Notestine, John A.

NOTESTINE

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 6/13/2021 at 16:28:07

JOHN ALLEN NOTESTINE
born Oct 26, 1833, PA

History of Warren County, Iowa; Containing a History of the County, Its Cities, Towns & Etc., by Union Historical Company, 1879, p.638
NOTESTINE, JOHN A., farmer, Belmont Township, Sec. 19; P. O. Milo; born October 26, 1833, in Juniatta county, Pennsylvania; came to Peoria county, Illinois, in 1853, and to this county in 1865; settled where he now lives in 1873; enlisted December 23, 1861, in Co. C., Fifty-seventh Illinois Infantry, as a private, served his three years and was honorably discharged February 23, 1865; was in nearly all the battles in which his regiment was engaged; married June 1, 1854, to Miss Catherine A. Barber, of Peoria county, Illinois; have four children: William J., Prudence J., Mary L., and Catherine A.; William J. died at two years of age.

John Allen Notestine, president of the Citizens’ Bank of Milo and one of the most honored and progressive business men of Warren county, has taken an active part in all that pertains to the welfare of his community, and has been a prominent factor in its growth and development. He was born in Juniata county, Pennsylvania, on the 26th of October, 1833, and is a son of John and Mary (Wiiner) Notestine. The family numbered three children: Samuel, who is now living a retired life in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Jane, widow of David Barber, and a resident of Peoria county, Illinois; and J. A. of this sketch. The father of this family was born in Perry county, Pennsylvania, and wedded Miss Wimer in Juniata county. In his political sympathies he was a Democrat of the Jeffersonian stripe and very earnest in his convictions. In the Methodist Episcopal Church he held his religious membership, and at the age of sixty-five years he passed to his reward, his grave being in the county seat of Juniata county. His estimable wife was also a native of Perry county, Pennsylvania, a member of the German Lutheran Church, and died at the age of thirty-four, being laid to rest in Church Hill cemetery. The grandfather of our subject, John Notestine, was a native of Perry county, but his father was from the other side of the Atlantic, becoming the founder of the family in the New World. The maternal grandfather was likewise horn in Perry county, and served throughout the war of 1812, under General Scott. He also had two brothers in the service, one of whom lost his life at the battle of Lundy's Lane. J. A. Notestine, of this record, was reared in Turbett township, Juniata county, and acquired his education in the subscription schools, pursuing his studies in a log house furnished with rude benches. David Powell was one of his first instructors and was a good teacher. He generally attended school during the three months of the winter season. He began to earn his own livelihood by working in the harvest field, and was thus employed at the time of the Civil war. On the 13th of December, 1861, he offered his services to the Government, enlisting at Trivoli, Illinois, as a member of Company C, Fifty-seventh Illinois Infantry, under Captain William S. Swan, of Chicago, and Colonel S. D. Baldwin. He participated in the battles of Fort Henry, Fort Donelson, the Adamsville campaign, the battles of Shiloh, and second battle of Corinth, the Lexington campaign to the relief of Colonel Ingersoll, and made a raid into Alabama and northwestern Mississippi, where they met Forrest and Chalmers. They were also in the Atlanta campaign, and from Atlanta Mr. Notestine was sent to Nashville, and mustered out at Springfield, Illinios, January 27, 1865. He was wounded in the right leg at Town creek during the Alabama raid, which incapacitated him for a month, and he is still lame from the effects of this wound. On being honorably discharged, Mr. Notestine returned to his home in Peoria county, Illinois, where he had located in 1854, and began cultivating eighty acres of land, his market being the city of Peoria, eighteen miles distant. In 1865 he came to Warren county, Iowa, settling on section 23, Otter township, where he purchased eighty-five acres of land, still retaining an interest in the same. He now owns altogether 340 acres of rich land, of which 280 acres lie within three and a half miles of Milo, while the remainder is comprised within the corporation limits of the city. On the 1st of June, 1854, Mr. Notestine was united in marriage with Miss Catherine Barber, a native of New York, and a daughter of John Barber, a descendant of