ARVIN KENNEDY
Among the early settlers of this
place, it gives me special pleasure to mention the name of Mr. Arvin
Kennedy. He came to this place in April 1848 with his family,
consisting of his wife, and seven children, Homer, Jane, Edward,
William, Emma, Harriet and Charles.
Mr. Kennedy was born in New
Braintree, Mass. He afterwards lived in New York, and still later in
Ohio, from whence he removed to Jones Co. this state in 1844.
He was a clothier by trade, and on
coming here followed his calling in Mr. Brown’s woolen factory. He was
plain and unostentatious in his manner of life, but I think he would
have been recognized anywhere as a man of solid character and honest
purposes in life. Such indeed was the estimate in which he was held,
and such the character he bore through all the years he resided in
this community.
He and his wife identified
themselves at once on coming here, with the First Presbyterian Church.
Mr. Kennedy being elected an elder, and his counsels and advice were
highly prized by those associated with him as co-laborers.
In writing of this worthy citizen of
ours, years after his death, Dr. J. F. Ely, who knew him well, spoke
of him in these words, “Deacon Kennedy as a business man, was marked
for his industry and uprightness; as being honest and conscientious in
all his dealings. In the church he was justly esteemed for his
faithfulness in every Christian duty, both as a member and officer. He
was a fine representative of a typical New England deacon, a class of
sturdy Christian men, puritanic, if you please, very rarely met in the
early settlement of this region.”
His death occurred Feb. 28, 1856. His good wife who
always enjoyed the highest respect of the community, being active in
every good work, followed her husband to the grave some years later,
her death occurring February 25th 1886.
Of the children, William died June
6, 1850, being a lad yet in his teens. Homer, a young man who justly
won and held the respect of all who knew him, and whose life was one
of great promise, died March 2, 1856, and Harriet who became the wife
of Mr. Andrew Van Vleck, and who was a woman of stainless Christian
character, loved and honored by everybody, passed away January 2,
1888. Edward is a farmer residing in Woodbury County of this state,
Emma the wife of the late Mr. Cornelius Polhamus, lives in California,
Jane, now Mrs. Noble, and Charles are still residents of this city.
Charles the youngest of the family
is one of our staunch reliable citizens and in the church a worthy
successor of his father, having for a number of years past filled the
office of ruling elder in the First Presbyterian Church.
Source: Carroll, Rev. George R.,
Pioneer Life In and Around Cedar Rapids, Iowa, from 1839 to 1849,
Times Printing and Binding House, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 1895, page
163-164.
Contributed by: Terry Carlson
PETER H.H. KEPLER
Peter H. H. Kepler, deceased, was one of the foremost citizens of
Franklin township for many years, and was a man highly respected and
esteemed by all who knew him. He was born in Frederick county,
Maryland, May 23, 1836, and was a son of Conrad Kepler, whose birth
occurred in the same county January 5, 1811. His paternal
grandfather, John Kepler, was a native of Pennsylvania, and had a
family of six children, namely: Rachel, John, Peter, Mary, Conrad and
Henry. On the 16th of December, 1832, Conrad Kepler
married Margaret Lingenfelter, also a native of Maryland, and a
daughter of John Lingenfelter, who was born in the same state. By
this union were born the following children: John W.; Peter H. H., our
subject; Thomas S.; Charles W.; Edwin M.; Howard C,; Annie R., wife of
George Riley, of Mt. Vernon; Elizabeth A., wife of Obadiah Cole, of
Jones county, Iowa. In 1843 the father removed with his family to
Iowa, the journey being made with four horses and a wagon, carrying
their household effects and provisions with them. They camped and
cooked by the wayside, and were forty-five days in making the trip.
The father purchased two hundred and forty acres of land in Linn
county, and at once turned his attention to its improvement. In
politics he was a Democrat, and in religious belief both he and his
wife were Methodists. She died December 29. 1879.
The
subject of this sketch was about seven years of age when he
accompanied his parents on their removal to Iowa. During his boyhood
and youth he assisted his father in the labors of the fields, and
attended the district schools near his home. He remained under the
parental roof until twenty years of age, and then commenced farming on
his own account on land belonging to his father. In 1858 he purchased
one hundred and sixty acres of land in Fayette county and eight acres
in Cerro Gordo county, but never located on either place, and sold
them both before he had made many improvements. Three years later he
bought fifty-eight acres on section 4, Franklin township on the Marion
road a mile west of Mt. Vernon, where he made his home throughout the
remainder of his life. He was very successful in his farming
operations and added to his landed possessions from time to time until
at the time of his death he owned many acres of well improved land.
In connection with general farming he also engaged in stock raising to
some extent.
On
the 1st of December, 1861, Mr. Kepler was united in
marriage with Miss Elizabeth Doty, a native of Defiance county, Ohio,
and a daughter of Ephraim and Mary Ann (Snyder) Doty, who was born in
Pennsylvania, but removed to Ohio at an early day and settled in
Defiance county, where her father engaged in farming until his death.
In 1844, Mrs. Doty and eleven of her children came to Linn county,
Iowa, leaving a married daughter, Mrs. Rachel Richart, in Ohio. Mrs.
Kepler’s mother located in Franklin township, where she purchased a
tract of government land, which her sons broke and improved. Upon
that place she died at the advanced age of eighty-three years. Of her
twelve children six are still living.
Unto Mr. and Mrs.
Kepler were born three children, namely: (1) Frank H., who now owns
and operates a part of his grandmother’s old homestead in Franklin
township, married Isa Kleinknecht, a daughter of George Kleinknecht,
whose sketch appears on another page of this volume, and they have two
children, Glenn and Myrl. (2) Hester A. is the wife of Daniel Travis,
a farmer of Franklin township, and they have five children: Fred;
Clara, deceased; Flora, Jessie and Ruth. (3) Ada Estella is the wife
of Theodore E. Stinger, a prominent farmer and stock raiser of Linn
township, this county, and they have two sons Lee and Arlo.
In his political
views Mr. Kepler was a Republican, and for many years he served as
school director in his township, and a part of the time as president
and secretary of the board. In 1862 he united with the Methodist
Episcopal church, with which he retained membership until 1879, when
he became identified with the United Brethern church at Lisbon. He
was a devout Christian and his life was ever in harmony with his
professions. He died upon his farm in Franklin township November 23,
1887, and his remains were interred in the Mt. Vernon cemetery. He
was a man of the highest respectability, and those who were most
intimately associated with him speak in unqualified terms of his
sterling integrity, his honor in business and his fidelity to all the
duties of public and private life. He was faithful to his church, to
his country and to his friends, and in his home was a most exemplary
husband and father. His estimable wife now resides in Mt. Vernon.
