USA > Iowa > Jackson County > The history of Jackson County, Iowa, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., biographical sketches of citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion history of the Northwest, history of Iowa miscellaneous matters, &c > Part 77
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WILLIAM BURLESON, farmer and stock-raiser, Sec. 20; P. O. Nash- ville; is a native of the State of New York, and was born in Waterford, Saratoga Co., June 4; 1827 ; when 10 years of age, he came to Jackson Co., his father having come here and made the claim where he now lives; they were the earliest settlers in this part of the county ; when they came, there was no one here but Indians. William grew up to manhood here, and attended school, and by studying out of school, he prepared him- self for teaching; after reaching his majority, he taught school at De Witt, and at Wright's Corners, and at other places. He was engaged in the mercantile business for thirteen years. He has held the office of Justice of the Peace for the past eighteen years, he has also held the office of Assessor and other town and school offices. He owns a good farm of 175 acres, well improved. There are very few men here who have a clearer recollection of the trials and incidents of pioneer life than Mr. Burleson, and, like his father, his memory serves him well. On the 17th of March, 1850, he was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Ann Mallard, daughter of Fayette Mallard, one of the early settlers here"; she was the first white girl that he saw after coming to this county ; they have four children-Ellen, now Mrs. A. E. Parady, living in Anamosa ; Charles M., living in Oakland, Cal .; Martin C: and Frank D.
JOHN S. BUTTERS, deceased ; was born near Albany, N. Y., March 26, 1813 ; he grew to manhood with his uncle at Watkins, N. Y .; then removed to Ohio, where, in November, 1836, he married Miss Eunice Grace, a native of Huron Co., Ohio. In 1845, they came by wagon to Iowa, and spent the winter in Scott Co .; the following spring, came to Jackson Co. and located near Andrew and took up a claim there, and engaged in farming ; they were early settlers ; used to buy their groceries in Dubuque and go there to mill; he has carted dressed pork to Galena and sold it for 1} cents per pound ; they lived there until 1865, when they removed to where they now live. Mr. Butters held school and road offices; he died May 18, 1879, leaving six children,
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and an estate of 200 acres; Sarah, now Mrs. James Mitchell, of Algona; Harriet, now Mrs. George Anderson, of Woodbury Co .; John, now living in Jones Co .; Eunice, now Mrs. T. Moyer, of Jones Co .; Eliza, now Mrs. Nathan Barnes, of this town; James, now living at home, and has the management of the home farm; they had three sons in the army. Philetus S. and John both enlisted in Co. I, 12th I. V. I .; Philetus was killed at the battle of Tupelo, Miss., and John was wounded in the same battle at the same time. Commodore Perry, another son, enlisted in Co. C, 2d I. V. C. ; he served two years ; he died of disease contracted in the army.
ISAIAH K. CRANE, farmer, Sec. 29; P. O. Maquoketa ; is a native of Sullivan, N. H. ; born Feb. 28, 1820; he grew up to manhood and lived there until the fall of 1855, when he came to Jackson Co., Iowa, and settled in this township; he engaged in farming. When the war broke out, he enlisted, in 1861, in Co. 1, 12th I. V. I .; he was in the battles of Forts Donelson and Henry, Pittsburg Land- ing, siege of Vicksburg, in the Red River campaign and others; he was in the service over three years; after the war, he returned here. Feb. 13, 1865, he married Miss M. Angeline Smith ; she is a native of Pennsylvania; came with her parents to Towa and settled in Clinton Co. in 1848; they were early settlers; her father was a prominent Abolitionist, and established the first underground railroad station in Clinton Co. Mrs. Crane grew up there and was engaged in teaching; she still continues a student, and is thoroughly informed on the current news of the day ; she was the first to advocate the cause of equal suffrage in this neighborhood. Mr. and Mrs. Crane have two children-R. Eddy, born Jan. 16, 1866; S. Bird, April 18, 1867. While living in New Hampshire, Mr. Crane held the office of Justice of the Peace, and held the positions of Ensign, Second Lieutenant and First Lieutenant of the militia there. WILLIAM CURRENT, farmer, Sec. 25; P. O. Maquoketa ; is a native of Canada, and was born only eight miles from Niagara Falls, July 29, 1802; he grew up to manhood there; he came to Jackson Co. in 1839, and bought the claim where he now lives of J. Pangborn ; he brought his family here the following year, and arrived here July 12,1840 ; he began making a farm the winter of 1840 and 1841 ; he got out rails and fenced forty acres ; there are only a few of the early settlers now living who were here when he came ; he now owns two good farms and two hundred acres of timber; he used to drive his hogs to Galena, and has sold them for $2 per hundred weight ; he has held the office of Town Trustee. He married Miss Cynthia Wilson, of Canada, Sept. 7, 1830. They have had six children, only three of whom survive- Amy, now Mrs. Current ; William, in the mountains; Nelson, in Sac Co., Iowa.
