Thomas H. Barton, a prominent farmer of Henry County, residing on section 29, Tippecanoe Township, was born in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, July 1, 1837, and is the son of William and Christiana (Beaber) Barton, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania. They emigrated to Ohio at an early day, and from there removed to Indiana, and subsequently to Southern Illinois, where they remained for three years. Resolving to emigrate to Iowa, on the 4th of July, 1844, they settled in Henry County, in Center Township. William Barton erected a sawmill on Big Creek, south of Mt. Pleasant, engaging in milling until the time of his death, which occurred in 1845.

Thomas Barton, our subject, during his boyhood days lived upon a farm. In 1858 he formed a matrimonial alliance with Miss Elizabeth Harsbarger, a native of Virginia, born Aug. 17, 1840, and a daughter of William Harsbarger. After his marriage, Mr. Barton rented a farm for three years, at the expiration of which time, in 1862, he purchased a farm of forty acres in Salem Township, residing on this farm for about a year; then selling it he purchased forty acres on section 29, Tippecanoe Township. On his last purchase Thomas Barton still resides, having added more land until he has a fine farm of 122 acres. His home, an elegant and commodious residence, was erected at a cost of $1,600. Seven children have blessed the union of this worthy couple: Mary L., born March 11, 1859, is the wife of A. Jay, of Tippecanoe Township; William H., born July 25, 1861, married Minnie Rogers, and is a resident of Tippecanoe Township; Sarah C., born Oct. 23, 1863, is the wife of Walter Stewart, of Jefferson County, Iowa; Rebecca J., born Nov. 6, 1865, wedded Nathan Elliott, also a resident of Tippecanoe Township; Harriet Ann, born March 27, 1869, is the wife of Charles Cooper, of Salem Township; Samuel and Annie A., twins, born Oct. 1, 1871, reside at home.

Politically, Mr. Barton affiliates with the Republican party. He has held the office of Township Trustee, Constable, and is at present Justice of the Peace. Mr. Barton is a pioneer of forty-three years' standing, coming to this county in 1844. He passed through many of the hardships and privations of the early settler, but is glad to live to see the grand improvements in our fair country. Mr. Barton is a man of considerable intellectual capacity, and is much respected by the citizens of Henry County.

(Portrait and Biographical Album, Henry County, Iowa; Acme Publishing Company, Chicago, 1888, p. 467)

William Bashford came to Henry County in the Spring of 1855, and was born May 20, 1821 in Jefferson Co., OH. He was the son of John and Margaret (Dunlap) Bashford, both parents natives of Pennsylvania, of Scots-Irish ancestry. They had 9 children, 3 of whom are living: John M. a resident farmer of Louisa Co., IA; Eli D. resides in Louisa Co., and was for many years a miner in the Rocky Mtns.; and William, our subject. The deceased are Robert C., James, Joseph, Elizabeth, Sarah, and one who died in infancy.

John was a pioneer of Marion Co., OH, settling there in June 1822, and died there July 7, 1847, aged 6 years. Margaret died about 1858.

William went to Seneca Co., OH at age 25 where he spent one winter as a laborer on the railroad he married Nellie Jane Tuttle native of Pennsylvania born Sept 7 1830, daughter of Milton and Lana (Cooper) both natives same state. After his marriage Mr Bashford rented farm for four years then emigrated to Iowa first in Cedar county year Henry co.

He enlisted in the 8th Iowa Vol. Infantry on Dec. 1, 1864, and mustered out May 8, 1866 at Mobile AL.   They had 8 children: Lavilda, b. Feb. 1852 and died at age 13; Melissa, b. Oct 25, 1853, and the wife of John Renshaw, they reside in Jewell Co. KS; Ella, wife of Owen Crispin, she was b. Apr.2, 1857; John Milton was b. Mar. 2, 1859, and resides in Logan, KS; William Jr., b. Oct 31, 1861 married  Jennie E. Chamberlain, and still resides with his parents; Lana, wife of William Marple, was born Aug. 12, 1865, and resides in Jewel Co., KS; Levina was born Oct 3, 1868 and resides at home; and Eli Dunlap, b. Mar. 18, 1871, and died at age of one year.   The Bashfords are members of the Presbyterian Church.

(Portrait and Biographical Album, Henry County, Iowa; Acme Publishing Company, Chicago, 1888, p. 496)

     LEWIS G. BAUGH, of the firm of Leedham & Baugh, manufacturers of and dealers in sash, doors, blinds, etc., Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, was born in Loudoun County, Va., Jan. 9, 1827, and is a son of Lewis K. and Eliza A. (Beedle) Baugh. His father was also a native of Loudoun County, Va., born Nov. 19, 1795. He was a mill­wright by trade, and came to Iowa in 1855, and died in Lee County, Sept. 10, 1862. His mother was born in Alexandria, Va., Jan. 31, 1797, and died in Clarke County, Ohio, March 5, 1885. Our subject learned the trade of millwright with his father, who had learned it of his father, the grandfather of Lewis G., who died at the good old age of ninety years. On the 21st day of June, 1853, Lewis G. Baugh was united in marriage, in Miami County, Ohio, with Miss Jane Darst, a native of that county, born Sept. 13, 1830, and daughter of Rev. John Darst, a Dunkard preacher of prominence in his State. Her people were among the early settlers of Dayton, Ohio. She has a twin sister, the exact counterpart of herself, living in Christian County, Ill., the widow of Joseph Hackenberg. Her parents had seven children in all, and her mother died when she and her twin sister were but three weeks old, and the infants were brought up by an aunt, with whom they lived until they were about six years old, when, their father having married again, they returned to his home. At the age of ten Mrs. Baugh was taken by another relative, with whom she lived until she was about sixteen, when an elder brother assumed the care of her and her twin sister, and had them educated. With him she lived until her marriage with Mr. Baugh. Besides her sister, she has two brothers now living: Samuel, a carpenter, living near Springfield, Ohio, and Henry H., a practicing physician at Toledo, Ohio. She has also two half brothers and two sisters living.

     Mr. and Mrs. Baugh have had five children, only one of whom is now living. Two of their daugh­ters, who had grown to womanhood, together with a son twelve years of age, were victims of diphtheria, and all died within a period of twenty-six days. The only remaining daughter when just entering upon womanhood was drowned. Flora was born Aug. 6, 1854, and died July 5, 1874; Julia was born Nov. 7, 1859, died Aug. 4, 1874; John L., born Aug. 12, 1862, died July 9, 1874; Edith S., born April 19, 1868, was drowned Nov. 7, 1884, in the distressing accident which happened on Tracy’s Pond, in Mt. Pleasant, when she lost her life, as did Prof. Wolfe, of the High School; Miss Carpenter, of Cedar Falls, Iowa, a teacher, and a classmate, Miss Ella Teter, by the sinking of a boat. The only survivor of the family is Charles Henry, who was born in Mt. Pleasant, July 21, 1871, and is now attending school in Mt. Pleasant, and employs his leisure time in his father’s mill, having given evidence of superior skill, which his father is giving him every opportunity to develop. Some of his handiwork would be creditable to older mechanics, and indicates a decided genius in that line.

     Mr. Baugh came to Iowa in November, 1857, and to Mt. Pleasant in May, 1858. He worked at his trade till 1872, when he formed the existing partnership with H. K. Leedham (see sketch) in the manufacture of sash, doors and blinds. The firm of Leedham & Baugh have a large establishment and are doing a fine business. Mr. Baugh is a man of more than ordinary skill in his business, and attends closely to the interior work of the mill, and the marked excellence of the articles manufactured by the firm is largely due to his careful oversight. For thirty years he has been a resident of Mt. Pleasant, and in that time has done his share in building up the city of his adoption. He is a good business man and an excellent citizen. Politically he is a Republican, and socially a member of the I. O. O. F., holding membership with Henry Lodge No. 10, of Mt. Pleasant, joining that body in Ohio when he was twenty-one years old.

     When the partnership of Leedham & Baugh was formed, May 9, 1872, nearly sixteen years ago, preparations were at once begun to erect the mill, and that season the main building was finished. It is three stories high and is 45x60 feet in dimensions. The following year they added a building 20x28, two stories in height, principally used for storage of manufactured goods. These buildings being not yet large enough to accommodate their rapidly growing business, the next year they added another 22x44, and two stories high; a drying-house, 18x50, two stories, was the next, and a couple of years later another building was put up, size 30x50, likewise two stories high. These, with stables, and sheds, give them ample facilities for their large trade, which still keeps growing. Power is fur­nished by a sixty horse-power engine. When the firm first began they employed six men, but now have fourteen hands at work, who, with the greatly improved machinery invented and put into the mill of late years, turn out more than four times the amount of work formerly done. In round figures, their product the first year was worth $8,000. Last year it footed up $40,000, showing a decidedly healthy growth. They now handle between eighty and 100 carloads of lumber each year, and have a steady demand for all they can turn out. Their trade is mostly local, but they ship goods to other States, to Nebraska, Missouri, etc. They have also a special trade on walnut house brackets, which they send all over the country.

     The steady growth of the business of this firm is due to the reputation they have earned of always turning out honest work, fully up to and generally a little better than it is represented to be. The trade fully appreciate this, and consequently the firm is never at a loss for customers, as one once made is secured for good. The result is that while other factories of the kind suspend a part of each year, these works are never shut down except for necessary repairs. 

 (Portrait and Biographical Album, Henry County, Iowa; Acme Publishing Company, Chicago, 1888, pp 250-252)(JC)

William Bates

     WILLIAM BATES, a representative and in­fluential farmer, residing on section 23, Trenton Township, Henry Co., Iowa, is a native of Saxony, Germany, born Aug. 18, 1838. His parents, Christian and Margaret (Panser) Bates, also natives of Saxony, came to America in the fall of 1854, locating in Henry County, where the father bought a farm on section 23 of Trenton Township, consisting of 320 acres of partially improved land, and still lives on the old home­stead.

     Our subject, William Bates, was reared upon the above-mentioned farm, and was married, Oct. 4, 1 866, to Elizabeth Ginkel, a native of Hesse, Germany. Her parents were Conrad and Catharine (Kanft) Ginkel, who came to America in 1871, making Trenton Township their home. Mr. and Mrs. Bates have been the parents of five children:  Louis, born July 11, 1867; Neil, born Sept. 27, 1868, and Minnie, born July 19, 1872, are still inmates of the parental home; the other two children are dead: Ida, born Sept. 3, 1874, died when four years of age, and Amiel, born March 18, 1870, died when about seventeen months old.

Mr. Bates is one of the well-to-do farmers of Henry County, and is a large land-owner, owning 260 acres of finely cultivated land in Trenton Township, and 640 acres in Pratt County, Kan., and also some property in Pratt Center. Everything about his farm denotes thrift and enterprise. The out-buildings are models of convenience, the barn alone being worth $l,000, and his stock is of the best grades. The hospitable host and hostess of a fine country residence, which was erected at a cost of $2,500, they deserve a place in the history of their county. Mr. Bates in his political views is liberal, voting for the man whom he thinks will best fill the office.

 (Portrait and Biographical Album, Henry County, Iowa; Acme Publishing Company, Chicago, 1888, pp 210-211.)(JC)

    John Becker

     JOHN BECKER, a prominent and wealthy farmer of New London Township, on section 18, post-office Mt. Pleasant, has a well-improved farm of 333 acres of prairie land.  His farm is a beautiful place, formerly known as the homestead of the late Prof. Howe, situated on the Mt. Pleasant and Burlington wagon road, four miles east of the former city. Mr. Becker was born in the town of Middleburg, Schoharie Co., N. Y., March 15, 1817, and is the son of Peter A. L. and Helen (Van Wie) Becker. His father was born in Albany County, N. Y., and was a descendant from the early Holland emigrants of that region, and his mother was born in the same locality, and was also of Holland descent.