Source:
The Biographical Record of Linn County Iowa, Illustrated, Chicago:
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1901, pages 69-71.
Submitted by:
Carrie J. Robertson of Marion
THOMAS S. KEPLER, M.D.
Dr. Thomas S. Kepler,
who is one of the successful physicians and a prominent resident of
Mt. Vernon, Iowa, was born in Frederick county, Maryland, November 14,
1838, and in 1843 was brought to this city by his parents, Conrad and
Margaret (Lengerfelter) Kepler, also natives of Frederick county,
Maryland, where the family was founded by the Doctor's paternal
grandfather on coming from Germany to the United States at an early
day. In his native state the father followed farming, and after coming
to Iowa he continued to follow that pursuit for many years, but is now
living retired on a farm in Franklin township, Linn county, west of
Mt. Vernon. He was born in 1811, and has now reached the advanced age
of ninety years. During his long residence here he has taken quite an
active and influential part in public affairs, and has held many
township offices. In early life he was Lutheran in religious belief,
but now holds membership in the Methodist Episcopal church, to which
his wife also belonged. She died at their home in Franklin township at
the age of sixty-nine years.
Unto this worthy
couple were born eight children, six sons and two daughters, namely:
John William, who was formerly a farmer of Franklin township, but is
now engaged in the wood business in Mt. Vernon; Peter H., who followed
farming in Franklin township until his death, but his widow and
children now reside at Mt. Vernon; Thomas S., our subject; Charles W.,
an attorney of Mt. Vernon; Edward M., who was a soldier of the Civil
war and is now a farmer in Kansas; Columbus Howard, who is engaged in
farming a mile west of Mt. Vernon; Rebecca, wife of George Riley, a
farmer of Franklin township; and Elizabeth, wife of O. B. Cole, a
farmer of Cedar county, Iowa.
Dr. Kepler obtained
his primary education in the common schools of Linn county, and was
afterward a student at Cornell College, Mt. Vernon. Immediately after
leaving that institution he took up the study of medicine, and
attended lectures at the medical college in Keokuk in 1862 and 1863.
He was then engaged in the practice of his profession at Mt. Vernon
until 1866, when he formed a partnership with Dr. J. S. Love, and was
in practice at Springville, Linn county, for two years, and at
Dyersville, Dubuque county, the same length of time. At the end of
that period he returned to Linn county and located between Springville
and Viola, where, in connection with his profession, he also carried
on farming for three years. He then returned to Mt. Vernon, where he
has successfully engaged in general practice ever since.
In 1862 Dr. Kepler
was married at Mt. Vernon to Miss Anna Grove, a native of Ohio and a
daughter of John and Mary (Waln) Grove, who came to Linn county, Iowa
at an early day and settled in Bertram township, where the father
engaged in farming until his death, which occurred about forty years
ago. The mother long survived him, dying about three years ago at the
age of eighty-nine. Mrs. Kepler was born of a family of four children,
all of whom are still living. Samuel is a retired farmer of Mt.
Vernon. George is also a resident of Mt. Vernon, but still retains his
farm in Franklin township. Alice is the widow of Dr. Perkins, who
studied under the direction of our subject and was graduated from Rush
Medical College, Chicago. He engaged in the practice of his profession
at Fairfax, Linn county, for sixteen years prior to his death. His
widow now resides in Belle Plaine, Iowa.
Unto the doctor and
his wife were born four sons and four daughters, namely: (1) Dallas
Lincoln was for nine years connected with the Union Pacific Railroad
as station agent at Cheyenne, Wyoming. He then for several years
conducted a cattle ranch in Colorado, and in the spring of 1901 he
returned to Cheyenne and again entered the employ of the railroad. He
married Kathryn McFarland and has one daughter, Anna. (2) Nettie A.
was graduated from Cornell College in 1891, and the same year went to
Kingman, Kansas, where [she] commenced teaching, but shortly afterward
she accepted a position as teacher in the schools of East Waterloo,
Iowa, where she has been ever since, with the exception of one year
spent at the Chicago University. (3) Edna Alice pursued an art course
at Cornell College, from which she, too, was graduated. She taught
with her sister at Kingman, Kansas, and is now connected with the
Waterloo schools. (4) Otis L., who is engaged in the real estate
business in Mt. Vernon, under the firm name of Kepler & Travis,
married Jennette Travis, a sister of his partner and a daughter of
Daniel Travis, deceased, who was one of the early settlers of this
county, and a retired farmer of Mt. Vernon at the time of his death.
By this union were born two children, Anita and Thomas. (5) Mary A.
taught in the district schools for a time, but is now engaged in
millinery business at Mt. Vernon, being associated with Miss Randall,
a daughter of R. K. Randall, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this
work. (6) George N. has been a farmer of Cedar county, but is now
residing in Mt. Vernon. He married Carrie Miller and has one son,
Forrest. (7) Watson attended Cornell College and is now clerking i a
dry-goods store at Mt. Vernon. (8) Grace has attended Cornell College
and is now studying music at Mt. Vernon.
For forty-nine years
Dr. Kepler has been a faithful and active member of the Methodist
church; has been leader of class No. 1 for fourteen years; and steward
of the church for about the same length of time. Fraternally he is now
a non-affiliated Mason. He receives and merits the respect and esteem
of all who know him and his genuine worth and many manly virtues are
widely recognized.
Source:
The Biographical Record of Linn County Iowa, Illustrated, Chicago:
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1901, pages 225-227.
Submitted by: Terry
Carlson
JOSEPH R. KERNS
Joseph R. Kerns, identified with farming interests in Marion township,
his farm comprising a good tract of land of one hundred and twenty
acres, was born in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, on the 12th of
November, 1848. His. father, Josiah Kerns, was also a native of the
Keystone state, but the mother, Mrs. Jane (Brown) Kerns, was born in
Scotland. For a few years after their marriage they continued
residents of Pennsylvania and in 1849 removed to Indiana where the
death of Mrs. Kerns occurred in 1854. The following year the father
came with his family to Iowa and settled in Linn county where he
purchased land and spent the remainder of his life but died while on a
visit to Arkansas in 1888. He was long remembered as among the
energetic and representative farmers of this part of the state. The
family numbered eight children, but only two are now living, the
younger being James Kerns, a resident of Fargo, North Dakota.