ASA DELANO, farmer, Sec. 23; P. O. Maquoketa; is a native of Man- chester, Vt., and was born Dee. 7, 1816; when 6 years of age, his parents removed to Essex Co., N. Y., where he grew up to manhood. In November, 1837, he was united in marriage to Miss Hannah Rogers, a native of Ticonderoga, Essex Co., N. Y. ; they came to Iowa and located in Jackson Co. in May, 1854, and settled on the farm where Jesse Wilson now lives; after living there for a number of years, they came to Maquo- keta and resided about seven years; desiring a more active life, Mr. Delano bought the farm (where he now lives) on Platt street, just outside of the corporation limits. He has held office of Town Trustee and City Alderman. They have had two children, only one of whom survives-Mary Eliza, now Mrs. James T. Sargent, of Maquoketa ; they have lost one son-Zenas S .; when the war broke out, he enlisted in Co. A, 9th I. V. I .; he was in the battle of Pea Ridge, siege of Vicksburg, Lookout Mountain and others ;. after serving two years, he re-enlisted as a veteran ; he was taken sick and died in the hospital at Nashville, in March, 1864. The mother of Mr. Delano is living with him ; she is 83 years of age, and is as active as most ladies twenty years younger.
W. P. DUNLAP, farmer, fine stock raiser, Sec. 35; P. O. Maquoketa ; is a native of Rockingham Co., Va .; born July 7, 1833; he grew to manhood there; in 1858, he eame to Iowa, and located in Clinton Co. Jan. 4, 1858; lived there three years, then came to Jackson Co. and located where he now lives, and engaged in farm- ing and stock-raising ; since 1870, he has given special attention to raising fine stock- thorough-bred horses, short-horn cattle and Chester White hogs; he owns 160 acres of
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land here, a farm of 320 acres in Gage Co., Neb., and 160-acre farm in Kansas. He has held town offices. He married, on July 10, 1862, Miss Adelia L. Bentley, daugh- ter of David Bentley ; she was born in Warren Co., N. Y. ; her parents came to Jack- son Co. in 1841, when she was only 1 year old; they were among the early settlers. Mr. and Mrs. Dunlap have three children-George E., Agnes L. and John W. ; Jennie E. died in 1870.
RICHARD ELWOOD, farmer, stock-raiser and stock dealer, buying and shipping stock, Sec. 33; P. O. Maquoketa; is a native of Mercer Co., Penn. ; was born Aug. 19, 1821 ; he grew up to manhood there, and engaged in teaching school, and was afterward connected with the tanning business for some years; he came to Iowa and arrived in Jackson Co. June 10, 1851 ; he located in Fairfield Township, and engaged in farming and stock-raising ; in addition to that, for the past fifteen years he has been extensively engaged in buying and shipping stock. When he began life he had nothing ; by industry and good management, he now owns over one thousand acres of land. He has held the office of Treasurer of the School Fund for a number of years, and has held other town and school offices. On the 9th of April, 1851, he was united in marriage to Miss Mary Ann Brockway, from Trumbull Co., Ohio ; they have seven children-Roseltha (now Mrs. C. A. Beard, of Elwood ), James D., John D., Charles H., Bertie, Annie and Carrie. Mr. and Mrs. Elwood have one of the most pleasant homes in Jackson Co.