     Our subject grew to manhood on a farm and was married in his native county, July 5, 1840, to Miss Christina Silvernail, a daughter of Andrew and Helen Silvernail. She was born in the same county and town as her husband, on the 5th of September, 1820. Nine children were born of their union, six sons and three daughters, all of whom are living at this writing. John F., the eldest, was born in Middleburg, N. Y., March 25, 1841, and married Louisa Morrison, and is now residing in Southern Florida; William was born in Geneva, N. Y., Nov. 19, 1842, and married Catharine Rhodes, and resides in Smith Center, Smith Co., Kan.; George was born in Geneva, N. V., Oct. 23, 1844, and married Lethe Graham, and resides in Sarpy County, Neb., and has six children; Erskine was also born in Geneva, N. V., Oct. 12, 1846, married Hester Morehead, has four children, and lives on the old homestead in New London Township, Henry County; Mary was born Oct. 21, 1851, and is the wife of W. S. Wright, of New London Township, and has four children; Jacob was born Aug. 30, 1853, married Maria Hedge, has four children, and resides on a farm in New London Township; Elizabeth was born Sept. 14, 1856, is the wife of Clifton Clarke, has one child, and resides in Jefferson Township, Henry County; Wriley was born July 22, 1859, and is living in Western Kansas; Della was born June 17, 1862, and resides with her parents. The five younger children were born in Huntington County, Ind.

     Mr. Becker removed with his family to Geneva, N. Y., in 1842, and from there to Huntington County, Ind., in 1851, where he engaged in farming until 1865, when he came to Iowa and located in New London Township, where he still resides. Two of Mr. Becker’s sons served in the late war for the Union. John F. was a member of the 34th Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and enlisted in 1861 and served until the close of the war. George was a member of the 47th Indiana Volunteer Infantry. He enlisted in 1861 and served until the close of the war. Mr. Becker and all his sons are Republican in politics. The family are descended from a rugged, hardy race, noted for their longevity Mr. Becker is a courteous gentleman of superior mental and physical force, and is held in high esteem by his neighbors and acquaintances.

 (Portrait and Biographical Album, Henry County, Iowa; Acme Publishing Company, Chicago, 1888, p 217.)(JC)

     CAPT. WARREN BECKWITH, a leading business man and prominent citizen of Mt. Pleasant, was born in Henrietta, Monroe Co., N. Y., in 1833, his parents being George L. and Sally (Winslow) Beckwith. The former was a native of New Brunswick, born in 1800, who went with his parents to Buffalo, N. Y., in 1813. The following year his father died, directly after which event news reached the settlers of the intended destruction of the place by the Indian allies of the British, in the war then existing between the United States and Great Britain. Mrs. Beckwith and her family were among those who sought safety by flight beyond the Genesee River. In 1816 the family settled on a farm in Henrietta, Monroe County, near Rochester, N. Y., where the subject of this sketch was born, and which he now owns. George L., his father, was the eldest of the family, and the management of the farm naturally devolved upon him, and he subsequently became its owner. On this place he lived all of his after life, and died there in 1883, at the age of eighty-three years. He was always a farmer, but in his younger days had also been a teacher. He was a man of positive character and of strongly marked personal characteristics. Though never an office-seeker, he took an active part in public affairs; a Democrat by conviction, he was also an original Abolitionist, a believer in the doctrines of William Lloyd Garrison, and an ardent admirer of Horace Greeley. He was an extraordinarily well-read man, a sound thinker and cogent reasoner and fluent speaker, and wielded a more than ordinary influence in his locality.  In the infancy of the common schools of the State he was an influential friend and supporter, and did much to insure their success in that region. On the breaking out of the Rebellion he took an active part in support of the Government, helping to fill the quota of his county, and three of his sons were in the army, in which two of them lost their lives. He never engaged in any occupation but that of farming, and at his death left a competence. He was married in 1829 to Sally, daughter of Jonathan Winslow, of Henrietta, who had come to that place from New Bedford, Mass. She was born in 1805, and died in 1885, aged eighty years. They had seven children, namely: Adolphus, who was a farmer in his native county, and entered the Union army in 1861, enlisting in the 8th New York Cavalry, and died of typhoid fever in camp in Virginia, in November, 1862; Samuel, the next son, was part of his life in the railroad business, and came to Mt. Pleas­ant, where he was Station Agent of the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad from 1859 to 1864, when he returned to the old home in New York, staying there until 1880, during which period he was elected to the State Legislature; he came back to Mt. Pleasant and died here in 1884. Warren was the next son, and after him came George, who died young; Sarah, the next child, also died while young; Everett, who followed Sarah, also was a Union soldier, in the same regiment as his brother, and like him died in camp of typhoid fever, in January, 1863; the youngest of the fam­ily, Elizabeth, died in childhood.

     Warren Beckwith, the subject of this sketch, was reared on the home farm, and was educated at the Monroe Academy and at the Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, at Lima, Livingston Co., N. V. Leaving school at the age of nineteen, he embraced the profession of civil engineering, his first work being done on the Genesee Valley Railroad. He followed this business in the East until November, 1854, when he went to Kansas, and the following winter, at Ft. Riley, helped to lay out Pawnee City, designed by Gov. Reeder for the capital of the State. He assisted in putting up a building for the Legislature, which however, occupied it but one day. This work was in charge of Nathaniel Lyon, then a Captain in the regular army, with whom he was brought into close relations, and who afterward became famous as Gen. Lyon, and who undoubtedly frus­trated the plots of the secessionists, and saved Missouri to the Union.

     In 1856 Mr. Beckwith came to Burlington, Iowa, entering the employ of the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad, with whom he staid until 1860, when he went to Texas with a drove of sheep. He was there when the war began, and determined to return North and offer his services to the Government. He came by way of New Orleans, in which city he spent the Fourth of July, 1861. Reaching Burlington, Iowa, he enlisted in September, 1861, as a private in Company C, 4th Iowa Cavalry, and served until after the close of the war, proving him­self a brave and gallant soldier, and making an honorable record. Dee. 25, 1861, he was promoted to First Lieutenant of his company, and on Jan. 1, 1863, was made Captain. He was with his company in service under Gen. Curtis in Southwestern Missouri, was subsequently at Helena, Ark., and during the summer and fall of 1862 was in active duty, in skirmishing and scouting through that dangerous region. The regiment joined Grant’s army at Grand Gulf, on the march to Vicksburg, and participated in the arduous labors of the siege and capture of that rebel stronghold. They remained in and near that city until February, 1864, when they took part in the Meridian expedition under Gen. Sherman. Later in the year they had a lively time in and about Memphis, Tenn., where they were engaged in chasing the rebel cavalry under Forrest, who were trying to intercept Sherman’s communications. The regiment during this time was engaged in sharp fights at Guntown, Tupelo, Holly Springs and at other places. In January, 1865, the 4th Iowa was joined to Wilson’s Cavalry Corps, and saw a good deal of active service, notably at Selma, Columbus, etc., and it is the universal testimony of his comrades that wherever Capt. Beckwith was engaged he acted in a brave and soldierly manner, and had not only the confidence of his superior officers, but of his own men and of all those with whom his duties brought him into contact. In 1864 he was on detached duty, and was in command of the mounted provost guard, district of West Tennessee, and in 1865 was Brigade Inspector General. He was mustered out Aug. 29, 1865, after an honorable army career of four years, during which he saw much hard service, but was fortunately never wounded. As a recognition of his meritorious services he was tendered a commission in the regular army, which he did not accept. Returning to the pursuits of peace he came to Mt. Pleasant and again engaged with the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad Company, and after the consolidation of the lines in 1872, became Chief Engineer and Superintendent of Track of the Chi­cago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company. In 1879 he began contracting on the road, and was in that business until a short time since. He and his brother-in-law, Frank P. Porter, are now proprietors of the quarries at Dudley, Iowa, where is found the best stone in the State, all of which is taken by the railroad company as fast as taken out. Capt. Beckwith, Charles H. Smith and Richard Stubbs were the originators of the Western Wheel Scraper Works at Mt. Pleasant, for a description of which see sketch of Charles H. Smith. Another business carried on by him, and which is evidently a labor of love, is the breeding and raising of fine horses, both draft and driving, principally Shires for work and Hambletonian for driving purposes. At his extensive farms near the city of Mt. Pleasant he has usually about sixty head of blooded stock, which is doing much to raise the standard of the horses in this section of the country.

     Capt. Beckwith was married, in 1863, to Luzenia W., daughter of Col. A. B. Porter, an eminent citizen of Henry County, of whom a history is given elsewhere. She died in 1880, leaving five children, as follows: Everett, Orville, Emily, Florence and Warren, all living with their father. The mother of this family was an estimable lady, whose death was sincerely mourned, not only by her family but by a large circle of friends to whom her lovable character had greatly endeared her. She was a prominent member of St. Michael’s Episcopal Church.

     In 1881 Capt. Beckwith was united in marriage to Miss Sarah E. Porter, a sister of his first wife, and a lady of decided ability and culture. She likewise is a communicant of time Episcopal Church.

     The subject of this sketch is a member of Mt. Pleasant Lodge No. 8, A. F. & A. M., of McFarland Post No. 13, G. A. R., and of the Loyal Legion of America—the most exclusive organization in the country, membership to which is granted only to commissioned officers of the army and navy who saw service in the Civil War, and after a most searching examination into the private and public record of the candidate, which must be unblemished.

     Contact with the world, together with his inherited qualities, have made Capt. Beckwith a man of broad and liberal ideas. A natural leader among men he has acquired many warm friends, not only at his home, but among leading men in all parts of the country, and in the community in which he resides he is a prominent figure. 

(Portrait and Biographical Album, Henry County, Iowa; Acme Publishing Company, Chicago, 1888, pp 282-284) (JC)

Enoch Beery is the owner of three hundred and twenty acres of valuable land in Salem township, located on section 22 and as a general agriculturist and stock-raiser he has become well known by reason of his practical enterprising methods and his enviable success.  He was born in Baltimore township, Henry county, on the 6^th of October, 1856, and is a son of Levi L. and Margaret (Short) Beery, both of whom were natives of Fairfield county, Ohio.  The paternal grandfather was Isaac Beery.  It was the year 1842 that Levi L. Beery came to this county and had located, after which his wife and two children joined him, he having been married in Fairfield county, Ohio.  He purchased land in Baltimore township, securing a tract of timber situated on Big Creek. 

Only a few acres had been cleared and he at once began the difficult task of cutting away the timber, clearing out the brush and grubbing out the stumps.  He cleared many acres and thus aided in subduing the wilderness and transforming a wild tract into a valuable possession.  His first purchase comprised one hundred and sixty acres of land, but as he prospered in his undertakings and his financial resources were increased he also increased his acreage until he had about one thousand acres in Henry county.  He also made judicious investments in real estate in Nebraska, having one thousand acres in Fillmore and Valley counties.  He died in the year 1893, having for about two years survived his wife, who died in 1891.

Enoch Beery was the youngest in a family of seven children, three of whom were sons.  He pursued his early education in the district schools and afterward attended Howe’s Academy at Mount Pleasant, thus acquiring a good English education which well equipped him for the performance of life’s practical and responsible duties.  He spent his boyhood days in Baltimore township, living with his parents until twenty-eight years of age, when he was married and established a home of his own. 

It was on the 27^th of November, 1883, that he wedded Miss Susan Rains, who was born in New London township and was a student in the public schools in her girlhood days.  Her parents were Zebbedee and Phebe (Hamell) Rains, both of whom were natives of Indiana and her paternal grandfather was Samuel Rains and her maternal grandmother Dorcas Hamell.  Three children were born of the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Beery; Levi L., born September 7, 1888; Floyd R., born November 26, 1891; and Mary H., August 27, 1894.

Following his marriage Enoch Beery took up his abode upon a farm of two hundred and twenty acres on section 22, Salem township.  He came into possession of this tract at his father’s death and later he added one hundred acres, so that he now has a valuable farm of three hundred and twenty acres.  This tract, like much of Iowa’s land, is very productive, responding readily to cultivation and he carries on general farming and stock-raising, keeping horses, cattle, hogs and sheep upon his place.  Mr. Beery is an extensive and successful stock-dealer, his principal business being buying and selling stock cattle, selling to the feeders mainly.  He raises only good grades and he therefore finds a ready sale for his stock upon the market.

In matters of business his judgment is rarely, if ever, at fault and in the control of his interests he has found that keen discrimination, capable management, close application and indefatigable energy form a splendid foundation upon which to rear the super-structure of success.  In those relations of life which indicate personal views and tendencies of character, Mr. Beery is found on the side of improvement and progress.  He is an exemplary representative of the Masonic fraternity, in which he has attained the degrees of the lodge, chapter and commandery at Mount Pleasant and he is also a member of the Knights of Pythias fraternity, while politically he is an earnest republican.

