USA > Iowa > Fayette County > Past and present of Fayette County, Iowa, Volume II > Part 45
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On December 31, 1877, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Davis and Mattie Savage, of Ohio, daughter of Reuben P. Savage, of that state, a lady of intelligence and culture and in every respect suited to be the com- panion and help-meet of her energetic and wide-awake husband. Mrs. Davis came to Fayette county to live with her sister, Mrs. Frank Talcott, of May- nard, and it was in Illyria township that she first met the gentleman with whom her life and fortunes have since been linked. Two children have blessed their union, the older of whom, Richard D., is his father's business partner and manager of the repair department. He married Tena Stone. daughter of Walter Stone, of Eden township, the union being without issue.
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Fleeta E., the second in order of birth, was educated in the public schools of Waucoma and in a normal school and for two years was one of the popular teachers of Fayette county. She is still prosecuting her studies and has before her a promising future.
FRED ELBERT HOYT.
In investigating the commercial interests of Fayette county one soon meets the well known name of the Hoyt Hardware Company of West Union, of which Fred Elbert Hoyt, of this review, is the principal moving spirit. He is one of the representative native sons of this county, his birth having occurred in Dover township, December 16, 1864, the son of Hiram B. and Juliet (Kent) Hoyt, both deceased. A sketch of the father, whose death occurred January 3, 1907, appears elsewhere in this work. His second wife was Hattie Booth, by whom two daughters were born, Fred Elbert, of this review. being the only son by the first marriage ; he has two sisters, Ella S., wife of E. P. Sears, of Salt Lake City, and Florence Andrews, of Alliance, Nebraska ; his half sisters are Minnie, wife of Eugene Sawyer, of Alhambra, California, and Grace, wife of Fred Schneider, of West Union.
Fred E. Hoyt was educated in the West Union schools and at Ainsworth Academy, also a business college in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, thus becoming well equipped for life's subsequent career. It might be said that he grew up in the hardware business, hence took quite naturally to this line of endeavor, soon mastering its "ins and outs" and he has been unusually successful in his chosen line.
On September 4, 1889, Mr. Hoyt married Margaret Smith, a native of Quincy, Illinois, where her family is well and favorably known. Four children graced this union, namely: Fred is a high school graduate ; Agnes graduated from the local high school in 1910; Philip and Eugene are the youngest of the group.
Mr. Hoyt is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Modern Woodmen of America. Politically, he is a Republican and belongs to the Presbyterian church. He has long been one of the active and progressive men of the county, interested in whatever tended for the general good, and he stands in the front rank of her citizens.
The Hoyt Hardware Company, to which the remaining paragraphs of this sketch will be devoted, is composed of Fred E. Hoyt, of this review, and
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F. E. Hoyt, though for several years after his father's retirement the prop- erty was owned jointly by Fred E. and Joseph Butler, Hoyt & Wright and Hoyt & Lawyer. During the past three years Fred E. Hoyt has been manag- ing the business alone, and he has not only succeeded in maintaining the high standard of excellency which the store had maintained for so many years previous, but also in greatly extending its prestige, enjoying a liberal patron- age throughout the county.
The building in which this pioneer hardware business is now located was erected for the purpose in 1873 and 1874 by the late H. B. Hoyt, father of Fred E., it being a part of the Bank block. Previous to the construction of this building the store was located at the southwest corner of Vine and Main streets and operated there by Hoyt & Holton for many years.
Fred E. Hoyt, better known among his intimate associates as "Ebbie," is one of the successful young business men of West Union. He is a tireless worker and takes the lead and the hardest place in all of his extensive plumb- ing and heating work, and is recognized as the most capable mechanic along these lines in West Union. The residences in which he has installed heating apparatus and plumbing are of the best type in the city and county.
WILLIAM ORLANDO CLARK.