ALVIN FAIRBROTHER, bee-raiser, Sec. 26; P. O. Maquoketa ; is a native of Windham Co., Vt .; born May 20, 1813; he grew to manhood there, then removed to Essex Co., N. Y. While living there, in May, 1832, he married Miss Polly Estabrook, of Essex Co., N. Y. July 18, 1838, they started for the West, and came by wagon ; they came to Iowa and to Jackson Co., and arrived where Maquoketa is now located Sept. 10; his wife and her sister were probably the first ladies that passed a night in Maquoketa ; Mr. Fairbrother used to hunt and trap, and afterward engaged in farming ; having a taste for bee culture, he has for many years been one of the largest and most successful bee-raisers in this section of the State; there are very few more practical bee-keepers in the State; he has 150 stands of bees; he extracts most of his honey from the comb, and sells mostly in the home market. They have three children-James E., Laura (now Mrs. Henry Taubman, of Maquoketa), Harriet (now Mrs. McCrary, living in Kansas) ; they lost three daughters.
MILTON GODARD, farmer and stock-raiser, Sec. 33; P. O. Maquo- keta; is a native of Hartford Co., Conn., and was born Jan. 25, 1814; he grew to manhood there and married Miss Eunice Reed, a native of Connecticut; in the spring of 1836, he removed to Ohio; while living there, his wife died, leaving one son- Aphonzo; Nov. 18, 1843, he married Miss Amoret Clark, in Ohio ; Mr. Godard came to Iowa with his own team in the fall of 1841, and made the claim where he now lives and remained until the next September, then returned to Ohio; in the spring of 1845, they came to Jackson Co. and settled on their claim, where they now live ; at that time, their nearest neighbor on the west and south of them was fifteen miles dis- tant ; he began making a farm ; they used to entertain much of the travel ; Gov. Briggs, Mr. Fenn and Bradley used to always stop with them on their way to the capitol at Iowa City ; during the gold excitement in 1849, 1850 and 1851, they were thronged with travelers and could not get rid of them. When they came to this county, they only had two wagons and one team; now he owns a splendid farm of 320 acres, finely improved, with excellent, substantial buildings, and eighty acres of timber. They have one son-Loyal, and one daughter-Lucia; Loyal married Miss Emma Crevling, a native of Pennsylvania, in December, 1869; they have four children-Elmer, Martin, Milton and Lura ; Lucia, now Mrs. Cephas Crane, married in March, 1873 ; they have one daughter-Aura A. Mr. Godard's son Alphonzo was in the army; enlisted in Co. F, 31st I. V. I .; he was discharged and died in July, 1862, of disease contracted while in the service. Mr. and Mrs. G. are members of the Methodist Church.
ERASTUS C. GORDON, farmer, Sec. 25; P. O. Maquoketa; is a native of Huron Co., Ohio ; born Oct. 18, 1823 ; he grew to manhood there, and came
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to Iowa with his brother by wagon, and arrived in Jackson Co. Oct. 11, 1842; they were among the early settlers here; he has been engaged in farming and stock-raising. He was in the service during the removal of the Winnebago Indians from above Dubuque, serving in the cavalry service in Co. A. He has held the office of Consta- ble. În 1846, he married Miss Frances Ellis, of Indiana ; they have cight children, among them three pairs of twins-Otto, Susie, Abbie, Alva, Allie, Charlie, Parly, Riley.
MRS. SARAH M. HOCKLEY, Sec. 36; P. O. Maquoketa; is a native of Ohio; her maiden name was Sarah M. Hatfield ; when she was only 8 years of age, her parents started for the West, with but $3 in money, and there were five of them, and, when they reached Dubuque, they still had $3, making a most economical trip by working their way; they settled in Jackson Co. in 1843, and engaged in farm- ing ; Mrs. Hockley grew up to womanhood here, and says that since she was 8} years of age, she has lived within sight of her present home, and there are few persons of her age who have seen more of pioneer life than she has. In 1852, she married B. F. Darling, of Vermont; he died in November, 1867; they had three children-Helen E. (now Mrs. Woodhurst, living in Delmar), Charles F. and Mary; after remaining a widow for nine years, Mrs. Darling married, in December, 1876, William Hockley, a native of Ware, England ; he was born in 1837; came to the United States in 1855, and since then has lived in Iowa. Mrs. Hockley owns sixty-one acres of land.
