USA > Iowa > Woodbury County > Sioux City > Past and present of Sioux City and Woodbury County, Iowa > Part 52
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In his political affiliations Captain Maddison is a stanch Republican and keeps well informed on the questions and issues of the day, but has never sought or desired public office but he has served, however. as a member of the school board and the cause of education finds in him
pal faith and he and his children now attend the services of the Methodist Episcopal church, of which they are members. Captain Maddi- son is a man of sterling character and worth, who has won the good will and trust of his fel- low men and during his residence in Wood- bury county he has gained a wide circle of friends. He has also prospered in his under- takings and as the result of his carefully direct- ed labor has become a prosperous farmer of Woodbury county.
JOHN KENALEY.
John Kenaley, interested in farming in Woodbury county, was born on the old family homestead in Jones county, Iowa, March 31, 1850. ITis father, David Kenaley, was born in County Cork, Ireland, and when twenty- one years of age eame to America, believing that he might have better business opportu- nities in the new world. He made his way first to Illinois and afterward to Dubuque, Iowa. He began farming in Jones county, Iowa, and when thirty-five years of age was killed there by a man throwing a scythe at him and entting off his legs. His death occurred in 1859. His widow still survives and is now living at Neola, in Pottawattamie county. In the family were six sons and a daughter.
John Kenaley pursued his education in the schools of Jones county, mastering the com- mon branches of learning, but his opportunity to attend school was rather limited. He has always carried on agricultural pursuits and he- coming a resident of Woodbury county, he here owns a valuable farm of one hundred and sixty acres splendidly improved. Upon the place he has now an orchard containing twenty old apple trees and eighty young trees. IIe also has fourteen head of cows, three head of horses and sixty hogs, and he was engaged in buying eattle for a number of years. Le is
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thoroughly familiar with farm work in every department, is energetic and enterprising in carrying on the farm and as the result of his carefully managed affairs he is enjoying a good annual income.
On the 6th of October, 1892, Mr. Kenaley was married to Miss Mary O'Connor, who was born in Canada and is a daughter of John and Mary (Wolfe) O'Connor and a sister of Simon O'Connor. Three children graced this union : Maggie, now six years of age; Mary, four years old; and Raymond, a little lad of two sum- mers. They also lost two children, John David, who died at the age of five years ; and William, who died in infancy.
Mr. Kenaley is somewhat independent in his political affiliations, but usually votes with the Demoeracy. He is connected with the Catholic church at Danbury and is interested in all that pertains to the material, intellectual, social and moral progress of this community. Dependent upon his own resources from all early age, he has worked his way steadily up- ward and he owes his success to his persever- ance and untiring diligence.
W. H. H. NIVLING.
W. H. H. Nivling, who is engaged in handling both farm and city property as a real- estate agent of Sioux City, and has by enter- prising methods and honorable dealing se- cured a good clientage, whereby he has gained a place among the substantial citizens of the county, has made his home in the west since 1887. He is a native of Pennsylvania, born in Birmingham, Huntingdon county, on the 16th of March, 1841. The family is of Ger- man lineage, and the name was originally spelled Niebling. The grandfather, Adam Nivling, was a resident of Clearfield county, Pennsylvania. John Nivling, his father, also a native of Pennsylvania, was twice married, his first marriage being with Miss Baslott, by
whom he had two children, David and Mar- garet. The former was engaged in military service and won the rank of major. For his second wife John Nivling married Mary Adams, who was also born in the Keystone state. His death occurred in 1856, when he was forty-eight years of age, and his wife died in 1896. Their children were: Thomas, now deceased; W. H. H., the subject of this sketch; Ann, who has also passed away; and John and Mary, both living.
In the graded schools of Blair county, Penn- sylvania; W. H. H. Nivling acquired his edu- eation and in 1861 he 'began teaching school, which profession he followed in Blair county for two years. He then accepted a position as bookkeeper with an iron manufacturing com- pany and later was promoted to the position of assistant manager of the plant. While con- nected with the company he invented an up- right engine and boiler, which came into gen- eral use in connection with the iron industry. In 1864 Mr. Nivling embarked in business on his own account, at Tyrone, Pennsylvania, establishing a foundry and machine business, which he conducted for fifteen years. He then sold out and made his way to the Black Hills, where he arrived on the 27th of November, 1887, to accept the position of superintendent of the assessment work of the Savage tunnel mining claims, held by James Milliken, of New York. He remained there for seven months, when the work was completed, and he established his home in Sioux City, arriving here on the 4th of June, 1888. He has since engaged in the real-estate business, handling both city and farm property, and he has thor- oughly informed himself concerning property values and has secured a good clientage by rea- son of his enterprising methods and well known reliability.
