USA > Iowa > Washington County > The history of Washington County, Iowa, its cities, towns, and c., a biographical directory of its citizens > Part 74
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and was raised in that place; their family consists of ten children; Sa- bina (now Mrs. Quin, of Vinton, Iowa), Lucetta (now Mrs. Hickey, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), Sarah G., Susannah, Alice J. (now Mrs. Wade, of this county), Abraham L., Jeannette, Anna, Carrie A. and Philip H .; lost one: Birdie C.
STEWART, W. G., deceased; one of Washington county's most. deserving citizens; was born in Vir- ginia December 25, 1819, and lived tliere until sixteen years of age, and then removed to Maryland; he was- raised a farmer and followed it in connection with stock-raising and stock-shipping until his death, which occurred June 16, 1864; he- married Miss Hannah Patterson in 1841; she was a native of Maryland and was born October 30, 1822; they came to this county in 1843 and were among the early settlers of the county; their family at the death of Mr. S. consisted of eight children: John G., Charles W., W. Sylvester, Luvenia E. (wife of F. Geisler, of Muscatine), Franklin, Lloyd S., Hannah M. and George W .; Lloyd died September 13, 1864, aged nine years; Mr. Stewart, as a business man, was upright, honor- able and honest, a man endowed with rare good sense and a well-balanced mind; he took a great interest in the Bible Society; he was one of the organizers of the United Breth- ren Church, and contributed liberal- ly to its support; Washington coun- ty was fortunate in having men of solid merit for its founders and its early settlers gave a good reputation to the town and that reputation still abides.
STORY, REV. ALEX., editor of the "Washington Gazette"; was born in Crawford county, Pennsylvania, in 1820, and was raised there; he received his education in Jefferson College, and graduated from that institution in 1841; he pursued his
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theological studies at the same place, and graduated in 1845, and was licensed to preach the same year by the Presbytery of Shenango; in 1847 he was ordained and for several years was engaged in the mission field; in 1853 he received a call as pastor to a church in Columbus City, Iowa, and this relation existed 23 years; he came to this county in 1876, and in 1877 he commenced editing the "Washington Gazette", a paper which has large claims on the citizens of Washington county; it has been the aim of the editors to raise the standard of weekly news- papers, and the "Gazette" will always be found on the side of morality in championing every good cause; Mr. Story was married to Miss M. Easton, in 1847; she was born in Putnam couty, New York; their family con- sists of three children: George E., Jane and Mary.
STURGES, C. M., harness and saddle maker (of the firm of Sturges & Son); was born in Licking connty, Ohio, in February, 1832, and was raised there; he learned his trade in Columbus, Ohio, and came to this county in 1855, and engaged in his present business, and has followed it as an occupation since that time, with the exception of a short inter- val; as a man of integrity and firm principle is an honor to the town in which he resides; he was married to Miss M. A. Evans in 1855; she was a native of Wales; their family con- sists of three children: George M., Helen A. and Wilber E .; GEORGE M. was born in Washington county in 1857; he learned his trade with his fatlier, and is associated with him in business; he was married November 13, 1879, to Miss Lizzie Adams.
T ERRY, J. L. L., harness maker, whose name appears frequently in this work, was born in Hopkins- ville, Kentucky, March 19, 1817; his father, whose name was James 38
Terry, was born in Virginia, and his mother in Kentucky; in 1820 the family removed to Louisiana, and on the 21st of July, 1821, the father died; the remainder of the family returned to Kentucky, and lived there until 1832; our subject then removed to Illinois, and lived in Fayette and Tazewell counties; in 1837 he was employed in the United States sur- veying service, and while thus em- ployed assisted in sectionizing the south part of the county; he made a claim in Washington county in 1839, and in 1844 became a resident of the county; his claim included what is now a portion of the town of Ainsworth; he held the office of connty commissioners' clerk for four years, and in 1847 was county asses- sor, and has held the office of city assessor for five years; of the many men in the county who have passed . the ordeal of pioneer life, none are more deserving of extended remarks than the subject of this sketch; as a man he is a close observer, and has gained a large fund of information; his private character and his public record are untarnished; he was married in 1839 to Miss S. J. Mounts, a native of Switzerland county, Indiana, but who was raised at Grand Gulf, Mississippi; they have three children living: Marcns C. (a practicing physician in Bright- on), Josie T. (wife of Dr. McCon- naughey, Riverside), and William M .; have lost five: Catharine, Laura, James H. (who was killed in the war), Sarah J. and Ellen J.
THOMPSON, J. A., jeweler and watchmaker.
