USA > Iowa > Mahaska County > The history of Mahaska County, Iowa, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., a biographical directory of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion, general and local statistics > Part 69
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595
OSKALOOSA CITY.
ried Miss Magdalene Shannon, of Green county, in that State; upon dissolution of partnership with Judge Seevers, May 17, 1852, he associated with Judge Loughridge in legal practice; this partnership closed within the first year, and September 1, 1854 he became a member of the firm of Smith & Williams, Mr. M. T. William's being his partner; these gentlemen, as elsewhere mentioned, opened the first bank in Oskaloosa, March 1, 1855; they continued in partner- ship until January 1st, 1857, when Mr. Smith became sole pro- prietor of the bank, under the style of Wm. T. Smith & Co .; from this time, for some ten years, Mr. Smith was foremost in banking interests at the county seat, of which full particulars are given in a previous chapter on " banking in Oskaloosa," where the reader can see more clearly the prominence of Mr. Smith in this business, than could be set forth in a personal sketch. Mr. Smith while an attorney, had ac- quired quite a reputation in the line of mercantile collections, then a very considerable and profitable business in Iowa; to avoid the throwing away of bus- iness of this kind, which fre- quently offered itself, and which Mr. S. had no time to attend to, he became a beneficiary, but not a working partner in the firm of Smith, Rice & Myers, in 1857; this firm was dissolved April 1, 1859; as president of the school board during several terms, and also as member of the board of directors, Mr. Smith rendered active and valuable service to the cause of public education; many improvements in buildings and methods, were made at his sug- gestions or with his aid; he was a large subscriber to Oskaloosa Col-
lege, and in the contest made for se- curing its location at Oskaloosa by the church controlling it, took an active part, and was the author of the proposition made in the convention securing such location. As a land owner, agriculturist and citizen, Mr. Smith has taken great interest in Mahaska county fairs, having been intimately connected with every association of the kind, from his inception until the present time, more or less, as exhibitor, contributor, stockholder, director and presi- dent; he was also a member of the finance committe, on the part of the State Agricultural Society for some years, and by his wise financiering and counsels, con- tributed to its welfare. The list of city officers in Oskaloosa shows Mr. Smith to have been its first Mayor, elected in 1853; and that he afterward filled that office in 1856, 1857, and again in 1872; these facts are the more complimentary when it is consid- ered that he was a member of the minority party in the city, and evinces alike the gratitude of Os- kaloosa citizens for his public work and enterprise, as well as executive force, and his impartial and strict enforcement of the laws. Mr. Smith was president of the "Iowa Insurance Com- pany " during the time of its ex- istence; this company as will be seen elsewhere on these pages, was an institution of excellent record; Mr. Smith's presidency of the Iowa Central road during two years of the most trying time of its construction, and his praiseworthy efforts in carrying forward this enterprise, are given in connection with the history of the Central road in the previous part of this work. Mr. Smith has likewise been interested in every railroad project in Mahaska
596
DIRECTORY OF MAHASKA COUNTY.
county, sometimes to his consid- erable cost, and repaid even by a doubtful gratitude for some of his sacrifices. Though not a politi- cian Mr. Smith was raised, and ever has been, a Democrat, and be- lieves it to be the duty of every citizen to watch and participate in an intelligent way in the polit- ical movements of the nation. At the outbreak of the rebellion, Mr. Smith, believing the South should seek redress and assert its rights under the Constitution and in the Union, was among the first at a public meeting held at Union Hall, in Oskaloosa, to an- nounce himself in favor of coer- cion and was active in all move- ments in his neighborhood, gotten up on the side of the Union. That Mr. Smith did as much, and perhaps more, for his country than any other Mahaskan who re- mained at home, is evident from Mr. Kirkwood's letter, which we give below. In 1870, Mr. Smith, by a unanimous and unexpected nomination of the Democracy of what was then the fourth district, became an unwilling candidate for United States Representative. This district at that time contain- tained a greater population than any other in the United States, and the battle-field in which Mr. Smith was to contest with his op- ponenent, Hon. Madison M. Wal- den, then Lieutenant-Governor of the State, was a wide one in which, in point of members, Mr. Smith's party was ordinarily in a a very considerable minority. By arrangement, the candidates made a joint canvass, speaking in most of the important places in each of the twelve counties in the district. That being a day in which a man's war record was an important mat- ter, that Mr. Smith's position might be indisputably shown, the
following letter was put in circu- lation :
Ex-Governor Kirkwood's Letter to Hon. Wm. T. Smith, Demo- cratic Candidate for Repre- sentative in Congress from Iowa, Fourth Congressional District.
