Mills County, Iowa
1881 Mills County History

A B C D E-F G H I-J K-L M-N O-P Q-R S T-V W-Z

Kayton, R. S.,
farmer and stock raiser, P.O. Henderson; was born April 10, 1834, in Ripley county, Indiana, where he was raised as a farmer and educated in the common schools. He came to Mills county in 1856. He married Miss Rebecca McFatridge, September 14, 1857. She was born in Indiana, February 20, 1840; died April 29, 1874. In the same year he located on his present farm. He was married August 6, 1877, to Margaret J. Hellyer, a native of Iowa. By his first wife he had seven children, five now living: Henry C., David M., Lydia A., Frances M., and Lieu Ellen; and one by his second wife: Stella May. p. 703 Anderson Township

Kelley, B. E. F.,
Farmer and stock raiser, P.O. Benton; was born March 7, 1838, in Johnson county, Illinois. In 1852 he moved with his parents to Williamson county, same state, and in 1854 came to Mills county. He was matured on a farm, and his educational advantages limited to such as are obtainable in the common schools. He was married January 1, 1863, to Elizabeth J. Doroty, a native of Ohio, born December 26, 1840. Until 1868 he rented a farm, but in that year he purchased one of eighty acres to which he has added, until now he owns a fine farm of two hundred and sixty acres. The family of Mr. Kelly numbers five children: James L., Perry R., John W., Gracie A. and Frank. p. 703 Anderson Township

Kelley, Rev. Isaac,
P.O. Hillsdale; born November 11, 1819, in Ross county, Ohio, where he grew to maturity, working on his father's farm and attending the pioneer schools. When nineteen years old he commenced to learn the trade of a blacksmith, and worked at that trade ten years. In 1843 he moved to Highland county, Ohio, where he was engaged in farming two years, returning again to his native county. After spending two years at his old home he went to Jacksonville, and in 1848 engaged in mercantile pursuits at Locust Grove. He came to Mills county in the autumn of 1853. He united with the M. E. Church when a young man, and began his career as a minister of the gospel in this county. The Glenwood circuit was his first field of labor, where he served two years and was then appointed by the conference to minister to the spiritual wants of the citizens of the Bedford circuit. He was afterward appointed to the Oregon, Missouri, circuit. He returned to this county in 1861, and has since remained here preaching in the Tabor circuit, and adjoining places. Rev. Kelley was married October 26, 1842, to Miss Ruth Smith, who was born in Highland county, Ohio, June 16, 1822. Twelve children have blessed this union, ten of whom are living at the present time: L. E., D. E., L.A., J. Q., J. J., W. M., E. E., W. S., E. M. and Pearl. He owns a pleasant residence situated on the suburbs of Hillsdale, and a well improved farm of four hundred and forty acres. He also owns an extensive mercantile house, conducted by his son Isaac. p. 597 Center Township

Kelley, P. P.,
Mayor, of the firm of Kelley Bros., attorneys; was born in Johnson county, Illinois, June 23, 1849. There his days were spent until he was about seven years of age, when his parents brought him to Mills county, and located in Anderson township, on a farm. There he spent his early days in acquiring an education and in the pursuits of agriculture. In 1869 he entered the State University at Iowa City, attending four consecutive sessions of that institution, graduating from the law department in the spring of 1876. He soon became associated with his brother, Mr. E. E. Kelley, and began the practice of law in Glenwood, and has since given it his entire attention. The firm is doing a good business and have a large and very desirable practice in all Iowa courts. they are closely identified with the interests of Mills county, and have secured the entire confidence of its citizens. In the spring of 1876 Mr. Kelley waS elected recorder of the city of Glenwood, and in the spring of 1880 was unanimously elected mayor, and has discharged his official duties to the entire satisfaction of the people. He is a man who has done much for the development of the town and county, and has ever made war on evil doers. He was married on the 19th of April, 1876, to Miss Mollie E. Baker, a native of this county; from this union they have two children living: Freddie and Minnie. p. 680 Glenwood Township

