USA > Iowa > Jasper County > Past and present of Jasper County, Iowa, Vol. I > Part 58
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the front and was ordered to the hospital, but he begged so hard to be per- mitted to rejoin his regiment that they allowed him to do so, and he was sent to Memphis, later going with Gen. A. J. Smith's command on the Red River expedition. Later in the war Mr. Turner took part in the battles of Sabine Cross Roads, Yellow Build, Fort Duruso, and in the hand-to-hand engage- ment at Pleasant Hill, in which one big fellow came near choking him to death, but a comrade saved his life by knocking his assailant in the head. They followed General Price from De Soto to Lexington and to Santa Fe, Kansas, and had several small engagements ; then fought at Blue River, Sedalia, Lone Jack, and was in the two-days battle of Nashville, then went to New Orleans, and he witnessed the bombardment of Fort Pike, Fort Morgan and Fort Gains. He was on the sand battery and battery U. G. in the charge on the pontoons. He participated in the siege of Fort Blakely throughout. Later he was with Sherman in his march to Meridian, Mississippi, and was wounded at Queen's Hill. He was mustered out at Mobile, Alabama, and received an honorable discharge at Indianapolis, Indiana, in August, 1865.
After returning from the war, Mr. Turner bought and sold cattle for a while, then went to Illinois and worked at the carpenter's trade and house moving. He came to Iowa in 1870, locating first at Oskaloosa, but later moved to New Sharon and there he was married to Ellen Shadley, who was born in Greene county, Ohio, the daughter of William and Malinda ( Pendu- lum) Shadley ; the father, a farmer, was born in Virginia and the mother in Ohio. They were the parents of ten children, those living besides Mrs. Turner being : William, of Newton, Iowa; Mrs. James Mitcheltree, of New Sharon; Mrs. Hester Hilderbran, of near New Sharon; Mrs. Abbie Stanford, of Montezuma. The Shadley family came to Iowa before the war.
Six children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Turner, namely : Minnie, who married Edward Lynn, lives in Des Moines, and they have seven children ; Wesley, who lives in Newton, is married and has two children : Clyde also lives in Newton : Elizabeth, wife of Charles Pugh, lives in Des Moines and has three children : Allison is at home : Elsie, who married Bonner Benedict, died leaving four children.
After living in New Sharon three years, Mr. Turner moved to Marshall county, but later went back to New Sharon. Five years ago he came to New- ton, Jasper county, and here he and his sons are successfully engaged in the house moving business, having built up a large patronage.
Mr. Turner is a Republican and a member of Lighton Post. Grand Army of the Republic. Mrs. Turner is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
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DAVID FINCH.
David Finch, an honored citizen of Newton for over fifty years, one of the worthy pioneers of this new country whose interests he ever had at heart and sought to promulgate in any way possible, was born in Yates county, New York, January 19, 1827. His childhood and youth were spent in Ohio, in which state, on May 28, 1854, he was united in marriage with Jemima Dean, and soon afterward they emigrated to Iowa, settling in Newton, Jasper county, which, with the exception of a few years spent in Nebraska, had been his home through all the years until his death, in 1908.
In February, 1877, his wife was called to her rest, leaving beside her husband, three sons, Madison, now residing at Wray, Colorado, and Edgar and Ernest, residents of Newton, Iowa. An only daughter, Florence, had died in early childhood.
In November, 1879, Mr. Finch was united in marriage with Mary Kime, who, with their one son, Earl Finch, of Los Angeles, California, survives him. Surviving him are also four sisters, all that are now left of a family of eleven children. Mr. Finch was a man of industry and very successful in a material way.
Mrs. David Finch was the daughter of George W. and Julia Kime, very old settlers of Jasper county and well known here to a past generation, both being now deceased. The mother was born in Ulster county, New York, May 16, 1816; she moved to Ohio in 1837 and two years later was married to George W. Kime and they moved to Jasper county. Iowa, in 1852. Then, ten years afterwards, they moved to a place three miles south of West Union, Nebraska, where they remained until Mrs. Kime's death, December 5, 1890. Her remains were brought to Newton, Iowa, and interred in the cemetery here. George W. Kime, who spent the latter years of his life in retirement, died at the home of his son, Jarvis Kime, near Dunning, Nebraska, on December 22, 1898; his remains were interred beside his wife in the cemetery at Newton, Iowa. He was eighty-one and a half years of age, having been born in Virginia on July 6, 1817. He lived in his native state until seven years of age when he removed with his parents to Seneca county, Ohio, where he grew to manhood and was there married to Julia A. Springer on November 10, 1839, and their union resulted in the birth of three children, namely : Margaret E., who died in her seventeenth year; Jarvis M., who lives in Nebraska ; and Mary, widow of David Finch of this sketch.
