Biographies

1882 Denison Biographies

Biographies Appearing in the Publication

August Anderson, of the firm of Gregory & Anderson, was born in Sweden in 1849; was three years a sailor on the high seas. He came to Denison in the autumn of 1870, and was for seven years engaged as clerk for Sunough & Bullock. He married Matilda Kirnback, a native of Sweden, in May 1874. They have three children, Albert, Oscar K., and Carl Otto.

L. T. Carr, dealer in notions, stationery, and news - Main street, opposite court house - was born in Stark county, O., in Jan. 1846; removed to Ind.; thence to Ia, in 1860 and located in Denison in 1871 and engaged in clerking until 1875. He enlisted in the 1st Ind. heavy artillery; was mustered out at the close of the war. He was with Gen. Banks on the Red River expedition. He married Ellie Harriman, of Ind.

M. J. Cochran, wagon-maker, was born in Crawford county, Pa., in Feb., 1844; removed to Ia. in 1871 and engaged in business. He married Elizabeth Greeg, a native of Venango county, Pa., in 1874. They have three children, Edward, Mary and Charles; have lost one, Lucy May, who died in 1877.

J. W. Cochran, blacksmith, was born in Crawford county, Pa., in July, 1847; removed to Crawford county, Ia., in 1869; was engaged for a time in farming, then learned his trade with John Little, of Vail. He married Catherine O'Neil, of Memphis, Tenn., in 1878. They have two children, ZelIa and George; have lost one, Louis.

Capt. B. F. Darling was born in Franklin county, Vt., in Sept., 1837; moved to N. H. in 1859: thence to Clinton county, Ia., where he enlisted in Co. A. 9th regiment of volunteer infantry; he was wounded at Pea Ridge, Mo., March 8th, 1862; was mustered out at the close of the war as captain. As a soldier he was conspicuous for bravery and fidelity. He was appointed clerk in 1881 to fill the vacant place of W. S. Wilson, deceased. He married Sarah Gibson, a native of England, in Jan., 1851 and has one child, A. W.; has lost one, Emma M., who died July 7th, 1862.

C. H. Evers, proprietor of the City Meat Market, one door west of McHenry's bank, was born in Holstein, Germany, in June, 1843; came to America in 1864, and settled in Denison in 1874 and engaged in his present business. In 1881 he erected a brick building with all the modern improvements for his business. He is also owner of the hotel known as the Farmers' House. He married Wilhelmina Meiburg, a native of Germany, in 1861. They have seven children, Heinrich, Annie, Millie, Herman, Anyti, Edward and George. Mr. E. is the owner of the right of sale of the Champion force pump, in five counties. He is one of the trustees of the new German Opera Hall.

Edward Eaton, harness maker, Main street, was born in Ind. in Nov., 1845; removed to O. in 1850, thence in 1854 to Fayette county, Ia. He enlisted in Co. F. 9th Ia, V. I.; was discharged in July, 1865, and returned to Fayette county; removed to Crawford county in 1879. He married Louisa F. Gulick, a native of Ia., in 1876.

Wm. Familton, agent for the Iowa Land Company, was born in Harrison county, O., Sept. 25th, 1825; removed to DeWitt, Ia, in 1852 and engaged in the land business. He held the office of sheriff and also was clerk of the court of Clinton county. He enlisted in Co. F., 44th Ia. Vol. Inft., as captain, was mustered out in 1864. He came to Crawford county in May, 1871. He was married to Miss Gondy, of De Witt, now deceased, who left six children. He took for his second wife Roena N. Horton, of Denison. He has one son.

Garrison & Roberts, attorneys and counsellors at law, Denison, Iowa.

D. H. Gill, dentist, office room No.1, in McHenry bauk building. He was born in Chester county, Pa., in Aug., 1844; removed with his parents to Logan county, O., and then to Cedar county, Ia., in 1849, where his father is still living; engaged in the practice of medicine. In 1861 he enlisted in Co. G, 2d Ia. Cav.; was discharged in 1865. He first studied dentistry with Dr. Tabor, of Cedar county, then with Dr. Tulloss, of Iowa City, then moved to Independence; thence to Denison in 1877. He married Ellen.A. Henry, of Buchanan county, in 1868. They have four children, Ethie, Percy, Alice and Annie.

H. W. Gregory, of the firm of Gregory & Anderson, druggists, was born in Livingston, N. Y., in Aug., 1824. Was engaged as bookkeeper for the Genesee River bank, then came west and was engaged with the Horicon & Milwaukee R. R. as agent located in Wis.; then went to Chicago and was in the employ of Stephens Bros.; from thence he went to Wis., and purchased 140 acres of land in Rock county; thence to Crawford county, Ia., and engaged in farming on 300 acres; sold out and engaged in his present business. Has held the office of magistrate, also been secretary of school board.

