HESS, DANIEL

HESS, WRIGHT, KERR, MCDOUGAL, DUTCHER, TRIPP, SLOAN

Posted By: Administrator
Date: 10/3/2001 at 22:01:52

From the book "The History of Clinton County Iowa" by L. P.
Allen (1879) Pages 669-697
Biographical Sketches of Clinton Residents

DANIEL HESS, farmer, Sec. 36; P. O. Lyons; was born in Otego, Otsego Co., N. Y., 1807; in 1824, he, with his parents, removed to Oxford Co., District of the Province of Upper Canada, where they resided about fourteen years; removed to Michigan, tarrying there about one year; in 1839, they crossed the Mississippi River at Camanche, to the part of Iowa that was then known as the Black Hawk Purchase. They laid claim to quite a large tract of land, and, when it came into market, entered the same. Mr. H. still resides on some of the same land; his farm consists of 120 acres. In 1839, he was appointed Deputy Postmaster at Lyons, under Mr. C. A. Hoag, who had been appointed to the office, but, owing to failing health, did not accept the office, and, before his commission came, left the State, appointing Mr. H. as his deputy and recommending him for the office; in the same year, he received his appointment and commission from Postmaster General Niles, so that he was the first acting and appointed Postmaster of Lyons, and the third in the county; he held the office for some seven years, when he resigned and moved on his farm. He married, in 1843, Miss Frances Wright, of Pleasant Valley, Scott Co., of this State. She was a native of Union Co., Ind.; born in 1821. They have had seven children; three are still living-Elvira A., Louie O. (now Mrs. Kerr) and Elmer A. Mr. H. and wife have been members of the Methodist Episcopal Church for over fifty years. His parents, Frederick and Mary (McDougal) Hess, were natives of New York, and raised eight children-Katharine (Mrs. Calvin L. Dutcher), Daniel, Eve, Eliza (Mrs. Stephen Tripp), Frederick, Margaret (Mrs. John Sloan), Charles and David. The mother departed this life in 1852, in the 70th year of her age. The father died in 1870, in his 86th year. Mr. H. was formerly a Democrat, but, at the breaking out of the war, joined the Republican party, and has acted with it since.