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Among the more prominent and influential citizens of the township are the following well known agriculturalists, the true bone and sinew of Pleasant township:

Thomas N. Roberts was born in Wesley township, Washington county, Ohio, December 13, 1832. He is the son of Adolph and Elizabeth (Crosby) Roberts, both of whom are natives of Pennsylvania. His father was born on the 21st of November, 1802, and with his parents settled in Ohio previous to the war of 1812. His mother was born June 18, 1803. When she was seven years of age, her parents removed to Ohio. After his marriage, Adolph removed to Washington county, Ohio, where he bought timber land, clearing a portion of it. In 1836 he sold and removed to Athens county, and purchased timber land, erecting on it a log cabin, where, with his family, he resided until 1843, in which year he sold his place and removed to the, then, Territory of Iowa. His family then consisted of himself, wife and seven children. The journey westward was made with one team of horses, provisions and household goods being thus transported from Ohio. Arriving west of the. Mississippi, they selected a location in Louisa county, which after a trial of one and a half years, they gave up for a more desirable one in Linn county, his farm there being on the present site of Cedar Rapids. In August, 1849, they removed to Johnson county, where Adolph had previously entered land, located in Penn township. He died there in 1872, but his widow still occupies the homestead. Thomas N. made his home with his parents until 1851, when he entered a blacksmith shop in Cedar Rapids, as an apprentice. He served nearly three years, then returned home and built a shop on the old homestead, where he worked at his trade and managed his father's farm three years. He then opened a shop in West Liberty, where he worked at his trade until August 13, 1862, when he enlisted in company E, Twenty-eighth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, serving three years. Among the more important engagements in which he took part, were the following: Port Gibson, Edwards Station, Champion Hill, siege of Vicksburg, Sabine Cross Roads, Perryville, Winchester and Cedar Creek. He was wounded at Winchester, where a ball took a piece off the top of his ear. He was taken prisoner, at Sabine Crossroads, on the 8th of April, 1864, and detained as a prisoner of war, at Mansfield, Louisiana, until June 11, of the same year, when he was paroled, and went to New Orleans, where he remained until August 4, 1864, when he rejoined his regiment in Virginia. He was mustered out with the regiment on the 31st of July, 1865. He returned to Johnson county, and, Cincinnatus-like took up his old occupation of farming. Here he remained until 1873, when he came to Cass county, and located on section 2, in Pleasant township, where he has erected good buildings and has his farm in a state of high cultivation. He was married in 1855, to Maria Dean, daughter of David and Melinda (Beckwith) Dean, who were the first settlers of Buckingham township, Tama county, in 1852, and were among the pioneers of Wright county, in 1855. They have five children---William R., Gilford A., Thomas Everett, Emery E., and Orin Adolph.

Lawrence Dolan, a native of Ireland, was born on Whit-Monday, 1843. His father displayed a great interest in educational matters and gave the use of his home for a school room during the winter seasons. As he was a highly educated man, he gave his children good instructions in the various branches, and the subject of this sketch acquired an education that has been ever useful to him. In 1864, he left his native land for America, locating in New Haven, Connecticut, where he was engaged with Frederick Jones, in an axle manufactory, and later with J. R. Sargent and Company, hardware factory. He remained in Connecticut until 1866, when he came to Iowa and located in Harrison county, where he taught school for about a year, and afterward spent three years on the plains between Omaha and Salt Lake City. In July, 1869, he came to Cass county and purchased one hundred and twenty acres of wild land, on section 22, Pleasant township, and erected a house 12 x 18, with eight foot posts. In 1883, he erected a commodious residence, with plans of the latest style in architecture. He now owns a farm of three hundred and twenty acres, finely improved, and raises a large amount of fine stock and is one of the most prosperous, enterprising and substantial farmers of Pleasant township. Mr. Dolan was married June 14, 1869, to Catherine Caffey, who was born in the town of Kilbeggin, county of West Meath, Ireland. They have six children---Charles C., Bridget C., Mary A., Ellen J., Patrick T. and Theresa M.

