USA > Iowa > Jasper County > Past and present of Jasper County, Iowa, Vol. I > Part 51
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JOHN M. FALES.
Probably no citizen of Newton has triumphed over greater difficulties and adversities than has John M. Fales, of Newton, Jasper county. The story of his life reads like fiction. He dates his lineage back to 1600, in which year James Fales emigrated from Engand and settled in Walpole. Massachusetts, married Anna Brock in 1635, fought in King Philip's war, which commenced in 1675, and died in 1708. There were eight children in his family, the fourth of whom was named Peter, born in 1668, and died August 10, 1725. His wife, Abigail Robbins, bore him eight children, the first a son, also named Peter, born April 18. 1690. He married Sarah Unity
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THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTUK, LENOX TILDEN FOUNDATIONS
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Allen July 30, 1724. Eight children came by this union, and the fourth was named Peter, born December 16, 1732. On August 4, 1726, he married Avis Bicknell. Ten children were born to them, the seventh being named Peter. Thus for four generations in the direct lineage of the subject comes the name Peter. The latter, who was born October 14. 1778, married Hannah Shepherd, and was married a second time to Judith Pole. He was born at Attleborough, Massachusetts, lived at different places, including Maine, Buffalo, New York, and died in Ohio, September 20, 1857, at the ad- vanced age of eighty years. He was the father of sixteen children, the sixth being Ellis, the father of the subject. Ellis Fales was born in Union, Maine, July 9, 1809. He received a limited education in the common schools of Maine, and when he reached his majority married Julia Ann Avery in Sheldon, New York. They afterward removed to Trumbull county, Ohio, but in a short time pushed farther west and located in Fond du Lac county, Wisconsin. Nine children were born to this union, three of whom and the mother died of typhoid fever in Wisconsin. AAfter the death of his first wife, Mr. Fales married Electa Tolman in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, by whom he had three children. For his third wife he married in Chickasaw county, Iowa, Mary Ann Tucker, which union resulted in the birth of four children. The family later moved to Missouri, and again returned to lowa, and in a short time migrated to Norton county, Kansas, where they remained until the father's death, on September 16, 1888. Mr. Ellis was a blacksmith by trade and, although never having the advantages of a school education, by constant reading at home, became a well posted man, and was able to hold his own in debates with men much better educated than he.
John M. Fales, of this review, was the sixth son of Ellis and Julia Ann (Avery) Fales, and he was born near Farmington, Ohio, April 17, 1843, and with his parents, who pushed westward at an early date, experienced many of the hardships coincident to pioneer life. On February 12, 1862, he enlisted in Company A, Sixteenth United States Infantry, Second Battalion. They were sent to headquarters at Columbus, Ohio, and later to Columbus, Ken- tucky; here the subject remained, doing guard duty at headquarters until February, 1864, when he was ordered to join his regiment at Chattanooga, Tennessee. He participated in the battles of Buzzard Roost, Resaca, New Hope Church, Kenesaw Mountain, July 4, 1864, Peach Tree Creek, Atlanta and Jonesboro, and subsequently, under the command of General Sherman, marched to the rear of Atlanta and was under fire most of the war. When Sherman started for the sea, Mr. Fales, with his brigade, was sent back to
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Lookout Mountain, where he was honorably discharged, February 12, 1865. Returning home, he located in Chickasaw county, Iowa, and invested what money he had saved from the pay of his service in the army in land, buying seventy acres. At this time, September. 1865, he was united in marriage with Sarah J. Sisson. Shortly after their marriage her step-mother died and her father, James Sisson, who was then well advanced in years, was left alone. They took him into their family and he agreed to make them a deed to forty acres of land which he owned if they would take care of him the rest of his life. Agreeing to this, they sold their own place and moved to the home of her father, but this not proving to be a happy arrangement, the deed was returned to Mr. Sisson, giving him back his land, and leaving them nearly penniless. Thus Mr. Fales and his wife and little babe were turned out into the world by Mr. Sisson without anything.