J. R. Kerns whose name introduces
this review was a lad of only seven years when the family home was
established in Linn county. He resided on his father’s farm until he
had attained his majority, during which period he acquired a good
common school education. He afterward worked as a farm hand until
twenty-six years of age and then was married and began farming on his
own account. For six years he rented land, during which time he
carefully saved his earnings until his capital was sufficient to
enable him to purchase the farm of one hundred and twenty acres upon
which he now resides. He at once began its further development and
improvement and soon was gathering rich crops as a reward for his care
and industry. Later he bought a piece of timber land which he has also
cleared and developed. He is engaged quite extensively in raising and
feeding stock and has met with substantial success in that branch of
his business. He is practical in all that he does and earnest,
untiring effort is the basis of his prosperity.
On January 13, 1875, Mr. Kerns was
united in marriage to Miss Mercy Lacock, who was born in this county
in 1855 and is a daughter of Joab and Elizabeth (Bassett) Lacock, both
of whom were natives of Indiana, whence they came to Iowa in 1854,
continuing their residence here up to the time when they were called
to their final home. They were the parents of four children. Unto Mr.
and Mrs. Kerns have been born a daughter and a son: Minnie M., a
graduate of the Marion high school, after which she engaged in
teaching for two years, is now the wife of Claude C. Scott and has two
children, - Clifford H. and Helen L. Clifford, the only son of Mr. and
Mrs. Kerns, was born February 8, 1881, and died October 16, 1900, his
remains being laid to rest in Oak Shade cemetery. His death was an
irreparable blow to his parents and a matter of deepest regret to many
friends.
Mr. and Mrs. Kerns hold membership
in the Presbyterian church and are loyal to its teachings and its
principles. He exercises his right of franchise in support of the men
and measures of the republican party and is at present serving as
township trustee and for eight years held the office of trustee. He
belongs to the Odd Fellows lodge at Marion and his life has been well
spent, his many sterling traits of character gaining for him a high
regard, while his unfaltering diligence is the basis of the
substantial success which he is now enjoying.
Source: History of Linn County
Iowa From Its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time, Vol. II,
The Pioneer Publishing Company, 1911, pages 337-8.
Contributed by: Terry Carlson
DAVID W.KING
Mr. King was an energetic and
intelligent man, and, although he was afflicted with a kind of hip
disease that rendered him very lame, he showed himself to be a man of
pluck and determination. He established the first ferry across the
river which he operated for many years, and until the erection of the
first bridge rendered it no longer necessary. The town on the west
side of the river for many years bore the name of Kingston, in honor
of its first settler.
Mr. King was for some time justice
of the peace, an office which he seemed well qualified to fill. He
lived to see great improvements on both sides of the river, and by his
industry and the wise management of his business affairs, he was able
to secure a very comfortable competence of this world’s goods.
He and his wife were members of the
Methodist church. He died in the autumn of 1854, leaving behind him
the record of an honest man and a good citizen. Mrs. King, venerable
with years and highly honored and esteemed by all who know here, still
survives, and makes her home with her son, Mr. William King, who is a
prominent business man on the west side of the river.
Source: Carroll, Rev. George R.,
Pioneer Life In and Around Cedar Rapids, Iowa, from 1839 to 1849,
Times Printing and Binding House, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 1895, page 96.
Contributed by: Terry Carlson
DAVID W. KING (from 1911 history)
While the history of Cedar Rapids is yet in the making, due credit
must be accorded those who were the prominent factors in its early
development and aided in shaping its history during its formative
period. To this number belonged David W. King, a pioneer settler, who
arrived in Linn county in the spring of 1889. As one travels over the
state at the present time it is very difficult to imagine the
conditions which existed in that early day. Much of the land in the
state was still unclaimed and uncultivated, and the red men far
outnumbered the white settlers. They roamed at will over the prairies
hunting deer and having opportunity to capture much feathered game.
Mr. King had come to Iowa from
Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, where his birth had occurred in
1808. After reaching adult age he was connected with mercantile
pursuits there. In 1836, in his native state, he wedded Miss Mary Ann
Singer, who was also born in Westmoreland county, January 6, 1817.
Only a few railroad lines had then been constructed, travel being by
way of stage, private conveyance or over the water ways. Mr. and Mrs.
King made their way westward in a carriage with Michigan as their
destination, and for three years they were residents of that state.
Two children were born unto them during that period, and in the spring
of 1839 Mr. King brought his little family to Iowa, making the journey
across the prairies with an ox-team. Thomas Gainor and his family were
also of the party. Mrs. King was the first white woman to cross the
river at Cedar Rapids, Indian canoes being the only means of
transportation at that time. The early abode of the family was a log
cabin standing on the west bank of the river. The red men were seen in
large numbers but on the whole manifested little hostility toward the
white race as the latter extended civilization over the hunting
grounds of their predecessors. The government claimed the ownership of
almost all the land in this district and Mr. King entered a tract on
the west side of Cedar river when it was placed upon the market. Early
in the ‘40s he built the first ferry operated at Cedar Rapids,
obtaining his material from Dubuque and Muscatine. The cable used was
a wire which he brought by ox-team from the former city. At that time
most farm products were rafted down the river to a point about
opposite Muscatine and then conveyed by team to that city. As the
years passed Mr. King invested more and more largely in real estate
and in addition to his extensive property holdings in Cedar Rapids he
also had about three sections of land in other parts of Linn county.
In the early '50's he laid out the town of Kingston upon his land and
thereon has been built the west side of Cedar Rapids. Farming as well
as real-estate operations claimed his attention but he was never too
busy with individual interests to support the plans and movements
instituted for the benefit and upbuilding of the city.
Mr. King was also greatly interested
in the moral progress of the community with which he had identified
his interests. Both he and his wife were devoted members of the
Methodist church and took an active part in its work. In his house he
built a large hall twenty-four by sixty feet., for church purposes,
and therein religious services were held until churches were built. It
was also the place of meeting for the Independent Order of Good
Templars, Mr. and Mrs. King assisting in organizing the lodge in Cedar
Rapids. He was likewise an earnest, and exemplary Mason and was the
first person buried under the auspices of the Masonic lodge in Cedar
Rapids. The west side of the city was growing rapidly when he was
called from this life, and up to that time he had been the chief
factor in its improvement and its enterprise. He was justice of the
peace and took keen and helpful interest in every project promoted for
the public good. His death resulted from exposure while fighting a
prairie fire and he passed away in 1854 when but forty-six years of
age. There are comparatively few here who remember Mr. King, as a
great majority have crossed the river to that undiscovered country
from whose bourne no traveler returns. Yet the generation of the
present has profited by his labors and his life record forms an
important chaper in the annals of Cedar Rapids. Mrs. King died in
1902. Her father, Samuel Singer, was a soldier of the Revolutionary
war and remained in Pennsylvania until his death. The daughter was one
of the first pioneer women of this section and lived to witness the
remarkable development of Cedar Rapids. The efforts required to live
amid the ungenerous surroundings of the early days. the necessity to
make every good count and to exercise every inventive faculty,
developed forces of mind and habit which have established
distinguished names along the banks of the Cedar river. Mrs. King
could relate many interesting incidents of the early times as well as
the story of later day progress, and her name should be engraved deep
in the tablets which commemorate the pioneer history of the county.
