History of Guthrie and Adair Counties, Iowa
Springfield, Ill: Continental Hist. Co., 1884.
Summit Township
Transcribed by Bobbi Pohl
O. M. Bovee - Caledonia Stock Farm is the name
given to a beautiful tract of land on sections 19, 20 and 21, Summit township,
the owner of which is the popular breeder of fine stock, O. M. Bovee. The stock
on this farm consists of thoroughbred Hereford cattle. In 1881 he bought a bull
bred by W. H. Todd, of Vermillion, Erie county, Ohio, for five hundred and fifty
dollars, and the following year three thoroughbred cows of T. L. Miller, & Company, of Beecher, Illinois, and from these he has raised a fine drove of pure
strains which he keeps for sale, also a large number of grades. Mr. Bovee takes
great pains with these cattle, and is perfectly reliable as a dealer. On this
farm is also found thoroughbred Norman and Clydesdale horses, Poland-China hogs,
etc. The farm consists of five hundred and sixty acres of land, watered by a
branch of the Nodaway, fine buildings, large orchard, and surrounded by a fine
grove. The land is of the richest found in the state, and with the enterprise of
the present owner, promises to be a valuable property. Otis M. Bovee is a native
of Caledonia county, Vermont, born July 26, 1845, on a farm, and son of
Courtland and Eliza (Blood) Bovee; father a native of New York and mother a
native of Vermont. When twenty-one years old, Otis left the farm and went on the
road as traveling salesman, and continued ten years in New York and Vermont. He
came to Iowa in 1875, and prospected for a location, and the next year he came
and located where he now resides. His wife was Miss Ella Robinson, of Jamaica,
Windham county, Vermont, a daughter of Reuben Robinson of the same place. They
were married May 29, 1869. They have three children--Lulu B., Hettie B., and
Harry. Mr. Bovee is a member of the Masonic order and is a republican, also is
officially in the capacity of school treasurer of Summit township.
John
Chestnut, Sr., is a native of
Virginia, born in Berkeley county, May 11, 1800, a son of William Chestnut, born
in Germantown, Pennsylvania. His grandfather was John Chestnut, a native of
Ireland, and a revolutionary soldier. The wife of William Chestnut was Jane
Earick, a native of Virginia, her ancestors being of German extraction, and her
grandfather a revolutionary soldier, who spent all he had of personal property
in the cause of the colonies. From Virginia the family removed to Bedford
county, Pennsylvania, where John lost both his parents. His removal to Iowa
dates September, 1870, but his first visit was in 1869, at which time he bought
the south half of section 16, and he now owns the southeast quarter of section
16, and still lives in the same house he built when he first came to Adair
county. Mr. Chestnut has worked hard to subdue and improve his land, and has,
what more farms need, a very fine grove of trees, consisting of maple and
cottonwood, and a good orchard. His wife deserves credit as well as Mr.
Chestnut, being a true helpmate to him. She was Elizabeth Ambrose before hier
marriage, a native of Maryland, and a daughter of Jacob Ambrose and Elizabeth
(Shock) Ambrose, also of Maryland. They have six living children--William, still
in Pennsylvania; Elizabeth, at home; Jane, wife of Henry H. Coleman, of Adair;
John W., living on section 28, near his parents; Margaret, a teacher, wife of
Henry H. Buckley, living in Shelby county, and Francis E., living at home. In
Pennsylvania Mr. Chestnut was a justice of the peace for seventeen years. He and
wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and in politics he is an
adherent of the the democratic party.
Leroy
D. Curtis was born in
Washington county, New York, July 11, 1851. He was the son of George W. and Jane
(Bump) Curtis. His mother lives with him in Summit township, while his father
died in Carroll county, Illinois, May 19, 1866. He came with his parents to the
state of Illinois in 1852, where he remained until 1874, engaged at farming,
when he came to Iowa, settling in Adair county, on section 11, Summit township.
He was married in Indiana, December 19, 1872, to Phoebe J. Blayney, Rev. Wasson
officiating. The have but one child--Mary J. He has a farm of one hundred and
sixty acres, all under cultivation, with a bearing orchard of about an acre and
a half. In 1883 he erected a new residence, with two parts, 16x22 and 18x26, at
a coast of over $1,500. It is a commodious and beautiful country home,
surrounded by a nice grove of maple trees. He makes a specialty of raising all
kinds of stock, most of which is graded. The cattle are of the Hereford, and
hogs of the Poland-China breeds. Politically, he is a republican.
