Joel A. Aspinwall, a resident of section 14, Jackson township, was born in Jefferson county, Wisconsin, January 23, 1849. There he spent his early life, and received his education in the common schools. In April, 1868, he was married to Miss Mary Schofield, of the village of Menasha, Winnebego county, Wisconsin. Mr. Aspinwall's attention was first attracted to Adair county through his uncle, Dr. Bates, who lives here, and he removed to this county in the fall of 1869. He has a farm of two hundred and forty acres, one hundred and sixty of which is on section 14[Jackson township], and eighty on section 13. He raises various products of the soil, and makes the raising of stock a specialty. He is constantly adding to the value of his property through the thorough processes of good farming. Mr. and Mrs. Aspinwall have three children, whose names are, Maude E., Millard A. and Clark P.

John Hall Bryant, a grandfather of Mrs. Faurote, was born in Delaware in April, 1803. He came to Adair county in 1865, and settled on section 12, Jackson township. He was married in June 1824, to Miss Sophia Daw. They had seven children--Abram F.; Harriott T. married Francis Leobo, and is the mother of Mrs. E. R. Faurote; Katy A., Isaiah W., Conrad, John D., and George W. Mr. Bryant is over eighty-one years of age, and is in good health for a man of his years.

Henry Burg, section 18, Jackson township, is a native of Germany, born on the 4th of October, 1844, and in 1852 he came with his family to this country, and located in Lee county, Illinois, where he received his education. In 1864 he enlisted in Company E, 149th Illinois infantry, and served in that capacity until November, 1864, when he returned home. In 1874 he came to Adair county, and settled in Jackson township, where he now owns eighty acres of well improved land, and raises some stock. He was married on the 23d of September, 1874, to Miss Anna M. Gruss, a native of Germany. Mr. Burg is a member of the Catholic church, and was trustee in 1883.

Jacob Burg, a brother of Henry Burg, was born in Germany, on the 15th of March, 1840, and in 1852 he came to this country. In 1879 he came to this county and located in his present location, on section 18, where he owns eighty acres of good land. He was married in November, 1867, to Miss Caroline Cruss, a sister of Anna Cruss, and a native of Germany.

Josiah A. Daugherty, of Jackson township, though not so essentially an early settler in the county as some others, has still been here long enought to witness many changes. He was born in Crawford county, Pennsylvania, December 6, 1829, his father, John D., being a native of Virginia and having the honor of being the son of a revolutionary war soldier. He was a farmer and stone-mason in Pennsylvania, and died there in 1854. In the fall after his father's death Josiah came with his mother to Dubuque county. He came to Adair county, May 31, 1869, and bought one hundred and seventy-five acres of Truman Poce, on which he has farmed since. He made valuable improvements which were burned in 1880, and the pleasant residence he now occupies was built since that occurrence. He was married September 14, 1854, to Miss Nancy Mason, of Venango county, Pennsylvania, and a daughter of William Mason. They have eight children--Frank M., Ruth O., William E., Clara B., Effie A., Oscar and Austie (twins), and Josephine. Mr. Daugherty is an enterprising farmer, and success is crowning his labors to improve and keep up his place.

Edwin R. Faurote is a native of Ohio, born on June 16, 1850, and in 1854 he came to Winterset, Iowa, where he was reared and educated. When eleven years of age he received the position as clerk in a store, belonging to W. W. Moore, of Des Moines. In 1870 he was there engaged in the grocery business, and eight months later he sold out and removed to Kansas, where he resided until the fall of 1871, when he returned to Iowa, and located in Summerset township, Adair county, After remaining there several months, he came to his present location, where he and his wife's grandfather, J. Bryant, own three hundred and twenty acres of good land, and Mr. Faurote owns one hundred and sixty acres of land in Eureka township, which he rents. He was married on the 28th of Movember, 1872, to Josephine E. Leobo. They have four children--Elsie M., John J., Jennie M., and Francis G.

