Biographical History of Page County, Iowa, Lewis & Dunbar Publishers, 113 Adams Street, Chicago, Illinois, 1890

[transcribed by Pat O'Dell: genpat@netins.net ]
 
 
[page 677]

                               

JOSEPH S. TUNNICLIFF, a prosperous farmer of Grant Township, was born in Zanesville, Ohio, January 18, 1845, and is a son of Edward and Sarah (Cooper) Tunnicliff. He comes from English ancestry, his parents being natives of Woodville, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England. The father was a potter by trade and was employed in the great pottery establishments of his native town. He came with his family to America in 1840, and soon after established a pottery busiuess at Zanesville, Ohio, where for twenty-five years he had an extensive trade. Since 1856 his home has been in Kewanee, Illinois, where he and his wife are living at an advanced age; they reared a family of thirteen children, of whom seven survive.
At fifteen years of age Joseph became dependent upon his own exertions; he clerked in a grocery store at Kewanee, Illinois, for some months and was also employed as a coal-miner. In May, 1864, he enlisted in the Hundred-day service in Company H, One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and during that time did guard duty in Kentucky. Upon being mustered out he Immediately re-enlisted in Company A, One Hundred and Twenty-fourth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and his command was attached to General A. J. Smith's department, wThich participated in the siege and capture of Spanish Fort and Mobile. He was mus­tered out in December, 1865.
Mr. Tunnicliff was united in marriage September, 1866, to Miss Mary Ellen Minnick, who was born in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, April 7, 1846. The first two years after his marriage he made a living by teaming, and then he began his career as a farmer. For three years he rented land, and then decided to come West; soon after he was located on his present farm, being able to pay $150 down; this amount and his household goods and team were his whole capital. His every effort met with success, and he soon cleared his land of any incumbrance. As his means have increased he has added to his first purchase of eighty acres, until he now owns 200 acres, one mile west of Bingham. His attention is given exclusively to growing and feeding hogs, in which industry he has met with more than ordinary success; he feeds annually[page 678] from seventy-five to one hundred head, and never fails to turn them off sleek, fat, and at a handsome profit. In January, 1890, he sold a car-load that averaged 528 pounds.
Mr. Tunniclitf has a most attractive home; he has recently erected a two-story house at a cost of $1,500, and has a fine orchard that adds no little value to the place. His system of water-works is of the best, and with a cistern of 150 barrels capacity and 500 feet of pipe, he is able to place water wherever desired.
His family consists of ten children: Frank A., J. Will, Carrie L., Allie S., Charles Edward, Mary Lida, Gilbert Forrest, Joseph Campbell, Harry Ernest and Fred Eugene. The parents are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church and are ardent Prohibitionists.
       

ROBERT O. MILLER, Agent of the Wabash Railway at Bingham, was born at Newbern, Bartholomew County, Indiana, December 13,1851. His parents were Samuel N. and Prudence (Sims) Miller, natives of Kentucky and Indiana respectively. He remained with his parents until coming to the west in 1865, when the family settled in Daviess County, Missonri, where the parents still reside.
Young Miller had received a fair education, mainly in the public schools, and having a desire for some employment other than farm labor he decided to abandon agricultural pursuits and learn telegraphy. With that end in view he entered the railroad office of the Wabash Company at Gallatin, Missouri, studying under the agent, T. F. Harrington, with whom he made rapid progress. Finding it necessary to do something to pay his way he accepted the situation of attending the water­tank at that place, to the duties of which he devoted his time thirteen months. He studied during his leisure time, and when he had mastered the art sufficiently to handle messages he was made night operator at that place. In one year the company asked him to accept his present situation; in August, 1882, he assumed the duties of the office, being the third operator the station has ever had. He has given it his faithful attention, and, although he has been offered more important stations, he is content to remain where he is. He has built a comfortable dwelling, and is surrounded with many of the comforts and luxuries of life.
Mr. Miller also finds time to give some direction and supervision to the growth and culture of ten acres of choice fruits, consisting of standard grapes, strawberries, raspberries, etc. By careful cultivation this is now a source of revenue to him and affords attractive and congenial employment for his leisure hours.
Mr. Miller was married December 17, 1884, to Miss Alice M., the eldest daughter of William F. Baker. She is a person of unusual attainments, and before her marriage devoted some time to teaching. One child has blessed this union—Edith L., born January 3, 1887.

 