Kenny, Hugh,
Farmer, section 18, P.O. Pacific Junction; was born May 23, 1834, in Ross county, Ohio. He there grew to man's estate, and passed his youth in farm labor, and obtaining the rudiments of an education. In 1854 he came to Iowa, and located in Wapello county, but two years thereafter he came to Mills county and located at Glenwood. The year following he went to Pacific City, and was one to lay out that village. In 1855-56, he was employed by the government as a freighter across the plains; and after leaving this business, confined his exclusive attention to farming. The farm he now occupies was purchased in 1874. He was married in 1860, to Miss Adaline Fowler, a native of Jackson county, Ohio. They are the parents of four children: David W., Nancy V., Sarah and Walter L. Mr. Kenny has long been a settler in his neighborhood, and has filled various offices of trust and prominence. p. 662 Plattville Township

Kerney, Nathan,
Is a farmer by occupation, whose domain of 159 acres lies in section 31. He is a native of the old Keystone state, born in Bedford county, August 22, 1824. At the age of one year he came to Ohio with his parents, where he remained some sixteen years, during which period of his youth he attended the common school and worked on the farm. At the age of seventeen - 1841 - he went to Missouri and tarried some fifteen years, until 1853, when he came to Mills county, Iowa as one of its pioneer settlers. At his advent, the land upon which the town of Malvern stands was owned by the United States government. He was first married March 1, 1849, to Miss Margaret Van Buskirk, of Savannah, Missouri. Five children were added to the household through this marriage: William W., Sarah A., Lydia A., Laura G. and Martha E. whose mother died November 22, 1873. After wearing the weed of sorrow for three years, he contracted another marital alliance with Sarah M. Showalter, of Dade county, Missouri, through whom two children - Charles H, and Adin G. were added to the already good circle. Mr. K. was a member of the Masonic order - Silver Urn Lodge of Malvern. He and his present wife are of the Baptist persuasion. p. 628 Silver Creek Township

Kisby, Henry,
Farmer, P.O. Glenwood; was born March 12, 1818, in Lincolnshire, England. His early youth was passed in the common school of his native land, and in the occupation, incident to a farmer boy's life. He came to the United States in the year 1847, and first settled in the state of Wisconsin. In the spring of 1856 he located on his present farm of fifty acres, and although he is not a large land holder, what he has is free from debt. He has been twice married; his first wife was Miss Ellen Needham, a native of England, she died September 14, 1865. On March 5, 1876, he married Miss Elizabeth Dee, by whom he has four children, Margaret E., Eliza M., Susanna and William H. Mr. Kisby is a devoted member of the Christian church. p. 680 Glenwood Township

Kline, John,
P.O. Pacific Junction; is a native of Union county, Pennsylvania, where he was born November 19, 1838. At an early age he moved with his parents to Morgan county, Illinois. July 20, 1862, he enlisted in company E, One hundred and first Illinois Infantry, and was engaged in numerous battles, among which were Lookout Mountain, Resaca, Dallas, Cassville, Kenesaw Mountain, and Atlanta. At the battle of Dallas he received a slight flesh wound. He was discharged as an orderly, June 18, 1865. Mr. Kline has been a resident of numerous places, and been engaged in many kinds of business. For a number of years he was employed in railroading, and successively promoted from the lower positions to that of conductor. He became a resident of Pacific Junction in 1877. He was married September 23, 1875, to Miss Lizzie Barbar, a native of Canada. They are the parents of one child: John R. B. p. 662/663 Plattville Township

Kline, John M.,
P.O. Malvern: born in Columbia county, Pennsylvania. When eight years of age he went with his parents to St. Joseph county, Michigan, where he remained until twenty-two years of age. He then came to this county, rented a farm and commenced farming. In 1877 he purchased the northeast quarter of section 12, Rawles township, where he now resides. He now owns a fine farm of 120 acres, which he has procured solely by his individual efforts. His farm is well stocked with cattle and hogs, and he is now feeding a large number of cattle for market. Was married October 13, 1872, to Miss Ella A. Whitfield, a native of Michigan. They are the parents of three children: Otto, John and Ruth. p. 610 Rawles Township

