Biographical History of Page County, Iowa, Lewis & Dunbar Publishers, 113 Adams Street, Chicago, Illinois, 1890

[transcribed by Pat O'Dell: genpat@netins.net ]

SELKIRK S. LINGO is one of the influential and representative men of Page County, where he has resided since the year 1875. He is a native of Belmont County, Ohio, born December 28,1849. His parents, Gideon and Naomi (Bolen) Lingo, were natives of Delaware and Virginia respectively. Gideon being the son of Samuel, and Samuel the son of John, and John being the son of Samuel, which Samuel with a brother Henry came to this country from Wales in 1765 or 1775 and settled in Delaware. They reared a family of thirteen children, five sons and eight daughters. They are still living on the old homestead in Ohio, which has been in the possession of the Lingo family seventy years. Selkirk S. was reared to the life of a farmer and obtained his education in the district schools, the terms of which lasted three months during the winter season.
In 1875, he came to Lincoln Township, Page County, Iowa, and engaged in the livestock business, and buying and shipping in large numbers, and was the first man to ship a load of stock on the H. and S. Railroad. In February of that year he bought 240 acres of choice land on section 9, Lincoln Township, which he improved.
March 9, 1875, he was united in marriage to Miss Martha A. Martin, of Belmont County, Ohio, a daughter of Amos and Mary (White) Martin. He then settled on his land in Lincoln Township, and he has made further investments in farm land until he now owns 834 acres, which is under good cultivation. He has continued his interest in the industry of live-stock feeding and raising, in which he has been more than ordinarily successful.
Mr. and Mrs. Lingo are the parents of four children: Walter M., Ernest Selkirk, Mary Mabel and Otis Allen. Politically our subject is a Republican and a strong supporter of that party. He has held numerous township offices, discharging his duties with much ability. He is a member of Mountain Lodge, No. 360, A. F. & A. M., at Essex, Iowa, and he also belongs to the chapter. Mrs. Lingo is also connected with the Masonic order, being a member of the Eastern Star Lodge. She belongs to the Christian Church, having united with that denomination in Ohio. Mr. Lingo is a man yet in the prime of life, full of vigor and possessed of great industry. He is well and favorably known throughout western Page County.

JOHN DOWDELL, proprietor of " Dowdell Block " and owner of other valuable real estate, is the subject of this biographical notice.   The building above men- [page 646] tioned is on the north side of the public square of Clarinda, and is one of the best in the city. It is a two story structure, the lower floor being divided into two store-rooms and the upper portion being finished as a fine hall; it was erected at a cost of $12,000.
Mr. Dowdell has been a resident of Page County since 1883. He was born in Clermont County, Ohio, February 5, 1829. His father, John Dowdell, was a native of Virginia and of French extraction. The mother's maiden name was Elizabeth Norfsker; she was born in Pennsylvania of German parentage. John, Jr., was reared on a farm and obtained his education in the common schools. In 1852, when he had reached his majority, he made a trip to California, going overland and consuming three months in the journey. He was engaged in farming and gardening for a time and then he worked in the mines at Virginia City, Montana, and other points; he held some valuable property at one time, a claim in Lincoln Gulch on which was a surface mine. In June, 1866, he came down the Missouri river but after a time he returned to Wyoming and engaged in freighting and contracting; he also dealt largely in live-stock; at one time he and his partner had 1,000 head of steers, which they fattened and shipped to Chicago.
As before stated, it was in 1883 that Mr. Dowdell came to Clarinda, and soon became prominently identified with the business interests of the place. He was one of the leading stock-holders of the National Bank, and was one of the organizers of that institution. He owns a good, two-story residence in the north part of the city, 200 acres of line farming land near Clarinda, and eighty acres in Buchanan Township, all under excellent cultivation.
Mr. Dowdell was united in marriage at Clarinda in 1883, to Miss Jennette H------------ .
By this union two children have been born: Gertrude and John. Politically our subject affiliates with the Republican party. He is a man of superior business qualifications and by industry and wise management has accumulated a comfortable fortune.

EDWlN L. KENNON, manager of the George Palmer & Co. lumber business at Blanchard, Iowa, is one of the leading business men of the place, and justly finds space in a work of this character. He has been connected with the interests of Blanchard since 1887, coming from Northboro, Washington Township, where he had been in the employ of the same firm for three years. He was born in Providence, Rhode Island, December 26, 1862, and is a son of Charles E. Kennon, a native of Birmingham, England. His mother's maiden name was Adelaide Hall, and she was born in Connecticut. When Edwin L. was an infant they removed to Connecticut.
In 1883 Mr. Kennon came to Iowa, and engaged with C. S. Millard & Co., lumber dealers at Shenandoah, Page County. He remained there eight months and then was engaged at various occupations until he was employed by the firm of Palmer & Co. The first twenty-seven months he was in their service he did not lose a single day's time, holidays excepted. Politically he affiliates with the Democratic party. The people of the township have attested their confidence in his ability by calling him to fill various local offices. He is secretary of the Creamery Association at Blanchard, a position he fills with marked success.
Our worthy subject is a member of Emmanuel Lodge, No. 405, A. F. & A. M.; of State Line Lodge, No. 429; I. O. O. F., and of the [page 647] encampment. He was united in the holy bonds of marriage at Northboro, Iowa, November, 1887, to Miss Emma Blanchard, daughter of S. D. Blanchard. One child has been born of this union—Laura H.
Mr. Kennon is a man of exceptional candor, is of a genial disposition, and ranks high in the business circles of the farming community of which Blanchard is the center.

