Past and Present of Appanoose County, Iowa. Volume II
Chicago: The S.J. Clarke Publishing Company. L.L. Taylor, editor. 1913
Transcribed by Renee Rimmert. A complete copy of this book is available on-line at archive.org.
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CHARLES IRVIN HARRISON, is a well known business man of Unionville where he is operating a grist and sawmill, of which he is sole proprietor. He was born in Courtland county, New York, November 18, 1855, and is a son of David and Julia E. (Peck) Harrison, both of whom were natives of Courtland county, New York, the latter of Scotch-Irish and German lineage. The father was a farmer by occupation and in early life removed to Illinois where he remained for five or six years, after which he returned to New York. At the close of the Civil war he again went to Illinois and in 1869 came to Appanoose county. Two years later his parents, Orrin and Mary Harrison, also removed from Illinois to Appanoose county, settling in Udell township, where they purchased land, spending their remaining days upon that farm. David Harrison also invested in property, buying eighty acres in Johns township, to which he afterward added another eighty-acre tract. He carefully and continuously carried on general agricultural pursuits until his death, in 1873. His widow afterward became the wife of James True, of Centerville, and after living upon the old home farm for a few years they removed to the county seat where they continued to reside until called to their final rest, Mrs. True passing away in 1896. Unto Mr. and Mrs. David Harrison were born five children, as follows: Adelbert, deceased; Charles Irvin, of this review; Orrin D., who has also passed away; Frank M., a railroad operator of Gridley, California; and Stella Belle, the widow of W. S. Douglass, now making her home in St. Louis, Missouri.
Charles I. Harrison was a youth of about fourteen years when he came with his parents to Iowa and when fifteen years of age started out in the world on his own account, beginning work as a farm hand. His education had been acquired through previous attendance in the public schools. He has led a life of industry and usefulness. In 1878 he started west and worked his way through to the coast. After remaining for five years in that section of the country he returned to his grandfather's farm in Udell township and later came into possession of this property which was deeded to him. He remained upon the farm for five years, then rented the land and removed to Unionville, where he engaged in teaming for a year. In 1901 he formed a partnership with Jake Wilson and purchased the grist and sawmill belonging to the estate of Joshua Riggs. In the intervening period of eleven years he has been continuously connected with the conduct of the business and since 1908 has been sole proprietor, having in that year purchased the interests of his partner who had been injured in the mill. In the conduct of the business he displays characteristic enterprise combined with skill and energy which are bringing him success. He is a progressive, enterprising business man and is well known as a reliable and highly respected citizen of Appanoose county. In addition to his milling interests he owns eighty acres of timber land on section 28, Udell township, and eighteen acres in Unionville.
In 1890 Mr. Harrison was united in marriage to Miss Adda Louise Brain, a daughter of George and Ellen (Cox) Brain, who were natives of Gloucestershire, England, where they were reared and married. In 1852 they crossed the Atlantic to the United States, settling at Yellow Springs, Ohio, and in that locality the father engaged in farming until 1858, when he removed to Knox county, Illinois. After twenty years there passed they came to Iowa in 1878, settling in Appanoose county. He purchased one hundred acres of land in Udell township and as he prospered in his farming operations extended the boundaries of his property by an additional purchase of one hundred and fifty acres. He developed one of the excellent farms of the district and remained thereon until his death in 1899. His widow afterward rented the place and came to Unionville, now making her home with her daughter, Mrs. Jake Wilson. Mrs. Harrison was born in Knox county, Illinois, April 24, 1865, and for five terms was a teacher in the public schools of Appanoose county, having charge of the first school in Udell township. By her marriage she has become the mother of four children: Forest, born October 28, 1892, who assists his father in his business interests; Lois, who was born January 28, 1896, and died November 13, 1899; Marguerite, who was born June 18, 1901, and is now attending school; and Frank, whose birth occurred December 3, 1907.
Mr. Harrison gives his political support to the democratic party and keeps well informed on the questions and issues of the day. He served as township trustee for a number of years and as constable for one term, discharging his duties in those connections with promptness and fidelity. His interests in, and support of the cause of, public education was seen in nine years' service as a member of the school board, during which period he did everything in his power to promote the interests of the schools and raise their standard of excellence. At one time he held membership with the Masonic lodge in Unionville but does not attend at the present time. His wife, however, is connected with the Eastern Star chapter of Unionville. He and his family are members of the Methodist church, in the work of which he takes a most active and helpful part, serving now as secretary of the board of trustees and as superintendent of the Sunday school. His has been a well-spent life, honorable and upright in its varied relations, and his influence and labors have constituted a potent force for progress along material, political, social, intellectual and moral lines.
SAMUEL P. HAYS - Farming and bookkeeping occupied the attention of Samuel P. Hays during his active business life and his was a well-earned success gained through honorable methods and unfaltering enterprise. He was one of the worthy citizens that the Keystone state furnished to Iowa, for his birth occurred near Paris, Pennsylvania, January 31, 1844, his parents being Davis and Martha (Campbell) Hays, both of whom were natives of Virginia. In the schools of his native city the son pursued his education until necessity forced him to make his own way in the world owing to his father's failure in business, leaving the family in straitened circumstances, so that he had to provide for his own support. He attended school in the winter months, eagerly availing himself of the opportunity to acquire an education and worked out in the summer seasons. When nineteen years of age he went to California, where for seven years he worked in the gold mines. He traveled by the water route to the Pacific coast and after a long journey sought success in the gold fields. He met with a gratifying measure of prosperity, earning the money that enabled him eventually to purchase his land in Appanoose county. For seven years he continued upon the coast and then returned to his native state. In 1876 he came to Iowa, where he invested his savings in land, becoming owner of one hundred and forty acres in Appanoose county, two and a half miles east of Centerville. Upon that place he resided until 1894, when he took up his abode in the county seat. He had carefully tilled and cultivated his fields, making the place very productive and to his original holdings he had added until within the boundaries of his farm were comprised two hundred and twenty acres of land. On his removal to the city he rented the farm and thus materially added to his income. On taking up his abode in Centerville he accepted the position of bookkeeper in the Wells & Bradley Mills, there continuing until 1902. The remaining three years of his life were spent in quiet retirement and he passed away on the 19th of April, 1905.
Mr. Hays was devoted to the welfare and happiness of his family and found his greatest pleasure in ministering to their comfort. In October, 1876, he wedded Wilhelmina Campbell, a daughter of Alexander and Martha Campbell, both of whom were natives of Virginia. The father made farming his life work and in the '60s arrived in Appanoose county, Iowa, purchasing land a mile and a half east of Centerville. There he and his wife lived until called to the home beyond and were numbered among the worthy and highly respected farming people of the community. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Hays was celebrated in Chariton, Iowa, and to them were born two children, Martha and Mary, the latter at home with her mother. The elder daughter is the wife of John L. Wilson, a nurseryman and lumber dealer of Centerville and they have two children: Mabel, six years of age, attending Central school ; and Samuel Hays Wilson, five years of age.
Mr. Hays voted with the republican party and was ever loyal to its teachings and its purposes, feeling that its platform contained the best elements of good government. In early life he was a member of the United Presbyterian church and later became a member of the Presbyterian church at Centerville, to which his widow now belongs. In both he served as elder. He lived an honorable, upright Christian life, at all times consistent, his actions being ever guided by his Christian belief. So high were his ideals and motives and so honorable his actions that he commanded the regard and confidence of all who knew him and no resident of Centerville was more justly honored and esteemed.
WILLIAM B. HAYS, LL. B. , one of the younger and popular members of the legal fraternity in Appanoose county, has won an enviable reputation in professional circles as a practicing attorney of Centerville. His birth occurred in Guernsey county, Ohio, on the 15th of April, 1875, his parents being Harry H. and Mary (Boyd) Hays, who are likewise natives of that county. The father comes of Yankee stock, while the mother is a lady of Scotch-Irish lineage. They were married in Guernsey county, Ohio, and are living on a farm there, Harry H. Hays being a farmer and stock dealer. The paternal great-grandfather of our subject, was a soldier in the Revolutionary war and suffered with the patriots at Valley Forge.