On the 29th of October, 1869, Mr. Nivling was united in marriage to Miss Mary Anna Milliken Thompson, who was a native of Penn- sylvania, and died November 15, 1895. Nine
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children were born of that marriage, of whom ber of important engagements, went with Sher- seven are yet living: Samuel, Marion, Walter, man on the celebrated march to the sea, and, Caroline, Naney, Emma and Harry. Those deceased are Grace and Sarah. in August, 1865, he received an honorable dis- charge, having always been found faithfully at his post of duty, whether it led him into the thickest of the fight or to the lonely pieket line.
Mr. Nivling is a member of the Presbyterian church and is interested in all that pertains to the intellectual and moral development of his adopted city. In his political affiliation he is independent, voting for the man rather than the party. The strong and characteristic ele- ments in his life record are such as have made him a respected and valued citizen of Wood- bury county.
JOHN R. WATSON.
John R. Watson, a farmer and stockman, controlling extensive agricultural interests just east of Horniek, having charge of the Shaw farm of fifteen hundred aeres, was born in Jonesville, Michigan, in 1846, his parents be- ing natives of England. His father, a soldier of the Civil war, was killed at the battle of Re- saca in 1864. Thomas Watson, a brother of our subject, served for four and a half years in Company E, Sixty-fourth Regiment of Illi- nois troops.
In his early boyhood days John R. Watson accompanied his parents on their removal to Illinois, and was there reared upon the home farm, while in the public schools he acquired his education, and his business experience, ob- servation and reading have greatly broadened his knowledge since he put aside his text books. He was living in Illinois at the time of the out- break of the Civil war, and in July, 1861, al- though only fifteen years of age, he enlisted in defense of the old flag and the cause it repre- sented, becoming a member of Company G, Sixty-fourth Illinois Infantry, to which regi- ment his brother Thomas was attached, al- though he was a member of Company E. This regiment was known as Governor Yates' sharp- shooters. Mr. Watson participated in a mm-
After the war was over Mr. Watson returned to his home in Illinois, and later he became a resident of Dakota. He has made his home in Woodbury county for fourteen years, arriving here in 1890. Throughout the entire period of his business career he has engaged in gen- cral farming and he now has charge of the farm owned by Secretary of the Treasury Shaw, of Dennison, Iowa. It comprises fifteen hundred acres of fine land and under the supervision of Mr. Watson is a well conducted farm, for his methods are practical and progressive and pro- duce excellent results.
In 1879 Mr. Watson was united in marriage to Miss Kate Gary and they have six sons and one daughter: Allen, Thomas, George, Glenn, Albert, Hobart and Mande. The family is widely and favorably known in Woodbury county and Mr. Watson bears an excellent repu- tation as a business man, being enterprising, sagacious, reliable and energetic. In his poli- tical views he is a Republican, stanchly sup- porting the men and measures of the party, and he maintains pleasant relations with his old army comrades by his membership in the Grand Army of the Republic, and among the veterans he delights to recall the experiences of the tented field when he wore the blue uniform in defense of the nation's starry banner.
PETER SMITII.