Henry Letz came to Cass county in 1870, and located in Noble township, purchasing the northeast quarter of section 23, which was wholly unimproved. This land he improved and cultivated, making it his home till 1880, when he rented the place and removed to Griswold, where he built a hotel, naming it the "Iowa House." He continued keeping hotel till September, 1884. He then rented it and moved to a farm in Pleasant township, for which he had traded his farm in Noble township. He is now located on the northeast quarter of section 18. Henry Letz was born in Strasburg, France, October 23, 1843, and is a son of Michael and Eleanor Letz. At the age of eleven years he came with his parents to the United States, and settled in LaSalle county, Illinois, where he remained until he came to Cass county. He was married in 1870, to Jane Cooper, a native of Ireland. She came to this country when three months old. Mr. and Mrs Letz have three children---Richard, Ralph and Eleanor.

Henry Linneman came to the county of Cass in 1872, and located in Pleasant township. In 1879 he purchased eighty acres of land on section 22, where he built a neat frame house and granary. He is a native of Lippe-Detwold, Germany, and was born on the 6th of November, 1845. He was brought up in the "Fatherland," and attended school until he was fourteen years of age, when he entered upon the toils of life, laboring on a farm. This he followed until he was nineteen years old, when he emigrated from his native land to the shores of America. On coming to the United States, he first located at Burlington, Iowa, where he soon took up his old occupation of farming. From there he moved to Henderson county, Illinois, and there resided until 1872, when he came here, as already slated. His father died when Henry was seventeen years old, and his mother, with her four children came to America. Mr. Linneman is a thrifty, industrious man and a most excellent citizen, and is fast accumulating a comfortable competency, in strictly legitimate agricultural pursuits. He is one of the solid men of the township, and highly appreciated by his friends and neighbors.

John Stabler, in March, 1884, came to Cass county and bought three hundred and twenty acres of land in sections 27 and 28 of Pleasant township, land formerly owned by Capt. J. A. Russell. The greater part of this land is improved and he has a frame house and other farm buildings. John Stabler is a native of England, born in Yorkshire, April 30, 1857. His parents emigrated to America when he six months old, and settled in Bureau county, Illinois, where his father purchased a farm in the town of Neponset. There he spent his early life receiving his education in the district schools. In February, 1880, he was united in marriage with Ella Traynor. They have one child, Clyde.

L. L. Colton came to Cass county in 1876, and purchased a farm of T. W. Williamson, located on the southwest quarter of section 29. There was then upon the place, a frame house, and a grove had been planted. Mr. Colton has since built a frame barn and made other improvements. He was born in the city of Buffalo, New York, April 29, 1831, and is a son of Samuel H. and Samantha (Dodge) Colton. The latter was a descendant of John Dodge who was born near the river Tweed, in England, and emigrated to America in 1667, and settled on Block Island, in the State of Rhode Island. Samantha (Dodge) Colton was born in Herkimer county, New York, in 1804, and removed with her parents to Buffalo, in 1810. There they were among the pioneers of that city, and endured the hardships and privations incident to the early settlement of any locality, and which in their case, were rendered particularly severe, being added, as they were to the horrors of the war of 1812, during which they were driven from their home by the British soldiers and their Indian allies. This occurred December 30, 1813, the time when Buffalo was burned by the British, Samuel H. Colton was born at Cherry Valley, New York. He settled, with his parents, in Buffalo previous to the war of 1812. His death occurred in Johnson county, Iowa, July 5, 1881. He was then in the eighty-eighth year of his age. When the subject of this sketch was very young, his parents moved to Wyoming county of the same state, where they lived six years, then returned to Erie county and located at Alden. He remained there until 1862, when he came to Iowa and engaged in driving stage from Bellevue to Dubuque. The same year he joined the army and was employed in the quarter-master's department until July 1865, then returned to Iowa and purchased a farm in Washington township, Jackson county. He lived there until the date of his coming to this county, 1876. Mr. Colton was married in Erie county, New York, February, 20, 1851, to Mariette Johnson a native of St. Lawerence county, New York, and daughter of Amasa and Sarah (Wells) Johnson, natives of Connecticut. Mr. and Mrs. Colton have one child---Alice, wife of W. W. Shuman.

