NOYES - John NOYES, (Portrait) (or Captain Noyes, as he was familiarly called during his lifetime), was a central figure as well as one of the prominent factors among the hardy band of Harrison County pioneers.
Mr NOYES was born in the State of Maine, February 27, 1812. His parents, who were also natives of the Pine Tree State, were Joseph and Esther (EMERSON) NOYES, of English descent. In the father's family there were fifteen children -- Esther, Joseph, Almira, John, Peter, Robert, Ruth, William, Maria, Jonathan, Washington, Julian, Lydia, LaFayette and Hannah.
When three years of age our subject, John NOYES, accompanied his parents to Guernsey County, Ohio, and subsequently to Athens County, Ohio. When yet quite young he went to Morgan County, Ohio, where for sometime he was engaged in the salt works. He also followed the great rivers as a flat-boatman, assisting in the transportation of salt and flour to New Oreans. We next find him the proprietor of a large mercantile establishment at Hooksburg, Ohio, in which business he remained until 1856, during which year he sold. He emigrated to Harrison County, coming by boat to St Joseph, Mo, where teams were engaged to convey the company, which comprised of a goodly number to there new home.

Mr NOYES and family located on the southwest quarter of section 20, of what is known as Morgan Township. He at once began turning over the rich virgin soil, and assisted by his sons, succeeded in getting in a crop, as it was May when he arrived. About 1858 he placed in operation the second steam sawmill in that portion of the county. It stood about a mile and one-half to the north and west of the village of Mondamin. He operated this mill, which was highly prized by the early pioneers, until the close of the Civil War period, and then sold to his sons, who operated it a few years longer. Mr NOYES being a man of life and manly energy, he soon accumulated a large tract of land, at one time having 4,000 acres within Harrison County. Having the financial means, he was variously engaged, and in consequence employed many men. In the early 70's, Mr NOYES became interested in the Woodbine Woolen Mills (a thorn in many a man's side in Harrison County), which business proved a great loss to him. He also lost heavily by going security for friends, and thus much of his hard-earned property slipped from him.
Mr NOYES was first married in 1833, to Hettie STANLEY, by whom five children were born. They were: Jane, afterward Mrs RUFFCORN; Catherine, who became the wife of Mr CHAMBERLAIN; John H; LaFayette; and Washington, now (1891) residing in River Sioux, Iowa. Mrs NOYES, the mother of these children, passed from the scenes of this life in 1847. In 1848 Mr NOYES married Mary STARKS, daughter of Charles and Susan STARKS of Pennsylvania. By this union three sons and two daughters were born: Esther; William; Z. Taylor, now a merchant of Mondamin; Fillmore; and Maria Z.
In 1883, while driving in a thunder shower, MR NOYES was unfortunate in having his horse struck by lightning and killed. At the same time Mr NOYES received a heavy charge of the electric current, the effects of which he never fully recovered from. This accident, coupled with the mental strain, brought about by reason of financial losses, caused a derangement of his mind, and he was sent to the asylum in Mt Pleasant, in hopes he might recover. He remained there about three months, was brought home, and only survived until February 23, 1885. His had been a busy and useful life. In addition to his extensive mill and farm-life in Harrison County, he also operated a large steam sawmill in Texas, where he sawed hundreds of thousands of railroad ties. He engaged in merchandising at Mondamin in 1868. His son being associated with him, succeeded him, and is still the leading merchant of the town.
To Capt. NOYES is largely due the honor of naming Mondamin, the busy trading mart of Morgan Township. Mr NOYES was an extensive raiser of, and dealer in Indian corn. His township came to be the banner township in the county for corn, and so very appropriately, the railroad station, from which so many thousands of bushels of this product was annually shipped, was given the Indian name for corn, which is "Mondamin."
The writer is baffled to know which particular part of John NOYES' well-rounded life to emphasize the most. It is certain, however, that his early manhood; his domestic relations; his hardihood in becoming a pioneer in this section of Iowa, in 1856; his official duties as Drainage Commisioner as well as his connection with the Harrison County Agricultural Society have all proven the late Capt. NOYES to have been possessed of far more than the ordinary ability found among the rank and file of earth's busy workers. He was generous, kind-hearted and true in every position he was placed. His name will go down to prosperity as prominent among the vanguard of Harrison County.
Source: 1891 History of Harrison County Iowa.
Noyes Family Researcher: Unknown.
