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The Atlantic Post Office was established in 1868, with S. T. McFadden, as postmaster. He was succeeded in 1870, by V. O'Brien, who held the office for eight years. H. A. Disbrow was next postmaster, being appointed in 1879, who served until the appointment of L. F. Mullins, in June, 1883, the present incumbent.

Captain L. F. Mullins, postmaster of Atlantic, is a native of Kentucky, being born in that State, October 10, 1839. He is a son of Jonathan and Lucy (West) Mullins, the former being a native of Tennessee and the latter of Alabama. The subject of this sketch was reared upon a farm in Kentucky, and when about ten years of age, 1849, went with his parents to Marion county, Iowa, where he remained until July, 1862, when he enlisted in Company C, Twenty-second Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and in the fall of 1863 was mustered in as captain, at New Orleans, which position he held until the close of the war. He served in a number of prominent battles and was wounded May 22, 1863, at the assault on Vicksburg, Mississippi, and again at Cedar Creek, Virginia, October 19, 1864, spending five months in the hospital at Vicksburg, Mississippi, and Memphis, Tennessee. He was mustered out at Savannah, Georgia, in August, 1865, and returned to his home in Marion county, Iowa, where he was married November 5, 1867, to Elizabeth J. Simpson, of Indiana. They have one child--Ulysses S. In 1876, he removed to Cass county, Iowa, and settled in Benton township, where he improved a farm. At the meeting of the Seventeenth General Assembly of Iowa, he was appointed sergeant-at-arms of that body and served one term, after which he returned to his home in Benton township, and in the fall of 1879, was elected to the office of sheriff of the county and was re-elected to the office again in 1881. On the 5th of June, 1883, he resigned his position as sheriff to fill an appointment as postmaster. He is a man of sterling good qualities and very popular throughout the entire county.

Among the other prominent and influential business men and citizens of the city of Atlantic are the following named, taken at random as the best representation of the class of people who go to make up the population of this enterprising city:

Henry Lowry, a prominent citizen of Atlantic, is now retired from the duties of an active business life. He is a native of Ireland, born in County Down, in August, 1822. He removed to Belfast, where he was employed by his brother as clerk and book-keeper. In June, 1848, he joined the organization known as the "Protestant Repeal Association," which advocated a home rule doctrine for Ireland. That organization was suppressed and its leaders, John Mitchell, Smith O'Brien and T. Francis Meagher were transported. Subsequently Mitchell and Meagher made their escape, the former as is well known, was a southern sympathizer during the war of the Rebellion, and Meagher was a gallant soldier in the Union Army. Mr. Lowry came to the United States in 1849, landing in New York. He at once went to Philadelphia, thence to Pittsburg, and then to St. Louis, thus traveling about in search of employment. From St. Louis he went to Alton, Illinois, and it being absolutely necessary that he should do something on account of the depleted condition of his purse, he engaged in working at carpentering. He had not learned the trade, but his father having been a mechanic, he had acquired a familiarity with the use of tools, and was soon able to learn the business. He was naturally of a mechanical turn of mind, and in an incredibly short time was master of the trade, became a contractor and builder, and succeeded in business to a remarkable degree. He continued in this business until he came to Mills county, Iowa, in 1867. The first land he owned was in Green county, Illinois, for which he paid five dollars per acre. He made a practice of investing the money earned in real estate, and from the advance in such property, made considerable money. He exchanged his lands in Illinois, for lands in Iowa, in 1865, owning at one time about two thousand acres. In 1871 he came to Cass county, and since that time has lived in Atlantic. He now owns a farm of two hundred and eighty acres, in Pymosa township, and a beautiful home in the city of Atlantic. Mr. Lowry was married in June, 1876, to Mrs. Sarah E. (Sheldon) Taylor, who was born in the town of Greene, Monroe county, New York, in 1835. She removed to Boone county, Illinois, with her parents in 1838. Mr. Lowry as a business man, has been quite successful. He came from the hardy race of the North of Ireland, and inherits the strong common sense, positive opinions, and the strict integrity of that people.