IOWA CITY, Ang. 27, 1870.
WM. T. SMITHI, EsQ., Oskaloosa, Iowa. Dear Sir :- Your letter of the 25th inst., asking me for a statement relative to your course during the late war between the United States and the so-called Southern Confederacy, so far as the same came under my observa- tion, during my term of office as Governor, has just been received, and I very cheerfully comply with your request.
It is well known to some, but may not be known to all the peo- ple of our State, that those who were charged with the duty of placing in the field the troops called for from this State, labored under very serious embarrass- ments during the first few months of the war. There was not any difficulty in raising the men. They came by thousands when lıundreds only were called for. The difficulty was in raising mnon- ey to organize them and put them in the field. The United States could not then furnish the money, and there was not any money in the State Treasury. At the extra session (May, 1861) our State Legislature authorized the issuance and sale of the bonds of the State. At that time three regiments had already been or- ganized without any money from the State, and several weeks must necessarily elapse before the bonds could be prepared and offered for sale in the way provided by law. In the meantime more troops
Éhoristian Houtz
599
OSKALOOSA CITY.
were called for and more money was needed for their organization. The validity of the bonds of the State was attacked, both in our State and in New York, on the ground that the Legislature had not the power to authorize their issue, thus injuring their credit and of course lessening the chance of their sale.
In this emergency an appeal was made to certain citizens of the State who had or who could con- trol money-amongst others to you. That appeal was promptly responded to by you and by oth- ers. You at once took my per- sonal drafts for about five thousand dollars and advanced me the money. You also, at my sugges- tion, advanced about two thousand dollars to other persons to meet the expense of organizing certain troops, and afterwards took about thirteen thousand dollars of our State bonds at the highest price at which any of them were sold, and when they were wholly un- salable in New York. In short, you was one of a few men through whose liberality and patriotism the State was enabled, in the early part of the war, to achieve for itself at home its reputation of "always ready " which through- ont the war it so well maintained at home and in the field, and dur- ing my term of office I believed and acted upon my belief, that you steadily maintained through- out the war the stand you took at its commencement.
Yo .. and I belong to different political parties, but I must whol- ly 1. my self-respect before I can, for political or any other consideration, refuse to do justice to one who encouraged and aided me, at a time of public peril,
when I so much needed encour- agement and aid.
Very respectfully, S. J. KIRKWOOD.
Notwithstanding the fact that Judge
Loughridge had been elected over John P. Irish, two years previous- ly, by a majority of some 7,300, Mr. Walden's majority was re- duced to 4,122, as shown from the following extract from official rec- ords:
COUNTIES.
Madison M. Walden.
William T. Smith.
Appanoose.
1249|
1153
Benton
2172
1114
Iowa.
1261
1115
Jasper.
2026
1063
Johnson.
1838
1812
Keokuk
1581
1457
Mahaska.
1705
1461
Marion.
2026
2029
Monroe.
997
596
Poweshiek
1252
875
Tama. .
1610
608
Wapello
1288
1600
Total.