REUBEN KAUFMAN, carpenter and builder, Sec. 34; P. O. Maquoketa ; is a native of Berks Co., Penn .; born July 8, 1841 ; in 1853, when 14 years of age, he came to Iowa, Jackson Co .; he grew to manhood here and learned the trade of car- penter and joiner, and since then he has been engaged in building. In 1864, he married Miss Rhoda H. Dunkin, a native of Illinois ; she came to this State when quite young ; they have three children-Luella, Leta F. and Margery.
THOMAS H. LAIRD, farmer and stock-raiser, Sec. 30 ; P. O. Maquoketa ; is a native of Illinois and was born in Du Page Co., near Chicago, Oct. 28, 1833 ; he grew up and received his education there and in Chicago. taking a course in Bell's Commercial College; after reaching manhood, he gave his attention to sheep- raising, and, with the exception of two years which he spent in California, he lived in Du Page Co. until 1865, when he came to Iowa and located in Jackson Co., on the place where he now lives, one of the finest farms in the county, of 200 acres ; he has given much attention to sheep-raising here, giving the preference to Merinos on account of their wool ; for the past three years, he has changed his flock and now raises mostly the Cotswold and Leicestershire ; there are very few men in this part of the State who have a more practical knowledge of sheep. He has held the position of President of the School Board. In 1862, he married Miss Sylvia Westcott, a native of Dane Co., Wis .; they have three children-Ralph, Addie and John ; Mr. Laird has one son-Frank, by a former wife.
WILLIAM H. LOCKWOOD, farmer, Sec. 27; P. O. Maquoketa ; is a native of Bolton, Warren Co., N. Y .; born Aug. 10, 1822; he grew to manhood there and learned the trade of carpenter and joiner ; he came to Iowa and located in Jackson Co., arriving in Maquoketa Nov. 14, 1852. The snow at the time was fourteen inches deep. He bought some land and began making a farm, and has been engaged in farming and stock-raising since ; he owns 200 acres of land. Before coming to Iowa, in 1848, he married Miss Abigail Green, of Bolton, N. Y .; they have one daughter, now Mrs. Lewis Haskell ; lost two daughters-Sarah and Ida.
ELI MOULTON, farmer, Sec. 30; P. O. Maquoketa; is a native of St. Lawrence Co., N. Y., and was born April 16, 1829 : he grew up there until 16 years of age, and came with his parents to Jackson Co. in 1845; they were among the early settlers here ; after reaching manhood he engaged in farming and owns 120 acres of laod. He has held school and road offices. In June, 1859, he married Miss Margaret Wolf, a native of Kentucky ; they have four children-James R., Nettie D., Luella J. and Milo.
MRS. LUCENA MOULTON, Sec. 31; P. O. Maquoketa ; is a native of Grafton Co., Vt .; born in 1806; when 4 years of age, her parents removed
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to Essex Co., N. Y .; she grew up to womanhood there. Married Thomas J. Moulton ; they came by wagon to Iowa and were twenty-one days on the way, and arrived in Jackson Co. June 7, 1845 ; they located on the farm where Mrs. Moulton now lives and engaged in farming. They were among the early settlers here and only had one team when they got here. Mr. Moulton died July 8, 1850. They had ten children, seven of whom survive-Elizabeth, William, Eli D., Oliver P., Adeline, Albert and Thomas J. (Mrs. Moulton owns 120 acres of land.) William was born in St. Law- rence Co., N. Y., in 1826; he came to this county with his parents in 1845. Married Miss Sarah Ann Wilcox, a native of Canada, a daughter of John Wilcox, one of the earliest settlers of this county. Thomas J. was born in St. Lawrence Co., N. Y., April 3, 1842 ; he came with his parents to Iowa when only 3 years of age; he grew up to manhood here and engaged in farming. He married Miss Lovina Coleman, a native of Canada, in 1869; they have four children-Ida, John, Horace and Mark. He enlisted in Co. F, 31st I. V. I., and served three years.