COLONEL WILLIAM FREDERICK BAKER is a native of the State of Maine, and first saw the light of day at Bingham, Somerset County, June 9, 1836. His parents were William and Matilda (Chamberlain) Baker, who were also natives of Maine. The Baker family is traced to English ancestors who settled in the early days of the Plymouth Colony on Cape Cod, and afterward sent its representatives to [page 679] Litchfield, Maine, where they effected a permanent settlement.
William Baker, the father, was an extensive lumberman, and as that field of labor presented the greatest inducements for acquiring wealth and independence, young Baker became early engaged in the lumber business, with which he was identified all the years of his residence in the State of his nativity. He became an expert raftsman, but after several years he purchased an interest in a saw-mill at Skowhegan. The attractions of river and lumber life were such that his early education was somewhat neglected, but he managed to secure a substantial basis for a business career.
At a time when the prospect of wealth and happiness was brightest the country's call to arms resounded throughout the pine-clad hills of Maine, and William F. Baker was one of the first to respond. He enlisted at Augusta, August 10, 1861, and assisted in organizing Company D, Ninth Regiment; when a choice of officers was made he was unanimously selected as Captain; he took his command to Washington and there was attached to General Sherman's expedition to Port Royal, and still has most vivid recollections of that fearful and disastrous voyage. In 1868, by the solicitation of General Washburn, of Maine, he was mustered out and promoted to a position in the regular army, being made Major of the Tenth Regiment in the regular service. This was a regiment of colored troops, and he was ordered with them to Hampton Roads, Virginia, where he was appointed an aid to the staff of General Butler and made Retaining Superintendent of the Department of Virginia and North Carolina. At Plymouth, North Caroliua, he was made prisoner, and after being kept at Savannah, Macon and Andersonville for nearly four months he was exchanged.   After a short visit home he rejoined his command and led his troops with Grant at Richmond, and was stationed at Point Lookout in charge of a brigade. He was made Provost-marshal General, and in this capacity was recognized as an exceptionally able man. After the fall of Lee he was sent to Texas and was stationed at Corpus Christi until December, after General Smith's surrender; he was then stationed at Galveston, where he was made president of the Military Commission, which responsible position he held until July, 1866. He was then sent with his command to City Point, Yirginia, and was finally mustered out. In June of that year he had been made Colonel by bre­vet by the recommendation of General Sheri­dan for meritorious services. He was urged to remain in the regular army, but family considerations prevented, and he returned to the lumber regions of Maine.
He erected large mills at Skowhegan, and was doing a prosperous business when a ter­rible flood carried off the mill and millions of logs. After this disaster he rebuilt the mill, but in 1872 he decided to come West. He disposed of his property and removed to Iowa, where he began to improve a farm. His restless spirit, however, demanded something more active, and he became interested in the building of the Wabash Railroad, doing much toward securing the right of way through Iowa. After the completion of the road he was made Division Freight Agent with head­quarters at Brunswick, Missouri. He then severed his connection with the railroad and became the manager of an Elevator Company, and for three years was buying and shipping grain. In 1883 he began, in connection with St. Louis parties, to supply railroad timber for bridges, ties, etc., and is now actively engaged in attending to sales throughout the northwest.
Colonel Baker was married September 8, [page 680] 1858, to Miss Helen M. Smith, and seven children have been born to them: Alice M., the wife of R. O. Miller; William E., Hattie L., Mate E., Carroll D., Elmer E., deceased, and Nellie C.
The Colonel has a desirable home near Bingham, and is surrounded by his family and friends, taking the pleasures of life simply as they come. Space forbids a further mention of this interesting character and his intelligent family, while no subject affords a more pleasant theme for an extended biography.

ADAM G. FRIESZ, deceased, was born August 30, 1837, in St. Clair County, Illinois, his parents being Peter and Magdeline Elizabeth (Aeppel) Friesz, natives of Germany, who emigrated to the United States about 1835. He was married February 17, 1864, to Miss Mary Shaubert, who was born in St. Louis, Missouri, July 24, 1842. She is a daughter of Peter and Elizabeth (Bloom) Shaubert, who came to America in 1838. When she was two years old they settled in St. Clair County, Illinois, where the father still resides; her mother died when she was thirteen years old.
Mr. and Mrs. Friesz remained in St. Clair County, twenty-eight miles east of St. Louis, until 1873, when they came to Iowa, and in connection with Frederick Friesz, a brother to Adam, purchased 1,120 acres of choice land four miles from Shenandoah, where they succeeded in making a comfortable home. Mr. Friesz was very successful in his undertakings and left a handsome estate to his widow and children. His death occurred September 4, 1881, resulting from a kick received from a horse; at the time it did not seem serious, but the blow caused internal injury which terminated fatally. He was highly esteemed by all who knew him, and few men in Page County had a more enviable reputation as a careful business man and accommodating friend and neighbor. He was a man of fine physique, a splendid specimen of physical manhood and of commanding presence.
The family have since resided on the farm, which now consists of 600 acres. Mrs. Friesz is a shrewd business woman, of much more than ordinary ability, and under her personal direction, aided by her sons, the farm has continued to be productive property. They feed annually from three to six carloads of cattle. Recent improvements have added much to the natural beauty of the home, and no place in the county affords better opportunities for a young man to develop his business qualities.
The family consists of George, Lena, Peter, Lewis, George, Adam, Mary Elizabeth and Eliza. Lena is a student at the college; George, Peter and Lewis are at home in immediate charge of the farm and are showing more than usual capacity in this line of business.

