Biographies

1882 Vail Biographies

Biographies Appearing in the Publication

E. M. Ainsworth, superintendent of schools for Crawford county, also dealer in drugs, notions and fancy goods, was born in Dodge county, Wis., in Sept., 1848; came to Ia. in 1868, and has been engaged in teaching in the public school of Vail for seven years, was elected to his present office in the autumn of 1881. He was married Sept. 1st, 1880, to Nellie Wightman, a native of Vt.

William W. Anderton, proprietor of the livery and feed stable and dealer in stock, was born in Lincolnshire, Eng., June 16th, 1813. He learned the printer's trade, served seven years, then published the People's Advocate at Sheffield, Eng.; came to America in 1838 and located in Morgan county, Ill.; removed to Crawford county, Ia., in the autumn of 1857, bought 160 acres of land near where Vail now stands; in 1872 removed to Vail and has been mayor of the city two terms. He was married in Feb., 1836, at St. Peter's Church, Eng., to Eliza Authorton, a native of Sheffield, who died Feb. 13th, 1845. In Feb., 1846, he was married to Julia Cadwell, a native of Morgan county, Ill., who died April 26th, 1871. He has had six children, but three of whom are living, George H., Charles W., and John C.

E. B. Bannister, dealer in hardware, stoves, tinware and cutlery, was born in Naperville, DuPage county, Ill., in 1843. He enlisted in Co. B., 105th Ill. Vol. Inft., in 1862, and was appointed regimental postmaster; was in several battles and was discharged at Louisville, Ky., in 1863 and returned to Ill.; removed to Chicago, and in 1871 came to Denison, Crawford county, Ia., and to Vail in the fall of the same year and established his present business. He is a member of the town council. In the autumn of 1871 he was married to Jennie Gould, of Belvidere, Ill.

Morris Casey, of the firm of Casey & Casey, dealers in live stock, was born in Boston, Mass., in Jan., 1851; removed to DeWitt, Ia., in 1854; thence to Crawford county in 1880. In Jan., 1877, he was married to Mary J. Barnes, a native of N.Y.

P. J. Casey, of the firm of Casey & Casey, dealers in live stock was born in Ireland in 1843, came to America with parents and located at Davenport, Ia., in 1846; removed to St. Louis and engaged in business as an architect. In 1875 he came to Vail, Ia. and established his present business. In 1866 he married Ella McSrath. a native of St. Louis. She died in 1871, and in 1877 he married Sarah Kelley, and has two children, Eddie and Susie.

J. W. Cousins, dealer in agricultural implements, was born in Lincolnshire, Eng., Aug. 26th, 1848; came to America and located in Clinton county, Ia., and engaged in farming. He established his present business at Vail, in 1880. He was married in 1869 to Anna Martin. a native of Clinton county, and has five children, Anna, Kate, William, Joseph and George.

J. J. Coughlin, blacksmith, was born in Canada, Jan. 1st, 1853; came to the states in 1874 and located at Dunlap, Ia., in 1875; thence to Vail in 1878.

Ed. Darling, M. D., was born in Franklin county, N. Y., in Mar., 1839; removed to Maquoketa. Ia.; in 1848. He studied with Dr. J. H. Hollister. and then attended the Eclectic Institute at Cincinnati, O. He enlisted Aug. 12th, 1861. in the 9th. Ia, Vol. Inft., Co. A.; was appointed hospital steward; was in a number of prominent battles, and was discharged at Louisville, Ky., in 1865 and returned to Cincinnati. and graduated in 1866. He returned to Maquoketa and engaged in the drug business; removed to Vail in 1870. He married Addie Stephens, a native of O., in Jan., 1866.

G. Davison, publisher of the Observer, established that Paper May 1st, 1875; he sold to Otto Engstrom, in Oct., 1879. Mr. E. sold to J. H. Roberts, Jr.. Mr. Roberts sold to H. C. Ford, and in May, 1881, Mr. Davison bought the paper again, and has continued to publish it ever since. He was born in Will county, Ill. in Feb., 1853; came to Ia. in 1865, and located at Lyons; thence removed to Marshalltown, and in 1868 to Boone, where he was employed in the Republican office for five years.

Hon. James De Wolf, M. D., postmaster, was born in Cavendish. Vt., in Feb., 1819; removed with his parents to Bradford county, Pa.; studied medicine with Dr. Barnes, of Le Raysville, and afterwards practiced with Dr. Horton, of Terryville. He removed to Carroll county, Ill., in 1852, and engaged in farming. was school commissioner, and represented his district in the state legislature. He removed to Cedar county, Ia., in the spring of 1865, and engaged in the land agency business; removed to Crawford county in 1871, and bought 560 acres of land and established a grocery business at Vail, which was the first business house at that place; has been justice of the peace. He married Anna, daughter of Maj. Horton, of Terrytown, Pa., in May, 1849. They have four children, Mary, John, George and Anna.

I. P. Fitch, dealer in lumber. grain and coal, was born in Rensselaer county, N. Y., July 24th, 1841: removed to N. Y. City, and in 1876 came to Crawford county, Ia., and engaged in his present business; bought and sold about 200,000 bushels of grain during the year 1881. He is a member of the board of supervisors, and is S. W. of the A. F. & A. M. Lodge. He was married Apr. 19th, 1863, to Lucia Sears. of Mass., and has six children, Samuel, James D., Abbie E., Edward H., Julia L. and Eilena.

