The history of Polk County, Iowa : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., biographical sketches of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion, general and local statistics, portraits of early settlers and prominent men, Part 98

Author: Union Historical Company, Des Moines, pub
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Des Moines, Iowa : Union Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 1074

USA > Iowa > Polk County > The history of Polk County, Iowa : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., biographical sketches of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion, general and local statistics, portraits of early settlers and prominent men > Part 98

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ELLIOTT, JOHN A-Was born on the twenty-fourth of September? 1824, in Armagh, Indiana county, Pennsylvania, and remained there until, thirteen years of age, when he engaged as clerk in the store of an uncle, with whom he served two years. He received an academic education in' his native county, and concluded to come West, and went to Ohio and en- gaged in school teaching, continuing that for a short time and then returned to Pennsylvania. He was engaged in the mercantile business until 1853 when he removed to Wisconsin, engaged in merchandising four years, and' in 1857 moved to Mitchell county, Iowa. There he followed farming for one year, and in 1858 was elected County Treasurer and Recorder, which offices he held until he was elected Auditor of State in 1864. In 1866 was' renominated by acclamation, and also in 1868. During his term of office

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the finances were managed in a manner that insured the prompt payment: of every warrant on presentation, and in this prosperous and satisfactory: condition he turned the portfolio of office over to his successor. In 1870; Mr. Elliott was engaged as land commissioner by the Des Moines Valley Railroad Company, and entered at once upon the discharge of his duty and remained in this position three years. He was one of the organizers of the; Citizens' National Bank, and held the offices of vice-president and cashier. Polk county is largely indebted to him for the interest taken in blooded stock, and his efforts in this direction have been a success. Heis president of the State Insurance Company, mention of which is made in another part of this work. He married Miss Martha J. Henderson in 1849. She is a native of Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. Their family consists of three children : James H., Harry A. and Nellie H. (now Mrs. C. Wright).

ENGLEBERT, J. LEE-Was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Feb- ruary 5, 1843, being the second son of Cornelius Joseph Michael Englebert, before deceased a prominent merchant of Philadelphia. He emigrated to. this country in 1820 from Laon, in France, and was of Spanish-French ex- traction, and on the male side descended from the French nobility; his an -. cestry dating back to the fifteenth century. His mother was a German: lady, whose parents emigrated to this country from the German Empire, therefore the son is of Spanish-French-German extraction. He was educa-, ted in the public schools of this city (Philadelphia) and was pursuing a; mercantile training in the manufacturing establishment of Jules Hand & Co., when the rebellion of 1861 occurred. In July of that year he enlisted. as a private in a company of Young's Kentucky Light Cavalry, which was, merged into the Third regiment of Pennsylvania cavalry, the favorite regi- ment of generals McClellan and Meade, and on account of its severe disci- plines being commanded by a regular army officer, Colonel Wm. W., Averill, and brigaded with regulars, comprised of the Second dragoons, Fifth and Sixth U. S. cavalry and Tidball's flying battery of U. S. artillery, was very often selected for hazardous undertakings. He rose from the ranks, through non-commissioned grades, to captaincy, November 28, 1862 .. In cavalry action at Hartwood church, Virginia, with Wade Hampton's cavalry, he was captured and incarcerated in Libby prison. Exchanged, February 22, 1863. He received several wounds in action, and was left on the field for dead, and so reported on two occasions, and for gallantry and meritorious conduct was thrice breveted, to the full rank of colonel of volunteers upon recommendation of President Lincoln and the Secretary of War, Stanton. He was frequently placed in responsible positions where wise discrimination and judgment, were necessary, and invariably dis- charged his duties faithfully. After the battle of Antietam, September 19, 1862, under McClellan, when Lee's army crossed the Potomac, General Pleasanton's cavalry pursued them. Lieutenant Englebert led and con- ducted the advance upon the enemy's rear-guard. After supporting a battery during the battle of the Wilderness, May 6, 1864, he again led the advance of the Army of the Potomac, with Meade and Grant at its head, through the enemy's country to the James river, where a junction was formed with General Ben. F. Butler's Army of the James before Petersburg. After a marked. career for one so young, he was honorably discharged from the army. Colonel Englebert, for a few years, engaged in the oil business in Pennsylvania. He returned to Chester county where he married Miss Fanny H. Davis. He found his district politically in a state of turmoil,

