USA > Iowa > Lee County > Story of Lee County, Iowa, Volume II > Part 16
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SAMUEL HAZEN.
Samuel Hazen is a farmer and stockman of Denmark township, engaged extensively in the breeding of shorthorn cattle, in which con- nection he has won a wide-spread and well earned reputation. He now has a herd of eighty head of shorthorns and upon his stock he
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has won many premiums. In all of his business affairs he is ener- getic, enterprising and progressive and his success is the merited reward of his labors. A native of Pennsylvania, he was born in Beaver county in May, 1857, a son of J. B. and Emily (Severns) Hazen. The father was also a native of Beaver county and was a representative of an old New England family, his father with his two brothers having removed from Vermont to Pennsylvania more than one hundred years ago. The grandfather of J. B. Hazen was the first of the family in this country.
J. B. Hazen became a successful farmer and dealer in live stock. He continued his residence in the Keystone state until 1866, when he removed westward to lowa, settling upon a farm in Pleasant Ridge township, Lee county, where he continued to make his home until his demise. The journey west was made by rail to Burlington and then he drove across the country to Pleasant Ridge township. Securing land, he immediately bent his energies to its further devel- opment and improvement, and his labors resulted in making his place one of the finest farms of the county. He was never so busy with his individual affairs, however, as to neglect his public duties and at different times he performed important public service both for the community and for the state. He acted as township trustee and filled other local offices, and twice he was called to represent his district in the Iowa general assembly, to which he was elected on the democratic ticket. In religious faith he was a Baptist, as was his wife. He died in 1904, at the age of seventy-seven years, and his demise was deeply regretted by all who knew him because of his sterling personal worth and his value as a progressive citizen.
In early manhood J. B. Hazen wedded Emily Severns, who was born in Beaver county, Pennsylvania, and who resides in Denmark, at the age of eighty-eight years. Her father removed to Mercer county, Pennsylvania, and lived near Greenville until his death. Mrs. Hazen is the only one of her father's family who survives. Her only brother died at the age of thirty-seven. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Hazen were born three sons and two daughters. Sue resides with her mother in Denmark. John, who died in 1883, when about thirty years of age, left a widow and one child, who now resides in Kansas. Eliza became the wife of B. F. Kennedy, of Big Mound, who removed to Polk county, Iowa, where his death occurred, Mrs. Kennedy remaining upon the homestead near Altoona until her de- mise in September, 1913. Samuel is the next in order of birth in the family. Hervey, living near Mount Pleasant, in Henry county, is a farmer and stockman and is married and has three children.
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Samuel Hazen has been a resident of Lee county from the age of nine years and has spent all of the intervening period in Pleasant Ridge, Washington and Denmark townships. He attended the public schools and was thoroughly trained in farm work under the direction of his father. Following his marriage he began farming on his own account in Washington township upon land owned by his father and the following year he purchased that property. About a quarter of a century ago, however, he sold that place and purchased his present farm, which is situated near the corporation limits of Denmark. He now owns three hundred and five acres of rich and productive land splendidly improved, eighty acres of his property lying a mile to the north of his home place. He has made many improvements upon his land, has installed a model heating plant. a waterworks system and has secured all of the latest improved ma- chinery to facilitate the work of the fields and promote the interests of the farm. In addition to carefully and successfully cultivating the crops best adapted to soil and climate he has engaged largely in stock breeding, making a specialty of handling shorthorn cattle. of which he now has a herd of about eighty head. He has made many exhibits of his stock at various fairs and has won numerous ribbons. His plans are carefully formed and promptly executed, and in all of his business dealings he is found thoroughly reliable as well as enterprising.
