History of
Fremont and Mills County, Iowa
Chicago: Lewis Pub. Co., 1901.
B
A. G. Bagley has spent the greater part of his life in Fremont county, whither he came
with his parents when fourteen years of age. That was in the year 1859, and the work of
progress and development seemed scarcely begun in this district, which was then situated
on the wild western frontier. The Bagleys ably assisted in laying the foundation for the
present prosperity and development of the county and the name has ever been a synonym for
all that is commendable in citizenship and in private life. He of whom we write is
recognized as one of the leading agriculturists in the vicinity of Randolph. He is
descended from old New England stock and was born in Cuyahoga county, Ohio, April 26,
1844, his parents being Russia and Rebecca (Newell) Bagley.
Russia Bagley was born in Vermont and when a young man emigrated westward to Ohio,
where he found and married Miss Newell, who was a native of Connecticut and with her
parents removed to Cuyahoga county, Ohio, in the pioneer epoch of its history. At that
time Cleveland was a small village, containing only a few houses, and Indians were still
very numerous in the country. There were no mills in that part of the state and the
pioneer settlers had to pound their wheat and corn in mortars in order to make
breadstuffs. the ladies of the household would exchange a pound of butter for a pound of
salt. Many difficulties and hardships were endured in opening up the region to
civilization, but there were also many pleasures known only to pioneer life. The husbands
and fathers entered their land from the government and improved farms. The Bagleys and
Newells were well known and honored people and were actively identified with the work of
progress and improvement there. The father of our subject served through the war of 1812,
and in recognition of the aid which he rendered his government he was given a land
warrant, which he sold.
He was the second in order of birth in a family of five children, the others being
George, a physician, who died in Ohio; Nathaniel, an agriculturist of Putnam county, Ohio;
Parley, who died in Vermont; and Ruth, who also passed away. Russia Bagley's wife, Mrs.
Rebecca Bagley, was the second in ordr of birth in a family of six children, the others
being Polly, now Mrs. Edgel; Mrs. Adelia Colby; John, who died in Buchanan county, Iowa;
Mrs. Almira Baker, of Fremont county; and George, who is a farmer and broom manufacturer.
After the marriage of Russia Bagley and Rebecca Newell they located upon his farm in
Ohio, where they resided for many years, after which that property was exchanged for four
hundred acres of land in Fremont county. Mr. Bagley had not seen the land at the time the
trade was made, and when he came to the west he found that it was wet and not very
profitable, but it has since been drained and has been transformed into a very desirable
property. In 1859 he removed his family to Iowa, making the journey on steamboat by way of
the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. He located upon a portion of his land west of the
Nishnabotna river, not far distant from Randolph, and there he improved a farm, making it
his place of abode for many yers, when he settled on another tract of land in Deer creek.
There he again developed a good farm, making it the permanent place of his residence until
he was called to his final rest, on the 8th of November, 1885, when ninety-four years of
age. He had enjoyed excellent health up to the time of his demise, and only a few days
before his death he had walked to the polls where he cast his vote for the Republican
candidate. He was a strong, athletic man, of brave and fearless nature, always energetic
and industrious. When sixty years of age he could cut four cords of wood in a day, and by
his hard-labor and honest dealing he acquired a comfortable competence for the evening of
life. He never aspired to the honors or emoluments of public office, but served as a
justice of the peace for a number of years. His life was the quiet honest one of the
farmer and at all times he commanded the confidence and respect of those with whom he was
associated.
His wife survived him and spent her last days in the home of her children, dying at the
home of her daughter, Mrs. Clark, December 26, 1894, when ninety-three years of age. Her
husband had been previously married before they were wedded, his first union being with a
Miss Teuman, by whom he had six children, as follows: Helen, who became Mrs. Marble and
died in Chicago, Illinois; Lemath, who became Mrs. Link and died in Kentucky; Mrs.
Margaret Robe; William and Joseph, who died in Ohio; and Lucina, who is living in
Missouri. The children born unto Mr. and Mrs. Bagley were: P. M., a prominent farmer and
capitalist, who died in Fremont county; Mary, now deceased, who was married in Ohio to O.
A. Clark, who entered the army at the time of the Civil war and while he was at the front
she came to her parents in Fremont county, where her husband joined her after the close of
hostilities, becoming a prominent farmer of this locality; Christiana, who is also
deceased; Amy, the wife of William Rusk; A. G., of this review; Fanny, the wife of David
Shultz, a farmer of Mills county; and Alvaretta, who died in childhood. Of the Methodist
church the parents were consistent and faithful members, and into the minds of their
children they early instilled lessons of industry and honesty. Throughout his career the
father was a sturdy farmer of sterling integrity and honor.
A. G. Bagley spent the first fourteen years of his life in his native state and then
accompanied his parents to Iowa, remaining in their home until after he had attained his
majority. He assisted in the work of improving and developing the farm and also spent some
time in schools, but his studies were interrupted by his ill health. He suffered greatly
from chills and fever. At the time of the Civil war, believing that a change of climate
would benefit his health, he made arrangements to accompany the Rev. Moses Payne, who was
engaged in freighting for the government, to New Mexico with ox teams. With other
equipments they took a coffin, for it was feared that Mr. Bagley would not survive the
trip and arrangements were therefore made for the burial. The coffin was put in the wagon
which he drove and he sat on it, slept by it and sometimes in it during the trip to
Mexico, but it was never brought into use for him, as his health improved, but the parson
sold the coffin while they were in the south. Returning home, he resumed farming, and in
1869 he completed his arrangements for a home of his own by his marriage to Miss Elizabeth
Wittenmyer. They located upon a farm in Fremont county, there residing until 1883, when
they removed to a farm in Nebraska. Subsequently Mr. Bagley engaged in merchandising and
in selling farm machinery. In 1885 he returned to Fremont county, locating in Tabor,
having traded his Nebraska land for a large stock of merchandise. He handled farm
machinery and agricultural implements, engaging in that line of business until 1888, when
he again went to Nebraska where he followed farming and stock-raising until 1893. In that
year he became a resident of northwestern Canada, where he carried on the same line of
business until June 1899, when he once more took up his abode in Fremont county, his home
being upon a fine farm in Nishnabotna valley. His residence adjoins the corporation limits
of Randolph. He is now conducting general farming and stock-raising and has a very
valuable and desirable place, in which no modern accessory or convenience is lacking. His
home, recently erected, is a two-story frame dwelling, built in a modern architectural
style, and in the rear are found large barns and substantial outbuildings.