(Biographical Review of Henry County, Iowa. Chicago: Hobart Publishing Co.,1906, Page 578) (PE)

    LEVI L. BEERY, a farmer and dairyman of Baltimore Township, is prominent among the agriculturists and business men of Henry County, and his name has been for years a familiar one. He was born in Fairfield County, Ohio, in 1814, and is the son of Isaac and Mary (Cridlebaugh) Beery, who came to this county in 1842. Isaac Beery was born in Rockingham County, Va., and his wife in Reading, Pa., their marriage being celebrated in Ohio. Mr. Beery built a flatboat for the purpose of emigration, and on it made the journey to Ohio, where he was one of the first settlers. He was a minister of the Dunkard faith, also a farmer, and after living for many years lives worthy of emulation, the parents were called to their final home. They reared a family of twelve children:  Delilah, Catherine, George, Andrew, Elizabeth, Levi L., Maria, Elijah, Jesse, Isaac, Enoch and Priscilla. Eight of these children are now living, but our subject is the only one residing in this county. In Ohio Levi L. Beery was wedded to Miss Margaret Short, in 1839. He came to this county, as before stated, in 1842, and the next year brought his young wife, selecting this for a permanent home. He was present at the treaty made with the Indians, at the time of the second purchase, and the land selected by Mr. Beery was upon the Black Hawk purchase, and the fertile valley that produces such bountiful crops was the favorite hunting-ground of the Indians, who had two considerable villages not far from his present homestead. Mr. Beery made a first purchase of 162 acres, which was occupied by a squatter who had built a small cabin upon the site of his present home. With his young wife, Mr. Beery moved into the cabin, and after twelve months of pioneer life he erected a more commodious house.

     Mr. Beery is an example of a typical self-made man, and was in straightened circumstances when he first came to this county. He erected a mill in 1844, which he operated for perhaps a score of years. Later, putting in an engine and boiler, he added a gristmill, and this was also operated for several years, Mr. Beery having learned the miller’s trade while engaged in the business. The ruins now serve as a landmark. This mill was the principal source of Mr. Beery’s good fortune, and from that investment his possessions have increased with his years, until he now owns nearly a section of the finest land in Baltimore Township, stocked with flocks and herds, and the bottom lands are of the most productive character. His buildings are in keeping with his enterprise, and in addition to his farming interests he has a cheese factory with a capacity of 700 pounds weekly. His own cows supply the milk, and the products find a ready sale in the home markets; in fact, the demand is greater than the supply. Aside from the industries men­tioned, Mr. Beery has done a large business for years in both grain and stock, which has been also a source of profit and pleasure.

     Mr. and Mrs. Beery have seven children: Jane, now the wife of A. L. Micksell, a resident of Covington, Miami Co., Ohio; William H., wedded to Lizzie Briton; Isaac, husband of Nellie Moul; Enoch, married to Susie Rains; Mary, Delilah and Angeline, at home with their parents. In addition, Mr. and Mrs. Beery are rearing as carefully as their own, a niece, Gertie Beery, a daughter of Jefferson and Martha Beery.

     This household has ever been noted for its courtesy and kindness, and as host and hostess the names of L. L. Beery and his estimable wife are known far and wide. The first family reunion occurred Oct. 15, 1887, at which all the children were present with their respective husbands and wives. Mr. Beery has lived a life worthy of emulation, and as his years increase, his love and veneration for the Republican party increase, and although not a candidate for official position, he is an ardent worker, and at the last county convention, held at Mt. Pleasant, he was Chairman. His children have been carefully educated, and all have certificates entitling them to teach, and some of them have taught in this county; Delilah and Angeline have been teachers in Nebraska, and Jane in Ohio. The same teacher that was preceptor when Mr. Beery was a student, was the instructor of his children—Prof. S. L. Howe, who founded the academy which bears his name, and which has given an education to many people of note from this and other States.

     Mr. Beery was a schoolmate with Gen. W. T. and John Sherman, Tom Ewing and other noted men, and in their boyhood days their debates grew ardent in their literary societies. Men grow old in years, but their good deeds and their virtues are left for examples for future generations, and to such men as Mr. Beery Henry County owes much of the fame she possesses as a leading county in the State of Iowa. 

(Portrait and Biographical Album, Henry County, Iowa; Acme Publishing Company, Chicago, 1888, pp 262-263) (JC)

Frank S. Bell, a member of the bar of Henry county engaged in practice in Salem and also connected with the firm of Bell & Percival, maintaining an office in Winterset, Iowa, was born in Lee county on the 20^th of October, 1867, and is descended from one of the old families of Pennsylvania.  Still further back, however, the ancestry can be traced to the great-great-grandfather, William Bell, and his wife, Elizabeth (Stewart) Bell.  William Bell was born in Ireland of Scotch ancestry in 1731, and died April 5, 1819, and there he married Elizabeth Stewart, who was born in Scotland in 1737, died October 17, 1825, a member of the Stewart clan and if legend can be proven was of royal blood. 

In religious belief they were United Presbyterians.  They emigrated from Ireland to the new world, settling in Tuscorora valley, Mifflin county, Pennsylvania, prior to the year 1757.  This William Bell was with Washington at the time of Braddock’s defeat, and later served as an officer of the Revolutionary war, being a member of the Pennsylvania line.  He was also one of the organizers of the Huntington (Pennsylvania) presbytery and was a most prominent and influential member of the Presbyterian church, serving as a ruling elder of his local church in the Keystone state at that early day.  He died in Mifflin county, Pennsylvania as did David Bell, the great-grandfather of our subject.  The latter’s wife bore the maiden name of Alice Allen. 

David Stewart Bell, grandfather of our subject, was born on Bell’s Island in the Juniata river in Mifflin county, Pennsylvania, and in the spring of 1837 he came to Fort Madison, casting in his lot with the pioneer settlers of that place.  He was the first deputy recorder of Lee county and became a member of the twentieth general assembly of Iowa, the building of the new capitol being among the measures before the house during this session.  He was well fitted for leadership and did much to mold public thought and action in his community.  A very prominent and influential citizen, he continued his residence in Lee county up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1877, his remains being interred in Sharon cemetery.  At Fort Madison he married Sarah Stewart Rail, of Fort Madison, a daughter of Benjamin and Ann (Mohler) Rail, who were pioneer residents coming from Lancaster county, Pennsylvania.  Both Mr. and Mrs. Bell were prominent early members of the Presbyterian church of Fort Madison. 

Thomas Allen Bell, father of F. S. Bell, was born in Mifflin county, Pennsylvania, was a farmer by occupation and in 1845 came to the middle west, settling in Cedar township, Lee county, where he inherited a part of the home farm.  Here he resided until 1888, when he removed to Salem and for some years was engaged in the grocery business.  He was one of the patriotic sons of Iowa and attempted to enlist several times but was rejected each time on account of his youth and size.  He later was accepted and served his country as a soldier of the Union army in the Civil war, joining Company E, Forty-fifth Iowa Volunteer Infantry for one hundred days.  In politics he was an earnest republican but unlike his father, he eschewed public office, preferring to give his attention to his business interests and other duties.  He belonged to the Odd Fellows lodge at Salem, also to the Grand Army of the Republic and he held membership in the Congregational church, and his wife belongs to the Christian church.  She bore the maiden name of Elvira C. Harlan and is a native of Ohio and a member of the well known Harlan family.  Mr. Bell passed away on the 5^th of January, 1893, but Mrs. Bell still survives and is now residing in Salem at the age of sixty years. 

In the family of this worthy couple were two daughters and a son, Frank S. being the eldest of the family.  The others are: Cora E., the wife of John Byers, a resident of Birmingham, Iowa, by whom she has five children, Earl, Ethel, Rhea, Thelma and Frank Stewart, all born in Birmingham; and Grace E., who is at home with her mother.  She is a graduate of the Iowa Wesleyan University and is a successful piano teacher in Salem. 

Frank S. Bell pursued his early education in the public schools and afterward attended Whittier College in Salem and Howe’s Academy in Mount Pleasant.  Having thus acquired a good literary education to serve as a foundation upon which to rear the superstructure of professional knowledge, he entered the law department of Drake University at Des Moines from which he was graduated with the class of 1894 with the degree of L.L. B., and was admitted to the bar by examination, standing second in a class of fifty-three members, it being the largest class before the supreme court until that time. 

He returned at once to Salem and for six months engaged in teaching school near the city.  He then opened his law office and is still practicing here, being the only practicing attorney in Salem.  He is also a member of the firm of Bell & Percival, of Winterset, Iowa.  In a profession where advancement depends upon intellectual and individual merit he has gradually worked his way upward and is regarded as one of the rising lawyers of Henry county and has represented the leading financial interests of Salem in a legal way.  His understanding of the law is broad and comprehensive and accurate and in the trial of his case he shows keen discernment, logical reasoning and forceful presentation of his cause. 

Mr. Bell is a member of the Odd Fellows society and of the Knights of Pythias fraternity.  He is a republican but has neither sought nor desired office.  He belongs to the Congregational church and lives on Jackson street in Salem with his mother, who is a most estimable lady, having a large circle of warm friends here.  Mr. Bell is popular both socially and professionally and his business qualifications have gained him a creditable name and are bringing him the substantial rewards of earnest and close application.

(Biographical Review of Henry County, Iowa. Chicago: Hobart Publishing Co.,1906, Page 532) (PE)

     GEORGE C. BELL, a blacksmith of Rome, Henry Co., Iowa, and a prominent citizen of that village, was born in Greene County, Ohio, June 7, 1825, and is a son of Joshua and Mary (Bales) Bell, the former a native of Maryland, and the latter of Ohio. Joshua Bell was of Scotch-Irish descent, and was born on the 13th of February, 1776, and departed this life in Henry County, July 12, 1856. All his life was spent upon a farm. He took great interest in local politics, always voting with the Whig party. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and a sincere, earnest Christian. Nathaniel D. Bell, the grandfather of our subject, emigrated from the North of Ireland to America. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. Mary Bell, the mother of George, was of German descent. She was also a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and is now deceased.

     In 1829, when George was a lad of four years, his parents removed to Tippecanoe County, Ind., where they remained until the fall of 1841. Coming to Henry County they located in Tippecanoe Township. George was reared upon the farm until his seventeenth year. He then learned the blacksmith trade, which he has followed ever since. On the 7th of August, 1846, the marriage of George C. Bell and Delila Grant was celebrated. She was a native of Indiana, being born in Harrison County, Nov. 3, 1827. Her parents were Thomas and Christiana (Davis) Grant. Eight children have gathered round the hearthstone of Mr. and Mrs. Bell:    Malinda, now the wife of William Fry; William, an engineer, residing in Rome; John P., who died when five years of age; Naomi J., widow of Reiley Lloyd, residing in Fremont County, Iowa; Thomas I., a resident of Rome; Martha, wife of Charles H. Huston, a resident of McLean County, Dak.; Charlotte, at home; and Mary Rebecca, wife of James Phillips, of Dakota. The mother of these children died Sept. 16, 1886, at the age of fifty-nine, and great indeed was the grief felt at her death. She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church for many years, and an earnest worker for her Master.

     At the breaking out of the Rebellion our subject responded to his country’s call for troops, and enlisted Sept. 25, 1863, in the 9th Iowa Volunteer Cavalry, serving two years and seven mouths. He was engaged in many skirmishes, and was mustered out Feb. 28, 1866, at Little Rock, Ark. After returning home he resumed blacksmithing in Jefferson County, where he resided until 1872. He then came to Rome, at which village he has since made his home. Here he built a blacksmith-shop, and has ever since continued to work at his trade. Mr. Bell served as Mayor of Rome, and as Marshal for a year each, and as Constable for three years. He is a stalwart Republican, and never swerves in his allegiance to that party. 

 (Portrait and Biographical Album, Henry County, Iowa; Acme Publishing Company, Chicago, 1888, p 323) (JC)

    WILLIAM BENNETT, residing on section 33, Scott Township, Henry Co., Iowa, was born in Ross County, Ohio, May 17, 1820. He is a son of George and Mary (Holloway) Bennett. The father was a native of Pennsylvania and the mother of New Jersey. In 1806 they emigrated from Winchester, Va., to Ross County, Ohio. Four of the family of ten children were born in the former State: Enoch, a blacksmith and farmer, died in Miami County, Ohio, in May, 1886; Sarah, the wife of Newton Hicks, of Ross County, Ohio, Wed in Clarke County, in August, 1882; her husband had died in November, 1845. James, born Nov. 2, 1806, died in Clarke County, Ohio, in August, 1881 ; Elizabeth died while yet an infant but a year and a half old. After the removal to Ohio six other children were born: George, born April 28, 1809, died in Clarke County, Aug. 30, 1885; Benjamin, born in April, 1811, died June 27, 1812; Rebecca, wife of Jacob Yager, died in Henry County, Iowa, March 13, 1857, at the age of forty-four; Mary, wife of M. McCafferty, resides in Winfield, Iowa; Benjamin H., born June 21, 1817, was drowned in the Ohio River, July 3, 1840; our subject is the youngest of the family. During most of his life George Bennett was a blacksmith, but when this labor became too heavy for him he moved upon a farm. He was called to his final home, in Clarke County, Dec. 19, 1861, at the age of ninety-two years, two months and seventeen days. His wife departed this life Aug. 25, 1853, aged seventy-seven years, seven months and four days. She was a member of the Society of Friends.

