USA > Iowa > Washington County > The history of Washington 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, portraits of early settlers and prominent men > Part 76
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D OWNS, GEORGE, retired
farmer, Brighton; was born in
New Jersey September 18, 1811, and when very young moved with his parents to War- ren county, Ohio; was there raised and educated; in 1846 he came to Iowa and located on sec- tion 29 this township; resided in
Clay township for four years and returned to. this township where he lived until 1876, then retiring from active service; he removed to the town of Brighton where he has since lived; he commenced life with nothing to speak of and has made all he now owns by hard, honest toil; owns a fine res- idence in Brighton, also two busi- ness houses; and the reputation that he has always borne for hon- esty and veracity is to be envied by all; married May 15, 1840, to Miss Mary Johnson, a native of Ohio; they have four children: Katie B. (now Mrs. W. T. Bur- gess, of Fairfield), Win. H., J. L., and Laura Ellen (now Mrs. G. O. Carmichael); have lost two.
DOWNS,W. H., grocer, Brighton; was born July 18, 1845; in 1846 his parents came to Iowa and located in Brighton; here he has grown to manhood; was educated in the common schools and raised on a farm; in 1872 he opened a grocery store in Brighton on his own ac- count, which he has carried on ever since; he carries a full line of goods found in a first-class grocery store; he enjoys a good trade which he has made by hard work, strict integrity, . and keep- ing only first-class goods; he be- gan as a farmer boy and has edu- cated himself up to a No. 1 gro- cer; he was married September 17, 1873, to Miss Dora Baringer, a native of Enon, Ohio; they have two children: Linna A., and Grace O., both living.
F LEAK, MAJOR L. B., pro-
prietor of Fleak House, Brighton; was born in Hamilton county, Ohio, January 27, 1808; there he lived till about eighteen years of age, when he went to England to live with his uncle; remained there about three months, then returned to the Uni- ted States, and after visiting sev-
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BRIGHTON TOWNSHIP.
eral States and Canada settled in Richmond, Missouri, and there .engaged in the jeweler's trade, having learned the same when young; after a residence there of two and one-half years he moved to Clarke county, Missouri, and was there engaged in selling goods; in March, 1840, he came to Keo- kuk; kept the first store in that place, also the first hotel (Keokuk House), and was the first justice of the peace in that city, being appointed by Governor Cham- bers ; was the first postmaster, appointed June 24, 1841; re- mained in Keokuk until the spring of 1844, when he again moved to Missouri, and two years later returned to Keokuk; during the Mormon troubles at Nauvoo, Illinois, he was instrumental with others in capturing a number of guns and ammunition, which greatly discouraged the Mormons in their outrages; with four oth- ers Major Fleak was hunted down by the emissaries of Joe Smith who had orders to take their lives at the first opportunity; remained in Keokuk until his removing upon a farm near Fairfield, where he remained until 1854; then traded his farm for the Eagle Hotel- of Brighton, kept the same for about two years, sold out, and the next spring bought the prop- erty which he now owns (The Fleak House); since coming to Brighton has traveled for about three years as Deputy Grand Mas- ter and Lecturer of the A. F. and A. M. lodge of Iowa, and during that time organized a large num- ber of the lodges of the State; for one year was editor of the " Western Star," then commenced the publication of the "Brighton Star " and at the end of three years sold out; the following year began editing the "Sun," con- tinued the same until April,
1879, and then retired from edito- rial charge; his papers have all been of the Republican class; Major Fleak has been twice mar- ried; first, October 15, 1828, to Miss : she died in February 1830, leaving one son: Wm. L. B., who now lives in Missouri; was again married in June, 1835, to Miss Julia A. Pennock, a native of New York; they have six children: Martha A. (now Mrs. B. Tracy), Valenconrt, Zach. T., George, La- ban and Julia Ann; have lost six; March 1, 1864, he was appointed as private secretary to General Curtis with the rank and pay of major; this position came to him entirely unsolicited and he held that posi- tion until the close of the war.
FRAZEY, JAMES H., farmer; Sec. 19; P. O. Brighton; was born in Pennsylvania, November 23, 1827, and when thirteen years of age he moved with his parents to Iowa, lo- cating in Jefferson county; there he was raised, and educated in the com- mon schools, and in 1851 came to this county, settling in Brighton; in 1865 moved on his present home- stead of 82 acres and has since re- sided here; is a miller by trade and worked in the Brigliton mill for twenty-four years, leaving it in 1879; August 4, 1849, he married Miss J. A. R. Hawthorne, a native of Ten- nessee; they have seven children: E. W., P. R., J. D., J. F., H. S., Mary D. and E. V .; lost three child- ren.