ANDERS P. FALK furnishes us a remarkable example of what can be accomplished by an energetic, industrious man with a good strong constitution and an active mind and temperament, combined with an honest purpose to succeed in life. America is one of the countries of the world where honest effort is well repaid, and Mr. Falk is a man to grasp success before it is too late. John A. Falk, his father, was born in Sweden in 1811, and was a farmer by occupation, he was of an ingenious turn of mind, a good education, and an aptitude for mechanics. He married Elizabeth Peterson, and to them were born ten children, of whom Anders P. is the second. The father lived in Sweden for twenty years after his marriage, and in connection with his farming was engaged in the manufacture of threshing-machines and saw-mills. He was an excellent penmen and was often called upon to write deeds and agreements, and at one time he held an office corresponding to that of sheriff in this country. In 1854 he came to the New World to seek the fortune which might here be held in store for him; he landed in New York with his wife and seven children, and proceeded at once to Rock Island County, Illinois; thence he removed to Mercer County and settled on a farm. About 1860 he purchased a farm in Henry County, Illinois, on which he lived until 1884, when he came to Page County, Iowa, and located at Essex. He is now retired, being seventy-nine years of age, but he is still vigorous of mind and body.
Anders P. Falk, the subject of this notice, was born on his father's farm in Sweden, in 1838, and was a lad of fifteen years when the family emigrated to America. He had received in his native land a common-school education, and on arriving in this country he at once entered the public schools in order to learn our language. He was a strong, rugged youth, and early became accustomed to hard labor. Shortly after coming to the United States he was placed upon his own responsibility, and engaged at farm work; he also assisted in running threshing-machines. In 1873 he invested in a team of horses and five yoke of oxen, having accumulated the means with which to pay cash. He bought 160 acres of land in Oxford Township, Henry County, Illinois, not paying a dollar down; in three years he had paid for the land, and when he left Oxford Township he was the heaviest tax payer in the township, owning 1,500 acres of land, 400 of which he still retains. This was a remarkable success for a man who started in a township without a dollar. He was twice elected to the office of Supervisor, and enjoyed the full confidence of the people.
In 1883 Mr. Falk came to Page County, Iowa, and bought 1,122 acres of land near Essex, which he has converted into one of the finest farms in the county; it is well adapted to the raising of live-stock, being well watered, and at the present time his farm is stocked with roadsters and trotting horses; he now owns the noted trotting stallion Jack Fisher and several of the Wilkes family; also the thoroughbred mare Headlight. The buildings are of a most substantial character, the dwelling being one of the finest farm resi- [page 648]dences in the county; it is heated with steam and furnished with water-works, and is equal in all its appointments to many modern city houses. Mr. Falk and his wife are members of the Lutheran Chnrch, of which he is a trustee; he has represented the people, of his township as Justice of the Peace, and politically is identified with the Union Labor party. He has a reputation of the highest character, and has certainly shown qualities of mind and heart justifying the esteem in which he is held. He was married in Henry County, Illinois, to Margaret C. Peterson, a daughter of N. P. and Eva (Maugson) Peterson, and of this union seven children have been born: Regina O., Edward N., deceased; Luther L., deceased; Anna E., Ella Y., Marion 0., deceased, and Elmer S., deceased.
Mr. Falk is a citizen of whom both his own native land and adopted country may well be proud.

G. A. PRUITT, M. D., has been a resident of Blanchard, Iowa, since 1883, and during that time has built up a successful practice. He was born in Morgan County, Indiana, July 23,1850. His father, Michael Pruitt, was a native of Kentucky, and a descendant of English ancestors; he married Elizabeth Yager, also a native of the State of Kentucky,, and they reared a family of nine children. The Doctor passed his childhood and youth in the county in which he was born. He received his literary education at Asbury University, Greencastle, Indiana, and entered the Ohio Medical College at Cincinnati, from which he was graduated in the spring of 1877. The same year he began practice at Hartford, Kansas, where he remained one year.   At the end of this time he located at Alma, Missouri, where he resided two years. He then went to Dunlap, Kansas, and made his home there for three years. In 1883 he settled in Blanchard, and has established a profitable practice. In addition to his medical practice he has a drug store in Blanchard to which he gives his personal attention.
Doctor Pruitt was married at Paola, Kansas, March 28, 1878, to Miss Marietta Thatcher, a native of Morgan County, Indiana, and a daughter of Stephen Thatcher. She was educated at Whittier College, and was engaged in teaching previous to her marriage. Dr. and Mrs. Pruitt are the parents of two children: Robert R. and Le Roy F.
Politically our subject is identified with the Democratic party, and is a strong adherent of the principles advanced by that body. He is numbered among the busy and enterprising residents of Blanchard. As a business man, as a professional man, and as a neighbor and friend he stands high in the community.

C. W. FISHBAUGH was born near Tiffin, Ohio, February 20, 1847, and is a son of Christ and Mary (Gross) Fishbaugh. The father was a native of Bavaria, and came to America when he was seventeen years old; his mother was a native of Ohio. When our subject was only four years old his father died, and at the age of sixteen years he was thrown upon his own responsibilities. He at once went to Tiffin and became a salesman for his brothers, J. & G. Fishbaugh, manufacturers of pumps, remaining with this firm until he was twenty-one years old. He was then engaged with another brother in handling walnut lumber, and after [page 649] two years be entered the firm of Fishbaugh Brothers, manufacturers of a patent wagon. They secured all the patents covering this improvement in wagon manufacture and did a business of seventy-five or eighty thousand dollars per annum. While thus engaged, Mr. Fishbaugh decided to invest in western real estate, and accordingly secured, in connection with his brother, upwards of 2,000 acres of choice land in Page County and the adjoining county on the west, Fremont; most of this was placed under cultivation and rented until the factory at Tiffin was sold, the patents having expired.
In 1880 the property was divided and Mr. Fishbaugh came west to reside. He established a wholesale and retail business at Shenandoah, selling thousands of wagons of standard makes. The old works at Tiffin, although conducted by other parties, are yet known as the Fishbaugh Bent Works. The brothers did much to advance the interests of the town, and were the proprietors of Fishbaugh's Addition to Tiffin.
Mr.Fisbaugh at once began to grow and feed stock, on coming to Iowa, and now has two fine farms in Fremont County, and seven in Page County, aggregating 980 acres, all of which is improved and rented. He also owns 450 acres in Adams County, Nebraska. He makes a specialty of the stock business and does not delegate his duties to other hands, but gives it his personal supervision. He has one of the finest residences in Shenandoah, erected in 1883, at a cost of $5,000. It stands on a gentle rise of ground on Clarinda avenue, and is finished and furnished in elegant style.
Mr. Fishbaugh was married at Bakerswood, Ohio, October 2, 1873, to Miss Malinda Augene. She was born in Crawford County, Ohio, April 9, 1840, and is a daughter of Adam and Barbara (Shearer) Augene, natives of Germany, who emigrated to the United States in 1837. Two sons have been born of this union: Warren P. and Earl C.
Mr. Fishbaugh is a Republican in sentiment and adheres to the principles of prohibition. Although he has never received a collegiate course he has a strong mind, well cultivated and trained by useful reading and practical experience.