J. CAMPBELL WILSON, farmer and stock-grower, section 28, Grant Township, was born in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, March 4, 1847. His parents were Thomas and Sarah (Campbell) Wilson; the father was a native of Pennsylvania and a son of Joseph Wilson, an early settler of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, of English birth; the mother was a direct descendant of Michael Campbell, famed in Scottish history.
In 1865 the family removed to Warren County, Illinois; our subject remained under the parental roof until he was twenty-two [page 681] years old and then engaged in farming in the same community. He afterward decided to come farther west. After looking at varions parts of the country he came to Page County, and bought 200 acres where he now lives, paying $20 per acre. He had an excellent dwelling erected at a cost of $2,500; it is partially surrounded by shade trees of his own planting, and is a most attractive and pleasant place.
Mr. Wilson has converted the place into a stock-farm and devotes a considerable portion of his time to the breeding and growth of English Shire horses; he considers that valuable grade the most profitable, and finds a ready sale for them.
He is the only surviving one of the children of the first marriage of his father; the others died in childhood and his mother died when he was four years old. By the second marriage there were three children: William, John and Sallie. His father died about five years ago. He was married December 15, 1869, to Miss Carrie Westervelt, who was born at Paterson, New Jersey, November 25, 1846. She is the daughter of D. T. and Maria (Van Buskirk) Westervelt. Her father was an extensive merchant in Paterson, New Jersey, but after the war retired to McDonough County, Illinois, and settled on a farm, where he and his wife are still living.
Mr. and Mrs. Wilson have two children: Walter L. was born June 21, 1872, and Lou was born June 15, 1874. Walter was graduated from the High School in June, 1889, and is taking a scientific course at the college; Lou is a pupil at the High School and has made a remarkable record in her attendance; during the nine years she has been in the public schools she has not been absent or tardy a single time.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Wilson were reared under Presbyterian influence, but neither is a member of the church; Mr. Wilson's business ability and high integrity of character have been recognized by the members of the Presbyterian Church, who have made him one of their trustees and have placed him upon their building committee. He is an earnest advocate of church discipline and has been of incalculable benefit to the church in Shenandoah. He is a Democrat in politics and although not a politician he takes a liberal view of all public questions.
Besides his farm interest Mr. Wilson has a half section in Hamilton County, Nebraska, which he keeps rented and which is a profitable grain-growing farm. He is in possession of an heirloom of considerable value and much more interest; it consists of a set of silver spoons presented itis grandmother on her wedding day more than eighty years ago.
    

PETER PECK, an energetic and successful agriculturist of Grant Township, was born in Gallia County, Ohio, November 9, 1847, and is a son of George W. and Lucinda (Rowley) Peck. When he was three years of age his parents emigrated to Illinois and settled in Hancock County, where they are still living. There he grew to manhood, passing his time in farm work and in attending the common schools. There were six children who lived to maturity, of whom Peter is the fourth; one sister, Louisa Addie, is the wife of Marion Ketchum, residing in Morton Township, Page County.
Thinking that a better fortune awaited him in Iowa, Mr. Peck emigrated to the State in February, 1874, and located in Morton Township on a farm of 160 acres, which he cultivated and improved until the spring of 1889, when he came to his present place. This [page 682] lies just south of the college and is the north half of the southeast quarter of section 30. Here he has erected a substantial residence, at a cost of $1,500; it stands upon a beautiful rise of ground and all the surroundings are of the most attractive character.
Mr. Peck was married in Hancock County, Illinois, April 10, 1873, to Miss Minerva Tarman. She was born in Muskingum County, Ohio, April 15,1853, and is a daughter of Robert and Phebe (Cassingham) Tarman. Her grandfather Cassingham was born in England but was only twelve years old when his parents emigrated to America.
Mr. and Mrs. Peck are the parents of one child, born September 11, 1889, name Tarman Peck.
He is a stanch supporter of Democratic principles, being firm in his belief in their merits. He is also a member of the order of Modern Woodmen..

 

THOMAS J. WILLIAMS was born in Fayette County, Indiana, March 24, 1832, and is a son of John Williams, who was a son of Jesse Williams, who came from England to Bourbon County, Kentucky, prior to the war of 1812. Jesse Williams was a soldier in the war of 1812, doing good service for his adopted country. The mother of our subject was Nancy Busick, a daughter of Levan Busick, who bore no inconsiderable part in the last war with Great Britain. The parents settled in Indiana before his birth, and his early days were spent on a farm in Wabash County of that State.
Mr. Williams was married in that county December 24, 1857, to Miss Mary J. Fowler who was born in Rush County, Indiana, August 8, 1830.   She is a daughter of Isaac and Sarah (Cox) Fowler. Their family consists of four children: Frank, Addie, Edwin and Hugh. Addie was married to John L. Carey, December 23, 1880, and died April 11, 1889.
Mr. and Mrs. Williams are active workers in the Christian Church. Politically he is a Republican but does not feel bound when the self-styled party leaders place improper men in nomination.

 