     William Bennett, our subject, was reared upon a farm in his native State.  His education was received at the subscription schools of those times.  He remained at home until twenty-one years of age.  Mr. Bennett was united in marriage, in 1841, with Ann McCafferty, a native of Madison County, Ohio. He afterward rented his father’s farm, residing upon this for nine years, at which time, Oct. 3, 1850, he removed to Henry County, Iowa, settling on a homestead of eighty acres on section 11, Scott Township. He improved this farm, making it his home until 1869, when he sold out and removed to Mt. Pleasant, in order to furnish better educational advantages to his children. While residing in that city, on the 22d of Novem­ber, 1870, Mrs. Bennett was called to her final home. She was born in September, 1815. Two years later Mr. Bennett removed to Osborne County, Kan., where he improved a claim, residing there for eight months, and in December of the same year returned to Henry County. He purchased eighty acres of land on section 33, Scott Township, where he still resides.

     Mr. Bennett was again married, April 7, 1874, to Margaret A. Harkness. She was born in New York, and is a daughter of James and Margaret (Fleming) Harkness, both of whom were natives of the same State. Her father died at Morning Sun, Iowa, March 20, 1880, when seventy-three years of age. He was a devoted church member, and one of the organizers of the Presbyterian Church of Winfield, having been an Elder for many years. Upon his removal to Morning Sun he joined the United Presbyterian Church of that place, and was well known and universally respected. The mother died Jan. 24, 1887, aged seventy-six, and was also a believer in the United Presbyterian faith.

     By his first wife Mr. Bennett had five children:  Sarah, wife of Emmons Courter, of Osborne County, Kan.; Mary, wife of W. R. Custer, residing in Taylor County, Iowa; Electa Jane, wife of Stewart B. Terry, a farmer and stock-raiser of Jackson County, Mo.; Elizabeth Ann, wife of Thomas F. Hull, residing in Hardy, Neb.; William Franklin a merchant of Pomona, Cal; By the second union there are two children, Edna and Georgiana. Mr. Bennett and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, he being one of its Trustees.  Mr. Bennett has five times been elected Justice of the Peace, and has held various other township offices. Politically, he is a Republican. Mr. Bennett always takes an active part in public enterprises for the good of the community, and is a liberal friend to education, in fact, is foremost in all good works, and it is with pleasure that we place his sketch in the record of Henry County’s people. 

(Portrait and Biographical Album, Henry County, Iowa; Acme Publishing Company, Chicago, 1888, pp 193-194.)(JC)

     WELLINGTON BIRD, M. D., a prominent physician of Henry County since 1849, and a resident of Mt. Pleasant, was born in Northumberland County, Pa., May 5, 1817, and is a son of William and Margaret (Moyer) Bird. His father was born in New Jersey in 1795, and emigrated with his parents to Pennsylvania when two years of age. James Bird, the grandfather of the Doctor, was a soldier in the war of the Revolution in the Patriot army. He was a wagonmaster, and participated in the battle of Monmouth, and served till the close of the war. His wife’s name was Osborne, to whom he was married in New Jersey, and with whom he removed to Northumberland County in 1797, where they both died. The Birds were a large, athletic race, descended from the sturdy yeomen of old England. Dr. Bird’s mother was born in Philadelphia, and was of German descent, her father being a native, of German parentage, while her mother was a native of Germany, who came to this country while young, and lived to the extreme old age of ninety-five years, dying in Catawissa, Pa. William Bird, the father of our subject, was a blacksmith by trade, and worked in Columbia County, Pa., and adjoining places, his home for some years prior to his coming west being in Danville, Montour County, from which place he removed to Mt. Pleasant in 1858. After coming here he and his wife lived retired in a house owned by their son. Mr. Bird died at the age of seventy-six. His wife survived him about ten years, dying at the age of eighty-five. Mr. Bird was a pleasant, genial and popular man, and was well liked by all who knew him. He and his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. They had twelve children, all of whom grew to maturity. Those now living are: Caroline, widow of John Martin, late of Mt. Pleasant; Philip, a farmer in Kansas; Wilhelmina, a widow now living in Dauphin County, Pa.; Charles, a machinist at Danville, Pa.; Clement, living at Afton, Iowa; and Wellington, who was the oldest of tile family. When twelve years old the latter went with his parents to Bloonmsburg, Columbia Co., Pa., and there received his education, and grew to manhood. He took a regular course of study at the Jefferson Medical College, of Philadelphia, and graduated in the class of 1841. In October of that year he was united in marriage, at Bloomsburg, Pa., to Miss Sarah, daughter of Eli Thornton, a prominent and respected citizen of that place, and a member of the Pennsylvania Legislature for several terms.

     Immediately after taking his degree Dr. Bird located in Knox County, Ohio, and established a fine practice at the city of Frederickstown. Having a desire to come farther west he emigrated in July, 1849, from Ohio to Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, where he has since been engaged in the practice of his pro­fession. While his professional duties have been quite exacting he has yet found time to give some attention to other enterprises. On the establishment of the Iowa Wesleyan College, at Mt. Pleasant, now the Iowa Wesleyan University, he took an active part in the management, in its construction and outfitting. He was elected a Trustee of the college, and served in that capacity for twenty-five years, or until he resigned to accept an appointment as Indian Agent in 1877. On the breaking out of the late war, in 1861, he was appointed as Assistant Surgeon of the 4th Iowa Cavalry, which position he resigned to accept that of Commissary of Subsistence, with rank of Captain, and served in that capacity till the fall of 1862, when he resigned on account of ill-health. His son, Hiram T., who was then a student of the Iowa Wesleyan College, enlisted in 1863, at the age of seventeen, as a private of the 8th Iowa Cavalry, and was subse­quently appointed Hospital Steward. He was made prisoner before Atlanta during McCook’s raid, and was taken to Charleston, S. C., where, having been classed as an Assistant Surgeon, he was exchanged without much delay. After one month spent at home, on furlough, he returned to the front, and participated in Wilson’s raid and other engagements, serving till the fall of 1865.

     In 1866 Dr. Bird went to Idaho, and spent one year on the head waters of the Columbia River. Returning to Mt. Pleasant at the expiration of that time lie resumed practice, and was actively engaged until his appointment, by President Hayes, in 1877, to the Indian Agency at Ft. Peck, Mont. He served in this capacity nearly three years, during which time he was quite successful in his manage­ment of the natives. When he took the agency there was not an acre of land under cultivation, but he instructed the Indians in the methods of agriculture and labor, and at the close of his term had a thousand acres enclosed, and several hundred under cultivation. He returned to his home in Mt. Pleasant in 1880.

     Dr. and Mrs. Bird are active members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, the Doctor’s membership dating from 1846, and Mrs. Bird’s from 1839. He is President of the Board of Trustees. They have been blessed with nine children: William N. died in childhood; Myra is the wife of Hon. John S. Woolson, State Senator, and a prominent attorney in Mt. Pleasant (see sketch); Allie is the wife of Hon. Washington I. Babb, a leading at­torney of Mt. Pleasant (see sketch); Hiram T. married Florence McLaran, and is engaged in business at Mt. Pleasant; Regina is the wife of Theodore F. Twinting, formerly of Mt. Pleasant, now of Passadena, Cal.; Caroline was burned to death in childhood by her clothes catching fire; Horace died in 1859, aged three and a half years; Burnetta died in infancy; Leslie, the youngest, is unmarried, and lives in Mt. Pleasant.

     Dr. Bird is a prominent citizen; he has been a member of the City Council for a number of years; he was many times elected Trustee of the public schools, and for several terms was President of the board. He is a member of McFarland Post No. 20, G. A. R., and is still in the active practice of his profession, his skill and ability having won for him a flattering reputation and a large practice. 

(Portrait and Biographical Album, Henry County, Iowa; Acme Publishing Company, Chicago, 1888, pp 284-285) (JC)

     John Black

     JOHN BLACK, a son of William Black, was horn in Knox County, Ill., March 14, 1838. When but two years old he was taken by his parents to Henry County, where they resided in a log cabin. Here he received his primary education in a pioneer school. In October, 1861, he enlisted in the 4th Iowa Cavalry, and was mustered in at Camp Harlan, and was afterward sent to Keokuk hospital. He was in the battle of Guntown, but being in very poor health, was taken to the hospital where he remained a year. He was mustered out at Memphis, Tenn., at the expiration of his term of service. From the war he returned to his home, where lie was married, in March, 1865, to Harriet Jameson, a daughter of James and Cordelia (Scoville) Jameson, who were the parents of two children, Harlan and Hariet. Mr. Jameson died in Ohio. Mrs. Jameson came to Henry County, Iowa, in 1858, and in 1866 removed to Crawford County, Kan. She was afterward married to Thomas Havens. By this union there was one child, Carlton I.

Mr. and Mrs. Black are the parents of four children—Charles, Delia, Birdie and Maggie. In politics, he is a Republican and an active worker in the party. Mr. Black has been identified with the county all his life, and has witnessed its growth from infancy. As he is one of the oldest, he is also one of the most respected citizens of the county. 

(Portrait and Biographical Album, Henry County, Iowa; Acme Publishing Company, Chicago, 1888, p 211.)(JC)

 William Black

     WILLIAM BLACK, one of the early settlers of Henry County, was born in Greenbriar County, Va., in 1805. He was married to Miss Rebecca Benson about 1832. In an early day he moved to Knox County, Ill., and in 1840 removed to this county, and settled near Trenton, in what is now Jefferson Township. Here he purchased 160 acres of prairie and forty acres of timber land, and made many improvements on his farm. He was compelled to haul his flour and lumber from Burlington with an ox-team. In early life Mr. Black was an old-line Whig. Mr. and Mrs. Black are parents of seven children:  Joseph, now of Kearney, Neb., enlisted in the war of the Rebel­lion, was elected Captain, and after serving eighteen months resigned; John, who now resides in Mt. Pleasant; Samuel, of Kearney, Neb.; William, who enlisted in the 25th Iowa Regiment, died in this county in 1870; Asbury, of Mt. Pleasant; Charles, of Kearney, Neb.; Emma, wife of G. C. Wilson, of Wayne Township. Mr. and Mrs. Black were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. They were widely known, and no couple were more highly respected. 

(Portrait and Biographical Album, Henry County, Iowa; Acme Publishing Company, Chicago, 1888, pp 215-216.)(JC)

Cyrus A. Boal, has spent all his life in Henry county and is numbered among its old settlers.  His birth occurred in Trenton township, May 7, 1856, his parents being Robert and Lydia A. (Foster) Boal.  They were natives of Pennsylvania, the father born in 1826, and the mother in 1834.  Removing to Ohio with his parents in his boyhood days, Robert Boal was there reared, and in 1854 he removed from Muskingum county, Ohio, to Henry county, Iowa, settling upon a tract of land in Trenton township, and after a few years moved to Wayne township, where he actively carried on farm work until his sons were old enough to relieve him of the care of the fields, after which he gave his attention to work at his trade as a stone mason. 

He long supported the Republican party and for many years served on the school board and was also township clerk for two terms.  His interest in the community was deep and sincere, and he did everything in his power to promote the work of public progress along lines of permanent improvement.  He was a Mason, holding membership at Wayland, and he and his estimable wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal church, taking an active and helpful part in its work.  He served as superintendent of the Sunday-school and was zealous in his devotion to the cause of Christian education among the youth, realizing the truth of the old adage, “Train a child up in a way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart therefrom.”  An honorable and useful life was ended, when, in 1881, Robert Boal was called to his final rest. 