The subject of this review, a prominent farmer and stock-raiser and representative citizen of Fayette county, of which he is a native, was born October 1, 1854, on the place in Eden township where he now lives. His parents, James Clark and Frances C. Root, natives of New York, were mar- ried at Janesville, Wisconsin, June 11, 1850, and in the fall of 1853 came to Fayette county, Iowa, and settled in Eden township on land which Mr. Clark purchased from the government in September of that year. Later Samuel Clark, father of James, also entered land in this county and continued to live on the same until his death, at the age of sixty-four years. Orlando Clark, a brother of James, came with the latter and the two entered adjoining tracts of land and lived near each other for about eighteen years when the former disposed of his farm and moved to Colorado. Another brother by the name of Hiram, who arrived at the same time, entered land and developed a farm north of Alpha where his son Seth now lives. He married Caroline Broadbent, a sister of his brother Orlando's wife, and spent the remainder of his life on the above farm, dying there a number of years ago, as did also his
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wife. Samuel Clark, a still younger brother, enlisted at the beginning of the Civil war in Captain Rogers' company as a fifer, but died at Dubuque be- fore going to the front, being about nineteen years old at the time.
There were also three sisters who came west about the time their brothers arrived, namely, Esther, who became the wife of Henry Cushman and lived for some years on the farm now owned by Miles Holton, removing thence to the western part of the state where she and her husband spent the remainder of their days; Sarah married Barlow Pepper, who entered land in Fayette county and cleared a farm, on which their deaths subsequently occurred ; Charlotte, the youngest of the number, married Harvey Conklin and with her husband still lives on their farm in Eden township.
James Clark spent the greater part of his life on the home farm in Eden township, and became successful as a tiller of the soil and a raiser of live stock. He served as justice of the peace when a young man, besides holding various local offices from time to time and for a number of years was one of the influential Republicans in his part of the county. His farm of one hun- dred and twenty acres adjacent to Crane creek was well improved and by in- dustry, thrift and good management he accumulated a sufficiency of this world's goods to make him independent. Measured by the correct standard, his life was influential for good ; he and his wife were members of the Christa- delphian church. He always exemplified the principle of the Golden Rule and made the world better by his presence. On February 24, 1907, his good wife was called to her eternal rest after a mutually happy and prosperous married life of fifty-seven years and on the 3d of August following he too responded to the summons which soon or late must come to all, their deaths being widely and profoundly mourned by a large circle of sorrowing friends.
The family of James and Frances C. Clark consisted of six children, one of whom died in infancy, one at the age of nine years, the names of those who grew to maturity being Frances C., wife of Charles L. Perkins, of Wells- ville, Kansas; Mrs. Lizzie Meyer, of Greenleaf, that state; Mary K., who married Eugene F. Beebe, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and William Orlando, whose name introduces this sketch.
William Orlando Clark was reared to farm labor and early in life took his place in the fields where he was able while still young to do a man's part at almost any kind of labor. Meanwhile, during the winter months, he at- tended the district school of the neighborhood and on arriving at an age to begin life for himself selected agriculture for his vocation. For some years he cultivated a farm in Eden township not far from the homestead, but when his parents became old and decrepit he took charge of the latter place the
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better to look after their interests and minister to their comfort. On this place the last twenty-five or thirty years of his life have been spent and after the death of his father he succeeded to the farm, which, under his careful management and effective labors, is now one of the finest and best improved homesteads in the township. It consists of one hundred and twenty acres of very fertile lands, the productiveness of which has been enhanced by proper tillage and judicious rotation of crops, and is also well adapted to stock rais- ing, a branch of farming to which the owner has devoted a great deal of at- tention.
For some years Mr. Clark has been interested in bees and has quite a large apiary consisting of from seventy-five to one hundred and fifty swarms which yield upon an average of considerably in excess of three thousand pounds of very fine honey every year, for which there is always a great de- mand. His success in this industry has induced him to engage in it upon a more extensive scale and he is now preparing to enlarge his apiary and equip it with the latest modern devices for the raising and caring for these wonder- ful little insects. Mr. Clark keeps in touch with the trend of events and abreast of the times on matters of public and political interest. He votes the Repub- lican ticket, but has never entered the political arena as an office seeker and lends his influence and support to all worthy enterprises for the advancement of the community and the general good of his fellow men. He has never mar- ried. His household is carefully managed by others, although he exercises judicious oversight and looks after his various interests in a manner becoming one who makes the most of life and its opportunities and strives to benefit his kind by every laudable means at his command. His neighbors and friends hold him in very high esteem and it is a compliment worthily bestowed to speak of him as one of the representative men of the community in which he resides.