W. C. DAVIS, one of the prominent citizens of Tarkio Township, has been identified with the history of Page County since 1864. He was born in Peoria County, Illinois, December 30, 1836, and is a son of David L. and Mary (Jackson) Davis. David L. Davis was an early settler of Des Moines County, Iowa, and was a native of Maysville, Kentucky; his wife was born in Peoria, Illinois. W. C. was a lad six years old when his father settled in Des Moines County, Iowa. Burlington then had two or three cabins, and the family were obliged to undergo many hardships of pioneer life. The father died in 1881; the mother had passed away thirty-one years earlier.
Mr. Davis was reared to the occupation of a farmer and received his education in the Baptist and Wesleyan Universities at Burlington and Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. At the age of nineteen years he engaged in teaching and followed this profession for some time. During the Rebellion he enlisted in Company F., Seventh Iowa Cavalry, in May, 1863, and was in the service seven months. In 1864 he came to Page County and located at Clarinda, farming in the summer months and teaching in the winter time.
November 21, 1865, he was united in marriage to Miss S. A. McMullen, a native [page 683] of Preble County, Ohio, and a daughter of Stephen McMullen. She was thirteen years old when she came with her grand-parents to Page County. After his marriage Mr. Davis settled in Douglas Township for a time and then removed to Montgomery County, Iowa, where he lived five years. At the end of this time he returned to Page County, for five years, and then went to Kansas, where he remained five years. Page County still held many attractions that he found nowhere else, and he therefore returned to the charmed spot and settled on his farm which he had owned several years. It contains 320 acres, and besides this he owns two eighty-acre tracts, one of which lies near the Western Normal College and is very valuable property. His home farm is well adapted to the raising of live-stock, an industry to which he has given much attention.
Mr. and Mrs. Davis are the parents of six children: Charles O., Clara Maud, William Grant, Minnie Jane, Nellie Rachel, and one son who died in childhood. The mother was reared in the faith of the Universalist Church; the father was brought up a Presbyterian. Politically he affiliates with the Republican party; he is a member of the Odd Eellows' fraternity at Essex, and is one of the genial, popular citizens of Tarkio Township.

 

HENRY R. GALE has been a resident of Page County since 1870, having located in Tarkio Township, when there were but few settlers and when the county was comparatively new. He was born at Providence, Rhode Island, January 19,1834, and is a son of Jonas Russell and Cynthia M. (Adams) Gale. The father was born in New England, and the mother was born, reared and educated in the State of Massachusetts. They reared two children, Charles L., who is engaged in business in Chicago, and Henry R., the subject of this biographical notice. In 1837 the family removed to Alton, Illinois, where they resided for a number of years. Then they went to Tazewell County, Illinois, where the father was prominently identified with the business interests for a number of years. Then they returned to the East, where they remained eighteen months, principally in the city of New York. At the end of this time they came back to Tazewell County Illinois.
Mr. Gale was reared to the life of a farmer and received his education in the common schools. He was united in marriage December 16, 1857, to Miss Marion Stillman, a native of the State of New York, and a daughter of Alvin and Wealthy (Kellogg) Stillman.
During the civil war, when Lincoln called for 300,000 men, he enlisted in Company H, One Hundred and Fifteenth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and participated in several noted engagements; he was at the battle of Lookout Mountain, Mission Ridge, Chickamanga and Nashville, besides many skirmishes. He was honorably discharged at Nashville, Tennessee, June 1, 1865, after which he returned to his home in Illinois. He remained in Tazewell County until 1870, and then removed to Page County, Iowa, purchasing 160 acres of wild land in Tarkio Township. He made this purchase of the railroad company, and set to work to make a home; he has since invested in more land as his means would permit, and now owns 240 acres, all in an advanced state of cultivation. He has erected a comfortable residence and the necsssary buildings for stock and grain. An orchard of a fine variety of trees had been planted, and a grove adds beauty to the landscape.[page 684]

Mr. and Mrs. Gale are the parents of six children: Harry, Fanny M., wife of M. H. Miller; Walter C, Nellie Ann, Carrie Mabel, and Frank Leonard; Clara, the first born, died in childhood. The parents and three children are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, the father serving as a trustee. They have ever taken an active interest in the progress of religion and education, and are numbered among the leading families of the township.
In political thought and action Mr. Gale is a Republican, and has been called by the people of his township to represent them as trustee.

 

GEORGE. W. HARRIS—In 1870, when Washington Township was yet a wild, uncultivated waste of prairie, and civilization had barely made her impress upon the noble county of Page, came this worthy farmer and took up the burden of establishing a home. The house where Robert Martin now lives, was the only residence in sight. Mr. Harris was born in McDonough County, Illinois, September 1, 1841, and is a son of Alexander and Marticia (Creel) Harris. Both parents were born in Adair County, Kentucky, where they were reared and married. In 1831 they removed to McDonough County, Illinois, where they were among the early pioneers. They had a family of seventeen children. George W. passed his youth very much in the same fashion as other youth in the frontier; he assisted in the farm work and during the winter attended the district school.
When the great war cloud darkened the sky from horizon to zenith, Mr. Harris responded to the call for men to go to the defense of. the old flag, and enlisted in Company C, Eighty-fourth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, September 1, 1862, at Quincy, Illinois. He fought in many severe battles, the most noted being Stone River, Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain, Resaca, Peach-tree Creek, Jonesborough, and Nashville, Tennessee. He was never wounded or taken prisoner, but his hearing was injured to such an extent that he has never recovered. He was honorably discharged at. Camp Harker, in June, 1865.
Mr. Harris was united in marriage June 4, 1868, to Miss Electa McCallon, a native of Warren County, Illinois, and a daughter of David C and Eliza Markham McCallon, natives of Ohio and Canada respectively. In 1870 this young couple came to Page County, and Mr. Harris made a purchase of 160 acres of land on section 4, Washington Township. In 1884 he bought eighty acres in addition, and has placed the whole under good cultivation. His residence is a good, two-story house and the barns are large and well arranged for feeding stock.
Mr. and Mrs. Harris have had born to them eight children: James Austin, William D., Samuel Arthur, Dottie Grace, Martha Gertrude, Lucy Edith, Georgia Iona, and Clara Pearl who died in infancy. The parents and two older daughters are consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Northboro. Mr. Harris is identified with the Republican party, and is a member of the Gettysburgh Post, No. 241, G. A. R.