G RACE, THOMAS, telegraph operator and agent, Brighton; was born May 24, 1850, in Ireland; emigrated to the United States with parents in 1853, landing in New York; from there went to Ottawa, Illinois, and was there raised and ed- ucated in the common schools; he learned his trade at Ottawa in 1869 and 1870, taking charge of the office in 1870; came to this office in 1873 and has since remained here; his
626
BIOGRAPHICAL.
father died when the subject of this sketch was young and he was obliged to rely on his own resources; April 27, 1874, he married Miss Bridget A. Murray, a native of Illinois; they have four children: Joseph, Katie, George and Thomas, Jr.
F TEACOCK, C. C., editor and proprietor of the "Greenback World," Brighton; was born Decem- ber 27, 1851, in Marlboro, Ohio; there he was raised on a farm; he received his education at Mt. Union College, Ohio; for several years he traveled through the winter seasons, visiting most of the States of the Union, in various lines of business; he came to Iowa and located in Brighton in 1874: in 1879 he bought out the of- fice of the "Brighton Sun" and began the publication of the "Greenback World," which he has continued un- til the present time with a marked degree of success; he was married October 6, 1874, to Miss Carrie E. Davis, a native of Ohio; they have a family of two children: Mary and Guy; both living.
HESSELTINE, D. K., farmer; Sec. 20; P. O. Brighton; was born in New York, January 31, 1836, and when young moved to Ohio in 1844, remaining there until 1852; he then came to Iowa, locating in this coun- ty, and in the fall of 1863 mnoved on his present farm which consists of 171 acres; has made all his property himself; February 16, 1860, he was united in marriage with Miss Ann Gordon, a native of this State; she is a daughter of Jefferson Gordon, one of the first settlers of this township; they have five children: Douglas, Josiah, Daniel, Mary and Dennis; lost two: Sallie and Martha Ann.
INGHAM, MARCUS, farmer; Sec. 34; P. O. Brighton ; was born in the State of New York, December 14, 1840, and when eleven years of age he with his parents moved to Connecticut, where he lived for six years, when he came to Iowa and lo-
cated in Clay township, this county; he came upon his present farm of 70 acres in March, 1879, and since he arrived in this State has followed farming as his occupation; he held the office of justice of the peace for two terms in Clay township; Decem- ber 10, 1865, Miss Anna Barton, a native of Vermont, became his wife; they have four children: Mary, Harry, Frank and Katie; have lost one.
ISRAEL, W. T., proprietor of the Central Honse, Brighton; was born January 1, 1841, in Sharon, Ohio; at the age of six years he came with his parents to Iowa and located near this. place on a farm; here he has grown up and lived since; he received his education in the common schools, Washington Seminary and Mt. Pleasant College; he learned the tin- ner's trade with John Bowman, of Mt. Pleasant, in the years 1857-'58; he then returned home and began clerking in the dry goods store of his- father at Richland, Keokuk county, where he remained till May 2, 1861, when he enlisted in company E, Sec- ond Iowa infantry; he served to July 8, 1862, when he was dis- charged for general disability; on his return home he opened a stove and tinware store in Brighton, which he continued about one year and a half, when he sold out; in 1872 he opened a dry goods and tin store in Talleyrand, Keokuk county, where he continued in business about four years when he again sold out and re- turned to Brighton; in the fall of 1879 he bought out the Central House, which he is now keeping in connection with a restaurant; he was married December 28, 1862, to Miss Mary M. White, a native of Jefferson county, Ohio; they have a family of six children: Oscar J., Luther A., Rilla E., George A., liv- ing, and twins who died in infancy. JAMIESON, W. A., farmer; Sec. 34; P. O. Brighton; was born in
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BRIGHTON TOWNSHIP.
Ohio, May 3, 1829; in 1833 his parents moved to Guernsey county, Ohio, where he was raised and educated; came to Iowa in 1849 and located in Henry county, where he lived about two years, then mov- ing to Scott county, Iowa; he came to this county in 1874, and located where he now resides and owns 100 acres of land; has been town trustee; in August, 1861, he enlisted as a private in company G, Twentieth Iowa infantry, and was promoted to corporal; served until December, 1864, when he was discharged on ac- count of disability; was in the bat- tles of Prairie Grove and siege of Vicksburg; September 8, 1854, he was married to Miss Juliet M. Stew- art, a native of Orange county, Ohio; they have four children: Sam- uel B., Mary E., Charles F. and Joseph H.