Source: History of Linn County
Iowa From Its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time, Vol. II,
The Pioneer Publishing Company, 1911, pages 841-2.
Contributed by: Terry Carlson
DANIEL R. KINLEY
Daniel R. Kinley has through much of his life been in public office
and has to his credit four years of valorous service in the Civil war;
six years in the office of sheriff of Linn county; four years as
deputy sheriff; and is now justice of the peace in Marion. His record
is one that has ever been characterized by the utmost fidelity to duty
and to a high standard of official service. He was born on the 26th of
January, 1842, near Richmond, Indiana, and is a son of Fred and
Margaret (Reynolds) Kinley. The father was born in that locality and
built one of the first mills in that part of the country. He was the
son of Isaac Kinley, who removed from the south to Indiana and became
one of the first settlers in the vicinity of Richmond. Again the
Kinley family were identified with pioneer interests following their
removal to Mount Vernon, Iowa, where they arrived on the 10th of
September, 1846, after driving across the country from their old home.
Here Fred Kinley purchased land and devoted his remaining days to
general agricultural pursuits. His father was killed by the kick of a
horse in 1858. At the time of the Civil war Fred Kinley responded to
the country’s call for troops and laid down his life on the altar of
his country, being wounded at the battle of Missionary Ridge. In his
family were two Sons and three daughters, namely: Daniel R., of this
review; Oliver C., who is living at the National Home of Tennessee;
Mattie L., the widow of A. M. Hinsdale and a resident of Denver,
Colorado; Mrs. Fredericka Wadleigh, who lives with her mother in
Denver; and Mrs. Louie Ford, a resident of Chicago.
Daniel R. Kinley was reared on the home
farm, his early experiences being those which usually fall to the lot
of the farm lad. He was only four years of age when the family came to
Iowa. He was educated in Knightstown, Indiana, and at an early age
became a fireman on an engine. Aroused by the attempt of the south to
overthrow the Union, he enlisted in 1861 as a member of Company A,
Sixth Infantry, under Colonel McDowell, and served for four years,
meeting all of the hardships and incidents which are features in a
soldier’s life. He participated in the battles of Corinth, Memphis,
Vicksburg, Black Biter, Jackson, Missionary Ridge and Atlanta, and
ever proved a faithful and loyal soldier. He was promoted to the rank
of sergeant and at the close of the war was honorably discharged.
When the country no longer needed his
aid Mr. Kinley returned to Linn county and purchased a tract of land
in the vicinity of Marion, after which he gave his attention to
farming for a number of years. Later he was called to various
political offices and at length was elected sheriff of the county in
1890, being the only republican elected to office in Linn county that
year. He ran far ahead of his ticket and received a majority of
forty-eight votes. At the following election he received public
endorsement of his capable service by being re-elected with a majority
of several hundred votes, and at his third election to the office he
received a still larger majority. He discharged his duties without
fear or favor and his name became a menace to evil-doers and brought a
feeling of protection to those who obeyed the laws. He retired from
the office as he had entered it — with the confidence and good will of
the general public. He is now serving as justice of the peace and his
decisions are ever fair and impartial.
On the 5th of December, 1865, Mr. Kinley
was married to Miss Lydia Gibson, who passed away August 22, 1909.
They had an adopted daughter who has also passed away. Mrs. Kinley was
a daughter of William B. and Martha (Willard) Gibson.
Fraternally Mr. Kinley is a prominent
Mason, having taken many degrees in the order, and is a member of the
Mystic Shrine. He organized the Robert Mitchell Grand Army Post and
has ever been a faithful representative of that organization. He
belongs to the Presbyterian church and a well spent life has gained
him the high regard of all who know him throughout this county.
Source: History of Linn County
Iowa From Its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time, Vol. II,
The Pioneer Publishing Company, 1911, pages 11-2.
Contributed by: Terry Carlson
JOSEPH HARPER KIRBY
Joseph
Harper Kirby was the oldest son of George W. and Catherine F. Kirby,
born March 11, 1843, at Monroe County, Indiana. He grew up on the
family farm and learned the trade of wheelwright at the nearby
blacksmith and wagon shop. He enlisted in Company E of the 145th
Indiana Volunteer Infantry. This regiment was charged with the
responsibility of guarding all the railroads and important bridges in
the Confederacy as they were captured by the Union forces. Following
his discharge at Macon, Georgia, he returned home to join his family on
the move to Linn County, Iowa. They arrived in Linn County in late
March of 1867, and settled down on a farm near Prairieburg. Joseph
claimed his own farm and worked at both the farm and his wheelwright
shop in town.
Joseph met Sarah Amelia Sherman
shortly after his arrival at Prairieburg and on February 22, 1869, they
were married. Sarah's father had been a cooper on a whaling ship
sailing out of Providence, Rhode Island. In more than twenty years at
sea he had circumnavigated the globe four times plus numerous other
long trips.
Sarah and Joseph started their family on his farm but early in 1873,
they decided to move to Allendorf Township, Iowa, where Joseph took out
both a tree claim and homestead. These claims are recorded in Sioux
City, Federal Building. Their family grew to five children: Gale B.
3-1872; Minnie Olive B. 12-1875; Alta Catherine B. 1-1877; Guy Wylie B.
1884; Cyrus Burr B. 6-1887.
Joseph H. was highly successful in farming but early in the 1890s, he
was forced to sell the farm and move to Ocheyedan. A war injury made it
impossible to continue as a farmer. In town, Joseph built a two story
frame building directly across the street from Gole's Store. He started
a furniture store and by virtue of being in the furniture business he
also became the village undertaker. Joseph operated this business until
about 1903, when he retired. This is the business operated by Mr. Frank
Boyd until the late 1930's, or early 1940s.
Joseph enjoyed his retirement and the couple traveled quite frequently
to visit their relatives in Nebraska, Kansas, and central Iowa. Both
Joseph and Sarah Amelia were very devout and active members of the
Methodist church of Ocheyedan. Joseph enjoyed and was an active
participant in civic affairs while Sarah Amelia was active in the
Ladies Aid Society and several other church affiliated groups.
