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ter his birth, his parents emigrated to America, settling at Racine, Wisconsin, where they lived ten years, and then removed to Stephenson county, Illinois. Two years later, they came to Iowa, reaching Black Hawk county, their home until 1865, when they came to Geneseo township, of Tama county, and located on Elijah Guernsey's farm. There they lived two years, and then purchased land on section 25 and settled on it. Charles made his home with his parents until his marriage, which took place on the 4th of November, 1869. His wife was Miss Bertha Harch. They have been blessed with four children, three of whom are now living - Charlie H., Minnie and Dora. Mr. Meinger now occupies the farm on section 25, formerly owned by his father.

Another prominent settler of 1857 was MICHAEL CASEY, who came here from Vermont, and settled on section 29, where he lived seven years and then moved to section 13, where he now resides. He is one of the largest land owners in the county. Michael was born in county Clare, Ireland, in 1819. His early life was spent in tilling the soil of his native country. In 1840 he was married to Miss Margaret Buckley, who bore him two children - James and Mary. In 1845 they emigrated to America. After remaining in Quebec (their landing place) three weeks, they crossed over the States and settled in Boston, Massachusetts, where, a few months later, his wife died. During 1849, he removed to Vermont, where he was employed on the Burlington & Rutland railroad. While there, Mr. Casey was married, in 1850, to Miss Loraine Madison, of Windsor county, that State. Four children have been born to them - George (who was born in Vermont), Oscar, Henry and Alma, born in Iowa.

In 1851, Mr. Casey went south, where he spent five years and five months, and then returned to Vermont. In 1857 he came to Tama county, Iowa, and settled on section 29, Geneseo township, where he had purchased 80 acres of land. He lived there until 1864, when he sold the farm, removed to section 13, where he bought land and erected the frame house in which he now lives. At the present time he has a large barn and other buildings for stock and grain on his farm, and is now making preparations to erect a new residence during the summer of 1883.

Formerly, Mr. Casey devoted his many acres to the cultivation of grain, extensively, raising 7,000 bushels per year, but of late years he has turned his attention to stock raising. His farm now consists of nearly 1,300 acres. His eldest daughter, Mary, died in Black Hawk county, Iowa, April 23, 1882, leaving a husband and eight children to mourn her death.

EDWARD BRENNAN was an early setler of Tama county, coming to Geneseo township in 1856. He first entered the east half of the southeast quarter of section 1; but was afterward notified that the railroad company had entered it previously; so he was obliged to purchase it, paying $5 per acre. He first erected a log cabin, in which he lived until 1868. During that year he built the frame house in which he now lives. Mr. Brennan is a native of county Kilkenny, Ireland, born in 1811. In 1849, he left his native land and came to the United States, landing at Boston. From there he went to Bolton where he engaged in farming for a few...

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page 732

man in a factory, until August, 1862, when he enlisted in company E, 74th Illinois Volunteers. He participated in the battles of Perryville, Kentucky, and Stone River, Tennessee, being taken prisoner in the latter engagement, but in less than an hour was re-taken by the Union troops. At Murfreesboro, Tennessee, he was taken sick, and in February, 1863, honorably discharged on account of disability. A scar can still be seen on the top of his head, where he was hit by a ball at the battle of Stone River, and the probability is, that if he had been one inch taller, his life would have ended then and there. Upon receiving his dismissal from service, MR. PEVERILL returned to Rockford; and the same year, traded some property there for land on section 2, of Geneseo township, this county, and removed here with his family. In 1869 he sold his farm and removed to Missouri; but after some time it fell back to him, and he therefore returned in 1871. He now owns 380 acres of land, and lives on the southwest quarter of section 2. In 1848 he was united in marriage with Miss Emma Williamson, of Old Radford, near Nottingham, England, who died at Chillicothe, Ohio, October 31, 1855, leaving her husband and three children - Christopher, Henry and Emma - to mourn her death. His present wife was Mary McVicker, widow of David Kern. They have been blessed with seven children, five of whom are now living: Sarah L., Albert L., William J., Alexander W. and Hugh G., the three last named were born in Geneseo township.

SILAS H. HORTON settled in Geneseo township of Tama county in 1863. He is a native of Tioga county, New York, where he was born January 23, 1821. He was reared a farmer and spent most of the years previous to his settlement in Iowa in his native county; however, two years were spent at Oxford, in Chenango county; and another two years at Corning, in Chemung county. The first land owned by him in this county was a number of acres on section 3, of Geneseo township, for which he traded property in New York State. Since his settlement here Mr. Horton has added many acres to his original farm, now owning 480 acres. He was united in marriage in 1847 with Miss Sally Brundage, a native of New York city. They are blessed with eight children - Esther, Eunice, Jotham, Emily, Marshall, Nathan, Mary and Adie. The family makes their home on section 2.