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BURCHAM - Andrew J BURCHAM, came to Harrison County in the spring of 1853, and is now a resident of Morgan Township (1891). He is a native of the Old Dominion State and was born in Campbell County, Virginia, in January 1849. He is the son of George H and Mary (MORTIN) BURCHAM. The father was a native of Kentucky and the mother of Ohio. They reared a family of ten children -- Elizabeth (deceased); John, a resident of Shelby County, Iowa; Melvino, now of Nebraska; Samuel S, of Clay Township, this county; Amanda (deceased); Andrew J; George W, of Morgan Township; Susan, now Mrs MORGAREIDGE; Ruth, married and lives in Shelby County; and Frank B, a resident of Morgan Township.
The family came to Harrison County, when our subject was but four years of age, and located in Magnolia Township, where the father bought land which he sold in 1855, and took land in Clay Township, his being the only house between the Soldier and Little Sioux Rivers. All provisions that the family had, were hauled from Magnolia on a hand-sled, by the father, during the hard winter of '56-'57. Mr. BURCHAM opened up a farm, and they remained there until 1864, and then came to Morgan Township. During the high-water period of 1857, the father took a canoe and went over the surrounding country, looking for high ground. After the water had subsided he came and entered land in the southern part of Morgan Twp, onsection 36, having 260 acres.
Our subject, Andrew J, began work for himself in 1886, (the father died in 1870) working on the Missouri River, first running rafts and then acting as a pilot, which work he continued until 1872, when he opened up a farm in Clay Twp, which he afterwards sold and bought his present farm on section26. He now has 80 acres of land in the township, all under cultivation. Our subject and his father used to break prairie, with eight and ten yoke of oxen.
Our subject was united in marriage March 27, 1870, to Ophelia MARGAREIDGE, the daughter of John S and Mary (WITHIM) MARGAREIDGE, natives of Ohio, who came to the county in 1856. Our subject and his wife are the parents of four children -- Mariam, born December 18, 1871; Fillmore, Ocyober 17,1873; Clara, October 12, 1878; Dottie, born September 5, 1885. In his political views, our subject is identified qith the Democratic party.
Source: 1891 History of Harrison County Iowa.
Burcham Family Researcher: Elizabeth L Smith.
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BURCHAM - George H BURCHAM, deceased, first came to Harrison County in 1853. He was a native of Kentucky, born in 1807, the son of John and Nancy BURCHAM. They had a family of ten children. His father settled in Kentucky at an early day, when it was principally peopled by the Indians, and a few pioneers of the Daniel Boone stripe. About 1811 the family moved to Ohio, where they remained until the death of the father. Our subject followed farming for a livelihood all his days. He went to Virginia in 1846, and came from there to Iowa, coming down the Ohio and up the Missouri River to Council Bluffs. He settled in Magnolia and later lived on section 36, of Margan Township. He was married in 1835, to Mary MARTIN, the daughter of Johan and Elizabeth (GWINN) MARTIN, who was of Irish descent, but a native of Virginia. They reared a family of twelve children -- Elizabeth, John, Melvina, Samson S, Mary, Amanda, Andrew J, George W, Susan, Henry, Ruth, and Frank.
Mr BURCHAM died August 3, 1879, and was buried in Magnolia Township. His wife is now (1891) 76 years of age.
Source: 1891 History of Harrison County Iowa.
Burcham Family Researcher: Elizabeth L Smith.
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BESSIRE - Alfred BESSIRE, a resident of section 1, St John's Township, came to the county in October, 1875. He was born in Wayne County, Ohio, November 2, 1854, and is a son of Eugene and Mary Ann (GRIMM) BESSIRE, natives of Switzerland. The father was born June 7, 1823, and the mother November 7, 1830. The father came to America in 1849, and settled in Wayne County, Ohio. The mother came to America in 1833, her parents also settling in Wayne County, Ohio. His parents were united in Wayne County, December 29, 1849. To them were born eight children, seven sons and one daughter, all living except one. They came to Harrison County in 1875 and lived in St John's Twp. Alfred was the third child in the family, and received his education at the district schools of Allen County, Ohio, to which location his parents moved when he was one year old. When nineteen years of age he started for himself, by working on a farm by the month. Not unlike other men, an important event of his life was that of his marriage, March 4, 1875.
Our subject was united to Clara Bell SHAW, a native of Allen County, Ohio, born May 17, 1857, the daughter of John E and Eliza (HEDGES) SHAW. She was the oldest child and only daughter of a family of four children. Six months after their marriage, this young couple came to Harrison County, Iowa. Their home has been blessed by the advent of four children: Bertha Pearl, born April 12, 1878; Howard D, March 15, 1880; Otto L, February 22, 1885; and Lawrence, born November 16, 1889, died in infancy.
Our subject and his wife are members of the Christian Church, having united in 1883. In his early manhood, Mr BESSIRE was a Democrat, as was his father before him, but on account of the stand they took regarding the liquor traffic, he has since voted with the Republican party.
