USA > Iowa > O'Brien County > Past and present of O'Brien and Osceola counties, Iowa, Vol. II > Part 25
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Mr. Silverthorn was married, in Ohio, nearly seventy years ago to Re- becca .A. Willis, who was born September 10, 1826. in New York state, and her death occurred October 30, 1899. To this marriage, which occurred in 1845. have been born eight children: Milo G., who is a resident of Leaven- worth, Kansas: Mrs. Fannie M. Doscher, deceased: Mrs. Flora Kingman. who lives in Des Moines, Iowa: Frank E., who is in California; Cora C., deceased : Dwight, deceased ; Mollie, who is now keeping house for her father in Hartley: John H .. manager of a cream station in Hartley.
Mr. Silverthorn was voting many years before the Republican party was born, in 1856. In fact, he has the distinction of being old enough to vote for the second Whig candidate for President in 1845. He has never been an aspirant for public office, although he has been justice of the peace for many years and was the first marshal of the city of Hartley. Religious- ly, he is an earnest attendant of the Methodist Episcopal church and tries to live a life consistent with its teachings.
Such in brief outline is the life history of one of the oldest and most respected citizens of O'Brien county. Few men reach the patriarchal age of ninety years, and the very fact that a man lives to such an age is an indica- tion that he has lived a clean and wholesome life. Mr. Silverthorn is still hale and hearty and able to enjoy life and in his declining years has the satisfaction of looking back over a long career which has not all been for self, but lias been devoted to the advancement of civilization in his community and the upbuilding of those interests which widely affected his fellow mer.
JOSEPH O. SHELDON.
Any profession, if honorable, has its place in human existence, consti- tuting a part of a plan whereby life's methods are pursued and man reaches his ultimate destiny. It is not within the province of man to say that one occupation is more important than another, nor is it possible to do more than say that a profession is important so far as it is useful to the com- munity. So dependent is man at the present time upon his fellow man that the work of each individual is largely reckoned by what he has done for humanity. There are more than one thousand different professions recog- nized by the United States government, in the last census, and yet the occu- pation of the farmer is really the one on which all others must depend.
Joseph O. Sheldon, the son of Irian and Katherine (Ellis) Sheldon,
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was born in Clinton county, Iowa, in 1870. His father was a native of New York state, his birth having occurred there in 1843, and who came to Clinton county, this state, and engaged in farming. Shortly after coming to this county his death occurred and his widow was remarried, in 1875, to Nathan Hayes. To the first marriage were born nine children : Emma, deceased; Samuel, deceased; William, who lives in the state of Washington ; Frank, a resident of Liberty township, this county; Mrs. Della Carr, also a resident of this county; Nelson, who is a manager of a feed store in Missouri; James, a farmer living in Nebraska, and Joseph, who forms the theme of this narrative. To his mother's second marriage was born one daughter. Mrs. Lulu Banister, who is now living in O'Brien county.
Joseph Sheldon received his education in the schools of his native county and remained under the parental roof until he was nineteen years of age, and then began to work out by the day at farm labor, after which he secured employment in a brick yard. After a short time he rented a farm from his stepfather, where he lived for eight years, at the expiration of which time he and his brother, James, purchased two hundred and forty acres of land in Cherokee county, this state, where he farmed until 1900, when he sold his interest in this tract and bought one hundred and sixty acres of land in O'Brien county. Since securing this farm he has made extensive improve- ments on the place, expending more than five thousand dollars on it in the way of buildings, fences, drainage, etc., until it is now rated as one of the most productive and valuable farms in the county. Besides general farming he is also engaged extensively in stock raising, making a specialty of the breeding of Duroc Jersey hogs and he finds this a profitable source of income. In addition to his land holdings in this county, he is the own- er of thirty acres of land in Orange county, Florida, and also has an interest in the Farmers Elevator Company and also the Hartley Lumber Com- pany, both of Hartley, Iowa. Mr. Sheldon has always been very suc- cessful in all of his business ventures until today he is the owner of three hundred and forty-three acres of excellent farming land in this county and thirty acres in Florida.
Mr. Sheldon was married in 1899, in Cherokee county, Iowa, to Lula Johnson, who was born in 1873, and four children have been born to this union, Rufus, Joseph, Lula and Vera, all of whom are at home with their parents.