In 1884 Mr. Hazen was united in marriage to Miss Ella McCabe, who was born on the old McCabe homestead, on section 1, West Point township, a daughter of Arthur and Susanna (Christ) Mc- Cabe, who came to Lee county at an early period in its development, removing to this state from Preble county, Ohio. Her father was born in Delaware and her mother in Virginia and in early life removed to Ohio, where they were married. Three sons were born unto them in the Buckeye state and afterward they came with their family to Lee county, settling in West Point township, casting in their lot with its pioneer residents. The death of Arthur McCabe occurred in 1882, when he had reached the age of seventy-two years, while his wife passed away in July, 1888, also at the age of seventy- two. They had made their home with Mr. and Mrs. Hazen after the marriage of the young couple. They were Methodists in relig- ious belief, and Mr. McCabe was a republican in his political views. active and earnest in the work of the party. The McCabe family numbered eleven children, ten of whom reached adult age, while six are yet living. The record of the family besides Mrs. Hazen is as follows: Jacob died in Mount Pleasant. Leven is also deceased.
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William served in the Civil war and has now passed away. James has departed this life. Josiah is a resident of Revere, Clark county, Missouri. Eliza is the wife of Charles Brown, whose home is near Revere. Arthur resides near Luray, Missouri, and has fifteen chil- dren. Houston is now living in Mount Pleasant. Mrs. Eva Tullis is a resident of Meade county, Kansas, and Emma, twin to Eva, died in infancy.
Mr. and Mrs. Hazen are the parents of five children: Hervey, who is twenty-nine years of age and is now operating the home farm; Pearl, the wife of Professor Harry Stein, who is one of the teachers in the State Normal school at Springfield, South Dakota; Glen and Grace, twins, both at home, although the latter is now the wife of Oran Staff and has a daughter, Lucile. Verna, at home.
Politically Mr. Hazen is a democrat and has served in various local offices and as a member of the local central committee. He was formerly a member of the Grange, and he belongs to the Con- gregational church. His life has been an active and useful one, fraught with good results, and his career shows what may be accom- plished when energy and ambition point the way. He has never been afraid to face and meet the difficulties in his path and has regarded them rather as an impetus to renewed effort.
JAMES AMOS LEE.
James Amos Lee was one of the old-time merchants of Keokuk, and his life record deserves a place upon the pages of the history of the county, where for many years he made his home, arriving in 1851 and continuing his abode in Keokuk to the time of his death, which occurred forty-six years later. He was highly esteemed wher- ever known and most of all where he was best known. He was born in Montgomery county, Maryland, March 14, 1819, and was a rep- resentative of a well-known Lee family of the south. His father, James Lee, was also a native of Maryland and made farming his life work. He married Letha Trundle, who was likewise born in Maryland and in that state their entire lives were passed. Their children were nine in number: Berzella, who died in Maryland ; James A .; Thomas, who was drowned in the Mississippi river ; Leah; Durbin; Delphina; Sophronia, deceased; Elcana; and Curtis.
At the place of his nativity James Amos Lee was reared to man- hood and through the period of his boyhood and youth assisted his
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father in the cultivation and development of the home farm, alter- nating his work in the fields with attending the common schools, where he acquired a fair English education. He left Maryland in 1849 and started westward. He had relatives in Adams county, Illi- nois, with whom he remained for a brief period but he was looking around for a favorable business opening and this brought him to Keokuk. He traveled to this city with a man by the name of Rice, who was engaged in the iron business, and entering his employ he continued in that position for several years. He said that he never had occasion to regret his determination to make Keokuk his home. He found it a pleasant place to live and it gave him business oppor- tunities.
It was also in Keokuk on the 9th of March, 1858, that Mr. Lee was united in marriage to Miss Mary E. Fountain, who was born in Sussex county, Delaware, March 9, 1833, and was twenty-three years of age when she came to the west with an aunt, Mrs. J. S. Primrose, who made her way to Keokuk but did not remain. Mrs. Lee was a daughter of William and Elizabeth ( Pierce) Fountain, representatives of old Delaware families. Her father's birth oc- curred at the same place where Mrs. Lee was born. He was a farmer by occupation and thus provided for his family. Both he and his wife remained in their native state until called to their home beyond. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Fountain were born three children: William H., who remained a resident of Delaware; Mrs. Lec; and Solomon E., who served in the navy during the Civil war and is now living in Philadelphia. During the days of her early womanhood prior to her marriage Mrs. Lee traveled quite extensively in the section of the east in which she lived, taking many trips up the Delaware river to Philadelphia and thence going by boat through the canals and other water ways to Baltimore and other eastern points. Follow- ing their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Lee began their domestic life in Keokuk and through the long years of their residence here they enjoyed the warm regard and enduring friendship of those with whom they came in contact. They became the parents of two sons : George F., who married Emma L. Male and is now living in Ver- milion county, Illinois; and James Trundle, who married Deborah Howard and resides in Omaha, Nebraska.
