Portrait and biographical album of Henry County, Iowa, containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county, Part 69

Author: Acme Publishing Company, Chicago
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Chicago, Acme Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 702


USA > Iowa > Henry County > Portrait and biographical album of Henry County, Iowa, containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county > Part 69


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time he made his home with his children. He died at the home of his son Samuel, in Macon County, Mo., in 1872. Hle was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and in his younger days de- lighted in frontier life, and in improving and beau- tifying his farms.


John Sackett, our subject, received but a com- mon-school education, and until twenty-one years of age he worked on the farm of his father, and for the next five years worked at various occupations, but still resided at home. On the 11th of January, 1837, he was united in matrimony with Miss Rhoda Ilart, of Green County, Ky., born Dec. 27, 1818. She removed with her parents, Moses and Rhoda (Seott) Ilart, from Kentucky to Sangamon County, Ill., in 1823, and while there the county was divided, Menard being taken from it. Mr. and Mrs. Ilart resided in Sangamon County until their death, the father dying in 1836, preceding his wife fifteen years to the land of rest, she dying in 1851. Of their eleven children five are now living; Mi- randa, widow of Calvin Simmons, residing in Ilan- cock County, Ill .; Martha, the widow of John F. Wilson, a resident of Mt. Pleasant; Naney, wife of Hiram S. Webb, now residing in Wapello County, lowa; Elias, a farmer in Clarke County, Iowa; Moses entered the army and has never been heard of since. The land on which Mr. Hart lived was surveyed by Abraham Lincoln.


Mr. and Mrs. Sackett came from Sangamon, III., to Henry County, Iowa, in 1851, where he pur- chased 160 acres of land on section 10, and forty acres on section 17, Marion Township. On the latter farm he ereeted a beautiful two-story coun- try residence, surrounded by fine groves and or- chards. When he obtained the land it was noth- ing but a wild prairie. He hauled the lumber for his house and barn from Burlington, and made many im- provements, until he now has one of the finest resi- dences in that part of the county. Mr. Saekett and his wife have witnessed many changes, and are the only ones living in the neighborhood who were there in the days of 1851. They are the parents of eight children: Mary, the deceased wife of I. H. Draper, a farmer in Riley County, Kan. ; Nancy, wife of J. W. Moore, a farmer in Marion Town- ship; Thomas died at the age of five; Miranda,


THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY


ASTOR, LENOX AND TIL.DEN FOUNDATIONS.


J. C. Harbun


Catharine Haben


THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY


ASTOR, LONCX AND TILD N FOURDA P 43


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wife of Jacob Messman, a farmer of Clarke County, Jowa; Alford, a farmer of Ringgold County, Iowa, married Louisa Deer; Rosann, wife of William Draker, a farmer in Gage County, Neb .; Melissa, wife of Aaron MeClure, of Mt. Pleasant; Alice, wife of William Jones, resides on the old home farm. Mr. and Mrs. Sackett have been members of the Methodist Episcopal Church for forty years, and always take an active part in church work. No couple in the community are more highly respected than they. All of this world's goods that they pos- sess they have made by their own honest efforts and industry. Mr. Sackett east his first vote for Will- iam Henry Harrison, and ever since its organiza- tion he has never failed to cast his ballot with the Republican party. He was a great friend of Abra- ham Lincoln, having become acquainted with him while in Sangamon County, Ill. On the 11th day of January, 1888, they celebrated their golden wedding, having trod the path of life for half a century together. They have twenty-two grand- children and two great-grandchildren.


R EV. JESSE CUMMINGS HARBIN, real- estate and insurance agent, Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, was born in Iredell County, N. C., Nov. 20, 1810, and is a son of William and Lney (Cummings) Harbin, both of whom were of English deseent, the former being a native of Georgetown, Md., now District of Columbia, and the latter of Virginia. On his father's side he traces his ancestry to Edward Harbin, who emigrated from England to America in the early days of the colonies. William Harbin and family moved to Iredell County, N. C., at a very early day.