Politically, Mr. Sheldon is a Republican and always takes an active in terest in politics and at the present time is holding the important office of trustee of Hartley township, filling this place to the entire satisfaction of
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all the citizens of the community. He and his family are earnest and faithful members of the Latter-Day Saints and contribute liberally of their means to its support. Fraternally, he is a member of the Modern Wood- men of America. He enjoys the respect and esteem of those who know him for his friendly and genial manner, business ability, his interest in public affairs and upright living. For this reason he is regarded as one of the substantial and worthy citizens of his community.
OLIVER EVANS.
Forty-five years have come and gone since Oliver Evans, a retired farmer of Hartley, came into O'Brien county, Iowa. These forty-five years have seen this county grow from a broad, barren prairie to its present prosperous condition, covered with cities and villages and hundreds of prosperous farms. According to the 1910 census there are eleven towns in O'Brien county, three of which are over one thousand in population. The residents of O'Brien county who have lived in this county for nearly two score and a half years have had the opportunity to witness the great change which has come about. not only in this county, but in this whole section of the state. In 1870 there were no railroads in this county, not an improved road, and but one school house had been built. Today there are over three hundred school buildings. several hundred miles of improved highways, as well as five railroads running through the county. From the date of the first election in this county, when nineteen votes were cast, down to 1910, there are several men living in the county who can remember the whole history of the county.
. Oliver Evans, one of the earliest of the pioneers of this county, was born December 3, 1841, in Utica, New York, and is the son of Edward and Margaret (Jones) Evans. Edward Evans was born in Wales in 1812 and his wife was born two years earlier in the same country. They were reared and educated in the land of their birth and married before they came to this country. He landed in New York city in 1837, where he worked for a short time as a laborer. In 1840 they moved to Utica, New York, where they lived a few years. In 1848 they went to Martinsburg, New York, where they pur- chased fifty acres of land and lived there the remainder of their lives. Edward Evans proved to be a successful farmer and at the time of his death, in 1898, he owned two hundred and fifty acres of land and died in 1880. To their marriage were born four children: John, of Lowville, New York, and a
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soldier of the Rebellion and later a homesteader of O'Brien county, Iowa : Mrs. Margaret Boshart, deceased ; Henry, deceased, and Oliver, with whom this narrative deals.
Oliver Evans received his education in the schools of New York state and remained at home until he was twenty years of age. He then left home and worked out among the neighborhood farmers by the day for three years and a half, after which he traveled for some time seeking a location. He came to O'Brien county. Iowa. November 9. 1869. and immediately homesteaded eighty acres, the east one-half of southwest quarter of section 24, in Center township. patent No. 9640. The year following he had no improvements or crops after the terrible fire of 1870 swept across the whole county. In a short time there was not a tree, not a house and no improvements whatever which were left after that terrible disaster. Later he hauled wood and fuel from near Old O'Brien, which is situated on the Sioux river. The postoffice was O'Brien, where he received mail once a week. In order to provide himself with fuel for the coming years, as well as lumber, he planted what was then the largest grove of forest trees in the county ; he put out fifteen acres of forest trees and for the past twenty years has had plenty for fuel. He also planted two acres of orchard trees-in fact, he has put at least ten thousand dollars worth of improvements upon his farm of three hundred and sixty acres of land. He also has other farms, making a total of seven hundred and forty-nine acres in the state. The improvement on all his land is esti- mated at between twenty-five and thirty thousand dollars. In addition to raising all of the crops which are peculiar to this section of the country, he has been a large breeder of thoroughbred stock, including Shorthorn cattle and Poland China hogs. He started to farm with a team of oxen, and during the first summer all they had to eat was pancakes made of course flour and creek water. In giving the data for this history, Mr. Evans remarked that the food which they had to eat during this year was hardly fit for a dog to eat, and yet they lived upon it and thrived and as the years came and went Mr. Evans acquired more of this world's goods so that today he can look back upon that period of deprivation and misfortune through which he went during the early years of his life in this county. In addition to his large land interests, he also has an interest in the Hartley Lumber Company and in the Moneta Savings Bank. He has been president and vice-president of the First National Bank of Hartley, Iowa. Some years ago he sold all his inter- est in this bank. He owns nine acres of land and a residence adjoining the corporation of Hartley, where he has set out an acre of trees.