Robert
Grant is one of the most
reliable and trusty men in Summit township. He is a native of Ireland, born in
1831. When thirteen years of age he emigrated to America, and settled in New
York, on a farm, and three years later came to Illinois. Before coming to
Illinois he was married, on the 1st of January, 1856, to Miss Mary McNamara, a
native of Ireland. They have been blessed with five children--James, Mary J.,
Charles, Ellen and Edward. Mr. Grant moved from Illinois to Michigan, and in
1869 he came to Iowa, locating in Cass county, and in 1870 moved to Adair, where
he lived until 1875, when he moved to Eureka township, Adair county, and
improved a quarter of a section. Soon after he came to his present location, on
section 23, where he raises stock and grain. He broke about two hundred acres of
land, and now has a nice farm. His farm is well watered, and for that reason is
a good stock farm. Mr. Grant is a member of the Catholic church.
Frank Hern was born in Ireland on
the 3d of February, 1835. When seventeen years of age his parents came to
America, and settled in New York, where Frank worked on a farm for three years
when he came to Illinois, and remained in Bureau county until 1875, when he came
to Adair county and settled on two hundred acres of land on section 26, where
there now is a nice grove and every farm luxury. He was married on the 13th of
May, 1859, in LaSalle county to Miss Ellen Shahan. The have had nine
children--Daniel, Mary, died January 18, 1884; Robert, Michael, died when five
years old; Frank, Anna Nora, Eddie, John and Vincent. Mr. Hern died September
20, 1883, leaving his family and his many friends to mourn his departure, and
who were in every way sorry for losing a good friend and neighbor. He left a
large farm and his family are following out his plans in his ways of
agriculture.
James
M. Johnson is a native of
Wayne county, Ohio, born March 3, 1823. He is the son of Isaac Johnson, a native
of Pennsylvania. James was educated in Wadsworth acedemy in Ohio, and after
graduating he taught school for twelve years in Wayne county, and proved one of
the most successful teachers of the age. In 1859 he came to Lawrence county,
Ohio, and there enlisted in Company H., 124th Ohio infantry, and served until
the close of the war, being mustered out at Cleveland. He was in several of the
principal battles in the war, being wounded in the battle at Chickamauga and was
in the hospital three months. He returned home and in 1867 he settled in Henry
county, Illinois, on a farm until 1877, when he took charge of the ferry on Rock
river for four years. He came to Adair county, Iowa, in 1881, and bought one
hundred and sixty acres of land of F. J. Arnold on section 5, and follows
general farming. His land is all under cultivation and is good for
grain-raising. Mr. Johnson was married in Wayne county, Ohio, in September,
1848, to Miss Anna Brady, a native of Pennsylvania. They have had six
children--Mary E., wife of M. Burton; Laurella B., wife of M. W. Sale; James and
Ray. There are two dead--William A., and Ida. Mr. Johnson is a member of the G.
A. R. and of the Methodist Episcopal church.
John
Kauffman, a native of
Pennsylvania, was born August 10, 1828, and was the son of John and Susan
(Foust) Kauffman. His father died in Lebanon county, Pennsylvania, in 1854, and
the demise of his mother occurred at the same place in 1882. In 1860 he
emigrated to Ohio, where he remained about six years, when he came to Guthrie
county, Iowa. He lived here about nine years, and then came to his present
residence in Adair county, on section 2, Summit township, where he owns a farm
of one hundred and sixty acres of finely improved land, which embraces a bearing
orchard of about two acres, besides groves, hedges, etc. His politacal
convictions have always been with the republican party, which he still retains.
When young he learned the cigar trade, which he followed until he came to Iowa.
Mr. Kauffman was married in Pennsylvania, in 1855, to Sarah A. Aungst,
solemnized by Rev. Stein. They had six children all of whom are living--Henry
J., Susan C., Joseph A., John T., Emma S. and Lenton B. Before the close of the
war Mr. Kauffman enlisted in the 195th regiment, home guards, and served about
four months.
Samuel
Knisely resides on section 4,
of this township, where he owns one hundred and sixty acres of improved land,
upon which is a bearing orchard and an abundance of small fruit of all kinds. In
the fall of 1880 he rented his farm and moved to Adair, where he opened a meat
market and conducted it for about three years, when he returned to the farm
where he now resides. He was born July 11, 1851, in New Philadelphia, Ohio, and
was the son of Edward and Barbara (Baughman) Knisely. His mother lives in Lake
county, Indiana. His father died in Lake county, August 7, 1879. When quite
small he went with his parents to Indiana, where they lived until 1854, after
which he emigrated to Illinois and a year later came to Iowa. After a residence
of about five years in Iowa, he returned to Illinois and Indiana, and then came
to Iowa from Illinois, where he has since remained. In 1872 he was married in
Lake county Indiana, to Clarissa Gordinier, Rev. Charles Post officiating. They
have one child by this union--Elmira E. He is a member of the I.O.O.F.
fraternity and a republican in politics.