Joseph died from complications of pneumonia on March 5, 1911, and is
buried in the Kirby family plot in the Ocheyedan Cemetery. Sarah Amelia
lived by herself in her home under the watchful eye of her daughter
Alta Catherine Stewart. She passed away February 15, 1916, and is
buried at her husband's side in the Ocheyedan Cemetery.
Source: Ocheyedan Centennial
Submitted by Roseanna Zehner
ROBERT KIRKPATRICK
Linn county has quite
a number of enterprising and thorough-going farmers who are giving the
greater share of their attention to the raising of fine stock, and
thus enhancing materially the value of such in this locality. To this
class belongs Robert Kirkpatrick, of section 18, Franklin township. A
native of this county, he was born four miles south of Mt. Vernon,
August 21, 1867, and is a son of James Kirkpatrick, whose sketch
appears elsewhere in this volume. He acquired his early education in
the district schools near his boyhood home, and later attended the
business college at Cedar Rapids. After leaving school at the age of
twenty-two years, he devoted his entire time to the work of the home
farm.
Mr. Kirkpatrick was
married in Cedar county, Iowa, March 14, 1895, to Miss Jennie Light,
who was born December 5, 1873, in Lebanon county, Pennsylvania, in the
same house where her mother’s birth occurred. Her parents were
Cornelius W. and Rosie A. (Meyer) Light, both natives of Pennsylvania,
where they continued to make their home until coming to Linn county,
Iowa, in 1882. Her father at first rented a farm five miles north of
Lisbon for one year, and for three years rented another place five
miles northwest of Mt. Vernon. At the end of that time he purchased a
farm of two hundred acres in Pioneer township, Cedar county, five
miles southeast of Lisbon, and there he has resided ever since, having
one of the best farms in the locality. In his family were six
children, namely: George W. married Estella Ballard and resides on a
farm two miles south of Lisbon; Joseph, a twin brother of George, died
in infancy; Katie M. married Ernest Johnson and they lived on the old
Johnson homestead in Franklin township; she died January 13, 1890, at
the home of her parents; Sally A. died February 21, 1896; Jennie, wife
of our subject, is next in order of birth; and Eri M. assists in the
management of the home farm. Mr. and Mrs. Kirkpatrick have three
children: Pearl M., born August 8, 1896; Eugene L., born April 9,
1898; and Clara Lucile, born July 8, 1900. Mrs. Kirkpatrick taught
school in Linn, Johnson and Cedar counties, and also one term in
Franklin county.
After his marriage
Mr. Kirkpatrick bought what was known as the old Scott farm of one
hundred acres on section 18, Franklin township, and under his careful
supervision it has become one of the most highly cultivated and best
improved tracts in the locality, while it has increased in value
one-third since it came into his possession. He has made a careful
study of both farming and stock raising, and has been eminently
successful in his chosen vocation. He breeds a high grade of cattle
and Poland China hogs, and also raises horses, and feeds all the grain
that he raises to his stock, having never sold but twenty-five
bushels, as he believes stock raising to be the most profitable branch
of his business. His attention being wholly occupied by his
agricultural interest, he finds no time to devote to public affairs,
and has always refused to become a candidate for office. In politics
he is a Republican. Both Mr. and Mrs. Kirkpatrick attend the
Presbyterian church, and receive and merit the respect and esteem of
all who know them.
Source:
The Biographical Record of Linn County Iowa, Illustrated, Chicago:
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1901, pages 223-224.
Submitted by: Terry
Carlson
GEORGE G. KLEINKNECHT
Many of Linn county's best and most
highly esteemed citizens have come from across the sea, to which
class belongs the subject of this article, who is now a resident of
Mt. Vernon. He was born in Württemberg, Germany, on the 12th of
March, 1839, and was only six years of age when brought to America
by his parents, George G. and Barbara (Summer) Kleinknecht, also
natives of Germany, where the father engaged in business as a farmer
and stock dealer. On coming to this country he first settled at
Little York, York county, Pennsylvania, where he also engaged in
agricultural pursuits for four years. In 1849 he removed with his
family to Muscatine, Iowa, and purchased a farm in Muscatine county,
though he never resided thereon, but occupied another farm in the
same county for three years. At the end of that time he located in
Iowa City, where he bought property, and engaged in general work,
teaming, etc., at that place for the same length of time. He next
purchased over two hundred acres of land near Solon, Johnson county,
Iowa, but shortly after locating there he died in 1853, at the age
of forty-six years. He was a hard working man and accumulated
considerable property, and also won the respect and confidence of
his fellow citizens. Religiously he was a member of the German
Lutheran church. Prior to coming to America he served six years in
the German army as a member of the King's body guard. After her
husband's death the mother resided with our subject most of the
time, but died while visiting her daughter in Crawford county,
Kansas, at the age of seventy-six years. In their family were seven
children, namely: Christian enlisted during the Civil war in Company
F, Twenty-fourth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and was killed in the
battle of Champion Hills; Dora is the wife of Andrew Graver, a
farmer of Kansas; George G. is next in order of birth; Mary is the
wife of Samuel Wagner, of Greenfield, Adams county, Iowa; Hettie,
deceased, was the wife of Frank Graver, who was also a soldier of
the Civil war and is now a horse dealer of Lisbon, Iowa; Charles is
engaged in farming just outside the city limits of Cedar Rapids; and
Barbara is the wife of George Mason, a carpenter of Greenfield,
Iowa.
Mr. Kleinknecht of
this review received his early education in the district schools of
Muscatine county, and during his boyhood and youth he aided his
father in the work of the farm. After the latter's death he
continued on the home farm with his mother for a number of years,
becoming the mainstay of the family. In 1860 he came to Linn county
and purchased a farm of one hundred and sixty-seven acres on section
29, Franklin township, which at that time was only partially
improved. There he made his home until 1882, and was successfully
engaged in general farming and stock raising. On disposing of that
place he bought another farm on section 29, Linn township, and to
its cultivation and improvement he devoted his energies for nine
years, at the end of which time he removed to Mt. Vernon and
purchased his present home on Jefferson street. He has not actively
engaged in any certain occupation since then, though he followed the
butcher business for a time, and now does some carpenter work. He
was marshal of the village for five years, and while living in the
country filled the office of school director for some time in a most
creditable and satisfactory manner. Socially he is an honored member
of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Masonic fraternity,
and religiously both he and his estimable wife are members of the
Evangelical church.
On the 4th of July,
1860, in Johnson county, Iowa, was celebrated the marriage of Mr.
