History of Guthrie and Adair Counties, Iowa
Springfield, Ill: Continental Hist. Co., 1884.
Prussia Township
Transcribed by Bobbi Pohl
Edward Needles is a native of London , England , and was born on the 21st of November, 1831 . When about two years of age he moved with his parents to America , and settled in Rochester , New York , and in the fall of 1856 he came to Iowa and settled in Dubuque county, and in 1870 he came to his present location in Adair county, and in February, 1883, he came to Prussia township, and settled on section 19. He was married on the 4th of July, 1857 , in Dubuque county, to Miss Rebecca Jane Elwell. Mr. and Mrs. Needles have thirteen children--Edward Lincoln, Mary Jane, Emma Ann, William Grant, Susan Astimesa, Lucy Todema, Ida Araminta, Rosa Matilda, Julia May, Joseph Alva, Reuben Isaac, Bertha Christina and Charles Earl. Mr. Needles is a member of the Seventh Day Advent church, and has been school director and road supervisor.
William H. Calhoun, one of the prominent and esteemed men of Prussia , was born on the 29th day of October, 1835, in Milford , New York , and his father having died in New York city in 1837, he moved with his mother to Wyoming county, Pennsylvania , where he lived until 1849, when he removed to Michigan . In 1867 he moved to Johnson county, Iowa, and in 1857 he came to Adair county, and located on section 17, where he now owns a nice house, and has every farming advantage that can be wished for, and is general farmer and stock-raiser, having some of the finest Poland-Chana hogs in the township, and has some fine horses and cattle. Mr. Calhoun was untited in marriage in Michigan in 1856, to Miss Margaret Emmons, a daughter of John and Margaret Emmons. They have been blessed by ten children--Jennie, Alivilda, Daisy, Nellie, Bell , Walter, Hattie, Frank and Earl. Mr. Calhoun has been township trustee for four years, and assessor for the last two terms.
Andrew D. Crooks, a son of Henry and Elizabeth (Donaldson) Crooks, was born May 5, 1826 , in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania . In 1852 he went to Shasta county, California , where he engaged in mining, and then moved one hundred miles further north to Yreka City , where for ten months he was a United States mail contractor, and then engaged in the brokerage business, dealing in gold dust for seven years. While there he went to Oregon and fought in the Modoc war in 1857. In 1861 he engaged in staging, contracting. In 1850 he returned to Pennsylvania , and was married on the 14th day of June of the same year to Miss Ella T. Wallace, a daughter of William and Margaret (Leeper) Wallace. They have four children--Elizabeth, William, Robert and Andrew. June 20, 1859 , himself and wife lift for Yreka, where he again entered into the brokerage business. In 1863 run a provision store in Nevada , and was elected in the same year as sheriff of Siskiyou county, and was twice re-elected to the office, in a strong democratic county, although he was a republican. The county at that time was ninety miles wide and one hundred miles long, and had two places for holding court, it being two days' Journey between the two points, and the Indians were very troublesome between the two places. After his last term of office expired, in 1869, he settled up his business and went East on a visit. His next settlement was made in Davenport , Iowa , in May, 1870, where he entered the mercantile business and in 1872 moved to Dumont , where he ran a general store in connection with buying grain, he having an elevator at that place. On the 3d of November, 1880 , he came to his present location, and is engaged in farming and stock-raising, having from one hundred to two hundred head of cattle, principally shorthorns; he also has some hogs. While in business in Durant he had the misfortune to have his store destroyed by fire.
Alexander H. Hepler, a son of David and Priscilla (Hannah) Hepler, was born on the 9th of November, 1855 , in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania . In June, 1866, he moved with his parents to Henry county, Illinois, where he remained about three months, when he came to Jasper county, Iowa, and remained there until 1875, when he came to Adair county and settled on section 4. In 1884 he moved to his present location on section 10, Prussia township, where he owns the most beautiful farm in the township. He was united in maarriage on October 13, 1880 , to Miss S. S. Layne, a daughter of Washington and Frances (Easley) Layne. They have one child--Mattie J. Mr. Hepler has taught school six terms, and is present township clerk. His cattle are among the finest, and he has twenty-six shorthorns and some others of the most valuable species.
Fred Kiefer owes his nativity to Wurtembuerg , Germany , Having been born there on the 19th day of September, 1845, and is the son of William Kiefer. He was reared and educated in Germany , and there remained until February 14, 1865 , when he emigrated to America , locating in Baltimore , where he remained about four months, when he went to New York . He made a short stay there, and then went to New Jersey , where, after some few months, he left and moved to Philadelphia . After the close of the civil war he enlisted in Company E, 12th United States infantry. In January, 1866, he was sent to guard the surveyors on the Union Pacific railroad, and was in several skirmishes with the Indians. In April, 1868, he came to this county, being the sixth settler in Prussia township. He was married in Illinois , in 1873, to Miss Genette Eckhart, who died in February 1874. He was married again on June 15, 1875 , to Miss Dorthea M. Motachman, by whom he has had four children--Johnnie, Barbara, Amelia, and Conrad. Mr. Kiefer has an elegant farm, a good grove, orchard, and fine dwelling. He follows general farming and stock-raising, having some of the most valuable cattle and hogs. He has been road supervisor, assessor, school director, township trustee, and constable.
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