Mrs. Bagley, who for a third of a century has been a faithful companion and helpmate to
her husband on life's journey, is a lady of intelligence and culture, belonging to one of
the honored early families of the state. She was born in Illinois, July 11, 1851, a
daughter of Andrew J. and Martha (Hooper) Wittenmyer, the former a native of Pennsylvania
and the latter of Adams county, Ohio, where they were married. They were of German and
Scotch descent. They removed to Illinois and after a number of years, in 1868, came to
Fremont county, where the father purchased and improved a farm, upon which he continued
through a long period. In the evening of life he removed to Nebraska, where both he and
his wife died, the latter on the 14th of February, 1893, and the former on the 27th of
April, 1894. they were earnest and loyal members of the Methodist church, and in his
political faith Mr. Wittenmyer was first a Whig and afterward a Republican. Their marriage
was blessed with seven children, namely: Frank, a resident farmer of Fremont county; Mrs.
Elizabeth Bagley; Joseph, who is employed as a smelter by a gold-mining company; Carrie,
the wife of James Henry; Anna, the wife of Joseph Henry; William, of South Dakota; and
Emma, the wife of E. Asman. Seven children grace the mariage of Mr. and Mrs. Bagley;
Hattie F., now the wife of Dr. James Richardson, of northwestern Canada; Melvin, who is
living in the same locality; Sylvia, the wife of W. Froste of Canada; Raphael, who also is
living in the British province; Theressa, who makes her home with her sister in Canada;
Verda, who is with her parents; and Claude, who was born September 30, 1887, and is still
under the parental roof. Mr. Bagley exercises his right of franchise in support of the men
and measures of the Republican party, but office-holdings have no attraction for him. He
devotes his time and energies untiringly to his business affairs, in which he has
prospered. His capable management and keen discrimination have been active factors in his
continued success, and today, as the result of his own well-directed efforts, he is
classed among the successful citizens of Fremont county.
Mrs.
Mary A. Bagley is the
widow of P. M. Bagley. From a very
early period in the development of Fremont county the name of Bagley has figured
conspicuously on the pages of its history, especially in the work of reclaiming
the wild lands for purposes of civilization.
Mrs. Bagley has always resided in the Mississippi valley.
She is a native of Hancock
county, Illinois, born April 5, 1846, her parents being Nathan and Ruby (Abbott)
Biddlecome. Her parents were
residents of Ohio but were married in Illinois. Her father's parents were Kentucky people of German lineage,
and on leaving New England took up their abode in the Buckeye state, where they
followed farming. Nathan Biddlecome
was eighteen years of age when he accompanied his parents to Ohio, where he
remained until after he had attained his majority. He also went with his parents to Missouri and later returned
with them to Illinois, where he was married.
subsequently he removed to Iowa, settling in Cedar county, where he
remained until 1850, when, attracted to California by the discovery of gold, he
started across the plains with his family.
They had traveled as far as Council Bluffs when smallpox broke out among
them and as soon as able he returned to Cedar county, continuing at his old home
there for three years. On the
expiration of that period he started for Nebraska, but after reaching Missouri
made a location in that state and did not resume his journey to Nebraska until
two years had passed. However, he
arrived in the latter state in 1854 and cast in his lot with the pioneers of
Brownville, remaining there until 1857, when he removed to Pawnee county and
located a land claim, upon which he made some improvements.
In 1861, however, he sold that
property and came to Fremont county, where again he lived among frontier people
and experienced all the hardships of pioneer life.
Purchasing a tract of unimproved land, he began the arduous task of
transforming it into cultivated fields, and his labors were at length attended
with prosperity. He became one of the leading, influential and successful
farmers of his community and remained upon the old homestead until after the
death of his wife, when he sold the property, having since lived among his
children, spending much of his time in the home of his daughter, Mrs. Bagley.
He has been actively associated with the development and progress of this
portion of the state and has lived to see its wild lands transformed into
beautiful homes and farms, while the county has become settled with a prosperous
and contented people. Land values
have continually increased and labor now brings a good return.
Mr. Biddlecome has long been an earnest and faithful member of the
Christian church, and its teachings have found exemplification in his honorable
career. His wife died January 13,
1897, mourned by a large circle of friends.
She was a daughter of Rufus Abbott, who was of sturdy New England
ancestry. His people were natives
of Connecticut and followed farming. The
children of the Biddlecome family were: Rebecca, Nathan, Ashley, Jane, Joseph
and George. Unto Mr. and Mrs.
Nathan Biddlecome were born five children: Mrs. Clarissa Kelley; Mrs. Bagley;
Minerva, the wife of Ira Ames; Margaret, wife of F. Wheeler, and Elizabeth, the
wife of J. Newell.
Mrs. Bagley, whose name
introduces this record, was born in Illinois and accompanied her parents on
their various removals, coming with the family to Fremont county in 1861.
She assisted her mother in the housework and other such duties until
1864, when she gave her hand in marriage to P.M. Bagley.
He was born near Cleveland, Ohio, on Christmas day of 1835, and died on
the old homestead in Fremont county, February 23, 1899.
Reared in Ohio, he was descended from an honored New England family, his
people having been valued pioneer settlers of Cuyahoga county, Ohio.
They emigrated westward when the Buckeye state was an almost unbroken
wilderness and Cleveland was a village composed of a few houses.
The Indians were yet numerous and roamed at will over the country.
The parents of Mr. Bagley were Russia and Rebecca (Newell) Bagley, the
former a native of Vermont and the latter of Connecticut.
Before his marriage the former removed to Ohio and the latter went to
that state with her parents. His
father and the family afterward became residents of Ohio and all settled in
Cuyahoga county, where land was entered from the government and farms improved. All of the representatives of the family of the older
generations died in Ohio. Russia
Bagley served in the war of 1812, and throughout his life carried on
agricultural pursuits. His brothers
were: George, a physician, who died in the Buckeye state; Nathaniel, deceased
farmer of Putnam county, Ohio; Parley who lived in Minnesota; and his sister was
Ruth, now deceased. The parents
were members of the Methodist church. The
children of the Newell family were; Polly, who became Mrs. Edgel; Rebecca, who
became the mother of P. M. Bagley; Mrs. Adelia Colby; John, who died in Buchanan
county, Iowa; Mrs. Elmira Baker, of Fremont county; and George, a farmer and
broom manufacturer.
Russia Bagley, the
father-in-law of Mrs. Bagley of this review, was the second of the family of
children to which he belonged. After
his marriage he located upon a farm in Ohio, but subsequently exchanged that
property for four hundred acres in Fremont county. He had not seen the land at the time of the purchase and
found it was not very valuable, but it has since been drained and thereby has
been made very productive. In 1859
he took up his abode upon the place, his home being a short distance west of
Randolph, and with characteristic energy he began cultivating and improving the
fields, meeting with a fair degree of prosperity.