In 1853 George W. Kime moved with his family by wagon to Iowa county, Iowa, and there lived amid the primitive conditions prevailing all over
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the state at that period until 1857, in which year he moved to Newton, Jasper county, and here made his home until 1879, when he moved his family to Custer county, Nebraska, where the remainder of his life was spent on a farm.
David Finch had been a faithful member of the Congregational church for many years, in fact, was one of its pillars of strength. He was also a worthy Mason, a Knight Templar, one of the last duties of his life being in attendance at the funeral of a brother Knight, from which he was returning home on April 24, 1908, when he was stricken with paralysis which resulted in his passing away a few days later at the age of eighty-one years, three months and twelve days, his death being marked with rare fortitude and sublimity of faith.
DANIEL W. WHITCOMB.
The world owes much to the plain, plodding worker who, uncomplain- ingly, does his whole duty as he sees it; but beyond his labors there is a sphere of activity wherein the workers are few and the products produced are most rare-that of genius. Through the medium of this subtle, sublime, elusive thing, possessed of certain favored ones, all the great treasures of art, litera- ture, music and science have been given to the world. Those who know him best do not hesitate to pronounce Daniel W. Whitcomb. one of Jasper county's best known citizens, as a genius of high order, although it is doubtful if many who know him appreciate this fact to the fullest extent. In his little studio in Newton he is producing photographic art studies which are more than mere every-day likenesses as turned out in a never-ceasing stream from most pho- tograph galleries ; they are works of art, while his samples of burnt wood etching, his painting in oil, pastel, water color, crayon and other mediums are of the finest.
Mr. Whitcomb was born in this county on February 22, 1858, and he is the son of W. A. and Anna (Childs) Whitcomb, both natives of New York state. The father was a skilled mechanic and his services were always in great demand ; he even made violins which were marvels of perfection. Back in his native state he was a miller, and later engaged in the mercantile business. He was a comparatively young man when he came to Indiana and settled near Vincennes, where he continued the mercantile business until 1856, when he came by wagon to Jasper county, Iowa, and located in Rushville, trading his stock of goods for forty acres of land, to which he later added forty acres more, and he followed farming the rest of his life. There his death occurred,
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at the age of sixty-eight years, and his wife was aged sixty-four when she was summoned to the silent land. The old homestead is still in the hands of the family. The father, as has already been intimated, was a man of splendid natural ability in many ways. He was ardently interested in church work and in the upbuilding of his locality, and he was an advocate of all that was best in life, being highly honored by all who knew him. His wife was a noble woman, whose innate gentleness of character shed the most loving and benign influence upon her home and friends. Their family consisted of eleven chil- married Joseph Braley and her death occurred in Kellogg about 1887; Am- anda, who remained unmarried, died there when twenty-two years of age; William A. died in Rochester, Washington, in 1899; J. T. died in Oregon about 1907; those living are Lodency, wife of Dr. W. H. Green, of North Yakima, Washington; Stephen .A. lives in Colorado; C. E. lives near Prairie City, this county ; Eva lives in Des Moines; Daniel W., of this review.
In August, 1877, Mr. Whitcomb entered as apprentice with Charles A. Clifford, of Newton, learning the old fashioned "wet-plate" process of photog- raphy, and he was with him about a year, after which he went to Des Moines, where he remained two years. Then he traveled extensively, teaching the "dry-plate" process of photography, and, following this, he again worked with Clifford and others in different places.
On October 25, 1882, Mr. Whitcomb was united in marriage with Orlina LaBar, a native of Pennsylvania and the daughter of Jesse and Sarah (Snyder ) LaBar, the father a native of France and the mother of New York. The father died when Mrs. Whitcomb was a baby, so she has no recollection of him whatever. Her mother and the rest of the family came to Iowa in an early day and settled in Monroe about 1867.
