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CHAPTER V.

THE FIRST SETTLERS. (Cont'd)

From History of Audubon Co., Iowa (1915)
by H. F. Andrews

THE HALLOCKS.

Isaac Peter Hallock, Sr., was a lineal descendant of Peter Hallock, who came from Hingham, Norfolk, England, to New Haven, Connecticut, in 1640, and who settled at Southold, Long Island, New York. He was born in Clinton, New York, January 6, 1802, and married Abigail Howland Smith, a native of Massachusetts. He moved from New York state to Chicago in 1830, and soon settled in Kendall county, Illinois, where he lived many years. He then went to Earlville, Illinois, where he was engaged in the lumber business a short time. In 1854-5 he and his son-in-law, Erasmus D. Bradley, bought, from Samuel B. Hopkins, the John S. Jenkins claim in section 20, now Exira township, and upon which Mr. Bradley and his partner, Alva B. Brown, afterwards laid out the town of Oakfield upon Mr. Bradley's portion. The balance of the purchase remains in possession of the Hallocks to the present time. Mr. Hallock and his son, Isaac, and perhaps other members of the family went to Omaha, Nebraska, about the time of making this purchase, but returned to Oakfield in 1856, and permanently settled there on the site of the present Hallock homestead. They resided with their son, Isaac, who succeeded to his father's estate, which is now possessed by a grandson, Isaac Percy Hallock. They were Quakers. He and his sons were stanch Republicans. He served as county judge in 1863-4, and afterwards was postmaster and justice of the peace. Both died at Oakfield years ago. Their children were as follow: Elizabeth, who married Thomas Dissmore; Richard S., married Julia Burr; Julia Ann, married Erasmus D. Bradley; John Addison, married Catherine Crane; Sarah Melissa, married Joel H. Basham, and Isaac Peter, married Malinda Ann Norton.

Richard S. Hallock. M. D., married Julia Burr. He came from Omaha, Nebraska, to Oakfield, in 1856, where he was a successful physician and surgeon many years. He owned several farms and timber lands. He was surgeon of a United States colored regiment in the Union army. He was a Republican in politics. He moved to Salida, Colorado, where he died about 1890. He was the father of the following children: Robert Burns, who married Ossia Orton; Kansas Irene, married Hardy M. Clark; Julia, married George Simmons; Jennie, married William Fuller, and Burr.

Hon. John Addison Hallock married Catherine, daughter of Daniel and Ann (Eckman) Crane. He came to Audubon county about 1856, and was a farmer and successful school teacher. He settled on lot 13, section 3, adjoining the town of Exira on the east. He taught school in Guthrie Center, at Exira and at the Green school. As the town increased his land was required for suburban residences, and now forms a large part of the town. The Congregational church was built on his land. A Republican in politics, he was clerk of the district court, 1863-4; justice of the peace, 1868, and later representative. In 1878 he was a merchant at Exira, but moved to Salida, Colorado, in the eighties, where Mrs. Hallock died. He

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was an agnostic. There was an unusual amount of gun play in this family. The son, Charles, was accidentally wounded by a mob in Colorado; George shot and killed Colbert Strahl and at the same time wounded Jesse Millhollin near Oakfield, in 1883; Willis was shot and seriously wounded in Elkhorn the same year, in the celebrated horse thief mob case, and Frank was afterwards shot and killed in Colorado. The children were: Charles, who married Anna Burbank; George, married Lucy Norton; Willis, married Belle Overholt; Frank, Grace and Ray.

Isaac Peter Hallock, Jr., was born in Kendall county, Illinois, on March 21, 1840. He married at Oakfield, Iowa, in 1868, Malinda, the daughter of William Canfield and Harriet Ruth (Thayer) Norton, and who was born at Springwater, New York, May 16, 1845. He was a farmer, stock grower and merchant. He came to Oakfield in 1856, with his father, before the town was laid out, and they afterwards lived there together the remainder of their lives. He was a quiet, busy man, generally loved and respected by his kindred and neighbors. He had a large landed estate and was a wealthy man at his death. At one time he owned a flouring-mill at Oakfield and had a general store there several years. He had a fine deer park, containing a large herd of native wild deer, which finally escaped and were lost. He was a Republican, was county supervisor in 1883, and held local offices. His landed estate is now possessed by his sons, Keese and Percy. He is dead and his wife died in 1907. Their children were: Harriett Abbie, who married John Curry; Clarence Keese, married Olive Jenkins, and Isaac Percy, unmarried.

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Transcribed by Cheryl Siebrass, January, 2025, from History of Audubon Co., Iowa (1915), by H. F. Andrews, pages 128-130.