19205/
14883
Mr. Smith is now engaged in farming, owning about 1200 acres in Mahaska county. He has given special attention to stock raising, and his Short-horns, Jersey cattle and other fine stock, are known throughout the State among stock men. His hospitable and pleasant home, in the suburbs of Oskaloosa, known as "Ridge Farm," draws many a visit from business men of different parts of the State and elsewhere, who may frequent Os- kaloosa, and find it pleasant to talk over early enterprises in
36
-
600
DIRECTORY OF MAHASKA COUNTY.
which Mr. Smith had a mutual in- terest. Mr. Smith and wife have lost five children in early infancy, and have three living, viz: Laura M, wife of Byron V. Seevers, Esq., Omer C. and Lna L., all highly respected for their intelli- gence, industry and promise of future usefulness. At the time of our present writing, Mr. Smith, in view of selling " Ridge Farm," to a coal company, for mining pur- poses, proposes to remove to his farm of nine hundred and sixty acres, known as " Iligh- land Farm," in the center of Ad- ams township, and six miles north- east of Oskaloosa, which has the reputation of being one of the very best large farms in the State, where he expects to gratify his taste for fine stock to a greater extent than heretofore, and engage more extensively in general farm- ing. Mr. Smith has a sanguine temperament, is strong in his prejudices, warm in his friend- ships, a good conversationalist, and a gentleman whom one meets only to wish for a more extended and intimate acquaintance. We are convinced that to him Mahas- ka county is much indebted; that he deserves his success, his for- tune and his friends.
SMITH, N. J., firm N. J. Smith & Co., dealers in hardware, Oska- loosa; born in Erie county, Penn- sylvania, December 23, 1814, and at an early age removed to Ash- tabula county, Ohio; he married Miss Sarah A. Crandell, from Es- sex county, New York, March +, 1834; they came to Morgan coun- ty, Illinois, in 1837, and in 1840 they came to Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, and lived there five years; he was here in 1843, when there was not a house here completed-they were building a log grocery; in 1845 he came here to locate, but it was so wild and unsettled that he
gave it up, and, with his family, went to Michigan; in 1853 they again came here, and located in Oskaloosa, and he engaged as clerk in a store; he has been connected with mercantile business here for twenty-five years; he has held town and school offices; they have two children, Mrs. Francis J. Carleton, living here, and James Edward, in Colorado; they lost three children in infancy.
Smith, Omer, farmer.
Smith, D. C., minister.
Smith, T. K., jeweler.
Smith, C. M., farmer and stock dealer.
Smith, S. E., stone mason.
Smith, Henry, tinner.
Snowden, James E., pastor Congre- gationalist church.
Snyder, Henry, retired.
Sonderegger, Henry, malter.
Southwick, R. W., laborer.
Southwick, James, laborer.
SPENCER, HARRY L., firm of Wright & Spencer, wholesale gro- cers, Oskaloosa; born at Spencer Station, Guernsey county, Ohio, December 30, 1842; he was brought up and received his edu- cation there; during the war he enlisted in the Ninth Ohio Cav- alry, Company B, February 9, 1864; was appointed First Ser- geant June 8, 1865; was at head- quarters, and in the quarter-mas- ter's department; was discharged at Lexington, North Carolina, July 20, 1865; after the war he was at Zanesville two years, and came to Oskaloosa in November, 1867, and engaged in business, the firm being Terry & Spencer for one year; then Mr. Wright be- came connected with the firm; af- ter a short time they bought Mr. Terry's interest; associated with Mr. Wright, they carried on the business until the death of Mr. Wright, in 1875; since then Mr. Spencer has conducted the busi- ness; the house does a large and
601
OSKALOOSA CITY.
strictly wholesale trade; Mr. Spen- cer married Miss Mary E. Paine, from Pawtucket, Rhode Island, October 20, 1869; they have two children, Anna E. and Ida Ger- trude.
Squires, Charles, laborer.