Kroon, Charley,
Merchant, P.O. Pacific Junction; was born June 5, 1845, in Sweden, where he reached maturity. He came to America in 1868, and located for a brief period in the city of New York. He afterwards went to Porter county, Indiana, and engaged as a farm laborer, working for seventy-five cents per day. Better employment presenting itself to him, he began work on a railroad, and continued this until September 12, 1872. His steady habits led to promotion, and he became baggage-master at Shenandoah, Iowa. November 12, of that same year he was transferred to Pacific Junction, and became, in addition to his other duties, local mail agent. After a service of five years he formed a partnership with George Alden, and engaged in the mercantile business. Mr. Kroon came to this country with nothing save a will and perseverance. He now owns the best stock of goods in Pacific Junction, and besides his business interests, looks after some public matters, as he is now school director, and has been township trustee. p. 662 Plattville Township

L Lambert, James,
Farmer, section 11, P.O. Glenwood; born in Cobbel (now Wayne) county, Virginia, October 18, 1830, and there grew to manhood, working at farm labor, and attending the subscription schools. At an early age he went to Missouri, and soon after engaged in freighting across the plains. In a short time he came to Iowa, locating in Fremont county. In 1855 he came to Mills county and settled on the farm where he now resides. Was married June 7, 1855, to Miss Lydia E., daughter of William H. and Mary Shepherdson, of Huron county, Ohio. They are the parents of ten children, nine of whom are now living: Ashael, Lester W., Mary E., Celia M., Calvin, Jeannette, Lewis, Walter and Elsie. The family are members of the Congregational church. Mr. Lambert has filled the various township offices to the satisfaction of the people. He owns a farm of 128 acres, with an excellent dwelling house, large and productive orchard, and various other improvements. He was one of the earliest settlers, and endured many privations, the Indians at one time stealing the only horse he possessed. p. 624/625 Lyons Township

Landon, E. F.,
Farmer, section 36, P.O. Silver City; born in 1833, in Ohio, and there grew to manhood. When eighteen years old he commenced to learn the trade of a carpenter, which trade he followed over twenty years. He arrived in Glenwood May 18, 1857, in which city he worked at his trade until 1865, when he located on the farm where he now lives, which consists of 225 acres. His farm is beautifully situated, and has superior facilities for raising stock, in which business Mr. Landon has a marked degree of success. He was married in 1859, to Miss M. J. Looker, a native of Virginia. They are the parents of four children: Clotilde, Steven A., Felton and Roy. He is one of the pioneers of Mills county, and has pecuniarly triumphed at about the same ration with the county. He is a charter member of Silver City lodge, No. 403 I.O.O.F., and is well respected by all with whom he comes in contact. p. 696 Ingraham Township

Lang, John,
Farmer and stock raiser, section 26, P.O. Emerson; born September 26, 1828, in France. Moved with his parents to the northeast part of France in 1833, where he remained until twenty-two years of age. He was then apprenticed to learn the trade of a weaver, at which trade he worked in Paris and Orleans. Immigrated to America in 1853, and landed in New York with but two dollars, and could not speak a word of English. He went into the country and obtained work by the month until he had earned $150, with which in 1865, he came west and stopped near Burlington, Iowa. He gave his $150 in money and two years' labor for eighty acres of land in Mills county to a man named H. Avery, who resided near Burlington. He then came to this county to see the land he had purchased. He then went to work on the Missouri bottom, taking his pay in cottonwood lumber. After working two or three months he traded his lumber for a skiff and two guns, and started down the Missouri on a voyage of discovery, but discovered no country he liked so well as Mills county, and soon returned. He was married in April 1861, to Catharine Kesterson. They are the parents of eight children: Barbara, Charles, Mary, Frank, Alice, Walter, John Jr., and Edward. To his original farm of eighty acres he has since added three hundred acres, making one of the best farms in the township. He is a man of great energy, and takes an active interest in the schools and all necessary public improvements. p. 715 Indian Creek Township