W ATERS, L., editor of the "Washington Democrat"; was born in Mckeesport, Pennsyl- vania, December 31, 1851; he lost his father when three years of age; he remained in Pennsylvania eight years and came to this State in 1860 and was engaged in farming until
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fourteen years of age; after passing through many strange vicissitudes he finally settled down to learn the trade of printer; he worked for some years on the "Washington Gazette;" he afterwards went to Nebraska and edited the "Lone Tree Conrier" be- fore he was twenty-one years old; he also edited for a time the "Lone Tree Sentinel"; owing to impaired health he took a trip through Colorado, Mexico and Texas; he had quite a number of strange experiences and thrilling adventures; having re- gained his health in a large measure and after beconiing tired of roaming about, and by close observation ac- quiring a large fund of knowledge of men and things, he returned to Iowa and studied law nine months; when he was about ready to be admitted to the bar an inviting field was opened up for him to again enter the newspaper business; the "Washing- ton Democrat" was for sale by rea- son of the retirement from that jour- nal of Kell & McCracken; in con- nection with Mr. Hood he bonght the "Democrat"; the first number is- sned under his editorial management appeared in September, 1879; Mr. Waters is a most affable gentleman and a writer of no ordinary ability; under his able and energetic man- agement the "Washington Demo- crat" is achieving a wide-spread rep- utation and now ranks among the leading organs of that party in the State.
WEEKS, C. H., farmer: Sec. 33; P. O. Washington; son of T. N. and Alluy (White) Weeks; was born in Licking county, Ohio, July 27, 1846; he came with his parents to this county in November, 1855; he re- ceived a good common school educa tion supplemented with a commer- cial education; he was acting deputy treasurer of Washington county four years, commencing in June, 1874, to July, 1878; his father was born in Licking county, Ohio, February 1,
1820; his mother in the same county December 31, 1824, and were mar- ried June 5, 1845, the subject of this sketch being the only living child; have lost three; he and his father own a well improved farm of 120 acres; as an official he was prompt, perfectly reliable and very efficient; he is a man of excellent character and a valnable citizen and commands the respect of all who know hin.
WILLIAMS, J. ALBERT, dealer in boots and shoes; was born in East Hartford, Connecticut, in 1834, and was educated and resided in his native place until 1852 when he went to Boston, and after a mer- cantile experience of twelve years, came to this county and settled in Washington and formed a partner- ship with W. P. Upham under the style of Williams & Upham, dealers in boots and shoes; this relation ex- isted until July, 1868, when Mr. Williams purchased Mr. Upham's interest in the business, which he has since conducted with eminent success; a marked characteristic of Mr. Williams during his business career, has been his untiring energy and enterprise; a man of strong will and determined purpose, and as a result has secured that reward and success which must follow persistent, honorable effort; he has never sought or desired political honors; he has always shown a worthy pub- lic-spiritedness and has heartily sym- pathized with all local improvements and enterprises; he was married in 1859 to Miss Cornelia I., adopted daughter of C. Judson, of Boston, Massachusetts, a native of Connecti- cut; their family consists of one danghter: Hattie F.
WILSON, C. H., grocer; was born in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, in 1834, and was raised there; in youth he learned the printer's trade; when he came to Iowa he first settled in Muscatine, and printed the first issue of the Muscatine "Journal "; he came
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to this county on the 28th day of August, 1858, and since that period has been intimately connected with the growth and prosperity of the county, and has ever been recognized as one of Washington's best business men; he was elected to represent this county in the Fourteenth Gen- eral Assembly of the State Legisla- ture; as a business man he is can- tions and prudent, and his career has been both honest and successful, and he has the confidence of the community in a high degree; he has been twice married: first to Miss Lucy Gray in 1857; she was born in Greene county, Ohio, and died in 1862; his second wife was Miss Mary Beard, born in Somerset coun- ty, Pennsylvania; has five children: Ella C., Charles, Frank, Robert and Laura.