Mr. Fales then moved to Jasper county, Missouri, in 1870, but soon returned to northern Iowa. Here, at Fredericksburg, he operated a wagon shop and at this time his father-in-law again became a member of his family, Mr. Sisson now being without funds, having deeded away his property and got nothing for it to some one who was to give him a home during the rest of his life, but becoming dissatisfied and homeless Mr. Fales, forgiving the harsh treatment he had received at his hand, took him again to his home and took care of him from that time until his death, which occurred in Newton in 1873. at the age of seventy-seven years. At this time Mr. Fales was in very reduced circumstances. He moved to Newton in 1873 and on May 20, 1875, his wife died after a long period of failing health, leaving five small children. During her illness and at her death, Mr. Fales' circumstances were such that he was compelled to accept outside assistance, and after her death homes were found for the two youngest children. One died shortly after- wards, but the other was reared by John Lamb and wife. The four children now living are Anna D., wife of Henry Metz, living in Idaho on a farm; Cora, wife of Charles Gifford, lives at Cunningham, Washington ; Sidney M. is engaged in the meat market business at Rigby, Idaho; he also owns a farm near there; A. L. lives in New Mexico, engaged in missionary work.
On April 2, 1876, Mr. Fales was united in marriage with Mrs. Betsey Barker, a native of Pennsylvania, the daughter of Hiram and Eliza Gary. She was born November 16. 1848. To this union two children were born, both now deceased, as is the mother, whose death occurred on August 24, 1895. During the latter years of his life Hiram Gary, father of the second Mrs. Fales, was an inmate of their home, and he died at the age of eighty years.
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On February 26, 1896, Mr. Fales was united in marriage with Mary C. Anderson. She was born in 1861 in Sweden, and she is the daughter of Andrew and Margaret (Mathews) Anderson, both natives of Sweden. . She was twenty-two years old when she accompanied her parents to America, in 1883, and a brother, Victor, also came at that time. He is now engaged in farming and looks after a farm belonging to the subject of this sketch in Palo Alto township. There were six children in the Anderson family, all of whom came to America. Only three are now living. A sister, Anna Carleston, lives at Galvey, Illinois. Her father died ten years ago at the age of seventy-four years. The mother is still living and makes her home with her daughter, Mrs. Fales, of this review. She is now eighty-five years old.
To Mr. Fales' last union two children have been born, John Melvin. born June 27. 1897, and Peter Emery, born May 1, 1901. It will be noticed that the name "Peter" again appears, after skipping two generations, Mr. Fales believing that the name ought to be perpetuated in the family.
John M. Fales is now one of Newton's substantial citizens, being worth over fifty thousand dollars. He is a fine type of the self-made American citizen. The story of his early struggles and his gradual rise to affluence is one to make the younger generation take notice, proving that strong hands, a clear brain and an honest heart can make stepping-stones of adversities and achieve large results in the face of obstacles. Before coming to Newton Mr. Fales was engaged in the wagon making and repairing business, as above stated, in Fredericksburg. Once he sold a wagon to a man, taking in part pay an old wagon worth about ten dollars. He made a new wagon, using the irons of the old one and traded this for a young horse ; he already owned a horse and therefore had a team. Soon after this trade he decided to move to Newton, so, loading up his family and earthly belongings, he drove through with his team, which he sold soon after his arrival, for sixty-five dollars, and purchased two lots in north Newton with the money. Later he was enabled to purchase enough lumber to build a house on them. This was some time after the death of his first wife when he was beginning to get on his feet again. Not long afterwards he traded the house and lots for one hundred and twenty acres of land in Cherokee county, Iowa, without seeing the land. This proved to be a good trade and after holding the land for some time he sold it for fifteen hundred and sixty dollars, and with twelve hundred and twenty dollars of that amount purchased eighty acres near Newton, leaving him a balance of three hundred and forty dollars, which paid for the lumber he had used in building the house on the lots, also included the price of the lots. Thus it will be seen by his various trades, which he takes pride in tracing,
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starting with the old set of wagon wheels, he was now twelve hundred and twenty dollars "to the good." This eighty acres was sold some years after- wards for forty dollars per acre, and with the money Mr. Fales purchased ninety-one and one-half acres of fine land in Fairview township and this he still holds. The second Mrs. Fales inherited eleven hundred dollars upon the death of her father, and forty-six and one-half acres was purchased in Wild Cat grove with this amount. This was unimproved and Mr. Fales and his faithful wife worked very hard in placing it under cultivation, and it is now a splendid little farm, worth probably two hundred and fifty dollars per acre. Mr. Fales has since added five acres to it, thus making fifty-one and one-half acres. . In all he owns in Fairview and Palo Alto townships three hundred and sixty-five acres and two good residence properties in Newton, and he is also part owner of one of Newton's best business blocks. He is now retired from the active duties of life and lives quietly in his beautiful modern home in Newton, where his two little boys attend school. He is a member of the Baptist church, while his wife affiliates with the Presbyter- ians. He is very grateful that God has prospered him and believes that "hon- esty is the best policy."