William B. Hays, who was the first born in a family of three sons and two daughters, obtained his early education in the district school of his home locality and subsequently attended the high school at Martins Ferry, Ohio, being graduated therefrom in 1895. During the following ten years he taught school in order to defray the expenses of a college course, teaching for one year in the district school of his home locality, for a similar period in district school of Wayne county, Iowa, and for eight years in the high school at Corydon, Iowa. In the summer months he had attended summer sessions at Drake University of Des Moines and at Central University of Pella, Iowa. In the fall of 1907 he left the Corydon high school as principal and entered the law department of the University of Iowa, being graduated therefrom with honors in 1910 and winning the degree of LL. B. Coming to Centerville, he opened an office here and has since been successfully engaged in the practice of his chosen profession. The zeal with which he has devoted his energies to his profession, the careful regard evinced for the interests of his clients and an assiduous and unrelaxing attention to all the details of his cases, have brought him a large business and made him very successful in its conduct. He is a member of the Appanoose County Bar Association.
In 1901 Mr. Hays was united in marriage to Miss Myrtle Lowe, a daughter of John and Ann Lowe. The father was a native of Kentucky and an agriculturist by occupation. He gave his political allegiance to the democracy until the outbreak of the Civil war and then joined the party of Lincoln, supporting its men and measures until his demise, which occurred at Corydon, Iowa, in 1903. His widow, who is a native of Missouri and comes of Yankee stock, now resides in Centerville with her daughter, Mrs. Hays.
Mr. Hays is a stanch democrat in politics and in 1912 was made the candidate of his party for the office of county attorney. His religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Methodist Episcopal church at Centerville, to which his wife also belongs. They enjoy the warm regard of many friends and the hospitality of their own home is greatly appreciated by those who know them.
JAMES E. HENDERSHOT , has for twenty years been closely associated with commercial interests of Exline as a member of the firm of Hendershot & Robley, merchants, and with the general business interests of the community through his identification with all the leading projects and enterprises which directly affect advancement and development. He was born in Caldwell township, Appanoose county, June 15, 1865, and was reared upon his grandfather's farm. His early education was acquired in the public schools of the locality and he was later for one term a student in the University of Kansas. When he laid aside his books he engaged in teaching in the public schools of his native section but after six years abandoned that occupation and farmed near Sedan for one year. At the end of that time he located in Exline and has since given his attention to business concerns. He bought a small stock of goods and established himself as a general merchant. He soon became well known on account of his upright and honorable business methods, his fair dealing and his constant courtesy and consideration for the wishes of his customers, and as a result his business grew. Year by year he added to his stock and continued to conduct the enterprise until 1906, meeting with steadily increasing prosperity. Eventually, however, he sold his business interests and went upon a pleasure trip to the Pacific coast, journeying through Washington, Oregon and California. When he returned at the end of three months he became interested in the Exline Savings Bank, which he promoted and built up and served as its president for some time, being still a large stockholder. At one period in his career he purchased a ranch in Texas and in 1911 moved to the Pan Handle, near Amarillo, and resided upon his property for about three months, after which he returned to Exline. Here he formed a partnership with E. S. Robley and bought out the Exline Cash Store, the business being now conducted under the firm name of Hendershot & Robley. They carry a fine line of goods and are conducting a business which is constantly growing in volume and importance. They have now a liberal patronage and their trade is increasing, owing to the straightforward business methods and the reasonable prices which have become recognized as a policy of this business house. Mr. Hendershot has other extensive and important business interests in Exline, being a stockholder and a director of the Exline Savings Bank and the owner of valuable property holdings. He holds title to a number of residence lots, upon which he has built some eight or ten houses which he rents and in addition to this owns also extensive business property. During the course of his twenty years of activity in Exline he has aided greatly in the upbuilding and development of the town, lending the weight of his influence to the promotion of projects which affect material progress and public advancement.
Mr. Hendershot married near Sedan, Iowa, in January, 1892, Miss Lily Wood, who was born, reared and educated in Appanoose county and who taught in the public schools previous to her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Hendershot have three children: Marie, who is studying in Davenport; Carl Elton; and Kenneth. Two of the children born to this union died in infancy.
Mr. Hendershot has been affiliated with the democratic party since attaining his majority and has held many positions of responsibility and trust. He has served as township clerk and as township trustee and has besides been a delegate to many county conventions, proving himself always a forceful and efficient public servant. He is a progressive business man who seems to recognize the value of every situation and to make the most of his many opportunities. Through legitimate lines of trade he has built up a growing business that is indicative of his spirit of enterprise and determination.
LEVI McDONALD HENRY - Among the estimable pioneer citizens of Centerville who donned the blue and went to the front in defense of their country's flag must be mentioned Levi McDonald Henry, who is now living retired but was for many years actively engaged in business here. He is a native of Martinsburg, Knox county, Ohio, his birth having occurred on the 11th of September, 1828. His father, Robert Henry, was of Irish and Welsh extraction but was born in Huntington, Pennsylvania. When a small lad he removed with his parents to Knox county, Ohio, where he made his home until his death in 1877. He was married in the town of Martinsburg to Miss Mary Ann McDonald, who was of Scotch descent, her parents both having been born in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland. She only lived a few years after her marriage, and for his second wife Mr. Henry chose Rebecca Dillon, who had been married before, and was a daughter of Robert and Martha Dillon, retired farming people of Martinsburg, where Mrs. Henry passed away in 1906.
Reared in a home of limited means the early advantages of Levi McDonald Henry was very meager. His schooling was confined to a few terms of irregular attendance in his home district, but as he always was a close observer and a wide reader, he has acquired a large fund of general information, which marks him as a well educated man. In his early youth he went to Mount Vernon, Ohio, where he began his apprenticeship at the tailor's trade, completing his period of service in Columbus, that state. Feeling that he was qualified to develop a business of his own, he went in the spring of 1851 to Washington, Missouri, where he established and maintained a shop for a time. From there he went to Springfield, Illinois, but six months later he made a tour of the south. In 1853, he returned to Springfield, where he was married the same year. His next removal was to Minneapolis, Minnesota, of which city he became a resident in 1854, remaining there for two years. At the expiration of that time he returned to Illinois, locating at Bloomfield, where he resided until 1863, when he removed to Centerville, and opened a tailor shop. The same year Mr. Henry enlisted in Company F, Thirty-sixth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and went into camp at Camden, Arkansas. He was captured by the enemy at Marks Mill and was held for a year prisoner at Camp Frith, Texas, being released in February, 1865. He was mustered out at Davenport, Iowa, on July 27, of that year, and upon receipt of his discharge returned to Centerville and engaged in the clothing business. Mr. Henry was successfully identified with the commercial development of this city for many years thereafter, and upon his retirement from active life sold his store to his son, George A., who has since passed away.
The lady who now bears the name of Mrs. Henry was known in her maidenhood as Miss Eleanor Boyd, and was born in Ohio on the 4th of July, 1835, her parents being Alexander and Margaret Boyd, farming people of Coshocton county, that state. The father was murdered during the childhood of Mrs. Henry, who was reared by an uncle, Lyman Shaffer, of Springfield, Illinois, and lost all trace of her mother many years ago. To Mr. and Mrs. Henry were born two sons: John W., who was born in Minneapolis, on Christmas day, 1854; and George A., whose birth occurred on the 17th of March, 1857, at Bloomington, Illinois. They are both deceased. The last named married Miss Jessie Spooner and to them were born two children: William, deceased; and Cora, the wife of C. H. Wyman, of Sheridan, Wyoming, and the mother of two children, Jessie and John Henry.
In religious faith Mr. and Mrs. Henry are Presbyterians, and are consistent members of the local church of that denomination. Fraternally he has attained high rank in the Masonic order, being a member of the blue lodge, commandery and shrine. He is also affiliated with the Royal Arcanum, and the local post of the Grand Army of the Republic. His political support he accords to the democratic party, but has never held a public office. In Appanoose county, of which he has been a resident for practically a half century, Mr. Henry is held in favorable regard, having been known as a straightforward, reliable business man, progressive and patriotic citizen, and a loyal and trustworthy friend. He is passing the evening of life in honorable retirement, enjoying the ease and comfort provided by the accumulations of an active and intelligently spent life and the respect and esteem of a large circle of acquaintances.