Kleinknecht and Miss Laura A. Wolfe, a native of Linn county, and a
daughter of John and Annie (Dilldine) Wolfe, both of whom were born
in Ohio. The father came to Iowa in 1840 and settled in Franklin
township, Linn county, where he engaged in farming and also ran a
ferry boat on the Cedar river at Ivanhoe for many years. He held
numerous public offices in his township and was postmaster of
Ivanhoe for a number of years. He was an industrious, energetic and
progressive man, who was upright and honorable in all his deals, and
commanded the respect of all with whom he came in contact. His death
occurred on his farm in Franklin township in 1848, when he was
forty-one years of age. His wife survived him a number of years and
died at the age of sixty-two. They had eleven children, but Mrs.
Kleinknecht and two others are the only ones now living, these being
Melissa, wife of Alexander Gregory, a farmer of Schuyler county,
Missouri; and Squire William, a farmer of Franklin township, Linn
county. Those deceased were Rhoda M., wife of Dr. John Briney; Sarah
Rachel, wife of Wash Harvey; Daniel D., a farmer of Linn county, who
died at the age of sixty-two years; and five who died when quite
young. The mother of these children was twice married, her second
husband being Mr. Rollf, by whom she has two daughters, Isa Binda
and Alice Viola.
Ten children have
been born to Mr. and Mrs. Kleinknecht as follows: (1) William G.,
born in Johnson county, Iowa, April 21, 1962, owns and operates a
farm of eighty acres on section 29, Linn township, this county. He
married Lucy Stoddard and they have two children, Mabel and Merrill.
(2) Daniel D., was born December 20, 1863, in Linn county, where the
birth of the others also occurred, and he is now engaged in farming
in Bertram township, this county. He married Alice White and they
have four children: Bessie, Fay, Jennie and Pearl. (3) Edith M.,
born May 4, 1865, died June 10, 1867. (4) Wallace Lee, born November
16, 1866, follows farming on the old home place on section 29, Linn
township. He married Carrie Cordes and has three children, Annie,
Marvin and Kenneth. (5) Andrew T., born December 14, 1868, was
drowned in Cedar river July 7, 1876. (6) Isa, born October 25, 1870,
is the wife of Frank Kepler, a son of Peter M. Kepler, now deceased,
and a farmer of Franklin township. They have two children, Glenn and
Murl. (7) Dessie A., born September 2, 1872, is the wife of Elmer
Travis, a liveryman of Mt. Vernon, who was born in this county, and
is a son of Daniel Travis, now deceased, who was a farmer of
Franklin township. They have one chidl, Earl. (8) Charles A., born
May 4, 1874, is engaged in the grocery business in Mt. Vernon. He
married Tillie Daubenmier, and they have two children, Ruby and
Harold. (9) Emma L., born September 20, 1877, died April 15, 1887.
(10) Carrie A., born October 29, 1882 attended Cornell College and
is now pursuing her musical studies in Chicago.
Source:
The Biographical Record of Linn County Iowa, Illustrated, Chicago:
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1901, pages 228-230.
Submitted by: Terry
Carlson
JOHN KLEITSCH
John Kleitsch, a farmer and stock-raiser of Linn county, owns two
hundred acres of land in Grant township and also has a tract of one
hundred and thirty acres in Benton county, Iowa. His birth occurred in
Germany on the 8th of October, 1854, his parents being John and
Katherine (Nemmers) Kleitsch, likewise natives of that country. In
1857 they crossed the Atlantic to the United States and purchased and
located upon a tract of land in Jackson county, Iowa. Later they took
up their abode in Linn county and here spent the remainder of their
lives. They had a family of nine children, six of whom are yet living.
John Kleitsch,
who was a little lad of five years when he accompanied his parents on
their emigration to the new world, attended the common schools in the
acquirement of an education and remained at home until twenty-nine
years of age. He then purchased the old homestead place of one hundred
and sixty acres and later bought another tract of similar size. At the
present time he owns three hundred and thirty acres of rich and
productive land, one hundred and thirty acres of which lies in Benton
county, Iowa, while the remaining two hundred acres comprises his home
farm in Grant township, this county. Under his wise and careful
management the fields have been brought under a high state of
cultivation and annually yield bounteous harvests. The raising and
feeding of stock also claims his attention and has proved a profitable
undertaking to him.
In 1881 Mr.
Kleitsch was joined in wedlock to Miss Mary Hingtgen, a native of
Jackson county, Iowa, and a daughter of Theodore and Margaret Hingten,
both of whom were born in Germany. The father is deceased, but the
mother still survives and makes her home in Jackson county. They
reared a family of twelve children, all of whom are yet living. Unto
Mr. and Mrs. Kleitsch were also born twelve children, namely:
Elizabeth, the wife of Harry Faber, of Dubuque county; Theodore,
likewise a resident of that county; John, Jr.; Nicholas; Susan; Mary;
Francis; Margaret; Lawrence; and three who are deceased. In politics
Mr. Kleitsch is a democrat and for three terms he held the office of
road supervisor. Both he and his wife are faithful communicants of the
Catholic church and their genuine worth is widely recognized by a
large circle of warm friends.
Source:
History of Linn County Iowa, From Its Earliest Settlement to the
Present Time, Vol. II, Chicago, The Pioneer Publishing Company,
1911, p. 221-2.
Contributed by
Terry Carlson
JACOB J. KOCHER
Jacob J. Kocher, now serving as trustee of Fayette township, was born
in Switzerland, on the 30th of August, 1857, his parents, Benedict and
Louise (Zigerly) Kocher, being natives of the same country, where the
mother continued to reside up to the time of her death. Subsequently
in 1886 the father came to the United States and located in Palo,
Iowa, making his home with our subject. Later he went to Arkansas and
bought a farm of two hundred and twenty-five acres and lived there for
some years, but finally returned to Palo, where he passed away in
October, 1897.
Surrounded by the
grandeur of the Alps, Jacob J. Kocher grew to manhood and in the free
schools of his native land acquired a good practical education. It was
in 1880 that he crossed the broad Atlantic and became a citizen of the
United States. For two years he worked in a brickyard in Fairview,
Erie county, Pennsylvania, and then came west, becoming a resident of
Linn county, Iowa. Here he hired out as a farm hand, working two years
for Norman and John Ives upon a farm near Marion. He was next employed
for a short time in a creamery in Marion, but the greater part of his
time and energies have been devoted to agricultural pursuits. In the
spring of 1885, however, he removed to Palo, where he conducted a meat
market, but not long afterward he resumed farming and continued to
operate rented land until 1900, when he bought his present place of
seventy-two acres, on which he has since resided and to the
improvement and cultivation of which he has since devoted his time and
attention with good results.