Robert D. Adams, an elder in the General Presbyterian Church, was born in Morgan county, Illinois, August 20, 1839. He was reared upon a farm, and in his childhood attended a subscription school until the system of free schools was established, after which he attended school winters and worked at farming during the summer seasons. At the age of nineteen years he went to Cass county, Illinois, and engaged in farming. He enlisted August 12, 1861, in company C, of the Second Illinois Cavalry, and served until August, 1864. He was at the front and in active service the greater part of the time. After his discharge he settled in Morgan county, Illinois, upon a farm. March 4, 1865, he was united in marriage with Margaret J. Ware, who was born at Sidney, Shelby county, Ohio. He then removed to Cass county, Illinois, and remained till 1870. In the fall of that year he purchased wild land in the southwest quarter of section 13, Pleasant township, to which he then removed. He now has a well cultivated and desirable farm, and a pleasant residence, surrounded by fruit and shade trees. Mr. and Mrs. Adams have two children---Lewis R., and Jessie M. Their eldest child, John Paul, died in infancy. Clarence died at the age of four years and eleven months.

Albert W. Wyman settled in Cass county in the spring of 1882, purchasing then, the southwest quarter of section 16, Pleasant township. There was a small frame house upon the place, which he has rebuilt and enlarged. He has also improved the place otherwise. Albert W. Wyman was born in Skowhegan, Somerset county, Maine, June 23, 1848. When he was seven years of age, his parents moved to Sheffield, Bureaucounty, Illinois, where he spent his childhood and youth. In 1869, he was united in marriage with Kate L. Peeples, a native of Scotland, After marriage he settled in Neponset, Bureau county, where he bought a residence and remained until he removed to Cass county in 1882. Mr. and Mrs. Wyman have a family of five children---Nettie, Thomas, William, Charlie and James.

John Walkinshaw owns a valuable farm of two hundred and forty acres, located on sections 11 and 12. He came to this county in 1877, and purchased then, eighty acres on section 12, upon which was a small frame house and a granary. He improved and fenced this land and afterwards bought one hundred and sixty acres on section 11. He also has the latter purchase fenced and under good improvement. Mr. Walkinshaw is an energetic and prosperous farmer. He was born in the northern part of Ireland, in 1827, and there grew to manhood. He was reared to the pursuit of agriculture, and received his education in the public schools. In 1853 he came to America, landing at Philadelphia, and locating in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, where he was employed in farming, two years. He then removed to Whiteside county, Illinois, and followed the same occupation, three years, after which he bought a team of oxen and engaged in breaking prairie for several years. He remained in that county till 1877. He was married in February 1857, to Mary Schoch, a native of Pennsylvania. They have six children---Laura, William, John, David, Fred and George. Mr. and Mrs. Walkinshaw are members of the Presbyterian church.

Jesse Underwood came to Cass county in 1867, and located then in Washington township, where he lived till the spring of 1869. He then moved to Bear Grovetownship, and remained until the spring of 1873, when he bought the southeast quarter of section 2, Pleasant township, which was, at that time, wild land. He now has a well improved farm, all under fence and in a good state of cultivation. He has a good, substantial dwelling, a grove, and an orchard containing apple and other fruit trees. He was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, April 10, 1823, and is a son of Jesse and Julia A. (Meyers) Underwood, natives of the same State. Wlien he was thirteen years of age, his parents moved to Ohio, and settled in Knox county, where his youth and early manhood was spent. He was united in marriage in Coshocton county, Ohio, February 12, 1846, with Mary McCullough, after which he resided in Knox county until 1867, coming then, as before stated, to Cass county, Iowa. They made the journey with two pairs of horses and two wagons, bringing their household goods with them. They left Knox county October 8th, and arrived in Lewis, October 12th. Mr. and Mrs. Underwood have seven children---Mary Ann, Henry, Catherine, Isaac, Laura Lorina, John W. and Sarah. Their second son, Isaac, was born in Knox county, Ohio, September 22, 1851, and was sixteen years of age when his parents moved to Cass county. He now carries on his father's farm. December 24, 1877, he was married to Elizabeth Ingraham, daughter of Clark and Electa Ingraham, and a native of Henderson county, Illinois. They have three children---Clark, William H. and Myrtle.