MRS. MELISSA A. HENRY, of Centerville, was born near Wheeling, West Virginia, March 8, 1844, when that state was still a part of the Old Dominion. Her parents were Samuel and Mildred (Mitchell) Haught, the former a native of West Virginia and the latter of Ohio. The father was both a miller and wagon maker by trade and his activities in industrial lines included blacksmithing and carpentering. He followed those different pursuits in West Virginia for a number of years but became a resident of Appanoose county during the pioneer epoch in its history and purchased two hundred and forty acres of land in Johns township. This he at once began to clear, cultivate and improve, continuing its operation up to the time of his death, which occurred on the 9th of March, 1897. His widow long survived him and died in 1912.
Their daughter, Melissa A., spent her girlhood days in her native state and began her education in the public schools there, but in her girlhood she had the misfortune to have her feet frozen and this forced her to remain at home for three years, passing the time largely in study. She is therefore a self-educated woman. She remained with her parents up to the time of her first marriage, which occurred in 1861, when she became the wife of Jacob Cumberledge, a son of George and Elizabeth (Lance) Cumberledge, who were natives of Pennsylvania. Mr. Cumberledge was a farmer by occupation and in 1872 removed with his family to Appanoose county, where he invested in two hundred and forty acres of land in Johns township. He immediately began the development and further improvement of this place and was soon recognized as one of the enterprising, progressive and highly respected farmers of the locality. To his original purchase he added another tract of one hundred and thirty acres and continued the cultivation of all of his land up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1894. The only interruption to his business career came at the time of the Civil war, when he enlisted as a member of the One Hundred and Sixty-eighth Pennsylvania Infantry, serving for nine months. He afterward became a member of the Grand Army post, thus maintaining pleasant relations with his comrades who wore the blue uniform at the darkest hour in the history of the country.
Mr. and Mrs. Cumberledge became the parents of nine children: Alice, who is deceased; Samuel G., a druggist of Oklahoma; Mary E., who is the wife of Ed Harrington and resides in Utah; Calista, who makes her home in Webb City, Missouri; Effie, the wife of William Elgin, of Walnut, Iowa; George F., a resident of Oklahoma; Valiska and Leona, both of whom have passed away; and Isora, who is the wife of J. E. Moore, a farmer of Appanoose county. The death of the husband and father in 1894 was the occasion of deep regret not only to his immediate family but also to many friends, for he lived an upright and honorable life, was straightforward and progressive in business, loyal in citizenship and possessed many pleasing social qualities.
After the death of her first husband Mrs. Cumberledge became the wife of Absalom Henry, who is now in Nebraska. She owns and occupies a pleasant residence at No. 802 West Washington street and also owns another residence property at No. 724 West Washington street. Her long residence in the county has made her widely known and she has many warm friends who esteem her highly for her sterling worth.
JAMES W. HIBBS - Among the successful and prominent native sons of Appanoose county may be numbered James W. Hibbs, mayor of Numa, who since 1883 has conducted a general store and has become in the course of years a power and a force in business circles of that community. He was born at what was then known as Hibbsville, in Franklin township, February 2, 1859, and is a son of James and Martha E. (Cooley) Hibbs, natives of Indiana. The father came to Appanoose county in the early days of its settlement and purchased land. He turned over the management of his extensive property interests to his sons and he himself engaged in the general merchandise business in Hibbsville, a town which was named in his honor. He was gradually carried forward into important relations with its business life and for forty years conducted his mercantile enterprise there, serving in addition as postmaster. At the outbreak of the Civil war he enlisted in an Iowa regiment and served for nine months, returning at the expiration of that time and resuming the conduct of his business affairs. He died August 14, 1904, and his death was regretted throughout the section in which for many years he had made his home, as it was felt to be a distinct loss to business and financial development. He had survived his wife only eight months, her death having occurred December 21, 1903.
James W. Hibbs was reared and educated in Appanoose county, where he attended district school. Until he was twenty years of age he assisted his father with the work of the farm and then began his independent career, giving his attention to business affairs. He worked at bridge building and at coal mining until 1883, when he came to Numa and established himself in the general merchandise business, in which he has since engaged. He carries a large and complete stock of goods and occupies one of the finest business buildings in the city, a store which he erected in 1899 and which was the first brick building in the town. He has been accorded a liberal patronage owing to his reasonable prices, his honorable methods of dealing and his earnest desire to please his patrons. Being a far-sighted and able business man he has from time to time made judicious investments and has just completed the erection of a large brick hotel building, forty-four by fifty-six feet, which is situated on the public square of the town and is now occupied by a hotel, restaurant and barber shop. In addition to his activity as a general merchant Mr. Hibbs also served as postmaster under President Cleveland's administration. He is prominently and influentially connected with the general business life of the community, being a stockholder and director in the Numa State Savings Bank and well known in the affairs of other important enterprises.
November, 1883, Mr. Hibbs was united in marriage to Miss Hannah Leek, a daughter of Francis and Sarah (Whitsell) Leek, the former a native of England and the latter of Indiana. The father came to Appanoose county before the Civil war and purchased a farm in that section, which he improved and operated until his death, which occurred April 20, 1907. His wife survived him until January 16, 1911. Mr. and Mrs. Hibbs became the parents of three children: Grace May, who died in 1886; Teddy E., aged ten; and Frances, aged five.
Fraternally Mr. Hibbs is connected with the Masonic order, belonging to the Order of the Eastern Star and is also well known in the Knights of Pythias and the Order of Foresters. His political allegiance is given to the democratic party. He is progressive and public-spirited in all matters of citizenship, taking an active part in the affairs of the community in which he has resided for so many years. At the present time he is serving as mayor of Numa, his administration being characterized by able, businesslike and straightforward work. His business career is one of which he has every reason to be proud, for he has placed his dependence upon the substantial qualities of energy, self-reliance and high integrity. Thus he has steadily advanced in the business world until he is now one of the leading and representative men of Numa.
JOHN M. HICKS - Among the citizens of Appanoose county who have attained an honored place in the community through their acknowledged ability and personal worth and whose business activities have been important enough to affect the general development of the city is John M. Hicks, one of the most extensive stock buyers and shippers in this part of Iowa. His birth occurred in Hancock county, Tennessee, on the 16th of March, 1851, his parents being Gabe and Sarah (Seals) Hicks, both natives of that state. The paternal grandfather was of German-English lineage, and the grandmother Scotch-Irish, and both came to this country at an early day. The marriage of the parents occurred in Tennessee and in the spring of 1857 they came west, locating in Appanoose county, Iowa, where the father purchased two hundred acres of well-improved farm land near Unionville. He carried on general agriculture for some time but finally concentrated his attention upon raising stock, which he shipped to the eastern markets. He remained upon the farm until his death, which occurred in 1870, after which his wife removed to Unionville, where she passed away. In their family were four children: Andy and Larkin, who have passed away; R. M., a resident of Centerville; and John M., of this review.
John M. Hicks was a small child when he was brought to Appanoose county by his parents. When he had attained the usual age he entered the district school and there acquired his education, aiding his father with the work of the farm when not engaged with his books. After the death of Gabe Hicks, the subject of this review came to Unionville with his mother and here worked with a section gang until 1876, when he formed a partnership with J. B. Morrison with whom he engaged in the hoop manufacturing business for some time. In 1887 he left Iowa and removed to Perkins county, Nebraska, where he purchased land and engaged in farming. However, he returned in the fall of 1890 and bought three hundred and twenty acres of land in Udell township, upon which he engaged extensively in raising high-grade stock. In 1895 his house was torn to pieces by a severe cyclone and one year later he sold the farm to W. C. Miller and moved into Unionville, his present home. However, he still continues active in stock dealing, upon which he has concentrated his attention for a number of years, shipping to the Chicago market. All of his business affairs are judiciously carried forward, showing discriminating business judgment and a marked spirit of enterprise, and prosperity has come as a natural result of his ability which commanded it.