Jesse C. Harbin, the subject of this sketch, was reared in his native county, and was married in the fall of 1830 to Miss Matilda Robertson, a native of Iredell County, N. C., and daughter of William Robertson, formerly of Virginia. In consequence of his general correspondence, Mr. Harbin changed the spelling of the family name, using an "i" in- stead of an "e" in the final syllable. Soon after his marriage he moved with his young wife to Knox County, Ind., and from thence to Sullivan, where


he engaged in farming. He lost his wife in 1832, who died leaving him with one son, James Wesley, now residing in Indianapolis, Ind. This son grew to manhood, studied and engaged in the practice of medicine prior to the war. He entered the army, and on account of ill-health was discharged, re- turned home and is now engaged in the manufact- ure of a corn-planter of which he is the inventor.


In 1824 Mr. Harbin united with the Methodist Episcopal Church, and in 1831 was licensed to preach. On the death of his wife he joined the Indiana Conference and entered upon his duties as a circuit preacher. He traveled in the discharge of the duties of his holy calling for a term of eight years, when his health failing he retired from active service for a term of three years. Re-entering the work he continued for one year, when health failing again, he settled at Delaware Station, in Ripley County, where he engaged in the mercantile business and was appointed Station Agent for the Ohio & Missis- sippi Railroad Compamy. On his first effort to couple some freight cars he was loading, he lost the end of his thumb and two fingers.


ยท In 1840 Mr. Harbin married Miss Eliza Nieker- son, daughter of Abijah Nickerson, whose family were from Vermont. Two children were born of their union, a son and a daughter. The son, George W., after the death of his mother, went into the army, where he remained during the war, the last year serving as Hospital Steward. He married Miss


Amelia Snyder, and now resides at Waterloo, Iowa. He was one of the principal organizers of the Equit- able Mutual Life and Endowment Association of that place. lle has been very successful in the enterprise, and the company is rated among the leading local companies of the State. The daugh- ter, Emma A., is the wife of William R. Scott, with whom she was united in marriage March 30, 1886. Both she and her husband are successful agents for the Equitable Mutual Life and Endowment Asso- ciation. They reside at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, but are engaged in traveling the greater part of the time. Mrs. Seott is a graduate of the Iowa Wes- leyan University, of the class of 1869.


Mr. Harbin emigrated to Iowa in 1859, and set- tled in the township of Davis Creek, Washington County, where he was engaged in farming a few


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years. His second wife, Eliza Harbin, died July 7, 1861, saying as she passed away, "Sweet rivers of redeeming love lie just before mine eyes."


Mr. Harbin was again married, Aug. 27, 1862, to Mrs. Catherine Brown, widow of John Brown and daughter of Peter Posey. Her father was of Scotch- English descent. Mrs. Harbin was born near Phil- adelphia, Chester Co., Pa., and came to Iowa in 1852. She was married in Washington County, Iowa, to Mr. John Brown, who died the third year after their marriage. They had one child, a daugh- ter Mary Laura, who died aged nearly two years. One child was born of her union with Mr. Harbin, a daughter, Lillie May, who grew to be a beautiful and accomplished young lady of eighteen years of age, when death claimed her on the 23d of Febri- ary, 1882. Miss Harbin was a close student, and would soon have graduated with honors. She was stricken with scarlet fever and died after a short illness. She was a devout Christian, having been converted at the age of nine years. Amiable, in- telligent and winning in manner, she was a general favorite among schoolmates and friends.


Mr. Harbin removed to Washington, Washington Co., Iowa, soon after his last marriage, where he was engaged in mercantile business for two and a half years. Prior to that, and while a resident of Richmond, he supplied the Millersburg circuit one year as pastor. He removed from Washington to Mt. Pleasant in April, 1865, and has resided here continuously since that time. During this time he has devoted his attention to the real-estate and in- surance business. Ilis son George enlisted in the late war, in 1862, in Company D, 24th Regiment Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and served till the close of the war. His regiment was in the Department of the Mississippi, and participated in the capture of Vicksburg. lle was Hospital Steward during the last year of his service. Mr. Harbin is a Repub- lican in polities, and cast his first vote for William H. Harrison, and voted with the Whigs till the organization of the Republican party, since which time he has been a member of that party. Mr. Harbin is highly respected as a citizen and business man.


Fine lithographie portraits of this worthy couple may be found upon preceding pages. That they


are worthy a place in this volume none will deny.


The following sermon was preached by Mr. Har- bin, Feb. 22, 1863, during a dark period of the war:


Who knowest whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this .- Esther, iv :14.


Ist. The time in which we live. 2d. The end for which we live.


