History of Boone County, Iowa - 1880

History of Boone County, Iowa
Des Moines: Union Historical Company, 1880.

Unless otherwise noted, biographies submitted by Dick Barton.

GALPIN, N. C., merchant and postmaster, Boonesboro; was born in Michigan, January 10, 1840, and received his education in the common schools and an academy; upon arriving at majority he came to this place and engaged in the blacksmith trade, which he followed for seven years, and then engaged in the meat-market business for two and a half years; he had a leg broken and was compelled to give that up; upon his recovery he was appointed postmaster, in connection with which office he keeps quite an extensive stock of books, stationery, etc.; he commenced life with scarcely any means, but by energy, industry and rare good judgment, having worked hard in his early manhood and made his widowed mother a comfortable home, went to work with a will and made one for himself; September 1, 1863, he was married to Miss Olive A. Cummings, a native of Jefferson county, New York; they have four children: Melvin W., Flora E., Edward L. and Curtis R.

GEDDES, JOSEPH, blacksmith, Boone; was born in Armaugh, Ireland, April 22, 1830, and at the age of fourteen went to England where he remained until he came to the United States; during the time he was in England he was engaged in working at the blacksmith trade most of the time as a helper, and through his own exertions he became able to make a full hand in the business; he came to the United States in 1856, locating in Philadelphia, where he worked for thirteen years in one shop; in 1869 he came to Boone and for four years worked in the blacksmith shops of the Northwestern road; after which he bought a farm in Harrison township, and resided on the same one year, when he returned to town and engaged in his present business, which he has since followed; he was united in marriage in 1869 with May A. Hughes, who was born in Ireland, but was brought by her parents to Philadelphia when a child; they have one child: Samuel, eight years of age; Mr. Geddes has been rather successful in business, and now that he is going down the shady side of life, can look back on his past efforts with no little degree of satisfaction.

GOEPPINGER, L., of the firm of L. & H. Goeppinger, jobbers of leather and saddlery hardware, and manufacturers of saddles, harness and collars; is a native of Wurtemberg, Germany, and was born on the 9th day of June, 1829; in his youth he learned the trade of tanner; in 1849 he emigrated to the United States and settled in Pennsylvania and remained in Pittsburgh three and a half years working at his chosen occupation; he then removed to Malvern, Carroll county, Ohio, and lived there twelve years; he became impressed from the best sources of information that Iowa offered superior inducements for a man of energy and perseverance to succeed; he made a prospecting tour through the State and selected his present location and came to the county in 1866; he is a man of sterling integrity, decided character and untiring energy,, and is endowed with rare good sense and a well balanced mind, and as a citizen he is public spirited, and ever identified with the best interest and substantial progress of the city; he has never sought or held public office, preferring the quiet and peace of his legitimate business, and as a business man has been eminently successful: he was married to Miss Catharine M. Lebeau in 1857; she was a native of Malvern, Ohio; they have a family of five children: Mary, John, Charles, Lewis, Emilie.