On the 22d of February, 1876, Mr. Hicks was united in marriage to Miss Laura J. Miller, a daughter of Claudius and Martha J. (Baldridge) Miller, the father born in Hickman county, Tennessee, December 1, 1824. The paternal grandparents of Mrs. Hicks were Nathaniel and Sarah (Martin) Miller, natives of North Carolina. On the maternal side the grandparents were Andrew and Margaret Baldridge, early settlers in Tennessee, where the father followed the trade of millwright until his death. Mrs. Hicks' father, Claudius Miller, attended a subscription school in Hickman county, Tennessee, and his education was extremely limited and has been largely acquired through reading and observation in later years. He married in Tennessee in April, 1845, and three years later came to Iowa, locating in Appanoose county as a pioneer and taking up government land in Union township. On August 22, 1862, he enlisted in Company C, Thirty-sixth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, going to the front as second sergeant. He won promotion to the position of first sergeant on the 7th of March, 1863, and on the 3rd of February, 1865, was made first lieutenant, with which rank he was mustered out on the 24th of August, 1865, at Devall Bluff, Arkansas. He returned home and for a time engaged in the general merchandise business in Unionville, conducting a profitable enterprise for a number of years and finally selling it in order to go to Nebraska, where he took up farming. In 1893 he returned to Unionville and opened a general store which he conducted successfully until 1906, when he retired from active life. His first wife passed away in Appanoose county in 1875. To their union were born nine children: Benjamin G., whose birth occurred in 1848 and who died in Iowa about 1906; Joseph, who was born in Appanoose county, October 27, 1850, and who is engaged in farming in Kidder, Missouri; John, who was born in Appanoose county, September 3, 1853, and who died August 16, 1854; Laura J., the wife of the subject of this review, born May 27, 1855; Amanda, who was born April 9, 1857, and who is the wife of John E. Miller, a carpenter in Unionville; Sarah, who was born September 20, 1859, and who is the wife of George Stutevoss, a stock-raiser, of Elsie, Nebraska, who died October 14, 1895; Snow, who was born July 19, 1861, and died in infancy; W. C, who was born August 20, 1862, and who is engaged in farming in Udell township; and Rosa, who was born June 19, 1866, and who is the wife of Wyke Large, of Sapulpa, Oklahoma. After the death of his first wife Mr. Miller married Miss Dorcas E. Jennings, a daughter of Percy and Lydia (Casey) Jennings, the former a carpenter of Greene county, Pennsylvania, where both parents passed away. Mrs. Miller came to Iowa previous to her marriage and taught for some time in the schools of Unionville and Moulton. She died in 1899, leaving two children: Mabel, who was born January 2, 1882, and who is the wife of Frederick Koehler, a dairyman of Ratoon, Mexico; and Agnes, who was born September 18, 1883, and who is residing at home.
Mr. Miller is one of the well-known and prominent citizens of Unionville. For many years he has taken an active part in local republican politics and has served as county supervisor and as state representative. He is a member of the blue lodge of Masons, and his religious views are in accord with the doctrines of the Methodist Episcopal church, which direct and influence the activities of his every-day life. To Mr. and Mrs. Hicks has been born a son, Claudius R., whose natal day was December 9, 1878, and who is at present acting as train dispatcher at Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He married Miss Annette Hawn, of Vinton, and they have two children, Mildred Maurice and Laura Jeannette.
Mr. Hicks is a devout member of the Methodist Episcopal church, to which his wife also belongs. He is connected with the blue lodge of Masons and stands high both in business and social circles, for he is a man who commands the confidence and high regard of all with whom he is brought into contact. His political support is given to the democratic party and as a public-spirited citizen he takes a commendable interest in the welfare and growth of the community, although this never takes the form of office seeking.
 James C. Hopkins & Family |
JAMES C. HOPKINS, now living retired in Unionville, enjoying a well earned rest after a life of labor, is numbered among those who have contributed in substantial measure to the development and advancement of Appanoose county, for he was for many years closely identified with important agricultural interests. His long life has been marked by strict adherence to the principles of honorable and upright manhood, by earnest, straightforward work in times of peace and by valor and loyalty in times of war, for he belongs to that fast lessening band of veterans who fought in defense of the Union fifty years ago. A native of Tennessee, Mr. Hopkins was born on the 19th of February, 1837, and is a son of William and Eliza (Stegall) Hopkins, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter born in Tuscumbia, Alabama, in 1817. The paternal branch of the family is of English ancestry, the grandfather of our subject, Stephen Hopkins, having come from Great Britain at an early date and located in New York state, thus founding the family in America. |
Mr. and Mrs. William Hopkins were married in Tennessee and for some time lived upon a farm in Hancock county, upon which the father died of yellow fever contracted during the Mexican war. Later the mother was again married, her second husband being Le Roy Busic, of Tennessee, and in 1850 they removed to Davis county, Iowa, whence they came in the spring of 1857 to Appanoose county. Here they rented a farm in Union township and Mr. Busic developed and improved this property for some time, later adding to his agricultural labors the duties of constable. A few years afterward he removed with his family to Miller county, Missouri, and there remained until his death, which occurred at the age of eighty-four. His wife passed away when she was seventy years of age.
James C. Hopkins attended school only three months during his entire life, his education having been acquired from his mother, who spent a great deal of her time teaching her son. When he was eleven years of age he came west to Appanoose county and made his home with an uncle, who resided in this section of Iowa, for one year, returning to Tennessee at the end of that time. In 1850 he came with his mother and stepfather to Davis county and remained there until 1857, when he went to Leavenworth, Kansas, and engaged in hauling freight from that city to Fort Scott, Kansas. For eighteen months he engaged in this occupation but finally returned to Appanoose county and made his home with his parents until the outbreak of the Civil war, when his patriotic spirit was aroused and, feeling that the country needed his aid, he enlisted at Unionville, on the 6th of June, 1861, in Company I, Third Iowa Volunteer Cavalry, under Captain T.J. Taylor. His regiment saw active service at the front and while he was a member of it Mr. Hopkins was wounded at Pea Ridge, where he was in the thick of battle with seven thousand Indians. A short time after this he was transferred to Company G, Thirty-sixth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and took part in many of the principal battles of the Civil war, including the siege at Fort Pemberton, the battles of Helena, Little Rock, Elkins Ford, Prairie d' Ann, Camden, Marks Mills and Jenkins Ferry, having been present at forty-five battles and skirmishes during his four years of service. His regiment was captured at Marks Mills, Arkansas, but he with others later escaped and waded through four miles of swamp on his way to rejoin the Union forces. He suffered many hardships and privations and was for five days lost in a strange country with nothing to eat but sassafras sprouts, upon which he sustained his life. He was mustered out at Little Rock, Arkansas, on June 21, 1865. He had participated in the long hard marches, arduous campaigns and the hotly contested battles and, therefore, with a creditable military record he returned to Appanoose county to resume his business life. For some time he worked at anything which would bring him an income, but later went to Davis county and purchased eighty acres of land, which he farmed until 1873. He returned in that year to Appanoose county and bought a farm of forty acres in Udell township, upon which he made his home for a number of years, steadily carrying forward the work of improvement and development along modern lines. From time to time he added to his holdings until he owned four hundred acres, all in a high state of cultivation. In 1907, however, he sold this property and went to California, where he visited his daughter and his son, who are living in Shasta county. Upon his return he bought a small place near Unionville, upon which he resided until the 5th of September, 1912, when he came into the city and has since lived retired, having earned comfort and freedom from business cares by unremitting and well directed work in the past.
On the 5th of September, 1865, Mr. Hopkins was united in marriage in Appanoose county to Miss Cornelia Margaret Close, a daughter of Jacob and Sarah (Johnson) Close, natives of Indiana, the former of Dutch-Irish ancestry and the latter of Holland stock. Their marriage occurred in Indiana and in 1840 they came to Iowa, locating in Davis county, whence after a few months they removed to Louisville, Kentucky. The father was a shoemaker by trade and followed this occupation in the various sections to which he removed, but upon returning to Davis county in 1861 he took up one hundred and sixty acres of government land and engaged in farming. Later, however, he sold the property and went to Indiana, but finally returned to Iowa and worked at his trade in Davis county for some time. After a brief period of residence in Appanoose county he went to Promise City, Wayne county, and there remained until his death. His daughter, the wife of the subject of this review, was the first white girl born in Davis county and her brother John the first white child born in that part of Iowa. Mrs. Hopkins' birth occurred on the 30th of June, 1844, her brother having been born one year previous. Mr. and Mrs. Hopkins became the parents of seventeen children. They have fifty- six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Of their immediate descendants nine are living, as follows: William J., a farmer of Union township; Sarah E., the wife of Henry Peek, who is engaged in farming near Moulton, Iowa; John F., a farmer of Kansas; Andrew L., who is engaged in general agricultural pursuits in Davis county; George W., a carpenter of Unionville; Stephen Allen, who is farming in Davis county; James G., an electrician in Shasta county, California; Joseph J., who operates a farm in Davis county; and Hulda Jane, who married David Covey, of Shasta county, California.
