JAMES P. VORHIES
Among
the residents of Lucas, Iowa, there are none more widely and
favorably known
than Mr. and Mrs. James P. Vorhies, who have made their home
in this city for nearly four decades. An aggressive man
of modern tendencies, Mr. Vorhies occupies a substantial
position in the community life and moreover has a
distinguished war record to his credit, having participated in
some of the important engagements during the conflict between
north and south. He
was born near Rome, Henry county, Iowa, May 22, 1842, and is a
son of Isaac and Melinda (Knotts) Vorhies, who were among the
earliest settlers of Iowa, coming to Henry county in 1836. The father was a
native of Ohio, born May 30, 1806, and died in Henry county,
Iowa, in 1865. The
mother, Mrs. Melinda Vorhies, a native of West Virginia, was
born on September 29, 1811, and also passed away in Henry
county, in 1871. The
paternal grandparents of our subject were John and Mary
Vorhies, the former born October 6, 1766, and the latter March
18, 1769. To
them were born the following children: Mary Ann, June 29,
1789; Aaron, born October 22, 1791; Deborah, born September
15, 1793; Ephraim, October 16, 1795; Susana, February 16,
1798; John, January 29, 1800; Daniel, January 22, 1802; Mary,
March 18, 1804; Isaac, the father of our subject; and William,
born December 7, 1808. All
of these children were born in Guernsey county, Ohio.
Isaac
Vorhies, the father of our subject, resided in Henry county,
Iowa, from 1836 until the time of his death, successfully
following agricultural pursuits. To him and his wife were born fourteen
children: Levi,
born January 26, 1830, who passed away about 1907; Hugh, born
July 26, 1831, who died about 1874; Susanna, born January 21,
1833, who married Dial Kwinshaw and died about 1908; Daniel,
whose birth occurred on the 6th of June, 1834, and
who is a resident of Mount Pleasant, Iowa; William, born May
10, 1836; Maria Jane, born November 12, 1837, who died when an
infant; Edward Matthew Montgomery, born April 7, 1839, who
died in infancy; Lemuel Edgar, born January 30, 1841, a
resident of Lincoln, Nebraska; James P., of this review;
Marshall A., born March 11, 1844, who died in 1877; Mary Jane,
born February 18, 1846, who married Sam Scarf and died in
1875; John Emery, born December 26, 1848, who died as a child;
General George Washington, born November 17, 1850, who died
about 1898; and Virginia Wren, born February 8, 1853, who
married a Mr. Lane, residing at Audubon, Iowa. The four eldest
children of this family were born in Ohio and the remainder in
Henry county, Iowa.
James P. Vorhies was reared upon his father’s farm, attending the schools of the neighborhood and early becoming acquainted with agricultural pursuits. He grew to manhood in Henry county, enlisting from there for service in the Civil war, becoming a member of Company I, Fourteenth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, of the Union army. His regiment belonged to Colonel Shaw’s brigade and he served with his command until the close of hostilities August 8, 1865. He enlisted on September 3, 1861, and for most of the time was under the command of Generals Grant and Sherman. He distinguished himself for his faithfulness to duty and courageous conduct and participated in the battles around Forts Henry and Donelson, also participating in both sanguine conflicts at Corinth, in the famous battle of Hornet’s Nest and that of Shiloh. He was with Banks on the Red River expedition and at Memphis and near the close of the war was under the command of General A. J. Smith. After enlisting he was sent to Missouri and from there to Davenport, to Camp Butler, whence the new recruits were sent to the battle line. Mr. Vorhies also has the distinction of having been one of the guards of honor that guarded Abraham Lincoln’s body on the way from the state house at Springfield, Illinois, to the Oak Ridge cemetery of that city. The orderly sergeant being away Mr. Vorhies was detailed to act as sergeant. At the close of the war he returned to Henry county, where he successfully followed mercantile pursuits until May 20, 1874, when he removed to Lucas, Iowa, of which city he has since been a resident. For some time he also pursued the trade of carpenter in Lucas but now lives practically retired, enjoying a well earned rest after an active and useful life. Discharging his civil duties as well as his military obligations, he has always been a patriotic American, having a life record to his credit which entitles him to the highest commendation.
