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 88
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98
WILLIAM H. REED, farmer, Sec. 4: P. O. Bellevue; he was born April 29, 1823, in Ireland. July 11, 1839, he came to Philadelphia ; the following Septem- ber, he removed to Jackson Co. He represented this county in the Legislature three different terms; first, in 1859, then in 1872, and again in 1876. Has also been a member of the Board of County Supervisors, and has held all the township offices. He owns about 1,000 acres of land. Married Catherine Lamborn in 1855 ; she was born in Pennsylvania. They have eight children.
JOHN ROE, farmer, Sec. 16; P. O. Green Island; born in New York in 1828. His father is still living, and in Michigan. His mother is dead. Mr. Roe came to Jackson Co. in 1858, and purchased the land upon which he now, lives. Lived there awhile, and then went to Minnesota; came back to Iowa, and when the civil war broke out, enlisted in the 38th I. V. I .; was discharged in August, 1865, in Boston. While a soldier, was taken prisoner in the Alleghany Mountains, by the famous rebel guerrilla, Capt. O'Neal ; was paroled, but did not regard the oath as binding, so went back into the United States Service immediately, and was afterward on detached duty, in charge of the shipment of rebel prisoners; was in that line of duty until discharged. His wife's maiden name was Caroline Street, also a native of New York. They were married in their native State in 1849. Have had eight children, six of whom are liv- ing, as follows-John A., Ida, Martha, Charles, George and William. Those dead were named Josephine and Baby. Mr. and Mrs. Roc were raised Methodists. In politics, Mr. Roe is a Republican ; owns 187 acres ; has about one hundred and fifty under cul- tivation.
CHARLES SHAFFER, farmer, Sec. 15; P. O. Green Island ; born in Ohio in 1830 ; came to Jackson Co. in 1855. where he has since resided. Wife's maiden name was Harriet Baxter, a native of Washington Co., Penn. They were mar- ried in Ohio in 1853, and have had thirteen children, eleven of whom are still living, named as follows: Martha J., married, and living in Montana ; Edward, George, Della, William, Margaret, Nathaniel, Elizabeth, Charles, Harry and Nettie ; of the two that died, one was named Harriet, and the other not named. Mr. Shaffer met with a misfortune in 1875, while at work around a thrashing machine, which resulted in the loss of his left leg. Has been one of the Trustees of his town, Supervisor, two or three terms, and President of the School Board. In politics, is a Democrat ; owns 160 acres; has about one hundred under cultivation. Land is well watered, and has forty acres of good tim- ber upon it.
JOHN SWANEY, farmer, Sec. 9; P. O. Bellevue; born in Ireland in 1839. Father still living, and in the old country ; mother dead ; came to America and to Jackson Co. in 1859, where he has since resided. Lived with Mr. William Reed four years, also worked in Clinton one summer ; balance of the time has lived in Wash- ington Township. Has a fine farm, well watered, and considerable timber upon it. His wife's maiden name was Julia McGovern, a native. also, of Ireland. Her father died in Iowa ; her mother is living in Washington Township. The subject of this biography, Mr. Swaney, and his wife, were married in 1865, in Bellevue, Iowa. Have seven chil- dren, all living, names as follows: Mary, Thomas, Frank, John, Edward, Daniel and Sarah. The religion of Mr. Swaney and his family is that of the Catholic Church. In politics, he is a Democrat ; owns 110 acres, 50 of which is under cultivation.
B. F. VAN HORN, farmer, Sec. 5 ; P. O. Bellevne; born October, 1837, in Columbiana Co., Ohio; in 1840, he came to Jackson Co. with his parents ; he owns forty acres land. Married Miss Eva Oswald in 1873; she was born in Ohio ; they have three sons.
716
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES:
VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP.