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and resolved to take a hand in politics. Having been solicited by promi- nent men including Governor Geary, he applied for appointment as assessor of internal revenue for the Seventh district of Pennsylvania, one of the wealthiest in the State. At that period the district was distracted by par- tisanship, and it required millitary influence especially, added to other friend- ship at court, to obtain an appointment from the President to an office with which there were connected forty-three subordinates, but he was equal to the occasion, and was appointed and confirmed by the Senate, and discharged his onerous duties to the satisfaction of the numerous manufacturing and other interest, and to taxpayers generally, receiving the commendation of Commissioner of Internal Revenue, Hon. E. S. Rollins, who said " his dis- trict was the second best assessed in the United States," which was highly complimentary, considering that millions of money were assessed yearly in this district. In 1869, he was superseded, for political reasons. About one year following was commissioned by the Secretary of the Interior as United States Indian agent for different bands of hostile Sioux at the Cheyenne river agency, Dakota Territory, on the recommendations of the Board of Home and Foreign Missions of the Protestant Episcopal Church of Penn- sylvania and New York, and was the first Indian agent selected by the Hon. Wm. Welsh, the originator of President Grant's Indian peace policy. Col- onel Englebert discharged his duties with honor to himself, the department at Washington, and enjoys the credit at the Indian Department of accom- plishing great innovations at his agency, and merited the thanks of General Parker, the Indian Commissioner, and Mr. Welsh the President of the Church Board of Commissioners, for recalling two Indian war parties who had gone out on a scalping expedition, and by mere force of character and will-power, compelling them to send out their own warriors to effect this, and by his timely interposition averted an Indian war at that time. In May, 1871, he was recalled, having taken issue with the authorities, and after visiting his home in Pennsylvania, for several months, he emigrated with his wife and one child, a boy, to Omaha, Nebraska, where he was engaged in and was one of the original incorporators of the Willow Spring Distilling Company, which is in successful operation at this time. In Jan- uary, 1874, Colonel Englebert disposed of his interest, and with his family removed to Des Moines, where he purchased an interest in the Eclipse Coal and Mining Company, of which he is still a member.

ENSIGN, C. W .- Livery and sale stable. The pioneer in this line of business in Des Moines is the subject of this sketch, who was born in Sara- toga county, New York, on the 23d day of December, 1813, and was raised in this and Essex county. His father was a merchant and lumber manu- facturer of considerable prominence and the son assisted his father in the store as well as in the more laborious duties pertaining to lumber manu- facturing and marketing the same. After attaining his majority he contin- ued to reside in Essex county and during his residence was elected High Sheriff of the county and served nine years. He became impressed with the favorable opportunities offered in the West for business, and, in 1859, emigrated to Iowa and settled in Des Moines and engaged in his present business, in which he has been eminently successful. He was married in December, 1837, to Miss Harriet Tarbell, a native of Vermont. Their family consists of three children: Edgar T., a promising attorney of Colo- rado, and prominently identified in mining interests; Frances, now Mrs. John Lynde; and George F., associated with his father in business.

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ERVIN, W. A .- Grocer and confectioner, was born February 15, 1840, in Morgan county, Indiana, and when eleven years of age his parents re- moved to Illinois, where they resided some four years, and then removed to Iowa, locating in Warren county in 1852. After coming to Iowa, the subject of this sketch returned to Galesburg, Illinois, where he learned the trade of miller. During the war he served in company K, Nineteenth Iowa infantry, enlisting in July, 1862, and serving until the 18th of March, 1863, when he was discharged on account of wounds received at the battle of Prairie Grove, Arkansas, receiving no less than three wounds in that battle, being disabled in the right arm, a ball passing through his right side and another going through his cap and grazing the top of his head. After leaving the service, he located at Mt. Pleasant, where he resided until 1867, when he came to Des Moines. He was married March 17, 1861, to Miss Margaret McCoy, of Mt. Pleasant. Have three children: Joseph, Elnora and Ada.

ETHRIDGE, S. S .- Deputy U. S. Marshal, was born in Sandwich, . Carroll county, New Hampshire, on the first day of March, 1838, and was raised there. He was educated at Newbury, Vermont and at Middletown, Connecticut. He came to this State in 1863 and settled in Des Moines. He served his country during the rebellion in the Forty-seventh Iowa in- fantry. He had previously commenced the study of law, and in 1865 was admitted to the bar. In February, 1874, was appointed Deputy. U. S. Mar- shal and served in that capacity for one and one-half years, and again, in 1877, was appointed to the same position and has filled the office to the entire satisfaction of those with whom he has business transactions. Mr. E. has large coal interests in the city and is president of the Eclipse Coal Company, and their mines are among the best in the county. He was married to Miss Mattie La Bosquet in 1874. She is a native of West Vir- ginia. They have one child, Charles A.