Following his marriage Mr. Lee engaged in the grocery business in Keokuk and was active in that line of merchandising until his health failed him about fifteen years before his demise. Forced by physical reasons to retire from active life he then spent his remain- ing days in rest. He had long occupied a prominent and enviable
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position among the merchants of the city and was greatly respected by all who knew him, for he was reliable, energetic and progressive. In politics he was a stalwart republican, giving unfaltering support to the principles of the party, and his life was ever guided by the teachings of the Methodist Episcopal church, of which he was an earnest and consistent member, passing away in that faith in 1897, when he had reached the ripe old age of seventy-eight years.
BARNEY DIERKER.
ยท Barney Dierker, engaged in farming and stock-raising, makes his home on section 21, West Point township, where he owns a farm of two hundred and twenty acres. He is busily occupied with the further development and improvement of this property and is living a life of industry that is bringing to him a creditable measure of success.
He was born upon this farm, September 22, 1845, and is therefore one of the pioneer settlers and a representative of one of the pioneer families of the county, his parents being Henry and Katherine (Druppel) Dierker. The father was born in Hanover, Germany, and in early manhood made his way to America, settling in Lee county. That this was still a frontier district is indicated by the fact that he was able to secure government land. He removed to Iowa from Quincy, Illinois, where he sojourned for a brief period, and after making arrangements for having a home in Lee county he brought his wife, a son and two daughters to Iowa. Here other children were added to the family. The father preempted a claim in West Point township, securing one hundred and sixty acres in connection with Henry Fullenkamp, his brother-in-law. Henry Dierker made his home on section 21, West Point township, where he built a log cabin, which in later years was replaced by a brick house. He died upon the old homestead farm about thirty-five years ago when he had reached the age of eighty-six years and six months. He was a very industrious, energetic man, and his life was crowned with a substantial measure of success. In his family were five daugh- ters and two sons, of whom three are yet living. One of the sons died at the age of eighty-two years.
Barney Dierker was reared on the old homestead and attended a parochial school at West Point, but his educational advantages were very limited. His training at farm labor, however, was not
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meager, for at an early age he took his place in the fields, aiding in the work of plowing, planting and harvesting as the years went on. He thus gained a practical experience which enabled him to suc- cessfully carry on general farming and stock-raising since starting out in life for himself.
Mr. Dierker was married in June, 1874, to Miss Anna Ketman, who died in 1895 at the age of forty years. She was born in Mus- catine, Iowa, and was a daughter of one of the veterans of the Civil war, who lived for some years at West Point but died in San Fran- cisco, California, at the age of more than seventy years. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Dierker were born ten children, of whom five daughters and four sons are yet living: Katie, the wife of Henry Goebel, a resident of Oklahoma; Mrs. Annie Kempker, a resident of New- castle, Nebraska; Frank, a physician of West Point; Joseph, who is practicing medicine in Lawrence, Nebraska; Lizzie, who was edu- cated in the Denmark Academy and also continued her education at Highland Park, Des Moines, and is now a teacher at Jamestown, Missouri; Henry, a farmer living at home; Clara, also at home; Bernard, who is studying medicine in the St. Louis University; and Rose, who was recently graduated from the Fort Madison high school and has successfully engaged in teaching for a year.
The family are members of St. Mary's Catholic church at West Point and Mr. Dierker gives his political allegiance to the demo- cratic party. He displays many of the sterling traits of his German ancestry and has been a loyal and public-spirited citizen of Lee county throughout the entire period of his life. For almost seventy years he has witnessed the changes which have occurred, bringing about the growth and development that has resulted in the present prosperity and progress, and he can relate many interesting incidents of the early days and of the transformation that has here been wrought.