STAFFORD, DR. ELAM, physi-
cian and surgeon, Oskaloosa; born in Wayne county, Indiana, Feb- ruary 1, 1826; he lived there and in Tippecanoe county for seven- teen years, and came with his father's family to Iowa by wagon, and arrived here in this county in June, 1843; the principal thing here then was a pole stuck up to designate the spot supposed to be the center of the county; he was one of the earliest settlers here; he sat on a log and wrote tickets on election day; the election was held one mile north of town, in the edge of the timber; he stud- ied medicine, and graduated in Cincinnati in 1852, and began the practice of his profession, and is one of the oldest physicians here; he was connected with the drug trade here for eleven years; married Miss Sarah Stanley, from Illinois, in June, 1852; they have one daughter, Emma F., and have lost one son, Charles W., and one daughter, Katie.
Stafford, Henry, teamster.
Stanley, John, farmer.
Stanley, William P., constable.
Stanley, E. T., life insurance agent.
Stanley, Jesse, retired.
Stanton, W. R., stoek buyer.
Sternes, William, horse trainer.
Sterling, George F., blacksmith.
Stoner, Milton, farmer.
Strong, Joseph, cooper.
Strong, Joseph P., horticulturist.
STREET, WM. B., retired, Oska-
loosa; born in Shawneetown, Ill., July 12, 1819; his father was Gen. J. M. Street, the humane and Christian Indian agent; he studied law with Henry Clay, and
afterward practiced law with Andrew Jackson; he was appoint- ed Indian agent by President Adams, in 1827, and was twice appointed by Andrew Jackson, and also by Martin Van Buren, and after his death President Van Buren, on account of his services and great usefulness to the gov- ernment, offered to appoint as his successor either of his sons whom his widow might select. General Street married a daughter of Major General Thomas Posey, of Revolutionary fame; he was with Morgan's Rifleman under " Mad Anthony Wayne"; he was the second man in scaling the fort in the capture of Stony Point. The subject of this sketch, when eight years of age removed to Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, in 1828, and came to Iowa in 1834, and was constantly among the Indians until 1843, much of the time at or near what is now known as Agency City; his father being Indian agent under the Sae and Fox tribes, he remained there until the treaty was made with the Indians; there is perhaps no person in the State of Iowa who has so intimate and correct a knowledge of Indian affairs as Mr. Street; he came to Oskaloosa in 1844; one of the earliest settlers, he built the first frame store building within the city limits, and engaged in the mercantile business, buying his goods in St. Louis, and hauling them from Keokuk, and taking ten days to make the trip; he contin- ned in business until 1857; he has held town and eity offices; he married Miss P. M. Cobb, daugh- ter of William Cobb, of Rutland, Vermont, in July, 1854; she was great-grand-daughter of Samuel Allen, brother of General Ethan Allen, of Revolutionary fame. Mr. and Mrs. Street have one daughter, Miss Ida Maria, who is
602
DIRECTORY OF MAHASKA COUNTY.
now attending Vassar College, and graduates in the class of 1879. Stuart, W. B., grocer.
STUMPS, PETER, dealer in gro- ceries and provisions, Oskaloosa; born in Prussia, February 10, 1827, and was brought up there; served in the Prussian army, and was discharged in September, 1853, and emigrated to America in 1854; he came to Iowa in 1855, and lo- cated in Oskaloosa, and did not have a dollar, and could not speak a word of English; he engaged in the mercantile business in 1864, and has continued it since then; he married Mary Steffens, from Prussia, in November, 1855; they have two children, Mary, born September 7, 1856, Joseph, born September 14, 1858; they lost one son, Peter.
Swage, John, retired.
SWEARINGEN, LEMUEL A.,
meat market, Oskaloosa; born in this county, one and one-half miles west of Oskaloosa, July 8, 1845, and was bronght up here, and has lived in this county 33 years, except two years he spent in California; his parents were among the earliest settlers in the county, and are now living here; . for the past five years he has been engaged in his present business; he married Miss Lizzie Holt, from Pennsylvania, May 10, 1873; they
have two children, Cora and Fred. Swearingen, Winfield, stock buyer. Swearingen, John H., painter.
Taylor, Henry, marble cutter.
