grand- parents, Dennis Dwyer and wife, were natives of county Limerick, Ireland, and on their emigration to America they settled at Hancock, Michigan, where the husband died. He had there followed the pursuit of farming and was a
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J. W. DWYER.
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man of fine qualities. The subject's maternal grandparents, John and Mary (Welch) Galvin, who also were natives of Ireland, located in New York on reaching the United States, and in that state he successfully carried on rail- road contracting. Subsequently he came to Fayette county, Iowa, where he became a pioneer farmer, having entered land. He was successful in this enterprise, and acquired more land from time to time, until his accumulations amounted to six hundred and forty acres. He remained on this farm until his death, his life here having been replete with duty faithfully performed and honorable relations with those with whom he came in contact.
Michael Dwyer, the subject's father, followed the calling of mining and, going to Colorado, he operated one of the big mines of that state in its in- fancy, being considered an expert in his line. In 1878 he came to Fayette county and bought a farm near Westgate, to which he devoted his attention. The place now comprises two hundred and fifty-one acres and is generally considered one of the best farms in the township. Mr. Dwyer has here car- ried on a general line of farming and has also with much success given at- tention to the raising of livestock. In 1900 Mr. Dwyer relinquished the active labor of the farm and retired to the village of Westgate, where he now re- sides. To Michael and Mary Dwyer seven children were born, of whom five are now living.
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