Mr. Evans was married in 1871, in Harrisburg, New York, to Marietta
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English, who was born in Martinsburg. New York, in 1849. To their mar- riage have been born four children : Harry J., a graduate of Ames College in the dairyman course : he then taught in the dairy school of Ames, lowa : he is now residing in Lovejoy, Montana, where he is raising stock and homesteading: Jesemine, the wife of J. M. Hawley, a farmer of Canada, is a graduate from the Hartley high school and taught school ten years in O'Brien county. Evelyn, the third child of Mr. and Mrs. Evans, is the wife of George P. Powers, a farmer of Moneta, Iowa. She graduated from the Hartley high school and taught three years. Edward O. is a farmer and auctioneer in Omega township in this county. He attended Ames College one year and then graduated from the Jones Auctioneer College at Chicago, Illinois.
In politics, Mr. Evans is independent, reserving the right to cast his ballot at all times for the man he feels best qualified to hold the office. Reli- giously, he is affiliated with the Methodist Episcopal church, as are the other members of his family. He is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons and takes an intelligent interest in the work of that order. He has always been a man who was interested in public affairs and has served as trustee of Center township in his county.
THOMAS M. CORNS.
Among the earnest men whose enterprise and depth of character have gained a prominent place in the community and the respect and confidence of his fellow citizens is the honored subject of this sketch. A leading farmer of the township in which he resides and a man of decided views and laudable ambitions, his influence has ever been exerted for the advance- ment of his kind, and in the vocation to which his energies are directed he ranks among the representative agriculturists of the county.
Thomas M. Corns is a son of Thomas B. and Harriet ( Hale) Corns. The father is a native of England, in which country he supported his family by stock raising. In 1851 he emigrated to the United States and settled . on a farm in Illinois, near Rock Island, where he engaged in the cattle and stock business. There were five children in this family : Sarah (Vivian ). of Colorado: John, of Illinois: Hattie ( Grant), of Moneta, Iowa: Thomas, the subject of this sketch, and George, who died a few years ago.
In 1883 Mr. Corns went to O'Brien county, Iowa, where he bought
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raw land. He has made improvements on the place and now has a con- fortable country home, with ample shade and a beautiful grove of about two acres. The improvements on the farm could conservatively be estimated at five thousand dollars. At this time he is the owner of one hundred and sixty acres of some of the choicest land in O'Brien county and has fourteen valuable lots in Moneta. Iowa.
In 1884 Mr. Corns was married to Anna Dawson. They have but one child. Thomas R., who remains at home helping with the cares of the farm. Mr. Corns is a stanch Independent Progressive. He is not affiliated with any church, but is a man in whom every one reposes the utmost con- fidence, for his word is to him a sacred obligation and he is always ready to lend assistance to those in trouble. He is a member of the Masonic lodge.
JOHN H. BURNS.
The subject of this article is a striking exemplification of what can be accomplished by an energetic and determined man when the goal for which he strives is a worthy one. And here it may be pertinent also for us to speak of the golden opportunities which this beautiful state has held forth to those willing to accept of her gifts and cultivate their growth.
John H. Burns, one of the prominent citizens of Carroll township, with large holdings also in Summit township, is the typical, self-reliant, aggres- sive man of affairs of our western civilization. His father, Thomas Burns, was one of the high-class immigrants which America has been glad to wel- come to her shores; the class which has assisted so largely in the develop- ment and upbuilding, not only of our beautiful state, but also of the coun- try at large. He was born in Cavanaugh, Ireland, in 1834. on the 22d day of December, but came to this country with his parents in 1841. While still a child, he labored in a cloth factory in the state of Massachusetts, remaining there until he was fourteen years of age, when he was taken to Dane county, Wisconsin. In that place he learned the glories of the out-of-door life of a farmer, and this life appealed to him so strongly that the rest of his days were spent far away from the noise of cities, in the free, wholesome atmos- phere of the open country. When he reached the age of maturity, in the year 1855, he met and married Bridget Cowan, of Dale county, Wisconsin, and from that time forth he was assisted in all his ventures by man's most faithful friend and ally, a devoted wife.