HON. CARL EVANS.
The subject of this biographical review is one of the leading business men of West Union. According to the usual manner of expression, he is a "self- made" man, having attained an enviable standing among the business people of the county wholly through his own efforts.
The business house of Evans & Schatz, of which the subject of this sketch is the senior member, is well known throughout the county as one pos- sessing the entire confidence of the people, and doing a large and profitable business in the line of "head-to-foot" clothiers.
HON. CARL EVANS.
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Carl Evans was born near the town of Clermont, in Fayette county, Iowa. on the 20th of March, 1872. His early life was spent on a farm, but as he approached years of maturity his parental home was established in Cler- mont, where the elementary education attained in the country schools was supplemented by a thorough course in the excellent high school, which has always been the pride of the handsome little city. Mr. Evans was graduated from this institution in 1890, from which time he dates the period of self- dependence, though he had been in a manner self-supporting for some years before. His first permanent business engagement was in the capacity of an employe at a local creamery. There he put in one summer's work, after which he turned his attention to mercantile pursuits. He was employed in a gen- eral store at Clermont, owned and operated by Paul Ellings, an early and prosperous merchant there. After a few years' experience under the teach- ing of Mr. Ellings, Mr. Evans came to West Union and entered the employ of W. B. Thomas, in his present line of business. His partner, George Schatz, was also an employe in the same store, and when they had fully mas- tered the details of the business, and saved a little money, besides establishing an enviable credit, they formed the present partnership, invested their savings and went in debt for the balance of their fine equipment. Their former em- ployer having gone out of business soon after, and a stranger came into pos- session of that store, Evans & Schatz carried with them into their new busi- ness many of the desirable patrons of their former employer, and thereby readily established a profitable business, which fair dealing and "meaning" guarantees have been able to hold, together with the new trade which inev- itably comes to reputable dealers. The debt made at the opening of the busi- ness was soon liquidated, and the ledger began to show a comfortable bal- ance on the other side. As this accumulated, the savings were invested in Fay- ette county lands-always above par-and today the firm owns a fine farm of one hundred and sixty acres of land about three miles west of West Union. This property is well improved, while other substantial improvements are be- ing made this year. The land being paid for, Mr. Evans began investing his surplus cash in bank stock, thereby attaining a directorship in the Fayette County National Bank.
But it must not be understood that Carl Evans possesses a mercenary disposition, for he says himself, that his business success is a matter of won- der to him-that he has always been liberal in the expenditure of money for worthy causes, and has not been over-zealous in the accumulation of property. But every investment proved a "money-maker," and, almost unconsciously to himself, he forged to the front in the business world.
(73)
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In 1896 Mr. Evans associated himself with the Presbyterian church in West Union : having been reared under the tutorship of a religious mother, the transformation was not, necessarily; a great one. But he entered upon the duties of a religious life with the same zeal and energy which has always characterized his business life. In a short time he became an elder in the church, and from that to other prominent positions, which places him at the head of religious matters, not only in West Union, but elsewhere, even out- side of the state. He is at present president of the board of church trustees, Sunday school superintendent, and in 1909 he was one of the commissioners to the general assembly of the church, which met at Denver, Colorado. To Mr. Evans is due the credit for the preparation of the very excellent history of the Presbyterian church in Fayette county, as appearing in another de- partment of this work.