To Mr. and Mrs. Whitcomb have been born four children, all living, namely : Leon A., born March 19, 1884, in Monroe, and who has been crippled from infancy, began selling the Saturday Blade when a child, the cir- culation of which he soon increased from thirty-four to one hundred and sixty ; selling this out, he began peddling extracts, toilet articles and other things, and by untiring industry succeeded in getting together enough money to purchase an expensive and modern pop-corn and peanut wagon, which, with its genial and hustling little owner installed within it, is a familiar object upon the streets of Newton, and he is making a decided success of the business. The other children are, Mabel, who married Thomas A. Cure, lives in New- ton ; Lloyd is at home. He has been in the employ of the One Minute Manu- facturing Company for five years and is a young man of good habits and splendid promise in business affairs. Crippled like his brother from boyhood,
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he has not permitted seemingly untoward circumstances to thwart him in his career. An operation on his limb recently made him almost normal physi- cally. Florence Edna Whitcomb is with her parents, and is a recent graduate of the Newton high school.
After his marriage, Mr. Whitcomb opened a gallery at Monroe and in 1886 he went to Kellogg, later coming to Newton, where he has lived practi- cally ever since, although he has traveled alone and with his family in many states, principally those of the Middle West. During his travels he has taught painting in different mediums, as well as photography. He gave up his pro- fession in the spring of 1880 and went to Cheyenne, Wyoming, where, among other things, he worked on a newspaper. At another time he accepted a con- tract to finish the Atlas Distillery stock barns. This contract he completed and made some money in the work. He has occupied his present location twelve years and has built up a large and constantly growing business, many of his patrons coming from remote sections of this and adjoining counties, for his reputation has traveled over a wide territory. He makes every kind of picture known to the photographic art and his work in all branches is superb. He also makes enlarged portraits in water color, crayon and pastel. His gallery is one of the best equipped in the state, being fitted to make all kinds of cuts, half-tones, chalk plates, zinc etchings, etc.
Mr. Whitcomb in his fraternal relations belongs to the Kellogg Lodge, Knights of Pythias, the Modern Woodmen and the Yeomen, of Newton. He is a man of genial and interesting personality, and his wife is admired by a wide circle of acquaintances.
GEORGE W. SIMPSON.
George W. Simpson is a name known to every one who has any acquaint- ance whatever with the business history of Newton and Jasper county, for he has long filled an active place in the industrial affairs of this locality, and as an enterprising, far-sighted and energetic man whose judgment is seldom at fault. His influence has made for the substantial upbuilding of the commun- ity and he has earned the good will and esteem of a wide circle of friends.
Mr. Simpson was born November 7, 1859, at Westfield, Poweshiek county, Iowa, and he is the son of John and Elizabeth ( Patrick) Simpson, natives of Ohio, the father of Scotch descent and the mother of Irish. The elder Simpson began life as a farmer, but after coming to Iowa he preached as an ordained minister in the United Brethren church. While living near
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Kellogg he had three charges, one of which was forty miles west of Des Moines. Every two weeks he drove eighty miles to preach and back again after the services. For this service he was paid sixty dollars a year. This one instance casts a strong side light upon the inherent strength and beauty of the father's character and readily reveals why he was one of the best beloved men in the county. All his life was spent in good works.
The family came to Iowa in 1854, first settling near Dubuque and about a year later came on to Westfield. For years the father conducted a tavern on the old stage road between Iowa City and Des Moines, and he ran a general store in connection with the same. He also bought and shipped cattle and hogs extensively, often driving droves of hogs as far as Iowa City to market. which place was at that time the western terminus of the Rock Island system. After selling the tavern, he bought a farm three and one half miles southeast of Kellogg, and there he made his home until 1873, when he retired from farm- ing and he and his son W. S. started a general store in Kellogg, which they sold after conducting it until 1876, whereupon the father retired. His death occurred in Kellogg in 1906, at the advanced age of eighty-six years; the mother is still living in that town, being now eighty-seven years old. John Simpson was a local politician of more than ordinary influence and he was for years mayor of Kellogg, the last time when past eighty years, making one of the best officials the town ever had. He was a loyal Republican and served his township in many capacities, always in a manner that reflected much credit upon himself and to the entire satisfaction of all concerned.
