USA > Iowa > Jasper County > Past and present of Jasper County, Iowa, Vol. I > Part 61
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David Boyd was captured by the Indians and lived three years with them. Upon his return to his friends he joined the patriot army in the Revolutionary war, throughout which he served.
Mr. Gilson is a pleasant man to meet, hospitable, kind-hearted and pos- sessing every characteristic of a Christian gentleman and he makes friends easily and has no trouble in retaining them.
OLIVER PERRY MYERS.
The following is a brief sketch of one who, by close attention to business, has achieved marked success in the world's affairs and risen to an honorable position among the enterprising professional men of Jasper county with which his interests have long been identified.
Oliver Perry Myers, well known attorney of Newton, was born in Washington county, Iowa, July 30, 1856. The Myers family comes of German stock. The parents were John and Mary (Ward) Myers, the father having been born in Indiana and he devoted his life to agricultural pursuits. He came to Iowa in 1856, locating in Washington county, where he lived until 1880, then moved to Neosho, Missouri, where he continued to reside
OP. Myers,
JPUBLIC LIBRARY
AUTOM LENOX TLEEN FOUNDAT BUS
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until his death, in 1895, at the age of seventy-seven years. He was successful as a business man and prominent in public life, taking an abiding interest in the affairs of his community at all times. He was the Democratic nominee for the Legislature from Washington county at one time, but declined the nom- ination. His wife was a native of Indiana, her parents coming from New Jersey. Her death occurred in 1866 when comparatively young in years. Grandfather Myers was a native of Virginia. Being an anti-slavery man, he never owned a slave.
Ten children were born to Mr. and Mrs. John Myers, three of whom are living, namely : Joseph W., of Brighton, Iowa; Mrs. Rebecca J. Armstrong, also of Brighton, this state; and Oliver P., of this review. The father, John Myers, married again later in life.
Oliver P. Myers was born on the home farm in a log cabin, and there he grew to maturity, knowing the meaning of hard work in developing a farm from the wild prairie. He received his primary education in the country schools there, going directly from the rural schools into the sub- freshman class at the State University, at Iowa City, and, making a splendid record for scholarship there, he was graduated from that institution in 1880. He taught school, worked on the farm and read law at Iowa City, beginning the study of law in earnest in 1882, and he was admitted to the bar in 1883 at Newton, Jasper county, having come to Newton a short time before. He formed a law partnership with A. M. Harrah on January 1, 1884, which con- tinued until 1891, in which year Mr. Myers went to South Dakota, where he lived until January 10, 1889, making his home at Huron. He taught school, becoming one of the leading educators of that part of the state, and. he was county superintendent of schools for a period of four years, the law in that state permitting only four successive years. He returned to Newton, Iowa, in 1889 and re-formed a partnership with Mr. Harrah, which con- tinued with their former success until 1905, when Mr. Harrah went to California, since when Mr. Myers has been alone. He has built up a large and lucrative clientele, which has continued to grow from year to year until he ranks today among the leading legal lights of central Iowa, being regarded as a learned, painstaking, cautious and vigilant advocate, and a logical and earnest pleader at the bar, so that he has for years figured prominently in im- portant litigations in the local courts. Long prominent in public affairs, he was nominated for district judge for the sixth judicial district, but was defeated, though carrying his home county for one judgeship. He keeps fully abreast of the times in all matters pertaining to his profession and to public affairs, is widely read and an untiring worker in his professional duties.
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Mr. Myers was married on May 1, 1897, to Leah McFarlane, a lady of talent and many estimable traits, and the daughter of Samuel M. and Ellen (Stewart) McFarlane. She was born in Michigan, and her parents were both born in Great Britain, the mother in London and the father in Ireland. They emigrated to America when young, first locating in Michigan, then moved to South Dakota, where Mr. and Mrs. Myers were married. This union has been blessed by the birth of three children, Kenneth, Ruth and Dorothy.
Mr. Myers is regarded by those who know him best as an honest man of the highest type, honest in every relation of life,-his daily routine of business, in social relations, in public affairs,-and it is safe to say that no citizen stands higher in the esteem of the people of Jasper county.
ANDREW H. HOWARD.