Langmuir, James,
Farmer, P.O. Clark; born in Scotland, February 4, 1813, where he remained until eighteen years of age. He then immigrated to Canada, and remained there one year, and in 1832 came to the United States, first locating in Ohio, near Cleveland, where he remained for twelve years, engaged in farming. He then went to Lake county, Illinois, and resided there twelve years, when he moved to Huston county, Minnesota, remaining there eighteen years. In 1874 he came to this county and located on section 26, White Cloud township, where he now resides. Was married July 16, 1856, to Miss Agnes Angus who was born in Scotland, July 20, 1830. They are the parents of three children: James W., Isabella J. and Cornelia A. all of whom were born in Minnesota. p. 652 White Cloud Township

Laraway, W. F.,
Manufacturing jeweler. It is not with a historian's pen we deign writing a sketch of this enterprising citizen of Glenwood, but merely to strike a contrast between the present industries of the town and that of thirty years ago, when Glenwood was but a mere hamlet or trading post for the pioneer, but with the hope it will serve to show what can be accomplished where there is a mind to plan and a will to execute. Our subject was born in Washington county, Ohio, October 28, 1848. In 1853 his parents brought him to Dodge county, Wisconsin. There he began the study of his present trade, which he has pursued until the present time. In 1865 he moved to Cass county, Iowa, where he conducted a business until 1869, when he came to Glenwood and embarked in his present line of trade on a small scale. From this nucleus has sprung a business which is a credit to the town as well as its principal. In 1879 he moved to his present quarters, which is a commodious store. It is literally filled with the largest and handsomest stock of any house of the kind in southwestern Iowa. It consists of watches, clocks, plated ware and jewelry of all descriptions. He has built up a trade in engraving which extends over a broad expanse of territory. He is engaged in manufacturing everything in his line from a watch chain to a jeweler's lathe. He is the inventor of the "Glenwood chronograph," which timepiece excites the admiration of horsemen and people generally wherever shown, and manufactures many other articles of value and curiosity which are a standing credit to his skill. He erected the first transit (for taking the correct time from the sun,) in the county, which is an instrument of delicate mechanism; and in fact everything about his establishment is indicative of the man of skill and energy. His is by far the oldest house of the kind in the county, and is now enjoying a patronage from the people which is commensurate with his untiring energy as a business man. He is a gentleman of liberal culture and is highly esteemed as a citizen. p. 680/681 Glenwood Township

Lewis, A.,
Farmer and stock raiser, P.O. Malvern; was born in Knox county Ohio, in the year 1821, where his youth was passed and his education received. In 1855 Mr. Lewis came to this county and located near the place of his present residence. For some five years he engaged in farming but then erected a saw and grist mill on Silver Creek. After conducting this successfully for a time he returned to his former avocation. In 1857 he married Miss Mary J. Wilkerson, born in December 1833, by whom he has one child, Electa, and one by adoption, Robert D. His farm comprises two hundred and fifty-nine acres, improved, with good buildings and a fine orchard. p. 597 Center Township

Lewis, Daniel,
Is a native of Kentucky, born in Shelby county, December 4, 1801, where he lived until he was twenty-seven years old when he moved to Indianapolis, Indiana. After spending four or five years here, and three years at Quincy, Illinois, he located in Mills county, Iowa, in August 1851. He located on land then in the possession of the Mormons, and from whom he purchased it. It was then known as Cutler's camp. At the time Mr. Lewis came to Mills county the country about him and Malvern, except the "Mormon settlement" was unoccupied by white men. He was identified with the first formation and settlement of the county; he was a member of the first grand jury organized in the county; he had seen corn sold in the early days of the settlements for $1.50 per bushel; he was first married to Nancy Logan, in Kentucky, in 1820; his second marriage was to Harriet Holstein, October 24, 1830; has five children living: George W., Donald J., Henry Clay, Winfield S. and Millard F.; his farm lies in section 7, and contains three hundred acres. Before providing for his children his acres numbered twelve hundred. p. 629 Silver Creek Township