ISAAC W. WHITE, son of John and Sarah White, is a native of Carroll county, Ohio, whee he was born November 21, 1832. In 1849 his parents emigrated to Iowa and settled at Shellsburg, Benton county, where they were among the first settlers. His father is still living there on the original claim, and is now in his eighty-sixth year. Isaac made his home with his parents until 1858, when he was married to Miss Nancy E. Miskimen, whose parents were also early settlers of Benton county. After marriage Mr. White rented his father's farm, on which he continued to live for six years, and then removed to Geneseo township, of Tama county, and there settled on section 29, on land which he had entered in 1855. Subsequently he purchased eighty acres adjoining his lands, and at the present time owns 250 acres, the most of which is improved. They have five children - James H., Amelia, Almer, Clementine and Sarah A.

S. NEWELL WEST made his first settlement in this county in 1863. It was in Clark township, and there he lived until 1865, when he came to Geneseo township, settling on section 33, where he resided until 1882, when he sold his farm there and purchased land on section 32. In July of the same year he began the erection of the house in which he now lives. He was born in Warren county, New York, April 22, 1833. One year after his birth his parents removed to Chautauqua county, where they resided until 1839, and then settled in Erie county, Pennsylvania, near the town of Erie. the subject of this sketch spent his early life in school and on the farm. When twenty-two years old he removed to Kane county, Illinois, where he lived one year and then went to Wisconsin. He spent the first winter in the pineries of Clark county, and the following spring located in Jackson county, where he was employed in a sawmill near Black River Falls. During the fall of 1857 he returned to his home in Pennsylvania, and there engaged in farming until his removal to Tama county, Iowa. January 28, 1862, he was joined in wedlock with Miss Abbie Sherwin, of Erie county, Pennsylvania. They have been blessed with five children - John sherwin, George, Markham, William W., Royal A. and Hattie. The last named, their only daughter, was born Febuary 17, 1872, and died October 20, 1873.

BENJAMIN BISEL is a native of Pennsylvania, born in Bedford county of that State February 7, 1817. He received his education in the county of his birth, and was there reared an agriculturist. In 1850 he bought a farm in Salt Creek township, Fayette county, that State, where he lived about two years, and then purchased another one in Bull Skin townhsip, and removed to it. In 1854 he came west to Illinois, first locating in McLean county, where he resided until 1857, then removed to Willcounty, and thence, in 1861 to Kendall county. During 1865, he came to Tama county, Iowa, and settled in the northeast quarter of section 30, Geneseo township. He has since improved the land and in 1882, erected the frame house in which he now resides. Mr. Bisel was married in 1844, to Miss Susanna Wonders, who has borne him ten children, seven of whom are now living: Henry, Mary E., Amanda, Alexander, Isaac, Melvina and Benjamin F. Sarah, their eldest child was born January 11, 1845, and died December 30, 1863. Catherine M. was born July 18, 1850 and died February 14, 1862. Jacob was born March 23, 1852, and died January 23, 1864.

BENJAMIN McKAY is a native of Onondago county, New York, born March 20, 1822. He received his education in the district schools of the county, and at an early age learned the carpenter trade of his father, who was a carpenter before him. At the age of seventeen, he removed with his parents to Warren county, Pennsylvania, and continued to make his home with them, until 1857, when he went to Winnebago county, Illinois, where he bought land, commenced to make improvements and in connection worked at the trade. During 1867, he sold his farm at an advanced price, and went to the State of Missouri with the intention of settling

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holy bonds of matrimony, in 1863, with Miss Anna E. C. Smith of Montour, Pennsylvania.

ROMANZO NUTT made his first settlement in this State in 1864, locating in Eagle township, of Black Hawk county, where he rented land and lived until 1870, when he bought and removed to section 1. He also bought on section 11, Geneseo township, Tama county. In 1872, he erected, on section 11, the house in which he now resides. Mr. Nutt was born in Tioga county, New York, on July 14 1819. He received his education in the common schools of his native county, and when of sufficient years, was employed in farming during the summer season, and followed lumbering the remainder of the year. In the spring he took rafts of lumber down the Susquehanna to Harrisburg and other points on the river. In 1844, he removed to Lake county, Indiana, where he lived two years and then returned to New York and purchased a farm in Broome county, of that State. Three years later, he sold it and bought a piece of timber land, which he cleared, and sold just before his removal to this State. His wife, to whom he was married in 1842, was Miss Caroline Goodnow, of Broome county, New York. They have five children—David, Elijah, Charles, Martha and Frank.