WILSON, MICHAEL, farmer; Sec. 29; P. O. Washington; among the pioneers of this county who de- serve more than a passing notice is the subject of this sketch, a native of Alleghany county, Maryland; was, born August 13, 1808; when only four years of age his parents remov- ed to Perry county, Ohio, where he lived till twenty-five years of age, working on his father's farm; his education was received in the schools of that commonwealth, but this he has supplemented by extensive read- ing, and being a close observer, and a man of large experience, he has acquired an education of no mean order; three years previous to his leaving Ohio he engaged in tobacco culture, in which he was very suc- cessful; thinking that the west of- fered a wider field and better advan- tages for a young man he came to this State, and with his earnings he entered several hundred acres of land in this county in the spring of 1840, and at the present time he owns 575 acres in this county and 220 acres in Mahaska county; he is also one of the stockholders and
a director of the Second Nation- al Bank of Washington; February 15, 1849, he was married in Ohio to Miss Catharine, daughter of Judge Charles C. Hood, of that State, and by this union their family consists of three sons and one danghter: Charles J., Thomas T., William and Alice; he is among those who have bcen longest identified with the in- terests of the county, has shared all the hardships incident to pioneer life, and a marked characteristic of Mr. Wilson during his entire career has been his untiring energy and en- terprise; a man of strong will and determined purpose, he turned the whole current of his life force into one channel, and as a result has re- ceived that reward and success which must follow persistent, honorable effort.
WILSON, R. T., merchant; was born in Londonderry, Ireland, in 1832, where he was raised and edu- cated; in 1852, he came to the United States to visit an uncle, who was a minister preaching in New Jersey; he had permission of his parents . to remain three months; while enjoying his visit he became so impressed with the opportunity for a young man with energy and economy to succeed that he had the consent of his parents to remain; and instead of returning at the end of three months his absence was pro- longed twenty-one years; he settled in Coshocton county, Ohio, and lived there one year; and then emigrated to Iowa, and settled in Muscatine; he came to this county in 1859, and has been in business continu- ously for a longer period than any other dry goods house in Washing- ton, in connection with which he conducts a merchant tailoring de- partment, in which he has won an enviable reputation, as his trade in this and surrounding cities will testify; a marked charac- teristic of Mr. Wilson during his
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entire career has been his untiring energy and enterprise; a man of strong will and determined purpose, he turned the current of life force in one channel, and as a result has secured that reward and success which must follow persistent, hon- orable effort; his character as a bus- iness man may be inferred from the success which has attended his career; he was married in Novem- ber. 1863, to Miss Ida Bell, a native of Lexington, Kentucky, a lady of refined tastes and domestic habits; their family consists of five children : Mary, Willie, Fannie, James and Nellie; have lost two: Robbie and Ida; in 1873, Mr. Wilson visited his native home, where, ont of a family of ten, all except himself re- side within two miles of their birth- place.
WILSON, WM., JR., dealer in hardward and agricultural imple- ments, seeds, etc .; was born in Union- town, Fayette county, Pennsylvania, in 1832, and was raised there with a mercantile experience; it may be said he was bred a man of busi- ness, and the success which has at- tended him thus far in life may be attributed to his early training; in 1853, he emigrated to Iowa and settled in Muscatine, and remained there three years, and came to Wash- ington county in 1856, and engaged in his present business, and is the pioneer house in his line in the city, and of the many worthy citizens who have made their home in this county none are deserving of more extended notice than the subject of this sketch; he is a man of independent thought but of a kind and obliging nature; a man of the people, and one true to the highest principles of honor and hon- esty; he is endowed with rare good judgment and a well balanced mind, and his character as a business man may be inferred from the success which has attended his career, and
a residence and mercantile expe- rience of twenty-four years has prov- ed him to to be public spirited and enterprising, and one identified. with the best interests and substan- tial progress of the city; while he has made money legitimately he has. spent it liberally; when friends are: needed to aid churches, build rail- roads, and foster enterprises that have a tendency to promote relig- ious, educational, commercial and other interests, he has always con- tributed liberally; he is a director. in the Washington National Bank, and was a member of the first city council and has taken great interest. in educational matters, whether in office or private station; he is a worker and it would be well for the. city had they more such; he is an active member of the M. E. Church and a delegate to the general con- ference.
WILLIAMSON, REV. W. C., pastor of the First U. P. Church; was born in Greene county, Ohio, in 1842; his early life was that of a farmer boy; he was educated at Jef- ferson College, Pennsylvania, and graduated in 1865, and pursued his theological studies at Xenia, Ohio, and was licensed to preach in 1868; his first charge was in Kansas City, under the charge of the mis- sionary board of the U. P. Church; there he succeeded in build- ing up an active and prosperous Church, and in collecting funds and building a church edifice; he re- ceived a call to the First U. P. Church in Washington, and for over nine years has served very accepta- bly as its pastor.