In the field of literature, and in the matter of progression in fraternal societies, Mr. Evans maintains his well-established life-record for "going to the bottom of things." He is an honored member of the Historical and Lit- erary Society, known, locally, as the "H. A. L. Club," a unique organization having an existence only in West Union. It was organized in 1879, and its existence has been maintained throughout all the intervening years with growing interest and popularity. The membership is confined to fifteen gen- tlemen who are selected because of their ability and activity in literary mat- ters; and, with only one or two exceptions, the original members who are living are still connected with the H. A. L. Club. The discussions cover the whole field of literature, but usually avoid controverted religious or political questions. Mr. Evans started in Masonry in 1897, when he became a member of West Union Lodge No. 69, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. He fol- lowed this soon after with a petition to Unity Chapter No. 62, Royal Arch Masons, at Elgin, Iowa. He then became a member of Langridge Com- mandery No. 47, Knights Templar, of West Union. He is also a member of Elkahir Shrine and Scottish Rite, thirty-second degree, at Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He has shared in the official honors of these various branches of this time honored fraternity, and is the present grand warder of the grand commandery, Knights Templar, of Iowa. To be eligible to this position pre- supposes service in official capacities in the local organizations.
The subject has never been an aggressive politician until forced to the front by the Democratic leaders in the county. He has always been an inter- ested voter and worker for party supremacy, and has wielded a strong influ- ence, particularly among the younger members of the party. In 1908 he was chosen as the standard bearer for the office of representative in the Legis-
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lature; but his party being largely in the minority, he went down to defeat along with the balance of the Democratic ticket. His opponent was a popu- lar man, who had both time and means to devote to an active canvass, while Mr. Evans, recognizing "a forlorn hope," attended to his business affairs. But the same candidates are now confronting each other, and Mr. Evans, recognizing that he exceeded his party vote at the last election, now stands a fair chance for election, and is encouraged to give the matter more atten- tion than on the former occasion.
Carl Evans and Elizabeth Blanche Shaw were married on the 6th of November, 1901. His wife is the only living child of the late Ephraim B. and Sarah Elizabeth (Dickey) Shaw, both of whose families were early settlers in West Union and vicinity. Mrs. Shaw is the daughter of Rev. Mr. Dickey, who was the first regularly installed pastor of the Presbyterian church in West Union. E. B. Shaw, father of Mrs. Evans, was a soldier during the Civil war, going into the army from Ohio, his native state. He came to West Union soon after the close of the war and was there prominently identi- fied with the growth and progress of the town. He was associated with the Fayette County National Bank from its organization, and was its cashier for many years. Latterly, however, he had accepted the position of United States bank examiner for the state of Iowa, and died suddenly while away from home in this work. Mr. Shaw was a man of sterling integrity and up- rightness of character. Everybody loved "Eph" Shaw, and, while he was not phenomenally successful, as the world goes, it is doubtful if the man lives who will say he ever did anyone an intentional wrong. But on the other hand, he was liberal to a fault, and prone to listen to and sympathize with everybody's tale of woe.
Mrs. Carl Evans is a lady of more than ordinary musical attainments, having a fine voice, cultivated under some of the best teachers, and as a pianist she has few equals and no superiors in the musical town which has always been her home. Mr. and Mrs. Evans have one son, little Edgar Shaw, named in honor of his deceased uncle and grandfather. He was born in West Union, October 16, 1902.
Carl Evans is a representative of a family of eleven children, born to Robert and Isabella (Denison) Evans. His father was born in Liverpool, England. September 6, 1827. He learned the tailor's trade in his native country and came to America when a young man. He located in Fayette county, Iowa, in pioneer days, and was one of the first tailors in the town of West Union. Later he followed farming for a few years, then worked at his trade in Clermont, and for a few years at Colmar, retaining his home in
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Clermont, but for several years past he has lived in West Union, retired from active business.
Robert Evans has always been an active working Mason, and takes great interest in the fraternity. He is a man of good literary attainments, and pos- sesses an excellent memory, being able to memorize and recite selections which would discourage many "readers" of greater pretentions.
Mrs. Evans, mother of the subject of this sketch, was born in New York City, February 21, 1835. Both parents are living in West Union. Of the large family mentioned above, four children died in infancy or early childhood, and four sons died in mature life. They were all married and each left one or more children. The names of the deceased sons are: Edgar A., Robert, Louis and Frank. There are but three of the family living, viz : George, a stock raiser and ranchman in Idaho; Henry, engaged in insurance and real estate business in Oklahoma, and Carl, of this sketch.