He afterward purchased land on Deer creek and improved a second farm,
upon which he spent his remaining days, his death there occurring November 17,
1885, when he had attained the very advanced age of ninety-two years.
He was well preserved and a few days before his demise walked to the
polls and voted the Republican ticket. He
served as a justice of the peace and enjoyed the esteem of all his fellow
townsmen by reason of his honor and integrity.
His wife survived him and passed away at the home of her daughter, Mrs.
Clark, December 26, 1894, at the age of eighty-seven years.
they were earnest Christian people, holding membership in the Methodist
church. Mr. Bagley was twice
married, his first union being with a Miss Toman, by whom he had six children;
Mrs. Helen Marble; Mrs. Elemath Link, who died in Indiana; Mrs. Margaret Robe;
William and Joseph, who died in Ohio; and Lucina, now of Missouri.
By his second marriage to Russia Bagley also had eight children: P.M.,
now deceased; Mary, who became the wife of O. A. Clark and died in Fremont
county; Amy, deceased, was the wife of William Ruse; A. G., a prominent farmer
of Fremont county; and Fanny, the wife of Mr. David Shultz, also an
agriculturist in Mills county. Christina
died in infancy, also an infant son and Elvaretta.
With his father and the
family, P. M. Bagley came to Fremont county in 1859, and from his father he
secured some land, which he improved, thus making a start in business life on a
small scale. After his marriage, in
1864, he located upon his land, and for thirty-five years he and his wife fought
the battle of life together, beginning when the country was new and hard labor
lay before all who wished to make homes in this section of the country.
Prosperity however, attended their efforts, and with one exception they
became the largest tax-payers in the county.
For many years Mr. Bagley was a rather frail man, but his wife was strong
and well, and proved to him a most able assistant and companion, becoming his
confidential adviser in all matters of business.
As he acquired some capital he
purchased stock, believing that stock raising would prove a profitable industry,
as the broad and unclaimed prairies of Iowa offered excellent pasturage.
Ultimately he became on of the most extensive stock-raisers and dealers
in this portion of the country, was recognized as an excellent judge of stock
and seldom erred even in the slightest degree in making his purchases.
His ability as a financier was widely known and his executive force
enabled him to carry forward to successful completion whatever he undertook.
Not only did he realize a handsome profit from the products of the soil
and from his stock interests but also in later years through lending money.
He was conservative, especially in discussing his business affairs. with
friends, relying upon his own judgment, which was rarely if ever at fault.
He found too, that his wife's advice and counsel were very valuable, and
business affairs were discussed between them with mutual profit and
satisfaction. When the business
depression of 1895 occurred and there was little market for land, Mr. Bagley
purchased extensively and thus became the possessor of some of the finest farms
of the county, owning over two thousand acres at the time of his death.
All are now extremely valuable and the Bagley estate is extensive.
Adding continually to his property, our subject thus became the second
highest tax payer in the county.
No children were born unto our
subject and his wife, but the kindness of their heart prompted them to give a
home to Miss Mary Dilts, a little orphan girl, born May 18, 1875.
She became a member of their household when six years of age and has ever
received from them the kindest care and consideration, and in return Mr. and
Mrs. Bagley have ever had from her the love and attention of an own daughter.
In his political views Mr.
Bagley was an influential Republican, and though he never sought office he was
always well informed on the issues and questions of the day.
He was strictly a business man, enterprising, industrious and at all
times reliable. His career was as the day, with its morning of hope, its
noontide of activity, its evening of rest, ending in the grateful quiet of
night. As the result of his own
labors he was enabled to enjoy the comforts and luxuries of life and to provide
amply for his wife, and when called to his final rest he passed away respected
by all who had known him. Mrs.
Bagley still controls the old homestead and the estate, and is a lady of
superior business ability. Her long
association with her husband in his work well qualified her for the
responsibilities which now devolve upon her.
She was reared in the Christian church, with which she has always
affiliated, yet her support is not withheld from other denominations.
Her friends are many and the circle is constantly increasing by reason of
her many excellent qualities of head and heart, which gain for her the respect,
confidence and good will of all with whom she is associated.
Ransdell
Baylor
A prominent and influential
agriculturist and stock-raiser of Scott township, Fremont county, Iowa, is
Ransdell Baylor, the subject of this review.
He was born April 8, 1850, and now resides at his old home, endeared to
him by a thousand recollections. He
was a son of John and Nancy (Bobbitt) Baylor, who emigrated from Kentucky to
Indiana, and were married at Pleasant View, Marion county, in 1843.
The grandfather of our subject, Isaac Baylor, had come to Iowa and
located near Sidney, in 1851, where he died in 1854, aged sixty-two, his wife
having died several years prior to this. In
1849 John Baylor and family came to Fremont county, Iowa, bought a small tract
of land at first and worked hard. At
the time of his death, on September 21, 1871, he owned eleven hundred and twenty
acres of land in this township, together with a quarter section of land
adjoining Sidney, and also owned more cattle and stock than almost any other
farmer in this district at that time. He
was born in Campbell county Kentucky, in 1820, was reared and died in the faith
of the Baptist church and was sincerely mourned by a large circle of friends.
The mother of our subject was
born in 1822 and died November 21, 1880. She
had been the faithful mother of the following children: Caroline, who was born
in Indiana and is the wife of A. M. Chesney, of Tacoma, Washington; Ransdell,
who is the subject of this sketch; Wallace, who resides in Valley Falls, Kansas,
and now lives retired; Senah, who is the widow of R. Keenan, of Des Moines;
Clara, who is the wife of Dr. E. A. Campbell, and died at Willow Springs,
Missouri; and Kate L., who is the wife of E. W. Brooks, of Des Moines.
Our subject had good
educational advantages in his youth, supplemented later by two years at Tabor
College, following which came his marriage, on August 31, 1883, to Miss Carrie
O. Blymyer, who was born in Atchison county, Kansas, December 1, 1859, the
accomplished daughter of John C. and Harriet C. (Bowman) Blymyer, their only
child. Mr. Blymer died in 1851, at
the early age of twenty-eight, and Mrs. Blymyer married Archibald Argyle, but is
now again a widow, with two daughters: Belle, who is the wife of R. S. Tate, in
Sidney, Iowa; and Kate R., who is the wife of R. P. Lindsey and resides in
Sidney. Mrs. Argyle is a well
preserved lady, bearing her sixty-seven years easily, and enjoys life surrounded
by devoted descendants. The only
child of our subject and wife is Fahy Blymyer, who was born on June 8, 1884, and
is a student in Thurman, a bright young man, who will graduate at the early age
of seventeen.