H. E. DEATER, formerly editor and proprietor of the Blanchard Sentinel took charge of the paper March 1, 1889, coming from Shenandoah, Iowa, where he had been engaged in printing. He owned a half interest in the Sentinel until October 1, 1889, when he bought the remaining half, This paper is the leading journal of south­western Page County, and has a circulation of seven hundred. It is a neat, newsy sheet, and has ever been managed in the best interests of the village of Blanchard. Mr. Deater severed his connection with the Sentinel in March, 1890, when he sold his entire interest and accepted a position on the Shenandoah Sentinel as assistant editor.
Our subject is a native of the " Hoosier " State, born April 18,1861, his parents being John and Nancy J. (Lighter) Deater natives of Pennsylvania. When he was an infant six months old his father died, and soon there­after his mother with seven young children removed to Warren County, Illinois. She married for her second husband Thomas Bean. When nine years of age young Deater set out in the world to seek his fortune. He worked by the month on a farm, and lived for some time in Appanoose County, Iowa; he received $13 per month for his services, In 1874 he returned to Warren County, Illinois, and engaged at farm work with an uncle for $16 [page 650] per month. From this place he went to Republic County, Kansas, where he bought some wild land, which he broke out and then sold to his brother. He again returned to Warren County, Illinois, and remained there until 1881, when he came to Page County and engaged in agricultural pursuits. After some time he went to Shenandoah, and entered the Western Normal College, from which he graduated after four years' study. He then taught school in Fremont County, Iowa, from 1884 to 1888, during which time he was principal at Imogene. He was then employed in the printing office of Mr. Marvin at Shenandoah, continuing there from November, 1888 to March, 1889, at which time he took charge of the Sentinel, as before stated.
Mr. Deater was united in marriage at Creston, Iowa, October 25, 1887, to Miss Lizzie Spencer, a daughter of Richard Spencer. By this union two children were born: Earl J. and Pearl O.
Mr. Deater is a young man of more than ordinary intelligence, and of industrious habits; he will be heard from in the future, as good character and education are sure to win in the end.

WILLIAM H. C. MOORE, M. D., was born in Galena, Illinois, March 9, 1841. His parents, Charles and Hannah (Rogers) Moore, were natives of County Monaghan, Ireland, and emigrated to America about the year 1833. The father was a farmer and pork-packer by trade; he was the oldest packer at Galena, Illinois, where he settled in 1835, and the oldest packer in the State when he died in 1863.
William H. C. is the sixth of a family of eight children, five of whom are living. The oldest brother, Rev. Josiah Moore, is pastor of the Presbyterian Church at Kewanee, Illinois. William was reared at Galena and attended Monmouth College, taking a five years course there but not graduating. He then entered the office of Dr. McFatrich at Monmouth, and the same year, 1865, he went to Ann Arbor and became a student in the medical department of the State University. The following summer he spent in the office of Dr. Crawford at Galena, and in 1866 he entered Rush Medical College, from which institution he was graduated in 1867. He began the practice of his profession at Savannah, Illinois, and after two years he went to Canton, Illinois.
After a sojourn of two years in this place he decided to remove to Iowa, and came to Page County and bought a farm of 160 acres in Fremont Township in 1871; he then took up the pursuit of agriculture but still practiced his profession whenever there was a demand for his services. In 1876 he concluded to relinquish his farm work and devote his whole time to his profession; with that in view he removed to Essex and has met with remarkable success. He is a member of the Page County Medical Society, and is well posted upon the progressive methods of the day.
In connection with his professional work Dr. Moore has been engaged in making loans of money principally for himself and members of his family. He owns a pleasant home in Essex, where he can have comforts and rest after fulfilling the duties of his laborious profession.
Dr. Moore was married in Jackson County, Iowa, February 1, 1872, to Miss Carrie E. Shaw, a daughter of John and Sophia (Fisk) Shaw. They have a family of six children: Lillian M., Austin F., Roy J.; Charles I., Laurence S. and Bernard T. The Doctor is a member of the Presbyterian Church and the [page 651] orders of A. F. & A. M. and I. 0. 0. F. Politically he is identified with the Republican party and takes an active interest in public questions. He is a member of the Board of Pension Examiners, being appointed in July, 1889.

O. WETMORE, Postmaster at Blanchard, Iowa, has been a resident of Colfax Township since October, 1866. He was born in Monroe County, New York, December 12,1827, and is a son of Pelick Wetmore, a native of New York, of Welsh ancestry. His mother's maiden name was Rebecca Rice, and she was a native of Connecticut and of Puritan stock. She died when our subject was four day sold, and he was taken by his mother's sister, Anna Crossby, to Summit County, Ohio, where he grew to manhood and received a common-school education.
Mr. Wetmore was united in marriage January 10, 1849, to Miss Cordelia Jane Davis, a native of the State of New York and a daughter of George and Sarah (Smith) Davis. After his marriage he removed in 1850, to Tazewell County, Illinois, where he lived until 1854; he then went to Knox County, Illinois, and resided there until 1866, when he came to Page County, Iowa, and engaged in general farming and stock-feeding. His farm, one of the best in Colfax Township, is situated on section 23; it was wild land at the time he bought it and all the improvements have been made through his own efforts. He has one of the most beautiful and extensive artificial groves in the county; it contains ten acres and was planted in 1869; there is a fine orchard of many varieties of fruits, and all the surroundings indicate thrift and prosperity. The farm contains 240 acres of choice land in an advanced state of cultivation.
Mr. and Mrs. Wetmore have had five children born to them: Sarah Ann, wife of A. W. Hawley; Hugh Monroe, Rice, deceased, Arthur J., deputy postmaster at Blanchard, and Eva L
Politically Mr. Wetmore is a radical Republican and has voted for all the Republican presidential candidates from Lincoln down to Benjamin Harrison. He served as County Commissioner in 1878-'79, and was a Justice of the Peace for six years; he is usually styled "Square" Wetmore. He was appointed Postmaster by President Harrison in 1889, and has since that time resided in Blanchard. He is a man of unusal business ability, is possessed of sound judgment, and is a successful agriculturist and stock-raiser. He stands high in the community and has ever done his part toward the building up of his town, county and State.