Eight children were born to John Simpson and wife, of whom six are living, namely: Thomas J. died in California, at the age of fifty-six years; Wallace W. died in Kellogg, at the age of twenty-two years; W. S. is an eye and ear specialist in Des Moines; A. J. owns and operates the home place of two hundred and forty acres; T. L. resides in Kellogg, owning the only hotel there. and also has two farms; Sarah E. is the wife of James Bennett and lives in Kellogg : George W. of this review : L. E. is a retired farmer and resides in Kellogg.
George W. Simpson began railroading in 1876 as water boy on the con- struction of the Rock Island. Two years later he began working with the steam shovel gang in Missouri. Then in the fall of 1879 he began braking on the Rock Island road, in Missouri, remaining two and one-half years. From that state he went to Ogden, Utah, then the western terminus of the Union Pacific road, with his headquarters at Evanston, Wyoming. After about a year he was transferred to Idaho and given a train. This he con- ducted but a short time, when he was placed in the yards at Pocatello, Idaho,
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as yard master. All told, he worked twenty-three months for the Union Pacific. He then went to San Francisco and other points on the Pacific coast, then returned east, and began braking out of Trenton, Missouri, continuing at this a year and a half, after which he ran a train several years, being a con- ductor both on a freight and a passenger. He was in many wrecks and saw much hard service, a great deal of it under the old-fashioned style of apparatus, before the days of safety devices and modern improvements. In making an old-fashioned coupling he was injured, losing a part of his hand. He was in a bad wreck in January before quitting the railroad business in February. At one time he worked for the Wabash railroad three months, but most of his long service was with the Rock Island and Union Pacific. He became widely known in railroad circles and was regarded as a faithful, honest and capable employe.
Mr. Simpson was formerly a member of the Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen and was its first delegate ever sent to the grand lodge at San An- tonio, Texas. Later, however, he dropped it for the Order of Railway Con- ductors, of which he is now a dimitted member.
After he quit railroading Mr. Simpson purchased an eighty-acre farm near Kellogg, on which he spent nine years, then sold out and bought one hun- dred and fifty acres in Kellogg township which he farmed three years ; selling this, he purchased one hundred and forty-three acres in Newton township. After living here three years he sold it for one hundred sixty-two dollars and fifty cents per acre, then purchased the one-fourth city block in the heart of the business district of Newton where he has a feed store and hitch yard, which is doing a large business. Besides this property, he owns a splendid modern residence in Newton and valuable farming interests in Dickerson county.
On March 31, 1887, Mr. Simpson was united in marriage with Mattie E. Stringer, of Missouri, and the daughter of James Stringer and wife, both now deceased ; they were farmers and highly respected in their neighborhood in Missouri.
To Mr. and Mrs. Simpson five children have been born, all of whom are living, namely : Earl E., born February 26, 1888, is a mail carrier in Newton ; Harry V., born December 6, 1889, lives in De Soto, Iowa ; Guy, born August 24, 1896: Ruth, born April 26, 1902: Gerald, born February 5, 1905, the last three named being at home.
Mr. and Mrs. Simpson are members of the Methodist church, and active and sincere workers therein.
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Mr. Simpson is at present third vice-president of the Methodist Brother- hood. He has in the past been a trustee in the church and was assistant super- intendent of the Sunday school two years and teacher of the men's class one years. While in the country he was superintendent of the Sunday school three years. He is a member of Central Lodge No. 73. Independent Order of Odd Fellows, at Newton, being its present treasurer. In January, 1903, he joined as a charter member the Knights of Pythias lodge at Trenton, Missouri, later transferring his membership to Lodge No. 76 at Kellogg, lowa, in which he has passed all the chairs except those of outer guard and prelate. At this time he is a member of the Newton lodge, which he has represented in the grand lodge several times. He was a delegate from the Kellogg lodge to the grand lodge at Council Bluffs. Both he and his wife are members of the Rebekahs, and Mr. Simpson is a member of the Modern Brotherhood of America, of which he is secretary. Mr. Simpson has served on the school board of Buena Vista township for three years and as road supervisor for two years. He also served two years as clerk of Newton township. He is regarded as one of Jasper county's useful and representative men.
WILLIAM ENSIGN HILL.
As long as history endures will the American nation acknowledge its in- debtedness to the heroes who, between 1861 and 1865, fought for the preser- vation of the Union and the honor of that starry banner which has never been trailed in the dust of defeat in a single polemic struggle in which the country has been involved. Among those whose military records as valiant soldiers of the war of the Rebellion reflect lasting honor upon them and their descendants is William Ensign Hill, well known citizen of Jasper county, where he has long maintained his home and won an honored name by virtue of his consistency to truth, honesty and right living. Therefore he is eminently qualified for a place in the present volume.