Terry Cavenaugh, who is now retired from active business life, came to Cass county in 1861, locating at Grove City. He bought a farm near that village, which he improved, and on which he lived about seven years, then sold out and engaged in drawing goods for the merchants of Lewis and Grove City, from DesMoines, Nevada and other more eastern points in the State. He also hauled goods from the same points for the first merchants of Atlantic. He subsequently engaged in farming near Grove City, and in 1874, commenced merchandising in Atlantic, following that business for several years. He is now living a retired life, although he has land interests in Dakota, and spends considerable of his time in that territory. He was born in the north of Ireland, and came to the United States in June, 1840. He lived in Franklin county, New York, for several years, then went to Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, and thence to this county. His wife was Mary McKabe, also a native of Ireland. They were married in the State of New York, and have three children--Henry, Terry and Barney. His oldest son, Jolan, served in the late war, and was taken prisoner, and died at Andersonville. He first enlisted in the Second Infantry, and served until sometime in 1862, when he was discharged and enlisted iu the Seventh Wisconsin Cavalry.

James Pugh was born in Highland county, Ohio, on the 4th day of October, 1834. While James was still a small boy, his parents removed to Hardin county, where he grew to manhood, and received his education in one of the old style log cabins. He is a son of Eli and Mary Pugh, who emigrated from Virginia in an early day, being among the pioneers of Highland county, Ohio. When they moved into Hardin county, they settled in a dense forest, and cleared up a farm, where Mr. Pugh died in 1880, at the advanced age of eighty-seven years. His wife is now over ninety-two years of age, and is still living in Hardin county, Ohio. They lived together as man and wife for sixty-eight years, and are the parents of eight children, five of whom are still living. Outside of the death of Mr. Pugh, there has been no death in the family for over forty-six years. Mr. Pugh, Sr., was a local preacher in the Methodist Episcopal church and a class leader over fifty-seven years. James Pugh, in 1857, left his native State and went to Indiana. In 1862 he enlisted in company G, Sixty-third Indiana Volunteer Infantry, as a private, but soon afterward was promoted to duty sergeant, and the 9th day of August, 1863, was again promoted to first lieutenant, and transferred to company D, One Hundred and Seventeenth regiment. The following October he was placed upon the staff ot General O. B. Wilcox. He was in a number of engagements, and was wounded in one of the running fights, in East Tennessee. In February, 1864, he was discharged on account of his wounds, and went to Indianapolis, Indiana, where he engaged in carpentering. He was married on the 14th day of May, 1863, to Hattie A. Pugh, of Wolcott, Indiana, a daughter of Henry Pugh. They have three children--Charley, Franklin and Jessie F. In 1869, he came to Atlantic, where he secured the reputation of being one of the best carpenters in the city. In 1876, he established the Northwestern Journal, which he published for one year. In 1880, he was elected justice of the peace, and in 1883 was elected mayor of the city of Atlantic, giving a very satisfactory administration, which was above criticism. He was general superintendent of the poultry department of the Cass county fair, in 1884, and has always exhibited an active interest in the fairs. He is a Master Mason, a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and of the Grand Army of Republic. Mr. Pugh has been an ardent supporter of the temperance cause for the past twenty-five years, and has never been intoxicated in his life.