Mr. Kocher was
married on the 23d of October, 1884, to Miss Mary Tuescher, of Otter
Creek township, a daughter of Frederick Tuescher. who was born in
Switzerland. Four children blessed this union, namely: Bertha, who is
now serving as assistant postmaster at Palo; Della, the wife of Carl
McArthur, of Fayette township; and Charles and Louise, both at home.
Mr. Kocher gives his
political allegiance to the republican party and has become
prominently identified with local politics. In the fall of 1908 he was
elected to the board of township trustees and is now filling that
office in a commendable and satisfactory manner. He has also served
two terms on the school board and never withholds his support from any
measure which he believes calculated to promote the moral,
intellectual or material welfare of the community in which he lives.
Both he and his wife are earnest and faithful members of the Lutheran
church.
Source:
History of Linn County Iowa, From Its Earliest Settlement to the
Present Time, Vol. II, Chicago, The Pioneer Publishing Company,
1911, p. 730-1.
Contributed by
Terry Carlson
HENRY S. KOHL
Henry S. Kohl, a well-to-do and successful farmer and stock raiser
residing on section 36, Franklin township, was born in Cedar county,
Iowa, on the 22d of May, 1853. His parents, Solomon and
Elizabeth (Blessing) Kohl, were both natives of Pennsylvania, but
became acquainted and were married at Lisbon, Iowa, having come to
this state at an early day. For many years the father was one of the
most active and progressive agriculturists of his community, but his
last days were spent in retirement from labor. He died in April,
1894, at the age of sixty-seven years, and was buried in the Lisbon
cemetery, but his wife is still living on the old homestead farm.
They had a family of five sons, of whom our subject is the oldest;
Fred married Millie Pfaugh and resides on a farm in Cedar county;
Emanuel married Alice Tyson and lives in Cass county, Iowa; John
married Flossie Nix and resides in Cedar county; and Samuel married
Ollie Mitchell and lives on the old homestead in Cedar county. The
father of these children was for a great many years a minister in the
United Brethren church.
During the winter months Henry S. Kohl attended the district schools
near his boyhood home until twenty years of age, while the summer
seasons were devoted to farm work. He remained under the parental
roof until he was married, in Cedar county, July 1, 1878, to Miss
Susan Bittle, who was born in Pennsylvania August 12, 1853, and came
west in 1869 with her parents, Henry and Rebecca (Becker) Bittle, also
natives of the Keystone state. Her family located on a farm in Cedar
county, where the father still lives, but the mother died in August,
1891. Mr. Bittle since early manhood has been a minister in the
Church of God. They had ten children, namely: David married Eliza
Bucher and lives on the old homestead in Cedar county; Jesse,
deceased, wedded Mary Glantzey, now a resident of Franklin county,
Iowa; Susan is the wife of our subject; Amelia died at the age of two
years; Stephen married Becky Smith, and resides in Shelby county,
Iowa; George died at the age of ten years; Clara is the wife of Robert
McLaughlin, of Mapleton, Iowa; Rebecca is a resident of San Diego,
California; Alexander, deceased, married Nettie Mason and resided in
Mapleton, Iowa; and Walter married Lula Briegle and makes his home in
Tindall, Missouri.
Mr.
and Mrs. Kohl have a family of four children: Laura, born July 1,
1878, is the wife of Fred Huey, a farmer of Cedar county, and they
have one child, Harold; Clyde, born January 14, 1880, assists his
father in the management of the farm; and Ray, born October 16, 1882,
and Clarence born October 21, 1887, are also at home.
After his marriage Mr. Kohl leased a farm which he operated for three
years, and then came to Linn county, purchasing one hundred and twenty
acres of land on section 36, Franklin township, which was only
partially improved. To the further development and cultivation of his
land he has since devoted his energies, and now has a most attractive
place, supplied with all the conveniences and accessories found upon a
model farm. In connection with general farming he raises horses,
cattle and hogs. He gives his political support to the Republican
party, and for a number of years has served as school director.
Source:
The Biographical Record of Linn County Iowa, Illustrated, Chicago:
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1901, pages 178-179.
Submitted by: Carrie J. Robertson of Marion
S. N. Kratzer
S. N. Kratzer, who
has won a creditable measure of prosperity in the operation of his
fine farm on section 26, Jackson township, is also engaged in
stock-raising to some extent. His birth occurred in Winnebago county,
Illinois, on the 1st of February, 1850, his parents being
Samuel and Malinda (Drake) Kratzer, both of whom were natives of Brown
county, Ohio. They first established their home in Winnebago county,
Illinois, and in the fall of 1868 came to Linn county, Iowa settling
on a farm in Jackson township. Here they spent the remainder of their
lives, the mother passing away in 1886 and the father in 1895. They
reared a family of ten children, nine of whom are still living.
S. N. Kratzer
attended the common schools in the acquirement of an education and
remained under the parental roof until he was married at the age of
twenty-eight. Subsequently he operated the old homestead place for
four years and on the expiration of that period, in 1883, purchased
seventy-three acres of the farm on which he now resides on section 26,
Jackson township. Later he extended its boundaries to include one
hundred and fifty-three and one-fourth acres of land, all of which he
has brought under a high state of cultivation and improvement. The
well-tilled fields annually yield golden harvest in return for the
care and labor which he bestows upon them, and in connection with his
farming interests he also makes a specialty of raising and feeding
stock.
In 1878 Mr. Kratzer
was united in marriage to Miss Artie Gramling, by whom he had one son,
Harley, who is now a resident of Marion. The wife and mother passed
away in 1881 and on the 4th of January, 1887, Mr. Kratzer
was again married, his second union being with Miss Nellie Hicks,
whose birth occurred near Rockford, Illinois. Her parents, Joel H. and
Thankful (Kingsley) Hicks, were both natives of New York and
celebrated their marriage at Rockford, Illinois, where they continued
to reside until called to their final rest. Their children were five
in number, three of whom yet survive. Mr. and Mrs. Kratzer have two
children: J. H., who has a business college education and now operates
the home farm; and Floyd N., likewise at home.
In politics Mr. Kratzer is a stanch republican and is now capably discharging the
duties devolving upon him in the capacity of township trustee. The
cause of education has ever found in him a warm friend and he served
on the school board for more than twenty years. His fraternal
relations are with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Central
City, while his religious faith is indicated by his membership in the
Congregational church, with which his wife is also affiliated. He has
now made his home within the borders of Linn county for more than four
decades and the circle of his friends is a wide one.