Seibel, John, president farmers' and traders' bank.
T ENNANT, W., sewing machine agent.
Terrell, M. J., farmer.
Terrell, G. J., agricultural agent.
Terrell, William, laborer.
Terpin, George, restaurant.
Thomas, W. H., wagon maker.
Thomas, Jesse, grocer.
Thompson, Francis, carpenter.
Thompson, J. G., minister.
THOMPSON, THOMAS, retired,
Oskaloosa; born in Philadelphia, May 24, 1828; he was brought up there and attended school until fifteen years of age, then removed to Trumbull county, Ohio, and lived there for eight years, and then went to California; he re- turned, and came to Iowa and lo- cated in Oskaloosa in 1854, and engaged in the furniture business, the firm being Hamilton & Thomp- son, and they did a large whole- sale business; he improved a farm of 270 acres in this county, and about 1,000 acres in Poweshiek county; he owns two farms of 400 acres; when he first entered land in Prairie township there were only two voters in the town- ship; he has lived here over twen- ty-four years; he has one brother in Colorado; his father is eighty- four years of age, and is living here.
THOMPSON, SAMUEL, county surveyor, Oskaloosa; born in Clin- ton county, Ohio, July 13, 1821; he was brought up in Ohio, and studied surveying and engineer- ing; in 1846 he was deputy coun- ty surveyor of Mercer county, Ohio; he was appointed to help survey the tract of 3,200 acres of land there, bought by John Ran- dolph, of Virginia, who gave free- dom to four hundred of his slaves, and settled them there, but on the 4th of July, 1846, the Germans arose in their wrath and drove the negroes away; Mr. Thompson came to Iowa and located in Os- kaloosa July 9, 1855; he settled on a farm, and engaged in survey- ing; he was elected county sur- veyor in August, 1857, and served until 1863; he was elected county judge in 1863 and served until 1869, when the office was merged into that of county auditor; in 1873 he was again elected county
603
OSKALOOSA CITY.
surveyor, and since then has held that position; he has held the of- fice of justice of the peace, and other township and school offices; he married Anna Murray, from Vermont, October 10, 1850; they have four children, Julia, Emma, Mary and George.
TICE, HARDIN, retired stock deal-
er; born in Montgomery county, Virginia, October 27, 1829; when only two years of age his parents emigrated to Sangamon county, Illinois, and he was brought up and lived there until he was twen- ty-three years of age, when he started for Iowa on horseback, with all of his worldly effects in a portmanteau, and he arrived in this county March 20, 1852; he bought a piece of land on credit, and went to farming; after two years, on account of an affection of his head, he engaged in buying and shipping stock, which busi- ness he carried on extensively for many years until 1876, when he rented his farm and retired from active business upon a competen- cy, and took up his residenee here in the city; though he is still in- terested in feeding stock, he gives it but little personal attention. What is a rare and unusual fact, is that in all of his transactions in shipping and selling stock he never lost but one hundred dol- lars, and that was at one time and on one lot of stock, while he was a member of the state legislature, and was at the state capitol; he still owns a farm of 170 acres; he has held all the township offices in the gift of the people, and was elected to the general assembly of the State in 1875; he married Miss Mary J. Wilson, from Indi- ana, November 2, 1853; she came here in 1851; they have five chil- dren, all daughters, Clara, Emma, Lilly, Zora and Della.
Tiffin, Wm., plasterer.
Tonra, John, laborer.
Tracy, Charles W., civil engineer.
Tucker, E. E., grain buyer.
Tuthill, George, farmer.
Turner, H. S. D , blacksmith.
Turpin, James, laborer.
Twaddle, George L., elerk.
V ANCE, JOHN, carpenter.