We live in a time of great corruption. First, political corruption. We are aware that an idea is quite prevalent that a minister should not interfere with politics. To determine the correctness or in- correctness of this idea, let us inquire what is, or are polities. We answer, it is (or should be) that policy by which a government secures to its votaries the ex- ercise of certa ininalienable rights, as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Now, we ask, have ministers no interest in those rights? Must they stand by and see them ruthlessly trailed in the dust and fearlessly trampled in the mire with sealed lips and placid countenance? The stains would cry out against them as dumb dogs, who, seeing the sword of de- struction coming on their people, should then not raise their warning voice against those errors cal- culated to undermine and destroy their liberties. Therefore, in the name of Israel's God, let them set up their banners proclaiming the vengeance of our God against all evil-doers, political as well as moral. To secure these rights and liberties, govern- ment is necessary, and in order to government the power to govern must be vested somewhere. Hence the different forms of government, from an absolute monarchy up to the democracy. In the former this power is vested in the breast of one man ; in the latter it is placed in the hands of the people or a majority of them, which is the form adopted by our fathers, sealing it to us with their hearts' blood. as a sacred boon which we should never surrender to bold aspirants and tyrants. That the people may secure to each their rights and liberties, laws must be enacted and enforced, hence the necessity of legislators to enact those laws, and rulers to enforce them. This requires the delegation of certain rights or powers to these representatives and officers, which constitutes the Republican form of democ- racy. In a large variety of people there will nec- essarily arise a variety of sentiment in regard to


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the better policy to be pursued in order to secure these rights and liberties, hence the formation of different political parties, which, if properly guarded will only tend to sift the precious from the vile, and operate as checks and balances to guard and secure these sacred rights more firmly. But in order to do this, there must be no motive but pure patriot- ism or love of country influencing these parties. But is this the case with us to-day ? We have only to look at the history of our country since the in- auguration of that military chieftain, Gen. Jackson, who adopted the sentiment "To the victors belong the spoils," and thus wrested the emoluments of the country out of the hands of the people, and distributed them among the party as bribes to the one and rewards to the other, since when Epluribus unum-one of many-has not been true of us, but we have been two belligerent powers, contending for the loaves and fishes. This is the exotic that has nearly extinguished the last spark of pure patriotism by indueing men to sacrifice their honest principles to their interest, equivalent to selling themselves, which if a man will do, what will he not sell? His country or anything for which he gets his price. See this illustrated in the history of the Democratic party since its adoption at the time referred to above. Hear them boasting now of having ruled the country for forty years (this boast was made at the beginning of the war), which to our disgrace we must say is more truth than fiction. But how have they done it? Weanswer, by bribes, rewards, imolation and assassination. When they by bribery could not control the ballot, they resorted to the bullet or poison, its equivalent, as in the case, as we verily believe, of Harrison, having Tyler with them either by bribery or otherwise. And when they feared the result of the ballot of 1860, hear them saying to the South in the Charleston Con- vention : "Do you sustain our party which hith- erto has been anti-slavery and we will sustain slavery," thus imolating the whole slave population at the shrine of Democracy. The ballot, however, proved that the people were not longer to be bought and sold by the party, but were disposed to assert their rights by the election of Abraham Lin- coln, when the party determined if they could not rule they would ruin. The South said : "The Dem-


ocratic party which has ruled the country by hook and crook for forty years, is pledged to defend us in our strife for the perpetuation of slavery. To arms, O Democrats!" and thus the first gun was heard thundering on Sumter. And now comes the tug of war in earnest. Buchanan, with his Demo- cratic Cabinet and Congress, had emptied our treasury, scattered our army to the four winds, and shipped our arms to the South, carrying out his pledge. In this condition, but for the God of na- tions putting into the heart of Douglas to divide the Democratic party, we must have fallen by the hand of these combined traitors. But this division kept them at bay till we had time to replenish our treasury, army and navy, by the uprising of the people. Thus foiled, they now resort to assassina- tion, and Douglas is removed as the barrier to the reunion of the party, upon which event bribed agents are sent all through the North, organizing secret associations, such as Knights of the Golden Circle, Kuklux, etc., the sole object of which was to reunite and rally the party.