A. ALEXANDER, merchant and farmer, Sec. 19; P. O. Spragueville ; owns 340 acres ; he was born in Columbiana Co., Ohio, in New Lisbon, Nov. 10, 1820, where he grew to manhood and received a good common-school education, besides learning the saddlery trade, which he followed for several years; in 1839, he removed to Richland Co., Ohio, where he lived till 1850, when he left his family behind him and emigrated to California, where he kept a miner's supply store for two years, and ran a train of pack mules 270 miles to Sacramento, when he returned to Ohio, and, in 1856, commenced making permanent improvements in Jackson Co., Iowa, although he had been back ward and forward to Iowa, selling cattle, for several years. He married his first wife, Ellen Coleman, in Richland Co., Ohio, in 1840; she died in 1853; they had five children, two are living-Austin and Caroline. He married his second wife, Phoebe A. Barney, in the same county in 1856; she died in 1862; there are two children by this marriage-Harlow B. and Lucretia. He married his third wife, Anna Austin, in Jackson Co., Feb. 6, 1866; they have five children-Jessie, Franklin, Fred- erick W., Josephine and Lena. He is liberal in his church views; he has served his township faithfully for many years as School Director and School Treasurer; during the war he did gallant service in Co. A, 9th I. V. I .; held the commission of Second Lieutenant ; in politics, he is a strong advocate of the Greenback Labor Party.
NELSON BANNING, farmer, Sec. 17; P. O. Preston ; was born in Mon- roe Co., N. Y., in 1818; his father died upon the old farm in New York ; his mother in Michigan. Mr. B. came West in 1844 to Bellevue, Iowa; was there for a short time and worked at chopping wood for the use of steamboats; then came to his present place of residence and purchased a claim belonging to John Scarborough, to which he added from time to time, until he now owns 2874 acres of fine land, well watered and timbered. His wife's maiden name was Susan Murray; they were married in New York in January, 1839, in the town of Pike, Allegany Co., and have had seven chil- dren ; the names of those living are as follows: Ellen, Malora, Florence, Laura and Parmelia. Mr. Banning is a member of the Wesleyan M. E. Church, and in politics a Republican.
A. L. BARTHOLOMEW, banker and attorney, Preston ; born in Hart- ford, Conn., in 1841 ; his father, Eli Bartholomew, removed to Cleveland, Ohio, in 1845; he lived in Belvidere, Ill., and Cincinnati for about eight years; removed to Lyons, Iowa, in 1863; while there, was engaged in the marble business; he came to Jackson Co. in 1864 and located in Van Buren; he came to Preston in the spring of 1871 ; he built the first residence in Prestou, and opened a bank in the fall of 1871; he is also engaged in the practice of law. He married Mary J. Beckwith, of Belvidere, Ill .; they have three children-George, Eugene and Gertrude. Mr. Bartholomew was admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of Iowa in 1875.
HERBERT B. BRYANT, farmer, Sec. 35; P. O. Miles; was born in England in 1853; he is a son of William Bryant, and came to Iowa with his parents in 1856; when 2 years of age, his hearing was entirely destroyed by scarlet fever ; he was educated at the Institution for the Education of the Deaf and Dumb, Lowa City. His wife, formerly Miss Mena Bausch, of Bellevue, born in Jackson Co. in 1855, lost her hearing from sickness when only 1 year old; she was educated' at Council Bluffs, Iowa ; they were married Oct. 3, 1877. Mr. Bryant learned the trade of a printer at the office of the Maquoketa Excelsior, Maquoketa, in 1873; discon- tinued the business the following year ; he settled where he now lives in January, 1879 ; owns fifty acres of land. . .
WILLIAM BRYANT, farmer, Sec. 35 ; P. O. Miles; born in England in 1827; came to the United States in 1856; he located at Sterling, Jackson Co., where he lived about four years, engaged in the boot and shoe business; he settled where he now lives in 1863; Mr. Bryant has 236 acres of land; besides his farming
A. S. Bartolomeu
719
VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP.
business, he follows the business of thrashing each year. He was married to Fanny Green, also native of England ; they have five children-Henry G., Elizabeth A., Herbert. B., John W. and Clara E.
JAMES CRAWFORD, farmer, Sec. 24; P. O. Miles ; Mr. Crawford is a brother of Mr. William Crawford ; was born in Ireland in 1834 ; he and his brother Gardner came to the United States in 1849 ; he lived in Livingston Co., N. Y., till the fall of 1864, when he came to Van Buren Township ; he purchased the farm which he now owns. In the fall of that year, he was married to Sarah A. Alpaugh, of Steuben Co., N. Y .; they have five children-Jennie, Rosetta, Robert J., Isabella and Ruther- ford B. Owns eighty acres of land, with good improvements.
