Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1891
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 577
H. E. PEASE

H. E. PEASE, a pioneer liveryman of Dunlap, established himself in his business and let the first livery horse in Dunlap, on June 20, 1868, when he erected his present barn, a portion of which was 25x60 feet, two stories high. He started in with six horses and four buggies, but now keeps on hand twenty head of good livery horses, with a corresponding number of vehicles. He established the first public scales, January 1, 1882, and named them the city scales and on March 1, 1887, he embarked in the undertaking business and now caries one of the largest stocks of fine caskets and burials goods in this part of the state and also keeps a fine gold trimmed hearse. The first telephone in Dunlap was hung in his office on February 15, 1884, and his office is till used for the central.

Mr. PEASE is a native of the Wolverine State, having been born in Lenawee County, Mich., October 29, 1845. He is the son of Henry C. and Louisa PEASE. He was reared and educated in his native State, to the time he was fourteen years of age, at which time he went to Chicago, and for two years served in the role of a newsboy, running out from Chicago. In 1861 he entered the employment of the United Stats Government, and worked on the United States military railroads, as brakeman for two years, spending his time at various points in the South. He was on the second train that entered Atlanta after the bombardment, and was the last to leave on the evacuation of the place. His run extended from Nashville to Atlanta through the hottest of the fight. He relates that while working on that run, just one trip over the road, he counted seventeen locomotives "ditched," which was but a sample of the dangers he was daily exposed to. The last year of his stay, and until the close of the war, he was conductor on the train between Chattanooga and Atlanta. He speaks of a little experience he had one night when their train was ditched when going around a curve in a thickly timbered district, which was filled with "Johnnies" (Rebels) and knowing that another train was just in the rear, he felt it his duty to go back and signal the coming train. The bullets were flying like falling hail all around the ditched train, but never flinching, he caught up two lanterns and started back on a run. The enemy seeing the lights, poured a volley after him, which, perhaps, hastened his speed somewhat. He could hear the bullets humming past his head and ears like a swarm of bees. But he hastened on until he met the coming train, some three hundred yards, which he signaled, but none too quick to save an awful collision and a train of five hundred human beings from the enemy's trap.

After the close of the war, he came to Jefferson, Iowa, and as soon as the railroad reached that point started a dray, which he operated for two years, and then opened a livery stable and ran a "bus line" for three hotels, and also carried the mails and express for two companies. He remained in this business until the year he located in Dunlap, which was in 1868, since which time he has been an active business man, possessed of total abstinence habits, never having used tobacco in any form, or drank intoxicating liquors, even to a glass of beer.

Politically he is a Republican, and has held the office of constable for twenty successive years, and was Deputy Sheriff two terms, as well as Marshall of the city of Dunlap.

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