He was survived for some years by his wife, who passed away March 8, 1893, and was held in equally high regard and esteem in the community.  In their family were six children, of whom four are now living: C. A., of this review; George A., who married Elizabeth Wertemberger and resides in Wayne township; Nevada, the wife of W. B. Lyons, of Wyoming; and Clara, the wife of John Seay, of Indianola, Iowa.  One child died in infancy and one at the age of nineteen years. 

C. A. Boal was educated in the schools of Wayne township, and when fourteen or fifteen years of age started out in life on his own account, working by the month as a farm hand.  At the age of twenty-two years he rented a farm in Marion township and has since devoted his attention to agricultural pursuits, with the result that his labors have gained him his present position. 

On the 8^th of January, 1882, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Boal and Miss Dolly Anderson, who born May 12, 1862, in Marion township, a daughter of John and Sarah (Sprague) Anderson.  Her father was born in Pennsylvania, was a farmer by occupation, and in 1844 came to Iowa, settling at Mount Pleasant upon the site of the university.  His home was in the midst of a dense forest tract and he was one of the pioneer residents of the community, who aided in replacing the natural conditions of the tract by the evidences of an advanced civilization.  Mr. Anderson was a republican in his political views and for many years followed farming in Marion township.  He now makes his home with Mr. and Mrs. Boal, and is the oldest man in the township, having attained the age of ninety years.  His wife, who was a devoted member of the Presbyterian church and who was born in 1822, died in Kansas, January 6, 1887, her remains being interred in Floral cemetery in that state. 

Mr. and Mrs. Anderson were parents of twelve children, eleven of whom reached adult age, namely: Ann, now the wife of Joel Ogg, of Mount Pleasant; David, who married Lizzie Hull, of Marion township; Serena, the wife of James Van Osdel, of Kansas; Joseph, who married Martha Van Osdel; Emily, wife of John Van Osdel; William, who wedded Mattie Thompson, of this county; Cornelius, who married Clara Shepherd and is living in Dexter, Iowa; James, who married Ollie Carter, of Henry county; Alfred, who wedded Effie Carter and lives in this county; Mrs. Boal, of this review, and Carrie, the wife of Leonard Thompson.  The eldest brother of the family, David Anderson, was a soldier of the Union army, enlisting in 1861 in the Fourth Iowa Cavalry, with which he served throughout the period of hostilities and was once wounded in the neck. 

Mr. Boal has always been an earnest advocate of republican principles, supporting the party since age gave to him the right of franchise.  He was also elected justice of the peace, but would not qualify, as he does not desire office as a reward for party fealty.  He belongs to the Odd Fellows society, holding membership in Swedesburg Lodge, No. 347, and the encampment at Mount Pleasant, and he has passed all of the chairs in the local lodge.  Both he and his wife are devoted members of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which he is serving as steward.

Having no children of their own, they have adopted a son, Foster Boal, who was born November 26, 1889.  Mr. Boal’s success in life is attributable to his own efforts.  He is a genial and pleasant man, and his wife possesses many excellent qualities, so that they are highly esteemed in the community where they reside.  He is a well read man, keeping informed on the questions of general interest of the day, and his entire life has been passed in Henry county, where he is numbered among the worthy early settlers.

(Biographical Review of Henry County, Iowa. Chicago: Hobart Publishing Co.,1906, Page 425) (PE)

     GREGORY BONNIFIELD, one of the pioneer settlers of Henry County, residing on section 1, Tippecanoe Township, was born in Randolph County, Va., Feb. 11, 1821, and is a son of Rhodham and Nancy (Menier) Bonnifield, both of whom were also natives of Virginia. There were thirteen in his father’s family when they emigrated to Iowa. They located in Jefferson County, in the spring of 1836, and during the third winter following three of the children and also the father and mother died, the father at the age of fifty-two and the mother at the age of fifty. Both of the parents were devoted members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Three of the family have since died and seven are now living: Samuel, engaged in the mercantile business in Nevada; Gregory, our subject; Wesley B., a banker residing in Ottumwa, Iowa; McCaska, a lawyer in Nevada; Ellis, a farmer residing in Mitchell County, Kan.; Martha, widow of V. Chandler, residing near Fairfield, Iowa, and Catherine, wife of William Ross, a resident of Reno County, Kan.

     After his father’s death, our subject managed the home farm until the spring of 1852, when he removed to Henry County, settling on section 1, Tippecanoe Township. He purchased 380 acres of partially improved land, which he has trans­formed into a beautiful farm, and on this he still resides, now owning 340 acres. He was united in marriage, on the 9th of November, 1848, with Miss Lydia Shuman, a native of Guernsey County, Ohio, and a daughter of Daniel and Mary (Lenington) Shuman, the former a native of Ohio, and the latter of New Jersey. Her parents settled in Henry County in the fall of 1840, locating on the farm now owned by Mr. Bonnifield. Her father died in June, 1851, at the age of forty-nine, from an attack of cholera; his wife departed this life in April, 1864. They were both members of the Presbyterian Church, and always ready to aid with time or money in the Master’s service. Mr. and Mrs Shuman were the parents of eleven children, nine of whom are now hiving:  Jane, widow of Lineus Fairchild, who was a farmer of Tippecanoe Township, where she yet lives; Mrs. Bonnifield; Thomas died in Corning, Iowa, in 1884; Moses, now a resident of Corning, Iowa; Elizabeth, wife of Thomas Ables, now residing in Santa Maria, Cal.; John, also a resident of Santa Maria; Sarah, wife of H. Davis, residing in Cheyenne County, Kan.; Clarissa, wife of John Inglebright, residing in Marion Township; William, now residing in the State of Oregon; Maggie, wife of Elias Ogg, of Henry County, and Phebe, who was the eldest of the family, and was the wife of Thomas Jackson, then of Tippecanoe Township, died of cholera at the same time as her father. Mr. Bonnifield is entirely a self-made man; he commenced life a poor boy, and all that he has he has made by hard work, good management and fair dealing. They lived in a little cabin in true pioneer style until 1869, when he built a fine and commodious dwelling at a cost of $3,000. His farm is under a fine state of cultivation, and the out-buildings are models of convenience, the barn alone costing $l,000. Politically, Mr. Bonnifield is a Democrat. Six children have come to make glad their parents’ hearts:  Mary, who was the wife of J. F. Kinney, of Tippecanoe Township, died Sept. 29, 1881, at the age of thirty-two; Augustus died Dec. 7, 1877, at the age of twenty-five: Allen is a farmer of Tippecanoe Township, and is married to Miss Ellen D. Day; Martha J. is at home; Thomas W. died June 9, 1875, at the age of sixteen, and Frank lives at home. Mr. and Mrs. Bonnifield are earnest Christian people, and are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. They are always ready to lend a helping hand to the needy, and none more truly deserve the respect of the community, which they enjoy in a marked degree. 

(Portrait and Biographical Album, Henry County, Iowa; Acme Publishing Company, Chicago, 1888, pp 349-350) (JC)

     MATHIAS S. BOWERS, a farmer and stock-raiser, of Marion Township, residing on section  25, was born in Muskingum County, Ohio, Feb. 24, 1835, and is the son of John and Rebecca (Vernon) Bowers.  His father was born in Greene County, Pa., June 24, 1792, and his mother in Muskingum County, Oct. 10, 1805. John and Rebecca Bowers were the parents of twelve children; of that number eleven are still living: Amos married Miss Elizabeth Spry, of Custer County, Ohio; Henry wedded Miss Sarah Violet, and resides in Washington, Washington Co., Iowa; Lucinda, widow of Patterson Calhoun, resides in Zanesville, Ohio; Cornelius married Catherine Calhoun, and resides in La Harpe, Hancock Co., Ill.; Charles S. married Emeline Moore, who died in 1866, leaving two children, and he was again married, to Eliza Erving, and now resides at Elmwood, Peoria Co., Ill.; Charles was a member of the 4th Iowa Cavalry and served three years; Mathias, our subject, is the sixth child in order of birth; Dorothy, wife of Allen Vernon, of Council Bluffs, Iowa; Lizzie, widow of Jacob Twigs, a resident of Beatrice, Neb.; Harrison was a member of the 4th Iowa Cavalry, and died at Memphis, Tenn., in 1864; Harriet, wife of a Mr. Humphrey, a conductor on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, resides at Lincoln, Neb.; Eliza, wife of Allen Courtney, a farmer of Marion Township; and Christiana, wife of Logan Myers, residing near Marshall, Iowa. Their children were all born in Muskingum County, Ohio, their father having settled in that county at a very early day and was married at that place. He found the country in a state of natural wildness. With but few exceptions the virgin soil was yet unvexed by the plow. The nimble deer, thoughtless of danger, lightly bounded over the plain, contentedly grazing upon the succulent grasses. He cleared 100 acres of land and made for himself a home, and continued to live there until 1832, when the desire to again become a pioneer took possession of him, and he accordingly loaded his family and household effects into wagons and started on the long, tedious journey to Iowa, leaving Lucinda and Cornelius at the old homestead, where they remained for several years, and later moved to Hancock County, Ill. Leaving his well-improved farm of 160 acres and all the comforts of home, he landed in Henry County, which was an unbroken wilderness, and bought 605 acres of wild land in Marion and Canaan Townships, in one body. At that time there were no laid out roads or landmarks. The first road marked out was from the place where Hill’s building now stands in Mt. Pleasant to Wapello. This was laid out with an ox-team. He was a man who lived for his family, and was quiet and reserved in his way, but had many friends and was highly respected. He and his good wife were both members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and she was taken from him in the year 1872. Mr. Bowers was called to his heavenly home in 1881, at the age of eighty-nine years and eleven months. He had no pain, and day by day saw him grow weaker, yet on the day of his death he ate a hearty dinner. His last words were: “I am not sick,” but he fell back dead in his son’s arms.

     Our subject was reared on a farm, and in the occupation of tilling the soil has continued to labor all his life. His early education was received at the common school. Mr. Bowers has witnessed the rapid changes in this county since 1852, for since that time he has made his home in Marion Town­hip, where he has a well regulated farm of ninety-five acres. He was united in marriage to Miss Emma Spry, born in Muskingum County, Ohio, Oct. 30, 1837. She is the daughter of William and Mary (Vernon) Spry, who had a family of twelve children: Elizabeth; Lucinda, deceased; M. B.; Martha, wife of Thomas Moore, residing in Florida; Milton J., a farmer in Kearney County, Neb.; Joseph W., a member of the 25th Iowa Volunteer Infantry, died at Vicksburg; Samuel N., a farmer and stock-raiser in Nodaway County, Mo.; William a farmer of this county; May, wife of William Steadman, a farmer of Marion Township; John B., in Villiska, Iowa; Chancy W., a farmer in Nebraska; Christin, wife of Charles Campbell, of Ogle Alley, Neb. The father of these children died in 1881, and the mother is still living in Marion Township.

     Mr. and Mrs. Bowers’ family consists of four children: William G., born Dee. 29, 1863; Leroy C., born Sept 3, 1867, now attending school; Charles H., born Oct. 10, 1870; Black O., born Sept. 26, 1878. Mr. and Mrs. Bowers have given their children good educational advantages. They are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and are greatly interested in all church work. Mr. Bowers is politically, a Republican, and is held in high esteem throughout the county in which he has been so long a resident, and no one more justly deserves this esteem than does he. He has taken an active interest in all public affairs, and is an influential citizen. 

(Portrait and Biographical Album, Henry County, Iowa; Acme Publishing Company, Chicago, 1888, pp 233-234.)  (JC)

Sanford Boyd, who is engaged in general farming in Tippecanoe township, is a native of Ohio, his birth having occurred in Guernsey county on the 11^th of April, 1852.  His father, Thomas Boyd, was a native of Pennsylvania and when he had arrived at years of maturity was married to Miss Elizabeth Abels, who was born in Ohio, and whose father, John Abels, became one of the earliest settlers of Tippecanoe township, Henry county, Iowa.  He was well known as a pioneer resident and contributed in substantial measure to the work of early development and improvement here. 

The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Boyd was celebrated in Ohio, where they owned a farm, which he continued to operate up to the time of his death.  He passed away April 29, 1869, at the age of sixty-four years, his birth having occurred March 10, 1805.  His wife, who was born January 24, 1812, died on the 27^th of February, 1892, having reached the advanced age of eighty years.  In their family were eleven children, six sons and five daughters, of whom Sanford Boyd is the youngest. 