JOHN H. BURNS
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In 1863 Mr. Burns took his little family to the state of Minnesota, where he spent ten years in profitable farming. In 1873, hearing of the won- derful opportunities offered the homesteader in Iowa, they undertook the journey, and there purchased one hundred sixty acres of land in the prairie country at the low price of one dollar and seventy-five cents per acre, and later he added another tract of the same size to his holdings, this time paying two dollars and a half per acre.
Life for the pioneer on the broad prairie, in those days, was far re- moved from the luxurious existence now enjoyed by the modern farmer. The barest necessities were difficult to obtain, and endless toil was necessary in order to erect a comfortable habitation and bring forth a harvest for the sustenance of the family. But they were brave and willing, and as the years passed the fruits of their toil became apparent. Fertile fields sup- planted the broad stretches of prairie: an orchard was planted, and req- uisite buildings dotted the landscape; and finally comforts and luxuries were added to the bare necessities which formerly were their portion.
And in the meantime, eleven children were born to them, as follows : Charles. who is now a retired farmer at Sanborn, Iowa; Marguatte, now Mrs. Madson, who also lives at Sanborn ; William and Thomas, both of whom are prosperous farmers of Floyd township, O'Brien county; Mollie, now Mrs. Fitzgerald, who resides in North Dakota : James, a resident of Sheldon; Nellie (Donohue), who lives in Sheldon. Iowa; Kate (Kennedy), whom death called from her home in Sheldon, Iowa; Jennie ( Maroney), a resi- dent of Worthington, Minnesota : Edward, who still resides on the old home- stead in Franklin township, and John H., the immediate subject of this review.
This latter gentleman assisted his father in the labors of the farm until he attained the age of twenty-two years, when he left the old homestead and came to the then new country in O'Brien county in 1873. Here he worked for others for a time, and finally rented a place for himself. spending the year 1875, however, with his father on the home place. He finally suc- ceeded in purchasing a tract of eighty acres of land for himself at ten dollars per acre. Since that time he has gradually added to his holdings, at prices ranging up to one hundred seven dollars per acre, until now he is in possession of five hundred and seventy-five acres of O'Brien county land. On this ground he has placed many thousands of dollars worth of improve- ments, and a fine mixed orchard of two acres bountifully supplies the family with fruit. His land is well cultivated, and he is an extensive breeder of fine
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live stock, making a specialty of Percheron horses. Shorthorn cattle and Duroc Jersey hogs.
In 1886 Mr. Burns was united in marriage to Jane Kennedy, of Floyd township, O'Brien county, the daughter of Patrick Kennedy, also one of the early pioneers of the county and a native of Ireland. Early in life he came to this country and settled in Norwich, Connecticut, being employed on a line of steamships. In 1871 he journeyed westward and homesteaded a claim in Floyd township. O'Brien county. Iowa. Here he endured all the toil and privations of the early settler. but his courage was undaunted. and with the fine wit and humor characteristic of his race he laughed at obstacles and found joy in making the face of Mother Nature smile with him and pro- duce of her abundance for the sustenance of himself and family. And now. in his later years, the joy of living is still bright within him, and he loves to remember the days when he joined the "grasshoppers" of the glorious West. Five children came to his home, but only two have been spared to solace his declining years. the rest having been called by an all-wise Father to their final home. The two yet surviving are a daughter, Jane ( Mrs. J. H. Burns ) and Bridget. now Mrs. Thomas Burns.
To Mr. and Mrs. Burns have come seven children, all of whom still enjoy the protection of the parental roof and the comforts of their beautiful home. These children are: Thomas: Frank, who spent a year in St. Joe College, at Dubuque : Edward, Bert. Kate, Mary and John.
Mr. and Mrs. Burns and their family are members of the Catholic church and are active in its councils. He is also a member of the order of Knights of Columbus and the Modern Woodmen of America at Sheldon. Politically. he is a stanch adherent of the Democratic party, which ticket he has con- sistently voted from his youth.
