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U[riah]. S. FRY is a grain and stock dealer at Van Horne. He has spent nearly his entire life in this state, and his entire business career has been spent within the borders of Benton county, prominently identified with its interests and the upbuilding of Van Horne, which he has served three terms as mayor, as a member of its council, and is a justice of the peace at the present time. He was born in Lehigh county, Pennsylvania, July 27, 1851, a son of Edward and Polly (Reinhard) Fry, who were also from that commonwealth, and the parents of ten children, eight of whom are living: Eliza, the wife of John Friese, of Nobles county, Minnesota; John, of In wood, this state; Rebecca, widow of Mr. Grathe and residing in Van Horne; Daniel, whose home is in Garrison, this state; U. S., mentioned below; James M., also of Van Horne; William, of Big Grove township, Benton county; and Jennie, the wife of R. J. Moyer, of Van Horne. In 1854 Edward Fry and his family left Pennsylvania for the west journeying by water to Chicago, and thence by team and wagon to Jackson county, Iowa, where he purchased a farm, built a log dwelling and continued to work his land until he sold there in September of 1868 and came to Benton county, here buying the south half of section 12, an unimproved raw prairie tract. Again he set to work to hew out a farm from the wilderness, and the family lived there until 1881, moving then to a farm Mr. Fry had purchased in Big Grove township, and in 1886 he retired and moved to Van Horne, where he died in April of 1893, aged seventy-three years, his wife surviving him until 1906 and dying at the age of eighty-seven years. Their names are recorded among the early pioneer residents of Benton county.
U. S. Fry was but four years old at the time of the removal of the family to Jackson county, where his boyhood days were spent and where he received a public school training. He was seventeen when he came to Benton county with his parents, and remaining in the parental home until twenty-two years of age he then purchased eighty acres of land from his father in section 12, Union township, and farmed that place for nine years, coming then to Van Horne. The town was laid out in 1881, and selling his farm he came here in 1882, and for three years bought grain for A. K. Allen, of Marion. He then became associated with Mr. Allen in buying grain, stock and cream, the firm name being Alien, Davis and Company, and buying out his partners' interests in the business in 1888 Mr. Fry continued operations alone until 1901, when he sold the business and thereafter dealt in real estate until 1907, when he again purchased the elevator and is now engaged in its operation. The elevator has a capacity of fifteen thousand bushels of grain, and in addition he also deals quite extensively in live stock. As above stated he has served Van Horne in many public capacities, and his name is therefore prominently connected with both its business and official interests. He is a Republican in his political affiliations.
On the 4th of February, 1872, Mr. Fry was married to Miss Clara L. Dammann, born in Taswell county, Illinois, January 20, 1853, and they have five children: Mattie, at home with her parents ; Ella, the wife of P. R. Smith, of Union township; Jennie, wife of Milo Whipple, of Vinton, this state; Nelda, a teacher in the schools of that city; and Bertha, also at home. Mr. Fry is associated with the fraternal order of Odd Fellows, and both he and his wife are members of its auxiliary, the Rebekahs, and of the Evangelical church.
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