M. Fitzgerald, M. D., was born in Chicago, Ill., in July, 1849, enlisted in the Iron Brigade as a private, and was promoted to the position of first lieutenant of company H. He was discharged as captain. Sept. 15th, 1861, he re-enlisted; was imprisoned at Lexington, exchanged and returned to service in W. V.; was wounded at Winchester, Oct. 13th, 1864, and discharged Jan. 17th. 1865, and returned to Chicago. He studied medicine in the office of Dr. J. H. Taggert, and graduated from Rush Medical college in the spring of 1873; engaged in practice in Whiteside county. Ill. In Mar., 1877, he removed to Vail, Ia, He is a member of the A. F. & A. M. In 1863 he was married to Ellen Quinn, a native of Ill., who died in Aug., 1879, leaving one child, James W. He married Ellen O'Connell, a native of Ia., in Apr., 1880.

G. C. Gerrick, wagon-maker. was born in Berlin Ger., in Mar., 1854; came to America in 1868, and settled in Chicago, Ill.; removed to Ia. in 1864. In 1879 he married Eila E. Thompson. a native of Mich., and has one child, Nellie.

Perry Kemerling, of the firm of P. Kemerling & Bro., livery and feed stable, was born in Henry county, Ill., in May 1856; came to Ia, in 1874. He engaged in his present business in Vail Nov. 24,th, 1881. He married Fanny Bennett, a native of Henry county, Ill., in Nov., 1874. They have two children, George M. and Lucy Bell.

Miles Laughland, proprietor of the Board of Trade saloon, was born in Kenosha, Wis., May 1st, 1854; came to Ia, Mar. 15th. 1862, and engaged in his present business at Vail, in 1881.

Rev. Father M. E. Lenihan was born in Dubuque, Ia., Oct. 5th, 1835; was educated at St. John's College at Prairie du Chien, Wis.; then went to Canada and graduated from the Grand Seminary at Montreal, and was ordained priest Dec. 20th,1879, and located at Lyons, Ia ., where he remained two months and removed to Vail, succeding Father McGrath, who was called to Ireland. Since residing here he has organized a Father Matthew Temperance society, and a good library. During the cyclone of Sept. 29th. 1881, the church was blown away. The congregation now contemplate building a fine brick edifice soon.

Henry Meyer, proprietor of the saloon and billiard hall, was born in Germany, Oct. 4th, 1845; came to America in 1860 and located at Chicago; removed to Clinton county, Ia., in 1873; thence to Crawford county, in 1876, where he owns a fine farm of 440 acres. He was married in 1869 to Doris Myer, a native of Germany. They have five children, Charlie, Caroline, Emma, Willie and Clara.

C. E. Rice, cashier of the Trader's bank, established in 1880, was born in Berkeley county, Va. June 5th, 1853; came to Ia. in 1873. He is treasurer of the school board and has been clerk of the town of Vail. He married Jennett Shaw, a native of Vt., Oct. 16th, 1881.

John Short, proprietor of the Vail Flouring Mills, capacity of sixty barrels of flour per day, also dealer in grain, lumber and coal, has the machinery for shelling and loading a car every half-hour. He was born in Edinburg, Scotland; came to America in 1850 and located in Canada; removed to Chicago in 1868, then came to Boone county. Ia., and built a mill; then came to Vail and built his present mill. He was married in Scotland to Margaret Mather, and has six children, Adam, Helen, Agnes, James M., Elizabeth and Maggie.

John Spire, blacksmith, was born in Lincolnshire, Eng., in Dec., 1838; came to America in 1866, and settled in Ill.; came to Crawford county in Mar., 1875. He was married Apr. 7th, 1850, to Mary A. Pocklington, a native of England. They have four children, George, Lena, Mary and Alfred.

A. L. Strong, dealer in general merchandise, was born in Canaan, Conn., in Feb., 1841. He enlisted in 1862 in the 37th Mass. Vol. Inft.; was wounded at the battle of the Wilderness, May 6th, 1864, and was discharged in June, 1865. He came to Ia, in 1872 and established his present business. He married Mary De Wolf, a native of Pa., in May. 1873. They have two children, Ella L. and Anna M. Mr. S. is a member of the town council of Vail.

John Thompson, miller, was born in Scotland. in Oct., 1848; came to America in 1869, and settled in Grundy county, Ill., and was employed as engineer, by A. K. Styles, of Gardner; then removed to Boone county, Ia.; thence to Crawford county in 1874 and has since been employed by John Short in the Vail mills. He was married in 1874 to Helen B. Short, a native of Canada. They have three children. Anna, George and John.

T. Weyener, baker and dealer in fancy groceries and confectionery, was born in Hamburg. Ger., in 1830; came to America in Sept. 1850, and located at Dubuque, and in 1875 came to Vail and opened a saloon and engaged in his present business in 1877. In May, 1838, he married Lena Fugenbachler, and has eight children living, lost two.

A. D. Young, dealer in lumber, grain and coal, was born in Scotland, in June, 1832; came to America in 1853, and settled in N. Y.; learned the carpenter's trade; removed to Canada; thence to Mo.; thence to Clarence, Cedar county, Ia., and engaged in the lumber business. In 1873 he came to Crawford county and bought 200 acres of land, and established his present business at Vail. He married Agnes Ferguson, a native of Scotland, in 1860. They have had four children, three of which died in 1877. Robert is engaged on the railroad.

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