To attain a worthy citizenship by a life that is always honored and re- spected, even from childhood. deserves more than mere mention. It is no easy task to resist the many temptations of youth and early manhood and plant a character in the minds and hearts of associates that will remain an unstained figure for all time. One may take his place in public life through some vigor- ous stroke of public policy, and ever remain in the hearts of friends and neigh- bors, but to assume a position of honor in the community by dint of the prac- tice of an upright life and without a craving for exaltation merely for selfish ·ends, whose chief desires seem to be to serve others and lead a life of useful- ness and honor, is worthy of the highest praise and commendation. Such a man is Andrew H. Howard, of Newton, Jasper county, who, after a long and active career, is living in retirement.
Mr. Howard was born in Herkimer county, New York, July 24, 1843, the son of Chauncey and Ann ( Rood) Howard, both natives of New York. The father was a machinist and he spent his early life in the East, coming to Iowa in 1856. locating in Jasper county in March of that year, first at Monroe, where he lived until the fall of 1863. then moved to Newton, having been elected sheriff of Jasper county, and he took office January 1. 1864. He was also deputy United States marshal at that time. After the war he was ap- pointed deputy revenue assessor, and four years later the office of assessor was abolished and he was made revenue collector for this district, which he held for a period of eighteen years. He declined the nomination for sheriff in 1865, claiming that the office should be given to a soldier, which was then done. Mr. Howard made Newton his home until his death, on July 16, 1882. He
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was one of the organizers, supporters and active workers of the Universalist church here. He was twice elected mayor of Newton and also justice of the peace. Politically, he was a Republican ; he was an influential and highly re- spected man, taking an active part in the early development of the locality. His wife survived until February 28. 1904. They were the parents of five children, three of whom are living, namely : May has remained single ; Mrs. Alice Carl, of Newton ; and Andrew H., of this review.
The subject was thirteen years of age when his parents came to Jasper county ; he received a meager schooling in the rural schools of the early days here, and on his eighteenth birthday he proved his patriotism and courage by enlisting, on July 24, 1862, in Company F, Eighteenth Iowa Infantry, in which he served with distinction for three years and one month, or until the close of the war. He participated in the Red River campaign, and was in the Western Army, his regiment having been rendezvoused at Clinton, Iowa, and mustered into service August 6, 1862, leaving Clinton by boat on the 11th of that month, landding at St. Louis on the 13th. They went into camp at Benton Barracks where they were drilled until August 27th, when they were sent to Sedalia, Missouri, thence across the country to Springfield, where they arrived on September 13th, and on the 18th were assigned to the First Brigade, of the Second Division of the Army of the Frontier, under command of General Schofield, with "little" Phil Sheridan as quartermaster of the army. The regiment took part in the battle of Newtonia, Missouri, on September 27th, and Fayetteville, Arkansas, on October 27th. From there they came back to Missouri, making a march of over seven hundred miles in seventy-five days, and they went into camp at Springfield for the winter. On January 8, 1863, the Confederate General Marmaduke attacked Springfield, which was defended by the Eighteenth Iowa Infantry, and the fight lasted from ten o'clock in the morning until eight at night, the Iowa troops suffering heavily. On October 17, 1863. the regiment left Springfield in pursuit of the Confederates under General Joe Shelby, with whom they had numerous skirmishes, finally driving him across to Arkansas, and the regiment went into winter quarters at Fort Smith, remaining there until March 22, 1864, when, with three divisions of the Seventh Army Corps, it marched to Camden, that state, all under com- mand of General Thayer. During this raid the regiment took part in the battle of Prairie d'Ann on April 12th, Macon the following day. Poison Springs on April 18th, Jenkins Ferry at Saline river. April 30th. In the battle of Poison Springs the regiment lost eighty-one killed, wounded and missing. Mr. Howard was mustered out on August 5, 1867, at Davenport. Iowa. The regiment of which he was a member marched in all four thousand one hundred and sixty miles. There were only four hundred men and eight
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officers who remained with the regiment at the date of mustering out, the total loss by death and discharge having been five hundred and fifteen. Mr. How- ard has been twice president of the Regiment Association of the Eighteenth Iowa.