A. P. BROWN.
A. P. Brown is prominently and actively identified with the man- ufacturing interests of Fort Madison, being now president of the Brown Paper Mill and thereby controlling one of the important in- dustries of the city. Through the steps of an orderly progression he has advanced to his present position since starting out in life on his own account. He was born in Athens county, Ohio, in 1854, and is
BROWN PAPER CO.
VIEWS OF THE PLANT OF THE BROWN PAPER COMPANY, FORT MADISON
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a son of D. T. and Marie D. (Foster) Brown. The father, also a native of Athens county, acquired a public-school education and remained a resident of Ohio until some years after his marriage. In 1856 he started for lowa with his family, making Lee county his destination. He purchased a farm upon which he located and in 1872 he abandoned agricultural life for commercial pursuits, estab- lishing a stationery business in Fort Madison. This he conducted successfully for about a decade and in the meantime his attention was attracted to paper manufacturing, in which business he embarked in 1882, establishing a paper mill in this city. He was active in its man- agement and control to the time of his death, which occurred in May. 1906. His widow still survives. In their family were five sons and a daughter.
A. P. Brown, who was the fourth in order of birth, was but two years of age when brought by his parents to Iowa, so that his educa- tion was acquired in public schools of Lee county. He made his initial step in the business world by purchasing an interest in a book store in Fort Madison in 1870, buying out the firm of Webster Brothers, whose establishment was a branch of the first book store founded in this city. A few years later, or in 1876, Mr. Brown went upon the road as a paper salesman and since 1882 he has been con- tinuously with the paper mill of Fort Madison. His previous expe- rience upon the road gave him thorough and comprehensive knowl- edge of the paper trade and in 1883 he was made manager of the mill. Since that time he has had active voice in its control and in formulating its policy, and in 1900 he was chosen president of the company, in which capacity he has since concentrated his efforts upon executive direction. He keeps in close touch with paper manufac- turing interests and with the trade, and studies the latest processes of paper making and employs the most improved methods and ma- chinery. His product is of an excellent grade and a reasonable price and honorable business dealings insure to the house a continuance of the liberal patronage accorded them. This enterprise is one of the important business concerns of the city and as its controlling spirit Mr. Brown's position in commercial circles is indicated.
In 1885 Mr. Brown was married to Miss Susanna Hesser, of Lee county, a daughter of Frederick and Susanna Hesser, who were among the pioneer residents of this city, coming to Fort Madison in the early '3os, the father being the first hardware merchant here. They made the journey westward from Pennsylvania with wagons. traveling by slow stages across the country and locating in the little Iowa river town at a period before the territorial government was Vol. TT-11
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organized and when the work of progress and development seemed scarcely begun beyond the Mississippi. The father of Mr. Brown first made the journey from Ohio with a buggy and later he shipped his goods by boat down the Ohio river and up the Mississippi, for it was long before the era of railroad building through the middle west. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Brown has been born a daughter, Adelaide, now the wife of H. K. Dunmead, of Marshalltown, Iowa.
Mr. and Mrs. Brown occupy one of the first brick houses erected in Fort Madison. It was built in 1841 and is still a substantial resi- dence. A spirit of hospitality pervades the place, and their home is the center of a cultured society circle. Mr. Brown belongs to the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, and his political allegiance is given to the republican party. For two terms he has served as mayor, filling this position at the present time, and in the administration of the office he displays the same spirit of promptness and the same sound judgment and enterprise which have characterized him in his business affairs. The city is thus benefiting by his control, for he has introduced various needed reforms and improvements.
THE BROWN PAPER COMPANY.
The Brown Paper Company, one of the leading industrial enter- prises of Fort Madison, was established in 1882 and was the first busi- ness of the kind in the county. The stockholders at its inception were D. T. Brown, Morrison Brothers, W. H. Kortsinger, M. Case and the Fort Madison National Bank. This is the only mill left in the southeastern part of the state engaged in the manufacture of straw paper. The plant is located in the southwestern section of Fort Mad- ison, at the corner of Hamilton and Occidental streets, and is well equipped, the original machinery having been replaced by that of more modern manufacture. Much of the stock has been owned by the Brown family almost from the establishment of the mill. A. P. Brown is the only one of the original stockholders that is still in- terested.
