History » 1881 History of Iowa County » Biographical

662HISTORY OF IOWA COUNTY.

CHAPTER VIII.

HONEY CREEK TOWNSHIP.

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667HONEY CREEK TOWNSHIP.

BIOGRAHICAL.

BRADFORD, JAMES B.—Sec. 9, P. O. Koszta. Was born in 1843 in Buncombe county, North Carolina; when he was two years old his father went to Tennessee and four years after to Illinois, coming to Benton county, Iowa, in 1855. In 1864, at the age of twenty-one, he went to the Rocky Mountains in quest of gold, returning in 1869 and settled in Tama county, where he lived until 1873, when he came to Iowa county and settled near Koszta. In April of 1864 he married Emeline Guinn, by whom he has two children: Lester and Walter. Mr. Bradford has never had the advantage even of a common-school education, but has acquired, by application and study, a fair business education and by hard work he has accumulated means enough to purchase a farm of 240 acres all under cultivation.

671HONEY CREEK TOWNSHIP.

GUTHRIE, I.—Sec. 6, P.O. Belle Plaine. Was born in Chester county, Pennsylvania, in 1816, when he was ten years of age his parents moved to Centre county, Pennsylvania, near Bellefonte, where he continued to live with them until he was eighteen when he was apprenticed to John Hays of Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, to learn the plastering business, serving with him three years as an apprentice and remained with him one year as a journeyman. In 1838 he began contracting for himself in Mifflin and adjoining counties, until 1858, when he went to Mercer county, Pennsylvaia, where he farmed and worked at his trade until 1866, then came to Iowa county and purchased the farm he now occupies. December 9, 1841, he married Martha C. Leathers of Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. They have five children: Frederick, James, Annie, Elias and Mary. John T., their eldest son, enlisted in the army at the age of eighteen, and was taken prisoner at Welding Railroad, and died in a rebel prison. During the war Mr. Guthrie was put to much expense and trouble, visiting and attending to two sons while sick in the army. He is a Republican and a strong party man.

672HISTORY OF IOWA COUNTY.

HENCH, WILLIAM—P. O. Koszta. Hails from Pennsylvania. Was born Feb. 6, 1801 in Perry County, near Juniata. In the fall of 1829, he married Mary Sullenberger, by whom he had eight children, three of whom are dead; only two are now living in Iowa county, Iowa--Miss Kate, who is living with her father in Koszta, and Mrs. John Hale of Marengo. One son is living in Washington county, Kansas, and the other two are at Stuart, Iowa, in the milling and grain business. Mr. Hench came to Iowa in September, 1842, settling near Iowa City, in Johnson county. Moved from there in March, 1845, and settled in Iowa county, where Koszta now is, and where he has resided ever since. In his younger days he possessed the true vim of a frontiersman. When he first came to Iowa he was on the very outskirts of civilization. He has seen the boundless wild gradually succumb to the enterprise of the immigrant, and productive farms and thriving villages are now seen where was only a wild waste of prairie. He has filled many positions in the county and township, at one time being sheriff and for the first year receiving only ten cents in money, the fees being paid in county orders at fifty cents on the dollar; at an other time he was assessor and assessed the whole county as one township. He for many years kept public house, from which Koszta then bore the name of Hench's Settlement. Using his own words, he "is a Republican every time." In 1874 his wife, the companion of his younger days and who shared with him all the vicissitudes of a pioneer life, died; a consistent member of the Protestant Methodist Church, a devoted mother and beloved by the whole community. In 1876 he visited the home of his boyhood but so great was the change that the charm was broken, and he hastily returned to Iowa, the home of his adoption.

680HISTORY OF IOWA COUNTY.

STEFFY, SAMUEL—Sec. 32, P. O. Victor (Iowa). Was born in Venango county, Pennsylvania, August 13, 1841, where he lived with his parents until he was eleven years old, when they came West, settling in Cedar county, Iowa, where he continued to live until 1861, when he enlisted in company D, Eleventh Iowa infantry. His regiment was ordered to St. Louis, and from there to Jefferson City. After guarding that city a few weeks, and a part of the regiment being on detached duty at Fulton, Missouri, and other places, was ordered back to St. Louis, and from there to Shiloh, and three weeks after, on the 6th and 7th of April, 1862, participated in the battle of Shiloh, and skirmished from there to Corinth. During the summer they were on general guard duty at Corinth and other places. On the 2d of October, early in the morning, while his company were quietly in quarters, and not suspecting an enemy near, they were ordered out, as they supposed, for roll call, and were only partly clad, when the order "forward, march!" was given, when there was a hasty grasping for shoes and necessary clothing, and then they found out that they were attacked by the rebel General Price, and then began the battle of Corinth, lasting two days. Early on the morning of the second day, Mr. Steffy came near being killed. While cooking his breakfast with three of his comrades the rebels fired two solid shots at the camp-fire, killing one and wounding another. He next participated in the Siege of Vicksburg, and was also at Atlanta on the 22d of July, 1863. He participated in all the battles of his regiment, also being in Sherman's march "from Atlanta to the Sea." After his discharge at the close of the war, he returned to Cedar county (IA), and making a short visit came to Iowa county and purchased 160 acres of wild land in Honey Creek township, where he now lives (in 1881). By subsequent purchases he has increased his farm to 220 acres. He married Elizabeth Housman, by whom he has five children: John, Elousia, George, Emma and Elva.

681HONEY CREEK TOWNSHIP.

WHITE, ALEXANDER—Sec. 22, P. O. Koszta. Was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, October 26, 1820. When he was nine years old his parents moved to Muskingum county, Ohio, where he continued to live with them until he was seventeen, when he was apprenticed to learn the blacksmith trade. During the three years that he was to serve he was to receive only three dollars per month and his board, and to have only six months schooling. In 1841, having learned his trade, he began life for for him-

682HISTORY OF IOWA COUNTY.

self by working as a journeyman in Muskingum and Guernsey counties, for one year, and then he bought a shop and three acres of ground five miles west of Cambridge, on the national turnpike running from Cumberland, Maryland, to Columbus, Ohio, where he carried on blacksmithing and wagon-making for four years; at that time all freighting and traveling was carried on by teams and staging. Four large coaches passed his shop daily, and many freight teams consisting of six, eight and ten horses. In 1846, having nearly lost the use of his arm by overwork, he rented his shops and went into the livery business at New Concord. In 1849 he mrried Elizabeth P. Wycoff, and soon after disposing of his livery he returned to his shops and carried on blacksmith and wagon-making for ten years, and two years of that time he was also engaged in the mercantile business in company with his brother. In 1860 he sold out his shop and his interest in the store and went to New Concord and engaged in the hotel business. In 1864, belonging to an organized militia company, he was ordered out for one hundred days' service, and sent to Baltimore doing guard duty, and while there was sent out on a scouting expedition, and while out participated in the battle of Monocacy Junction. After his discharge in 1864, he returend to New Concord and after selling out and settling up his business he started for the West, coming to Iowa county (Ia.) in the spring of 1865 and settled on a quarter section of land that he had entered while out prospecting eleven years before, and since that time has increased his farm to three hundred and sixty acres all of which is under cultivation, well stocked, with a neat and substantial dwelling and convenient barns, shed, etc. He has seven children: Jane A., Mary S., Milton W., Jessie S., John A., Lizzie R., Willison J. Mary A. is the wife of N. W. Adams of Marengo (Ia.). Milton W. is attending medical lectures at the Iowa State University.