The progress which has been made by Mr. and Mrs. Burns, as well as the improvement in the country which surrounds his beautiful home, can be appreciated by mentioning the fact that in 1876 Mrs. Burns drove to the new town of Primghar in a lumber wagon, using a board as a seat. Exactly thirty-seven years later. to the day, she made the same trip in an elegant new touring car. a striking example of the transsition from the old era to the new.
Mr. and Mrs. Burns hold an enviable position in the life of the com- munity, and are well known for their hospitality and genial ways. Again we say, he is the exemplification of what can be accomplished in life by an earnest. intelligent worker, and his example should encourage the youth of the community to greater efforts for their advancement in life. The Burns estate comprises over two thousand six hundred acres in O'Brien county.
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DAVID BYERS.
The man who causes two blades of grass to grow where one formerly grew is conferring as distinct a benefit upon civilization as the man who in- vents a patent washing machine or wins a suit in court. It cannot be said that one occupation is more important than another, and yet it is conceded that the occupation of the farmer is the most independent and at the same time the basic occupation of mankind. Cain and Abel were farmers; Abra- ham, Isaac and Jacob were farmers and stock raisers. Cincinnatus, the old Roman hero, dropped his plow handles in the furrow when his country called him. From ancient times down to the present most of our greatest readers have come from the soil and have been instrumental in making two blades of grass grow where formerly grew but one.
David Byers, a farmer and stockman of this county, was born in 1876. in Livingston county, Illinois, the son of John and Susan ( Wilson) Byers. John Byers was born in 1848 in Ireland and when a young man came to this country and first settled in Illinois, where he followed the occupation of a farmer, and some time after settling in Illinois he purchased a farm of his own, on which he lived until 1892, when he went to O'Brien county, Iowa. and bought six hundred and forty acres of land, on which he lived until he retired from active labor, in 1904. He improved his farm until it was one of the most productive and valuable farms in the county. He was married in 1876 to Susan Wilson, and to this marriage were born nine children : Robert, a fariner of Osceola county, Iowa: David, with whom this narrative deals : Mrs. Mary Page, who lives in Delta, Colorado: William, a farmer of Osceola county : Mrs. Ella R. Page, who lives in North Dakota; Mrs. Belle Sauer. who is a resident of Osceola county; James, a farmer of Osceola county : Mrs. Martha Hoppie, who lives in Minnesota, and Susan, who is living with her father in Hartley.
David Byers remained with his father upon the farm until twenty-eight years of age and assisted him in the management of his large landed estate. Upon the retirement of the elder Mr. Byers to Hartley, in 1904, David Byers purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land in O'Brien county, which he has improved at a cost of thirty-five hundred dollars. He has set out three acres of orchard and forest trees and improved the farm in various ways. He is a heavy feeder and breeder of live stock, making a specialty of the raising of Poland China hogs and Percheron horses.
Mr. Byers was married in 1905 to Minnie Sauer. the daughter of Mr. and
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Mrs. William Sauer, of Des Moines, Iowa, and to this marriage have been born two children. Leola and Verna, who are both at home with their parents. Politically, Mr. Byers is identified with the Democratic party and, while taking an interest in its various activities, yet he has never been an aspirant for any public office. He is a regular attendant of the Methodist Episcopal church and tries to live a life consistent with the teachings of that denomina- tion. He is a man who has worked for what he owns and because he is a fine type of the self-made man, he is truly a representative citizen of his community and county and well worthy of mention in a work of the charac- ter of the one in hand.
HENRY J. KILLMER.
Among the German settlers, farmers and public-spirited citizens of Omega township, O'Brien county, lowa, is Henry J. Killmer, who is a typ- ical example of the hundreds of the native citizens who have come to this county from across the ocean and become prosperous and substantial citi- zens. He was born in 1860 in Germany and is the son of George and Christina (Roesing) Killmer. George Killmer was born in 1822 and has been a stone mason all his life. He was married in 1850 to Christina Roesing, and to this union have been born six children: Carl; Mrs. Ger- trude Dies, deceased: Mrs. Minnie Backer: Mrs. Anna Liese; George, and Henry J., with whom this narrative deals. All of the living children except Henry are now in their native land. The father and mother never came to this country, but are still living in the land of their birth.
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