AMOS REMINGTON is a highly respected member of the farming community of Buchanan Township. His grandfather, Amos Remington, was born in Connecticut, and was a soldier in the Revolutionary war; he marched with Washington into Boston at the time of the evacuation of that city by the British. He married Lucy Fowler, of Massachusetts, and to them were born eight children, who lived to maturity: Seth, Amos, Noble, Filena, Polly, Rachel, Tommy and Lucy. The father was a farmer and owner of some mills at Sheffield, Massachusetts. He lived to the advanced age of ninety years.
Seth Remington, son of Amos Remington, and father of the subject of this notice, was a native of Connecticut; he was a farmer and millwright by occupation; he married Asenath Bisbee, daughter of Joel Bisbee, and to [page 652] them were born four children, who lived to maturity: Lucy, Noble, Amos and Jonathan. Seth Remington lived in Massachusetts until 1813, when he removed to Ashtabula County, Ohio, where he was among the early pioneers. He bought 1,000 acres of land and lived there five years, after which he went to Erie County, Pennsylvania, and again invested in land. He was a strong, energetic man, very successful in all his business undertakings. He was a devout member of the Baptist Church, and an old-time Whig in politics. He was a second cousin to the renowned historian, Bancroft. He died in 1846, at the age of sixty-five years.
Amos Remington, son of Seth Remington, was born in Ashtabula County, Ohio, in 1816. He received a common-school education and was trained to the occupation of a farmer. In 1842, October 13, at the age of twenty-seven years, he was married to Matilda Munger, a daughter of Charles and Polly (Place) Munger. They are the parents of three children, who grew to maturity: Delesone D., who married Florence Morgan; Alma L., wife of George E. Martin, and Alfaretta, wife of Robert Coulson. One year after his marriage Mr. Remington emigrated to the West and settled in Whiteside County, Illinois, where he sojourned one and a half years; he then went to Rock County, Wisconsin, and resided there twenty-eight years. In 1867 he removed to Missouri and located in Nodaway County, and in 1869 he came to Page County, Iowa, and the following year he bought his present farm. Both Mr. and Mrs. Remington are faithful members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In political opinion Mr. Remington has always been a stanch Republican, and in Abolitionist days he was on the side of the oppressed. He is a man whose judgment is held in great respect by his fellow citizens.   He has held the office of Justice of the Peace for sixteen years, and has faithfully discharged his duties. He is a self-made man, moral and upright, and stands deservedly high in the estimation of the people of his township.

EDWARD H. WINNEY was born in Stamford, Lincolnshire, England, November 22, 1861. When he was ten years of age his parents emigrated to America; after landing they continued their journey to the West, and located at College Springs, Iowa. In February, 1880, Mr. Winney entered the office of the Blanchard Record as an apprentice, and at the end of three years established the Bellwood (Nebraska) Monitor. In 1887 he established the Blanchard Sentinel. For so young a man he has had a very successful newspaper career, and we bespeak for him a prosperous future. The time spent as an apprentice in the printing business was well improved, as Mr. Winney is acknowledged to be a first-class printer.
In December, 1883, our worthy subject was united in marriage to Miss Ann M. Montague. He is an honored member of the I. O. O. F. and the Masonic fraternities.

BENJAMIN PIPER, a well-known farmer of Nodaway Township, is deserving of mention in this connection, not only as a citizen of Page County, but as a brave and gallant soldier in the civil war. He is a native of Pennsylvania, born November 17, 1842. His parents, Daniel and Anna (Bair) Piper, were also natives of Pennsylvania; they removed from their native State to Page County, Iowa, where they spent the remainder [page 653] of their days. Benjamin was then a lad of fifteen years, when the family removed to Henry County, Illinois. He was reared to the occupation of a farmer, and attended the common schools of Henry County, Illinois, and Franklin County, Pennsylvania.
He was one of the boys to don the " blue" when there was a call for men to put down the Rebellion. He enlisted October 23,1861, in the Forty-tifth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, Company K, B. F. Holcomb, captain. He served three years and nine months, and made a line record. He was in thirteen decisive engagements, besides some skirmishes. Among the more noted battles are Fort Donelson, Shiloh, and the siege of Vicksburg; he was wounded in the battle of Shiloh, on account of which he received a sixty days' furlough. He was also in the siege of Atlanta, and was with Sherman on his march to the sea. He came back through the Carolinas up to Richmond, and was present at the grand review in Washington, District of Columbia. He was honorably discharged at Louisville, Kentucky, July 12, 1865, after which he returned to Henry County, Illinois, to engage in farming.
Mr. Piper was united in marriage, in Knox County, Illinois, in September, 1867, to Mrs. Anna Mitchell, whose maiden name was Littlefield; she died in August, 1869. The same year Mr. Piper came to Page County and settled in Nodaway Township. In December, 1871, he was married to Sarah J. Shepard, a native of Pike County, Ohio, and a daughter of John and Stella (Squires) Shepard, honored residents and early settlers of Page County, Iowa. With the exception of two years spent in Chase County, Nebraska, .Mr. Piper has ever since made his home in Page County. He now owns 160 acres of fine land, well-improved, fifty-seven and a-half acres in his home place in an advanced state of cultivation, and ten acres of timber land on section 16, Nodaway Township.
Mr. and Mrs. Piper have had born to them six children: Stella, Anna, William Elbert, Gertie May and Gracie Vera, twins; John Wesley, who died at the age of fifteen months, and Robert Rossie, who died in his third year. The father and mother are worthy members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and have the respect and good will of the entire community.