George H. Carpenter was born in Tompkins, county, New York, May 27, 1856, and is a son of Daniel and Betsy (Shepard) Carpenter. He was educated in the district school, and afterwards attended a graded school, in the village of Groton, Tompkins county. He completed his educatio at the State normal school, at Cortland, in Cortland county, where he spent two terms. He then, at the age of seventeen years, began teaching school. At the age of twenty-one he went to Bureau county, Illinois, and engaged in teaching, which he continued fourteen terms. He was subsequently employed in clerking in the store of J. A. Russell, and also had charge of an elevator. October 10, 1882, he was married to Nora, daughter of J. A. and Sophronia (Barrett) Russell. In March, 1884, Mr. Carpenter came to Cass county, and settled on section 28, of Pleasant township. The farm which he owns and occupies contains two hundred and forty acres of land, and was formerly the property of the late Captain J. A. Russell, of Bureau county, Illinois. This is a highly improved and desirable farm. All of the improvements were made by Captain Russell.

Daniel A. Miller is a native of Franklin county, Indiana, born September 13, 1841. He is a son of G. W. and Harriet Miller, of whom the former was a native of Virginia and the latter of Indiana. They removed, when Daniel A. was very young, to Fayette county of the same State, where his early life was spent. In September, 1861, he enlisted in company F, of the Second Indiana Cavalry, and served until September, 1864. The next month he re-enlisted in company I, of the United States Veteran Volunteers, and served in the defences of Washington and vicinity for one year. He was then discharged with the regiment, and returned home. In January, 1866, he came to Iowa, and located in Warren county, purchasing land in Jefferson township, on which he lived until 1872, when he sold out and came to Cass county. He settled upon the northwest quarter of section 11, Pleasant township, on land which he had bought in 1860. He has since purchased other land, and now owns two hundred and forty acres, all under good improvement. He has erected commodious and substantial buildings, and planted a grove and orchard. The latter is one of the finest orchards in the State, and contains six hundred trees. Mr. Miller was married, in 1867, to Mary Wakefield, a native of Pennsylvania. They have six children---Flora E., Minnie E., Stella E., Daniel C., Alice A. and James Emerson.

C. C. Smith located in Pleasant township in 1874. In 1880 he purchased his present farm, which is located on the southwest quarter of section 16. The land is now all improved and fenced. Mr. Smith was born in Lincolnshire, England, February 1, 1854. He resided in his native land till twenty years of age. He then left his home and came to America, landing in Boston. He immediately went West, going to Nebraska, where he remained a short time, and then came to Cass county. In 1876 he was married to Mary A. Shaffer, who was born in Illinois. They have three children---Henry Ross, Charles F. and Laura A. Mr. Smith is an enterprising and industrious farmer, and is already a successful one.

George Brunner resides on section 17, Pleasant township, where he owns a farm of one hundred and forty acres, all under a high state of cultivation, and well improved. He has planted a fine grove, and also an orchard. Mr. Brunner is a native of Germany, born in Hesse-Darmstadt, August 4, 1838. He is well educated, having attended the common schools of his native country until fourteen years of age, after which he attended a high school for two years. In 1856, he came to the United States, landing in New York. He located in Chambersburg, Franklin county, Pennsylvania, where he found employment, and remained until 1862, when he enlisted in the service of his adopted country, in company B, of the One Hundred and Twenty-sixth Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. He participated in the battle of Fredericksburg, where his regiment entered the engagement with eight hundred and sixty men, and came out with two hundred and thirty; also the battles of Antietam, Shepardstown, Chancellorsville, and many other minor engagements. He was honorably discharged at the expiration of his terra of service. In the spring of 1864 he went to Illinois, and remained in Whiteside county until fall. He then re-enlisted, in company G of the Eighth Illinois Cavalry, and served till the close of the war, and was discharged with his regiment, at St. Louis, in July, 1865. He returned to Pennsylvania in the spring of 1866, and was married there, one year later, to Susan C. Glenn, a native of Maryland. They then went to Whiteside county, Illinois, and rented land, on which they lived until 1873. In that year they removed to Montgomery county, Iowa, where they spent one year, and then came to Cass county. Mr. and Mrs. Brunner have one child---Omar F.

Transcribed by Cheryl Siebrass, February, 2025 from: "History of Cass County, Together with Sketches of Its Towns, Villages and Townships, Educational, Civil, Military and Political History: Portraits of Prominent Persons, and Biographies of Old Settlers and Representative Citizens", published in 1884, Springfield, Ill: Continental Historical Co., pp. 813-819.