County histories can be a treasure trove if you are lucky enough to find the person you are in search of. Commonly referred to as a "Mug Book", these collections of biographical sketches are rich with information for genealogists and family historians alike. These books were usually published by advance subscription meaning an individual had to pay to have his/her information included. A photo or sketch could be included for an additional fee. This typically resulted in only the affluent at the time to have their names included. Anyone with the funds to subscribe could submit their story which could result in bias and there was no verification of the material provided.
In 1894 the Biographical Publishing Co. out of Chicago published the Portrait and Biographical Record of Jasper, Marshall and Grundy Counties, Iowa, Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens of the Counties, Together With Biographies and Portraits of All The Presidents of the United States.
The following list contains the names of about 200 extracted biographies from this publication which have a connection to Grundy County. It was a manual process, so if you find a name that has been omitted, please contact me and I will be happy to get it posted.
| Name |
Page |
| Abels, John F. |
433 |
| Allison, E. H. |
436 |
| Anderson, A. L. |
503 |
| Arends, John P. |
660 |
| Avery, Harmon W. |
641 |
| Bailey, Ransom |
451 |
| Baskin, Thomas |
346 |
| Beaman, Horace S. |
401 |
| Beaman, William Henry H. |
393 |
| Belz, Charles |
602 |
| Benham, John H. |
307 |
| Bennett, Eli S. |
532 |
| Bisbee, Albert |
592 |
| Bisdee, Edward |
574 |
| Bockes, Daniel L. |
361 |
| Bockes, Henry |
419 |
| Bockes, Lewis |
381 |
| Bockes, Samuel |
381 |
| Bronson, George M. |
657 |
| Brooks, William Wallace |
385 |
| Brown, Hans H. |
602 |
| Brown, Thomas |
515 |
| Burns, J. D, M. D. |
554 |
| Burton, Albert |
400 |
| Byrnes, John L. |
442 |
| Campbell, Richard L. |
453 |
| Clark, Albert |
376 |
| Clark, Carlos N. |
647 |
| Clark, Samuel |
652 |
| Cole, Byron B. |
415 |
| Cole, Herbert A. |
632 |
| Cole, Lyman |
233 |
| Conrad, John W. |
389 |
| Crane, Charles |
384 |
| Crary, Elisha Avery |
331 |
| Creswell, William |
536 |
| Crouse, Obediah |
335 |
| Davis, L. B. |
638 |
| DeSeelhorst, L. B. and G. W. |
411 |
| DeWolf, William W. |
669 |
| Diehl, Daniel |
572 |
| Dority, Thomas |
641 |
| Draper, Hon. Horace S. |
349 |
| Dunham, E. Jewett |
577 |
| Dutson, William |
518 |
| Eisenhour, Washington |
610 |
| Elliott, Alexander |
656 |
| Elliott, Arthur |
478 |
| Elliott, Henry B. |
506 |
| Elliott, Hugh |
538 |
| Elliott, Jerry |
424 |
| Elliott, John C. |
504 |
| Elliott, Sandy B. |
444 |
| Ensign, George W. |
516 |
| Evans, Martin V. B. |
547 |
| Feldmann, John |
526 |
| Finlayson, George |
399 |
| Finlayson, Robert M. |
409 |
| Fletcher, David |
582 |
| Flynn, Patrick |
558 |
| Ford, E. A. |
452 |
| Frederick, Charles D. |
616 |
| Frederick, Robert |
402 |
| Freese, Asjen |
644 |
| Fritz, S. L. |
491 |
| Frost, Fred J. |
375 |
| Frost, George L. |
383 |
| Gibson, Adin |
628 |
| Green, Stephen |
669 |
| Griffith, William |
532 |
| Haas, Ishmael |
406 |
| Hammer, Henry |
542 |
| Haren, Harm J. |
420 |
| Harris, Henry A. |
632 |