F AIRALL, E. J .- Of the firm of Williams & Fairall, real estate agents. Mr. F. was born near Zanesville, Ohio, Aug. 8, 1833, and was raised and resided on a farm until he was seventeen years of age. In 1863 he came to Iowa, locating on a farm in Washington township, this county, where he resided until the following year, when he removed to Des Moines and engaged in contracting and building-he being a carpenter by trade- which business he followed until 1879. During this time he had the con- tract for building the Jones House, superintended the work on the Fifth Ward School and Lewis' Opera Block, also built many of the finer build- ings both on the east and west sides of the river; and in addition to these had the contract for and built the principal school-house at Council Bluffs. He engaged in the real estate business in 1878 with his present partner. In December, 1852, he was married to Miss Jane Finleoats. She died in 1866, leaving five children: Mary (now Mrs. C. M. Cook), William H., Howard, Edgar and Belle. In November, 1868, he married his present wife, her maiden name being Anna J. Adams, a native of Indiana. From this union he has three children: Nellie M., John A. and Robert C.

FERREE, J. M .- General agent for the Domestic sewing machines. Was born April 2, 1846, in Wabash county, Indiana, where he resided un- til he entered the army in 1863, when he enlisted in the One Hundred and Thirtieth Indiana infantry, and served until the close of the war. After being discharged in December, 1865, he returned to Indiana, where he re- mained until 1872, when he came to Des Moines and for the past six years

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has been engaged in his present business. In March, 1880, he was elected for a term of two years to represent the Fifth ward in the city council. Was united in marriage to Miss Mary Pollock in 1868. They have, by this un- ion, one child, Roy E.

FINCH, DANIEL O .- The subject of this sketch was born in Unadilla, Otsego county, New York, on the 6th of June, 1829. At the early age of eleven Mr. Finch was deprived of the care and counsel of his father by death. Prior to this event he had attended the common school in his neighborhood, but shortly afterward was sent by his mother to the Dela- ware Literary Institute at Franklin, Delaware county. He remained four years and after attending the Oxford Academy, Chenango county, was qual- ified to enter the sophomore class in college. He then commenced the study of law and for two years remained in the office of Judge C. C. No- ble at his native place, when he entered the Fowler Law School, then at Cherry Valley. In November, 1848, he came West, locating in Monroe,: Green county, Wisconsin. The following spring he was admitted to the practice of his profession, being then nineteen years of age. Mr. Finch' remained there for two years, diligently engaged in his profession. In the spring of 1851 he came to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where, in addition to the duties of his profession, he edited a paper. He was for three years a mem- ber of the banking firm of Ware, Finch & Co., of which company Judge George Greene was a member. This latter gentleman was the author of " Greene's Reports," the first law book published in Iowa. In the spring of 1853 Mr. F. closed his business affairs in Cedar Rapids and the follow- ing summer removed to Des Moines, then a place of two hundred and. fifty inhabitants. He at once engaged in the practice of law, being asso- ciated with Judge Curtis Bates, and was also interested in the banking business. In addition to the arduous labors these pursuits gave him he found time to write many articles and for some time was editor of the Iowa Star. In 1855 Judge Bates left the firm and was succeeded by Gen- eral M. M. Crocker. Since that time Mr. Finch has been associated with Judge Mitchell, Hon. J. A. Kasson, present U. S. Minister to Austria; George Clark, Esq., now of St. Louis; Byron Rice and John D. Rivers and others. He has always been one of the foremost Democrats of the State and for four times has been a delegate to the National Convention in the years 1860, 1864, 1868, and in 1876 was chairman of the Iowa delegation; was president of the State convention in 1877. Mr. Finch is one of the oldest law practitioners in Iowa, having been engaged in his profession some twenty-eight years. His practice, both civil and criminal, has been large and he has been very successful. To his excellent oratory and earn- est application much of this is due. He attended the earliest courts in more than fifteen counties, some of which have since become the most populous and wealthy in the State. On the 16th of September, 1851, he was married to Miss Ellen Maria Calder, daughter of Joseph Calder, for- merly of New York. Her parents were natives of England, but were mar- ried after coming to America. They have had five children, of whom four are living: Joseph Calder (born on the 8th of January, 1855), Daniel Mallory (born on the 17th of May, 1858), Edward Douglas (born on the 15th of October, 1861), and the youngest, Charles Marcus (born on the 8th of February, 1864). Lost one child, Willie, who died at the age of four years.