The farm which Mr. Baylor owns
and cultivates comprises four hundred and fifteen acres, which he divides by
planting one hundred acres to corn, realizing fifty bushels to the acre, and
other grains in proportion, breeding a good deal of stock and many cattle, the
latter being shorthorns. He keeps
from seventy-five to one hundred head at one time, breeding from registered
males, and has twenty head of horses, working four double teams.
He utilizes the Poland China stock for his hogs, and considers that far
superior to any other in this locality. This
farm is one of the finest in Fremont county, on account of the productiveness of
the land, the excellence of the improvements and the fine stock of all kinds it
affords for the market.
Mr. Baylor has been long
prominently identified with the Democratic party and has faithfully served as a
township trustee and school director. He
was the choice of his party for the state legislature in 1895, but was defeated
on account of his party being in the minority, although his vote was very
flattering. At the age of
twenty-one he was made a member of the Masonic order and now belongs to the
chapter. Socially he is very
popular in the community, where he and his ancestry have lived so long.
the refined and educated wife of Mr. Baylor is one of the intelligent
leaders of modern life in Thurman. The
beautiful home of Mr. and Mrs. Baylor is one of the most attractive in the
county. Mrs. Baylor has given it
the appropriate name of Sycamore Place, from an
imposing avenue of sycamore trees planted by her husband.
The residence was erected by the father of our subject in 1861, and is
most beautifully located on the side of a bluff, the view taking in many miles
of surrounding country.
Alfred
R. Bobbitt
A prominent citizen, old
settler and successful farmer and stock-raiser of Sidney township, Fremont
county, Iowa, is Alfred E. Bobbitt, the subject of this sketch.
He was born in Kentucky, December 9, 1832, and is a son of James and
Margaret (Mann) Bobbitt, both natives of Kentucky, the former born September 3,
1798, and died February 23, 1866, and the latter, born October 16, 1800, died
November 18, 1873. They were
married in 1821. James Bobbitt was
a son of Randolph Bobbitt, who was born in Virginia, but died in Kentucky.
James Bobbitt was the father of eleven children, our subject being the
sixth of the family, the record being: Nancy Ann, who is the wife of John
Baylor; Martha Ellen, who died in the fall of 1895; Lucinda, who died in
infancy; Ezra, who died in infancy; our subject; Eliza, who was the wife of A.
C. Bonwell, and died in this township; Samuel J. who died in Indiana; Matilda,
who was the wife of T. P. Martin, and died near Thurman in 1863; Joseph, who
died when sixty-four; Mary, who is the wife of T. C. Hatton, resides near
Sidney; and Benjamin C.C., who was a soldier in the Fourth Iowa Cavalry,
enlisting in 1862, and served three years and now resides in Sidney, retired
from business.
The parents of our subject
emigrated to Iowa in 1849 from Marion county, Indiana, leaving there in the
manner of emigrants, with covered wagons, drawn by two-horse teams, their
journey occupying the time from the 15th of September to the middle of November.
They came with limited means, their money amounting to only fifty
dollars, although one hundred dollars was still owing them from the sale of
goods in Indiana. They settled on a government claim, and when it was
resurveyed and came into the market Mr. Bobbitt bought one hundred and sixty
acres, at one dollar and twenty-five cents an acre this tract still belonging to
the family.
Our subject had but meager
school advantages. He was taken
from Kentucky to Marion county, Indiana, in 1833, when two years old.
His recollection of his early school house with its primitive furniture
is still very easily recalled. But
little chance was given him to take advantage of the few opportunities offered.
When he accompanied his family to Iowa, a boy of seventeen, his money was
less than fifty cents. Until
marriage he remained at home assisting his father, the care of the land and
stock requiring hard and persevering work.
The marriage of Mr. Bobbitt
took place on June 21, 1855, to Miss Sarah E. Pugh, a daughter of John and Sarah
(Guard) Pugh. She was born in Ohio,
November 17, 1833, and came to Iowa with her parents in 1854.
They engaged in farming and were respected in the community at the time
of their demise, she at the age of seventy-three, he when he was seventy-five
years old. The children of Mr. and
Mrs. Bobbitt are Orren, who lives at home; Emma, who is the wife of Albert Gore
and resides in Billings, Montana; Emmit, who is a farmer in the vicinity; Clay,
who is a Presbyterian minister in Pottawattamie county, Iowa; Jane, who is the
wife of Max M. Snodgrass, a farmer of this township; Frank, who is a farmer of
this township; Richard, a farmer in this township; Elma, who is the wife of M.
P. Server, a commercial traveler for Fairbanks, Morse & Company; Alma, who
is the wife of Hume Merchant, and resides at Knox, Iowa; and Alba, who died at
the age of five and one-half months. The
three last named were triplets.
The large and productive farm
of Mr. Bobbitt consists of four hundred and ninety acres of fine land, upon
which he conducts general farming, growing corn, wheat, hay and oats, and also
breeds stock of all kinds, horses, mules and many shorthorn cattle, this strain
of cattle meeting with his highest approval. In 1856 he built his first house, but in 1872 it was burned
with all its contents and he then erected his present comfortable brick
residence and two good barns. Peace
and plenty reign on this place, and Mr. Bobbitt is highly regarded by all his
neighbors, he being, with one exception, the oldest settler in the vicinity.
For many years our subject has
been an influential and representative man in the township.
He is a Democrat in his political opinions and has served acceptably as
township trustee and as county commissioner.
socially he has long been connected with the Masonic fraternity, being a
royal Arch Mason, while three of his sons are Master Masons.
He is a charter member of the Cumberland Presbyterian church, the only
one now living in this neighborhood, with which religious denomination his wife
and family are also connected. The family is well and favorably known through a
wide section of country, and possesses the esteem which honest living and
capable public service deserve.
William
L. Bogan, M. D.
William L. Bogan, whose
success as a physician is due to the fact that he is well prepared by
comprehensive learning for his profession and applies himself most closely to
the discharge of his duties, is numbered among the pioneer representatives of
the medical fraternity in Fremont county, where he has made his home since 1872.
Integrity, activity and energy have been the crowning points of success,
and his life history most happily illustrates what may be accomplished by
faithful and continued effort in carrying out an honest purpose.
Dr. Bogan was born in Warrick
county, Indiana, near the Ohio river, March 28, 1832.