After the war he returned to Newton and worked at the carpenter's trade for a year, then entered the cabinet shop of McCord & Van Glason, an old firm, with which he remained fourteen years, then entered the furniture business for himself at Malcom, Iowa, in which he remained two and one-half years, then returned to Newton and soon afterwards went on the road as traveling salesman, which he followed successfully for a period of twenty-five years, handling furniture five years and undertaker's goods the remainder of the time. In 1900 he and his son put up a laundry plant here, known as the Newton Steam Laundry, which they operated for ten years, employing about fifteen people. In 1908 Mr. Howard turned the business of the plant over to his son, exchanged residences with him and retired.
On September 12, 1866, Mr. Howard was married to Adelaide Town- send, a native of New Jersey, and the daughter of James and Esther Town- send, both natives of New Jersey. This union resulted in the birth of the fol- lowing children : Frances, wife of Murray Galusha, of Memphis, Tennessee, he being manager of the Western Newspaper Union there; they have three children, Howard, George D. and Robert. Charles E. Howard, pro- prietor of the Newton Steam Laundry, married Catherine Saun, daughter of George Saun, formerly an old citizen of Newton, now living in Des Moines ; they have three children, Chauncy B., George P. and Karl E. Grace Howard, now deceased. married Dr. B. A. Miller, of Newton, her death having occurred at Vermillion, South Dakota ; Della is the wife of Roy B. Fisk, deputy city clerk of Newton.
Politically, Mr. Howard is a Republican; he belongs to the Grand Army of the Republic and he is a Mason, having attained the Knight Templar degree.
JOSEPH DEBOLT.
A name known to every one who has the slightest acquaintance with the business history of Newton and Jasper county is Joseph DeBolt, for he has for some time filled a large place in the industrial affairs of this locality, and as an energetic, enterprising and far-sighted man whose influence makes for the upbuilding of the community he has earned a reputation second to none of his
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contemporaries. He possesses a broad, inquiring mind and is keenly alive to everything that tends to improve material conditions and benefit those upon whose shoulders falls the burden of making possible the phenomenal progress resulting from the development and success of the industrial evolution in the contemporaries. He possesses a broad, inquiring mind and is keenly alive to approachable, he has a strong and vigorous personality and in the best sense of the term is a leader of men and well fitted to manage large and important enterprises.
Mr. DeBolt was born on January 13, 1859, in Woodford county, Illinois, the son of Benjamin and Sarah (Bair) DeBolt, both natives of Pennsylvania, where they grew up, were educated and married and began life on a farm, not long afterwards, however, moving to Illinois, locating in Vermilion county and continued farming, the family coming on to Iowa when the son Joseph, of this review, was fourteen years old, and located near Perry. Six years later they went back to Illinois, first to Knox county, but four years later returned to Vermilion county. Here Mr. DeBolt farmed until 1905, when, having accumulated a competency through many years of consecutive toil, he retired. His death occurred in 1908, at the age of seventy-two years. He was the son of Jacob DeBolt, who also spent his life on a farm. Benjamin DeBolt was twice married, his first wife dying when Joseph, of this review, was eight years of age. He was the oldest of a family of six children, the others being Clara, wife of Frank Morton, a farmer in Illinois; Esther, now deceased, married William Snart, a tailor at Sterling, Illinois; Edward is living at Galesburg, Illinois ; two children died in infancy. Benjamin DeBolt's second marriage resulted in the birth of five children, namely: Frank and Clark are living at Newton; Harold, Tina and Isabella, all of East Lynn, Illinois.
Joseph DeBolt obtained his education in the district schools of Wood- ford county, Illinois. When nineteen years of age he began working in a brickyard. In the fall of 1898 he came to Jasper county, Iowa, and located on a farm in Newton township and he farmed successfully until the fall of 1910, when he moved to Newton and formed The Western Stock Remedy Company, a stock company making and handling remedies for live stock. He is president of the company and every member of his family owns stock in the company. Mr. DeBolt travels extensively in the interest of the concern, which has achieved a wide popularity, its products meeting with a ready sale wherever . their merits are known. They are well equipped in every way for the manu- facture of various kinds of what has been proven to be superior grades of stock remedies. The prestige and success of the company has been due to the able management and judicious counsel of Mr. DeBolt.
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On October 20, 1880, Mr. DeBolt was united in marriage with Ida Bur- ton, who was born in Knox county, Illinois, on June 22, 1859. She was the daughter of Harvey and Rachael (Carpenter) Burton, both natives of Ohio. Her mother died when she was five years of age, and her father subsequently remarried. By the first marriage there are living but two children, Oscar, now a Nebraska farmer, and Ida, wife of Mr. DeBolt. The children of the second marriage now living are : John; Nettie, wife of George Bandy, lives in Wash- ington. Mrs. DeBolt's father was a carpenter by trade; his death occurred in 1898 at the age of seventy-six years.