E. D. Gould, farmer and stock dealer, section 17, East Boyer township, was born in Lewis county, N. Y., in Nov., 1853; moved to Ill. in 1861; thence to Crawford county, Ia., in 1872, and now owns 936 acres of land, with good house and the largest barn in the county. The barn was erected in the autumn of 1881. He married Ella I. Morgan, a native of Buena Vista county, Ia., in 1870, and has two children, Captidona and Lodemia.

Geo. W. Heston, clerk of the court, was born in Philadelphia, Pa., in Apr., 1832. He enlisted in the 71st Reg. of Pa, Vol. Inft.; was taken prisoner and incarcerated at Richmond; afterwards was discharged and returned to Pa. He came to Ia, in 1870 and engaged in farming; was county surveyor four years. He married Lizzie B. Cann in 1856; she died in 1858, leaving one child, now Mrs. Mead, of Denison. In 1862 he married Sally J. Bender, of Philadelphia, Pa. They have four children. Mr. H. is a member of the A. F. & A. M.

Dr. W. W. Holmes, was born in Hardin county, O., in July 1843. He enlisted in the 15th O. Reg., and at the end of three months re-enlisted in the 123rd O. Inft.; was detailed as hospital steward, and discharged in 1863; then enlisted in the 135th O. Inft., and was mustered out at the close of the war. He studied medicine at Kenton, O., and graduated at the Miami Medical Institute in the spring of 1866; removed to Boone county, Ia., in 1869, and to Denison in 1874. He married Mary Ringer, of O., in 1868.

John F. Holst, proprietor of the City shoe store, two doors west of McHenry's bank building, was born in Germany in Oct., 1846. He took part in the Franco-German war, in 1870-71; came to America In 1872, and to Denison in 1874. His wife is a native of Germany. They have two children, John F. and Max.

F. O. Ivers, dealer in stoves and tinware, opposite Lamb's livery stable, was born in Holstein, Ger., in Oct., 1848; came to America in 1868 and located in Louisa county, Ia.; removed to Crawford county, Ia., in June, 1881. He married Dora Smith, who is a native of Ger., in 1876. They have two children, Ella and Mary.

Adelphus B. Keith, editor and proprietor of the Crawford County Bulletin, was born in Appleton, Me. in 1854; moved to Ill., and came to Crawford county, Iowa, in 1865; located in Denison in 1871. Married to Miss Carrie Bieber, of Denison. and has one son living. Mr. Keith headed the Iowa State democratic ticket, as candidate for secretary of state, in 1880. He is a graduate of the American Institute of Phrenology, of N. Y., is a student of unusual persistency, and has already achieved a more than local reputation as a lecturer on popular scientific topics.

Rudolph Knaul, druggist and dealer in fancy goods, was born in Berlin, Ger., in 1850; came to America in 1870 and located in Chicago; removed to Clinton, Ia., and came to Denison in 1878, and engaged in his present business. He married Maggie Au, of N. Y. City, and has two children, Mamie and Alice.

Thomas Luney, of the firm of Luney Bros., was born in Antrim, near Belfast, Ireland. Oct. 27th. 1817; came to America in 1865 and located at Pontiac, Ill., and engaged in farming; in 1868 he removed to Ia, He married Mary Smyth, a native of Ireland. They have had seven children.

Samuel Luney was born in Belfast, Ireland, July 7th, 1844; came to America with his parents in 1856; removed to Crawford county, Ia., in 1867. He is member of the firm of Luney Brothers, machinists and millers. He married Martha J. Hughes, a native of La Salle county Ill.

William Luney. Jr., member of the above firm, was born in Belfast, Ireland, in 1849.

W. A. McHenry (autobiography), banker, was born Mar. 6th, 1841, in Almond, Alleghheny county, N. Y. His father, James McHenry, died the same year, leaving a family of thirteen children. W. A. being the youngest, lived with the oldest brother and sister at the old homestead until 1855 (his mother dying when he was but eight years old), when he went to Wis., where he worked on a farm summers and attended school winters. In the spring of 1860, he went to Ogle county, Ill., working on a farm until after the battle of Bull Run, in 1861.

In response to his country's call, he enlisted as a private in Co. F. 8th Ill. Cav., re-enlisting as a veteran in the same regiment in Jan., 1864, and was mustered out of service as 1st sergeant at Benton Barracks, Mo., July 23rd, 1865.