Thus far the history was traced at the time of the delivery of the above sermon, and to show its correct- ness we have only to trace down the darker and more bloody developments of the same program in the assassination of our Lincoln, as their last resort to get the government in their own hands through the treachery of Andy Johnson. Thus they felt, if they had not ruled at the ballot, they had ruled by Booth's bullet, and then was there a surrender of Johnson to Sherman, who, knowing the program (having been one of the party), felt he must atone for his world-renowned march, devastating their country, by giving them better terms than they asked, and thus paved the way for his exaltation to the Presidential chair. One man, however, seems to have been found who was not an aspirant, and exclaimed : "On this line we will fight it out (unconditional surrender to the rights of the peo- ple) if it takes all summer to do it." The people rallied around the banner and thus we conquered Andy Johnson, and Kukluxism has been kept at bay, notwithstanding Horace Greeley and many others have joined with Jeff Davis and the whisky ring in an open fight to reinstate the party again in power. But I think the people, through the in-


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fluence of the God of nations, will not slack their efforts till the emoluments of the country are wrested out of the tyrant party's hands, and placed again in their own, when they will guard them more sacredly than ever before.


It is not the above conglomeration of evils, all of which from affinity now concentrate around the rotten eareass of Democracy, that we depre- cate. They are sold to Satan, to work all manner of wickedness with greediness, and will ere long, we fear, bring on themselves swift destruction. But we think there is vitality enough yet in the body politie to eject these vile exerescences and recon- struet the country on the pure old patriotism love of country, growing out of love supreme to God and equal to each other, and that will not allow an aspirant promoted to any office of trust or profit, but the people seleet their rulers on personal and not political merit, with the understanding that they shall only retain said position on condition of un- swerving adherence to the strict principles of equity, devoid of favoritism.


SRAEL ROSS, a farmer residing on section 9, Scott Township, Henry Co., Iowa, was born in Brown County, Ohio, Nov. 16, 1815. He is a son of Thomas and Deborah (Jennings) Ross. The Ross family were natives of Virginia, of Seoteh ancestry. Of the Jennings family but little is known except that the grandmother, Charity (Free- man) Jennings, was born in Europe, and when a child came to America. Her parents later moved to Kentucky, and were there during the troublous times when the Indians were hostile, and the family were occasionally forced to take refuge in a boat, and to avoid capture would paddle to the other side of the Ohio River. The Jennings family later removed to Brown County, Ohio, near Georgetown, where the venerable parents lived and died. Thomas Ross became the husband of Deborah Jennings in Brown County, where both families were early set- tlers. Prior to marriage Mr. Ross ran a keelboat upon the Ohio River, and made regular trips be- tween Cincinnati and Pittsburg. Ilis boat occasion-


ally made a trip to New Orleans, carrying the products of the country, as there were no railroads at that time. When a boat was sent to New Orleans the return journey had to be made on foot or horseback, it being impossible to bring the boat up stream.


After his marriage Thomas Ross settled on a farm, and reared a family of children: Israel, our subject; Margaret, who wedded David Vandyke: Sarah, the wife of Winfield Wright, and after his death of Dr. Dennis Callihar, of Hillsboro, Iligh- land Co., Ohio; John W. became the husband of Miss Power; Thomas wedded Amy Snedaker; Isaac wedded Hannah Day ; and three others died in child- hood. All the sons of Thomas Ross, Jr., are ministers in the Methodist Church, except our subjeet, who learned the tanner's trade with the father of Gen. Grant, and was a bosom friend of the lamented General and' President. They frequently slept to- gether, and on one occasion, while bathing in a creek, Israel saved the life of the future President, who was younger than he, and had strangled and gone down in the water. After completing his trade Mr. Ross farmed for awhile, and then worked at journey man's wages for Mr. Grant for some time.


For two years prior to his marriage Israel Ross engaged in farming, and on April 13, 1841, Miss Elizabeth Jennings became his wife. They began their domestic life upon a small farm, and two years later Mr. Ross ereeted a tannery upon his father's farm. and for several years was engaged in business there. In 1855 he removed with his family to Marion County, lowa, settling first in Knoxville Township, near Knoxville. In March, 1861, he purchased and removed to the farm, at that time fairly improved, and which he yet owns. Here for years Mr. Ross has lived and prospered, his children have grown to maturity, the good wife and mother, who was a true one in every sense, lived to see the country well developed, schools, churches and rail- roads built, and to her all seemed prosperous, when the death angel came and carried her away, Jan. 13, 1885.


