EVAN S. EVANS
Evan
S. Evans, who since 1912 has been a resident of Humeston, to
which city he removed so his younger daughter could have the
advantages of a higher education, still owns and superintends
his farm of two hundred and forty acres on section 3, Clay
township, and section 34, Richman township. Having been a
resident of Wayne county for fifty-five years, he is one of
the pioneers of this section, of the development of which he
has been an interested witness and an active participant, and
yet has another claim to distinction, for he is one of those
who at the time of the Civil war donned the blue and
shouldered arms in defense of the Union.
Mr.
Evans was born in Bedford county, Pennsylvania, August 31,
1846, a son of Jeremiah and Fannie (Roland) Evans, both
natives of Bedford county, Pennsylvania, where the father was
born August 25, 1820, and the mother in 1824. The parents came
west at an early day and settled at Bloomfield, Davis county,
Iowa, whence they removed, March 1, 1858, to a farm in Walnut
township, Wayne county, this state, two and a half miles north
of Seymour. There
the father followed agricultural pursuits, becoming one of the
substantial and prosperous farmers of the vicinity. Both of the parents
lived there for the rest of their lives, the father passing
away in April, 1898, the mother having preceded him in death,
her demise occurring in August, 1882. Mr. and Mrs.
Jeremiah Evans were the parents of seven children, of whom our
subject is the eldest. The
others are: Mrs.
Emma Guthrie, of Oklahoma; Daniel, who resides near Seymour,
Iowa; Mrs. Margaret Harrison, a resident of Spokane,
Washington; Mrs. Mary Gump, also of that city; Samson H.,
residing in Ottumwa, Iowa; and Manuel, who resides on a part
of the old Evans homestead two and a half miles north of
Seymour. The
four eldest children, including our subject, are natives of
Bedford county, Pennsylvania, but the three younger members of
the family were born near Seymour, Iowa. At the time the
family settled there primitive conditions still prevailed, as
there were no railroads and the first homesteads were sparse
and far apart.
Evan
S. Evans was reared under the parental roof, receiving his
education in his native county and the early pioneer schools
of Davis county, Iowa, whence he had removed with his parents
in 1858, settling with them in Walnut township, Wayne county. He subsequently
attended business college, graduating therefrom in June, 1874. Studious of mind
and fond of reading, his education was far above the average
and fitted him well for school teaching, which profession he
followed for the following thirteen years in Walnut township,
although he followed agricultural pursuits at the same time
during the summer months.
On April 1, 1878, he removed to a farm on section 3,
Clay township, and this was his homestead, on which the family
grew up, until his removal to Humeston on December 15, 1912,
in order that the youngest daughter of the family might have
the advantages of a high-school education.
On
May 30, 1864, Mr. Evans enlisted with the Union forces in
Company H, Forty-sixth Iowa Infantry, doing valiant service
with his company and participating in a number of engagements
until he was finally discharged with honor on September 23,
1864, returning thereupon to Walnut township to again follow
his precious calling. In
1878, when he came to Clay township, he possessed himself of
two hundred and forty acres of choice land located in that and
Richman townships and thereon he followed agricultural
pursuits, making improvements which have made the farm one of
the most prosperous and profitable in the district. He has always
followed progressive methods in cultivating the soil and has
also given intelligent attention to stock-raising, attaining
highly satisfactory results along both lines of endeavor.
An
early incident in the life history of Mr. Evans which vividly
stands forth in his memory occurred April 15, 1865, when with
a neighbor by the name of Guthrie he was captured by a gang of
bandits, who the day before had robbed a stage near Seymour
and had captured Mr. Evans and Mr. Guthrie to act for them as
guides in this strange country.
The highwaymen were intercepted in their flight to
Missouri, north of Kirksville, and although the vigilance
committee did not capture the culprits, they made prisoners of
Mr. Evans and Mr. Guthrie instead and would have hanged both
of them in short order if it had not been for one of the
committee, who, on questioning Mr. Evans, became convinced
that he was telling a truthful story, as he himself could
vouch for some of the facts which Mr. Evans gave concerning
the place and the people of the community where they claimed
to have been taken captive.