| Hartman, William |
544 |
| Haskin, Morris |
191 |
| Heffelfinger, Edwin M. |
414 |
| Hemmerling, Frederick M. |
471 |
| Hess, Fred C. |
573 |
| Hessenius, Hagen |
624 |
| Hillyer, H. L. P. |
506 |
| Hoar, William |
413 |
| Hoffa, Henry |
356 |
| Huismann, Meint |
569 |
| Hunter, M. E. |
659 |
| Huntley, Calvin S. |
521 |
| Hurlbutt, Gould J. |
594 |
| Hyde, A. J. |
359 |
| Janisch, Martin |
431 |
| Johnson, Ole |
458 |
| Jones, Lewis |
453 |
| Kelly, Horace B. |
604 |
| Kerr, Hon. Daniel |
475 |
| Kielsmark, Mathias L. |
527 |
| Klein, Jacob M. |
573 |
| Kline, G. A. |
628 |
| Knudson, Peter |
434 |
| Kruger, K. C. |
324 |
| Lentz, Phelon J. |
569 |
| Lighter, Oliver H. |
343 |
| Lillibridge, Wm. H. |
531 |
| Linder, Heinrich |
477 |
| Long, David |
334 |
| Lowe, Cornelius C. |
346 |
| Lynn, John F. |
438 |
| Lynn, T. M. |
421 |
| Martz, Jacob R. |
546 |
| McMartin, Col. Duncan |
371 |
| Meissner, William |
672 |
| Merriam, Ichabod |
497 |
| Methfessel, Adolphus |
511 |
| Meyer, William C. |
538 |
| Miller, W. F. |
385 |
| Moore, George A. |
654 |
| Moore, Richard |
543 |
| Morrison, Hon. James D. |
671 |
| Morrison, Leonard J. |
409 |
| Morrison, Ross |
484 |
| Morton, John A. |
561 |
| Munn, Daniel E. |
626 |
| Myers, Isaac N. |
599 |
| Newell, Hugh |
438 |
| Newton, O. A. |
528 |
| Palmer, Seymour C. |
631 |
| Park, Daniel H. |
517 |
| Peck, Silas |
603 |
| Philp, James |
634 |
| Pingel, J. |
492 |
| Pitcher, Simon |
462 |
| Rasmus, August |
352 |
| Raymond, S. R. |
496 |
| Rea, Hon. J. M. |
502 |
| Reisinger, Thomas E. |
553 |
| Reynolds, Charles W. |
485 |
| Rikert, Carl |
507 |
| Roadman, John H. |
537 |
| Roberts, E. D. |
523 |
| Robinson, Perry M. |
383 |
| Rugg, James |
551 |
| Rugg, Marshall |
635 |
| Salt, Thomas |
512 |
| Saul, John |
514 |
| Rev. Levi Saylor |
668 |
| Sayre, R. W. |
646 |
| Sayre, Salmon B. |
575 |
| Schafer, C. A. |
665 |
| Schenck, Ralph T. |
343 |
| Schulta, Harm |
533 |
| Schultz, John J. |
379 |
| Scott, Joseph R. |
505 |
| Severance, Charles |
386 |
| Sheldon, William A. |
508 |
| Sheller, Daniel |
433 |
| Shoemaker, Jacob |
565 |
| Shurtleff, Gardner A. |
444 |
| Slifsgard, T. J. |
599 |
| Slippy, William A. |
559 |
| Smith, Benjamin T. |
494 |
| Smith, Rensler J. |
457 |
| Spaulding, Harris |
534 |
| Steelsmith, Michael H. |
645 |
| Stewart, John R. |
601 |
| Stout, Hon. A. V. |
562 |
| Strickler, Joseph R. |
352 |
| Strickler, William A. |
545 |
| Struble, John |
598 |
| Suttman, John P. |
437 |
| Swan, George |
396 |
| Sweetser, Fred P. |
498 |
| Taylor, W. W. |
445 |
| Taylor, William H. |
491 |
| Terrall, Zebulon |
481 |
| Thamer, Henry |
524 |
| Thomas, Arscott |
571 |
| Thomas, John A. |
661 |
| Tompkins, Jabez |
448 |
| Toogood, William E. |
576 |
| Unrau, John |
503 |
| VanderLas, Rev. B. |
410 |
| VanVoorhis, William Orlando |
257 |
| Vasey, Albert |
498 |
| Vinton, William |
588 |
| Wallace, Valentine |
265 |
| Wass, George F. |
432 |
| Watson, James |
580 |
| Watson, John |
543 |
| Watt, William |
268 |
| Weiss, Fred |
516 |
| Wells, George |
511 |
| White, Elliott |
513 |
| Wilhelm, Solomon |
361 |
| Willard, Alfred I. |
558 |
| Williams, John E. |
611 |
| Williamson, R. J. |
462 |
| Wilson, John |
521 |
| Woodside, William J. |
364 |
