CHAPTER XXXII FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP (CONT'D)

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENTS.

The first business man to establish himself at this point was Robert T. Young, who, in December, 1872, commenced to buy grain here. He continued in this business until February, 1884, when he discontinued it, although he still owns one of the elevators. Robert T. Young, of Wiota, was the first man to engage in business in this village. In December, 1872, he commenced buying grain at this point. At that time the only building on the present village plat was a dwelling house just east of the present hotel. The second building was moved here by Frank Whitney during the same winter, from Atlantic, in which Mr. Young stored his grain. He continued in the grain business until February, 1884, and still ownes [sic] one of the elevators here. He established a lumber and coal trade in 1873 in which he is still engaged. He also bought and shipped the first live stock. Mr. Young is a native of Cortland county New York, where he was born in 1838. He removed when a child with his parents to Pennsylvania, and afterwards to West Virginia, thence to Illinois, where his parents sill reside. He was married to Lamira Soul, a native of Vermont, and has always been actively engaged in business. A second store was opened in 1874, by Harvey Yeaman. The third man to open a general merchandise store was V. M. Labman, who established that business in August, 1875, in the building now occupied by A. Ostrander. He ran this about three years, when he changed his business to that of banking, and is the present banker of the town. Ambrose Ostrander engaged in the general merchandise trade, in Wiota in February, 1878, and still is one of the leading merchants in this line in the town. Ambrose Ostrander, general merchant, engaged in business in February, 1878. His place of business is located south of the railroad, and his residence on the north. He was born in Columbia county, New York, in 1841. He was reared in his native county, and received his education at the Spencertown academy. At the age of twenty he engaged in teaching, which occupation he followed a portion of the time, for a number of years, thus securing means for completing his education. He studied with the view of entering the ministry of the M.E. church, but did not carry out his purpose until recently. He went to Michigan in 1870 and taught there one year, thence to LaPlata, Macon county, Missouri, where he engaged in the same business. He continued there two and one-half years, when, on account of failing health, he was compelled to abandon teaching. He then engaged in mercantile trade. In 1875 he removed to Bloomfield, Davis county, Iowa, where continued the same business, thence to Atlantic in 1878. He came to this town in 1879. Mr. Ostrander is at the present, a local minister of the M. E. church. His wife was formerly Lizzie Knight, a daughter of D. B. Knight of Jefferson county, Iowa. Horton and Sons, are, also, engaged in the general merchandise line in the town of Wiota, having purchased the interest of E. O. Whitmore, on the 1st of April, 1884. They keep quite a complete stock of about $8,000, and are doing a fair business. The first hardware store in the town was established by Spurrier and Clure, in the year 1876, but Mr. Clure retiring, Mr. Spurrier has continued it alone since, and is the only exclusive dealer in that line of business in the town. He carries a fine large stock of heavy and shelf hardware, cutlery, stoves, etc., and has earned for himself the name of a fair and liberal dealer, and a public spirited gentleman. W. E. Spurrier, hardware dealer, came to Wiota in 1876, and that same season erected his present store. He is the first and only exclusive hardware dealer in the village. He was born in Johnson county, Iowa, in 1849, and he was engaged in the hardware business several years before coming to Wiota, and served an apprenticeship at the trade of tinner. His wife was Augusta Barnes, a native of Indiana. They have two children---Harriet Augusta, and an infant daughter. He does a cash business of about $15,000, annually. The first to embark in the boot and shoe business was Thomas B. Scott, in February, 1883. He took in as a partner, James Horrigan, who was a practical shoemaker, and who was working at the bench at the time. The building they occupy is 20x30 feet, and is well stocked with a full assortment of both coarse and fine shoes, and other foot gear. Mr. Horrigan attends to the custom work. Thomas B. Scott was born in Linn county, Iowa, on the 11th of March, 1841, his parents being James and Mary Scott. He learned the miller's trade there, and was likewise engaged about three years, when he began farming. In 1873 he left Linn county and moved to Nebraska, where he remained about eleven months, when he came to Cass county and located on a farm about six miles southeast of Wiota, and there remained until 1883, when he began his present business. Mr. Scott has a fine stock, and is making mark in the world by his good management and upright business interests. He was married in February, 1868, to Martha J. Elrod, a native of Indiana. They have two children---Edith, and a son, Roy, who died in August, 1876. Mr. Scott's residence is at Wiota, but besides this he has a residence on his farm, where his wife died in May, 1880. Martin Rorah, one of the present representatives of the grocery business, engaged in this line of trade on coming to Wiota, in 1879. He handles staple and fancy groceries, flour and feed, candies, tobaccos, etc., and has a fine trade. Martin Rorah was born in Butler county, Pennsylvania, July 5, 1828, and is the son of Jacob and Margaret (Hohn) Rorah. Martin was reared and educated in his native county, and when grown to manhood he followed the occupation of farming. In 1868, he went to Henry county, Illinois, where he still followed the life of a farmer until September, 