 

CHARLES APPLE, one of the enterprising agriculturists of Tarkio Township, has been a resident of Page County since 1869. He was born in Fulton County, Illinois, February 26, 1851, and is a son of Amos and Eliza (Huston) Apple, a brief biography of whom will appear on an-[page 685]other page of this work. He was the second of a family of nine children and was reared to the life of a farmer and received his education in the common schools of Fulton County, Illinois. When he was eighteen years of age the family removed to Page County, Iowa. He remained under the parental roof until he was twenty-four years of age and then settled on his present farm.
Mr. Apple has secured a choice tract of land, comprising 140 acres; he has placed all under cultivation, and has succeeded in putting a considerable portion down in tame grass for the purpose of feeding a large number of live-stock. His improvements are of an excellent kind, and all his environment is indicative of prosperity and wise management. Politically he affiliates with the Republican party, inclining to the independent element. He is a man of honesty and integrity, and by his upright conduct has won an enviable position in the county.
Mr. Apple has been twice married: February 4, 1875, he was united to Miss Murtis J. Morley, a daughter of Joseph Morley; by this union four children were born: Jessie L., Minnie M., James A., Maud E. The family were greatly bereaved by the death of the mother, which occurred January 16, 1884. Mr. Apple was again married May 30, 1889, to Miss Mina M. Smith, a daughter of S. S. Smith, of Tarkio Township. Her mother's maiden name was Sarah Jane Matthews.

OMRI WOODWORTH has resided in Page County since 1869, in which year he removed from Henry Connty, Iowa. He was born in Ashtabula County, Ohio, August 20, 1829, and is a son of James and Thankful (Ellis) Woodworth, natives of Massachusetts and New York respectively. The father was of Welsh extraction and the mother was born of Irish ancestors. Omri was a lad of ten years when his parents removed from Ohio to Warren County, Illinois; thence in 1841 they came to Iowa and located in Henry County, where they were among the earliest settlers; game was abundant, the Indian still trod the virgin soil in freedom, the houses were log cabins, and not a railroad had crossed the prairies of Iowa. Here amid the wild scenes of frontier life Omri Woodworth grew to manhood. In 1859 he removed to Coffee County, Kansas, where he spent one year; there was a great drought that season, so that no crops were raised; so he returned to Henry County, Iowa.
During the civil war, being a patriot, sprung from a race of patriots, Mr. Woodworth enlisted in Company G, Eleventh Iowa Volunteer Infantry, September 20, 1861, and made a brave and gallant fight for the perpetuity of this nation. He participated in the battles of Shiloh, Corinth, Atlanta and Jonesboro, and in the siege of Vicksburg; he was in many skirmishes and lesser battles; he was honorably discharged in November, 1864, at Galesville, Alabama, and returned to Henry County, Iowa, to engage in the more peaceful pursuit of agriculture. It was in 1869, as before stated, that he came to Page County; he first settled in Lincoln Township and resided there four years; at the end of this time he purchased his present farm; it was then wild and unimproved, but by diligence and perseverance he has brought it to an advanced state of cultivation. He has a comfortable house, pleasantly situated amidst shade tree, and the barn and sheds are of a substantial character.
Mr. Woodworth was united in marriage September 26, 1850, to Miss Charlotte Morford, who was born in Butler County, Ohio, a daughter of William and Rebecca (Ray) [page 686] Morford, natives of Ohio and New Jersey respectively. Two children are the result of this union: Mrs. Retta E. Standage, a widow, and William Dexter; one child died in her seventh year, Jennie May.
Our subject is a stanch Republican, and is one of the charter members of Gettysburg Post, No. 241, G. A. R., at Northboro. His record as a citizen and a soldier is one of which his children may be proud, and one worthy of preservation in the history of Page' County. Mrs. Woodworth and her daughter are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

J.R. LAWSON, proprietor of " Maple Grove Stock Farm," has been prominently identified with the agricultural interests of Page County since 1878. He was born in Ashland County, Ohio, June 30, 1838, and is the son of Samuel and Hester (Proudfit) Lawson, natives of Pennsylvania and Ohio respectively. The father is de scended from Scotch-Irish ancestors. J. R. was reared in Ashland County; he received the usual school advantages conferred by the State at that day. In the fall of 1856 the family removed to Knox County, Illinois.
Mr. Lawson was united in marriage January 19, 1864, to Miss Ophelia Lafferty, a native of Knox County, Illinois, and a daughter of John and Sarah (Slocum) Lafferty. This union has been blessed by the birth of nine children, eight of whom are living: Hettie, wife of R. E. Miller; John B., Samuel, Frank, Ada Ray, James, Clara May, Cleveland, and Clydia, deceased.
" Maple Grove Farm " contains 345 acres of as choice land as lies within the borders of Page County, and is in an advanced state of cultivation.   A good farm-house was erected in 1885 at a cost of $1,600, and it is attractively situated on a natural building site, surrounded by many beautiful trees. There is a fine grove on the premises and a bearing orchard adds to the value of the place. The grove contains ten acres, principally of maple trees and from this the farm derives its name.
Mr. Lawson devotes his time to the raising of live-stock, and has some of the most excellent grades of animals to be found in the county; he raises short-horn cattle, Poland-China hogs, and draft horses of an imported breed. Whenever he has exhibited his stock at fairs he has seldom failed to carry a good share of the premiums offered. In political thought and action he is a Democrat, and has represented the people of his township as trustee for seven years. He is yet in the prime of life, is strong and active of mind and body, and in all his dealings with men is known as a most correct business man, whose word is as good as his bond.