To Mr. and Mrs. DeBolt six children have been born, namely: Marion, who married Edna A. Gibford, lives in Newton and is manager of the home office of the Western Remedy Company, of which he is a large stockholder. Earl DeBolt, who also owns considerable stock in this concern, is employed in the home office of the same; he is unmarried and is still with his parents. Flossie DeBolt married Walter Austin, and is now deceased, leaving a child, Dorothea V. Lester, Glen and Clara are at home, the last named child having been given a good musical education.
Mr. DeBolt is a member of the Modern Woodmen in Newton ; he also belongs to the Iowa State Traveling Men's Association. In politics he is a Democrat, but is not a radical partisan, though he is interested in whatever tends to promote the general good in his county whether politically, morally or materially. He and his wife are consistent members of the Methodist Epis- copal church.
Mr. DeBolt is a man of sound judgment and sterling character, a man whose word is as good if not better than the bond of most people.
ALBERT LUFKIN.
A notable example of the successful self-made man was the late Albert Lufkin, and as such he made his influence felt among the people of Jasper county, where he cast his lot in pioneer days and labored for his own advance- ment and that of the locality as well, thereby earning the right to be classed among the leading citizens of his day in the community honored by his citi- zenship. His life was a long and interesting one, fraught with much work and much good; indeed, it is doubtful if any man of a past generation was so in- timately intermingled with the history of the city of Newton and Jasper county as was Mr. Lufkin, and his career may well be studied with profit by
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the youth standing at the parting of the ways whose career is yet a matter for future years to determine, for it was not only successful from a material view- point, but it was wholesome in every avenue, exemplary in every relation and a model worthy of emulation by all who would be counted among those who win in the battle which we commonly call life and leave behind us the greatest of all heritages, an honored name.
Mr. Lufkin was born on a farm situated on Casco Bay, Maine, about twenty miles from Portland, at the town of Freeport, on January 7, 1831: He was the son of Benjamin and Eliza (Pote) Lufkin, both of English extraction and both natives of Freeport, Maine. His parents and all four of his grand- parents are buried in the cemetery at that place. The farm on which the sub- ject was born was partly cleared for the purpose of using the wood in boiling down sea water in making salt, and in his boyhood he plowed up fragments of the old salt kettles, interesting relics of a pioneer industry. His early educa- tion was obtained in the public schools. In addition to the common branches taught, he began the study of algebra and while yet at home he took up the study of geometry and trigonometry without a teacher, using an old work on navigation, published in 1758. He learned the use of logarithms and com- menced the study of navigation from this book. He finished his course in Bowditch's Navigation unaided, after which he entered the North Yarmouth Academy, which he attended several terms. He followed teaching for several years, after leaving school, specializing on mathematics, which branch he taught one term in Yarmouth Institute. He then attended a school of engi- neering at Providence, Rhode Island, under Prof. William A. Norton. The latter being called to Yale, the subject, with most of his class, followed and entered the school of engineering at Yale University, taking a course of scien- tific engineering and chemistry. Leaving New Haven, Mr. Lufkin went to work for H. T. Walling at map making. In 1853 he took a position with the Pennsylvania railroad as topographer. After making the surveys on the north branch of the Susquehanna river, he went to Philadelphia and spent the winter drafting for this road and while there he attended sixty lectures, having joined the Franklin Institute and the Pennsylvania Historical Society.
In the spring of 1855 Mr. Lufkin came west and located in Jasper county, Iowa, purchasing a farm in what is now Richland township, for himself and his brother William, who came out in the fall of that year.