E'ARICK, H., merchant tailor; was born in Mifflinsburg, Y Union county, Pennsylvania, De- cember 23, 1823, and lived in this an Centre counties until he removed to Wayne county, Ohio; he learned his trade in Ohio and followed it very successfully as an occupation,
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and engaged in business on his own account; he came to Iowa in 1853, and eleven years of the time since that period, he spent on a farm; he engaged in his present business at the end of that time, and has built up a good trade, and justly earned a high reputation in his line; Mr. Yearick is quite a horse fancier, and drives the best team in the county, but he never lets his taste in this direction interfere with his business; :as a business man he has the con- fidence of the entire community; he has never been an aspirant for political favors, but when urged he felt compelled to serve as a member .of the city council, until he stead- fastly refused to serve longer; as a public spirited citizen it would be well for Washington county if she Thad more such; he was married in 1845, to Miss Mary J. Daymude a :a native of Ohio; she died in 1873; leaving two children: Albert S., and Alice M. (now Mrs. S. Armstrong); he married for his second wife, Sarah S. Morris, a native of Ohio.
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YOUNG, JOHN. A., cashier of the Washington National Bank; was born in Rush county, Indiana, on the 29th day of July, 1838, and is the son of James M. Young, and Sallie nee Eyestone; the former was a native of Kentucky, and the latter of Ohio; the subject of this :sketch was brought by his parents ito Iowa, in 1843, where he was
raised on a farm; he enlisted dur- ing the late war as a private in the Twenty-fifth Iowa infantry, and was promoted to second lieutenant, also to first lieutenant, and mustered ont as captain; he has held the office of county auditor, and is serving his second term as mayor of the city; in 1874, he became connected with the bank of which heis now cashier, and his financial ability and integ- rity have never been questioned; careful and accurate, he has the ful- lest confidence of the people; as a man upright, reliable and honora- ble; he is a genial gentleman, a quick observer and as prompt in his business relation as he is generous in his social relations; he married Miss Elizabeth A. Runyon, October 4, 1860; she is a native of Jefferson county, Indiana; they have two chil- dren: Ella A. and Harvey S .; lost one son: John W.
YOUNG, J. H., cashier of the Washington Savings Bank; was born in Kentucky May 9, 1841, and lived there until seven years of age, and was brought by liis parents to this county in 1849; he was raised a far- mer and followed it as an avocation until the outbreak of the war when he enlisted in the Nineteenth Iowa infantry; he has been connected with the Washington Savings Bank since its organization in 1876; he was married in 1867 to Miss Lizzie Lawhead, a native of Indiana.
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B OSWORTH, DANIEL L., farmer; Sec. 28; P. O. River- side; was born in Oneida county, New York, January 12, 1813; the same year his parents moved to Ohio; his father died there in 1819, and he went to Ashtabula county in 1828, remaining there until 1840; he then came to Iowa, locating in Lee county, and after a stay there until 1852, he
came to this county and located where he now lives; he has resided on the same place since and owns 220 acres of land; he was married De- cember 4, 1835, to Miss Lydia J. Case, a native of Ohio; they have three children: Charles C. (now in Ring- gold county, Iowa, and was elect- ed representative to the legislature in 1879), Joab O. (living in Denver,
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Colorado), Amy B. (now Mrs. Wil- liam T. Cornwell, of Union county, Iowa); have lost three: A. M., Ben- jamin B., Ada S .; A. M., served through the war in the Thirtieth Iowa infantry, and Charles C. first in the Seventh Ohio, afterward com- missioned as hospital steward in the regular army; A. M. Bosworth was elected sheriff of this county in 1873; has also been town assessor.
D' EY, R. S., farmer; Sec, 25; P. O. Brighton; was born in New Jersey, December 16, 1821; when about four years of age his parents moved to Morgan county, Ohio, and to Miami county 1830; he came to Iowa in the fall of 1845, and located in Brighton township, this county; in the fall of 1879 he moved upon his present farm of 100 acres; has held the office of town trustee for two terms, and served on the city council of Brighton for four years; has been twice married; first, February 25, 1845, to Miss Eliza A. Shearer, a native of Ohio; she died June 25, 1871, leaving a family of ten chil- dren: John B., Mary E., Lydia A., Sarah M., Cyrus F., Harriet A. and Clark, living, and three deceased; was again married January 25, 1876, to Mrs. Mary Hinsey, of Peoria, Illinois; one son, John B. served in the late war; his grand- father was in the revolutionary war.
