Cass County >> 1884 Index

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

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Unless otherwise noted, biographies submitted by Dick Barton.

HENRY L. SAMPSON, son of Jonathan and Lois Sampson, was born in Cass county, Michigan, August 28, 1840. Jonathan Sampson died in that county in 1868. His widow is now living at the homestead with her son Lafayette Sampson. Henry L. left home at the Age of eighteen years, in the fall of 1858, and came to Iowa. He spent one winter in Jasper county, and the following spring in company with his elder brother, Edson Sampson, went to Kansas, where they remained less than two months, and then went to California, crossing the plains with ox teams and three cows. They made a leisurely and pleasant trip, consuming six months of time. They spent five years in that State, engaged in mining and transportation business. The two were together the greater part of the time. They went from that State to Nevada, where they kept hotel and boarding house, nine miles from Austin. While in this business they made and lost money. Henry L. Sampson was married in Nevada, January 2, 1865, to Maggie Perkins, a daughter of E. G. and Rachel Perkins, who were at that time residents of that State, but now live in this township. The marriage ceremony was performed by the Rev. J. P. Culver, who was the only clergyman known of in that vicinity, and who proved to be an old acquaintance of Mr. Sampson's. Mrs. Sampson was born in Bureau county, Illinois, September 16, 1844. They left Nevada and returned to the east, via San Francisco, Panama and New York city. They spent two months at Mr. Sampson's old home in Michigan, then went to Bureau county, Illinois, and remained four years, engaged in farming. In 1869, they removed to Stearns county, Minnesota, where he was engaged in the agricultural implement trade at St. Cloud, also worked a rented farm. Two years later they came to Cass township, Cass county, Iowa, purchasing then (December, 1871,) their present farm, which contains forty acres, located in section 12. Mr. and Mrs. Sampson have eight children Ñ Elijah, Rachel, Mary, William, Carrie, Viola, James and Isaac.

JOHN SEAMAN, and his son, Frederick August, came to Franklin township, in 1857. Mr. Seaman, the elder, was a native of Germany , who had emigrated to the "Land of the Free" in 1853. He had located near Watertown , Wisconsin , on his arrival, but removed to Cass county as stated above. He pre-empted the farm now owned by J. Pollock, on section 20, where he lived unto the day of his death, which occurred in March, 1867. Frederick A, his son, was born in Germany , in 1843, and was fourteen years old when he came here. During the war he enlisted in company I, Twenty-third Iowa Infantry, and served three years. After his term of service had expired he returned to this county, and now lives on section 20.

SOLOMON A. SHAW owns one hundred and sixty acres of fine, cultivated land on section 14, which he purchased in 1881 of Dr. W. Bradway. He was born in Pennsylvania on the 16th of January, 1846 , and is the son of Solomon and Mary (Zieger) Shaw. His father is now living in Mahaska county, Iowa , his mother having died in June, 1884. Our subject removed to Ohio when two years of age, and settled in Montgomery county, where he resided until eleven years of age, when he removed with his parents to Mahaska county, and there received his education. Then he attended the school at ottumwa , and there graduated in May, 1874. He then came to Cass county, and while in Atlantic , was engaged as clerk for H. G. Sharp. He remained in that employment about five years, when he settled north of Atlantic , and remaining there until 1881, when he removed to his present location. Mr. Shaw was married on the 17th of January, 1876 , to Mattie Gillespie. They are the parents of four children - Franklin, Fred, Emma and Grace. Mr. Shaw has taught a number of terms of school in Jasper county, and is at present the sub-director of district No. 3, in this township. Mr. Shaw and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church.

AUSTIN E. SMITH, on section 35, came here in 1871 and bought two hundred and fifty acres of land. At the time of his purchase there was a small frame house upon the place and sixty acres broken. He has since enlarged the house and built a large frame barn. He has all the land improved and is engaged in raising graded stock. He is a native of Ohio, born in Green county, March 28,1823. When he was two years of age, his parents removed to Gelana, Illinois, where his father engaged in mining lead. They lived in Galena and vicinity until 1828, then moved to Missouri and remained two years. Then they moved to Quincy, Illinois, where they lived until the spring of 1833, when they returned to Galena. The following July they moved to Dubuque, then in the Northwestern Territory. In 1838, his father entered government land, six miles from the city, to which he removed his family. There the subject of this sketch grew to manhood. He was married January 26, 1847, to Maryette Estabrook, a native of Essex county, New York, After his marriage he settled upon the homestead, and remained till 185l, when he traded for land in the western part of the county, to which they removed. The following year (1852) he went to California, going overland with a pack horse, and was on the road seventy-four days. He worked at mining in different parts of the State, remaining there two years, then returned home and resumed farming. In 1860 he went to Pike's Peak and spent a few months in mining, returned and remained until 1864, when he again started for the mines, going this time to Montana. After an absence of one and a half years he returned to Dubuque county, where he remained until 1871. Mr. and Mrs. Smith have bad eleven children Ambrose C., Harriet A., Francis V., Mary Florence, Laura A., James A., Eliza A, Nancy M., George A, Margaret A., and Clara Bell. Clara Belle was born January 20,1869, and died July 31, 1870.

FREDERICK STOODT, one of the old settlers of this township, came here in the summer of 1856, and on the 24th of August, of that year, purchased the claim of Charles Jackson, on the southeast quarter of section 7, where he is still living. Mr. Stoodt is a native of Germany , and was born on the 1st of October, 1813 . He came to the United States in June, 1847, and located in Richland County , Ohio . From there he removed to Allen county, in the same State, and from the latter to Cass county, and settled as above. In 1863, Mr. Stoodt and his family went to Colorado , and engaged in mining and were quite successful. Returned to the farm in 1865. His wife was Mary Koheiser, who was born in the same town in Germany as her husband, on the 1st of February, 1821 . They have three sons, all residents of the township.