Harley Soper, one of the old residents of Cass county, is a native of Canada, having been born near Brookville, on the 29th of September, 1813, and is the son of Timothy and Dorcas (Williams) Soper. He was reared upon a farm, and on account of the crude state of society at that early day, received but a limited education. He grew to manhood in the place of his nativity, and upon the 13th of April, 1835, he was united in marriage with Parmelia Bullis, and by this union, there have been seven children, three sons and four daughters--Cora A., Maria D., Adeline P., Leonard H. W., Arretta D., Holmes A. and Loren D. In 1855 the family moved from Canada, and came to the United States, settling near Galesburg, Knox county, Illinois, where he remained until 1859, when he came to Cass county. This was then a wild and sparsely settled country, and Mr. Soper selected a farm in Atlantic township, and soon put up a cabin thereon, to shelter his family, and installed them in it. This farm he sold in 1879, and then removed to Atlantic, where he at present resides, and ranked among the self-made, moneyed men of the community. M. B. Hubbell was born in Meigs county, Ohio, on the 18th day of May, 1827, and is the son of Abijah and Lucretia (Morrill) Hubbell, the former a native of New York, the latter of Boston, Massachusetts, When his parents were young people, they moved west to Ohio, and located in Meigs county, where they became acquainted and were married. They were among the earliest settlers of that section, locating in the heavy timber, where they had to hew out a home, as it were, from the depths of the forest. In 1836, the family moved to Elkhart county, Indiana, where they resided until 1854, when they came to Iowa, locating in Delaware county, where the old people both died, the mother in February, 1861, and the father in the year following. Mr. Hubbell, the elder, was a member of the Adventist denomination, in his latter days, although a Campbellite preacher in his earlier days. He filled the pulpit for over forty years, and being a man of great memory and oratorical powers, was widely known throughout the section of the country where he labored. M. B. Hubbell was reared upon a farm, and received his education in the log school house that reared its rugged walls within three miles of his fathers cabin, going along a path marked by "blazing" the trees in the forest. Here he grew to manhood, and in 1848, was united in marriage with Nancy McCrory, by whom be had nine children--Mervin A., Emily J., wife of G. W. Bales, of Dexter, Dallas county; Alice, wife of William Sherk, of Cass county; Ella, wife of Samuel Petty, Grant township; Mittie, widow of A. L Barnhart, who was killed while building the packing house in Atlantic; James M., Colonel E., both in Atlantic; Margery and Ira O. In 1854, he left Indiana, and moved to Delaware county, journeying the entire distance by team. He opened up a new farm in the place of his location, and has the credit of raising the largest crop of wheat ever raised in that county, fifty-five bushels to the acre. In 1865 he removed to Audubon county, and in 1877, to Cass county, where he has since resided. Mr. Hubbell is a practical farmer, in every respect, but does but little at it now. He is one of the prominent and influential citizens of Atlantic, where he makes his home.

Caleb J. Vredenburg was born in Somerstown, Putnam county, New York, March 1, 1815. His father was quite a prominent preacher in the Methodist Episcopal church and died in Danville, Illinois. His mother was formerly Sarah Kniffin, and is also buried at Danville. When Caleb was young the family removed to Fort Harrison, and in 1820, to Shawneetown, afterwards living in various parts of the country. In 1834 Caleb commenced life on his own account in Attica, Indiana. In 1845, he came to Iowa in company with John Ash, and assisted in building the State Capitol. In 1846, he returned to Illinois, and handled stock and engaged in various enterprises until 1872, when he came here and settled in Atlantic. In 1872 he was married to Clerantha Hall. They have two children--Annie and Frank C.

Pierce Maher, now a resident of Atlantic, may be classed among the early settiers of the county, he having settled in Brighton township in 1858. He was born in the county of Tipperary, Ireland, in 1830, and grew to manhood there. At the age of twenty-one he came to America, to take advantage of the excellent opportunities offered to young men in this country. He arrived in New York City with but one dollar and a half in his pocket, but he had an abundant capital in his resolution and willingness to work. He located in Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, where he went to work by the day. At the end of seven years spent in that locality, he determined to remove further west, and accordingly, October, 1858, found him in Brighton township, this county, where he began to work by the month. After working for others for some time, he found his accumulations amounted to enough to enable him to invest for himself, and he bought forty acres of land. To this he soon added eighty more, and then one hundred and sixty, and now he has three hundred and twenty acres of good land in Brighton and Washington townships, all under cultivation and worth fifty dollars an acre. He carried on stock raising and feeding quite extensively, and has had as many as eight hundred hogs on his place at one time. Mr. Maher is at present retired from active pursuits, and is enjoying the fruits of a life of industry. He resides in this city, and has a fine brick residence, which was built at a cost of five thousand dollars. When the war broke out, his sympathies were with the Union, and in the fall of 1862, he enlisted in the Twenty-third Iowa. The regiment rendezvoused at Des Moines, and from there went to St. Louis. He was on guard duty there until ordered to Fort Patton. There he remained some eight months, and was then sent to Iron Mountain, Missouri. At the end of five months spent at the latter place, he was discharged for disability. In 1860 he went with the rush to Pike's Peak, where he spent the summer in the mines. Mr. Maher was married while in Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, to Bridget McHugo. They had one child--Mary E., who died at the age of eight years. Besides his residence and outside interests, Mr. Maher has a residence property on Sixth street, valued at one thousand dollars. He is one of those who have built themselves up in the county.