The plant has a capacity of twenty tons of paper per day, utilizes thirty-five tons of straw per day and manufactures tube and corru- gated paper and strawboard, supplying the Illinois Glass Company. the American Can Company, the Omaha Box & Fiber Company and the Sefton Company of Chicago, these four firms taking all the prod- uct of the mill, in which forty-seven people are employed. They use
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both wheat and rye straw, two-thirds of which comes from Lee county, thus furnishing an excellent market to straw producers. The plant is equipped with five hundred electric horse power and the arrange- ment is such as to facilitate the work in every particular. Those in charge have made a study of the best methods of producing maximum results with minimum expenditure of time, labor and material and thus have found the secret of success for the business which they own and control.
RAY S. HART.
Ray S. Hart is a busy and energetic farmer who for the past sixteen years has resided on and cultivated a tract of eighty acres on section 7, Denmark township. He owns this property and it gives evidence in its neat and thrifty appearance of his watchful care and wise supervision. He was born in Pleasant Ridge township, Lee county, August 30, 1841, and is a son of John H. and Phoebe (Thurs- ton) Hart, who came to this county in 1838 and 1840 respectively. The father was born in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1799 and in the paternal line came of Irish ancestry and in the maternal line was of Scotch lineage. His father was a cabinetmaker and died in Rhode Island at the remarkable old age of ninety-four years. John H. Hart was one of a family of five sons and two daughters. One of his brothers, Edward Hart, was for two years a resident of Lee county, Iowa.
John H. Hart was reared and married in Rhode Island. He learned and followed the cabinetmaker's trade and was also an auc- tioneer. After his removal to the west he gave his attention largely to auctioneering and to farming, which he carried on in Lee county in 1871, when he removed to Bates county, Missouri. There his death occurred within the year. He was a Baptist in his religious faith, while his fraternal relations were with the Masons and the Odd Fellows, both of which organizations found in him a loyal and devoted representative. He married Phoebe Thurston, also a native of Rhode Island, and her death occurred in Lee county in 1852, her remains being interred in the West Point cemetery. One of her brothers, William Thurston, came to Fort Madison, Iowa, about 1838, thus casting in his lot with the earliest pioneers. He remained there to the time of his death. Unto John H. and Phoebe Hart were born seven children, of whom Ray S. was third in order of
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birth, and only one other is now living, Thomas H. Hart, a resident of Fort Madison. Having lost his first wife, the father married Emily Green and they had three children, two of whom survive, one being a resident of Illinois and the other of Osceola, Iowa.
Ray S. Hart was reared upon the old home farm in Pleasant Ridge township with the usual experiences of the farm lad, who as his age and strength increase aids more and more largely in the work of the fields and thus circumscribes the time which he can devote to the acquirement of an education. Practical training well qualified him for his later duties when he began farming on his own account. With the outbreak of the Civil war, however, he put aside all personal interests, enlisting in 1861, when twenty years of age, as a member of Company F, First Iowa Cavalry. His regi- ment was assigned to the Seventh Corps of the Western Army and Mr. Hart was on active duty for three years and three months, the last year being largely spent on detached duty in connection with the medical department. He was never wounded, although he suf- fered from malarial fever and his illness so reduced his weight that he tipped the scales at only ninety pounds when he returned home.
Not content with the educational opportunities that he had thus far received, Ray S. Hart afterward attended school in Denmark for a year and a half. He then went to Colorado, spending about a year in that state in the vicinity of Denver, where he engaged in freighting. Upon his return to Iowa he began farming in Denmark township and has since successfully followed that pursuit, being now the owner of a good tract of land of eighty acres on section 7, which he has brought to a high state of cultivation. His fields are carefully tilled along progressive and scientific lines, and success fol- lows his efforts in the production of good crops.
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