Source: History of Linn County
Iowa From Its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time, Vol. II,
The Pioneer Publishing Company, 1911, pages 80-1.
Contributed by: Terry Carlson
JOHN J. KULA
John J. Kula, a
well known farmer of Buffalo township, Linn county, Iowa, was born in
Bohemia in 1848, a son of Frank and Mary Kula, who brought their
family to America in 1852 and the following year settled in Linn
county. The father purchased a farm in Boulder township, which he
successfully operated until his death in 1898. The mother passed away
the year previous.
Being but five
years of age when he came to this county, John J. Kula was practically
reared here and is indebted to the public schools of the county for
the educational advantages which he received. He remained with his
parents until twenty-eight years of age and then took possession of an
eighty-acre tract of land in Buffalo township, which his father had
purchased. Upon this place he has since resided and as he has
prospered in his undertakings has extended its boundaries from time to
time until he is now the owner of two hundred acres of very valuable
and well improved land. Throughout his business career he has followed
farming and the prosperity that has come to him is but the just reward
of earnest labor.
In 1873 Mr. Kula
was united in marriage to Miss Mary Holub, a daughter of Joseph and
Mary Holub, who were also natives of Bohemia and on coming to the
United States in 1852 settled in Boulder township, Linn county, Iowa.
Her father first acquired a farm of eighty acres, but so successful
was he in his farming operations that he was owning three hundred
acres at the time he retired from active labor. He divided the
property among his children and spent his last days in Howard,
enjoying a well earned rest. His death occurred in that place in 1896
and his wife departed this life in 1895. They were the parents of
eight children, who are still living. To Mr. and Mrs. Kula have been
born ten children, as follows : Mary, now the wife of Adolph Lacy, of
Oxford Junction, Iowa; Annie, the wife of Mathias Alas, of Lost
Nation, Iowa; Katharine, the wife of Peter Ellis, of Clinton county;
Frank, who is married and is living in Buffalo township, Linn county;
Rose, John J. and Raymond, all at home; Frances, the wife of George
Hartsell; Lilly, at home; and Joseph, who died at the age of three
years.
In religious
faith the family are Catholics and in his political views Mr. Kula is
an ardent democrat, but has never been a politician in the sense of
office seeking.. He has always been a stalwart champion of the
principles in which he believes and has ever exerted his influence for
the benefit of
the community in which he resides.
Source: 1911 Linn Co., IA History Vol. 2 pgs. 85-86
Submitted by Becky Teubner
SAMUEL A. KURTZ
In past ages the
history of a country was the record of wars and conquests; to-day it
is the record of commercial activity, and those whose names are
foremost in its annals are the leaders in business circles. The
conquests now made are those of mind over matter, not man over man,
and the victor is he who can successfully establish, control and
operate extensive commercial interests. Prominent among the
enterprising, energetic and prosperous business men of Linn county is
Samuel A. Kurtz, whose whole life has been spent at Lisbon.
He was born in that
place, December 15, 1854, a son of John E. and Esther (Hershey) Kurtz,
both natives of Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, in which state the
family was founded over two centuries ago. In the east the father
worked at the cabinetmaker’s trade and engaged in the manufacture of
lumbre. It was in the spring of 1847 that he came to Linn county,
Iowa, and took up his residence on the present site of Lisbon, where
he followed farming for several years and later engaged in
merchandising and milling though his last days were spent in
retirement from active business. He built what was known as the
Golden Sheaf Mill. During the Civil war he served as postmaster of
Lisbon, and represented his district in the state legislature in
1856. He died in May, 1900, honored and respected by all who knew
him. The mother of our subject passed away in 1876. They were the
parents of nine children, namely: Christian H., who is represented on
another page of this volume; John H., who died in 1860, at the age of
nineteen years; Barbara A., wife of Joel C. Ringer, of Lisbon; Henry
Clay, also a resident of that place; Abraham E., of Chicago; David H.,
of Cedar Rapids; Lizzie, wife of J. F. Hahn, of Cedar Rapids; Mary,
who died when about nine years of age; Samuel A., our subject.
Samuel A. Kurtz
obtained his early education in the district schools of Lisbon, and
later spent two years at Cornell College, Mt. Vernon. He entered upon
his business career as a clerk, and in 1876 became a member of the
firm of H. C. & S. A. Kurtz, dry-goods merchants of Lisbon, being
connected with that business until 1892. For several years he was
engaged in getting out railroad ties and lumber, during which time he
cleared over two thousand acres of timber land within a radius of six
miles of Lisbon, and kept constantly in his employ from fifty to
seventy-five men, cutting, hauling and piling the wood. Most of this
he sold to the Chicago & Northwester Railroad Company, and furnished
to the same company its piling used between Clinton and Jefferson,
Iowa, a distance of two hundred miles. He continued in that business
until 1897, and still does something along that line but not so
extensively. He is now carrying on business in Lisbon as a dealer in
lumber, wood, coal, sewer pipe, fire brick and fire clay, and has
built up an excellent trade. For the past ten years Mr. Kurtz has
also been interested in real estate and owns a large amount of land in
the city and surrounding country. He has improved considerable
property in Lisbon which he has sold on contract, and has recently
platted one of the finest additions to the city, it being known as
Kurtz & Stuckslager’s addition, which embraces about ten acres. Our
subject has several other pieces of property which he eventually
intends to lay out in town lots, and has made many substantial
improvements in various parts of the city. He is also connected with
the Lisbon Telephone Company, and is a member of its board of
directors. This company is now constructing a line from Lisbon to
Solon, and has a large patronage among the farmers of Franklin
township.
On the 21st
of February, 1878, at Lisbon, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Kurtz
and Miss Ellen M. Auracher, a native of Pennsylvania, and a daughter
of Gotlieb Auracher, who was a prominent man of Lisbon, now deceased.
By this union were born three children who are still living, namely:
Clara, wife of T. Macey Lee, a druggist of Lisbon; Bessie and Esther,
both at home.
The Republican
party has always found in Mr. Kurtz a stanch supporter of its
principles, but he has never cared for political honors. He has held
nearly all the township offices, and has served as alderman of the
city for several years and is still filling that position. As a
citizen he is pre-eminently public-spirited and progressive, and his
connection with various business enterprises and industries have
advanced the interests of his town and country in no uncertain
manner. The history of such a man cannot fail to be of wide-spread
interest for he ranks high in commercial circles.
Source:
The Biographical Record of Linn County Iowa, Illustrated, Chicago:
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1901, pages 100-1.
Submitted by: Carrie J. Robertson of Marion
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