Lorenzo Anderson who has an extensive real estate and general collection agency business in Atlantic, is a native of Germany, born April 1, 1837. He left his native country in 1869, and came to Atlantic, June 9, 1870, and built the Atlantic House, of which he was proprietor eight years. He then built an office on the corner of Seventh and Chestnut streets, for the better accommodation of a rapidly increasing real estate business. From that beginning he has now a large trade, and has been instrumental in bringing to this county from his native country many industrious and thrifty people. He was married in 1873, to Dora Schell, a native of Germany. They have three children--Emil, Laura and Alma.

Simon E. Smith, secretary of the board of directors of the independent school district of Atlantic, was born in Yates county, New York, November 8, 1818. When about thirteen years of age, his parents moved to Steuben county. New York,where he was educated in the district schools. He was married in that county In 1842, to Lucy A. Aldrich, a daughter of Rufus and Mary (Smith) Aldrich, her father being a native of Long Island, and her mother of Massachusetts, who moved to Broom county, New York, at an early day. Mr. and Mrs. Smith are the parents of six living children--Alice A., Clara, Belle J., Hattie E., Minnie L. and Georgiana M. In 1844, Mr. Smith went to Park county, Indiana, where he remained three years, after which he removed to Montezuma, on the Wabash river, and later, came to Illinois. After a residence in Coles and Whiteside counties, he went to Galva, Henry county, where he engaged in the harness business for several years, while his wife operated a dress-making and millinery establishment. In 1864, he came to Cass county, settling at Grove City, where he engaged in farming with his brother, purchasing two hundred acres of land, and residing here about ten years, when he came to Atlantic, where he has since resided. Mr. and Mrs. Smith and two daughters are members of the Baptist church. In early life, Mr. Smith was a Whig and cast a vote for William H. Harrison, but since the organization of the Republican party, has affiliated with the same. He always manifested an active interest in education, and has held the office of secretary for nine years, and has also been township clerk and held other local offices. Mr. Smith is one of the upright men of Atlantic, honest in all his dealings, and whose word can be relied upon in every instance. He has been identified with the county for twenty years, and has seen the wild prairies, where the former rude log cabin stood, transformed into beautiful farms, with magnificent residences and buildings.

Rev. Julius Deckmann was born in Brooklyn City, New York, October 13, 1859, and is a son of Jacob and Mary (Brust) Deckmann, who were natives of Germany. He was educated at Fort Wayne, Indiana, and having decided to enter the ministry, took a course of instruction at the Concordia Theological college, at Springfield, Illinois, from which institution he graduated in 1879, thus preparing himself for his chosen profession at an early age. In the fall of 1882 he came to Atlantic, and actively engaged in his ministerial duties. He is now the pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran church, and fills also three appointments outside the city. He is a young man of considerable ability, a fluent speaker, and otherwise well qualified for the responsible position to which he has been called. He was married October 22, 1882, to Mary Wilkening.

Rev. Edward Gaule was born at Kilkenny, Ireland, in the year 1847. He was educated, principally, at St. John's college, in Waterford. He came to the United States in 1869, and was ordained in Milwaukee, at St. Francis' seminary. His first charge, after his ordination, was at Otter Creek, Jackson county, Iowa, where he remained about three months, after which he was stationed at the cathedral in Dubuque, for a short time, then went to Elkport, Clayton county, Iowa, where he remained for six months; thence to Fort Madison in the same State. He remained at the latter place one and a half years, and came from there to Atlantic. In 1881, he returned to Europe, visiting his native land, also England, France and Italy, stopping for some days at London, Paris, Bordeaux, Lourdes, Florence and Rome.

Transcribed by Cheryl Siebrass, March, 2022 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 Representative Citizens", published in 1884, Springfield, Ill: Continental Historical Co., pp. 886-893.