Lewis, I. B.,
Merchant, P.O. Hillsdale; born in February 1846, in Andrew county, Missouri, where he resided about five years. He then came to Iowa, locating in Mills county, and has resided here continuously. He received his education in the excellent common schools of this county. He was married in March 1872, to Damascus Kelley of this county. They are the parents of four children: Fay Ivy, Ruth Ella and Clifford. Mr. Lewis is now engaged in the grocery and provision trade, and also carries an extensive stock of notions. He is a successful business man, much admired by all who know him. p.597 Center Township

Lewis, Millard F.,
A native of Mills county, Iowa, was born on the farm on which he now resides, August 25, 1856. Mr. L. is a son of Daniel Lewis, one of the earliest settlers of this county. He carries on farming on the old home. He was educated in the common school, and at Bryant's business college, of St. Joseph, Missouri, and at Montague & Lillibridge business college, of Davenport, Iowa. He married Miss Mattie A. Knight, of Mills county, December 10, 1876 - a centennial marriage. One child, Harry, cheers their young hearts. p. 629 Silver Creek Township

Lilly, J. J.,
P. O. Pacific Junction; born May 23, 1853, in Pennsylvania, and at an early age moved to Freeport, Illinois. When fourteen he became a resident of Ogle county, and there reached man's estate and received his education. He learned the plasterer's trade, and followed it some ten years. He engaged in his present business in 1880. p. 663 Plattville Township

Lloyd, Henry,
Farmer and stock raiser, section 30, P.O. Hastings; born October 16, 1827, in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, Moved with his parents to Adams county, Ohio, when quite young, and there grew to manhood. In 1849 he went to Peoria county, Illinois, and in 1852, returned to Ohio. In 1854 he came to Iowa, first locating in Louisa county, and later in Warren county, where he was married, March 5, 1856, to Elizabeth Silcott, a native of Ohio. In 1858 he came to Mills county, and located on the farm where he now resides. His farm consists of one hundred and eighty acres, on which is a good dwelling house and other substantial improvements. Mr. Lloyd served three years as a member of the board of supervisors. He takes an active interest in the schools, and anything that has for its object the development of the township. p. 714/715 Indian Creek Township

Long, Abigail,
P. O. Malvern; born May 19, 1818, in Oneida county, New York. When six years of age she moved with her parents to Fulton county, New York. She was married November 18, 1837, to Adam Long, of Fulton county, New York. He was born in 1805, and died in 1877, leaving four children: Lewis R., Henry W., James R., and Salina E. Mrs. Long and her son Lewis, are located on a good farm of eighty acres with pleasant surroundings. Mr. L. R. Long is a consistent member of the Baptist church of Malvern. He was born in 1839, at Gloversville, New York, where he resided about thirty years. He learned the trade of a carpenter, and worked one year in the office of John Adams, paymaster of the Harlem railway. He came to this county in 1864, and has since been engaged in farming and carpentering. p. 598 Center Township

Lunger, E. J.,
Proprietor of the Painter house, Pacific Junction, is a native of New York, born December 10, 1857. He came to Iowa in January, 1874, and located in Cass county, finding employment in a drug store at Oneida. The following summer he engaged in farming, and then in the hotel business. He came to Mills county, and entered in the hotel business at Glenwood. In May, of 1880, he came to Pacific Junction and began in the same business at his present stand. He was married October, 1877, to Miss Mary L. Schall, a native of Philadelphia. They are the parents of one child: Maggie B. p. 663 Plattville

Source: "History of Mills County, Iowa"; Des Moines: State Historical Company, 1881.
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