The History of Appanoose County, Iowa

Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1878

Transcribed by Renee Rimmert.    A complete copy of this book is available on-line at archive.org.

Abreviations

agt - agent mach - machinist
carp - carpenter mech - mechanic
clk - clerk mar - merchant
co - company or county mfr - manufacturer
dlr - dealer mkr - maker
fmr - farmer P.O. - Post Office
gro - grower prop - proprietor
I.V.A. - Iowa Volunteer Artillery S. or Sec. - section
I.V.C. - Iowa Volunteer Cavalry st - street
I.V.I. - Iowa Volunteer Infantry supt - superintendent
lab - laborer treas - treasurer

Center Township

S  -  Z



Sargent, T.E., grocer.



Sargent, W.E., merchant; born in Bracken Co., Ky., 1815; moved to Brown Co., Ohio, where he married Miss Sarah A. McGowan, 1833; she was born in Mason Co., Ky.   He then moved to Marion Co., Ind., city of Indianapolis, in 1845, and to Fairfield Co., Iowa, in 1850; went to California in 1863, and returned and located in this city in 1867, when he went into the mercantile business.   They have three children - Thomas, William A., and Eliza J.   All members of the Baptist Church; he is Republican.   He owns his residence and other property, valued at $5,000.   He has been in the mercantile business since 1836; he has been a prominent member of the Masonic Order since 1850.



Saunders, F.M. , Secretary of the Agricultural Society; born in Fleming Co., Ky., in 1838; located in this county in 1870.   Married Miss Charlotte F. Brown in 1858; she was born in the same county and State in 1841; they have two children - William A. and Minnie F.   Mrs. S. is a member of the Christian Church; he is a Democrat.   He owns his residence in Centerville, valued at $2,000.



Scott, N.M., Clerk of the Courts; born in Morgan Co., Ind.; located in this county in 1853.   Married Miss Persia Stark in 1860; she was born in Indiana in 1843; their two children are Minnie and Irena.   Republican; members of the Christian Church.   He owns a farm of 120 acres, valued at $2,500; he has occupied his present official position the past two years.    He enlisted in the 5th Kan. V.C. in 1861; transferred to the 6th Kan.   V.C. in 1862; was captured at Mazzard, Ark., July 27, 1864, by Gen. John A. Gano, Confederate Cavalry, and held a prisoner at Tyler, Tex., until May 26, 1865, when he was exchanged and mustered out at St. Charles, Ark., in June, 1865.



Selby, E.O., patent rights.



Shaw, C.A., far., Sec. 6.



Shaw, H., civil engineer.



Shaw, Jacob A., farmer, Sec. 24; born in Madison Co., Ind., Feb. 25, 1847; with his father, Jacob S., came to this county in 1856, where his father engaged in brickmaking and farming in this township, near Centerville; killed at a coal-shaft June 7, 1872, aged 53 years; his mother died Feb. 20, 1866, being 48 years and 8 months of age; he remained with his father, receiving a common-school education, until 22 years of age.   In 1869, he married Miss Susan McFarland; she was born in Ohio in 1850; daughter of J.S. and Sarah J. McF., of this township; died Nov. 15, 1870, leaving one child - Sherman, born Nov. 15, 1870; he then married Miss Mary E. McFarland, a sister of his first wife, Oct. 25, 1871; she was born in Ohio in 1851.   Republican; he is member of the M.E. Church; she is a Presbyterian.   He owns 190 acres of land, valued at $25 per acre.



Shaw, J.W., far., S., 6.



Shaw, M.B., far., S., 6.



Sharp, O.H., watchmaker.



Shaw, S.W., farmer, Sec. 14; born March 11, 1842, in Madison Co., Ind.; in 1855, came with his parents to Augusta, Iowa; the following year, removed to Appanoose Co.; in 1860 he crossed the plains to Utah.   Enlisted in 1861, and served three years; was in the battles of Shiloh, Corinth, Vicksburg, and twenty others of less note; honorably discharged July 1864.   Married Miss S.H. Wood Nov, 2, 1864; she was born Jan. 11, 1850, in Des Moines Co., Iowa; have four children - Mary E., born Aug. 25, 1867; George E., Aug. 19, 1869; Josephine B., Aug. 12, 1871, and Ella F., Aug. 6, 1874; their oldest child died Aug. 5 1869.   Owns 120 acres land, valued at $25 per acre.   M.E. Church; Republican.



Sherman, J., far., S., 25.



Shontz, J.,far., S., 35.