FRANCIS M. VARDAMAN, a prominent farmer of Page County, is from an old American family of German descent. His great-grandfather was the first of the family to come to this country from Germany. His son, the grandfather of our subject, was George Vardaman, and he was a farmer in Green County, Kentucky, and a slave-owner; his son, George W., is the father of Francis M. When he was a young man he went to Ohio and was there married to Mary Eliott, a native of Kentucky. To them were born twelve children: Peter, Nancy, John E., Benjamin W., George W., Jeremiah, Mary, Elizabeth, Francis M., Amanda, Jasper N. and Eliza. Soon after their marriage the young couple removed to Shelby County, Indiana, where they owned a farm on which they lived several years. They then removed to Illinois and resided there but a short time, finally settling in Lee County, Iowa, in 1837 or thereabouts, when the State had but few settlers and was infested with Indians. They afterward removed to Jefferson County and purchased a farm on which they lived several years and where Francis M. was born. From this place they went to Benton County, Iowa, and lived near Yinton three years, and thence they moved to Keokuk County and after- [page 654] ward to Taylor County, where they remained live years. Their next change was to Lawrence County, Missouri, where they located just before the breaking out of the war. The family experienced all the hardships of border warfare. In 1864 Mr. Vardaman went to Minnesota, but at the end of three years he returned to Jefferson County, Iowa, where he died in 1867. He was a member of the Christian Church and was highly respected by all who knew him. He filled the office of Justice of the Peace for many years.
Francis M., the son of the above, was born in Jefferson County, Iowa, in 1843. He received a limited education in consequence of the family's living constantly upon the frontier. He improved his mind, however, by reading and study at home. When a young man he was of a delicate constitution, and during the war he was obliged to endure many vicissitudes to which that section of country was subject. The family were frequently disturbed and the sons were compelled many times to sleep in the brush for safety. The house was at one time surrounded by bushwhackers who made some trouble, but were frightened away by a shot from a gun.
In 1864 Mr. Vardaman returned to Iowa and settled in Page County, working by the month for three years. In 1867 he was married to Miss Mary I. Baker, a daughter of Peter and Ann (Swiggett) Baker, natives of Indiana. To them were born six children: Mary A., Erie A., Benjamin R., Irma G., Avery E. and Francis E. In 1871 Mr. Vardaman settled on his present farm, which was then wild prairie, and which by his own perservering labor has been converted into a fine fertile farm. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity. He has held the office of trustee and school director and has manifested a deep interest in educational matters.
He is one of the substantial farmers of the township, owning 150 acres of land, and standing high as an honorable, industrious citizen.

ROBERT McELHOSE, a native of county Antrim, Ireland, was born June 1, 1844, and is the son of William and Margaret (Smith) McElhose. He is the youngest of a family of twelve children, and when he was three years of age the family, with the exception of one sister, emigrated to America, landing at Philadelphia, where they remained one year. The sister whom they had left behind in the "Emerald Isle" soon after came over to this country. After the family left Philadelphia they removed to a farm in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, where the father died in about four years; he was a man about sixty years of age and had been a farmer by occupation. His wife survived him several years, and died at Plainfield, Illinois, in 1865, at the age of seventy-five years.
William McElhose and wife were members of the Presbyteriam Church. Their children were named as follows: Hannah, wife of James Scott; Robert, deceased; Benjamin, deceased; Margaret, deceased, wife of Matthew Smith, also deceased; Matilda, deceased; Sarah, deceased, wife of John Gillespie; Eliza, wife of John McCann; William, who served in the civil war; Hugh, deceased; Richard, deceased; James, deceased, and Robert, the subject of this sketch.
Robert McElhose was fifteen years of age when he removed with his mother from Pennsylvania to Plainfield, Illinois. Up to that time he had worked on a farm, but he was then apprenticed to learn the blacksmith's trade. He was thus employed when the war broke out, and at the age of seventeen years [page 655] he enlisted in the One Hundredth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, Company D. He served three years, receiving his discharge at Albany, New York, in July, 1865. The most noted battles in which he participated are Perryville, Kentucky; Stone River, Murfreesborough and La Vergne; also was in a number of skirmishes. He was unable for active duty all the time on account of sickness, but was ever ready and willing to serve in any capacity for which he had the strength. For eleven months he was continuously on duty without one day off. He entered as a private, but was made Corporal and afterwards Sergeant; he had not reached his nine­teenth year when this honor was conferred upon him.
After the close of the war he returned to his home and resumed his duties as apprentice, serving out his period of three years. He worked at his trade for about two years and then removed to Kane County, Illinois, where he opened a shop of his own, and conducted the trade for about five years. At the end of this period he went to Cambridge, Illinois, and went into the carriage business with Sylvester Rockwell, the firm name being McElhose & Rockwell. This partnership continued two years when Mr. McElhose removed to Rock Island County, Illinois, and in the spring of 1877 he came to Page County, Iowa. He settled on his farm of 120 acres in Harlan Township, which he had purchased the previous year. There he has since made his home, devoting his energies to the cultivation and improvement of his land; he has erected a fine, two-story residence, and good building for stock and grain. One of his most excellent improvements is an orchard of 105 trees; he has an admirable wind-break of Scotch pine, which adds very much to the beauty of the landscape.
Mr. McElhose is one of the representative men of the county, is self-made, and by honesty and integrity has won an enviable position in the community. Politically he affiliates with the Republican party, having cast his first vote for Abraham Lincoln. He is a member of Warren Post, No. 11, G. A. R.
November 1, 1867, occurred the marriage of Robert McElhose to Lottie Wicks, daughter of Ira and Mary (Hand) Wicks, natives of Massachusetts. Mrs. McElhose was born in Michigan in 1847, and died in 1870. Two children were born of this union, Ira and Roy, who died in infancy. Mr. McElhose was again married September 7,1876, to Miss Alice Monfort, whose father died when she was a babe; her mother died in 1885. She was one of a family of three children, and was born in Galesburg, Illinois, August 3, 1851. By this second marriage three children have, been born: Bertha M., Maggie S. and Roy.