Mr. Fales relates in an interesting manner his early experiences in Iowa, which were characterized by hardships, privations and labor of the most strenuous nature. Among these experiences he tells in the following words of his efforts to build his first house: "Soon after I came from the army I purchased a small piece of wild land near Fredericksburg, Chickasaw county, Iowa, paying for it with the money I had saved in the army service, using all my means in this purchase. I now needed a house, but, having no money, I worked for a Mr. Martin for ten days, for which I received one thousand feet of native lumber, delivered at the saw-mill. Then I gleaned around and got about seven hundred more feet of native lumber and hauled it to the mill. I then went to Mr. Paden, who owned the mill, and bargained with him to saw my logs at ten dollars a thousand, paying him in work by the day. I then got some logs and hewed my sills, eight inches square. Needing shingles, I went to Mr. Martin and bought a large black oak shingle tree for four dollars, to be paid at harvest time. I had the tree sawed into shingle blocks and hauled them to the shingle factory. I paid for the making of the shingles by work at the shingle factory. When I had the materials on the ground and ready to start the building I went to a Mr. Conner to help me put up the little house, which was to be fourteen by eighteen feet, eight feet high. He was too busy to help me, but said he could show me how so that I could do the work as well as he could. When
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ready to raise the building I went to town to buy some nails. I had in my pockets but thirty-five cents and went to a hardware store to buy two dollars' worth of nails. Being a stranger, they did not want to trust me, but said they would let me have the stuff if my father would say it was all right. Going to see my father, I found he had gone to the country, so I went back to the store. While there a man came in who was doing some mason work for the store people and said he wanted them to get him a workman. I spoke up and asked for the job, which I secured, and after working two days was able to buy my two dollars' worth of nails. I found a man who had a window he did not need and worked for him until I had paid for the window. My wife being anxious to get into the house, we moved in in the spring of 1866, with but one side of the roof on, one window in, a blanket doing service for a door and the floor only temporarily laid. This is the way I built my first house. We were both happy in this home of our own, though it was ever so humble. and when the building was completed it was a very com- fortable house."
HON. WILLIAM R. COOPER.
A young man who has stamped the impress of his strong personality upon the minds of the people of Jasper county in a manner as to render him one of the conspicuous characters of the locality is Hon. William R. Cooper. the able and popular retiring representative in the state Legislature. Faith- fulness to duty and a strict adherence to a fixed purpose, which always do more to advance a man's interests than wealth or advantageous circumstances, have been dominating factors in his life, which has been replete with honor and success worthily attained, and he has become an important factor in the affairs of his county and stands in the foremost rank of the legal profession. Few citizens in Jasper county are better known, none occupy a more conspicuous place in the confidence of the public, and it is a compliment worthily bestowed to class him with the representative men of his day and generation in the city of his residence, having done much for the general development of Newton and this vicinity.
Mr. Cooper is one of the native sons of Jasper county of whom she may well be proud, his birth having occurred here on November 28. 1868, he being the scion of one of the sterling old families that figured prominently in the pioneer history of the county, the son of Levi and Ellen (Sanders) Cooper. The father was born, reared and educated in Pennsylvania, from
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which state he came to Iowa about 1862 or 1863 and located in Jasper county, near Lynnville, where he developed a good farm and became well established, and where he continued to reside until his death in 1874, when his son, William R., was about six years old. His wife was born in Indiana. The Cooper family is of Quaker stock and its members have always been noted for their piety and clean citizenship.