FISHBLATT, A. S .- Physician and surgeon, is a native of New York;

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and is the son of a physician of prominence. He was educatated at Colum- bia College, and early forming a taste for the practice of medicine, and having, as it may be said, a natural qualification for the healing art by his: familiarity with medicine from his boyhood, through the experience of his father, with the father as preceptor, and after the most thorough prepara- tion and large experience in the routine of hospital practice, in which spe- cial attention was given to chronic and nervous diseases, he was graduated an M. D., and in casting about for a location, he was led to follow an inward inclination to settle in Des Moines. He came here in the spring of 1880, and opened an office for the treatment of chronic and nervous diseases, and from the first has done a large and lucrative business, and, if testimonials are a criterion, with flattering results.

FLEMING, DAVID D .- Of the firm of Soules & Fleming, proprietors of the Utica Clothing Store, was born on the 28th of March, 1838, in New York City, where he grew to manhood and was educated in the common schools. At the age of nineteen years he went to learn the machinist trade with Joseph A. Sterling, of that city, and worked at it while there. In , 1868 he came to this city and engaged in working for Loughran & Hillis, with whom he remained until May, 1875. He then discontinued his trade and was employed as clerk in the clothing house of H. Monroe, continuing with him until July, 1876. In March, 1877, he entered the clothing house of Soules & Tinsley, for whom he clerked until February 23, 1880, when he bought the interest of Tinsley and the firm name was changed to Soules & Fleming. They carry a large and fine stock of clothing and their sales compare very favorably with that of any like house in the city. He was married February 11, 1873, to Miss Mary A. Cannon, a native of Orleans county, New York. They have one child living, William B.

FORSTER, A. M .- Contractor and builder, is a native of Vigo county, Indiana, born April 5, 1843. Was raised there, and in 1854 came to this- State, locating in Madison county. He was educated partly in his native. State and partly in this city at the commercial college. In 1863, under the call for 300,000 men, he enlisted in company H, Twenty-third Iowa, and participated in the siege of Vicksburg, siege of Spanish Fort, battles of Kern's River, Missouri, Port Gibson, Champion's Hill, Black River Bridge and Grand Gulf. He came to Des Moines in 1865 and was here married on the 30th of September, 1869, to Miss Ellen M., daughter of E. R. Clapp, Esq. She died December 21, 1878, leaving one child, Edwin W.

FORD, E. M .- Among the reliable men of business who have contrib .. uted most toward the wealth and good name of Des Moines, there are none more deserving of credit than Mr. E. M. Ford. He was born in Columbus, Ohio, August 6, 1837. In 1847 he removed, with his parents, to Peoria, Illinois, where he passed the days of youth. At the early age of fifteen years he entered a wholesale notion establishment at a salary of six dollars and fifty cents a month, boarding himself. He remained in that establish- ment till 1857, when he removed with his parents to Princeton, Illinois, where he resided till 1860, at which time he removed to Newton, Iowa, where his career as a merchant properly began. In 1865 he established a line of four-horse wagons, whereby he carried merchandise to the very doors. of his customers. This business he continued for several years, with an average sale of forty thousand dollars per year. In 1871 he opened a whole- sale business in Des Moines, which he has conducted with success ever since. Whoever has remained long in Des Moines or any part of Central

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Iowa, cannot fail to have heard of E. M. Ford, the notion man. Some idea of the extent of his business at the present time may be gathered from the fact that he employs constantly from eight to ten clerks. He was married April 15, 1856, to Miss Rachel M., daughter of Lewis D. Hodges, of Chilli- cothe, Ohio. They have one daughter living, named Wrighta.

FORD, J. C .- Was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, January 31, 1852. He left the parental roof when ten years of age and since that time has been the architect of his own fortune. Six years he was engaged in various pursuits, and at the age of sixteen years began an apprenticeship in a boot and shoe manufactory in Winchester, Virginia. He went to Williamsport, Pennsylvania, in 1870, where he had thorough instruction and valuable experience in the manufacture of fine goods. In 1873 he went to Washington and was in the employ of George Wagner two years. From there he went to Chicago and was with J. T. Jewett three years. He came to Des Moines in 1878, where he has established a business second to none in the State for its reputation in the manufacture of gentlemen's and la- dies' fine boots and shoes. He was married September 24, 1879, to Miss Hattie E. Jones, of Chicago. She was born in Canada.