Fred V. Jeffreys was born in London, England, on the 8th of October, 1828. He was reared there until thirteen years of age, when he came alone to America, and settled in Illinois. He then worked on a farm in different parts of Illinois, and there remained until 1865, when he came to Jackson township, Iowa. He now owns a farm of two hundred and four acres of land, and raises some fine cattle. He was married on the 1st of January, 1854, to Ellen O. Cooper. They have had eight children--Richard F., born on the 24th of Septemer, 1855; Thomas D., born October 7, 1857; Roda E., born February 29, in leap year, 1860; George A. W., born June 16, 1870; William F., born June 16, 1870; Minnie J., born on the 29th of January, 1875; James W. R., born January 12, 1876, and Robert Irving, born January 13, 1880. Mr. Jeffreys was a director of the school district. Road supervisor. He raises Poland-China hogs, polled Angus cattle, and has been school treasurer.

John Latas resides on section 22, Jackson township. He is a native of Poland, and was born on the 18th of September, 1826. He was there reared and educated, and there remained until 1847, when he enlisted in the Austrian army, and was in the Hungarian war. In 1850 he escaped from the army to England, and from thence to America, locating in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he learned the iron and brass mechanical work. He then went to St. Louis, Missouri, and there worked about two years, when he moved to Leavenworth in 1857. He then traveled through Wisconsin, finding a location, where he at last settled in Grant county, Wisconsin, and 1868 he came to his present location in Adair county, Iowa. He owns two hundred and eighty acres of well improved land, a small orchard and some fine farm buildings. He was married in April, 1850, to Miss Caroline Ranley, a native of Germany. They have seven children living--Albert P., Catharine, Jacob, Mary, George, Magdelena and Louisa. Mr Latas has held several offices of trust, and has been a very prominent man in the township.

Truman L. Lewis, one of the prominent men of Jackson township, was born in Oswego township, New York, on the 13th of November, 1844. He was reared and educated there, and when sixteen years of age he went to learn the general trade in a woollen mill in Mexico, New York. In 1863 he came with his parents to Fontanelle, where he clerked for J. C. Gibbs, and worked in and about town until the spring of 1866, when he located on his present farm, where he owns eighty acres of land, all well improved. He was united in marriage, in 1873, to Miss Julia D. Taylor, a native of Wisconsin. They have four children living--Stella I., Newton E., Charles and William R. Mr. Lewis is a member of the I.O.O.F. and of the Evangelical church.

Norman Norton was born in Oswego county, New York, in 1831, and is the son of John C. and Betsey E. (Sterling) Norton. He was the seventh of a family of nine children, and was there reared and educated, and farmed until 1852, when he went to Napa county, California, and there farmed for three years, when he returned to New York and there resided until 1861, when he came to Cass county, Iowa, and in the fall of the same year came to Jackson township, Adair county, and in 1864 he came to his present location on section 4, where he owns two hundred and eleven acres of well-improved land. He was justice of the township in 1862, and again elected in 1880 and '81, and has been township trustee. He is a member of the I. O. O. F., Legion of Honor, and a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Norton was married in September, 1857, to Miss Elvira S. Lewis, in Mexico, New York. They have had three children--Addie (dead), Minnie and John W.

Gustave G. Rechtenbach, a resident of Jackson township, resides on section 17, where he owns a large tract of land, known as the Pleasant Hill farm. He has some of the finest stock in the county, and has some of the fine graded cattle. He was born in Germany, on the 6th of December 1836, and when ten years of age, he emigrated to this country with his parents, and settled in Bureau county, Illinois, where he was reared and educated. In 1871 he engaged in the implement and lumber business in Ohio and Illinois, and was so employed until the spring of 1879. He then began the hardware business, and so continued for several years. In 1880 he came to this county, and was here engaged in improving his farm in the summer and returned to Illinois in the winter. In 1883 he brought his family, and his present house and farm buildings [in Jackson township] were soon built. Mr. Rechtenbach was married in May, 1858, to Miss Christina Bahler, a native of Germany. They have two adoped children--Catharine R. and Alice A. Mr. Rechtenbach has at the head of his herd of fine cattle a bull called Leo II, born April 27, 1881, bred by J. W. Bailey, of Ohio, Illinois, and sired by Leo No. 35,982, A.H.B. His dam was Lady Somerset by Mayflower, No. 10,469. Her dam, Essie by Clay Muscatoon, No 11,517. Her dam, Queen of May by Muscatoon, and the various sires, Phil Sheridan (imported), Marquis, Red Jacket, Oliver, Mohawk and Sam Martin.