Mr. Hopkins gives his allegiance to the progressive party and is at ill times progressive and public-spirited in his citizenship, although he never seeks public office. Through his membership in the Grand Army of the Republic he keeps in close touch with his comrades of the Civil war. He has been always interested in the welfare of Appanoose county and has given active cooperation to many movements for the public good, his efforts being effective and far-reaching. Living in Iowa for so many years, he is one of the best known citizens of this locality, being widely recognized as a man of tried integrity and worth and of business enterprise and unfaltering diligence. Now that he has passed the seventy-fifth milestone on life's journey, he is enjoying a well-earned rest, for his life has been long and honorable both in deeds and years.
 Stephen & Polly Hopkins |
STEPHEN HOPKINS - During the latter years of his life Stephen Hopkins lived retired in Unionville, but for many years previously had been actively engaged in farming in this county and was a prominent representative of agricultural interests here. He was also on many different occasions in public office, his service covering a long period, and the record of no citizen of Appanoose county has been more faultless in honor, fearless in conduct and stainless in reputation. He was born in Claiborne county, Tennessee, October 15, 1822, his parents being Jaba and Rachel (Clouse) Hopkins, who were also natives of that state and were of English descent. They came to Iowa in the spring of 1850, accompanied by their son Stephen Hopkins and his wife. They established their home three miles south and a mile east of Unionville, the father purchasing a half section of farm land there, after which he carried on general agricultural pursuits until the death of his wife, subsequent to which time he left the old homestead and removed to Decatur county, Iowa, where he spent his last years with his youngest son, Martin Hopkins. |
In the schools of Tennessee Stephen Hopkins pursued his education and after putting aside his text-books worked upon the home farm and engaged in teaching school. He was married on the 8th of June, 1843, and lived in happy wedlock for a period of sixty-seven years, three months and seventeen days with Polly Ann Hopkins, who is a daughter of George W. and Polly (McFarland) Hopkins. Her father, who was a native of Tennessee, came of English and German ancestry. In early life he worked in a sawmill and after following that occupation for some time began tanning. He was a soldier of the War of 1812 and was at all times a loyal and progressive citizen. In Kentucky he married Polly McFarland, who was born in that state but was descended from a northern family. In 1850 they removed to Iowa, settling in Davis county, and some years afterward they became residents of Worth county, Missouri, where they remained until called to the home beyond. The wife of Stephen Hopkins was a granddaughter of another Stephen Hopkins who with his father, Nehemiah Hopkins, became a resident of New York city when it was a comparatively small place and was one of the first tailors there. Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Hopkins, of this review, celebrated their sixtieth wedding anniversary, and few, indeed, are the couples who travel life's journey together for so long a period. Their mutual love and confidence increased year by year and they were held in the highest esteem by all because their lives were well spent. They reared the following family: Annie, who became the wife of T. J. Harden, who is a section foreman of Noble, Oklahoma, and has three children, Ella, W. O. and Viola (Harden) Palmer; Mahala, the wife of Charles Buckmaster, a farmer of Sasakwa, Oklahoma, by whom she had nine children, five of whom are living, Sarah, Frank, Stephen, Andrew and Richard; Jasper Newton, who died at the age of three years; John N., who died in 1895 at the age of forty-seven years; Allen, a farmer living near Stillwater, Oklahoma, who married Rachel Buckmaster and has three children, William, Maude, and Blanche; William H., who died in 1884 at the age of twenty-nine years; Eli, who died in 1895 at the age of thirty-eight years, leaving a widow who was formerly Minnie Hunt and who is now living near Humboldt, Kansas, with her two children, Louella M. Foster and John W.; Mary R., who died January 29, 1883, at the age of twenty-three years; Sarah Jane, at home with her mother; George W., who died October 18, 1887, at the age of twenty-two years; and Margaret E., who passed away November 4, 1886, at the age of eighteen years.
Following their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Hopkins lived for about seven years in Tennessee and in 1850 came to Iowa, settling on a farm near his father's place. He purchased one hundred acres of land on section 14, Udell township, and thereon resided from August, 1850, until March 25, 1898, when he retired from active life, sold his farm and removed to Unionville, purchasing residence property which he occupied to the time of his death, which occurred September 25, 1910. He was ill less than a week and with little suffering and no regrets passed from this life. His had been a beautiful Christian character and his record is one crowned with honor and respect. For forty-eight years he carried on farming and a life of industry, thrift and earnest toil brought him success. He placed his fields in a high state of cultivation and added many modern improvements to his farm which was converted into a valuable property. He took great delight in placing his land in a fine condition and he also made stock- feeding an important branch of his business.
He was a member of the Grange and Farmers Alliance for a time and was interested in all that pertained to improvement in farm methods. He never allowed business affairs to interfere with his duties in other directions, however. He was always mindful of his obligations to citizenship and sought to promote public progress in many ways. He voted with the democratic party and for eighteen years filled the office of treasurer of the schools of Udell township, for many years was justice of the peace and for several terms was clerk of the township. He also acted as trustee until he refused to serve longer, when he resigned on account of old age. Both Mr. and Mrs. Hopkins were members of the Methodist Episcopal church, to the teachings of which they were most loyal, their lives being guided by their religious faith and belief. It was a memorable event in the history of Unionville when they celebrated their sixtieth wedding anniversary on the 8th of June, 1903, on which occasion sixty-two guests were present, the day being spent in social converse while all partook of a bountiful meal. A handsome cane was presented to Mr. Hopkins and a rocking-chair to his wife. The presentation speech was made by the Hon. J. B. Stuckey, of Udell township, while the Rev. A. S. Downs led in prayer and all joined in singing "In the Sweet Bye and Bye." On that occasion there were fourteen grandchildren and fifteen great-grandchildren present.
There are now two children of the fifth generation of the family living. Mrs. Hopkins survives as a representative of the first generation while the second is represented by her daughter, Mrs. Mahala Buckmaster, the third by the latter's daughter, Mrs. Sarah A. Walton, the fourth by Mrs. Walton's daughter, Mrs. Myrtle Sisson, who has two children. No history of Appanoose county would be complete without extended reference to Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Hopkins. They were among the county's most worthy pioneer settlers and the wife still remains a witness of the progress and changes which have occurred here. Their lives were at all times exemplary, the career of Mr. Hopkins being an expression of earnest Christian faith. All who knew him entertained for him warm regard and cherish the same feelings of kindly consideration for his widow who is one of the most venerable inhabitants of Appanoose county.
THOMAS E. HOPKINS - The farming interests of Union township find a worthy representative in Thomas E. Hopkins, who is living on section 22. He was born in Hancock county, Tennessee, April 9, 1843, and is a son of Adam and Nancy E. (Guess) Hopkins. The grandfather, Zabez Hopkins, went from French Broad to Hancock county, Tennessee, about 1804, when his son Adam was but four years of age, his birth having occurred in 1800. Nancy E. Guess was a native of Alabama and spent her girlhood largely in that state. She later removed to Tennessee and there became the wife of Adam Hopkins.
In 1849 they left the south and came to Iowa, settling in Union township, Appanoose county, and the following year Mr. Hopkins' parents also arrived in this county. A few months later, however, the grandmother of our subject died and the grandfather afterward went to Decatur county, Iowa, where he made his home until his demise. While Mr. and Mrs. Adam Hopkins were en route for Appanoose county the latter was taken ill with cholera on the boat up the river and died after a day's travel out from Keokuk, her grave being made at Zelma, Iowa, in 1849. Adam Hopkins continued on his way and established his home on the farm on section 22, Union township, on which his son Thomas now resides. He devoted his life to general agricultural pursuits and stock-raising and also worked at the trades of cabinet-maker and wheelwright. His was an active and useful life and he passed away at the venerable age of eighty-five years. His children were ten in number: Polly Ann, who died in Arkansas; Mrs. Orlena Martin, a widow, residing in Union township; Mrs. Margaret Strunk, deceased; Helen Minerva, who died before the removal of the family to Iowa; Roanna, who died in this county in early life; Jabez, who was killed by lightning in 1860; James F., Perry and Commodore, all now deceased; and Thomas E.
