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Audubon County |
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CHAPTER V.THE FIRST SETTLERS. (Cont'd)From History of Audubon Co., Iowa (1915)
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Hon. William Walker, son of Joseph and Catherine (Sheridan) Walker, was born in Huron county, Ohio, March 2, 1834. On February 18, 1858, he married Nancy Jane, daughter of William Henry Harrison and Eliza (Watson) Bowen. His father was a native of England, and it is traditional that he served in the British army under the Duke of Wellington. William Walker was a farmer and stockraiser. He went with his parents, in 1835, to Niles, Michigan, and came to Audubon county in 1855. He was a Republican in politics and served as representative. He was large landowner, and resided on Troublesome creek, in Audubon township. He was also a merchant in Exira for several years. He was a member of Exodus Lodge No. 342, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and in religion was a Congregationalist. He died at Exira in 1899. His chil- dren were as follow: John E., who married Ida VanSlyke; Charles W., deceased; Francis A., deceased; Laura A., married James D. Barhan; Ulysses S., married Louisa Marsh; Lula May, married James B. Rendleman; Olive M., married Ralph D. Hawk; Eva J., married Charles Jenkins;
Jay Grant, married Jessie Pratt. David L. Anderson, a native of Virginia, married in Highland county, Ohio, in 1840, Mary Smith. He was a blacksmith and farmer. He went to Highland county, Ohio, in 1839; thence to Wappelo county, Iowa, in 1849; to Marion county, Iowa, in 1851, and to Audubon county in 1855. He lived at Exira before the town was laid out. He was a Republican and served as justice of the peace, school director and first postmaster at Exira. He was a famous hunter in his day. He and his son, John, served in the Seventh Iowa Cavalry. Another son, William, was killed in the army. He died at Audubon in 1901, and his wife died at Exira in 1900. Their children were, William S., unmarried; Lysanius M., married Tryphena S. Hopkins; John A., unmarried, murdered in 1883; Samuel, married Hannah Hughes; Catherine, married John McFadden; Laura, married William E. Hensley; Adelbert, married Elizabeth ____. William Canfield Norton was born in New York state, January 26, 1811. He married on October 5, 1831, Ruth Harriet, daughter of Roswell and Mercy (Goodwin) Thayer, and who was born on September 11, 1813. From Springwater, New York, he moved to Allen county, Indiana, before 1850, but returned to Springwater. He moved to Oakfield, Iowa, in 1856, and built a two-story dwelling on block 10, Oakfield, where they lived the remainder of their lives, and sometimes kept hotel. He was a carpenter by trade. He was a Republican and served as postmaster and justice of the peace. He and his wife were Methodists. He was seventh in lineal descent from Thomas Norton, who came from Oakley, Surrey, England, to Boston, Massachusetts, in 1639; thence to New Haven, Connecticut, the same year. He was the ancestor of the Nortons of Guilford, Connecticut. Said Thomas Norton was lineally descended from Le Seignior de Nourile (Norvile), who came to England with William the Conqueror, 1066, and was his constable. Also, seventh in lineal descent from Thomas Canfield, who came from England to Connecticut, and was in Milford, Connecticut, in 1644. His wife was seventh in lineal descent from Thomas Thayer, who came from Thornbury, England, and settled in Braintree, Massachusetts, in 1640. Also, eighth in lineal descent from Ozias Goodwin, who came to Boston, Massachusetts, in the "Lion," June 16. 1632, and settled in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1639. He died at Avoca, Iowa, November 29, 1884, and she died at West Exira, Iowa, June 9, 1882. Their children were as follow: Mary Elizabeth, born January 5, 1834, at Springwater, married James M. Jones; John Chapin, born June 13, 1836, at Springwater, married Susan Ostrander; Charles Henry, born June 13, 1839, at Springwater, married Charlotte Howlett; Sarah Fidelia, born March 16, 1842, at Portageville, married Elam Wallace Pearl; Malinda Ann, born May 16, 1845, at Springwater, married Isaac Peter Hallock; Jennie Maria, born June 21, 1850, at Allen county, Indiana, married H. F. Andrews; James Miner, born December 10, 1854, at Springwater, married Nettie Griffith. Boynton G. Dodge, a farmer and stockman, came from Henniker, New Hampshire, to Audubon county, in 1856. He bought the claim of Hiram Perkins, in section 34, Hamlin township, where he lived the remainder of his life. He was a Republican and served as a member of the board of supervisors and as superintendent of schools. In religion, he was a Congregationalist. He and his wife, Saphronia, died in Audubon county. Their children were, Nettie M., married Charley A. Bartlett; Arthur C., never married; Anna, died young; Capitola M., died unmarried; Roxie M., married Sanford Davis; Ida E., married William H. Dyer; Evalena, married Isaac L. Statzell and W. F. Williams; Carrie, died unmarried ; Ellen T., married John H. Rendleman; Merrill B., married Gertrude Gates. John W. Dodge came with his brother, Boynton, from Henniker, New Hampshire, to Audubon county in 1856, and settled in section 34, Hamlin township. He was a carpenter, farmer and stockman. He was a Republican and a member of the board of supervisors. He moved to California and died there. His wife was Eliza, the daughter of Samuel and Mary (Farrell) Smith. Their children were Carleton E. and Charles. Samuel Smith was born in Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, and married Gertrude Roseboom. He went from Pennsylvania to New Philadelphia, Ohio; thence to Petersburg, Ohio; to Frankfort, Ohio; to Hartford, Iowa; thence to Audubon county, in 1856, and settled in section 32, Greeley township; he moved to the town of Exira, Iowa, in 1874. He was a well-known gunsmith and farmer. He was a