BEEBEE - Frederick F. BEEBEE, proprietor of the "Bonnie View Stock Farm" and one of the representative farmers of LaGrange Township, living on section 35, came to Harrison County in March, 1871, and settled on section 26, with his father, James L. BEEBEE, who at that time had two hundred and forty acres of land, that he entered in 1856, but did not come to the county until 1871. His son R. T. BEEBEE, that came in 1869, improved eighty acres of this land, and in 1871, the father came with his family, two sons and their families, all settling on the same neighborhood. The father kept buying more land, until he had three hundred and twenty acres, besides giving his three sons eighty acres apiece. This settlement was known as the "Beebee Settlement," and in 1880, a post-office was established at that point, and called Beebeetown.
The first post-office was in the house where our subject now lives, he being the first Postmaster. His wife was the prime mover in getting the mail route established. In 1881, a general store was started by A. D. FITCH, on land donated by Mr. BEEBEE. When Mr. FITCH went into the store, our subject resigned the post-office in his favor. Mr. FITCH conducted the store here about six months, when James HANER built a store, and our subject bought Mr. FITCH out and turned the store building into a dwelling, and now (1891) rents the same. HANER operated the store a short time and then sold out to FAMERRITT, who ran to the fall of 1888, and then sold to J. P. YARRINGTON.
Our subject's father built a blacksmith shop in 1881, and rented it to a man named Charles E. WILKINS, who after two years was succeeded by Mr. WHIPPLE, and he by J. B. VANCLEAVE. James KELLER, SHOWALTER & FINFROCK, and Peter CROMER were later blacksmith's.
Mr. BEEBEE was born in Onondaga County, NY, July 1, 1850, and in 1856 accompanied his parents to Cayuga County, where he remained until 1871, and then came to this county remaining with his parents until 1874, when he went back to New York, and Aptil 7, of that year, was united in marriage to Miss Lois HUDSON. After their marriage they came to Iowa, and lived with our subject's father until 1876, when he bought forty acres of land where they now live. They are the parents of six children: baby boy, died in infancy; Frederick H., Arthur H., Edith C., Leslie J., and Jennie E.
Lois (HUDSON) BEEBEE is a native of Cayuga County, NY, born March 19, 1852. She reamined in the Empire State until the date of her marriage.
James L. BEEBEE, father of our subject, was born in the town of Pompey, Onondagua County, N.Y., December 24, 1809, and remained there until 1856, when he moved to Cayuga County. While in Onondagua County, he was engaged as a railroad contractor, but while living in Cayuga County, he was engaged in agricultural pursuits. After coming to Iowa, he made several trips back to the old Empire State, and during the past spring (1891) he went back to York State, near Binghampton, to make his home. He was married on Onondagua County, January 12, 1831, to Miss Alma C. WILLIAMS, by whom eleven children were born, our subject being the youngest.
The mother was Alma C. (WILLIAMS) BEEBEE, and she was born in Onondagua County, September 24, 1807. She died in Harrison County, Iowa, January 31, 1885. They were members of the Methodist Episcopal church.
Source: 1891 History of Harrison County.
Beebee Family Researcher: N/A.
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COFFMAN - John T. COFFMAN, was a resident of section 9, Raglan Township, who came to Harrison County in the spring of 1865, locating upon the farm now (1891) occupied by his widow, starting at eighty acres and expanding his holdings until he possessed sixteen hundred acres, five hundred under the plow.
Our subject was born in Tennessee, December 4, 1828, and was the son of Jacob and Rebecca COFFMAN, natives of the Big Bend State -- Tennessee, who had a family of three children -- John T., Marion, and Pleasant (deceased). Our subject lived in Tenn. until ten years of age, when his parents removed to Appanoose County, Iowa, where they bought an improved farm, which they cultivated until 1864. He went to Virginia City, Colorado, remained one season and came to this county.
Mr. COFFMAN was united in marriage in Janury, 1849, to Malinda CROFT, the daughter of John and Margaret CROFT, natives of Virginia, who were the parents of John, Malinda, Louisa and Susan. By this marriage union two children were born -- Josephine and Lafayette. The mother of these children, our subject's first wife, died from a snake bite.
For his second wife John married his first wife's sister, Susan CROFT, April 25, 1858. By this marriage union six children were born -- Don B., Charles Emero, Margaret R., Elmer, William, and Alfred (deceased).
In 1890 while engaged in operating a cornsheller, John caught his hand by the machinery, fracturing his hand and taking off his right finger. This accident resulted in lack-jaw, causing John's death on February 17, 1890.
John and his estimable wife were identified with the Latter Day Saints Church. John was a member of the Magnolia Masonic Lodge, and a Justice of the Peace for many years.
Source: 1891 History of Harrison County.
Coffman Family Researcher: Janette Lager at DMLJLL426@netzero.net
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COFFMAN - Pleasant B. COFFMAN (deceased), located on section 10, of Raglan Township, in the autumn of 1866, on forty acres of partly improved land, upon which there was a small log cabin, in which he lived one summer and then built the house now serving as a residence for the family. He set out an orchard of fifty trees; planted out shade trees and put round his place a good fence.