D. J. PADEN has been identified with the interests of Tarkio Township, Page County, since 1871. He was born in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, December 3, 1825, and is a son of Isaac and Celia (Fish) Paden. The father was a son of Isaac Paden, Sr., of Scotch ancestry, and the mother was born in Rensselaer County, New York, her father being Joseph Fish, of English ancestry. Isaac Paden, Jr., and his wife had born to them twelve children, ten of whom lived to maturity. D. J. Paden, of whom this biographical notice is written, is the oldest of the family; the first occupation in which he engaged was that of running a saw and grist-mill. In 1843 the family removed to Knox County. Illinois, and settled near Galesburg, where the parents [page 687] now reside at an advanced age, the father being ninety and the mother eighty-six years old.
Mr. Paden was married September 14, 1846, to Miss Lucinda McCaw, who was born in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, a daughter of William and Mary (Wyley) McCaw; her father was born in Scotland and her mother in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Mr. McCaw died in 1843, and his widow and children, four daughters and three sons, removed to Hock Island County, Illinois, where the mother died in 1865.
On coming to Illinois Mr. Paden engaged in agricultural pursuits, and in 1852 he removed from Knox County to Henry County; in a short time he went to Mercer County, remaining there for some time; his next move was to Washington County, Minnesota, and there he made his home for four years, returning at the end of that time to Henry County, Illinois. In 1871 he came to Page county and purchased eighty acres of wild land, which he at once undertook to place under cultivation; he added to this tract until he has 160 acres, well improved with good bindings. The residence and barn are built on rock foundations of a most substantial construction; a grove of six acres of maple and walnut trees, and an orchard add greatly to the beauty of the place as well as to its value. Mr. Paden has one of the latest improved windmills, the Air-motor, and is also acting as agent for this make; it is of practical construction, and as he thoroughly understands the mechanism of the mill he will doubtless make a success of the business.
Mr. and Mrs Paden are the parents of ten children: Mary Jane, wife of James Stitt; Isaac J., Charles J., Amos J., George H., Robert A., John L., Grace E., wife of Gilbert Erlewine, and, two children who died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Paden are zealous members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and are among the most highly respected residents of Tarkio Township. Politically our subject supports the Greenback party, having been in times past a Republican.

    

ASA S. TURNER, a respected farmer of Amity Township, traces his ancestry directly back to an English family who settled in America long before the war of the Revolution. The maternal ancestors were among the Plymouth Colony. Benjamin Turner, the grandfather of our subject, was one of the early settlers in the State of Maine. His son Josiah, the father of Asa S., was born in Greene, Maine, January 1, 1789. He was married January 19, 1814, to Almira Smith, a daughter of Asa Smith. Almira Smith Turner was born September 2, 1792, in Greene, Maine, and was the mother of nine children, of whom Asa S. is the eighth.

The father was a farmer by occupation and lived all his life in Maine, in the counties of Kennebec and Androscoggin. He was a member of the Free-will Baptist Church, and served in the war of 1812. He died April 25, 1858, at the age of sixty-three years.
Asa S. Turner was born in Leeds, Maine, July 14, 1830. He obtained a common-school education and learned the shoemaker's trade, at which he worked several years. In 1854 he married Matilda A. Stearns, a daughter of Sumner Stearns, and of this union three children were born: Frank, Edith, deceased, and Edwin. In 1858 Mr. Turner removed with his family to Iowa, and located at Mount Pleasant, where he remained nine years working at his trade. In 1870 he decided to make a change in his business; previous to this, however, he had [page 688] removed to College Springs, Iowa, and had been occupied with his trade; he abandoned his life-long occupation and located on his present farm, where he has since resided. His wife died at Mount Pleasant, Iowa, February 2, 1862, and August 18, 1863, he was married to Phoebe Hilliard, a widow, the daughter of James and Isabel (McConnell) Tallman. Mr. Tallman was born near Sandusky, Ohio, and his ancestors were among the soldiers of the Revolutionary war and the war of 1812. By his first marriage he had four children, and seven children were born of the second one. His first wife died in 1859, and he was married to Marinda Strait. Mrs. Turner is a child of the first marriage, and after the death of her mother, which occurred when she was but eight years old, she lived with her grandparents, James and Mary (Bell) Tallman, at Tallman Mills, West Virginia.
Mr. and Mrs. Turner are the parents of nine children: Edith M., Louis B., William H., Delphina, John S., Asa J., Amy B., Iona and Viola, twins. . The parents are members of the Free Methodist Church; previous to their uniting with this society they had belonged to the Baptist Church for twenty years. Politically Mr. Turner is identified with the Prohibition party.