Shriver, George W., farmer; born in Armstrong Co., Penn., 1817; moved to Van Buren Co., Iowa, in 1856, and located in this county in 1874.   Married Elizabeth Ellenburger in 1844; she was born in the same county and State in 1820; have ten children - Thomas, Charles, Andrew, James, Addison, Joseph, Elizabeth, Sarah, Emma and Ida.   They are Presbyterians; he is Republican.   Thomas and Charles enlisted, by permit from their father, they being under age, in the 15th Iowa Vols., 1861 - the former re-enlisted as veteran: mustered out at the close of war; the latter served the full term of his enlistment.    He owns a good house and ten acres in the corporation, valued at $5,000.



Silknitter, B.F., Sheriff.



Snider, A., farmer, Sec. 29.



Spooner, B.S., printer.



Spooner, D.A., teamster.



Shontz, H.D., physician.



Spooner, C.F.,preacher.



Staley, A., farmer, Sec. 25.



Stanton, C.A., merchant.



Steele, D.N., carpenter.



Stephenson, J., farmer.



Stephenson, Robert, Jr., M.D., he was born in Ohio; at the age of 15, commenced the study of medicine with his father; graduated in 1867 at the Iowa State University at Keokuk.   Has been engaged in active practice since 1865, and is now one of the leading physicians of Centerville.   Enlisted in 1861 in Co. D, 42nd Ohio V.I., commanded by James A. Garfield, in 1862, was promoted to 2nd Sergeant; fall of same year, was commissioned 1st Sergeant; was mustered out at Columbus, Ohio, in 1864.   The following year, removed to Centerville.   Married Miss Ruth E. Pennington in 1868; she was born in West Virginia; have two children - Claude and Ralph.   Republican.



Stewart, D., far., Sec. 31.



Stratton, J.F., retired surveyor; born in Erie Co., Penn., in 1801; moved to Michigan and located on the site of the city of Ann Arbor in March 1825; moved to Iowa in 1840; moved in to Lee Co., Mo., in 1841, and explored the land of this county in the same year the treaty was concluded with the Indians; they gave up possession March 1, 1843; he moved in on the 3d of the same month and erected a hut, which he left in possession of his brother while he returned to Missouri for his family, which he brought with him and permanently located on the property his residence now stands on, under the pre-emption act of Congress; the county seat was selected, and he commenced the survey in 1846, and completed it in 1847, and acquired the title to his homestead by that means.   He married Laura Foster in 1837; she was born in Franklin Co., Mass., in 1803; they have two children living - Edward T. and Claudine Spooner; they had had one son - Charlie F. - killed in North Carolina, at the last battle of the war; he belonged to the 6th I.V.I.   He owns his homestead, worth $3,000.



Stickler, D.L., mail agent.



Sturgeon, D.D., capitalist.



Sturgeon, R., retired.



Summers, J.W., capitalist.



Swearingen, W.T., carpenter.



Swinford, G.W., far., S. 20.



Swinford, W.W., far., S. 29.



Tannehill, H., lawyer.



Talbot, John Sec. 35; he was born Feb. 23, 1817, in Milford, Del.; in 1819, came with his parents to Baltimore, Md.; in 1824, they removed to Bethany, Va.; six years later to Wellsburg, Va.; thence to Mt. Pleasant, Ohio; in 1838, he came to Captina, Ohio; in 1852, to Van Buren Co., Iowa; in 1857, removed to Centerville, and has resided here since; he owns 337 acres of land, seventy-seven acres of which joins the city limits; is engaged in various kinds of business, among which are milling, sawing, mining, farming, etc.; he is also Director and stockholder in the Appanoose County Bank and the First National Bank, Centerville; a Director of the M.I. & N.R.R.; has been since the second year of its organization; is one of the largest bee-culturists in Appanoose Co.; he takes an active interest and is well informed regarding the geological features of this county.   Mr. Talbot has never been married.



Taylor, C.B., music teacher.



Thatcher, Wm., preacher.



Thomasson, B.F., far., S. 11.



Thomasson, J.L., far., S. 11.



Thompson, D.M., engineer at Watson Coal-Shaft; born in Miami Co., Ind., Oct. 22, 1838; located in this county Oct. 21, 1847, and owns two houses and lots, valued at $1,000.    He is a member of the Missionary Baptist Church and is a Republican.   His wife is a member of the Missionary Baptist Church and is a Republican.   His wife, Tabitha D. Etheridge was born in Jackson Co., Tenn., Jan. 2, 1842; they were married Feb. 10, 1858; their children's names are Martha A., Hiram A., Calvin O., Ola O. and Samuel.   Mr. Thompson enlisted in Co. C, 2d Mo. Cav., May 2, 1862, and served with them two years and seven months and re-enlisted in the 13th Mo. Vet. Cav., and served to the close of the war.   Mr. Thompson has been engineer at the Watson Coal-Mine several years and is considered a very reliable man.