one of the oldest families of the Empire State. Five children were born to them, viz.: John, who was born in Peoria county and is now an engineer on the Texas Pacific Railroad, where he has spent fifteen years; William J., who died at the age of eighteen months in Peoria county, Illinois; Prudence Jane, who is the wife of Leander Westerfield, a farmer of Belmont township, Warren county; Mary, who is the wife of Frank Runyan, a farmer of the same township; and Catherine, commonly known as Kittie, is the wife of Charles F. Scott, an agriculturist of Otter township, Warren county, and has considerable talent both in vocal and instrumental music. Mr. Notestine has long been prominently identified with the development and upbuilding of Milo. The present site of the city was originally owned by David Davis, the United States Senator, and the grant was made February 1, 186.5 The first owner was Wayman Crow, of St Louis, and among others who purchased interests were Fayette Crain, Hiram Alger, Peter and Dinah A. Monfore, Josiah Wilbur, and his wife, Abraham Wilbur and wife, Jeremiah Long and wife, and John A. Notestine. The business interests of the city have largely been promoted through the efforts of the last named, who was one of the founders of the Citizens Bank, which was organized March 27, 1893, the charter members being Elisha Hardin, James Adamson, Silas Westerfield, R.B. McClelland, Henry Sommers, C. M. Condit, and J. A. Notestine. The officers are A. Notestine, president; J F. Good, vice president; and C. M. Condit, cashier. The stockholders in connection with the officers are J. M. Turner, R. B. McClelland, Silas Westerfield, John Wikle, James Schee, and Samuel Shaw . This has become one of the solid and leading financial institutions of this section of the State, and a safe conservative policy is followed that commands confidence and insures the public patronage. In his political connections, Mr. Notestein is a Republican, having supported that party since casting his first presidential vote for John C. Fremont, but he has never sought or desired political preferment, wishing to give his entire attention to his business interests. He is an ardent supporter of the public school system, and is deeply interested in everything pertaining to the progress and advancement of his adopted county. Socially, he is connected with Milo Post, No. 275, G. A. R., Milan Lodge, No. 409, A. F. & A. M., and Orient Chapter, No. 95, R.A.M., of which he was one of the charter members; also a charter member of Lilly Lodge, No. 160, K. of P. Source: A Memorial and Biographical Record of Iowa, Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, Illinois, 1896, vol.1, p.221

History of Warren County, Iowa from Its Earliest Settlement to 1908, by Rev. W. C. Martin, Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, Illinois, 1908, p.442
JOHN ALLEN NOTESTINE
No one is more deserving of representation in the history of a country than he who has defended its interests on the field of battle; no one is more deserving of mention in the record of a community than one who has been identified with its prosperity, growth and development through many years. To this class of men John A. Notestine belongs, for he was a soldier of the
Union army during the darkest hour in the history of the nation and in Warren County has borne a most helpful part in the work of general progress and im­provement. For many years he was identified with agricultural pursuits and also figured prominently in financial circles as a representative of the banking interests of Milo, but is now living retired in well earned ease.
His birth occurred in Juniata County, Pennsylvania, October 26, 1833, his parents being John and Mary (Wimer) Notestine. He had one brother, Samuel, who is now deceased, and a sister, Jane, the deceased wife of David Barber, a resident of Peoria County, Illinois. John Allen Notestine, however, was the youngest of the family. His father was a native of Perry county, Pennsylvania, where he made his home until his marriage, when he removed to Juniata county, the same state, where he died at the age of sixty-five years, at which time his remains were interred in the cemetery at the county seat of Juniata County. His political allegiance was given to the democracy and his support of the party was ever most stalwart. He belonged to the Methodist Episcopal Church and his life, upright and honorable in all its connections, was therefore in harmony with its professions. His wife belonged to the German Lutheran church and passed away at the age of thirty-four years.