On October 9, 1855, Mr. Lufkin was married to Catherine Griffin, of Freeport, Maine. In the spring of 1858 he was elected county superintendent of schools and moved to Newton in August of that year. During his term of office he succeeded in having built many better school buildings. He held the
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office two terms and made many friends among the people, teachers and pupils. He then began the first set of abstracts of titles in Jasper county. In 1869, in company with Gen. James Wilson, he established the Jasper County Bank, in which Mr. Lufkin was interested for over ten years. While yet in the bank he bought an interest in the foundry and machine shop of James Edgar & Company and with J. H. Lyday and James Dutot continued the business under the name of the Newton Machine Works. Later he became sole proprietor. While he was in the machine shop, Rev. D. H. Rogan came to him with sewing machine plans, and in a room of Mr. Lufkin's stable was built the first sewing machine ever manufactured west of the Mississippi and the first ever run with a thread for a belt. This was later sold to the Singer Sewing Machine Company.
The death of Mr. Lufkin occurred in 1907, and that of his wife in 1880. Their family consisted of one daughter and two sons. namely : Mary, Arthur K. and Herman, all of whom are married, and the sons are successful business men and influential in their communities.
In 1881 Mr. Lufkin married Fannie E. Derbyshire, and one child was born to this union, which died in infancy.
Mr. Lufkin traveled extensively in this country, having visited all the states but four, and Canada repeatedly, also old Mexico.
Mr. Lufkin was for over twenty years a member of the American Asso- ciation for the Advancement of Science. He was one of the leading men of his day and generation and to him Jasper county owes much and here his memory will long be cherished.
JOSEPH L. BUTLER.
The name of Joseph L. Butler is a well known one in Jasper county, and he is a worthy representative of one of the old and honored families of this and Marshall county, members of which have played well their parts in the general progress of this locality, hence are deserving of proper mention in this work.
Mr. Butler is a Buckeye by birth, having been born in Union county, Ohio, August 28, 1855. When but six weeks old his parents emigrated to Iowa, locating in Malaka township, Jasper county, and with the exception of two years he has been a continuous resident of the county, having lived through its several epochs of progress from the days of the first settler and
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the wild prairie sod to the present opulent state. He assisted his father in developing the home farm and attended the public schools during the winter months. For years he was one of Jasper county's successful farmers, in fact, farming has been his chief life work, but on January 1, 1910, he purchased the Rhodes telephone system and on March Ist of the same year he moved to Rhodes, where he now resides in a modern and neatly kept and well furnished home. He is making a success of his present work and is rapidly improving and extending the system. For twelve years he was a photographer and his fine work in this line attracted widespread attention. He seems to possess those qualities that make for success in every walk of life.
Adams Butler, father of the subject, was born in Carroll county, Ohio, on April 6, 1830, and his death occurred on March 14, 1904. He married Mary M. Beard, who was born in Union county, Ohio, on July 28, 1853, and who died on December 7, 1907. They became the parents of eight children, an equal number of sons and daughters, namely : J. W., born March 17, 1854, married Henrietta Wilsterman, February 19, 1902, and lives near Newton, Iowa; Joseph L., of this review, born August 28, 1855; D. W., born August 9, 1858, married Myrtle Higgins, June 4, 1891, and lives in Newton; J. F. married Alice M. Deihl, August 4, 1885, and lives at Newton; he was born on July 11, 1860; Mrs. Rosetta E. Martin, born December 14, 1861, lives in Mahaska county, and married J. W. Martin July 6, 1880; Louisa M., who married A. T. Heaverlo, was born April 11, 1863, and lives in Spencer, Iowa ; Mrs. Hattie B. Kline, born April 21, 1865, is residing now in Spencer, Iowa; Mrs. Amanda O. Heaverlo, born May 27, 1867, lives in Mahaska county. The two oldest children were born in Ohio, the others in Jasper county.
Joseph L. Butler was married on July 7, 1887, to Emma F. Mckinney, who was born in Adams county, Illinois, June 1, 1859. When seven years of age she came with her parents to Iowa, the family locating in Wapello county. Her father, Greenbury Mckinney, was born in Adams county, Illinois, July 29, 1829, and died at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Butler, at Baxter, Iowa, Sep- tember 21, 1909. The maiden name of Mrs. Butler's mother was Mahala E. Abbott, who was born in Rushville, Schuyler county, Illinois, April 13. 1838, and her death occurred on February 7, 1905. The wife of the subject was the oldest child in a family of five children; the others are: John W. Mckinney now lives in Alaska; Thomas Jefferson lives in Buxton, Iowa; Robert W. lives in Indian Territory : Mary Agnes died when four years old. The mother of these children spent her last days at Eddyville, Wapello county, Iowa, where this family settled in 1866.
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