His father, Samuel Bogan, was a thrifty and prosperous farmer of that
locality, but was born near Wheeling, West Virginia, and was a son of Levi Bogan,
who served as a soldier in the Revolutionary war and frequently related
incidents of that struggle to his little grandson, William Levi Bogan. These details the Doctor has never forgotten, and his
accounts of the war which brought independence to the nation are therefore
authentic. Samuel Bogan was married
in Indiana, to Miss Catherine Clark, who proved to him a faithful companion and
helpmate on life's journey. She was
a daughter of William Clark, a native of South Carolina.
Mr. and Mrs. Bogan became the parents of three children: Mary DeForrest,
who is living in Mountain View, California; William Levi; and Samuel, deceased.
The father died at the age of twenty-eight years, and the mother was
married twice. Her second husband
was a Mr. Pluck, and unto them were born two children: Patrick, who has now
passed away; and Ann, the wife of Dr. W. W. Daily.
After the death of her second husband the mother married Henry Shrode, of
Warrick county, Indiana. Her death
occurred at the age of ninety-two years, in San Jose, California.
Dr. Bogan, of this review,
spent the days of his childhood and youth in Indiana, and after acquiring an
academic education he entered Asbury University, where he completed his literary
course. He studied medicine under
J. R. Tillman, of Warrick county, Indiana, and was graduated in the medical
department of the Iowa State University, at Keokuk, Iowa, with the class of
1856, winning high honors. Opening
an office in Lynnville, Indiana, he was successfully engaged in practice until
the inaugration of the Civil war, when he raised a company, which joined the
Ninety-first Indiana Infantry and of which he was elected captain.
He served for a time in active field duty and later was assigned to the
position of assistant surgeon. Subsequently,
however, he rejoined his regiment on the field, but ultimately was obliged to
tender his resignation on account of paralysis, from which he suffered in 1864
and from which he never fully recovered. Returning
to his home in Indiana, he resumed the practice of medicine there and remained
in the state of his nativity until 1868, when he removed to Montevallo, Vernon
county, Missouri, where he engaged in practice for four years.
On the expiration of that period he came to Hamburg, where he has since
resided, and soon he took front rank among the practitioners of Fremont county,
a position which he has since maintained.
The Doctor was married in
Dubois county, Indiana, in 1858, to Miss Syrenia M. Aust, a lady of superior
culture and refinement, who to him has been a faithful wife and helpmate on
life's journey. She is a daughter
of Frederick and Matilda (Allen) Aust, both of whom were natives of Tennessee,
but, having removed to the Hoosier state, they reared their family there.
Unto the Doctor and his wife have been born seven children, namely: C.
P., an influential business man of Omaha, Nebraska; William S., who is engaged
in the confectionery business in Hamburg; Mrs. Matilda Catherine Taylor, who is
living on McKissick's Island, Nebraska; Mrs. Bertha May Sturgeon of Hamburg,
Iowa, whose husband is engaged in general merchandising; Mrs. Mary Louise Green
of Hamburg; Nellie A., the wife of Paul Dean, a railroad agent at Hamburg; and
James W., who is engaged in the livery business in Hamburg.
The Doctor gives his political
support to the men and measures of
the Republican party and believes most firmly in its principles.
He once became a candidate for representative, and though he met defeat
on account of the great Democratic strength in this locality, he succeeded in
reducing the usual Democratic majority of four hundred and seventeen.
Such a defeat amounted almost to a victory and plainly indicates Dr.
Bogan's personal popularity and the confidence reposed in him by his fellow
townsmen. Prominent in Masonic
circles, he was made a Mason in Booneville, Indiana, and he now belongs to the
blue lodge council and chapter, to Bruce Commandery, of Red Oak, Iowa, and to
Moilah Temple of the Mystic Shrine, in St. Joseph, Missouri. He is a worthy follower of the ancient fraternity, taking an
active part in its work and upbuilding, and many times he has been called to
office by his brethren. In the
council he has served as thrice illustrious master, and in the chapter as high
priest. The beneficent principles
of the fraternity are exemplified in his life and have gained for him the high
regard not only of his brethren of the order but of those outside the craft.
Captain
Henry Bowen
Among the brave defenders of
the Union during the dark days of the Civil war was Captain Henry Bowen, who is
now living a retired life in Sidney, Iowa.
He was born in Pennsylvania May 25, 1834, a son of Henry and Elizabeth
(Price) Bowen, natives of Wales, where their marriage was celebrated.
The Bowen family was originally from old Brittany.
At an early day the parents of our subject and also the maternal
grandparents, Rees and Anna Price, emigrated from Wales to America and took up
their residence in Pennsylvania, where they spent the remainder of their lives.
Before the railroads were built Mr. Price engaged in teaming, and also
exchanged groceries for farm produce, which he sold to the city markets.
He accumulated considerable property and was living retired as far back
as our subject can remember. He
died in 1857. The Captain's father, who was a contractor in railroad and
canal work, and also engaged in mining, died in Pennsylvania, in 1845, at the
age of forty-five years, and the mother passed away in the same state, in 1862,
at the age of fifty-seven. Of their
eight children three are still living. Our
subject's brother, J. P. Bowen, has been superintendent of the Philadelphia & Reading Coal Company for many years, and William is also interested in
coal mining in Pennsylvania. Three
of the sons were among "the boys in blue" during the Rebellion, and J.
P. would have entered the service, but the coal company, deeming his services as
superintendent too valuable, sent a substitute for him.
Members of this family are noted for their honesty and industry.
Captain Bowen was reared in a
village and was educated in its public schools. Leaving his old home in Pennsylvania he came to Fremont
county, Iowa, in 1858, and worked at the carpenter's trade here for about four
years, though his first labor was the inside finishing of a building across the
line in Missouri. In the fall of
1860 he was elected sheriff of the county, but soon afterward entered the army
as the captain of Company E. Twenty-ninth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, which company
he organized. While in camp at
Council Bluffs the regiment was re-organized, and then ordered to St. Louis,
Missouri, and later to Helena, Arkansas. They
joined Gorman's expedition up White river, and while on that trip Captain Bowen
was taken ill. He returned to his
old home in Pennsylvania, but in August, 1863, rejoined his command, it being
the order of the war department that those on sick leave should report for duty
at the end of sixty days or be discharged if unfit for active service.
He assisted in the capture of Little Rock, and then went to Hot Springs,
but was forced to return to Little Rock, where he was discharged December 15,
1863. His colonel had advised him
not to enter the campaign, but he thought he could stand it, though he soon
found that his strength was not sufficient to engage in active service.
His company and regiment won a prize for the best drilling.