Peter Smith, a well known farmer of Liston township, was born on the 13th of March, 1832, in Cranberry township, Venango county, Pennsylvania, his parents being Peter and Mary Ann Smith, who were natives of Center county, that state. By trade the father was a
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cooper, but he also owned and operated a farm. spending their declining years in peace and Our subject was reared amid rural scenes comfort, honored and respected by all who know them. with no educational advantages during his boy- hood, though he has become a well informed man since his marriage. On leaving his native state he removed to Wisconsin, where he spent one year, and then became a resident of Frank- CONSTANT R. MARKS. lin county, Iowa, whence he removed to Wood- The ancestral history of Constant R. Marks has been a conspicuous and honored element in the annals of New England from an early epoch in the colonization of the new world. The family home was in Connecticut. On the mother's side the families of Phelps and Gay -. lord were among leaders in that unique colony that settled Windsor, Connecticut, a whole church congregation coming over together in 1630. His great-grandfather and the grand- father Marks were members of the Connecticut legislature, the former being the first Democrat elected to that position from his town. bury county, locating upon his present farm twenty-two years ago. Here he has eighty acres, for which he paid twenty-five dollars per acre and at present it is all under cultiva- tion with the exception of twenty-five acres. He is quite extensively engaged in bee cul- ture and has a fine apiary, selling his honey for twelve and a half cents per pound in the comb. He also acts as agent for G. B. Lewis & Com- pany, manufacturers of bee supplies, and dur- ing the early months of 1904 sold over four hundred dollars worth of supplies for the com- pany.
On the 28th of April, 1852, Mr. Smith mar- ried Miss Eliza Jane Long, who is also a native of Cranberry township, Venango county, Penn- sylvania, and a daughter of Albert Long. The following children have blessed this union : Sherman, born April 12, 1853, is married and lives in Anthon, Iowa. He has five children. Orrin G., born March 12, 1856, is at home with his parents. Zelma T., born August 20, 1858, is the wife of A. J. Robinson, of Woodbury county, and has four children. Lydia, who is now the wife of Jack Cameron, living south of Danbury, has one child, Walter; Elsie; Char- lie and Orie.
On attaining his majority Mr. Smith be- came identified with the Whig party and since its dissolution has been an ardent Republican. On account of deafness he has never occupied any political office or done jury duty. He and his family are members of the Methodist Epis- copal church, though his parents were Cumber- land Presbyterians in religious belief. He has a nice little home near Danbury, overlooking the valley, and there he and his wife are
The old homstead is situated at Burlington, where the great-grandfather took up his abode shortly after the Revolutionary war, during which period the members of the family were advocates of the cause of independence. Al- meron Marks, the father, born in Connecticut in 1814, became a lawyer of widely recognized ability, and, removing to New York, practiced in the courts of that state as the colleague of such distinguished men as Lyman Tremain.
In 1848 Almeron Marks was elected a mem- ber of the general assembly of New York, and he continued in active connection with the bar of that state until his death, which occurred in 1852. His family afterward returned to Con- necticut. His widow, who bore the maiden name of Mary Phelps and was a native of the Charter Oak state, was a descendant of Aaron Gaylord, one of those who perished in the Wy- oming massacre at the time of the Revolution- ary war.
Constant R. Marks, born in Durham, Greene county, New York, April 11, 1841, after his fa- ther's death lived with his grandfather in the ancestral home of the family at Burlington,
Constant Martes
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Connecticut, and became a student in the Con- neetient Literary Institute, a preparatory school at Suffield, that state. After the outbreak of the Civil war, April 18, 1861, he enlisted in the Eiglith Massachusetts Infantry, this being the second regiment to enter the service, and was the one with which General Benjamin Butler opened the way to Washington, going through Annapolis. He was for a time stationed at Fort McHenry, Baltimore, and later at the Re- lay House. Mr. Marks was taken ill with typhoid fever and was thereafter unfit for duty, and returned home with his regiment, thus ending his military career.
Again he took up his studies, attending the Hudson River Institute at Claverack, New York, and in 1863 he entered Yale College. While there he suffered an attack of erysipelas in the face and was obliged to relinquish his plans for the completion of his college course. Several years passed ere he regained his health, and on the 1st of January, 1866, he began reading law with E. M. Wood at Pittsfield, Massachusetts. He attended the Albany Law School, at Albany, New York, and was admit- ted to the bar January 1, 1868.
Following the advice of Horace Greeley, he sought in the growing west the scope for his ex- panding powers, and after a brief stay in Chi- cago he came to Sioux City, in April, 1868, and has since engaged in the practice of law there, with constantly increasing success. Many cases relative to the early settlement of the county came under his supervision, and in their preparation he has gained broad historical knowledge, which well equips him for the prep- aration of the historical section of this volume, few men having so comprehensive and reliable information concerning the early history as well as the latter-day progress of northwestern Iowa.