Z. De GROAT, Preston ; was born in Utica, N. Y., in 1835 ; he came to Van Buren Township when 20 years of age; he worked six months for Mr. Robert Hunter ; in 1856, he bought a quarter-section of land in Floyd Co .; this land, in 1858, he exchanged with Mr. Hiram Smith, of Buckeye, for a farm there, where he resided till 1870, engaged in farming and the stock business ; purchased 136 acres of land upon which he laid out the town of Preston; he is extensively engaged in stock, grain and agricultural implement business. He married Minerva R. McNeal, of Utica, N. Y .; they have two daughters-Olive L. and Phebe R .; they have lost four children-Hattie, aged 5 years ; others died in infancy.
JOHN DURANT, farmer and dairyman, Sec. 21; P. O. Preston ; born in Cayuga Co., N. Y., May 31, 1823 ; in 1829, his parents removed to London, Canada ; they removed to Michigan in 1836, to Illinois in 1837; in the spring of 1838, they came to Van Buren Township and settled in Section 22. His father, Samuel, is a native of England, born, November, 1794; his mother, Alma Pherris Durant, was born in Vermont in 1800 ; his parents are now residents of Butler Co., Kan. Mr. Durant was married, in 1851, to Amanda Thompkins, a native of Ohio ; they have six sons and two daughters-Eliza, Alma, Albert, Lewis, George, Thomas J., Willie and Horace; have lost three children-Mary, May and Charlie. Mr. Durant has 281 acres of land ; is engaged in general farming and dairying.
JAMES FARLEY, farmer, Sec. 32; P. O. Preston ; was born in Warren Co., Penn., August, 1824; his father, Andrew Farley, came to Van Buren Township in the spring of 1836, and made a claim of the farm which Mr. James Farley now owns; he returned to Pennsylvania in the spring of 1837, and brought out his family and settled on the farm where his widow now lives on Section 28, which he had also entered in the spring of 1836; he was killed in the Bellevue war, April 1, 1840. Mr. James Farley has lived on his farm since he was married, in 1851; he was married to Margaret .Sprague, daughter of Lorio Sprague; they have six children-Nathan, D., John, Virginia, Laura, Grant and Christopher; have lost one son-James. Mr. Farley is a brother of Christopher Farley, of Preston, who was born in 1822 ; his mother, Ruth Farley. is yet living, at an advanced age.
HENRY FLEMMING, farmer, Sec. 26; P. O. Miles; was born in Hol- stein, Germany, in 1826; he came to the United States in 1848; lived in Scott Co. three years; then settled in Fairfield Township, Jackson Co., where he lived until 1866, when he purchased his present farm, which contains 200 acres ; has also a farm of 120 acres on Sec. 27. He was married to Elizabeth Pehan, born in Prussia in 1836; they have nine children - Minnie, Mary, Lena, Henry, Harmon, Frances, Estena, Emma and Clara.
WILLIAM H. GANOUNG, proprietor of Hanover House, Miles ; born in Tompkins Co., N. Y., in April, 1842; he enlisted in 1861, in the 64th N. Y. V. I .; was in Mcclellan's peninsula campaign, participating in most of the battles of that campaign ; was for some time in hospital at Fortress Monroe; he was an eye-witness to the destruction of the Cumberland by the rebel ironclad Merri- mac, and also witnessed the noted contest between the latter and the Monitor; he was in the battles of Chancellorsville, Fredericksburg, Antietam and Gettysburg, where he was wounded ; discharged in 1864. He married Eliza Ravert, of Milton, Penn .; they have one child-Lulu. Mr. Ganoung came to Miles in September, 1875.
W
720
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
ALEXANDER GALLOWAY, retired farmer, Preston ; was born in Westmoreland Co., Penn., in 1805 ; his parents removed to Lawrence Co., Penn., when he was 7 years of age. He was married to Sarah A. Neal ; she died November, 1862; his present wife was Eliza Moore; he has five children by first marriage-Nancy, Mary, Martha, Robert and Annie. Mr. Galloway came to Bellevue in 1854; he rented a farm in Jackson Township for several years; in 1860, bought a farm in Sec. 2, Fair- field Township, which he still owns; he retired from his farm and removed to Preston in April, 1879.