He then came to Denison and became a partner with his brother Morris in the real estate business, and also served under him in the county treasurer's office as deputy, until 1871, when the firm of McHenry Bros., in connection with their real estate business, established the first banking house in Crawford county. They occupied the upper story of a brick building on Main street, erected by Plimpton & McHenry as a general store, of which firm he was a partner eight years.

In 1874 McHenry Bros., finding their present quarters inadequate to their growing business, erected on the corner of Main and Broadway their present commodious bank building, a fine two-story brick with terra cotta cornices and window trimmings, handsomely finished inside and furnished with fire-proof vaults and one of Hall's burglar-proof safes with a Sargent's time-lock attachment. The building complete cost $15,000. In 1877, his brother, wishing to retire from active business, sold to him his interest and the name of McHenry Bros. was changed to the W. A. McHenry Bank and Land Office.

In 1864 he was united in marriage to Miss Mary S. Sears, of Rockford, Ill., an accomplished lady, who preceded him to Denison one year, working in the county treasurer's office until the close of the war, thus lending her aid to establish one of the most successful business firms in southwestern Ia.

A. D. Molony, county auditor, was born in Queens county, Ireland, in 1818; came to the U. S. in 1836; was a resident of the eastern and southern states until 1861, when he came to Crawford county. He was appointed auditor in Apr., 1861, and elected to that office in the autumn. and has held the office ever since. He married Bridget Shaaran, a native of Ireland, and has four children.

Fred. Nagel, proprietor of the saloon one door west of the Commercial house, was born in Wentdorf, Germany, in 1845; was engaged in the last war between France and Prussia; came to the U. S. in Oct., 1871, and soon after settled in Clinton county, Ia.; removed to Crawford county in 1878. He married Henlena C. Peterson, a native of Germany, in Dec., 1811. They have five children, William, Louis, Mary, Christina and Arthur.

F. M. Penney, of the firm of Penney & Morgan, proprietors of the Peoples' One Price Cash Store, was born in Adams, Jefferson county, N. Y., June 16th, 1857; removed to Livingston county, Ill., where he was cashier of the Odell Mercantile bank for five years; then came to Denison.

S. Peterson, wagon maker, was born in Prussia, July 4th, 1846; came to America in 1871, and settled in Clinton county, Ia.; removed to Crawford county in 1879.

John L. Richardson, deputy treasurer, was born in Chautauqua county, N. Y., Sept. 6th, 1837; removed to Linn county, Ia., in 1861. He enlisted in the 20th Ia, Vol. Inft., and was engaged in the battles of Vicksburg, Fort Morgan, Blakely and Mobile. He was mustered out July 8th, 1865, and returned to Linn county; removed to Crawford county, June 6th, 1874, and engaged in farming, also teaching school. He has held the office of township clerk and assessor of Soldier township. He is a member of the A. F. & A. M. Lodge. He married Mary McArthur, of Linn county, Oct. 4th, 1867.

E. H. Smith, painter and glazier, was born in Morgan county, O., Jan. 28th, 1844; removed to Ia. in 1852, and settled in Clinton county. He enlisted in 1862, in Co. H, 26th Ia, Inft.; was in the Vicksburg campaign and Sherman's march to the sea. He married Miss S. R. Owens, of Ind., in 1864, and has four children. Emma, Belle, Louis and William.

Fred Stoecks, dealer in millinery and fancy goods, was born in Germany, Apr. 25th, 1826; came to America in 1832 and located at Davenport, Ia.; removed to Denison in 1879. He married Matilda Schmitsch, in 1870, and has two children, Matilda and Harry.

John F. Stubbe, proprietor of the Denison Meat Market, cor. of Main and Broadway, was born in Holstein, Germany, July 26th, 1833: came to the U. S. in 1866 and located in Davenport, Ia.; removed to Moline, Ill., and learned his trade, then came to Denison in May, 1881, and engaged in his present business. In 1881 he married Matilda Achterberg, a native of Germany, but a resident of Davenport since the age of one year.

A. D. Wilson, of the firm Wygant & Wilson, dealers in hardware, stoves and tinware, was born in Kane county Ill., Jan. 5th., 1846; removed to Buchanan county Ia.; thence to Crawford county; thence to Buena Vista county, where he remained eight years; thence back to Crawford county. He enlisted in May, 1863, in the 141st Ill. Vol. He married Clara Wightman, a native of Canada, in 1868. They have four children, Harry, Lillie, Howard and Floyd

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Source: History of Western Iowa. Western Publishing Company, 1882, Sioux City.