At
Saline, Jefferson county, Iowa, Mr. Vorhies was married on
March 29, 1866, to Miss Clarissa B. George, a native of Ohio,
who was born February 14, 1846.
Her parents came to Jefferson county, Iowa, in 1849,
and were among the earliest settlers of that part of the
state. They came
overland from Butler county, Ohio, and it took them three
weeks to reach their destination. Her parents were James and Jane
(Kidwell) George, the former a native of Ohio, born July 2,
1803, and the latter of Kentucky, born September 30th
of the same year. Both
died in Jefferson county, Iowa, the father in 1861 and the
mother in 1879. The
mother’s father, Mrs. Vorhies’ maternal grandfather, Jonathan
Kidwell, was the famous editor of the Star of the West of
Cincinnati and also of the Sentinel of that city. The family is still
in possession of a book which he wrote in 1829 and published
in 1830, and he also wrote the Disquisition on the Pentateuch,
which was printed in 1848.
This grandfather was also widely known as a minister
and preached to charges at Cincinnati, Ohio, and Louisville,
Kentucky. He was
one of the famous trio of Universalist ministers at that time,
they being Kidwell, Gifford and Waldew. Mr. and Mrs. James
George were the parents of the following children: Mary A., born
December 3, 1824, who died in 1898; Elizabeth, born May 12,
1826, who passed away in 1884; Hezekiah J., born March 7,
1831, who died in 1863; Matthew L., born March 7, 1833, who
died in 1850; Rebecca J., born December 24, 1834, who died in
1854; William H., born in 1836; Jonathan K., born September 1,
1838; Sarah E., born July 12, 1840; Maria L., who died in
1854; Nancy E., born March 2, 1842; and Mrs. Clarissa B.
Vorhies, the wife of our subject.
Mr.
and Mrs. James P. Vorhies became the parents of six children,
of whom one, Norma Everitt, passed away at the age of seven
months. The
others are: James
L., born in Jefferson county, Iowa, January 6, 1870, and now a
resident of Lucas; Mrs. Ada Poutcher, born August 17, 1871,
residing in Chariton, Iowa; Clarence W., born April 23, 1874,
of Madrid, Iowa; Ernest G., born May 24, 1877, of the same
city; and Carl R., born July 6, 1882, also of Madrid. The three eldest
children were born in Jefferson county and the remainder in
Lucas county. Mr.
and Mrs. Vorhies are the grandparents of seven grandchildren: Lourine and Irene,
twins, born March 2, 1896; Marvel J., born June 30, 1897; Jay,
born in February, 1899; and Helen C., born in April, 1900, are
all the children of George and Ada Poutcher. Laurel Lester, born
February 23, 1910, is the son of Ernest G. Vorhies, and James
Raymond, born February 25, 1910, is the son of Carl R.
Vorhies.
Public-spirited and progressive, Mr. Vorhies has actively participated in the public life of his community, serving as township trustee and member of the city council of Lucas. He also was postmaster for one term, discharging his duties efficiently and to the great satisfaction of his patrons. He keeps in contact with his comrades in the war as a member of the Grand Army post at Chariton. The family home is one of the comfortable residences of the city and there Mr. and Mrs. Vorhies extend a warm-hearted hospitality to their many friends. Mrs. Vorhies is still in possession of valuable family relics which she highly prizes, among them a plate from a set given her mother at her wedding which is now over ninety years old. She also possesses a set of silver teaspoons, with her mother’s initials engraved upon them, which were given to the latter by her father at the time of her wedding. Both Mr. and Mrs. Vorhies enjoy the high regard of all who know them and take a helpful part in all movements undertaken for the betterment of the community along moral and material lines.