M CKINNIE, WALTER, farm- er; Sec. 3; P. O. Brighton; was born in Franklin county, Pennsylva- nia, September 13, 1815, and when eighteen years of age he moved to Montgomery county; was raised on a farm; has followed farming as an occupation all his life; received his education in the common schools; came to Iowa in 1845, locating where he now resides; owns 200 acres of well improved land; on coming to this county he experienced many hardships known to such a life; then there were but two houses between Brighton and Washington; January 28, 1841, he married Miss Elizabeth Miller, a native of Kentucky; they have two children: Eliza J. (wife of T. E. Johnson), and Ellen M .; they have lost two.
MILLS, ROSWELL S., attorney- at-law, Brighton; was born April 17, 1817, in Connecticut; his parents · moved to Ohio in 1818; there he was raised on a farm; at the age of twenty-one years he went into the mercantile trade at Georgetown, Pennsylvania, which he continued
till 1840, when he returned to. Ohio; in June, 1841, he came to Iowa and located in this county, where he went to farming, which he continued till 1863, when he was elected a member of the Tenth General Assembly of Iowa from Keokuk county; it having been cut off of Washington county; he served one term with distinction to himself and honor to his constitu- ents; in 1864 he was admitted to the bar by Judge E. S. Sampson, and has followed his profession since; has held the office of justice of the peace several terms; married March 11, 1842, to Mrs. Lucretia Worthing, a native of Ohio; they have a family of five children: James S., Faith A., and Ella, living, and Mary and Ran- dolph, deceased.
MOORE, ANSON, retired farm- er and dealer in produce, Brighton; was born in Connecticut De- cember 23, 1806; when 12 years of age he moved with his parents to Trumbull county Ohio, where he remained until the spring of 1840; he then came to Iowa and located in this township, entering his land from the government in 1843; here he carried on the carpenter trade, fol- lowing the same till 1860 when he retired and went into the produce trade which he has since followed; has held the office of justice of the peace since the fall of 1841 with the exception of one term; also held the same office for two years in Ohio; is undoubtedly the oldest justice of the peace and has held the office longer than any other man in the State; has been mayor of Brighton for three terms and still holds that po- sition; is one of the oldest settlers in the county; married to Lucia Meach- am, a native of Ohio; they have had twelve children, seven of whom are living; four are residents of this county, one of Keokuk county, one resides in Iowa City, and one lives in Nebraska.
MYERS, THOMAS, farmer; Sec.
39
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BIOGRAPHICAL.
28; P. O. Brighton ; was born October 7, 1802, in Kentucky; he, with his pa- rents, moved to Ohio when but three years of age, and there grew to man- hood and was educated in the com- mon schools; in 1848 he came to Iowa and located where he now lives, and has since resided here; owns forty-five acres of land; De- cember 24, 1835, he married Catha- rine Confer, who died April 2, 1861, leaving a family of six children: Francis B., William M. Adam, Al- bert, Ann and Pauline, living, and Martha, deceased; his son, WIL- LIAM M. MYERS, was born in Ohio, December 10, 1839, and in 1848, he, with his parents, came to Iowa and located in Jefferson county where they remained a short time; in 1849 he came to this county and located where he now resides; he was raised on a farm; October, 1861, he enlisted in company K, Thirteenth Iowa infantry, and served until Au- gust 4, 1865; taken prisoner July 22, 1863, at Atlanta, Georgia, and sent to Andersonville, where he remained nine months and a half, when he was released at the close of the war; then went to Jackson- ville, Florida, where he, with others, was met by the government authori- ties and sent to Davenport, where he was discharged; married December 25, 1867, to Miss Elizabeth J. Smith, of Ohio.
P ARKER, ISAAC, farmer; Sec. 32; P. O. Brighton; was born in Richmond, Indiana, April 12, 1824; his parents died when he was eight months of age, and he was taken to Fayette county by friends; he lived there for a few years and then re- turned to Wayne county and resided in that and Fayette counties; at the latter place he worked for six dollars per month, for four years, and for seven years received eight dollars per month; at the end of this time he was enabled by prudence, etc., to buy a farm of 160 acres of land,
mostly improved; he came to Iowa in 1847 and located in Henry county, where he remained till 1850; he then came to this township and located on Sec. 16; moved on his present farm of 285 acres in the fall of 1868; dur- his early residence in the county he cut and split rails for 372 cents per hundred. in order to buy corn meal for the family to live; he is well ac- quainted with all the trials incident to pioneer life; has held the office of town trustee and several minor of- fices; has been twice married; first in April, 1851, to Miss Marthia A. Gordon, a native of Iowa; she died in 1855, leaving two children: Mar- tha A., and Ellen; was again mar- ried September 17, 1856, to Miss El- sie J. Kirkpatrick, a native of Ohio; they have had by this union tive chil- dren: Emma, Lem B., Olive, and John living, and one son deceased; Mr. Parker commenced life without anything and what he now has is the result of his own proud efforts.