DILLON. JACOB, farmer; Sec. 22; P. O. Brighton ; was born in Ohio, May 4, 1818; in 1825 he moved with his parents to Tazewell county, Illi- nois; there he was raised receiving his education in the common schools; he lived there until 1839, and in 1843 he came to this State and located on his present farm of 485 acres; he bought a claim of 80 acres and in the course of the season entered 160 acres; also helped lay the mud-sills of Pickerel's old mill now known as the Brighton Mills; he returned to Illinois and stayed there until 1843; he started with 160 acres, entered by
selling the finest horse in the State for $65; March 4, 1840, he was mar- ried to Miss Cynthia A. Hodson, a native of Ohio; they have a family of eight children: William H., Lon- isa, Sarah C., Rosetta, Renben, Mar- tha L., Irvin, Burtis H .; have lost three: Mary, Theodore, Walter (who died in the army a member of com- pany K. Thirteenth Iowa infantry). G OWEY, JOHN, farmer; Sec. 22; P. O. Brighton; was born in Vermont, December 29, 1791; there he was raised, and in 1816, went to western New York, living there un- til 1837; he then removed to Ohio and remained there until his coming to this State in 1852; he located where he now lives and owns 178 acres of land; October 7, 1817, he was married to Miss Fannie Judson, a native of Vermont; they have eight children: Galetsy, Hartland D., Ar- villa, Rolland, Ossian J., L., John F., Floretta H .; have lost two: Florian and an infant; Mr. and Mrs. Gowey are the oldest conple in this town- ship.
GRIFFITH, ROBERT W., farm- er; Sec. 13; P. O. Brighton; the subject of this sketch, whose por- trait appears in another place, was was born in Sussex county, Delaware, September 22, 1804; when very yonng his parents moved to Picka- way county, Ohio, and there he was- raised and educated; his first efforts to start in life were to hire ont on a farm at $8 per month for the first year; for the next year he received $108, and the two succeeding years- $120 per year; he then bought 200 acres of land in Crawford county, Ohio, and here began farming; he lived there until 1846, when he sold his farm and removed to .Macon connty, Illinois, coming the entire distance by wagons; here he bought 900 acres of land and lost $1,100 by the operation; in 1848 he came to Iowa and located where he now lives, buying two hundred acres when he
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came; to this he has added large tracts of land almost every year since, and although he has given to each of his children, as they have gone from him, comfortable homes, he still retains 1,200 acres; he and his sons probably own more land than any other family in the county, and be has made it all by hard, honest toil; has a large commodious brick dwelling and the largest barn in the county, its dimensions being 50x100 feet and 50 feet from the floor to the roof; has always dealt to a con- siderable extent in stock, and this has been a source of revenne to him; has ever been most liberal with his means, ever ready to lend a helping hand to all public enterprises, and also to charitable purposes; stands high in the estimation of his neigh- bors among whom his word has ever been as good as his bond while his hospitalities have always been ex- tended to all; on the 27th of Decem- ber, 1832, Mr. Griffith was united in marriage with Miss Eleanor Long, a native of Northampton county, on the Delaware river; they have twelve children: Elias, Samuel, George W., Robert, Eliza, Mary, Isabelle, Jane, Martha, Sarah, Harriet and Abigail; have lost one: John Q.
H ART, AMBROSE, farmer; Sec. 23; P. O. Brighton; was born Jannary 20, 1824, in Trumbull county, Ohio; at the age of sixteen years he came to Iowa and located in this township in the fall of 1840; lias remained here since that time, and in 1847 moved on his present farm of 98 acres, having entered his land from the government; his fath- er's family are among the first set- tlers of this township, and fully re- alize what is meant by pioneer life; he was married February 11, 1851, to Miss Elizabeth Brier, a native of Ohio; they have five children: So- phia J., Ira A., Anna M., Mary E., and Lucy E .; have lost one, Austa E.
HORTON, DAVID, farmer; Sec. 23; P. O. Brighton; was born in New York, January 30, 1836; in 1846, he came with his parents to thiscounty and located where he now resides, entering his land from the government; he owns 120 acres of land; August 9, 1862, he enlisted in company E, Thirtieth Iowa infantry and served until the close of the war; was wounded in the instep at the battle of Ringgold, Georgia, and slightly wounded in the hip at the battle of Resaca, May 13, 1864; he was honorably discharged June 5, 1865; participated in the battles of Arkansas Post, siege of Vicksburg, Jackson, Mississippi, Cherokee Sta- tion, Lookout Mountain, Mission Ridge and through Sherman's March to the Sea; he married October 8, 1873, Miss Mary H. De Vecmon, a native of Maryland; they have two. children: George A., Lucy S .; have lost two (twins); the father of Mr. Horton came the entire way from New York in wagons; he lost one horse on the way and to purchase, another one he had to exchange a gun and a feather bed for it; sold his wagon to get money to enter forty acres.
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