T. NICKERSON, retired farmer, Sec. 27; P. O. Maquoketa ; is a native of Manchester, Bennington Co., Vt .; born May 18, 1794 ; he grew to manhood there, and, on the 2d of March, 1822, married Miss Hannah Kimpton, a native of the same place, born the same year; they came to Iowa and settled in Jackson Co., and arrived here the early part of September, 1842 ; they were among the early settlers ; they pre- empted some land and bought the place where they now live and engaged in farming ; although he had nothing when he began life, he owns a good farm of 320 acres. He has held town and school offices. Mr. and Mrs. Nickerson have been married fifty-seven years, and now, although both are over 85 years of age, they are warm-hearted, entertaining and companionable ; they have had six children, four of whom survive- Alvira (now Mrs. Fenton) ; Mahala (now Mrs. Vine); Marcia (now Mrs. Hubbard ) ; Truman, engaged in milling business near Maquoketa.
T. K. NICKERSON, proprietor of the Maquoketa Woolen Factory and the Union Grist-Mill, Sec. 23, Maquoketa ; is a native of Castleton, Vt., and was born Oct. 26, 1825 ; when 16 years of age, his parents came to Jackson Co. and he grew up to manhood here ; in 1850, he went across the plains to California, remained there three years and returned in 1853; in March, 1855, he engaged in saw-milling ; the firm was Stimson, Wilson & Co .; they built the Union Grist-Mill ; in 1857, the firm became Poff & Nickerson and continued until March, 1879, when he bought the interest of Mr. Poff and now conducts the entire business himself; the woolen goods manufactured by the Maquoketa Mills have an established reputation and are of a superior quality ; Mr. Nickerson also owns the Maquoketa Lime-Kilns and carries on that business ; he owns 120 acres of land on both sides of the river ; there are few business men in Jack- son Co. who are more actively identified with its interests than Mr. Nickerson. In 1856, he was united in marriage to Miss Sarah S. Wood, a native of Essex Co., N. Y .; they have six children-Annis, Gerry C., Myrta, Cora, Gertie and an infant son not named.
JAMES E. REITER, farmer, Sec. 1; P. O. Maquoketa; is a native of Trumbull Co., Ohio, and was born Oct. 5, 1857; until 12 years of age, he lived in that county ; he came to Iowa to Jackson Co. in 1869; he learned the trade of shoe- maker ; after coming here, he bought the farm where he now lives and engaged in farming and stock-raising ; he owns a farm of 140 acres. He married Miss Ida Kin- caid, from Ohio, April 8, 1877; they have one daughter-Minnie Eldora.
LEONARD SEAVER, farmer; P. O. Maquoketa; is a native of Bel- lows Falls, Vt., and was born May 17, 1834; he was brought up mostly in Livingston Co., N. Y .; he came with Mr. Eddy to Iowa in 1853 and remained about one year, then returned to New York ; in the spring of 1862, he came to Jackson Co. and set- tled permanently, and since then has resided here; in 1867, he engaged in farming ; he owns a good farm of seventy-four acres inside of the corporation limits. He was in the army ; enlisted in Co. E, 58th N. Y. V. I. In 1867, he was united in marriage to Miss Minnie Safford, a native of Livingston Co., N. Y .; they have one son-Adello H., born March 27, 1872.
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CALEB SUMMERS, farmer, Sec. 19; P. O. Nashville; is a native of Morgan Co., Ind., and was born Jan. 6, 1834; when 12 years of age, he came with his mother to Iowa; they came in a two-horse wagon and were eighteen days on the way, and arrived in Jackson Co. Oct. 20, 1846; they located at Canton and lived there five years, then removed to where they now live ; they were early settlers and have lived in this county thirty-three years ; after coming here, Mr. Summers worked two days to earn only money enough to pay the postage on two letters and take them out of the post office ; he has carted dressed pork to Bellevue and sold it for 87} cents per one hundred pounds; he owns a farm of 105 acres. In 1853, he married Miss Nancy Jane Gregg; she was a native of Kentucky ; they have four children-Helen, Eva Ann, James G. and Mary Isabel.