Upon coming to the county, our subject rented land for one season,and then bought forty acres on section 1, St John's Twp, to which he has added forty acres. He now has a well-improved farm, and is surrounded by the comforts of life. In 1876 he erected a house, to which he made an addition in 1883, and remodeled the same in 1891.
Source: 1891 History of Harrison County Iowa.
Bessire Family Researcher: Roy C. Bessire.
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BESSIRE - Alcide L BESSIRE, one of the representative citizens of Cincinatti Township, came to Harrison County in the spring of 1884 and took charge of F H LUDWIG's ranch, in Clay Twp, consisting of 1700 acres. He continued to operate that until the fall of 1885, and then took charge of the Boner & Sims ranch in Taylor Twp, which consists of 1200 acres. In the spring of 1887 Boner, Sims & Haas formed a partnership and threw their lands together and had their stock in company. Then our subject took charge of the combined ranches comprising 1900 acres of land situated in Clay and Taylor Townships. They kept 500 head of cattle and raised about 30,000 bushel of corn per year.
In the spring of 1889, besides running the extensive business for Boner, Sims & Haas, he rented the BRANDIFF land of 600 acres, which he farmed on his own account. In the spring of 1890 Boner, Sims and Hass dissolved, and Boner, Sims, & Bessire formed a partnership under the form name Boner & Co. Mr BESSIRE having bought the stock interests of Mr Haas, they now control 1600 acres and keep 300 head of steers. At the time of the new patnership, they went into the grain business at Modale and handled large quantities of goods as well. In 1891, Boner, Sims, Bessire & Sharpnack, formed a company to carry on the agricultural implement business combined with the grain and lumber business at Modale.
Our subject was born November 8, 1852, in Wayne County, Ohio, and when three years of age his parents removed to Allen County and he remained at home until he was 21 years old, after which he rented a farm and bought and sold timber during the winter. He followed this two or three years before coming to Iowa. He was also a heavy contractor on the Pike roads in Ohio at which he lost all his property. When he came to Harrison County in 1884 he only had 25 cents. In 1887 he bought ninety acres of improved land which he sold two years later. In August, 1891, Mr BESSIRE bought the Hook residence on Fourth Street, Missouri Valley, paying $2,150 for the same.
Our subject was united in marriage in Allen County, Ohio, February 26, 1874, to Miss America MURRAY, and they are the parents of two children -- Effie M, born July 3, 1875; and Emma T, born October 21, 1877. Our subject's wife passed away in Allen County, Ohio, August 21, 1881. She was born in the same county in which she died, on October 13, 1853. Our subject was again married in Hardin County, Ohio, April 2, 1883, to Miss Hattie A. RILEY, by whom one child was born -- Christie, born August 21, 1886.
Politically our subject affiliates with the Democratic party and is a member of the Odd Fellows order, belonging to Mondamin Lodge, No. 392.
Source: 1891 History of Harrison County Iowa.
Bessire Family Researcher: Roy C. Bessire.
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VANARSDALE, Nathaniel H of Reeder's Mills, Jefferson Twp, resident since 2/1/1866. He was born in Norris County, NJ, March 8, 1838, the son of Levi and Anna Eliza (Horter) Vanarsdale. The father was a blacksmith who was born in 1800, and died in the county in which he was born, April 14,1862. The mother died in the same county , July 27, 1867, aged sixty years. Their only child was Nathanial, our subject. He has a half brother, by his father's first wife, named Abner G, a resident of Binghanton, Broome County, NY. When 13 years of age, Nathaniel H commenced learning the blacksmith trade. He followed his trade, as a government blacksmith, and then by rail went to Keokuk, Iowa and crossed the State of Iowa by stage to Council Bluffs, arriving 2/14/1864, where he remained until February 1866, and then came to Harrison County, and built a shop at "Hard Scratch" (Reeder's Mills). He continued to work at the trade until 10/1/1873, when he moved to Logan and operated a shop until 3/1/1877, when he returned to Reeeder's Mills, and in 1879 rebuilt his shop.
He was united in marriage in Morris County, NJ, May 11, 1862, to Margaret Sanford, a native of Sussex County, NJ, born 12/7/1835. She is the eldest child of a family of 3 sons and 3 daughters, of Garrison M and Mary J Sanford. Mr and Mrs Vanarsdale are the parents of 3 children: Mary Jane, born 10/1/1863, Nettie, 12/10/1867, and Hattie, 2/21/1870.
Source: 1891 History of Harrison County Iowa.
Vanarsdale Family Researcher: Colleen Lovan [Updated email address needed! jlovan@uky.campus.mci.net no longer valid].
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