 

ALEXANDER HARRIS is one of the most extensive livestock dealers in Washington Township, and is one of the reliable farmers of Page County. He came to his present farm in 1870 and since that time has been prominently identified with the agricultural interests of the county. He was born in McDonough County, Illinois, September 1, 1837, and is a son of Alexander and Marticia (Creel) Harris, natives of Adair County, Kentucky. Alexander Harris, Sr., was married in Kentucky, and in 1831 removed to McDonough County, Illinois, where he was among the earliest pioneers. Alexander, Jr., was reared to the life of a farmer amidst the scenes of the Western frontier. He was one of the number to respond to Lincoln's call for 300,000 more men, enlisting in the Seventh Illinois Cavalry, Company L. He furnished his own horse, which he had bought with hard-earned money, and for which he never received pay from the Government; while in the service he took the measles and he has not to this day recovered from the bad effects of this disease; he spent six weeks in the Mound City Hospital, and six weeks at Homburg Hospital, where he came near dying. He was honorably discharged at the end of nine months and returned to his home in McDonough County, eugaging  in the more peaceful pursuit of agriculture.   When he first came to Page County he invested in 320 acres of land and began to make a home for himself and family; he has since added to this first purchase until he now owns 720 acres; it is land well adapted to the feeding of live-stock and the raising of grain. The residence is a good frame building and is pleasantly situated in the midst of shade trees; a grove and an orchard near by add much to the beauty as well as the value of the farm; the barn is one of the best in Page County; it is built upon a solid rock foundation and has an ample capacity for the storing of hay and grain and the protection of live-stock; stock-scales and a wind-mill are also added to the many other conveniences. As Mr. Harris was one of the first men in Washington Township to feed cattle, his farm was a popular corn market for the surrounding country for many years. He is one of the most expert judges of live-stock in Page County and has made a decided suc[page 689]cess of his business. He has some blooded stock, short-horns and Herefords, which are of very fine grades.
Mr. Harris was united in marriage September 14, 1872, in Page County, Iowa, to Miss Matilda Spiker, a daughter of William and Caroline (Vincent) Spiker. Mrs. Spiker was born in Henderson County, Illinois, and when she was fourteen years of age her parents removed to Page County. William Spiker was a member of the One hundred and Eighteenth Illinois Volunteer Infantry and died in the service; the mother is also deceased.
Mr. and Mrs. Harris have had born to them seven children: Ruby Maud, Lewis Allen, Loy Elvin, Melvina, Arthur Garfield, Eunice Etta and Alexander. Politically Mr. Harris is a Republican. He is a man plain of speeech and manner, firm in his convictions of right and wrong.

 

OLIVER H. BREWER was born in North Carolina, at Randolph, May 8, 1813, and is a son of Henry and Anice (Crow) Brewer, natives of the Carolinas. When Oliver H. was a lad seven years of age his parents removed to Washington County, Indiana, where the father died five or six years later. The mother passed away in Carroll County, Illinois. Mr. Brewer has been married three times. He was first united to Miss Lucinda Starks in 1833. One child was born of this union, Ephraim, who died while in the service of his country, a member of an Illinois regiment. Mrs. Brewer died in 1835, and in 1837 Mr. Brewer married Miss Elvira Westrall, in Washington County, Indiana. By this marriage six children were born: William, Jesse W., James R., Mary A., wife of George Morey; Edwin H., wife of A. Mayburne, and Amy L., wife of W. M. Rolston. The mother of these children died April 11, 1865, in Carroll County, Illinois. In 1868 Mr. Brewer removed to Page County, Iowa, and in February, 1871, he was married to Mrs. Margaret Knight, widow of Hiram Knight, who was a member of the Forty-sixth Illinois Regiment, and died during the civil war, leaving four children: James H., Jennie, Rebecca C. and Hiram F. Mrs. Brewer was born in Washington County, Indiana, and is the daughter of O. P. and Elizabeth (Cornett) Winters. Five daughters have been born of this last marriage: Nora Belle, Carrie M., Minnie, Adella Alice, deceased, and Bessie L.
Mr. Brewer owns a farm of 346 acres on the West Tarkio, and it is well improved; the buildings are of a most substantial kind and the soil is under good cultivation. Politically he is allied with the independent Democrats, and is not afraid to express his convictions upon this subject. Although he is now seventy-seven years of age he is well preserved and is yet very active, both in mind and body. During his residence in Page County, he has made an enviable position for himself and is prized for his many virtues.

 