Republican and a Methodist. He and his wife died at Exira in 1891. Their children were, Hendrich R., who never married; William F. E., married Amanda Roberts; Andrew R., married, first, Emma Williams and, second, Mary E. Ort; Mary Belle, married John Hicks. Levi B. Montgomery, farmer, was born in Lima, Ohio, in 1810, and married Fanny Boyles at Erie, Pennsylvania. He moved from Ohio to Noble county, Indiana; thence to Hancock county, Illinois; came to Audubon county, in 1856, and settled in section 3, Exira township. He was a Republican and served as county superintendent. He was a Methodist class leader. He and his wife died at Exira, he is 1866 and she in 1873. Their children were as follow: Eli, who married Catherine Barber; William Noble, who went to California; Phebe J., married George Sharp; Hannah A., married Perriander Lewis; George S., married Harriet Stanford; John W., never married; Louisa C., married Peoria I. Whitted; Joel B., never married; Minerva E., married Robert Edwards; Margaret M., married J. H. Harrington; Levi J., married Emma Wiggins; Marion A., married Louisa Erickson; Alice H., married William Rudge. Daniel Crane, a native of Pennsylvania, and a blacksmith and farmer, married Ann Eckman. He lived in Petersburg. Ohio, but moved to Marion county, Iowa, in 1854, and to Audubon county, in 1855. He was a Democrat. He and his wife passed away at Exira, he in 1876 and she in 1901, aged ninety-seven years. To them were born four children: Mary Ann, who married Frank Salter; John, married Mary I. Harris; Catherine, married John A. Hallock; Van Buren, married Mary E. Bush. Howard J. Green, son of Allen and Clarissa Green, was born in Rensselaer county, New York, May 4, 1828. On November 28, 1850, he married Cordelia M., daughter of Nelson and Theodosia (Holcom) Reed, and who was born in Granby, Connecticut. He became a machinist, farmer and millman. He lived at Williamstown, Massachusetts, in 1844-7; moved thence to Chicopee, Massachusetts, where he lived until 1850; thence to Jackson county, Iowa, and came to Audubon county, in 1856. A Republican in politics, he served as swamp land commissioner, township trustee and subdirector. He was a member of the Loyal Legion in war time; secured and secreted arms and ammunition in his house for the Union men; assisted runaway negroes on their journey to liberty and was a big-hearted, generous man and highly esteemed. The community suffered a great loss in his death. He and his wife died in Audubon county, he on June 2, 1873, and she on January 28, 1898. Their children were born as follow: Emma Cordelia, married John R. Thacher; Henry Howard, married Mary Keith; Clara Ellen, who married John I. Jones; Dewey Wells, died unmarried; Walker Wallace, married Anna May Neff; Edwin Ellsworth, died unmarried; Mary Grace, married Jasper W. McClain. Appollonias Bohon Houston, son of Oswald and Anna Louisa (Shaw) Houston, was born in South CaroHna on February 16, 1823. In 1844 he married Nancy, daughter of James C. Bridges. He was a carpenter and merchant at Williamsport, Tennessee, and Atlanta, Georgia. He came from Tennessee to Audubon county with a team in 1856, settling in Exira in 1857, where he lived the remainder of his life. A Democrat, he rendered efficient service as deputy clerk of the district court, county judge, county treasurer, justice of the peace and mayor of Exira. He was a merchant in Exira, and in partnership with Nathaniel Hamlin, engaged in the real estate business. He was proprietor of the Houston house, now the Park hotel. He was a member of the Masonic order. He died in 1902. Their children were as follow: Henry Bohon, who married Ida F. Herrick; Eudora Indiana married William F. Stotts; Louise Blake married Matthew Ragan; Oswald James married Mary Dissmore; William Walter married Lora Fitch; Flora Douglas married David B. Lyons; Mary married Thomas Bryant; Charles Washington married Anna Belle Gault; Robert Lee, unmarried; Eliza Amanda married George H. Henshaw. Washington Bartlett, who was born in Virginia on September 19, 1820, married, first, Margaret Brier and, second, Martha E. Cuppy. He was a farmer. In 1831 he went with his father to Warren county, Indiana, and came to Audubon county in 1856, becoming a successful farmer. He was a Republican, a member of the board of supervisors and justice of the peace. His mother, Sabrina Hill, was a niece of Thomas Jefferson. He died at Brayton, Iowa. He was the father of three children, namely: Elbridge G., married; Lillie, who married Joseph M. Reynolds; Horace M., who married Jeanette Jenkins. Albert I. Brainard, a carpenter, was a native of New York, and married Emily M. Lilly. He came to Audubon county from Geneseo, Illinois, in 1859 or 1860. He was a Democrat, and served as clerk of the district court and first county auditor. He lived in Exira, but later moved to Audubon, where he died. He was the father of the following children: Albert Kirk, who married Emma Prather; Frank E. died unmarried; Emma married Rev. Charles H. Mcintosh; Carrie L. married Hans A. Christiansen; Fannie E. married George Ditzenberger; Ethelbert died unmarried; Walter A. never married. Leonard Early came from Henry county to Audubon county in 1859, and here became a farmer. He settled in section 15, Exira township, and afterwards moved to the town of Exira. He was a Democrat. He was twice married. He went to California and died there, Mrs. Early dying at Exira. His children by his first wife were: Thirza, who married Avery Belcher; Mary, who married John E. McConnell; Caroline, who married W. A. Ellis; Worth, who married Harriet Bruner; Ann, who married Mr. James. By his second wife there were born four children, namely: Sophia, who married Mr. Lincoln; Alvin; Olive, who married Mr. Tracewell; Lillie, who married William Chrisman. |
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Transcribed by Cheryl Siebrass, March 5, 2022, from History of Audubon Co., Iowa (1915), by H. F. Andrews, page 128-130. |