Mr. COFFMAN was a native of Alabama, born in August, 1836, the son of Jacob and Rebecca COFFMAN, natives of East Tennessee, who had three children: John T., Marion, and Pleasant B. The family moved from Alabama to Missouri, and from there to Appanoose County, Iowa, but later went to Montana, where they remained one year, he working in the mines.

Our subject was united in marriage in August 1853, to Margaret COFFMAN, the daughter of George and Jane COFFMAN, who were natives of East Tennessee, and had a family of eight children--George B., William P., Margaret, Lucinda, Elizabeth, Blackburn, Gideon, and Eva M. Mr. and Mrs. COFFMAN were first cousins, and were married in Hillstown, Mo., and from there went to Appanoose County, Iowa, where our subject worked on a farm for eight years. They then emigrated to Utah, remained one winter, then went to Montana, coming from there to Harrison County. The deceased, as well as his wife, were members of the Latter Day Saints Church.

Our subject and his wife are the parents of the following children--George W., born January 16, 1859; James A., June 19, 1861; Darthula (deceased), November 15, 1863; William P., July 13, 1866; Dora J., July 5, 1869; Alice E., April 22, 1872; Reuben W. (deceased), October 17, 1878; John (deceased), October 20, 1878.

Source: 1891 Harrison County Iowa History, pp. 630, 631
Coffman Family Researcher: Janette Lager at DMLJLL426@netzero.net
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MAHONEY - Stephen MAHONEY (Portrait), was born in Elkton, Maryland, February 13, 1809, and remained in that location until the month of April, 1850, when in company with numerous other emigrants, he and his family started for the far West, and in due time they reached the Missouri River. They stopped at Council Bluffs, then known as Kanesville, their company numbering about one hundred and thirty in all. He had buried his companion and first wife, Margaret, about three months before leaving his old home in Maryland, but his family of eleven children started with him, one of whom, Lucinda M., died before reaching Council Bluffs.
Mr. MAHONEY, for his second wife, married Martha BEAVER, in Council Bluffs, April 5, 1851; she was one of a party who started from Philadelphia to make the trip to Utah. By this marriage six children were born -- Hyrum S., Dec 27, 1852; Benjamin F., Aug 20, 1854; John T., Jul 4, 1856; Margaret A., May 12, 1858; Elisha, Oct 18, 1860; and Sarah E., Sep 2, 1868.
They came to Harrison County in the spring of 1852, and entered a piece of land on section 33, township 80, range 43, the farm that the widow now lives upon. They built a log cabin sixteen feet square, living there until about 1858, when a frame house one story and a half high was built. Mr. MAHONEY built a saw-mill at this time, which was the first one to cut lumber in Harrison County, and a large throng gathered to see the first slab, which some of the men carried off as a relic.
Prior to the saw-mill being started Stephen had operated a small grist-mill, to which he added the saw-mill and a lath and shingle mill. Judge Jonas CHATBURN, now (1891) of Harlan, Iowa, was a partner of Mr. MAHONEY's for sixteen years, both in farming and milling. They started the first saw and grist mill in the county, propelled by the water of the Willow River which was damned by them, in 1851 and again in 1853, where his son Elisha MAHONEY now lives.
After a long and unusually eventful life, this grand old pioneer, Stephen MAHONEY, passed from the scenes and conflicts of this life to immortality, February 22, 1888.
Margaret, his first wife, was born in Maryland in 1811, and died in the same State, having been mother of eleven children. Her death occurred in 1850. The children born by this wife were as follows: Rachel, Apr 23, 1832; Anna M., Apr 16, 1833; Harriet E., Aug 30, 1834; Theodore, Feb 29, 1836; James H., Mar 28, 1838; Stephen C., Nov 25, 1841; William, Oct 8, 1843; Joseph S., Oct 20, 1845; Hannah M., Sep 17, 1849.
Martha (BEAVER) MAHONEY was born April 11, 1828, in Barnsley, England, and in 1848 she came to Philadelphia, having been married in England to Mr. BEAVER, by whom two children were born, both deceased.