WILLIAM GILLETT, retired farmer, Sec. 28; P. O. Preston; was born in Litchfield Co., Conn., in 1812; he removed to Illinois in 1833; went to Fond du Lac Co., Wis., in 1845 ; came to Jackson Co. and settled where he now lives in the fall of 1853; he had entered his farm in the fall of 1850; he has 240 acres where he lives, also a farm of 160 acres on Secs. 31 and 32; has 18 acres of timber-land on Sec. 30. He was married to Miss Anna Lang, of Lorain Co., Ohio ; she was born in Scot- land ; they have three children- D. Jay, Ada I., Ira M. and Mina M.
CLAUS HARMS, farmer, Sec. 11; P. O. Van Buren ; born in Holstein, Germany, in 1825; came to this country in 1853; located on the farm which he now owns, in 1858. He was married to Anna Seick ; they have five children-Caroline, Augustina, Henry, Matilda and Lydia. Mr. Harms has eighty acres of land. He and wife are members of the Lutheran Church.
JOHN HARRINGTON, farmer, Sec. 13; P. O. Miles; was born in Summit Co., Ohio, in 1818. He was married to Calista Prior; she was born in Ohio. He came to Jackson Co. and settled on the farm which he now owns, in May, 1854. He has three children-Ira L., Carlos J. and Lura. He has 100 acres of land.
JAY HATHEWAY, farmer, Sec. 23; P. O. Miles ; Mr. H. and his sis- ters, Lucy and Monica, own and reside on the farm which their father purchased when the family came to Jackson Co. in 1852 ; their parents were Simeon and Eunice Hath- eway ; their father died in 1858 ; their mother died February, 1875. Mr. Jay Hath-' eway was married to Miss Mary A. Crannell; she was born in the State of New York ; they have four children-Eunice, Louisa, Jasper and Guy. Mr. Hatheway and his sis- ters are natives of Swanton, Vt. Their brother Guy died March 16, 1867; he was the third child. Their farm contains 200 acres of land.
JOHN HEBERLING, farmer, Sec. 12; P. O. Miles ; was born in Berke- ley Co., W. Va., December, 1809 ; a machinist by trade ; left Virginia at the age of 14 ; removed to Eastern Ohio, where he lived thirteen years; from there to Franklin Co., Penn., where he remained fourteen years; then returned to his old home in Ohio, where he remained five years, when he moved to Jackson Co., Iowa, where he has since resided ; he purchased the farm upon which he now lives, soon after coming to the State ; owns 160 acres ; has lived in Jackson Co. twenty-five years ; his father was "a native of Virginia also, and was in the war of 1812; died in Ohio; his mother, also, was born in Virginia, and died in Ohio; his wife's maiden name was Susanna Cobel ; born in Franklin Co., Penn., in June, 1818; they have ten children, viz., George C .. Hiram S., Jay Milton, Mary I., Margaret A., Susanna, Henry A., Julius L., Charlotte and Alice ; Mr. Heberling's children all occupy positions of trust and responsibility, or have occupied such positions, the oldest son, George, having been for four or five years Deputy U. S. Marshal for the Eastern District of lowa; Hiram is a conductor on the M. & St. P. R. R .; Jay Milton is route agent for the American Ex. Co., and resides at Burlington ; Susanna is a music teacher in Miles ; Julius is check agent in railroad at Cedar Rapids; the other children are engaged in farming; Charlotte has been a school teacher for several years; George was in the war of the late rebellion ; was a clerk in the Adjutant General's Office; was a member of the 24th I. V. I., and partic- ipated in some of the hottest battles that were known during the war, and in one of those engagements lost a part of his right ear by a fragment of a shell hitting it; Hiram was also a soldier of the same war, but passed through the whole of it unhurt.
LEVI HOLROYD, farmer, Sec. 32; P. O. Preston ; was born in Yorkshire, England, in 1825 ; he came to Jackson Co. in the fall of 1851 ; returned to England in
721
VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP.
the fall of 1854, and was married to Miss Mary Wright; returned to Jackson County and located in Fairfield Township, where he lived till 1860, when he pur- chased and removed to his present farm. He has three children-William, Sarah and Emma.