In the public schools of Ohio he pursued a limited education, but his opportunities in that direction were somewhat meager for his services were needed upon the home farm.  He remained at home until sixteen years of age, when he left Ohio and came to Henry county, Iowa, with his sister-in-law.  Since that time he has been dependent entirely upon his own resources and whatever success he has achieved is attributable entirely to his labors.  He was employed for a few months in various capacities and then took up farm work for he believed that the outdoor existence would prove beneficial to his health, which was in a somewhat precarious condition, his lungs seeming to be affected.  He continued to labor as a farm hand for three and a half years and was greatly benefited by this life in the open air. 

On the expiration of that period Mr. Boyd was married on the 26^th of September, 1878, to Miss Elizabeth Wilson, who was born in Jackson township, Henry county, and is a daughter of John M. and Sallie (Davis) Wilson, the former a native of Indianapolis, Indiana, and the latter of Ohio.  Her paternal grandfather was John Wilson and her maternal grandfather John Davis, a native of Pennsylvania. 

After his marriage Mr. Boyd rented a tract of land in Baltimore township, whereon he lived for a year and a half, and then engaged in the cultivation of a farm in Center township for one year.  He next removed two miles south of Mount Pleasant in the same township, making his home upon that property for three years, when his savings justified his purchase of land and he became the owner of a farm of forty acres in the southern part of Center township.  To this he added twenty acres and he improved the place by additions to the house and barn and in other ways, at the same time keeping his fields under a high state of cultivation, so that as the years passed he prospered.  He continued to reside upon this place until 1893, when he sold and removed to Mount Pleasant, where he remained for three years. 

In 1896 he purchased one hundred and twenty acres of land on section 12, Tippecanoe township.  This had been improved and with characteristic energy he began its further cultivation and development.  Later he added to it sixty-four acres and a further purchase extended the boundaries of the farm to include forty more acres.  He has since remodeled the house, making a modern residence with good cellar underneath.  He has also built barns and remodeled the other buildings upon the place and his farm is now neat and thrifty in appearance and gives evidence of the careful supervision of a painstaking and progressive owner. 

While living in Mount Pleasant he was the owner of a good residence on Locust street, which he occupied for three years and then sold upon returning to farm life.  Again, however, he went to Mount Pleasant in 1902, and bought a home at the corner of Jay and Henry streets, where he lived for two years, when he once more sold out and in the fall of 1904 again took up his abode upon his farm. 

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Boyd have been born seven children: Myrtle, who was born August 28, 1881; Ralph, who was born January 24, 1883, and is now engaged in teaming in Mount Pleasant, where he makes his home; Grace, born February 18, 1885; Earl S., October 13, 1891; Walter, September 8, 1894; Gladys, May 8, 1897; and Edith, on the 5^th of January, 1899.  The youngest daughter was badly burned by an accident, from which she did not recover for seven months.  A small boy in trying to light a candle put a taper into the stove and thereby set fire to the dress of little Edith, and but for the timely arrival of her mother and a neighbor she would have been burned to death.  She has, however, now recovered from her injuries. 

Both Mr. and Mrs. Boyd have a wide and favorable acquaintance in this county, where her entire life has been passed and where Mr. Boyd has lived for about thirty-seven years.  Throughout this period he has commanded the respect and confidence of his fellow men who class him with the citizens of genuine worth, whose reliability, business integrity and loyalty to the general good have made them prominent residents of their community.  Mr. Boyd has served as school director in Center township, and fraternally he is connected with the Odd Fellows lodge at Mount Pleasant maintaining pleasant relationship with his brethren of that organization.

(Biographical Review of Henry County, Iowa. Chicago: Hobart Publishing Co.,1906, Page 142) (PE)

William Boyd, a leading and successful farmer of Center township, owning and operating one hundred and seventy-three acres of land and who is prominent in community affairs, serving now as township trustee, was born near Cambridge, Guernsey county, Ohio, January 27, 1844, his parents being Thomas and Elizabeth (Abel) Boyd.  The grandfather, who also bore the name of Thomas Boyd, was a pioneer settler of Ohio, and there the father lived and died. 

William Boyd was reared in the state of his nativity and acquired a good education in the public schools.  He remained with his father on the home farm until he had attained his majority and assisted him in the general work of tilling the soil and caring for the stock and the crops.  He came to Henry county in 1867, locating first in Center township, where he has since spent his life as a farmer.   

In 1892 he purchased his present place, comprising one hundred and seventy-three acres in Center township and has erected all of the buildings here including a fine modern residence and good barns.  He has also set out all of the decorative trees about the place and has made his home most attractive in its appearance.  He carries on general agricultural pursuits and has been very successful in his work, which is conducted along practical and progressive lines.  He uses the latest improved machinery in caring for the fields and everything about his farm is neat and thrifty in appearance. 

In March, 1865, Mr. Boyd in response to his country’s call for troops, having just attained his twenty-first year, enlisted in Company D, Fiftieth Iowa Infantry, and served until honorably discharged in October following.  He was not in any engagement, however.  

A republican in politics, he is recognized as one of the strong and stalwart supporters of that party and in 1893 was township assessor.  Not long afterward he was elected township trustee and has filled the position to the present time, serving now for the fourth term with credit to himself and satisfaction to his constituents.  There have been many permanent improvements made in the roads and bridges during his incumbency in the office and he has been an active worker for improvement along this line.  He is also recognized as a most capable and ardent supporter of the republican party in his township, and has attended many of the conventions as a delegate.  Fraternally he is connected with Mount Pleasant Lodge, No. 8, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. 

On the 16^th of August, 1868, Mr. Boyd was married to Miss Elizabeth Coiner, of  Center township, a daughter of Christian and Elizabeth (Teeter) Coiner, the former a native of Virginia.  He was married in Ohio, and in 1848 came to Iowa, bringing his daughter here as an infant.  They lived near Mediapolis, Des Moines county, but in 1858 removed to Mount Pleasant, where the father retired from active business life.  His daughter, Mrs. Boyd, was educated in that city.  By this marriage there have been born six children; Cora, now the wife of C. W. Lawrence, a resident of Utah; Alberta, the wife of George C. Bayles, of Seattle, Washington; Maud and Hattie, at home; Mattie, the wife of J. J. Allen, of Wayland, Iowa; and Ross C., at home.  The parents are members of the Pleasant Hill Methodist Episcopal church, and enjoy the warm and favorable regard of many friends in this locality. 

Mr. Boyd belongs to that class of representative citizens who have made steady advancement in the business world by means of close application and unremitting diligence and as an agriculturist and republican leader deserves mention with the representative men of Henry county. 

(Biographical Review of Henry County, Iowa. Chicago: Hobart Publishing Co.,1906, Page 697) (PE)

Rev. William Brattain

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF THE LATE REV. WILLIAM BRATTAIN, BY HIS OLD FRIEND, REV. THOMAS BALLINGER

In writing this sketch, the object will be to present, not only an outline of MR. BRATTAIN, but "whence, what and where," that will embrace his early boyhood days, circumstances connected with his early manhood, his wonderful ability to learn by both observation and books. Mr. Brattain was born in the State of Indiana, October 13, 1810. Died, in Jefferson township, Mahaska county, Iowa, at the home of his son-in-law and daughter Mary, Mrs. Thomas Havener, of Bright's disease, after much patient suffering, February 25, 1889, at the advanced age of 79 years. Mr. Brattain was married in Van Buren county, Iowa, to Miss Martha A. Croxil, in 1836. They had five children born to them-three boys and two daughters, namely Humphrey, Lemuel and Charley. The daughters Mrs. Thomas Havener lives in this County; May, now Mrs. Dr. G.N. Beechler, lives in Oskaloosa. Mr. B.'s father moved from Indiana to Lake Peoria, Illinois, about 1816, and settled on very near where the populous city of Peoria now stands. That was several years before the Indians were removed. At that time it was an Indian town and a French trading post. The Brattain family had no neighbors by Indians; their children no playmates but young Indians. They got acquainted, and from necessity, soon, began to learn to talk together. There being no war with the whites at that time, the Indians were very friendly to them. Mr. Brattain told the writer that their children soon became attached to their young neighbors, and they would unite in songs, children's plays, and the boys in running footraces and other sports. Here he said, is where I first learned by experience, that I could run fast. The short races were from fifty to four hundred steps; said he smiling, "I have run all the distances named hundreds of times, and never run with an Indian but to beat him. Don't think me vain, Brother Ballinger; but I have never been outrun by any boy or man." We believed every word of it, knowing how strong and active he was for a man so slender. But, brother, we asked how about getting along friendly with those young Indians. "There was no trouble, never saw children get along better together, they would join in with us to learn our plays; and we with them, making our pleasures as mutual as possible." Mr. Brattain learned to speak the Indian dialect here so well, that he said he never saw an Indian of any tribe, but that he could talk without difficulty; but he learned the art of hunting, and could as easily beat them at that as he
could outrun them. From Illinois the Brattain family moved to Iowa, then a territory, and occupied by Indians; and M. B., being well acquainted with the Indian tongue, soon made new acquaintances, got well acquainted with the celebrated Chiefs, Black Hawk, Keokuk, and the prophet Wabahespeck. He gave it as his opinion, that Black Hawk was the greatest Indian he ever saw, equal to any mentioned in the past history of the country. In the interval between his boyhood days at Lake Peoria and his immigration to Iowa and for several years afterward, he was employed at different things.

He made several trips down the Mississippi river to New Orleans, getting good wages for his services, a portion of which he put into books, for further educating himself, in order to be more useful to himself and others. He taught school for some time, the better to prepare himself for a law student, read law and was admitted to the bar, and practiced his profession for a year or two, but was too reserved and diffident to be a lawyer. He told the writer that all through these years from a boy his mind had been more or less engaged in the study of religious subjects. He quit law and took up his old trade, having worked at the carpenter business at intervals before. There was not work enough to keep him employed all the time; and every hour he had to spare, he put in reading the Bible until he read it through and through. From its teaching he came to the conclusion, that if God in infinite in wisdom, He must have clearly foreseen the results, that would follow man's existence. A reasonable conclusion on the supposition that his existence would turn out to be a source of endless wretchedness. Mr. Brattain was a man who never arrived at a conclusion without first carefully considering the premises. If God created mankind for a good purpose, nothing but good will be the final result. If any portion of mankind should suffer endless chastisement it would be difficult to see how such could end in goos; and there being no comparison between any man's transgressions and endless suffering, it  is safe to assume that such punishment can not, under God's government be true. We must then, of course, interpret the Scriptures to correspond and harmonize with infinite wisdom, love and good results Mercy would ask all that and even more. It was this kind of reasoning that made Mr. Brattain a believer in the final triumph of good over evil, light over darkness, heaven over hell. The Scriptures say, "For as much then, as the children are partaker of flesh and blood, he (Christ) likewise took part of the same, that through death he might destroy him and that the power of death, that is the devil, and those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." Then good cheer to the world. The devil, i.e., evil will be destroyed by Christ, and hell charity for all, and malice toward none, the writer has no object in this sketch, in alluding to the beliefs of others than to help all up to a higher doctrinal standpoint, and broader view of our holy religion. "Behold how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity."

In conclusion, Mr. Brattain was a great student, and had the law suited him would have made a great jurist. He never got credit for this great ability. He wrote more than three thousand sermons, the greater part of which are left with his daughter, Mrs. Havener. Some 600 of them were never delivered. They would make thirty large volumes if printed and bound that would be a valuable addition to the world's knowledge of theology, by their advanced thoughts and deep scientific research.

At One P.M. on the day of the funeral the friends in the city, who had gathered at Dr. Beechler's joined the procession as it came from the country, and proceeded to Forest cemetery, where he was laid to rest beside his wife, whom he married over fifty years ago. Farewell, dear brother, thou hast gone the way of all the earth.

Oskoloosa Weekly Herald 1889 (Submitted by Betsey Browning)

August Brink, who is engaged in the manufacture of brick and tile in New London and is also successfully engaged in farming and stock-raising, belongs to that class of representative Swedish-American citizens who have come from their native country to the new world to enjoy its better business opportunities and have here steadily progressed until they have gained a position of prominence among the substantial citizens of their respective communities. 

Mr. Brink was born in the western part of Sweden, November 13, 1843.  His father was Larson Swanson and his mother was Mary Anderson.  He was educated in the public schools and was reared to the occupation of farming, which pursuit he followed in his native country until he came to America.  On the 17^th of June, 1865, he left Sweden, thinking to enjoy better business opportunities and advantages in the new world, for he had heard much concerning the improved conditions here.  Crossing the Atlantic he proceeded into the interior of the country and made his first location in Galesburg, Illinois, where he remained for two and a half years. 