PEASLEY, MRS. NANCY, farmer; Sec. 34; P. O. Brighton; was born in Vermont, January 3, 1811; she was the daughter of Levi Win- ter who was in the War of 1812; and he with his family moved to New York in that year; there they lived ten years and they moved to Ohio; after a residence there of about five years they went to Dearborn county, Indiana; August 12, 1831, she was married to Mr. Jacob Peasley, a na- tive of Maine; they moved to Iowa, locating in Jefferson county in 1839, and in the spring of 1844, to this county locating where she now re- sides; she owns 240 acres of land; they were among the earliest settlers of the township and had to battle with all the disadvantages known to pioneers; their nearest mill was at Lowell, below Burlington, and their nearest post-office was Fairfield; often their letters had to remain in the office on account of not having twenty-five cents with which to take
629
BRIGHTON TOWNSHIP.
them out; Mr. Peasley died October :2, 1874, leaving a family of six chil- -dren living: Robert, Sarah (now Mrs. James Beans, of Kansas), Abigail, M. (now Mrs. Wm. Marrall, of Harrison, Iowa), Mount, Anna and Leo; have lost five.
. PRIZER, JOHN W., retired merchant and banker, Brigh. ton; among the many good citizens of this county there is none perhaps that is more deserving of notice than the subject of this sketch; he was born October 8, 1825, in Dauphin .county, Pennsylvania; there he grew to manhood, and received only a common school education; being of an energetic disposition and hearing of the advantages and openings for the young men in the far west, he determined to see the face of its broad prairies; in the fall of 1849 he bid adieu to his old home and came to Iowa, and located in the town of Brighton; the gold fever having broken out during that season he determined to see the gold fields of California, and in company with a few of his neighbors, received their outfit at the expense of Mr. Friend, who now lives in Brighton; the trip though fraught with many perils and hardships was successfully car- ried through, and he at last found himself wandering around digging in the golden State; he remained there till 1854, when he returned to Brighton fully satisfied that there were as great gold fields in Iowa as there were in California; soon after his return he embarked in the mer- cantile trade with D. W. Coffinan, in Brighton, and continued it till January, 1878, when he retired from the firm, his son Henry taking his interest; at the organization of the National Bank of Brighton, in 1872, he was elected its cashier, which po- sition he held until January, 1877, when he retired to give his en- tire attention to his mercantile interests; in January, 1878, he
again became connected with the bank by being elected to its pres- idency, which position he now holds; he was elected to the State Senate from the 14th Senatorial dis- trict in the fall of 1879, for a full term of four years, as a Republican; this is the first public office he ever held in his life and came to him un- solicited, as he was never an office seeker; he is a man of sterling in- tegrity, and one who will not stoop to the low tricks of the professional politician, but will represent his con- stituency honestly and well; he was married September 6, 1855, to Miss Charlotta Moore, who is a native of Ohio; their family consists of four children living: Henry A., Josepha E., Eugene and Hattie, and two de- ceased.
R ISK, MRS. AMANDA, farm- er; Sec. 17; P. O. Brighton; born in Ohio, May 15, 1828; she lived there until 1846, when her father, Mr. Abraham Park, came to this county locating on Sec. 33, of this township; February 16, 1851, she married Mr. Win. Risk, a native of Pennsylvania; he died on the 22d of November, 1875, leaving her a family of eight children living: Lou- isa (now Mrs. Henry Nichols), John, James, George, Martha (now Mrs. Tom Rivers), Hattie, Arthur and Dora, and one deceased; with the assistance of her sons who are all at home, Mrs. Risk has continued to carry on'the farm.
S MITH, URIAH, farmer; Sec. 31; P. O. Brighton; was born in Ohio, November 19, 1852; there was raised and educated in the common schools and also learned the carpenter and joiner's trade, which he followed until lie came to this county; he has worked at this trade and farming since he has been here and is considered one of the best mechanics in this part of the county; moved to Pennsylvania in 1849 and lived there until 1861,
630
BIOGRAPHICAL.
when he returned to Ohio; he lived there until 1865, when he came to Iowa and located where he now lives; owns 116 acres of land; February 22, 1848, he married Miss Mary E. Fox, a native of Ohio; have seven children : Celestia, William G., Ma- rian, Hettie, Harry, Kate and Myr- tle; lost one, an infant.