J. D. LEVAN, miller, Spragueville ; born in Berks Co., Penn., May, 1834 ; he came to Jackson Co. in 1850; after coming to the county, he lived at Green Island, Washington Township; afterward learned his trade at what was known as the Old Youngs Mill, where he worked eight years; afterward worked at Maquoketa for the firm of Poff & Nickerson for about four years, then took charge of the Mill Rock Mills, in Monmouth Township; worked at Farmer's Creek Mills for a short time ; thence to Fountain Mills, Washington Township, which is owned by his father, Joshua Levan ; he took charge of Deep Creek Mills, his present location, Christmas, 1878; Mr. Levan is an excellent practical miller, well versed in both the old and the new pro- cesses of milling. He was married to Serilda Wood, daughter of Avery Wood, an early settler of Monmouth Township, Jackson Co .; they have two children-Ella, now Mrs. George E. Goodnew, of Maquoketa, and William ; lost two children-Lincoln and Franklin. Mr. Levan is liberal in religion and a Republican in polities.
ALVA MCLAUGHLIN, merchant, Preston ; born in Mercer Co., Penn., in 1829 ; he came to Iowa in the spring of 1854; returned to Pennsylvania in the fall of that year ; he came to De Witt, Clinton Co., in 1860; soon after came to Van Buren, and engaged in the mercantile business, was also engaged in shipping stock, and in the marble business; he came to Preston when the town was laid out in 1870; he kept the Preston House one year, then engaged in the mercantile business, also in ship- ping stock. He married Esther Traver, native of Medina Co., Ohio ; they have seven children-Emma J., Frank A., Ida, Wilbur C., John, Herbert and Arthur. Mr. MeLaughlin went to Maquoketa in 1867, where he engaged in the mercantile business, also in the marble trade about three years. He has been Justice of the Peace in Clin- ton and Jackson Cos. for sixteen years; was also member of the Eleventh General Assembly, elected in 1875.
HENRY S. McNEIL, farmer and cheese manufacturer, Sec. 22; P. O. Preston ; was born in Oneida Co., N. Y., in 1835; he was married to Mary A. Stuart, of Oneida Co .; they came to Van Buren Township in 1859, and settled one mile north of where they now live, where they resided one year, then purchased their present farm. Mr. McNeil enlisted in Angust, 1862, in Co. A, 24th I. V. I., Capt. Henderson ; served three years ; was discharged May 24, 1865 ; returned home, then went to New York State; came back in the fall of 1866, and settled on his farm and engaged in the manufacture of cheese in connection with general farming. He has six children-Mary R., Samuel M., William Henry, Mabel and Seward S .; has an adopted daughter-Mary Catharine Fate ; lost second child.
JOHN MARTIN, farmer, Sec. 18; P. O. Van Buren ; owns a farm of 160 acres, where he lives, and also a quarter-section in Section 16; he was born in Ireland in 1834; emigrated to this country in May, 1859; he went to Northern Minnesota, where he lived three years ; he. came to his present location in the spring of 1862; he was married to Jane Brownlee, also a native of Ireland; they have four children- William, Sarah A., Mary and Robert S .; lost one son-John B."
JUSTIN MILES, farmer, Sec. 23; P. O. 'Miles ; was born in Medina Co., Ohio, in 1837 ; his parents, James and Sophia Miles, came to Van Buren Township in July, 1852; his father entered a quarter-section of land, which includes the present- site of Miles, on which he died Dec. 1, 1867 ; his mother died in March, 1858. Mr. Miles enlisted in Co. L, 2d I. V. C., Aug. 24, 1861 ; he served till Oct. 10, 1864; he was at the sieges of New Madrid, Island No. 10 and Corinth, and at the battle of Iuka, etc., and was discharged Oct. 10, 1864. His wife was Miss Maranda Jacobs, daughter of Amasa Jacobs.