VERNON, W. E., restaurant, con- fectionery and Fruits, Oskaloosa; born in England in 1842, and came with his parents to America when quite young, and located in Newark, New Jersey; in 1854 he returned to England, was there two years, then came again to America; lived in Newark and New York until 1860, and then came to Illinois on a visit; when the war first broke out he enlisted April 22, 1861, in the twentieth Regiment Ill. Infantry, Co. F; he was in the battles of Fort Don- nelson, Shiloh, siege of Corinth, Brittan's Lane, Jackson, Burnt Bridge, and down on the Oxford Campaign; he was discharged July 4, 1864; after the war he came to Iowa; went out to Mon- tana Territory with team and was six months and thirteen days on the way; returned in 1869 and lo- cated here and engaged in busi- ness; married Miss Lydia A. Fisher, from Ohio, in June, 1870; they have two children, William and Cyrus, and have lost one lit- tle girl.
Vicroy, L. F., carpenter. Votaw. Isaac, retired.
W AGGONER, JOHN, con- tractor and builder and manufacturer sash and blinds; born in Coshocton county, Ohio, June 16, 1824; he was brought up there and learned the trade of cabinet making; he came to Iowa and arrived here March 28, 1851, and was one of the early settlers here; there are only a few in bus- iness here now that were here
604
DIRECTORY OF MAHASKA COUNTY.
when he came; he engaged in cabinet making; he was in the mercantile business from 1852 to 1855, and was in the chair business for six years, and then engaged in contracting and build- ing; he has built some of the best buildings in the city; he also has a planing mill in connection with his business, and is engaged in manufacturing sash, blinds and doors; he married Miss Hettie F. Coe, from Illinois, September 8, 1855; she died August 12, 1865; they have two children, David C. and Sarah Eveline.
Wagoner, Wmn., carpenter.
Walling, James, brick mason.
Walling, Henry, mason.
WALTON, D. M., retired, Oska- loosa; born in Washington county, Pa., in 1874; was brought up there and was engaged in farm- ing, milling, and merehandizing in Washington and Greene coun- ties for many years; he came to this county, to Oskaloosa, in Oc- tober, 1868, and engaged in the mercantile business here for three years; he married Miss Mary Drake, from Green county, Pa., in October, 1834; she died in July, 1859, leaving four children, John W., Samuel. Daniel, and Edward; they lost six children; (one of his sons James was in the the army; enlisted in first Regi- ment West Virginia Cavalry, Co. B, in August, 1861; he was in thirty-seven engagements, among them was Bull Run, Antietam, Gettysburg, Fredericksburg; he died in April, 1870); in 'Novem- ber, 1877, Mr. Walton married Harriet Alexander, from Penn- sylvania.
Waters, Mat, teamster.
Waterford, Jefferson, laborer.
Waters, J. G., gardener. Watts, P. A., clerk Huber & Co.
Watts, William M., tinner.
Warrington, A. W., photographer.
Warren, Robert, laborer. Weeks, George W., clerk. Weint, Jacob, coal miner. Welch, Porte C., journalist.
Wells, W. M., physician and special- ist.
Wells, Charles, tinner.
Wells, Frank, laborer.
Wells, George A., stoves and tin- ware.
WHITE, JOHN. deceased, Oskaloo- sa; born in Peperell, Massachu- setts, November 23, 1813; when quite a small boy he removed with his parents to Venice, on the Big Miami river, Ohio; he learned the cooper trade, and at the age of eighteen, removed to Hamilton county, Ohio, and engaged in the coopering business. He married Miss Martha J. Cloud, April 2, 1837, in Dearborn county, Indi- ana; they came to Iowa and loca- ted in Van Buren, county, in 1843. Mr. White came to this county tne same year and located the land where Mrs. White now lives. In the following year. in April, 1844, he brought his family here. He engaged in farming and carried it on extensively for some years; he was afterward engaged in bank- ing business. Mr. White was one of the most sagacious of business men; he was largely interested in railroads, and at the time of his death, which occurred December 24, 1870, he was one of the weal- thiest men in the State. He left one daughter, Mrs. Ernest II. Gibbs. Mrs. White still resides on the homestead adjoining the city of Oskaloosa.
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