For a year after his return
north Captain Bowen did really nothing but rest, and then engaged in the
furniture business at Sidney for three years.
The following year he engaged in farming on rented land, and for two
years again engaged in business. He
was successfully engaged in the grocery business at Sidney from February, 1873,
until July, 1899, when he sold out and has since lived a retired life, enjoying
a well earned rest.
The Captain has ever taken an
active and influential part in public affairs, and has been honored with
important official positions. In
1872 he was elected supervisor and filled that office for three years, and has
also served as township trustee, councilman, treasurer, and as a member of the
school board for a quarter of a century, discharging his duties with promptness
and fidelity. For thirty years he
has been one of the leading members of the Presbyterian church of Sidney, of
which he has been a trustee and elder for a number of years.
He is a Royal Arch Mason and has been a member of the blue lodge at
Sidney since 1864. He is also a
charter member of Joe Ross Post, No. 209, G.A.R., of that place.
The Captain taught the gentleman for whom this post was named to read and
write. As a citizen he has always been true and faithful to every
trust reposed in him, so that his loyalty is above question, being manifest in
days of peace as well as when he followed the old flag to victory on southern
battlefields.
Robert
J. Bradley
One of the most energetic and
enterprising men of Percival is Robert J. Bradley, who was born in Boston,
Massachusetts, July 31, 1829. His
father, Edward Bradley, was a native of Dumfriesshire, Scotland, born in 1781,
and prior to 1825 he crossed the Atlantic to America locating in New Brunswick,
in the British possessions there. Prior
to the great fire he had taken up his abode in the new world and was an eye
witness of the awful conflagration of 1825, known as the great Marimichi fire,
which originated in the forest and was appalling in its destructiveness.
Soon afterward Mr. Bradley removed with his wife to Boston.
He was married to Miss Sarah Newton, of Guisboro, Nova Scotia, whose
father served as an artilleryman under King George and was stationed at Quebec
during the war of the Revolution but subsequently removed to Guisboro.
He was commander of one of the vessels at the time of the capture of
Quebec.
The father of our subject was
a man of high scholarly attainments. He
had acquired a collegiate education in Edinburgh, had prepared for the ministry,
preaching the gospel in the Presbyterian church, and was also a life-long
teacher, and through a long and active career he devoted his energies toward the
improvement of the intellectual and moral condition of the people among whom he
lived. After residing in the United
States for some time he returned to New Brunswick, where he died in 1841, having
survived his wife a number of years, her death occurring in 1834.
She left six children, three sons and three daughters: Louisa, who became
the wife of Neil McNutt, died in the fall of 1899, at the age of seventy-four,
leaving one son and two grandchildren; Maria A., is the widow of Robert Barbour,
of New Brunswick, at the age of twenty-nine years; Gilbert S. died in New
Brunswick, at the age of twenty-eight; and Sarah became Mrs. Goodwin, of New
Brunswick, and now has six children.
Robert J. Bradley, whose name
introduces this record, lost his mother when he was five years of age.
He did not live at home until he was ten years of age, after which he
spent one year with his family. On
the expiration of that period he secured a position as an errand boy in the town
of Bathurst, New Brunswick, receiving two dollars per month in compensation for
his services, through a period of eight months.
At the age of seventeen he apprenticed himself to learn the tanner's and
currier's trade in New Brunswick, serving for a term of four years, during which
time he received ten dollars per month. He
subsequently worked as a journeyman currier for three years, and at the age of
twenty-four he accepted a position as finisher of morocco in Providence, Rhode
Island, where he remained for two years. Subsequently
he engaged in the daguerreotype business, having a photographic car on wheels.
In this way he traveled through Rhode Island and Connectifut, and at
Willimantic he sold the enterprise preparatory to going to the west. At the age of twenty-eight years he made his way to Detroit,
Michigan, where he purchased an ambrotype outfit and with this traveled through
the Wolverine state. In 1859 he
located his art gallery in Coldwater, Michigan where he carried on business
until 1861.
In that year Mr. Bradley put
aside all personal interests and responded to President Lincoln's call for
troops, enlisting as a member of Company A, of the First Michigan Battery of
Light Artillery. He remained in the
service for two years and was mustered out as third sergeant.
In 1863 he returned to Coldwater, where for a year he remained as a
convalescent, it requiring that time for him to recover from his army
experiences. In March, 1864, Mr.
Bradley went to Salt Lake, where he followed the currier's trade until December,
1864, and then made his way to Omaha, Nebraska, where he entered the service of
the Creightons as a teamster on the plains, for the United States government,
driving a four mule team to Laramie and Kearney.
This work he continued until May, 1866, receiving thirty-five dollars per
month and his expenses. He was next
engaged in the construction of the Kansas City, St. Joseph & Burlington
Railroad, driving a team until the winter of 1866-7, which he spent in Eureka,
Iowa. He afterward worked on the railroad for two seasons and in
1869 he removed to Benton township, becoming one of the pioneer settlers of this
locality. He began farming as a
tenant, but afterward purchased eight lots and erected a house in 1872.
In the flood of 1881 he suffered a heavy loss occasioned by the water
and, like many others, he went to Kansas, where he engaged in railroad building.
On again coming to Iowa Mr.
Bradley located in Percival and opened a little stock of groceries in his
present store. His trade grew and
he enlarged his facilities to meet the growing demand. He sold all of his town lots with the exception of the one
upon which stands his store building. Here
he is successfully carrying on business, his well directed efforts bringing to
him a good return. In March, 1900,
his niece, Mrs. Sarah Peterson and her son, a lad of fourteen years, came to
Percival to keep house for Mr. Bradley and are now living with him.
In his political views he is a stalwart Republican and has served as road
supervisor and constable. He was
reared a Scotch Presbyterian, but does not hold membership in the church.
Socially he is a Master Mason. His
has been a somewhat varied experience and now he is successfully engaged in the
conduct of a mercantile business in Percival, where he is widely and favorably
known.
J.
H. Bright
The broad prairies and the
rich valley lands of Iowa offer splendid inducements to the agriculturist, and
thus was attracted to the state a contented, intelligent and prosperous farming
people, who laid broad and deep the foundation for the present progress and
development of the county. Among
the early settlers where the parents of our subject, Mahlon and Eliza (Abel)
Bright.
The father was a native of
Virginia and was of Irish descent. In
the Old Dominion he was reared to manhood and in Pennsylvania he was married to
Miss Eliza Abel, who was born in the Keystone state, where they began their
domestic life, remaining there until 1855, when they came to Iowa, locating in
Lee county. After renting a farm
for two years the father purchased a small tract of land in Henry county, upon
which he remained for a quarter of a century, but in 1883 he sold that property
and came to Fremont county, where he became the owner of a small tract of land
upon which he remained until after the death of his wife in February 1892.