When they were overtaken by the posse they were roughly
dragged from their horses and ropes were uncoiled and the
party was ready for the execution when the parley ensued, with
the result that when the above mentioned gentleman firmly
announced that he would hold the whole party responsible
should they proceed with their threats, the execution was
abandoned and they were liberated; but Mr. Evans is firmly
convinced that he was never nearer death than at that moment.
On
March 21, 1878, Mr. Evans married Mary A. Gump, who was born
in Monongalia county, West Virginia, February 25, 1853, and
who had come with her family to Wayne county, Iowa, in 1876,
where they subsequently lived for many years. The father, Peter
Gump, was a native of Pennsylvania, born October 31, 1825, and
the mother was Catharine (Park) Gump, born March 6, 1830, and
who died in West Virginia, January 29, 1874. In their family
were eleven children, all of whom were natives of West
Virginia. They
were: Eugenus,
born April 25, 1848, residing in Walnut township; William
Andrew, born June 25, 1849, a resident of Spokane, Washington;
Mrs. Prudence Park, deceased, born March 11, 1851; Mrs. Evans,
the wife of our subject; Mrs. Rachel Masters, born March 22,
1856, residing in Walnut township; Mrs. Sarah L. Bumgardner,
born October 18, 1857, of Numa; James F., born October 5,
1859, who resides in Mannington, West Virginia; Peter I.,
deceased; Mrs. Rusina Alice Tuttle, deceased, born August 10,
1866; Mrs. Amanda Linnville, born April 25, 1868, of
Mannington, West Virginia; and one who died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Evans
were the parents of seven children, as follows: Mrs. Fannie C.
Yelland, born January 7, 1879, who in the acquirement of her
education attended high school at Humeston and for about two
years Simpson College and is now a resident of Belen, New
Mexico; Melvin J., born July 2, 1880, who manages the old
homestead farm in Clay township; a daughter, born March 15,
1882, who died on August 12th of the same year;
James P., who was born June 15, 1884, and died September 17th
of the following year; W. Ray, born August 8, 1886, residing
on a part of the home farm in Clay township; Mrs. Rachel Lee
Williams, born April 24, 1890, of Richman township; and Hattie
A., who was born May 27, 1894, and graduated in June 1912,
from the Humeston high school and is now teaching in Richman
township.
Mr. Evans affiliates with the republican party and has always taken a deep interest in all matters of public importance. For six years he has served as justice of the peace in Clay township and during his term of office has received high commendation on account of his capability, his fairness and impartiality. The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church of Maple Grove, Clay township, in the work of which organization they take an active and helpful interest, giving thereto moral and material support, the parents being charter members of the congregation. Mr. Evans keeps in contact with his comrades of the war through membership in Wayne Post of the Grand Army of the Republic at Humeston. Appreciating the necessity of a good education, he and his wife have given their children all the privileges the neighborhood affords and two of them in addition to a regular school education, have attended Simpson College at Indianola, Iowa. Among the many relics and papers which Mr. Evans prizes highly there is none to which he attaches more value than his first-class teacher’s certificate, which was issued to him in 1874. Both Mr. and Mrs. Evans are prominent in the social circles of the city where they now live and the county and are highly esteemed for their many good qualities of mind and character. He has not only been an interested witness of the onward march of civilization in this country but in true pioneer spirit has cooperated ever since his arrival here, fifty-five years ago, in the advancement of growth and development. Whatever measures are undertaken to benefit the people find in him a champion and supporter and he was among the first signers to petition for rural free delivery in this part of the county. All of the family are well read and fond of good literature, making ready use of the choice library which Mr. Evans has accumulated in a lifetime. Besides his valuable farm of two hundred and forty acres, which is equipped with two sets of improvements and wherefrom he receives a gratifying income, he also owns valuable residence property in Humeston, including his own modern home.