Three children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Levi Cooper, two daughters, who are deceased, and William R. of this review. The mother is now living in California, having remarried, her last husband being Jackson Booth.
William R. Cooper was educated in the rural schools of this county and at Hazel Dell Academy at Newton. He afterward entered Iowa State Col- lege at Ames, and graduated in 1894, taking the scientific course. He pre- pared himself for a teacher and for several years successfully followed that vocation, winning the admiration of both pupil and patron ; but growing tired of the school room, he entered the abstract and loan business in 1900, in New- ton. Still not satisfied with his work, although again successful, he finally turned his attention to the law, for which he seemed to have a natural bent, and, making rapid progress in the same, he was admitted to the bar in 1904, since which time he has been actively engaged in the practice, and at the same time has carried on an extensive abstract and loan business. He has been successful as an attorney and abstractor, winning a reputation as a conscientious, capable, well grounded and energetic advocate, who, by his judicious course, has won the good will and admiration of all classes.
Owing to his public spirit and his recognized ability, Mr. Cooper was soon singled out by party leaders for public positions, and in 1908 he was elected representative from Jasper county, and his eminently worthy and satisfactory course in the Legislature has evidently justified the wisdom of his selection for this important position, for he has labored untiringly for the good of his locality, winning the hearty approbation of all concerned, irrespective of party alignment, making his influence felt in the counsels and deliberations there and often on the floor, challenging forcefully and eloquently any measure that did not seem to warrant his support, and always defending in a relentless and tactful manner such movements as were calculated to make for the general good. He was chairman of the federal relations committee and a member of the judiciary, ways and means, insurance, banks and banking, mines and min- ing, pardons, labor, telegraph and express, and engrossed bills committees, in all of which he displayed rare soundness of judgment and business acumen. He was the author of the bill, "Place of Trial of Citations," which provides grounds for change of place of trial. He was instrumental in securing the
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passage of a bill to change the place of trial to the home county where there is an alleged fraudulent contract. He was the author of many bills, and his efforts were always directed toward the betterment of the moral conditions of the state. He was largely instrumental in securing the passage of a bill providing against the sale of cigarettes and cigarette papers and providing for search warrant of any building where same was thought to be kept for sale, and which provides for the assessment of a fine of three hundred dollars against the owner of the building.
Judging from the past meritorious record of Mr. Cooper, it is safe to predict that the future years hold much of honor and success for him and that he will in due course of time take his place among the eminent and useful men of the great commonwealth of Iowa.
Mr. Cooper's domestic life began on October 26, 1898, when he was united in marriage with Virginia Russell, a lady of culture and genial address and the daughter of S. G. Russell, president of the Farmers' Insurance Com- pany, of Newton, and a well known business man here. This union has been blessed by the birth of four children, Florence, Robert, Russell and Richard.
BARRETT E. MOORE.
Prominently connected with the business history of Jasper county, the career of Barrett E. Moore, president of the Dowden Manufacturing Company and vice-president of the First National Bank of Prairie City, is eminently worthy of permanent record. Great fortunes have been accumulated by others through various methods, but few lives in this section of Iowa furnish a better example of the wise application of sound business principles and safe conservatism as does his. The story of his success is not long nor does it contain any exciting chapters, but in it lies a valuable secret of the prosperity which it records. His business and private life are replete with interest and incentive, no matter how lacking in dramatic incident; the record of an in- dustrious life whose every action has been actuated by a laudable ambition and controlled by proper ideals, consistent with itself and its possibilities in every particular. In fact, it would be hard to find a better example of what may be accomplished by duty fully performed or what obstacles may be sur- mounted through energy and tact than that afforded by the life history of this progressive man of affairs.