EDWARD PIKE, one of the leading farmers of Buchanan Township, has been a resident of Page County since 1868. He is a son of Abner Pike, a native of Erie County, New York, who married Matilda Warren. To them were born eleven children: Stafford, Louisa, Jane, Franklin, Alfred, Philinda, Edward, Henrietta, Charles, Wesley and Horace. The father was a car­penter and joiner by trade, and was a fine workman in his line. He died in Illinois in 1856, having almost attained the three score years and ten allotted to man. He was an honest, industrious man, and brought his family to be an honor to their father's memory.
Edward Pike, the subject of this notice, was born in 1830, and received a common-school education; he was trained to the oc-
[page 656]

cupation which his father had followed all his days. In 1853 he crossed the plains to California and on the journey met with many of the hardships which then befell so many travelers; the party was troubled with Indians, and had some horses stolen, but escaped themselves uninjured. On reaching California Mr. Pike engaged in mining in Yuba River and was quite successful. But after three years of life on the Pacific coast, one having been spent at work in a steam saw­mill, he returned to Sterling, Illinois. In 1850 he had been united in marriage to Caroline Claypole, and to them were born eight children: Eva M., wife of Jephthah Grove; Nettie, wife of Daniel Hall; Jane, wife of Jacob F. Hoop; Henry, Frank, Ovilla, wife of D. N. Crosby; Edward and Lnella.
After his return from California Mr. Pike bought a farm near Sterling, Illinois, and resided there until 1868, when he emigrated to Iowa, and settled on his present farm of 120 acres. It was then wild prairie, but by perseverance and industry it has been converted into a fine, fertile farm. He had many hard experiences in his first settlement here and endured many privations, and his descendants may well be proud of his success. Mrs. Pike died July 24,1888.

FRANCIS M. McPIKE was a veteran soldier in the war of the Rebellion, and as such deserves mention in this connection. He was born on a farm in Lawrence County, Indiana, in 1842, and is a son of James McPike and one of a family of twelve children. His mother's maiden name was Nancy E. Dayton. The father died on his farm in Lawrence County, Indiana, in 1865, at the age of seventy-five years. He was a worthy member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and a soldier in the war of 1812. He was very prosperous in his business and owned at the time of his health 500 acres of land in Lawrence County.
Francis M. McPike was reared to the occupation of a farmer, but at the age of eighteen years, when Abraham Lincoln called for 300,000 troops to go to the defense of this nation, he abandoned agriculture and enlisted for three years' service in Company A, Twenty-fourth Indiana Volunteer Infantry. He participated in the battles of Shiloh, Port Gibson, the sieges of Vicksburg, Jackson, Mississippi, and Blakely, Alabama He was under fire in all about sixty-five times; he was wounded over the left eye with buck­shot at the siege of Port Gibson in 1863. He was exposed a great deal during the time that he was in the service and contracted rheumatism, from which he has never recovered. He served out his term of enlistment and re-enlisted January 1, 1864, in the same regiment and company for three years more, and served until the end of the war, when he was mustered out and honorably discharged at Galveston, Texas, .November 15, 1865, He then returned to Indiana and farmed in Boone County until 1874.
Mr. McPike was united in marriage in 1867 to Miss Martha Gullion, daughter of William and Mary E. (Young) Gullion. Two children have been born of this union: Myrta E. and Lillie A. Mr. McPike came to Page County, Iowa, and bought a homestead near Braddyville in 1883. Since 1874 he has been disabled from active work by rheumatism, but he was not granted a pension by the Government until 1882. Mrs. McPike died in June, 1887. In his political opinions Mr. McPike is a strong Republican. He passed his young manhood in the service of his country, and has an honorable record as a soldier and a citizen, and his descendants for genera- [page 657] tions will refer with pride to the military career of their revered ancestor. Mr. McPike is a member of Warren Post, No. 11, G. A. R., of Clarinda, Iowa.

R. H.. LYMER, ex-auditor of Page County, has been so prominently identified with its political history that a record of the leading citizens would not be complete without him. In order to learn something: of his earlier history we will go back to the old " Keystone " State, where he first saw the light of day in Mercer County, April 13, 1844. His father, John Lymer, was a son of Richard Lymer and a native of England; he married Elizabeth Jaquiss, also a native of England, and a daughter of Benjamin Jaquiss; these young people emigrated to America in 1843, and settled in Mercer County, Pennsylvania. The father was a potter by trade, but when he came to this country he learned cabinet-making, which he followed during the remainder of his life.
R. H. Lymer was reared to farm life and received his education in the common schools. In 1861 he began the study of medicine, but abandoned this work to go to the succor of his country; he enlisted in August, 1861, in the One Hundredth Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, Company G, and in December, 1862, he was discharged on account of disability; after he recovered his health he re-enlisted in the One Hundred and Thirty-ninth Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, Company A, and served until the close of the war. He made a long and gallant fight in behalf of his nation's flag, and was twice wounded, first on James Island, and again at Fisher's Hill; this latter proved rather serious, as he lost his index finger and crippled his right hand; he did not leave the field at the time, but was afterward confined in the hospital. He was in many decisive engagements, and was present at Lee's surrender, and then at the grand review in Washington. He was honorably discharged, and returned to his home in Pennsylvania to take up again the study of medicine. In March, 1866, he was graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, the oldest institution of the kind in the United States. He practiced about one year with his old preceptor, Dr. George Bagnall, and then located at College Springs, Iowa; he remained there five years engaged in successful practice, but at the expiration of that period of time he abandoned the profession and embarked in the drug trade; this he continued until 1881, when he was elected auditor of the county. He has served four terms in succession, a record which speaks for itself and needs no further comment. He retired from the office in January, 1890.
Mr. Lymer was married in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, April 29, 1867, to Miss Sarah Bagnall, niece of Dr. George Bagnall and daughter of Charles and Anna (Ibbs) Bagnall, descendants of English ancestors. Eight children have been born of this union, one of whom died in infancy: Anna Elizabeth, Mary Agnes, who is engaged in the profession of teaching; Sarah Frances, John Charles, George Henry, Sidona Jane and William Barker.
Mr. Lymer affiliates with the Republican party, and is a strong advocate of the principles of this party. He is a member of Warren Post, No. 11, G. A. R., serving as Commander. He belongs to Clarinda Lodge, No. 109, I. O. O. F. He and his wife and three daughters are active members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and he has served as trustee of the society.
John Lymer and wife reared a family of five children, two sons and three daughters. The father died in the spring of 1869, and the [page 658] mother now makes her home at College Springs, Iowa.

