History of Cass County, Iowa - 1884

History of Cass County, Iowa
Springfield, Ill., Continental Historical Co., 1884. 1 v. in 2 parts.

Unless otherwise noted, biographies submitted by Dick Barton.

William Jarvis was a soldier in the Union army. He enlisted August 15, 1862, in company B, Twenty-third Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, went south and participated in the battle with Kirby Smith, also with Morgan's forces in Kentucky, and was in thickest of the fight in many other engagements. He was discharged in the spring of 1863 on account of disability, the result of a wound received at Arkansas Post. In August, 1864, he re- enlisted in company E, of the Forty-third Wisconsin and served until July, 1865. After his discharge from the service, he returned to his home in Lafayette county, Wisconsin. He is a native of Pennsylvania, born April 25, 1830, where he grew to manhood, and received his education in the public schools. At the age of eighteen he engaged with a carpenter and joiner to learn the trade and served two years, then went to Fairmount, Pennsylvania, and worked under instructions one year, then went to work in a cotton factory for an uncle and remained in his employ until 1856. He then moved to Lafayette county, Wisconsin and farmed rented land for a time, then purchased a farm in company with H. B. Commings, in Kendalltown, Lafayette county, where he remained until 1875, when he came to Cass county, Iowa and bought farm in sections 31 and 32 of Noble township where he now lives. He was married in 1851 to Mary Jones. They have seven children - Elizabeth, Mary J., William H., Viola, John R., Clara and Frank G.

W. B. JORDAN is the immediate successor of C. C. Conrad, who came to Atlantic in 1873, from Linn county, and bought out Patrick Kirby's boot and shoe establishment, which had been instituted by that gentleman in the early days of the town's history.

W. B. Jordan, proprietor of the leading boot and shoe house in the city of Atlantic, engaged here in that business, October 4, 1883, succeeding C. C. Conrad, who followed Patrick Kirby, who established the business early in the history of Atlantic. He carries a large and complete stock, amounting at present, October 1884, to over sixteen thousand dollars. His sales for the year ending September 30, 1884, were about twenty thousand dollars. He is located at 416 Chestnut street, in the I. O. O. F. block. Mr. Jordan was born near Sandusky, Seneca county, Ohio, in 1850. In 1866, he went to Rock Island, Illinois, where his parents still reside. He came to Atlantic in 1870, and engaged in farming and stock raising. In 1880 he went to Nebraska and opened a ranch in Wayne county, where he still owns four hundred and eighty acres of improved land. He was there engaged in sheep raising and wool growing. Having property here, he returned and exchanged his farm here, for his present store. Mr. Jordan was married here to Mary R. Morris, daughter of Dr. J. R. Morris. They have five children - Ella T., Ethel, Brice Morris, Jessie E. and William Bartlett.