The Notestine family was founded in America by the great-grandfather of our subject, who became a resident of Pennsylvania, where John Notestine, the grandfather, was born, reared and made his home. The maternal grand­father was also a native of Perry County, Pennsylvania, and served his country as a soldier of the war of 1812, under General Scott. He had two brothers who were in the service, one of whom lost his life in the battle of Lundy's Lane. Many representatives of the ancestry of our subject were connected with the military interests and different wars of the country. His great-uncle, John F. Rice, was a brave and valiant soldier of the war of 1812. He was born in Juniata County, Pennsylvania, in 1790, was the son of Peter Rice and a grand­son of Zachariah Rice, who lived in Chester Springs, Chester County, Pennsyl­vania, during the period of the Revolutionary War. He married Elizabeth Hartman and they had a family of twenty-one children. From an old ledger which contains accounts and memoranda kept by Zachariah Rice from 1776 to 1780, it is learned that General Washington stopped with this family for many weeks and that their farm was used as a hospital for the sick and wounded soldiers who were fighting for liberty. Zachariah Rice owned a mill and store and became quite wealthy. In 1795 they removed from Chester County to central Pennsylvania, while different members of the family settled in Cumber­land, Perry and Juniata counties. The family has always been noted for longevity and also for the number of their progeny and their descendants are today found in every state in the Union.
John F. Rice, the great-uncle of Mr. Notestine was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania, August 22, 1789. In 1813 he was a resident of Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, and volunteered for nine-months service in the war of 1812, under command of Captain Rogers and Colonel William Greene. The regi­ment rendezvoused at Bellefonte, now Center County, Pennsylvania, and took up the line of march early in April 1813, arriving on the 22d of the month at Erie, Pennsylvania, where they remained in camp until Perry's fleet was ready to sail. The fleet consisted of only two brigs, the Lawrence and the Niagara, and a number of gunboats. Mr. Rice had volunteered in the land force, but Commodore Perry came into camp and in a speech offered twenty-five dollars in hand for volunteers on board the vessels for only one cruise. Mr. Rice was the only man in Captain Rogers' company who volunteered. Speaking of his experience, he said:
"I went on board the schooner Scorpion, under command of Captain Christian Champlin, of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, remained on that cruise three days and returned liking the service on the vessels better than on the land. I induced others to accompany me and when Commodore Perry came again for volunteers, ten others offered to go. I was in the battle of Lake Erie on board, the Scorpion. Commodore Perry was on the Lawrence and when it was cut to pieces and all were killed but twelve men, I saw the Commodore leaving in a rowboat and going to the Niagara, being rowed by two comrades, Jacob Tool and Alexander Metlan. I heard the discharge of the cannon but did not see the ball strike his boat, but I saw him jerk off his coat, stuff it into the hole the ball made and then fly to the oars himself and go in safety to the Niagara. On reaching the Niagara, he inquired of Captain Elliott, its commander, why the boat was not brought into action and Elliott answered that the wind was against him. A Captain Brown then approached and said, Commodore, take my advice—take command of this vessel yourself and try and break through the lines, open fire from both sides of them and then bring up or draw up your gunboats into action and you will gain the victory. Perry did exactly as Captain Brown advised. I heard all this, for I was on the Scorpion and we had been ordered to escort him around to the Niagara for fear his boat would be sunk and he be drowned. The Niagara now sailed directly through the British lines and when almost between the Queen Charlotte and another vessel, the Niagara opened fire from both sides with fifteen guns each, doing terrible damage to both vessels. The noise was something terrific. We had several cannon each on the gunboat and when we opened fire on the British, the fleet was soon compelled to hoist the white flag. James Sims was the first man to board the Queen Charlotte and he got five hundred dollars reward, which had been offered by Perry to the first man aboard the British fleet. I was under Colonel Johnson, who killed Tecumseh. I saw him do that, for I was not far away. Colonel Johnson's horse had just been shot and the Colonel himself had been wounded when I saw Tecumseh rush up to him with a pistol drawn to shoot, but Colonel Johnson pulled out his own pistol from his left side, arose in his stirrups and shot Tecumseh dead." John F. Rice was the last survivor of Perry's fleet. He died at Shelby, Ohio, aged ninety years, five months and sixteen days.
