Heman B. Shaff - 1886 bio

SHAFF, BLAKELY, RUSSELL, WOLFE, VANDEVERE, DRIPPS

Posted By: LuAnn (Wentworth) Goeke (email)
Date: 11/15/2010 at 21:08:50

HEMAN B. SHAFF. Among the most extensive land-owners of Clinton County, as well as successful farmers and respected and honored citizens, is the subject of this biographical notice. There are many gentlemen in this county who have attained prominence and success in life through their own energy and perseverance, and prominent among this class we are certainly warranted in placing the name of the gentleman of whom we write. He came here at an early day, is classed among the pioneers of the County, and since his residence here has been closely identified with its agricultural development.
Heman Shaff was born in Sodus, Wayne Co., N.Y., March 12, 1817, and his father, Joseph Shaff, was also a native of that State though of German descent. The maiden name of our subject's mother was Lucy Blakely, a native of Vermont. Heman B. was orphaned when five years old by the death of his father, and the mother had the care of six children left to her. She nevertheless possessed a large amount of energy, and kept her little family together until they were enabled to do for themselves.
In 1837 our subject, accompanied by his mother, brother, and two sisters, started for Iowa Territory, then familiarly known as the Black Hawk Purchase. The start was made in September of that year, with two teams of horses and two wagons, the family bringing with them their bedding and cooking utensils, and, camping by the wayside, prepared their frugal meals, until they arrived at Lewistown, Fulton Co., Ill. There they had relatives, with whom the mother, brother and sisters remained, while our subject, in November of that year, came on to this county and selected a claim on section 11, township 81, range 5. He soon returned to Fulton County and made preparations to remove the family to his claim, and during that winter they came to Rock Island County, Ill., at a point almost opposite the land our subject had selected in this county. The following spring (1838) he removed the family onto his claim, he having in the meantime erected a log cabin thereon, into which the family moved. He did the first breaking upon the land in the spring of that year with ox-teams and horses. His good mother died there the same year and only a few months after her arrival.
In 1840, the Government having placed the land in the market, our subject entered 240 acres at the land-office in Dubuque, and soon after entered 120 acres of school land on sections 11 and 12, township 81, range five. Mr. Shaff has continued to reside on his original claim which he obtained from the Government until the present time, and for a period of forty-eight years has been actively engaged in agricultural pursuits. He is a gentleman of good judgment, and by economy and energy has succeeded in accumulating a sufficiency to enable him to add to his acreage until at present he and his son are the proprietors of 1,200 acres, 100 of which is timber or pasture land. When Mr. Shaff first located here he was compelled to go to Andover, Henry Co., Ill., to mill, a distance of some sixty miles. The first fall after his arrival he had no wheat or corn, and was compelled to make a trip to Knox County, Ill., to purchase it, and he relates that it required about a week to make the trip. In 1838 he recollects that it was impossible for him to cross the river to have his corn ground, and he had to pound it in a mortar, and their principal sustenance was milk and hominy instead of milk and mush.
Heman B. Shaff was married in 1840 to Mary Russell, a native of Vermont, and they have four children: Lucy is deceased; Mary A. is the wife of John Wolfe, who lives in Camanche Township; Emeline married John Vandevere, who lives at Council Bluffs, Iowa; John was united in marriage with Jennie Dripps, and they have two children - May and John O. He manages the home farm and is the one referred to as having an interest with his father in the real estate.
Mr. Shaff was a Democrat in politics, having cast his first vote for Martin Van Buren, but prior to the breaking out of the late war he joined the Republican party and has since voted with it, and during the war was a stanch[sic] union man. - 1886 Portrait & Biographical Album of Clinton County, Iowa, pg 462-463.