MAGDALENA FREIERMUTH is the widow of Jacob Freiermuth, who was one of Page County's most highly respected citizens. He was born in Germany, July 13, 1813, and emigrated to America in his early manhood. He settled in Wooster, Ohio, and worked at his trade, that of wagon-making. In December, 1843, he was united in marriage to Magdalena Kaylor, a daughter of Henry and Magdaline Kaylor, who emigrated from Germany and settled iu the State of New York in 1831; they lived there eight years and then came to Ohio and located twentv miles from Wooster on a farm. Magdalena was born April 12, 1827, in Alsace, Germany.
Mr. and Mrs. Freiermuth have had born to them eight children, five of whom survive: John J., Susannah, Philip H., Mary A. and Mahala L. Mr. Freiermuth lived at Loudonville, Ohio, where he carried on the wagon-maker's trade for ten years. In 1857 he removed to Iowa and settled on the farm now occupied by his family. He died in 1877, having accumulated a handsome property. He took an active interest in the cause of education and for many years filled the office of school director. He had pluck, ambition and energy, and by perseverance overcame all obstacles. He and his wife belong to the Lutheran Church.
Susannah Freiermuth is the wife of Isaac Hadden, and they have two children: John married Ella Frost, and they are the parents of two children: Philip H. married Ella Moore. The family are people of sterling worth, commanding the respect of the entire community in which they live.
Mary A., the fourth child, was educated in the Clarinda public schools and was graduated in the High School, afterward clerked for two years in her brother's store in Greersville, Ohio, and during the past eight years she has been managing the home farm and has succeeded admirably in her undertaking. She is quiet and unassuming in her manners, and is deserving of much credit for the courage, energy and efficiency she has displayed in the performance of these arduous duties. Accounts of extraordinarily capable women are frequently seen in newspapers, but few of them excel the record of Miss Mary A. Freiermuth.

JOSEPH SNODGRASS. The great-grand father of the subject of this sketch, emigrated from Ireland to America and settled in Virginia. Samuel Snodgrass, his son, was the father of three children who lived to maturity: James, Robert and Samuel. Samuel Snodgrass, father of Joseph was born in Virginia and was married to Susan McCastin, daughter of William and Elizabeth McCastin, who came directly to this country from Ireland. Samuel and Susan (McCastin) Snodgrass were the parents of eleven children: James, Ellen, William, Samuel, Jane, Mabel, Robert, Phoebe, Joseph, John and Edmund, all of whom lived to maturity. The parents lived for some time after marriage on a farm in Virginia, and at an early day removed to Jefferson County, Indiana, and settled within three miles of Hanover College; they resided in this county for many years and then went to Decatur County, Indiana, where the father died at the age of fifty-four years. He was an idustrious, capable man, but owing to an accident which occurred in his childhood he [page 659] did not enjoy the blessing of good health. In his younger days he taught school. He and his wife were earnest members of the Presbyterian Church.
Joseph Snodgrass, son of Samuel and Susan Snodgrass, was born in Jefferson County, Indiana, in 1822, and received a limited education in the common schools of that day. He went with his father when a lad to Decatur County, Indiana, and there learned the tanner's trade, which he followed for ten years. At the age of twenty-two years he started a tannery business in Bartholomew County, Indiana, where he remained three years; he then sold out and returned to Decatur County, and engaged in the same business at Greensburg.
In 1845 he was married in Johnson County, Indiana, to Miss Jane A. Hammond, a daughter of Lot and Betsey (Barnum) Hammond. Mr. Hammond was a native of Baltimore and his father was a merchant in that city. Mrs. Hammond was a native of Connecticut and of an old Puritan family; they were the parents of ten children, who lived to maturity.
Mr. and Mrs. Snodgrass have seven children: Caroline, wife of Benjamin Loswell; Elijah, who married Jane Miller; Alonzo, who married Mary Elkins; Orville, who married Vadie Jeffers; Montraville, who married Maria Boner; Birch, who married Sarilda Elkins, and James O.
After his marriage Mr. Snodgrass lived in Greensburg until 1851, when he removed to Savannah, Missouri, and iu 1852 he came to Taylor County, Iowa; two years later he settled on his present farm, which now consists of 324 acres. By persevering industry he has converted the wild land into a fertile farm. He has taken an active interest in educational matters, and for many years he has been school director; he has also held the office of township trustee. He and his wife are members of the Christian Church and he has been an elder for five years. He is a man now sixty-seven years of age, well preserved, and bids fair to live to a good old age. He has had an honest purpose in view all his life and may well take a pride in what he has accomplished in the way of rearing a family and accumulating a handsome property.