Our subject belonged to the Reorganized Church for over twenty years, and had belonged to the Old Church before coming West, as had his widow, she uniting a short time before leaving Philadelphia for the West.
Source: 1891 History of Harrison County.
Mahoney Family Researcher: N/A.
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MAHONEY - Elisha MAHONEY, farmer, stock raiser, and proprietor of the brick kiln on section 3, Magnolia Township, was born in Harrison County, Iowa, October 16, 1860, upon the section where he now lives. He remained at home until 1879, and then went to the Black Hills, remaining in and about Deadwood for one year, during which time he worked in a saw-mill. After his return, he worked his father's farm on shares until 1889, when he bought one hundred and thrity-three acres of the old homestead, upon which he erected a two-story brick house, thirty feet square. It was completed in 1890, and the brick were manufactured by himself. In addition to general farming, he pays special attention to the breeding od Norman horses.
Concerning his domestic life, it may be said that he was united in marriage, in Harrison County, in 1877, to Miss Martha R. SCARBORROUGH, and they are the parents of eight children: William S., Amy R., Robert, Delia, Nellie, Jeremiah, Jonathan and Hiram B. Mrs. MAHONEY was born in Maryland, but moved to Harrison County when a small child with her parents.
Source: 1891 History of Harrison County.
Mahoney Family Researcher: N/A.
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MICHAEL, Charles; a farmer living on section 17, of Magnolia Township, has been a resident of Harrison County, since April, 1869, when he settled on the farm he now occupies. The land he purhcased was without improvements, and he erected a log cabin 14x18 feet, which served as a residence, until about 1875, when he built a frame house 26x36 feet, one story and a half high. In 1884 he erected a barn 26x40 feet, with twelve-foot posts. He has been a successful tiller of the soil, and has invested his money in land, until he now owns 300 acres, one third of which is plow land, and the balance in pasture and meadow.
He was born in Mechlenburg Germany, June 30, 1833, and when about fifteen years of age he hired out to work for $8 per year, but when he quit was receiving $20 per year, which was considered high wages in that country. He worked by the year until 1862, and the next two years, worked by the job, and then sailed for America. He was six weeks on the voyage across the ocean, and came direct to Cleveland, Ohio, where he worked at odd jobs, cutting wood in the winter and working on a brick-yard during the summer until 1869, when he came to Harrison County, Iowa.
Our subject, was married in Germany, October 1, 1861, to Miss Frederica PLOTH. By this union five children were born: John C., Minnie, Charley (deceased), Mary and William. Frederica (PLOTH) MICHAEL, was born in Mecklenburg, Germany, December 25, 1835, and remained at home until seventeen years of age, after which she worked out at $13 per year, continuing this for seven years, or until she was married. Mr. MICHAEL and his family are all members of the German Lutheran Church at Magnolia, and politically, he affiliates with the Democratic party.

MICHAEL, John C.; came to Harrison County with his parents, Charles and Frederica, in 1868. They settled on section 17, of Magnolia Township, where he remained until 1884, and then bought a farm on section 8, of Magnolia Township. Our subject was born in Mecklenburg, Strelitz, Germany, October 19, 1859, and in April, 1863, his parents came to America settling in Cleveland, Ohio until 1868 or 1869.
John C. bought a partly improved farm, of which about 50 acres had been broken and fenced. He built a frame house 16x26 feet, together with an ell 16x18 feet. He was united in marriage in Harrison County, October 16, 1884, to Miss Lena HERMAN, and they are the parents of four children; Mamie, Carl, William (deceased), and John.
Lena was a native of Mecklenburg, Germany, born in 1863, and came to America with her parents, when 12 years of age. They settled in Cleveland, Ohio, where they remained until the autumn of 1879, and then came to Harrison County.
Source: 1891 History of Harrison County Iowa.
Michael Family Researcher: Sharon Kelly.
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