Thompson, J.H., livery.
Thompson, W., far., Sec. 31.



Thompson, Wm., livery.



Tissue, Wm., clerk.



Trigg, J.T., bricklayer.



Trotter, J., laborer.



Truax, J., tailor.



Ullrich, J.P., blacksmith.



Udell, Nathan, born February 18, 1817, in Susquehanna Co., Penn.   His father moved to Jefferson, Ashtabula Co., Ohio, when he was 6 or 8 months old, where he received a common school education with moderate opportunity, at an academy of the same town (county seat); made his own living by anything he could obtain to do - clerking in a store, teaching school, etc.; studied medicine with Dr. F. Rea, of Washington, Guernsey Co., Ohio, after marriage.   Was married to Eliza Payne, of Washington Co., Ohio, June 39, 1840; two children born in Guernsey Co., Ohio; moved to Unionville, Iowa in 1849, and practiced medicine there eleven years; had three children born; was elected to the State Senate in the fall of 1854, to fill vacancy caused by the resignation of Amos Hains; the Senatorial District then was comprised of Davis, Appanoose, Wayne and Decatur Counties; was again elected in 1859 and 1863, the Senatorial District at those period being as now, Appanoose Co. alone.   Received a diploma in 1855 from the Medical Branch of Iowa University at Keokuk, Causa Honoris.   Moved from Unionville to Centerville in 1860; am a member of Appanoose County Medical Society, of the Des Moines Valley Medical Association, of the Iowa State Medical Society, of American Medical Association.



VanZant, W., far., S. 24.



Veach, B.E., carpenter.



Veach, D.H., carpenter.



Veach, F.M., carpenter.



Vermilion, W.F., attorney; senior member of the firm of Vermilion, Haynes & Vermilion.



Walker, William N., teamster.



Walden, M.M., editor Centerville Tribune and ex-Lieut. Governor.



Wailes, T.L., photograph artist; born in Indiana in 1852; moved with parents to this county same year.   Married Miss Etta Weaver in 1875; she was born in Champaign Co., Ohio, in 1856.   He is Republican.   He deals in notions and fancy goods; is prepared to take all kinds of pictures in latest style, large and small.



Ware, R.L., farmer, Sec. 5.



Ware, William, far., Sec. 35.



Wentworth, Cyrus G., brick manufacturer; born in York Co., Me., in 1827; located in this county in 1856.   Married Miss Sarah C. Bartlett in 1854; she was born in York Co., Me., in 1832; they have two children - Eugene G. and Cora C.   Mrs. Wentworth is a Presbyterian, he is Republican.   He owns 130 acres of land with first-class improvements, valued at $100 per acre; also brick-yard, in which he has manufactured 800,000 brick in one year; his is the only brick-yard in this city or near it; was established by him in 1868.



Wentworth, T., far., Sec. 35.



White, M., far., Sec. 20.



Whitman, R.W., laborer.



Whitsell, J.S., grocery.



Whitney, J.F., far., Sec. 29.



Wilkes, Wm., laborer.



Williams, H.B., agricultural implements.



Williams, J.W., hardware merchant.



Wilson, T.A., carpenter.



Wolf, J., far., Sec. 13.



Wooden, J.R., merchant.



Wooden, A.E., merchant.



Wright, H.H., general real estate and abstract; born in Wayne Co., Ind., in 1840; located in this county in 1861.   Married Miss Kate Gray in 1866; she was born in Perry Co., Ohio, in 1846; they have three children - John E., Henry C. and Fanny.   Mrs. Wright is a member of the Christian Church; Republican.   Owns his residence, valued at $3,500.   He has been Sheriff of this county from 1866 to 1874.   He has associated Mr. J.L. Berch, of Racine, Wis., with him in his business; at a great outlay of time and money, he has produced a complete set of abstract-books, and is prepared to furnish correct abstracts of any piece of property in this county.



Wright, S.W., was born in Pittsylvania Co., Va., Jan 29, 1830; moved to Bloomfield, Davis Co., Iowa, May 5, 1850; came to Centerville, Appanoose Co., March 2, 1856, since which time has principally been engaged in the sale of drugs, medicines, etc.   Married, April 28, 1859, Miss Ada A. Shields, who was born in Madison, Putnam Co., Ind.; have had two children; Charlie, the eldest, died October 1862, aged 2 ½ years; Gertie died April 1878, aged 16 years.   Still engaged in the sale of drugs; also a stockholder and Cashier of the Farmer's National Bank of this place.