Such is the account which the uncle of Mr. Notestine gives of two of the most important events of the war of 1812. All this shows that Mr. Notestine comes from a military race and his own record has been in harmony with the history of the family. He was reared in Turbett Township, Juniata county, Pennsylvania, and sat on a rude bench in the little log schoolhouse, where he studied the lessons which qualified him for life's practical duties. He attended only through the winter months, for his work was needed elsewhere in the summer and he was employed as a farm hand until after the outbreak of the Civil War. On the 13th of December, 1861, he enlisted at Tivoli, Illinois, as a member of Company C, Fifty-seventh Illinois Infantry, under Captain William S. Swan, and Colonel S. D. Baldwin, the regiment being attached to the Third Brigade, Second Division, of the left wing of the Sixteenth Army Corps of the Army of Tennessee. The principal engagements in which he participated were at Fort Henry, Fort Donelson and the Adamsville campaign, the battle of Shiloh, the advance on Corinth, occupying twenty-one days, the second battle of Corinth, the Lexington campaign to the relief of Colonel Ingersoll and the raid into Mississippi, when they met Forest and Chalmers and in a forced march covered one hundred and thirty-two miles in four days. Mr. Notestine was also in the battles of Barton Station, Big Bear Creek and Town Creek. At the last named he was wounded in the right leg but did not go to the hospital. He was also in the Atlanta campaign and from Atlanta was sent to Nashville, while at Springfield, Illinois, on the 27th of January, 1865, he was mustered out.
At the age of twenty years, Mr. Notestine had left home to begin his business career and had arrived in Peoria County, Illinois, with a twenty dollar gold piece as his cash capital. For a short time he worked on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad at one dollar per day, after which he began the cultivation of eighty acres of rented land. He followed farming in Peoria County until his enlistment for the war, and following his return from the army in 1865 he removed to Warren County, Iowa, establishing his home on section 23, Otter Township. Here he purchased eighty-five acres of land. As the years passed, he gradually acquired more and more land, until he became the owner of extensive holdings and he has also bought and sold large farm property in different states. He was at one time the owner of the site at Milo and deeded the land to S. H. Mallory. He has recently divided among his children over thirteen hundred acres of land and he also retains a valuable farm property from which he derives an excellent income. He was one of the founders of the Citizens Bank of Milo, which was organized March 27, 1893, and of which he remained president for fourteen years. He proved as capable in financial circles as he had been in agricultural life but is now living retired and well merits the rest that has come to him, because he has been most energetic in all of his undertakings, managing his interests with excellent business ability and keen discrimination.
Mr. Notestine was married on the 1st of June, 1854, to Miss Catherine A. Barber, a daughter of John and Prudence (Kenyon) Barber, who were natives of New York. Her maternal grandfather was a soldier of the Revolutionary War and under command of Ethan Allen participated in the battle of Stony Point, and was also in the battle of Bennington. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Notestine have been born five children: John, who for some twenty-three years has been an engineer on the Texas Pacific Railroad; William J., who died at the age of eighteen months; Prudence, the deceased wife of Leander Westerfield; Mary, the wife of Frank Runyan, a lumber dealer of Milo; and Catherine A., the wife of Charles F. Scott, who is a farmer and lives on the old homestead in Otter Township.
Mr. Notestine was for years a member of Milo Post, No. 275, G. A. R., and thus maintained pleasant relations with his old army comrades. He also belongs to Milan Lodge, No. 409, A. F. & A. Al.; Orient Chapter, No. 95, R. A. M.; and Lilly Lodge, No. 160, K. P., which he joined on its organization. His political allegiance is given to the Republican Party and in matters of citizen­ship he is always progressive, withholding his support from no movement or measure which he deems will prove of public benefit. He is, indeed, a most prominent citizen of the county, and his success should serve as a source of inspiration and encouragement to others, showing what may be accomplished by one who is forced to start in life without capital, but who is willing to work to gain the success which he desires.