AMOS W. DRAKE, a prosperous and reliable farmer of Buchanan Township, is descended from English ancestors. His father, Samuel Drake, was a native of New Jersey and a school-teacher by profession. He married Eliza McTyre, of Irish descent, and to them were born five children: Owen, Harriet, Catherine, Mary and Amos W. The father was a consistent member of the Christian Church, and lived to be over eighty years of age. Amos W. Drake, his son, was born on a farm in Warren County, New Jersey,[page 690] and received superior educational advantages for those times; he too was a teacher in his younger days. He was married to Charity Cummins, a daughter of Isaac Cummins, of New Jersey, and of this union three children were born: Andrew J., Sbephard L. and Charlie, who died at the age of five years. Mr. Drake lived in New Jersey until the breaking out of the civil war. In 1864 he enlisted in the United States navy and was assigned to the United States steamer " Aries" of the United States blockading squadron off Fort Fisher; he was in that bombardment and was promoted to ship's corporal. The service was principally engaged in capturing blockade runners, and the " Aries " was sent to assist in capturing the rebel ram " Stonewall," which had taken refuge in the harbor of Havana, Cuba. Mr. Drake served until the close of the war and was discharged in Boston harbor. He saw much active service and has a fund of reminiscences which he relates in a very entertaining manner. After the war he removed to Rockford, Illinois, and engaged in teaching school; he remained in that county teaching and farming until the spring of 1872; in that year he removed to Taylor County, Iowa, and lived in Bedford one year.
In 1873 he settled on a farm four miles north of Clarinda, where he carried on agricultural pursuits six years with the exception of one year spent in Kansas. In 1880 he purchased his present farm, which consists of 120 acres in a good state of cultivation.
Isaac Cummins, the father of Mrs. Drake, married Huldah Frace, a daughter of John Frace, of German extraction. Mr. and Mrs. Cummins were the parents of nine children: John, Silas, Charity, Lydia A., Joseph W., Malinda E., Evaline, Emma F. and Edwin S. The father is a farmer in New Jersey and for forty years he has been a local preacher in the Methodist Episcopal Church; he owns a large farm in Warren County, New Jersey, and is in comfortable circumstances. He is a man of high character and is one of the leading citizens of his township.

 

CHARLES W. FELTCH, Braddyville, Iowa.—Samuel Feltch, the grandfather of the subject of this biographical notice, was born April 25, 1777, in the State of Massachusetts, and was there married to Sarah Bracket, to whom were born four children : Cyrus B., Nancy,Eliza and Temperance. He settled at Wayne, Maine, where he lived for many years. He and his wife were both members of the Baptist Church. Cyrus B., the father of Charles W., was born May 15, 1809. He was a farmer and wagon-maker by occupation. In 1835 he married Melvina Turner, a daughter of Josiah Turner (see sketch of Asa Turner), and of this union five children were born: Isaac T., Charles W., Almira J., Oscar D. and Rossie A. Mr. Feltch Durchased a farm in the town of Lisbon, Maine, where he lived twenty-eight years. In 1863 he came to College Springs, Iowa, where he resided eight years, and then spent the remainder of his days with his son Oscar D., near Blanchard, Iowa. He died at the age of sixty-eight years. He and his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and he was a trustee and class-leader. The great-grandfather of Mr. Feltch, Nathaniel Feltch, was born April 23, 1735.
Charles W. Feltch was born March 1,1838, on his father's farm in Lisbon, Maine. He obtained his education in the common school and learned the trade of a carpenter. When there was a call for brave men and true to go to the defense of this nation, he joined the Union army, enlisted in Company E, Twenty- [page 691] third Maine Volunteer Infantry, and served nine months. He was honorably discharged and returned to his home. In September, 1863, he came to Page County, Iowa, and settled near College Springs. He was united in marriage to Emma Truscott, a daughter of John and Ann (Benny) Truscott, and of this union three children have been born: Kosco T., born February 17, 1870; Ella M., born July 17, 1873, and Annie F., born April 21, 1879.
Mr. Feltch worked at his trade in College Springs and vicinity for twenty years, and in July, 1887, he embarked in a farming enterprise; he purchased land on which he has since resided, and which he has placed under good cultivation. He and his estimable wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He has been liberal in his support of all public measures. He possesses the confidence of the people of his township, and has represented them as constable for seventeen years. He is a member of Warren Post, No. 11, G. A. R.
John Truscott, the father of Mrs. Feltch, was born in Cornwall, England, in 1804, and married Ann Benny, and to them were born nine children: Jennie, Charlotte, Ann B., Mary, William S., John C, Emma, Amanda and Arthur L. The father was a miller by occupation. In 1841 he emigrated to America, and the first winter in this country he lived at Zanesville, Ohio; thence he removed to Iowa and settled in Van Buren County; at the end of seventeen years he went to Appanoose County, Iowa, and lived there until he came to College Springs, Page County, in 1878; he died ten years later; his widow is still living, at the age of eighty-four years.
Mrs. Feltch has an old family Bible, bearing the date of 1630, printed for the University at Cambridge, England. This Bible was originally in the Pearse family, and was presented to John Truscott, the grandfather of Mrs. Feltch, by Samuel Pearse, August 27, 1802; it was taken possession of by John Stephens Truscott, May 11,1820; he was the father of Mrs. Feltch; it was presented to Arthur Lewis Truscott, who was born May 29, 1851, in Hartford, Lee County, Iowa, by his father, John Stephens Truscott; it is to be handed down to John Benny Truscott, who was born October 1, 1880, a son of Arthur L. Truscott.
John S. Truscott was born in Cornwall, England, April 9, 1804. John Pearse Truscott was his father; his mother, Jennie Truscott, died at the age of thirty years and seven months, and the inscription in the Bible declares that " she was a tender mother and a virtuous wife, and universally respected."
John Pearse Truscott was born August 9, 1741. Ann Benny Truscott, the mother of Mrs. Feltch, was born November 10, 1806, and was a daughter of Humphrey and Joana Benny: her birthplace was Cornwall, England. She was married to John S. Truscott July 28, 1821, at the age of twenty years. She was baptized in the Church of England.