Joseph Jerome Devault
CROUSE, DEVAULT, FELKNER, LYON, NICHOLSON, WRIGHT
Posted By: Judy Wight Branson (email)
Date: 10/14/2005 at 20:57:23
“History of Madison County Iowa and Its People”
Herman A. Mueller, Supervising Editor
Chicago, The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1915The farmers of Madison county, and indeed of the state of Iowa, are those upon whose prosperity depend the growth and welfare of the commonwealth, and they are measuring up to their opportunities as they are, as a class, not only energetic but also progressive. Joseph Jerome Devault, residing on section 16, Jackson township, is a worthy representative of the Iowa farmers and is gaining deserved success in his chosen occupation. He was born in Johnson county, this state, July 18, 1856, the youngest of the six sons of Charles and Rachel (Felkner) Devault. The father was a native of Ross county, Ohio, and his natal day was the 22d of August, 1813, while his wife was born on the l0th of October, 1815. The Felkner family were early settlers in Johnson county, Iowa, the grandfather of our subject, Henry Felkner, assisting in building the first mill on Rapid creek. He also sawed the lumber used in building the first capitol of Iowa at Iowa City. Martin Felkner, his father, owned two hundred acres of land where the site of Columbus, Ohio, now stands.
In 1830 Charles Devault, in company with his two brothers, three sisters and his widowed mother, removed to Kosciusko county, Indiana, where he was married and began his independent business career. He had no capital to start with but after working for two years was able to purchase two ox teams. He then loaded his household effects into an old-fashioned, high-wheeled, homemade Conastoga wagon and removed with his family to Johnson county, Iowa, in 1841. On the overland journey he passed through Chicago when it was known as Fort Dearborn and consisted of the fort and a few log cabins. There were only a few families living in Johnson county, Iowa, on his arrival there, and it would have required a daring imagination to picture the changes that seventy years were destined to bring about. Mr. Devault squatted on land, as the government had not yet formally opened the county to settlement, and at the time the land was thrown upon the market he had but fifty dollars and twelve and a half cents, but, realizing his opportunity, he invested the fifty dollars in land, leaving him only twelve and a half cents capital. His first residence in that county was a round log cabin, the roof of which was held on by weights; the floor was of split logs; the hinges and locks were of wood; and oiled paper took the place of glass in the windows. In those times each family was to a large extent sufficient unto itself, and he made the shoes for his children while his wife spun the wool for the family clothing. Provisions were hauled from Muscatine and it was necessary to take stock there for shipment. As he worked unremittingly and as the family lived sparingly, prosperity attended his labors and he in time erected a better residence. The old log cabin was still standing, however, at the time of the birth of our subject. The father set out trees and made many improvements upon his farm, which became one of the valuable properties of the locality. It was some time before the settlers could erect churches or schoolhouses, and in those first years religious meetings were held at the home of Mr. Devault, although he was not especially active in church affairs. He became the owner of six hundred acres of fine land in Johnson county, and also held title to a part of the family homestead in Indiana. Retiring from active life, he removed to Ely, where he was residing at the time of his death. His son, Andrew Jackson, was a member of Company H, Twenty-second Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and died from typhoid fever and exposure at Jackson, Mississippi, being buried in the National cemetery.
Joseph J. Devault received his early education in the district schools of Johnson county, which were then rather primitive institutions. The benches and desks were of slabs and the curriculum was very limited in comparison with that of today. He made good use of his opportunities and later attended Western College, now Leander Clark College, at Toledo, Iowa, and was for a year a student at Cornell College. When he was twenty years of age his father divided his landed holdings among his five living sons, but our subject remained at home until he attained his majority. He then removed to the farm which had come into his possession and for some time operated it, keeping bachelor's hall. In 1882 he was married and removed to Jackson township, this county, where he purchased land. In 1894 he had an unfortunate fire that destroyed his home, but he has since replaced it with a handsome modern residence. For the past thirty-two years he has lived upon his home farm here and has added to his holdings, owning at the present time four hundred and fifty-one acres of fine land. He not only cultivates the soil and raises the usual grains but also keeps many head of stock, from the sale of which he derives a gratifying addition to his income.
In 1882 Mr. Devault was united in marriage to Miss Matilda Nicholson, also a native of Johnson county, and a daughter of Henry and Maria (Lyon) Nicholson. Her father was born in Ohio in 1816 and removed to Hooppole township, Posey county, Indiana, as a boy with his parents, but .settled in Johnson county, Iowa, in 1836, when this state was still a part of Wisconsin territory. His residence was one of the largest and best in the township, as he was a well-to-do man, owning land not only in Johnson county but also in Carroll county. He was quite active in the United Brethren church and many of the early circuit riders were entertained at his home when preaching in his locality. A number of years before his death he retired and resided in Carroll county until his wife died in 1887 at the age of sixty-five years. She was born in Venango county, Pennsylvania, in 1822, and removed to Johnson county, this state, in 1838, where they were married in 1842. Following her demise Mr. Nicholson resided with his children and was living in Plymouth county, Iowa, when he passed away on the 14th of March, 1902. In his family were eleven children, of whom Mrs.Devault is the sixth. To Mr. and Mrs. Devault have been born four children: George, whose birth occurred on the 16th of July, 1883, died on the 21st of October, 1884. Ralph Jerome, born November 6, 1884, married Miss Gladys Wright and they have three children, Bernice, Clare Jerome and Lloyd Wright. Grover Glenn, born March 27, 1886, took a course in mechanical engineering at Iowa State College at Ames and is now in the contracting business in Des Moines. Lois Rachel, born May 9, 1890, married Ralph L. Crouse on the 6th of September, 1911. Mr. Crouse is a graduate of Iowa State College at Ames and is with the Aladdin Electric Light Company of Chicago.
Mr. Devault is a Democrat and his opinions carry weight in the local councils of his party. During the thirty odd years that he has resided in Madison county he has at all times aided in the development of the county and has faithfully discharged the duties devolving upon him, whether in private life or as a public citizen, and he is justly held in high estimation by his fellow man.
Madison Biographies maintained by Linda Griffith Smith.
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