Abner
Sisson, the subject of this
sketch, and one of the earliest settlers of Summit township, was born in
Rensselaer county, New York, January 5, 1832. His father, William Sisson, was a
native of Hoosic, Rensselaer county, New York, and his mother was Anstress
Crandall, of Rhode Island. When twenty-two years old, Abner went to Bureau
county, Illinois, and settled on a farm there, and remained till 1869, when the
family removed to Adair county, and settled as above mentioned. In 1880 he was
engaged in the livery business in the the village of Adair, and remained in that
business until 1881. He then engaged in raising cattle, and in the meantime sold
his farm and bought another on section 27, where he now lives, engaged with his
son-in-law in stock raising, and is expecting to engage in Hereford cattle
breeding. He was married October, 1852, to Miss Augusta E. Mason, a daughter of
Nathan and Rebecca Mason, natives of Vermont, and at Highgate, was Miss Mason
born September 15, 1830, and died May 17, 1882, in New York state, where she
went with her husband for treatment. Her remains were brought back to Adair and
interred in Summit cemetery. Three children were born to them--Carrie A., the
eldest, wife of Spencer T. Foster, and residing with her father, on section 27.
Her husband carries on the farm. They have two children living--Elva L. and Mina
P., bright little children. On the evening of June 25, 1872, Elmer, their boy,
was on his pony, as usual, to go after the cows, his dog refused to go, and hid.
His father told him to take the lines of team which he was then using in a wagon
while he went after the dog. Elmer thinking he could not hold the team in that
way, got into the wagon, holding the lines in his right hand, and his horse by
the halter in his left. The dog, in attempting to jump into the wagon, scared
the team, which jumped suddenly throwing Elmer between the hind wheel and box,
carrying him a short distance and dropping him on the ground a corpse. Ettie E.,
the youngest child, died when in Illinois, being not quite a year old.
Azariah
Sisson was born in
Rensselser county, New York, on the 16th of September, 1822. He was the son of
William Sisson, of the above state. Mr. Sisson removed to Washington county when
he was thirteen years of age, and there remained until 1855, when he came to
Illinois, and in 1869 he removed to Adair county, Iowa, buying one-half section
of land on section 16, where he still resides. He improved his farm, making a
nice place of it. He set out a grove of five acres and has a nice orchard of
bearing trees. He raises stock, having some fine Hereford, and has a good supply
of water for his cattle. He was married in New York state in 1845 to Miss
Margaret A. Steles, born in November, 1827, in Schoharie county, New York. They
have eight children living--William A., living in Atlantic; Mary A., in North
Platte, Nebraska; George H., now living in Nebraska; Almenzo, died in March
1874; Martha, now in Sydney, Nebraska, wife of H. H. Blakesley; James, died
December 16, 1858; Francis M., wife of S. Bawman; Sylvester S., Merritt B. and
Howard V. Albert was in the service, enlisting in Illinois in 1865.
Alvin
Thayer is a native of Oxford
county, Maine, born in October, 1823, and is the son of Joel B. and Mary (Dudler)
Thayer. He was reared in Maine, on a farm, and in 1851 he emigrated to Henry
county, Illinois, where he owned a farm of one hundred and eighty acres, and in
1853 he sold out and came to Cedar county, Iowa, and in 1864 he moved near
Tepton, and there remained until 1875, when he came to Adair county, buying a
farm of W. B. Martin, on section 4, where he now owns eighty acres. In 1875 he
built a house in Adair, and lived there several years, when he purchased his
land in Summit township, moved his farm on his present location. He has forty
acres of land under cultivation, which is well watered. Mr. Thayer was married
on the 1st day of April, 1856, to Mrs. M. J. Bray, of Ohio, formerly Miss M. J.
Ray, a daughter of Thompson Ray. They have two children--Joel T., a teacher of
vocal music, and Angeline E. Mr. Thayer received the appointment as assessor for
two counties, and held that position until the close of the war, and at his
instigation the first Union league was formed in Cedar county.
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