The last named has resided in Union township since 1849, or for a period of more than sixty-three years, he and his sister being among the oldest residents of the township. He was but six years of age at the time of his arrival here and throughout the ensuing years he has largely followed farming and stock-raising. He has also shipped stock quite extensively and he has become well known as a breeder of mules, owning to good jacks. He has also raised horses, cattle, sheep and hogs and his live-stock interests have proven an important and profitable feature of his business. His place comprises one hundred and sixty acres of land that is rich and productive, his property being known as the Green Valley Stock Farm, conducted under the firm name of T. E. Hopkins & Son.
In the fall of 1865 Mr. Hopkins was married to Miss Elizabeth Drake, who was born in Ohio in 1846 and when five years of age came to this county with her parents, George and Mary Ann (Stiles) Drake. The father died in California and the mother in Kansas. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Hopkins have been born the following named: Andrew Jackson, who died at the age of three years; Sarah Jane, the wife of William Under- wood, of Unionville; Rosetta, the wife of John Burnette, of Kay county, Oklahoma; Ida, the wife of David Caylor, of Union township; Charles, at home; and Estella, the wife of Henry Herman, of Udell township.
Mr. Hopkins has been a lifelong democrat and his fellow townsmen, appreciative of his worth and ability, have called him to most of the township offices. He was clerk for many years, has been assessor and has been officially connected with the schools, serving his district as secretary of the school board for thirty consecutive years, during which period he has given ample evidence of his deep interest in the cause of education and his desire to improve the schools. He is a supporter of the United Brethren church. His has been a well spent life, active and honorable in its purposes, and fruitful in its results. He has won individual success and at the same time has labored effectively and earnestly to promote the welfare of the community.
CHARLES ALBERT HORNADAY - No history of Appanoose county would be complete without a review of the career of Charles Albert Hornaday, one of the founders of the town of Udell and since its organization one of the greatest individual forces in its continued development, advancement and growth. He is in addition one of the prominent and important farmers and stock-raisers in his township, where he owns one hundred and sixty acres of well improved land on section 18, and by his progressive methods, his scientific work and his well-deserved success has constituted himself a powerful factor in agricultural circles. Appanoose county numbers him among her native sons, for his birth occurred in Washington township, January 27, 1865, his parents being Elisha and Emily C. Hornaday, natives of Hendricks county, Indiana. But little is known of the earlier history of this family beyond the fact that the first representatives probably came from Ireland. In addition to the members of the family now living in Appanoose county there is another branch at Fort Scott, Kansas, to which Grant C. Hornaday belongs, and another at Keokuk, Iowa, where Calvin Hornaday resides. Another member of this family, William T. Hornaday, is manager of the National Zoological Park at New York City.
Charles A. Hornaday acquired his early education in the public schools of Appanoose county and afterward attended Oskaloosa College in Oskaloosa, Iowa, for three years. He began his independent career by teaching school, in which occupation he engaged for seven terms, after which he took up his residence on his present farm of one hundred and sixty acres on section 18, Udell township, and engaged in general agricultural pursuits and stock-raising. Both branches of his business prospered extensively under his able management and in 1903 he added to his activities by becoming interested in the seed business, which now forms one of his most important interests. He is progressive, modern and practical in all that he does and in consequence his efforts have been rewarded by gratifying prosperity, his success placing him today among the men of marked ability and substantial worth in this part of the state.
During the entire period of his active career Mr. Hornaday has been prominent in all movements which had for their object the further development, improvement and upbuilding of this section and he has figured influentially in all progressive public enterprises. He was one of the founders of the thriving little town of Udell and was largely instrumental in inducing the Rock Island Railroad to build and maintain a station here. He represented the citizens of his district before the board of railroad commissioners of the state at a hearing at Udell, January 31, 1894, appearing against Mr. Brayton, who represented the Rock Island Railroad. Important testimony was introduced by other leading citizens, among whom were J. J. Wall, D. W. Bean, J. B. Stuckey, James McDonald, John B. Powell and A. H. Stuckey, and after all the evidence had been heard the board decided that it was the duty of the Rock Island Railroad to provide reasonable shipping facilities to the section of Appanoose county surrounding Udell and that a new town be founded, where the road should build a depot, provide an agent and install sidetracks and stock yards. From this beginning the flourishing community of Udell has grown and has advanced rapidly, taking high rank today among other towns of similar size in point of extent of shipments of live stock, grain and seeds, especially timothy seed.
On the 17th of March, 1889, Mr. Hornaday was united in marriage to Miss Irene D. Caylor, a daughter of William Caylor, of Udell township. To this union were born three children: William Le Roy, whose birth occurred January 6, 1890; Charles A., born August 18, 1891; and Bonnie Lee, who was born February 12, 1893, and who on March 17, 1912, married Fay Cleo Staly, a son of Clay Staly, of Douglas township. Mr. Homaday's first wife passed away on the 20th of February, 1894, and on September 9, 1896, he was again wedded. His second union was with Miss Nellie B. McConnell, a daughter of T. P. McConnell, of Udell township. They became the parents of four children: Homer Preston, whose birth occurred June 30, 1897; Finley Leedom, born May 29, 1900; Irma Sadie, whose birth occurred January 5, 1903; and Olive Vega, born July 1, 1907.
Mr. Hornaday is a devout and active member of the Christian church and has served as its trustee for ten years. He has for a long time taken an important part in Sunday school work and at different periods has taught classes and served for three years as superintendent of the Bible school. He gives his allegiance to the democratic party and is active in local affairs, having served as school treasurer continuously for over twenty years. He is always ready to do his part in advancing the interests of the county along many lines of development and upbuilding and gives his hearty cooperation to movements for the good of Udell and the surrounding district. He holds a high place among progressive and successful men, for his enterprise, indefatigable energy and business probity are the salient features in his career.
JOHN HOUSE, engaged in blacksmithing in Centerville, was born in Missouri in March, 1858, his parents being John and Mary (Abbey) House, who were natives of Germany. The father was a farmer and on coming to the new world settled in Missouri, where he purchased and improved a tract of land, continuing to make his home thereon throughout the remainder of his life. He died in 1897 and the death of his wife occulted in 1899.
John House was reared and educated in Missouri, and thinking to find other pursuits more congenial than farming, he turned his attention to the trades. He learned blacksmithing and was employed in that way in Missouri for several years. He afterward removed to Montrose, Iowa, where he conducted a shop for some time but afterward returned to his native state and carried on blacksmithing at Unionville for a few years. In 1894 he came to Centerville, where he opened a shop in partnership with a Mr. Pixley, with whom he was associated for two years. On the expiration of that period Mr. House began working for the Centerville Coal Company as a blacksmith and continued with them until 1910 when he once more embarked in business on his own account and is now conducting a shop which is liberally patronized, for he does excellent work, is reasonable in his prices and straightforward in all his dealings.
In February, 1885, Mr. House was married to Miss Charlotte Hardwick, a daughter of Hiram and Elizabeth (Beswick) Hardwick, who were natives of Indiana. The father was a farmer and at an early period in the settlement of Missouri removed to that state, where he purchased a farm and cultivated it continuously and successfully until 1892. He then retired from active life and he and his wife are now living in Frankfort, Missouri. Unto Mr. House and his wife were born eight children, four of whom have passed away. Those living are Thurman, Boyce, Mil- lard and Madge. Mr. House holds membership with the Foresters of America. In the political campaign of 1912 he announced himself as a "Bull Moose." He had previously supported the republican party, but not liking the policy adopted, he became a follower of the progressive wing which is seeking strenuously to better conditions and release the country from the party rule, which seems to cater to class rather than to promote the welfare of the great American populace. He attends and supports the Presbyterian church, in which he and his wife hold membership, and their many good qualities have gained for them the friendly regard and good-will of the many who know them.