He then went to Burlington and entered the employ of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company, working on the track and also assisting in bridge-building, continuing with that corporation for about five years.  He also spent about a year and a half in Peoria, Illinois, where he worked at carpentering, after which he returned to Sweden, where he continued for another year and a half.  In 1876, however, he again came to the United States and visited the exposition in Philadelphia, after which he continued his journey to Burlington, where he remained until January, 1877. 

He then bought forty acres of land on section 2, New London township, from Henry Shoemaker, who had erected a tile factory, which has since been operated by Mr. Brink.  He makes tile of all sizes up to eight inches and is also engaged in the manufacture of brick.  He made the brick for his own residence, which he rebuilt in 1891, it being a veneered building and one of the pretty homes of the township.  He has continuously made brick and tile since he has been here except one year—in 1897—when the factory burned.  This is one of the good productive industries of the community and is being profitably conducted by Mr. Brink. 

He has also added to his landed estate until he now owns two hundred acres, all of which is cultivated and improved under his own supervision.  He has seventy acres on section 2, eighty acres on section 11, and fifty acres on section 12, New London township.  He raises and feeds about thirty head of cattle annually and about twenty head of hogs.  He now has sixty-five acres of his land under cultivation, while the remainder is devoted to pasturage.  He has put all of the improvements on his property and has cleared much of it for cultivation. 

On the 18^th of June, 1891, Mr. Brink was united in marriage to Miss Mary L. Anderson, a daughter of Andrus Peter and Martha (Carlson) Anderson.  Two children have been born of this union: Paul Reynold, born May 24, 1892; and Ruby Victoria, born May 20, 1894. Both are students in the public schools.

In his political affiliation Mr. Brink is a stalwart republican, keeping well informed on the questions and issues of the day, but has never sought nor desired office.  He is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran church, in which he has served as trustee and deacon, holding both positions at the present time.  He is a very energetic man of resolute will and strong purpose and in his life the statement that “Sweden is the home of the honest man,” finds exemplification, for at all times this worthy son of Sweden is thoroughly reliable and trustworthy. 

His business success has come to him through the utilization of opportunities and the recognition of the fact that the present and not the future is the time to put forth one’s best energies for the attainment of success.

(Biographical Review of Henry County, Iowa. Chicago: Hobart Publishing Co.,1906, Page 403) (PE)

Capt. Allen T. Brooks is a veteran of the Civil War who has been equally loyal to his country in days of peace and in the discharge of various official duties in Mount Pleasant has shown that he fully merits the trust and confidence reposed in him.  He is regarded as one of the representative residents of this city, esteemed by all who know him. 

His birth occurred in Springfield, Ohio, April 23, 1826, so that he has reached the eightieth milestone on life’s journey.  His parents were William and Elizabeth (Stitt) Brooks.  The father was born in Pennsylvania in 1779 and lived to be eighty-seven years of age, while his mother’s birth occurred in Kentucky in 1785.  In early manhood, William Brooks followed farming in the Keystone state and afterward in Logan county, Ohio.  In 1838 he came to Iowa, settling on a farm in Van Buren county.  He was one of its pioneer residents and assisted in the early material development and progress of his portion of the state.  He belonged to that class of representative American men, who, while advancing individual interests, also contribute to the public welfare. 

His attention was devoted to farming until about fifteen years prior to his death, when he retired and went to live with his son, A. T. Brooks, upon his farm, there passing away in April, 1866.  He had served as a soldier of the war of 1812, and his early political support was given to the democracy, but his six sons were all whigs, and at the time of the organization of the new republican party the father and sons all joined its ranks.  Mr. Brooks and his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal church, taking an active and interested part in its work and Mr. Brooks was an elder and preacher who traveled from place to place in the performance of his ministerial duties.  His wife survived him for but a brief period, passing away in the fall of 1866, her great grief at the loss of her husband undoubtedly hastening her own death.  Their remains were interred side by side in the cemetery in Van Buren county.   

In their family were eight children, but only two are living.  Benjamin, Samuel, James, Rachel, John and William have all passed away.  Mary Ann became the wife of Martin Fate and resides in Van Buren county, but her husband is deceased.  A. T. Brooks completes the family.  Two of the sons, James and John, were soldiers of the Civil war, also two sons of James, two sons of John, two sons of Samuel and two sons of Benjamin, making two brothers and eight nephews of our subject who were in the great Civil conflict.  John Brooks was a member of the Third Iowa Cavalry, while James served in the Eighth Iowa Infantry and A. T. Brooks of this review was a member of the Second Iowa Infantry, to which four of his nephews also belonged, while two of the nephews were members of the Third Iowa Cavalry.  Both brothers of our subject were disabled in the war, and James died soon after his return home, but John lingered until a few years ago. 

A. T. Brooks was educated in the seminary at Farmington, Iowa, and in the college at Greencastle, Indiana, and after his student days were over he engaged in teaching school for nineteen years in Van Buren county, dividing his time between Bloomfield and Keosauqua.  He was also city superintendent of schools at the latter place for a number of years and was county superintendent of schools in Van Buren county for one year.  His educational labors, however, were interrupted by his service in the Civil war, for after the outbreak of hostilities he responded to his country’s call, enlisting in Company F, Second Iowa Infantry and fully sustaining the splendid family record for bravery and loyalty.  The first important engagement in which he participated was at Fort Donelson, his regiment storming the fort.  He was also in the battle of Shiloh and although he was never wounded he suffered from a sun stroke which disabled him and caused him to be honorably discharged at Keokuk in 1862. 

In the spring of 1866, Mr. Brooks came to Mount Pleasant and was called to public office here as a candidate of the republican party.  He filled the position of internal revenue assessor from 1867 until 1873, and subsequently was mayor of the city for five years.  His administration was business like, public spirited, practical and progressive and under his guidance many valuable reforms and improvements were wrought.  He afterward served as justice of the peace for three terms of one year each and following his retirement from office he engaged in buying and selling fine horses until 1899.  In that year he went to live in Chicago, spending two years with three of his children there, after which he returned to his old home in Mount Pleasant and has been the efficient weighmaster of the city since 1903. 

On the 8^th of December, 1847, Mr. Brooks was united in marriage to Miss Mary C. Vinson, who was born in St. Mary’s, Ohio, in 1825, a daughter of Cuthbert and Deborah (Sewers) Vinson.  Her father was born on the eastern shore of Maryland and the mother’s birth occurred in the same locality.  Mr. Vinson gave his attention to farming and from Maryland removed to Ohio, where he carried on agricultural pursuits until his death in 1846.  His wife had died about 1835.  He and all of his ancestors were whigs and in religious faith were Methodists. 

Mr. and Mrs. Vinson were the parents of thirteen children.  Malachai died at the home of Mr. Brooks in 1896 and one of his sons was killed at the battle of Fort Donelson in the Civil war.  Deborah married Lorenzo Roebuck and both are now deceased.  They had two sons in the war, one of whom returned to the north, but the other was starved to death in Libby prison.  Cuthbert and Greenberry Vinson are both deceased.  William A. was killed by Spaniards in Californian.  Nancy is the widow of John Brooks, brother of our subject, and now resides in Salt Lake City, Utah, at the advanced age of eighty-four years.  Amanda died, the widow of William Hollingsworth.  Hester Ann married William Payne and both are deceased.  They had one son who is a lawyer of Bloomfield, Iowa.  Mary C., now Mrs. Brooks, is the ninth of the family.  Clara is the wife of Colonel J. B. Weaver, of Colfax, Iowa.  He was a member of the Second Iowa Infantry, served for three years in the Civil war and came out with the rank of Colonel and was a general by brevet.  There is no account of the other members of the Vinson family. 

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Brooks were born five children, all of whom are yet living.  Alice Carey, born in 1849, in Davis county, Iowa, is now the wife of A. J. Briggs.  They are well-to-do people and travel about for health and pleasure, being now in California.  They have one son, George A., who is living in Elkhart, Indiana.  Belle F., born in Van Buren county in 1852, is the wife of T. Y. Lynch, owner of a lumber yard at Holton, Kansas.  They have two sons, William and Elmer, both of whom are married and the former has a daughter.  May Ella, born in Van Buren county, Iowa, in 1856, is the wife of Howard E. Snider, of Mount Pleasant, and they have two daughters: Stella, who is a stenographer; and Bertha, who is a music teacher in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  Elmer, born in Van Buren county, Iowa, in 1863, married Miss Fannie Bond and is living in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  They have two children, Bennice and Margaret.  M. B. Brooks, born in Van Buren county in 1865, was married to Fannie Snyder and lives in Elkhart, Indiana.  They have three children: Ruby, Florence and Allen, the last mentioned being the only namesake of his Grandfather Brooks and the only male child in the family. 

Both Mr. and Mrs. Brooks are earnest and faithful members of the Methodist church, in which for forty-five years he has held office, serving as treasurer and as steward.  He is also deeply interested in the Grand Army of the Republic, with which he holds membership.  He has lived for forty years in his present home and he and his wife have now traveled life’s journey together for fifty-nine years, sharing in all their joys and sorrows and though reverses have come to them and they have met obstacles, they are contented and happy that their children are still being spared to them. 

Mr. Brooks is a self-made man, who started out in life empty-handed, but by willing hands, laudable ambition and strong determination he has secured for his family all the necessities and many of the comforts of life.  As a citizen, as a soldier, as a public officer, he holds the entire respect of those who knew him because of his plain and unostentatious demeanor, his honest methods, his kindly spirit and because of the hospitality which is so characteristic of his home.  He is known everywhere as Captain Brooks and his place of business on the public square is a favorite resort with many of his friends who congregate there to talk over the events of the past and of the marvelous improvements of the present. 

(Biographical Review of Henry County, Iowa. Chicago: Hobart Publishing Co.,1906, Page 81) (PE)

     HENRY BROWN, one of the pioneer settlers of Henry County, residing on section 3, Center Township, was born in Fayette County, Ohio, Nov. 3, 1819, and is a son of John and Mary (Tate) Brown. They were natives of Frederick County, Va., emigrating to Fayette County in an early day. They were the parents of five sons and six daughters, seven of whom are still living: Sydney, of Appanoose County, Iowa; Lucinda, of this county; Manley, of Washington County, Iowa; Jackson, now a resident of Salem County, Mo.; Ellen, wife of John Tendergrass, of Washington County, Iowa; William, of Council Bluffs, Iowa. In 1847 Mr. and Mrs. Brown came to Iowa, remaining here until their death, the father dying in Washington County, and the mother in Des Moines. In politics he was a Jackson Democrat. They were people highly respected in the community where they resided.

     The subject of this sketch in his boyhood days remained on a farm in Fayette County, Ohio, and like so many other boys of that time, attended the log school-house with its punchon floors, slab seats, greased paper windows and immense fireplace. In 1841 Mr. Brown led to the marriage altar Miss Barbara A. Helphrey, a native of Ohio, born in Licking County in 1823. Mr. and Mrs. Brown have had a family of six children, five of whom are now living: Alice, wife of Cyrus Bush, of Washington County, Iowa; George, still an inmate of the parental home; Rosa, also at home; Florence, wife of David Durst, of Washington County, Iowa, and Parrott, of Mt. Pleasant. In 1846 Mr. Brown emigrated to Iowa, making the journey with teams, settling near Burlington for about two years, but subsequently removing to Henry County. He re­mained in this county for twenty-two years, then removed to Washington County, Iowa, which place he made his home for fourteen years. In the spring of 1882 he returned to Henry County, purchasing a farm, as before stated, in Center Township, and here he still resides.

    In early life our subject exerted his influence for and voted with the Democratic party until the breaking out of the war, since which time he has always voted with the Republican party. Mr. Brown came to this county a poor man, but with a willing heart and a strong arm, he patiently labored until he is now one of the well-to-do farmers of Henry County. His farm, consisting of 120 acres, situated a mile and a half from Mt. Pleasant, is one of the best cultivated in this part of the State. The beloved wife was called from her happy home on earth to the better one above, March 13, 1881. Mr. Brown is one of the early settlers of the county, is always ready to aid in any public enterprises for the public good, and is universally esteemed. 