There is no military history in the Evans family in this country though all were loyal and patriotic subjects during the Civil war. Robert Evans was among the local musicians who stirred up the community with their in- spiring melodies during the enlistment periods in the county. As a family they have always been noted as law-abiding, moral and intellectual citizens, honorable and upright, quiet and unassuming.
FRANK TALCOTT.
A sterling mechanic and worthy citizen, now living in honorable retire- ment at Maynard, Fayette county, and formerly of the Badger state, is Frank Talcott, who was born on October 10, 1846, in Burke township, Dane county. Wisconsin, the son of Fitz Henry Talcott, a native of Lake county, Ohio, who married Elmira Nye, of Geauga county, Ohio, each growing to maturity, receiving their education and marrying there. They moved to Dane county, Wisconsin, where Mr. Talcott became an influential character in local affairs, holding a number of political offices there, having been active as a Republican and later as a Populist. He was a well informed man on general topics, hon- est and influential, and he and his wife were members of the United Breth- ren church. It was in 1841 that they settled in Burke township, Dane county, Wisconsin, where they secured wild land which they improved and on which they established a comfortable home. In 1856 they moved to Lewistown, Columbia county, Wisconsin, and bought eighty acres of land there and in
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1864 they came to Fayette county, Iowa, and bought two hundred acres of land in Illyria township where they lived for several years, when they moved to Smithfield township. Mr. Talcott died in 1900 and his wife passed away in June, 1866. Fitz Henry Talcott married a second time, his last wife being Amelia Harned, a native of Sycamore, Illinois, and she died in 1893, no children being born of this union. The following children were by Mr. Tal- cott and his first wife: Lydia A., who was a teacher, died in 1865; Frank, of this review ; Charles A., of Wadena, Iowa, has devoted his life to railroading, merchandising and farming; Fitz Edward is a farmer in Center township, Iowa; Ida May died when five years of age; Inez, now deceased, married Reuben Savage, living in Fayette county ; Etta L. married J. M. Burnside, of Waucoma, Iowa; Henry died in childhood.
Frank Talcott received a common school education in his native com- munity, but his sisters, Lydia, Inez and Etta, became well educated and were successful teachers. Frank remained under the parental roof until he was twenty-one years of age. He learned the blacksmith's trade in Madison, Ohio, and followed that with much success for a period of fifteen years, be- coming known in his community as a very skilled workman. He had served as an apprentice under an uncle.
In 1871 Mr. Talcott married Mary A. Savage, of Madison, Ohio, the daughter of Reuben Savage, who spent his life in Madison county, Ohio. In the spring of 1871 Mr. Talcott brought his bride to Fayette county, Iowa, where he followed his trade for a period of seven years with his usual suc- cess in Illyria township and for six years he maintained a shop at Alpha. In 1883 he located at Maynard and there built a steam mill, which was burned, but he rebuilt it and operated the same until 1905, when he took out the steam plant and put in a twenty-horse-power gasoline engine. In 1908 he installed a gas plant to supply the village of Maynard. He does an extensive busi- ness in custom grinding and makes buckwheat flour, the product of his mill having quite a reputation throughout this vicinity. His plant is modern in every respect, well equipped and neatly kept.
Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Talcott, namely: Louis H., who lives at Marcus, Iowa, where he is a bookkeeper in the Exchange Bank, married Stella Adams, of Maynard; he was educated in the common schools of Maynard and at the Oelwein Business College. After finishing his schooling he spent one year at Sioux Rapids in the creamery business for his father and later at Devon and Everly, and in 1902 he went to Marcus, Iowa. Inez L., the second child of Mr. and Mrs. Talcott, is the wife of E. C. Knight, a druggist at Waucoma, Iowa, with the firm of Burnside & Knight.
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Myron E .. the youngest of Mr. and Mrs. Talcott's children, is managing his father's farm in Smithfield township; he married Carrie Johnson.
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