J. W. MILES, banker and farmer ; P. O. Miles ; born in Wayne Co., Ohio, in 1830; came to Jackson Co. in the fall of 1854, and located where he now lives. He married, in 1856, Sarah J. Heekerd ; they have two children-Hattie, born in 1861, and
722
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES :
Forrest B., born in November, 1873; lost their second child-Pearl. Mr. Miles was elected to the Legislature in the fall of 1877.
JOHN K. MILLER, druggist, Spragueville ; was born in Philadelphia, Penn., on the 14th of July, 1821, where he was raised and educated ; in 1844, he emigrated to Schuylkill Co., Penn., where he lived for five years, and, in 1849, he emi- grated to Jackson Co., Iowa, where he has lived ever since; his residence has been confined to Andrew, Bellevue and Spragueville. He has been Township Clerk of Andrew for several years, and also Constable. He is a Republican in his politics. He is a married man, but has no children. He was also Postmaster at Andrew for eight years.
THOMAS PEARSON, farmer, Sec. 10; P. O. Miles ; resides with his son on Sec. 24; born in Yorkshire, England, in 1814; his mother died in England ; his father, with his eight children, came to the United States in 1832 ; he died in Utica, N. Y., in 1860; only three of the family of eight children are now living, Thomas and his two sisters, the latter, residents of Madison Co., N. Y. Mr. Pearson came to Jack- son Co. in 1851, and settled on his farm on Sec. 10. He married Elizabeth Bryan, a native of Canada; they have one son-Thomas A., born in Elgin, Ill., in October, 1850. He was married to Miss Lucinda Davis, daughter of Mr. Wm. Davis, an early settler of Iowa Township; they have two children-Rhea and Emma; have been on present farm since 1875.
I. N. POLLANS, produce dealer, Preston ; was born in Tuscarawas Co., Ohio, in 1838 ; his parents removed to Whiteside Co., Ill., when he was 9 years of age ; he came to Iowa in June, 1874, located at Maquoketa, and engaged in the produce business ; he came to Preston and engaged in business in October of that year. He was married to Miss S. E. Smith ; they have three children-Frank, Lulu and Dwight.
OLIVER B. PRIOR, farmer, Sec. 26; P. O. Preston ; was born in Ohio in 1834; he came to Van Buren Township in 1854, and settled on Sec. 23; located where he now lives in 1874. His parents, Erastus and Mary Prior, came to the county at the time he did, and settled on Sec. 23; his father died about 1867 ; his mother died in November, 1878. He married Nancy J. Latta ; they have one son-Daniel. Mr. Prior has 260 acres of land.
OTTO SCHMIDT, merchant, Van Buren ; born in Prussia, Germany, in 1825 ; he learned the trade of a blacksmith ; he located in Columbia Co., N. Y., when he first came to this country, where he worked at his trade for about a year and a half, thence to Hudson City, where he remained nearly a year; he came to Sabula in the summer of 1857, thence to Savanna, Ill., where he worked a short time at his trade ; thence to Hanover, Iowa, for a short time, and came to Sterling in the summer of 1857 ; he worked at his trade in Sterling for about eleven years; he entered the mer- cantile trade in 1870. Mr. Schmidt has done and is doing a fine business ; in fact, has become quite wealthy, owning several fine farms, well improved. He was married to Sophia Pagels, a native of Germany; they have six children-Frank W., August F., Minnie S., Otto B., George W. and Augusta. Mr. Schmidt is Postmaster at Van Buren, appointed in 1870; has also held the offices of Supervisor and Justice of the Peace.
HENRY SPECHT, proprietor of the Mitchel House, and grain and stock buyer, Preston ; was born in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, in 1836. His parents, John and Frederica Specht, came to the United States in 1854; they came to Sabula in June of that year, where his mother died the following spring ; in 1835, his father settled on a farm near Sterling, Jackson Co. Mr. Henry Speclit married, in 1865, Minnie Pitham ; soon after, settled on a farm in Van Buren Township, which he still owns ; he came to Preston in the spring of 1871, and built the Mitchel House and barn ; has erected a number of other buildings in Preston, including the Public Hall. in 1873 ; he built a brick store in 1875, which was burned in 1878, and which he rebuilt in 1879; he built and owns the grain elevator, and has made other valuable improvements to the town.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.