He afterward found a good home with his son, J. H., with whom he lived
until his own demise, February 27, 1893.
His life was one of industry and activity, devoted to his business
interests. In his political views
he was a Whig and on the dissolution of that party he became a Republican, on
which ticket he was elected a constable of Henry county, serving in that
capacity for ten years, with marked fidelity.
However, he never sought public office contented to live the quiet life
of a representative agriculturist. A
man five feet, eight inches in height, he was of a rather stout build, of a
social nature and of a charitable disposition, the poor and needy finding in him
a warm friend. His genial manner
won for him the high regard of neighbors and friends, for he always manifested
sterling traits of character, being a devoted and exemplary member of the
Presbyterian church. He had only
one brother, Eugenius Bright, who is yet living in Virginia. His wife was the youngest of three children, her brothers
being James, who died in Iowa; and Allen, who resides in Wayne county, this
state. Unto the parents of our
subject were born five children: Delia, of Burlington, Iowa, who married a Mr.
Bradd, and after his death became Mrs. Bird; Lebbeus, who married Amanda Olinger,
of Fremont county; J. H., of the review; Aaron, who is living in Page county,
Iowa; and Mrs. Alice Pizett.
J. H. Bright was born in
Greene county, Pennsylvania, February 28, 1846, and pursued his education in the
old log school house near his home. When
nine years of age he accompanied his parents to Iowa and was reared to manhood
in this state. His training at farm
labor was not meager and the habits of industry and energy which he formed in
youth have since been salient features in his success.
He remained under the parental roof until 1864, when at the age of
eighteen years, he responded to the country's call for men, enlisting in the
Union army for three years service as a member of Company K, Fourth Iowa
Cavalry. The regiment was assigned
to the Army of the Tennessee, and he joined the command at Memphis, that state,
at once entering upon active and arduous service.
The first battle in which Mr. Bright engaged was at Guntown, Mississippi,
on the 7th of June, 1864. He was
afterward taken severly ill and placed in the field hospital.
Soon the surgeon in charge noticed his condition and advised and secured
for him a thirty days furlough. He
was then sent home and upon his recovery and the expiration of his leave of
absence he again joined his command at Memphis.
The regiment soon went into winter quarters at Louisville, Kentucky and
in March 1865, proceeded to Gravel Spring, Alabama, and thence took part in the
Wilson raid in that state and Georgia. Mr.
Bright participated in the engagement at Selma, Alabama, and with his command
proceeded to Columbus, Georgia, where at night they stormed and captured the
city. From there they continued on
their way to Macon, Georgia, where they were at the time of Lee's surrender.
They were then marched to Atlanta, where they were mustered out and
received transportation to Davenport, Iowa, being honorably discharged and paid
off in the latter city.
On returning home Mr. Bright
resumed work on his father's farm and afterward engaged in breaking prairie,
which pursuit he followed for four years, thus gaining a start in life.
His labors, earnestly prosecuted, have enabled him to accumulate a large
estate. In 1873 he was married and
for two years resided upon rented land, after which he purchased a small tract
in Taylor county, Iowa, but never made any improvements on it.
Subsequently he sold the land and purchased two lots in Shenandoah,
erected thereon a house, which continued to be his place of abode for two years.
On the expiration of that period he sold that property and bought one
hundred and twenty acres of land, which he yet owns.
With characteristic energy he began its development and has prosecuted
his work with vigor. As time has
passed he has extended his possessions, purchasing a tract of one hundred and
sixty acres, upon which his ;home now stands, and adding to this from time to
time until he now owns fourteen hundred acres of valuable land, much of which is
in the Nishnabotna valley. He has
given his undivided attention to farming and stock raising and for nineteen
years has been an extensive breeder and shipper of cattle and hogs. His home is a two-story, frame residence, large and
attractive in appearance and commanding an excellent view of his own well-tilled
fields and of the beautiful valley. Upon
the place are two large barns and many substantial outbuildings, together with a
bearing apple orchard and a peach orchard of over four thousand trees.
Beautiful and extensive groves surround his home and every accessory seen
upon a model country seat is there found. The
residence is situated three and a half miles west of Shenandoah and is connected
to the city by telephone. His is
indeed a model and up-to-date home and indicates in an unmistakable manner the
progressive spirit of the owner.
Mr. Bright was united in
marriage to Miss Mary Beshears, a representative of one of the honored pioneer
families of Iowa. She was born in
this state January 6, 1855, a daughter of Joel and Helen (Scott) Beshears, who
were natives of Louisiana. They
came to Iowa when but few families resided within the territory and were among
the earliest pioneers of this portion of the country.
The father made a good farm, accumulated a large estate and left to each
of his children land for a homestead. After
many years he removed to Missouri, where his last days were spent.
His widow still survives him and is now living with a son in South
Dakota. Their children were: Mary,
now Mrs. Bright; Mrs. Anna Johnson; and Charles, who for many years has
successfully engaged in farming in South Dakota.
After the death of her first husband, the mother became the wife of a Mr.
Carroll, who is now deceased, and by their union she had one son, Scott Carroll.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Bright have been born seven children: Nellie, a
successful school teacher, now employed in the line of her profession near
Denver, Colorado; Jesse D., of Shenandoah; Pearl B., the wife of L.R. Walker, a
farmer of Fremont county; Effie A.; Anna Myrtle; Roy E. and Glenn E., all at
home. On the 24th of September,
1891, the wife and mother was called to the home beyond, leaving her family and
many friends to mourn her loss.
Mr. Bright was reared in the
political faith of the Republican party and has always been a stalwart advocate
of its principles. He has served as
justice of the peace and in other local offices, but does not seek public
preferment, his time being fully occupied by his business affairs.
His has been a most energetic and useful career.
His close application, his unfaltering purpose and his straightforward
business methods have enabled him to work his way steadily upward to a prominent
position among the substantial residents of the community and now he stands upon
the plane of affluence, being able to surround his family with all the comforts
and many of the luxuries which go to make life worth living.