WILLIAM THOMAS, farmer, Sec. 34 ; P. O. Maquoketa ; is. a native of Orange Co., N. Y., and was born in 1823; when 14 years of age, he came to Clinton Co .; he grew up there, and, after reaching manhood, engaged in farming. There he married Miss Clara Baker April 18, 1844; she is a native of Pennsylvania ; came with her parents to Iowa in June, 1838; they are among the oldest settlers of Clinton Co. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas came to their present residence ten years ago; they own 100 acres of land; have eight children-Albert, Lydia A., Ella A., Martha, Ada, Willie, Elmer E. and Eliza ; lost one son, Charles, who was in the army in Co. C, 26th I. V. I., and was killed at the battle of Arkansas Post.
JOHN WILCOX, farmer, Sec. 29; P. O. Nashville; is a native of Mont- gomery Co., N. Y., and was born April 26, 1808; he grew up and lived there until 18 years of age, then removed to Canada. In January, 1835, he married Miss Maria Caswell, a native of Plattsburg, N. Y .; resident of Canada ; they started for the West Feb. 16, 1840; came by wagon and arrived in this neighborhood March 21, being thirty-five days on the way ; they bought a place at South Grove, but soon after bought the place where they now live and engaged in making a farm ; they are among the early settlers here ; he owns a farm of 150 acres; he has sold pork at $1 per hundred, taking his pay iu trade, and used to go twenty-five miles to Cascade to mill; he has held the offices of Town Trustee and School Director ; they have six children-Sarah A., Hud- son B., Mary C., Leonora K., Columbus, E. Ferdinand ; lost two children.
ANSON H. WILSON, farmer, Sec. 25; P. O. Maquoketa; is a native of Canada, and was born within a few miles of Niagara Falls May 27, 1816 ; he grew up to manhood there ; in the spring of 1839, he started on foot for the West ; there were four others with him; when they reached the Mississippi River at Savanna, Mr. Wilson was anxious to cross the river; he and the ferryman and a horse crossed in a skiff; the horse was led in the skiff, which was only large enough for him to stand ; Mr. Wilson was in the bow of the skiff holding the head of the horse; the ferryman, who was seated right in front of the fore legs of the horse, warned Mr. Wilson that if the horse should raise one of his feet, over they would go, and that they must cling to the boat; they rode about three miles and crossed safely. An Irishman, who was watching the small boat and its curious cargo in amazement, when they reached the west bank of the river, said Gabriel must have blown his trumpet, or they never would have crossed the river in that way. It was a perilous ride and one that Mr. Wilson never desired to repeat. He reached Maquoketa in June, 1839; at that early day, claims were made to the land near Maquoketa, but Mr. Wilson, one night while attending a claim suit, heard Joe Henry, agent for Hooper, Peck & Scales, of Galena, testify that the claim where Mr. Wilson now lives was not taken up. The latter slipped quickly out of the crowd, and, though it was after 11 o'clock, he got a team and a load of rails and started to make the claim; upon reaching the land, he found another man had got a little the start of him, having reached the same place just ahead of him and was unloading rails; Mr. Wilson paid him $10 and took the claim and has lived there ever since ; he began making a farm and engaged in farming ; in 1840, he and Mr. Goodenow began break- ing prairie. There are very few men who have the courage and determination to go through what Mr. Wilson experienced in breaking prairie with oxen and sleeping among snakes. The first flag that was raised in this county or in this part of it, he bought
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the cloth in Dubuque and he and Thomas Wright painted it, and it was hoisted on the Fred Mallard place, just east of Buck Horn, July 4, 1841. Scott Kirkpatrick was the orator of the day. One of the first suits that Mr. Wilson ever attended, he and Shade Burleson pleaded the case in which there was half a bushel of corn involved. There are very few men living in Jackson Co. who have endured more and can interest and relate of the early incidents and happenings as well as he and Shade Burleson. He owns a good farm near town and has held office of Town Trustee and other town and school offices. Mr. Wilson was married, Feb. 15, 1841, to Miss Martha Stinson, from New York State; she died April 21, 1847 ; they had four children, none of whom are living. On the 23d of December, 1849, he married Miss M. Hanson, from New York State ; she came to Jackson Co. in August, 1838; they have two children-one son, Volney, and one daughter, Laura A., both living at home.
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