Mr. Marks was associated in the early years in the practice of law with Hon. E. II. Hub- bard, under the firm of Marks & Hubbard, and later with J. P. Blood, and since 1885 with
David Mould, under the firm of Marks & Mould, his son, Russell A. Marks, becoming a member of the firm in 1888. His law practice from the outset of his connection with the bar has been large and profitable. Mr. Marks has also been identified with many enterprises, some of which, of a business nature, have brought him financial return, while others have been solely for the benefit of the public.
In connection with W. L. Joy he erected the Marks-Joy block, known as the Garretson an- nex. During a vacancy he served for a time as president of the National Bank of Sioux City, which was organized in 1890 with a capi- tal of one million dollars, and was attorney for this bank and a director in other banks. Ile was one of the incorporators of the Sioux City Brick & Tile Company, the organization of which was perfected November 12, 1886. In 1870 the county board of Plymouth county, Iowa, nominated him for special agent to settle with the United States land office in the swamp land affair, and he procured a large amount of land for the county, and before that county had resident attorneys acted as attorney for the county for several years.
In 1869 he was elected to represent his dis- trict, composed of eight counties in north- western Iowa, in the state legislature. This was the year following his arrival in Sioux City. He served until the conclusion of the term and has since declined further political office, save in connection with school affairs, wherein he feels a conscientious obligation to perform to the best of his ability any service that will prove of value to his fellow citizens. IIe was a member of school board for nine years, acting as its president for three years, and retiring in 1889, and acting as its attorney since. He was one of the incorporators, and was prominently identified with the construc- tion of the city waterworks in 1883, and also with the public library, which was built by pri- vate corporations at the request of the city, Mr. Marks having charge of the legal interests.
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Mr. Marks has been president for twelve three years of age he began farming on his years of the Riverside Boat Club, one of the . own account, continuing in that business elev- chief social and athletie factors in Sioux City en years. In December, 1866, Mr. Farr was life, and in that connection was for two years president of the Iowa State Amateur Rowing Association, under whose auspices several state regattas were held.
Mr. Marks was married June 27, 1871, to Miss Josephine Kilbourn, of Great Barrington, Massachusetts, a daughter of Russell Kilbourn. They have three children: Russell A. Marks, who was graduated from Yale College in 1895; C. R. Marks, Jr., now in the mining business at Deadwood, South Dakota; and a daughter, Josephine L. Marks, a pupil in the Sioux City high school. Mrs. Marks belongs to the Episcopal church, and Mr. Marks also attends its services. His fraterual affiliation is with the Odd Fellows society. His associates, found among the men of broad culture and ability, entertain for him high regard, and Sioux City, because of his forceful and well- directed activity in her behalf numbers him among her representative men.
JASON D. FARR.
Jason D. Farr was born in April, 1844, in Lewis County, New York. His parents were Alvin and Sally (Van Wagener) Farr, the for- mer a native of New Hampshire and the lat- ter of the Empire state. The father was a farmer by occupation, and at one time served as sheriff of Lewis county, New York, where he resided up to the time of his death in 1874. Had he lived eleven days longer he would have been eighty years of age. His widow now makes her home a part of the time with Jason D. Farr and is eighty-two years of age. A niece, Miss Lulu Farr, whose parents died six years ago, has since made her home with him.
In the public schools of New York Jason D. Farr acquired his education and when twenty-
united in marriage to Miss Clara Lyman, daughter of Perley Gould Lyman. Her fath- er was a native of Wilberham, Massachusettes, and his ancestors were among the earliest set- tlers of that state. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Farr was born one son, J. Clifford, whose birth oc- curred in January, 1870, and who is now married and living at Bloomington, Illinois. Mrs. Farr passed away September 12, 1872, and in February, 1878, Mr. Farr was again married, his second union being with Mary L. Lyman, a half-sister of his first wife. Both Mr. and Mrs. Farr are members of the Chris- tian Science church, in which he is serving as trustee. In polities he is a Republican where matters of national importance are involved, but at local elections where there is no issue before the people he casts his ballot independ- ently.