Mr. Hill was born in Lyons county, New York, September 15. 1843, and he is the son of Joshua and Eliza (Teller) Hill. His father was a carpenter and died when the subject was nine years old, consequently the latter knows but little of his father. After his death, the mother continued to reside in Knox county, Illinois, whither the family had moved when the son William E. was five years old. Later they moved to Henry county, Illinois, where the mother remarried, her second husband being John Ladu. They subsequently moved to Jasper county, Iowa, and located near Newton.
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William E. Hill is one of a family of eight children, of whom but four are now living ; two died in infancy ; Aaron is conducting a hotel in St. Joseph, Missouri ; Mrs. Mary Smith lives in Albany, Oregon ; Mrs. Richard Barnes is deceased ; William E., of this sketch, is next in order of birth; Sarah Andrews, who later became Mrs. Burris, is deceased: Charles Hill is living retired in Newton.
Upon the death of his father, William E. Hill began helping his mother support the family, and he remained at home until he was twenty-one years of age. On May 14, 1864, not being able to longer suppress his patriotism, he enlisted in Company B. One Hundred and Thirty-eighth Illinois Volunteer In- fantry, under Capt. L. B. Hunt, and was sent to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, on garrison duty. Later he was among the troops sent down the river after General Price. Returning to Fort Leavenworth he was mustered out and dis- charged from the service on October 15, 1864, when his term of enlistment had expired. Seven weeks before his discharge he fell ill with fever which had been brought on as the result of exposure, and although he had been fairly robust, he weighed but ninety-five pounds when he reached home. For three months after he returned to his fireside he could not work, but when spring came on he went to the fields as a farm hand. In the following autumn, he and his brother Aaron, who had also been a soldier, serving three years in the Federal army, purchased a threshing outfit, which they operated all over the county. After selling the machine they each rented farms and began farm- ing. As renter and then owner. the subject continued farming successfully until fourteen years ago, when he retired and came to Newton, where he owns a splendid home and valuable town property, and his farm in Malaka township is one of the best.
On December 8. 1867, Mr. Hill was united in marriage with Rebecca Emmert, daughter of Philip Emmert, a native of Pennsylvania. To this union two children were born, one of whom, Floreno Adelpha, died when seven months old: Philip S., born May 11, 1869, is living on a farm in Malaka township, this county. The wife and mother passed to her rest on October 28, 1880, at Morristown, Illinois. Subsequently, on October 13. 1881, Mr. Hill was united in marriage with Phebe A. Anderson, of Orion. Henry county, Illinois. She was the daughter of Thomas Anderson, of Pennsylvania. Her parents were farmers and are now both deceased. Mrs. Hill is one of a family of three children, all daughters, two of whom are liv- ing: Margaret, who married Richard O. Richardson, resides in Newton : Addie Elizabeth, who married John Robbins, is deceased.
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Thomas Anderson, mentioned in the preceding paragraph, and Aaron Hill, brother of the subject of this sketch, were together when they enlisted for service in the Union army at Peoria, Illinois, September 20, 1862, in the One Hundred and Twelfth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and they had a rather remarkable record, seeing much hard and dangerous service, and were in the following engagements: Monticello, Kentucky; Blue Springs, Philadelphia, Campbell's Station, Knoxville, all in Tennessee; Fort Sanders, Mossy Creek, Strawberry Plains, Dandridge, Rocky Face Ridge, Resaca, Carrsville, Dallas, Kenesaw Mountain, Chattahoochie river, siege of Atlanta. Decatur, Stony creek, Lovejoy Station, Duck river, Spring Hill, Franklin, Nashville, Port Anderson, Town creek, Wilmington, Kingston and Goldsborough and others, making forty-one engagements. They were discharged June 20, 1865.
Although reared a Democrat, Mr. Hill is at present a supporter of the Republican ticket. He has always been a public-spirited man and willing to do his part in all public matters. He served seven years in succession as super- visor of roads in Malaka township, this county. He and his wife are both members of the Methodist Episcopal church of Newton, and he belongs to Garrett Post No. 16, Grand Army of the Republic, and Mrs. Hill is a member of the Woman's Relief Corps and has served as junior vice-president and has also been color-bearer of the post.
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