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EDWIN SHEETS, one of the prominent farmers of Page County and a brave soldier in the war of the Rebellion, is of Swiss ancestry, his grandfather having emigrated from Switzerland to America and settled in Maryland. His father, John Sheets, was born in Maryland, and when about twenty-one years of age he removed to Ohio, where he married Margaret Winning, a daughter of John Winning, of Fredericksburg, Virginia. Ten children were born of this union, all of whom lived to maturity: Perry, Christian, Lewis, Malinda, Edwin, Herman, Isabel, John and Margaret, twins, and Martha. Soon after his marriage Mr. Sheets settled on a farm near Georgetown, Ohio, and thence moved to Darke County, Ohio, and located on the site of the old fort built by General Wayne when he was fighting the Indians; it was three miles south of Greenville, and he lived there for eight years; he then removed to Randolph County, Indiana, and at the end of thirteen years he went to Wabash County, Indiana; he had lived there three years when he died, at the age of fifty-three years. He was a man of true pioneer spirit, and was known for his industry, honesty and integrity.
Edwin Sheets, the subject of this notice, was born in Darke County, Ohio, October 21, 1830, and received but a limited education, [page 660] as he had access only to the pioneer schools. He learned the carpenter's trade, and at the age of twenty-seven years he was married to Miss Eleanor H. Abbott, a daughter of David and Francinky (Hankison) Abbott. Eight children were born of this union. Ettia F., Lenia L., deceased at the age of three years; Bertha C, Charlie F., Alice D., Clarence W., David E. and Tunia E. Mr. Sheets settled at Liberty Mills, Wabash County, Indiana, where he worked at his trade until 1863. He then enlisted in Company L, Seventh Indiana Cavalry, as a private; was promoted to the position of Sergeant, and went with his regiment to West Point, Mississippi, where he was engaged in his first battle; he afterward participated in many battles and skirmishes, the most noted being Cypress Level, Grand Gulf and Port Gibson. He was mustered out at Austin, Texas, receiving an honorable discharge. He served three years, and all of that time he was in active duty, being in the hospital only five days. An incident in his war record is worthy of notice here: In a skirmish at Cypress Level a bullet struck a buckle on his cap, tearing the huckle away and leaving a mark on his fore­head,—a very close call. He suffered a great deal from diseases incident to camp life, and for live days on the march from Alexandria, Louisiana, to Austin, Texas, he was entirely blind, his comrades leading his horse. He is still a great sufferer from these afflictions.
After the war Mr. Sheets came to Page County, Iowa, where his family had resided during his absence in the army. In 1886 he located on his present farm of 160 acres. He is a member of the Odd Fellows, and in politics affiliates with the Republican party. He has always been faithful to his party, supporting it iu the days of its defeat as well as in those of victory.
Ettia F. Sheets married Wm. C. Swank; Charlie married Alma E. Boynton; Alice Drena married George Kelly; Bertha C. married Kirk Harlan.
David Abbott, father of Mrs. Sheets, was the son of James and Catherine Abbott. He was the father of eight children: Eleanor H., Louis F., Mary E., James H., Francinky, David A., Reuben S. and Albert F.
He came to Iowa in 1859 and settled on a farm three miles west of Clarinda, where he died at the age of seventy-one years.

AMOS APPLE, a well-known and popular agriculturist, of Tarkio Township, was born in Clermont County, Ohio, Febuary 6,1826. His father, Henry Apple, was also a native of Ohio, and a son of Henry and Catherine (Bolander) Apple, who were descended from German ancestry. Henry Apple, Jr., married Mary Bonsar, a native of Pennsylvania; when she was twelve years old her parents removed to Cincinnati, Ohio; the Bonsars were among the very first settlers of Cincinnati, and Mrs. Apple's grandmother was the first white woman buried in that city. Henry Apple and wife reared a family of nine children, of whom Amos is the oldest. When he was twelve years of age his parents went to Fulton County, Illinois, and there he grew to manhood. He was reared to the life of a farmer and attended the common schools during the winter months.
In April, 1869, Mr. Apple concluded to try his fortunes in Iowa, and accordingly selected one of her best counties for the trial; he first stopped in Clarinda, and invested in 240 acres of land, which he has since placed under cultivation; he sold 120 acres, retaining the remainder on which he [page 661] makes his home. He has an attractive house, well situated in the midst of a beautiful collection of trees, and he has equipped himself well for carrying on a farm in profitable style; he is numbered with the leading farmers of the community.
Mr. Apple was united in marriage, February 10, 1848, near Quincy, Illinois, to Miss Eliza Huston, who was born in Brown County, Ohio, April 13, 1829, and is a daughter of Joshua and Barbara (Shinkle) Huston. When Mrs. Apple was thirteen years old her father and mother removed to Kentucky, and at the end of three years went to Illinois. Nine children have been born to this union: Newton R., Charles, Leonard S., William H., Thary, Etta, Harriet, Frank and Edwin.
Mr. Apple is a man of unusual weight, tipping the beam at 265 pounds; the total weight of the parents and nine children is 2,000 pounds. Mr. Apple is a man of a kind disposition, his heart corresponding witli his body, is genial and affable, and is one of the most popular citizens of his township.

CHRISTOPHER B. PENDLETON Belongs to a family of American soldiers, some members having been in the wars from the Revolution down to the late civil war. The great-grandfather came from England with two brothers; two of them settled in Maine, and one in Virginia, and it was from the Virginia branch that George H. Pendleton, an earnest and able statesman, sprang. Green Pendleton, the grandfather of our subject, was a farmer and a soldier in the war of 1812. He was the father of eight sons, all of whom, except one, were sea captains; James, the youngest, remained at home and inherited the farm. Green Pendleton, his son, followed the sea for thirty-six years, being a greater portion of the time in the Indian trade.   He made a considerable sum of money, but lost heavily in the panic of 1857, saving only $10,000.   He removed to Ohio in 1857 and bought a farm in Knox County, where he lived until 1865.   His wife died, and he then returned to his native State Maine, where he passed away in 1876. Mrs. Pendleton's maiden name was Mary Brooks, and she was a daughter of Solomon Brooks; she was the mother of eight children, of whom Christopher B. is the fifth; he was born in 1839, and received a common-school education.   At the early age of twelve years he became a sailor, going with his father on voyages in the summer and attending school in the winter.   He continued this vocation until 1857, when he went to Ohio with his father. In November, 1861, he responded to the call for men to assist in the preservation of this Government, and enlisted in Company H, Seventy-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry; he was in the battles of Fort Donelson, Shiloh, Vicksburg, Chattanooga, Missionary Ridge and Lookout Mountain.   He was dangerously wounded at Ringgold Gap, and was supposed to be dead, but he was taken to the hospital and soon recovered sufficiently to go home on a furlough.   After a few months he rejoined his regiment and was captured in the Atlanta campaign; he was confined at Andersonville eleven months, where he suffered all the horrors of prison life; he was not released until the close of the war, when he was reduced to a skeleton.   He returned to Ohio and engaged in the more peaceful pursuits of agriculture.
In 1865 Mr. Pendleton was united in marriage to Sarah E. Jones, a daughter of Harvey Jones, and to them have been born two children: Everett and Clermon. In 1870 Mr. Pendleton removed to Iowa and settled on his present farm in Page County; it consists [page 662] of 280 acres of land and is well improved; he devotes his time to stock-raising, and has been quite successful. He is a member of the Masonic order, and has represented the people of his township in the offices of trustee and councilman. His children are well educated, and coming from such a noble line of ancestry and living in this, the most glorious of all countries, are certain of success in any undertaking.