Nathan Brown
During his early boyhood, Nathan Brown came to Fremont county and is now numbered among
the old settlers, for when he arrived here the county was in its primitive stages of
development. He was born in Cedar county, Missouri, in 1846, a son of L. D. Brown, who was
born in Ohio and in early manhood went to Indiana, in which state he was united in
marriage to Miss Sophia Beson, who was born in Ohio. In 1850 they removed to Nebraska
City, Nebraska, and in that locality the father secured a claim. The Indians were still
numerous and game of all kinds was abundant. The country was a tract of raw prairie and
the work of progress and improvement seemed scarcely begun, for at that time there was not
a single railroad in the state of Iowa. Shortly after his arrival in the west the father
took up his abode in Washington township, Fremont county, where he has since lived, being
now eighty-one years of age. He owns a farm near Harmony and is regarded as one of the
venerable and useful citizens of the community, receiving the respect which should ever be
accorded to old age. In his family were five children: James, who served as a soldier in
the Civil war and is now living in Kansas City, Missouri; Nathan; Mrs. Jane Slusher;
Edward, who is living in Washington township; and Mason. The mother of these children died
at the age of sixty-two years, and her death was mourned by many friends., for she
possessed these sterling qualities of character which everywhere awaken respect and
regard.
Nathan Brown was only five years of age when he became a resident of Fremont county,
and upon the old homestead farm he was reared. As soon as old enough to handle the plow he
took his place in the fields and assisted in every department of the farm work, thus
gaining that practical knowledge which enabled him to profitably carry on business for
himself along the same line. His educational privileges were those afforded by the common
schools. In 1864 he responded to the country's call, enlisting when eighteen years of age
as a member of Company A, First Nebraska Cavalry, under Colonel R. R. Livingston and Major
Thomas Majors. The company was commanded by Captain E. P. Gillett, while General Thayer
was in command of the division. He was a brilliant and gallant officer and later became a
politician of note. The regiment saw active duty on the frontier, waging war against the
Indians on the plains. That command was in several engagements and lost a number of its
men in battle. They were on the march from Nebraska City to Colorado, Wyoming and other
points of the far west and were constantly on the alert to prevent the uprising of the
Indians against the people on the frontier. In 1866 Mr. Brown was honorably discharged,
after two years' service and was mustered out at Omaha, Nebraska, after which he returned
to his old home and resumed the quiet pursuits of the farm.
At the age of twenty-two, in 1868, Mr. Brown was united in marriage to Miss Ellen
Burrows, who was born in Union county, Ohio, near Marysville, in 1849, a daughter of
William E. Burrows, a native of Massachusetts. Her mother was in her maidenhood Miss
Pamelia Burrows. She was born in New York and was a second cousin of her husband. Her
death occurred in Kansas when she was sixty-two years of age, and her husband passed away
in Hamburg, at the ripe old age of eighty-four years. By occupation he was a shoemaker and
followed that pursuit through a long period. He, too, served his country at the time of
the Civil war, enlisting in the One Hundred and Twenty-first Ohio Infantry. He afterward
became a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, gave his political support to the
Republican party and held membership in the Christian church. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Burrows
were born eleven children, five sons and six daughters, and three of the sons aided in the
defense of the Union when rebellion in the south threatened its destruction. Franklin and
Horace were members of the One Hundred and Twenty-first Ohio Infantry, and the latter laid
down his life on the altar of his country, while Leonard defended the starry banner as a
member of the One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Ohio Infantry. Other children of the family
are Frances, Harriet, Caroline and Mrs. Brown. The marriage of our subject and his wife
has been blessed with eleven children, as follows: Lola, the wife of Charles McCracken, of
Washington township, Fremont county; Mrs. Daisy Thorp, of Hamburg; Emma; Edward; Lillie,
the wife of George Baker; Earl, Fay, Harry, Tracy, Kenneth and Gladys. The family reside
upon a good farm of sixty acres of rich bottom land and Mr. Brown is recognized as an
enterprising and successful agriculturist.
C. D.
Butterfield
It would be difficult to find one who more
fully and ably typifies the western spirit of progress and enterprise than
C. D. Butterfield, the cashier of the Farmers' and Merchants' State Bank,
of Hamburg, Iowa. A man of
marked ability, his success in business has been uniform and rapid and he
has contributed a due quota toward the material prosperity of the city in
which he makes his home. He
is widely and favorable known here, and the history of his career will
undoubtedly be read with interest by many of his friends.
Mr. Butterfield was born in the beautiful
village of Hiawatha, in Brown county, Kansas, on the 20th of September,
1869, and is a son of John B. Butterfield, a well-known business man of
Hamburg, who was born in Maine and was reared in the east, where he
acquired his education. After
attaining his majority he came to the Mississippi
valley, taking up his abode in Brown county, Kansas, where he met
and married Miss Elizabeth Paschall, of Hiawatha.
She is a native of Ohio and spent her girlhood days in that state
and in Kansas. During the
early boyhood of their son, C. D., Mr. and Mrs. Butterfield came to
Hamburg, where they have since resided, the year of their arrival being
1876. A well known business
man here, the father is connected with the firm of H. G. Butterfield & Company, and is accorded a prominent position in commercial circles.
The children of the family are: C. D., of this review; Alpha,
deceased; and Harry G., also a well-known business man of the town.
C. D. Butterfield was a youth of only seven
summers when brought by his parents to Hamburg, and therefore the greater
part of his life has been spent in this city.
He attended its schools and enjoys the sports in which boys of the
period indulged. After
attaining man's estate he took his place in the business world and is now
regarded as an intelligent and reliable business man of marked ability,
industry and perseverance, and today he occupies the responsible position
of cashier of the Farmers' and Merchants'
Bank, which was organized in 1882 and
reorganized as a state bank in 1896.
It is one of the solid financial institutions of the county and is
well conducted along safe and reliable business lines. Those in control have ever adhered to a conservative policy,
yet this has not barred out progressiveness, and the business of the bank
has constantly increased until a very satisfactory dividend is annually
declred. Mr. Butterfield
makes a popular cashier, for his manner is genial, his courtesy unfailing
and at the same time, he is prompt, energetic and notably reliable in
business transactions.
Mr. Butterfield was united in marriage to
Miss Alice Birkhimer, and their pleasant home in Hamburg is noted for its
gracious hospitality. Politically
Mr. Butterfield is a Republican and has frequently been chosen to act as a
delegate to county, congressional and state conventions, for his opinions
carry weight in public councils. The
cause of his party is dear to his heart, for he believes that it contains
the best elements of good government and his is a true and loyal American
spirit. Socially he is
connected with Jerusalem Lodge, No. 257, F. & A.M.
He likewise belongs to the chapter, council and commandery at Red
Oak, Iowa to Moilah Temple, of St. Joseph, Missouri, and to the Knights of
Phthias fraternity. In
private and public life he is ever courteous and manly, inflexible in his
integrity and has the warm regard of many friends.
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