 (Portrait and Biographical Album, Henry County, Iowa; Acme Publishing Company, Chicago, 1888, pp 253-254)(JC) 

     WILLIAM B. BUFFINGTON was born July  5, 1813, in Washington County, Pa., and resides on section 27 of Trenton Township, Henry Co., Iowa, where he is engaged in farming, although a tanner by trade. His parents, Seth and Sarah (Mileson) Buffington, were also natives of Pennsylvania, born in Chester County. They were both members of the Society of Friends, and reared a family of eleven children, all of whom lived until maturity, though but four are now living, namely:  William B.; Joseph, a farmer residing in Washington County, Pa.; Robert, living in Cincinnati, Ohio, is a carpenter, and Abigail, wife of John Dean, a resident of Bates County, Mo. Seth Buffington spent his whole life upon a farm, dying in 1840, when seventy-four years of age, and his wife in 1858, at the age of seventy-three.

     Our subject was reared upon a farm, receiving his education at the district school. When sixteen years of age he began an apprenticeship of five years to the tanner’s trade, after which he went into a distillery, where he worked as a hand for two years, and the following three years was employed upon a farm in Pennsylvania. Sept. 18, 1834, he was joined in marriage with Elizabeth C. Goodrich, a native of Greene County, Pa., and a daughter of Goodwin B. and Ruth (Bayne) Goodrich, the father a native of Connecticut, and the mother of Washington County, Pa. Her father died Nov. 14, 1861, in Mt. Pleasant, at the age of seventy-six, while on a visit to his daughter. He was a devoted member of the Christian Church, and was a soldier in the War of 1812; and her grandfather, Jesse Goodrich, was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. Goodwin B. Goodrich owned a fine farm near Columbus, Ohio, at the time of his death. The mother died when Mrs. Buffington was but ten years of age.

     William B. Buffington and his young wife emigrated to Ripley County, Ind., locating at New Marion, where he remained for three years. Going to Milford, Decatur Co., Ind., he was employed as foreman of a distillery for two years, and then re­moved to Rush County, Ind., where he bought a sawmill, which he operated for two years. Again removing, he settled this time in Tipton, building a sawmill, and remaining there until 1858, when lie came to Iowa, locating southeast of Mt. Pleasant. He repaired Boyls’ mill and operated the same for two years, when he removed to Mt. Pleasant and engaged as engineer, and in that city resided for two years. Mr. Buffington then purchased 100 acres of raw land out of which he developed a farm. He erected a mill upon his farm, which he operated for twenty years, and at the end of that time, in 1881, the mill blew up, and lie has never rebuilt it. Credit is due Mr. Buffington from the fact that all his property was acquired by his own labor, helped on by good management and fair dealing. Mrs. Buffington, an estimable lady, presides over the home, and welcomes the stranger, the friend or the kinsman who enters her door. Not only in Trenton Township, but throughout Henry County, are this worthy couple universally known and respected. To make the family circle com­plete, two children have blessed their union: Ruth is now the wife of George Boyer, a carriage-maker of Tipton, Ind,, and to them have been born two children: Frances Olive, wife of Martin Vickery, M. D., of Tipton, and Asher G., who died at the age of twenty-four. The other child is Reason S., who married Mary A. Edy, of Canada; they now reside in Leadville, Col., and have a family of four children—William J., Francis E., Lulu May amid Edna B. 

(Portrait and Biographical Album, Henry County, Iowa; Acme Publishing Company, Chicago, 1888, pp 288-289) (JC)

    DAVID BURDEN, merchant and Postmaster, Salem, Iowa, was born in Charlbury, Oxfordshire, England, in 1833, and is the son of James and Ann (Sales) Burden. Both parents were natives of England, and James for many years was a stone-cutter and mason. They reared eleven children, seven of whom are now living, and four are deceased. Those living in England are: Ann married Mr. Kench; Harriet wedded her cousin, William Burden; Hannah is married to William Kerry; Sarah became the wife of Job Tolley, and William is also married. John is the only unmarried one, and is a teacher in Oxfordshire, England, in which locality all the children except David reside. He left his native home in 1854, and landed in America before he had reached his twenty-first year. He was full of the enthusiasm that fills the breasts of enterprising young men, and expected to better his condition in life, although he was engaged in the mercantile busi­ness before leaving England. His academic education was completed in Europe and he was well fitted for any occupation. His first experience was in Aurora, N. Y., he taking a position with the mercantile house of E. B. Morgan & Co. The senior proprietor was then a Member of Congress. During his residence of ten months in Aurora, our subject became acquainted with Miss Rosa Savage. After the family left New York and emigrated to Iowa, he followed them, and Jan. 1, 1857, he became the husband of Miss Rosa Savage, the wedding being celebrated beneath the paternal roof, Rev. L. J. Rogers, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, performing the ceremony. One mile east of Salem the young couple began their domestic life, which has been continued under the most happy circumstances. Until the breaking out of the Civil War Mr. Burden farmed in the summer and taught school in the winter, and was at that time teaching in Southern Illinois. He was one of the first to volunteer in a company raised in Richland County, Ill. Their services were proffered the State, but the quota being full and a regiment then partly organized in St. Louis being ready to start to the front, they became Company E, of the 11th Missouri Regiment of the noted Eagle Brigade. They formed a part of the western army, and their first engagement was at Fredericktown, Mo., followed by that of Point Pleasant, Mo., below Island No. 10. He then participated in the siege of Corinth and the battles following. He was then detached from the regiment and assigned to special duty at Gen. Grant’s headquarters. He remained at the executive part of headquarters, and at Holly Springs was taken prisoner and escaped three times during the day. The last time, however, he was paroled and returned to headquarters, where he was in the service of the medical department. Following this, the transfer of Gen. Grant to Commander-in-Chief of the United States armies, placed Gen. Sherman in charge of the department in which our subject was serving. His abilities secured his retention, and during his entire service he remained with the executive headquarters of Sherman’s army. After the battle of Vicksburg he was discharged from the volunteers and made a member of the regular army.  He was selected by the Secretary of War, and retained by him with increased work and salary. His appointment bears the signature of Gen H. W. Halleck, dated Aug. 1, 1863. While lying at Vicksburg the smallpox broke out, and our subject vaccinated most of the officers at headquarters, among whom was Gen. Grant, and has the lancet still in his possession with which he performed the operation. Among his numerous war relics is a receipted bill from Claghorn & Cunningham, of Savannah, Ga., Sept. 7, 1864, for a pound of tea, price $40, bought by Charles C. Jones, Secretary of the Georgia Historical Society. He was discharged from the service Sept. 18, 1865, having served over four years. His discharge bears the signature of Dr. John Moore, now Surgeon General of the United States Army. We quote from the certificate given in writing by that distinguished surgeon: “Hospital Steward Burden, United States Army, has been in my office for more than two years. He is a man of spotless moral character, and one of the most efficient clerks I have met in the army in a service of thirteen years.”

     After his return from the army, Mr. Burden purchased a farm near Salem, remaining there until 1877. He took an active part in the organization of the Grange store at Salem, and was placed in charge, and under his management, from 1874 until its incorporation expired, it was successfully conducted, and its stockholders realized in the ten years one hundred arid forty per cent in dividends on their investment, and received their stock back in full. Prior to the fire that destroyed Union Block, Mr. Burden had sold his farm and invested his cash in that business, but the accumulation of years was in one short hour swept away. He secured another stock of goods, and has remained in business to date. In local politics he has been an important factor, and has frequently been a delegate to District and State Conventions, sent by the Democratic party. April 1, 1887, he took charge of the post-office at Salem; his appointment, dating March 1, bears the signature of Postmaster-General Vilas. He has fitted up an office in the rear of his store, with improved boxes, and there is no better office in any country town in the county. Five children have graced the union of Mr. and Mrs. Burden—Charles F., Lena L., Oliver W., Sidney W. and Victor E. The eldest son is a graduate of Whittier College; he is by profession a teacher. Mr. Burden, his wife and two children, are members of the Congregational Church, and he was a member of the Congregational National Council held in 1886 at Chicago, representing the Denmark Association, and in the Church Board of officials he is one of the Trustees. Feb. 6, 1855, he took out his first papers, and by the act of Congress admitting all soldiers of the late war to citizenship, became a citizen of the United States. Later, he secured full naturalization papers, and expects to live and die in the country and under the flag for which he fought. He is a member of Salem Lodge No. 48, I. O. O. F., and has passed all the Chairs, and has been District Deputy and representative to the Grand Lodge. As a gentleman and citizen he stands high in the estimation of all his acquaintances. 

 (Portrait and Biographical Album, Henry County, Iowa; Acme Publishing Company, Chicago, 1888, pp 263-264) (JC)

    MARTIN F. BURKET has been a dealer in stoves, tinware and kindred articles in Mt. Pleasant for twenty-one years. He was born in Huntingdon County, Pa., Dec. 9, 1829, and is a son of John and Lydia (Funck) Burket, both natives of Pennsylvania, and on both sides of German extraction. Our subject, when eight years of age, was taken by his parents to Blair County, Pa., and seven years later, when he was fifteen, to Center County, same State. In these places his boyhood days were passed, living in the latter county until he was twenty-one. He learned the tinsmith’s trade, and when about twenty-two years of age embarked in business on his own account at Warrior’s Mark, Huntingdon County, where he remained for over two years, then selling out to come west.

     In the spring of 1855 Mr. Burket came to Iowa, locating at West Point, Lee County, in which place he successfully carried on the trade until 1866, when he came to Mt. Pleasant, and here he again engaged in the business of a stove and tinware dealer, beside doing all kinds of jobbing in his line. For four years, from 1876 to 1880, he had as a partner Oliver Griffith, but in the latter year the firm sold out, and Mr. Burket worked as a journey­man until 1887, in the spring of which year he recommenced business, and now carries a full stock, besides being well prepared to do all kinds of work in his line. He is a good mechanic, and has always borne the reputation of an upright business man.

     Mr. Burket was married in Center County, Pa., Nov. 11, 1852, to Miss Nancy Glenn, daughter of John Glenn. She was horn in Center County.  Three children were born to them, of whom one, a daughter, Ina S., died when nineteen years old.  Wilbur F. is married and lives at Lyons, Kan., and John G. is single and a resident of Page County, Kan.

     Mr. and Mrs. Burket are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In politics he is a supporter of the Republican party, and socially is a member of Mystic Lodge No. 55, I. O. O. F., and is personally held in esteem by his neighbors and fellow-citizens. 

 (Portrait and Biographical Album, Henry County, Iowa; Acme Publishing Company, Chicago, 1888, pp 236-237)  (JC)

     WILLIAM S. BURTON, Clerk in the War Department, Washington, D. C., and a resident of Mt. Pleasant since 1865, was born in Guilford County, N. C., Feb. 7, 1820, and is the son of Ainsley and Sarah (Clarke) Burton. He re­moved with his parents to Davidson County, in the same State, in childhood, where he learned the carriage-maker’s trade. In 1842 he removed to Randolph County, Mo., and established himself in business in Huntsville, where he remained until 1854, when he came to Iowa and located at Richland, Keokuk County, and there embarked in the carriage business. From Richland he came to Mt. Pleasant in 1865, and opened a carriage-shop which he continued until the spring of 1882, when he was appointed to his present position in the War De­partment by Robert T. Lincoln. Mr. Burton held various local offices while in Missouri and Richland, and was Mayor of Mt. Pleasant in 1879 and 1880, and he has held other minor offices. In politics he is a Republican.  He is a member of Mystic Lodge No. 55, I. O. O. F., and of the Camp, and has been Grand Master of the order in Iowa, also Grand Patriarch, and represented the Grand Lodge in the Sovereign Grand Lodge of the United States in 1866 and 1867.

     Mr. Burton was married in Davidson County, N. C., in March, 1839, to Miss Malinda Moffitt, daughter of Robert and Lydia Moffitt. She was born in Davidson County, N. C. Ten children were born of their marriage, seven of whom are now living, four sons and three daughters: Lydia C. is the wife of James S. Pringle, residing in Richland, Iowa; Sarah A. resides at home; William M. married Miss Vaughn, and resides in Jefferson County, Ark.; Robert A. married Fannie S. Way, and resides in Washington City, D. C.; Lorenzo W. died at the age of two years; Constantine B. is single, living in Colorado; James K., single, now at Mt. Pleasant; Harriet M., single, resides at home; Marietta died in childhood. Mr. and Mrs Burton are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 

(Portrait and Biographical Album, Henry County, Iowa; Acme Publishing Company, Chicago, 1888, p. 285-286)(PW)