R. H. REYNOLDS

    Robert Henry Reynolds (1832, Flinn, Ind.) and Sallie Ann Flinn (1835, Flinn, Ind.) came to Montgomery County, Iowa, in wagons in 1867. Their parents were Thomas (1796-1877) and Hannah McAllister Reynolds (1804-1865); William and America Tatem Flinn.

    R. H. with George Davis built the mill near Stennett in 1868 of lumber hauled from Council Bluffs with oxen at a cost of $8,000. It was 24x50 feet, three stories high with turbine wheel and one run of bars. It was fraught with disaster for James (2 years) drowned there and the mill burned.

    In 1869 “Hen” bought the home place 11/2 miles directly south of Elliott. At the time of his death in Elliott he and Sallie owned 460 acres adjacent to Elliott—193 of those acres are now owned and (with his sister, Doris,) is occupied by Russell Kruse. They are R. H.’s grandchildren. In 1880 Henry sold a right of way to the Red Oak & Atlantic Railway Co.

    Other direct descendants of the couple still living in the area are Grethel Reynolds Petty (great-granddaughter) and her son Bill—see Dean Petty story.

    In 1892 Henry established Reynolds & Sons Hardware in Elliott – sons Charles and Curt and son-in-law Billy Kruse were his associates. It was located just east of today’s lumber yard.

    Henry and Sallie farmed in Madison County after their marriage in Highpoint, Iowa. Eight of their 11 children grew up – six born in Madison, five in Montgomery Counties – William T. (1860-1929); George E. (1861-1876); Laura (1863-1918) m. V. Martin; Iva (1865-1927) m. Billie Kruse; James (1866-1868); Henry (1868-1922) m. Nellie Silkett; Flora (1870-1959) m. Herman Kruse; Curtis (1873-1939) m. Ida Perley (see story elsewhere this book); Cora (1874-1957) m. Charley Carson.

    One of the first livestock buyers in Elliott, R. H. had an avid interest in raising Hereford cattle. In 1899 they moved to the home now occupied by the Albert Eshelmans and in 1911 they died within three months of each other—he at home and she at the home farm which they had left in charge of the Herman Kruses. They were Church of Christ members.