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Mr. Moore is the scion of a sterling old family of eastern Iowa, and he was born at Attalissa, Muscatine county, Iowa, June 1, 1862, the son of S. S. and Ellen (Worrell) Moore, both natives of Ohio. The father was a shoe- maker by trade and in 1849 or 1850 he left Ohio with his family and came to Iowa, making the long overland journey in an old-fashioned wagon, falling in with the almost continuous train of emigrants to the middle and far west during that formative period of our country's history. He settled near the town of Attalissa, Muscatine county, and farmed there for a time, then went into the grocery business at that place, continuing the same for five years, when he moved to Brooklyn, Iowa, where he entered the same business, handling farming implements additionally, with a partner under the firm name of Overman & Moore. Six years later he sold out and moved to Mitchell- ville, where he went into the lumber and grain business, building the first grain elevator there. He continued in that line of endeavor there with his usual success for over seventeen years, but, selling out in 1886, he came to Prairie City to make his future home, and here he led a retired life until his death, in June, 1894, at the advanced age of eighty-two years; his widow, who survived until 1909, also reached that age. After her husband's death she made her home with the son, Barrett E. of this review, he being the youngest of a family of seven children, four of whom reached maturity, the other three being Martha A., widow of J. R. Gill, he having formerly been a well known grain dealer of Prairie City, in partnership with the subject, and his death occurred in 1908, leaving a wife and several children : Priscilla married Benjamin Cope, a well known farmer of Polk county, and they also have several children: William H., who is a retired business man of Prairie City, is married and has a family.
Barrett E. Moore attended the Mitchellville Seminary at Mitchellville, later going to Kansas City, Missouri, where he remained less than a year. then came to Prairie City, Iowa, where he secured employment in Vander- mast's general store, clerking for him for five years, giving a high grade service all the while and incidentally becoming thoroughly familiar with the ins and outs of merchandising. His next venture was in the grain business with Gill & Son, and after three years he bought the interest of J. R. Gill and the firm became Gill & Moore, and he continued in the same for a period of . seventeen years, building up a large and ever-growing business and becoming widely known as one of the leading grain men of central Iowa. Observing better opportunities in the banking world, he sold out his grain interests in 1908 and identified himself with the First National Bank of Prairie City,
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assuming the duties of vice-president, which position he still fills in a manner that reflects much credit upon himself and to the entire satisfaction of the stockholders and all others concerned, his influence having done mnuch in estab- lishing the growing prestige of that safe and sound institution, which had developed at a steady pace. Besides his interest in the bank, Mr. Moore is a large stockholder in the Dowden Manufacturing Company, with which he has been connected since its organization in 1888. It is capitalized for forty thousand dollars, but its surplus and working capital is eighty thousand dol- lars, and it has a large, modernly equipped plant, in which only skilled artisans are employed and where every department is managed under a superb system, and the much-sought products of the plant are constantly invading new terri- tory.
The domestic life of Mr. Moore began in September, 1894, when he was united in marriage with Carrie Bollhoefer, of Newton, this county, the ac- complished and refined daughter of A. C. Bollhoefer and wife, very early set- tlers of Jasper county and long prominent and highly esteemed in local circles. Mrs. Moore has one brother and four sisters living, namely : Mary, who lives in Newton : Lou, Minnie and Emma live in Newton ; Edward lives in Colfax, Jasper county.
To Mr. and Mrs. Moore two children have been born, Merle M., now fourteen years of age, and Florence E., who died when six years old. Mrs. Moore is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church of Newton. Fra- ternally, Mr. Moore belongs to the Masonic order, Preston Lodge No. 218, and to the Knights of Pythias, Jasper Lodge No. 63, being treasurer of both lodges. Politically, he is a "standpat" Republican, but, being engrossed with personal affairs, he has never cared for political leadership or the honors of public office ; however, always deeply interested in whatever tends to the pub- lic welfare and ready to lend a helping hand in forwarding any movement having for its object the upbuilding of the section in which he lives.
The career of Mr. Moore illustrates most happily for the purpose of this work the fact that if a young man possesses the proper attributes of mind and heart, he can, unaided, attain to a position of unmistakable precedence and gain for himself an honored position among the men who are the foremost factors in shaping the destinies of communities, his life proving that the only true success in this world is that which is accomplished by personal effort and consecutive industry, by honesty and a straightforward, unassuming at- titude toward those with whom he comes into contact.
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