1879, when he came to Wiota, Cass county, Iowa, and has since been engaged in business. He was united in marriage in 1849, in Pennsylvania, to Louisa Bork, a native of that State. They have been blessed with nine children, seven of whom are now living---Maggie, now married and lives in Cass county; Frank, living at home; John, Charles, Elmer, and Ida. William J., died in 1852, aged two and one-half years, and Mary Jane died in 1863, at the age of twelve years. Mr. Rorah owns a farm of one hundred and twenty acres of land, southeast of Wiota, in Franklin township, but his residence and business are in town, while he owns other town property. He is a man of substantial character, and is highly esteemed as a business man and companion. Among the other business men, in the general grocery line in this thriving town is James M. Foster, who commenced business in April, 1883. The lumber business was initiated by T. L. Pollard. Robert T. Young one of the dealers, and the most prominent ones, of the present, established this line of trade in 1873, in connection with the handling of coal. He has continued ever since, and has a large and increasing trade. W. F. Lahmann is also engaged in the coal and lumber business which he started about 1880. Dr. J. I. Pogue came to Wiota in the fall of 1877, and engaged in the practice of medicine, and in 1878 established his present drug business. The pioneer blacksmith of Wiota was T. M. Woodson, who set up a shop here in the spring of 1873. This line of business is ably represented by Joseph Turner, one of the pioneer settlers of this part of the county, and one of the representative men of the district. Joseph Turner, the present mayor of Wiota, came to Cass county at an early day, and has ever since been generally known to its citizens as a man of sterling worth and strictest integrity. He was born in Derbyshire, England, October 15, 1827, and is the son of Robert and Hannah Turner. When Joseph had reached his thirteenth year, his parents concluded to make their future home in the New World, and accordingly took passage for the United States. Arriving on America's shores, they selected for their home a point in Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh. Here the father established himself in his business of blacksmithing, and here Joseph, who was an apt student, spent his time in acquiring that skill, dexterity and thorough knowledge at his trade, which his father, a trained artisan, was so well capable of imparting. Though his progress at his trade was all that could be desired, Joseph determined to avail himself of the opportunity offered to all in this county, of securing to himself a portion of the public domain, and accordingly in 1855, he came to this county and entered a quarter section of land in Pymosa township. On returning to his eastern home, the impression made upon his mind by the supposed future prospects of the county in which he had taken up his claim, so deepened, that he determined to make it his permanent home. And the spring of 1858, found him located on his land, making improvements and tilling the soil. In 1860 he went to Colorado, but after a stay of one and half years, returned. In 1862, he exchanged his farm for one on section 3, Franklin township, of which he still retains the ownership. In January, 1860, Mr. Turner's parents followed his footsteps to this county, and settled in this township, on section 3, where they continued peacefully to reside till death called them away. In 1878 he took up his residence in Wiota, and opened an establishment for general blacksmithing; and numerous are the people in the vicinity who can testify to his skill at this, his chosen calling. Mr. Turner was married September 22, 1864, to Mary C. Chandler, a native of Ohio. They have five children living---Joseph R., Philip, Millward, Jane and George. They have been bereaved by death in the loss of two sons---Samuel and Frank. Mr. Turner has been successful in a business way, and his residence is one of the finest in Wiota. He is one of the solid and substantial men of the town, and is held in high esteem. His fellow-citizens have shown their confidence in him by choosing him for the responsible position of mayor, for which he is well fitted by integrity and experience. William Christie, Jr., was elected in the fall of 1880, and has since served as township clerk of Franklin township. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on the 13th of September, 1847, and is the son of William and Jeanette (Alexander) Christie, both natives of Scotland. When five years of age, William moved to Dodge county, Wisconsin, where he was reared and educated. After attending the common schools he went to Beloit college to finish his education. He then began teaching, and was thus engaged about two years, when he attended a two years course at the Oshkosh Normal school. In 1876 he came to Cass county, and first taught a number of terms at Marne, and there remained until coming to Wiota, where he entered the grain business. Carrying out that business about four years, he then began investing money, and has since been engaged in that occupation. Mr. Christie was married in April, 1881, to Miss Margaret Wood, a native of Illinois. They have one child---Ralph Waldo. Mr. C. was elected to the position of supervisor of Cass county, in the fall of 1883, and has also held the position of secretary of the school board. The harness business is represented by J. G. Irwin. This was the first harness shop established in Wiota, the date of its establishment being January, 1878.

PREV <== Continue Reading ==> NEXT

Transcribed by Deb Lightcap-Wagner, February, 2014 from:"History of Cass County, Together with Sketches of Its Towns, Villages and Townships, Educational, Civil, Military and Political History: Portraits of Prominent Persons, and Biographies of Old Settlers and Reporesentative Citizens", published in 1884, Springfield, Ill: Continental Historical Co., pp. 803-806.