SNYDER, W. H., grocer, Brigh- ton; was born in Clarke county, Ohio, April 21, 1837; when 11 years of age he came with his parents to Iowa and located near this place; he was raised on a farm and educated in the common schools; he followed farm- · ing until 1861, and in September of that year he enlisted in company K, Thirteenth Iowa infantry, and served until July 2, 1862, when he was dis- charged on account of general disa- bility ; after his return home he went into the grocery business at Pleasant Plain, Jefferson county, where he re- mained for about nine months; he then came to Brighton and bought out a butcher shop, which he con- tinned to run for about one year; he then sold out; then engaged in the carpenter trade until the fall of 1874 when he again bought the butcher shop, running the same until April 1879; he then engaged in his pres- ent business and has followed it suc- cessfully since; has been street com- missioner in Brighton for the past three years; June 9, 1869, he mar- ried Miss Mary Sturgeon, a native of Ohio; have two children: Milton E. and Katie; lost one.
SWISHER, E. W., grocery, hard- ware and implement dealer, Brigh- ton; the subject of this sketch was born June 24, 1845, in Cham- paign county, Ohio; in April, 1856, he came with his parents to this county, locating near Brighton; here was raised on a farm and educated in the common schools; when 20 years of age he attended the Eastman Col- lege of Chicago, and after a course of five months he graduated with high
honors; with his diploma as a capi- tal stock he commenced life; he had however, an indomitable will, energy,. perseverance and a strict integrity ; in 1872 he began business by open- ing his present store and has followed it ever since; he has been elected a member of the city council; is a man of liberal thought and has done. much for one of his age toward the. advancement in education and sci- ence where he has lived; October 6,. 1874, he was married to Miss Katie Brier, daughter of James Blair, of this place; have one child: Fraude, living
T ERRY, M. C., M. D., physi- cian and surgeon, Brighton: he is a native Hawkeye, having been born in Washington conn- ty, Iowa, May 13, 1845; he re- ceived his education at the college- in Washington, in his native coun- ty; he served an apprenticeship at the jeweler's trade with a Mr. Shel- don of Washington, but on account of his health (not being able to stand the confinement), he had to- give it up, and turned his attention to school teaching, which he followed for several years; although very young he began the study of medi- cine about 1860 and kept it up while teaching till 1864, when he be- came a student of Dr. James Mc- Kee, of Washington, with whom he studied about one year; at the end of which time he went to Chicago to finish his medical education at the Rush Medical College; he grad- uated from that institution in the spring of 1866, and in the fall of the same year located in Grand View, Louisa county, where he practiced his profession till 1868, at which time he moved to Oakland, in the same county; here he only remained about one year, when he moved to Coneville, Muscatine county, where he entered into the mercantile trade in connection with his practice; at the end of four
631
BRIGHTON TOWNSHIP.
years, however, he sold out his stock ·of goods that he might give his en- tire time to the practice of his pro- fession, which had grown at this time to require it; in August 1878, he came to Brighton and formed a ·co-partnership with Dr. O. H. Prizer for the practice of his profession, which he has continued since; he was married May 13, 1868, to Miss Lotta M. Israel, a daughter of Mr. Reuben Israel, a prominent and well known citizen of this county; they have a family of two children: Mareus Claude and Grace M., both living.
TRACY, B., dealer in hardware, agricultural implements and grocer- ies, Brighton; was born August 30, 1832, in Belmont county, Ohio; his parents came to Iowa in 1845, and located in Brighton; here he grew up and was educated in the common schools; he received the most of his education, however, in the store; in 1866 he began businesss on his own account by keeping a restaurant in Brighton, which he followed one winter, and then opened a grocery store, to which he added hardware, in 1876, and farm implements in 1879; he is one of the oldest citi- zens of the town, and has realized and passed through many of the hardships incident to a pioneer life; he was married December 4, 1856, to Miss Martha A. Fleak, a native of Missouri and daughter of Colonel L. B. Fleak, now a resident of Brighton; they have had seven chil- dren : Albert R., Henry F., Frank B., Bertram O. and Mattie E. living, and Edwin L. and Mildred deceased.
TUCKER, THOMAS, miller; Sec. 20; P. O. Brighton; was born in Randolph county, North Carolina, February 24. 1818; there was raised and educated in select schools; lived there until the fall of 1833, when be moved to Indiana, locating it Put- nam county; remained there about one and a half years, and in 1835
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