Jason D. Farr has been identified with Sioux City since 1878 and has contributed extensively to its progress and best interests. In 1877 Mr. Farr made his way westward to Vermilion, South Dakota, where he entered a half section of government land. While there he formed a partnership with F. M. Smith, the firm being known as Smith & Farr, packers and shippers of butter and eggs, and they were the first people to pay cash for these commodities in this part of the west. In 1878 they removed to Sioux City, where they continued in the same line of business and also condneted their house at Vermilion and established a similar enterprise at Lemars, Iowa. Smith & Farr be- gan business in a basement on Pearl street be- tween Third and Fourth, but soon outgrew these quarters and removed to the basement at Fourth and Pierce streets, then the postoffice, now Davidson Brothers' store, retaining the Pearl street house, a wooden structure, as an egg house. At this time it was very hard to find wheat straw around Sioux City and after
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much trouble quite a quantity was obtained and prepared for packing eggs but before it could be used the egg house caught fire and was burned, and Mr. Farr being informed of the loss in the middle of the night, exclaimed, "What ! and burned all that straw ?" Many amusing incidents could be related of those early days of Sioux City that would seem al- most incredible now.
It soon became necessary to have more room and in 1881 Smith & Farr erceted a fine briek building known as the Smith & Farr butter factory, at the corner of Second and Pierce streets. After one year Mr. Farr purchased his partner's interest and continued the busi- ness alone for five years. All this time he conducted three branch houses in Nebraska and seven branch houses and ereameries in South Dakota. In 1887 he admitted his bookkeeper, W. G. Haley, to a partnership and they con- tinned business together until about 1892, when Mr. Farr sold his interests to what was then known as the firm of Haley & Chase. He pur- chased an interest in the bus and transfer busi- ness with Mr. Foye, but after a year sold his interest to his partner and devoted his time to a previous investment in a large tract of land in Winona county, being away from Sioux City nearly five years. In 1898 Mr. Farr re- turned to Sioux City and again hought an in- terest in the bus and transfer business, but recently sold to H. Goodrich. He is at pres- ent identified with no firm but has interests in different lines.
JAY NORWOOD DARLING.
There is, perhaps, no field of labor which has witnessed such remarkable advancement as has journalism in the past quarter of a cen- tury. A new department of all newspaper work is that of the cartoon artist, and it is in this connection that Mr. Darling is associated with the Sioux City Journal. He is a young man, his birth having occurred on the 21st of Oe-
tober, 1876, but already he has attained an enviable position in the line of his chosen pro- fession, and his abilities are such as to merit a continuance of his progress in the business world. Mr. Darling is a son of Mark W. and Clara ( Woolson) Darling. Ilis father was born March 9, 1844, in Leon, Cattarangus county, New York, and worked on a farm un- til 1862, when he enlisted for service in the Union Army as a member of the One Hundred and Fifty-fourth New York Volunteers. The regiment was assigned to the Army of the Po- tomac and he participated in many important engagements and movements, including the march to the sea. At the close of the war he received an honorable discharge, and at that time was serving with the rank of major. In 1865 he returned to New York and thence went to Albion College, Michigan, where he com- pleted a course of study by graduation in 1870. IIe was also professor of Greek there for two years, and afterward held a similar position in connection with the Michigan State Univer- sity at Ann Arbor for two years. Subsequently he entered the ministry of the Methodist Epis- copal church and was first stationed at Cam- bria and afterward at Norwood. Subsequently he went to Elkhart, Indiana, as pastor of the First Congregational church, and in 1886 he accepted the pastorate of the First Con- gregational church in Sioux City, where he remained until 1900. His work in the Sioux City field was remarkably fruitful and during the fourteen years of his pastorate his church became the leader in religious eireles of the city. Hle removed to Glencoe, Illinois, May 15, 1900, where he is now continuing his min- isterial labors. On Christmas day of 1871 he was married to Clara Woolson, and they have two children, Frank Woolson and Jay Nor- wood. The former is now vice principal of the Chicago Normal school and makes his home in Chicago.
Jay Norwood Darling was educated in the publie schools of Sioux City and in Beloit Col-
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lege at Beloit, Wisconsin, where he was grad- uated with the elass of 1900. He has since been identified with journalistic work. Fol- lowing his graduation he accepted a position as reporter on the Sioux City Journal. In 1903 he drifted into cartoon work, and since that time his work has been one of the regular features of the Sioux City Journal. He has made this a most interesting department of the paper and has gained for himself a high reputation because of the excellence of his work.
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