Twelve children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Ross. The three eldest died in childhood, while the family were living in Ohio. The others were : Jasper, now husband of Melinda Ross; John A., married to


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Emma Bloekmartin; Isaae W., wedded to Emma Willis; and Diana, were all born in Ohio. Adeline, wife of John Rittenhouse; Arethusa, J. F., Amy and Maggie J. were born in Iowa, the two latter in this eounty, on the old homestead.


Township offices have been repeatedly filled by our subject, who has, however, always preferred the management of his farm, and the privacy and com- fort of his pleasant home. Since the death of his wife Mr. Ross has taken life easy, and his son Jay assumes the management of the farm. In an ele- gant home, made attractive by prosperity and the bright faces of his younger children, Mr. Ross is passing the evening of a well-spent life in de- served ease and comfort, and for his years is a remarkably youthful and well-preserved man. Ile has ever been a citizen of whom his countrymen are proud, and his family rank second to none in social eircles.


S AMUEL HAMELL, a farmer of Baltimore Township, residing on section 3, was born in Madison County, Ind., in 1841, and is a son of William and Dorcas (Meade) Ham- ell. In that State the latter were married, and there all their children were born, namely : James, Isaac; Joseph, deceased ; Samuel ; Garrett, deceased ; Phoebe, Mary and Elizabeth. In 1852 the family removed to this eounty, and William Hamell purchased a residence in New London, where he resided during his lifetime. His widow died Dec. 17, 1887, in her seventy-ninth year. Their daughter Phoebe wedded Zebedee Rains, a well-known farmer of this town- ship; Mary became the wife of Wellington Leach, a resident of New London; Isaac married Julia A. Troby, and is a resident of Arkansas; Joseph died unmarried, and James has not been heard of sinee the war, at which time he was a soldier in the rebel army ; Garrett died while in the service, unmarried ; Elizabeth became the wife of Clark Ireland, a resi- dent engineer of Minneapolis, Minn .; Samuel. the subject of this sketch, became the husband of Miss Martha Shepherd, in 1861. She was the daughter of John and Rebecea (Fees) Shepherd, who came to this county from Adair County, Ky., abont the year 1838, taking up a claim one mile south of


where the village of New London has since been built. Upon this they built a log cabin, and for a year or two the Indians were very plentiful in that vicinity. Their two eldest ebildren, Sarah and Naney, were born in Kentucky, and their mother often trembled with fear when alone with her little ones, thinking that perhaps the Indians might do them injury, but they were never molested, except by their frequent calls for something to eat. This was not easy to furnish, for Mr. Shepherd was not only a poor man, but had to eross the Mississippi to obtain supplies from Illinois, and the journey always took four days' time, during which the wife and little children were left alone. They, however, remained secure in their little cabin, and the emigration soon brought other neighbors. Their land was entered at the first land sale held at Burlington, and upon this traet the father lived and died. After the Shepherd family came to Iowa other children were born: Martha, wife of our subject; Lewis, who wedded Martha Cox; John, the husband of Maggie Williams; Alva, married to Ann Reed; William, wedded to Minnie Pero; all living except the youngest. All the sons except Lewis were soldiers, and all were in the same eom- pany and regiment, except William. Alvin was the only one receiving a wound, and all passed through some of the hardest fought battles of the war. The eldest daughter, Sarah A., wedded Arthur Cornwell, and Nancy became the wife of William Lansinger.


After his return from the army Samuel Hamell purchased his present farm, upon which the family have since resided. Prosperity has always smiled upon them, and they are numbered, not only among the early settlers, but with the best families of the township. Five children have graced their home : Clara B. is the wife of Samuel Denny, a resident of New London; Minnie B. is the wife of James Kramer, a machinist of Burlington; Ami, Maggie and Ai are yet with their parents.


We are pleased to mention the family of this brave soldier, and those of the Shepherd family as well. The mother of Mrs. Hamell is yet a resident of New London, and is now in her seventy-fourth year. For twelve years Mr. Hamell has been con- nected with the School Board, seven years of whieb


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time he was Treasurer. He is a member of Wesley Harden Post No. 384, G. A. R., of which he is one of the charter members, and to him is due the credit of its organization. Ile is a member of and the Treasurer of the anti-horse-thief association, and is one of its original members. As a gallant soldier, and upright citizen, and faithful official, he commands the respect of all who know him.




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