FOSTER, WILLIAM-Architect, was born in New York, July 21, 1842. After finishing his education he entered the employ of Upjohn, in New York, a noted architect, to learn the business. He availed himself of every opportunity to perfect himself in his profession, and in 1867 came West with a view of finding a place to locate. After reaching Des Moines he was induced to remain here, and after passing the starving process incident to beginners, he at last succeeded in bringing his talent and knowledge of his business before the public. From that time until the present his busi- ness has been constantly increasing, and he has planned many of the best buildings of Iowa and Nebraska, among which we may mention most of the prominent buildings of Des Moines, school-houses in Albia, Carroll, Mon- tezuma, Dunlap, etc., State penitentiary, Lincoln, Nebraska, State peniten -· tiary at Anamosa and the insane asylum at Lincoln, Nebraska. He mar- ried Miss Louisa Corbin, a native of England, in 1868.

FOSTER, A. P .- Secretary of the Capital City Gas Light Company. Was born January 29, 1852, in New York City, where he was raised and educated. He came from that city to Des Moines in 1868 for the purpose of accepting his present position. He was united in marriage in 1878 to Miss J. S. Wright, daughter of Mr. John R. Wright, a prominent citizen of Cincinnati, Ohio.

FRANTZ, L .-- Proprietor of the Given House. Was born in Maryland, March 9, 1819, and was there raised and educated. He engaged in agricul- tural pursuits, and followed that business as an occupation until 1854, when he came to Wapello county, Iowa. For one year he continued farming there, and then engaged in the hotel business, and in 1861 removed to Prairie City. There he continued the hotel business, and in 1863 he came to this city, and has since resided here, being proprietor of the Given House. The hotel is a brick structure, three stories in height, and com- fortably furnished. Mr. Frantz is a genial landlord and well liked by his customers. He was married in Pennsylvania, October 4, 1840, to Miss Caroline Miller. They had eight children, four of whom are living: Leon, Mary E., Frank F. and Kate. . Lost four: Wallace C., William, Hiram and Milton.

FREBERG, J. O .- Of the firm of Freberg, Allmart & Co., merchant

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tailors. Was born in Sweden, April 19, 1843, and was raised in that country. At fourteen years of age he began the tailor's trade, and worked on the bench until he became about eighteen years old, and then he began practical cutting. In 1866 he came to America, and located first at New Windsor, Mercer county, Illinois, and afterward went to Rock Island. From there he went back to Indiana, came from there to this city in March of 1878, and engaged at his trade of cutting, which he followed up to the time he began in his present business, in the spring of 1880. He was married in Sweden in 1865 to Miss Annie Engberg, a native of that country. By this union they have a family of one son and three daughters living: Annie M. E., Hannah C. W., Frank E. and Clara D.

FRITZ, LOUIS-Saloon. The subject of this sketch was born in Rhine, Bavaria, on the 11th day of October, 1844, and in 1845 his father left his family in that country and came to America and joined the regular army at West Point, and served in behalf of this country for five years. About the time of the'expiration of his enlistment he sent for his family, who came over to the State of New York, where they lived till 1867, when he came to Iowa and located a homestead near Iowa City, with a warrant which he received from this government for services rendered in the Mexi- ean War. Afterward he sold this claim, and is now living near Sigourney, Keokuk county, this State. The subject of this sketch was only five years of age when he came with his mother to America, so his education was received in this country, in the English language, but at the same time he has educated himself in his mother tongue, the German language, and now speaks and writes both with fluency. He began the trade of cigar- making when only fourteen years of age, which he followed as his principal occupation up to 1876, when he engaged in his present business. He car- ried on the manufacture of cigars in this city under the firm name of Fritz, Conradi & Co. till 1873, employing as high as seventeen workmen. After the dissolution of this partnership he still carried on the business till 1876. In 1865 he married, in New York City, Miss Magdalena Fritz, a native of Rhine, Bavaria. By this union they have a family of one son and one daughter living, Matilda and Herman; have one son deceased, Louis. Mr. Fritz is a good business man, and possesses social qualities that make for him many friends.

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The history of Polk County, Iowa : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., biographical sketches of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion, general and local statistics, portraits of early settlers and prominent men, Part 98

Author: Union Historical Company, Des Moines, pub Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Des Moines, Iowa : Union Historical Co. Number of Pages: 1074

Author: Union Historical Company, Des Moines, pub
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Des Moines, Iowa : Union Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 1074