George Reis was born in Germany, on the 4th of November, 1821. He learned the milling trade, and continued at that business until 1849, when he came to America, and settled in Illinois, where he worked in a brick yard for one month. He then moved to Marshall county, Illinois, and there farmed until 1855, when he moved to Lee county, where he lived until 1880. He than came to his present location in Jackson township, Adair county, Iowa, where he owns one hundred and sixty-six acres of land on section 19, and his farm is known as one of the best in the township. He was married in Movember, 1857, to Miss Margaret Beitz, of Germany. They have nine children--Katie, Maggie M., George, (dead), Lizzie, Anna M., Carrie, Emmack, John, Barbara and George W. Mr. Reis is a member of the Catholic church

Henry J. Roos came to Adair county in 1881, and located upon one hundred and sixty acres of good land in Jackson township, where he now lives. He was born in Germany on the 25th of December, 1853, and emigrated to America several years after. He then settled in Henry county, Illinois, and resided on a farm until 1873, when he removed to Bureau county and there remains some three years. He then moved to Mason county, Illinois, where he lived until 1881 when he came to this county and settled on his present location. He was married on the 17th of July, 1877, to Miss Mary Bruning, a native of Mason county, and by whom he has had four children, two of whom are now living--Sadella, Oscar G. (living), Lillie and a boy not named (dead). Mr. Roos is a member of the Evangelical church.

John W. Stinman, one of the citizens of Jackson township, who has witnessed much of its growth and development, as well, as that of the county at large, was born in New York City, May 22, 1817. His father was a native of New York state, but a descendent of Holland stock, and was a sea captain up to the time of his death, which occurred in New York when he had reached the age of seventy-four. His mother was a native of Birmingham, England, where her father followed the occupation of a needle-maker. She removed to America when thirteen years of age, and settled at Tarrytown, New York. John W. came to Adair county in 1857, when the county was, to a great extent, in a state of primitiveness which would hardly be dreamed of at this day, and has consequently witnessed and taken part in all the mingling of hardships and pleasures known to pioneer life, the recital of which is so dear to those who have passed through those times of trial. He first rented the farm of J. J. Walter, on section 11, Jackson township, where he remained two years, then removing to the farm of George Rider, where he also remained two years. He then purchased a piece of land on section 9, on which he built a log house, 16x18 feet, in 1860. In this he lived about eight years. This house was torn down in 1884. He removed from his log house into a more commodious residence which he had built in 1863, which was 20x26 feet in dimension, and in which he now resides. His farm now consists of one hundred and twenty acres, he having added unto his former possessions by the purchase of the southwest quarter of the northwest quarter of section 10. The waters of the Middle Nodaway flow by his house, affording a pleasant prospect. He has about thirty acres of timber land. He was married in September, 1838, to Miss Louise E. Hall, a native of Genesco, New York. They have four children--Anna, their first born, is the wife of James Lee, of Red Oak; Joanna L. is the wife of Milton Smith, of Montgomary county; John J. married Miss Delia Campbell, and lives in Eureka; J. W. married Miss Ella Embra, and owns forty acres near the old homestead. Mr. Stinman learned the trade of a carpenter in New York, which was of much use to him in his early labors here. After the family removed to this county, the children had to walk to and from Fontanelle morning and night, in going to school. He is a republican in polities, also a master Mason, and a member of the I.O.O.F., both of which orders he has been connected with for many years. He has held the offices of county supervisor, township clerk and school director.

J. P. Sullivan, who was born in Monroe county, Indiana, October 15, 1827, came West in 1853, and located in Clarke county, Iowa. In 1856 he came to this county, and settled upon the northeast quarter of section 24, of this township [Jackson], where he lived for twenty years. In 1876 he left here and moved to Nebraska, but is now living in Phillips county, Kansas. he was a very active worker in all township matters while he was a resident of it, and took a great interest in educational matters. In 1856 J. B. Sullivan located upon section 34 [Jackson], where he now lives.