C. F. HOWELL, - One of the strong and forceful members of the Appanoose county bar is C. F. Howell, practicing at Centerville, as a member of the firm of Howell & Elgin. He possesses all the qualities requisite for advancement in the legal profession - comprehensive knowledge of the principles of jurisprudence, analytical power and a ready recognition of the relation of cause and effect. The ease with which he solves intricate problems has given him command of a large practice, in the conduct of which he has won many notable verdicts.
Centerville claims him as a native son, for he was here born March 25, 1860, his parents being C. H. and Lavina (Ward) Howell, who were natives of New York. The father, however, became one of the pioneer residents of this city, arriving here in 1847 and establishing the second mercantile enterprise of the town. He continued in business for almost a third of a century, or until 1879, when he retired, spending his remaining days in the enjoyment of well earned rest. He died in 1888, while his wife passed away in 1882.
C. F. Howell was reared and educated in his native city and after attending the public schools entered Iowa College at Grinnell, where his more specifically literary course was pursued. He entered upon the study of law in the office and under the direction of Tannehill & Fee, with whom he continued from 1880 until 1882, when he was admitted to the bar and at once entered upon active practice here. Thirty years have since come and gone and almost from the beginning he has maintained a prominent position as a representative of the legal profession in his native county, his record standing in contradistinction to the old adage that a prophet is never without honor save in his own country. In 1909 he was joined in partnership by Charles H. Elgin, and they are now practicing under the firm style of Howell & Elgin, commanding a very extensive and important clientage, and their loyalty to the interests thereof is proverbial.
In November, 1883, Mr. Howell was united in marriage to Miss Anna Maddox, of Frankfort, Kentucky, a daughter of H. and Maria (Jones) Maddox, who were natives of Virginia. The parents never came to this state and both are deceased, the father having passed away in 1879, and the mother in 1910. Mr. and Mrs. Howell have become parents of three children, Winifred, Max and Ward. They have a pleasant and hospitable home and its good cheer is enjoyed by their many friends.
Aside from his law practice Mr. Howell has other interests, being a stockholder in a bank at Promise City and another at Numa. Mr. Howell votes with the republican party and is a stanch advocate of its principles. The only office he has held, however, has been in the strict path of his profession - six years' service as county attorney. He belongs to the Masonic lodge, the Knights of Pythias and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and he holds firmly to the religious faith of the Presbyterian church. His influence is always on the side of progress, reform and improvement and his activities have constituted a potent force in the upbuilding and development of this section.
JOSEPH S. HUGHES, makes his home in Centerville, owning and occupying an attractive residence at 140 North Ninth street. He has long been the owner of farming property and at one time was very active in its cultivation. His birth occurred in Johnson county, Indiana, June 26, 1847, his parents being John and Charity W. (St. John) Hughes. The father, a native of Indiana, was born July 31, 1822, while the mother's birth occurred near Cincinnati, Ohio, August 2, 1820. The paternal grandparents were natives of Tennessee and the great-grandfather came from Ireland. In the maternal line some of his ancestors were among the earliest settlers of New Jersey, locating there in 1664 after a previous residence in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Charity St. John removed to Indiana with her grandparents and there, in 1843, she gave her hand in marriage to John Hughes, who was a farmer by occupation and carried on general agricultural pursuits in that state until 1855, when he came with his family to Iowa, settling in Appanoose county. He purchased one hundred acres of land in Pleasant township and later entered forty acres more. To this he kept adding from time to time until he owned about seven hundred acres and carried on farming on an extensive scale until 1878, when he divided his land among his children and took up his abode in Centerville, where he lived retired until his death in 1892. He had for three years survived his wife, who passed away in March, 1889. He was greatly and actively interested in public affairs, contributing to the welfare and upbuilding of the community, and for several years served as a member of the school board and was also justice of the peace. Unto him and his wife were born five children, namely: William M., who was killed in battle at Atlanta, Georgia, and was buried there; Joseph S., of this review; Jacob A., a retired agriculturist residing in Portland, Oregon; Jesse F., who follows farming in Pleasant township, Appanoose county; and Mary E., who lives with a cousin at Dillon, Montana.
Joseph S. Hughes was but eight years of age when brought by his parents to Appanoose county, where he has remained continuously since. He attended the Centerville schools and when nineteen years of age began teaching, which profession he followed for six years in the district schools. He then began farming in Vermillion township and in 1878 removed to Pleasant township, occupying a part of the old home place - a tract of one hundred and sixty acres which his father had given him. He capably managed his farm and met with success in its operation but in 1883, on account of ill health, he rented the land and removed to Centerville, establishing his home on North Eleventh street, where he lived until 1890, when he removed to his present residence at No. 1401 North Ninth street just outside the corporation limits. He continued to rent his. farm until 1896, when he sold the place and invested in town property.
In 1873 Mr. Hughes was united in marriage to Miss Harriett J. Brooks, a daughter of Thomas and Mary (McMurray) Brooks, the former a farmer of Wayne county, Iowa. He was born in Tennessee and was of German descent. When ten years of age he removed with his mother and stepfather to Kentucky and was married in that state to Mary McMurray, who was born in Kentucky and was of Irish lineage. In the early '40s they removed westward, settling in Mahaska county, Iowa, where Mr. Brooks engaged in farming. In 1853 he went to Wayne county, Iowa, where he again secured a tract of land which he continued to develop and improve until the time of his death in February, 1875. His wife passed away at almost the same hour and they were laid to rest on the same day. Mrs. Hughes was born in Mahaska county, Iowa, September 28, 1849, and was the youngest of a family of eight children, the others being as follows: Margaret, George, John, Joseph and James, all of whom are deceased; Mary, who is the wife of William Rogers, a farmer residing at Alba, Missouri; and William, who has passed away.
Mr. Hughes has held various township offices, the duties of which he has discharged with promptness and fidelity, and his political allegiance is given to the democratic party. He and his wife are widely and favorably known, having a circle of friends almost coextensive with the circle of their acquaintance.
JOHNSON BROTHERS - Among the most progressive, reliable and intelligently managed business houses in Centerville is that conducted by Johnson Brothers, dealers in groceries, meats, flour and feed. The development of their enterprise has been a part of the development of the city and an important factor in it, and its increasing expansion is today a direct force in general commercial advancement. The three brothers, Lewis R., Adolph and Oscar, owners of the business, are fine types of the upright, straightforward and progressive business man and are distinct additions to the ranks of citizenship in Appanoose county, all having gained high places among men of marked ability and substantial worth. Axel Johnson, the fourth brother, not connected with the above mentioned firm, is successful as farmer and miner.
Lewis R. Johnson is the active manager of the concern, the other brothers being silent partners. He was born in Skutskar, Sweden, October 18, 1884, and is a son of Nels and Caroline (Rostrom) Johnson, both natives of that country, where their marriage occurred. They came to the United States in 1887 and located immediately in Centerville, Appanoose county, where the father worked in a coal mine for one year. He has passed away but his widow still resides in Centerville, making her home with her son Lewis in an attractive residence on South Twentieth street.
Lewis R. Johnson was two years of age when he came with his parents to America. He was reared in Centerville and acquired his education in its public schools, laying aside his books at an early age in order to work in the mines. He followed this occupation for three years, after which he began clerking in the store conducted by Poulson & Pearson. Here he remained for six years and then went upon the road as traveling salesman for the Scandinavian Coal Company of Centerville. He worked in their interests for one year, but on the 7th of November, 1910, formed a partnership with his brothers, Adolph J., and Oscar W. They bought the store belonging to J. B. Ferry at 1197 South Eighteenth street, where the enterprise is still located. It is one of the representative business concerns of Centerville, conducted along lines of honesty, fair dealing and constant progress and is a substantial contribution to the city's resources. The success which the partners have achieved is evidenced in their growing patronage, which in turn is the direct result of the honorable commercial methods they have ever followed and the high standards of business integrity to which they have steadily adhered. Lewis Johnson has other important business connections, among which may be mentioned the Centerville Gypsum Company, in which he is a stockholder. He is a republican in his political beliefs and has the unqualified respect and esteem of a wide circle of friends and, indeed, of all, who have had business or social relations with him.