JOHN HUEY was born near Londondery, Ireland, in 1830. Four years after his birth, his mother died. When eighteen years of age he came to America, and from Boston (his landing place) proceeded directly to Holyoke, Massachusetts, and one year later removed to Chicago, where he was employed in the Broomer & Chapman car works one and a half years. He then worked in the Rock Island Railroad Company’s shops for nine years; after which, he removed to Wisconsin, where he engaged in farming near Whitewater one year, and then returned to Illinois, and followed the same occupation in the vicinity of Rockford until 1868. At that date he came to Iowa and located in Black Hawk county, where he lived three years, and then settled in Geneseo township, of Tama county, which place has since been his home.

In 1880, he purchased and improved farm on section 18 and immediately removed his family to it. Mr. Huey was married October 23, 1856, to Miss Margaret McNeill, a native of Chicago, where she was born in 1839. They have been blessed with six children, five of who (sic) are now living—Flora I., Joshua C., Esther C., Mary J. and Lizzie B. David Taylor is a native of Delaware county, New York, where he was born in July, of 1844. His education was received in the district schools, and at Andes’ Collegiate Institute, Delaware county, which latter place of learning he attended two and one-half terms. In the spring of 1869, the subject of this sketch made his first trip to Iowa, visiting Cedar and Tama counties, and returning home in the fall. In September, 1871, he again left his native State for Iowa. Tama county was again visited, and after purchasing land on section 27, of Geneseo township, Mr. Taylor went to Cedar county, which has since been his home. In 1876, he erected the house in which he now lives with his sister, Christina. During the year of 1882, he erected on his farm, a barn 40x60 feet.

TILLOTSON C. TEMPLE settled in Geneseo township, on section 16, in 1874. When four years of age his parents moved to Hartford county, Maryland, where his father died in 1823, and the family soon after returned to Pennsylvania. When he was 16, he began to learn the carpenter’s trade, and four years later, moved to Cincinnati, where he was married, April 9, 1839, to Miss Ann Eliza Carsner, of Bedford county, Pennsylvania. They soon after removed to Vicksburg, where he worked at his trade three years, then returned to Cincinnati. After a short stop there, they went to Louisiana, and made that State their home for five years. In 1843, Mr. Temple and family settled in Rock Island county, Illinois, where they were among the early settlers. Mr. Temple here engaged in farming for six years, and from there removed to Port Byron, where he embarked in the mercantile business. He also built a saw and flouring mill and continued in business until the breaking out of the Rebellion. August 14, 1862, Mr. Temple enlisted in the 126th Illinois Volunteer Infantry; went south and participated in several engagements, being present at the siege and capture of Vicksburg. He was honorably discharged August 27, 1864, on account of physical disability, and at once returned to Illinois. He worked at his trade as much as his health would permit, and in 1872, he came to Iowa, living one year at Vinton; then spent one year in Waterloo, and in 1874, came to Tama county, as above stated. Mr. and Mrs. Temple have but one child living – Edgar W. Charlie, born March 17, 1855, died, February 24, 1856; Frank, born October 29, 1859, died February 25, 1856.

EDGAR W. TEMPLE was born at Tibedorville, Louisiana, November 28, 1838. He Received his early education in the district schools, and completed it at the Rock River Seminary, in Ogle county, Illinois. When twenty one years of age, Edgar took charge of a ferry boat, which he run six years. He then opened a grocery store at Port Byron, Rock Island county, Illinois, in company with G. D. Comstock, and continued in business two years, when he sold his interest and engaged in farming in the same county until 1872. That year he came to Iowa, spent two years in Benton county, then came to Tama county, settling on section 16, Geneseo township. In 1882, he erected a frame house into which he moved and where he now lives. December 19, 1862, Mr. Temple was married to Ellen C. Durnan. Mrs. Temple died, and Mr. Temple was again married in 1880, to Mrs. Martha E. Wales, of Hastings, New York. They have two children – Lincoln E. and Lewis P.

ROBERT N. RIGG was born in Lawrence county, Pennsylvania, September 11, 1845. At the age of fourteen Robert, with his parents, moved to Indiana. He engaged in farming and married Miss Emma Casbon, of Wayne county, Ohio, April 15, 1869. In 1876, he moved from Indiana to Tama county, Iowa, and bought land on section 1, Geneseo township, his present home.

To be continued