Adolph Johnson, the second partner in the firm of Johnson Brothers, was born in Sweden, June 23, 1876, and came with his parents to Appanoose county and entered the Centerville public schools, where he acquired his education. He began his independent career as a digger in the coal mines but abandoned this in order to accept the position of weigh master for the Scandinavian Coal Company, in which position he has served for the past eleven years discharging his duties in an able, conscientious and efficient manner. He married on the 2nd of August, 1900, Miss Bertha Freberg, a daughter of John and Caroline Freberg, natives of Sweden. The father is a shoemaker by trade and after he came to the United States in 1880 followed this occupation in Illinois for a number of years, coming to Centerville in 1897. Mr. and Mrs. Adolph Johnson have two children: Hugo, who was born on the 22nd of February, 1902, and is attending the Garfield school; and Robert, born May 2, 1904, who attends the McKinley school. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson reside at 1500 Drake avenue, where they have a cozy and attractive home, which is the center of hospitality for their many friends. Both are members of the Swedish Congregational church and Mr. Johnson gives his political allegiance to the republican party, being active and progressive in all matters of citizenship.
Oscar W. Johnson was born March 28, 1878, in Sweden, and was nine years of age when his parents came to the United States. He entered the public schools of Centerville and after completing his education secured work in a mine. He continued in this position until 1905, when he formed a partnership with Robert Freberg, a brother of Mrs. Adolph Johnson, and with him opened a general store at Exline, Appanoose county, known under the name of Freberg & Johnson Brothers. Mr. Johnson is the active manager of this enterprise, while Mr. Freberg is connected with it as a silent partner, making his home on a farm near Rolfe, Iowa. Oscar W. Johnson married Miss Augusta Nelson, a daughter of Charles Nelson, a blacksmith in Sperry, Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have three children: Elvira, who was born October 7, 1905; Lucille, whose birth occurred June 5, 1907; and Nadine, born August 16, 1911. For some time Oscar Johnson was superintendent of the Dewey Coal Mine at Centerville, but has recently severed his connection with that enterprise. He is a republican in his political beliefs and takes an active interest in all movements which have for their object the advancement and progress of the section in which he has lived since his childhood and where he is well known and widely respected. He is postmaster at Exline.
The fourth brother, Axel Johnson, is also a native of Sweden, born May 30, 1880. He came to the United States with his parents when he was seven years of age and acquired his education in the public schools of Centerville. After laying aside his books he worked for some time in the mines but afterward took up farming, engaging in agricultural pursuits upon a fine tract of land two miles south of Exline, where he now resides. During the summer months he gives his attention to the development and improvement of this tract and devotes his time in the winter to work in the coal mines. In both lines of occupation he has proved himself an able and conscientious worker and a far-sighted and resourceful business man, and his efforts have been attended by a gratifying degree of success. He is a member of the Mine Workers Union at Exline. Axel Johnson married Miss Nina Johnson, a daughter of a farmer in this county who has now passed away. They have two children: Essie, who was bor June 3, 1905; and Carl, whose birth occurred on October 26, 1911.
The Johnson Brothers maintain the utmost harmony in their business relations and this is, indeed, one of the factors in their success. All are shrewd, far-sighted, capable and energetic business men and the entire county has profited by their activities in various fields of endeavor, while the enterprise which marks their point of contact is in all respects worthy of their talents and abilities.
OSCAR W. JOHNSON - Among the active and progressive business men of Exline is numbered Oscar W. Johnson, postmaster and well known as a partner in the firm of Freeburg & Johnson, general merchants. He was born in Sweden, March 28, 1878, and when he was only nine years of age was brought to America by his father, who came with his family across the Atlantic and pushed on to Iowa, locating in Centerville.
Oscar W. Johnson grew to maturity in Centerville and was educated in its public schools. In his early life he worked in the coal mines and later clerked for four years, receiving in this way an excellent business training. Later he was made superintendent at the Dewey mine and after two years of able work in this capacity resigned and formed his present partnership with R. M. Freeburg. Mr. Johnson came to Exline as active manager of the general store which the firm conducts and by virtue of the prosperity he has achieved occupies today an enviable position in business circles. He carries a complete stock of well selected goods and has secured a liberal patronage because of the honest and upright commercial methods to which he has steadily adhered. He divides his time between the conduct of his mercantile establishment and his duties as postmaster of Exline, to which position he was appointed in 1909. He has proven himself able, systematic, prompt and reliable in this capacity and is widely popular throughout the district which he serves. Mr. Johnson owns some valuable residence property and has made many profitable real-estate deals, having bought and sold three residences in the town.
In Burlington, Iowa, on the 5th of November, 1903, Mr. Johnson was united in marriage to Miss Gussie Nelson, who was born in Des Moines county, Iowa, of Swedish parents. To their union were born three children, Elvira, Lucille and Nabine. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson are members of the Christian church. Mr. Johnson gives his allegiance to the republican party and in addition to his work as postmaster is also serving as councilman on the Exline town board. He is especially interested in school matters and has been identified with many projects relating to public-school expansion, having served for many years on the board of education. Fraternally he is connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and is well known in this part of Iowa, where he was reared to manhood, standing today among the most valued and representative men of this community.
 Seth & Rebecca Johnson |
SETH JOHNSON, is a retired farmer living at Moravia. He has passed the seventy-fifth milestone on life's journey and his has been an active and useful life, largely devoted to general agricultural pursuits, but since 1900 he has engaged in no business although he is still the owner of a valuable farming property in Franklin township, Monroe county. He was born in West Columbia, Mason county, West Virginia, December 27, 1837, his parents being James and Margaret (Van Meter) Johnson. The father was a native of Pennsylvania who was married in West Virginia, which was probably the native state of his wife. In 1852 he came with his family to Iowa, settling five miles northwest of Moravia in Monroe county. The district was then a frontier region, the work of civilization and development having scarcely been begun in that locality. |
He had visited the state in 1848, at which time he entered land from the government, and in 1850 he returned and built a house upon this claim, bringing his family to the new home in April, 1852. He traveled by way of the water route to Alexandria, Missouri, and thence drove across the country to his farm. He and his wife remained upon the old homestead there until called to their final rest. Mr. Johnson gave his early political allegiance to the whig party and following its dissolution joined the ranks of the new republican party. He and his wife held membership in the United Brethren church and their well spent lives gained for them the warm regard of all who knew them. In their family were nine children, all bora in West Virginia. One of the number died in infancy while the other eight accompanied their parents to Iowa. There were six sons and the surviving members of the family are Seth and his brother, William H. Johnson, of Moravia, while a sister, Mrs. Jane Funkhouser, of Valley, Nebraska, has recently passed away.
Seth Johnson has resided in this county since 1852, arriving here when a youth of fourteen years. The experiences of his early life were those which fall to the lot of the farm lad as he assists in the work of tilling the fields and caring for the crops. He shared in the hardships and privations of frontier life in Iowa and when he started out in business on his own account it was to continue in farm work, to which he devoted his energies until 1900, when he removed to Moravia. He was an active, energetic farmer, working persistently and diligently as the years went by in his efforts to develop and improve his fields and gather therefrom good harvests. While he left the farm in 1900 to take up his abode in Moravia, he is still the owner of three hundred and eighty acres situated five miles northwest of the city in Franklin township, Monroe county. This place includes one hundred and twenty acres, which was formerly owned by his father.
On Christmas day, 1862, Mr. Johnson was married to Miss Rebecca Catharine Clodfelter, who was born in Indiana, September 17, 1838, and came to Iowa with her parents in 1844. She was a daughter of William and Malinda (Miller) Clodfelter, who drove across the country from Indiana and settled north of Albia. Iowa was still under territorial form of government then and there were vast unsettled tracts of land while bands of Indians roamed in different sections of the state. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson traveled life's journey happily together for almost forty-six years, being separated by the death of the wife on the 27th of August, 1908.
Mr. Johnson votes with the republican party which he has long supported but has never sought nor desired office. His religious faith is that of the United Brethren church. He is one of the esteemed, honored citizens of Appanoose county, having a wide acquaintance in this part of the state, while his good qualities have gained for him the confidence and friendship of those with whom he has become acquainted.